#i was researching about pacific islands and sea levels rising

[whitemochacoffee]

OH MY FUCKING GOD

[unhetalia]

this is really weak of me but I really do have to headcanon the Nations as having nothing to do with their governments and at times actively working against them because otherwise the atrocities are Not Fictional...

and anyway these beings hundreds of years old absolutely know that governments do not always have the people's best interests in mind. Do not always take care of the land. Nations believe their role is to take care of their land and their people, and maybe the older Nations tried to work with those in power in the beginning, but quickly learn their lesson.

because of this headcanon, I imagine the Nations all have 'departments' they belong to that focus on a certain issue. It would be impossible to have one individual try to have intimate knowledge of every single issue a country faces, and I love the implications this has on how much the Nations rely on each other, and how much their relationships are not reflective of human politics, because their purpose is not to reflect their people but to protect them and the land they're on.

SO finally, to the point of this post.

Here's what I think certain Nations do:

England and Russia are in charge of information gathering AKA espionage, as both have infiltrated their own governments at a very high level. Arthur is in MI6, Ivan is in the KGB-turned-FSK-turned-FSB. They're valuable assets to the rest of the world because they tend to have information on what everyone's governments are doing. Some other Nations who work in this department are Hungary, Philippines (F), Canada, Cuba, Ukraine, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.

A lot of Nations work on environmental issues - Sweden, Finland and Denmark focus on governance as a way to mitigate environmental issues, while Australia, New Zealand, South Africa are focused on conservation, Brazil, Colombia, Congo focus on deforestation and air pollution, the Pacific Islands on rising sea levels and ocean pollution.

China, France, Ireland and Turkey are focused on food security - each one focuses on a specific aspect of it. China on availability, Ireland on access, France on utilisation and Turkey on stability.

Social welfare is headed by Austria and Belgium, with Spain, the Italies, Greece and Portugal focused on it.

Internal security is handled by the Germany brothers and Switzerland - this is the protection of the Nations themselves. Arranging identities, extraction of Nations who land themselves in trouble, and also the keeper of their arsenal.

America heads the research and development department that connects everything together - they develop the gadgets used by Arthur and Ivan's team, help develop technologies and conduct research focused on the environment and food security, help trial new ideas on addressing poverty, hack databases in order to help create identities for Nations. This department includes Japan, South Korea, India (F), Taiwan, Tony (not a Nation but heavily involved), Liechtenstein, Hong Kong, Belarus, Netherlands, Estonia, Mexico (F).

EDIT: I have to re-think a lot of this because I keep thinking about how very little countries there are compared to shit happening in the world and it messes with this universe a little bit. SO. WILL BE RE-WORKED.

[script-a-world]

Submitted Via Google Form:

Building a world that used to have lots of land but over time the land sunk into the ocean so species became more aquatic and land species that could not, became endangered/died out. But how long does it take land to sink into the ocean vs how long does it take for biology to adapt? 'Perfect' adaptions if land sinks very slowly? What if land sank too quickly for good adaption? What would be the timeline for this? How about man made (I'm saying 'man' but does not need to be human beings - I'm not sure what kind of species I'm putting on this planet - just building the world then I'll decide what I can put there.) issues that slow down or quicken up the land sinking issue? What about other parts of the climate that would accompany this change?

Addy: A few thoughts. 

Rising water levels - climate change can cause water levels to rise, earthquakes can cause minor sinking along a coastline (look up ghost forests, they're wild), and sometimes tectonic plates just get kinda weird. Conventional geology states that continental plates never sink, as they're less dense than oceanic plates, but a research project at the Univeristy of Chicago proposes that maybe that isn't always the case. Case of Earth’s missing continental crust solved: It sank | University of Chicago News

Zealandia is also a very interesting case - basically, the continent got stretched out, eventually getting thin enough that the ocean covered most of it. The BBC has a good article about this that's pretty free of jargon. The missing continent that took 375 years to find - BBC Future

You can also have major floods, ala the Mediterranean (in the Zanclean flood) or the Black Sea (in the Black Sea deluge), but I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for. Those types of events tend to be very, very fast, which can mean that there isn't exactly a lot of time for adaptation.

Beyond just sea levels, you can also have habitat change that make the previous aboveground areas inhospitable. That could make the ocean a better alternative for your species, even if there's still a moderate-to-large amount of land.

If the land sinks too quickly for good adaptation, you get a local/regional extinction that kills off a good chunk of creatures. The remaining critters then have an uncompetitive environment to quickly proliferate through, where they can try all sorts of wacky adaptations before the best/most efficient ones win out. We see similar patterns in the Cambrian explosion and in dinosaurs after various major extinction events.

Other parts of the climate that would change as well? Short answer, a lot. The oceans play a major role in the thermoregulation of our planet, aka the global distribution of heat. I'd recommend looking into the global ocean conveyor belt - NOAA has some excellent pages on that. The Global Conveyor Belt - Currents: NOAA's National Ocean Service Education

If sinking land means that continental shelves are somehow moving or falling apart, you might see some weird stuff happen with your oceanic conveyer belt. You don't have to address this in your culture or world, but IRL it affects the global distribution of nutrients, salt/salinity, and temperature in the oceans. In turn, those oceanic temperatures affect air temperatures and wind currents, which then affect weather patterns. An El Niño year (one with weather patterns opposite from the norm, like rain when it's normally dry) is caused by a change in water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the Galapagos Islands. That particular spot is on a major area for wind currents, so it's able to affect quite a lot. El Niño and La Niña | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

These climate changes may or may not matter to your world's people, but oceanic changes have had far-reaching effects on Earth.

It's actually thought that modern pinnipeds - seals, sea lions, and walruses - adapted to the ocean because of a change in the oceanic conveyer belt. Put simply, in the Ogliocene (~36 million years ago), changing global temperature moved the conveyer belt in a way that brought up more nutrients from the deep ocean. The increase in nutrients allowed for more oceanic life, so there were more things to eat.

It took roughly 19 million years for the ancient Puijila species (no flippers, looked like an otter) to evolve to the Enaliarctos genus (four flippers), and then another 17 million years to our modern day. 

[jcmarchi]

New State Of The Industry Report Provides Developer Thoughts On Layoffs, Acquisitions, A.I., And More

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/new-state-of-the-industry-report-provides-developer-thoughts-on-layoffs-acquisitions-a-i-and-more/

New State Of The Industry Report Provides Developer Thoughts On Layoffs, Acquisitions, A.I., And More

Introduction

Last year was a fantastic year for games, with standout triple-A releases like Baldur’s Gate 3, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and great independent games like Jusant, Sea of Stars, and countless others. But in 2023 alone, more than 10,000 developers and people in games-adjacent industries were laid off. Plus, the unchecked rise of A.I. continued, and Unity burned developers with its controversial new game engine policies, not to name a few other not-so-great parts about 2023 – it was a great year for games but one of the worst for those who make them. 

Now, just as 2024 has begun, the Game Developers Conference has released its 12th annual State of the Game Industry report. Its data was collected from 3000 developers surveyed back in October of last year. GDC and GameDeveloper.com partnered with Omdia, a research firm, to dissect the data. In its State of the Game Industry 2024 report, which you can view in full here, developers share their thoughts on A.I., layoffs, social media, and its role in marketing, game engines, and more. 

“The most striking observation derived from job losses in the industry – naturally a pressing concern for many,” Omdia research director Dom Tait writes in the report. “Among the insightful developer comments on the subject was the following: ‘Studios grew too quickly during the pandemic.’ This statement is born out of games industry data, which shows a Covid-driven hump of extra revenue in 2020 and 2021, collectively totaling $50 billion over expected figures.

“But 2022 and 2023 showed a reversion to the spend treeline seen prior to 2020, thus this reduction in headcount is partly caused by companies belatedly adjusting to the new, less positive market reality. However, with the forecast returning to steady growth to 2027, this ought to present a more stable picture for employment levels in the future.” 

Below, we’ll break down some of the highlights of the State of the Game Industry 2024 report. 

