Florida Wildlife Federation / NBC2News / YouTube
In a dramatic rescue captured on camera, a Florida man ran into a pond and pried open an alligator's mouth in order to rescue his beloved puppy, all without dropping his cigar.
<p>The protagonist of the video is 74-year-old Richard Wilbanks of Estero, Florida, who risked his hands in order to save his three-month old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Gunner from the jaws of an almost four-foot alligator.</p><p>"It was like a missile," Willbanks told the <a href="https://eu.news-press.com/story/news/local/2020/11/23/florida-man-saves-puppy-from-alligator-jaws-shares-update-dog-estero-backyard-camera/6391734002/" target="_blank">Fort Myers News-Press</a> of the alligator. "We were only about 3 feet away from it, but it struck like a snake. It had Gunner in a vise grip and I just rushed in."</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9874812d72046531a6d9d993089b8f1d"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9boZ_k6-oqM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Wilbanks told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/21/us/puppy-alligator-rescue-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> that grabbing a hold of the gator was the easy part. The hard part was prying its jaws open. After Wilbanks managed to free Gunner, the alligator then bit down on his hands, the Fort Myers News-Press reported.</p><p>"He had one little puncture wound, and... my hands were just chewed up," Wilbanks told <a href="https://www.winknews.com/2020/11/20/man-saves-pet-dog-from-alligators-jaws-in-estero-encounter-caught-on-video/?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=cc13405351fae3a243c02dd9e37f3e432f802fbf-1606234364-0-ARvmRjR89RfVKXdnFuzyZ5Yn8WdIOvD01mBmS8-2MyijX8YgP_VFWT4liE-ixtvoyt6lrPY7EIjd4y8bt1aPBRkGJ5GsCuNDQWCvV_Z411Oe1gyYmXd6HNL7Rfmdt6QwMkeehHAxCepa91ByjkPSfCbSbCtHjpiFlXwTs25qcTQk-VaxSBkUTtMnv7A_v8JXuYPTbJvsbL6mN_gGUr-PC2rY0TtiaqwR4gnc_U9jQNUAqAblzAZyjaSMh3xlcH1SIYnGUgVVOv1h-y7i9gTZlLWCxg65Vae05DMykRzD8KRoebzurkDewW6Kr0M-ysmyBiDmpknvlhfmGr344pJ88e3lNTyVa8AlG1d8-TzNGKV8I5RQEzEUfh2nkrX4iEMy6XUmNKJf6LpAfk5KvdtCa-MUHS8PhgO03NksXd5ueGltbfNIIpvoremdtUl2FLvcHftGL-gDjSgOUeN9aK8j4d2O-lQp5wFMVjnAiKWTclWVz4WLdmEyT6oL7E_vr4LEQalMGcElY-kSXbHqkn8Dr-E5MwkZoQ13rHihUCkCD67c8_KuMFbFXjDQVuPUrBKdQB16wOLUgXGW8TBvXuWoQn3c50FVYKRj3VryxD_71CtzJheTXKN-bmzDXX4VFuX-Xg" target="_blank">WINK</a>.</p><p>After tending to his hands, Wilbanks rushed Gunner to the animal hospital, where he was treated for a puncture wound, the Fort-Myers News Press reported. However, he has now fully recovered.</p><p>Wilbanks has learned from the incident. He has bought Gunner a new leash, and plans to keep him at least 10 feet from the pond at all times.</p><p>He has "a new leash on life," Wilbanks told the Fort Myers News-Press.</p>
<p>Education is also the reason that footage of the rescue was made public. Wilbanks' property borders a nature reserve, and a partnership between the <a href="https://floridawildlifefederation.org/" target="_blank">Florida Wildlife Federation</a> (FWF) and the <a href="https://fstopfoundation.org/" target="_blank">fSTOP Foundation</a> put cameras in the area to monitor <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a>. All told, there are 17 cameras in 15 backyards in Estero.</p><p>The purpose of the project, called Sharing the Landscape, is to teach residents how to live safely and respectfully with wild <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a>.</p><p>"We live on a shared landscape," FWF regional policy director Meredith Budd told WINK. "We don't just want to tolerate wildlife, but, rather, we want to thrive with wildlife on a shared landscape."</p><p>The project decided to share the video of the rescue, which was captured late in October, in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.</p><p>"If we understand how to deal with them [wildlife], how to interact with them. The outcome is always positive," William Freund of the fSTOP Foundation told <a href="https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2020/11/21/lee-county-man-puppy-from-alligators-jaws-in-estero/" target="_blank">NBC2</a>.</p>
<p>Wilbanks and his wife Louise have loved living so close to nature, and their close call hasn't changed their point of view. Willbanks told WINK he did not call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) because he understood that the alligator was just doing what he needed to do to survive.</p><p>"It gives us a new appreciation," Louise told WINK. "We do need to be aware they are wild animals. They're not here for our benefit. We're very lucky to share this space with them."</p><p>Wilbanks told the Fort Myers News-Press that the alligator was still swimming in the pond.</p><p>FWC told WINK that alligators rarely cause serious injuries in Florida, but that pet owners should take proper precautions.</p><p>"We encourage everyone to take precautionary measures, particularly those who live or recreate near the water. Dogs and cats are similar in size to the natural prey of alligators," the FWC said in a statement.</p>
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Jean-Marc Neveu and Olivier Civil never expected to find themselves battling against disposable mask pollution.
When they founded their recycling start-up Plaxtil in 2017, it was textile waste they set their sights on. The project developed a process that turned fabrics into a new recyclable material they describe as "ecological plastic."
<p>But almost as soon as face coverings became standard attire to help fight the spread of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/covid-19">COVID-19</a>, the pair noticed disposable masks strewn around the streets and parks of their town, Chatellerault, France.</p>
<p>"We said to ourselves: 'It's not possible to leave this pollution,'" Neveu recalls. "We thought, we've found a solution for fabrics, [so] maybe we can also find a solution to reuse the masks."</p><p>In July, the company began one of the earliest face mask recycling programs and has since processed more than 100,000.</p><p>Neveu and Civil don't deal with special medical-grade masks used by healthcare professionals, which tend to be disposed of separately as clinical waste in hospitals. And although they can process fabric face coverings, they focus on disposable ones which are plastic-based.</p><p>As many of the mass-produced fabrics they were used to working with contain large amounts of plastic fibers, they were able to tweak their existing process to deal with the plastic composition of the masks.</p><p>Sections of the mask pass under UV light to kill any remaining virus particles and are fed into a whirring shredder. The scraps are then mixed with additional plastic and formed into new products to help fight coronavirus transmission. This includes visor attachments, mask strap extenders and door-openers for nursing home residents. </p>
Mounting Piles of Waste
<p>It is not only the streets of Chatellerault where pandemic pollution is piling-up, but also the world's beaches and oceans. Once there, they can take up to 450 years to degrade and disappear.</p><p>Esther Röling, co-organizer of the annual Adventure Clean Up Challenge held on Hong Kong Island, has seen this waste firsthand. In October the sports challenge pitted teams against one another in a competition to remove trash from 13 hard-to-reach coastal areas around the city.</p><p>They find tons of both disposable and reusable masks, said Röling. "You wonder how it ended up there. Was it just thrown on the ground? Or was it in a garbage bag that broke open?"</p><p>Almost 10,000 kilometers away in Antibes on the sunny French Riviera, it's a similar picture. For the past few months, divers and clean-up volunteers working with an ocean clean-up non-profit called Operation Mer Propre have been collecting an increasing number of masks found on land and in the sea.</p><p>"Since the beginning of the lockdown when we started to count, we've reached 800, 900, [and now in total] 1000 masks," said co-founder Joko Peltier. </p><p>According to <a href="https://unctad.org/news/growing-plastic-pollution-wake-covid-19-how-trade-policy-can-help" target="_blank">UN estimates</a>, up to 75% of all coronavirus-related plastic could end up as waste in oceans and landfills.</p>The Limits of Recycling
<p>Yet not all are convinced the recycling of this waste is possible on a global scale. </p><p>"What those citizen groups are doing is really beneficial but once they collect it, it should just go to a landfill or an incinerator. They shouldn't necessarily expect it to get recycled," said Jonathan Krones, an industrial ecologist and visiting assistant professor of environmental studies at Boston College.</p><p>That's because mask recycling programs like Plaxtil are few and far between and most don't have the benefit of a readily adaptable production process. </p><p>Even in countries with solid recycling infrastructure, he says, the system is designed to separate out specific types of waste like bottles or cardboard.</p><p>"I imagine that it would be technically feasible to develop a separation process to filter out masks, but there simply aren't enough of them to make that economical," he said.</p><p>Collection is a big hurdle, he adds. Since each mask only weighs a fraction of a gram and they're scattered on roads or mixed with other trash, it is difficult and costly. </p><p>"You need a lot of raw material of the right quality to make investing in the recycling technology and the recycling system worthwhile," he said.<span></span><br></p>Hemp, Sugar Cane and Sustainable Alternatives
<p>Some projects are instead addressing the material used to make masks.</p><p>French company Geochanvre have created a mask made primarily from hemp, while in Australia, researchers at the Queensland University of Technology are experimenting with a disposable product made from agricultural waste. </p><p>Biodegradable options are exciting alternatives to reduce the fossil fuels needed for the creation of plastic-based masks, said Krones, but they don't absolve the wearer from the responsibility of what happens afterwards. </p><p>Bio-based masks often need their own composing solutions, he explains, because in landfill they can produce high amounts of the greenhouse gas methane when anaerobic bacteria feeds on the organic material. Methane is known to be significantly more potent than carbon dioxide.</p><p>"I think as long as we have in our mind that we want to have disposability, we're going to have to wrestle with a variety of different sorts of environmental tradeoffs," he said, adding that reusable, fabric masks are the best option available to most people.</p><p>Precimask is developing a clear face covering with an optional visor made from hard plastic, designed to be long-lasting.<br></p><p>Air enters either side of the cheeks through a technology normally found in pool filters and car exhaust systems, said company spokeswoman Juliette Chambet.</p><p>"We wanted to make ceramic-based filters that would be washable and cleanable, which would allow them to be reused as many times as desired without having to buy a new consumable or produce waste," she said. </p><p>Ultimately, encouraging mask wearers to think about the entire lifecycle of a mask is key, explains Neveu. </p><p>"We want people who put on the masks to realize that they are also responsible for the waste, he said. "It's not inevitable that this [pandemic] will become an environmental catastrophe.</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/covid-19-recycling-pollution-trash-pandemic/a-55707817" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2649032193#/" target="_self"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Fossil fuel companies received $110 billion in direct and indirect financial assistance during the coronavirus pandemic, including up to $15.2 billion in direct federal relief. Andrew Hart /
By Bret Wilkins
In a year in which the United States has already suffered 16 climate-driven extreme weather events causing more than $1 billion in economic damages, and as millions of American workers face loss of essential unemployment benefits due to congressional inaction, a report published Monday reveals the Trump administration has given fossil fuel companies as much as $15.2 billion in direct relief — and tens of billions more indirectly — through federal COVID-19 recovery programs since March.
