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dynmghts · 6 months ago

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I am putting my whole brain through chemistry hell with what little I remember from high school chemistry to understand how nitroglycerin works (thanks to one whole thread that's just meant to be silly and goofy, and also ignoring that the substance he makes is described as "nitroglycerin-like"). And man, when I tell you... Katsuki simply has to be built different to deal with his Quirk.

For one, it's a good thing that the nitroglycerin only produces from his hands. For two, remember that nitroglycerin is only slightly soluble with water - which also checks out with how Horikoshi draws the sweat beads sometimes, because they're not exactly combining with the nitroglycerin he makes.

But that likely means the nitroglycerin Katsuki makes is... Quite literally pure.

(This got long, so the rest is under the read more!)

Basic fundamentals to understand about nitroglycerin: it is both flammable and combustible. Wikipedia (bc this shit is the only thing making it make sense) says that "flammable applies to combustible materials that ignite easily and thus are more dangerous and more highly regulated". This is because of nitroglycerin's extremely reactive nature, prone to explosion via shock, friction, heat, and flame.

It is a class A explosive under OSHA, which is defined as: "possessing, detonating, or otherwise maximum hazard; such as dynamite, nitroglycerin, picric acid, lead azide, fulminate of mercury, black powder, blasting caps, and detonating primers".

Its HMIS diamond scaffold is as follows (based on this):

Health: 2 (can cause temporary incapacitation or residual injury)

Flammability: 3 (can be ignited under almost all ambient temperature conditions)

Instability: 4 (readily capable of detonation or explosive decomposition or explosive reaction at normal temperatures and pressures)

Special: N/A

Solid nitroglycerin (at 13°C or lower) will destabilise and explode if melted too quickly. A bottle of pure liquid nitroglycerin (14°C-50°C) will explode if it's dropped on the ground. It will begin to decompose at 50-60°C and explode at a temperature of 218°C. Its decomposition has an exothermic reaction, thus it can literally ignite itself. Nitroglycerin does not need oxygen to explode, because it has enough oxygen molecules in its chemical formula.

Its chemical formula in question is C3H5N3O9. The products after exploding are 3 CO2 + 2.5 H2O + 1.5 N2 + 0.5O...

A clean equation looks something like:

4 C3H5N3O9 -> 12 CO2 + 10 H20 + 6 N2 + O2.

Heat liberated from a nitroglycerin explosion exceeds temperatures of 5,000°C. the detonation wave from this reaction reaches a velocity of 7,280-7,700 metres per second, and creates the development of 20,000 atmospheres of pressure. Its explosive energy density sits at about 6.23 kJ/g, which is one of the higher power outputs in terms of explosive molecules.

So what does this mean for Bakugou Katsuki?

Well, simply put, he does not need a substantial amount of nitroglycerin on his palms to create detonations. The tiny sparks he creates are arguably miniscule doses of nitroglycerin that he's spontaneously igniting.

The method of ignition is thankfully obvious: he can heat his palms. He can shock the nitroglycerin on his palms with this rapid heat, thus spurring the molecules into the desired reaction.

It also explains how Katsuki needs to store sweat so he may create larger explosions later on - it's likely that he doesn't typically produce enough nitroglycerin from his palms to immediately justify any large-scale detonations that he desires. So, to achieve this, he has to work harder and sweat more to garner enough of the substance for the result he's after.

In the realm of BNHA, it's pretty clear that Katsuki's explosions don't exhibit the exothermal properties of nitroglycerin, or we would be seeing some very devastating burns left behind. While I think that he is ultimately capable of heat-related damage, his explosions overall are more force-based. I think his ultimate moves (Howitzer in particular) utilise the full force of nitroglycerin's reaction... Maybe, sometimes, reduced to varying degrees depending on the person he's fighting (plus the use of support items, skill, etc.).

For instance, compare his standard Howitzer Impact used against Todoroki in the sports festival to the Cluster-boosted Howitzer against Shigaraki in the final war:

While it was an ultimate move used on Todoroki, he was less experienced at the time, likely hindering its effectiveness. (I want to say he dialled it back so it wouldn't, you know, cause irreparable damage... But it's possible that inexperience trumped its overall power, because he wanted to win with everything he had.)

Then, against Shigaraki, it was so much force that it quite literally moved floating U.A. across the sky. He combined his support gear, his experience, and the amount of nitroglycerin stored to achieve this level of force.

As a further note, because of nitroglycerin's extreme reactivity and explosive properties, it cannot really produce a flame of its own. Because Katsuki's explosions seem to be more force-based on top of that, he is not necessarily capable of setting things alight... (Seen in the training camp arc, where he tried and failed to start a fire, instead just exploding the wood.)

As for Katsuki's natural resistances to his own Quirk (of which I have described before, but I want to reiterate):

Larger explosion sound levels can be anywhere between 120 decibels and 210 decibels... And a human's "safe hearing" level is about 85 decibels. In my headcanon, Katsuki has a natural adaptation which means he can withstand higher decibels than others, but that does not make him immune - so while he can tolerate large-scale explosion sounds in an open area, especially with him at the centre point, he would suffer if it were the same explosion in an enclosed area.

The aforementioned heating on his palms are only a part of Katsuki's adaptation to his Quirk; the skin is also significantly thicker on his palms and fingers, making his tolerance for touching hot things at a higher level. Like... Much, much higher. It accommodates for when nitroglycerin requires 218°C to explode in a controlled environment. It's why he can handle hot things out of the oven, and why he doesn't know what burns on his hands feel like.

The musculature on his arms and shoulders also have a natural level of strength to withstand the force of his quirk, but this isn't impervious either. He's had to train hard and build on that natural strength to best withstand the higher outputs of force.

Exposure to pure nitroglycerin for any individual is ill-advised, but with manga logic and creative liberties, I don't think anyone who wants to hold Katsuki's hand should have to worry. (I'm 99% sure that he washes his hands thoroughly after working out, anyway.) As for Katsuki himself, I think he does exhibit some symptoms of a nitroglycerin overdose when he's pushed himself way past his limit... But these episodes are incredibly rare, and often very short-lived.

The final notes:

Constant detonation of nitroglycerin means Katsuki has a bit of a smoky smell. Past that, there is also a faint caramel smell.

Also do not taste the nitroglycerin (for whatever reason there is to lick his hand or something? Which Katsuki will literally kill you for doing that, because what the fuck). It does not taste as nice as it smells.

#💥 ⸍ ii. headcanon.#long post /#/ man that's a lot #/ my hands are starting to get cold af but this covers most of it?#/ i think. main thing is that his explosions are more force > heat

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ciarashoggoth · 7 months ago

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A Report! From Inside The Walls of Mallmart

"I was never going to get internet famous, was I?" I stare into the dark, shadowy corner of my room. It's 5am, and storm clouds are brewing over Okaloosa County. The seas are churning but still keep that odd emerald glow that we're known for. "This was just about me, selling my mortality, my soul, or whatever else was up for bargaining when I made that blood pact." Still, no answer. It's just an empty corner of my bedroom. "Well, I'm going to anyway so whatever is happening here can seem worth it. I choose to win. I choose to fight." Dead silence. It was near maddening. And then, "Honey, have you left for work yet? It's 6 o'clock."

I have never been popular. In grade school, I remember sitting around in morning meeting and just thinking about what I could say to grab people's attention. Darkwood middle school was much the same, with me trying to desperately get in with the cool crowd. Every time I opened my mouth and said something stupid, I could feel their judging gazes burrowing into my skin so I would talk more, trying to fix it. And more,

And more

And then I'd talk even more until I thought I was going to choke on it. I always made the situation worse without fail. I was a pariah. I was the goofy kid who no one wanted to hang out with. I began trading my lunch, gum, whatever I could bring into school in exchange for companionship. It never lasted, it was always short lived. As an adolescent, I was never invited to the college group chats, or parties. When I went to work, I was never invited to grab beers after the shift ended with the guys.

