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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been ordered to freeze all its grants and contracts, including programs for climate research, environmental justice and pollution prevention, according to internal communications leaked anonymously to several outlets Monday evening.
It's unclear if the freeze is permanent and EPA staff are under orders to not discuss the move outside the agency, the sources told press. News of the freeze and gag order comes a day after Axios leaked details of the transition team's "agency action" plan for EPA, which accuses EPA of "us[ing] regulatory policy to steer the science" and recommends that the agency stop funding science and overhaul its internal science advisory process "to eliminate conflicts of interest and inherent bias."
Axios also quoted a Republican lobbyist who flags "dozens" of EPA-related executive orders coming down the pike in the next month.
For a deeper dive:
Grant freeze: Huffington Post, ProPublica, Washington Post, The Hill
Agency action plan: Axios, The Hill
EOs: Axios
Commentary: Vox, Brad Plumer analysis, Buzzfeed, Dino Grandoni analysis
For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
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The moon sets over the border fence between the U.S. and Mexico on March 14, 2017 in Hidalgo, Texas. John Moore / Getty Images
In the midst of a global pandemic, President Donald Trump found time earlier this week to sign an executive order for U.S. companies to mine the moon's mineral resources, according to Newsweek.
<p>The executive order makes it clear that the administration does not view space and celestial bodies as global commons, allowing for mining operations without any international treaties, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/07/trump-mining-moon-executive-order" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"Outer space is a legally and physically unique domain of human activity, and the United States does not view space as a global commons," the order, called Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources, states.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.mining-technology.com/features/trump-wants-us-companies-to-mine-the-moon/" target="_blank">Mining Technology</a>, the order states that commercial partners participate in an "innovative and sustainable program" headed by the U.S. to "lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations." The document adds that successful long-term exploration of space will require commercial entities to recover and use resources, including certain minerals, in outer space.</p><p><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-encouraging-international-support-recovery-use-space-resources/" target="_blank">While the order specifically noted that a return to the moon</a> would allow the country to explore and exploit lunar minerals, it implied a future commercialization of the solar system would apply to "the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies," as <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2020/04/09/trump-calls-american-businesses-mine-moon/5123361002/" target="_blank">The Palm Springs Desert Sun</a> reported.</p>
<p>The U.S. never signed the 1979 moon treaty, which states that non-scientific use of space resources must be governed by international regulations. Then in 2015, Congress passed a law to allow American companies and citizens to use resources from the moon and asteroids, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-signs-order-encouraging-us-mine-moon-minerals-1496823" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/07/trump-mining-moon-executive-order" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> points out, the willingness to plunder natural resources is part and parcel with the administration's policies on Earth. The Trump administration has opened up wide swaths of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">public land</a> to mining and rolled back environmental regulations in an attempt to prop up the coal industry.</p>
<p>The federal government has routinely ignored requests to update the main law governing hardrock mining, even as the planet careens towards a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. The law has been effectively untouched since its inception in 1872, according to <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2020/04/09/trump-calls-american-businesses-mine-moon/5123361002/" target="_blank">The Palm Springs Desert Sun</a>.</p><p>The U.S. interests in the moon seem to revolve around building a sustainable settlement. In 2024, the Artemis 3 mission will touch down at the moon's South Pole, brining one female and one male astronaut who will become the first moonwalkers of the 21st century, as <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2020/04/09/trump-wants-to-mine-the-moon-this-is-how-nasa-will-do-it-using-roomba-sized-rovers/#838b31840d61" target="_blank">Forbes</a> reported. While that will be a brief visit, NASA has plans for future Artemis missions to create "a sustained lunar presence" in 2028.</p><p>The Artemis program is seen as a program to create a waystation for an eventual U.S. voyage to Mars, though it's not clear how these long-term plans will work nor what role private companies like SpaceX will play, as <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a32082958/trump-moon-mining-asteroids/" target="_blank">Popular Mechanics</a> reported.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a32082958/trump-moon-mining-asteroids/" target="_blank">Popular Mechanics</a>, "Scientists and researchers are investing a lot of time and resources in ways astronauts will be able to gather what's around them on the moon or on Mars in order to make building materials, life-sustaining shelter, and even renewable fuel for people staying on these celestial bodies."</p>
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Workers unload boxes of medical supplies at Mount Sinai Hospital amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 31, 2020 in New York City. Spencer Platt / Getty Images
The supply chain that provides medical supplies to the world is favoring the U.S. and Europe, which are outbidding poorer nations for masks, gowns, gloves and ventilators during the coronavirus pandemic, according to NPR.
