#we are all but oceans reduced to streams

[enchanted-wildflower]

On animism

One of my teachers at university told us something today, that I believe to be relevant to animism and therefore also witchcraft:

He explained that in the West we see everything as occurences, whereas in some languages the same happenings are described as actions. Meaning that in the West we tend to imply that there is no agency involved in whatever happens, while some other languages tend to imply that someone activily causes things. His example was that in the West rain is understood as something that just happens, no one causes the rain. Whereas in Mesoamerica it was believed that it rained because some god was crying.

While the idea of a literal crying god causing it to rain on earth might be outdated, I find it really interesting how these two perspectives - events vs. actions - might shape our relationship with the world. If rain is not just an occurence, but someone acting with agency, rain becomes another part of the community we live in. The community then doesn't only consist of humans anymore, but of everything that surrounds us. Suddenly there are all these new players that actively affect your life with their actions. Other-than-human persons that you can interact with and with whom you have to keep a friendly relationship. If the tree in front of your house isn't just an object, but a being with agency, you actually have to be at least respectful and might even want to build a relationship with them, get to know them, learn from them.

I think that's really the core of animism. Descriptions of animism are often reduced to the believe that everything has a soul, but I think believe doesn't even factor into it. You don't need to believe that there is a non-physical aspect to rain, mountains, stones. It's about how we interact with them. I don't even have to ask myself the question if the tree in front of my house has a soul in order to learn about and from them or to interact with them. In my opinion animism is something that is done, not thought or believed. It's a perspective.

Listening to my teacher also reminded me of the following part of Braiding Sweetgrass (great book btw) which explains all this really well:

A bay is a noun only if water is dead. When bay is a noun, it is defined by humans, trapped between its shores and contained by the word. But the verb wiikwegamaa - to be a bay - releases the water from bondage and lets it live. "To be a bay" holds the wonder that, for this moment, the living water has decided to shelter itself between these shores, conversing with cedar roots and a flock of baby mergansers. Because it could do otherwise become a stream or an ocean or a waterfall, and there are verbs for that, too. To be a hill, to be a sandy beach, to be a Saturday, all are possible verbs in a world where everything is alive. Water, land, and even a day, the language a mirror for seeing the animacy of the world, the life that pulses through all things, through pines and nuthatches and mushrooms. This is the lan- guage I hear in the woods; this is the language that lets us speak of what wells up all around us.

[...]

This is the grammar of animacy. [...] In English, we never refer to a member of our family, or indeed to any person, as it. That would be a profound act of disrespect. It robs a person of selfhood and kinship, reducing a person to a mere thing. So it is that in Potawatomi and most other indigenous languages, we use the same words to address the living world as we use for our family. Because they are our family.

To whom does our language extend the grammar of animacy? Naturally, plants and animals are animate, but as I learn, I am discovering that the Potawatomi understanding of what it means to be animate diverges from the list of attributes of living beings we all learned in Biology 101. In Potawatomi 101, rocks are animate, as are mountains and water and fire and places. Beings that are imbued with spirit, our sacred medicines, our songs, drums, and even stories, are all animate. The list of the inanimate seems to be smaller, filled with objects that are made by people.

[...]

The language reminds us, in every sentence, of our kinship with all of the animate world.

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (2013), p. 78-80.

[solarpunkbusiness]

Norway's reTyre  claims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral rubber-free all circular materials tyre

The tyre is crafted from 100% reclaimed materials to neutralise the product’s environmental impact, restore ecosystems, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero.

By using algae, recycled para-aramid fibre, post-consumer recyclate and recycled fish nets, reTyre has reduced the product’s greenhouse gas emissions by 100% compared with conventional tyres.

“While we’re not the first to use recycled fishnets in the tyre industry, I have never known of algae, post-consumer recyclate and recycled para-aramid to be used before,” reTyre Brand Designer Friedemann Ohse, who is leading the Carbon-Neutral Project, told Zag Daily.

“We have learned a lot during this production phase and will use this when we move to mass production.”

Algae, which is incorporated in the tread, is sourced from algae blooms to restore aquatic ecosystems, prevent methane release and prevent eutrophication, which is when harmful algal blooms and dead zones develop after the environment becomes enriched with nutrients. According to reTyre, algae’s negative CO2 equivalent offsets the company’s remaining carbon emissions and contributes to a net-zero impact.

Recycled para-aramid is extracted from used body armour to protect the tyre against puncture, while post-consumer recyclate is sourced from local waste streams which have low levels of carbon dioxide.

“Post-consumer waste is not easy to use but it has an amazing impact. It also reduces the price of the tyre because it’s a waste which nobody wants to use.”

Friedemann anticipates wider use of para-aramid in the near future, and the company is currently implementing the material into many of its own products as well as the carbon-neutral tyre. 

The fourth sustainable material – recycled fish nets – is used for tyre casing. Fish nets are collected from oceans and reduce emissions by 49% and energy use by 15%.

reTyre says the carbon footprint of this tyre is based on a third-party Life Cycle Assessment verification, which includes almost zero emissions from production and transportation processes, and nearly zero end-of-life carbon emissions due to recycling of the tyres.

“This carbon-neutral tyre is at a concept stage and it is a result of continuous innovation that shows what our unique manufacturing is capable of.”

Source

[historypoem]

Ohhh, so your life is the lyrics of Tears Over Beers by Modern Baseball? Really out here, with the self-pity playlist blaring, building an entire personality out of this one scene where you’re trapped in conversation with a girl who’s nice, pretty, and, let’s be real, out of your league, but instead of saying something remotely interesting, you’re mentally rolling your eyes, thinking “Ugh, meathead monologue? Really?” Like she owes you some world-altering epiphany about life and love just because you shuffled in with your pathetic sad-boy complex and thought it would be deep if you could suffer through it? Buddy, you’re not living out a poetic tragedy—you’re just a guy with unrealistic expectations and zero self-awareness, sitting there expecting some “angelic muse” to read your mind and fall head-over-heels for your imagined brilliance. Spoiler: she’s just talking about Brad, and you’re not getting a Pulitzer.

So this is what you’ve reduced yourself to? The eternally suffering indie sad boi, trapped in his own mental cage, sighing into a beer about how nobody understands the depth of his introspective pain because they’re all too busy with “shallow” things, like relationships or having fun or, God forbid, talking about things that don’t revolve around you? You’re the guy who hears one girl mention a bad breakup and immediately thinks, “Wow, she’s got no substance.” All the while, you’re sitting there, completely oblivious to the fact that you’re the most boring person at this table. “Oh, she’s ‘friendly and thoughtful and quite awfully pretty’—but she’s got a meathead monologue? Tragic.” My guy, if you’re that picky, why don’t you just date a character from Dostoevsky? That way, she’ll be as tragically boring as you are.

You think you’re deep? Just because you can sit there judging every word that comes out of someone else’s mouth? As if you’re some tragic sage, wallowing in your own self-important critique of society. “Oh, she’s just talking about Brad.” Yeah, well, maybe if you weren’t mentally drafting your next Reddit post about “why women don’t appreciate sensitive guys,” you’d actually realize she’s just trying to make conversation. And you? You’re out here thinking the world owes you an Oscar for enduring her so-called “meathead monologue” while you sit there like a wilted Victorian damsel, like, “Oh, woe is me. Will no one lift this curse of mundane conversation?” You’re basically the guy who thinks he’s too special for small talk, but if we ever got to your thoughts, it’d just be a never-ending stream of self-pity and outdated pop-culture references.

And the way you’ve internalized this Modern Baseball song? It’s actually impressive how much you’ve twisted yourself into thinking you’re some kind of romantic anti-hero because a pretty girl dared to bring up something that doesn’t align with your imaginary script for “How Interesting Women Should Talk to Me.” You’ve convinced yourself that the true tragedy is how she doesn’t understand you, even though you’re the one ignoring her every word and counting the seconds until you can get back to your endless, sad-boy doom scroll through obscure YouTube videos.

Like, you think people are just gonna show up and start spilling their guts with deeply profound insights the minute they meet you, without any effort on your part? You think you’re so special that others should sense your tortured soul, feel your vast emotional needs, and go, “Wow, he’s worth diving deep for.” Meanwhile, the most complex thing you’ve said all week is, “Nobody gets me.” You’ve got all the depth of a kiddie pool filled with store-brand energy drinks, yet you expect people to wade in like it’s some intellectual ocean.

And let’s talk about why Brad ran away, shall we? Because Brad probably ran the second he realized he was gonna have to listen to the same mopey, monotone monologue about “the pain of misunderstood love” for the rest of his life. Brad saw that bleak future coming and did what any sane person would do—he left. Brad looked at you, looked at the energy-sucking black hole of your self-obsessed sad-boy routine, and noped out, faster than you can say “My Chemical Romance.” And now here you are, painting him as a meathead, acting like you’re the victim of shallow people. But in reality, he’s just some guy who didn’t want to end up talking about 18th-century nihilism over beers every night until his will to live evaporated completely.