"I reckon it's going to rain all day," a man says, in the break rooms of Mallmart to his friend. Indeed, the clouds were darkening over the store, and I sat alone at a table, feeling painfully aware that I may have gambled away the last thing of value I had in hopes of, what?

Attention.

'Maybe it's all in my head. Maybe the other day was a string of odd coincidences. I'm fine. I'm not coming unglued. I can get back to my boring Mallmart employee life, and forget this ever happened.' so that's what I did. I stocked shelves in hba, and let my brain go blessedly blank. 'I am a good associate employee. That's all there is. There is nothing supernatural happening to me. I am normal, and that is okay.'

'If things keep going like this, I'm going to-

No.

No , no… things are fine. Don't start with that train of thought now.' But it's like a mantra in my head. Things will not get better. I don't deserve to have anything go well for me. All these anti acid pills I'm stocking, this is my life now. The heavy cloud over Mallmart is all there is to my life now. Things are always going to feel like this.

By the time the cart is empty, my head is spinning and I feel useless. I feel dead inside. I feel sick. And management is just waiting for me to screw up. I know it. I'm a screw up. The thought leaves me sweating as I head over to the palette set up.

A Lesson in Mallmart Stock handling, with Madame Macabre!

In Mallmart, there are several types of stock you may handle. All of them have guidelines on how to properly handle them so you and Mallmart's customers can be as safe as possible! One is standard stock. Standard stock is items such as groceries, toys, or pharmacy vitamin bottles. These items don't have unique guidelines, but should always be securely put on your cart before reaching its destination. You should not leave any stock out on the main sales floor as this could create a liability.

Then, we have hazardous materials. This stock may have flammable liquids or other chemicals that may pose a suitable threat when damaged. Be sure to handle with care, and to take the necessary precautions available on the Mallmart hazardous materials guide. The last, are team lift stocks. This stock reaches a weight or size that requires multiple people to handle the stock, in order to lift it to its destination. These items typically exceed 60 pounds.

I could feel my team lead's eyes on me. I could feel Mikki's eyes, the lovely older lady who was always so nice to me, on me. I could feel Taylor from Mallmart's eyes on me. They were waiting for me to mess up. I needed to hurry and go. So I stacked the camping canopy sets one on top of the other and carried them over to my cart.

"Holy CRAP-!" In near unison, I could hear my several onlookers say. I dropped the sets down onto the cart, looking over as my team lead made his way over. "Ciara, next time we should really do a team lift for each of those. Are you okay-?" He glanced me up and down before continuing. "Can you get those down from there alright? Okay, well finish up that cart and then head onto purging bins." And off he went, as the others stared on in shock. I didn't waste anymore time and got the hell out of there, honestly.

I really should've checked the boxes, they say team lift right on them, plain as day. The thrumming in my head persisted well into lunch break.

Taylor and Aiden sat at a table in the back of the break room, laughing. "That's not what I said-" Taylor insisted, as I took a seat with them. The young man with long dark hair was not wearing his usual sunglasses and hat. Instead they sat in the center of the table. His eyes were blue, and the roots of his hair shockingly blonde. And he was making Taylor laugh, and blush. "Dude, I am so disappointed I missed the power outage. The one day I have work off, and you guys go into nightmare mode? For real!" He says 'For real!' a lot, actually. I understand why it's for real half the time he says it.

"Yes, you missed the power outage, Aiden Gossman. There were lights out, and screaming, and strange liquid dripping from the skylight in the Health and Beauty Department…and you missed it, because you stayed home and played video games. How does it suck to suck, Aiden Gossman?" I asked, gazing over the shorter male. "Dude, you are so hard on me today. If you took that stick out of your behind," He puts exclamation on behind as he says it, grating on my nerves further. "And actually slacked off a little with us, you'd be so much happier!" He grinned. "You should seriously get rest though. You might start hallucinating or something." Taylor pointed out. "Maybe he's hallucinating this conversation right now-"

"Ciara, no," Aiden glanced around for a second. "I heard you got reeducated."

"Well, that's naturally the first step after a reported incident."

"Oh yeah, what'd you do, anyways?"

Now, both were staring at me, expectantly. "There were some teens making fun of me…. I may have called a child a 'big bitch'," I explained, hesitantly. A laugh barked out of Aiden. "Wow, you're like my hero. I'm going to have to remember that line-" Taylor said.

"But really, that's not fair to you. People shouldn't call you that stuff, Ciara." I could tell by the look in her mint colored eyes, she meant it. It gave me a fluttery feeling, being noticed.

"Really dude? She's not going to date you. Pretty sure of it, in fact." As soon as Taylor left the table, it was on.

'Oh dear Aiden,' I thought to myself at that moment. 'You don't know who you're messing with.' I was going to respond back with a sharp remark that'd leave his head spinning, and suck the oxygen right from the room. Instead, my eyes started to sting. "That's not true! You'll see-!" And with that, I was out the door, off to continue my job, as an average Mallmart associate.

I was never popular.

#daily report #humor #horror #weirdcore #suburban goth

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tinyshe · 3 years ago

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Dr. Martin Pall: 5G Criminally Insane Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Fry Living Things

Dr. Martin Pall, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University. I am a published and widely cited scientist on the biological effects of electromagnetic fields and speak internationally on this topic. I am particularly expert in how wireless radiation impacts the electrical systems in our bodies. I have published 7 studies showing there exists exquisite sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the voltage sensor in each cell, such that the force impacting our cells at the voltage sensor has massive impact on the biology on the cells of our bodies.

PDF (4 Pages): Pall-Letter-to-CalLegis-FINAL-8-7-17

Please access my 90 page, seven chapter document on EMF effects, how they are produced in the body and the corruption of the international science:

http://peaceinspace.blogs.com/files/5g-emf-hazards–dr-martin-l.-pall–eu-emf2018-6-11us3.pdf

Chapter 7 from the book:

5G: Great risk for EU, U.S. and International Health! Compelling Evidence for Eight Distinct Types of Great Harm Caused by Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Exposures and the Mechanism that Causes Them

Written and Compiled by Martin L. Pall, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences, Washington State UniversityAddress: 638 NE 41st Ave., Portland OR 97232 USA, [email protected] 503-232-3883 May 17, 2018

Chapter 7: The Great Risks of 5G: What We Know and What We Don’t Know ( See the book for references)

We have already discussed two issues that are essential to understanding 5G. One is that pulsed EMFs are, in most cases, much more biologically active than are non-pulsed (often called continuous wave) EMFs. A second is that the EMFs act by putting forces on the voltage sensor of the VGCCs, opening these calcium channels and allowing excessive calcium ions to flow into the cell. The voltage sensor is extraordinarily sensitive to those electrical forces, such that the safety guidelines are allowing us to be exposed to EMFs that are something like 7.2 million times too high.

The reason that the industry has decided to go to the extremely high frequencies of 5G is that with such extremely high frequencies, it is possible to carry much more information via much more pulsation than it is possible to carry with lower frequencies even in the microwave range. We can be assured, therefore, that 5G will involve vastly more pulsation than do EMFs that we are currently exposed to. It follows from that, that any biological safety test of 5G must use the very rapid pulsations including whatever very short term spikes may be present, that are to be present in genuine 5G. There is an additional process that is planned to be used in 5G: phased arrays (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phased_array). Here multiple antenna elements act together to produce highly pulsed fields which are designed for 5G, to produce increased penetration. 5G will entail particularly powerful pulsations to be used, which may, therefore, be particularly hazardous.

The only data we have, to my knowledge, on millimeter wave frequencies of 5G used non-pulsed EMFs in the millimeter frequency range of 5G, not genuine 5G. Such millimeter waves have been shown to produce a number of downstream effects of VGCC activation. One millimeter wave study showed that it activated both the VGCCs and also the voltage-gated potassium channels, suggesting that it worked via the voltage sensor, as do other EMFs [136]. Any such data tells us almost nothing about how biologically active genuine very highly pulsed 5G will be.

