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10 tech gifts to help lower loved ones’ stress levels

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Monday, November 25, 2024

With the holiday shopping season approaching, many of us are thinking about buying the latest, most cutting-edge tech gadgets for our loved ones. I’d suggest another direction: Shopping for devices that help reduce stress and cognitive load. Let me explain what I mean. Think about how much of our technology is designed not to be calm. Your car probably has a touchscreen on the dashboard—even though it’s incredibly dangerous and stressful to use while driving. At work, there are typically several devices that are difficult to operate or repair when they break down. And when you go to bed, there’s likely one or more devices emitting a blue light that will disturb your sleep. And that’s not even getting into our smartphones! Fortunately, there are some great tech products out there that do prioritize customer well-being. They also happen to make thoughtful gifts for people in your life. Gifts for Kids Thirty percent of parents have reported high levels of stress compared to 20% of non-parents. These high levels of stress are often passed on to their kids, leaving less time for connection and play. Here are three, parent-approved devices to help reduce stress for both adults and their offspring. OK to Wake – Alarm Clock for Kids, Children’s Sleep Trainer ($39.99): OK to Wake helps kids learn regular sleep routines—thus helping parents enjoy longer sleep periods, too! The product works with gentle, color-coded lights and peaceful alarm sounds (white noise, lullabies, nature, etc.) and employs a low resolution indicator light that informs without overburdening.  Time Timer ($26.95): Time Timer is popular with teachers and parents of kids with autism and ADHD. Featuring a colored disc that gradually disappears as time elapses, it’s often used for productivity, time management, and helping children understand the very concept of time. The gradual disappearance of the colored disk provides a calm, intuitive way to show time passing, especially when placed across a room.  Yoto Player Kids Bluetooth Speaker – Plays Stories, Music, Podcasts, White Noise, Thermometer, Nightlight, Alarm Clock ($99): Offering kids a break from the algorithmic content of YouTube and other social platforms, the Yoto Player plays highly curated bedtime stories, podcasts, and white noise during bedtime. The design is notably child-friendly, with simple controls and a soft LED display that won’t interrupt sleep. The large tactile buttons (a periphery interface) enable usage in the dark without having to turn on the room lights or focus on a bright UI screen.  Gifts for Home/Personal Tech With our daily lives cluttered by distracting devices and app notifications, it’s important to consider products which help create a serene environment. 20x25x1 Air Filter by Colorfil | Color Changing Filters Designed for Cat and Dog Odor ($41.79): Our family pets are soothing; their hair and odors are not. Colorfil’s NASA-originated filter absorbs gas phase chemicals and odors from the air—and literally changes color from pink to yellow as it does so, so you don’t have to set a calendar reminder to change the filter. You can just look at it. Rather than having to check an LED meter or other abstract indicator, you know when the filter is ready to be replaced when it’s turned a bright yellow. AirThing View Plus ($249): Air quality inside the home affects human health, but is often invisible. AirThings makes air quality visible through seven sensors and visualizes them in a calm way. AirThings devices have e-ink display and a colored indicator, compressing information into a glanceable display, while allowing for a detailed view through the app. The battery life is extremely long, while the visual indicator light and e-ink display provides visual cues about air quality without intrusive audible alerts. Bose Headphones 700 – Noise Canceling Bluetooth over-ear headphones ($379.00): Seamlessly removes unwanted environmental noise while enabling you to hear music and take phone calls with perfect crisp audio. Bose uses a reductive design to remove sound from the environment, allowing you to focus on your thoughts and experience music while in noisy places, like on an airplane. Technology should always amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity. Daylight Computer ($729.00): A laptop designed to be used both outdoors and at night without disrupting circadian rhythm, the Daylight Computer (DC-1) represents a paradigm shift in computing devices. This innovative device combines the benefits of digital technology with a more human-friendly interface. And by offering a dedicated space for focused tasks like reading, writing, and note-taking, DC-1 minimizes digital distractions; days of use on a single battery charge reduce the anxiety associated with frequent charging needs. Loop Engage 2 Plus Ear Plugs ($44.95): Crowded parties and other social events can be overwhelming and distracting; these plugs filter out background noise while enabling you to focus on specific conversations you are having. (Note: These items are easy to lose; neurodivergent users might want to place them in a pouch attached to a keychain.) Loop uses the minimum amount of technology to solve the problem, resulting in a small solution that’s easier to use than a squishy foam earplug. NOCO Boost Plus GB40 1000A UltraSafe Car Battery Jump Starter ($99.95): Jumper cables are a necessary but intimidating part of the diving experience. (Where do I put the connectors again? Will I destroy my battery in the process?) I recently used one of these when my car lost its battery life on a road trip. Fortunately, a friend had brought hers, bringing my car back to life long enough to drive to an AutoZone. This model is designed to make a jump start simple, safe, and easy, with clear indicators and instructions on the front, so you can jumpstart your car without fear of misuse. Unpluq (Price varies based on subscription): A simple keychain tag with NFC connectivity, Unpluq “locks” selected apps for a designated time, preventing access unless they’re physically unlocked—giving users a concrete, customizable means to manage their digital habits while maintaining tangible interfaces. With an average screen time reduction of one hour and 22 minutes per day, Unpluq demonstrates lasting behavioral change. True to its intent, Unpluq also requires minimal attention, using a physical key to manage phone access, requiring nominal cognitive effort to engage or disengage from digital distractions. The explosive growth of social media and smartphones, now further amplified by AI, has totally overwhelmed us. But there’s a better, more humane approach to tech that we desperately need now. A good place to start is in our shopping and gift-giving habits.

