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princetonuniversitypress · 7 months ago

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Molds, Mushrooms, and Medicines

This is the story of the human relationship with the fungi, from the billions of yeasts that live in the digestive system and cover our skin, to the fungi that we use as food and to produce medicines, and our dependence on mushroom colonies that sustain forests. Nicholas Money takes readers on a guided tour of a marvelous unseen realm, describing the continuous conversation between our immune systems and the teeming mycobiome inside the body, and how we can fall prey to life-threatening infections when this peaceful coexistence is disrupted. He also explores our complicated relationship with fungi outside the body, from wild mushrooms and cultivated molds that have been staples of the human diet for millennia to the controversial experimentation with magic mushrooms in the treatment of depression.

What is the big idea behind your book?

NPM: The big idea is that we are affected by fungi throughout our lives, from our fetal life in the womb, to birth, childhood, adulthood, and at the end of life. Fungi affect our bodies after death too, when their colonies participate in the decomposition of the solid tissues in the soil. The fungi are with us at every moment, in an intimate fashion as they reproduce on the skin and in the digestive system, and in an extended way when we use them as a source of food and medicines. This is an ancient relationship that has changed during our evolutionary history and intensified when we developed agricultural practices and, most recently, as we have adopted fungi in biotechnology. Our interactions with the fungi go even further when we think about our dependence on their ecological activities, including the roles of the fungi in fertilizing soils, purifying water, and supporting plants by forming mycorrhizas with their roots. I wanted to tell the whole story in this book, which has captivated me since I began working on the fungi as a graduate student in the 1980s. It is easy to dismiss the fungi as the stuff of fairy tales, but there is so much more to the deep relationship between humans and fungi.

What is one of the features of the book that you think will surprise readers?

NPM: The fast pace of discovery in medical mycology is really inspiring. Earlier generations of mycologists misunderstood the fungi that they found on the body, regarding most of them as germs that damaged hospital patients and overlooking the significance of the yeasts growing peacefully on everyone else. Even when molecular genetic techniques began to reveal the incredible diversity and number of microbes in the gut, the fungi were missed because the methods were limited to identifying the DNA sequences of bacteria. This picture is changing at last, and new investigative methods are exposing the yeasts and molds multiplying from scalp to toes on the outside of the body and from mouth to anus on the inside. As this examination of the fungi has proceeded, the vision of the microbiome as a mostly bacterial territory has shifted to an appreciation of the diverse communities of fungi that fight and cooperate with bacteria through webs of chemical interactions to make a living on the body. Through these innovations we are beginning to fathom the extraordinary influence of the mycobiome on our health and well-being.

“Appreciating the fungi … can begin with something as simple as looking at a mushroom—this beautiful oddity of nature—or inhaling the wondrous scent of a handful of rotting pine needles. There is so much beauty in this orgy of decomposition.”

What did you find most surprising when you were researching the subject of the mycobiome (the fungal part of the microbiome)?

NPM: The size of fungal cells is an esoteric detail with huge consequences. Billions of fungi, mostly yeasts, live in the gut alongside trillions of bacteria. These gut fungi weigh no more than a raisin, but their combined surface area is equivalent to an eight-person dining table. This huge area of fungal cell wall material is moving through the digestive system all the time, which may explain how the fungi punch above their weight in their effects on our health. Recent research has shown that yeasts and molds are associated with a range of illnesses in the gut ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to colorectal cancer. Although it is difficult to distinguish between cause and effect when we find changes in the numbers and types of fungi in these illnesses, some specialists are convinced that the fungi are a missing link in medicine.

What concerns you most about the future of our relationships with the fungi?

NPM: The ecological importance of the fungi, including their role in supporting plant growth and their efficiency as decomposers has led popularizers of mycology to suggest that fungi can restore logged forests, clean water polluted by oil spills, and even break down radioactive waste. These claims are unfounded, but they have convinced many young people that there are relatively simple remedies for the human impact on the biosphere. The actions of the fungi are amazing, but they will not save us from ourselves. In a similar vein, many of the assertions about the medicinal properties of mushrooms are absurd. Mycology is a field that has attracted a lot of wishful thinking, but I have always believed that the facts about the biology of the fungi are far more interesting than the fiction. This book sets the record straight.

Did anything make you laugh as you worked on this book project?

NPM: There is great humor in some of the pronouncements made by the more colorful figures who have promoted mycology in the last century. For example, Terence McKenna, who took “heroic doses” of drugs in the 1970s, declared that the psilocybin molecule found in magic mushrooms was so unusual that it must have originated elsewhere in the galaxy. He went on to postulate that psilocybin mushrooms were a higher form of intelligence that had arrived from outer space and shaped the evolution of the human brain. Although he faces some stiff competition, McKenna’s alien mushroom theory is one of the least enlightening things ever written about fungi. When you have made the scientific study of mycology your life’s work, as I have done, it impossible to treat anyone who takes an idea like this seriously as anything but a buffoon.

What is one of the questions that continues to puzzle researchers about the fungi?

NPM: Despite decades of research, we are a long way from understanding why only a few hundred of the hundreds of thousands of species of fungi damage our tissues. There are some clues. These include the way that some fungi can evade the body’s defenses by hiding inside the cells of the immune system until they find themselves inside the central nervous system. This is known as the Trojan Horse strategy and allows these microbes to reach the brain and cause mayhem. On the other hand, pathogenic fungi are not attacking us in any deliberate fashion, because the body is a dead end for them. Unlike viruses, fungi get stuck in our tissues and cannot get out. Some investigators are convinced that coping with the warmth of the body is a big part of the explanation for fungal virulence, but this mild thermotolerance is probably inconsequential. Tens of thousands of fungi that live in the soil can grow at our body temperature and never cause disease. The difference lies in the chemical conversations between the body and the microbes that cause problems, which explains why damage to the immune system makes us so vulnerable to fungal infections.

“Life without fungi is impossible. There are as many of them living on the human body as there are stars in the Milky Way and, more importantly, they have a far greater influence on our lives than all but one of these galactic incinerators. They are everywhere and will outlive us by an eternity: in myco speramus.”

Nicholas P. Money is professor of biology at Miami University in Ohio and the author of many books on fungi and other microbes, including The Rise of Yeast: How the Sugar Fungus Shaped Civilization, Mushrooms: A Natural and Cultural History, and Microbiology: A Very Short Introduction.

#fungi #mushrooms #princeton university press #nicholas money

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scribbleseas · 1 year ago

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Beyond the Walls, Chapter 2: Mother Nature

Description: It's the year 850.

You are a renowned scientist who narrowly saved the world from impending famine and malnourishment with a myriad of agricultural advancements after Wall Maria fell, surrendering acres of farmland to titans. However, your innovations are not quite enough to be a permanent solution, given that their yield rate is nowhere near ideal. Many are still starving, costs for bread and vegetables are still high, and refugee rations remain low

Convinced that the only sustainable answers can come from the natural world outside the walls, you implore Survey Corps Commander Erwin Smith to allow you to join his company’s ranks for their next expedition. His only condition? You must be trained in omni-directional mobility gear under Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, Captain Levi Ackerman, to qualify for the expedition as a soldier. Despite having no demonstrated prowess outside your trusty greenhouse, you willingly accept Erwin’s terms, desperate to prove your hypothesis. However, during your time with the Captain, you soon learn that there is more to the stoic and strong soldier that meets the eye, and instead, you have much more in common that you would have guessed. Not even you, a certified genius in the horticulture field, could predict the blossoming romance between you.

Is your commitment to saving humanity enough for you to endure extensive training under the scrutinizing Captain? Or will it be your unexpected feelings for him that ultimately distract you from your original experiment?

Content Warnings: Violence, gore, death, swearing, eventual kissing, eventual smut, human-eating titans, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder

Author’s Note: Hi Everyone! This was sooooo overdue. That being said, though, please let me know how you feel about this one! Believe it or not, this is only my third time writing Captain Levi. I really hope he’s in character for you all. I’m probably going to try to post the next chapter of Straight Laced next, but since I started the Fall Semester at my university, I can’t give you a date estimate. Shit happens, unfortunately.

Another announcement, I know I said I was going to post a poll about my next Ciel story, but I actually the next one myself lol. But on the bright side, I know you’ll all like it.

Thank you so so much for reading and staying patient with my terrible date estimates. (I know I originally said September 3rd for this one…)

Well, as always, Happy Reading!

- Dan

“I can’t even begin to tell you how jazzed I was when Erwin said you’d be joining us,” Section Commander Hange Zoë’s grin was nothing but radiant, alight with hope. Their hand rested on your forearm amicably as you walked through the Survey Corps’ Headquarters.

You and Hange were correspondents long before you started your first aeroponics prototype, about a decade ago. Hange was your colleague, watching your hypothesis about landless planting develop with rapt fascination. You studied together up until the moment they decided to join the Survey Corps and focus their scientific genius on understanding titans. Meanwhile, you decided to continue your studies, pursuing a certification as a medic and a focus on agronomy, the study and practice of soil and crop management.

Even with the distance between your respective research, you kept well in touch. It was Hange’s frantic encouragement that inspired you to make your direct appeal to Erwin Smith. They referred to the Commander as a visionary before you ever had.

Hange had met you at the main entrance and insisted that they were your tour guide for the day. At the same time, a team of cadets started to move your belongings, deaf to your protests. While most of your belongings were equipment for the greenhouse and your experiments, rather than personal items, there were still a great deal of heavy boxes that needed moving. You felt sorry for the cadets tasked with the activity— especially in this heat— but Hange seemed to think little of it, telling you to let the young kids get their energy out.

