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Dylan Thomas Boathouse Triumphs in ‘Win an Architect’ Initiative
The initiative seeks out the most innovative client briefs and architectural proposals that enhance, showcase, and celebrate culture outside London. A design concept worth up to £12,000, devised by Wignall & Moore’s award-winning RIBA Chartered architects, is the grand prize for the lucky winner.
The Boathouse, perched on a cliff overlooking the Taf estuary, was the residence of renowned Welsh poet Dylan Thomas during the final four years of his life. It is here that he penned some of his most significant works, including parts of “Under Milk Wood.” Today, the Boathouse is a member of CofGâr, the Carmarthenshire County Council museums and arts service, attracting visitors from around the world.
The design concept prize aims to make the Boathouse more accessible and enhance visitor experience by reimagining its entrance, expanding indoor space, and utilising the old Harbour’s potential.
Councillor Hazel Evans, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport, and Tourism, expressed her enthusiasm:
“Securing the ‘Win an Architect’ prize is a great achievement for the Dylan Thomas Boathouse and CofGâr. This support will help us improve the visitor experience while preserving the Boathouse’s unique character.”
AdvertisementThe partnership with Wignall & Moore will extend through 2025, focusing on sustainable enhancements that respect the historical importance of the Boathouse and preserve its legacy for future generations.
A free creative writing workshop with award-winning poet and playwright Menna Elfyn was held on 25 January, kicking off a yearlong series of events and workshops which will be held at the Boathouse. Share your ideas and help shape the future of this unique space. Secure your spot in advance on the CofGâr website.
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#Synchron collabs with #Nvidia on #AI in #BCI tech https://www.massdevice.com/synchron-nvidia-collab-ai-bci-tech/ "Synchron wants to enhance real-time edge AI capabilities for on-device neural processing."
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#Synchron collabs with #Nvidia on #AI in #BCI tech www.massdevice.com/synchron-nvi... "Synchron wants to enhance real-time edge AI capabilities for on-device neural processing."
Synchron collabs with Nvidia o... -
Total Maniac – Love Overdrive Review By Grin ReaperClouds of smoke obscure your view of the stage, where amps are littered with empty glass bottles. The scents of sweat and spilled beer dance in your nostrils as five long-haired reprobates clad in denim and leather walk onto the stage, a swagger in their step and street tough bravado oozing from their pores. Looking to take in a show whilst sitting on your ass? Get fucked. Total Maniac expects you to be on your feet and moving, and if you’re not ready for that, why are you even here? These boys from Baltimore play a raucous brand of classic rock-meets-speed metal that lives somewhere between Motörhead, Mötley Crüe, and Ted Nugent, delivering no-frills cheap thrills on sophomore effort Love Overdrive. So slap on your battle vest and steel-toe boots—when adrenaline starts to flow, and you’re thrashing all around, you’ve gotta be prepared to act like a Total Maniac.
Compared to Total Maniac’s self-titled debut, Love Overdrive veers more into the trad metal/rock ‘n’ roll lane than Total Maniac’s thrash ‘n’ roll stylings. While both albums showcase Total Maniac’s snotty disregard for authority and decorum, Total Maniac dedicated more attention to thrashy chugs and barked vocals. On Love Overdrive, the focus centers on sticky leads and hooky riffs over palm-muted riffing and abrasive grit. Love Overdrive also tones down what passed for technicality on their debut. Not that Total Maniac doesn’t host capable musicians, but there are moments across the album where guitars and vocals sound like they’re pushing just past their ability. Despite that, Love Overdrive features an enthusiastic embrace of freewheeling sin-dealing that’s easy to appreciate.
What Total Maniac lacks in virtuosic prowess, they make up in impish pluck. With only twenty-seven minutes on tap, Love Overdrive never feels phoned in. Each moment sounds crafted to maximize fist-pumping carnage, from the “Panama”-meets-“Wild Side” riffing in “Love Overdrive” to the Phil Campbell-inspired soloing toward the end of “Flatline.” It’s unclear which of Total Maniac’s guitarists takes the lead at any given point, but both Mike Brown and Nick Etson lay down earworm after earworm, frequently breaking away for a quick solo before snapping back to let vocalist Diamond Dustin regale you about hard living, hard loving, and hard rocking. Double-D doesn’t lack conviction, although his upper range sometimes gets away from him. It’s not a deal-breaker, as this sort of rowdy street metal lends itself to imperfect performances that enhance its DIY charm, but piercing falsettos occasionally hit like a sour King Diamond. As for the rhythm section, drummer Vaughn Volkman does a commendable job keeping Love Overdrive’s eight tracks on the rails, but it’s bassist Ben Martin who steals the show. His beefy grumbles and well-mixed countermelodies offset Total Maniac’s dual-guitar attack, creating a well-balanced stringed menace that defines my favorite aspect of Love Overdrive.
Though Total Maniac bleeds authenticity and fun, Love Overdrive does little to stake an identity that hasn’t already been claimed. Many of the riffs seem like variations on Mötley Crüe’s 80s heyday, with “Early Grave” echoing the main motif from “Kickstart My Heart” and the intro from “Set Fire to the Sun” hitting the same mid-paced groove and brief bass sustains as “Shout at the Devil.” The mid-song break in “Drinkin’ Our Way to Hell” even reminds me of Nugent’s crackpot rant towards the end of “Wango Tango.” In this way, Love Overdrive feels like a step back from Total Maniac, which was rougher around the edges, but better defined a unique voice for the band.
Total Maniac does a fantastic job of harnessing the spirit of the music I grew up listening to, but Love Overdrive rarely captures moments that achieve the promise of their inspirations. Fun abounds, and the music encourages beer-chugging shenanigans with a shit-eating grin, yet in the end Total Maniac leaves me wanting to revisit songs I already know rather than learn these new ones. Even so, it’s a quick listen worthy of a spin for anyone craving new material harkening to simpler times. I look forward to hearing where Total Maniac ventures next, and I hope they find a way to continue celebrating the glory of the past while sending their future into Overdrive.
Rating: Mixed
#25 #2026 #AmericanMetal #HardRock #HeavyMetal #KingDiamond #LoveOverdrive #Mar26 #MotleyCrue #Motörhead #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #SelfReleases #SpeedMetal #TedNugent #ThrashMetal #TotalManiac #VanHalen
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Cave Sermon – Fragile Wings Review
By Thus Spoke
For the second year in a row, I was blindsided by a silent Cave Sermon drop. At least it didn’t take me 11 months to catch up this time.1 Album number three, Fragile Wings, sees Charlie Parks returning as a solo act, but now handling vocals on top of everything else. This latter is a welcome development, given how well the previous record proved vocals complement and enhance the unique musical style. After Divine Laughter blew my socks off and nonchalantly pushed its way to the top half of my 2024 year-end list, a follow-up so soon filled me with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Surely he couldn’t do it again? But, of course, he has.
Fragile Wings is instantly recognisable as Cave Sermon, but rather than simply being Divine Laughter part two—not that I would have complained about that—it is tonally quite different. Different, but with the same dreamlike longing at its core. Whereas its predecessor felt nihilistic and angry, Fragile Wings is a little more vulnerable, a little sadder, and more wistful. This shines through the now more prominent melodies, which feel playful and exuberant, in the beguiling way that characterises Cave Sermon’s sound. Fluid layers of liquid strums, riffs that vibrate alternately with urgency and mirth (“Hopeless Magic,” “”Moloch”), and tremolos that burr and hum as much as they warble like songbirds up and down scales (“Three-Headed Moth,” “Ancient to Someone”). The untamed tempos that lead tracks through a series of stomps, sways, charges, and thoughtful pauses are more mischievous than before, in a way that makes explicit the spirited defiance that bubbled within Divine Laughter. Parks’ vocals work just as well as Miguel Méndez’s did, if not better, against this vibrant backdrop, and there’s an additional weight given to the already strange and touching lyrics because their author is now delivering them himself.
Fragile Wings is stirring and vivacious, and somehow outdoes Divine Laughter in its sparkling dynamism and bright unusualness. After arresting with odd, colourful arrangements, Cave Sermon looks wryly over at the listener and says, “watch this,” as some effervescent lead comes frolicking in (“Moloch,” “Three-Headed Moth”), or an already satisfying groove switches to a new dance with a flick and a crash (“Hopeless Magic,” “Ancient for Someone”); you can’t help but smile back. The very way guitars are distorted, and the atmosphere surrounding their notes and the here-skittish, there-assertive percussion, is…different. And this is all charming because it’s not self-indulgent; not weird and challenging and complicated, but refreshing, like a splash of cool water to the face on a hot day. All the more so given how Cave Sermon makes it look easy, creating a soundscape that seems simpler than it is, managing to presage and reprise melodies and rhythms in a way I can only describe as “very cool.” Interwoven strands of ethereal ambience—warm strums and purring high notes (“Arrows and Clay,” “Sunless Morning”)—violent sludgy riffs and a tripping, resonant drumbeat (“Moloch,” “Ancient for Someone”); symphonies of burbling tremolo and synths (“Hopeless Magic,” “Ancient for Someone”); and the delicate assuredness of wavering melodies, each are so carefully placed, but weightless, as though carried by some spirited wind that breezes through each track.
In this organic, careless novelty and expression, Fragile Wings continues what Divine Laughter established, but does it better. Not only is it more poignant, it flows with a more tangible through-line, and even cleverer rhythmic interplay. There is no track-length ambient noise here; this tendency is relegated to the faded conversation that closes “Arrows and Clay,” and the birdsong scattered over the serene first act of “Sunless Morning.” The difference is that these are not divorced from the music, but part of it, contributing to its sense of nostalgia, and sombre reflectiveness. A harsher version of me would still argue that the first half of “Sunless Morning” is a bit too slow of a build, but another would gesture fanatically at the song’s second act, with its quaking bass refrain and heartfelt tremolo descent melody that might actually be the best on the album, before it enters another wild dance I won’t spoil. Cave Sermon has refined their ability to transition between energies and styles whilst keeping the tone consistent. So seamless is the integration that it no longer feels like multiple genres are in play, but like a new one entirely.
Fragile Wings confirms what I had secretly hoped, that Divine Laughter was not just lightning in a bottle. If anything, it only raises the bar. Cave Sermon create music that is some magical combination of emotionally stirring, endlessly engrossing, and completely unique. There is simply no other artist in metal making music like them.2 You have to hear this.
Rating: Excellent3
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: April 16th, 2025Show 3 footnotes
- Thank you, Dolph. ↩
- If there is, please tell me who they are. ↩
- Watch this space for a possible contrite upgrade. ↩
#2025 #45 #Apr25 #AustralianMetal #BlackMetal #CaveSermon #DeathMetal #ExperimentalMetal #FragileWings #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Sludge
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NVIDIA Reveals Rubin AI and Blackwell Ultra || Tech Field Day News Rundown: March 19, 2025
NVIDIA unveiled new AI-focused chips at its GTC conference, including the Blackwell Ultra series launching this year and the next-gen Vera Rubin GPUs set for 2026. CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the company’s shift to an annual release cycle, a departure from its previous biennial schedule. This move reflects NVIDIA’s response to the growing AI market and increasing competition. This and more on the Rundown.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Amazon Music | Audio | YouTube
2:29 – Taara Spun Out from Google’s Parent Company Alphabet
Alphabet has spun off Taara, its laser-based internet backbone provider, into an independent company focused on delivering high-speed connectivity to underserved regions. The newly formed company will continue developing its wireless optical communication technology, which aims to provide reliable internet without the need for traditional fiber infrastructure.