I take it that from their statements, that both Mr. Ryan and Dr. Vinciūnas are ready to put out 10s of millions of 5G antennae to afflict every single person in the EU with 5G radiation without even a single biological test of safety of genuine 5G. In the U.S., the FCC has taken a much worse position. The FCC is not only willing to allow such completely untested exposures but has also been has been aggressively pushing to promote installation of 5G antennae, such that antennae are already being installed in parts of the U.S. In a world where shocking behavior has become less and less shocking, I consider EU and U.S. views and actions to be shocking. The U.S. situation is mass insanity. I would have hoped that the Europeans, who think of themselves as being much more thoughtful than Americans, would have been genuinely more thoughtful.

Why does 5G need such high numbers of antennae? It is because the 5G radiation is much more absorbed as it enters various materials. The approach is to use many more antennae with one found every few houses, such that 5G can sufficiently penetrate local walls. Such absorption usually involves the interaction with electrically charged groups, such that such high absorption is likely to involve placing forces on electrically charged groups. Because such forces are the way in which EMFs activate the VGCCs, it seems highly likely, therefore, that 5G radiation will be particularly active in VGCC activation.

In summary, then, 5G is predicted to be particularly dangerous for each of four different reasons:

The extraordinarily high numbers of antennae that are planned.

The very high energy outputs which will be used to ensure penetration.

The extraordinarily high pulsation levels.

4.The apparent high level interactions of the 5G frequency on charged groups presumably including the voltage sensor charged groups.

Now what the telecommunications industry argues is that 5G radiation will be mostly absorbed in the outer 1 or 2 mm of the body, such that they claim that we don’t have to worry about the effects. There is some truth to that, but there are also some caveats that make any conclusions made from that, much more suspect. In any case, these surface effects of 5G will have especially strong impact on organisms with much higher surface to volume ratios. Consequently, I predict that many organisms will be much more impacted than we will. This includes insects and other arthropods, birds and small mammals and amphibia. It includes plants including even large trees, because trees have leaves and reproductive organs that are highly exposed. I predict there will be major ecological disasters as a consequence of 5G.

This will include vast conflagrations because EMF exposures make plants much more flammable.

But let’s get back to humans. The industry has also made claims that more conventional microwave frequency EMFs are limited in effect to the outer 1 cm of the body. We know that is not true, however because of the effects deep in the human brain, on the heart and on hormone systems. Perhaps the most important two studies demonstrating effects deep within the body are the studies of Professor Hässig and his colleagues in Switzerland on cataract formation in newborn calves [137,138]. These two studies clearly show that when pregnant cows are grazing near mobile phone base stations (also called cell phone towers), the calves are born with very greatly increased incidences of cataracts. It follows from these findings that even though the developing fetuses are very deep in the body of the mother and should be highly protected from the EMF exposures, they are not so protected. And because the EMF safety guidelines in Switzerland are 100 times more stringent than are the safety guidelines in most of the rest of Europe, in the U.S., Canada and most of the rest of the world, the more general safety guidelines allow greatly excessive exposures and penetration of effects. The claims of industry that microwave frequency EMFs only act in the outer centimeter of the body are clearly false.

How then can both conventional microwave frequency EMFs and 5G radiation act deeply within the body? You may correctly observe that the electrical effects of the EMFs activate the voltage sensor and that the direct electrical forces are rapidly attenuated in the body. So how can we get deep effects? I think the answer is that the magnetic parts of the EMFs have been known for decades to penetrate much more deeply than do the electrical parts. The magnetic fields put forces on mobile electrically charged groups dissolved in the aqueous phases of the body and small individual movements of the charged groups can regenerate electric fields that are essentially identical to the electric fields of the original EMFs, carrying the same frequency and same pulsation pattern, although with lower intensity. An example of this is given in the Lu and Ueno [139] study. Because the voltage sensor is so stunningly sensitive to electrical forces and part of the reason for that is the very high level of amplification of the electrical field across the plasma membrane, we have an almost perfect way in which to produce EMF effects deeply within our bodies.

I am very concerned that 5G may produce effects like those we already see produced from lower frequency EMFs but are much more severe. I am also concerned that we will also see responses that are qualitatively different. Let me give you three possible examples of the latter type and one quantitative example. Each of the four types of blindness, have downstream effects of VGCC activation as causal factors: cataracts, detached retinas, glaucoma and macular degeneration. The aqueous and vitreous humors in the eye may be an ideal environment for the regeneration of the electrical fields within the eye. We may, therefore have a gigantic epidemic of each of the four types of blindness. Another concern focuses on kidney dysfunction, which was shown in Chapter 5 to be impacted by EMFs. The kidneys have much fluid, both blood and also what will become urine, which may allow efficient the regeneration of electrical fields. Such regeneration may be expected to impact both the glomerular filtration and also the reabsorption, both essential to kidney function.

Does this mean that 5G will produce very large increases in kidney failure? The only way to find out is to do biological safety testing of genuine 5G radiation. Let me give you a third example. Fetuses and very young babies have much more water in their bodies than do adults. Therefore, they may be a special risk for impacts of 5G, because of great increases in the regeneration of the electrical fields. Here one can think of all kinds of possibilities. Let me suggest two. We may have a gigantic (sorry about using that word again) epidemic of spontaneous abortion due the teratogenic effects. Another possibility is that instead of autism being one birth in 38, however horrendous that is, it could be one out of two, or even a majority of births. I don’t know that these will happen, but these are the kinds of risks we are taking and there are many others one can think of. Putting in tens of millions of 5G antennae without a single biological test of safety has got to be about the stupidest idea anyone has had in the history of the world.

This brings us back to the earlier point. The only way to do 5G safety testing is to do genuine 5G biological safety testing. I have published on how this can be done relatively easily at relatively low cost and have, as you saw in the Chapter 6, told the FCC how this can be done. Those tests must be done by organizations completely independent of industry and that leaves out both ICNIRP and SCENIHR and a lot of other organizations.

Now we will get into the precautionary principle which is specially relevant to the EU but may have lessons for all of us.

Dr. Vinciūnas’ last full paragraph reads as follows:

“The recourse to the EU’s precautionary principle to stop distribution of 5G products appears too drastic a measure. We need first to see how this technology will be applied and how the scientific evidence will evolve. Please be assured that the Commission will keep abreast of the scientific evidence in view of safeguarding the health of European citizens at the highest level possible and in line with its mandate.”

Article 191 defines the Precautionary Principle as follows:

“According to the European Commission the precautionary principle may be invoked when a phenomenon, product or process may have a dangerous effect, identified by a scientific and objective evaluation, if this evaluation does not allow the risk to be determined with sufficient certainty.

Recourse to the principle belongs in the general framework of risk analysis (which, besides risk evaluation, includes risk management and risk communication), and more particularly in the context of risk management which corresponds to the decision-making phase.

The Commission stresses that the precautionary principle may only be invoked in the event of a potential risk and that it can never justify arbitrary decisions. The precautionary principle may only be invoked when the three preliminary conditions are met:

* identification of potentially adverse effects;

* evaluation of the scientific data available;

* the extent of scientific uncertainty.”

The question now is what about 5G? We have with 5G strong suspicions of similar or much more severe risk of effects documented elsewhere in this document. We have no biological safety testing of genuine 5G radiation. Therefore, we have no risk analysis or risk management because we have no risk assessment whatsoever on 5G. So here we have Dr. Vinciūnas arguing that the request for precautionary principle application is premature. But it is not the request for the use of the precautionary principle that is premature, it is the Commission’s claim that it has done the required risk analysis and risk assessment. This is the bizarre world that we live in.

The European Commission has done nothing to protect European citizens from the very serious health hazards and the U.S. FDA, EPA and National Cancer Institute have done nothing to protect U.S. citizens. The U.S. FCC has been worse than that, acting in wanton disregard for our health.

