Being afraid does not mean you’re under attack

…Right now everyone from the President of the United States to the Mayor of New York to the State of Israel is calling campus protesters antisemitic. Countless publications are drumming up fear that Jewish students are under threat at Columbia University in particular, and that the student protesters themselves are being rabid antisemites. Every accusation of this nature is accompanied by no evidence, but the accusations continue to echo through the channels of the powerful. The establishment is scared of this new wave of student protest — and of the way it’s spreading like wildfire from campus to campus. What sparked this rapid growth of Gaza solidarity encampments across the country was the utterly uncalled for and violent crackdown that Columbia ushered in upon their own students by calling the NYPD onto their campus to arrest protesters peacefully encamped at the school. The cops arrested dozens of Jewish students in addition to their Muslim, Christian, and atheist peers…

Source: Being afraid does not mean you’re under attack

Ein Dienstagslächeln / … A Tuesday smile – Stella, oh, Stella

Heute einmal eine Geschichte aus Finnland. Im finnischen Heidentum ist Tellervo die Göttin der Wälder, die diese und alles was darin gedeiht und lebt beschützt. Ja, und dann kommt der Mensch … und eine Göttin wird zum Monster erklärt. Doch wer ist hier wirklich das Monster?

… Today we will watch a story from Finland. In Finnish paganism, Tellervo is the goddess of the woods, who protects them and everything living in them. Well, and then humans enter the stage … and a goddess is being declared a monster. But, who is really a monster here?

Und Liebe überwindet wieder einmal alles, so mag ich es.

… Yes, and love again overcomes everything, that’s the way I like it.

Übrigens, der finnische heidnische Glaube ist ganz anders als in den anderen skandinavischen Ländern. Wer sich näher dafür interessiert, kann ja mal Minna Sundbergs „A Redtail’s dream“ lesen (web comic). In ihrer Geschichte verknüpft sie einen widerstrebenden Helden und seinen Hund mit der finnischen Mythologie, und das mit viel Humor und fantastischen Zeichnungen.

… By the way, the Finnish pagan belief is completely different from the one in other Scandinavian countries. Those who are interested to know more, could read Minna Sundberg’s „A Redtail’s dream“ (web comic). In her story she combines an unwilling hero and his dog with Finnish mythology, and that with a lot of humour and fantastic artwork.

Source: Ein Dienstagslächeln / … A Tuesday smile – Stella, oh, Stella

Anthony Albanese and Elon Musk feud over X’s bid to show graphic stabbing footage – ABC News

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at “arrogant” billionaire Elon Musk, after he made comments goading Mr Albanese on his social media platform X.

Mr Musk is feuding with Australia’s eSafety commissioner over an order to remove graphic footage of last week’s Sydney church stabbing, and last night faced a defeat in court when it ruled X must temporarily pull the posts from its site until the next hearing date.

Overnight he twice posted comments mocking Australia’s prime minister, suggesting X’s refusal to remove the violent videos left it alone among social media platforms as a defender of free speech.

“I’d like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one,” Mr Musk wrote.

Source: Anthony Albanese and Elon Musk feud over X’s bid to show graphic stabbing footage – ABC News

Andarilha – O Outro Lado

Ph: Lauren Treece

E eu que sempre fui Sol
… amanhecer
Olho para o céu-noite
E aponto estrelas
– possíveis mapas –
Fecho os olhos perdidos
… para que a Rota
Esteja certa!
E quem se perdeu (de mim)
Encontre o caminho
Para dentro do meu peito
Onde o coração
– feito ninho avisa que é possível
nascer outra vez

Mariana Gouveia
Coletivo de Poesias Andarilha
Scenarium Livros Artesanais

Source: Andarilha – O Outro Lado

Bioplastics as toxic as regular plastics; both need regulation, say researchers

  • Emerging research shows that plant-based plastics — just like petroleum-based plastics — contain many thousands of synthetic chemicals, with large numbers of them extremely toxic. However, the bioplastics industry strongly denies that bio-based plastics contain hazardous substances.
  • Scientists are finding that while plant sources for bioplastics, such as corn or cane sugar, may not themselves be toxic or have adverse health impacts, the chemical processes to manufacture bioplastics and the many performance additives needed to give them their attributes (hardness, flexibility, color, etc.) can be quite toxic.
  • Those doing the research no longer see bioplastics as a solution to the global plastic pollution crisis and would like to see them regulated. However, a very large number of petroleum-based plastics and the chemicals they contain also lack tough government oversight.
  • This week, representatives from the world’s nations gather for a fourth session to hammer out an international treaty to curb the global plastic pollution crisis. The High Ambition Coalition (including 65 countries) hopes to achieve a binding global ban on the worst toxins in plastics. But the U.S., China and other nations are resisting.

Almost 25 years after their hopeful debut, bioplastics contribute only about 1% of the global plastics market share, mainly for food packaging. But that may soon change.

The Biden administration announced an initiative in 2023 to “spur a circular economy” with the goal of replacing 90% of petrochemical-sourced plastics with bio-based materials over the next 20 years. With looming European mandates also aimed at addressing the plastic pollution crisis, analysts expect the bioplastics market to grow to 5 million metric tons by 2025.

At first glance this sounds like a good thing, but is it?

Motivated by the aggressive marketing of bioplastics as a solution to the plastic crisis, scientists are now peering inside these material innovations, and those doing the research don’t like what they see.

“Most people don’t know about toxins in plastics, period. And even people that do work with plastics don’t know about toxins in bioplastics,” says Bethanie Almroth, a professor of ecotoxicology and environmental science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, who has studied bioplastics.

These plant-based materials can be just as toxic as petroleum-based ones, she says. That’s not necessarily due to the plant world sourcing of base materials, but because of the chemical processes needed to make bioplastics and the additives required to achieve the many desirable qualities demanded of them (durability, flexibility, color, etc.)…

Source: Bioplastics as toxic as regular plastics; both need regulation, say researchers