<p>The report by BailoutWatch, Public Citizen, and Friends of the Earth — titled <em><a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/bailed-out-and-propped-up/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=94926f68-3c0f-462d-87c9-ae6d05950810" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bailed Out and Propped Up</a> —</em>tracks taxpayer funds flowing to fossil fuel companies since pandemic-related bailouts began. It found a total of $110 billion in direct and indirect benefits went to 66 companies, including between $10.4 and $15.2 billion in direct disbursements to coal, oil, and gas companies that are largely responsible for the worsening climate emergency. </p>
<p>Here's a breakdown, according to the report:</p><ul><li>At least $5.5 billion went to 70 money-losing polluters via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.</li><li>$582 million in direct, subsidized loans were approved for 37 mid-sized fossil fuel and related companies through the Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program.</li><li>$4.3 to $9.1 billion in forgivable loans went to at least 25,931 companies through the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.</li><li>At least 229 oil and gas companies received waivers for fees normally paid to drill on public land — giveaways that cost the government a minimum of $4.5 million in lost revenue, and likely far more.</li></ul><p>The report found that five fossil fuel companies — Diamondback Energy, EOG Resources, Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66, and Valero — received more than 10% of the $110 billion in direct benefits, including tax refunds, and indirect support through the issuance of bonds, even if they were losing money. Reassured by the Fed's actions, private investors purchased more fossil fuel bonds, generating some $100 billion in additional indirect benefits.</p>
<div id="dbef0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2841b587ecc5cf0041553e90425d4397"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330888073228427264" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: The fossil fuel industry has received up to $15,000,000,000 in direct COVID relief since bailout programs… https://t.co/znbkDW2f0M</div> — Public Citizen (@Public Citizen)<a href="https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/statuses/1330888073228427264">1606143418.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"When the pandemic hit last spring, Trump's corporate cronies made sure the fossil fuel industry was able to squeeze whatever favors they could out of the resulting economic rescues," wrote Alan Zibel, research director of Public Citizen's Corporate Presidency Project and a co-author of the report. "The Biden administration and the next Congress will have a golden opportunity to ensure our efforts to rescue the economy no longer benefit the very companies most responsible for the devastation caused by climate change."</p><p>Christopher Kuveke, a BailoutWatch analyst and a co-author of the report, added that "the fossil fuel industry took advantage of the pandemic to put their hands out for help escaping a financial mess of their own making, and their allies in the federal government rode to the rescue."</p><p>"By artificially delaying the industry's inevitable decline at taxpayers' expense, the government has made it that much harder to make the necessary transition to clean energy sources," he added.</p>
<p>The report comes just after members of Congress <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/11/23/21575394/stimulus-covid-relief-bill-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">headed home</a> on vacation without having passed a new coronavirus relief bill, and as millions of Americans <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/18/about-be-catapulted-cliff-study-shows-12-million-set-lose-jobless-benefits-after" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face the grim prospect</a> of losing essential unemployment benefits as the CARES Act is set to expire at the end of the year.</p><p>Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) <a href="https://the-beam.com/finance/how-to-finance-a-global-green-new-deal-and-stop-climate-change-at-1-5c/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">excoriated</a> Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on the floor of the House of Representatives, accusing him of "abandoning our people."</p><p>"While... thousands of people in Texas lined up for food lines... hospitals no longer have beds to house the sick... [and] 30 million Americans are on the brink of eviction, [McConnell] dismissed the Senate," said Ocasio-Cortez. "Every single day, when we go back to our communities, people are asking us, 'Where is there going to be help? Is there going to be a second stimulus check? Are we going to get the resources that we need?"</p>
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<p>Climate activists and many economists argue that giving money to those most culpable for carbon emissions is the exact opposite of what governments should be doing. One economist says that instead of selling fossil fuel bonds, governments should be promoting "Green Climate Bonds."</p><p>"With a mere fraction of the Covid-19 recovery funds, central banks could support climate protection," <a href="https://the-beam.com/finance/how-to-finance-a-global-green-new-deal-and-stop-climate-change-at-1-5c/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> World Future Council chief economist Matthias Kroll last week. He continued:</p><blockquote>The price for coping with the systemically relevant climate crisis... appears almost to be a bargain: with a fraction of the funds used to overcome the Covid-19 crisis (or the banking crisis of 2008), the central banks could trigger investments in climate protection of a magnitude that would make the 1.5°C target [under the Paris agreement] achievable. The central banks would not even need to create additional money for this. It would be sufficient to replace expiring assets from previous purchase programs with new types of "Green Climate Bonds."</blockquote><p>A May 2020 <a href="https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/press-release-study-pandemic-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> by the World Future Council estimated the cost of a global "climate bailout" at a relatively modest $175 million per year, resulting in a one-third reduction in worldwide carbon emissions by the end of the decade.</p><p>"We need to start thinking about how to practically finance a Green New Deal and a swift transition to 100% <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a>, and central banks should start playing a proactive role," wrote Kroll. "Let's treat the climate emergency as what it is, and let's bail out the climate, too!"</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/23/time-cut-dirty-energys-lifeline-report-details-how-fossil-fuel-industry-feasted" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Flint corn is an example of pre-contact food. Elenathewise / Getty Images
By Ashia Aubourg
As Thanksgiving approaches, some Indigenous organizations and activists caution against perpetuating further injustices towards Native communities. Indigenous activist Mariah Gladstone, for example, encourages eaters to celebrate the harvest time in ways that do not involve stereotypes and pilgrim stories.
<p>Critics of Thanksgiving often point to the familiar narrative of gathering between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag. They say that this story whitewashes the history of <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2019/11/27/thanksgiving-colonial-gap-heal/" target="_blank">settler colonialism</a> and the genocide of Native peoples, contributing to the <a href="https://www.powwows.com/issues-and-problems-facing-native-americans-today/" target="_blank">modern injustices</a> facing Native communities.</p><p>Many also argue that through these false narratives and accompanying actions, such as playing dress-up in inaccurate Native attire, the holiday perpetuates the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/thanksgiving-dont-celebrate-native-americans-controversial-why-history-pilgrims-a8636201.html" target="_blank">cultural appropriation</a> of Indigenous traditions and embraces <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sean-sherman-sioux-chef-thanksgiving_l_5f904626c5b686eaaa0d36fb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stereotypes</a> of Native peoples.</p><p>In response, many communities are calling for allies to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F2xOj_0IVTZCS0Dj-xdxcWKgvGRlN6qCrQLndpgyHqw/mobilebasic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unlearn</a> the harmful history of Thanksgiving. Others also choose to celebrate the holiday while rejecting the status quo by decolonizing or re-indigenizing Thanksgiving. <a href="https://www.wellforculture.com/ancestral-eating" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Re-indigenizing</a> can involve cooking a dish inspired by ancestral diets with pre-contact ingredients—foods that Native communities in North America had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIv4gxAMUPw&ab_channel=TheMontanaExperience%3AStoriesfromBigSkyCountry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">access to</a> before the arrival of colonizers—or even reconnecting with food's <a href="https://indigenousvalues.org/contributions/native-american-foods-medicines/?v=7516fd43adaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a>. Through this process, communities argue that they can take steps to honor indigenous peoples' traditional foodways.</p><p>In honor of this work, Food Tank is standing with and highlighting organizations renouncing the traditional story of Thanksgiving and honoring Indigenous communities.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>1. Cheyenne River Youth Project, Eagle Butte, South Dakota</strong></p><p>The Cheyenne River community faces high rates of <a href="https://www.lakotatimes.com/articles/cheyenne-river-receives-30600-pounds-of-food/" target="_blank">food insecurity</a> as a result of decades of inequities. Founded in 1988, the <a href="https://lakotayouth.org/about/mission-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cheyenne River Youth Project</a> addresses the community's need for more services that support children and their families. In previous years, the organization hosted a free dinner and celebration event called <a href="https://lakotayouth.org/2013/11/25th-anniversary-thanks-for-kids-dinner-scheduled-for-november-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thanks for Kids</a>, serving 250 community members. The Project grows most of the ingredients for these dinners on their local two-acre, pesticide-free Winyan Toka Win garden.</p><p><strong>2. First Nations Development Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico</strong></p><p>Founded in 1980, <a href="https://www.firstnations.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">First Nations Development Institute</a> works to improve economic conditions for Native Americans through direct financial grants, technical assistance, advocacy, and policy. First Nations publishes <a href="https://www.firstnations.org/news/understanding-thanksgiving-from-our-side-of-the-table/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">resources</a> challenging historical myths surrounding Thanksgiving and offers action steps to support Native communities. These action steps include: <a href="https://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learning about</a> and <a href="http://firstnations.org/grantee-directory/?_ga=2.138474106.851862621.1605209533-1503234898.1605209533" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supporting</a> food sovereignty and language preservation efforts by investing directly in Native-led initiatives, watching an informational <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjeKlog4QfE&t=37s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> that challenges misconceptions and stereotypes about Native peoples, and sharing stories about Native resilience.</p>
<p><strong>3. I-Collective, United States</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.icollectiveinc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">I-Collective</a> strives to create new narratives that emphasize Indigenous communities' resilience and contribution to gastronomy innovations, agriculture, the arts, and society. The group aims to revise Thanksgiving by raising awareness of colonialism's impact on the current fight for food sovereignty. I-Collective urges people to unlearn the history of <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F2xOj_0IVTZCS0Dj-xdxcWKgvGRlN6qCrQLndpgyHqw/mobilebasic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thankstaking</a>, offering a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F2xOj_0IVTZCS0Dj-xdxcWKgvGRlN6qCrQLndpgyHqw/mobilebasic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">collection of resources</a> to support education.</p><p><strong>4. Indigikitchen, Northwest Montana</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.indigikitchen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indigikitchen</a> is an online cooking show that hopes to inspire cooks to re-indigenize their diets. Founder Mariah Gladstone is recognized as a <a href="https://www.cnay.org/mariah-gladstone-releases-new-indigikitchen-video/" target="_blank">champion of change</a> by the Center for Native American Youth. In past years, the show has hosted <a href="https://www.indigikitchen.com/event/real-meals-decolonizing-thanksgiving/" target="_blank">cooking classes</a> focused on re-indigenizing Thanksgiving. According to Indigikitchen, re-indigenizing Thanksgiving involves rejecting the myths and stereotypes of Native peoples and cooking pre-contact foods.</p>
<p><strong>5. International Indigenous Youth Council, United States</strong></p><p>The <a href="https://indigenousyouth.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC)</a> creates safe spaces for youth through education, spiritual practices, and civic engagement. This year, IIYC is hosting a live discussion in collaboration with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wp4bl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">White People for Black Lives</a> on Thankstaking, aiming to provide an opportunity for viewers to engage more deeply with the history of Thanksgiving. IIYC believes that discussions such as this build knowledge and awareness and hopes to address the legacies of false history telling.</p><p><strong>6. Native Americans in Philanthropy, United States</strong></p><p><a href="https://nativephilanthropy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Native Americans in Philanthropy</a> promotes equitable and effective philanthropy in Native communities, such as COVID-19 emergency food supplies. Edgar Villanueva, Chair of the organization's Board of Directors, critiqued colonialist dynamics in philanthropy through his book <a href="https://www.decolonizingwealth.com/" target="_blank"><em>Decolonizing Wealth</em></a>. Villanueva has also <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2019/11/27/thanksgiving-colonial-gap-heal/" target="_blank">spoken out</a> about Thanksgiving, arguing that it is necessary to tell the true story of the holiday's past to avoid repeating the trauma Indigenous peoples have faced.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>7. NDN Collective, Rapid City, South Dakota</strong></p><p><a href="https://ndncollective.org/" target="_blank">NDN Collective</a> is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. NDN Collective works to achieve its mission through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change. In 2018, NDN published a <a href="https://ndncollective.org/decolonizing-thanksgiving-and-reviving-indigenous-relationships-to-food/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">piece</a> emphasizing the need to decolonize Thanksgiving and revive Indigenous relationships to food.</p><p><strong>8. Seeding Sovereignty, United States</strong></p><p><a href="https://seedingsovereignty.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Seeding Sovereignty</a> is an Indigenous-led collective that radicalizes and disrupts colonized spaces through land, body, food sovereignty work, community building, and cultural preservation. The collective educates their communities about Thanksgiving's history by reclaiming the holiday as <a href="https://seedingsovereignty.org/truthsgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Truthsgiving</a><u>.</u> They also amplify events conducted by Indigenous leaders from across the nation as they celebrate, educate, and honor the First Peoples of these lands for Truthsgiving 2020. Seeding Sovereignty asks that allies support Indigenous folks not only in November but every day of the year.</p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>9. Sioux Chef, Minneapolis, Minnesota</strong></p><p><a href="https://sioux-chef.com/about/" target="_blank">Sioux Chef</a> is committed to revitalizing Native American cuisine by reclaiming an influential culinary culture that is long-buried and often inaccessible. Many Indigenous people refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving in protest. But Sean Sherman, founder of the Sioux Chef, encourages those who participate in the holiday to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sean-sherman-sioux-chef-thanksgiving_l_5f904626c5b686eaaa0d36fb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rethink Thanksgiving</a> by acknowledging the true history, honoring the hardships of Native peoples, and creating a new celebration of the holiday.</p><p><strong>10. Toasted Sister Podcast, Albuquerque, New Mexico</strong></p><p>Founded in 2017, <a href="http://toastedsisterpodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toasted Sister Podcast</a> highlights Native chefs and eaters' stories about Indigenous cuisine, where it comes from, where it's headed, and how it connects Native peoples and their communities to traditions. Andi Murphy, the founder of Toasted Sister Podcast, hopes to use the platform to illuminate the false narrative around Thanksgiving and help others reject that story. The Toasted Sister Podcast also offers various Native food culture episodes and provides <a href="https://toastedsisterpodcast.com/native-owned-food-companies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">guides</a> to support the Native community.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/11/organizations-honoring-native-peoples-history-future-on-thanksgiving/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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By Alex Middleton
Losing weight and reducing fat is a hard battle to fight. Thankfully, there are fat burner supplements that help you gain your target body and goal. However, how would you know which supplement is right for you?