Let me close, as follows. There have been certain points in our history where people have stood up to strong destructive forces against what often appeared to be insurmountable odds. Those people are THE most honored people in our history. The people who failed to do so are among the most despised people in our history. I am not at all sure we will have historians to record us 100 years from now or even 30 years from now, given the direction in which we are heading. But if we do, rest assured that these are the standards by which we will all be judged.

http://peaceinspace.blogs.com/files/5g-emf-hazards–dr-martin-l.-pall–eu-emf2018-6-11us3.pdf

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wsmith215 · 5 years ago

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Motivated by his son Beau, Joe Biden pledges help for veterans with burn pit health issues

Throughout his presidential campaign, one of the most striking elements of Joe Biden’s appeal has been his empathy. The personal tragedies he has suffered inform his interactions with voters who are also experiencing loss. And his sorrow could also guide policy decisions as commander-in-chief, offering assistance to veterans who may be suffering from service-related medical conditions — as he believes his son did.

With a familiar quiver in his voice, Biden regularly on the campaign trail shares memories of his son Beau, who died in 2015 from glioblastoma brain cancer. A handful of times Biden detailed how he thinks his son’s cancer may have been related in part to the large, military base burn pits during his 2009 service in the Iraq War.

“He volunteered to join the National Guard at age 32 because he thought he had an obligation to go,” Biden told a Service Employees International Union convention in October. “And because of exposure to burn pits — in my view, I can’t prove it yet — he came back with Stage Four glioblastoma.”

Biden’s precise language — “in my view, I can’t prove it yet” — appears to be intentional as he lends his voice to the ongoing and somewhat controversial debate over whether the burn pits caused lasting health issues for American veterans.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (R) talks with his son, U.S. Army Capt. Beau Biden (L) at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad on July 4, 2009.

KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images

“We don’t have 20 years”

As the Iraq and Afghanistan military operations grew, so did the installations of bigger burn pits on military bases, rather than the smaller burn barrels that had previously been used. The pits were meant to dispose of everything from garbage to sensitive documents and even more hazardous materials.

“They build as big as this auditorium,” Biden said to a CNN town hall audience in February, “It’s about 8-to-10-feet-deep and they put everything in it they want to dispose of and can’t leave behind, from flammable fuel to plastics to all range of things.”

But in the middle of a war zone, concern about the burn pits was sometimes considered secondary to other safety issues.

“You’ve got dust storms, you have the enemy, you have all sorts of things going on that some smoke in the air doesn’t really seem like as important of an issue at the moment,” Jim Mowrer, who befriended Beau at Camp Victory in Iraq in 2009, told CBS News. Other times, Mowrer, 34, who now serves as co-chair for the Veterans for Biden committee, said he tried to filter the air by wearing a face covering.

“The concern factor became more of a concern after we came home,” Beau’s overseas boss, Command JAG Kathy Amalfitano, 59, told CBS News. Amalfitano said she remembers discussing the burn pits with Beau a few times, but added “I know our thought process was that this was part of the deployment.”

Biden is not alone in thinking burn pits impacted soldiers’ health.

Since 2014, more than 200,000 Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans have registered in the “Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry” run by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), detailing exposure to service-related airborne hazards from burn pit smoke and other pollution.

And while these veteran health concerns seem widespread, the VA’s policy only recognizes “temporary” irritation from burn pit exposure. Citing a range of studies, the department states that “research does not show evidence of long-term health problems from exposure to burn pits.”

One ongoing study is by National Jewish Health and funded by the Defense Department, and is examining lung issues and has yielded “a spectrum of diseases that are related to deployment,” the study’s principal investigator Dr. Cecile Rose told CBS News last year. ” [The diseases] weren’t there before, and they are clearly there after people have returned from these arid and extreme environments.” However, Rose cautioned that findings are complicated by other possible culprits, like desert dust and diesel exhaust.

Advocates for veterans say not enough is being done to address veterans’ health claims regarding the burn pits.

From 2007 to 2018, the VA processed 11,581 disability compensation claims that had “at least one condition related to burn pit exposure,” a department spokesman told The New York Times last year. But the department only accepted 2,318 of these claims. The department said the rest did not show evidence connected to military service or the condition in the claim was not “officially diagnosed,” the Times noted.

The VA did not respond to CBS News’ request this week for updated numbers.

“I always push back on…the VA administration folks who try to use the ‘perfect study’ as a criteria to show proof,” California Representative Raul Ruiz, a doctor and vocal burn pits critic, told CBS News. Ruiz criticized the VA’s reliance on long-term studies to validate clams.

“We don’t have 20 years because then these veterans are going to be dying without the care they need,” Ruiz said.

A report five years ago by a Defense Department inspector general said it was “indefensible” that military personnel “were put at further risk from the potentially harmful emissions from the use of open-air burn pits.” But the Supreme Court last year rejected a victims’ lawsuit against contractors who oversaw some of the burn pits.

“If these [burn pits] had happened in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease and Control would have this corrected immediately,” said Iraq War veteran Jeremy Daniels, adding he believes burn pits caused him to be wheelchair bound.

Modern-day “Agent Orange”?

Biden on the campaign trail invoked the healthcare struggles of Vietnam veterans exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange to explain the need to address burn pits.

“You were entitled to military compensation if you could prove that Agent Orange caused whatever the immune system damage was to you,” Biden said, accenting the word “prove” during a Veterans Day town hall in Oskaloosa, Iowa. “But you had to prove it and it’s very hard to prove.”

After reading a book on burn pits detailing Beau’s case, Biden has advocated easing this burden of proof for veterans who say the burn pits have harmed them in some way, as he first told PBS.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a town hall meeting, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Charlie Neibergall / AP

Biden has a plan that pushes for congressional approval to expand the list of “presumptive conditions”– meaning veterans’ health conditions would be presumed causal to the burn pits making them eligible for greater VA healthcare. He also aims to expand the claim eligibility period for toxic exposure conditions to five years after service instead of one year and increase federal research by $300 million in part to focus on toxic exposure from burn pits.

This push has intensified in recent years on Capitol Hill, and bills funding more research into burn pits have already been signed by President Trump. The recent National Defense Authorization Act also required the Department of Defense to implement a plan to phase out burn pits and disclose the locations of the still-operating pits. Enclosed incinerators are an alternative.

There were nine active military burn pits in the Middle East as of last year, according to the Defense Department’s April 2019 “Open Burn Pit Report to Congress” shared with CBS News, though some advocates think the actual number is higher.

Some veterans expressed doubt that recent efforts will lead to more aid for veterans exposed to burn pits, given the slow-moving bureaucracy and concern over higher health care costs. And others question whether a Biden administration would act more decisively than the Obama administration, which primarily focused on long-term studies.

But Biden says that his motivation is far greater than his family’s own personal loss, and that the “only sacred” commitment the United States has is to American soldiers.

“It’s not because my son died…[he] went from very, very healthy but he lived in the bloom of those burn pits for a long time. He’s passed—it doesn’t affect him,” Biden said in Oskaloosa. “But the point is that every single veteran shouldn’t have to prove and wait until science demonstrates beyond a doubt…We just have to change the way we think a little bit.”

May 30 will mark the five-year anniversary of Beau Biden’s death.

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check-new-account · 3 years ago

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Mudd scratched his chin in contemplation, observing tox’s dainty little hands.. “well gee, aren’t you a little tease~ Though, I don’t suppose I should expect otherwise from a stripper- sorry, ‘hacker’” he comments, with a brief chuckle. “Well, you better have some damn cute hands. After all, I barely know anything about you, and yet here you are, asking about my anatomy and my history without so much as buying me dinner~” he says, his hands moving quite a bit as he talked. He was certainly a gestural fellow.