<p>The <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_self">Trump</a> administration is accused of modern piracy for effectively hijacking shipments of masks and additional crucial supplies meant for other countries, including allies. The administration has also used its leverage to strong-arm private firms to prioritize America over other parts of the world, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/03/ppe-world-supplies-coronavirus-163955" target="_blank">POLITICO</a>.</p>
<p>Last week, Trump announced he was invoking the Defense Production Act to restrict U.S. exports of key medical supplies, leaving many poorer countries scrambling for supplies as they too try to contain COVID-19 and also protect their healthcare workers. The order restricts companies from selling respirators, masks or gloves overseas.</p><p>Scientists in Africa and Latin America received the unfortunate news that vital testing kits that they ordered will not be delivered for several months since everything in the supply line is headed to the U.S. and Europe. Furthermore, the increased price in all supplies from testing kits to masks has strained the fragile budgets and borrowing ability of poorer countries, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/world/coronavirus-equipment-rich-poor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>UNICEF has seen an uptick in countries turning to the agency for help. UNICEF is trying to secure 240 million masks to help people in 100 countries. So far, the global relief agency has only sourced 28 million masks, less than 12 percent of its target, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/world/coronavirus-equipment-rich-poor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p><p>"There is a war going on behind the scenes, and we're most worried about poorer countries losing out," said Dr. Catharina Boehme, the chief executive of Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, which <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-02-2020-who-and-find-formalize-strategic-collaboration-to-drive-universal-access-to-essential-diagnostics" target="_blank" title="">collaborates</a> with the World Health Organization in helping poorer countries gain access to medical tests, to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/world/coronavirus-equipment-rich-poor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>The global demand for supplies and the hoarding from rich countries has led to pernicious trade wars as new rules around the world place restrictions on the export of medical supplies.</p>
<p>"All it takes is some other country out there to say, 'Oh, you're going to impose a limit on what you sell to us, [say] masks? Well, then, we're going to restrict our exports to you of gloves. Or gowns. Or thermometers," said Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/08/828789521/borders-didnt-stop-the-pandemic-but-they-might-block-the-trade-of-medical-goods?utm_source=Global+Health+NOW+Main+List&utm_campaign=a920a54156-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_08_12_42&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8d0d062dbd-a920a54156-2890801" target="_blank">NPR</a>.</p><p>While many poorer countries have reported far fewer cases of the coronavirus than the U.S. and Europe, experts fear that an outbreak will devastate local populations. Also, without adequate testing, it is possible that existing cases are being overlooked.</p><p>Many parts of Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia are already at a severe disadvantage to handle an epidemic. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4305307/" target="_blank" title="">recent study</a> found that some poor countries have only one equipped intensive care bed per million residents, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/world/coronavirus-equipment-rich-poor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. Those areas tend to have underfunded and fragile health systems that lack necessary equipment.</p>
<p>While wealthy nations are pushing to keep medical supplies for their own healthcare workers and citizenry, some experts believe it's important to help poorer nations prepare for a coming outbreak.</p><p>Thomas Tighe, the CEO of the medical aid group Direct Relief, told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/08/828789521/borders-didnt-stop-the-pandemic-but-they-might-block-the-trade-of-medical-goods?utm_source=Global+Health+NOW+Main+List&utm_campaign=a920a54156-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_08_12_42&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8d0d062dbd-a920a54156-2890801" target="_blank">NPR</a> that he can understand both sides of the conflict. "I think the concern is obvious," he said. "Why would anyone send anything other than to the U.S., given this is our home? But I think it's also true that countries that have very little to begin with are looking at this wave of COVID-19 cases coming with no protection."</p><p>In Brazil, Dr. Amilcar Tanuri runs public laboratories at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, half of which are "stuck doing nothing," instead of testing health workers, because he said the chemical reagents he needs are being routed to wealthier countries, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/world/coronavirus-equipment-rich-poor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>"If you don't have reliable tests, you are blind," he said. "This is the beginning of the epidemic curve so I'm very concerned about the public health system here being overwhelmed very fast."</p>