They said it as if the two of you were approaching your fifties, rather than your thirties.

The corner of your lips pulled upwards in an answering half-smile. “I know. I’ve missed you,” you admitted, taking in the expansive halls. The headquarters was an old regal castle in the countryside, the hallways lined with large windows that allowed the summer sun to stream in. Despite the antiquated architecture, the premises seemed to be extremely well taken care of, there was no hint of dust, nor one blade of unruly grass. In fact, it was so picturesque, that you suspected that no onlooker would think to assume it was a military headquarters and instead, assume it was a wealthy residence.

“Well, Y/n, as did I. That’s why I made sure Erwin made me your tour guide,” Hange exclaimed. “There are a few places I want to show you, some people I want you to meet…come this way!”

You walked with Hange obediently, content with following them around the base. The tour started with your private quarters (the cadets left all of your boxes on the floor next to your bed), continued to the base’s training areas, Hange’s office, your new greenhouse, and ended with the mess hall. As you walked, you shared greeting nods with soldiers who passed you around the base. Few people stopped to exchange words with you, sensing that you and Hange were in the middle of touring. Erwin likely debriefed his forces prior to your arrival, anyway.

The mess hall was abuzz with soldiers in decently high spirits, much to your surprise. There was a monotone chatter around the room as soldiers ate their breakfast.

The Survey Corps served their meals cafeteria-style, the lines at the far side of the room long as everyone waited for their lightly salted oatmeal and a singular slice of bread. As you suspected, there wasn’t a piece of fruit or a vegetable in sight because the military insisted its men sacrificed their diets alongside their lives. While you doubted you could produce enough vegetation to give everyone a nutritional boost in such little time, some change was better than no change. The tables of soldiers you passed continued to track your movements with evident curiosity, sizing you up— wondering whether or not you were as great as your reputation imagined you were.

“Levi Squad, Miche, Moblit, this is my dear friend Y/n Y/l/n,” Hange announced proudly, stopping at a long table towards the far side of the mess hall— the furthest away from the line of hungry scouts. Populating the table were a number of men and one woman, each regarding you with varying levels of interest.

“Y/n, this is the Levi Squad,” Hange gestured to the group of six soldiers— the Levi Squad consisted of soldiers Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Eld Gin, and Gunther Shultz. Miche Zacharius and Moblit Berner were also distinguished Survey Corps members; Miche was one of Hange’s fellow section commanders and Moblit was their research assistant. You were never one to enter a situation unprepared, so you took the liberty of reading through the Survey Corps’ major players. “Levi Squad: meet Y/n!”

“I’m Petra. It’s great to meet you,” Petra spoke first, quickly rising from her seat to give your hand a professional shake. “We’ve been reading about some of your work…not that we understand the technicalities of it, but��” she laughed, “for curiosity's sake, we try. We could never do what you do.”

I’m not sure I know how I do what I do, either, you wanted to admit. Your pride forced you to swallow the words down like a dry cracker.

“The pleasure’s mine,” you responded, reciprocating the shake and the same greeting with Gunther and Eld.

“You both can sit next to me,” Petra offered, shifting to the end of the bench. Hange took the seat directly next to Petra. You took a seat between the section commander and the tall soldier you knew to be Miche.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll do what you all--” you started, cutting yourself off with a start as Miche took a long inhale, sniffing near the side of your neck. You hummed curiously, but he made no attempt to explain himself. Instead, Miche nodded to himself and turned his attention back to his breakfast. The questioning look you sent to Hange went mostly ignored. They seemed more interested in the thin bread portion on Petra’s plate, suggesting Miche’s sniffing habit was an idiosyncrasy of his that was to be expected.

Oluo shook his head, unimpressed with your comment. He took a long drink out of a teacup, making no effort to shake your hand and introduce himself properly. “I, for one, have no idea why the Commander thinks you can become a soldier in only two months or less. You’ll be titan chow mere minutes after we—“

“That won’t happen because she’ll be riding with us,” Petra interjected pointedly before turning her attention back to you, her smile apologetic. “Ignore him. He thinks he’s the Captain,” she rolled her amber eyes, cuing you into her joke.

“Speaking of Levi… where is he?” Hange asked, taking the opportunity to change the subject from your potential demise to the whereabouts of the absent Captain. Their ponderous expression suggested that Levi was rarely late to anything. From what little information you were about to glean about him— his superhuman battle prowess, neatly groomed appearance, and stern expression to match — you imagined that the man was also quite punctual.

“Running late from his tea pick up,” Gunther answered, causing the group to share identical looks of worry and frustration. (Save for Oluo, he merely tutted and shook his head dismissively.)

“You know what that means,” Eld said, his thin lips pulling into a grim expression.

Sensing your confusion, Hange started to answer. “It means they don’t have his— oh no,” Hange fell silent at the sight of the Captain quickly making his way towards the table. Despite being a handful of inches shorter than most of the soldiers around him, all standing scouts parted out of his way, eyes diverting from his stoic gaze. The way they scurried out of the way reminded you of anxious prey.

“We should tread carefully, you guys,” Petra suggested, “he’s empty handed.” She sent a warning look towards Oluo, who merely shook his head in response, his hazel eyes rolling. They acted like a married couple— an intimacy that only came from fighting at one another’s sides for years. It was strangely heartwarming that they were able to stay with one another for so long.

“Morning, Levi!” Hange cheered, standing to greet him properly. They clapped him on the back, only to remove their hand in response to his continued silence and pointed glare. “Guess who’s sitting with us today?” they asked rhetorically, “Doctor Y/l/n! She just came this morning.”

You rose from your seat, unsure of how to proceed. Levi didn’t seem particularly interested in introducing himself to you. Instead, he regarded you, likely hypothesizing whether or not you could handle two months of intensive training under him and come out of it with maneuvering reliable enough to save your life. He was calculating any semblance of a chance you had at staying alive and carrying out your research.

“You can call me Y/n,” you decided, extending your hand to him with a tentative smile. Levi made no attempt to return the expression, much less take you. Instead, he regarded the remnants of dirt on your palm, left behind after you took a soil sample from the front of the base upon your arrival— and hesitated. None of the soldiers seemed to mind, given that it was such a minimal shadow left from the soil.

In fact, you doubted they noticed at all.

You made a quick attempt to run your palm over your light green skirts, the linen material light enough for you to remain cool in the hot summer. You chuckled apologetically, “I took a sample from your soil here. To see if it needs any additional nutrients before I use it for my vertical trestles,” you explained, doubting he would understand what you were referring to. Your vertical trestles were long stands with dozens of small engravings to house plants. The beauty of your aeroponics system was that it could grow plants without needing a constant supply of water. All they needed was nutrient-dense soil, sprays of (nutrient-dense, of course) water every few days, and consistent sunlight.

“It’s fine,” the Captain replied, his grave tone insinuating that it was anything but. Still, his calloused hand wrapped around yours, his palm surprisingly cold. His grip was firm and sure. “Given your line of work, you’re bound to drag filth around with you, Mother Nature.”

The derisive nickname caused your back to stiffen as your hand fell back to your side. You frowned, unsure of whether or not he was teasing you with it. But there was no sign of mockery in his face— only mild frustration and inconvenience.

“Training is at noon. Don’t keep me waiting,” Levi ordered, turning swiftly on the heel of his boot to make his leave. He ignored Petra’s dismayed calls, asking where he was going and why he was skipping the meal.

Hange noticed your expression as you reclaimed your seat. “It’s nothing personal. He’s always that grumpy.”

“Especially after that tea store under-watered the flowers again. The ones they need to make his black tea,” Petra sighed. You cringed, thinking about the type of lunacy that would drive someone to over-water camellia sinensis twice.

“And I need to train with him later?” You asked, now mildly concerned for your well-being along with that plant. Commander Erwin said Levi was their best soldier, Humanity’s Strongest. But he didn’t specify whether or not Levi was their best teacher. Was there truly no one else to take on that burden? Someone nicer?

“You might think we’d have someone a bit more…patient, but no,” Petra said as if she read your mind. “All of us,” she nodded to the rest of the group with her chin, her red hair bobbing at the gesture, “need to be focused on Eren while Hange works with him. The other section commanders have to prepare our new cadets. That leaves, well, the Captain, as the most qualified to show you the ropes,” the more Petra explained Erwin’s decision, the tighter the knot in your stomach felt. All of Levi’s elite squad had to make sure Eren’s titan didn’t go berserk and ravage the military branch while their leader helped you, a full-time scientist, master notoriously complex equipment.

“But you can do it!” Hange cheered. “If anyone I know can become a member of the scouts in exactly six weeks, it’s you!”

It was true. If Levi was Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, and the Eren Yeager kid was Humanity’s Last Hope, you were one of Humanity’s only obstacles standing between it and famine, which was just as dire. There was no reason to defeat the titans if most of the population was going to be malnourished and on the brink of starvation-caused extinction. Not to mention, it was too ironic: the titans are defeated only for their former prey to go extinct due to lack of food.

You couldn’t watch that happen when you were so sure it was preventable.

. . .

You had a doctorate in agronomy, a degree in horticulture, and a certification in medical care. And even after those years of hard schooling, long essays, and seemingly endless research projects, you still managed to suffer the worst of equipment malfunctions at the worst possible timing.

But to be fair, who invented this gear?

