Rural voters talking to rural voters
Yes, let’s have more of this!!
Because I avoid putting links inside quoted material, here are the relevant links for following up on this piece and joining this initiative: Let’s Hear Rural Voices and Rural for Harris.
From Jim Hightower’s Substack, Jim Hightower’s Lowdown:
We’re always on the lookout for actions that don’t involve the usual suspects that we often see, especially during big election cycles. We love the idea of rural people talking to each other about candidates and issues, and have seen the powerful effects that happen when people who share cultural and geographic backgrounds talk with one another. That’s why I’m excited to share an effort from our friends at the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative have launched: Let’s Hear Rural Voices.
They’re building an army of rural people who are willing to write letters to the editor of local papers and post on social media about issues facing rural America, and how candidates will make a difference in our lives. They’ll help you develop talking points and share how good federal investments paired with solid policies have supported rural areas. Additionally, they’re partnering with our friends at Rural for Harris, where I’ve been volunteering, on getting phone banks together for rural people to talk to each other about the presidential election.
Could voters abroad hold all the cards?
A GOTV campaign targeted at Americans abroad is a smart move, especially since — as is noted at the end of the piece — an overwhelming number of them vote for Democrats.
From Politico (🎩 to Jessica Craven at Chop Wood, Carry Water for mentioning this in Sunday’s newsletter):
...
both Democrats and Republicans are looking to rack up as many votes as they can from American voters abroad.
For the first time in a presidential cycle, Democrats are allocating significant money to the effort to help push their party over the finish line. The Democratic National Committee and private donors are putting more than $450,000 into a get-out-the-vote campaign aimed at reaching Americans from swing states living abroad — a number the State Department puts at nearly 9 million. The program includes direct advertising on traditional media and social media, billboards across Canada, mailers and in-person gatherings. ✂️
About 1.6 million people living abroad come from the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the Democrats Abroad group estimates. In 2020, about 44,000 votes across Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin won Joe Biden the presidency. ✂️
Asked if the Democrats’ voter education effort might also get Republicans to cast ballots, Heyman said he’s not worried. “From all the analysis that we’ve done and seen, something like 80 percent of Americans abroad vote Democrat,” said [Bruce] Heyman, [...who is co-heading the Americans Abroad effort]. “It’s because they care about foreign policy and the stature of America in the world and are very worried about a potential Trump return. “
Democrats invest new money into Allred campaign as Texas Senate race against Cruz becomes more competitive
We truly have a chance to get the odious Cruz out of the Senate. Donate to Allred if you can!
From CBS News:
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced late last week it will make a new investment of millions of dollars into North Texas Congressman Colin Allred's campaign for U.S. Senate in Texas. Allred is challenging incumbent Republican Ted Cruz who was first elected to the Senate in 2012. The new money from the DSCC will go toward paying for television advertising. It will be in addition to the ads paid for by Allred's campaign.
Independent union leader shakes up final weeks of Nebraska Senate race
I’m super-excited about Osborn. I believe he’s the real deal, despite some commenters on DKos worrying that he might be Manchin 2.0. I don’t see anything in his positions or his comments that would support that fear.
I have a piece about Osborn ready to publish later this week, which bilboteach will reblog in his series on the candidates.
From ABC News:
A seemingly non-competitive Senate race in deeply Republican Nebraska is no longer a safe bet for two-term incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer -- the dynamics jolted by the late-stage insurgence of independent Dan Osborn, who, if successful, could be the deciding factor on which party has control of the chamber, where Democrats currently hold a razor-thin 51-49 majority.
"I hate to call it like I'm trying to call a Nebraska football game, but I would say I'm gonna win pretty substantially. People are ready for a change. People are sick of the status quo," Osborn told ABC News in an interview.
Fischer holds a slight edge in polling -- and to be sure, Nebraska has reliably voted for Republicans in presidential races over the past several decades, and Trump handily won the state in 2020 by nearly 20 points and has endorsed Fischer -- but national groups are flooding the zone with last-minute investments.