Let’s face it: you’re so caught up in this romanticized image of your life being some tragic indie song that you’ve forgotten how to actually interact with people. You think you’re the dark knight of loneliness, the patron saint of misunderstood dudes with too many opinions on anime and philosophy. But what are you really? A guy who thinks he’s too good for basic conversation, just sitting there with your arms crossed, mentally berating a girl because she dared to talk about anything other than you. You think you’re Hamlet out here, when really, you’re just a dude at a bar with too much time on his hands and an inflated sense of importance.

This “life is a Modern Baseball song” mentality isn’t a personality; it’s a defense mechanism. You’re hiding behind it because actually getting out there, actually putting in the work to get to know someone? Terrifying. Because then you might actually have to talk about your own life, your own choices, and who you actually are outside of this darkly romanticized pity party you’ve been throwing for yourself since age 15. It’s easier to sit there and sulk, pretend that everyone else is too basic, too boring, too “meathead,” while you get to be the tortured artist sitting on a barstool, counting all the ways that life just doesn’t understand you.

[lakemojave]

it's interesting to see you talk about being hot and dumb because i... had SUCH a different exposure to you. when i found your blog first you were like this towering giant of creative intellect and cool ease, so OF COURSE you're smart!! this was the base information. like you introduce people, "hey this is lakemojave and she's brilliant" and everyone "yeah yeah we know".

and it took me a while to encounter your selfies and THEN i was like "WOAH SMART HOT VAMPIRE ALRIGHT" (your smile is always what gets me? it makes me want to cherish you. i can't explain better than that. someone should cherish you.)

and now today i see you worrying about being hot and dumb as your only characteristics when those were like. the incredibly late end-game easter eggs i got to find out. neither are even in the top ten things i first think about for you (hot is moving up quickly, but so is beautiful and so is hilarious and so is being alarmingly charming).

this got long but just like. you have so much. you are vibrant and wonderful and limitless. i can't imagine trying to reduce you to someone "just hot and dumb". i'd rather go and try to pour the ocean into a tea kettle; that vessel is just magnitudes too small for what you're trying to fit in it.

Sometimes I feel like all the facets of my personality and humor and style are just a cheap pastiche of influences and borrowed ideas. I feel like a hack and a fraud a lot of the time. I don't really know what kind of impact any of my work or my streams or whatever have on people cause I rarely ever ask or check. There's just. A lot of things that have really negatively impacted my confidence and self esteem over the years.

So I really appreciate you going long with this one. You guys always say stuff I really need to hear

[cainluvr69]

Surely, We Can Make Miracles Chapter 18

Previous Chapter

Akira: …!

The sound of water roared in my ears as I sank down, down, down to the bottom of the deep, dark sea. Countless bubbles filtered up past me, brushing against my skin as they continued their path up to the surface. My wizards were framed by halos of thin and fleeting light, looking like messengers from the moon as they descended through the water. The initial big splash faded into quiet burbling, and then that too faded into a quiet stillness. The nighttime sea was different from the sea during the day; for one thing, it was pitch black. The icy chill of fear and anxiety seeped into my limbs. If not for the feeling of Oz's hand in mine, I'm sure I would've started panicking on the spot. Several of the younger wizards looked scared, too. But with their comrades there to act as examples, they, too, began to calm down. I, on the other hand, had completely stopped breathing in my fear and had to force myself to take a breath.

Akira: (Ah… I can breathe just fine.) (I wonder how it works. Well, as long as it does work…)

Thanks to magic, I was still able to breathe, even this far underwater. As I took deep breaths in and out in wonder, I gradually started feeling calmer. I recalled what Murr had told us just a little earlier. I needed to have fun. I needed to let my world open up more. With those words in mind, I looked around at the night-dark ocean.

Akira: (Woah…)

It was like opening my eyes to a still, quiet paradise. The light of the moon streamed through the surface of the water, as if it were drawing a path for us to follow--and follow we did, tracing its glowing steps deeper into the ocean. There were…I'm not sure exactly what they actually were, but there were what looked like little sparkling grains of sand floating through the water, glittering like stars. There was coral that glowed with a gentle radiance, and vividly colored fish that caught that radiance on their scales.

Chloe: It's so pretty…

Rustica: We've stepped foot into a veritable wonderland.

Rutile: We really have! Any other time, I'd want to go back up and bring Mitile down to see this, too.

Cain: We should come back once everything's all settled! Ah… I can talk normally…

Arthur: What a beautiful world… It's just as Murr said.

Murr: Riiiight?

Everyone's eyes sparkled as they excitedly looked around at the underwater garden that surrounded us. Illuminated by the moonlight above, everyone's hair was floating weightlessly in the water, swaying with the currents. It was as if we'd stepped foot into the canvas of a painting.

Heathcliff: Ah, Vespa?!

Vespa was pulling on one of Heathcliff's arms, spinning him around. Until now, this darling mermaid had been carried in Heathcliff's arms, but now that she was back in the ocean, she was even more animated and quick in her motions.

Shino: Hey! Don't pull on Heath.

Heathcliff: Wah, she's so fast… Wait, hold on a second…!

Vespa: …! …!

Cain: Woah…!

Faust: That's more speed than I was expecting…

Vespa flipped her tail and vigorously swam deeper into the sea.

Heathcliff: …Where are you going? Is that where all your friends are?

Vespa: …! …!

Heathcliff: I think she's going to take us to the cage where the other mermaids have been imprisoned!

At some point, Vespa and Heathcliff, who had been at each other's side since they first met… Had learned to communicate with another no longer through drawings, but simply through the expressions on one another's face. Shino smiled as he watched them, looking like he was recalling some nice memory or another.

Heathcliff: What?

Shino: Nah, I'll tell you later.

Faust: Does everyone think they can keep up?

Chloe: I think so… Rustica, how are you doing?

Rustica: I'm just fine. What do you think, Cain?

Cain: …Yep, things are working out somehow! Alright, this way!

Faust: It's the same as flying through the sky on your broom. Ride the current and reduce drag… Wah…!

Rutile: I've figured out the trick to it! I think I'll be able to catch up to Vespa!

Murr: Let's goooo!

Rutile: Okay!

Faust: Be sure you don't get too far away from the rest of the group! Murr, keep an eye on him!

My wizards swam through the neverending world of blue like a school of fish. Arthur was so deeply moved by the undersea garden that he was smiling like a schoolboy as he looked up at Oz.

Arthur: It's so beautiful down here… There's so many adventures I want to set out on.

A smile finally broke through the stoic expression on Oz's face.

Oz: I can only imagine how much of this world you want to see and investigate for yourself.

Arthur: Oh, all of it. I'm so happy to find out there's a whole new world I don't know a thing about yet.

A school of long, thin fish drifted between Oz and Arthur. I met Arthur's gaze, and smiled. Snow, White, Shylock, Lennox, Hwylryn… Worry was still playing on my nerves, but the fact that I was here, seeing such a wonderful world in the flesh… It was something I never wanted to forget.

✦✧☾✧✦

Faust: Oz. Were the imprisoned mermaids around this area?

Oz: Yes.

Vespa: …! …!

Heathcliff: Vespa is telling us to hide!

Cain: Wh-- How?!

Shino: Won't you have a perfectly good place if you move just a little more forward?

Chloe: Wait! I think I have a spell that'd be perfect for this! <Suispicibo Voitengok>!

Chloe recited his spell, and it was like it rippled out, weaving through the seawater. If I paid close attention, I could see a bolt of fabric the same gentle blue as the water around us spreading through the water, shrouding us from view.

Rutile: Amazing…! No one will be able to see us from far away like this!

Chloe: I'm soooo happy it worked! This is the kind of magic I've been working on lately! I came up with this by using magic cloth I bought at the flea market in the Town of Foam! It was honestly pretty hard to get, but… Ah, sorry! I can talk about that later!

Chloe had gotten caught up in talking, but when he saw Vespa fidgeting nervously, he snapped his mouth shut in a hurry. Heathcliff shook his head, looking even more apologetic than Chloe did.

Heathcliff: I'm sorry. I want to hear more about the magic cloth later when we can take our time with it…

Shino: By the way, since she told us to hide, what's out there for us to hide from?

Heathcliff: Umm…

Heathcliff poked his head out of the magic cloth a little bit, just to peek out at what else was out there.

Heathcliff: I can see something that looks like a cage, but there are mermaids armed with spears swimming just in front of it.

Faust: They sound dangerous. Should we be thinking of them as enemies?

Vespa: …! …!

Vespa shook her head vigorously, a sad look on her face. I didn't think that was all she had to tell us, though. She was trying to make some kind of appeal to us with her big motions and gestures as she darted back and forth in the water.