The idea of omni-directional mobility gear was to make humans as swiftly airborne as possible, giving them the ability to evade a titan’s jaws and provide lethal proximity to their vulnerable napes in milliseconds. However, human facilities were much more delicate than a titan’s— it didn’t take a doctor like you to understand that. To endure high-speed movement and mid-air contortion, the stress would need to be evenly distributed across the body at all times. That was why limp leather straps were dangling from various parts of your legs and torso while you desperately tried to buckle them in their rightful places.

Hange demonstrated the process for you about three times before they left to work with the titan shifter, swearing that you would at least survive the first session with Levi. Now you were standing alone, using one of the many benches to the slide of the big green field where new scouts stretched with their section commanders, as leverage while you tried to buckle the gas exhaust around your lower back.

Several starstruck scouts attempted to ask you if you needed a hand, but your pride refused. You were an academic. You were having issues with��leather straps. Not only that, you couldn’t, in good conscience, let teenagers help you buckle your uniform.

“Do you honestly think your equipment is going to hold you up like that, Mother Nature?” The Captain’s harsh voice asked, causing you to sheepishly turn to look at him, your cheeks reddening. Thankfully, they were already rather flushed from the heat.

“I don’t understand how you all put this on so quickly,” you explained, gesturing to the pieces of uniform that you managed to construct. “It’s like a puzzle…” you mumbled before your face lit up with relief.

“Oh--- there it is.” The buckle slipped through one of the adjustment holes, letting you pull the equipment around your abdomen snuggly. While you weren’t quite sure if this was the proper adjustment, you couldn’t help but nurse your satisfaction while you could. The compressed gas from the exhaust powered the wiring mechanism that worked like a grappling hook: the anchors on the edges of the wires were supposed to dig into any possible service and maintain your weight.

“The section commander was supposed to show you,” Captain Levi said.

“They had to run. Time-sensitive experiment with Eren. Something about sleep deprivation’s impact on titan shifting… It’s really fine, I know how important it is to be meticulous with your experiments’ timing. Maintaining consistent variables and all…” you were rambling. You cringed at yourself— your lack of social competence. But in all fairness, you spent most of your formative years in a laboratory, or your nose buried so deep within the pages of a book, that you could distinguish your textbooks from scent alone. Nothing— out of your vast libraries of literary knowledge— covered how to speak to a soldier of unimaginable strength (and with impossibly azure eyes to match.) It was no wonder the hottest part of a flame was its innermost blue.

“Sounds like Hange,” Levi said noncommittally, but he didn’t seem angry. That told you he was more than accustomed to the scientist’s effervescent (and extremely capricious) nature. It suggested he expected it, at this point. Anyone close to Hange knew to expect some turbulence, at some point. You were relieved Hange managed to find someone in the Survey Corps to grow close to. They deserved it, and it seemed Levi could use Hange’s enigmatic scheming in his life.

“Can you please just…” you looked at the equipment meaningfully. You managed to complete all of the straps that were a bit too personal to ask of him, but there were a few that ran behind your back and attached to said buckles that you couldn’t figure out how to stabilize without a mirror.

“I’m required to double check your equipment -- whether or not you proved incompetent with putting it on. You’re still a newbie, Plant Lady,” Levi said, already fixing the strap that fastened your gas exhaust-- the one you just fixed!

You huffed, dismayed by both your apparent failure and the new nickname. “I was growing attached to Mother Nature,” you smarted.

“Just give me your right gearbox, and we might just manage to start training on time,” Levi ignored your quip.

. . .

You were a puppet suspended in mid-air, only you weren’t lifeless, and somewhat in control of your facilities.

Every muscle in your body pleaded for help as you remained motionless, yet suspended in the air. Apparently, this was the first physical test the military put its cadets through. If you couldn’t strike a near-natural balance with the omni-directional mobility gear, then you were cut— sent to the fields to help with the harvest. Apparently, it would work the same for you. If you couldn’t exhibit the necessary physical prowess on your first day, what was the sense in the Survey Corps investing its time and resources into you?

You could feel sweat rolling down your neck, tracing an uncomfortable line down your back as you trembled with effort. You weren’t even wearing the full equipment. While Levi initially showed you how to put the whole ensemble together, you didn’t need all of it for your first day of training. All you currently were wearing was the various leather straps around your legs and feet, and the main belt around your waist that would have connected your gas exhaust and both gearboxes. According to your reading, those gearboxes held extra blades and gas canisters. Attached to those gearboxes were wooden handles that connected to the blades and anchors soldiers plunged into structures in order to move.

Your arms wanted to reach out and grab something, anything, to hold onto, but there was nothing in proximity. There were only two long bars that supported you on either side as if you were a swing.

You tried to keep your gaze ahead of you, knowing that looking at the distance between your boot soles and the grass was too far for your liking. In fact, the thought of your elevation caused you to shudder, causing your body to sway. You weren’t proud of it, but you couldn’t suppress your worried shriek as your gaze slipped unintentionally downwards.

“Easy there. The more you panic, the less control you have. Put the most power into your core so your back straightens,” Levi watched you, observing your quivering body— in part from the physical strain that came with holding your back straight and core strong, but equally, your fear.

“Like…this?” You managed through gritted teeth. You blinked rapidly to try to keep the drops of sweat that cascaded from your hairline and past your eyebrows away from your eyes. “What if I-I….can’t do this any longer?” you asked, trying to come up with an estimate of how long you were balancing. Seven minutes? Eight minutes? The Idle Suspension Exercise was a minimum of ten straight minutes of steady balancing, excluding any time you spent thrashing.

“Oh, you can just stop and---” the female scout to your side started to answer, only for the Captain to silence her with a single glance. Levi tasked her with turning the lever that hoisted you up and back down. “Nevermind,” she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at her muddy uniform boots.

“Why did you tell Erwin you’d master this gear in two months when you knew you had basic stamina issues?” He asked flatly. There was a dichotomy between the Captain's blunt way of speaking and the way he regarded you closely-- curious to see if you could hold yourself up for a short while longer, or if you’d collapse. The tersely restrained energy in his physique suggested he was ready to spring into action if he so much as suspected the latter was about to occur. “Seems irresponsible, for a doctor.”

“I don’t have-- basic-- stamina--- issues!” You managed through labored breaths. He was essentially superhuman. He had no right to insinuate you had basic stamina issues when he’s had somewhere near a decade and a half to develop his skills in the Survey Corps. Compared to your single day, or half hour, of training rather. “And I’m not irresponsible!”

“I’ve seen first-day cadets perform better,” Levi’s arms crossed in front of his chest, his body relaxing. “Are you sure you gave this decision all of the thought it required, Mother Nature?”

“What?” Your head tilted indignantly, your eyes widening to immediately question the Captain’s words. Was he making fun of you? Questioning your sense of rational thinking?

If you weren’t previously motivated to finish the exercise before, now you were deadset.

“Not everyone has what it takes to be a soldier,” Levi explained, unwithering against your enraged scowl.

“Some people are just more suited tending to flowers in a greenhouse than a battlefield. But I would say your attempt is…commendable,” he said. “Start letting her down, Sam,” Levi instructed the redheaded scout.

Your blood boiled, and it was from more than just the sun beating down on you.

“Don’t you dare, Sam!” You demanded with an intensity you normally reserved for those goading you like the Captain, but you couldn’t control your tone during such immense physical and emotional stress. “I will finish this!” Now you had to.

Sam’s eyebrows drew together as she hummed uncertainty, trying to decide whether she should obey the Captain when you were so clearly invested in beating the challenge. Her hand sat on the lever’s handle, unmoving. So she was going to listen to you.

She sent a resolute nod to you.

You’d dealt with numerous characters like Levi Ackerman. Stingy and sexist government officials and nobles who doubted your projects could produce anything of real scientific value…soldiers who didn’t want their wounds stitched up by someone they assumed was incompetent, based on the way you looked. Infuriated nobles who would threaten your life for making produce and food items more accessible when they’d been making fortunes by price gouging them.

“Let me finish this, Captain,” you snapped, “I can do it!”

“You already did,” Levi responded, taking a quick look at his watch. “You just passed twelve minutes. Let her down, now.”

Before you could process what was happening, Sam obeyed, turning the lever around to set you back down on the ground. The second the bottoms of your boots reached the ground, your legs buckled, threatening to fully give into your weight. If you didn’t reach for the stand to your side, you probably would’ve fallen to the ground.

“You…did that…on purpose…didn’t you…” you panted to catch your breath once again, surprised you could string a coherent sentence together. You used the back of your hand to wipe sweat from your hairline and the rest of your face. You cringed at the pool of sweat that transferred from your skin, still hesitant to believe that you truly managed to go over the minimum requirement.

Because of Levi’s strategically-placed hostility.

“Maybe,” Levi replied, something akin to reluctant respect on his face. “You’re dismissed for the day. “Meet me back here, same time tomorrow.”

“You’ll tell Commander Erwin I passed?” you asked hopefully, looking for your due praise--- even though it was obvious Levi wasn’t the type to commend his soldiers for a job well done.

“It’s my responsibility to update the Commander as I see fit, Mother Nature.”

. . .

“Do you have black tea in stock?” You asked the young girl working the counter at the bakery closest to the Survey Corps’ Headquarters. Even if it was the closest, it was still quite a ways on horseback-- about a half hour back into town.

The girl blushed. “Um, no. We don’t. Our…newest hire…under-watered the plant,” she explained tentatively, her smile sheepish enough to suggest that she was the mentioned culprit.

“It happens. Do you still have the plant?” you asked.

“Yes, we do…?” she replied, unsure as to why you were asking for it. Her smile seemed a bit terse, irritated that you were looking for a plant that they were likely about to compost.

