#Waterways Institute

[traveltash]

Technology and research on the canal

One of the more spectacular objects that can be seen while travelling on the Landwehrkanal is the Douglas C47 (military version of a DC3) mounted outside the Technik Museum. Together with the single blade of a wind turbine, it gives a taste of the exhibits housed on what had been the station for trains to Anhalt, the Anhalter Bahnhof. The aircraft is one of the many “Rosinenbomber” (raisin…

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - June 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Rare foal born on estate for first time in 100 years

“The Food Museum at Abbot's Hall in Stowmarket, Suffolk, is home to a small number of Suffolk Punch horses - a breed considered critically endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. A female foal was born on Saturday and has been named Abbots Juno to honour the last horse born at the museum in 1924. [...] Juno is just one of 12 fillies born so far this year in the country and she could potentially help produce more of the breed in the future.”

2. The cement that could turn your house into a giant battery

“[Scientists] at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way of creating an energy storage device known as a supercapacitor from three basic, cheap materials – water, cement and a soot-like substance called carbon black. [... Supercapacitators] can charge much more quickly than a lithium ion battery and don't suffer from the same levels of degradation in performance. [... Future applications of this concrete might include] roads that store solar energy and then release it to recharge electric cars wirelessly as they drive along a road [... and] energy-storing foundations of houses.”

3. New road lights, fewer dead insects—insect-friendly lighting successfully tested

“Tailored and shielded road lights make the light source almost invisible outside the illuminated area and significantly reduces the lethal attraction for flying insects in different environments. [...] The new LED luminaires deliver more focused light, reduce spill light, and are shielded above and to the side to minimize light pollution. [... In contrast,] dimming the conventional lights by a factor of 5 had no significant effect on insect attraction.”

4. When LGBTQ health is at stake, patient navigators are ready to help

“[S]ome health care systems have begun to offer guides, or navigators, to get people the help they need. [... W]hether they're just looking for a new doctor or taking the first step toward getting gender-affirming care, "a lot of our patients really benefit from having someone like me who is there to make sure that they are getting connected with a person who is immediately going to provide a safe environment for them." [... A navigator] also connects people with LGBTQ community organizations, social groups and peer support groups.”

5. Tech company to help tackle invasive plant species

“Himalayan balsam has very sugary nectar which tempts bees and other pollinators away from native plants, thereby preventing them from producing seed. It outcompetes native plant species for resources such as sunlight, space and nutrients. [...] The volunteer scheme is open to all GWT WilderGlos users who have a smartphone and can download the Crowdorsa app, where they can then earn up to 25p per square meter of Balsam removed.”

6. [Fish & Wildlife] Service Provides Over $14 Million to Benefit Local Communities, Clean Waterways and Recreational Boaters

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is distributing more than $14 million in Clean Vessel Act grants to improve water quality and increase opportunities for fishing, shellfish harvests and safe swimming in the nation’s waterways. By helping recreational boaters properly dispose of sewage, this year’s grants will improve conditions for local communities, wildlife and recreational boaters in 18 states and Guam.”

7. Bornean clouded leopard family filmed in wild for first time ever

“Camera traps in Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo have captured a Bornean clouded leopard mother and her two cubs wandering through a forest. It's the first time a family of these endangered leopards has been caught on camera in the wild, according [to] staff from the Orangutan Foundation who placed camera traps throughout the forest to learn more about the elusive species.”

8. Toy library helps parents save money 'and the planet'

“Started in 2015 by Annie Berry, South Bristol's toy library aims to reduce waste and allow more children access to more - and sometimes expensive - toys. [...] Ms Berry partnered with the St Philips recycling centre on a pilot project to rescue items back from landfill, bringing more toys into the library. [...] [P]eople use it to support the environment, take out toys that they might not have the space for at home or be able to afford, and allow children to pick non-gender specific toys.”

9. Chicago Receives $3M Grant to Inventory Its Trees and Create Plan to Manage City’s Urban Forest

“The Chicago Park District received a $1.48 million grant [“made available through the federal Inflation Reduction Act”] to complete a 100% inventory of its estimated 250,000 trees, develop an urban forestry management plan and plant 200 trees in disadvantaged areas with the highest need. As with the city, development of the management plan is expected to involve significant community input.”