* * * * *
Good news from the Biden-Harris administration
Interior Department Announces $254 Million for Local Parks, Largest Investment Ever in Program’s History
This is transformative. There are so many cities and towns across the nation that need green spaces for recreation, cooling, and the simple enjoyment of nature.
From The National Park Service:
The Department of the Interior announced today the single largest grant investment ever from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). Through ORLP, the National Park Service (NPS) will invest $254.68 million into 54 projects in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks.
The ORLP program advances President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, a locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration effort that aims to address the nature and climate crises, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy. Providing safe outdoor spaces for communities that are park-deprived is one of six areas of focus. The program also helps advance the Administration's Justice40 Initiative that aims to have 40 percent of the benefits of federal funding flow to disadvantaged communities.
“Everyone deserves to experience the restorative power of nature, but increasing access to public outdoor spaces has not always received the investment and drive needed to make an impact. Supporting the communities that benefit from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program has been a top priority for our Administration, and a critical step to bringing more green spaces to urban and disadvantaged communities” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Today, this program makes history with the largest investment since its inception.”
“The enthusiasm for this program is wonderful, with the highest number of applications we’ve ever seen,” said Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz. “After traveling across the United States to increase awareness of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program, I’m thrilled to see so many cities receive grants for the first time.”
Biden-Harris Administration Launches Nationwide Environmental Justice Climate Corps
Just wow. The idea of 250 young people training to become environmental justice warriors is incredibly exciting,
🎩 to T Maysle from a comment on Saturday.
From epa.gov:
[On] September 25, ...the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps announced the Environmental Justice Climate Corps, a new partnership launched as part of President Biden’s American Climate Corps to open doors for people to serve in careers that benefit disadvantaged and other low-income communities.
This partnership will support more than 250 AmeriCorps VISTA members nationwide over three years, with each new participating member completing a one-year term of service. This historic initiative is the largest environmental partnership in AmeriCorps’ history and EPA’s first nationwide service effort. ✂️
“Our partnership is a first-of-its-kind effort within the federal government to expand pathways into environmental justice careers,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This program will create opportunities for young people through President Biden’s American Climate Corps that will help folks in overburdened communities access and benefit from historic funding secured under the President’s Investing in America agenda.”
“Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the most severe harms of climate change – whether that’s air pollution, extreme temperatures, or flooding,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. “Through this groundbreaking partnership with EPA, we will target resources to underserved communities where they are needed most, while putting hundreds of young people from those communities on a path to environmental justice careers.”
Biden/Harris announce new actions re: active shooter drills in schools
I was delighted to see that Morgan Stephens (DK staff) highlighted this in a diary on Friday. I thought you might appreciate reading the text of the announcement.
This is a great example of how thoroughly the Biden-Harris administration studies issues and uncovers problems that aren’t apparent on the surface.
From whitehouse.gov:
Improving School-Based Active Shooter Drills: The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preventing gun violence in schools, including by keeping guns out of the hands of potential school shooters and investing more resources in school safety and violence prevention. The majority of schools are currently using drills to prepare for an active shooter situation. Despite the ubiquity of these drills, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and limit any collateral harms they might cause. Many parents, students, and educators have expressed concerns about the trauma caused by some approaches to these drills. Federal agencies need to help schools improve drills so they can more effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma.
In the Executive Order, President Biden is directing the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Surgeon General, to develop and publish, within 110 days, information for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education regarding school-based active shooter drills. The information will include a summary of: existing research on active shooter drills and resources for school districts and institutions of higher education on how to create, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed active shooter drills; how to conduct effective and age- and developmentally-appropriate drills; how best to communicate with students, families, and educators about these drills; how to prevent students and educators from experiencing trauma or psychological distress associated with these drills; and how best to serve people with disabilities and those with language-related needs, including by ensuring compliance with federal civil rights laws, when designing and implementing school-based active shooter drills.
