Quad Cities Waterkeeper Files Suit to Stop Concrete Dumping into Green River
Quad Cities Waterkeeper
The water quality advocacy group Quad Cities Waterkeeper filed a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit this week challenging the dumping of large quantities of concrete chunks and other construction waste into the Green River and the unpermitted dredging of sand from the river.
The Green River provides valuable habitat for a diversity of fish, wildlife and migratory birds and is an important tributary to the Rock River. Prairie Rivers Network has also filed a notice of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act.
The lawsuit names concrete hauler Ballegeer Trucking, its owner Dave Ballegeer and Francis Ballegeer as defendants in the case and alleges hundreds of days of violations of the Clean Water Act, each of which is punishable by a fine of up to $37,500 per day.
“They took a beautiful river and buried it in concrete,” says Waterkeeper Art Norris, who leads Quad Cities Riverkeeper’s efforts in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. “It’s a sad day when we cannot count on the Army Corps or Illinois EPA to protect the public’s rivers from the type of damage we see in this case, but if they won’t enforce our river protection laws then we will.”
Attorney Kim Knowles with Prairie Rivers agrees. “If it was legal to dump concrete into our rivers then no river in Illinois would be safe. The concrete dumping in this case not only harms fish and wildlife, but is a real public safety threat since it has metal rebar sticking out of the concrete that puts anyone who uses the river at risk.”
Kevin Cassidy, lead attorney in the case who works for the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center, says the case involves issues that have national significance. “We are involved in the case because it is important not just for the Green River, but for every river in the United States. There are very few things someone can do to a river that have a bigger impact than covering it in concrete. This is exactly the type of pollution Congress said was illegal 40 years ago when it passed the Clean Water Act.”
Longtime Clean Water Act attorney Albert Ettinger of Illinois is the local counsel on the case.
Visit EcoWatch’s WATER and CLEAN WATER ACT pages for more related news on this topic.
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Pangolin hunting for ants. 2630ben / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Christopher O'Bryan, Duan Biggs, and Raymond Jansen
Pangolins are one of the most illegally trafficked animals on the planet and are suspected to be linked to the current coronavirus pandemic.
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Pangolins are also one of the world's most <a href="https://www.pangolins.org/tag/endangered-species/" target="_blank">threatened species</a> but new efforts are underway to reintroduce pangolins to parts of Africa where the animal has been extinct for decades.
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The reintroduction of pangolins has not been easy. But it's vital to prevent this shy, mysterious creature from being lost forever.
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<em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/back-from-extinction-a-world-first-effort-to-return-threatened-pangolins-to-the-wild-138621" target="_blank">The Conversation</a></em><em>.</em>
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A Cute But Threatened Species
<p><a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-a-pangolin" target="_blank">Pangolins</a> are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales, which they use to protect themselves from predators. They can also curl up into a tight ball.</p><p>They eat mainly ants, termites and larvae which they pick up with their sticky tongue. They can grow up to 1m in length from nose to tail and are sometimes referred to as scaly anteaters.</p><p>But <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128155073000332" title="Chapter 33 - Conservation strategies and priority actions for pangolins" target="_blank">all eight</a> pangolin species are classified as "<a href="https://www.pangolins.org/tag/endangered-species/" target="_blank">threatened</a>" under International Union for Conservation of Nature <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=pangolin&searchType=species" target="_blank">criteria</a>.</p><p>There is an unprecedented demand for their scales, primarily from countries in Asia and <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12389" title="Assessing Africa‐Wide Pangolin Exploitation by Scaling Local Data" target="_blank">Africa</a> where they are used in food, cultural remedies and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/141072b0" title="Chinese Medicine and the Pangolin" target="_blank">medicine</a>.</p><p>Between 2017 and 2019, seizures of pangolin scales <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/02/pangolin-scale-trade-shipments-growing/" target="_blank">tripled in volume</a>. In 2019 alone, 97 tons of pangolin scales, equivalent to about 150,000 animals, were <a href="https://oxpeckers.org/2020/03/nigeria-steps-up-for-pangolins/" target="_blank">reportedly</a> intercepted leaving Africa.</p><p>There is further evidence of the illegal trade in pangolin species openly on <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/coronavirus-pangolins-outbreak-endangered-species-wildlife-trafficking-a9504776.html" target="_blank">social media platforms</a> such as Facebook.</p><p>The intense global trafficking of the species means the entire order (<em>Pholidota</em>) is threatened with <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12389" title="Assessing Africa‐Wide Pangolin Exploitation by Scaling Local Data" target="_blank">extinction</a>. For example, the Temminck's pangolins (<em>Smutsia temminckii</em>) went extinct in South Africa's KwaZulu Natal Province three decades ago.</p>
Reintroduction of an Extinct Species