<p><br>In South Africa, Dr. Francois Venter, an infectious diseases expert who is advising the government, said to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/world/coronavirus-equipment-rich-poor.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> that the struggle to acquire the reagents was endangering the country's overall response.</p><p>"We have the capacity to do large testing, but we've been bedeviled by the fact the actual testing materials, reagents, haven't been coming," he said. "We're not as wealthy. We don't have as many ventilators, we don't have as many doctors, our health system was in a precarious position before coronavirus."</p><p>"The country is terrified," he added.</p>
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A garbage yard in Lucknow, India where plastic bottles are dumped before being sent to recycling. Abhimanyu Kumar Sharma / Moment / Getty Images
Scientists have engineered a mutant enzyme that converts 90 percent of plastic bottles back to pristine starting materials that can then be used to produce new high-quality bottles in just hours. The discovery could revolutionize the recycling industry, which currently saves about 30 percent of PET plastics from landfills, reported Science Magazine.
<p><br/></p>
<p>Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is the plastic used in soda bottles, textiles and packaging. With almost 70 million tons manufactured annually worldwide, it is also the most abundant polyester plastic because it is strong and lightweight, explains the study's abstract, which was published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2149-4" target="_blank">Nature</a>.</p><p>Unfortunately, current PET recycling is inefficient. When plastics of different colors are melted down during the recycling process, a gray or black plastic starting material results that few companies want to purchase to package their products, explained <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/huge-step-forward-mutant-enzyme-could-vastly-improve-recycling-plastic-bottles" target="_blank">Science Magazine</a>. The process results in low-grade plastic fibers only good enough for clothing and carpets, reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. These eventually end up in a landfill or incinerated, added <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/huge-step-forward-mutant-enzyme-could-vastly-improve-recycling-plastic-bottles" target="_blank">Science Magazine</a>.</p><p>"It's not really recycling at all," explained professor John McGeehan, the director of the Centre for Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, to Science Magazine.</p>
<p>McGeehan, who was not involved in the research, called the new enzyme "a huge step forward," reported Science Magazine. He also noted that <a href="https://carbios.fr/en/" target="_blank">Carbios</a>, the French sustainable plastics company behind the breakthrough, is the industry leader in engineering enzymes to break down PET at large scale, reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>For years, scientists at the forefront of the cultural war on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic waste</a> have searched for microbial enzymes that could break down PET and other plastics. Recently, a group of German scientists discovered a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/scientists-find-bacteria-that-eats-plastic-2645582039.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">bacterium that breaks down polyurethane plastic</a> and uses it for food to fuel the process, but cautioned it might be a decade before commercial scale could be reached. Similarly, in 2018, researchers led by McGeehan accidentally discovered an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-eating-enzyme-scientists-2560856195.html" target="_self">enzyme that digests PET</a>, but noted that it doesn't do so very quickly (a few days). Even the base enzyme used in Carbios' research, leaf-branch compost cutinase (LLC) has been studied since 2012, when it was discovered in a compost heap of leaves by researchers at Osaka University, reported <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/huge-step-forward-mutant-enzyme-could-vastly-improve-recycling-plastic-bottles" target="_blank">Science Magazine</a>.</p><p>The team at Carbios screened 100,000 micro-organisms for promising candidates, and eventually began introducing mutations to LLC. Native LLC falls apart after just a few days of working at 65°C, the temperature at which PET begins to soften but not yet melt, explained Science Magazine.