Read More: Alphabet spins off laser-based Internet backbone provider Taara
6:41 – Intel Names Lip-Bu Tan as New CEO
Intel has appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO, succeeding Pat Gelsinger who stepped down in December 2024. Tan, formerly CEO of Cadence Design Systems and an Intel board member, aims to revitalize the company by streamlining operations and focusing on advanced chip manufacturing, including AI server chips, to better compete with industry leaders like TSMC. Following the announcement, Intel’s stock surged nearly 8%, reflecting investor optimism about Tan’s strategic vision.
Read More: Intel Names Lip-Bu Tan as New CEO
12:38 – DevOps Gets Empowered by Semaphore Going Open Source
Semaphore has open-sourced its core CI/CD platform under the Apache 2.0 license, aiming to provide developers with greater flexibility and transparency. This move addresses the limitations of existing CI/CD solutions by combining enterprise-grade reliability with the customizability of open-source software. By making its codebase publicly accessible, Semaphore empowers developers to explore, modify, and enhance the platform to suit their unique requirements, fostering a community-driven approach to innovation.
Read More: Semaphore Goes Open Source: A New Dawn for DevOps Professionals
16:38 – Microsoft’s New Quantum Chip Greeted with Major Skepticism
Microsoft’s recent announcement of its Majorana 1 quantum chip, claimed to be a significant advancement in quantum computing, has been met with skepticism from the scientific community. Experts question the validity of Microsoft’s findings, citing a lack of peer-reviewed evidence and unproven underlying physics, leading to concerns about the legitimacy of the breakthrough.
Read More: Microsoft’s New Quantum Chip Greeted with Major Skepticism
22:04 – Solo.io Launches Kagent for Agentic AI-Driven Cloud Ops
Solo.io has launched Kagent, an open-source agentic AI framework designed to automate cloud-native operations within Kubernetes environments. Built on Microsoft’s AutoGen, Kagent integrates with existing tools to streamline tasks like configuration, troubleshooting, and network security, enabling DevOps teams to leverage AI-driven automation.
Read More: Solo.io’s Kagent Brings Agentic AI to Cloud-Native Operations
25:37 – Amazon, Google, and Meta Nuclear Datacenters by 2050
Amazon, Google, and Meta are investing heavily in nuclear energy as part of their strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. These tech giants plan to power their operations with 100% renewable energy, with nuclear energy playing a key role in meeting their ambitious sustainability goals. Alongside nuclear, they are exploring advanced technologies like carbon capture to reduce their environmental impact and address the urgency of climate change.
Read More: Amazon, Google, Meta Are Going Super Nuclear by 2050
29:38 – NVIDIA Reveals Rubin AI and Blackwell Ultra
Nvidia unveiled new AI-focused chips at its GTC conference, including the Blackwell Ultra series launching this year and the next-gen Vera Rubin GPUs set for 2026. CEO Jensen Huang emphasized the company’s shift to an annual release cycle, a departure from its previous biennial schedule. This move reflects Nvidia’s response to the growing AI market and increasing competition.
Read More: Nvidia announces Blackwell Ultra and Rubin AI chips
40:58 – The Weeks Ahead
Upcoming Tech Field Day Events
Networking Field Day 37 – March 19 – 20
Tech Field Day Extra with HPE – April 8
AI Infrastructure Field Day 2 – April 23 – 24
Mobility Field Day 13 – May 7 – 8
Security Field Day 13 – May 29 – 30
Host Information
Stephen Foskett is the President of the Tech Field Day Business Unit and Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series, now part of The Futurum Group. Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter.
Alastair Cooke is a Tech Field Day Event Lead, now part of The Futurum Group. You can connect with Alastair on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter and you can read more of his research notes and insights on The Futurum Group’s website.
Gestalt IT and Tech Field Day are now part of The Futurum Group.
The Gestalt IT Rundown is your look at the IT news of the week. Be sure to subscribe to Gestalt IT on YouTube for even more weekly video content.
#AI #NVIDIAGTC #Rundown #AWSCloud #DemitasseNZ #GestaltIT #Google #GoogleCloud #Intel #IntelBusiness #Meta #Microsoft #Nvidia #SFoskett #TechFieldDay #TechstrongTV #TheFuturumGroup
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🌟 Excited to announce that I'll be presenting a talk at 𝐁𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 on June 29th! 🌟
🎤 Title of the talk: "𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐋𝐌𝐬: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐈 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩"📜 I'll introduce TI Mindmap, an open-source project designed to empower Infosec professionals in navigating the complexities of Threat Intelligence write-ups. I'll explore how TI Mindmap leverages the capabilities of LLMs to enhance the efficiency of processing and extracting crucial information from a variety of Threat Intelligence sources.
Key Features of TI Mindmap:
▶Summarizing Threat Intelligence articles
▶Mapping entity relationships with Mindmaps
▶Engaging in AI-driven chats on your data
▶Generating comprehensive PDF reports
▶IOCs extraction
▶Extract adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures
▶TTPs by execution timeDuring the session, I'll not only showcase the capabilities of TI Mindmap but also share insights from development journey. I'll discuss the challenges we've encountered, the lessons we've learned, and the future directions of this open-source project.
🔗 Learn more about TI Mindmap, GitHub Repository: https://lnkd.in/dJDSQx8Y
BSides Athens: https://www.bsidesath.gr/
Tracks: https://lnkd.in/dC9znupr#BSidesAthens #Cybersecurity #ThreatIntelligence #OpenSource #LLMs hashtag#AIdriven #TIMindmap #streamlit hashtag#mermaid #mindmap #TI #genai #python #mistral #openai #azureopenai #stix #ttp #conference #bsides
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Three months ago I launched Filament Studio, a visual theme editor for Filament, and I've received a lot of positive feedback.
I want to enhance the editor and created a brief survey to collect your thoughts. It will take less than a minute, and your input would be greatly appreciated.
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Engineering challenges of the completed QRP EFHW coupler
Kudos to Kits and Parts, the United States Postal Service and the Canada Post dog sled teams who fearlessly fought their way through blizzards on the frozen barren tundra into the wild white yonder to safely deliver my package of toroid cores. But, as soon as I had unpacked the goodies I realized I may have fired off the order with excessive haste. I ordered some medium sized Type 2 and Type 6 powdered iron toroids for my occasional QROp (20 watts) projects and some smaller ones for QRP. How small? Too small! In my haste I had ordered 25 T37-2 and 25 T37-6 cores. These cores are so small that winding inductors on them requires a great deal and patience and dexterity – I have neither.
When life hands you lemons …
When life hands me self-inflicted lemons I tend to fill my head with expletives that are best not spoken in polite company. Then I find ways to cover up my mistakes. T37 cores are really only suitable in the stages of a transceiver prior to the final PA. Could they possibly be persuaded to handle the full 4.5 watts output of my revered antique Yaesu FT-817?
I reminded myself that this is Ham Radio Outside the Box and in that spirit I would find a way to use those lilliputian cores in my project. There were two screaming demons haunting my thoughts on this. A toroidal core can overheat due to being too small to handle the power applied to it. Or it can simply reach magnetic saturation causing it to fail to perform as expected.
I remembered an old trick used by hams who enjoy pumping out so much power they risk blowing holes in the ionosphere. They use multiple stacked toroid cores to share the load. Would that work with the tiny cores I had at my disposal? I decided to take the risk, but first test the idea on the bench before venturing out into the Big Blue Sky Shack.
But how to test the idea?
If a core can’t handle the power applied to it it will get hot. If the core reaches magnetic saturation it will no longer function as expected. I figured a simple way to test for these conditions on the bench would be a keydown test into a 2.5Kohm dummy load. I used two stacked T37-6 cores, held together with electrical tape and then by the wire wound through them. The setup was almost identical to the “20 minute” version published in the previous post, except that the inductor was now the toroidal core version.
The tuned circuit, dummy load and transceiver were hooked up on the bench and then, with very little trepidation (if I blew up the inductor I had more wire, more cores), I keyed up the full four and a half watts from the transceiver for 30 seconds while monitoring the SWR on my Norcal QRP power meter. Did it survive the test?
The Norcal QRP power meter indicated a rock steady SWR throughout the test. The cores may have increased in temperature but not enough to be detectable when touched with my fingers at the end of the keydown. Not a scientifically rigorous test but it inspired confidence in the viability of the solution. Stacking two cores increases the depth through which the wires pass through the core and that may compensate for the smaller diameter.
And now – that pesky polyvaricon
The 3D printing revolution hasn’t yet penetrated the basement laboratories of Ham Radio Outside the Box. Instead I am limited to good old-fashioned engineering techniques in my build projects. It is amazing what can be achieved with an extensive collection of materials and a few simple tools. That is exactly how I approached the challenge of attaching a regular quarter-inch knob to the stubby, irregular shaft of a polyvaricon.
The basic idea has already been covered on this blog but it has now been refined into a reproducible technique that is rugged and reliable enough to survive the rigors of being bumped over the steep and rocky terrain encountered along the north end of the Niagara Escarpment. The solution to the challenge is to construct a short quarter-inch diameter adapter shaft than can be securely attached to the polyvaricon. The basic material used is a steel drinking straw. Now that plastic straws have been declared a deadly hazard to the survival of the human race, steel straws are becoming quite easy to find.
Two tools were required; a Dremel for cutting a slot in one end of a section of the straw, and a small tube cutter for cutting the adapter shaft to the correct length. The adapter shaft is secured to the polyvaricon by means of a long, fine bolt and a small washer. Scavenging polyvaricons from dirt cheap thrift store AM/FM radios ensures the correct size of bolt is obtained. I did have to grind down the washer a little when the adapter shaft was fitted to ensure it slid into the knob nicely. Building the adapter shaft took about a half hour of delicate work while wearing a magnifying lens to enhance my degenerating vision. I imagine making something similar with a 3D printer would take as long.
I have another project developing on the workbench which involves the same inductor core tricks and polyvaricon mods as outlined here. It is a wideband L-match and if it works I’ll publish the details here in a couple of weeks. On the other hand, if it doesn’t work …
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
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#AmateurRadio #EFHW #OutdoorOps #Portable
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
Understanding Mutations in Superhero Storytelling
When deciding to either run or play in a superpowered campaign, some critical questions must be answered. These questions include when, where, and how the presence of superpowers first appeared. These will be equally true for the individual character as they are for the society at large. Mainstream society does not have superpowered beings. Due to this, superpowers will need to be developed at some point for some reason. What is the nature of this surge of superpowers? Is it a sudden rise, or gradual? Are they externally induced?
From Outside?
Can humanity gain powers from some outside source? Do they need to be created by humans? Are they capable of appearing randomly? Where mutations come from can be anywhere. When someone receives a vaccine, it can act as a potential agent. Cosmic rays are another potential cause. The natural process of aging is also a factor. When someone receives a mutation, it is induced either from some external or internal source. External sources will be controlled. Nonetheless, internal mutations will be related to the person that receives the mutation. The Hulk and Spiderman would be examples of internal mutations, while the Fantastic Four would be examples of external sources.
Forms?