Demographics

Demographics

Here are the ages of the 3000 developers surveyed for this report: 

18 to 24: 9 percent

25 to 34: 35 percent

35 to 44: 33 percent

45 to 54: 17 percent

55 to 64: 5 percent

65 or older: 1 percent

And here are the races/ethnicities of the 3000 developers surveyed for this report: 

White/Caucasian: 65 percent

Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin: 9 percent

East Asian: 7 percent

South or Southeast Asian: 5 percent

Black/African/Caribbean: 3 percent

Middle Eastern or North African: 1 percent

American Indian or Alaska Native: less than 1 percent

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: less than 1 percent

Multiple ethnicities/not listed: 5 percent

Prefer not to answer: 5 percent

Here are the genders of those surveyed:

Men: 69 percent

Woman: 23 percent

Non-Binary: 5 percent

Not listed: less than 1 percent

Prefer not to answer: 3 percent

And here are the regions of the world where the developers surveyed reside: 

North America: 62 percent

Europe: 26 percent

Asia: 6 percent

South America: 3 percent

Australia/New Zealand: 3 percent

Africa: less than 1 percent

Not listed: 1 percent 

87 percent of game developers with 21 years or more of experience in the games industry surveyed for this year’s report are men, and 92 percent of those men are White. Asian men represent 15 percent of game developers with 21 years or more of experience, Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish-origin men make up 8 percent, and Black men make up 6 percent. White women represent 5 percent of game developers with 21 years or more of experience, as do Asian women. Zero Black women or Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish-origin women are represented in this category. 

The majority of those surveyed – 56 percent – have 10 or fewer years in the games industry. 

Platforms

Platforms

66 percent of developers surveyed said PC remains their platform of choice for developing current projects, and 57 percent said the same for developing upcoming projects. 

Here’s how the other platforms fair: 

PC: 66 percent

PlayStation 5: 35 percent

Xbox Series X/S: 34 percent

Android: 24 percent

iOS: 23 percent

Nintendo Switch: 18 percent

Xbox One: 18 percent

PlayStation 4: 16 percent

Mac: 16 percent

VR: 10 percent

Web browser: 10 percent

Nintendo Switch successor: 8 percent

Linux: 7 percent

Cloud services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Plus, etc.: 7 percent

AR: 4 percent

Tabletop: 3 percent

Media platforms like Netflix: 2 percent

UGC platforms like Roblox and Minecraft: 1 percent

Playdate: less than 1 percent

Other: 4 percent

Not involved in development: 13 percent

Layoffs

Layoffs

According to the report, 35 percent of developers surveyed have been impacted by layoffs personally or have worked at a company where layoffs occurred, with quality assurance testers affected most. 22 percent of QA developers said they were laid off in 2023, compared to 7 percent for all developers. Those in game development business and finance were affected the least, at 2 percent. 

However, more than half of those surveyed – 56 percent – expressed some level of concern that the place they work could be hit with layoffs in 2024. GDC says one-third of responders said they aren’t concerned about layoffs at their company at all. When asked about the rise of layoffs that gained widespread attention last year, developers cited “post-pandemic course correction, studio conglomeration, and economic uncertainty,” with some expressing a desire to unionize. 

A.I.

A.I.

When asked about A.I. and its rise in game development, 84 percent said they are somewhat or very concerned about the ethics of generative A.I., while 12 percent said they have no concerns with it. GDC notes that those working in business, marketing, and programming were more likely to say the use of A.I. would have a positive effect, while those on the creative side of development, such as narrative and quality assurance, were more likely to say it would have a negative impact. 

Developers noted in surveys that they are concerned generative A.I. could lead to more layoffs, while others worried about how it affects copyright infringement, especially in regards to how the training material this kind of A.I. uses is obtained. 

51 percent of developers said their companies have implemented some kind of workplace policy regarding the use of generative A.I., “with many of them saying their companies have made use optional,” GDC writes in a press release. 2 percent of responders said generative A.I. is mandatory in their workplace, and 12 percent said it’s not allowed. 

Triple-A studios were more likely to have policies regarding the use of generative A.I. in place compared to indie studios. 21 percent of triple-A developers said it’s banned at their workplace; 9 percent of indie developers said the same. 

However, 37 percent of indie developers said they are using generative A.I. compared to 21 percent at triple-A and double-A studios. 

Digital Downloads

Digital Downloads

51 percent of developers who responded to the survey said the game they’re currently developing will be a “digital premium game.” Here’s how other models fair: 

Digital premium game: 51 percent

Free to download: 32 percent

DLC/Updates: 24 percent

Physical premium game: 21 percent

Paid in-game items: 21 percent

Paid in-game currency: 19 percent

Inclusion in a paid subscription library like Xbox Game Pass: 10 percent

Paid item crates/gacha: 6 percent

Community-funded like Kickstarter: 6 percent

In-game product placement: 5 percent

Premium tier subscriptions like in Fallout 76: 4 percent

Blockchain-driven monetization: 3 percent

Other: 6 percent

Not involved in game development: 14 percent

Game Adaptations

Game Adaptations

10 percent of respondents said their company has a game that has been or is being adapted, while 20 percent have said their company has talked about it. 6 percent have been approached for an adaptation, while 2 percent have pitched an adaptation. 44 percent said they aren’t adapting a game, while 13 percent don’t know. 4 percent responded with N/A. 

63 percent of developers surveyed think film and TV adaptations are good for the game industry, 26 percent said maybe, 4 percent said no, and 7 percent had no opinion. 

Acquisitions

Acquisitions

According to GDC’s survey, 5 percent of developers believe the ongoing wave of acquisitions happening in games is good for the industry, down from 17 percent in last year’s report. 43 percent think it will have a negative impact, and 2 percent think it will have no impact; 42 percent responded with “mixed impact,” noting negative and positive feelings about it. 

Game Development Engines

Game Development Engines

Epic’s Unreal Engine and Unity’s engine are the most-used game engines, according to the report; 33 percent of developers said one of these engines is their primary development engine. In third place (technically second since Unity and Unreal were tied ) were proprietary in-house engines (think EA’s Frostbite engine), with open-source engine Godot in fourth. 

Following Unity’s runtime fee fiasco that happened last year, one-third of developers surveyed said they considered switching engines within the past year (or that they have already done so); almost half said they haven’t considered switching. Developers cited Unity’s policies as the biggest motivator for switching, and 51 percent of responders said they were interested in switching from either Unity or Unreal to Godot. 

Accessibility

Accessibility

48 percent of developers who took part in the survey said their companies have implemented accessibility options into their games, which is up from 38 percent in 2023’s report. 27 percent of responders said their companies have implemented zero accessibility measures, which is down from 32 percent in last year’s report. 

The top accessibility measures include closed captioning, control remapping, and colorblind modes, according to the report. Other features include phobia accommodations, accessible hardware and controls, and content warnings. 

Social Media and Marketing

Social Media And Marketing

Developers said that social media and word-of-mouth are the “most-used marketing tools,” with 76 percent saying they utilize X (formally Twitter) the most compared to other platforms. However, GDC says many developers noted they aren’t happy with the state of X. When asked about how their approach to social media marketing has changed, 97 percent of developers touched on changes to X and expressed negative views about it and its owner, Elon Musk. 

Remote Work

Remote Work

26 percent of respondents said their company has some kind of mandatory return-to-office policy, be it a full-time return to the physical workplace or a hybrid schedule that includes remote/work-from-home. The other 74 percent of developers said they don’t have a return-to-office policy or make working in-office optional.

The report notes that 40 percent of triple-A – the largest group affected by these kinds of policies – said they have mandatory return-to-office rules, although the majority of this 40 percent said it’s a hybrid mix. 15 percent of indie developers and 28 percent of double-A developers work somewhere with a mandatory return-to-office policy. 

Developers with the option to work from home reported the most satisfaction with their work schedule, the report notes, while those with mandatory return-to-office policies in place reported the most dissatisfaction. 

You can check out GDC’s full State of the Industry 2024 report here for additional information on these topics and more. 

What is the most surprising statistic in this report to you? Let us know in the comments below!

[slacktivist]

Well researched short doco about the anti co-governance movement in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Also I stand in solidarity with my Indigenous relatives and Pacific Indigenous peoples, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that are working to have their voices heard. The fact that such a referendum was created and the rights of Indigenous people, who have lived in the Pacific, in Australia for thousands of years, are put into the hands of others.

Referendums have a time and a place. Referendums are for when the government is lazy and want the public to make the decision. But what if you have misinformed your public, or if your public does not engage? Then whose hands are you leaving the decision in? I am sure that the lower rates of voting for Indigenous people in NZ are also low for Indigenous people in Aus. So this to me is not really representative of the people to make this decision. We need to really start taking Indigeneity seriously because culture happens even when we stop. The earth keeps spinning and sea levels keep rising.

Decisions for Indigenous people need to be determined by Indigenous people. But this means more than what is on offer with this Aus referendum. How is it possible to create a representative body, when Aboriginal nations all over Australia already have their own governing bodies and systems for government. I really feel that this is another western solution, to a western-derived problem. Just like putting a bandaid on a bullet hole.

You cant really synthesize Indigenous peoples through assimilation into the functional structures invented in the West. Not unless it's legitimately cool and makes sense, if you think that's possible then why not tell Palestine and Israel to become a single nation, tell North Korea and South Korea to become Korea. The answer is obvious, you can't just tell people to decide on what they are or who they are (especially if you're actually NOT THEM), they just ARE. Whyy would you make it a vote, knowing that surveys and polls are not an accurate capture of the general population, let alone marginalized populations.