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" id="twitter-embed-1248128693530173441" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1248128693530173441&created_ts=1586412044.0&screen_name=Carbios&text=Our+publication+in+%40nresearchnews+hails+the+breakthrough+innovation+developed+Carbios+and+%40TBI_Biotech.+Thanks+to+o%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FIaQj4onb1n&id=1248128693530173441&name=Carbios" frameborder="0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0be0656f40c1069ab482071f53e0ea98"></iframe><p>The researchers re-engineered LLC to work faster and at higher temperatures. Alain Marty, Carbios' chief scientific officer, teamed up with Isabelle Andre, an enzyme engineering expert at the University of Toulouse, to isolate an optimized enzyme that is 10,000 times more efficient at breaking down the chemical bonds in PET than native LLC, reported Science Magazine. It also functions at 72°C, close to the temperature at which PET melts, making the process even more efficient.</p><p>The mutant enzyme broke down 90% of 200 grams of PET in a small reactor in just 10 hours. Different colors didn't matter because the enzyme can ignore dyes and other plastics in the molten mix. The researchers were able to use the resultant chemical building blocks to produce new PET and food-grade plastic bottles that were just as strong as those made from virgin plastics, reported Science Magazine.</p><p>"It's a real breakthrough in the recycling and manufacturing of PET," said Dr. Saleh Jabarin, a member of Carbios' scientific committee in a <a href="https://carbios.fr/en/carbios-announces-the-publication-of-an-article-on-its-enzymatic-recycling-technology-in-the-prestigious-scientific-journal-nature/" target="_blank">company statement</a> about the discovery. "Thanks to the innovative technology developed by Carbios, the PET industry will become truly circular, which is the goal for all players in this industry, especially brand-owners, PET producers and our civilization as a whole."</p>
<p>Carbios reports that the enzyme costs just 4% of what virgin plastic made from oil costs, noted <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. The enzyme cannot be added to waste plastic until it is ground up and melted, however, so the recycled PET is still more expensive than virgin plastic. Still, McGeehan noted to <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/huge-step-forward-mutant-enzyme-could-vastly-improve-recycling-plastic-bottles" target="_blank">Science Magazine</a> that companies may be willing to pay a bit more for a recycled plastic that is as durable and attractive as the virgin material.</p><p>Carbios is partnering with major companies, <a href="https://carbios.fr/en/nestle-waters-pepsico-and-suntory-beverage-food-europe-join-consortium-founded-by-carbios-and-loreal-to-support-the-worlds-first-enzymatic-technology-for-the-recycling-of-plastic/" target="_blank">including Pepsi and L'Oréal</a>, to accelerate development and produce the new enzyme at scale, reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. It is aiming for industrial-scale recycling within five years. <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/huge-step-forward-mutant-enzyme-could-vastly-improve-recycling-plastic-bottles" target="_blank">Science Magazine</a> reported that a demonstration plant that can recycle hundreds of tons of PET per year should be online by next year.</p><p>"We are the first company to bring this technology on the market," said Martin Stephan, the deputy chief executive at Carbios, to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "Our goal is to be up and running by 2024, 2025, at large industrial scale."</p>
<p>McGeehan explained to The Guardian that the discovery could finally make true industrial-scale biological recycling of PET a possibility. The new enzyme is faster, more efficient and more heat-tolerant — qualities that make this such a large advancement for the field, he added.</p><p>McGeehan said, "It represents a significant step forward for true circular recycling of PET and has the potential to reduce our reliance on oil, cut carbon emissions and energy use, and incentivize the collection and recycling of waste plastic," reported The Guardian.</p>
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A woman drinks tea inside her home. martin-dm / Getty Images
Cabin fever is often associated with being cooped up on a rainy weekend or stuck inside during a winter blizzard.
In reality, though, it can actually occur anytime you feel isolated or disconnected from the outside world.
<p>Indeed, cabin fever is a series of emotions or symptoms people experience when they're confined to their homes for extended periods of time. This may be due to a variety of circumstances, such as a natural disaster, lack of transportation, or even social distancing for pandemics like <a href="https://www.healthline.com/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>.</p><p>Recognizing the symptoms of cabin fever and finding ways to cope may help make the isolation easier to deal with. Keep reading to learn more about how to do this.</p>
What is cabin fever?