“Can I buy it?” While over-watering typically caused a plant to wilt and rot, effectively killing it. However, under-watering was fixable in most cases. Especially if it was the summer sun--- while camelia flowers tended to prefer sunnier spots, they also required ample water to keep them nourished. It wasn’t unheard of for an amateur to be scared of overwatering the flowers.

“I think it’s about to die, so you can’t really use it for tea or anything,” she warned, expecting you to change your mind.

“Just name your price,” you smiled patiently, but you were sure it didn’t reach your eyes because of your impatience. But in a matter of mere minutes, you were walking to the public stable where you left your horse, Juniper, and you were on your way back to Headquarters to start your first official project as an Honorary Scout.

. . .

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rabbitcruiser · 2 months ago

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National Alpaca Day

Alpaca Day is a special day that celebrates the unique and gentle alpaca. It falls on September 26th every year.

People across various countries show their appreciation for these friendly animals. Alpaca Day highlights the importance of alpacas to agriculture, their contribution to the environment, and the need to conserve them and their natural habitats.

Alpacas, our companions for thousands of years, are more than just wool providers. With their soft, padded feet and gentle grazing that doesn’t harm pastures, they are the unsung heroes of sustainable farming.

The Alpaca Owners Association, established in 2014, is dedicated to educating the public about alpacas and their role in sustainable farming. Events across the U.S.A. provide a unique opportunity to experience these gentle creatures up close.

Why do we celebrate Alpaca Day? For starters, alpacas are known for their friendly nature, unique personalities, and their wool quality, which is softer and warmer than many others.

They play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance, making them valuable to both agriculture and wildlife conservation. Alpaca Day serves as a reminder of the bond between humans and alpacas and the importance of protecting these charming animals and their environment.

History of Alpaca Day

Alpaca Day is a day dedicated to celebrating alpacas, the adorable, fluffy animals native to South America. The day acknowledges their significance in agriculture and their contributions to human society.

Although the origins of Alpaca Day as a celebration are not clearly documented, various countries have adopted their versions, such as New Zealand’s National Alpaca Day on May 2, Peru’s National Alpaca Day on August 1, and National Alpaca Farm Day in the United States on September 26.

The Alpaca Owners Association, established in 2014, plays a pivotal role in organizing events across the U.S. to educate people about alpacas and promote the alpaca farming industry. These events offer a chance to meet alpacas up close and learn about their care, lifestyle, and the products made from their wool.

Alpacas have been part of human history for thousands of years, serving as companions and providers of luxurious wool.

They are known for their friendly and gentle nature, each with a unique personality. Besides their role in agriculture, alpacas are celebrated for their environmental friendliness, as their grazing habits do not harm the land.

Celebrating Alpaca Day involves various activities, from visiting alpaca farms to learning crafts with alpaca wool. It’s a day to appreciate these creatures’ contributions and promote awareness about their conservation.

How to Celebrate Alpaca Day

Get Cozy with Alpaca Wool Crafts

Why not knit or crochet something special using alpaca wool? It’s super soft and warm, perfect for that cozy scarf or beanie you’ve been wanting. Imagine the satisfaction of creating something unique while celebrating these fluffy friends.

Farm Visit Fiesta

A trip to an alpaca farm could be the highlight of your Alpaca Day. Feed them, pet them, and even snap a selfie with a new fluffy pal. Farms often have tours or open days, so check out what’s happening near you.

Learn and Share Fun Alpaca Facts

Did you know alpacas can hum when they’re content? Dive into some alpaca trivia and share these fun facts with friends and family. You’ll be the life of the party, spreading joy and knowledge about these gentle creatures.

Create and Donate

Consider crafting alpaca-themed items like plush toys or art and donate them to local children’s hospitals or charities. It’s a heartwarming way to spread love and awareness about these adorable animals and their special day.

Celebrating Alpaca Day is about embracing these animals’ quirky and adorable nature. From crafting with their luxurious wool to learning fascinating facts about them, there are many ways to honor these remarkable creatures.

So, take part, be creative, and most importantly, have fun!

Source

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fatehbaz · 1 year ago

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[N]ear the Küçükçekmece lake near the Western peripheries of İstanbul. [...] We are waiting to cross a ditch that has been dug [...] [through] an agricultural field that belongs to the İstanbul University over which Kanal İstanbul is planned to pass. Ayşe [...] is crossing back from the field with two plastic bags full of wild mustard she and her friends have collected. The ditch serves both as an obstacle and a reminder of the ever-looming construction efforts. [...] She asks, “Are you taking these people out for a stroll?” (Sen bunları mı dolandırıyorsun), a well-crafted double entendre. “Dolandırmak” literally means to take someone on a stroll, but could also be used to indicate deceit, to “take someone for a ride” the way tour guides, or taxi drivers sometimes do to unsuspecting foreigners. When I laugh and explain that I’m a student she points to a field. “There,” she offers, “this is where the Kanal will pass” (“Buradan Kanal geçecek”).

Kanal İstanbul is a mega dredging project and an accompanying urban transformation plan that promises to open a new waterway between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. As such, it combines the spectacle of a megaproject with the more practical effects of shifting the city’s peripheries. The dredging of such a waterway will prove disastrous for the unique ecology of the Sea of Marmara [...] [and] forests, wallows, and lakes located across the Northwest of İstanbul. This area will be subsumed not only by the Kanal but also the accompanying expansion of the city Westwards with new logistics ports, waterfront housing, roads, and bridges.

Ayşe’s comment “this is where the Kanal will pass” is on the one hand a stock response one might hear from the residents of İstanbul’s Western peripheries. The project was originally launched into public consciousness as a speculative election promise in 2013 and recently became a more concrete plan. Either way, it has long haunted this geography, with the path that the Kanal would take remaining a mystery until 2018. It became the source of intense speculation, rumors and several defrauding schemes. [...] And now that the bridges, roads, water, and electricity infrastructure to sustain such a project are being built, there is some chance the project might come to fruition [...].

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But this stock response “this is where the Kanal will pass” (“buradan Kanal İstanbul geçecek) also echoes another familiar phrase in Turkish “this is where a road will pass” (“buradan yol geçecek”). The phrase hints at both the promise and the perils of infrastructural development in Turkey (Kostem forthcoming).

Begüm Adalet points out in her book Hotels and Highways (2018), how theories of modernization were actively tested in Turkey through the construction of material infrastructure like highways in the 1950s and 1960s by a team of experts and engineers from the United States and Turkey. Yet this particular locution captures a more diffuse and affective valence to the ideology of modernization and the way it intersects with mega construction projects and the promise of economic growth.

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Its declarative mode “where a road will pass” ties in macro phenomena such as economic growth and modernization with the promise of personal advancement and financial security or fear of violence and repression. [...] Yet such phrases also present a broader communicative logic that subtends infrastructural development especially in such peripheral spaces that exist on the edges of the city. This communicative logic carries a promissory element that is both familiar and as Appel, Anand and Gupta note, multivalent (2018, 7), at times communicating a threat, at times promising development, at other times offering economic advancement, often shifting between the three and for different subjects.

Yet this communicative structure also resembles a rumor, since the declaration that “a road will pass” or “the Kanal will pass” does not have a subject. Instead, it is often accompanied with the indefinite “so they say” (“yol geçecek diyorlar” or “yol geçecekmiş”). Indeed, this is how I instinctively responded to Ayşe “is that what they say?” (“öyle mi diyorlar?” ). More than a simple locution this communicative logic is reflected in how the state carries out infrastructure development, which takes place under conditions of great secrecy, especially in such peripheral spaces. What is prohibited and allowed, who owns which land, where a construction project might pass, how long it will take is often obscured, true enough for any construction project but doubly so on the peripheries of İstanbul, an area that has witnessed multiple generations of migration and extraction. [...]

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In her work, on İstanbul’s more urbanized Tarlabaşı district, [...] Alize Arıcan argues (2022) that rumors act as a kind of autonomous and collective archive for the racialized communities of this neighborhood, a site of history-making. Addressing the obvious criticisms of Kanal İstanbul that the project was being launched for the sole purpose of creating waterfront property and hence extracting rent, the Turkish Minister of Transportation Adil Karaismailoğlu recently insisted “Kanal İstanbul is a technical issue, we are talking of a world vision here. This is not a matter of political rumors”.

And yet rumors seem to constitute the field of struggle over which financialized infrastructural development takes place both in İstanbul’s and especially also in its peripheries. [...] Turkey moves ahead with a contested election shortly after a devastating earthquake that has once again brought attention to the destructive character of a society organized around the imperatives of construction, economic growth and capitalist expansion, all underwritten by state violence. [...] In this environment, what would it mean for rumors to be an archive of political memory, knowledge-making and even resistance for an autonomous social opposition?

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Text by: Burç Köstem. ‘”A Road Will Pass”: the Communicative Logic of Infrastructure in the Peripheries.’ Heliotrope, Environmental Media Lab at the University of Calgary. 19 April 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

#abolition #ecology #imperial #colonial #indigenous #extractivism and sacrifice zones #carceral geography #tidalectics #geographic imaginaries

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dukuzumurenyiphd · 9 months ago

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youtube

sbA kmtyw - "Towards Pan-Afrikan Economics" Trailer

sbA kmtyw - "Towards Pan-Afrikan Economics" with Ambakisye Dukuzumurenyi, Ph.D. will be a weekly one-hour podcast | video that discusses and analyzes pertinent economic news of continental Afrika and the Afrikan Diaspora from a Pan-Afrikan perspective as seen through the lens of Maat in the spirit of Martin Delany, Edward Wilmot Blyden, Henry Sylvester Williams, Marcus Garvey, W. E. B. Dubois, Kwame Nkrumah, Ahmed Sekou Toure, Patrice Lumumba, Julius Nyerere, Malcolm X, Frantz Fanon, Walter Rodney, Amilcar Cabral, Thomas Sankara and Cheikh Anta Diop.