Free covid tests by mail program revived by Biden administration
Covid is definitely back, so we really need these. BTW, get your booster ASAP!!
From The Washington Post (free access):
Free. Thanks, Joe and Kamala!!
Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases.
The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding.
David Boucher, a federal health official who manages infectious disease preparedness and response, told reporters in August that officials needed to be strategic with limited resources and that fall is a good time to deploy free tests ahead of holiday travel and gatherings.
* * * * *
Political laugh of the week
The SNL season debut cold open is genuinely funny, and the casting is inspired. What a delight to see Dana Carvey again!
* * * * *
Good news from my corner of the world
Janelle Bynum is Running for Congress [in Oregon District 5] to Fight Project 2025, Republican Extremism
Janelle Bynum, who could be the Dem Representative who gets us back the House majority
This race could return the House to Democratic control. And it’s totally winnable, although Bynum is struggling against an avalanche of MAGA money and lie-filled advertising.
Bynum has maintained a narrow lead over Chavez-DeRemer since polling began in this race, which is a positive sign. And she’s beaten Chavez-DeRemer twice before. But what gives me even more confidence that she’s in a good position to win is that she’s laser-focused on voter outreach and is getting some solid outside help, including from Vote Forward, which has a letter-writing campaign to GOTV in OR-5 that has so far assigned 54,515 addresses out of 65,378.
This race could be a major factor in returning the House to Democratic control. If you’re interested in writing letters to energize voters in OR-5, go to Vote Forward, register for an account if you don’t have one already, then click on “campaigns” and choose “OR-05” from the list of political campaigns.
You could also donate to Janelle’s campaign (Donate to Janelle Bynum). She could use the help, given how much MAGA money is pouring into Oregon for Chavez-DeRemer.
From Democracy Docket:
There’s probably no U.S. House race with more attention on it than the one in Oregon’s 5th congressional district. Democratic state representative Janelle Bynum is running to unseat first-term Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, in a race that could ultimately flip party control of the House of Representatives.
It’s a lot of pressure — especially for a candidate seeking to unseat an incumbent. But for Bynum — an electrical engineer, small business owner, and mother of four — it’s not the first time she’s run against Chavez-DeRemer. In fact, it’s her third match-up with the current Congress woman. Bynum beat Chavez-DeRemer in state House races in 2016 and 2018. Still, she’s not counting on the past to dictate the future. The gravity of her race isn’t lost on Bynum, who told Democracy Docket that she felt compelled to run for Congress because of the growing threat of the GOP’s extremist agenda.
But even with the weight of future party control of the U.S. House on her shoulders, Bynum is hyper focused on what’s best for her constituents in her district. Her priorities on the campaign trail — reproductive rights, protecting and expanding the right to vote, soaring housing costs and environmental issues —are shaped directly by conversations she’s having with the residents of Oregon’s 5th district.
The Oregonian published some polling stats on September 24th that also look promising for Bynum:
Bynum has a edge among women, with about 50% of the vote to Chavez-DeRemer’s 42% of the vote, the memo says, and in households with a union member, where 53% of voters said they would support Bynum compared to 35% for Chavez-DeRemer.
Meet Ekansh Mittal, the 2024 Portland high school grad who won a national award for his cancer research
From Here is Oregon:
Barron Prize winner Ekansh Mittal Ekansh Mittal, 18, was nationally recognized by the Barron Prize for his cancer research.
At only 18 years old, Ekansh Mittal already has a wealth of scientific experience under his belt.
As a sixth grader at Meadow Park Middle School, he pitched his first research project to a local lab: a series of experiments testing whether natural herbs and spices could inhibit bacterial growth. During the pandemic, he learned Python, a programming language, and started doing computational biology projects. “I fell in love with biology and research,” Mittal said.