With the holiday shopping season approaching, many of us are thinking about buying the latest, most cutting-edge tech gadgets for our loved ones. I’d suggest another direction: Shopping for devices that help reduce stress and cognitive load. Let me explain what I mean. Think about how much of our technology is designed not to be calm. Your car probably has a touchscreen on the dashboard—even though it’s incredibly dangerous and stressful to use while driving. At work, there are typically several devices that are difficult to operate or repair when they break down. And when you go to bed, there’s likely one or more devices emitting a blue light that will disturb your sleep. And that’s not even getting into our smartphones! Fortunately, there are some great tech products out there that do prioritize customer well-being. They also happen to make thoughtful gifts for people in your life. Gifts for Kids Thirty percent of parents have reported high levels of stress compared to 20% of non-parents. These high levels of stress are often passed on to their kids, leaving less time for connection and play. Here are three, parent-approved devices to help reduce stress for both adults and their offspring. OK to Wake – Alarm Clock for Kids, Children’s Sleep Trainer ($39.99): OK to Wake helps kids learn regular sleep routines—thus helping parents enjoy longer sleep periods, too! The product works with gentle, color-coded lights and peaceful alarm sounds (white noise, lullabies, nature, etc.) and employs a low resolution indicator light that informs without overburdening.  Time Timer ($26.95): Time Timer is popular with teachers and parents of kids with autism and ADHD. Featuring a colored disc that gradually disappears as time elapses, it’s often used for productivity, time management, and helping children understand the very concept of time. The gradual disappearance of the colored disk provides a calm, intuitive way to show time passing, especially when placed across a room.  Yoto Player Kids Bluetooth Speaker – Plays Stories, Music, Podcasts, White Noise, Thermometer, Nightlight, Alarm Clock ($99): Offering kids a break from the algorithmic content of YouTube and other social platforms, the Yoto Player plays highly curated bedtime stories, podcasts, and white noise during bedtime. The design is notably child-friendly, with simple controls and a soft LED display that won’t interrupt sleep. The large tactile buttons (a periphery interface) enable usage in the dark without having to turn on the room lights or focus on a bright UI screen.  Gifts for Home/Personal Tech With our daily lives cluttered by distracting devices and app notifications, it’s important to consider products which help create a serene environment. 20x25x1 Air Filter by Colorfil | Color Changing Filters Designed for Cat and Dog Odor ($41.79): Our family pets are soothing; their hair and odors are not. Colorfil’s NASA-originated filter absorbs gas phase chemicals and odors from the air—and literally changes color from pink to yellow as it does so, so you don’t have to set a calendar reminder to change the filter. You can just look at it. Rather than having to check an LED meter or other abstract indicator, you know when the filter is ready to be replaced when it’s turned a bright yellow. AirThing View Plus ($249): Air quality inside the home affects human health, but is often invisible. AirThings makes air quality visible through seven sensors and visualizes them in a calm way. AirThings devices have e-ink display and a colored indicator, compressing information into a glanceable display, while allowing for a detailed view through the app. The battery life is extremely long, while the visual indicator light and e-ink display provides visual cues about air quality without intrusive audible alerts. Bose Headphones 700 – Noise Canceling Bluetooth over-ear headphones ($379.00): Seamlessly removes unwanted environmental noise while enabling you to hear music and take phone calls with perfect crisp audio. Bose uses a reductive design to remove sound from the environment, allowing you to focus on your thoughts and experience music while in noisy places, like on an airplane. Technology should always amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity. Daylight Computer ($729.00): A laptop designed to be used both outdoors and at night without disrupting circadian rhythm, the Daylight Computer (DC-1) represents a paradigm shift in computing devices. This innovative device combines the benefits of digital technology with a more human-friendly interface. And by offering a dedicated space for focused tasks like reading, writing, and note-taking, DC-1 minimizes digital distractions; days of use on a single battery charge reduce the anxiety associated with frequent charging needs. Loop Engage 2 Plus Ear Plugs ($44.95): Crowded parties and other social events can be overwhelming and distracting; these plugs filter out background noise while enabling you to focus on specific conversations you are having. (Note: These items are easy to lose; neurodivergent users might want to place them in a pouch attached to a keychain.) Loop uses the minimum amount of technology to solve the problem, resulting in a small solution that’s easier to use than a squishy foam earplug. NOCO Boost Plus GB40 1000A UltraSafe Car Battery Jump Starter ($99.95): Jumper cables are a necessary but intimidating part of the diving experience. (Where do I put the connectors again? Will I destroy my battery in the process?) I recently used one of these when my car lost its battery life on a road trip. Fortunately, a friend had brought hers, bringing my car back to life long enough to drive to an AutoZone. This model is designed to make a jump start simple, safe, and easy, with clear indicators and instructions on the front, so you can jumpstart your car without fear of misuse. Unpluq (Price varies based on subscription): A simple keychain tag with NFC connectivity, Unpluq “locks” selected apps for a designated time, preventing access unless they’re physically unlocked—giving users a concrete, customizable means to manage their digital habits while maintaining tangible interfaces. With an average screen time reduction of one hour and 22 minutes per day, Unpluq demonstrates lasting behavioral change. True to its intent, Unpluq also requires minimal attention, using a physical key to manage phone access, requiring nominal cognitive effort to engage or disengage from digital distractions. The explosive growth of social media and smartphones, now further amplified by AI, has totally overwhelmed us. But there’s a better, more humane approach to tech that we desperately need now. A good place to start is in our shopping and gift-giving habits.