10. Strong Public Support for Indigenous Co-Stewardship Plan for Bears Ears National Monument

“[The NFW has a] plan to collaboratively steward Bears Ears National Monument to safeguard wildlife, protect cultural resources, and better manage outdoor recreation. The plan was the result of a two-year collaboration among the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and upholds Tribal sovereignty, incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and responsibly manages the monument for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation while ensuring the continued health of the ecosystem.”

June 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[reasonsforhope]

"Seven federal agencies are partnering to implement President Biden’s American Climate Corps, announcing this week they would work together to recruit 20,000 young Americans and fulfill the administration's vision for the new program. 

The goals spelled out in the memorandum of understanding include comprehensively tackling climate change, creating partnerships throughout various levels of government and the private sector, building a diverse corps and serving all American communities.

The agencies—which included the departments of Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, Labor and Energy, as well the Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps—also vowed to ensure a “range of compensation and benefits” that open the positions up to a wider array of individuals and to create pathways to “high-quality employment.”  

Leaders from each of the seven agencies will form an executive committee for the Climate Corps, which Biden established in September, that will coordinate efforts with an accompanying working group. They will create the standards for ACC programs, set compensation guidelines and minimum terms of service, develop recruitment strategies, launch a centralized website and establish performance goals and objectives. The ACC groups will, beginning in January, hold listening sessions with potential applicants, labor unions, state and local governments, educational institutions and other stakeholders. 

The working group will also review all federal statutes and hiring authorities to remove any barriers to onboarding for the corps and standardize the practices across all participating agencies. Benefits for corps members will include housing, transportation, health care, child care, educational credit, scholarships and student loan forgiveness, stipends and non-financial services.

As part of the goal of the ACC, agencies will develop the corps so they can transition to “high-quality, family-sustaining careers with mobility potential” in the federal or other sectors. AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith said the initiative would prepare young people for “good-paying union jobs.” 

Within three weeks of rolling out the ACC, EPA said more than 40,000 people—mostly in the 18-35 age range—expressed interest in joining the corps. The administration set an ambitious goal for getting the program underway, aiming to establish the corps’ first cohort in the summer of 2024. 

The corps members will work in roles related to ecosystem restoration and conservation, reforestation, waterway protection, recycling, energy conservation, clean energy deployment, disaster preparedness and recovery, fire resilience, resilient recreation infrastructure, research and outreach. The administration will look to ensure 40% of the climate-related investments flow to disadvantaged communities as part of its Justice40 initiative.  

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the MOU would allow the ACC to “work across the federal family” to push public projects focused on environmental justice and clean energy. 

“The Climate Corps represents a significant step forward in engaging and nurturing young leaders who are passionate about climate action, furthering our journey towards a sustainable and equitable future,” Regan said. 

The ACC’s executive committee will hold its first meeting within the next 30 days. It will draw support from a new climate hub within AmeriCorps, as well as any staffing the agency heads designate."

-via Government Executive, December 20, 2023

-

This news comes with your regularly scheduled reminder that WE GOT THE AMERICAN CLIMATE CORPS ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR and basically no one know about/remembers it!!! Also if you want more info about the Climate Corps, inc. how to join, you can sign up to get updates here.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

🦾 - High-Five for Bionic Hand

1. Houston-area school district announces free breakfast and lunch for students

Pasadena ISD students will be getting free breakfast and lunch for the 2023-24 school year, per an announcement on the district's social media pages.

The 2023-24 free lunch program is thanks to a Community Eligibility Provision grant the district applied for last year. The CEP, which is distributed by the Department of Agriculture, is specially geared toward providing free meals for low-income students.

2. Dolphin and her baby rescued after being trapped in pond for 2 years

A pair of dolphins that spent nearly two years stuck in a Louisiana pond system are back at sea thanks to the help of several agencies and volunteers.

According to the Audubon Nature Institute, wildlife observers believe the mother dolphin and her baby were pushed into the pond system near Grand Isle, Louisiana, during Hurricane Ida in late August 2021.

3. Studies show that putting solar panels over waterways could boost clean energy and conserve water. The first U.S. pilot project is getting underway in California.

Some 8,000 miles of federally owned canals snake across the United States, channeling water to replenish crops, fuel hydropower plants and supply drinking water to rural communities. In the future, these narrow waterways could serve an additional role: as hubs of solar energy generation.

4. Gene therapy eyedrops restored a boy's sight. Similar treatments could help millions

Antonio was born with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over his body and in his eyes. But his skin improved when he joined a clinical trial to test the world’s first topical gene therapy.

The same therapy was applied to his eyes. Antonio, who’s been legally blind for much of his 14 years, can see again.

