Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Whose Freedom — Yours Or Ours???

Filosofa's Word

It’s puzzling to me … the variety of ways that people view ‘freedom.’  The United States is considered a relatively free nation, but that doesn’t mean that people living here can do as they damn well please.  The same is true of Canada … yes, the people are free in most every important way, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t rules.  The rules in the U.S., Canada, and most every other western nation are put into place to protect people, the ‘greater good’ as we tend to think of it.  For example, there are speed limits on highways to keep people safe, and there are age requirements for such things as a driving license, drinking alcohol, etc., all intended to keep us safe. Childhood vaccines keep our children safe in schools and rules against smoking in public keep us all safe in public venues.  But some things are less clear…

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Forgotten Black History: First Black American Unit Commander -in Spain

Context, Thought, and Learning: ShiraDest Offers Project Do Better

This gets nearly no attention that I’ve seen, in Black History:

     They went to fight for the Spanish Republic, and for equality.  A friend from my synagogue in Albuquerque, NM, mentioned, speaking of a TV episode about the Spanish Civil War, her personal connection to this war:

As we discussed my all time favorite show, El Ministerio del Tiempo (sorry B5!!), a friend recently told me that one of her relatives had fought in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Lincoln Brigade which turned out to have been known officially as the Lincoln Batallion.

Looking into the history of the Lincoln Batallion, I found, among others, Oliver Law, a Black man who had to leave the USA to become the first African-American in US history to command a military unit (not counting NCOs during the US Civil War like Robert A. Pinn, who…

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Southwestern megadrought is driest period in over 1200 years – Los Angeles Times

The extreme dryness that has ravaged the American West for more than two decades now ranks as the driest 22-year period in at least 1,200 years, and scientists have found that this megadrought is being intensified by humanity’s heating of the planet.

In their research, the scientists examined major droughts in southwestern North America back to the year 800 and determined that the region’s desiccation so far this century has surpassed the severity of a megadrought in the late 1500s, making it the driest 22-year stretch on record. The authors of the study also concluded that dry conditions will likely continue through this year and, judging from the past, may persist for years.

Source: Southwestern megadrought is driest period in over 1200 years – Los Angeles Times

Flourishing plants show warming Antarctica undergoing ‘major change’ | Environment | The Guardian

The primary driver of change is warming summer air, according to the study, which provides one of the longest records of changes in vegetation in Antarctica. A secondary reason is there are fewer fur seals on the island, which trample on the plants. It is not known why the number of seals has declined but it is likely to be related to changes in food availability and sea conditions.

Analysis shows that fur seals influenced changes from 1960 to 2009, while the main driver between 2009 and 2018 was temperature increase.

Warming trends are expected to continue, with more ice-free areas created over the coming decades, and scientists say the findings from Signy Island are representative of processes happening in the region more generally. “Our findings support the hypothesis that future warming will trigger significant changes in these fragile Antarctic ecosystems,” researchers wrote in the paper, published in Current Biology.

The spread of these species will cause changes in soil acidity, the bacteria and fungi in the soil, and in how organic matter decomposes. Changes in soil chemistry, as well as degradation of permafrost, will cause a cascade of changes, with “consequences on all components of terrestrial ecosystems”, said Cannone.

The plants are adapted to a very short growing season and are able to photosynthesise in snowy conditions with air temperatures below 0C. Despite being able to reproduce quickly and in harsh climatic conditions, they are not good at competing with other non-native plants. Although warming may benefit some native species in isolation, it greatly increases the risk of the establishment of non-native species that could outcompete native species and trigger irreversible wildlife loss, researchers warn.

Source: Flourishing plants show warming Antarctica undergoing ‘major change’ | Environment | The Guardian

Use your common sense: self-isolating is still essential if you have Covid | Devi Sridhar | The Guardian

The prime minister’s pledge to scrap legally enforced isolation for people in England with Covid-19 flies in the face of basic infectious disease management, which tells us to avoid infecting other people when you are infectious. It is a basic public health protection, like others we have in daily life: speed limits on roads, the banning of smoking indoors, and laws against drink driving. These limit our freedoms to a certain extent, but we have accepted that “infringement” in order to have a safer and healthier society.

I agree that we need to get back to “normality” but it’s a question of timing, and now isn’t the right time.

Source: Use your common sense: self-isolating is still essential if you have Covid | Devi Sridhar | The Guardian

Health Ministry formally bans LGBTQ conversion therapy – The Jerusalem Post

The Health Ministry issued a circular on Monday morning banning medical professionals in Israel from providing conversion therapy.

The circular stresses the risks to mental health posed by conversion therapy and prohibits all professionals from the offering, publicizing, or providing such “therapies.” Licensed professionals who do so will face sanctions, including severe disciplinary proceedings and the revocation of their licenses.

Source: Health Ministry formally bans LGBTQ conversion therapy – The Jerusalem Post