With the holiday shopping season approaching, many of us are thinking about buying the latest, most cutting-edge tech gadgets for our loved ones. I’d suggest another direction: Shopping for devices that help reduce stress and cognitive load. Let me explain what I mean.

Think about how much of our technology is designed not to be calm. Your car probably has a touchscreen on the dashboard—even though it’s incredibly dangerous and stressful to use while driving. At work, there are typically several devices that are difficult to operate or repair when they break down. And when you go to bed, there’s likely one or more devices emitting a blue light that will disturb your sleep. And that’s not even getting into our smartphones!

Fortunately, there are some great tech products out there that do prioritize customer well-being. They also happen to make thoughtful gifts for people in your life.

Gifts for Kids

Thirty percent of parents have reported high levels of stress compared to 20% of non-parents. These high levels of stress are often passed on to their kids, leaving less time for connection and play. Here are three, parent-approved devices to help reduce stress for both adults and their offspring.

  • OK to Wake – Alarm Clock for Kids, Children’s Sleep Trainer ($39.99): OK to Wake helps kids learn regular sleep routines—thus helping parents enjoy longer sleep periods, too! The product works with gentle, color-coded lights and peaceful alarm sounds (white noise, lullabies, nature, etc.) and employs a low resolution indicator light that informs without overburdening. 
  • Time Timer ($26.95): Time Timer is popular with teachers and parents of kids with autism and ADHD. Featuring a colored disc that gradually disappears as time elapses, it’s often used for productivity, time management, and helping children understand the very concept of time. The gradual disappearance of the colored disk provides a calm, intuitive way to show time passing, especially when placed across a room. 
  • Yoto Player Kids Bluetooth Speaker – Plays Stories, Music, Podcasts, White Noise, Thermometer, Nightlight, Alarm Clock ($99): Offering kids a break from the algorithmic content of YouTube and other social platforms, the Yoto Player plays highly curated bedtime stories, podcasts, and white noise during bedtime. The design is notably child-friendly, with simple controls and a soft LED display that won’t interrupt sleep. The large tactile buttons (a periphery interface) enable usage in the dark without having to turn on the room lights or focus on a bright UI screen. 

Gifts for Home/Personal Tech

With our daily lives cluttered by distracting devices and app notifications, it’s important to consider products which help create a serene environment.

  • 20x25x1 Air Filter by Colorfil | Color Changing Filters Designed for Cat and Dog Odor ($41.79): Our family pets are soothing; their hair and odors are not. Colorfil’s NASA-originated filter absorbs gas phase chemicals and odors from the air—and literally changes color from pink to yellow as it does so, so you don’t have to set a calendar reminder to change the filter. You can just look at it. Rather than having to check an LED meter or other abstract indicator, you know when the filter is ready to be replaced when it’s turned a bright yellow.
  • AirThing View Plus ($249): Air quality inside the home affects human health, but is often invisible. AirThings makes air quality visible through seven sensors and visualizes them in a calm way. AirThings devices have e-ink display and a colored indicator, compressing information into a glanceable display, while allowing for a detailed view through the app. The battery life is extremely long, while the visual indicator light and e-ink display provides visual cues about air quality without intrusive audible alerts.
  • Bose Headphones 700 – Noise Canceling Bluetooth over-ear headphones ($379.00): Seamlessly removes unwanted environmental noise while enabling you to hear music and take phone calls with perfect crisp audio. Bose uses a reductive design to remove sound from the environment, allowing you to focus on your thoughts and experience music while in noisy places, like on an airplane. Technology should always amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity.
  • Daylight Computer ($729.00): A laptop designed to be used both outdoors and at night without disrupting circadian rhythm, the Daylight Computer (DC-1) represents a paradigm shift in computing devices. This innovative device combines the benefits of digital technology with a more human-friendly interface. And by offering a dedicated space for focused tasks like reading, writing, and note-taking, DC-1 minimizes digital distractions; days of use on a single battery charge reduce the anxiety associated with frequent charging needs.
  • Loop Engage 2 Plus Ear Plugs ($44.95): Crowded parties and other social events can be overwhelming and distracting; these plugs filter out background noise while enabling you to focus on specific conversations you are having. (Note: These items are easy to lose; neurodivergent users might want to place them in a pouch attached to a keychain.) Loop uses the minimum amount of technology to solve the problem, resulting in a small solution that’s easier to use than a squishy foam earplug.
  • NOCO Boost Plus GB40 1000A UltraSafe Car Battery Jump Starter ($99.95): Jumper cables are a necessary but intimidating part of the diving experience. (Where do I put the connectors again? Will I destroy my battery in the process?) I recently used one of these when my car lost its battery life on a road trip. Fortunately, a friend had brought hers, bringing my car back to life long enough to drive to an AutoZone. This model is designed to make a jump start simple, safe, and easy, with clear indicators and instructions on the front, so you can jumpstart your car without fear of misuse.
  • Unpluq (Price varies based on subscription): A simple keychain tag with NFC connectivity, Unpluq “locks” selected apps for a designated time, preventing access unless they’re physically unlocked—giving users a concrete, customizable means to manage their digital habits while maintaining tangible interfaces. With an average screen time reduction of one hour and 22 minutes per day, Unpluq demonstrates lasting behavioral change. True to its intent, Unpluq also requires minimal attention, using a physical key to manage phone access, requiring nominal cognitive effort to engage or disengage from digital distractions.