Are there any mandatory forms that these mutations must use? When the campaign is after the realistic path, any mutation will need to enhance traits that the creature already possesses. This will be sharpening natural eyesight or extending it into neighboring wavelengths. The skin can become slightly denser but not to the extreme that is seen in the Hulk. If flight is allowed, then it will follow the principles used by animals, not force-of-will. These more extreme versions of mutations will be allowed in more open-ended campaigns. With these, if someone desires to create some mutation, then it will be allowed. Want to create the Hulk? Go for it! Want Superman? You can! The only limit will be in what the game master (GM) will allow.
Power?
Are they matched by conventional humans? Will one mutant manage to match himself to an entire platoon? Just how powerful the mutant gets is tricky to judge. After all, the elephant is massively more powerful than the ant. Characters that normal humans can deal with will manage to blend into society better. They will pass tests that normal humans are obligated to pass. Those that are more powerful will face more challenges blending into normal society. They must restrain themselves to avoid accidentally injuring normal humans. Another thing to remember is that a more powerful individual will need equally powerful opposition. This is necessary just to equal them. Any combat that they get into will also cause greater accidental damage to the area.
Detectable?
A debate among many gamers is if those with mutations will be detectable through some means. If they are, what tools are needed to detect them? In the Marvel System, mutants have a biofield that will be detected at range through detectors. If you want the mutant to be detectable, you can claim that they have an extra gene. Prefer a scientific approach? This gene can be found through a blood test. There are other possibilities for making mutants detectable. Another choice would be that there is nothing that can detect mutants. No mutant gene, biofield, or anything else that separates them from normal society.
Ranks?
Humans love to rank everything. Mutants at their core will be humans. Either that, they will have to interact with human society. Either way, they will either rank themselves or get ranked by society. The exact nature of this will depend upon how the mutants interact with normal society. If they try to segregate themselves, they create a society akin to the Jedi in the Prequel Star Wars series. Their society mirrors how the Jedi operated. They also run through something along the lines of the strongest leads. If they were to blend into normal society, then they usually will adopt the rules imposed upon them.
Laws?
Anytime there is a new group or technology, there will be a period. During this period, they will be free to run uncontrolled. Then, people will start to discriminate against it. After that will come laws that regulate proper utilization. Mutants will go through this same process. Society will respond based on what the power is. The laws that will be created will depend on how damaging they are. If normal humans feel that mutants are extremely dangerous, they will react. They believe mutants are taking too many jobs. In response, they will call for mutants to be removed or in some other way taken care of. Such laws dictate what jobs the mutant can have. They force them to take registration. These laws control where they are allowed to live and travel. Extra restrictions also be imposed. For example, in Marvel, the speed limit laws have been extended to anyone traveling, regardless of the mode. Someone running at 65 mph will get the same speeding violation. This is the same violation a person would get for traveling at the same speed in a car. The U.N. has identified some countries as “sanctuary countries” for mutants. In these countries, mutants can obtain more freedoms than they have in others.
Having a superpowered campaign can be a wonderful game to both run and play. It will allow for the feel of fantasy, scifi, western, and everything else while remaining in the modern world. Mutants can simulate (or use) any allowed magic, technology, or anything else that the GM allows. This is how a magic-using Dr. Strange can work with technology-master Reed Richards and mind-warping Charles Xavier. Each of these will be possible and completely practical. Using mutants will create great characters. They will make for amazing stories. Players would like to recreate and tell these stories again for many years.
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Donate monthly #Characters #Creation #Decisions #Design #DnD #Games #Gaming #Mutants #Mutations #RolePlayingGames #RPG #SuperSoldier #Superpower #Supers #TTRPG -
Understanding Mutations in Superhero Storytelling
When deciding to either run or play in a superpowered campaign, some critical questions must be answered. These questions include when, where, and how the presence of superpowers first appeared. These will be equally true for the individual character as they are for the society at large. Mainstream society does not have superpowered beings. Due to this, superpowers will need to be developed at some point for some reason. What is the nature of this surge of superpowers? Is it a sudden rise, or gradual? Are they externally induced?
From Outside?
Can humanity gain powers from some outside source? Do they need to be created by humans? Are they capable of appearing randomly? Where mutations come from can be anywhere. When someone receives a vaccine, it can act as a potential agent. Cosmic rays are another potential cause. The natural process of aging is also a factor. When someone receives a mutation, it is induced either from some external or internal source. External sources will be controlled. Nonetheless, internal mutations will be related to the person that receives the mutation. The Hulk and Spiderman would be examples of internal mutations, while the Fantastic Four would be examples of external sources.
Forms?
Are there any mandatory forms that these mutations must use? When the campaign is after the realistic path, any mutation will need to enhance traits that the creature already possesses. This will be sharpening natural eyesight or extending it into neighboring wavelengths. The skin can become slightly denser but not to the extreme that is seen in the Hulk. If flight is allowed, then it will follow the principles used by animals, not force-of-will. These more extreme versions of mutations will be allowed in more open-ended campaigns. With these, if someone desires to create some mutation, then it will be allowed. Want to create the Hulk? Go for it! Want Superman? You can! The only limit will be in what the game master (GM) will allow.
Power?
Are they matched by conventional humans? Will one mutant manage to match himself to an entire platoon? Just how powerful the mutant gets is tricky to judge. After all, the elephant is massively more powerful than the ant. Characters that normal humans can deal with will manage to blend into society better. They will pass tests that normal humans are obligated to pass. Those that are more powerful will face more challenges blending into normal society. They must restrain themselves to avoid accidentally injuring normal humans. Another thing to remember is that a more powerful individual will need equally powerful opposition. This is necessary just to equal them. Any combat that they get into will also cause greater accidental damage to the area.
Detectable?
A debate among many gamers is if those with mutations will be detectable through some means. If they are, what tools are needed to detect them? In the Marvel System, mutants have a biofield that will be detected at range through detectors. If you want the mutant to be detectable, you can claim that they have an extra gene. Prefer a scientific approach? This gene can be found through a blood test. There are other possibilities for making mutants detectable. Another choice would be that there is nothing that can detect mutants. No mutant gene, biofield, or anything else that separates them from normal society.
Ranks?
Humans love to rank everything. Mutants at their core will be humans. Either that, they will have to interact with human society. Either way, they will either rank themselves or get ranked by society. The exact nature of this will depend upon how the mutants interact with normal society. If they try to segregate themselves, they create a society akin to the Jedi in the Prequel Star Wars series. Their society mirrors how the Jedi operated. They also run through something along the lines of the strongest leads. If they were to blend into normal society, then they usually will adopt the rules imposed upon them.
Laws?
Anytime there is a new group or technology, there will be a period. During this period, they will be free to run uncontrolled. Then, people will start to discriminate against it. After that will come laws that regulate proper utilization. Mutants will go through this same process. Society will respond based on what the power is. The laws that will be created will depend on how damaging they are. If normal humans feel that mutants are extremely dangerous, they will react. They believe mutants are taking too many jobs. In response, they will call for mutants to be removed or in some other way taken care of. Such laws dictate what jobs the mutant can have. They force them to take registration. These laws control where they are allowed to live and travel. Extra restrictions also be imposed. For example, in Marvel, the speed limit laws have been extended to anyone traveling, regardless of the mode. Someone running at 65 mph will get the same speeding violation. This is the same violation a person would get for traveling at the same speed in a car. The U.N. has identified some countries as “sanctuary countries” for mutants. In these countries, mutants can obtain more freedoms than they have in others.
Having a superpowered campaign can be a wonderful game to both run and play. It will allow for the feel of fantasy, scifi, western, and everything else while remaining in the modern world. Mutants can simulate (or use) any allowed magic, technology, or anything else that the GM allows. This is how a magic-using Dr. Strange can work with technology-master Reed Richards and mind-warping Charles Xavier. Each of these will be possible and completely practical. Using mutants will create great characters. They will make for amazing stories. Players would like to recreate and tell these stories again for many years.
Please refer this blog to your friends and family. If you use this link, everyone will receive a bonus.
There is a Spring Store that one can obtain all that wonderful merchandise. Please visit this site for all your great gaming products from Asp the Gamer. They have everything that makes all your games better.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateMake a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly #Characters #Creation #Decisions #Design #DnD #Games #Gaming #Mutants #Mutations #RolePlayingGames #RPG #SuperSoldier #Superpower #Supers #TTRPG -
Understanding Mutations in Superhero Storytelling
When deciding to either run or play in a superpowered campaign, some critical questions must be answered. These questions include when, where, and how the presence of superpowers first appeared. These will be equally true for the individual character as they are for the society at large. Mainstream society does not have superpowered beings. Due to this, superpowers will need to be developed at some point for some reason. What is the nature of this surge of superpowers? Is it a sudden rise, or gradual? Are they externally induced?
From Outside?
Can humanity gain powers from some outside source? Do they need to be created by humans? Are they capable of appearing randomly? Where mutations come from can be anywhere. When someone receives a vaccine, it can act as a potential agent. Cosmic rays are another potential cause. The natural process of aging is also a factor. When someone receives a mutation, it is induced either from some external or internal source. External sources will be controlled. Nonetheless, internal mutations will be related to the person that receives the mutation. The Hulk and Spiderman would be examples of internal mutations, while the Fantastic Four would be examples of external sources.
Forms?
Are there any mandatory forms that these mutations must use? When the campaign is after the realistic path, any mutation will need to enhance traits that the creature already possesses. This will be sharpening natural eyesight or extending it into neighboring wavelengths. The skin can become slightly denser but not to the extreme that is seen in the Hulk. If flight is allowed, then it will follow the principles used by animals, not force-of-will. These more extreme versions of mutations will be allowed in more open-ended campaigns. With these, if someone desires to create some mutation, then it will be allowed. Want to create the Hulk? Go for it! Want Superman? You can! The only limit will be in what the game master (GM) will allow.
Power?
Are they matched by conventional humans? Will one mutant manage to match himself to an entire platoon? Just how powerful the mutant gets is tricky to judge. After all, the elephant is massively more powerful than the ant. Characters that normal humans can deal with will manage to blend into society better. They will pass tests that normal humans are obligated to pass. Those that are more powerful will face more challenges blending into normal society. They must restrain themselves to avoid accidentally injuring normal humans. Another thing to remember is that a more powerful individual will need equally powerful opposition. This is necessary just to equal them. Any combat that they get into will also cause greater accidental damage to the area.
Detectable?
A debate among many gamers is if those with mutations will be detectable through some means. If they are, what tools are needed to detect them? In the Marvel System, mutants have a biofield that will be detected at range through detectors. If you want the mutant to be detectable, you can claim that they have an extra gene. Prefer a scientific approach? This gene can be found through a blood test. There are other possibilities for making mutants detectable. Another choice would be that there is nothing that can detect mutants. No mutant gene, biofield, or anything else that separates them from normal society.
Ranks?
Humans love to rank everything. Mutants at their core will be humans. Either that, they will have to interact with human society. Either way, they will either rank themselves or get ranked by society. The exact nature of this will depend upon how the mutants interact with normal society. If they try to segregate themselves, they create a society akin to the Jedi in the Prequel Star Wars series. Their society mirrors how the Jedi operated. They also run through something along the lines of the strongest leads. If they were to blend into normal society, then they usually will adopt the rules imposed upon them.
Laws?