While he knew it was ridiculous, he had nothing better to do than discuss things with a stranger, so he may as well get to see some skin as well. Mudd sat back in his chair thoughtfully, trying to remember all the years of his life that’d lead to this moment.... “let’s see... where should I begin... most of my early life isn’t that interesting, I was born and raised like pretty much any other worker. We worked in a camera manufacturing plant, where I, along with some other muds, would work with flammable materials used in the production of film. Now, we didn’t exactly know that unions were a thing back then, the boss paid extra for uh... uninformed... mudokons. So things were improperly stored, there were fire hazards everywhere, yaddah yaddah, that doesn’t really matter, since mudokons wouldn’t have access to anything dangerous anyways. Course, I didn’t give a shit in the slightest, since I had been found out as a drone! I’m tellin’ ya, it was my ticket to easy street, they were gonna ship me out to Nolybab, I’d get to sit in the company of queens n’ other drones, drinking brew, smoking, all the luxurious benefits that come with being a drone. Or uh.. that’s what I assume anyways. I never actually got shipped out. Two or three days before I was supposed to be shipped out, there was a riot. The only riot in the factories history if you could believe it. Course, I was in the chem room, doin my job, when some mud with cloth over his face barges into the room unannounced. Now usually your supposed to have special clearance to get into the chem room, and this guy obviously didn’t have it. Next thing I remember...” he stood up, and turned, looking out the window. “Well, next thing I remember was obviously the fire. I don’t how I could ever forget that. I was covered in the chems, I went up like a bundle of dry wood. I ran out into the hallway, but there were already so many people runnin through I.... I couldn’t stand up and they just...” he paused, tapping his foot and looking out the window, before taking a long drag off his cigar and continuing. “After everything was said and done, there was apparently a vykker cleanup crew, runnin’ through lookin for parts. I’m pretty sure I was dead in every sense of the word, but according to them they took me in and say that I still had a good bunch of my respiratory organs, and my brain. Turns out that when the crowd was trampling me, they had inadvertently put out some of the fire that was wrecking my body. Anyways, it’s kind of an obvious story from there, the vykkers took me on as a passion project. I was a hit! I mean, no vykker mudokon or even glukkon could resist this guys fashionable charm~” he commented, standing prouder, and spinning back around to look at tox. “And it was WITH that charm, and a few uh... remodelings... that I was put in charge of the ‘mudokon riot suppression unit’. To sum it up, my job is to go around, kill escaped mudokons, check in at areas that have had riots before, and most importantly...” as he spoke, it was obvious how this all affected him, he seemed visibly irritated when he talked about it. he bit down on his cigar as his laser charged up, seemingly out of anger or resentment, a mix of fury and desperation in his voice.. “find Abraham Lure.” He says. Suddenly, he shakes his head and sighs, he laser settling down.. “but uh.. anyways, I don’t like to sour the mood with my past. Besides, things ain’t so bad. I’ve got a ship, a crew, all the alcohol and power a mudokon could want... I don’t have much to complain about! Aside from regular maintenance stuff, trauma, issues sleeping, and a VERY sadistic approach towards nativists, I think I’m doing pretty alright!”

Part 1

@oddworld-wonders

Tox didn’t break a sweat at the first question, although even if he did it wouldn’t be noticeable. He was indeed aware of a village that would be of interest to Mudd, but he wouldn’t gain anything from telling him; in fact, it would majorly disadvantage him and those he cared about.

“No.” He lied casually and convincingly. No way was he letting this sentient laser pointer anywhere near that place, even if it did suck. Tox raised a brow at his second question. “Quite frankly, my ‘client’ is none of your business. It’s confidential.” He was enjoying the stripper lie. It was always fun to mess with people like this. “As for the wifi issue however, you see these heels?” Tox pointed at his shoes. “I have a miniature portable wifi connection embedded in the soles for emergencies. So you’re sorely mistaken to underestimate my technological skills, and forging my own portable wifi is incredibly easy. It just costs a lot to maintain...”

He started boredly fiddling with his feathers. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

#((don’t worry about late responses this is GREAT))#((sorry for the long reply))#((but hey! backstory time!!!))

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brajeshupadhyay · 5 years ago

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Motivated by his son Beau, Joe Biden pledges help for veterans with burn pit health issues

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (R) talks with his son, U.S. Army Capt. Beau Biden (L) at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad on July 4, 2009. Biden said that America’s role in Iraq was switching from deep military engagement to one of diplomatic support, ahead of a complete withdrawal from the country in 2011. AFP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed-POOL (Photo credit should read KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images)

KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images

“WE DON’T HAVE 20 YEARS”

But in the middle of a war zone, concern about the burn pits was sometimes considered secondary to other safety issues.

Biden is not alone in thinking burn pits impacted soldiers’ health.

Advocates for veterans say not enough is being done to address veterans’ health claims regarding the burn pits. From 2007 to 2018, the VA processed 11,581 disability compensation claims that had “at least one condition related to burn pit exposure,” a department spokesman told The New York Times last year. But the department only accepted 2,318 of these claims. The department said the rest did not show evidence connected to military service or the condition in the claim was not “officially diagnosed,” the Times noted.

The VA did not respond to CBS News’ request this week for updated numbers.

“We don’t have 20 years because then these veterans are going to be dying without the care they need,” Ruiz said.

MODERN-DAY “AGENT ORANGE”?

Biden on the campaign trail invoked the healthcare struggles of Vietnam veterans exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange to explain the need to address burn pits.

After reading a book on burn pits detailing Beau’s case, Biden has advocated easing this burden of proof for veterans who say the burn pits have harmed them in some way, as he first told PBS.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a town hall meeting, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Charlie Neibergall / AP

But Biden says that his motivation is far greater than his family’s own personal loss, and that the “only sacred” commitment the United States has is to American soldiers.

May 30 will mark the five-year anniversary of Beau Biden’s death.

The post Motivated by his son Beau, Joe Biden pledges help for veterans with burn pit health issues appeared first on Sansaar Times.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/3cVCHSe

#Blogger #Beau Biden #burn pits #iraq #Joe Biden #Joe Biden pledges help for veterans with burn pit h

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lcohen35 · 5 years ago

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Assignment 10 First Draft: Are We Willing to be Inconvenienced For Sustainability?

According to physicist Albert Einstein, ‘A clever person solves a problem; a wise person avoids it’” (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 596).

Chapter 17 was a weird chapter because it focused highly on the effects of hazards on humans, and not the environment. It didn't feel like it belonged in this text. Chapter 21 cited very controversial examples of responsible waste management/recycling, in my opinion.

#WhatMajorHealthHazardsDoWeFace?

We face major health hazards from biological, chemical, natural and cultural factors along with our lifestyle choices. Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa and fungi. Chemical hazards include harmful chemicals in air, water, soil and human-made products. Natural Hazards include fire, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. Cultural hazards include unsafe working conditions, criminal assault and poverty. Lifestyle choice hazards include smoking, poor food choices and unsafe sex.

#HowDoBiologicalHazardsThreatenHumanHealth?

Biological hazards can be highly contagious, passing from one person to another, but they don’t have to be. The book talks about how the risks of these hazards, like infectious diseases are declining, but still remain relevant in less developed countries. That’s a bit ironic right now because of the global pandemic, Coronavirus. The book also mentions how climate change amplifies the effects of these hazards due to their tendency to breed rapidly in warmer climates. This is a bit terrifying as summer is approaching. Another major issue threatening humans is that some of the bacteria which causes infectious diseases have become immune to antibiotics, which makes them more difficult to treat and easier to spread. The spread is also made easier by population growth, which forces higher person-to-person interaction as cities become more dense.

Some believe the Coronavirus originated from bats in a Chinese province. If that is true, it wouldn’t be the first time a disease spread from one animal to another (us). There is a whole field of medicine called Ecological Medicine which studies this connection. Their findings have shown that it is increasingly important to regulate the consumption and trade of exotic animals to prevent the spread of infectious disease. However, in reality, this can be quite difficult and can come off as colonialistic, in imposing western culture on different cultural norms than our own.

Figure 1. Solutions to Infectious Diseases (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 452.)

#HowDoChemicalHazardsThreatenHumanHealth?