The explosive growth of social media and smartphones, now further amplified by AI, has totally overwhelmed us. But there’s a better, more humane approach to tech that we desperately need now. A good place to start is in our shopping and gift-giving habits.

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Plastics lobbyists make up biggest group at vital UN treaty talks

Fossil fuel and chemical industry representatives outnumber those of the EU or host country South KoreaRecord numbers of plastic industry lobbyists are attending global talks that are the last chance to hammer out a treaty to cut plastic pollution across the world.The key issue at the conference will be whether caps on global plastic production will be included in the final UN treaty. Lobbyists and leading national producers are furiously arguing against any attempt to restrain the amount that can be produced, leaving the talks on a knife-edge. Continue reading...

Record numbers of plastic industry lobbyists are attending global talks that are the last chance to hammer out a treaty to cut plastic pollution across the world.The key issue at the conference will be whether caps on global plastic production will be included in the final UN treaty. Lobbyists and leading national producers are furiously arguing against any attempt to restrain the amount that can be produced, leaving the talks on a knife-edge.New analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) shows 220 fossil fuel and chemical industry representatives, more plastic producers than ever, are represented at the UN talks in Busan, South Korea.Taken as a group, they would be the biggest delegation at the talks, with more plastic industry lobbyists than representatives from the EU and each of its member states, (191) or the host country, South Korea, (140), according to the Centre for International Environmental Law. Their numbers overwhelm the 89 delegates from the Pacific small island developing states (PSIDs), countries which are among those suffering the most from plastic pollution.Sixteen lobbyists from the plastics industry are at the talks as part of country delegations. China, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia all have industry vested interests within their delegations, the analysis shows. The plastic producer representatives also outnumber delegates from the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty by three to one.Approximately 460m tonnes of plastics are produced annually, and production is set to triple by 2060 under business-as-usual growth rates.More than 900 independent scientists have signed a declaration calling UN negotiators to agree on a comprehensive and ambitious global plastics treaty, based on robust scientific evidence, to end plastic pollution by 2040.According to the Scientists’ Declaration, the harm caused by plastic pollution cannot be prevented by improvements in waste management alone.But the world’s plastic producers have lobbied repeatedly against caps. Countries with large fossil fuel industries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran, called the “like-minded” group, have eschewed production cuts and emphasised waste management as the main solution to the crisis.Delphine Levi Alvares, the global petrochemical campaign coordinator at CIEL, said: “From the moment the gavel came down … to now, we have watched industry lobbyists surrounding the negotiations with sadly well-known tactics of obstruction, distraction, intimidation, and misinformation.“Their strategy – lifted straight from the climate negotiations playbook – is designed to preserve the financial interests of countries and companies who are putting their fossil-fuelled profits above human health, human rights, and the future of the planet.”She said the mandate for the treaty was clear: to end plastic pollution.“Ever-growing evidence from independent scientists, frontline communities, and Indigenous peoples clearly shows that this won’t be achieved without reducing plastic production. The choice is clear: our lives or their bottom line.”skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionGraham Forbes, the head of Greenpeace’s delegation, said: “The analysis exposes a desperate industry willing to sacrifice our planet and poison our children to protect its profits. Fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbyists, aided by a handful of member states, must not dictate the outcome of these critical negotiations.“The moral, economic, and scientific imperatives are clear: by the end of the week, member states must deliver a global plastics treaty that prioritises human health and a livable planet over CEO payouts.”Plastic waste has more than doubled, from 156m tonnes in 2000 to 353m tonnes in 2019, and only 9% was ultimately recycled, according to an OECD report.The Guardian and Unearthed revealed last week that five fossil fuel and chemical companies, who formed a voluntary alliance to end plastic waste, have produced 1,000 times more new plastic than the waste they have cleared in five years.Two of those five companies, Dow and Exxon Mobil, some of the world’s biggest producers of plastic, are among the best represented plastic industry lobbyists at the Busan talks, with five and four delegates respectively.

Chemicals
Pollution
Climate

Where Do Butterflies Migrate From? Clues Can Be Found in Pollen on Their Bodies

Trillions of insects move around the globe each year. Scientists are working on new ways to map those long-distance journeys