Anytime there is a new group or technology, there will be a period. During this period, they will be free to run uncontrolled. Then, people will start to discriminate against it. After that will come laws that regulate proper utilization. Mutants will go through this same process. Society will respond based on what the power is. The laws that will be created will depend on how damaging they are. If normal humans feel that mutants are extremely dangerous, they will react. They believe mutants are taking too many jobs. In response, they will call for mutants to be removed or in some other way taken care of. Such laws dictate what jobs the mutant can have. They force them to take registration. These laws control where they are allowed to live and travel. Extra restrictions also be imposed. For example, in Marvel, the speed limit laws have been extended to anyone traveling, regardless of the mode. Someone running at 65 mph will get the same speeding violation. This is the same violation a person would get for traveling at the same speed in a car. The U.N. has identified some countries as “sanctuary countries” for mutants. In these countries, mutants can obtain more freedoms than they have in others.
Having a superpowered campaign can be a wonderful game to both run and play. It will allow for the feel of fantasy, scifi, western, and everything else while remaining in the modern world. Mutants can simulate (or use) any allowed magic, technology, or anything else that the GM allows. This is how a magic-using Dr. Strange can work with technology-master Reed Richards and mind-warping Charles Xavier. Each of these will be possible and completely practical. Using mutants will create great characters. They will make for amazing stories. Players would like to recreate and tell these stories again for many years.
Please refer this blog to your friends and family. If you use this link, everyone will receive a bonus.
There is a Spring Store that one can obtain all that wonderful merchandise. Please visit this site for all your great gaming products from Asp the Gamer. They have everything that makes all your games better.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateMake a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly #Characters #Creation #Decisions #Design #DnD #Games #Gaming #Mutants #Mutations #RolePlayingGames #RPG #SuperSoldier #Superpower #Supers #TTRPG -
Understanding Mutations in Superhero Storytelling
When deciding to either run or play in a superpowered campaign, some critical questions must be answered. These questions include when, where, and how the presence of superpowers first appeared. These will be equally true for the individual character as they are for the society at large. Mainstream society does not have superpowered beings. Due to this, superpowers will need to be developed at some point for some reason. What is the nature of this surge of superpowers? Is it a sudden rise, or gradual? Are they externally induced?
From Outside?
Can humanity gain powers from some outside source? Do they need to be created by humans? Are they capable of appearing randomly? Where mutations come from can be anywhere. When someone receives a vaccine, it can act as a potential agent. Cosmic rays are another potential cause. The natural process of aging is also a factor. When someone receives a mutation, it is induced either from some external or internal source. External sources will be controlled. Nonetheless, internal mutations will be related to the person that receives the mutation. The Hulk and Spiderman would be examples of internal mutations, while the Fantastic Four would be examples of external sources.
Forms?
Are there any mandatory forms that these mutations must use? When the campaign is after the realistic path, any mutation will need to enhance traits that the creature already possesses. This will be sharpening natural eyesight or extending it into neighboring wavelengths. The skin can become slightly denser but not to the extreme that is seen in the Hulk. If flight is allowed, then it will follow the principles used by animals, not force-of-will. These more extreme versions of mutations will be allowed in more open-ended campaigns. With these, if someone desires to create some mutation, then it will be allowed. Want to create the Hulk? Go for it! Want Superman? You can! The only limit will be in what the game master (GM) will allow.
Power?
Are they matched by conventional humans? Will one mutant manage to match himself to an entire platoon? Just how powerful the mutant gets is tricky to judge. After all, the elephant is massively more powerful than the ant. Characters that normal humans can deal with will manage to blend into society better. They will pass tests that normal humans are obligated to pass. Those that are more powerful will face more challenges blending into normal society. They must restrain themselves to avoid accidentally injuring normal humans. Another thing to remember is that a more powerful individual will need equally powerful opposition. This is necessary just to equal them. Any combat that they get into will also cause greater accidental damage to the area.
Detectable?
A debate among many gamers is if those with mutations will be detectable through some means. If they are, what tools are needed to detect them? In the Marvel System, mutants have a biofield that will be detected at range through detectors. If you want the mutant to be detectable, you can claim that they have an extra gene. Prefer a scientific approach? This gene can be found through a blood test. There are other possibilities for making mutants detectable. Another choice would be that there is nothing that can detect mutants. No mutant gene, biofield, or anything else that separates them from normal society.
Ranks?
Humans love to rank everything. Mutants at their core will be humans. Either that, they will have to interact with human society. Either way, they will either rank themselves or get ranked by society. The exact nature of this will depend upon how the mutants interact with normal society. If they try to segregate themselves, they create a society akin to the Jedi in the Prequel Star Wars series. Their society mirrors how the Jedi operated. They also run through something along the lines of the strongest leads. If they were to blend into normal society, then they usually will adopt the rules imposed upon them.
Laws?
Anytime there is a new group or technology, there will be a period. During this period, they will be free to run uncontrolled. Then, people will start to discriminate against it. After that will come laws that regulate proper utilization. Mutants will go through this same process. Society will respond based on what the power is. The laws that will be created will depend on how damaging they are. If normal humans feel that mutants are extremely dangerous, they will react. They believe mutants are taking too many jobs. In response, they will call for mutants to be removed or in some other way taken care of. Such laws dictate what jobs the mutant can have. They force them to take registration. These laws control where they are allowed to live and travel. Extra restrictions also be imposed. For example, in Marvel, the speed limit laws have been extended to anyone traveling, regardless of the mode. Someone running at 65 mph will get the same speeding violation. This is the same violation a person would get for traveling at the same speed in a car. The U.N. has identified some countries as “sanctuary countries” for mutants. In these countries, mutants can obtain more freedoms than they have in others.
Having a superpowered campaign can be a wonderful game to both run and play. It will allow for the feel of fantasy, scifi, western, and everything else while remaining in the modern world. Mutants can simulate (or use) any allowed magic, technology, or anything else that the GM allows. This is how a magic-using Dr. Strange can work with technology-master Reed Richards and mind-warping Charles Xavier. Each of these will be possible and completely practical. Using mutants will create great characters. They will make for amazing stories. Players would like to recreate and tell these stories again for many years.
Please refer this blog to your friends and family. If you use this link, everyone will receive a bonus.
There is a Spring Store that one can obtain all that wonderful merchandise. Please visit this site for all your great gaming products from Asp the Gamer. They have everything that makes all your games better.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateMake a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly #Characters #Creation #Decisions #Design #DnD #Games #Gaming #Mutants #Mutations #RolePlayingGames #RPG #SuperSoldier #Superpower #Supers #TTRPG -
We received several requests to enhance #CastLab, an open source app to cast your photos, videos, and audio to DLNA/UPnP devices like your TV or Kodi.
That will be done. More about this project: https://f-droid.org/packages/app.fedilab.castlab -
Protecting Peru’s Grasslands Vital for Spectacled Bears
Protecting Peru’s Grasslands Vital for Spectacled Bears | A recent study highlights the importance of conserving Peru’s high-altitude puna grasslands to support the foraging habits of the vulnerable Andean bear AKA Spectacled Bear. The research reveals that these bears prefer young bromeliad plants in specific grassland areas and tend to avoid regions impacted by livestock. Conservation efforts focusing on these habitats could enhance the bears’ survival prospects.
#News: 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears prefer foraging areas with negative impact of #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture. #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterPLOS. (2024, December 18). Conserving high-elevation grasslands in Peru is key to protect Andean bears. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218174935.htm
The Andean bear, also known as the spectacled bear due to distinctive facial markings, is native to the Andes Mountains and currently classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A study published on December 18, 2024, in PLOS ONE emphasizes the critical role of high-elevation puna grasslands in Peru for the species’ foraging activities.
Researchers conducted extensive surveys in and around Manu National Park, focusing on two bromeliad species: Puya leptostachya and Puya membranacea. They observed that Andean bears selectively foraged in approximately 16.7% of available bromeliad patches, showing a preference for young plants located on east-facing, steep slopes at the forest’s edge. Notably, the bears avoided areas with active livestock grazing but were found in regions where livestock had been absent for several decades, indicating a potential for habitat recovery and reoccupation by the bears.
The study suggests that the cessation of livestock grazing can lead to the restoration of puna grasslands, making them more suitable for Andean bears in a relatively short timeframe. This finding underscores the need for targeted conservation strategies that mitigate human disturbances, particularly livestock grazing, to preserve these essential habitats.
Lead author Nicholas Pilfold from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance stated, “Using the largest collection ever of field data on the feeding behavior of Andean bears in high elevation grasslands, we found that the bears actively selected for specific food resources within the grasslands, indicating that these areas are of nutritional importance to the bears.”
The findings advocate for conservation managers to prioritize the protection and restoration of high-altitude grasslands bordering cloud forests, considering the adverse impacts of livestock on these ecosystems. Implementing such measures is vital for the sustenance and recovery of Andean bear populations in Peru.
PLOS. (2024, December 18). Conserving high-elevation grasslands in Peru is key to protect Andean bears. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218174935.htm
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGFrill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense
Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata
Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
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Join 3,174 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Andes #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #Bear #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #meat #News #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Peru #research #soy #SpectacledBearTremarctosOrnatus #vulnerable
-
#spacepolicyonline:
"
NASA Safety Panel Warns of “High Risk” for Artemis III
"
"The “daunting” challenge of getting SpaceX’s Starship HLS ready .. is a specific concern""..launches will enhance the reliability of Starship overall, but do not contribute to developing an HLS version of Starship which requires human-rating and in-space refueling to travel beyond earth orbit."
https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/nasa-safety-panel-warns-of-high-risk-for-artemis-iii/
26.2.2026
#ASAP #HLS #NASA #moon #Mond #Mondlandung #Raumfahrt #SpaceFlight #SpaceX #Starship
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Hot meals 4 Starved #Palestinian Kids in #NorthGaza
Update on January 10, 2025 by #HaniAlmadhoun, Organizer
"Dear Supporters,
Another week has passed, and I’m back with updates from the ground in #Gaza. While there’s talk of a ceasefire deal, I believe it’s little more than a gimmick—a distraction used to prolong suffering while giving political players the chance to pat themselves on the back. As the powerful negotiate in luxury, the people of Gaza endure relentless hardship—cold, hungry, and unsafe. Just my two cents.
Before diving into Gaza updates, I want to express solidarity with the people of California who are facing devastating wildfires. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
Now, to the heart of the matter: the incredible work your generosity has made possible.
Soup Kitchens: Staying Strong
Our six soup kitchen locations remain fully operational, serving at capacity despite the immense challenges. We’ve also increased drinking water deliveries to six trucks daily, ensuring more families have access to clean water.
Here’s what’s happening across Gaza:
Khan Younes:
Crowds have grown significantly, and the team has stepped up, adding more pots to meet the need. Their food is delicious, their work tireless, and their photos uplifting. This location is now a hub of activity with three initiatives: the soup kitchen, the classroom, and the daily water deliveries. They’ve even added staff to enhance flavors and expand their impact.Al Zawaydah:
This is our largest location, and the team here is nothing short of heroic. They cook every day, ensuring meals are hearty and nutritious by investing in extra vegetables. They’ve introduced a patron card system that guarantees meals while keeping capacity for new faces. It’s a well-oiled machine, driven by compassion.Beach Camp:
Chef Faten and her team are doing wonders here. Five days a week, they bake savory pies, mini pizzas, sweet breads, and pastries. Fridays are reserved for rice dishes, a staple that also sustains three other locations in North Gaza, including the one providing meals for the Arab Baptist Hospital.Al Shaikh Radwan:
Our northernmost location came under fire this week, with bullets landing alarmingly close to the cooking pots. It gave the crew a scare, but they soldiered on. Their courage inspires us all.Hospital Deliveries:
Chef Kabar and his team prepare meals daily for the Arab Baptist Hospital, with Omar and Fatema ensuring these hot meals are delivered safely. Their dedication makes us so proud.What’s Next?