Some chemicals in the environment can cause cancers and birth defects, and disrupt the human immune, nervous and endocrine systems. Toxic chemicals can cause temporary or permanent damage or even death to humans. The EPA has found that almost ½ of the fish tested in 500 US lakes and reservoirs had above safe levels of mercury (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 453). Mercury is a toxic metal naturally released into the air. However, ⅔ of the mercury existing in our atmosphere comes unnaturally from human activity: coal, industrial plants, cement kilns, smelters and solid-waste incinerators. Since Mercury is an element, it cannot be broken down, and it builds up in whatever area it comes to pollute. Humans are exposed to mercury through the food we eat or the air we breathe. This exposure to mercury can cause reduced IQs and nervous system damage.

Figure 2. Movement of Different Forms of Mercury Through the Environment (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 454).

Figure 3. How to Prevent/Control Mercury Inputs (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 454).

Certain chemicals can affect the endocrine system because they have structures which mimic natural hormones. This can allow them to disrupt sexual development and reproduction. Some of these chemicals, or hormone disruptors, include the ones which are used to make plastics more flexible. Specifically, BPA has been a controversial material used in plastics, because research has shown that low levels of BPA can cause brain damage, early puberty, decreased sperm count, cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver damage, impaired immune function, impotence and obesity. Consumers have the power to choose BPA free products, but some manufacturers have just replaced the chemical with a similar synthetic, which defeats the purpose.

Figure 4. Ways to Limit Exposure to Hormone Disruptors (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 455).

#HowCanWeEvaluateRisksFromChemicalHazards?

Scientists use animal testings, case reports, and epidemiological studies to estimate the toxicity of chemicals. They evaluate dosage, solubility, persistence, and biological magnification, to name a few factors. There are a lot of ethical factors which go into animal testing, and since more humane options exist, consumers have the option to buy products that do not test on animals.

“‘Toxicologists know a great deal about a few chemicals, a little about many, and next to nothing about most’” (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 459). Though toxicologists are working hard to evaluate these risks, they overall recommend pollution prevention to reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals. Living in a developed country, we have all likely been exposed to potentially harmful chemicals, but we should avoid it whenever possible.

The book specifically cites 3M and Dupont as business leaders in chemical recycling, which is laughable. Both Dupont and 3M have been involved in environmental scandals of their own, ruined communities, and then tried to deny it when the time came to own up. I can’t fathom why the book would cite these two as examples of responsible businesses following the precautionary principle.

In order to follow the precautionary principle we (businesses, government, individuals) must:

assume new chemicals and technologies could be harmful unless proven otherwise

remove the existing chemicals and technologies that have been assumed safe thus far from the market until proven so

The European Union has already begun to apply the precautionary principle through pollution prevention by phasing out the dirty dozen.

Figure 5. Potentially Harmful Chemicals Found in the Home (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 460).

#HowDoWePercieveAndAvoidRisks?

We can avoid risks by becoming informed, thinking critically and making conscious choices. The best ways to avoid individual health risks are to avoid smoking, lose excess weight, reduce consumption of sugary foods, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, drink little to no alcohol, avoid excessive sunlight and practice safe sex. Technological risks can be difficult to estimate due to their complexity. But we can do so by calculating their probability of success (Reliability=Tech Reliability x Human Reliability).

Designer William Mcdonough came up with the cradle-to-cradle approach to the life-cycle of products; “we should think of products as part of a continuing cycle instead of becoming solid wastes that end up as litter or being burned or deposited in landfills” (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 574). This way of thinking has also been called closed-loop, and needs to be implemented at the design stage of a product, planning out every step of consumption.

#WhatEnvironmentalProblemsAreRelatedToSolidAndHazardousWastes?

Solid waste contributes to pollution and contains valuable resources that could be reused or recycled. Municipal solid waste (MSW) is what we throw out in our lives everyday–huge amounts of trash. We also produce industrial waste through agriculture, mining and industry. Without humans, this problem wouldn’t exist, because the wastes of one organism become nutrients or raw materials for another. We will always produce some waste, due to the law of conservation of matter, but cradle-to-cradle design could help reduce our waste and environmental harm by 80%. The United States produces the most waste in the world, “enough MSW to fill a bumper-to-bumper convoy of garbage trucks long enough to circle the earth’s equator almost six times” (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 576).

Figure 6. Composition of MSW in the US and Where It Goes After Collection (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 576).

Many people have the misconception that landfills operate as huge compost piles where biodegradable waste will eventually break down in a short time. But in reality, decomposition takes a long time in a landfill due to lack of sunlight, water, and air.

Hazardous waste contributes to pollution, natural capital degradation, health problems and premature deaths. This type of waste is corrosives, toxic, flammable, can be explosive and cause disease. The two major types of hazardous wastes are organic compounds and toxic heavy metals. E-waste is a large source of this type of waste. Much of e-waste is shipped to foreign countries where the labor is cheap and environmental regulations are lax. “More developed countries produce 80-90% of the world’s hazardous wastes, and the United States is the largest producer” (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 577). This means as human societies progress, we degrade the environment that allowed us to do so.

#HowShouldWeDealWithSolidWaste?

We should deal with solid waste by reducing our production of it, reuse or recycle it and safely dispose of it. Waste management is imperative to dealing with solid waste, but prevention and reduction are more effective. Integrated waste management combines all of these approaches.

Figure 7. Priorities Recommended by the US National Academy of Sciences for Dealing with MSW compared with The Reality (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 579).

The 4 R’s by priority are

Refuse: Don’t use it.

Reduce: Use less of it.

Reuse: use it over and over.

Recycle: Upcycle, compost, and follow local recycling rules.

6 Strategies that industries and communities can use to reduce resource use, waste and pollution:

Change industrial processes to eliminate or reduce harmful chemical use.

Redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less material and energy.

Develop products that are easy to repair, reuse, remanufacture, compost or recycle.

Establish cradle-to cradle responsibility laws.

Eliminate and/or reduce unnecessary packaging.

Use fee-per-bag solid waste collection systems.

#WhyAreWeRefusingReducingReusingAndRecyclingSoImportant?

We refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle what we use to decrease our consumption of matter and energy resources, reduce pollution and natural capital degradation and save money.

Questions to ask yourself to avoid a throwaway economy:

Do I really need this? (refuse)

How many of these do I actually need? (reduce)

Is this something I can use more than once? (reuse)

Can this be converted into the same or a different product when I am done with it? (recycle)

Figure 8. Some Ways to Reuse (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 582).

Businesses are also coming out of people’s desire to avoid waste, such as rental clothing, furniture and child’s toys. Additionally recycling businesses are arising to give people points for recycling, or to recycle non recyclable products. Terracycle is a company that partners with brands to recycle their packaging in order to divert it from a landfill (Terracycle 2020).

Recycling is a complex and expensive process, so it is not the most sustainable form of waste diversion. Additionally, incorrect sorting for recycling is ineffective. It is recommended that households and businesses understand this issue and separate their trash into plastics, metals, glass, paper and compost. This puts a lot of owness on the consumer, which can empower them or make them feel inconvenienced.

Figure 9. Advantages and Disadvantages of Recycling (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 585).

#WhatAreTheAdvantagesAndDisadvantagesOfBurningOrBuryingSolidWaste?

Figure 10. Trade-Offs of Burning Solid Waste (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 587).

Figure 11. Trade-Offs of Landfills (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 588).

#HowShouldWeDealWithHazardousWaste?

We should deal with hazardous waste by producing less of it, reusing or recycling it, converting it to less hazardous materials, and safely storing it. Most countries follow these priorities poorly. The long-term solution is prevention, but short term the other options will suffice. Hazardous waste can be detoxified physically, chemically or biologically. Additionally plasma gasification can be used to treat the waste, but it is quite expensive. Burial of hazardous waste is the most common form of storage in the United States and abroad due to low cost. But the environmental costs of leakage into groundwater are high. The current regulation for this type of storage is inadequate. Actually, 95% of the hazardous and toxic wastes produced in the United States are unregulated, and even less are regulated in less developed countries. The consequences of this is that about $1.7 trillion is spent on the cleanup of toxic waste, not including legal fees. And we pay for it through our taxes!