A painted lady perches on a flower. Ennio Borgato / iNaturalist CC By-SA 4.0 On a warm summer morning in Ypres, Belgium, 66-year-old Sylvain Cuvelier steps into his blooming garden with his 14-year-old granddaughter, hoping to identify and count all the fluttering butterflies. Other days, he helps scientists by netting butterfly samples. Then he records each sighting’s location using GPS, logs them in his Excel database and sometimes sends the samples to his academic colleagues, who will analyze pollen grains clinging to the insects’ bodies. Those tiny pollen grains, gathered by citizen scientists like Cuvelier, are helping researchers study a process that until now has been largely inscrutable: the migratory patterns of insects as they move around the globe over the course of multiple generations. Using pollen, scientists have been able to identify where individual butterflies began their journeys, and even infer the events that likely triggered their migration. The knowledge may help conservationists better understand some of the effects of climate change—not only on the insects themselves, but also on their migrations and the ecosystems they inhabit. A lot of insects spend their whole lives in one place. Many others migrate, as many birds do, to avoid harsh weather, to find food or to breed. Some estimates suggest that trillions of insects migrate across the globe each year, yet scientists know little about where they go or how they get there. Tracking insect migration is not as straightforward as tracking birds or mammals. With birds, “you can attach a ring to the leg or use radio tracking, and it’s easy to prove that they move from point A to B,” says Tomasz Suchan, a molecular ecologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow. But most insects are too small for these techniques to be successful. In North America, researchers have had some success tracking monarch butterflies, known for their remarkable migration from southern Canada and the northern United States to central Mexico. In the early 1990s, the Monarch Watch citizen science initiative began tagging butterflies around the Rocky Mountains. Over two million monarchs have been tagged, with more than 19,000 recoveries reported in Mexico, where monarchs congregate to roost for the winter. This has helped biologists to track their migration routes. Butterflies without such well-defined aggregations are more difficult to track, however. For example, painted lady butterflies often appear in Europe in the fall, sometimes in great abundance. “Then they disappear, and we don’t really know where they go,” says Gerard Talavera, an entomologist at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona. Some years back, Talavera and his team realized they might be able to track the butterflies indirectly, by studying the pollen that accumulates on their bodies. Every time a butterfly visits a flower for a sip of nectar, it also picks up grains of pollen. If the researchers could identify plants from their pollen, confirm where and when the plants were blooming, and keep tracing them as the butterflies reached different geographic regions, perhaps they could follow the butterflies’ overall journey. “The method is like we put a GPS on them,” Talavera says. “Because we cannot do that, this is the closest we can go.” Pollen migratory maps The scientists were able to test the idea in 2019, when painted ladies experienced one of their sporadic population booms. In March of that year, as swarms of the butterflies appeared in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, the citizen scientists netted butterfly samples, then preserved them in an alcohol mixture and shipped them to Talavera’s lab. There, researchers isolated the pollen grains attached to the butterflies’ bodies and sequenced a particular stretch of the pollen DNA that offers a unique signature for each plant species, a process known as metabarcoding. All the while, citizen scientists kept netting butterfly samples as the population surge gradually spread through eastern, northern and western Europe over the following months, reaching southern Morocco in early November. Analyzing pollen collected from 264 butterflies from ten different countries in seven months, the researchers identified 398 different plants they could use to track the butterflies’ movements backward through the year. From this, they found that swarms of butterflies observed in Russia, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries were likely the offspring of butterflies originating from the surge in Arabia and the Middle East. This appears to have spread to Eastern Europe, then Scandinavia and then to Western Europe, resulting in a noticeable population boom in the United Kingdom, France and Spain. From there, the butterflies may have migrated to southern Morocco, likely continuing on to tropical Africa to complete their annual cycle. The pollen record even suggested a reason why painted ladies suddenly became so abundant in 2019. Butterflies collected from the eastern Mediterranean, right in the beginning of the population spike, were carrying pollen from plant species found primarily in semi-arid shrublands, grasslands and salt marshes of northern Arabia and the Middle East. Examining satellite images, the researchers noticed that from December 2018 to April 2019, those plants experienced big boosts in growth following a period of unusually heavy rainfall. That burst of growth, the researchers speculate, may have provided ideal conditions for the butterflies to feed and breed, kicking off the population explosion and leaving a ripple effect that affected many generations. Talavera and his team have used pollen signatures to track other butterfly movements as well. In 2013, for example, painted lady butterflies had been found resting on the coast of South America, in French Guiana. Painted ladies don’t normally live in South America, and it was a mystery where they had come from. A decade later, Talavera’s team sampled pollen from the still-preserved butterfly bodies and found that Guiera senegalensis, a common plant found only in sub-Saharan Africa, was by far the most common type of pollen attached to these butterflies. By analyzing coastal surveys, wind patterns, pollen and environmental conditions, they confirmed that the butterflies probably crossed the Atlantic in up to eight days’ worth of continuous flight from Africa. This finding marked the first verified instance of an insect crossing the Atlantic. “The use of pollen metabarcoding to track where each generation of butterflies comes from and how they progress through the cycle is super novel,” says Christine Merlin, a biologist at Texas A&M University and co-author of an article on the neurobiology of butterfly migration in the Annual Review of Entomology. Because it identifies individual plant species, she notes, this method promises greater precision than the standard method, isotope signature analysis, which tracks regional variations in the insects’ chemical makeup. While painted ladies serve as a model system for understanding insect migration, researchers say they are confident that this method could be suited for tracking other migrating pollinators that actively visit flowers to collect nectar, including other butterflies, syrphid flies, wasps, beetles and moths. Tracking migration routes of insects could be of growing importance in the face of changing climate, because such insects can carry fungal diseases in addition to pollen. In fact, Suchan detected many species of fungi in some butterflies. Approximately 1,000 fungi are known to affect insects, and over 19,000 can affect crops. Thus, migrating insects could potentially spread these fungal diseases across continents, posing risks to ecosystems and economies. Talavera, Suchan and colleagues hope that using pollen signatures to map changing migration patterns could help to predict where fungal disease outbreaks might occur. Cuvelier, meanwhile, hopes to continue counting butterflies with his granddaughter. Ecologists will increasingly need more “big data” to understand large-scale phenomena, he says. Without citizen scientists, he says, “it is impossible for researchers to gather such databases.” Besides, he adds, young people have more to learn from citizen science than just how to catch a butterfly. “They learn about nature,” he says, “and this fosters curiosity in the world.”Knowable Magazine is an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews. Get the latest Science stories in your inbox.