Now, the 2024 Westview High School graduate’s penchant for scientific research has earned him national recognition. Mittal was one of 15 winners of the 2024 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a program that honors young leaders between the ages of 8 and 18. He was awarded for his cancer research, which uses machine learning to develop personalized treatment plans and improve early detection in breast cancer patients. He also received a $10,000 prize.
The project Mittal submitted to the Barron Prize was split into two parts. The first used machine learning and computer science techniques to determine what genes cause resistance against cancer-fighting drugs in breast cancer patients. Then, he created a 3D organoid model — a model derived from stem cells that mimics human organs — to test whether targeting those genes killed more or less cancer cells. ✂️
During the pandemic, he launched his own tutoring website, STEM Universe, focused on helping children develop a love for science, technology, engineering and math. Mittal teaches math and Python courses
* * * * *
Good news from around the nation
The Hospitals That Send Patients Home With Nutritious Food
From Reasons to Be Cheerful:
The waiting room in the basement of Boston Medical Center looks like any other, with lines of chairs and a TV. But when patients here are called in, they don’t enter an exam room. Instead, they’re welcomed into the Preventive Food Pantry.
Over the next few minutes, staff members tailor a grocery cart to each patient’s needs. Someone with a renal condition won’t get foods high in potassium, like oranges or potatoes. If they’re diabetic, they’ll get whole-grain pasta and brown rice. And everyone leaves with vegetables, fruit and other fresh ingredients. ...“Food is a basic item that people take for granted,” says pantry manager Latchman Hiralall. “We need to make sure that people are eating the right type of food.”
Latchman Hiralall, pantry manager.
The pantry opened in 2001 after doctors raised the alarm that many of their patients reported not having enough food for their families. Setting up on hospital premises, the pantry was an early pioneer in incorporating access to nutritious food directly into the medical system. And it’s proven to have great impact: The pantry was initially expected to serve 500 people a month. Today, it serves more than 6,200.
This medical center’s approach is part of a growing movement of collaboration between health providers and anti-hunger programs. With options ranging from medically tailored meal deliveries to produce prescriptions to pantries working out of health facilities, experts say these connections are having positive health impacts, improving access to high-quality foods and reducing stigma. ✂️
Since the Boston Medical Center opened its pantry more than two decades ago, the idea has caught on. Hiralall has advised nearly 100 other hospital systems, including others in the Boston area.
Asphalt Schoolyards Get a Shady Makeover
About time!
From The New York Times (gift link):
Recess at Highland Arts Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz.Credit...
The bare hot asphalt schoolyard of the American past is getting a redo.
The schoolyard of the future has trees to play under, or canvas canopies to shade a climbing gym. Some have native plants to sniff during recess or fallen logs to climb over. Instead of hard ground, some are tearing out asphalt in favor of more spongy materials to absorb heavy rains.
They are all solutions to tackle not only the hazards of extreme weather but also a growing recognition that playing in nature could be good for children.
Many of these innovations are happening in some of the hottest, most climate vulnerable parts of the country, like Arizona, which this summer endured over 100 consecutive days of 100-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, or California, where some schools closed early because of record high temperatures earlier this month.
Clothes piling up in your closet? A landmark California bill would mandate brands recycle them
California leads the way again. This is a much-needed initiative.
From The Guardian:
Let’s say you bought a new pair of jeans and wore them for a few years before deciding it was time to part ways. You could throw them away, or, if you wanted a more environmentally friendly option, you might try to sell or swap them or donate them to a local thrift store.
Either way, the onus is on you to pass those jeans on, and hope for the best. But a new California bill that tackles the growing problem of fashion and textile waste could change the way we get rid of our clothes, putting the burden on clothing producers to implement a system for recycling the wares that they sell.
If passed, Californians will be able to bring unwanted and even damaged apparel and household textiles to thrift stores, charities and other accessible collection sites throughout the state for sorting and recycling. This first-in-the-nation bill, known as the Responsible Textile Recovery Act, requires producers of apparel, towels, bedding and upholstery to implement and fund a statewide reuse, repair and recycling program for their products.