<p>In popular expressions, cabin fever is used to explain feeling bored or listless because you've been stuck inside for a few hours or days. But that's not the reality of the symptoms.</p><p>Instead, cabin fever is a series of negative emotions and distressing sensations people may face if they're isolated or feeling cut off from the world.</p><p>These feelings of isolation and loneliness are more likely in times of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/yes-covid-19-cases-are-rising-why-you-still-need-to-practice-social-distancing" target="_blank">social distancing</a>, self-quarantining during a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-pandemic" target="_blank">pandemic</a>, or sheltering in place because of severe weather.</p><p>Indeed, cabin fever can lead to a series of symptoms that can be difficult to manage without proper coping techniques.</p><p>Cabin fever isn't a recognized psychological disorder, but that doesn't mean the feelings aren't real. The distress is very real. It can make fulfilling the requirements of everyday life difficult.</p>What are the symptoms?
<p>Symptoms of cabin fever go far beyond feeling bored or "stuck" at home. They're rooted in an intense feeling of isolation and may include:</p><ul><li>restlessness</li><li>decreased motivation</li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/irritability" target="_blank">irritability</a></li><li>hopelessness</li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/unable-to-concentrate" target="_blank">difficulty concentrating</a></li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/irregular-sleep-wake-syndrome" target="_blank">irregular sleep patterns</a>, including sleepiness or sleeplessness</li><li>difficulty waking up</li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/lethargy" target="_blank">lethargy</a></li><li>distrust of people around you</li><li>lack of patience</li><li>persistent <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/depression-vs-sadness" target="_blank">sadness or depression<br></a></li></ul><p>Your personality and natural temperament will go a long way toward determining how cabin fever affects you.</p><p>Some people can weather the feelings more easily; they may take on projects or dive into creative outlets to pass the time and ward off the symptoms.</p><p>But others may face great difficulty with managing day-to-day life until these feelings pass.</p>
What can help you cope with cabin fever?
<p>Because cabin fever isn't a recognized psychological condition, there's no standard "treatment." However, mental health professionals do recognize that the symptoms are very real.</p><p>The coping mechanism that works best for you will have a lot to do with your personal situation and the reason you're secluded in the first place.</p><p>Finding meaningful ways to engage your brain and occupy your time can help alleviate the distress and irritability that cabin fever brings.</p><p>The following ideas are a good place to start.</p><h3><u>Spend time outdoors</u></h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6656547/" target="_blank">Research</a> shows that time spent in nature is time well spent for mental health.<br></p><p>Not only does spending time outdoors boost your cognitive function, it may also help:</p><ul> <li>improve your mood</li><li>alleviate stress</li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/spending-two-hours-a-week-in-nature-can-help-your-health" target="_blank">boost feelings of well-being</a></li></ul><p><span></span>Depending on your reason for isolating, be sure to check all local regulations and avoid any spaces that are closed for safety or health reasons.</p><p><span></span>If getting outdoors isn't an option, you could try:</p><ul><li>opening up your windows to let the outdoor breeze in</li><li>adding a bird feeder outside your window to bring birds closer to your living space</li><li>ordering or buying fragrant, fresh-cut flowers and placing them where you can see and smell them throughout the day</li><li>growing herbs or small plants on a windowsill, patio, or balcony</li></ul><div></div>
<h3><u>Give yourself a routine</u></h3><p>You may not have a 9-to-5 job to report to while you're isolated, but a lack of routine can cause disruptions in eating, sleeping, and activity.</p><p>To keep a sense of structure, try to create a daily routine that consists of work or house projects, mealtimes, workout time, and even downtime.</p><p>Having an outline for your day helps you keep track of the trajectory of your hours and gives you mini "goals" to hit throughout the day.</p>
<h3><u>Maintain a social life</u></h3><p>So you can't go to the movies or meet your friends for dinner. But you can still "meet up" with them — just in a different way.</p><p>Use real-time video streaming services, like FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype, to chat with your friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Face-to-face chat time can keep you in contact with the "outside world" and make even your small home feel a whole lot bigger.</p><p>Connecting with others who are in a similar situation can also help you feel that you're not alone. Sharing your thoughts, emotions, and challenges with others can help you realize that what you're feeling is normal.</p><p>Connecting with others may even help you find creative solutions to an issue you're grappling with.</p>
<h3><u>Express your creative side</u></h3><p>Did you play a band instrument in high school? Were you once interested in painting? Do you have stacks of vacation photos you once promised yourself you'd put in a scrapbook? Is there a recipe you've always wanted to try but never had the time?</p><p>Use your time in isolation to reconnect with creative activities that you've had to put on hold because life got too busy. Spending time on creative activities keeps your brain busy.</p><p>Keeping your mind occupied and engaged may help ward off feelings of boredom or restlessness and make the time pass more quickly.</p>