It's possible to create an environment where polls are an accurate depiction but it's far from reality. I am Fakaofo Tokelau, I will never be Nukunonu Tokelau, or Atafu Tokelau. But we are all Tokelau together. We are all together, Tu Tolu, three nations, we give thanks to Tui Tokelau, who looks after ALL. what makes us all Tokelau, makes us strong, and what makes Fakaofo Tokelau, different to Nukunonu Tokelau and Atafu makes us stronger.

[shumailach-blog]

Pacific Islanders Head To Australia For Jobs As Climate Fears Grow

Over the years, Claire Anterea has waved goodbye to numerous friends and family members as they left the Pacific island nation of Kiribati for jobs in regional powerhouse Australia. She had never considered joining them--until now.

Australia will introduce a permanent residency option for Pacific islanders this year and has also expanded its short-term labor program--part of the country’s wider efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

Anterea, 43, a climate activist, said the residency offer had led her to consider a permanent move to Australia as she grows increasingly concerned about her country’s long-term future due to rising seas caused by climate change.

“If our people are affected by sea level rise, we don’t have a place to go,” Anterea told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from her home in Kiribati’s capital, Tarawa.

“This life for me is good, but what about my daughter? For the sake of my child, I want to migrate and to get a job and contribute to a new home,” she added.

Sea level rise could cover more than half of the low-lying Tarawa atoll’s land by 2100, threatening more than 60% of its population, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

While such forecasts raise the specter of a wave of climate migration in decades to come, for the meantime policymakers in island nations fear Australia’s efforts to court migrant workers could fuel a “brain drain” of skilled people.

Pacific workers can earn up to four times as much in Australia or New Zealand, said Richard Curtain, a leading Pacific labor mobility researcher.

That makes the offer of even temporary work an attractive prospect in countries like Fiji where youth unemployment surged to 37% in 2020, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Skilled Professionals

The mass departure of skilled professionals, especially digital workers, is a worrying trend, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica said earlier this month.

“This is a matter of great concern to our nation, as the loss of highly skilled professionals in the IT sector can have serious implications for our economic growth and competitiveness,” he told a conference.

Samoa’s industry and labor minister, Leatinu’u Faumuina Wayne So’oialo, voiced similar concerns in November.

Almost a quarter of Fiji’s population lived abroad in 2019, while about 12% of Samoa’s workforce participated in labor schemes in Australia or New Zealand last year, according to an ADB report in December.

Many are highly qualified workers seeking better job opportunities overseas, posing a problem for small island countries that have been struggling for years to retain a skilled workforce, said Curtain, who has researched brain drain in the Pacific region at the Australian National University.

Remittance payments sent home from migrant workers on the short-term Pacific Australia Labor Mobility (PALM) scheme are the upside, he added.

Some 35,000 Pacific migrant workers on the PALM program--many of them seasonal laborers such as fruit pickers--sent more than $64 million in remittances to the region last year, according to Australian government figures.

In both Tonga and Samoa, remittances were the equivalent of about 40% of each country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, ADB research showed.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which runs the PALM scheme, said workers gain experience, skills and savings that can help boost the economy of their home countries.

“We do not want to deprive the Pacific of its workforce and will ensure the scheme delivers a skills dividend for our region,” a DFAT spokesperson said in emailed comments.

Climate Migration Pathway?

Aiming to “strengthen Australia’s ties with the Pacific family”, the new Labor government pledged in 2022 to increase PALM workers to 35,000 by June, a target already hit, and launch a ballot for the new Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) in July to let 3,000 Pacific Islanders become permanent residents annually.

Like New Zealand’s visa ballot, which was introduced in 2002, Australia’s PEV will only be open to Pacific Islanders with a formal job offer in Australia.

Some experts say the PEV program should also be treated as a climate migration pathway, with priority given to people from the most vulnerable island nations such as Kiribati and Tuvalu.

“This is quite urgent. We see Australia as the leader in our Pacific region so they should focus on improving the pathways for our people in climate-threatened communities,” said Akka Rimon, who was Kiribati’s foreign affairs secretary in 2013 and researches labor migration and climate displacement at the Australian National University.

The DFAT spokesperson said the government would prioritize “countries with limited permanent migration opportunities to Australia,” and the number of visas available for each Pacific island was still being determined.

Without serious and rapid action to tackle climate change, about 216 million people globally could be forced to move within their own countries by 2050, according to the World Bank.

But for people from small, low-lying island nations relocating overseas may be their only option.

For islanders like Anterea, such concerns mean moving abroad sooner--rather than later--appears increasingly tempting.

“People are really fighting to get their opportunity to go and work overseas because it’s a good income. They are thinking about the future of their children. They want their family to have a better life,” she said.

Source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14844740

[cvanheergeog2260]

Serving Kiribati

“All nations have to make sacrifices in order to address the issue of climate change” Anote Tong, Kiribati President

Kiribati will be destroyed. The Pacific Island nation made up of 33 islands is in danger due to climate change. This is not a “at risk” scenario, some areas have already been destroyed/contaminated with sea water. I cannot stress enough how urgent this problem is, because we have already seen irreversible damage to both the physical coastline and to the nation's population. 

It is simple physics that the water from melting ice caps and glaciers in the mountains eventually ends up in the ocean. Which means that the sea level rises. Since 40% of the human population lives within 100km of a coastline, one would expect there to be a sense of urgency to address the problem. 

Addressing this problem is something that the people of Kiribati have been dealing with for quite some time. These are people we are talking about, not data points or numbers in a report, people with families and homes that want a future for their children. Through a combination of sea walls and mangrove trees, the inhabitants of these islands have attempted to defend their coastline from the ever encroaching ocean. Sea walls break, mangroves have to grow, resources run out, and hope sometimes seems futile. Kiribati is not a superpower, yet it has done everything it can on its own to combat the consequences of climate change. The global community has to do the right thing and assist the Kiribati government and its people in securing a future for this island nation. If this does not happen then the myth of Atlantis will soon have an updated name and over a one hundred thousand people are going to need a new home. 

It is difficult to take an objective approach to research this issue due to the immediate impact these issues have on the people of Kiribati. This discussion is filled with personal testimony and heart wrenching stories of how people have had to deal with the inevitability of total destruction. So as researchers we have to have a certain level of reflexivity. This means that the research has to be scrutinized so as to avoid the data being contaminated by the social context of the situation. There are a plethora of solutions that can be implemented to save this nation, and some of these solutions already dot the coastline (clumps of mangroves, seawalls, emigrated families). The point of researching this is to provide Kiribati with possible solutions, therefore it is imperative that the data obtained is as accurate as possible and that the solutions do everything they can to tackle the problem.

References:

Al Jazeera (Producer). (2014, December 8). Kiribati: The Sinking Islands Being Destroyed By Climate Change | AJ+ Docs [Video file]. Retrieved January 21, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7jXveokDY

Hay, Iain. Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Fourth ed., Oxford, 2016

[amgeog2260]

Kiribati: Research Methods to Mitigate Effects of Climate Change

The south pacific nation of Kiribati is a series of low lying islands confronting the impacts of climate change. They are at risk of being the first nation to completely disappear due to sea level rise. (AJ+, 2014) The government is preparing for that scenario by enacting skills training in New Zealand and Australia. A series of qualitative research approaches can help mitigate the issues Kiribati is facing by discussing the role of power and the roles of objectivity, subjectivity and intersubjectivity of the researcher.

It is important to always be aware and constantly be critically reflexive of the power dimension within the research process to avoid a potential exploitative relationship. (Hay, 2016) A researcher that holds a greater position of power than the participant may raise ethical issues such as benefitting from the research at the cost of the participant. It is important to try to address the issue of power by involving the participants in the research design and to explain how the research will benefit both parties. This process is key because the power of knowledge gained from research can influence policy decisions directly and change how a particular group is thought about from the discussion of experiences and new perspectives. (Hay, 2016) For instance, in the video the migration with dignity initiative is analyzed by incorporating the viewpoints of those not selected by the government and the challenges they face with the receding coastline. (AJ+, 2014) It is important to be faithfully reflective to avoid producing biased or stereotypical representations because the power of the stories told can have a great impact on the participant’s lives. (Hay, 2016)

A focus on objectivity which has been emphasized in quantitative research methods has a tendency to be portrayed more validly because of the assumption that more data translates to greater reliability. However, total objectivity is impossible because of the social nature of research. (Hay, 2016) That being said, presenting scientific backed evidence has suggested a correlation between rising carbon emissions with sea level rise that could influence global decisions to mitigate the effects of climate change. As a researcher, subjectivity refers to how judgment can be influenced by personal opinion and feelings and plays the important role of discovering what the researcher seeks to understand. As an example, the way you are perceived in Kiribati as a westerner will be affected by personal characteristics. As a researcher, it is key to address the issues that may arise from intersubjectivity by reflecting on the assumptions between interpersonal relationships, for instance gender. (Hay, 2016) As an example, interaction can fluctuate by reacting differently towards a man than a woman. It is important to be reflexive to recognize the impact of intersubjectivity on data collection by asking questions such as: How are my interactions with participants informed or constrained by social relations? 