Chemicals
Climate
Conservation

Wildfire Smoke Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia

The particles that make up wildfire smoke may raise the risk of dementia even more than similar airborne pollutants from other sources

November 26, 20243 min readWildfire Smoke Linked to Increased Risk of DementiaThe particles that make up wildfire smoke may raise the risk of dementia even more than similar airborne pollutants from other sourcesBy Chelsea Harvey & E&E NewsA firefighter is surrounded by heavy smoke as he battles the advancing Silverado Fire fueled by Santa Ana winds at the 241 toll road and Portola Parkway on October 26, 2020 in Irvine, California. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | Wildfire smoke can aggravate a variety of medical conditions, from asthma to heart disease.Now, new research adds another worry to the mix. It can elevate the risk of dementia.A study published Monday in the scientific journal JAMA Neurology, finds that long-term exposure to smoke concentrations is associated with a higher risk of dementia diagnosis over time. For every one microgram increase in wildfire pollution per cubic meter of air over the course of a three-year period, the odds of dementia diagnosis rise by about 18 percent, the study finds.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.That’s compared with each person’s baseline risk of dementia diagnosis, which remains relatively low among the general population. Still, the increased risks are large enough to pose a public health concern.The study focuses on a form of air pollution known as particulate matter — tiny, inhalable particles, with diameters of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. This kind of air pollution can originate from a variety of sources, including automobiles, industrial sources and fires.Previous studies already have suggested that particulate matter can increase the risk of dementia, among other health problems. The new research zooms in specifically on particles produced by wildfire smoke, which can have different chemical and physical properties than particles produced by other sources.The study examined medical records from more than 1 million people in Southern California from 2008 to 2019, all part of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California medical care consortium. It also analyzed air quality records from the same time period to estimate long-term pollution concentrations, including particles stemming directly from wildfire smoke.The study found that wildfire smoke increases the risk of dementia significantly more than particulate matter from other sources. There are several reasons that could be the case, the researchers say.Wildfire smoke particles tend to have higher concentrations of molecules known for toxic or inflammatory properties. And wildfire smoke tends to spike at certain times of the year, compared with other kinds of air pollution — intermittently exposing communities to extremely high pollution concentrations, which may have greater effects on their health.The study also found that certain demographics are at higher risk than others, including people with lower incomes and people of color, including Black, Hispanic and Asian communities.Low-income communities often are at higher risk of exposure to air pollution, the researchers note. Lower quality housing in these communities may allow particulate matter to infiltrate homes more easily, and residents may have less access to air filtration systems.Marginalized groups also may contend with more health challenges, in part because of systemic discrimination, compounding their risks of developing dementia later in life.“We know that climate change impacts the most vulnerable communities first and worst and we appear to see a similar signal in our data,” said Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist and co-author of the new study, in an email to POLITICO'S E&E News.Policymakers can take certain steps to protect these vulnerable communities, she added. They can make sure that all communications about public health are issued in multiple languages. And they can push for policies aimed at combating climate change, reducing other sources of air pollution and mitigating wildfires through strategies such as science-based controlled burns.Meanwhile, there are other questions that scientists can examine in future research.The new study looked at dementia of all kinds. But future studies can investigate whether certain types of conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have stronger ties to wildfire smoke than others.The research team is also “very curious” about the effects of multiple climate hazards working together, Casey added. If wildfires happen to coincide with power outages, for instance, that could restrict the ability of many households to use air filtration systems — potentially worsening their health risks.These kinds of questions are growing more urgent as the effects of climate change worsen. Recent research has found that about a quarter of all particulate matter pollution in the United States comes from wildfire smoke. And in parts of the Western U.S., smoke is responsible for as much as half.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

Chemicals
Climate
Energy

The Guardian view on cruise ships: a licence to pollute | Editorial

The environmental harm caused by this shapeshifting, underregulated industry must be tackledLocal pushback against cruise ships in the world’s top tourist destinations is nothing new. More than three years ago, these vast vessels were barred from Venice’s lagoon on grounds of the risk they posed to the city’s historic buildings. This summer, cruise ships in Amsterdam and Barcelona were targeted by protesters, on grounds of chemical pollution but also as part of a wider movement against overtourism (as the negative impacts of huge influxes of visitors have become known). But – as revealed this week in a series of Guardian articles, The real cost of cruises – the environmental and social impact of this fast-growing industry goes way beyond individual cities, and requires action on a global scale.The carbon emissions of a cruise are roughly double that of the equivalent flights plus a hotel stay. The industry is also responsible for a vast quantity of waste discharged directly into the sea, as well as high levels of toxic air pollution in the ports where ships are docked – usually with their engines running. Once seen as the exclusive pursuit of a minority of wealthy retired people, these holidays are now mainstream, with vast floating resorts designed and marketed for families and young adults. The largest ships have up to 20 floors and room for several thousand people. Continue reading...