I often ask myself: How can we do more? What else can we do? Sometimes we have answers; other times, we don’t. What’s certain is that our work remains critical. From distributing blankets, classroom supplies, to hygiene kits and care packages in both North and South Gaza, every dollar you donate is stretched to serve the community.
We need more resources, yes. And while moving funds into Gaza is a constant challenge, we persist, finding ways to get resources into the hands of our courageous crews who make all this magic happen.
How Can You Help?
Share and Engage: Social media platforms are slowing us down, and we need your help to amplify our stories. Share, engage, and tag us—it makes a bigger difference than you might think.
Boycott and Advocate: Support ethical companies and continue advocating for peace with justice.
Keep Gaza in Your Prayers: Your prayers and well wishes matter.
Thank you for being such incredible allies. Your generosity keeps the Gaza Soup Kitchen alive, and your support inspires us to keep going. Together, we’re making a tangible difference.
With gratitude and hope,
Hani
Gaza Soup Kitchen Team"Read more / donate / share:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Hot-meals-in-gaza-daily?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-173221650335-4b67c31ca83d11ef&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B1137-update-supporters-v5b
#NorthGaza #IsraeliWarCrimes #Starvation #GazaAid #GazaFundraisers #FreePalestine #CeasefireNow #FoodIsLife #WaterIsLife #GoFundMe #IsraelHumanRightsViolations
#StopArmingIsrael #WorldWarBibi #BeitLahiya #BaitLahiya #BibiIsAWarCriminal #Genocide #GoFundMe #KhanYounes #Palestine #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong #NorthernGaza #Gaza #AlZawaydah #KamalAdwan #KamalAdwanHospital
#AlShaikhRadwan -
Encountering the World’s Most Endangered Kangaroo: The Wondiwoi Tree Kangaroo
Encountering the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo, the world’s most endangered kangaroo, in West Papua’s lush forests is a bittersweet tale. Rediscovered in 2018 by British botanist Michael Smith, this rarest kangaroo, with soulful eyes and burnt umber fur, symbolises tranquillity amidst severe threats like palm oil deforestation and hunting. Less than 50 kangaroos remain alive, underscoring the urgent need for conservation efforts prioritising indigenous sovereignty. To help save these remarkable creatures, join the #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife and take action via this website.
The rediscovery of the rarest #kangaroo alive the Wondiwoi kangaroo in #WestPapua 🌿is bittersweet as they were previously thought to be #extinct 🙀learn about their rare beauty 😍🦘 and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife ✊🌿 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8yg
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterThe Wondiwoi tree #kangaroo 🦘🌿 is the most endangered kangaroo alive due to #palmoil #deforestation 🪔🌴 and hunting across their range of #WestPapua. Take action to help these wide-eyed beauties #Boycottpalmoil 👎 #Boycott4Wildlife 🚫 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8yg
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterA Bittersweet Rediscovery of the Rarest Kangaroo Alive
In the dense, emerald heart of the Wondiwoi Mountains, in West Papua the trees echo with the haunting refrains of the vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise. Underfoot, the ground is soggy and dense with mossy herbaceous fragrances and the scuttling of an eastern long-beaked echidna as she burrows into her subterranean domain. In 2018, an extraordinary moment was captured forever on camera in 2018. High in the treetops, amidst the thick moss-covered branches, a shy Wondiwoi tree kangaroo lay in quiet repose, a symbol of sturdy, plump beauty. This creature was believed to be extinct for nearly a century. Yet a chance encounter by British amateur botanist Michael Smith in 2018 has thrust this creature back into the spotlight.
Wondiwoi tree kangaroos Dendrolagus mayri have an odd combination of kangaroo and monkey qualities. Large and soulful eyes blink from behind long eyelashes and thickly furred paddle-like arms culminate in strong sharp claws fit for grasping tree branches. Their bodies are the colour of burnt umber and terracotta and embody the tranquillity of Papua’s majestic montane forests where they blend into the painter’s palette of the jungle.
Smith’s serendipitous discovery of Wondiwoi tree kangaroos, known as the world’s rarest and most endangered kangaroo, highlights their precarious existence due to human-related threats like palm oil deforestation, rare mineral mining and hunting throughout their range.
A Journey Fuelled by Passion and Curiosity
Michael Smith is an amateur botanist from England. He spends a lot of his free time traversing remote locations like Indonesia, Pakistan and Kurdistan in the faint hope of encountering the rarest species on earth.
“I want these animals to be the poster children for seriously threatened and ancient habitats. I’m trying to get evidence of something interesting – and in terms of getting people involved and excited about conservation, it seems to be effective.”
He understands that time is of the essence to save these animals and many others from the relentless growth of palm oil deforestation.
It’s hard to know if things will change fast enough for there to be anything left. In the 1990s, Papua New Guinea was just a big forest, with a few people. Now it’s still 80% or 90% forest, but there is huge pressure from people and investors who want to make palm oil.”
The Enigmatic Wondiwoi Tree Kangaroo
The bittersweet rediscovery of the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo underscores their gravely precarious position as the rarest kangaroo in the world. Originally they were discovered in 1928 by Ernst Mayer and known only by a single specimen. Papuan non-profit Tenkile Conservation Alliance estimates that less than 50 individuals remain alive.
The Wondiwoi tree kangaroo’s habitat is under severe threat from palm oil deforestation and the extraction of rare minerals such as mica and gold. The forests of West Papua, once a haven for diverse wildlife, are being decimated in silence.
The Guardians of the Forest
The survival of the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is intricately linked to the sovereignty, and land stewardship of the Papuan indigenous peoples. Their deep spiritual and ancestral connection to the land and its human and more-than-human inhabitants stands in stark contrast to the destructive policies of the colonialist Indonesian government. Conservation efforts must prioritise indigenous rights and knowledge, recognising that true protection of these animals lies in the hands of those who have lived in harmony with the forest for many millennia.
Tenkile Conservation Alliance have a range of programmes helping indigenous peoples to understand the importance of conserving rather than hunting tree kangaroos and providing them with ways to harvest alternative sources of food. They have developed tree kangaroo hunting moratoriums as well alongside village communities.
The Jungle Kingdom of Dendrolagus: Tree Kangaroos
The genus Dendrolagus, more enchantingly known as tree kangaroos, embody arboreal grace and irresistible chubby cuteness. These marsupials are lesser known than their iconic ground-dwelling cousins further south in Australia and possess a range of distinctive traits making them masters of the jungle canopy.
Their exceptionally long, pendulous tails act as elegant counterbalances, helping with every leap and bound. Strong forelimbs, paired with shorter and broader hind feet, provide them with superior strength and agility. Long curved claws and spongy paws enhance grip, like natural bouldering shoes, allowing them to climb and cling effortlessly to branches.
Females possess a forward-opening pouch (marsupium) containing four teats. These provide a nurturing haven for their developing young. Their teeth are adapted for shearing leaves, reveal their dietary preference for the verdant foliage of the treetops.
The almost ‘bears’ and barely there Dendrolagus genus:
Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi- Doria’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus dorianus: With their robust build and dark brown fur and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Learn more.
- Lowlands Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus spadix: Known for their reddish-brown fur, gentle demeanour andd striking striped tails, these kangaroos are also listed as Vulnerable. Learn more.
- Ifola Dendrolagus notatus: A shy and elusive tree kangaroo with dark fur, this species is classified as Endangered, mostly from hunting and habitat loss. Learn more.
- Tenkile Dendrolagus scottae: Also known as the Scott’s tree kangaroo, the tenkile is critically endangered, with fewer than 300 individuals remaining. Learn more.
- Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus pulcherrimus: Known for their vibrant golden fur the colour of a sunset, these tree kangaroos are sadly critically endangered. Learn more.
- Vogelkop Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus ursinus: Endemic to the Vogelkop Peninsula, these kangaroos have unique black and grey fur. Learn more.
- Huon Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus matschiei: A portly and robust tree kangaroo known for their rich reddish-brown fur, tragically classified as endangered. Learn more.
- Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi: A striking red and gold coat announces the arrival of the Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos, sadly they are now endangered. Learn more.
- Grizzled Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus inustus: Distinguished by their grey fur and gentle eyes, these kangaroos are classed as vulnerable. Learn more.
Taking Action: How You Can Help
Take action by using your wallet as a weapon#Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4WildlifeThe rediscovery of the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo underscores the urgent need for consumer action. Here’s how you can make a difference:
- Boycott Palm Oil: Reject RSPO greenwashing and avoid products containing “sustainable” palm oil. Use your purchasing power to demand palm oil free in the supermarket. Join the #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife movement on social media.
- Raise Awareness: Share posts on social media and engage in supermarket sleuthing to expose brands that use palm oil. Highlight the ongoing deforestation and animal cruelty.
- Support Indigenous Sovereignty: Advocate for the rights and sovereignty of Papuan indigenous peoples, recognising their crucial role in conserving rainforest habitats and as guardians of rare species.
- Donate: Support the ongoing advocacy of Palm Oil Detectives and the non-profit Tenkile Conservation Alliance, who work tirelessly to protect indigenous peoples, endangered species and their environments.
- Get Involved: Participate in local and global conservation efforts. Whether through social media activism, community education, or direct action, every effort counts.
By taking these steps, you can help ensure that the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo and other endangered species in Papua have a fighting chance to survive and thrive.
The fight to protect the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is a testament to the resilience of nature and the enduring spirit of people all over the world who strive to safeguard it. Together, we can shine a light on the darkness of deforestation and exploitation, ensuring a brighter future for these remarkable creatures and their forest home.
Further Reading
Pickrell, J. (2018). Rare Wondiwoi tree kangaroo rediscovered. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/rare-wondiwoi-tree-kangaroo-discovered-mammals-animals
IUCN. (2015). Dendrolagus mayri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136668/21956785#assessment-information
Tenkile Conservation Alliance. (n.d.). Wondiwoi tree kangaroo. Retrieved from http://www.tenkile.com/wondiwoi-tree-kangaroo.html
Smith, M. (2024, January 10). I discovered a tree kangaroo that had only been seen once – by the man who shot it in 1928. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/10/i-discovered-tree-kangaroo-only-seen-once-1928-aoe
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, February 3). Doria’s Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/03/dorias-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-dorianus/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, February 3). Lowlands Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/03/lowlands-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-spadix/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, January 31). Ifola. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/31/ifola-dendrolagus-notatus/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, January 26). Tenkile. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/tenkile-dendrolagus-scottae/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, January 26). Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/golden-mantled-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-pulcherrimus/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, January 26). Vogelkop Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/vogelkop-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-ursinus/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, January 26). Huon Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/huon-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-matschiei/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, January 26). Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/26/goodfellows-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-goodfellowi/
Palm Oil Detectives. (2021, February 3). Grizzled Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved from https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/03/grizzled-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-inustus/
Image credits: Peter Schouten Illustration, Greenpeace, Craig Jones Wildlife Photography, Khlongwangchao and Michael Smith.