A historical approach would fit well in this research because it studies the geography of the past and how it has changed over time. This approach would help address and understand the mechanisms in the past that have influenced the effects of climate change, in this case study the impact on the livelihoods of many residents of Kiribati. For example, in the video one of the Kiribati residents suggest that other countries have bigger factories that have disproportionately contributed to climate change. (AJ+, 2014) By incorporating individuals' past experience, the researcher can further understand the factors that have resulted in the impact from sea level change and to further define social, political, economic issues. With a bottom up approach, participants will not have the influence from being asked direct questions, they will be open to talk without any bias from the researcher allowing deep honest stories to be shared. 

In order to serve this country, to mitigate the effects of climate change, it is important to critically reflect on who you are as a person. For example, I am fortunate to have access to education and research tools that can have an impact by spreading information about the effects of climate change. In addition, the right to vote is another privilege and I can have an impact by voting for green initiatives. Another way would be to promote environmental friendly initiatives towards social change that will place pressure on those with decision making power.

References

AJ+ (Director). (2014, December 8). Kiribati: The Sinking Islands Being Destroyed By Climate Change[Video file]. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7jXveokDY

Hay, Iain. Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Fourth ed., Oxford, 2016

Hooykaas, A. "Philosophy, Power, Politics, and Research." University of Guelph, 2021

DISCLAIMER

This blog was created for GEOG*2260, University of Guelph. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the University of Guelph. The University of Guelph is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by this blog.

[linguisten]

Endangered Languages Challenge: Takuu

Endangered Languages Challenge — round 1, post 6: Takuu

name(s) of the language Gagana Takuu, Takuu, Mortlock, Taku, Tau, Tauu

genealogical affiliation Malayo-Polynesian > Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian >> Eastern Malayo-Polynesian >>> Oceanic >>>> Central Pacific linkage >>>>> Tokelau-Fijian >>>>>> Polynesian >>>>>>> Nuclear Polynesian >>>>>>>> Northern Outlier Polynesian-East Polynesian >>>>>>>>> Solomons Northern Outlier Polynesian-East Polynesian >>>>>>>>>> Central Northern Outlier Polynesian-East Polynesian >>>>>>>>>>> Central Northern Outlier Polynesian >>>>>>>>>>>> Takuuic >>>>>>>>>>>>> Takuu

location of the language Mortlock Islands, Papua New Guinea (not to be confused with the atolls of the same name in Micronesia!)

number of speakers 1,750 (2003 SIL), decreasing. 350 monolinguals; the number was judged stable in 2003; vertical transmission may soon be interrupted due to emigration of younger generations

endangerment situation While Takuu is not presently considered seriously endangered as it is vigorously spoken throughout the island, it is becoming increasingly threatened as an ever greater number of the island's inhabitants are leaving the island because of economic hardships and the impact of climate change and rising sea levels. Many of Takuu's younger generations living abroad no longer use Takuu in everyday conversation while the population of the island itself is becoming more and more depleted. Takuu activist Raroteone Tefuarani said that she was shocked when seeing the rapid loss of language and cultural identity among the Takuu population which had been resettled in Buka, Bougainville in 2012. As of 2016 there are only estimated to be a few hundred residents permanently living on Takuu. (Radio NZ) The language is currently considered vital but that may well change within a decade, depending on outside factors like sea level rise.

speaker community  [M]ost of the population lives on the tiny island of Nukutoa, in homes built on the water's edge.No part of the island group protrudes higher than two metres above sea level, with most being less than one metre. Both climate change and the movement of tectonic plates are touted as culprits for the encroaching tides. [...] Slowly submerged by swelling tides, years of uncertainty surrounding the atoll's future has led to a gradual decline in population — only about 300 people remain at Takuu Atoll.Dr Richard Moyle of the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre has spent years documenting and compiling their language and music. "There's only about half as many people there as there were when I was there last, about six years ago" Dr Moyle said. (ABC.net.au)

language breakdown Structural collapse has not yet been reported. With the ongoing exodus of speakers, the community will sooner or later fragment and assimilate into diaspora surroundings.

official / legal status The language is taught in primary schools.

documentation status Takuu has been described linguistically (grammar, dictionary), and there are a few text (poem) collections and bible translation efforts; apparently there is no full-fledged documentation archive or corpus

Sources & Resources:

https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/taku1257

https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nho/

http://www.language-archives.org/language/nho

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuu_language

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-24/takuu-atoll-at-risk-from-climate-change/7872116

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/314587/the-bougainville-outlier-whose-people-are-leaving

[anniekoh]

documenting climate change

Thule Tuvalu 

[Thule Tuvalu trailer, 2014]

Thule Tuvalu  Two places at the edge of our planet are making headlines due to climate change: Thule, Greenland, because of record ice melts there; and Tuvalu, because this remote Pacific island nation is one of the first countries on the verge of sinking as a result of rising sea levels. Whereas for us the warming of the planet occurs almost solely in the media, it is changing the entire existence for the inhabitants of Thule and Tuvalu. The film portrays how they are forced to abandon their traditional way of life as they move towards an unknown future.

If you hunt for your sustenance (or in Tuvalu, harvest them from the environment), climate change threatens life and livelihood immediately. 

The director Matthias von Gunten explained his documentary’s emphasis on lived experience and not on scientific data. 

“I’m always interested in human issues... I think the fact that we are changing our own planet, the only base we have for our existence, is an interesting and new phenomenon in the history of the human being. So I was interested in telling stories of people who concretely experience this change in their daily life. I thought this view could add something interesting to the whole debate over climate change. And for this reason it was important for me to avoid experts or politicians for keeping the focus exclusively on human experience“. (Green Film Network)

A colleague has been working and doing dissertation research in Alaskan Native communities. Her stories about how drastically life has changed for villages such as Kivalina made clear the lived reality of carbon dioxide levels.

[This aerial shot of Kivalina, a Alaska Native Village facing shoreline erosion, was taken during the Kotzebue ShoreZone Survey in July 2012, via the Arctic Institute]

I’m curious to read this critique of media coverage of Kivalina and similar communities 

“America’s First Climate Change Refugees: Victimization, Distancing, and Disempowerment in Journalistic Storytelling.” The original analysis aimed to delve deeper into the underexplored but critical role visual representations play in constructing a public narrative of climate change relocation in Alaska. Through a visual discourse analysis of American news sources that portray ‘America’s first climate change refugees,’ the article explores how media outlets are using images to construct perceptions of meaning, purpose, and power in stories of climate relocation. It will argue that journalistic storytelling of sea level rise and relocation has employed a formula of crisis, ‘othering,’ and victimization in representing the nexus of environmental change and culture in Alaska Native communities. Through this, the article will show that images have helped to construct and condition perceptions of agency in Alaska’s climate discourse that distance and disempower at-risk coastal communities from the reader.

[jadaartblogforfashion]

Final Major Project (FMP)

Great Barrier Reef: Natures Miracles BBC Documentary

From the visit to the Aquarium in London the other day, the main inspiration I took from that was the beautiful coral.

I then began to research more into the coral and start looking at coral reef. On the internet researching, I came across this documentary which aired on BBC One in 2012 which was entitled the Great Barrier Reef; Natures Miracles. I thought this is relevant to my research so I sat and watched the documentaries.

I learnt a lot from these documentaries which explained in depth about Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; one of the natural wonders of the world and is the largest living structure on our planet.

There is three-part series exploring Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world and the largest living structure on our planet. Every on the documentaries are an hour long.

BBC Nature’s Miracle documentary description

”Monty Halls explores its full 2000-kilometre length, from the wild outer reefs of the Coral Sea to the tangled mangrove and steaming rainforest on the shoreline; from large mountainous islands to tiny coral cays barely above sea level; from the dark depths of the abyss beyond the reef to colourful coral gardens of the shallows.

Along the way, he experiences the reef at its most dangerous and its most intriguing, and visits areas that have rarely been filmed, from the greatest wildlife shipwreck on earth to the mysterious seafloor of the lagoon, where freakish animals lurk under every rock.