Akira: We shouldn't attack them…?

Faust: That seems to be the message here.

Oz: I can feel Balthazar's magic. I imagine those mermaids are being puppeteered.

Akira: By Balthazar…

I thought about the mermaids that had deferred to Hwylryn.

Akira: I saw mermaids obeying Hwylryn, too. Is he a tyrant lording over the mermaids, too…?

It was entirely possible that Hwylryn was the reason Vespa and her friends were suffering. I looked at Oz, complicated feelings swirling in my chest. But he just gently shook his head, a delicately small gesture.

Oz: Dragons hold dominion over the natural world. Both spirits and magical creatures are naturally drawn to them. If there is a sea dragon in these waters, then it is only natural that the mermaids that live here would obey it.

Arthur: In the same way that spirits are naturally drawn to and obey you, Lord Oz?

Oz: Yes.

Vespa: …! …!

Heathcliff: …Ah! Vespa!

I turned my head towards Heathcliff's voice, and saw the tip of a spear pierced through the magic cloth. We'd been noticed. The spear-wielding mermaids tore through Chloe's magic cloth, revealing themselves. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were dark, cavernous voids.

Chloe: Vespa, watch out…!

Vespa: …!

One of the spears was aimed directly at her, intent on running her through. Cain caught the edge of the blade before it could touch her.

Cain: Vespa, run…!

Vespa: …!

Cain: Is there any way we can break through the brainwashing or put them to sleep?!

Rustica: Allow me. <Amores Viesse>

Rustica recited his spell, but it sounded more like a gentle song, echoing through the sea like through a music hall. When the song reached the spear-wielding mermaids' ears, it was like they were jolted back to their senses. Slowly but surely, their blank eyes began to refocus on what was in front of them, the melody of the song catching their attention.

Faust: Are they starting to wake up…? Is Balthazar's control being undone?

Rustica shook his head a bit, not once pausing in his song.

Faust: I see…

Faust had obviously been hoping this would be enough to free Lennox. He pressed his lips together in a tight line, frustrated. Rustica, on the other hand, was enjoying himself--his hands were moving as a conductor's would, holding an invisible baton. The mermaids followed his motions as though they were his orchestra. Their long hair floated in the water, bubbles dancing around their seashell barettes. It didn't take long for them to drop their spears. As their weapons sank down to the bottom of the sea, the mermaids closed their eyes, falling into a gentle, peaceful sleep. Chloe gathered up his magic cloth. We had managed to stealthily make our way to a large reef that had been fashioned into something similar to a jail.

✦✧☾✧✦

The reef "jail" was similar in construction to a three-story building. Beyond the many ash-grey pillars--I couldn't tell if they were made of coral or of stone--were the imprisoned mermaids.

Akira: (Woah… There's so many mermaids…)

There was something oddly captivating about them, and I felt my hardened heart dance in my chest. Now that I thought of it, though, I hadn't let myself feel anything for Vespa, and I hadn't even properly introduced myself to her, either. I took a deep breath. It's important to not get so mired in your sadness that you can't pull yourself free from it. We startled the mermaids as we drew closer to the bars of the cage, and they swam in deeper, hiding themselves. Vespa swam right up to the bars, calling out to the fleeing mermaids. Oz took me and advanced behind her, before taking a moment to address her.

Oz: Stand back.

Vespa: …?! …?!

Oz: I am going to destroy their cage.

Vespa: …?! …?!

Shino: Vespa, come here!

Shino beckoned Vespa over to him. Vespa darted towards him, away from the bars of the cage. I squeezed Oz's hand tightly, my heart pounding in my chest. Was his spell going to succeed?

Akira: (It will… I'm sure it will.) (I need to believe in myself… In myself, and in Oz!)

Oz: <Vox Nox>

A weak light trailed out of Oz's staff and made contact with the bars of the cliffside prison--and then those same bars crumbled away as if they were made of sand.

Arthur: Yay! It worked! Master Sage! Lord Oz!

Akira: It did!

Faust: Now we can ask Vespa's siblings about where to find Balthazar and the cintamani stone of medicine.

We exchanged grins as we waited for the mermaids to leave their broken jail. But there was absolutely no sign that they had any intention of leaving.

Shino: … Hey. Isn't it taking the fish a while to come out?

Heathcliff: Don't call them that.

Murr: Hey, Oz, you didn't kill 'em all out of habit, did you?

Oz: …Hmm…

Arthur: I'll go check things out!

Rutile: It might just be that they're scared! Like how little fishies hide themselves even when you're just looking at them…

Heathcliff: That's certainly possible. Why don't we just wait a little farther away and see what happens?

Akira: Good idea! Let's all back off a little… Let's wait for them to come out on their own!

We put a bit of distance between us and their cage, and once we were comfortably far away, we waited for the mermaids to come out of their own accord.

Rutile: Are they out yet? How about now?

Chloe: Everything's okay! You can come out now!

Rustica: Ah, there they come now.

Heathcliff: You're right! Ah…

But the mermaids vacated the area at an impressive speed, scattering to the vast sea as fast as their tails could take them.

Heathcliff: Ah, ah, ahhh…!

Akira: Wa--wait…!

Murr: Speedy…!

Shino: They're so ungrateful…!

Faust: <Salliuq…> Dammit! I bit my tongue…!

Rustica: It makes sense that they'd want to leave in such a rush. I understand completely.

Cain: That's fish for you! I let my guard down because I was thinking of them like women.

Arthur: Lord Oz, what should we do…? If we follow them intending to capture one, we'll only frighten them more, won't we?

Shino: Stop talking like a feral child when you've got the face of a pure-hearted prince.

Vespa was in a tizzy, swimming back and forth in a figure eight--and then Oz recited his spell again.

Oz: <Vox Nox>

Orbs of light scattered in all directions. A few moments later, a number of the mermaids were dragged back to us through the water, wrapped in a soft light. As they drew towards us, they started struggling, clearly scared. Vespa swam in a circle around them, desperately explaining what was going on, but the mermaids were staring straight at the seafloor, and none of them raised their heads to look at her. That was when Rutile spoke up.

Rutile: Oh… They look like they're hurt.

Akira: Huh?

Just as Rutile had said, there were a number of shallow cuts on the mermaids' arms and tails.

Faust: I imagine they hurt themselves in their haste to escape their prison, rather than being injured by a magical attack.

Rutile: Oh, how terrible…

Rutile approached the mermaids unhesitatingly, looking at them with concern. He retrieved his magical focus, his feather pen, and smiled at the fearful mermaids.

Rutile: Just stay still, okay… This won't hurt a bit. <Ortonik Setomaouge>

Rutile chanted his spell, and then the mermaids' injuries were wrapped in a gentle light. At first, they were scared, but as the swelling around their cuts went down, they looked up at Rutile in curiosity. Their painful-looking cuts closed up, one after the other, leaving nothing but the faint outline of where they used to be. They weren't perfectly healed, but it was still enough to free them from their pain and wariness of us. Perhaps in a display of both gratitude and fascination, the mermaids began to swim around Rutile in a circle, spinning around.

Rutile: My… How pretty…!

Vespa smoothly added herself to their circle. She grabbed Heathcliff's arm and dragged him into the circle, too. She swam between Heathcliff and the rest of us, and over the top of us, too--probably explaining to her friends what was going on. While she did that, the mermaids split into two groups. Vespa returned to Heathcliff's side and explained…something to him, using nothing but gestures.

Heathcliff: Erm… The ship is this way…and Balthazar is that way…?

Vespa: …! …!

Chloe: It's amazing that you got all that, Heath…

Shino: It's because he's attentive when it comes to other people. I understand that much. Or at least I think I'm starting to.

Chloe: Shino…

Shino: …He was the same way with me. I used to never have someone who'd check on me when I wasn't feeling well. The most I got was people peeking at me in fear when I attacked them. No one wanted to let a kid as filthy as me dirty up their line of sight. But…

Shino's red eyes were fixed on Heathcliff's back. Heathcliff, however, was looking at Vespa, doing his absolute best to understand what she was thinking. Shino smiled softly, seeing him like that.

Shino: Heath tried to learn things about me. What was I thinking about… What I wanted, what made me upset. That kind of thing. No one had ever cared about those things before. Instead, they just wanted to know what I wanted from them, when I was going to get out of their hair, and how they could get rid of me. Pretty sure that was all they thought, at least. Thinking back on how I used to be, I'm pretty certain of it. But Heathcliff cared about me when everyone else in the world treated me like trash not worth the effort of so much as glancing at. He was serious about it, and polite about it… Even though he was scared, he still cared about me. So, I… I wanted to treasure him just as much… That was how I felt.