<p>Today we will review the three best fat burner supplements we can find in the market to help you decide which supplement to pick up and aid in your fat and weight loss journey.</p><p><em>Below are the three best products we could find in the market as of the moment, and the three we would be discussing in this article.</em></p><h2>Top 3 Fat Burner Supplements:</h2><p>1. <strong><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">PhenQ</a> </strong>- Highest Quality Fat Burner</p><p>2.<strong> </strong><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/knockout-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>Instant Knockout</strong></a> - Best Thermogenic Fat Burner</p><p>3. <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/trimtone-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>Trimtone</strong></a> - Best Fat Burner Supplement for Women</p><p>We considered numerous factors when taking into account in choosing the best fat burner supplement in the market.</p><ul> <li><strong>Ingredients-</strong> One of the factors when choosing your fat burning supplement is the ingredients in each product. Take into account if the brand has the highest quality ingredients and contains no additives or harmful chemicals to avoid adverse side effects.</li><li><strong>Type</strong>- There are different kinds of fat burning supplements that target the various factors of weight loss.<ul><li><strong>Suppresses your appetite</strong>-A factor in weight loss is your cravings and hunger. Fat burner supplements aim to keep you feeling full and stop you from caving into your cravings.</li><li><strong>Thermogenic Fat burning supplements</strong>- Metabolism is your body's way of reducing fats and burning calories. Increasing your body heat helps with the speed of your metabolism.</li><li><strong>Blocks fats</strong>- Multiple fat burning supplements block fat cells' production and burn your current fat cells in the process, aiding with weight loss.</li><li><strong>Supplements with no stimulants</strong>-If you are a person who is sensitive to caffeine, you might want to choose a supplement that has no stimulants to avoid caffeine side effects.</li></ul></li><li><strong>Price-</strong> Another factor for choosing your fat burner supplement is the price, is the price of the product worth your money? Some brands can be quite expensive as well, not suitable if you are on a budget.</li><li><strong>Form</strong>-Fat burner supplements can come in different forms like capsules and pills, powders, and teas. Pick the one you are most comfortable with and the most convenient for you.</li></ul><br style="background-color: initial;"><h2>Best Fat Burner Supplements</h2><p><strong></strong><em>Below is the list of fat burner supplements we recommend and the factors they cater to.</em></p><h3>1. <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">PhenQ</a> - Highest Quality Fat Burner</h3>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwNTk1NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDM4NDk5M30.h_6KTdIPRVRUFeJpRmt647daqRvft9t8I5Y8y9XX8RI/img.png?width=980" id="ba715" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="805bb15c507a4d143c99be1e81279864" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p><strong>PhenQ Overview</strong></p><p><u><strong><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank">PhenQ</a> </strong></u>is a fat burner supplement made by Wolfson Berg. This fat burner supplement uses natural and organic ingredients that are efficient in weight loss, and their product is made in an FDA-approved facility, ensuring quality.</p><p>This supplement targets all five weight loss factors: fat burn, appetite suppression, stopping the creation of fats, increasing your energy levels, and boosting your mood. PhenQ is an excellent overall fat burning supplement for both men and women.</p><p>The ingredients in PhenQ are backed up by science and proven for their effectiveness in losing weight. They also provide a 60-day money-back guarantee, so don't be afraid to try out their product.</p><p>The recommended dosage for PhenQ is two capsules a day, and each bottle of PhenQ consists of sixty pills, lasting you for a month. They offer discounted packages and free shipping worldwide.</p><p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Capsimax Powder<br></strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6088424/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Capsimax Powder</a> is ground up powder from chili peppers. Chili peppers are one of the ingredients that boost your body temperature, and the speed of your metabolism dramatically relies on your temperature. This effect gives your metabolism a boost.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Chromium Picolinate<br></strong>Research shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5206698/" target="_blank">Chromium Picolinate</a> is a needed trace element that helps our body absorb the sugar and carbohydrates in our bloodstream, preventing insulin spikes and resistance. This effect helps suppress your appetite and keep your cravings in control.<br><br>Keeping your cravings in control helps keep you stick to your diet more consistently.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Caffeine<br></strong>Many fat burner supplements use <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30335479/" target="_blank">caffeine</a> as their ingredient because of its fat-burning properties, increasing your body temperature. Aside from this, Caffeine helps give that energy you need during exercise.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Nopal<br></strong>Research shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4109417/" target="_blank">Nopal</a>, a plant from Mexico's country, is efficient in reducing fat and stopping new fats' absorption because of its high fiber content. This effect prevents the retention of water in your body, which is responsible for water weight.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>L-carnitine Fumarate<br></strong>This ingredient is an amino acid that is essential for burning fat and losing weight. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393395/" target="_blank">L-carnitine Fumarate</a> also boosts your energy levels, giving you the endurance and strength you need when participating in a calorie-deficit diet.</li></ul><p><strong><em>Click here to </em><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank"><em>See the Full List of Ingredients in PhenQ on their Official Site</em></a></strong><em><strong><u>.</u></strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Is PhenQ Effective?</strong></p><p>PhenQ's effectiveness is because it targets the five factors of weight loss: fat burn, keeping you feeling full, increasing your metabolism, and giving you that energy and endurance you need during a diet.</p><p>By targeting these factors, you would keep to your diet more consistently and help you speed up your weight loss journey. Aside from this, PhenQ only uses natural ingredients that have been proven to be effective in weight loss. They also manufacture their supplement in an FDA-approved facility, ensuring quality.</p><p>Aside from targeting these factors, PhenQ also boosts your energy, preventing the fatigue you usually feel when participating in an extreme diet and exercise. This product also boosts your metabolism, burning more calories per day.</p><p>And lastly, the reason for PhenQ's effectiveness is its ability to burn fat while preventing the production of new fat cells. This effect prevents weight gain and speeds up your weight loss journey.</p><p><strong>Pros:</strong></p><ul><li>Stop the formation of new fat cells</li><li>Speeds up your metabolism</li><li>Burn current fat cells</li><li>Reduce your weight</li><li>Give increased energy</li><li>Boosts your mood</li><li>May reduce the risk of insulin resistance</li><li>Full money refund for 60 days</li><li>Includes free shipping </li><li>Produced in an FDA-approved facility</li><li>Natural and scientifically proven ingredients</li></ul><p><strong>Cons:</strong></p><ul> <li>Has caffeine content not suitable for people sensitive to caffeine</li><li>Only available <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank"><strong>on their Official Website</strong></a></li></ul><h3>2. <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/knockout-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instant Knockout</a> - Best Fat Burner for Cutting</h3>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/knockout-fbeco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwNjAwNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjgyMjQzNn0.vz5VFWXVdkBdg7kXPEroGwXBpxD5TPFA0_qQQps3Fp4/img.png?width=980" id="17db0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="040308c191802bba4af986501482c9db" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p>If you are a person who has tried all the diets and extreme exercises and still struggle to lose weight, <strong><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/knockout-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instant Knockout</a> </strong>may be the fat burner supplement for you. This supplement helps increase your body temperature, speeding up your metabolism.</p><p>Aside from this, Instant Knockout uses a formula that athletes and MMA fighters use to lose weight before their matches. So, you can be sure that the formula is effective in boosting your fat loss journey.</p><p>This supplement is usually used by MMA fighters and athletes to help with cutting cycles, which is the cycle where athletes participate in a calorie-deficit diet to reduce the fat levels in your body.</p><p>You must intake four capsules a day to ensure its effectiveness, one in the morning, another before taking your lunch, another in the afternoon, and lastly, before taking your dinner. This procedure ensures the supplement is effective and promotes muscle growth.</p><p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Green Tea Extract (500 mg)<br></strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3649093/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Green tea</a> has numerous health benefits and is in many Asian countries' diets for centuries. The ingredient helps in reducing weight and burning fat because of its natural caffeine content. Aside from this, it is a natural antioxidant and helps detoxify your gut.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Cayenne Pepper seeds (100 mg)<br></strong>Research shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6088424/" target="_blank">Cayenne pepper</a> increases your body temperature, which is essential in speeding up your metabolism every day. There is no hint of spiciness in the supplement but rest assured that you will still receive its fat-burning properties.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Glucomannan (1800 mg)<br></strong>Research shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3892933/" target="_blank">Glucomannan</a> is an excellent appetite suppressant that helps reduce your cravings and appetite. This factor helps you fight against your cravings and stick to your diet in the long run.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Caffeine Anhydrous (300 mg)<br></strong>Instant Knockout also includes caffeine content to help burn your fats and boost your weight loss journey. Aside from this, caffeine gives you the focus you need when you are doing a diet because a calorie-deficit diet gives you that sluggish feeling.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Vitamin B6 (5 mg)<br></strong><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank">Research shows</a> that this vitamin is essential for forming new muscles and reducing weight and burning calories even at rest. This vitamin helps improve your metabolism and give you strength for workouts.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Vitamin B12 (10 mcg)<br></strong>Instant Knockout contains <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank">Vitamin B12</a>, which is essential for increasing your energy levels and reducing weight. This vitamin helps transform the calories you consume into energy, giving you strength, and boosting your mood.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>GTF Chromium (100 mcg)<br></strong>Research shows that people are not putting enough <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank">GTF Chromium</a> in their diet, which contains numerous vitamins and minerals that help speed up your metabolism and improve your overall mood.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Zinc (10 mg)<br></strong>Research shows that <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank">zinc</a> is an essential element that increases the body's testosterone levels. Testosterone is a crucial hormone that promotes the growth of muscles and reduces fat. Zinc also helps manage the glucose in your bloodstream, preventing insulin spikes.<br><br>Zinc also prevents inflammation and the effects of aging and degeneration. This ingredient also helps improve your immune system, helping you fight numerous illnesses and diseases.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Piperine (10 mg)<br></strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3113382/" target="_blank">Piperine</a> is a bioactive compound commonly found in black pepper. This compound prevents the production of new fat cells and stops the absorption of fat. This ingredient also helps increase your metabolism.<br><br>Piperine also has other multiple benefits like reducing inflammation, improving your gut health, and stopping nausea. This ingredient also helps with poor digestion and prevents constipation.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Green Coffee Bean (100 mg)<br></strong>Research shows that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27393090/" target="_blank">Green Coffee</a> has numerous health benefits, including reducing cholesterol buildup in your body, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Aside from that, green coffee gives you the energy and endurance for your extreme diet and exercises.<br><br>This ingredient helps reduce the risk of cancer and other kidney diseases as well, including fatty liver disease, because it is a natural antioxidant that helps flush out harmful toxins out of your body.</li></ul><p><strong><em>Click here to <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/knockout-fbeco" target="_blank">See the Full List of Ingredients in Instant Knockout on their Official Site</a></em></strong></p>