Local pushback against cruise ships in the world’s top tourist destinations is nothing new. More than three years ago, these vast vessels were barred from Venice’s lagoon on grounds of the risk they posed to the city’s historic buildings. This summer, cruise ships in Amsterdam and Barcelona were targeted by protesters, on grounds of chemical pollution but also as part of a wider movement against overtourism (as the negative impacts of huge influxes of visitors have become known). But – as revealed this week in a series of Guardian articles, The real cost of cruises – the environmental and social impact of this fast-growing industry goes way beyond individual cities, and requires action on a global scale.The carbon emissions of a cruise are roughly double that of the equivalent flights plus a hotel stay. The industry is also responsible for a vast quantity of waste discharged directly into the sea, as well as high levels of toxic air pollution in the ports where ships are docked – usually with their engines running. Once seen as the exclusive pursuit of a minority of wealthy retired people, these holidays are now mainstream, with vast floating resorts designed and marketed for families and young adults. The largest ships have up to 20 floors and room for several thousand people.With numerous new vessels under construction, and the latest models twice the size of older ones, the industry is predicted to be worth nearly 4% of the £1.9tn global holiday market by 2028. Rightly, environmental campaigners are calling for much tougher regulations.Like aviation, shipping in general has benefited from lenient environmental and tax rules – partly due to the difficulty of deciding in which national jurisdiction, and under whose regulatory regime, their activities belong. The EU has recently agreed new penalties for those that use dirty fuel. But in the UK, shipping has not so far been included in the emissions reductions plans submitted to the United Nations – though this should change when these are renewed. The International Maritime Organization’s own carbon reduction targets do not put it on a path to net zero or even the 1.5C average temperature rise allowed for in the Paris climate agreement.As with aviation, there is an urgent need for increased international cooperation and agreement. Cruise companies should not be able to operate with lower environmental standards than other kinds of travel businesses. Their track record is poor, with many opting to fit “scrubbers” that dump emissions into the sea when they were told to reduce air pollution. In future, the ocean, as well as the air, must be protected when rules are tightened.As in other industries, the development and adoption of green technologies must become compulsory, not optional. One example is the currently patchy use of shoreside electricity, which is much lower-carbon than on-board power. The green taxes being discussed in relation to air travel should also be imposed on cruises. If this means that the industry’s plans for rapid further expansion are checked, that would be for the best. In its current form, it is not only unsustainable but causing disproportionate harm by comparison with other forms of tourism, including air travel. The environmental costs of the hedonistic visions it promotes – trips of a lifetime, and so on – must also be more effectively communicated. Trading on images of paradise while doing so much damage cannot carry on.

Chemicals
Pollution
Waste

How a dwindling helium supply is impacting public land management

A new BLM plan for western Colorado makes a priority of helium production, worrying environmentalists.

In October, the Bureau of Land Management finalized a new resource management plan for Colorado’s Western Slope that will determine how 2 million acres of public land are managed for the next 15-20 years.  The plan includes some conservation wins; it sets aside land designated as critical habitat, for example, and institutes extra protections for big game. But it also permits continued leasing in areas that have moderate and high potential for oil and gas development — with a particular focus on places with the unique geological conditions necessary for helium production. Helium is a noble gas, meaning it is chemically inert and doesn’t react with other substances. These qualities mean that it’s in high demand for a variety of critical uses in medical technology, diving and national defense; diagnostic procedures like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for example, and nuclear detection systems, including neutron detectors, all depend on helium. Currently, there are no synthetic substitutes for the gas that can replicate its low boiling point and low reactivity.  While some helium is reused in some scientific areas, broader adoption of recycling is still limited by cost and infrastructure barriers. Some biotech companies are developing helium-free MRI systems and systems that use helium reclamation units, but helium remains an essential resource that many technologies need. And the world’s supply of the gas is rapidly dwindling.  Sections of the Book Cliffs north of Grand Junction, Colorado, are identified as a low-potential gas drilling area, but also have helium drilling potential. Luna Anna Archey/High Country News with support from EcoFlight This scarcity has put increasing pressure on federal public lands to produce a resource essential to industry and national security. Helium is nonrecoverable: Once it’s released, it escapes into the atmosphere and eventually into space. According to the BLM, it is “a nonrenewable resource found in recoverable quantities in only a few locations around the world; many of these are being depleted.”  In its final plan for western Colorado, the BLM proposes closing 543,300 acres in the Grand Junction Field Office to oil and gas leasing, but keeping 692,300 open, including about 165,700 acres that have been identified for helium recovery. A BLM spokesperson said that the nation’s shrinking helium reserves influenced the management plan: “The final decision on this plan to keep the helium area open to future leasing was based on helium’s rarity and strategic importance.” Keely Meehan, policy director for the Colorado Wildlands Project, a nonprofit focused on protecting public lands managed by the BLM, criticized the plan for prioritizing resource extraction over preserving critical habitat.  “The environmental impacts and the impact to habitat and species is the same as for oil and gas,” said Meehan. “It disrupts habitat connectivity.” The sensitive areas in question include migration corridors and seasonal ranges essential for species such as mule deer, elk, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, as well as habitat that the threatened Gunnison sage grouse relies on for breeding, nesting and feeding.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, which conducted a survey of helium resources across the country, there is plenty of recoverable helium available — approximately 306 billion cubic feet, or about 150 years of supply at the 2020 U.S. production level, which comes to about 2.15 billion cubic feet annually. It’s unclear how much of that helium is found on federal public lands. Helium tends to occur naturally in natural gas reservoirs, and since federal public lands in the West account for a significant share of natural gas production, much of the U.S.’s helium reserves likely reside on public lands.  Some rural western Colorado communities, many of which have historically depended on resource extraction, welcome the prospect of ongoing helium production. The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC), a council of city and county governments in that part of the state, advocated for opening the area to helium extraction in public comments to the agency, citing the potential economic benefits.  “Helium possesses substantial economic potential and could potentially serve as a vital resource in supporting communities grappling with impending economic challenges,” the AGNC wrote in the comments.  Read Next Will exploratory lithium mining in Arizona continue near a sacred hot spring? Maya L. Kapoor Other communities disagree, however, and the plan revealed the ongoing tension between rural communities that depend on resource extraction and those that rely on outdoor recreation, such as Pitkin and Eagle counties. The Mountain Pact, a coalition of local elected officials from over 100 mountain communities with outdoor recreation-based economies, argued in public comments that leaving the helium leases open would be detrimental to the natural resources that attract tourism dollars and investment. “Protected public lands are tremendous assets to Western Colorado communities,” the Mountain Pact wrote to the BLM in a public comment. “They play a critical role in our way of life. They help make the communities where we live what they are while contributing to a healthier and better tomorrow for future generations. In addition to the on-the-ground impacts of helium production, which echo those of natural gas extraction, opponents also brought up concerns about processing. Helium is separated from natural gas through a cryogenic process that uses cooling and pressure changes, which require energy, often from natural gas.  Western Colorado currently lacks a facility that can process helium, however, and conservationists fear that building one, together with the necessary roads and other infrastructure, would disrupt wildlife habitat and potentially remove some parcels from consideration for future wilderness protections.  “We’re really concerned about these wild places,” said Meehan, “and protecting areas that are currently not developed. There are really high-priority wildlands in this area, as well as high-priority habitat.” This story was originally published by Grist with the headline How a dwindling helium supply is impacting public land management on Nov 24, 2024.