Topics discussed will include but will not be limited to national economic self-reliance, wages, employment and unemployment, entrepreneurship, debt, interest rates, balance of payment, prices, profit, foreign exchange, credit, economic growth, sustainable agriculture, land tenure, land reform, neoliberal economics, social democracy, paths to economic development, corruption, illicit financial flows and alternative economics.

On the show we will take complex economic issues drawn from the mainstream and independent news outlets of the countries of Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas and through cultural, historical and political contextualization make them comprehensible to the audience regardless of their economic background, empowering the listener to analyze their personal economic situation in relation to the national and international political economy.

Special shows will also be designed around the particular economic questions and concerns of the listeners. Our specialty is in utilizing a multidisciplinary inquiry based Pan-African analytical perspective drawing concepts, ideas and theories from the disciplines of Africana Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Political Anthropology, History, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Geography, Linguistics, Political Science, and Economics. The use of this methodology serves to broaden the discussion and analysis and center it within the African subjective historical experience.

#youtube

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victorysp · 1 year ago

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State visit to Belgium – programme

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will be paying a state visit to Belgium at the invitation of His Majesty the King of the Belgians. The visit will start in Brussels on the morning of Tuesday 20 June and end in Antwerp on the evening of Thursday 22 June. The King and Queen will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra on the first and third days of their visit. Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf will accompany them on the second day. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Piet Adema, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers, Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Karien van Gennip and Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Micky Adriaansens will each be attending separate parts of the programme.

The state visit will reaffirm the excellent ties between the two neighbouring countries, which have strong historical, social and economic links. Key common themes during the visit will be improving social and physical liveability, combating climate change, maintaining and promoting a safe society and working towards a sustainable future in which energy is green and affordable. The visit will further deepen the close collaboration between the Netherlands and Belgium, as they both work towards a safer, cleaner and more sustainable future.

Tuesday 20 June – Brussels

Morning

Arrival at Brussels Midi train station

The state visit will begin in Brussels, with the King and Queen arriving by royal train at Brussel Midi station where they will be welcomed by the Belgian foreign minister.

Welcome ceremony

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will receive King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima at a welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace.

Afternoon

Wreath-laying ceremony

Following the welcome ceremony at the palace, the King and Queen of the Netherlands will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This monument commemorates all unidentified Belgian soldiers who fell during the First World War.

Federal Parliament

Following a lunch at the Royal Palace, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will visit the Federal Parliament of Belgium. They will speak with members of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate before being given a tour of the building.

Meeting with the Prime Minister

The King and Queen will then meet with Prime Minister Alexander de Croo at Lambermont, his official residence.

Meeting with the mayor of Brussels and walkabout in Grand-Place

Later that afternoon both royal couples will be received by the mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, at the town hall. During a walkabout in Grand-Place square the royal party will then have the opportunity to meet inhabitants of Brussels and tourists.

Evening

State banquet

In the evening King Philippe will host a state banquet at the Castle of Laeken, at which both heads of state will give a speech.

Wednesday 21 June – Brussels, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Waterloo and Charleroi

Morning

Climate Tech Forum

The second day of the visit will begin at the Climate Tech Forum, part of the parallel economic mission headed by foreign trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher. The event will be attended by some 500 representatives of Belgian and Dutch knowledge institutions, businesses and public sector bodies. They will be exchanging knowledge and exploring opportunities for cooperation on green hydrogen, climate neutral construction, future-proof agriculture and horticulture, and smart, sustainable mobility. The royal party will also visit an innovation market highlighting Belgian-Dutch collaborations and attend part of the plenary programme. King Philippe and King Willem-Alexander will each give a short speech.

Aerospacelab

King Philippe and King Willem-Alexander will visit Aerospacelab in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve which specialises in satellite data, and in designing, testing and producing satellites. They will be given a tour, visit the cleanroom and meet members of staff.

Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel

Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima will visit the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo. Each year the institution hosts approximately 70 international young musicians, who follow a programme of lessons, concerts and recitals, work with orchestras and participate in festivals. Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima will meet several of the musicians, attend performances and be given a tour.

Afternoon

Lunch meeting on water management

The royal party will attend a lunch in the orangery at the Castle of Seneffe, at which Belgian and Dutch experts will give presentations on addressing the risks of drought and flooding.

BioPark Charleroi

In the afternoon the party will visit BioPark Charleroi, a biotech ecosystem where businesses and knowledge institutions conduct research on life sciences and develop solutions to challenges in healthcare.

Unveiling of comic mural and comic strip workshop

On arrival in Charleroi the royal party will walk to the Institut Saint-André school, while greeting the public. Outside the school they, and a number of pupils, will unveil a mural designed by the Dutch comic book artist Dido Drachman and Belgian graphic novel artist Christian Durieux. They will then participate in a comic strip workshop together with pupils from the school. The unveiling of the mural and the comic strip workshop will mark the end of a cultural festival involving Belgian and Dutch artists.

Evening

Concert

In the evening King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will host a concert by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta string orchestra at the Flagey culture house in Brussels to thank their hosts for their hospitality.

Thursday 22 June – Leuven and Antwerp

Morning

Imec

The third day of the state visit will begin in Leuven, where King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will visit Imec, a research centre specialising in chip technology that supports companies developing digital applications. The royal party will attend a roundtable meeting with the CEOs of Imec’s Belgian and Dutch partners.

Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will start their visit to Antwerp with a walk to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA). They will have the opportunity to meet the people of Antwerp along the way. The royal party will be given a tour of the museum, which boasts a collection representing seven centuries of art. The museum’s recent renovation was overseen by Dutch architect Dikkie Scipio. Its collection includes highlights of Flemish Baroque as well as examples of primitivism and expressionism, and features works by Peter Paul Rubens, James Ensor and Rik Wouters.

Afternoon

Lunch meeting on early school leavers and youth unemployment

After the museum tour the royal party will attend a lunch meeting on the theme of tackling youth unemployment. Many young people in Antwerp leave school without a qualification, while at the same time there are a large number of unfilled job vacancies at secondary vocational level. At the lunch young people will be sharing their experiences and speaking with researchers about the role of educational institutions and employers in guiding vulnerable young people and their development.

Port Authority Building

After the lunch meeting the royal party will be given a short tour of the Port Authority Building and will speak with CEOs and participants of the Belgian-Dutch Port Open Day being held in the Port of Antwerp. They will look at how ports and their industrial clusters can work together to achieve shared ambitions relating to the energy transition, and the infrastructure this requires.

Belgian and Dutch frigates

In the Port of Antwerp King Philippe and King Willem-Alexander will visit the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie, while Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima visit the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter. There will be various demonstrations on board and on shore. This part of the programme will focus on the partnership between the Belgian and Dutch navies. The Royal Netherlands Navy and the Belgian Navy operate the same types of ships and helicopters, cooperate on maintenance and carry out joint exercises. Following the visit to the frigates, a farewell ceremony will be held on shore.

Reception for the Dutch community

At the end of the afternoon a reception for the Dutch community in Belgium will be held in the historic Handelsbeurs, Antwerp’s former stock exchange.

Government Information Service, no. 145

#dutch royal family #dutch state visit #belgian royal family

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irismfrost · 4 months ago

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July 27 - Rice County School, Green Tunnel, Hot Pot, Natural Museum of Prehistory

I unfortunately forgot my jacket this morning and I was cold all day - it's been rainy and is always cold inside every building and the bus is also cold and my feet are wet :( I did buy a very expensive shirt at one of the museums we went to and that warmed me up. We started today bright and early (9:30am) at the Rice County School. It took us about an hour and a half to get over there. It is a bit north of Taitung. It showed us all about the stages of rice harvesting from the raw to brown rice to white rice, including all of the hull and mill and what damaged rice looks like. You got to touch all of them which was pretty cool and definitely a sensory sensation.

We also drive through the "Green Tunnel", which is a popular cycling route. It is basically a pretty road with huge trees that creates a green and scenic canopy.

Today on the bus, we saw the fuzz up ahead and as we got closer, we could see there was a fallen tree in the middle of the road. The police were directing traffic around the tree, but it's only more evidence of the damage from typhoon Gaemi.

Our awesome tour guide, Peter, distributed some snacks on the bus and I tried custard apple mochi and it was pretty good - tbh better than the custard apple itself. The apple wasn't bad but had a strange texture and sorting through the seeds was a little annoying. I also tried this dried squid snack - I will not eat that again. The more you chew, the worse it gets, but I'm glad I at least tried it. We had hot pot for lunch and this time we had individual pots and I got so much food. I didn't realize it came with vegetables automatically so I ordered a bunch extra and did not finish it. But that's okay! I still ate a ridiculous amount of food.

Next, we visited the National Museum of Prehistory. I think the name of this museum got a little lost in translation. It was cool to learn about Taiwan's history prior to and during the beginning of colonial rule. The people were very efficient with their natural resources. They figured out how to use dogs for hunting, different angles to use stones to cut other stones, how to mine certain stones like jade (and trade it), and mining other stones for building materials. Their pottery changed over time too - it was a very popular theme and was a pottery section for every time period. Even their burials were very strategic, people would be buried with different pots of things and jade and also heads. Head hunting was a thing back then and people would be buried with either no head or extra heads (the extra heads would be in a pot though).