<h3>Is Instant Knockout Effective?</h3><p>Instant Knockout is effective because it uses a formula and blends that athletes use to lose weight and fat levels in their bodies before their matches. It contains ingredients that not only promote weight loss but stop the production of new fat cells.</p><p>Aside from this, Instant Knockout targets your basal body temperature and increases its heat to promote and speed up your metabolism. This procedure helps you burn off calories and fat even when you are resting.</p><p>Rest assured that Instant Knockout is effective because they use a formula and blend of ingredients for cutting cycles. The components of Instant knockout have been proven by science for their effectiveness in weight loss.</p><p>Instant knockout also helps prevent multiple illnesses and diseases by reducing your risk for certain conditions like cancer and heart diseases. This supplement is effective in reducing your cholesterol and cleansing your gut to flush out toxins.</p><p>Instant Knockout also contains high caffeine content that may not be advisable for people who have a caffeine sensitivity, but this gives your energy levels an extreme boost and fights off the sluggish feeling and fatigue you feel during workouts.</p><p><strong>Pros:</strong></p><ul><li>Improve your slow metabolism</li><li>Promote and increase muscle mass</li><li>Reduce muscle loss</li><li>Keeps you satiated</li><li>May help manage blood sugar levels</li><li>Increased strength </li><li>Prevent the formation of new fat cells</li><li>Used by athletes</li><li>No shipping fees</li><li>Full money refund for 90 days</li></ul><p><strong>Cons:</strong></p><ul><li>Needs to intake four capsules a day</li><li>High caffeine content</li><li>Only available <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/knockout-fbeco" target="_blank">on their Official Website</a></li></ul><h3>3. <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/trimtone-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Trimtone</a> - Best Fat Burner Supplement for Women<br></h3><div></div>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/trimtone-fbeco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwNjAwOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTgwOTYxMH0.e6eiXU0EjAPWyI7Wx47anq7SpjihmSlRz07hN_psJ2U/img.png?width=980" id="097e0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="657d52155e0043d864c2e769c45df728" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p><span style="background-color: initial;"><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/trimtone-fbeco" target="_blank">Trimtone</a></span> is a fat burner supplement aimed towards women. It uses thermogenesis, a procedure where your body turns fat into usable energy and increases your metabolism's speed.</p><p>Aside from this, Trimtone helps keep you feeling full to help you fight against your cravings and hunger, helping you stick to your diet more consistently. This supplement also requires only one capsule a day to work. Take one capsule before your breakfast and intake the pill with water.</p><p>Trimtone also has the highest days of the money-back guarantee, where they offer 100 days money-back guarantee, ensuring your confidence in their product.</p><p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Caffeine<br></strong>Caffeine is a stimulant that helps you gain energy and focus and is essential for getting the needed endurance and strength for extreme exercises. Aside from this, caffeine is known to increase your body temperature, speeding up your metabolism, and promoting weight loss.<br></li><li>Caffeine also helps improve your focus, keeping you focused for the whole day, keeping up with your workouts and daily tasks.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Green Coffee Bean<br></strong>Green Coffee Bean reduces your overall fat content in your body and promotes focus and energy throughout the day. This ingredient reduces your weight and boosts your metabolism because of its caffeine content; it also helps lower insulin levels, preventing Type 2 diabetes.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Green Tea Extract<br></strong>Research shows that Green Tea has natural anti-obesity properties that help reduce and prevent obesity by inducing fat burn and weight loss. This ingredient also helps clean your colon and to avoid inflammation.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Grains of Paradise<br></strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24759256/" target="_blank">Grains of Paradise</a> is an herb that helps increase your body's internal temperature, speeding up your metabolism, and boosting your energy levels. This ingredient also manages your blood glucose levels, fighting your pesky cravings and keeping you energetic throughout the day.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Glucomannan<br></strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3892933/" target="_blank">Glucomannan</a> is an excellent type of konjac plant that helps keep your hunger at bay. This ingredient contains high fiber content, helping you feel full throughout the day and stop you from overeating.<br><br>Glucomannan is also an excellent laxative which helps regulate your bowel movements, improving gut health, and preventing poor digestion. This ingredient also helps regulate blood glucose levels and reduce cholesterol buildup.</li></ul><p><strong><em>Click here to</em> <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/trimtone-fbeco" target="_blank"><em>See the Full List of Ingredients in Trimtone on their Official Site</em></a><em>.</em></strong></p><h3>Is Trimtone Effective?</h3><p>Trimtone aims to burn fat and promote weight loss by inducing brown fat production in women, regulating blood sugar, and generating body heat. These effects help prevent insulin spikes, which is the cause of cravings and hunger.</p><p>Generating body heat also speeds up your metabolism and burns calories, even at rest. Trimtone also requires only one capsule in the morning before breakfast to take effect, perfect for busy people who don't have much time.</p><p>Trimtone does not contain a lot of caffeine compared to other supplements on this list. Aside from this, Trimtone has the most extended money-back guarantee where they give you a full refund for 100 days if you dislike their product.</p><p>Trimtone is effective for women because research shows that women lack brown fat compared to men. Brown fat is a healthy kind of fat that helps regulate blood sugar levels and prevent insulin spikes, which are responsible for hunger.</p><p>This supplement also provides discounted packages that include free bottles and free shipping, giving you the best quality product for your money.</p><p><strong>Pros:</strong></p><ul><li>Promotes healthy brown fat</li><li>Speeds up your metabolism</li><li>May help lower blood sugar levels, preventing insulin spikes</li><li>Gives you energy and strength</li><li>Promote weight loss</li><li>Help keep your appetite and hunger at bay.</li><li>Burn pesky fat</li><li>Reduces cholesterol </li><li>Only one capsule needed a day</li><li>Full money refund for 100 days</li><li>Suitable for women</li><li>Free shipping</li><li>GMP Certified</li><li>Packages and discounts</li></ul><p><strong>Cons:</strong></p><ul><li>Has caffeine content</li><li>Only available <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/trimtone-fbeco" target="_blank"><strong>on their Official Website</strong></a></li></ul>
<h2>Why Are Fat Burner Supplements Effective?</h2><p>Fat burner supplements help promote weight loss by targeting the five factors that are essential for weight loss. </p><p><em>These factors are:</em></p><ul><li>Keeping you feeling full and satiated to fight your cravings and hunger</li><li>Increasing your body heat to speed up your metabolism</li><li>Burn fats and preventing the production of new fat cells</li><li>Boost your energy levels to stop the fatigue coming from extreme diets</li><li>Regulate hormones that promote weight loss and improve your mood</li></ul><p>These factors help boost and speed up your weight loss journey. However, to get the most out of them and see your desired results, a healthy diet and regular exercise are crucial to achieving your goals.</p><p>These supplements are only stepping stones that help guide you to the right path, boosting your body's ability to burn fat and increase your metabolism. Aside from this, fat burner supplements prevent the absorption of fat to your body. </p><p>Most Fat burner supplements also help to give you the needed energy levels for workouts and diets. Participating in a calorie-deficit diet and extreme activities can cause you to feel lethargic and experience fatigue. These supplements supply the energy you need and increase your endurance and strength.</p><p>Aside from the fatigue, workouts can cause your mood to drop and increase your irritability as well. These supplements help boost your mood and calm you down, reducing the stress and anxiety you feel throughout the day.</p><p>The best fat burning supplements are the ones who target multiple factors and promote numerous health benefits that can aid in your weight loss and overall body health, giving the most optimal results.</p>
<h2>Who Are Fat Burning Supplements For?</h2><p>If you are a person who has tried all the extreme diets and participates in intense exercises every day and still see no results, fat burning supplements may aid you. These supplements optimize the result you get from weight loss programs.</p><p>Aside from this, fat burner supplements target the speed of your metabolism and ability to burn fat, making it perfect for people who have a slow metabolism and having trouble losing those pesky fats in your body.</p><p>Fat burning supplements also help keep you feeling full and prevent insulin spikes, which are the reason for your cravings and hunger. This effect is perfect for people who have bad eating habits and would like to stick to their diet more.</p><p>Most fat burner supplements are suitable for both men and women, but other supplements can boost testosterone production and are more suitable for men than women because of the hormones.</p><p>However, fat burner supplements can contain caffeine and may not be suitable for people who are sensitive to caffeine and can disrupt your regular sleep cycles. To avoid this effect, take your supplement a few hours before bedtime or as prescribed. </p><p>Lastly, any person who would like to lose weight or even just maintain their current weight can take fat burner supplements to boost their weight loss journey. Even if you are just an average person or a sporty athlete, fat burner supplements cater to everyone. </p><p>However, if you have underlying medical conditions, under the age of 18 or currently pregnant or breastfeeding, kindly check with your doctor before adding the supplement to your diet.</p>
<h2>How to Get Optimized Results When Using Fat Burner Supplements?</h2><p>As previously discussed, fat burner supplements are just boosters for your weight loss journey and should not be the main component of your weight loss. </p><p><em>Below are some factors you may consider to help with achieving your desired weight:</em></p><h3>Ask Your Dietitian </h3><p>An essential factor for optimized results when using fat burner supplements is asking for advice from a health professional. This method ensures that the fat burning supplement will be effective for you and prevent any adverse side effects.</p><p>Consulting your dietitian ensures that the supplement's ingredients do not interfere with your medications if you have underlying illnesses or conditions. Your dietitian can also plan and control the dosages as they see fit for your body type.</p><p>Always remember that your dietitian knows your body best, so ensure that you consult them first before adding the supplement to your diet.</p><h3>Participate in A Weight Loss Regimen</h3><p>Participating in a weight loss regimen helps you track the progress of your weight loss journey. Besides this, having a regimen enables you to keep your feet on the track, preventing you from straying away from your weight loss plan.</p><p>Creating a plan for the times you take your supplements is essential as well. Know the benefits your supplements give and time them correctly in your schedule. It is also crucial to follow the recommended dosage for each supplement carefully.</p><p>Supplements who excel in keeping you satiated is suitable for hours in between meals to help avoid your pesky cravings and insulin spikes, which is the leading cause of you not being able to stick to your diet. </p><p>Supplements who give you the energy boosts are perfect before your workout regimen to help you go through those intense workouts and give them extra strength. The caffeine content in most supplements helps give you focus as well.</p><p>And most importantly, always stick to your weight loss regimen to ensure you get the most optimal results.</p>
<h3>Always Eat A Healthy and Balanced Diet</h3><p>Getting your greens and sticking to a healthy and balanced diet is essential when trying to lose weight. You cannot lose weight if you keep eating unhealthy junk foods that contain a lot of calories.</p><p>Eating a calorie-deficit diet where you eat fewer calories than your body can burn is essential when losing weight. The most efficient way to achieve this is to eat veggies that have the low-calorie content.</p><p>Healthy greens and vegetables also contain high fiber content, which helps keep you satiated and feeling full for long periods. These vegetables also help prevent insulin spikes and control your blood glucose levels.</p><p>Eating a healthy and balanced diet helps with your weight loss journey. It also helps prevent certain illnesses and reduce risks of conditions like heart diseases and cancer, increasing when you are overweight or obese.</p><h3>Workout Daily and Consistently</h3><p>Consistent workout regimens are crucial to losing weight. Exercise helps keep your body active and moving, increasing your thermal temperature and naturally speeding up your metabolism. </p><p>A fast metabolism is essential in helping your body burn calories even at rest. Aside from this, it also helps promote muscle gain, significant for giving you strength and endurance for workouts, as well as improving your physique. </p><p>Daily workouts also help you burn the calories you consume daily and burn fats currently in your body. These factors further help you achieve your weight loss goal and reach your desired and target weight.</p><h3>Consistency Is Key</h3><p>Consistency is key when it comes to losing weight. Sticking to your weight loss regimens and keeping up with a healthy and balanced diet is crucial if you would like to lose weight. </p><p>Do not cheat on your diets by giving in to your cravings and bad eating habits. It is crucial never to skip a workout session as well, to optimize your results and promote weight loss. Aside from these, always take your supplements daily as prescribed and never miss a dose.</p><p>Missing a dose, skipping workouts, and eating unhealthy meals not only hinders your weight loss journey but also slows down your progress. Doing these can even make you gain weight, making your progress useless.</p>