Since 1960, the amount of textile waste generated in the US has increased nearly tenfold, exceeding more than 17m tonnes in 2018. A shocking 85% of all textiles end up in landfills where they emit methane gas and leach chemicals and dyes into our soil and groundwater. And only about 15% of clothing and other textiles gets reused, even though an estimated 95% of the materials – including fabrics, yarns, fibers, zippers and buttons – are recyclable.
These disturbing numbers drove Josh Newman, the Democratic state senator who sponsored the bill, into action. “We worked really hard to consult with and eventually to align all of the stakeholders in the life cycle of textiles so that at the end there was no opposition,” he said of the bill, which was passed with broad support from state legislators last month, and is now on the desk of the California governor, Gavin Newsom. “That’s an immensely hard thing to do when you consider the magnitude of the problem and all of the very different interests.”
* * * * *
Good news from around the world
Bangladesh defies stereotypes when it comes to health care.
🎩 to T Maysle from a comment on Saturday.
From NPR:
Patients line up for remote health consultation sessions near Rangpur, Bangladesh. The country has emerged as a model of health-care progress in the Global South.
When people think of Bangladesh, they often think of poverty. It was one of the world’s poorest nations when it was created in 1971. And they probably think of political upheaval — this year massive protests led to the resignation of the prime minister. An interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is now in place.
But Bangladesh defies the stereotypes. It has quickly moved up to lower middle-income status (average income is approximately $2,500) and is on track to be unlisted from the U.N. list of least developed nations by 2030.
Along with this rise from poverty, Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in improving its health care. Two statistics illustrate the extent of the progress.
Life expectancy was approximately 58 years in 1990. By 2019, it had risen to 74 years. Those figures are from a series of studies published in The Lancet. And death from all causes saw a steep decline: from 1,500 deaths per 100,000 population in 1990 to 715 deaths in 2019.
What’s more, these public health accomplishments were achieved in a country with a GDP per capita of 2,688.31 U.S. dollars and a 2.36% health expenditure as a share of the gross domestic product. For context, other lower-middle-income countries spend 4% to 6% of their GDP on health and are often not able to accomplish such dramatic improvements.
...With international cooperation and funding, Bangladesh has established community-based efforts led by grassroots health workers and a network of small health centers. These facilities provide reproductive services for women, they promote immunization and they teach about nutrition.
The Dutch ‘tile whipping’ competition to green gardens and streets
From Positive News:
Tile whippers are encouraged to submit photos of their transformed spaces. Each month a panel of judges selects the best, awarding the title of Whipper of the Month. Jelmer – pictured above with his son, Abel – was one worthy winner. He smashed up slabs and wheelbarrowed them through his home in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, to create his edible garden of herbs, squashes, salad crops and fruit.
Move over, football. The Netherlands has a new national sport, one helping to greenify gardens and rewild urban spaces. This year marks the fourth annual Tegelwippen – which translates literally as ‘tile whipping’ – where Dutch municipalities compete in a lighthearted contest to remove the most paving slabs.
This year’s winner will be decided at the end of October. More than 11m tiles have been removed since creative agency Frank Lee fired the starting pistol on the first competition in 2021, replacing hundreds of acres of grey concrete with trees, grass, vegetable gardens and vibrant flower beds. The space is equivalent to around that of 200 football pitches.
“The competition is a gimmick of course,” says Frank Lee creative director Eva Braaksma. “People really like to compete! But the power of the thing is its simplicity. You just pick up your shovel and get started.”
* * * * *
Good news in medicine
In World First, Stem Cells Reverse Woman’s Type-1 Diabetes
This is a breakthrough that could change the lives of millions of people.
From Good News Network:
“I can eat sugar now,” said a woman from Tianjing, China, who recently became the first human to have their type-1 diabetes cured through a stem cell procedure.