ENDS
Read about other animals endangered in Papua
Read moreLearn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGEcuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense
Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata
Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius
Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei
Pesquets Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus
Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
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Join 3,526 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#animals #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #deforestation #extinct #hunting #indigenousRights #kangaroo #Mammal #Marsupial #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #PapuaNewGuinea #slavery #WestPapua #WestPapua #WondiwoiTreeKangarooDendrolagusMayri
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Meet Chimbu, the blue-eyed, bear-eared tree kangaroo
Tree kangaroos are so unusual that when Europeans first encountered them in Australia in 1872, back on the continent they were sceptical if they were real! Who would believe a #kangaroo could climb a tree?
The Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo is an endangered species of the genus dendrolagus living in the Central Cordillera mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea. Help them to survive every time you shop and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4wildlife
The Goodfellow’s tree #kangaroo 🦘🤎 is an #endangered macropod of #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 Threats include #palmoil and #mining #deforestation #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔☠️🚜🧐🙊⛔️#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/11/03/meet-chimbu-the-blue-eyed-bear-eared-tree-kangaroo/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterA climbing kangaroo? That’s roo-diculous!
Europeans in New Guinea first described tree kangaroos in 1828. While there have been plenty of disagreements about who is related to whom, we now know there are 14 distinct species.
Early explorers considered the very idea of a climbing roo ridiculous, but these animals are specially adapted to life in the trees. They likely all evolved from a terrestrial ancestor earlier in the Pliocene, 5.3 million to 2.5 million years ago.
Tree kangaroos look like marsupial bears, but can climb trees like monkeys. Healesville Sanctuary, Author providedTree kangaroos have much longer forelimbs than their ground-dwelling cousins and their claws are much larger and strongly curved. This provides much stronger grip when climbing trees and gripping smaller branches.
They still have large strong hind limbs, but their feet are shorter, broader and have a long curved claw on each toe.
The pad of the hindfoot is single, large and with prominent grooves, all of which enhance the animal’s grip when climbing and walking in the canopy. The tails of tree kangaroos aren’t capable of grasping things like a monkey’s, but they’re long and often held out behind the animal for balance.
But perhaps one of the most obvious differences between tree kangaroos and their terrestrial cousins is their adorably small bear-like ears.
Threatened with extinction
Two species of tree kangaroos are found in the forests of northeast Australia and 12 species in the jungles of New Guinea. All species of tree kangaroos are threatened with extinction in New Guinea, although much about these animals is unknown.
The current population size is unknown, but this species of tree kangaroo is thought to be declining in the wild. Healesville Sanctuary, Author providedTraditionally hunted for food, hassled by dogs and threatened by the destruction of their forest habitat, the soft thud of tree roo feet among the trees is falling silent.
But conservation work in their natural habitat and through a globally managed tree kangaroo captive breeding program is helping not only the species, but the people who live alongside them.
Baby Chimbu – a new hope
Chimbu was born in Victoria, but is really an international fellow. His mother Mani came from the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra, and his father Bagam arriving from Kreffeld Zoo in Germany.
Baby Chimbu brings hope to a species nearing extinction. Healesville Sanctuary, Author providedMani and Bagam were paired based on the recommendation of scientists and managers who maintain a studbook of Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos around the world.
These gorgeous animals are generally chocolate brown on the back, shading to pale brown or cream on the face and belly, and often with a single or double narrow pale stripe down the back.
Their beautiful striped tails are one of their most noticeable features. And while the current population size is unknown, this tree kangaroo is thought to be declining due to hunting for food, local trading for cultural purposes, and habitat destruction through local deforestation and shifting cultivation.
Chimbu ventured out of his mum’s pouch to sample some tasty salad. Healesville Sanctuary, Author providedAn international network of captive tree kangaroos helps conserve this species. Healesville Sanctuary, Author providedAlthough the Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos are officially endangered, we don’t know much about them in the wild. Right now, the Wildlife Conservation Society is working out how many are in the wild and where, so scientists can develop a detailed conservation program.
Written by Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, The University of Melbourne. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Read about other endangered tree kangaroos from Papua New Guinea on Palm Oil Detectives
These animals face threats including palm oil and coffee deforestation and hunting. Never fear – there are ways you can help.
Seri’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus stellarum
Doria’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus dorianus
Lowlands Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus spadix
Grizzled Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus inustus
Huon Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus matschiei
Vogelkop Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus ursinus
Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus goodfellowi
Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus pulcherrimus
Black Dorcopsis Dorcopsis atrata
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animals #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #coffee #deforestation #Dendrolagus #endangered #GoodfellowSTreeKangarooDendrolagusGoodfellowi #herbivore #herbivores #kangaroo #Mammal #mammals #Marsupial #mining #palmoil #Papua #PapuaNewGuinea #PapuaNewGuineaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #PapuaNewGuinea #TreeKangaroo #treekangaroos #vegan
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Bonobos can inspire us to make our democracies more peaceful
#Bonobos, sometimes called the “forgotten #ape” due to their recent discovery and small numbers, titillate the democrat’s imagination. Before the 1970s, certain primatologists thought bonobos were strange #chimpanzees because females govern in this primate society.Frans de Waal, the primatologist and popular writer, has done much to explain the fascinating lives of these “peace-loving #apes” and how they are changing the story of human evolution. Bonobos are unique among apes for how they settle day-to-day conflicts. Personalities and social standing are evident in their society. Squabbles are frequent within or between groups. Bonobos defuse the potentially violent tension in these conflicts through quick bursts of sex, mutual grooming, hugs and kisses, and mimicking the sounds each other makes. Help these remarkable intelligent beings survive when you #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Blissful #bonobos resolve conflict in (mostly) peaceful ways. Maybe they can inspire #human #democracies to be fairer, kinder and more just? Help these remarkable beings to survive #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🔥🩸🚜❌ #Boycott4Wildlife #apes #primates @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/02/20/bonobos-can-inspire-us-to-make-our-democracies-more-peaceful/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWe can see reflections of ourselves – the good, the bad and the ugly – in bonobos, and in other apes too.
The trick is to use intimate, gentle, genuine techniques to find common ground with one’s opponent. It’s the bonobos’ way to say “it’s alright” and to repair any emotional sores from the dispute. It doesn’t always happen this way, especially between rival groups, but violence is the exception to the rule.
Inspirations
We value peace today, so the discovery of the bonobo gives us hope that Homo sapiens aren’t naturally sadistic terrors kept in check only by the power of authority or the divine, the fear of the afterlife.
Bonobo mother and babyGorillas, another close relative, offer inspiration too. While a very large male protects most small groups, he’s more bodyguard than despot. Gorillas reach decisions through co-operation between the sexes.
Baboons also offer a counter view to our supposed nasty and brutish inner nature. In a troop of hamadryas or olive baboons you’d soon be able to spot the stronger individuals. And you might assume they simply call the shots: only they don’t.
Baboons have a more delicate form of collective decision-making. This involves sitting in the right place and waiting to see where a majority develops. In this way, more than a few individuals share leadership.
Now we come to chimpanzees, the species that has been most influential in how we picture the earliest human behaviour. They are patriarchal, hierarchical, constantly scheming to get ahead in rank and sometimes shockingly violent. Yet, if the times are good (food’s abundant), they can be consensual, mellow and peaceful.
Like the bonobos, chimps try to repair emotional damage after a fight because the group has to work or else everyone’s survival is at risk.
Zoologist Dr George McGavin joking with a bonobo while filming Monkey Planet for the BBCThat said, bonobos, gorillas, baboons and chimpanzees aren’t a reflection of our past. As Frans de Waal and science journalist Virginia Morell observe, these species have been evolving alongside us since we all split from our common ancestor. Looking at them isn’t the same as looking back.
However, we can relate to the behaviours in these species – we can see ourselves in them. Perhaps, we wonder, we’ve always had the capacity for peace and violence; we’ve always lived in the political spectrum between violent autocracy and peaceful democracy.
Our species is certainly trying to strengthen the latter now. Perhaps the bonobos, or the other apes, can help us do better by inspiring us to think differently.
Imagine if we could stop being violent to one another. The violence that democrats living in democracies commit online or in person, often in public among strangers, limits if not wastes our capacity to be peaceful in our everyday lives.
Let’s say a fight starts over a parking space. You saw it first, had your blinker on to “claim it”, when that omfg no-you-didn’t creature of a moron steals it. I’ve reason to believe that, when slighted in this way, most of us want to punch this stranger in the face or trash their car.
Trying to find common ground with them then and there seems bizarre. Stranger still is to entertain the thought that maybe you and the spot-thief might then give each other a hug or a smooch, mount each other for a while, run your fingers through one another’s hair and say: “You know what, it’s all right, have a nice day”.
I play to the absurd here because I’m not arguing that we should try to perfectly replicate the way bonobos avoid violence. Echoing a point that Laurence Whitehead once made, we shouldn’t confuse inspiration with replication.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9BFjr_x0vU
We should rather try to draw inspiration from the bonobos to enrich our own practices, to enhance today’s human democracies. We might do equally well to dream about rhesus monkeys and their aversion to inequality, or spider monkeys and their patient if not wondrously just lives.
These primates place emphasis on avoiding violence and inequality because peace keeps them working together. It helps them survive.
And that’s important for us: peace and social cohesion are the legs our democracies strive to stand on.
The opposite, violence and social division, beckons to the Beetlejuice of regimes: benevolent authoritarianism, that hated but necessary stabiliser of states when times are bad.
It’s crucial to remember that avoiding violence builds trust and confidence in the group and between groups. It’s what the bonobos do so well. Yet in our societies we’re still struggling to use words and care instead of fists, guns, mines and bombs.
Political theorist John Keane once alluded: the future if not quality of democracy depends on our ability to exchange violence for peace. For the sake of our democracies, we need to be able to make this exchange, from those everyday moments in the carpark to those times in the lives of nations when diplomacy gives way to conflict.
Lessons
It’s not simply the normative visions of a democracy changed that the examples of non-human life offer. We can learn from the down-to-earth, concrete and special techniques that non-humans use to make decisions.
The process of evolution creates replicating systems – ones that work. It happens simply through the genes that survive millions of years of trial and error. As a result, the lives of many non-humans may offer more than a few masterclasses in social success.
In Honeybee Democracy, Thomas Seeley explains how bees decide as a group on the best site for a new hive. Princeton University PressTake the European honeybee, for example. In his book, Honeybee Democracy, Thomas Seeley explains how bees make the life-or-death decision on where to build their next hive.
Once a hive reaches capacity – no room is left for making more bees or honey – the existing queen and most of the bees move out. They must start a new hive.
It’s down to the oldest forager bees, which usually account for 3% to 5% of the worker bees (talk about representation), to get more than half their family – potentially upwards of 30,000 individuals – out of the hive. Once this massive swarm is out, the elder bees direct it to cluster somewhere around the queen until they find a suitable site for the new hive.
At this point, the 1000 or so elder bees, who’ve swapped from food foragers to house scouts, travel several kilometres in all directions. They’re looking for that perfect site.