5. Scientists develop game-changing vaccine against Lyme disease ticks!

A major step in battling Lyme disease and other dangerous tick-borne viruses may have been taken as researchers announced they have developed a vaccine against the ticks themselves.

Rather than combatting the effects of the bacteria or microbe that causes Lyme disease, the vaccine targets the microbiota of the tick, according to a paper published in the journal Microbiota on Monday.

6. HIV Transmission Virtually Eliminated in Inner Sydney, Australia

Sydney may be the first city in the world to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Inner Sydney has reduced new HIV acquisitions by 88%, meaning it may be the first locality in the world to reach the UN target to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030

7. New bionic hand allows amputees to control each finger with unprecedented accuracy

In a world first, surgeons and engineers have developed a new bionic hand that allows users with arm amputations to effortlessly control each finger as though it was their own body.

Successful testing of the bionic hand has already been conducted on a patient who lost his arm above the elbow.

----

That's it for this week :)

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[twinliches]

How does one get into international regulation of new technologies, it sounds niche and interesting

its easy to get into quite honestly - pick a type of regulation (law/policy/diplomacy) and an emerging technology (AI/autonomous weapons/drones/space/Deep seabed mining) and find universities or Institutions with people researching the same combination. given that these fields are often small, they are really tight knit communities of mostly young people welcoming you with open arms!!

for me it's that i studied space law, worked for my national space agency in the diplomatic department and for the united nations, and now i am part of a research group trying to answer the headache of a question of what law applies when international satellite-based navigation systems provide wrong information on accident.

it's the coolest job in the world and i think everyone should come join me in the wonderful and anxiety inducing playground that is trying to get states to agree to solve future problems BEFORE someone needs to make an app monitoring waterways for the titanic. for example

[simply-ivanka]

Germany Should Have Listened to Trump

Tuesday 2.27.2024 Wall Street Journal

By Walter Russell Mead

Trump was right about Berlin’s self-defense and risky energy dependence on Russia.

The lower house of Germany’s Parliament voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis last week. It was a timely move. Germany’s leadership class is going to need all the mellow it can find in a world that isn’t going Germany’s way.

Russian advances in Ukraine and American paralysis over the next aid package are reinforcing the reality that Germany needs to defend itself but lacks the power to do so. So are developments in the Red Sea, where German manufacturers must cope with shipping delays as the Biden administration fails to keep the vital waterway clear.

Forget the 2% of gross domestic product that Germany has repeatedly promised and failed to spend on defense. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius shocked many observers this month when he said that in the new world situation, Germany may have to spend as much as 3.5% of GDP for defense.

The economic news is also grim. Last year Germany’s GDP shrank 0.3%, and last week the government slashed 2024 growth estimates to a pitiful 0.2%. Economists expect negative growth during the first quarter of 2024, placing the country in recession. The outlook for housing is bleak, with business confidence reaching all-time lows. The news in manufacturing is little better. This month the widely followed HCOB German Flash Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 46.1, the eighth month in a row that the index has pointed to decreasing economic activity.

Energy prices are a particular sore spot. The chemical giant BASF announced €1 billion in spending cuts in its German operations, blaming a mix of weak demand in the German market and “structurally higher energy prices.” Enormous U.S. subsidies under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act are leading German companies to look across the Atlantic.

Chinese competition is another massive worry. China long ago passed Germany as the world’s largest car producer. Increasingly, especially in electric vehicles, it is challenging Germany as both a low-cost and high-quality manufacturer. Beijing aims to marginalize German capital goods and automobile companies in China while Chinese exporters challenge German dominance in world markets.

With the associations representing the small and medium-size Mittelstand firms that make up the heart of the German economy warning in a rare joint open letter about Germany’s loss of competitiveness, Economy Minister Robert Habeck isn’t mincing words. The economy is in “rough waters.” The “competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location” is in doubt.

It isn’t all doom and gloom. The outlook for the service sector is brighter than for manufacturing, and as the Journal reported last week, the Ifo Institute’s business-climate index improved slightly this month. The best that can be said for the outlook? “The German economy is stabilizing at a low level,” according to Ifo’s president.

Meanwhile, Germany’s dysfunctional three-party coalition government is paralyzed by internal struggles. The largest party in the coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), is deeply divided over foreign policy, with many nostalgic for good relations with Russia and allergic to military spending. The SPD also wants Biden-like government spending initiatives to revive the German industrial machine and expand social benefits. The Greens, the next-largest party, are by German standards foreign-policy hawks but continue to press for a rapid energy transition that drives up costs for business and consumers. The third party in the coalition, the Free Democrats, wants to hold the line on government spending. As if this weren’t enough trouble, the conservative opposition parties have a blocking minority in Parliament’s upper house.