Using the patient’s own stem cells, the results offer hope of limitless treatment options for type-1 diabetes, where special insulin-producing cells were previously needed from a donor. Unlike type-2 diabetes which can be developed through poor diet and lifestyle choices, type-1 diabetes develops on its own in certain humans.
Type-1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disorder, as the immune system attacks islet cells in the pancreas responsible for producing insulin, a vital metabolic signaling hormone that instructs muscle tissues to absorb excess glucose and other sugars out of the bloodstream. Treated with exogenous insulin and a mixture of immunosuppressants, the only thing like a cure is an islet-cell transplant, for which there are not anywhere near enough donors to meet the demand.
Instead, Chinese researchers reverse-engineered the patient’s own tissues to produce pluripotent stem cells which they then chemically reprogrammed to form islet cells.
Lab-Grown Blood Stem Cells Could Replace Bone Marrow Donations for Transplants
Another breakthrough with a potentially massive impact.
From Good News Network:
A team of Australian researchers has developed a method to morph personalized stem cells into hematopoietic stem cells, something that would promise risk-free bone marrow transplants
For a myriad of blood and bone marrow-based diseases including leukemia, a bone marrow transplant is the best standard treatment option available. However, risks abound with the procedure such as mismatched donor cells prompting attacks on the host’s own tissues, leading to inflammation and even death.
Conducted at the Murdoc Children’s Research Institute in Australia (MCRI), the team first performed the common procedure of taking human cells from the hair, skin, and nails, and using a process to reprogram them to morph back into ‘pluripotent’ or ‘multi-power’ stem cells. Pluripotent cells are richly found in human embryos and infants and have the ability to take the form of any cell in the body. It’s been a decade since Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka found out how to change any cell in the body back into pluripotent stem cells.
The authors of the new study from MCRI explain that the next step—of turning pluripotent stem cells into hematopoietic stem cells—which can take any form of blood cell, has been difficult to discover, but if it could be standardized, then bone marrow transplants for sensitive individuals like childhood leukemia patients would have much better success rates.
* * * * *
Good news in science
Telescopes Capture Black Hole in Unprecedented Color Photo Using Triple-Frequency
I think this is the most exciting EHT image yet. It’s beautiful, too.
From Good News Network:
Supermassive black hole M87, seen here in a composite image of three wavelengths merged together
For generations, humanity has had to be content with artistic illustrations of black holes as a means to imagine these difficult-to-imagine cosmic objects.
Now, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration which gave the world its first real image of a black hole in 2019, has imaged the same object with different frequencies and at the highest resolution ever—creating a real-life picture that looks delightfully similar to these impressions.
This latest demonstration of the network of Earthbound telescopes increased the light spectrum of its imaging potential to as high as 345 Ghz. The collaboration’s scientists combined these with existing images of the supermassive black holes at the hearts of spiral galaxy M87 and Sagittarius A, at the lower frequency of 230 GHz to produce multi-color views of the region immediately outside the boundary of these cosmic beasts.
Carbon bond that uses only one electron seen for first time: ‘It will be in the textbooks’
The science here is somewhat beyond me, but this is clearly an amazing discovery.
From Nature:
For a little more than a century, chemists have believed that strong atomic links called covalent bonds are formed when atoms share one or more electron pairs. Now, researchers have made the first observations of single-electron covalent bonds between two carbon atoms.
This unusual bonding behaviour has been seen between a few other atoms, but scientists are particularly excited to see it in carbon, the basic building block of life on Earth and the key component of industrial chemicals including drugs, plastics, sugars and proteins. The discovery was published1 in Nature on 25 September. ✂️
Guy Bertrand, a chemist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was part of the team that created the phosphorus single-electron bond. He says it’s significant to see it in carbon. “Anytime you do something with carbon, the impact is greater than with any other element,” he says. Carbon is the stuff of organic chemistry. But he says it’s not so easy to say whether this work will have any applications. “This is a curiosity,” he says. “But it will be in the textbooks.”