Shino's heartrending sighs turned into bubbles, floating up to the water's surface. Across from him, Vespa was gesturing with her arms spread wide. Her blonde hair floated gently in the water, rippling like sunlight. Heathcliff was watching her very seriously, nodding at what she had to tell him. Sometimes he'd look puzzled and frown a little. But when he understood something, he smiled happily. Even though Heathcliff was lit by nothing but moonlight right now, Shino narrowed his eyes when he looked at him, as if he were dazzlingly radiant.

Shino: I remember now. Before I met him, I hated his guts for being the Blanchett heir, always adored and blessed from the day he was born. If Heath… If Heath wasn't the person he is inside, I never could've become friends with him. For the first time, I wasn't being rejected for who I was, and someone really cared about me… That's why I love him.

Shino's voice cracked and faded into the sound of the water around us, so I couldn't quite make out what he'd said there at the end. Faust gently put a hand on his shoulder.

Faust: Well done… You found the words you needed to convey how you feel.

Shino: Can I even say them to him? It's so embarrassing…

Normally Shino couldn't get enough of singing Heathcliff's praises, but right now, I could see a dusting of a blush over his cheeks. But Faust didn't laugh at him. He just spoke softly.

Faust: You should tell people the things you want to when you can. Before you regret not doing so.

Shino: Faust…

Heathcliff: Master Sage, Mr. Faust! I got it!

That was when Heathcliff and Vespa swam back over to us.

Heathcliff: The sunken ship with the cintamani stone and Balthazar's undersea city are in two different directions! Vespa's sisters can lead us to either of them…

Cain: Two different places…

Arthur: So we'll need to split into two groups.

Next Chapter

[sonorousabyss]

Matchups Status!

Salutations, everyone! This is Sonor.

It's come to my attention that you all seem really fond of the matchup series I've been doing, where people submit details about themselves, and then I, in turn, pair them up with a character in a specific fandom! It's been a lot of fun! That said? There have been some delays and confusion, and I thought I'd address it all in one fell swoop before getting back to work on my asks.

Over the months I've been doing this, the following has occurred regularly:

Requesters don't provide enough information for me to suitably match them up with a character.

Requesters don't specify the nature of their matchup and/or their preferred pronouns.

Requesters submit a request that violates the rules of my matchup requests.

Requesters provide the right information but worry that they are missing things.

etc.

Ultimately? This has led me to the conclusion that my Request Rules post needs a thorough overhaul.

As such, you should expect to see the following within the foreseeable future:

The Request Rules page will be revised, and the Matchup's category under that section will be removed entirely.

A Matchup Rules post will be made, with a ruleset more specifically tailored to that series overall.

A set of criteria will be found under said Matchup Rules post, so any future requesters will know exactly what information I'm looking for when making said matchups!

Though significantly less urgent, a Completed Matchup post may be made with links to the original works, sorted by character and fandom. However, I may resort to making a Completed Works page instead, to reduce clutter.

Regarding the Delays!

So, the funny thing about me is that when it comes to writing?

I cannot manage to focus on one thing for the life of me.

I'll write- like- five different fics, matchups, and headcannon requests at the same time, and it gets delightfully messy. I'll take a break for an hour, and then won't know which to focus most of my attention on. Then I'll find myself unable to focus on any of them at all. Delightful cycle.

Even better when I assign more than one person a character for matchups and those details end up cross-streaming, but we don't talk about that.

I am... so sorry.

Soooo, Matchups!

I can say with absolute confidence that I am in the midst of having three finished.

One is in the final revision stage at the time I'm writing this.

Three have their custom banners created (soon to be four) including the already completed matchup.

Two are at least halfway done, one bordering on completion.

Officially? I hope to get at least one more done today, so I have something to post over the next few days!

...Or, if I get impatient, just be able to post them both today. Cause you know... I roll like that.

Regardless, you should see at least one get posted within the next 24 hours or so, assuming I don't get caught up finishing my other drafts/rules posts.

As always, I thank you all for your support! May your day be as pleasant as the ocean's abyss is deep!

[female-malice]

For two decades, researchers worked to solve a mystery in West Coast streams. Why, when it rained, were large numbers of spawning coho salmon dying? As part of an effort to find out, scientists placed fish in water that contained particles of new and old tires. The salmon died, and the researchers then began testing the hundreds of chemicals that had leached into the water.

A 2020 paper revealed the cause of mortality: a chemical called 6PPD that is added to tires to prevent their cracking and degradation. When 6PPD, which occurs in tire dust, is exposed to ground-level ozone, it’s transformed into multiple other chemicals, including 6PPD-quinone, or 6PPD-q. The compound is acutely toxic to four of 11 tested fish species, including coho salmon.

Mystery solved, but not the problem, for the chemical continues to be used by all major tire manufacturers and is found on roads and in waterways around the world. Though no one has studied the impact of 6PPD-q on human health, it’s also been detected in the urine of children, adults, and pregnant women in South China. The pathways and significance of that contamination are, so far, unknown.

Still, there are now calls for regulatory action. Last month, the legal nonprofit Earthjustice, on behalf of the fishing industry, filed a notice of intent to sue tire manufacturers for violating the Endangered Species Act by using 6PPD. And a coalition of Indian tribes recently called on the EPA to ban use of the chemical. “We have witnessed firsthand the devastation to the salmon species we have always relied upon to nourish our people,” the Puyallup Tribal Council said in a statement. “We have watched as the species have declined to the point of almost certain extinction if nothing is done to protect them.”

The painstaking parsing of 6PPD and 6PPD-q was just the beginning of a global campaign to understand the toxic cocktail of organic chemicals, tiny particles, and heavy metals hiding in tires and, to a lesser extent, brakes. While the acute toxicity of 6PPD-q and its source have strong scientific consensus, tire rubber contains more than 400 chemicals and compounds, many of them carcinogenic, and research is only beginning to show how widespread the problems from tire dust may be.

While the rubber rings beneath your car may seem benign — one advertising campaign used to feature babies cradled in tires — they are, experts say, a significant source of air, soil, and water pollution that may affect humans as well as fish, wildlife, and other organisms. That’s a problem because some 2 billion tires globally are sold each year — enough to reach the moon if stacked on their sides — with the market expected to reach 3.4 billion a year by 2030.

(Researchers weigh a salmon that died after four hours in a tank filled with road runoff.)

Tires are made from about 20 percent natural rubber and 24 percent synthetic rubber, which requires five gallons of petroleum per tire. Hundreds of other ingredients, including steel, fillers, and heavy metals — including copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc — make up the rest, many of them added to enhance performance, improve durability, and reduce the possibility of fires.

Both natural and synthetic rubber break down in the environment, but synthetic fragments last a lot longer. Seventy-eight percent of ocean microplastics are synthetic tire rubber, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trust. These fragments are ingested by marine animals — particles have been found in gills and stomachs — and can cause a range of effects, from neurotoxicity to growth retardation and behavioral abnormalities.

“We found extremely high levels of microplastics in our stormwater,” said Rebecca Sutton, an environmental scientist with the San Francisco Estuary Institute who studied runoff. “Our estimated annual discharge of microplastics into San Francisco Bay from stormwater was 7 trillion particles, and half of that was suspected tire particles.”

Tire wear particles, or TWP as they are sometimes known, are emitted continually as vehicles travel. They range in size from visible pieces of rubber or plastic to microparticles, and they comprise one of the products’ most significant environmental impacts, according to the British firm Emissions Analytics, which has spent three years studying tire emissions. The company found that a car’s four tires collectively emit 1 trillion ultrafine particles — of less than 100 nanometers — per kilometer driven. These particles, a growing number of experts say, pose a unique health risk: They are so small they can pass through lung tissue into the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier or be breathed in and travel directly to the brain, causing a range of problems.

According to a recent report issued by researchers at Imperial College London, “There is emerging evidence that tyre wear particles and other particulate matter may contribute to a range of negative health impacts including heart, lung, developmental, reproductive, and cancer outcomes.”

The report says that tires generate 6 million tons of particles a year, globally, of which 200,000 tons end up in oceans. According to Emissions Analytics, cars in the U.S. emit, on average, 5 pounds of tire particles a year, while cars in Europe, where fewer miles are driven, shed 2.5 pounds per year. Moreover, tire emissions from electric vehicles are 20 percent higher than those from fossil-fuel vehicles. EVs weigh more and have greater torque, which wears out tires faster.

Unlike tailpipe exhaust, which has long been studied and regulated, emissions from tires and brakes — which emit significant amounts of metallic particles in addition to organic chemicals — are far harder to measure and control and have therefore escaped regulation. It’s only in the last several years, with the development of new technologies capable of measuring tire emissions and the alarming discovery of 6PPD-q, that the subject is receiving much needed scrutiny.

Recent studies show that the mass of PM 2.5 and PM 10 emissions — which are, along with ozone and ultrafine particles, the world’s primary air pollutants — from tires and brakes far exceeds the mass of emissions from tailpipes, at least in places that have significantly reduced those emissions.