<h2>Do Fat Burner Supplements Cause Any Adverse Side Effects?</h2><p>We discussed the fat burner supplements in this article like Trimtone, Instant Knockout, and PhenQ. All of them use natural and organic ingredients that you can recognize easily and provide no adverse side effects.</p><p>However, not all fat burner supplements use organic ingredients and cause no adverse side effects. Always look into the product's ingredients to ensure it does not use any chemicals or additives that can cause side effects.</p><p>Some supplements may also contain hormonal boosters, which may not be suitable for another gender. Hormones that boosts testosterone may not be ideal for women and should choose supplements that cater to your gender instead.</p><p>If you are someone who is sensitive to caffeine, you might want to avoid supplements that contain high caffeine content. High caffeine content supplements can cause disruption on your regular sleeping schedule, causing insomnia.</p><p>People who have underlying medical conditions and illnesses and pregnant or breastfeeding women should also take caution when taking fat burner supplements and consult their physician before adding them to their diet. </p><p>And lastly, always check the ingredients in the product to ensure their effectiveness and make sure they are perfectly legal and cause no side effects. Natural fat burner supplements like the three brands we discussed are excellent because they only use organic ingredients that are effective in weight loss.</p>
<h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2><p><em><strong>What exactly are fat burning supplements?</strong></em></p><p>Fat burning supplements are dietary supplements that help boost your body's ability to burn fat and promote weight loss. Most fat burning supplements target the factors that inhibit your body from losing weight.</p><p><em>These factors include the following:</em></p><ul><li>Speeding up your body's metabolism </li><li>Suppressing your appetite and keeping you feeling satiated to prevent cravings</li><li>Burning your body fat and preventing the production of new fat cells</li><li>Giving you energy and strength for workouts</li><li>Regulating your hormones to promote muscle growth and stop weight gain</li></ul><p>Targeting these inhibitors help boost your weight loss journey and promote weight loss. Of course, these are just boosters, and you must still add daily exercise and participate in a healthy diet.</p><p><em><strong>Do fat burner supplements work?</strong></em></p><p>Fat burner supplements show weight loss results when paired with a healthy diet and exercise regimen. The supplements help burn fat, improve your metabolism, keep you feeling satiated, and prevent fatigue during workouts. </p><p>The supplements help speed up your weight loss journey by helping you stick to your diet and workout regimen more consistently. Aside from this, taking your supplements daily helps you burn more calories as well.</p><p><em><strong>Are fat burners safe?</strong></em></p><p>Fat burners are nutritional supplements that help promote weight loss. However, not all fat burner supplements in the market are safe. The three fat burner supplements we discussed are relatively safe for anyone to use.</p><p>These supplements use 100% organic ingredients, causing no adverse side effects. They do not have any additives or chemicals that may cause harmful effects on your body. To ensure that your fat burner supplement is safe, always research the brand's ingredients and see if it is safe and backed by scientific research.</p><p><em><strong>How long until I see the results?</strong></em></p><p>Each individual's body is different, and it is essential to take your supplements and follow their recommended dosages. Taking your supplement consistently is key to achieving optimized results.</p><p>Some people may see weight loss changes as early as the first week, while others may take longer than three weeks. Always use your fat burning supplements alongside a healthy diet and constant exercise.</p><p><em><strong>Should I exercise?</strong></em></p><p>Exercise is key to losing weight and burning off calories, and fat burner supplements are just boosters that help you achieve that weight loss goal. However, constant exercise while participating in a diet can be exhausting.</p><p>That is where fat burner supplements come in. These supplements help give you the energy you need and prevent the fatigue you feel after workout sessions. This effect enables you to get through those grueling workout sessions and burn more calories.</p><h2>Closing Thoughts</h2><p>If you are a person who has tried all the extreme diet and workout regimens but still struggle to lose weight, our top pick for fat burning supplements such as<strong> <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/phenq-fbeco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">PhenQ</a> </strong>may be for you.</p><p>Fat burner supplements help boost your metabolism, increase your energy levels, and keep you feeling full, speeding up your weight loss journey. </p><p>However, before adding any supplement to your diet, always consult your dietitian to ensure you do not experience any health risks or issues.</p>
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A sign indicates that glyphosate has been used on a farmer's field. Jo Zimny / Flickr
More than half the bacteria in the human gut microbiome are sensitive to glyphosate, the mostly commonly used herbicide in the world, reported scientists this month in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
<p>Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland recently developed a novel bioinformatics tool to predict if beneficial bacteria in the human gut are affected by exposure to glyphosate.</p><p>They found that the herbicide could disturb the natural cycles of microbiome life, and potentially harm human health, through weakening the system and causing greater susceptibility to diseases.</p><p>"Glyphosate targets an enzyme ... [that] is crucial to synthesizing three essential amino acids," said Pere Puigbò, who co-developed the bioinformatics tool.</p>
<p>Glyphosate is regularly in the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/atrazine-harms-endangered-species-2648937774.html" target="_self">news</a>, viewed as a potential threat to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/22/war-of-the-weedkiller-why-environmentalists-are-concerned-about-moves-to-ban-roundup" target="_blank">health</a> and <a href="https://www.capitalpress.com/nation_world/epa-backs-arguments-against-25-million-glyphosate-verdict/article_f7ee49e0-194d-11eb-909b-bfe8072212c6.html" target="_blank">well-being</a> because of its widespread use on crops including corn, soy and canola. It is also a household weed killer, particularly the Monsanto/Bayer-owned brand <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto">Roundup</a>.</p><p>The herbicide is currently banned from many <a href="https://sustainablepulse.com/2019/05/28/glyphosate-herbicides-now-banned-or-restricted-in-17-countries-worldwide-sustainable-pulse-research/#.X7x66C2ZNE4" target="_blank">countries</a> including Germany, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, and is heavily restricted in others. <a href="https://www.sfpublicpress.org/as-cancer-concerns-lead-cities-to-ban-herbicide-sf-scales-back-use-of-roundup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cities </a>and <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/health/bill-would-limit-residential-use-of-glyphosate/69-ffa2b3c1-cf47-477a-ab81-81bbb4615257" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">states</a> across the U.S. are starting to reduce use or pushing for a ban, due to mounting health concerns. Other cities, such as Los Angeles and Miami, have already banned use.</p><p>"We need experimental research to study the effects of glyphosate on microbial communities in variable environments," said researcher Marjo Helander in a statement about the findings.</p><p>"This groundbreaking study provides tools for further studies to determine the actual impact of glyphosate on human and animal gut microbiota and thus to their health."</p>
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Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is seen on October 19, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. Denis Doyle / Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday that former Secretary of State John Kerry will sit on his National Security Council (NSC) as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
<p>Kerry's appointment was announced alongside other key foreign policy and national security roles and signals that the Biden administration plans to make fighting the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> an integral part of its foreign policy.</p><p>"This marks the first time that the NSC will include an official dedicated to climate change, reflecting the president-elect's commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent national security issue," the transition team said in a statement.</p>
<div id="7aab6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bff71c40172c15736f73fe73ed18078"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330967606585593857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today, I’m announcing the first members of my national security and foreign policy team. They will rally the world… https://t.co/bAisIQk5P6</div> — Joe Biden (@Joe Biden)<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/statuses/1330967606585593857">1606162380.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Kerry has a long history of engaging in climate diplomacy, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/23/kerry-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>. He has represented the U.S. at every major climate conference for the past 30 years and, as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, played a key role in negotiating the 2015 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a>. More recently, he started the organization <a href="https://worldwarzero.com/" target="_blank">World War Zero</a> to unite people from all political persuasions and walks of life around the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Kerry also co-chaired the Biden campaign's climate task force with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), which was designed to make policy suggestions and bridge the gap between party moderates and supporters of Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.</p><p>"The work we began with the Paris Agreement is far from done," Kerry <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnKerry/status/1330945088080457731" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in response to his appointment. "I'm returning to government to get America back on track to address the biggest challenge of this generation and those that will follow. The climate crisis demands nothing less than all hands on deck."</p><p>Biden's choice of Kerry won wide approval from environmental groups.</p><p>"The big question has been, 'How serious is the new administration about climate change?'" senior <a href="https://www.edf.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Defense Fund</a> (EDF) vice president Nathaniel Keohane told <a href="https://grist.org/politics/with-john-kerry-envoy-biden-plans-to-tackle-climate-change-abroad/?utm_campaign=sprout&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1606165955" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grist</a>. "This is a tremendously important signal. It says that the Biden administration is committed to making climate change front and center in terms of how we engage with the world."</p>
<p>While Kerry is seen as a moderate, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/23/john-kerry-biden-climate-envoy-appointment?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1606170161" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, his role on the campaign's climate task force has earned him the respect of the more progressive wing of the climate movement.</p><p>"He was quite the diplomat in terms of trying to make sure that all sides were represented and that we could reach compromises that we could all live with," Alabama environmental activist and panel member Catherine Coleman Flowers told The Washington Post. "He had a good understanding of the climate crisis."</p><p><a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> co-founder Varshini Prakash also spoke favorably of Kerry's role on the panel.</p><p>"I served with Sec. Kerry this summer on the Biden-Sanders taskforce and one thing is clear: he really does care about stopping climate change. That's something we can work with," she <a href="https://twitter.com/VarshPrakash/status/1330948342776557568?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a>. "An encouraging move from the Biden team — now I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a domestic equivalent!"</p>
<p>Biden is expected to name a White House climate policy coordinator in December who will focus on domestic climate policy, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/climate/john-kerry-climate-change.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>However, the effectiveness of both roles may depend on whether Republicans retain control of the Senate after the Georgia runoff elections in January. Kerry's position does not require Senate confirmation, but he may have a harder time convincing other countries to take more aggressive action if the U.S. does not seem to be pulling its weight. Diplomatically, he faces a challenge no matter what, given President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a>'s decision to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-agreement-us-withdrawal-2648618695.html" target="_self">withdraw the U.S.</a> from the Paris agreement Kerry helped negotiate. While Biden intends to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-climate-agreement-biden-2648649350.html" target="_self">rejoin the agreement</a> immediately upon taking office, the U.S. departure still burned the international community.</p><p>"Kerry's challenge is 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,'" Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, told The New York Times.</p>
<p class=""><em>Correction: A previous version of the headline stated that John Kerry is the first-ever climate envoy. That is incorrect, as the Obama administration also had a climate envoy. Kerry is the first full-time climate official to sit on the National Security Council. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
- A-List Celebs, Politicians Join John Kerry's World War Zero ... ›
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Seagrass: Another Vital Carbon-Sequestering Ecosystem Threatened by Climate Change
24 November
Popular
Susanna Pershern / Submerged Resources Center/ National Park Service / public domain
By Melissa Gaskill
Two decades ago scientists and volunteers along the Virginia coast started tossing seagrass seeds into barren seaside lagoons. Disease and an intense hurricane had wiped out the plants in the 1930s, and no nearby meadows could serve as a naturally dispersing source of seeds to bring them back.