This is not where Germans thought they would be. Sixteen months ago, I visited Berlin and heard from a stream of government officials, think tankers and economists that everything was working fine. Russia was failing in Ukraine. The energy transition would boost German competitiveness and employment. Germany’s Mittelstand would handle anything China could throw at it.

Under the circumstances, it’s no surprise that antiestablishment parties are growing in Germany. The far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) currently has more support than any of the governing parties, with one recent poll showing the AfD at 19%, the Social Democrats at 14%, the Greens at 13%, and the Free Democrats at 4%.

The most bitter pill of all for Germany’s establishment may be the realization that on the most important issues facing Germany, Donald Trump was right where they were wrong. Getting in bed with Vladimir Putin for cheap energy was both foolish and deeply disloyal to the West. German defense policy was self-defeating and dangerous. China wasn’t a reliable partner.

“Ich bin ein Berliner,” was President John F. Kennedy’s message to Germany. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, his message will likely be “Das habe ich gleich gesagt,” or “I told you so.”

[mindblowingscience]

Dyes widely used in the textile, food and pharmaceutical industries pose a pressing threat to plant, animal and human health, as well as natural environments around the world, a new study has found. Billions of tons of dye-containing wastewater enter water systems every year, and a group of researchers from the UK, China, Korea and Belgium say that new sustainable technologies including new membrane-based nano-scale filtration are needed to solve the issue, adding that legislation is needed to compel industrial producers to eliminate colorants before they reach public sewage systems or waterways. Published today in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, the study Environmental impacts and remediation of dye-containing wastewater was written by academics from the University of Bath, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH), and KU Leuven, Belgium. The research highlights that currently, up to 80% of dye-containing industrial wastewaters created in low- and middle-income countries are released untreated into waterways or used directly for irrigation. The authors say this poses a wide range of direct and indirect threats to human, animal and plant health

Continue Reading

[cognitivejustice]

In an innovative shift towards sustainable transportation, solar-powered boats are making silent voyages through Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest. This green initiative is spearheaded by Kara Solar, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of the indigenous Achuar communities along the Wichimi River in eastern Ecuador.

Kara Solar’s initiative began under the vision of founder Oliver Utne, who recognized the potential for sustainable technology to preserve the Achuar’s territory and cultural heritage. After studying solar energy in the United States, Utne returned to Ecuador, partnering with academic institutions to develop effective electric propulsion systems for the Amazonian waterways.

The benefits of these solar boats are manifold. They travel at speeds up to 12 miles per hour and can cover distances up to 60 miles on a single charge, with the capability to recharge using onshore solar grids. These grids not only power the boats but also supply energy to local schools and community centers, fostering broader societal benefits.

[dailyanarchistposts]

I

“Today we are still preoccupied with creating gardens.Why? To not suffer from hunger. Because having rice, beans, fava beans, maize, peanut — then one can survive.” — Renato, of the Canela community[1]

“The development of what we know as agriculture was not an overnight phenomenon, but rather a several thousand year-long project. In some places in the world, the earliest stages of cultivation were never surpassed, and remain sustainable today. In many more places, the pressures of the global economy have corrupted these practices just in this last century. But in most of the world today, we are witnessing the full-blown colonization of native foodways, and a nearly complete dependence on western industrial practices. To trace this “biodevestation” directly back to cultivation itself, is to ignore the history of conquest and land displacement that pushed the food systems of subsistence cultures to the brink, where they now teeter on the edge of extinction.” — Witch Hazel, Against agriculture & in defense of cultivation

Situated in dense forests and savanna of the Brazilian state of Maranhão lives the indigenous Canela people. In the past they lived from hunting, gathering and gardening but starting from 200 years ago as they were pushed from their traditional territory as settler farmers occupied the land bit by bit. The lush forests are being replaced by industrial eucalyptus and soy plantations, and cattle ranches. They now inhabit an area 5 to 10 percent of their original territory. Traditionally the Canela travelled from place to place as the seasons changed but now adopt a more sedentary lifestyle living in bigger permanent villages. Although the Canela still depend on hunting and foraging they don’t have access to a big enough land base to cover all their needs so they increasingly depend on gardening to meet their needs.