The problem isn’t just rubber in its synthetic and natural form. Government and academic researchers are investigating the transformations produced by tires’ many other ingredients, which could — like 6PPD — form substances more toxic than their parent chemicals as they break down with exposure to sunlight and rain.

“You’ve got a chemical cocktail in these tires that no one really understands and is kept highly confidential by the tire manufacturers,” said Nick Molden, the CEO of Emissions Analytics. “We struggle to think of another consumer product that is so prevalent in the world, and used by virtually everyone, where there is so little known of what is in them.”

“We have known that tires contribute significantly to environmental pollution, but only recently have we begun to uncover the extent of that,” said Cassandra Johannessen, a researcher at Montreal’s Concordia University who is quantifying levels of tire chemicals in urban watersheds and studying how they transform in the environment. The discovery of 6PPD-q has surprised a lot of researchers, she said, because they have learned that “it’s one of the most toxic substances known, and it seems to be everywhere in the world.”

Regulators are playing catch up. In Europe, a standard to be implemented in 2025, known as Euro 7, will regulate not only tailpipe emissions but also emissions from tires and brakes. The California Environmental Protection Agency has passed a rule requiring tire makers to declare an alternative to 6PPD-q by 2024.

(A worker takes apart a tire at a recycling shop in Mit al-Harun, Egypt.)

Tire companies are conducting their own studies of 6PPD, which they have long considered critical for tire safety, and seeking alternatives. In response to new regulations and the emerging research on tire emissions, 10 of the world’s large tire manufacturers have formed the Tire Industry Project to “develop a holistic approach to better understand and promote action on the mitigation” of tire pollution, according to a statement by the project. The group has committed to search for ways to redesign tires to reduce or eliminate emissions.

One critical area of research is how long tire waste, and its breakdown products, persist in the environment. “A five-micron piece of rubber shears off the tire and settles on the soil and sits there a while,” said Molden. “What, over time, is the release of those chemicals, how quickly do they make their way into the water, and are they diluted? At the system level, how big of a problem is this? It is the single biggest knowledge gap.”

Another area of research centers on the impacts of aromatic hydrocarbons — including benzene and naphthalene — off-gassed by synthetic rubber or emitted when discarded tires are burned in incinerators for energy recovery. Even at low concentrations, these compounds are toxic to humans. They also react with sunlight to form ozone, or ground-level smog, which causes respiratory harm. “We have shown that the amount of off-gassing volatile organic compounds is 100 times greater than that coming out of a modern tailpipe,” said Molden. “This is from the tire just sitting there.”

When tires reach their end of life, they’re either sent to landfills, incinerated, burned in an energy-intensive process called pyrolysis, or shredded and repurposed for use in artificial turf or in playgrounds or for other surfaces. But as concern about tire pollutants grows, so do concerns about these recycled products and the hydrocarbons they may off-gas. There is ongoing debate over whether crumb rubber, made from tire scraps, poses a health threat when used to fill gaps in artificial turf. Based on several peer-reviewed studies, the European Union is instituting stricter limits on the use of this material. Other studies, however, have shown no health impact.

Besides California’s requirement to study alternatives to 6PPD, there are a number of efforts worldwide to redesign tires to counter the problems they pose. More than a decade ago, tire makers hoped that dandelions, which produce a form of rubber, and soy oil could provide a steady and sustainable supply of rubber. But tires made from those alternatives didn’t live up to expectations: they still required additives. The Continental Tire Company, based in Hanover, Germany, markets a bicycle tire made of dandelion roots. Tested by Emission Analytics, it emitted 25 percent fewer carcinogenic aromatics than conventionally made bike tires, but the plant-powered tire still contained ingredients of concern.

(Rubber made from dandelions.)

Other companies are searching for ways to address the problem of tire emissions. The Tyre Collective, a clean-tech startup based in the U.K., has developed an electrostatic plate that affixes to each of a car’s tires: The plates remove up to 60 percent of particles emitted by both tires and brakes, storing them in a cartridge attached to the device. The particles can be reused in numerous other applications, including in new tires.

In San Francisco, scientists studying the pollutants in storm runoff found a potential solution: Rain gardens, installed in yards to capture stormwater, were also trapping 96 percent of street litter and 100 percent of black rubbery fragments. In Vancouver, B.C. researchers found that rain gardens could prevent more than 90 percent of 6PPD-q from running off roads and entering salmon-bearing streams.

Tire waste particles, says Molden, of Emissions Analytics, are finally getting the attention they deserve, thanks in part to California’s rule requiring a search for alternatives to 6PPD. The legislation “is groundbreaking,” he says, “because it puts the chemical composition [of tires] on the regulatory agenda.” For the first time, he adds, “Tire manufacturers are being exposed to the same regulatory scrutiny that car manufacturers have been for 50 years.”

[radical-revolution]

H.H. DÜDJOM RINPOCHE

What Is the Mind?

Well, then, where is this self-clinging? That which clings to “I” is the mind; that which clings to “other” is also the mind.

So the next question is: Where is the mind? It must be somehow in the body, because when the mind is not present, we have only a corpse. So ask yourself, is it in the top part of the body or the lower part? How big is it? What color is it? If you pull a hair out of your head, it hurts, doesn’t it? If you prick your foot on a thorn, it hurts, doesn’t it?

The mind and body must be somehow coextensive, mustn’t they? It’s as though the mind and body were stuck to each other. On the other hand, when someone is killed in an accident, where does the mind go? How did it leave the body and from where? It’s only when we examine the mind correctly that we discover how many false assumptions we have — false assumptions that, for the moment, are completely unnoticed.

We cling to things as though they were permanent and will last forever. This is the measure of our delusion, tightly fettered as we are by this so-called “I” of ours—this “I,” in the interests of which, our mind enslaves our body and our speech, and creates all sorts of difficulties and hardships.

When we arrive at a correct understanding of the mind, we can see that our present thoughts are just like waves on the water. At one moment they arise; at another they dissolve. And that’s all there is to it: the mind is nothing but thoughts.

The mind, which is empty, arises as thought, and this is also empty. The stream of consciousness, which is empty, is carried away by thoughts that are likewise empty. This is how the mind falls and remains in the six realms of samsara. It is the mind itself that fabricates samsara, and it does so because it fails to recognize its own nature. Now that we have some idea of the mind’s nature and how it works, we must bring it under control and master it.

In order to do this, it is said that that we must keep our body perfectly still. Moreover, if the body is straight, the subtle channels will be perfectly still. Moreover, if the body is straight, the subtle channels will be straight. If the subtle channels are straight, the wind-energy will be unobstructed. And if the wind-energy is unobstructed, the mind will rest in its natural, unaltered flow.

Therefore, keep your body still and reduce your speech to a minimum. Don’t think about what you have just been doing. Don’t think about what you are going to do later. Without concern for the past or the future, let your mind rest in its natural state. This state, in which the mind is left as it is, untampered with and natural, is called “rest” or “stillness", Shamata.

This “stillness” is actually just the mind itself. You could call it the “mind of the present moment,” or the “awareness of the present moment.” But whatever you call it, it is what—in this very moment—is actually knowing and joyfully aware.

A mind that is not agitated by thoughts concerning the past, present, and future, a mind that is thought-free, is a state that is stunningly vast and open. It is full of joy. Even when the mind’s nature is recognized, it is impossible to describe. It is empty. It rests in awareness. But this resting in the radiance of awareness does not last long. There is nothing permanent about it, for thoughts will certainly arise, strong and clear.

We talk about “arising” because thoughts flash into appearance like lightning in the sky, or swell like waves on the ocean. They are in constant movement. At the outset, thoughts appear and disappear in endless continuity. So, when beginners like us meditate, we must recognize thoughts as they arise. If we fail to recognize them, their movement continues unnoticed below the surface and we are carried away by them. Meditating like this is of no help to us.

If you are able to continue meditating properly, certain signs will appear. For instance, some people experience a kind of physical well-being. Others, because of the particular disposition of their subtle channels and energies, experience a powerful sense of bliss. For others, it is more like a deep sleep or an all-engulfing darkness. Whether you experience bliss or clarity, avoid any kind of expectation. Do not think to yourself, “Oh, my meditation is working. I’m making progress. If only I could have more of these experiences!”

On the other hand, if you experience a kind of darkness, a thoughtless blankness, clear it away over and over again. If you don’t, your meditation will sink slightly. Some people have lots of thoughts when they meditate — an unstoppable flood. If this happens to you, don’t get upset and think that your meditation is a failure. It is just a sign that you are becoming aware of all the thoughts that under ordinary circumstances pass unnoticed. So don’t let it bother you.

Don’t think you have to suppress or eliminate your thoughts. Whatever happens, it is said that you must meditate without hope or fear, doubt or expectation. That’s the main thing.