<p>The seeding effort eventually delivered more than 70 million seeds — and it paid off, creating some 9,000 acres of the underwater plants.</p>
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</div></blockquote></div><p>Now monitoring of these restored meadows reveals multiple benefits to their restoration, including substantial increases in fish and invertebrate abundance, improved water clarity, and significant trapping of carbon and nitrogen.</p><p>"Planting adult seagrass is very labor intensive, but we started looking at using seeds in the lab and found it was quite easy," said biologist Robert "JJ" Orth, lead author on a new <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/41/eabc6434" target="_blank">paper</a> about the project. "These areas have good water quality, are shallow and are near the ocean so they get bathed in cooler water — perfect conditions. It was a surprise how quickly it happened."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMxNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjU4MzU3NX0.r56VbB8AxUb2Q4G3uoSDAejRc-zg8bYudl3C8kV5saQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="6c88d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5909dc34f2c554d80a1f4b0ccefb3e5f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Restored seagrass beds in Virginia now provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of scallops. Bob Orth, Virginia Institute of Marine Science / CC BY 2.0
<p>The paper is part of a growing trend of evidence suggesting seagrass meadows can be easier to restore than other coastal habitats.</p><p>Successful seagrass-restoration methods include <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304377099000078?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">transplanting shoots</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00314.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mechanized planting</a> and, more recently, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17438-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodegradable mats</a>. Removing threats, proximity to donor seagrass beds, planting techniques, project size and site selection all play roles in a restoration effort's success.</p><p>Human assistance isn't always necessary, though. In areas where some beds remain, seagrass can even recover on its own when stressors are reduced or removed. For example, seagrass began to recover when Tampa Bay improved its water quality by reducing nitrogen loads from runoff by roughly 90%.</p><p>But more and more, seagrass meadows struggle to hang on.</p><p>The marine flowering plants have declined globally since the 1930s and currently disappear at a rate equivalent to a football field every 30 minutes, according to the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/out-blue-value-seagrasses-environment-and-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Environment Programme</a>. And research published in 2018 found the rate of decline is <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GB005941" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">accelerating</a> in many regions.</p><p>The causes of decline vary and overlap, depending on the region. They include thermal stress from climate change; human activities such as dredging, anchoring and coastal infrastructure; and intentional removal in tourist areas. In addition, increased runoff from land carries sediment that clouds the water, blocking sunlight the plants need for photosynthesis. Runoff can also carry contaminants and nutrients from fertilizer that disrupt habitats and cause algal blooms.</p><p>All that damage comes with a cost.</p>The Value of Seagrass
<p>As with ecosystems like rainforests and <a href="https://therevelator.org/mangroves-climate-change/" target="_blank">mangroves</a>, loss of seagrass increases carbon dioxide emissions. And that spells trouble not just for certain habitats but for the whole planet.</p><p>Although seagrass covers at most 0.2% of the seabed, it <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/seagrass-secret-weapon-fight-against-global-heating" target="_blank">accounts for 10%</a> of the ocean's capacity to store carbon and soils, and these meadows store carbon dioxide an estimated 30 times faster than most terrestrial forests. Slow decomposition rates in seagrass sediments contribute to their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238506081_Assessing_the_capacity_of_seagrass_meadows_for_carbon_burial_Current_limitations_and_future_strategies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">high carbon burial rates</a>. In Australia, according to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15204" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research</a> by scientists at Edith Cowan University, loss of seagrass meadows since the 1950s has increased carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equivalent to 5 million cars a year. The United Nations Environment Programme reports that a 29% decline in seagrass in Chesapeake Bay between 1991 and 2006 resulted in an estimated loss of up to 1.8 million tons of carbon.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDk0NDAwOX0.ILZN1S7VzsMsdiF6usSunDgL0wYRlgtFEoLb5Hinwq4/img.jpg?width=980" id="3b37c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="06cc09d311c7b9b0d90ae063f04bbb5b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Eelgrass in the river delta at Prince William Sound, Alaska. Alaska ShoreZone Program NOAA / NMFS / AKFSC; Courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg / NOAA / NMFS / AKFSC
<p>Seagrasses also protect costal habitats. A healthy meadow slows wave energy, reduces erosion and lowers the risk of flooding. In Morro Bay, California, a 90% decline in the seagrass species known as eelgrass caused extensive erosion, according to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272771420303528?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper</a> from researchers at California Polytechnic State University.</p><p>"Right away, we noticed big patterns in sediment loss or erosion," said lead author Ryan Walter. "Many studies have shown this on individual eelgrass beds, but very few studies looked at it on a systemwide scale."</p><p>In the tropics, seagrass's natural protection can reduce the need for expensive and often-environmentally unfriendly <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en/news/zeegras-spaart-stranden-en-geld" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">beach nourishments</a> regularly conducted in tourism areas.</p><p>Seagrass ecosystems improve water quality and clarity, filtering particles out of the water column and preventing resuspension of sediment. This role could be even more important in the future. By producing oxygen through photosynthesis, meadows could help offset decreased oxygen levels caused by warmer water temperatures (oxygen is less soluble in warm than in cold water).</p><p>The meadows also provide vital habitat for a wide variety of marine life, including fish, sea turtles, birds, marine mammals such as manatees, invertebrates and algae. They provide nursery habitat for <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/32636/seagrass.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">roughly 20%</a> of the world's largest fisheries — an <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/seagrass-meadows-harbor-wildlife-for-centuries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimated 70%</a> of fish habitats in Florida alone.</p><p>Conversely, their disappearance can contribute to die-offs of marine life. The loss of more than 20 square miles of seagrass in Florida's Biscayne Bay may have helped set the stage for a widespread <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/2020-08-14/the-seagrass-died-that-may-have-triggered-a-widespread-fish-kill-in-biscayne-bay" target="_blank">fish kill</a> in summer 2020. Lack of grasses to produce oxygen left the basin more vulnerable when temperatures rose and oxygen levels dropped as a result, says Florida International University professor Piero Gardinali.</p>Damaged Systems, a Changing Climate
<p>Governments and conservationists around the world have already put a lot of effort into coastal restoration efforts. And that's helped some seagrass populations.</p><p>Where stressors remain, though, restoration grows more complicated. <a href="https://www.rug.nl/research/portal/en/publications/the-future-of-seagrass-ecosystem-services-in-a-changing-world(3a8c56db-7bed-4c9e-ac7f-c72453e2a102).html" target="_blank">Research</a> published this September found that only 37% of seagrass restorations have survived. Newly restored meadows remain vulnerable to the original stressors that depleted them, as well as to storms — and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate change</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzY3MTExM30.z7W72RvpB9iQMUIeVr7IA0G8dzqmtz19gLinEoTfBpA/img.jpg?width=980" id="9e386" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d2aa1b4aba58ffe18d83acaa13f10f2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Seagrass in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. Alicia Wellman / Florida Fish and Wildlife / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
<p>In Chesapeake Bay a cold-water species of seagrass is currently hitting its heat limit, especially in summer, according to Alexander Challen Hyman of University of Florida's School of Natural Resources and Environment. As waters continue to warm due to climate change, the species likely will disappear there.</p><p>Climate-driven sea-level rise complicates the problem as well. Seagrasses thrive at specific depths — too shallow and they dry out or are eaten, too deep and there isn't enough light for photosynthesis.</p>But There’s Good News, Too
<p>Luckily, left to its own devices, a seagrass meadow can flourish for hundreds of years, according to a <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.1861" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper</a> published last year by Hyman and other researchers from the University of Florida. The researchers arrived at their conclusion by looking at shells of living mollusks and fossil shells to estimate the ages of meadows in Florida's Big Bend region on the Gulf Coast.</p><p>That area has extensive, relatively pristine seagrass meadows. "Our motivation was to understand the past history of these systems, and shells store a lot of history," said co-author Michal Kowalewski.</p><p>A high degree of similarity between living and dead shells indicates a stable area, while a mismatch suggests an area shifted from seagrass to barren sand. The researchers found that long-term accumulations of shells resembled living ones, suggesting that the seagrass habitats have been stable over time.</p><p>That stability allows biodiversity to thrive, creating conditions where specialist species can survive and flourish, according to Hyman.</p><p>Discovering the long-term stability of seagrass meadows has implications for choosing restoration sites, Kowalewski notes.</p><p>"There must be reasons they thrive in one place, while a mile away they don't and fossil data says they probably never did," he said. "If we remove a seagrass patch, we cannot hope to plant it somewhere else. It's not just the seagrass that is special. The location at which it's found is special, too."</p><p>A better approach is conserving these habitats in the first place, but we're not doing enough of that right now. The UN reports that marine protected areas safeguard just 26% of recorded seagrass meadows, compared with 40% of coral reefs and 43% of mangroves.</p><div id="0e43d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5dd416de57a6668bb7b310f46cb45a94"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
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</div></blockquote></div><p>In the meantime, small actions can make a big difference — such as fertilizer ordinances, for example, Gardinali suggested.</p><p>"Nitrogen and phosphorus are the problem," he said. "It's an easy first step. We can change the way we do small things, one at a time."</p><p>Everything we do at this point will help, not only seagrass but everything that depends on it.</p><p>"These habitats are so vital," Hyman says. "Putting aside erosion control and all these benefits people might not find as important, they harbor juvenile stages of all these marine species we like to eat — blue crabs, for example. From that standpoint alone, seagrass provides countless benefits to the economy."</p><p>Those benefits have mostly gone ignored in favor of more visible, charismatic land-based habitats. That needs to change, the experts say.</p><p>"What the trees in the Amazon rainforest provide for that system is what eelgrass provides in estuarine systems," said Walter. "So many ecosystem services, beyond just being a beautiful grass."</p><p>One that, if we let it, will provide those services for hundreds of years.</p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/gaskill/" target="_blank">Melissa Gaskill</a> is a freelance science writer based in Austin whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Mental Floss, Newsweek, Alert Diver and many other publications. She is the co-author of A Worldwide Travel Guide to Sea Turtles and author of Pandas to Penguins: Ethical Encounters with Animals at Risk.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/seagrass-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>
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Fridays for Future climate activists demonstrate in Bonn, Germany on Sept. 25, 2020. Roberto Pfeil / picture alliance via Getty Images
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere hit a new record in 2019 and have continued climbing this year, despite lockdowns and other measures to curb the pandemic, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday, citing preliminary data.