[Takuya] Shimajiri, [who was part of the carbon bonding research team,] hopes that the description of the single-electron carbon bond will help chemists to better understand the basic nature of chemical bonds. “We aim to clarify what a covalent bond is — specifically, at what point does a bond qualify as covalent, and at what point does it not?”
* * * * *
Good news for the environment
The Amazon’s Ashaninka tribe restored their territory. Now they aim to change the region
This is another in a wave of inspiring news stories about victories won by indigenous tribes. What a magical transformation from cattle ranch to self-sufficient village! And the best news is that it’s now a model for other areas of the Amazon.
From AP:
The area where the Apiwtxa village sits in the Brazilian Amazon was once a sprawling cattle farm run by non-Indigenous settlers who deforested the land. Establishing land boundaries opened the door to reforestation and cultural rebirth.
It was just before dawn when the Ashaninka people, wearing long, tunic-like dresses, began singing traditional songs while playing drums and other instruments. The music drifted through Apiwtxa village, which had welcomed guests from Indigenous communities in Brazil and neighboring Peru, some having traveled three days. As the sun rose, they moved beneath the shadow of a huge mango tree. The dancing, which would last until the following morning, marked the end of the annual celebration recognizing the Ashaninka territory along the winding Amonia River in the western Amazon. …
What was once a gathering to commemorate the Ashaninka has evolved into a showcase of what they have done: the village’s self-sufficiency, which comes from growing crops and protecting its forest, is now a model for an ambitious project to help 12 Indigenous territories in western Amazon, amounting to 640,000 hectares (1.6 million acres), about the size of the U.S. state of Delaware.
In November, the Organization of Indigenous People of the Jurua River, known by the Portuguese acronym OPIRJ, secured $6.8 million in support from the Amazon Fund, the world’s largest initiative to combat rainforest deforestation. With Apiwtxa as the model, the grant is geared toward improving Indigenous land management with an emphasis on food production, cultural strengthening and forest surveillance.
Spain’s Olive Oil Producers Turn Tons of Their Pits into Fuel–For Homes, Planes and Industry
A terrific no-waste program.
From Good News Network:
Accounting for half the production of olive oil in the EU, growers are now getting to sell olive pits as a valuable ingredient for biofuel. Hundreds of thousands of tons of olive pits are now being consumed in Spain every year to heat homes, power oil mills, and even airplanes.
Pits make up between 8% and 10% of an olive crop by weight. During the pressing stage in the oil production process, the pits are squeezed out and separated before being washed and dried to create fuel similar to wood pellets used in certain domestic stoves, grills, and fireplaces.
In the past, cultivators didn’t have a good idea of what to do with the olive pits, says Pablo Rodero, an affiliate with the Spanish biomass association, Avebiom. Avebiom estimates that 400,000 tons of olive pits are produced every year in Spain. That’s a lot of material to not know what to do with. “Now everything is used,” Rodero told Reuters. “Olives are like pigs: Nothing goes to waste.”
According to Reuters, the energy shock from the Russian invasion of Ukraine that caused domestic heating prices to soar led directly to a further development of the olive pit industry as a fuel product.
One-third of all pits are now refined to remove as much moisture as possible and sold for around 300 euros per ton, which equates to around 6 cents per kilowatt-hour for home heating. The rest is used on the farms to drive the almazaras, or traditional olive mills, or sold to power industrial boilers.
Petro company Cepsa uses olive oil pits as the key ingredient in a sustainable aviation fuel blend that powered 200 flights out of Andalusia’s capital of Sevilla airport last year. Biofuels, usually made from old cooking oil, have been pioneered as more sustainable jet fuel in China and other parts of the globe.
* * * * *
Good news for and about animals
Brought to you by Rascal and Margot, and the beautiful spirits of Rosy and Nora.
Highly-sensitive beaks could help albatrosses and penguins find their food
Rascal chose this story even though he thinks it’s kind of weird that seabirds don’t have the sharp curved hookbill he’s so proud of that can crack the hardest seeds and reduce wood to tiny shavings. But of course these birds eat fish, so he figures they’re weird anyway.