The first film explores the complex structure of the coral reef itself and the wildlife that lives on it. So vast it is visible from space, the reef is actually built by tiny animals in partnership with microscopic plants. It is a place full of surprises that is always changing, responding to the rhythms of weather, tide, sun and moon.

Within this magical and intensely crowded world, this episode reveals how the amazing reef creatures compete and co-operate – from deadly fish-hunting snails to sharks that can walk on land, fighting corals and parrot fish that spin sleeping bags every night.

Remote cameras, cutting-edge underwater macro and digital time-lapse photography, have captured many sequences which have never been filmed before, providing completely fresh perspectives on this extraordinary natural wonder.”

BBC Reef to Rainforest documentary description

“The Great Barrier Reef as a whole covers an area larger than Great Britain, but amazingly only seven per cent of it is coral reef. The rest is a variety of interconnected habitats including the world's oldest jungle, hundreds of islands, mangrove swamps, mysterious deep-water gardens, vast sand flats and meadows of sea grass - all full of amazing wildlife. A giant deep-water lagoon connects all of these, and many of the creatures that live in it are almost impossibly weird - from giant hammerhead sharks to the bizarre 'pearl fish' that lives its life up a sea cucumber's bottom.

Marine life here also exists in spectacular profusion, as on the 100-year-old shipwreck of the SS Yongala, considered to be the greatest wildlife wreck on earth. The connections between all these environments mean that not only do they depend on each other, but without them the coral reef itself would not survive.”

BBC Reef and Beyond documentary description

“The Great Barrier Reef is vitally linked to the rest of the planet in many ways. Creatures travel for thousands of miles to visit in spectacular numbers, including tiger sharks, great whales, sea birds and the largest green turtle gathering on earth.

Alien creatures that are rarely seen, like nautilus, also rise out of the deep to visit the reef's warm waters. Weather systems travelling from across the Pacific also affect the whole reef, including mighty cyclones that bring destruction and chaos to the coral and the creatures that live on it. And it is weather patterns and climate change on a global scale that are likely to shape the future of the Great Barrier Reef and all its wildlife.”

Documentary Link: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6uzhpe

Documentary Link: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6v22rd

Documentary Link: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x71isvr

BBC iPlayer. (2012) Great Barrier Reef. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019851n(date accessed: 12/02/2022)

This documentary was truly fascinating. I live the sea and to discover what lives beneath was amazing. I love how descriptive the presenter was throughout the documentary, revealing facts I never knew about this incredible world underwater. What has inspired me the most is just the vast amount of colours of fish and other sea creatures that live down there. Also that there is more kids there than anywhere else in the world just creates this image in my head of how vast the Great Barrier Reef is. The face it can be seen from space is just amazing. I cannot express how much this documentary has inspired me for my essay. It has made me curious and want to know more about it. I know over the past number of years, there has been an issue with global warming and it’s affects on the earth but what about under the sea? I know what affects on the earth but what about below it? What would happen if these creatures slowly began to die off or perhaps the coral reefs begin to shrink? What affect would that have on humans? These are all questions I want to know the answers too and this is where my essay comes in and I will be able to research and hopefully answer them in my essay.

I have more work to do on this!!

[trelise-studiosem2]

Initial Rangitoto Research

I am really interested in Rangitoto and how I would be able to incorporate the islands volcanic activity and history into my bath house. I feel although people who are not from Auckland that are staying in Auckland or visiting may not have been educated of experienced the island, therefore I am hoping to be able to put together a educational experience as Rangitoto Island makes up so much of Aucklands history. Below is some initial research I have put together. 

During WWII Rangitoto was a prohibited area and the summit was used as a base for harbor defense fire control and as a radar station. There was also a large complex of buildings at Islington Bay from which the harbor’s minefields were operated.

Wreck Bay on Rangitoto hosts a ship graveyard. These ships were scuttled (not wrecked) between 1887 and 1947

in 1854 the Crown bought Rangitoto from its Māori owners for £15. In 1890 the island became a public domain and a popular destination for picnickers and boat day-trippers.

Prisoners built 19km of hard-packed trails and roads, constructed stone walls (from discharged volcanic lava) around the landings at Rangitoto and Islington Bay wharves as well as the island’s swimming pool (no longer in use) in 1920-1930.

Summer holiday homes were leased to private citizens that helped pay for the development of the island

There are still 30-holiday homes remaining and one has been turned into a museum.

Stands for 'bloody sky'

"Erupted 600-700 years ago and was likely caused from a sequence of events, a violent pyroclastic eruption as cold seawater met molten rock, creating an explosion crater and a tuff ring, ongoing fire fountaining built scoria cones once water could no longer reach the magma, lava flows from the base of the scoria cone"  https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Volcanoes/New-Zealand-Volcanoes/Auckland-Volcanic-Field

It is the most recent, largest, and least altered volcano in the Auckland Volcanic Field.

It was formed by at least 2 eruptions 600-700 years ago and is now about 260 m above sea level and 5.5 km wide.

Lava caves- underground tubes left behind but lava flowing through

"A mantle hot spot exists about 100 km below Auckland. When rock is melted by this extra heat, it will separate from the surrounding solid rock and rise to the surface. The melted rock is basalt magma which has a low viscosity (flows easily) and may rise to the surface at speeds of up to 5 km/hour."

Scoria cones that sit on top of a broad ring of lava flow

There is a ring around the summit that is like a moat which was formed from the subsidence of the mountain top when underlying lave flows cooled and shrank.

Some tracks and roads allow visitors to walk and explore the lava fields and through lava caves

It is joined to Motatapu by the worlds smallest bridge connecting two islands that were built in WWII

Pest free in 2011 after a 4-year eradication program "which removed seven mammalian pests - feral cats, rabbits, stoats, hedgehogs, Norway rats, ship rats, and mice from the islands. Possums and wallabies were eradicated from the islands in 1992. Pest eradication has enabled native plants to regenerate and create a natural habitat and food source for native species."

There is the day-to-day management of the island that focuses on weed eradication, pest surveillance, and education of the visitors on the island and how to keep it pest-free.

After the pest eradication program and the forest regeneration, several native species have not been seen on the island before that made their way across such as kākāriki, bellbird as well as the cheeky kākā. Tūī numbers soared. Many other bird species now inhabit the Rangitoto forest including fantail, grey warbler, silvereye, and morepork (New Zealand’s only surviving native owl).

Some native species were unable to reach the island therefore they were brought across, these include saddleback and whitehead. The flightless native birds takahē and kiwi have been released on neighboring Motutapu. Here they are less likely to migrate due to Rangitoto's volcanic scoria, and scarcity of water.

When walking up you may hear the sound of "canary-like twitter of whitehead, the lively chatter of kākāriki, and the melodious call of saddleback. Once you reach the summit you might hear the distinctive "streak" of the kākā, a large native parrot and strong flier that visits from the outer islands."

"The shores of both islands are visited often by a variety of seabirds. There are two thriving nesting colonies of black-backed gulls – one near Rangitoto Wharf, and the other near the Beacon at McKenzie Bay."

"The island is also home to six species of lizard, five of which are native. Copper and Suter’s skinks were known to exist on Rangitoto before pest-eradication. The Moko skink, common gecko, and Pacific gecko were detected a few years after pest-eradication when their numbers increased to a detectable level. The plague skink (or rainbow skink) was introduced from Australia. It was declared a pest as it competes with our native lizard species for food, habitat, and space."

Vegetations have evolved from raw lava fields.

The lava rock is very hostable for plants to grow as the island host more than 200 native trees, flowering plants, fern, and orchids

The plants pick up weird behaviors due to the scorching hot weather and lack of soil

before the pest eradication possums had decimated the Pohutukawa forest

As they grow, the pōhutukawa provide shelter and shade for other species like mingimingi, koromiko, and puka, forming ‘vegetation islands’.

There are also spectacular groves of kidney ferns. These are delicate and translucent on wet days, and crinkle up like potato crisps on hot days.

No streams on the island therefore the plants rely on rainfall for nutrition

Resources-

https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Volcanoes/New-Zealand-Volcanoes/Auckland-Volcanic-Field

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/rangitoto-island/nature-and-conservation/

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/rangitoto-island/historic-rangitoto/

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Stranded and shattered seafarers threaten global supply lines (Reuters) “I’ve seen grown men cry,” says Captain Tejinder Singh, who hasn’t set foot on dry land in more than seven months and isn’t sure when he’ll go home. “We are forgotten and taken for granted,” he says of the plight facing tens of thousands of seafarers like him, stranded at sea as the Delta variant of the coronavirus wreaks havoc on shore. “People don’t know how their supermarkets are stocked up.” Singh and most of his 20-strong crew have criss-crossed the globe on an exhausting odyssey: from India to the United States then on to China, where they were stuck off the congested coast for weeks waiting to unload cargo. He was speaking to Reuters from the Pacific Ocean as his ship now heads to Australia. They are among about 100,000 seafarers stranded at sea beyond their regular stints of typically 3-9 months, according to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), many without even a day’s break on land. Another 100,000 are stuck on shore, unable to board the ships they need to earn a living on. The United Nations describes the situation as a humanitarian crisis at sea and says governments should class seafarers as essential workers. Given ships transport around 90% of the world’s trade, the deepening crisis also poses a major threat to the supply chains we rely on for everything from oil and iron to food and electronics.