For the Canela gardening is not just to meet their subsistence needs but also a means of resistance against being assimilated into the structures, networks, dependency and the institutional inequality of the Brazilian state, religious institutions, and multinational corporations who are constantly trying to infringe and occupy the Canela’s home.

Other threats to the Canelas way of life are from the environmental effects from the industrialized agriculture of soy and eucalyptus production that causes water depletion which exacerbates drought and soil erosion. The overuse of fertilizers and agrochemicals annihilates plant biodiversity and pollutes the local rivers and waterways with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus which in turn causes algal blooms which can produce toxins that are harmful to animals and cause dead zones from the reduction of oxygen in the water starving fish and plants. So any flora or fauna living near a eucalyptus or soy plantation is at risk.

The Canela’s subsistence gardening approach is totally different from monocrop agriculture. They work with nature using a conscious ecological and more biodiverse method.Typically in agriculture only a small variety of cash crops are grown in large fields covering acres upon acres of land where in the Amazon large sections of jungle are destroyed. For the Canela gardners instead of being dependent on a small variety of cash crops they cultivate over 300 varieties of plants to meet their subsistence needs. Instead of using destructive hellish machines like bulldozers, ploughs, and combine harvesters they use a slash and burn method to clear small patches just enough for them to use and their tools consist of a digging stick and woven baskets. They only use the same garden for two years and then not use the same area for at least eight years to allow the forest to regrow and return fertility to the soil.

The Canela’s vast knowledge of plants helps them determine which ones make good companions that will help each other grow, which ones are natural repellents to predatory insects that will attack the plants, and which plants to grow which will attract beneficial insects such as pollinizers. And likewise their vast knowledge of soil helps them to consciously plant to suit the 10 different soil groups in their area which will help prevent soil erosion, nutrients depletion, and combat against other harmful effects that are typical of agriculture. Their focus is for caring for the well-being of local biodiversity and the nonhuman inhabitants.

The Canel don’t see themselves as farmers but parents looking after their plant kin viewing their saved seeds and cuttings as their babies and their growing crops as their infants, genuinely loving them in the same way as if they were their human children caring for the plants as the plants care for them. They view the environment as consisting of human and nonhuman “selves”, and gardening as caretaking for themselves and their plant and human families.

[rjzimmerman]

EPA bans two cancer-causing chemicals used in everyday products. (Washington Post)

Excerpt from this Washington Post story:

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday banned two known carcinogens used in a variety of consumer products and industrial settings that can seep into the environment through the soil and waterways.

The new rules, which underscore President Joe Biden’s efforts to enact key protections against harmful chemicals before leaving office, include the complete ban of trichloroethylene — also known as TCE — a substance found in degreasing agents, furniture care and auto repair products. The agency also banned all consumer uses and many commercial uses of perc — also known as perchloroethylene and PCE — an industrial solvent long used in applications such as dry cleaning and auto repair.

“Both of these chemicals have caused too much harm for too long, despite the existence of safer alternatives,” said Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a senior attorney at Earthjustice.

The EPA conducted risk analyses last year and found that both substances present unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the environment.

According to the EPA, perc is toxic to the nervous system and the reproductive system and is a persistent environmental pollutant. Multiple organizations — including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the International Agency for Research on Cancer — have classified the chemical as a probable human carcinogen. Perc can also biodegrade into TCE.

Meanwhile, TCE is associated with numerous cancers, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and kidney and liver cancer, and is toxic to the nervous, immune and reproductive systems, even at low levels of exposure.

[marveltrumpshate]

Environment & Natural Disasters

As we've all noticed with increasing alarm, natural disasters are occurring with more violence and regularity. The following organizations focus on responding to the climate crisis and protecting the planet as well as groups impacted by climate issues.

For more information on donation methods and accepted currencies, please refer to our list of organizations page.

Clean Air Task Force

As we've seen for a long time now but especially this year with constant natural disasters and alarming news from all over the world, climate change is real and we need to do something about it. Over the past 25 years, CATF, a group of climate and energy experts who think outside the box to solve the climate crisis, has pushed for technology innovations, legal advocacy, research, and policy changes. Their goal is to achieve a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost.

Coalition for Rainforest Nations

Boasting a voluntary membership of over 50 rainforest nations, CORN provides a single voice to countries that didn’t cause the climate emergency but nevertheless feel the brunt of it daily. CORN originated the global conservation mechanism Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) to stop deforestation. REDD+ was successfully mandated in the Paris Climate Agreement (2015) and covers 90% of the world’s tropical rainforests.  