From Science Daily:
Researchers have discovered that seabirds, including penguins and albatrosses, have highly-sensitive regions in their beaks that could be used to help them find food. This is the first time this ability has been identified in seabirds.
An international team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, studied over 350 species of modern birds and found that seabirds have a high density of sensory receptors and nerves at the tip of their beaks, which has been previously identified in specialised tactile foragers such as ducks. The researchers say this touch-sensitive region could have come from a common ancestor, and further work is needed to determine whether it serves a specific function in modern birds. Further study of their beaks and food-gathering behaviour could help conserve some of these birds, many of which are at threat of extinction.
In the same way as humans and other primates use their hands, birds use their beaks to interact with the world around them. Some birds have specialised touch-sensitive areas at the tips of their beaks to help them find food, but since this ability has not been widely studied, it's not known how the phenomenon evolved or how widespread it is. ✂️
One group that hasn't been well studied is the large group of seabirds called Austrodyptornithes, which includes albatrosses, petrels, and penguins. Since many of the bird species in this group are critically endangered, understanding how they find their food using their beaks could be a valuable tool to aid in their conservation.
Pet Cat Lost in Yellowstone Travels 800 Miles Toward the City Where Owner Still Had Hope 60 Days Later
Margot chose this story even though it gave her a few nightmares — imagine being lost and trying to get home for two whole months!
From Good News Network:
Rayne Beau resting at home
An incredible story reminiscent of Homeward Bound, recently came out from California—that a cat who had accompanied a family to Yellowstone National Park, was lost there.
Despite the distance of over 800 miles, the cats’ owners got a call two months after the sorrowful trip that their animal had been found in California, not Wyoming.
Benny and Susanne Anguiano have been on many camping trips with their cat Rayne Beau, and were confident that the naturally solitary and self-reliant animal wouldn’t get lost. Visiting Yellowstone, Rayne Beau was startled by something and ran off into the trees not to be seen again, despite Benny and Susanne looking for him every day of their trip. Time ticked by, and eventually, the couple had to make the abhorrent decision to leave.
“We had to leave without him,” Mrs. Anguiano told KSBW News. “That was the hardest day because I felt like I was abandoning him.”
[Watch the video for the happy ending to this amazing story.]
Oregon program helps incarcerated youth and adoptable dogs alike. It’s called Project POOCH.
Rosy knew about Project POOCH and always thought it sounded like a very sweet win-win. She would have been delighted to see it celebrated in this story.
From Oregon Public Broadcasting:
On a warm day in August, a group of young men ran around an indoor training center in Woodburn, laughing and cheering as they encouraged a roughly 4-year-old Siberian Husky named Klondike to chart the agility course. They were focused, taking turns to instruct the dog and reward good behaviors with treats.
Siberian husky Klondike considers a treat, placed by the Project POOCH trainers to encourage him to climb over an A-frame at the Project Pooch training center at MacLaren on Aug. 20, 2024.
Klondike’s been housed at the Project POOCH dog shelter for almost a year, waiting to be adopted. When he first showed up at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility kennel, he wasn’t the same fun, well-behaved dog he is today.
“You couldn’t get near him without him jumping on you and nipping you. He didn’t have any impulse control,” said Chris, one of the incarcerated young people who’s helped train Klondike over the past several months. “Oh my god, he pulls like a freight train.”
Because the youth at MacLaren are juvenile offenders, OPB is only using their first names.
“He’s come a really long way,” Chris said. “And it’s amazing. Knowing that you … take a part in a really big change for him, or for any animal, makes you feel nice.”
Project POOCH’s mission is to teach incarcerated youth responsibility, patience and compassion for all life. The young people learn to train and care for the dogs, as well as how to manage a kennel, while helping the pups find homes out in the community. In the more than 30 years since its founding, hundreds of young people and dogs have been involved.
* * * * *