#HowCanASocietyShiftToALowWasteEconomy?

“Shifting to a low waste economy will require individuals and businesses to reduce resource use and to reuse and recycle most solid and hazardous wastes at local, national and global levels” (Miller and Spoolman 2016, 594). Bottom-up campaigns are essential in the process including sit-ins, concerts, protests, rallies, and petitions. Manufacturers of waste feel that it needs to be managed, while citizens feel that waste needs to be reduced; it is a constant struggle.

3 Factors hinder reuse and recycling

The market prices of products are not applying full-cost pricing.

The economic playing field is uneven because resource extraction usually receives more subsidies than reuse and recycling industries.

The demand and the price paid for recycled goods fluctuates since it isn’t a high priority for consumers.

We can reverse these factors by attaching deposit fees or fee-per bag charges and governments can pass laws requiring companies to take back, recycle and/or reuse packaging and e-waste. Overall, a change in mindset must be adopted to the way in which we consume in the following ways.

We must understand:

Everything is connected.

There is no “throw away” for our wastes.

Producers and polluters should pay for their produced wastes.

We can mimic nature by reusing, recycling, composting or exchanging MSW.

(Miller and Spoolman 2016, 596).

Additionally, I watched No Impact Man for this post, where Colin Beavin asks, what if we tried not to hurt the environment? And what are we willing to give up to do so? He spent a year living zero waste, only buying food within a 250 mile radius, and only traveling by foot and bike. He shopped at local farmers markets, turned off his electricity, homemade cleaning products and in the end adopted a different mindset towards life. Beavin began to understand the disconnection between humans and nature through consumption. Personally, I have been pursuing zero waste for 3 years, and even I thought the guy was a bit extreme. His critics felt the same way. In the film, Beavin noted how some environmentalists had reached out to him saying he was giving the rest of us a bad rep. But I think it’s important for people to understand the validity of the experiment, and how little thought goes into most peoples’ everyday impact. This strikes a nerve in American culture because we are a society built on American corporate capitalism. Through No Impact Man, Beavin also balanced the question of individual versus collective action. Some other critics said if we could do it without government and business aid, then what’s the problem? I think the problem is that living how Colin lived is seen as extreme and unrealistic for most people due to the inconveniences it causes. Individual action requires people to be engaged, and creates the demand for the world to look differently.

Word Count: 2346 Words

Question: How can zero-waste lifestyles be more attractive and accessible?

Works Cited

Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott E. Spoolman. 2016. Living in the Environment: Nineteenth Edition, 441-596. Canada: Cengage Learning.

Wurmfeld, E. (Producer), & Gabbert, L. (Director). (2009). No Impact Man [Motion Picture]. Toronto, ON : Mongrel Media.

Terracyle. 2020. “About Terracycle.” Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/about-terracycle?utm_campaign=admittance&utm_medium=menu&utm_source=www.terracycle.com

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ornisapiens · 8 years ago

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Silence of The Clones - 1

《This Clone High fanwork continues along the original ending with a premise different from the source material, as its focus shifts onto Scudworth and Mr. Butlertron. How will they manage after a long term investment disappears?

I tried to keep the prose snappy in tune with the show’s pacing. Future chapters may be longer. Expect slow updates due to chronic fatigue.》

Tonight, on a very special episode of Clone High: Scudworth let’s it go to his head, foster parents share their dread, and every clone you loved dearly is dead.

The glaring caution tape was wrapped around the perimeters. Numbered plaques were daintily placed, and ice samples less daintily harvested. After seconds of intense scrutiny, the evidence technician turned to address his colleagues.

“It is my professional opinion that what happened here is... a mass murder.”

Unanimously, the investigation team paused and stared beyond the man, who walked over to the gorey specimen near the lever. He hrmmed as he gave the spectacle a top-down scan with a discerning eye.

“I believe we have our first suspect. Arrest him.”

Shortly, the frozen body was lifted and secured into the police car’s back seat.

Scudworth filed his papers in yellow envelopes by their year as Mister B dusted the shelves. They spent hours cleaning and sorting which things to pack away and take with them, but in that generous span, it was Mister B who completed more chores with strained glee. He hoped his cheer wouldn’t elevate the former principal’s blood pressure, but the lines on Scudworth’s face deepened til he and the Marianas Trench resembled one another.

A file with amusement park plans peeking out was left offside in the way one would place a picture of their pet on their work desk, which clued Mister B in on what plagued Scudworth at this hour. Not that he’d needed that when he’d listen to the man gobble carelessly about the dream he had, when there was still someone there to have wool pulled over their eyes.

That gave him an awful idea.

“Maybe a bit of wordplay will cheer you up, Wesleeeeeey.”

Scudworth paused, then resumed shuffling documents. On a normal, clone infested school day, he would have snapped back with an unhinged remark. He would have flipped his lid at his organized chaos being reorganized in a formal fashion, especially by anyone else.

Mister B hadn’t seen Scudworth this focused since their third or fifth late night grave-robbing spree, way, way back. Kicking back with some alcohol and basking in nostalgia would have to wait.

A hard bump on the robot’s arm broke this reverie, and he caught the fallen object just in time. Inside, the sloshing fluid tossed a fleshy lump around.

“Careful with that fetus!” Scudworth shrieked over his shoulder, “we can’t get formalin on our top secret documents, or their non-existent backups now.

“We’ll have to dispose that by next morning,” he said evenly.

“It already is tomorrow, Wesley,” Mister B still held the jar, only now he appeared to cradle it.

Scudworth began to empty his paper hat drawer, chiming, “I don’t count midnight as tomorrow, you know tha--” he stopped upon seeing it was in fact almost four in the morning.

“Oh. God. DAMN IT!”

“Witness, you’ll state your name and occupation. For ease of communication, we’ve brought over a marine biologist who’ll translate for you via rubber duck.

“Now tell us what you were doing on prom night.”

The light from overhead reflecting in the dolphin’s eyes wobbled as she clicked defiantly something about the kiddie pool being too small.

“This won’t take too long, but it would go faster with your cooperation. We have a year’s worth of tinned tuna for you, if you comply.”

Shamra cackled abruptly.

“She’s imitating shrill human laughter,” the marine biologist glanced aside, “I think.”

“Now where have I heard that laugh before...?” the interrogator said, rubbing his chin.

Mister B watched Scudworth slip various papers into the shredder, some of them were once at risk of becoming formalin-soaked. The robot’s eyes occasionally darted away while he formulated a non-flammable way to ask about his human buddy’s slapdash decisions. He must be panicking deep down trying to get rid of anything that could be used against him.

But that meant everything had to go.

If there are only single copies left, they could be kept close for future referentials. The only organized chaos that’d be left would live behind Scudworth’s smile, and machines with ambiguous purpose to the layman.

He cracked his neck craning it to look at the time again while frantically crumpling the remnants in his labcoat. His robot companion remained motionless, which stood him out from the hurly burly.

“Mister B, why are you still holding that?”

“I forgoooot I waaaas.”

Scudworth’s brows bunched together as his hands lifted. “OOOOOOooh like how you ‘forgot’ the board of shadowy popsicles intended to terminate me? I didn’t give you the brain of a programmable toaster oven, but I’m considering placing yours in one!”

Mister B’s antenna and gaze drooped.

They were lucky the whole district didn’t catapult awake from the screeching this one man could do.

The robot searched his memory banks for an answer far less embarrassing than the feeble one he gave. It was hard for a hot second with thoughts of recycling, but that was the ticket he didn’t know he wanted.

“Oh Wesley, I was going to ensure that this doesn’t leak into the soil and groundwater.”

“And avoid drawing the ire from the environmental protection agency! Splendid!”