Good Food Institute 

Environmental advocates have long said that the use of animal proteins is one of the least sustainable parts of our food system and mass meat production and consumption put a large burden on the planet. GFI works to create sustainable food sources worldwide, specifically alternative protein sources such as plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived meats. Through their innovation, scientific research, policy advocacy, and public and corporate education, they aim to mitigate the environmental impact of our food system, decrease the risk of zoonotic disease, and ultimately feed more people with fewer resources. 

International Rescue Committee 

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a long-standing trusted partner in supporting those whose lives have been upended by sudden violence, political or natural. They are no stranger to areas of disaster and conflict throughout the world as they currently work in 40 countries. The IRC provides emergency aid and long-term assistance, including refugee settlement, and focuses on health, education, economic well-being, empowerment, and safety. 

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Odds are you’ve heard of MSF, the global organization that sends trained medical professionals to the places they’re needed most. MSF has been working globally for over 50 years, providing medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare—no matter what. They’re guided by principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality to global political policies or movements. 

Oceana

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization for ocean conservation. To protect and restore the world’s oceans, they campaign globally for policies that stop overfishing and plastic pollution, protect habitats and the climate, and increase biodiversity. Oceana conducts its own scientific research and expeditions, is engaged in grassroots activism, and is involved in recommending and supporting policies and litigation.

Waterkeeper Alliance

In 1966, this movement was started by a band of blue-collar fishermen pushing back against industrial polluters, and their tough spirit remains intact through the 300+ local community groups that make up the global Waterkeeper Alliance today. The Alliance works to ensure, preserve, and protect clean and abundant water for all people and creatures. Their programs are diverse, spanning from patrolling waterways against polluters to advocating for environmental laws in courtrooms and town halls and educating in classrooms.

World Central Kitchen

Started by Chef José Andrés, WCK makes sure that people are fed in the wake of humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Their programs advance human and environmental health, offer access to professional culinary training, create jobs, and improve food security. WCK also teaches food safety and cooking classes to native people who live where disasters have occurred, so they may open restaurants and support the local economy more permanently. You can follow where WCK is currently on the ground assisting and feeding people affected by natural and man-made crises here.

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

“Imagine yourself visiting a small city in Flanders around the year 1300. It's an early spring day, and you are strolling along a busy canal with boats carrying goods to and from market. Bustling crowds of people are calling to one another, hawking their wares and services. Animals tended by children jostle for space; carts pulled by oxen pass by. The air is moist and pungent: the sweat of human labor, rotting garbage, and manure mix with the strong odor of fish and seafood. The large canal, hemmed in by hard-packed earth or stone, winds its way through the city. Baskets of herbs and pots of flowers placed alongside pathways and beside doorways give you an occasional breath of decent air. Now you follow a smaller waterway that takes you toward the edge of the city, and you arrive at your destination...

Each house around the perimeter of the beguinage is constructed of brick or stone and has a small private garden in front. There is also a long building, two stories high with a steeply pitched roof, which is finely constructed of wood with a generous placement of windows.

This building is a dormitory where beguines of little financial means, or those who choose a simpler lifestyle, dwell. You pass by the path that leads down to the storage barns of the beguinage and a small wharf at the canal. The women ship their completed goods and receive their purchases there. You learn that in cities with a canal system, court beguinages are usually connected to the water so that goods can be delivered and finished products sent out…

Court beguinages were often built outside the city walls, usually in a field, meadow, marsh, or other land with little economic value (and, whenever possible, with access to a waterway). Wealthy beguines built individual homes of brick or stone, arranged around the outer edge of the beguinage property and facing inward; high walls connecting these homes completed the enclosure. And there was an official entrance gate. Wealthy beguines might live alone or with a few select companions in their homes. They were free to make this choice. Frequently, larger dormitory-style buildings were built to provide housing for beguines of humbler means. Newly arrived beguines usually rented a room in the dormitory or in one of the private homes.

A beguine who owned a private home within the court beguinage agreed that her home would never be turned over to an "outsider." She could leave her home to a fellow beguine, such as a granddaughter or niece, in her will, or could sell her home to another beguine. If a beguine departed the community or was forcibly removed, her home became the property of the court beguinage or of the infirmary. Beguines could purchase a vacated private home if one became available. Funds from the sale or lease of these homes financed their infirmaries (also called hospitals or hospices) and other common buildings.