We drive by the Music Village (it was raining so nothing was open. We stopped in this bakery which had bagels. All the bagels were filled with stuff and I had a cheese bagel. Last night, I was talking to my roommate about how much I miss sharp cheddar cheese and this bagel got as close to that as I will ever get in this country, so I was satisfied. I also got a chocolate bagel with some sort of chocolate filling (yet to be eaten) and some jam which I sampled at the store. It is some sort of raspberry type of fruit with something else. I'm really not exactly sure, but it tasted good enough to know that I'll eventually use it when I bring it back to the US with me. And of course, we ended our day with 7/11. This time I picked up some noodles for dinner. I am very excited to go to Kaohsiung tomorrow (realized that I've been spelling it wrong this whole time). There is a lot to do in a bigger city and we'll have a nicer hotel. The one we're staying at now has a very unique shower and the curtain sorta sticks to you. If there's a better way to shower in there, I haven't figured it out yet.

Reflection

Rice is an important crop for Taiwan, and dominates Taitung. There are so many rice fields here it's ridiculous. It makes up about 20% of all arable land in Taiwan. Taiwan also is agriculturally self sustainable, but the younger generations are opting for more wheat products like breads and noodles. Every year, the demand for rice decreases and puts local rice farmers in a tough spot financially. The government has been trying to incentivize rice consumption, but the demand only gets lower. On the flip side, Taiwan's rice exports have increased to Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore, and have exports to Japan have remained steady. The typhoon that just happened will negatively affect the rice fields here due to water logging and structural damage from high winds.

People who settled in Taiwan are related to other groups with Austroasiatic languages; evidence shows that people traveled between Madagascar to New Zealand to the Pacific Islands all the way to Easter Island. If you think about the movie, Moana, people travel from island to island and establish a community there - that movie is based on Oceanic peoples (though the accuracy is debatable). One thing that reminded me of Floridian natives are the shellfish. There were sooo many shells embedded into the earth which is evidence of the amount of shellfish they ate. In south Florida, there are shell mounds that support the idea that they also consumed a lot of shellfish (in addition to fishing, hunting, and gathering).

Seeing how Taiwan's society changes over time was pretty cool. Some traditions stay the same and some evolve into something different. Different regions have different markers. For example, the pottery in the north had different designs than pottery in the south. When outsiders began to come to the island, the uniqueness of each region seemed to shrink and in the eyes of the foreigners, the native people were all the same just because they were different. Taiwan may not be the same type of melting pot as the US, but there is a lot of diversity here (native tribes and colonial influences across the centuries) that doesn't exist in many other countries.

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wendelalice · 6 months ago

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Tuesday 4 June

We had such a fun - AND warm - night staying with Annie Kendall (and Leo the Kelpie). We were all up pretty early to have breakfast and then tackle the job of turning the long van (hopefully I can remember to attach a photo) around. Annie lives on a hill and didn’t realise the van would be so long and high. We thought it would have to be a 22-point turn this morning, but with the help of Annie at the back and Wendy at the side, we made it in 3!! PHEW!! It was quite daunting. Even though we were a bit dubious about the larger camper van, we are very quickly enjoying the extra space and a tiny bit more comfort. Hilariously, yesterday, when I got into the driver’s seat to have a look where everything was, THERE WAS NO GEAR STICK OR HAND BRAKE (did I say all this last night🥴?). Sorry… I think I did!

First stop today was Narrandera for our morning coffee treat at the Bakery. We chatted to a couple of young tradies who worked for Hully Foundations (on the back of their jackets). They are working on a huge transmission line around Mildura 😱 and were waiting for concrete to arrive which they will pour. They had just driven 100km for “a good pie!” Our other “new friends” was a gorgeous Scottish couple who were waiting to pick up their camper, that they will drive to Melbourne in, for $1 a day (plus fuel). It is a program where - if you want to get from A to B quickly, you can be lucky enough to drive a vehicle “back” somewhere all for $1 a day. We looked into it for our trip to Perth but not only were the dates wrong, but we wanted to divert and spend time here and there along the way, you can’t do that. Then our other “new friends” was a couple we shared a light lunch with yesterday at a road house before Wagga, who were travelling home to Jindabyne. He works on snow grooming machinery and she has a yoga business. They have travelled all over Australia and a good part of the world… so many interesting people, from all walks of life.

Over the Hay Plains, we passed kms of prune trees (we had to look that up) and cotton bales (called modules) as far as the eye can see. It is agricultural nirvana; some of the farms advertise their sustainable credentials, but I worry about the monoculture, a bit like parts of WA we drove through.

We are now at the caravan park at Balranald - after doing a bit of grocery shopping and having the yummiest Chinese meal at the RSL - and getting excited about the day tour we are going on tomorrow to Lake Mungo National Park. Wendy booked the tour yesterday on the phone, with Hairyman, only to discover today, his name is Herman (he’s Austrian!!!). We hear he is quite a character, so look out!!! We’ll stay here tomorrow night and then head to Mildura and Wentworth, where we will stay for a night and then head to Broken Hill for a few days. I’m excited about it all.

Good night!!

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african-international-magazine · 2 years ago

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WHITE SAVIOURISM GONE WRONG IN DRC

In recent weeks, the renowned author and academic Siddharth Kara released his latest book, Cobalt Red: How the Congo Powers our Lives. The book sheds light on the labor conditions and living standards in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where cobalt mining is prevalent. Cobalt is a crucial metal in the global energy transition, and the book argues that Western consumers who use products containing Congolese cobalt are complicit in a human rights and environmental catastrophe.

The book has received widespread acclaim in the US and UK, becoming a New York Times bestseller in its first week of release. Publishers Weekly has hailed it as a "tour de force exposé," and Foreign Affairs has called it "a thorough and insightful investigation." Kara was even invited to discuss the book on the Joe Rogan podcast, which has garnered over four million views on YouTube in just one month. The book has also been featured in major news outlets such as CNN, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Daily Mail.

Commenting on the book's wide readership in the West, journalist Howard French once said, "It allows us, meaning the general public [in the US], to become interested in Africa in ways that respond to some pre-existing notions we have of Africa. That Africa should be a certain kind of way. That Africa should provide an escalating sense of horror in order to get us interested in it."

True to French's opinion, the book has garnered widespread attention in America and Europe, quickly becoming a bestseller and receiving accolades from numerous publications. Kara has even been invited to speak about the book on a popular podcast. However, the book's popularity stems from its ability to tap into pre-existing Western perceptions of Africa. Cobalt Red employs vivid language and imagery to evoke sympathy for the Congolese people.

Unfortunately, the book follows a well-worn narrative of Western writers traveling to Africa to tell stories that paint the continent as a place of suffering and despair. This narrative also perpetuates the idea that the Western world is the only hope for Africa. This is a grossly unfair portrayal of Africa, as the continent is not helpless and does not need saving by the West.

While Cobalt Red has brought much-needed attention to the plight of cobalt miners in the Congo, it is crucial to remember that Africa is not a continent in need of rescue by the West. We must be mindful of falling into the trap of viewing Africa solely through a lens of suffering and despair.

Nothing New, History Repeating Itself

Kara's story follows the same pattern as the conflict minerals playbook from the 2000s, which did not end well. Christoph Vogel's Conflict Minerals Inc. delves into the multiple drivers of violence in the Congo, unlike the simplistic single narratives that Western advocacy on "conflict minerals" relied on. These colonial frames led to policies that perpetuated structural violence, and the crude misrepresentation of conflict in the eastern Congo as being driven by greedy warlords trying to access minerals fed into equally blunt policies that harmed many of the people they sought to support.

However, the reality was that mining was the largest employer in the region after agriculture, and for all the mine sites with links to conflict financing, there were just as many without such links. These mines provided a vital source of income to hundreds of thousands of workers and their households, often at a wage level higher than available alternatives and in a context of widespread local unemployment. Unfortunately, these nuances did not fit into stereotypical Western stories or the simplistic campaign against conflict minerals, which drove down demand for eastern Congolese minerals. The impact of this on people in the region was severe, sustained, and widespread. Meanwhile, the conflict itself continued unabated, making international headlines in recent months with the resurgence of M23.

It is crucial to understand local mining in the Congo as Wainaina's landscape in which people laugh, struggle, and make do in usually mundane circumstances, rather than Kara's "grim wasteland of utter ruin." Otherwise, history will repeat itself, and the impact on people in the region will be severe, sustained, and widespread. Western tech and electric vehicle companies always put their faith in foreign-owned industrial mines or dubious mineral traceability and certification schemes to secure Congolese cobalt, which only soothes their consciences.

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biodiversityhawaii · 1 year ago

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MyMaps Experience

This week I worked with MyMaps, a GoogleMaps based application that allows me to save/explore certain areas relevant to my studies. I worked alongside this tutorial for ease of learning and to speed things along so I didn’t have to go back and forth between the video and the test map. This map was centered around the main islands Hawaiian Archipelago (Hawai’i, Maui, Moloka’i, O'ahu, and Kaua’i) and focused on things like sustainable agriculture, ecotourism destinations, and nature preserves. For the purpose of this assignment, I chose one area of each category to showcase:

Sustainable Agriculture: Kualoa Ranch (Spoon and Fork Icon)

Ecotourism: Waimea Canyon State Park (Hiking Icon)

Nature Preserves: Volcanoes National Park (Volcano Icon)

The user interface of My Maps is very friendly and simple. You won’t need any fancy coding or GIS skills to use it, which offers non-academic opportunities to people like writers who want to save certain locations for worldbuilding or reference purposes (which I certainly plan to do in the future). Back to the biodiversity side of things, MyMaps enables you to mark areas that are important to biodiversity for a myriad of reasons, whether that be preservation or education to the general public about biodiversity. Kualoa Ranch is an example of education, as it offers behind-the-scenes tours of how they grow their food in accordance with the ancient sustainable practices of the native Hawaiians. Volcanoes NP is a good example of preservation, as the park operates in accordance with the National Parks mission to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations” (About the National Park Service 2016).