Mister B was already knitting a cover story should hazardous waste contractors ask about the obviously human specimen-- should it ever come to that. There was something charitable in giving it to a hapless thrift shop of curiosities, or someone working in a medical field. Yet, he could only think of parting with it, something that was a failed attempt at their impressive feat, and a piece of themselves.

Scudworth opened the overhead entrance of his death maze and motioned for the robot to enter.

And what, careen off every corner on the way out? The man’s unusually nonchalant expression hinted he was at least aware how grave this matter was, but didn’t care for wasting minutes to procure bubble wrap.

Before Mister B formed half a thought, Scudworth flew up the tube.

The day began with a choir of birds disrupting the sleep of many a grumpy night owl who hated the nine to five schedule and oversaturation of bad news.

Some who dragged themselves to the coffee felt something burst inside and renew their senses at the headline “Death On Ice” followed by clinically delivered details and the dreadful ticker scrolling across just underneath it all.

A few were stunned until tears brought them back to reality, but one inebriated woman slurred at her TV set, “cool”.

#fanfiction #clone high #my writes #humor #silence of the clones #bringbackclonehigh #cerebral ejections

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brajeshupadhyay · 5 years ago

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Throughout his presidential campaign, one of the most striking elements of Joe Biden‘s appeal has been his empathy. The personal tragedies he has suffered inform his interactions with voters who are also experiencing loss. And his sorrow could also guide policy decisions as commander-in-chief, offering assistance to veterans who may be suffering from service-related medical conditions — as he hint he believes his son did. With a familiar quiver in his voice, Biden regularly on the campaign trail shares memories of his son Beau, who died in 2015 from glioblastoma brain cancer. A handful of times Biden detailed how he thinks his son’s cancer may have been related in part to the large, military base burn pits during his 2009 service in the Iraq War. “He volunteered to join the National Guard at age 32 because he thought he had an obligation to go,” Biden told a Service Employees International Union convention in October. “And because of exposure to burn pits — in my view, I can’t prove it yet — he came back with Stage Four glioblastoma.” Biden’s precise language — “in my view, I can’t prove it yet” — appears to be intentional as he lends his voice to the ongoing and somewhat controversial debate over whether the burn pits caused lasting health issues for American veterans. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (R) talks with his son, U.S. Army Capt. Beau Biden (L) at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad on July 4, 2009. Biden said that America’s role in Iraq was switching from deep military engagement to one of diplomatic support, ahead of a complete withdrawal from the country in 2011. AFP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed-POOL (Photo credit should read KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images) KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images “WE DON’T HAVE 20 YEARS” As the Iraq and Afghanistan military operations grew, so did the installations of bigger burn pits on military bases, rather than the smaller burn barrels that had previously been used. The pits were meant to dispose of everything from garbage to sensitive documents and even more hazardous materials. “They build as big as this auditorium,” Biden said to a CNN town hall audience in February, “It’s about 8-to-10-feet-deep and they put everything in it they want to dispose of and can’t leave behind, from flammable fuel to plastics to all range of things.” But in the middle of a war zone, concern about the burn pits was sometimes considered secondary to other safety issues. “You’ve got dust storms, you have the enemy, you have all sorts of things going on that some smoke in the air doesn’t really seem like as important of an issue at the moment,” Jim Mowrer, who befriended Beau at Camp Victory in Iraq in 2009, told CBS News. Other times, Mowrer, 34, who now serves as co-chair for the Veterans for Biden committee, said he tried to filter the air by wearing a face covering. “The concern factor became more of a concern after we came home,” Beau’s overseas boss, Command JAG Kathy Amalfitano, 59, told CBS News. Amalfitano said she remembers discussing the burn pits with Beau a few times, but added “I know our thought process was that this was part of the deployment.” Biden is not alone in thinking burn pits impacted soldiers’ health. Since 2014, more than 200,000 Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans have registered in the “Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry” run by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), detailing exposure to service-related airborne hazards from burn pit smoke and other pollution. And while these veteran health concerns seem widespread, the VA’s policy only recognizes “temporary” irritation from burn pit exposure. Citing a range of studies, the department states that “research does not show evidence of long-term health problems from exposure to burn pits.” One ongoing study is by National Jewish Health and funded by the Defense Department, and is examining lung issues and has yielded “a spectrum of diseases that are related to deployment,” the study’s principal investigator Dr. Cecile Rose told CBS News last year. ” [The diseases] weren’t there before, and they are clearly there after people have returned from these arid and extreme environments.” However, Rose cautioned that findings are complicated by other possible culprits, like desert dust and diesel exhaust. Advocates for veterans say not enough is being done to address veterans’ health claims regarding the burn pits. From 2007 to 2018, the VA processed 11,581 disability compensation claims that had “at least one condition related to burn pit exposure,” a department spokesman told The New York Times last year. But the department only accepted 2,318 of these claims. The department said the rest did not show evidence connected to military service or the condition in the claim was not “officially diagnosed,” the Times noted. The VA did not respond to CBS News’ request this week for updated numbers. “I always push back on…the VA administration folks who try to use the ‘perfect study’ as a criteria to show proof,” California Representative Raul Ruiz, a doctor and vocal burn pits critic, told CBS News. Ruiz criticized the VA’s reliance on long-term studies to validate clams. “We don’t have 20 years because then these veterans are going to be dying without the care they need,” Ruiz said. A report five years ago by a Defense Department inspector general said it was “indefensible” that military personnel “were put at further risk from the potentially harmful emissions from the use of open-air burn pits.” But the Supreme Court last year rejected a victims’ lawsuit against contractors who oversaw some of the burn pits. “If these [burn pits] had happened in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease and Control would have this corrected immediately,” said Iraq War veteran Jeremy Daniels, adding he believes burn pits caused him to be wheelchair bound. MODERN-DAY “AGENT ORANGE”? Biden on the campaign trail invoked the healthcare struggles of Vietnam veterans exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange to explain the need to address burn pits. “You were entitled to military compensation if you could prove that Agent Orange caused whatever the immune system damage was to you,” Biden said, accenting the word “prove” during a Veterans Day town hall in Oskaloosa, Iowa. “But you had to prove it and it’s very hard to prove.” After reading a book on burn pits detailing Beau’s case, Biden has advocated easing this burden of proof for veterans who say the burn pits have harmed them in some way, as he first told PBS. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a town hall meeting, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall / AP Biden has a plan that pushes for congressional approval to expand the list of “presumptive conditions”– meaning veterans’ health conditions would be presumed causal to the burn pits making them eligible for greater VA healthcare. He also aims to expand the claim eligibility period for toxic exposure conditions to five years after service instead of one year and increase federal research by $300 million in part to focus on toxic exposure from burn pits. This push has intensified in recent years on Capitol Hill, and bills funding more research into burn pits have already been signed by President Trump. The recent National Defense Authorization Act also required the Department of Defense to implement a plan to phase out burn pits and disclose the locations of the still-operating pits. Enclosed incinerators are an alternative. There were nine active military burn pits in the Middle East as of last year, according to the Defense Department’s April 2019 “Open Burn Pit Report to Congress” shared with CBS News, though some advocates think the actual number is higher. Some veterans expressed doubt that recent efforts will lead to more aid for veterans exposed to burn pits, given the slow-moving bureaucracy and concern over higher health care costs. And others question whether a Biden administration would act more decisively than the Obama administration, which primarily focused on long-term studies. But Biden says that his motivation is far greater than his family’s own personal loss, and that the “only sacred” commitment the United States has is to American soldiers. “It’s not because my son died…[he] went from very, very healthy but he lived in the bloom of those burn pits for a long time. He’s passed—it doesn’t affect him,” Biden said in Oskaloosa. “But the point is that every single veteran shouldn’t have to prove and wait until science demonstrates beyond a doubt…We just have to change the way we think a little bit.” May 30 will mark the five-year anniversary of Beau Biden’s death. The post Motivated by his son Beau, Joe Biden pledges help for veterans with burn pit health issues appeared first on Sansaar Times.

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