<h3><u>Carve out some "me time"</u></h3><p>If you live with others, feelings of cabin fever may be intensified by the nearness of other individuals.</p><p>Parents have responsibilities to children; partners have responsibilities to one another. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have any time on your own.</p><p>Give yourself time "away" from others to relax. Find a quiet place to read a book, meditate, or pop in some earbuds for an engaging podcast.</p><p>If you're feeling stressed, you may even want to tune in to a podcast on <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health-podcast" target="_blank">mental health</a> or <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/podcasts-for-anxiety" target="_blank">anxiety</a>.</p>
<h3><u>Break a sweat</u></h3><p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743505002331" target="_blank">Research</a> has shown that people who exercise regularly are less prone to anxiety than people who don't exercise. That's because physical activity lowers your body's stress hormones, such as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cortisol-symptoms" target="_blank">cortisol</a>.</p><p>At the same time, exercise causes your brain to release <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/endorphins" target="_blank">endorphins</a>. These neurochemicals can boost your mood and overall feeling of well-being.</p><p>If you can't get outside, you can do a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/strength-training-at-home" target="_blank">strength training workout at home</a> using just your body weight or simple equipment, like dumbbells or resistance bands.</p><p>Or you can put together your own routine by focusing on a few basic but effective exercises, such as:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/muscles-worked-push-ups" target="_blank">pushups</a></li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/squats-benefits" target="_blank">squats</a></li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-do-a-burpee" target="_blank">burpees</a></li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/lunges-muscles-worked" target="_blank">lunges</a></li><li><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/14-plank-variations-your-core-will-thank-you-for-later#1" target="_blank">planks</a></li></ul><div>If you need a more structured program, there are plenty of online exercise options on YouTube and through various exercise apps.</div>
<h3><u>Chill out</u></h3><p>Not every minute of every day you spend at home has to be planned. Give yourself some time to rest. Look for constructive ways to relax.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/mindfulness-tricks-to-reduce-anxiety" target="_blank">Mindfulness</a>, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/diaphragmatic-breathing" target="_blank">deep breathing</a>, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-exercises" target="_blank">relaxation exercises</a> may help you maintain your emotional health and balance feelings of isolation or frustration.</p>
When to get help
<p>Cabin fever is often a fleeting feeling. You may feel irritable or frustrated for a few hours, but having a virtual chat with a friend or finding a task to distract your mind may help erase the frustrations you felt earlier.</p><p>Sometimes, however, the feelings may grow stronger, and no coping mechanisms may be able to successfully help you eliminate your feelings of isolation, sadness, or depression.</p><p>What's more, if your time indoors is prolonged by outside forces, like weather or extended shelter-in-place orders from your local government, feelings of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety" target="_blank">anxiety</a> and fear are valid.</p><p>In fact, anxiety may be at the root of some cabin fever symptoms. This may make symptoms worse.</p><p>If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse, consider reaching out to a mental health professional who can help you understand what you're experiencing. Together, you can identify ways to overcome the feelings and anxiety.</p><p>Of course, if you're in isolation or practicing social distancing, you'll need to look for alternative means for seeing a mental health expert.</p><p>Telehealth options may be available to connect you with your therapist if you already have one. If you don't, reach out to your doctor for recommendations about mental health specialists who can connect with you online.</p><p>If you don't want to talk to a therapist, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/top-iphone-android-apps" target="_blank">smartphone apps for depression</a> may provide a complementary option for addressing your cabin fever symptoms.</p>The bottom line
<p>Isolation isn't a natural state for many people. We are, for the most part, social animals. We enjoy each other's company. That's what can make staying at home for extended periods of time difficult.</p><p>However, whether you're sheltering at home to avoid dangerous weather conditions or heeding the guidelines to help minimize the spread of a disease, staying at home is often an important thing we must do for ourselves and our communities.</p><p>If and when it's necessary, finding ways to engage your brain and occupy your time may help bat back cabin fever and the feelings of isolation and restlessness that often accompany it.</p>
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Pope Francis delivers his homily on April 9, 2020 behind closed doors at St. Peter's basilica in the Vatican. ALESSANDRO DI MEO / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
Pope Francis spoke about the novel coronavirus, suggesting that the global pandemic might be one of nature's responses to the man-made climate crisis.