<p>Levels of carbon dioxide, a product of burning fossil fuels that <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/are-international-pledges-bold-enough-to-stop-global-warming/a-41343653" target="_blank">contribute to global warming</a>, peaked at 410.5 parts per million in 2019, according to the WMO. The annual increase is larger than the previous year and surpasses the average over the last decade.</p><p>"Such a rate of increase has never been seen in the history of our records," WMO Secretary-General professor Petteri Taalas said, referring to increases since 2015 and urging for a "sustained flattening of the (emissions) curve."</p>
<h2>Lockdown Drops Just a 'Blip'</h2><p>The Geneva-based UN agency noted that shutdowns, border closures, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/to-fly-or-not-to-fly-the-environmental-cost-of-air-travel/a-42090155" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flight groundings</a> and other restrictions had cut emissions of many pollutants and <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/our-addiction-to-growth-is-harming-the-climate/a-41429203" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.</a></p><p>As pandemic measures peaked earlier this year, daily CO2 output dropped 17% below last year's mean level, preliminary results of the WMO's main annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin found.</p><p>But the WMO warned against complacency and said the global plunge in industrial activities due to the pandemic had <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/will-it-soon-be-too-late-to-save-the-climate/a-49889771" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">not restricted record concentrations of the greenhouse gases</a> that are trapping heat in the atmosphere, increasing temperatures, triggering sea levels to rise and prompting extreme weather.</p><p>"The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph," WMO chief Petteri Taalas said.</p>
<p>The annual impact was expected to be a drop of between 4.2% and 7.5%. But according to the WMO, this will not cause concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere to decrease and warned the impact on concentrations was "no bigger than the normal year to year fluctuations."</p><p>Worldwide data is not yet available for 2020 but the trend of surging concentrations appears to be intact, the group said, citing initial readings from its Tasmania and Hawaii stations.</p>
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<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-greenhouse-gas-levels-hit-record-high-despite-lockdowns/a-55698828" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Argentine black-and-white tegu is an invasive species that can reach four-feet long. Mark Newman / Getty Images
These black-and-white lizards could be the punchline of a joke, except the situation is no laughing matter.
<p>That's because the Argentine black-and-white tegu is an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/invasive-species" target="_self">invasive species</a> of dog-sized lizards that scientists worry could pose a threat to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> across the Southeast.</p><p>The tegus first came to the region as escaped or released pets and began to spread in South Florida more than a decade ago, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/11/tegu-lizards-invasive-spreading-southeast-united-states/" target="_blank">National Geographic reported</a>. But they are now reaching other states in the region and have been spotted in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.</p><p>"[T]he entire southeast portion of the United States is at risk," U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) biologist Amy Yackel Adams told National Geographic. "Much of this area has a climate that is suitable for tegus."</p>
<p>For scientists, the tegus' eating habits are the most concerning aspect as they spread. The lizards, which are native to South America and up to four-feet long, consume everything from eggs and small birds to low-growing fruit. In Venezuela, they are nicknamed <em>lobo pollero,</em> or "the chicken wolf," for their habit of stealing eggs from chicken coops. In the U.S., they could pose an additional hazard to the eggs of threatened or endangered species like the Eastern indigo snake.</p><p>Protecting native <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> is a major concern in Georgia, where the tegus have been spotted mostly in Tattnall and Toombs counties, <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/giant-tegu-lizards-are-moving-into-georgia-and-theyre-not-welcome" target="_blank">Discover reported</a>.</p><p>"They are very efficient predators of our native fauna that don't recognize them as predators," Georgia Southern University biology professor Lance McBrayer told Discover.</p>
<p>Of special concern are ground-nesting birds such as quails and the gopher tortoise, which is the Georgia state reptile, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-four-foot-lizards-will-eat-anything-and-theyre-invading-southeastern-us-180976350/" target="_blank">Smithsonian Magazine reported</a>.</p><p>However, the tegus' egg-stealing ways also make them easier to trap, according to Discover. Seven were captured in Georgia in 2019 and six were captured this year. Those numbers are large enough that McBrayer thinks the lizards are likely breeding in the wild.</p><p>"We suspect that they are breeding, but we have not captured a juvenile," he told Discover. "So, we can't say with absolute certainty that there are baby tegus running around."</p>
<p>McBrayer and Yackel Adams told Discover that the goal is to remove the lizards from Georgia before they can establish a population.</p><p>"We're at that early invasion," Yackel Adams told Discover. "It's the best time to deal with it."</p><p>Meanwhile, state officials are also working to stop the tegus from spreading in South Carolina, where they have been spotted at least nine times since August, <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/eight-more-non-native-black-and-white-tegus-spotted-in-south-carolina" target="_blank">WCIV reported in September</a>.</p>
<p>"The number and distribution of black and white tegu reports in just a few weeks is concerning. Documented sightings come from as far north as Greenville County and as far south as Berkeley County," State Herpetologist Andrew Grosse told WCIV. </p><p>"The individuals removed measured between two and three feet long and consisted of both females and males. Necropsies show the tegus have all been scavenging native plants and animals, including toads, various insects and muscadines. This indicates these individuals are wild, free roaming and foraging opportunistically. It is important that this species does not establish in our state."</p>The climate is a key reason why tegus stand a good chance of spreading throughout the Southeast, since their native region is roughly the same latitude, McBrayer told Discover. Their range could grow even further as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis<br></a>expands tropical and subtropical conditions to the north, National Geographic reported.
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What Portland’s Smoky Summer Can Do for Air Quality Equity Across the Country
23 November
Insights + Opinion
Smoke covers the skies over downtown Portland, Oregon, on Sept. 9, 2020. Diego Diaz / Icon Sportswire
By Isabella Garcia
September in Portland, Oregon, usually brings a slight chill to the air and an orange tinge to the leaves. This year, it brought smoke so thick it burned your throat and made your eyes strain to see more than 20 feet in front of you.