It is thanks to the blessings of the Lama that realization will dawn. Therefore pray to him, mingling your mind with his. If you do, there will come a moment when you will see that what is called the Buddha is not different from your own awareness, and that there is nothing to subdue or master other than your own thoughts. The sign that your meditation has hit the mark is that your devotion to the Lama will deepen and your compassion for beings will gain in strength. You will be your own witness and you will gain great confidence in the practice.

If you gain control over your mind, then even if you are at the point of death, you will understand that it is only because of a particular thought that there is an impression of dying — but that the nature of the mind is utterly beyond both birth and death. It would be excellent if you could gain this confidence.

So keep this little, essential, instruction in your hearts. This conviction and confidence is what we call the Dharma — the inner qualities that you gain. If you vacillate and think of Dharma as something extraneous to you, thought up by somebody else, you will not benefit from it. Instead, do yourself a favor and get out of samsara! Be convinced that your mind must separate from samsara, with its karma and defilements. If you do, everything will be fine.

Please practice. Pray constantly that you will have no obstacles on your path and that you might be able to capture, in this very life, the primordial citadel. And I will add my prayers to yours.

- Dudjom Rinpoche - Counsels From My Heart - Shambhala Publications

***

[sophiaredwood03]

As inspired by @shaakyhaands 's reblog of @atomsminecraft 's post.

Aftermath of what happened to MC after Iritium was destroyed, only I wanted to make it a bit more cheerful.

Also, I haven't done fics in a long while, so forgive me if my writing isn't the best.

Enjoy!

There is a red moon hanging in the sky today, just like the night I first came, all those years ago.

The room I am in, is too, so like the one I spent my first night in Saligia, shaking and shivering in fear when I woke in the dead of night, wondering what had happened to me. Things are so different now. 

The cool sheets fall to the floor. A beautiful face looks back me in the mirror. I no longer wear the choker anymore. It is of no use to me, and anyways, what device could ever contain my power? The pale red moonlight shines on a sleeping black cat. From outside, I can feel the gentle rumbling of a dragon whose scales are as a deeper blue than even the ocean itself. Pulling on my cloak, I decide not to wake them. I will take other means of transport. 

The sand feels incredibly fine between my toes. I didn’t bother to wear shoes; I can always get as many pairs as I like at any time. The vast ocean ripples, and then churns beneath my hands. A wave rushes up to the shore, and I am on my way.

The waters swirls beneath me. I can see Colde more clearly now. It once used to be so full of life and merriment, now it is akin to a silent graveyard. The academy on the isle has changed too. Students have reduced greatly in number, preferring to pursue their magical studies in their own kingdoms. Townfolk there also fled, in fear for their lives. No one wants to be near me, even though I no longer stay on Colde. 

The wave deposits me on the dock. Guards from all the seven kingdoms immediately stiffen,some grabbing their weapons, others secretly calling upon their magic. I can sense it, even without looking. I walk past them, leaving wet footprints on the dock. None of them dare to launch an attack on me. 

The first thing I do is to buy a pair of shoes. Beautiful leather boots, of the finest quality. The shoemaker was shaking when I paid him, after he tried to give them to me for free. It reminds me of the days when Sherry, Violet and I used to go out early in the mornings and shop until the sky turned dark. Once or twice, we even had to get a separate carriage to carry back all our new purchases. I pull them on and walk out into the streets. The few townfolk there recognise me. They all cower at the sight of me and vanish into their homes and shops.

Ever since I unlocked my full power, everyone started to distance themselves from me. I remember the day I tore down Iritium and set down the people of Vanum. People worshipped me and revered me like they did Vane, but after a while it gradually changed to whispers and open hostility. Maybe they don’t treat Vane this way because they didn’t know her. She was not the one who fought with the kings to let the Vanum people not be a part of Qelsum or any other kingdom anymore; not the one who worked tirelessly in the shadows to try and improve the status quo of the poor, the unfortunate, the trodden on. I wonder if she knows what I have done. What would she think?

From far above, I can see all the seven kingdoms. They have remained mostly unchanged, for the most part. The wind streams through my hair, gently caressing it as though to comfort me. A shower of gold sparks swirls around me and lifts me ever higher. My eyes are no longer plain black; they are like crystals, reflecting and illuminating everything around me. “Vane?” I murmur into the cool air, and a sense of peace fills me. I have a feeling things will soon look up for me. Closing my eyes, I turn giddy somersaults in the air and drift home.

[ultraquietgwyneth]

21st century literature performance task 2

Travel Blog

Enchanting Kawasan Falls

I was ten when I last visited this magical place called Kawasan Falls. I can vaguely remember every part of it since it was a long time a go but what I cannot forget is how therapeutic that place was. Although the distance from Mandaue to Kawasan is pretty tiring as Mandaue is 113.9 kilometers away from Kawasan. As someone who gets nauseous from traveling great distances, I was exhausted from that three hour drive however it was all worth the vomit. I was stunned the moment we arrived. It was like a paradise! Before you could get to the falls, you still need to walk almost 1.5 kilometers or ride a bicycle since there are "habal-habal" available for you to get you to the falls more conveniently. There is also a bright side of hiking from the entrance to the falls even if it is quite leg-tiring as you get to savor the stunning sight even more. As you hike from the entrance to the falls, you'll see picture-perfect little falls together with clear turquoise streams. It looks so enchanting that even before you get to the main part of the falls, you'll be tempted to jump in. You'll also see a collection of small restaurants and stores on the road so I recommend you not to bring too much baggage to reduce your burden and since everything you need is all in there but don’t forget to bring the essentials like a towel, a dry bag, sunscreen, and other sun protection. When you get to the main part of the falls, there are many cottages ready for you, however since it is a tourist attraction, it sometimes could get a little crowded especially so be sure to be quick. Once we are there, I immediately want to dive and swim, however I was not permitted to do that because the falls is deep. We rented a lifeguard and swam just in the shallow part because unlike the ocean, I can't really swim deeper because I am afraid of where it might take me. It is also rocky and if you're not careful, you'll really get into some situations. There was also one time where I swam with the adults in the deeper part of the falls but it was safe because we were in lifeguards and there was a rope for us to grab and not get too deep. The most exciting and scariest part is when we rode this straight wood boat and we went inside the falls and let it fall unto us. It was thrilling however we realized that we shouldn't have done that with kids because it might've killed us. The impact from the falls was so intense that even the adults said it was painful. We wish not to do that again however it is something I could never forget. It is one of those "once in a lifetime" moments. After all the swimming, hiking, diving, especially eating, we're back to reality. We need to go home earlier since the trip takes 3 hours. There is no wonder why Kawasan Falls have become a famous attraction. I undoubtedly would like to come back in the near future and explore it more intricately.

[magmacannon]

4, 7, 14, 24, 25 for vhoxhu >:3c

Yes.... Thank u these are So Much for them here we Go

4. What are 3 of their irrational fears?

Vho is irrationally afraid of! being in the air (flying/levitating specifically, she thinks that's NOT something people should be doing unless they want to die), wide-open spaces including the open ocean that she grew up on, and to some degree, doctors and commitment! The latter two have a little basis in Vho'x history, but they're working on those two as well so their overall hesitance to see doctors and make promises is reducing over time.

7. What are 3 foods they can’t live without?

She's allergic to SO many foods the dice were so mean to her... she also isn't good with spice. The foods they eat most often are boiled chicken (with bbq sauce as a side), tomatoes and their various sauces (though she has a mild nut allergy and is lactose intolerant so those sauces are limited a bit), ANY potato dishes, and melons (citrus is okay as a treat, Vho is. also mildly allergic).

14. Choose an AU you think would be interesting for them to be a part of. Who would they be?

Yes... my favorite that I've thought about so far is GamerGirl Vhoxhu. NOT good at most video games, very quiet for many streams, does absolutely completely batshit things in any game with a building mode or creative setting at all. She looks great while playing but the energy is absolutely weird as hell. Adra is a fan favorite appearance in the background and sometimes plays with Vhoxhu which awakens some sort of jester in her soul that makes her hunt them down to Kill Them if possible (or just hit them with a shovel ala animal crossing)

24. Where did their name come from? Does it have meaning?

fjfgdh Vhoxhu was a name I made up bc it had good mouthfeel... I haven't given it a definition in my setting but have been thinking about it. I like the softness of it v much

25. What events changed them as a child?

WELL Vhoxhu was nearly always Dying as a child bc their family basically only ate fish/shellfish/seaweed, and they are extremely allergic to both fish and shellfish. They made a deal with The Devil (it was a big fish) to not be constantly dying after every meal (she didn't know she was allergic!) and she became the Big Fish's servant, meaning she then spent the next many years of her life searching out sleeping people to be Near so that the big fish could eat their souls in their sleep. Said big fish did this to their parents and their brother (!) KNEW it was her fault so Vhoxhu very rapidly lost her entire family in one night and then was extremely alone for many many years! She's getting better now that the fish has been banished kjhfghjfd

[whydidisavethistomyphone]

We have had 12 months of the hottest month on record and parts of the earth are becoming too hot for human life.