Chemicals
Conservation
Energy

Suggested Viewing

We Trees

Ever wonder what trees think of us now that we have created a climate disaster? This 2-minute film answers that question. As Bill McKibben recently tweeted about the film, “Who speaks for trees? In this short and elegant video, the trees themselves.” It has been screened at Green Fest (Serbia), The Colorado Environmental Film Festival, The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival and Winner of Merit at the Nature Without Borders Film Festival.

Forests
Chemicals
Climate

928 The Threat Continues...

Since the 1950s deadly nuclear fallout has threatened millions of Americans from nuclear fallout carried east in the atmosphere across the United States, from the Nevada Test Site. “928 The Threat Continues...” tells the story of massive contamination from concentrated nuclear fallout that rained down during heavy storms, on communities and major cities for 40 years. Hundreds of thousands of cancer cases and deaths were the result. The Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Energy knew the truth, but covered it up. Multiple generations may still face the long-term affects. Through current interviews with scientific experts and surviving victims across the country, plus footage from historic interviews with victims, whistle-blower scientists and journalists, we tell the devastating story of those affected by the deadly radioactive fallout. In Act 3, obscure government videos from US government websites reveal that the threat of cancer death to Americans from Nevada Test Site contamination continues even today! NTS has been renamed, the Nevada National Security Site or NNSS. Presidential administrations from Harry Truman to the present day have kept the highly contaminated former Nevada Test Site operating. Donald Trump while in office ordered the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy to start testing newly designed battlefield nuclear weapons at the NNSS despite the existence of The Non-Proliferation Treaty – 1970. Not withstanding the treaty, the extremely reckless aboveground testing area at the NNSS called Big Explosives Experimental Facility or B.E.E.F. tests non-nuclear bombs that send tons of highly contaminated nuclear dirt 10,000 feet into the atmosphere where the winds carry it east. It needs to be stopped now! The film asks viewers to inform their congressman and vote.

Chemicals
Crisis
Government

Lead in the Land

Lead in the Land is a documentary focusing on the harsh reality and far-reaching effects of lead poisoning, an invisible and insidious threat afflicting thousands of children in the United States. The film sheds light on the circumstances around lead poisoning, examining its causes, effects and potential solutions.

Chemicals
Social Justice
Health

Bag It

Bag It examines our society’s use and abuse of plastic. The theme of the film focuses on plastic as it relates to our society’s throw away mentality, our culture of convenience, and our over consumption of throwaway products and packaging—things that we use one time and then, without another thought, we throw them away. Bag It offers a candid view of the disturbing realities of our culture. And, it suggests concrete solutions to our plastic addiction. The film will raise public awareness on the many issues related to plastic and inspire change, both on the individual level and on the public policy level.

Chemicals
Waste
Culture

The Story of Plastic

A searing expose uncovering the ugly truth behind the global plastic pollution crisis. Striking footage shot over three continents illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash; rivers and seas clogged with waste; and skies choked with poisons from plastic production and recycling processes with no end in sight. Original animations, interviews with experts and activists, and never-before-filmed scenes reveal the disastrous consequences of the plastic flood around the world – and the global movement rising up in response.

Chemicals
Pollution
Crisis

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