<p><br/></p>
<p>As historic wildfires burned more than 1 million acres and displaced more than 40,000 people in Oregon, photos of the red haze cloaking the Pacific Northwest were spotlighted on national newscasts and ogled on social media. Portland's air quality was the worst in the world for several days, peaking at <a href="https://aqicn.org/city/usa/oregon/portland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an Air Quality Index </a>of 486 on Sept. 13. In comparison, the <a href="https://aqicn.org/city/beijing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mean AQI in September in Beijing</a>, known for its smoggy skies, was 77. Just a year before, in September 2019, Portland enjoyed an average AQI more typical for the city: 22.</p><p>The hazardous air of the 2020 fires brought a new awareness of air quality issues in areas that don't normally have to think about them. It prompted fresh conversations about climate change, too: A <a href="https://multco.us/air-quality-public-health-problem/news/wildfire-pollution-obliterates-portland-bad-air-records-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Multnomah County news release</a> called the wildfires a "full-on disaster siren that climate change is fully here."</p><p>But when the rain finally came on Sept. 19 and cleared the air, Portlanders rejoiced in the ability to breathe deeply again. The climate conversation and talk of air quality slowly but surely fell out of the news cycle, replaced with the election and the pandemic.</p><p>But what about the communities whose air is filled with dangerous emissions every day without the drama of an apocalyptic glow? What about the people who don't get the reprieve of a breath of fresh air? Poor air quality can be seen in metro areas across the U.S., but the distribution of that burden overwhelmingly falls on communities of color.</p><p>Communities in Texas and Michigan are home to some of the most polluted air in the country, but they are also home to groups that are fiercely fighting for — and making — change.</p>
<h2>Manchester United</h2><p>Houston is known as the energy capital of America, but that title comes with industrial refineries and chemical plants that release toxic emissions into the air. Having grown up in East Houston, near smokestacks and petrochemical plants, Bryan Parras knows this particular toxic air well. He now works for the Sierra Club as a healthy communities organizer and environmental justice advocate. His job is to identify local issues and leverage Sierra Club resources to address them most effectively.</p><p>"In some ways you're like a triage doctor, stopping the bleeding and dressing wounds," Parras explains. "In that process, you learn about the policy decisions that have led to things to begin with. You begin to understand the dynamics that people are dealing with, and you get a deeper grasp of the intersections of housing, environment, immigration status, and all these things."</p><p>Those intersections are clear in an ongoing case against Valero Energy, a midsize oil refinery that <a href="https://www.valero.com/en-us/Pages/Houston.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">produces 235,000 barrels of oil and petroleum products per day</a> in Houston's Manchester neighborhood. Valero applied for a permit to emit poisonous hydrogen cyanide in its refining process in March 2018. To fight back, Manchester community representatives are seeking party status during the permit hearings with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. According to the CDC, exposure to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750038.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this chemical asphyxiant</a> interferes with nearly every organ in the body, especially the brain, heart, and lungs, and can be fatal in high concentrations.</p><p>The toxin is better known in other contexts. Hydrogen cyanide has been <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-11-mn-180-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">used for lethal injection</a> and is the primary component of Zyklon B, the gas used for mass murder in Nazi WWII gas chambers. Parras says Valero has long been emitting hydrogen cyanide into the air in the Manchester community, but the amount is unclear because the emission was only discovered, or revealed, after a change in EPA requirements during the Obama administration.</p><p>The permit request is for 512 tons of hydrogen cyanide per year. To put that number in context, community leaders and elected officials in Denver were appalled when the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2018/04/19/suncor-energy-cyanide-gas-poor-denver-neighborhoods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment imposed a new limit</a> that allowed nearly 13 tons of hydrogen cyanide to be emitted in 2018.</p><p>The permit request in Houston caught the attention of Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), an organization aiming to provide Texas communities with environmental and legislative expertise to advocate for environmental justice. The group's co-directors, Juan and Ana Parras, founded the group in 1995. Bryan Parras is their son and a member of the t.e.j.a.s. board of directors.</p><p>"[Valero] were releasing without a permit for over 10 years," Ana says. "These people are just being dumped upon."</p>
<h2>Houstonians Can't Breathe</h2><p>Manchester is one of <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2013/04/23/houston-s-most-polluted-neighborhood-draws-line-keystone-tar-sands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Houston's oldest neighborhoods</a>. It is surrounded on three sides by a chemical plant, synthetic rubber plant, oil refineries, and a car-crushing facility, all of which belly up to the Houston Ship Channel, one of the busiest sea ports in the world. The fourth side is a train yard.</p><p>A <a href="https://airalliancehouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AAH-Executive-Summary.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 study commissioned by Air Alliance Houston</a>, an environmental advocacy organization, found that the city's polluting facilities are routinely clustered in and around communities where most of the residents are people of color, or where more than 30% of households are considered low-income. Manchester qualifies as both. As of 2015, <a href="https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Demographics/docs_pdfs/SN/65_Harrisburg_Manchester.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">82% of Manchester residents are Hispanic</a>, 14% are Black, and 3% are White. Some 41% of residents make $25,000 or less per year.</p><p>The Valero Energy plant is just two blocks from nearby residential homes — or "fence line communities" as Ana and Juan Parras describe them. A <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/double-jeopardy-houston%252523.Wxa161OUv1y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2016 study from the Union of Concerned Scientists</a> found that 90.2% of the Manchester population lives within 1 mile of at least one regulated industrial facility. The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-11/documents/appendix-a-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EPA estimates that each year, these types of facilities have about 150 catastrophic releases</a>, which can be fires, explosions, or emissions that pose immediate and significant danger to people and the environment.</p><p>The same study also found the Manchester neighborhood's respiratory hazard index to be 2.56. That far exceeds the EPA's acceptable level, which is less than 1.0. In comparison, Portland, Oregon, has an average <a href="https://regionalbarometer.oregonmetro.gov/datasets/respiratory-hazard-index-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">respiratory hazard index of 0.57</a>.</p><p>T.e.j.a.s and two other community representatives have received standing in the administrative hearings for the Valero permit moving forward. But Ana Parras anticipates the case lasting well into 2021, and all the while, Valero continues to emit hydrogen cyanide unrestricted.</p>
<h2>Pushing Back Against Discrimination</h2><p>On a faster track is the Title VI language justice case t.e.j.a.s. filed against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.</p><p>Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs that receive federal assistance. Many of the notifications for the community hearings for the Valero case were in English only, even though <a href="https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Demographics/docs_pdfs/SN/65_Harrisburg_Manchester.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">70% of Manchester residents speak Spanish</a> at home. Also, because there weren't adequate translators, Spanish-speaking parents would bring their bilingual children — some as young as 7 years old — to the hearings to translate for them.</p><p>In this case, t.e.j.a.s. is asking that all notifications be translated into languages congruent with the community demographics, not just the first notification as stated under the current rule.</p><p>"In an unprecedented two weeks, we had a hearing," Ana says.</p><p>The case has the potential to change the national EPA rules, in addition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rule.</p><p>"The system is hard to change," Juan says, but if t.e.j.a.s. and other organizers stop fighting these systemic environmental ills, he says, the fence line communities will suffer even greater losses. "Community is always first."</p>
<h2>Environmental Justice Hot Spots</h2><p>In Michigan, organizers with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition are using scientific research to find and calculate the impact of environmental racism in their state's fence line communities. For years, MEJC members had been showing up to permit hearings for industrial polluters, mobilizing and providing support for the various communities that were at risk. After a while, the coalition realized a flaw in the permitting system.</p><p>"We recognized that these permits were not being considered in relationship to each other," says Jamesa Johnson-Greer, the climate justice director at MEJC. "So, when an air permit is considered for nitrous oxide, for example, that's only considered for that one entity, and that's not considering the fact that these polluting facilities might by near other polluting facilities that are also emitting the same nitrous oxide." Those facilities are often concentrated in and around low-income neighborhoods of color.</p><p>The coalition commissioned a <a href="https://seas.umich.edu/sites/all/files/AssessingtheStateofEnvironmentalJusticeinMichigan_344.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cumulative impact study</a> by the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. Researchers assigned an environmental justice score for each census tract in the state based on social, demographic, and environmental data.</p><p>In 2019, the researchers reported hot spots of environmental injustice — communities around the state experiencing compounding impacts from 11 environmental factors, including the respiratory hazard index, diesel exposure, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/urban-air-toxics/about-urban-air-toxics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">air toxics cancer risks</a>, nearby hazardous waste facilities and regulated industrial facilities, as well as traffic proximity. Unsurprisingly, those hot spots were disproportionately clustered in communities of color that had higher levels of poverty, unemployment, and educational attainment (the percent of the population over 25 without a high school diploma) than the statewide average.</p><p>The report confirmed some of what MEJC already knew, such as the intense air pollution in southwest Detroit, particularly <a href="https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/struggling-to-breathe-in-48217-michigans-most-toxic-zip-code/Content?oid=23542211" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the 48217 ZIP code</a>, which is surrounded by more than two dozen industrial polluting facilities. The environmental justice scores around Detroit were as high as 87 out of 100. But there were also surprises, according to Johnson-Greer, like the fact that Grand Rapids, Michigan, had the highest EJ score in the state: 93.99. And despite the egregious water issues in Flint, Genesee County, where the city is located, didn't even make the top 10% of census tracts.</p><p>"That actually influenced the way we did our work this year," Johnson-Greer says, "recognizing that we needed to go and talk to people in those areas who have been doing work around environmental justice or social justice and see what the issues were on the ground."</p><p>By developing relationships with environmental advocates in Grand Rapids, MEJC learned that the town has a long history of logging and paper mills, considered <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/books/environmental-management-in-practice/pollution-prevention-in-the-pulp-and-paper-industries" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one of the most polluting industries in the world</a> because of the high concentration of chemicals in the wastewater. Johnson-Greer says that recognizing the patterns and similarities across the EJ hot spots throughout the state can help highlight the weaknesses — and, thus, the starting points for equitable environmental transitions — in statewide and national environmental policies.</p><p>In particular, she points to the importance of "prioritizing those communities that are most vulnerable and recognizing that those are the communities that we need to start resourcing immediately, because they have probably also been most under-resourced and have also been left behind in past policies."</p>
<h2>A Shift in the Collective Consciousness</h2><p>For Bakeyah Nelson, the executive director of Air Alliance Houston, putting the most affected communities' needs first means using a diversity of tactics. Air Alliance Houston supports community interests by advocating for long-term legislative solutions, like developing industrial zoning laws in Houston, and by responding as-needed to threats against local communities' air quality, such as monitoring permits for new concrete batch plants so they can alert the nearby residents of their options to fight the permit.</p><p>"In advocacy, I would say there is no one size fits all," Nelson says. "It can be proactive; we can work with groups and coalitions to put forth state level legislation to try to prevent concrete batch plants from being placed near neighborhoods. But, on a day-to-day basis, it's more reactive in that we are tracking the permits; we see a permit and then we respond."</p><p>With limited time and resources, striking an effective balance of reactive and proactive responses can be a challenge, says Bryan Parras of the Sierra Club. But Parras is inspired by the community he serves, as well as the overall shift in public conversation he's seen around pollution and climate change over the past few years. While affluent White communities are typically untouched by environmental racism, they are now facing the unavoidable sign of climate change, as was the case with Portland in this year's wildfires. That can prompt powerful empathy and is moving the needle toward action on environmental justice.</p><p>"Despite all of the problems, you see some real change happening in the collective consciousness," Parras says. "There is a growth, a renaissance of activism and participation in civic life that is really beautiful to see."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/11/18/smoke-portland-air-quality-equity/" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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A rare rusty-spotted cat is spotted in the wild in 2015. David V. Raju / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 4.0
Misunderstanding the needs of how to protect three rare cat species in Southeast Asia may be a driving factor in their extinction, according to a recent study.
<p>Only six to 11 percent of the habitat used by the fishing cat, leopard cat and rusty-spotted cat is currently protected, based on findings published in the journal <em>Scientific Reports</em> by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden.</p><p>All three species are endemic to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/india" target="_blank">Indian</a> subcontinent, comprising India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and the Maldives. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2020/01/captivating-images-show-diversity-indias-secretive-wild-cats-big-and-small" target="_blank">Over a third</a> of the world's wild felines call the region home, and the three species studied share a common cat ancestor. There are no current population figures on the rare cats as they are extremely difficult to find, even with state-of-the-art camera traps. </p><p>But the fishing cat, about twice the size of an average house cat, may no longer have a home, as its preferred habitat — mangrove swamps and coastal wetlands — are <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/oceans_practice/coasts/mangroves/mangrove_threats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increasingly eradicated</a> for development. Since 2016 the species has been listed as "Vulnerable" on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18150/50662615" target="_blank">IUCN Red List</a>.</p>
<p>"This study is important because it shows that many small, rare and elusive cats in the Indian subcontinent don't get as much attention as the more spectacular big cats. Nevertheless, the need to protect them is just as pressing," said Mats Björklund, a professor emeritus of Zooecology at Uppsala University, in a statement about the findings. </p><p>The leopard cat is also a victim of habitat destruction, but its environment ranges from shrub land and low-lying forests to inland wetlands, and populations are steadier than those of the fishing cat. Part of the study identified which ecological conditions each species preferred, using computer algorithms to predict their numbers and locations in favored areas. </p><p>The rusty-spotted cat is one of the smallest wild cat species in the world and mostly spends its time in the deciduous forests of India and Sri Lanka. It is listed as <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18149/50662471" target="_blank">"Near Threatened"</a> on the IUCN Red List, due to increased farmland use of its home.</p>
<p>"Species like the rusty-spotted cat exist only in this region, so to ensure we don't lose them it's essential to create more protected areas," said André P. Silva, the study's lead author and a doctoral student in the department of ecology and genetics at Uppsala University.</p><p>The goal of the study was to better understand<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/environment" target="_blank"> environmental </a>factors such as land cover, land use and climate, which threaten the three cat species. Thanks to this research, more protective measures can be implemented.</p><p>"The number and size of the protected areas must be increased to include more biotopes containing these species," says Björklund.</p>
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