The extra heat causes higher humidity which increases the power of storms and hurricanes while also making the heat index higher.

This also disrupts the jet streams which keep the cold Arctic are in the arctic allowing it to dip down and freeze places that are not used to cold temperatures such as texas which resulted in the texas power grid failing leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity.

That extra humidity has to come out of the atmosphere at some point which is why this year Central Europe and Brazil saw massive rainfall and flooding.

With the Antarctic ice sheets now gone (yes they have all melted) less of the sun’s energy is reflected back into space causing temperatures to rise quicker and the Antarctic glaciers are no longer being held in place by those ice sheets so they are falling into the ocean faster. Not only will this cause sea levels to rise but will also further reduce the reflectivity of the earth as well as release methane and carbon dioxide trapped in the ice increasing the greenhouse gasses that trap the suns heat.

This increase in temperature is also melting arctic tundra that has been frozen for tens of thousands of years, releasing and reintroducing prehistoric bacteria and viruses that can survive hundreds of thousands of years being frozen.

Or climate change is a Chinese hoax and all these scientists are lying to you.

[zara24smit]

ALLATRA: Antarctica's Unique Ecosystem Under Threat

SHOCK! Antarctica, the last bastion of pristine nature, is under threat! Invasive species, carried by streams of plastic waste, are invading the fragile ecosystem, threatening to destroy its unique flora and fauna. 

Antarctica's unique ecosystem has come under threat due to invasive marine species and pollution entering from the Southern Hemisphere.

                      ***

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia have found that floating debris, including both plastic and organic matter, can carry species invasive to Antarctic waters.

Previously, Antarctic marine and terrestrial habitats have been isolated from the rest of the planet for millions of years. This isolation implies that local species are not adapted to competition and may not be able to compete with widespread species from different parts of the world that are encroaching on their territory.

According to scientists, invasive species, particularly small marine invertebrates, can reach the shores of Antarctica on floating objects such as:

algae,

Driftwood,

pumice, or plastic.

And not only from remote islands of the Southern Ocean, but also from Australia, New Zealand, as well as South Africa and South America.

Scientists warn that the growing amount of plastic and other human-made debris in the ocean is increasing the chances of biota reaching Antarctica, and the consequences for local marine ecosystems could be quite significant.

It is noteworthy that according to experts, starting from 1979, every decade, due to invasive species displacing regional species, economic losses in the world have been increasing fourfold.

In total, such species cost the global economy more than $423 billion per year. Moreover: it is invasive species that have led to the extinction of 60% of animals and plants. The main reason for this is climate change.

Our planet, in the period of the approaching 12,000-year cycle, needs protection from external cosmic influences. As well as global cleaning from waste and plastic, which we, humans, have been irresponsibly mass-producing and dumping into the ocean for decades.

This is just one of the alarming signals that our planet is sending. Climate change is relentlessly bringing us closer to the point of no return. But there is hope!  

ALLATRA International Public Movement and the partner project Creative Society are uniting scientists and volunteers around the world to counter climate collapse. 

"We are facing a huge problem," say ALLATRA volunteers. "We need to urgently combine all the knowledge and resources of humanity to save the planet and people from disaster."

ALLATRA not only warns, but also offers solutions.  

On May 11, 2024, at the Prague Summit, ALLATRA volunteers presented an innovative technology that could become a key element in the fight against global climate change: atmospheric water generators (AWG).

AWG is not just a technology, it's a survival strategy.

It is important to know that the ocean is largely the "kitchen of weather," it also shapes the climate over land.

The ocean's function is similar to an air conditioner - to remove heat from the atmosphere into space. However, due to the fact that the ocean is completely polluted with plastic, it has lost this function, which is why there is an abnormal heating of the Earth's core with all the consequences that follow.

                   ***

So, what will such technology as AWGs allow to do:

Cleaning the ocean from microplastics: AWGs will help restore the ocean's heat-conducting ability to absorb heat from the atmosphere and clean it from plastic pollution that is killing marine life. 

Reducing extreme weather events: Thanks to AWGs, the climate will become more stable, and extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes will become less frequent.

Improving atmospheric thermal conductivity: AWGs contribute to improving atmospheric thermal conductivity, which helps to stabilize the climate and reduce the risk of global warming.

The use of AWGs is a contribution to the implementation of the UN SDGs, based on the principles of sustainable development and care for the planet. 

ALLATRA is not just fighting for survival. ALLATRA is fighting for the future, for a planet where we can live in harmony with nature, where beautiful Antarctica will remain an oasis of life, and planet Earth will be home to all of us.

Join us! Together, we can change the course of history and create a Creative Society where science and technology work for the benefit of all humanity.

Spread this information on social media.

Like, share, comment, and applaud. By doing so, you are saving people and the planet.

#ALLATRA #ClimateCrisis #CreativeSociety #Technology #UnifiedScientificCenter 

[nilzou]

October 2nd 2024 - The first walk on the dole in Brest city in french Brittany

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Note:

-> La version originale du texte en français est présente ici

-> The original version of the text in french is present here

-> The next post is here

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6.00 AM: I am opening my eyes. After a few times, I understand that the awakening is definitive and a new nap will be difficult to process. Not a problem, I am used to it these last times and it does not bother me. The sky is cloudless and is giving a glimpse of the stars. Well let’s go, I may not have a workplace anymore but I still can walk along the road to reach my workplace when the weather was lenient. I prepare tea that will fill my thermos bottle. I take away a few pieces of brownies that I cooked for my former colleagues the day before. I leave my home, after 1 minute walk I reach the college Fenelon (called amicably Hogwarts by the some people from Brest city), I go along the side walk on the left right before the entrance of the school, then I come to a small road to reach the Dour Baz garden (“Le jardin de Dour Baz” in french), a place that a friend spoke with me. Once the garden is crossed I get back to the road and take some small sidewalk to reach Moulin Blanc (than can be translated word by word White Mill). This is an artificial beach that is accessible by Bibus which is the name of the transport network of Brest. There, the bathing won’t make you dream. Although, even if the quality of the water has not a good reputation we can see daily some people walking in the ocean. Do not think of riding the waves here. Although according to the conditions you can practise kitesurf, wingsurf and the most famous: the windsurf… In short, all sports that require wind. It is on this beach that I decide to take a rest. On the fine sand, tea in my hand, I enjoy the quiet atmosphere. Few walkers are among this event… Most of them are with their dogs.

8.30 AM: The sun is rising. This is the moment where I take the first pictures of the morning. The scene is filmed. In some of the pictures you can see the Plougastel bridge far away. The bridge that a lot of people use to get to Brest city from the south.

8h50: The botanical garden, a part of the Stang Allar park will open soon. This time, I won’t need to pass above the gate as I did the last few days to enjoy this haven of peace. I am heading to this garden by passing under a bridge. I get a last glance on my back and take pictures.

The more I get deeper on the walk the more the car noise disappears to let the place to the stream which is along the walk. I enter the garden by the North access. I am in the middle of a botanical reserve that the Brest climate allows to cultivate. Here a lot of people work to bring together several species that are from all around the world such as Australia, New Zealand or South America. All these crossed by a consequent stream that is filling the auditive space. As the daylight is present, the bird calls are among this space. I tried to record this atmosphere by using my phone. The result does not satisfy me, it will not be shared with you here.

On the way, a pretty waterfall is appealing to my eyes. I film the scene to immortalise the moment. I reach the south end of the garden.

Here there is a picnic table. I decide to take a rest and have my breakfast here. On my way I meet an amateur photographer. He is specialised in animal photography. He speaks to me about his impression of today. Among numerous birds (that the population has reduced this year according to him) we also can see deers. I am surprised. I take a rest. I finish my breakfast.

I share the photos to my friends and family. An old wife is contemplating the swamp just next to the picnic table. She speaks to me about the bird species that composed the swamp. I cannot list them because my memory for names has never not worked very well. But she knows a lot, I can certify this. She is emphasising that some species become more and more rare with the time. During the discussion she reports the existence of a forest not far from here, the Costour forest. Wildest than here she says… Not surprising by seeing the quality of the maintenance of this park. On my phone she explains to me how to reach this valley. I store these pieces of information in my head. I finish my breakfast. On the way, I share pictures and videos to my fellow relatives (friends and family). I start my way back home. On the bridge that overhangs the waterfall the wife ‘specialist to bird species’ and the photographer are speaking to each other. “The great minds are meeting up” I said to them.

10.15 AM: I cut back on my way home. On my way I take the last photos of the day.

I reach my place. I am tired. I am hungry. I go to eat and then take a little nap.