<p>In an interview published Wednesday in The Tablet and Commonwealth magazines, the leader of the Roman Catholic church said the world should take stock of what damage the rate of production and consumption has caused to the natural world, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/europe/pope-francis-coronavirus-nature-response-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>"There is an expression in Spanish: 'God always forgives, we forgive sometimes, but nature never forgives,'" the pope said in an interview published Wednesday in <a href="https://www.thetablet.co.uk/features/2/17845/pope-francis-says-pandemic-can-be-a-place-of-conversion-" target="_blank">The Tablet</a>, a United Kingdom-based Catholic weekly, as <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/04/08/pope-says-coronavirus-could-be-a-reaction-to-climate-change/" target="_blank">The New York Post</a> reported.</p>
<p>The pontiff's answers came in response to a question about whether the global pandemic might lead to ecological conversion, where people lead more environmentally conscious lives with the understanding that the natural world is part of God's creation, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/04/08/pope-says-coronavirus-could-be-a-reaction-to-climate-change/" target="_blank">The New York Post</a>.</p><p>"We did not respond to the partial catastrophes. Who now speaks of the fires in Australia, or remembers that 18 months ago a boat could cross the North Pole because the glaciers had all melted? Who speaks now of the floods?" the pope said, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/europe/pope-francis-coronavirus-nature-response-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. "I don't know if these are the revenge of nature, but they are certainly nature's responses."</p><p>"This is the time to take the decisive step, to move from using and misusing nature to contemplating it," he added, as <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/04/08/pope-says-coronavirus-could-be-a-reaction-to-climate-change/" target="_blank">The New York Post</a> reported.</p>
<p>The Vatican closed Saint Peter's Square and Basilica to the public in early March as the outbreak's effects became more pronounced throughout Italy, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/491734-pope-says-coronavirus-outbreak-may-be-one-of-natures-responses-to" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. The Vatican has reported seven confirmed cases of the virus in its ranks.</p><p>On Palm Sunday, the pope celebrated mass in an empty church.</p><p>The pope, 83, said in the interview that the "Curia is trying to carry on its work, and to live normally," using shifts to avoid crowding.</p><p>Pope Francis has been tested twice for coronavirus. As an elderly man, with a damaged lung from an infection in his 20s and recovering from bronchitis, he is particularly vulnerable to the most severe symptoms associated with COVID-19. Therefore, he is taking particular precaution, according to The Vatican press office. He eats his meals in private, keeps a distance from anyone who might be carrying the virus, and uses hand sanitizer before and after meeting any guests, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/europe/pope-francis-coronavirus-nature-response-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p>
<p>In the interview, Pope Francis addressed what he sees from world leaders. He denounced "the hypocrisy of certain political personalities who speak of facing up to the crisis, of the problem of hunger in the world, but who in the meantime manufacture weapons," as <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/491734-pope-says-coronavirus-outbreak-may-be-one-of-natures-responses-to" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported.</p><p>In particular, he highlighted the callous way the homeless were treated in Las Vegas.</p><p>"A photo appeared the other day of a parking lot in Las Vegas where they [the homeless] had been put in quarantine. And the hotels were empty. But the homeless cannot go to a hotel," the Pope said, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/europe/pope-francis-coronavirus-nature-response-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. "This is the moment to see the poor," he said, adding that society often treats those in need as "rescued animals."</p>
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