Bees are choosy. The hive site must satisfy several criteria. These include the location and diameter of the entrance (it’s important no rain can get in and that there is only one entrance); whether it faces the sun (this keeps the hive warmer in winter); the height above the ground (the higher the better to deter predators); if it’s in a tree (trees are preferred); and the available space. If it’s too big, the bees will freeze in winter. Too small, and they won’t have enough food to last through the cold months.
Choosing the wrong hive site might mean the human equivalent of a small town dying.
Honeybees evolved decision-making techniques because so much is riding on the decision elder bees make on behalf of the whole. Seeley thinks we should be studying and learning from these techniques.
Christian List and Thomas Seeley believe studying how honeybees make decisions together can help us make better decisions. flickr/US Department of Agriculture, CC BY-NCWhen a scout bee returns to the swarm after finding a site that ticks all the boxes she lets the freak out in her waggle dance. Her dance tells other scout bees she’s on to something good.
However, rather than accepting the force of her presentation (charisma you might say), each scout flies off to the site that got the scout dancing with excitement to independently verify her claim.
If it really is the promised land, each scout returns to replicate the dance of the first. If not, the scouts will see who else is dancing, independently verify their claim, and potentially follow their dance.
Once around 70% of the scouts are broadcasting the same site, the other scouts stop advertising alternatives and join the majority.
So the decision’s made. It’s time to rouse the 30,000 into the air and for the scouts to direct the swarm to the agreed site.
The independent verification bees use to make high-quality decisions speaks directly to the problems we face in democratic assemblies. The ability of charismatic speech to sway others without proving the evidence in the speaker’s argument, the entrenchment of factions around shared values and not evidence, the capitulation of younger or less knowledgeable individuals confronted by older experts, and so on, all point to our difficulties in using evidence-based decision-making. https://www.youtube.com/embed/JnnjY823e-w?wmode=transparent&start=0 Tom Seeley explains how swarming honeybees choose a new home.
Obviously we’re not bees. We’re value-laden and sometimes irrational primates with our own host of problems specific to our species.
Even if we perfectly executed the bees’ independent verification technique, a person could very well say: “No, regardless of the evidence I’ve just verified which is contrary to my original position, I will maintain that wind mills sour cow’s milk, or that my kids don’t need vaccinating, or that climate change isn’t a threat.”
In fact, majority decision-making is, out of all the available democratic decision-making systems, the least preferable for many of us. People like reaching consensus and they like proportionality because it’s fair. And a lot of the decisions assemblies make aren’t questions of life or death, so we don’t really feel like there’s that much at stake.
That said, seeking to learn from bees, and to reflect on what they do so well and what we don’t do that well, generates space for tinkering with the “how”. It creates an opportunity to alter our democratic procedures for the better. We could do this, for example, by establishing a standard practice of independent verification – one that works for us – before an assembly makes a decision.
“Enrolling in nature’s masterclasses”, provided free to us by evolution, doesn’t put our human democracies to question. Rather, it gives us the chance to strengthen them, refine them, make them better.
Analogies
Lastly, by drawing comparisons between non-human and human life we can make analogies about democracy’s issues.
Look, for instance, to the parasites found in nature. There are blood-suckers of blood-suckers (a midge that drinks the blood from a mosquito that just drank it from you), wasps that inject their eggs into other insects, body-snatching fungi, mind-altering protozoans and murderously dishonest amoebas. They might remind democrats of the perils of individuals who manipulate and use democracy for their own ends.
The strangleweed, Cuscuta pentagona, is a parasitic plant. From the moment its seed has sprouted, the seedling “feels” around for a different plant. It’s going to live off this plant.
Once in range, the strangleweed takes a gentle hold of its victim and pierces the host’s stem with a haustorium (effectively a pointy green syringe). It does this not only to drink the host’s sugars but also to swap genetic information (RNA) with it.
Researchers think that C. pentagona reads the host’s genetic information to gain an understanding of its victim’s condition. But the strangleweed also sends its own genetic information to the host, like a Trojan horse designed to keep the victim from realising it’s being used.
Remind you of anyone? The parasitic Cuscuta pentagona, or strangleweed (light green), in action. Phys.orgSince at least the times of usurious monarchs or the entrenchment of transnational capital, democrats have made the point about parasitic elites.
The transnational capitalist class roam this world looking for the best hosts to do their business with. They find their way past barriers to take information from sovereign states, send reassurances to them, and then begin the process of extracting wealth from them to maintain their status as this world’s first global oligarchs.
I think here in particular of the dealings between mining companies and small cash-poor states. Like the strangleweed’s initial wandering tentacle, the company sends its agents to find where it can get a grip on the host.
The company uses charm offensives, lobbyists and sometimes bribes to transfuse information between it and the host. The two become a hybridised one. The company releases public relations information to keep the host satiated if not to massage it into accepting that the company is here to stay – that is, until the sugars run out.
The relationship between a multinational company and a sovereign state can be, like the relationship between the strangleweed and its victim, asymmetrical. On both sides of the analogy the parasite lives at the expense of the host, which is left almost powerless to defend itself.
Now, we should recognise that this baldly polemical interpretation of multinational companies and their governors doesn’t mean they’re no different from a parasitic plant, nor do they function for the same reason as the strangleweed, whose aim is reproduction.
What we get from this analogy is, instead, a reflection from reality’s broken mirror. Looking at the strangleweed and then to the transnational capitalist class creates a snapshot perception, an imperfect but still handy image, for the democrat to use.
Extinction, the death of possibilities
As writer Elizabeth Kolbert says in her own way: with each extinction of a non-human species we see ourselves further ruined.
Earth is home to at least one million species, and likely more. Many species make collective decisions, solve problems together and survive as a group. Losing a living species to extinction also means, from a selfishly human perspective, losing a potential opportunity to improve today’s democracies by the inspirations, lessons and analogies that only the evolution of other life forms can impart to us.
Non-humans evolved their own techniques and behaviours – which we can make sense of using words from the vocabulary of democracy – because they work for them. It’s 100% pragmatic. Nature’s tool chest, you might say.
Admittedly, these tools may not be fit for our purposes. After all, we aren’t bonobos, bees or parasitic plants. But it’s also fair to say that we’d be rash not to try to find help in them, especially if enriching our democratic practices in this way could help solve some of the problems confronting us.
Here we can say that our destruction of non-humans is destroying a part of ourselves, of our democracies’ hope of reaching their fuller potential. Perhaps, out of respect for their existence and our own, it’s time to include non-humans in that all-too-human affair we call democracy.
You can read parts one and two of the essay here.
Jean-Paul Gagnon, Assistant Professor in Politics, University of Canberra
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #Ape #apes #bonobo #Bonobos #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #Chimpanzees #democracies #democracy #human #Mammal #Primate #primates #Primatologist #primatology #sentience
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There is a new release of misskey. Happy updating your instance.
# 2026.5.1
General Enhance: チャンネルの作成の可否をロールポリシーで制御できるように Fix: .devcontainer/compose.ymlのvolumeのマウントパスを修正 Client Enhance: ノートの詳細表示での公開範囲の表示を改善 (Cherry-picked from kokonect-link/cherrypick@ecc7556) Fix:...
https://github.com/misskey-dev/misskey/releases/tag/2026.5.1
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St. Luke’s – Global City launches a dedicated inhaler clinic to enhance pulmonary care
St. Luke’s Medical Center is proud to announce the launch of its Inhaler Clinic Service in Global City, designed to optimize the care of patients with pulmonary disorders such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The clinic aims to address a critical gap in respiratory care, including proper inhaler techniques.
Inhaler therapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for many pulmonary conditions. However, studies show that up to 94 percent of patients do not use their inhalers correctly, leading to poor symptom control, frequent exacerbations, and reduced quality of life.
https://twitter.com/tbcnewsph/status/1963819060485050703
Recognizing this, St. Luke’s has established a first-of-its-kind clinic focused on ensuring patients receive not only the proper medication but also the correct technique and support. It also offers coaching on the use and care of nebulizers.
The Inhaler Clinic has a multidisciplinary core team consisting of pulmonologists and respiratory therapists, and is built around four key goals:
● Assess and teach correct inhaler technique to ensure proper medication delivery and better disease control.
● Monitor adherence and treatment outcomes
Regular follow-ups allow the team to evaluate how well patients are using their prescribed therapies and to adjust management plans based on measurable progress.
● Identify and solve device-related problems
The clinic helps resolve issues such as improper device selection, technique errors, or device mismatch such as elderly patients, patients with arthritis, tremors or weakness, etc., supporting more personalized care.
● Empower patients and caregivers through education
Through structured teaching sessions, the clinic equips patients and families with the knowledge and confidence needed to manage respiratory conditions effectively at home.
By focusing on proper device use, personalized guidance, and continuous monitoring, the Inhaler Clinic aims to deliver tangible improvements that matter most to patients:
● Fewer asthma and COPD attacks
● Better medication absorption
● Reduced emergency room visits and hospitalizations
● Improved overall quality of life
Who should be referred to the Inhaler Clinic
Referral to the Inhaler Clinic is recommended for patients who may benefit from focused inhaler education and monitoring, including:
● Newly diagnosed patients with prescribed inhalers
● Individuals with persistent uncontrolled asthma or COPD
● Patients demonstrating recurrent inhaler errors
● Those on complex inhaler regimens (multiple devices or dosing schedules)
● Patients with device mismatch, such as elderly patients with limited hand coordination
● Patients or families expressing confusion or uncertainty
● Patients discharged with new inhaler prescriptions
As the first dedicated inhaler clinic in the Philippines, St. Luke’s sets a new standard in pulmonary care, offering patients a unique, comprehensive service to help them breathe easier.
For more information on referring patients to the Inhaler Clinic, contact the St. Luke’s Product Information Hub at 0947-9930471 / 0998-5822276 / 0939-9161805 / 0928-5200239.
#BUSINESS #Health #Insurance #latest #LIFESTYLE #lungs #news #Philippines #pulmonary #stLukes
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The Greenland Gambit: Trump’s Arctic Appointment Tests NATO Unity
In a bold stroke of Arctic geopolitics, President Donald Trump’s appointment of a special envoy to Greenland has ignited a diplomatic firestorm, challenging the core principles of NATO and European sovereignty as the great powers circle the melting ice.
A Christmas Eve Diplomatic Earthquake
On December 22, 2025, from his Mar-a-Lago residence, President Donald Trump delivered a geopolitical surprise that instantly recalibrated Arctic politics. He announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the United States Special Envoy to Greenland, a position without historical precedent.
“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security,” Trump declared on Truth Social, “and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”
The response from Europe was swift and uncompromising. Within hours, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a stark rejoinder on X, asserting: “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law… We stand in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
This exchange is not merely diplomatic friction; it represents a fundamental clash of visions for the Arctic’s future at a moment when melting polar ice caps are unlocking unprecedented strategic and economic possibilities.
The Strategic Prize: Why Greenland Matters in 2025
Greenland’s significance has been magnified by the accelerating effects of climate change. By 2025, the Northwest Passage is experiencing longer periods of navigability, transforming global shipping routes. The United States, Russia, and China are engaged in a silent competition for influence in what was once a frozen frontier.
For the U.S., Greenland represents:
- A critical missile defense and early-warning bulwark against advanced Russian hypersonic capabilities, monitored from the upgraded Thule Air Base.
- A potential key to mineral independence, with vast deposits of rare-earth elements crucial for green technology and advanced electronics.