When it comes to the individual locations selected, there are quite a few customization options available. You can select different icons (as mentioned above), but you can also color code them for things like different projects. I didn't do that for this assignment, but when I use this in the future for non-academic endeavors I can color code based on stories. Each location you pick has the option of adding images to the Infocard (shown below with Volcanoes NP). Once again, this has both biodiversity and writerly applications.

When you zoom in on one particular area, you can outline the area with MyMaps. While I didn’t use this application, there is a way to import a data table into My Maps to get a more accurate outline of a desired location. This can be used for mapping vulnerable areas that are key to protecting biodiversity, such as Hanauma Bay (not shown on map) which serves as an important reserve for different species of fish and corals.

For finishing it all off, there are numerous options on the main card of the map. One of the most useful that I found was the “set to default view”. This enables me to preset where I want the map to open whenever I click on the Hawaiian Archipelago project, which saves me a lot of scrolling and dragging. Although I didn’t use any of the embedding options, it should be noted that much like a google doc or drive file, you have to enable sharing permissions in order to share it with others.

That's all for this week! Happy mapping!

Sources:

“About the National Park Service”. March 30, 2016. https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/aboutus.htm#:~:text=The%20mission%20of%20the%20National,of%20this%20and%20future%20generations.

#grad school #grad student #grad studyblr #biodiversity #hawaii #hawaiian islands #mapping applicatoins #MyMaps #worldbuilding

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gonehollywoodrp · 2 years ago

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JOIN US ON ST. CROIX.

Here on St. Croix, the largest of the US Virgin Islands, you will find all the beautiful offerings of a Caribbean island, plus friendly people, positive vibes, and experiences you won’t find anywhere else. The diverse landscapes allow for a wide array of activities for both visitors and residents.

Scuba Diving: Have you ever wanted to try scuba diving so you could see the underwater world up close? It is a whole different world below the surface, and it is truly amazing! If you want to try scuba diving, then Discover Scuba is a great option for you. Discover Scuba Diving will allow you to swim with the throngs of tropical fish along St. Croix’s colorful reefs under the supervision of a instructor after just an hour or so of training. Not only will you have an opportunity to feel the thrill that comes with descending down to the reefs and exploring their abundant marine life, but you experience the excitement that comes with breathing underwater.

Yoga: The beauty of yoga is that can be practiced almost anywhere, and by anyone. Here on St. Croix, there is a thriving yoga community and classes are offered island wide for every level of yoga practitioner. Take advantage of some of the yoga classes offered on this beautiful island to achieve balance for yourself, and to refresh your body, mind and soul.

Kayaking: Kayaking St. Croix is a great way to explore the local waters, either on your own or with a tour group! Guided tours of Salt River National Park and Ecological Preserve offer a unique combination of ecological, cultural and historical highlights including Columbus Landing. For a once in a lifetime experience, kayak through one of St. Croix’s two bioluminescent bays at night and see the water light up with glowing jellyfish, dinoflagellates and glow worms.

Horseback Riding: Paul & Jill’s Equestrian Stable and Farm welcomes both beginner and expert riders. Trails crisscross through the valley and meander through the edge of the rainforest, alongside country pastures and plantation ruins, and through a forest of indigenous trees. Some culminate on green hilltops, revealing the town of Frederiksted, the blue Caribbean waters, and a myriad of intriguing plants and trees. You’ll even get to ride along a picturesque white sand beach nearby!

Sweeny’s Tours: The highlight of your vacation will be a historical, narrated, sightseeing tour of St. Croix from the back of an open-air bus. You will see St. Croix's best heritage sites including the Botanical Gardens, a Danish Sugar Cane Plantation, and more.

Food Tours: This guided food tasting & cultural walking tour in Downtown Christiansted is a unique Crucian foodie experience allowing guests to enjoy six exclusive tastings of authentic local cuisine, and taste firsthand why St. Croix is considered a premier culinary destination in the Caribbean. Learn about the island's seven-flag colonial history, its Danish architectural influence and how sustainability & agriculture are the backbone of the island's cuisine.

Ziplining: Welcome to the family-friendly, unforgettable adventure that is Carambola Zipline! Our eco-friendly canopy tour provides an immersive interaction with nature taking you through the lush rainforest of St. Croix and across the Carambola Valley overlooking the Carambola Golf Course. Take in the breathtaking views of St. Croix and all of the Virgin Islands as you soar through the St. Croix sky.

ATV Driving: Want to take a break from the water? Try an ATV off-road tour of the rainforest. Visit historic ruins and breathtaking views on an off-road experience not accessible with your rental car. Drive one of our ATV's on a guided excursion along mountainous trails above the north shore and descend through the Sub-Tropical Rain Forest of St. Croix.

Casinos: Feeling lucky? Then head to one of St. Croix’s two casinos and put your luck to the test. Caravelle Hotel & Casino and Divi Carina Bay Casino offer the latest casino games, along with great drinks, special monthly promotions, player’s club rewards and even live entertainment.

Jet Ski Tours: West End Water Sports offers some of the best jet-ski tours on St. Croix or anywhere for that matter! All tours can be completely tailored to each group. You can do some extreme wave jumping or calm water cruising and everything in between. Covering the entire west end of the island you can cruise around Sandy Point, famous for the filming of the last scene in the movie‚ “The Shawshank Redemption”, and/or cruise around Hamm’s Bluff and play in the deep blue water of the beautiful north shore. We can even stop and snorkel above a ship wreck!

Hiking: The Annaly Bay tide pools are a series of large, naturally formed pools found on St. Croix’s beautiful North Shore. While accessing these pools is a bit of a challenging hike, it is worth every single step. On your way to the tide pools, you will hike through a portion of the island’s rainforest and enjoy breathtaking views of Carambola Beach Resort, Davis Bay, and the seemingly endless Caribbean Sea. Plan accordingly, and the Annaly Bay tide pools will be a day of scenic hiking, playing in the refreshing Caribbean waters, and soaking up natural beauty that you will never forget.

Dance Classes: Whether you want to learn a special first dance for your wedding, or you want to salsa at social events, St. Croix Ballroom & Latin Dance Studio (SCLBD) is the place for you! Their program makes it easy to learn and understand how the different ballroom and Latin dance styles use the same basic types of steps.

Spas: Spa and massage services on St. Croix are tops in the Caribbean. Services include massages by the beach, skin care treatments, waxing, body polishes and wraps to ease tired and sunburned skin. All filled with tropical aroma of mango, frangipani and pineapple! Enjoy a rejuvenating and healing deep tissue massage, Ayurvedic massage or reflexology treatment as well. Don’t forget to take care of your tips and toes with a soothing manicure or pedicure. Any and all packages can be solo or done as a couple. Treat yourself to a full or half day at the spa! You deserve it! Gentlemen, this is not just for the ladies! You’ll feel like a new man.

Boutique Shopping: While shopping for new wearable fashions can be fun, St. Croix also offers some beautiful and unique home décor and accessories inspired by island living. You will find one-of-a-kind furnishings for both indoors and outdoors, brought on to St. Croix from exotic destinations like Bali. You can also find locally painted art, carved bowls, glass display cases full of seashells, and other accessories that will allow you to bring the feeling of the island into your home. You can also shop for beautiful throw pillows, textiles, and table linens made from effervescent designs that make each piece a true work of art.

These activities are simply suggestions, and you can always visit the website to see what else is available and plan accordingly!

#gonehollywoodevent #goneonthesea

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simplydominican-news · 3 hours ago