First version of the text achieved on October 6 2024

Note: the next post of the blog is here

[pelinerbag]

How to Recycle PE Bags and Liners Effectively?

Polyethylene (PE) bags and liners are ubiquitous in our daily lives, from grocery shopping to industrial applications. However, their environmental impact is significant, prompting the need for effective recycling methods. Understanding how to recycle PE bags and liners not only contributes to reducing plastic waste but also supports sustainable practices. In this article, we will explore practical steps for recycling PE bags and liners effectively, while highlighting the roles of PE bags manufacturers and PE liners manufacturer in promoting responsible disposal.

Understanding PE Bags and Liners

PE bags, commonly used for packaging and transporting goods, come in various forms, including shopping bags and garbage liners. These bags are made from polyethylene, a versatile plastic known for its durability and flexibility. While they serve many practical purposes, improper disposal contributes to the global plastic pollution crisis. Recognizing the importance of recycling these materials is the first step towards a more sustainable future.

Why Recycle PE Bags and Liners?

Recycling PE bags and liners helps mitigate the harmful effects of plastic waste on the environment. When these materials are disposed of incorrectly, they can take hundreds of years to decompose, contributing to pollution in landfills and oceans. Additionally, recycling helps conserve resources by reducing the need for new plastic production. By supporting recycling initiatives, we can reduce our carbon footprint and promote a circular economy.

Identifying Recyclable PE Materials

Not all PE bags and liners are created equal, and identifying which ones are recyclable is crucial. Many grocery stores and retailers have specific guidelines regarding the types of bags they accept for recycling. Typically, clean, dry PE bags without any contaminants can be recycled. On the other hand, bags that are soiled with food residues or mixed materials often cannot be processed in standard recycling facilities.

Preparing PE Bags for Recycling

To recycle PE bags and liners effectively, proper preparation is essential. To begin, properly clean the bags to get rid of any residues. This not only ensures they can be processed but also prevents contamination in the recycling stream. Once cleaned, flatten the bags to save space and make handling easier. Bundle them together to simplify the recycling process. This preparation step is vital for facilities to manage and recycle these materials efficiently.

Finding Recycling Locations

Once you have prepared your PE bags and liners, the next step is to find a recycling location. Many grocery stores have designated bins for plastic bags. Additionally, you can check with local recycling centers to see if they accept PE materials. Websites like Earth911 offer search tools to help you locate nearby recycling options. Engaging with local community programs that focus on plastic waste reduction can also provide valuable resources for recycling PE materials.

Partnering with PE Bags Manufacturers

PE bags manufacturer play a pivotal role in the lifecycle of these products. Many manufacturers are committed to sustainable practices, including producing bags made from recycled materials. When choosing PE bags, consider purchasing from manufacturers that prioritize environmentally friendly options. This not only supports the recycling industry but also encourages manufacturers to innovate and improve their practices.

The Role of PE Liners Manufacturers

Similarly, PE liners manufacturers contribute to sustainability efforts by producing durable, reusable products. By investing in high-quality PE liner bag, businesses can reduce the frequency of bag replacement, leading to less waste. Additionally, these manufacturers are increasingly focusing on creating products that are easier to recycle. Engaging with them can provide insights into responsible sourcing and disposal practices.

Implementing Community Recycling Programs

Communities play a crucial role in promoting recycling. By implementing community recycling programs that focus on PE bags and liners, we can raise awareness and increase participation. Organizing events that educate residents about proper recycling practices can foster a sense of responsibility. Collaborating with local businesses, schools, and environmental organizations can amplify these efforts and create a stronger impact.

Educating Others on Recycling Practices

Education is a powerful tool in promoting effective recycling practices. Sharing information about how to properly recycle PE bags and liners can empower individuals to make informed decisions. To spread the news, make use of social media sites, neighborhood bulletin boards, and local events. Creating informative pamphlets or online resources can help demystify the recycling process and encourage more people to participate.

Innovations in PE Bag Recycling

Innovation is key to improving recycling rates for PE bags and liners. Many companies are exploring advanced technologies to enhance the recycling process. For example, some manufacturers are developing biodegradable alternatives to traditional PE bags, which can help mitigate environmental impacts. Additionally, advancements in chemical recycling technologies allow for the breakdown of plastics into their original monomers, creating opportunities for a truly circular economy.

Challenges in Recycling PE Materials

Despite efforts to improve recycling rates, several challenges remain. Contamination is a significant barrier; even small amounts of non-recyclable materials can render an entire batch unrecyclable. Furthermore, not all recycling facilities have the capability to process PE materials, leading to inefficiencies in the recycling system. Advocacy for better infrastructure and technology is essential to address these challenges and enhance recycling efforts.

The Future of PE Bag and Liner Recycling

The future of PE bag and liner recycling looks promising, thanks to growing awareness and technological advancements. As consumers become more conscious of their environmental impact, demand for sustainable products is rising. This trend is pushing manufacturers to innovate and produce recyclable options. Moreover, government policies aimed at reducing plastic waste can further support the recycling industry and encourage responsible practices among consumers and businesses alike.

Conclusion: A Collective Responsibility

Recycling PE bags and liners is not just an individual task; it’s a collective responsibility. By understanding how to recycle these materials effectively, we can contribute to a healthier planet. Engaging with PE bags manufacturers and PE liners manufacturers who prioritize sustainability enhances our recycling efforts. Through education, community initiatives, and support for innovative technologies, we can pave the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future. Every effort counts, and together, we can make a significant impact in reducing plastic waste.

FAQs on Recycling PE Bags and Liners

1. What are PE bags and liners?

PE bags and liners are made from polyethylene, a type of plastic known for its durability and flexibility. They are commonly used for shopping, packaging, and industrial applications.

2. Why is it important to recycle PE bags and liners?

Recycling PE bags and liners helps reduce plastic waste, conserves resources, and minimizes the environmental impact of plastic pollution. Proper recycling contributes to a more sustainable economy.

3. Which PE bags and liners are recyclable?

Generally, clean, dry PE bags and liners are recyclable. Look for bags that are free of food residues or contaminants. Check local guidelines, as acceptance may vary.

[stellanix]

as someone who studies wetlands for a living this is all so true!!!!! i wanna add that in addition to urbanization, agriculture has also been the reason many wetlands were destroyed. farms often have tile drainage and ditches designed to move water offsite as quickly as possible, as well as levees to keep floodwater out, because most major crops can't survive in waterlogged soils. a lot of once-meandering streams have also been straightened and channelized to prevent flooding and help get water away from farms

multiply these processes across entire major watersheds, and you get a number of effects. for one, all these techniques do reduce flooding at many farms and prevent crop-damaging waterlogging, but all that water is moved away fast, and it has to go somewhere. so instead of mild flooding in crop fields that damage farmers' profits, you get bigger floods in major rivers downstream that damage people's homes. also, when you speed up the flow of water, that water has more energy, and causes more erosion. intensive monoculture farming where the soil is tilled loosens the soil, making it even easier for flowing water to erode. worse still, that kind of farming depletes soil nutrients, and requires fertilizer inputs, and those fertilizers get washed away with the eroding soil

the result? the excess nutrients cause harmful algal blooms in rivers, lakes, and coastal areas of the ocean. so much dissolved oxygen gets used up that oxygen levels fall too low for many aquatic organisms to survive, and you get oceanic dead zones

essentially, when you get rid of enough wetlands, it has massive ripple effects. but our society is dominated by colonialist, capitalist ideologies that only value land in terms of what profit can be extracted from it, and anything inconvenient can be washed downstream, and ceases to be the landowner's problem, even though it destroys soil, floods cities, and kills the oceans along the way

and it's not like any of this is necessary to feed people, either. most farming today prioritizes getting the highest yields for the lowest cost of labor, not feeding the most people. and the majority of the farmland here in the midwestern US is used to grow crops for livestock feed, not for human consumption. intensive animal agriculture is a whole other can of worms, but suffice to say, it is very inefficient in terms of land use. we can feed everyone without this destruction

environmental regulations in the past decades have helped protect wetlands, but wealthy landowners and corporations are constantly lobbying to have those protections reduced or removed, because it's in the interest of their bottom line to destroy wetlands, consequences be damned. and unfortunately, most of the damage was done long before these regulations were put into place. no one but the world itself has paid the price for those negative externalities

so yeah, we should get rid of the endless cornfields and restore wetlands. it'll be better for the world and we get more cute frogs. a win-win

so many areas have been un-wetlanded and we need to re-wet them. if there is an area that makes a big puddle for days every time it rains everyone wants to make a channel to make the water go away faster. but actually that solution creates muddy polluted water flowing rapidly into the streams. the real solution is to dig a wide shallow pit to become a pond and make the water hang out for longer so it can become the cattails' and rushes' home. make sure to make the edges a gradual slope so the frogs can get in easily btw