Unruly airplane passengers (Washington Post) The system for keeping the peace in America’s skies is creaking under the pressure of what airlines and regulators say is an unprecedented proliferation of misbehavior. The Federal Aviation Administration has received more than 3,400 reports of “unruly” passengers this year. As travel rebounds, the system for enforcing regulations and federal laws covering passengers is being strained by confrontations fueled by alcohol, hostility to mask mandates and small conflicts that careen out of control. One passenger hit a woman holding an infant amid an apparent dispute over a window shade. Another ran through business class and stomped on a flight attendant’s foot after the power outlet at her seat wouldn’t charge her phone, according to court records. The incidents that take place miles high in pressurized cabins are filled with many of the same pathologies and clashes that occur on the ground. A review of federal cases by The Washington Post points to alcohol, drug use and mental illness as key factors in outbursts that have terrified passengers and crew members, sometimes leaving them hospitalized.

Canada to open border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens on Aug. 9 (Washington Post) Canada on Monday said it will begin to ease pandemic restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border next month, allowing U.S. citizens and permanent residents living in the United States who are fully vaccinated with Canadian-authorized vaccines to enter for nonessential travel without quarantining. The decision, which takes effect Aug. 9, follows months of criticism from U.S. lawmakers across the political spectrum, business groups and some travelers over what they said was an overly cautious approach to lifting curbs that have split families, battered the tourism sector and upended life in close-knit border communities. To be eligible for entry, fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents must be asymptomatic and present a negative coronavirus molecular test taken within 72 hours of flight departure or arrival at a land crossing. They will also be required to upload proof in English, French or certified translation that they have received a full series of an authorized coronavirus vaccine at least 14 days before departure to the Canadian government’s ArriveCan app or website. They must also present an original copy.

Jeff Bezos blasts into space on own rocket (AP) Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas—the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space. “Best day ever!” Bezos said when the capsule touched down on the desert floor at the end of the 10-minute flight.

Size of Oregon wildfire underscores vastness of the US West (AP) The monstrous wildfire burning in Oregon has grown to a third the size of Rhode Island and spreads miles each day, but evacuations and property losses have been minimal compared with much smaller blazes in densely populated areas of California. The fire’s jaw-dropping size contrasted with its relatively small impact on people underscores the vastness of the American West and offers a reminder that Oregon, which is larger than Britain, is still a largely rural state, despite being known mostly for its largest city, Portland. The 476-square-mile (1,210-square-kilometer) Bootleg Fire is burning 300 miles (483 kilometers) southeast of Portland in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest, a vast expanse of old-growth forest, lakes and wildlife refuges. If the fire were in densely populated parts of California, “it would have destroyed thousands of homes by now,” said James Johnston, a researcher with Oregon State University’s College of Forestry who studies historical wildfires. “But it is burning in one of the more remote areas of the lower 48 states.”

How Washington power brokers gained from NSO’s spyware ambitions (Washington Post) The Israeli surveillance giant NSO Group and companies linked to it or its founders have spent millions of dollars in hopes of wooing their way into the U.S. market, hosting demonstrations for government intelligence officials and hiring Washington’s most prominent names despite pledges that its phone-hacking tool can’t be used inside the United States. The company’s attempts to secure U.S. contracts appear to have been unsuccessful, with federal and local law enforcement agency representatives saying in emails and interviews that they balked at its Pegasus spyware tool’s million-dollar price tag. But an influential network of Washington consultants, lawyers, lobbyists and other prominent personalities have earned money from the company, its parent company or its founders, a Washington Post review of government and company filings shows. Those beneficiaries include some of the most powerful members of the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. Among those who’ve received payments from NSO or related companies are former chiefs of the Homeland Security and Justice departments, as well as Washington’s most prestigious law and public-relations firms, the public filings show. These political heavyweights have defended NSO’s spy tool as an invaluable weapon against terrorists and human traffickers, and they have worked to soften the public image of a company accused in a federal lawsuit of helping spy on allies of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi before his grisly murder in 2018.

Pedro Castillo finally declared winner of Peru’s presidential election (Washington Post) Pedro Castillo, the provincial schoolteacher who promised to restructure Peru’s economy to favor the poor, was confirmed Monday evening as the Andean country’s president-elect more than six weeks after the election. Peru’s electoral agency certified the results of the June 6 runoff, giving the left-wing Castillo 50.13 percent of the vote over 49.87 percent for his hard-right opponent Keiko Fujimori. The two candidates were separated by just 44,000 votes out of nearly 19 million cast. The result followed a deeply divisive election and last-ditch legal challenges by Fujimori. Her lawyers made unsubstantiated claims of fraud in an effort to get 200,000 votes thrown out. Shortly before Peru’s national election tribunal declared the result, after dismissing the last of Fujimori’s appeals, she finally acknowledged Castillo’s triumph—even as she cast doubt on its validity. Fujimori, 46, said she would recognize him as president because “that is what the law and the constitution that I have sworn to defend order,” but then she said his victory was “illegitimate” and that “the truth will come out.”

U.S. issues ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory for UK over COVID-19 (Reuters) The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both issued on Monday their highest warnings against travel to the United Kingdom because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in that country. Each raised the UK to “Level Four,” telling Americans they should avoid travel there. “If you must travel to the United Kingdom, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel,” the CDC said in an advisory, while the State Department said: “Do not travel to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19.” COVID-19 cases are rising by more than 50,000 a day in the UK and hundreds of thousands of Britons are being asked to self-isolate for 10 days.

China tensions (Bloomberg) The U.S., U.K. and their allies formally attributed the Microsoft Exchange hack to actors affiliated with the Chinese government while accusing Beijing of “malicious cyber activities,” further escalating tensions between the White House and China. While Beijing was rattling its sabers again near Taiwan, its efforts to rule the waves in the South China Sea ran into some trouble, courtesy of the Philippines Coast Guard, which reports it challenged a Chinese ship and drove it away.

Tokyo 2020’s Popularity Problem (Foreign Policy) As more COVID-19 cases emerge in Tokyo’s Olympic village, public doubts about the safety of the athletes and the public threaten to upend the competition before its official launch on Friday. The Olympics will take place in a city under a state of emergency, as new daily coronavirus cases in Tokyo have already surpassed a spike recorded in May. Tokyo’s decision to host the Games has been met with public derision for months. A recent Asahi Shimbun poll found that 68 percent of respondents doubted organizers could control coronavirus infections, while 55 percent said they didn’t want the Games to go ahead. While Tokyo’s Olympic organizers can still hope that public apathy evaporates once the festivities begin, they also face more tangible public concerns: The price tag. Originally budgeted at $7.3 billion, the final bill is now roughly $30 billion. The overrun brings it in line with every Olympics since 1960.

Caught between China and the U.S., Asian countries stockpile missiles (Reuters) Asia is sliding into a dangerous arms race as smaller nations that once stayed on the sidelines build arsenals of advanced long-range missiles, following in the footsteps of powerhouses China and the United States, analysts say. China is mass producing its DF-26—a multipurpose weapon with a range of up to 4,000 kilometres—while the United States is developing new weapons aimed at countering Beijing in the Pacific. Other countries in the region are buying or developing their own new missiles, driven by security concerns over China and a desire to reduce their reliance on the United States. Before the decade is out, Asia will be bristling with conventional missiles that fly farther and faster, hit harder, and are more sophisticated than ever before—a stark and dangerous change from recent years, analysts, diplomats, and military officials say. Such weapons are increasingly affordable and accurate, and as some countries acquire them, their neighbours don’t want to be left behind, analysts said.

In Syria’s war without end, refugee tent camps harden into concrete cities (Washington Post) After years of dithering and deadlock by the international community over the fate of Idlib, one of Syria’s last rebel-held areas, the province is being transformed. Housing blocks and markets are rising in what were once vast olive groves along the Turkish border. Schools are filling with students and electricity is regular in places. There are endless traffic jams. Behind Idlib’s transformation is a merciless, years-long dislocation of millions of Syrians from around the country, many displaced from homes multiple times before they ended up in this enclave. If the north of the province feels like a boomtown, for many it is a miserable one, filled with people who survive on handouts from humanitarian organizations as they wait to return to their homes. For now, many are digging in, one cinder block at a time. A decision this month by the U.N. Security Council to continue the flow of humanitarian aid to the province for another year did little to ease the sense of precariousness here. The vote came a day before the relief deliveries were to be cut off. A standoff in the province has lasted for years. Idlib, a bastion of opposition to government rule, has been controlled since 2015 by Islamist extremist rebels with links to al-Qaeda.