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Rivers in Dominican Republic offer more than just water. They shape the land, support life, and tell stories of the past. Many people think these rivers are just for looks. But they're wrong. These waterways play a key role in the country's nature and culture. I've spent years studying the rivers of the Dominican Republic. My work has taken me from the Yaque del Norte to the Ozama River. I've seen how these rivers feed farms, power cities, and draw tourists. Want to learn more about these amazing rivers? Keep reading. You'll discover why they matter so much to this Caribbean nation. Key Takeaways - The Dominican Republic has several major rivers, including the Yaque del Norte (longest at 296 km), Yuna, Ozama, Higuamo, and Chavón. - These rivers are vital for agriculture, hydropower, tourism, and supporting ecosystems. Popular activities include whitewater rafting, kayaking, fishing, and boat tours. - Rivers shaped Dominican history, with early settlements and trade routes developing along waterways. Santo Domingo, founded in 1496, grew near three key rivers. - Environmental threats like pollution and deforestation impact river health. Conservation efforts include cleanup projects, protected areas, and blue-green infrastructure to manage water sustainably. - The Chavón River, ranked 3rd out of 23 local attractions on Tripadvisor, offers tours priced $55-$109 that showcase its natural beauty and colonial history. Yaque del Norte River The Yaque del Norte River stands as the longest river in the Dominican Republic. It flows through the Cibao Valley, starting in the Cordillera Central near Pico Duarte. This mighty waterway stretches for 296 kilometers before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The river plays a key role in the country's geography and economy. Thrill-seekers flock to the Yaque del Norte for its exciting whitewater rafting opportunities. The river's fast-moving waters and challenging rapids make it a top spot for adventure tourism. Local guides offer trips ranging from calm floats to heart-pounding rides through Class III and IV rapids. The river's beauty also draws nature lovers, who enjoy its lush surroundings and diverse wildlife. Yuna River The Yuna River flows through the heart of the Dominican Republic. It starts near Bonao in the Cordillera Central mountains and runs northeast for about 100 miles. As it travels, the river feeds the rich Cibao Valley, a key farming area. The Camú River joins the Yuna, making it even stronger. I've seen the Yuna's power firsthand. Its waters shape the land like an artist's brush, carving paths through lush forests and fertile plains. The river isn't just pretty – it's vital. It gives life to crops, powers homes, and supports wildlife. Locals depend on the Yuna for food, work, and play. It's like a lifeline, connecting people to nature and each other in this tropical paradise. Ozama River Moving from the Yuna River, we find another vital waterway in the Dominican Republic: the Ozama River. This important river starts in the Loma Siete Cabezas mountain, part of the Sierra de Yamasá range. It flows through the heart of Santo Domingo, the capital city, before emptying into the Caribbean Sea. The Ozama plays a key role in the Dominican economy and daily life. It serves as a major shipping route, allowing cargo vessels to reach the inland port of Santo Domingo. The river also provides water for farming and industry in the region. Sadly, pollution has become a big problem for the Ozama. Local groups are working hard to clean up the river and protect its ecosystem. They aim to make the Ozama safe for wildlife and people once again. Higuamo River The Higuamo River flows through the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. It plays a key role in the area's ecosystem and local life. The river starts in the hills and runs to the Caribbean Sea. Along its banks, you'll find lush plants and diverse wildlife. People living nearby use the river for fishing, transport, and daily needs. Sadly, the Higuamo faces threats from pollution and overuse. Local groups work hard to protect this vital waterway. They aim to keep it clean for future generations. Next, we'll explore the Chavón River, another important waterway in the Dominican Republic. Chavón River The Chavón River flows through La Romana Province, offering a mix of natural beauty and history. Ranked third out of 23 local attractions on Tripadvisor, it has a 4.0-star rating from 339 reviews. Visitors can explore this waterway through various tours, including ATV and buggy adventures priced from $55 to $109 per adult. These trips allow guests to experience the river's charm while learning about its past as a transport route for precious woods and a hideout for pirates during colonial times. Nature enthusiasts and history enthusiasts alike visit the Chavón River for its unique combination of wildlife and heritage. The river's banks are home to diverse plants and animals, making it an excellent spot for observing Dominican Republic's rich ecosystem. Tours often include stops at key historical sites, allowing travelers to experience the river's bustling past. Whether you're interested in adventure, relaxation, or a deeper understanding of the area's culture, the Chavón River offers a memorable experience in the Dominican Republic. Supplementary Insights on Dominican Republic Rivers The rivers of the Dominican Republic offer more than just scenic views. They play a key role in the country's history, culture, and daily life. Want to know how? Read on to discover the hidden stories behind these flowing wonders. Popular river activities Dominican rivers offer a wealth of fun activities. Visitors and locals alike flock to these waterways for adventure and relaxation. - Swimming: People love to cool off in the fresh river waters. Many spots have easy access and nearby food vendors. - River rafting: Jarabacoa's rapids draw thrill-seekers. Mini cascades add excitement to the journey. - Kayaking: The Chavón River, famous from "Apocalypse Now," is a top kayaking spot. Paddlers enjoy scenic views and calm waters. - Boat tours: Lago Enriquillo offers unique boat trips. Visitors can spot American crocodiles in their natural habitat. - Fishing: Rivers teem with various fish species. Anglers cast lines for both sport and sustenance. - Picnicking: River banks serve as perfect spots for outdoor meals. Families gather to enjoy food and nature together. - Bird watching: Riverside areas attract diverse bird species. Nature lovers bring binoculars to spot colorful feathered friends. - Photography: The rivers' beauty draws shutterbugs. Stunning landscapes and wildlife offer endless photo ops. - Tubing: Gentle river sections are ideal for lazy floats. Tubers drift along, soaking up sun and scenery. - Camping: Many enjoy overnight stays by the water. Riverside campsites let visitors fall asleep to the sound of flowing water. Historical significance of major rivers Rivers shaped the Dominican Republic's past in big ways. They helped early settlers find good spots to live and trade. Santo Domingo, the first city in the Americas, grew near three key rivers: Haina, Isabela, and Ozama. These waterways let ships come and go, making trade easier. The first fort in the Americas, built in 1496, also sat near these rivers. This shows how important they were for defense and growth. Rivers also played a role in the island's culture and history. They formed natural paths through the land, guiding people to new areas. Early societies built their homes and farms near these water sources. The rivers' paths often matched where important events happened or where towns popped up. Even today, many Dominican cities and towns trace their roots back to these life-giving waterways. Environmental impact and preservation The rivers of the Dominican Republic face growing threats from human activity. Pollution, deforestation, and climate change harm these vital waterways. Yet, efforts to protect them are gaining ground. Local groups work to clean up trash and plant trees along riverbanks. The government has set up protected areas to safeguard key watersheds. Blue-green infrastructure offers a promising solution for river health. This approach uses natural systems to manage water and boost biodiversity. In cities like Jarabacoa, it helps control flooding and improves water quality. Researchers team up with community members to implement these projects. The results include cleaner air, better public health, and stronger ecosystems. As the country grows, sustainable planning will be key to preserving its rivers for future generations. Conclusion Dominican Republic's rivers offer a wealth of beauty and adventure. From the mighty Yaque del Norte to the serene Chavón, each waterway tells a unique story. These rivers shape the land, support wildlife, and provide fun for locals and tourists alike. Paddling, fishing, and sightseeing are just a few ways to enjoy these natural wonders. Protecting these vital resources ensures future generations can marvel at their splendor. So grab a paddle, cast a line, or simply sit back and soak in the magic of Dominican rivers. FAQs 1. What are the major rivers in the Dominican Republic? I've explored the Dominican Republic's waterways, and let me tell you, they're like nature's veins pumping life through this tropical paradise. The Yaque del Sur River and Río Yuna stand out as the country's aquatic superstars. These rivers aren't just water bodies; they're the lifeblood of the land, nourishing the lush landscapes and feeding the dreams of local communities. 2. How do rivers impact the climate zones in the Dominican Republic? Picture this: I'm standing in the Cibao Valley, feeling the cool breeze from the nearby river. It's like Mother Nature's air conditioning! The rivers here are master sculptors, carving out diverse climate zones. From subtropical highland climates in Constanza to hot semi-arid climates in San Juan, these waterways are the unsung heroes shaping the country's weather patterns. They're nature's mood rings, reflecting the ever-changing face of the island. 3. What role do rivers play during the rainy season and tropical storms? Hold onto your hats, folks! When the rain season hits, these rivers transform from gentle streams to roaring beasts. I've seen the Yaque del Sur swell like a hungry giant during tropical storms. It's both terrifying and awe-inspiring. These rivers are the island's natural flood control system, but sometimes even they can't handle Mother Nature's tantrums. The Atlantic hurricane season keeps everyone on their toes, with rivers acting as nature's early warning system. 4. How are the rivers affected by climate change and environmental policies? Let me paint you a picture: I'm sitting by Lake Enriquillo, watching it shrink year after year. It's like watching a slowly deflating balloon. Climate change is giving these rivers a run for their money. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the EU Green Deal are like lifelines for these waterways. The government's juggling act between economic growth and environmental protection is trickier than walking a tightrope. These rivers are silent witnesses to the country's struggle with sustainable development. 5. What unique flora and fauna can be found along Dominican Republic's rivers? Imagine walking along the banks of the Río Yuna. It's like stepping into a living, breathing nature documentary! The rivers here are home to a cast of characters that would make any wildlife show jealous. From colorful birds that look like they've been painted by a mad artist to fish that seem to defy the laws of nature, these waterways are bustling ecosystems. Each river tells its own story, with the Sierra de Neiba and Sierra de Bahoruco acting as nature's theater backdrop. 6. How do local communities use and protect the rivers? I've sat with locals in Santiago de los Caballeros, listening to stories about their beloved rivers. These waterways aren't just geographic features; they're part of the community's soul. From fishing to irrigation, the rivers are the unsung heroes of daily life. But it's not all smooth sailing. The tug-of-war between using the rivers and protecting them is as old as time. Local initiatives for sustainable use of these water bodies are like seeds of hope, slowly growing into a forest of environmental consciousness. References - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaque_del_Norte_River - https://www.viator.com/Puerto-Plata-attractions/Yaque-del-North-River/overview/d795-a1562 - https://www.britannica.com/place/Yuna-River - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozama_River - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/15/travel/dominican-republic-rivers.html (2024-01-15) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguamo_River - https://dr-local.fandom.com/wiki/Higuamo_River - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g3458418-d2037534-Reviews-Rio_Chavon-La_Romana_Province_Dominican_Republic.html - https://www.viator.com/La-Romana-attractions/Chavon-River/d4176-a22287 - https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/things-to-do/natural-attractions/rivers-and-lakes/ - https://ianas.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uwc09.pdf - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336017821_Social-ecological_assessment_of_tropical_urban_rivers_and_restoration_opportunities_blue-green_infrastructure_for_Jarabacoa_Dominican_Republic Read the full article

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