Court beguinages typically included vegetable gardens and spacious meadows, to keep milk cows, sheep, and goats; henhouses and beehives; a brewery and bakery; and workspace for preparing fleece, spinning, and weaving. One would commonly find a chapel or church there and an infirmary for the sick and the dying. The infirmary, which served poor women (especially poor widows) and children, was considered a beguinage's central and most important institution…

The court beguinage, while not a monastic enclosure, provided a safe area for beguines to live in, earn an income, and minister without interference from unwanted intrusion. Court beguinages functioned as fairly independent villages within (or adjacent to) a town or city, with the women in control—and safe from thieves and marauding gangs. The women were also, for the most part, safe from rape there…

One hundred to four hundred inhabitants was common, but there could be many more… St Elizabeth had between 610 and 730 women living there… St Christophe in Liège numbered around one thousand members by 1253. And St Catherine at Mechelen, established in 1245, grew to between 1,500 and 1,900 beguines in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.”

- The Wisdom of the Beguines, Laura Swan

[quaintbuilds]

The Kingdom of Mossland

KoM 2-2 | Urban Development

The second major project of season 2 has been a rework of the city's borders and districts. This was a much needed change as the city had become quite cramped, but was still lacking several buildings that every city needs. (certain shops, services, and institutions)

What I consider to be the main entrance of the city received a complete make over, bringing the gate further out and adding a river and waterfalls to let me scratch the bridge building itch that every Minecrafter feels. Some of the buildings by this gate were moved to other areas of the city, and the Red Dragon Tavern was moved up with the gate so it would still be the first building encountered by anyone who entered the city. The mountain was also extended and a tunnel made to go to the ruined watchtower.

The other side of the city has become a completely new area. I turned the large chasm into a tunnel, which has added a considerable amount of building space. I also demolished the industrial district that I never got around to working on, and covered up the mineshaft. I am still not sure if I want a proper industrial area in this city, so I'm not sure what this area will be yet. New gates were built on this side of the city, and I am thinking about a really cool gate system for the waterway below this area, or even re-designing the drawbridge at the mouth of the river.

The pictures are roughly organized as before pictures on the left, and after pictures on the right. I am extremely pleased with how these reworks went and am looking forward to planning out some bigger buildings and exploring further changes to the city layout.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"According to Nietzsche, violence is inherent in the formation of society, a process he describes in terms uncannily similar to those of the Soviet project of re-forging:

The welding of a hitherto unchecked and shapeless populace into a firm form was not only instituted by an act of violence but also carried to its conclusion by nothing but acts of violence—that the oldest “state” thus appeared as a fearful tyranny, as an oppressive and remorseless machine, and went on working until this raw material of people and semi-animals was at last not only thoroughly kneaded and pliant but also formed.

Coupled with physical force (thousands of prisoners died in building a waterway that came to be known as the “road of bones”) was ideological force. As prisoners toiled at Belomor, the regime transmogrified their minds as well as their bodies. Imbedded in the ideals of the Russian Revolution was a sense of aggressive transformation, and the Bolsheviks sought to re-mold forcefully those not willing to submit to their worldview. According to Lenin, Marxism had “assimilated and refashioned everything of value in the more than two thousand years of the development of human thought and culture.” The Communist Party, in turn, served as the vanguard of the proletariat. Their task was to actively lead the workers and peasants to consciousness, to help them make the pilgrimage from darkness to light. Not only Belomor but the entire Soviet project is modeled off of the assumption that perekovka—the potential for human self-transformation—is possible. Marxism-Leninism particularly embraced this possibility, since peasants and workers had to become enlightened, class-conscious citizens in the absence of the full development of capitalism."

- Julie Draskoczy, Belomor: Criminality and Creativity in Stalin’s Gulag. Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2014. p. 28

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Bends of the Alabama River

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station shot this photo of large meanders of the Alabama River while orbiting over the southern United States. The river’s smooth water surface reflects sunlight back toward the astronaut’s camera, producing an optical phenomenon known as sunglint. When photographing Earth, astronauts often take advantage of sunglint’s tendency to increase the contrast between water surfaces and surrounding land surfaces.

The river’s large meander at the center of this image is known as Gee’s Bend, named after Joseph Gee, who founded a plantation there in 1816. The nearby community of Boykin (Gee’s Bend) has become known for its “vibrant folk art,” which since the early 2000s has resulted in major exhibitions in 12 of the largest art institutions in the United States.