- A strategic vantage point to monitor increased Russian submarine activity and burgeoning Chinese polar research initiatives, often viewed as dual-purpose scientific and strategic endeavors.
Trump’s 2025 move can be seen as the operationalization of his earlier, dismissed idea of purchasing the island—a shift from acquisition to intensive, direct engagement.
The Sovereignty Breach: A Legal and Diplomatic Offense
The core of the international outcry lies in a clear violation of diplomatic protocol and sovereignty. Greenland, while self-governing in domestic affairs, remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which constitutionally manages its foreign, security, and defense policy.
The creation of a “Special Envoy” bypasses the Danish government entirely, establishing a direct channel between Washington and Nuuk. To Copenhagen and Brussels, this mirrors 19th-century “gunboat diplomacy” tactics, treating a sovereign ally’s territory as a sphere of influence. It undermines the very post-World War II international order that the U.S. helped build and that is based on the inviolability of borders.
Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, labeled the appointment “deeply regrettable and unacceptable,” stating it would be met with “firm and united resistance.” The move has unified a typically fractious Danish parliament against a common perceived threat.
The NATO Rift: An Alliance Under Stress
The crisis strikes at the heart of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Denmark has been a reliable NATO ally, exceeding the 2% GDP defense spending target and contributing forces to alliance missions. For it to be treated in this manner by the treaty’s leading power sends a chilling signal to all members, particularly the Baltic states and Poland, who rely on American commitment to collective defense.
The incident exacerbates an existing tension within NATO between:
- American Strategic Imperatives: The U.S. view, particularly under the Trump administration, that prioritizes unilateral action and tangible security assets (like Greenland’s location) over alliance etiquette.
- European Legalism and Sovereignty: The EU and Denmark’s adherence to a rules-based international system where the sovereignty of allies is non-negotiable.
This rift creates a strategic opening for Russia, which can exploit Western disunity to advance its own Arctic claims and energy projects with less coordinated opposition.
Greenland’s Dilemma: Between Autonomy and Great Power Politics
Caught in the middle are the 56,000 people of Greenland. The local government in Nuuk faces a complex calculus:
- Economic Independence: Greenland craves economic self-sufficiency to move beyond Denmark’s substantial annual block grant. U.S. investment in mining and infrastructure is tantalizing.
- Environmental and Cultural Cost: Large-scale extraction threatens pristine ecosystems and the traditional Inuit way of life, which is already under pressure from climate change.
- Sovereign Agency: While rejecting colonial overtones, Greenlanders see an opportunity to leverage great-power interest to enhance their own international standing and negotiation power with Copenhagen.
The risk for Greenland is becoming a proxy battleground, where its developmental and environmental choices are dictated by Washington, Beijing, or Moscow rather than Nuuk.
The Path Forward: Scenarios for a Fracturing Arctic
As we enter 2026, several scenarios could unfold from this crisis:
- Escalation: Denmark and the EU could respond with symbolic sanctions, limit intelligence sharing on the Arctic, or expedite the EU’s own strategic partnership with Greenland, further drawing institutional battle lines.
- Quiet Demotion: Behind-the-scenes negotiations could see the “Special Envoy” title downgraded to a liaison role that works through Copenhagen, allowing all parties to save face while maintaining U.S. strategic access.
- Greenland’s Empowerment: This crisis may accelerate Greenland’s push for full independence, as it realizes both the burdens and leverages of its geopolitical desirability. It could seek a status akin to a “permanently neutral” state to avoid being ensnared in great-power conflict.
What is certain is that the Arctic will never again be a zone of low tension. President Trump’s Greenland gambit has made that a reality. It has demonstrated that in the new era of strategic competition, even the territories of close allies are subject to renegotiation based on raw power and national interest. The foundations of the transatlantic alliance, already strained, now face a cold, direct test in the warming North.
👉 Share your thoughts in the comments, and explore more insights on our Journal and Magazine. Please consider becoming a subscriber, thank you: https://dunapress.org/subscriptions – Follow The Dunasteia News on social media. Join the Oslo Meet by connecting experiences and uniting solutions: https://oslomeet.org
References:
- The White House. (2025, December 22). Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Appointment of a Special Envoy to Greenland.
- European Commission. (2025, December 22). Remarks by President von der Leyen on Arctic Security and Sovereignty.
- Government of Denmark. (2025). Foreign Policy Statement: On the Integrity of the Realm.
- NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2025). Annual Report on Arctic Security Dynamics.
- Arctic Council. (2025). Assessment Report on Climate Impacts and Geopolitical Risks.
- Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland). (2025). White Paper on Sustainable Development and International Partnerships.
#Arctic #ArcticGeopolitics #diplomacy #ForeignPolicy #Geopolitics #Greenland #NATO #NATOCrisis #sovereignty #USDenmarkRelations #USEU
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Around 25% of Africa’s Land is Damaged: This is How We Fix It!
Almost 25% of all land in Africa has been damaged. Land degradation is worrying issue across the continent of Africa. This is being driven by climate change and deforestation for extractive industries like rare mineral mining and monocultures like palm oil and cocoa. Other big drivers includes invasive species and environmental pollutants and toxins. Mlungele Nsikani is a land restoration specialist and environmental scientist. He explains how ecological restoration and agroecology is a great way to reverse land degradation so that people, plants and animals can thrive. Another powerful way to make an impact is through boycotting industries destroying the world like gold mining, palm oil and the meat industry. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
25% of #land in #Africa is damaged by #climatechange #mining and #palmoil #deforestation. Yet strong policies for #agroecology would restore land for people, plants and animals to thrive #BoycottPalmOil #ClimateActionNow #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-90N
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWritten by Mlungele M. Nsikani, Senior scientist, South African National Biodiversity Institute. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
What’s driving land degradation on the continent?
Africa is one of the most degraded continents in the world. About 23% of the surface of Africa, or over 700 million hectares of land, is already degraded. Another three million hectares is being further degraded annually.
Degraded land is land that has lost some of its natural productivity through processes caused by humans. It’s estimated that up to 40% of the planet’s land is degraded.
The “big five” drivers of land degradation globally and in Africa are:
- biological invasions, where plant species have spread outside their indigenous area and disrupted the services provided by ecosystems
- climate change driven events, such as intense droughts and severe fires
- extractive activities, such as mining and over-harvesting
- habitat transformation or fragmentation, including deforestation and poor agricultural practices
- pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, and eutrophication – where algae and other plants take over plant life.
Factors that have made the situation worse in Africa include: development demands; a high dependency on natural resources at the household level (such as the use of firewood for cooking); agricultural practices (including clearing indigenous plants to grow cash crops); weak governance; insecure land tenure; pervasive poverty; and population growth.
What is ecological restoration?
Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed. Removing invasive plants and reintroducing indigenous species is one way to reverse damage. Ecological restoration is about helping to create conditions in which plants, animals and microorganisms can carry out the work of recovery themselves.
Assisting recovery can be as complex as altering landforms (intentionally changing aspects of the landscape), planting vegetation, changing the hydrology (water flow), and reintroducing wildlife. It can also be as simple as removing an invasive species or reintroducing a lost plant species to the land.
For example more than 8,750 plant species have found their way to South Africa. Over 785 species have made the country their permanent home on a significant scale and have had negative impacts. These include at least 14 Australian Acacia tree species which are invasive across South Africa. These cover about 554,000 hectares of the country.
They use up water resources and reduce grazing land. They also change soil microbial community structure, diversity and function. Invasive Acacia trees have established extensive woodlands that compete against native species, leaving little room for native plants and trees to grow. This costs more than R4 billion annually (about US$214 million) – the combined cost of clearing invasive species and the value of reduced ecosystem services in invaded areas.
The fynbos biome, which covers large parts of South Africa’s Western Cape province, has been the most affected. Since 1995, the publicly funded Working for Water programme has cleared invasive species, leaving ecosystems to recover naturally. The Greater Cape Town Water Fund has also funded the removal of thousands of thirsty invasive trees in mountain areas in a bid to save water and restore indigenous fynbos. This is known as passive restoration.
Planting native vegetation (often done through seed) – active restoration – has also helped the land recover. However, it has been applied at a smaller scale than passive restoration because it is more expensive. Planting native vegetation after clearing invasive species is often a more effective way to help native species recover in the restoration site, particularly if the native soil seedbanks have been depleted by the long duration of invasion.
How can people help?
Anyone can contribute to the restoration of ecosystems. The first thing is to advocate for and actively engage in the conservation of intact ecosystems. As the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure.
Ecological restoration is a great tool to tackle land degradation. But it’s not a quick fix. It’s still necessary to protect and conserve natural ecosystems.
Secondly, everyone should get involved in ecological restoration efforts, no matter how small. We can help remove invasive species or plant native species where we live. We can donate or be part of organisations that are involved in ecological restoration.
Above all, we should continue to spread the ecological restoration message and show that we are #GenerationRestoration!
The need for ecological restoration on the continent is great. Only functioning landscapes can provide affordable food, water and energy. These are the cornerstones of economic development. Ecological restoration can protect and enhance environmental assets and natural resources, provide employment, and help national development, security and social stability.
Written by Mlungele M. Nsikani, Senior scientist, South African National Biodiversity Institute. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
ENDS
Read more about conservation and reasons to be hopeful
Protecting India’s Tigers Saves One Million Tonnes of CO2
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1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
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Join 3,521 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
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The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
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5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Africa #agroecology #agroforestry #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #ClimateActionNow #climatechange #conservation #deforestation #environment #GenerationRestoration #land #mining #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #ReasonsToBeHopeful
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BRYNCOCH: £1,000 boost for ‘friendship and hope’ school as pupils celebrate big win
Persimmon Homes West Wales handed over the four-figure cheque to Ysgol Maes y Coed — a much-loved school supporting young people aged two to 19 with complex learning needs.
And the cash couldn’t come at a better time.
The school’s inspiring “19 Things” initiative aims to make sure every pupil enjoys at least 19 unique experiences before they leave — from trips and competitions to social activities many families would otherwise struggle to access.
Now, thanks to the funding boost, even more of those moments are set to become reality.
Teachers and pupils gathered to celebrate the donation, proudly holding up giant cheque boards as the school’s “Friendship and Hope” banner looked on — a fitting backdrop for a day full of joy.
Deputy headteacher Catherine Tucker said the money will go directly towards enriching pupils’ lives beyond the classroom.
She said: “We pride ourselves on our warm, caring and supportive atmosphere — a place where young people can flourish, learn, enjoy, be happy and safe.
“This donation is very much appreciated and will help us fund visits and away days… allowing them to take part in fun and social experiences.”
The funding comes through Persimmon’s Community Champions scheme, which dishes out around £50,000 every year to good causes across Wales — with local sports clubs and community groups also among recent winners.
Sales director Sharon Bouhali said the firm was delighted to support the school, adding that staff wanted to recognise the “hard-working team” and help create more opportunities for pupils.
With developments already built nearby and more homes planned across the region, the company says it’s keen to give something back to communities on its doorstep.
And for the pupils of Ysgol Maes y Coed, that means more trips, more experiences — and more chances to make memories that will last a lifetime.
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#Bryncoch #donation #Neath #PersimmonHomes #specialSchool #YsgolMaesYCoed
Another school benefits from community funding to enhance opportunities for pupils. -
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