Ben & Jerry’s to stop sale in Palestinian territories (BBC) The popular ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s will end sales in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, stating that it was “inconsistent with our values.” The company said the decision reflected the concerns of “fans and trusted partners,” while Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blasted the decision as a “capitulation” to the movement to boycott Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

Muslims mark Eid al-Adha holiday in pandemic’s shadow (AP) Muslims around the world were observing Tuesday yet another major Islamic holiday in the shadow of the pandemic and amid growing concerns about the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus. Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is typically marked by communal prayers, large social gatherings and, for many, slaughtering of livestock and giving meat to the needy. This year, the holiday comes as many countries battle the delta variant first identified in India, prompting some to impose new restrictions or issue appeals for people to avoid congregating and follow safety protocols. The pandemic has already taken a toll for the second year on a sacred mainstay of Islam, the hajj, whose last days coincide with Eid al-Adha. Once drawing some 2.5 million Muslims from across the globe to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the Islamic pilgrimage has been dramatically scaled back due to the virus.

Ethiopia’s civil war (Foreign Policy) Tigrayan forces have expanded military operations into the neighboring Afar region, an Afar spokesman said on Monday, adding that fighting began on Saturday. Getachew Reda, a Tigrayan military spokesman, confirmed that fighting had expanded into Afar but that the campaign would be limited. “We are not interested in any territorial gains in Afar, we are more interested in degrading enemy fighting capabilities,” he said.

[indianpetrochem1]

Nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, is on the rise from ocean dead zones

In October 2019, I set sail with a team of scientists aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel John P Tully in the northeast Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Vancouver Island.

Battling rough seas and lack of sleep, we spent the better part of a week working shoulder-to-shoulder in a small stand-up refrigerator, analysing seafloor sediments to learn more about the effects of low-oxygen conditions on deep-sea environments.

Get More News and Updates, Visit: Indianpetrochem.com

When organisms die, they sink through the water column, consuming oxygen in the sub-surface ocean as they decompose. This leads to bands of oxygen-depleted water called oxygen minimum zones, or “dead zones.”

These harsh environments are uninhabitable for most organisms. Although they occur naturally in some areas, dead zones often appear after fertiliser and sewage wash downstream into coastal areas, sparking algal blooms, which then die off and decompose.

One of our studies from that expedition suggested that the sediments below oxygen-depleted waters are a significant source of nitrous oxide (N2O). This gas is released into the atmosphere when deep water rises to the surface in a process known as upwelling.

Nitrous oxide, more commonly known as “laughing gas”, is a potent greenhouse gas, 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Global emissions of N2O are increasing as a result of human activities that stimulate its production.

N2O hotspots

The oceans currently account for around 25 per cent of global N2O emissions, and scientists are working to improve estimates of marine contributions. Most research has focused on oxygen minimum zones, which are known as hotspots of N2O emissions.

Warming of the ocean due to climate change is driving the expansion of marine oxygen minimum zones globally. This has led to speculation that N2O emissions from the oceans will continue to increase and further accelerate climate change. Our results indicate that even more N2O production may be expected where these low-oxygen waters are in contact with the seafloor.

Nitrogen is an essential component to life on Earth and exists in the environment in many different forms. Specialised groups of single-celled microbes use nitrogen-containing compounds, such as ammonium and nitrate, for energy to drive cellular functions. These metabolic reactions mediate the transformation of nitrogen between its various states in the environment, during which N2O can leak out into the environment as a byproduct.

Aside from its effects as a greenhouse gas, N2O is also the predominant ozone-depleting substance emitted to the atmosphere.

Mangroves as N2O banks

Our team travelled to Bermuda in the fall of 2020 to measure N2O emissions in a pristine mangrove forest in collaboration with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. These sediments were shallower and accessible to snorkelers, which allowed us to thoroughly investigate their role in N2O cycling under different environmental conditions.

We found the seabed sediments in the Bermuda mangroves were actually consuming N2O from the overlying seawater. Similar N2O “sinks” have been described previously in other pristine systems, including estuaries, mangroves and even terrestrial soils.

The ability of these areas to draw N2O from the atmosphere is tied to the concentrations of nitrogen-containing nutrients in the environment. Nitrous oxide production is inhibited when these nitrogen-containing nutrients are in short supply. When nutrient levels are sufficiently low, marine habitats can act as net consumers of N2O.

Sediments that act as N2O sinks can also act as net sources of N2O to the atmosphere when subjected to increased nitrogen loading from agricultural runoff and urban waste water. Indeed, mangroves and other near-shore ecosystems that experience sustained inputs of dissolved nitrogen tend to be large N2O emitters.

The extent to which pristine environments can serve as buffers against increases in atmospheric N2O concentrations is still uncertain. Most studies to date have focused on densely populated and highly disturbed regions of Europe and Asia, which act as sources of N2O. This leaves much to be learned about the role of pristine marine habitats as N2O sinks and their overall influence on global N2O budgets.

Targeting fertiliser

Although reducing future marine N2O emissions hinges on the more complex problem of slowing the growth and spread of marine oxygen minimum zones, actions to conserve and restore pristine coastal environments are tractable interventions that can be implemented in the short term.

At present, human agricultural practices account for over two-thirds of global N2O emissions. As a result, much attention has been directed at reducing the amount of excess nitrogen added to agricultural soils via fertiliser.

Since nutrients that are not taken up by plants often end up in watersheds that drain into the ocean, policies that address overuse of fertilisers will also benefit adjacent aquatic ecosystems.

However, further reducing marine emissions will require a multifaceted approach that also addresses coastal development and waste-water disposal practices in heavily impacted areas.

The United Nations has declared 2021 as the start of a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Detailing the vital link between oceans and climate change has never been more timely than now. [outlookindia.com]

[your-dietician]

‘Jaw-dropping’ forecast is warning sign of climate change’s future impact in Washington, scientists say

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/jaw-dropping-forecast-is-warning-sign-of-climate-changes-future-impact-in-washington-scientists-say/

‘Jaw-dropping’ forecast is warning sign of climate change’s future impact in Washington, scientists say

It’s a forecast so hot that it left some seasoned meteorologists initially in disbelief.

Weekend temperatures are expected to approach 100 degrees in Seattle, top 109 in Portland and reach 115 in Eastern Washington — threatening to topple historical records and upend people’s lives. 

“Is this just the models being wonky, or is this a real deal?” said Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik, a postdoctoral researcher in agricultural meteorology at Washington State University, describing his reaction to initial temperature readouts.

When he assessed the data himself, “it was jaw-dropping.” 

Climate scientists and meteorologists say the forthcoming heat wave — which could persist into next week — is a manifestation of climate change and a concerning signal of what they expect more frequently in the Pacific Northwest, which is poorly adapted to extreme heat.

“This is pretty early in the season to be experiencing so many days where temperatures are record breaking. It’s worrisome. It’s just June,” said Deepti Singh, a climate scientist and associate professor at WSU Vancouver. “This should be a warning sign for us that we’re experiencing the impacts of climate change right now.”

The science of heat

The weather pattern bringing scorching hot temperatures to the Northwest is the result of a large ridge of high atmospheric pressure sometimes called a heat dome.

High pressure systems suppress storms, offering clear skies with full sun, and they act as a cap and trap heat near the surface.  

“Air is sinking and it’s warming as it sinks,” Boomgard-Zagrodnik said. 

This weather pattern itself is extreme, but not unprecedented, said Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond. He does not predict that patterns of pressure will change in the coming decades, though he acknowledges that research is still developing. 

What has changed is that the region has warmed nearly 2 degrees since 1900, according to the 2018 national climate assessment by U.S. Global Change Research Program, crafted with input from 13 federal agencies. 

“Now, when you have heat waves, when that baseline has moved up … it’s that much more severe,” Bond said. 

Heat waves are projected to increase in frequency and intensity across the country, according to the climate assessment. 

Researchers say Seattle and other areas of the Pacific Northwest are poorly adapted to extreme heat. Residents are not physically acclimated to heat and fewer than half have home air conditioning, one of the lowest rates among big U.S. cities. 

And nighttime temperatures, which often provided a respite on hot Seattle days, are less reliably comfortable. In the Northwest, overnight low temperatures are actually warming more rapidly than daytime temperatures.