The Alabama River flows southwest towards the Gulf of Mexico and connects with the Intracoastal Waterway along the Gulf Coast, which in turn allows barges to reach destinations in many parts of the United States. Damming of the Alabama River in the 1960s created Dannelly Reservoir, located 65 miles (100 kilometers) west-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama’s capital. Before the dam was built, the Alabama River was a comparatively narrow waterway, as seen on the far left of the image.

Construction of the dam raised water levels upriver. This resulted in flooding at several points along the river, such as Chilatchee Creek. These flooded zones are typical of floodplains—the low, flat areas immediately next to larger rivers. In this image, flooded zones appear as irregular, bright shapes extending away from the river. The widest flooded sector along the river appears in the area of Gee’s Bend southwest of Boykin.

Astronaut photograph ISS069-E-25553 was acquired on June 26, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 400 millimeters. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by members of the Expedition 69 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by Justin Wilkinson, Texas State University, Jacobs JETS Contract at NASA-JSC.

[fatehbaz]

“This makes me very happy, this is why we came down from the Sierra, to see the people celebrating the guáimaro tree,” says Orfelina Perez Restrepo, an Indigenous Yupa whose ancestral lands overlap with the lush valleys and rugged ridges of the Serranía del Perijá, a mountain range that runs along Colombia’s northeastern border with Venezuela.

Perez Restrepo has made the three-hour trek down the mountain [...] to attend the  Festival of Guáimaro in the bustling highway town of Becerril. Held annually for the past nine years, this all-day festivity is filled with dancing, games and even a cooking competition, all centered on guáimaro (Brosimum alicastrum), or the “tree of life,” according to the Yupa.

“We cook these nuts and eat them because they have high nutritional value and even help to heal from sicknesses,” Perez Restrepo says. Known as ramon or nuez Maya (Maya nut) in Mexico, and ojushte in El Salvador, guáimaro has been a dietary staple and source of natural  medicine for pre-Colombian societies in the tropical Americas for millennia. But in recent decades it’s become increasingly harder to find, according to Perez Restrepo

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The guáimaro tree is a keystone species of Colombia’s tropical dry forest, an incredibly biodiverse ecosystem with species adapted to surviving long dry spells between rainy seasons. The tropical dry forest is located predominantly along and near the country’s Caribbean coast, but is also found further south in smaller, disconnected patches.

One of Colombia’s most threatened ecosystems according to the Humboldt Institute, the tropical dry forests are home to more than 2,600 species of plants, 230 species of birds, and 60 mammal species. The latter include seven species of primates, including the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), a squirrel-sized monkey with a thick white mane found only in a handful of patches of primary tropical dry forest in Colombia’s Caribbean region.

The guáimaro tree, which thrives along riverbanks, can grow to a height of 45 meters (150 feet) high, provides food and shelter for both humans and animals in the tropical dry forest, and helps fix the soil and protect waterways. But deforestation threatens the tree’s survival: about 65% of the cleared land within the dry tropical forest has become affected by desertification [...].

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But for Perez Restrepo, the Festival of Guáimaro brings hope that the forest is making a comeback. “We are making products from the forest like dulce de guáimaro, dulce de orejero, hummus de orejero, and marmalade of pineapple with camajón, all of which go deliciously on these breads and cookies made with guáimaro flour,” says Ana Flor Hernandez from behind one of the stalls at the festival. [...]

Tapping into a [...] bioregional culinary scene in Colombia, Tamandua now supplies several restaurants in the country’s capital with raw products like guáimaro flour. “We use guáimaro flour for everything, from crusts for chicken and meats, to flour to make empanadas, to dough for other baked goods, and even as colors and flavoring for things like ice cream,” says Eduardo Martinez, chef, agronomist and co-founder of [...] a [...] restaurant in Bogota’s [...] Chapinero Alto neighborhood. [...] “Our dominant forms of food production, both cattle grazing and monocultures, are destructive to our biodiversity and it is time that we address this,” [Felipe Garcia Cardona of Humboldt’s Biodiversity Sciences Program] says. In the case of guáimaro, almost every part of the tree can be used, Garcia Cardona tells Mongabay [...].

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Headline, images, captions, and all text by: Ocean Malandra. “Colombia’s ‘tree of life’ births a new culinary and conservation movement.” Mongabay. 23 January 2023. With photographs by Juan Carlos Valencia and Ocean Malandra. [Some paragraph breaks added by me.]