In the Puget Sound region, average minimum temperatures have climbed between 3 and 4 degrees, Bond said.

Because this weekend’s bout with scorching temperatures follows relatively recent rain, Boomgard-Zagrodnik said he expected little relief at night.

“It’s going to be pretty bad, probably, because of the high humidity” and light evening winds, Boomgard-Zagrodnik said, adding that he would be surprised if overnight temperatures dropped below 70 degrees. 

Show caption

Respites from the heat

The heat wave could have profound effects on Washington state. 

“Hospitals in past heat events have seen marked increases in heat stroke, heart attacks and kidney failure,” said Addison Houston, an environmental health mitigation & response planner with Public Health Seattle & King County, citing an analysis of emergency calls in King County. 

Vulnerable people, such as children, older adults and people with underlying health conditions, need access to cooling during heat waves, said Singh, the WSU climate scientist. 

Seattle is offering at least 13 air-conditioned public library branches, 10 wading pools, nine spray parks and eight lifeguarded beaches as spots to cool down.

“Often I hear: Go to the coast or go to the Cascades,” Singh said. ”If you’re well off, sure, that’s an option, but that’s not an option for everybody.” 

Air quality could worsen, Singh said, because heat and sunlight can intensify chemical reactions that create surface-level ozone, which can inflame the respiratory system.

Any power outages would exacerbate difficulties for those who lose electricity for fans or air conditioning, but utility officials in the Pacific Northwest say that’s unlikely to happen.

Officials at the Bonneville Power Administration, which operates the regional transmission system that delivers much of the electricity to regional utilities, say they should be able to get through the peak heat days without service interruptions.

The Portland-based BPA has benefitted from the return to service of the Columbia Generation Station, a nuclear power plant outside of Richland that is the third-largest generator of electricity in the region and had been down for more than 40 days for refueling.

The hydroelectric dams along the Columbia River, which collectively represent the largest source of the region’s power, have shifted from spring to summer operations, which reduces spill for fish and enables more overall power generation.

“At this time, we thoroughly expect to be able to meet the load demands of our customers,” said Kevin Wingert, a BPA spokesman.

Seattle City Light, which owns hydroelectric dams that provide about half of its power, also appears in good shape.

“We expect to be able to meet projected demand with the high temps forecasted for this weekend and are not anticipating impacts to the grid,” said Julie Moore, a Seattle City Light spokesperson.

Puget Sound Energy’s system is “currently performing well,” and the utility plans to meet all demand with its own generation assets, according to Janet Kim, a company spokesperson.

Still, utility officials say conservation always is encouraged and can include opening windows at night to allow cooler air in, limiting use of appliances that generate heat and turning off ceiling fans when you leave a room.

Extreme heat also increases the potential of wildfires and smoke. 

Unlike other parts of the Western U.S., Washington’s mountain ranges built a hearty snowpack over winter.

“There’s still a fair amount of snow above 5,000 feet,” Bond said. But at lower elevations, mixed grasslands on the east flank of the Cascades are “ready to go” and catch fire, he added. 

The high pressure system is expected to quell winds when temperatures are peaking, which reduces the chances of runaway fires, but also cuts back on power generation by wind turbines that are an increasingly important part of the region’s energy mix.

Next week, as the heat wave eases, winds are expected to pick up and fire dangers will increase, with the landscape baked in heat.

With the robust snowpack, irrigators on the big river systems, such as the Columbia and Yakima, should have sufficient water for orchards and vineyards, Bond said. But portions of Washington remain in a drought, which is particularly severe in the southeastern corner of the state. Crops that often are not irrigated, like wheat and barley, already are suffering.

Bond said climate models are at consensus that the remaining summer months will be warmer than average. He expects stream temperatures on some of the state’s smaller rivers to become “dangerously warm” for salmon and trout later in the summer. 

Disparate impacts

The forthcoming heat event won’t be felt evenly. 

Boomgard-Zagrodnik expects the broad heat dome to suppress large-scale wind patterns, such as the onshore flow typical to the region. But with Puget Sound waters still relatively cool, local winds and geography could create huge differences in how people feel over the weekend.

“Islands and uneven coastlines — the topography and where you’re located relative to the water is going to make a big difference in whether you’ll have the chance to get up to 95, 100 or more, or whether you’ll get a nice breeze in the afternoon,” he said. 

The Whidbey and San Juan Islands are likely to pick up a sea breeze, whereas areas south of Seattle, like Olympia, will be shielded from the cooling flow.  

In Portland, the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures rising to 104 degrees on Saturday, reaching 109 on Sunday before easing back to 104 on Monday. 

This early summer heat, if it reached those levels, would blow away records for three consecutive days. Portland’s all-time high is 107, reached twice in August 1981 and once in July 1965. The record for June is 102.

In urban areas, heat does not affect everyone equally. Analysis of temperature records in King County on a hot day last July showed heat impacts varied widely in communities mere miles apart. Trees mitigated heat while industry and dense buildings intensified it.

Communities affected by other environmental health concerns, such as poverty and pollution, are among the hottest communities, the mapping suggests.

Scientists for decades have warned that our reliance on fossil fuels is warming our world. Now, they say, we’re taking the heat.  

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[aggeog2260]

Kiribati’s Fight Against Rising Sea Levels

As climate change and its associated risks continue to threaten our planet and the species that live upon it, it’s important to think about the communities who are most vulnerable, and the ways in which we can improve their resilience to disaster. Unfortunately, it is often communities that have had the least amount of impact on the climate that experience the most risk of disaster. One such example is that of Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Home to only 100 000 people, and located at less than 2 metres above sea level, this island nation faces severe risk of flooding and other climate related disasters. As the planet continues to warm, and the threat of rising sea levels rises, this island nation faces a variety of knock on effects that include food security, migration and refugee status, and health. Though all societies rely on their environment to maintain their health, island nations such as Kiribati experience an increased reliance. Many Kiribati people rely on the land to provide them with food or resources that help to stimulate economic growth. However, the threat of rising sea levels inhibits their ability to engage in these sustenance practices. In turn, this can lead to food insecurity and a variety of other health concerns.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the arm of the UN that oversees refugees and displaced peoples around the world. The UNHCR defines a refugee as “people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.” Notice how there is no mention of displaced persons as a result of climate change related disasters? Essentially what this means for Kiribati people is that if and when they are displaced as a result of rising sea levels, they do not necessarily qualify for refugee status, rendering them without a home, nation or any associated refugee rights.

It is important to note the role that power plays in this situation. In relation to the UNHCR, it is evident the power and authority that commissions such as the United Nations have over small island nations such as Kiribati and the Indigenous peoples that inhabit it. Until the UNHCR identifies people who have been displaced as a result of climate change related disasters as refugees, there is little that can be done to fully protect displaced communities. It is also important to note the power roles that have occurred in terms of who has caused this unprecedented climate crisis, and who is most affected by it. Since the Industrial Revolution, the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere has primarily been a result of western nations burning fossil fuels. Despite this, nations like Kiribati face the most risk. This power dynamic and the question of who is to blame for the climate crisis and therefore who is responsible for fixing it is a contentious one that requires input from all parties involved.

Subjectivity, Objectivity, Intersubjectivity:

When unpacking a case study such as this, it is also important to understand the roles of objectivity, subjectivity and intersubjectivity. Objectivity and intersubjectivity are perhaps the most relevant and useful geographic approaches to consider. Objectivity refers to the relationship between the researcher and the participant of a study. In the case of Kiribati, it is important to remember the power roles that are at play between the Indigenous communities of the island nations and those wishing to research and study it. Intersubjectivity on the other hand, notes that situations, feelings and dynamics evolve and change over time, and it is important to keep this in mind as a study progresses.

As the situation in Kiribati progresses, it is important to understand the power dynamics and the roles of objectivity and intersubjectivity. I think that moving forward, one of the biggest focuses of the Kiribati government should be petitioning the UNHCR to acknowledge climate refugees and provide them with the full rights and status that are required by displaced persons.

What do you think should be the main focus of the Kiribati government? Do you think that Western nations should be the ones responsible for remedying the climate crisis or do you believe that Global South countries such as Kiribati also have a role to play?

Bowers, M. (2017). Waiting for the tide to turn: Kiribati's fight for survival. Retrieved 23 January 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/23/waiting-for-the-tide-to-turn-kiribatis-fight-for-survival

Cauchi, J., Correa-Velez, I., & Bambrick, H. (2019). Climate change, food security and health in Kiribati: a narrative review of the literature. Global Health Action, 12(1), 1603683. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2019.1603683

What is a refugee?. (2021). Retrieved 21 January 2021, from https://www.unhcr.org/what-is-a-refugee.html