<p>Each year in South Africa the African Pangolin Working Group (<a href="https://africanpangolin.org/" target="_blank">APWG</a>) retrieves between 20 and 40 pangolins through intelligence operations with security forces.</p><p>These pangolins are often-traumatised and injured and are admitted to the <a href="http://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/our-hospital" target="_blank">Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital</a> for extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation before they can be considered for release.</p><p>In 2019, seven rescued Temminck's pangolins were reintroduced into South Africa's <a href="https://www.andbeyond.com/destinations/africa/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/phinda-private-game-reserve/" target="_blank">Phinda Private Game Reserve</a> in the KwaZulu Natal Province.</p><p>Nine months on, five have survived. This reintroduction is a world first for a region that last saw a viable population of this species in the 1980s.</p><p>During the release, every individual pangolin followed a strict regime. They needed to become familiar with their new surroundings and be able to forage efficiently.</p><p>Previous releases, including early on in South Africa and in other countries such as the <a href="https://pcsd.gov.ph/igov/2020/01/30/twenty-philippine-pangolins-released-back-into-the-wild/" target="_blank">Philippines</a>, the <a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/13877/Its-UN-World-Wildlife-Day-Today-March-3-Rare-Giant-Pangolin-Seized-from-Poachers-Rescued-and-Released-by-WCS-and-Partners-in-Congo.aspx" target="_blank">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a> and <a href="https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/rescued-pangolin-released-back-into-the-wild/" target="_blank">Thailand</a> had minimal post-release monitoring.</p><p>Pangolins released immediately following medical treatment had a low level of survival for various reasons, including inability to adapt to their release sites.</p>
A ‘Soft Release’ in to the Wild
<p>The process on Phinda game reserve involved a more gentle ease into re-wilding a population in a region that had not seen pangolins for many decades.</p><p>The soft release had two phases:</p><ol><li>a pre-release observational period</li><li>an intensive monitoring period post release employing GPS satellite as well as VHF tracking tags.</li></ol><p>The pre-release period lasted between two to three weeks and were characterised by daily walks (three to five hours) of individuals on the reserves. These walks were critical for acclimatising individuals to the local habitat, its sounds, smells and possible threats. It also helped them source suitable and sufficient ant and termite species for food.</p><p>Following that, the post release period of two to three months involved locating released pangolins daily at first, and then twice per week where they were weighed, a rapid health assessment was made and habitat features such as burrows and refuges monitored.</p><p>Phinda reserve manager Simon Naylor said:</p><blockquote>A key component of the post release period was whether individuals gained or maintained their weight.<br>The way the animals move after release also reveals important clues to whether they will stay in an area; if they feed, roll in dung, enter burrows. Much of this behaviour indicates site fidelity and habitat acceptance.<br></blockquote>
<p>Following nine months of monitoring and tracking, five of the seven survived in the region. One died of illness while the other was killed by a Nile crocodile.</p>
Why Pangolin Reintroduction is Important
<p>We know so little about this group of mammals that are vastly understudied and hold many secrets yet to be discovered by science but are on the verge of collapse.</p><p>The South African and Phinda story is one of hope for the Temminck's pangolin where they once again roam the savanna hills and plains of Zululand.</p><p>The process of relocating these trade animals back into the wild has taken many turns, failures and tribulations but, the recipe of the "soft release" is working.</p>From Your Site Articles
- 10 Facts About Pangolins on World Pangolin Day - EcoWatch ›
- Meet the 'Pangolin Men' Saving the World's Most Trafficked Mammal ... ›
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Humpback whale splashing in the North West Atlantic Ocean, Massachusetts. Tim Graham / Getty Images
By Jake Johnson
In a move that environmentalists warned could further imperil hundreds of endangered species and a protected habitat for the sake of profit, President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation rolling back an Obama-era order and opening nearly 5,000 square miles off the coast of New England to commercial fishing.
<p>"We're opening it today," Trump said during a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-roundtable-supporting-americas-commercial-fishermen/" target="_blank">roundtable talk</a> in Maine with commercial fishermen and the state's former governor Paul LePage. "What reason did he have for closing 5,000 miles? That's a lot of miles. Five thousand square miles is a lot. He didn't have a reason, in my opinion."</p>
<p>The reason behind the establishment of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in 2016, conservation groups hastened to point out, was to shield endangered species and their ecosystem from harmful intrusion and permanent damage by commercial interests.</p><p>Fishing industry interests challenged former President Barack Obama's designation of the marine monument but were <a href="https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2019/12/27/northeast-canyons-seamounts-monument-fishery" target="_blank">rebuffed</a> in federal court last year.</p>
<p>"Opening up the nation's only marine national monument in the Atlantic will help no one but a handful of fishers while risking irreparable damage to the marine wildlife that have no other fully protected areas off our eastern seaboard," <a href="https://defenders.org/newsroom/president-trump-opens-only-marine-national-monument-atlantic-commercial-fishing" target="_blank">said</a> Bob Dreher, senior vice president of Conservation Programs at Defenders of Wildlife. "Ancient and slow-growing deep sea corals, endangered large whales and sea turtles, and an incredible array of fish, seabirds, sharks, dolphins, and other wildlife—these are the species and habitats that will pay the price."</p><p>During the roundtable discussion Friday, Trump said "I love that" when Interior Secretary David Bernhardt—a former <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/02/oil-mining-lobbyist-david-bernhardt-nomed-to-be-secretary-of-interior/" target="_blank">oil and mining lobbyist</a>—informed the president that his proclamation is effectively "taking down a 'no fishing' sign" in the Atlantic Ocean.</p><p>"The minute you sign it, we will begin planning," Bernhardt said.</p>
<p>Trump's order Friday is just the latest move the president has taken to gut environmental protections under the cover of the Covid-19 pandemic and a nationwide uprising over police brutality. On Thursday, as <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/04/groups-denounce-gutting-environmental-rules-when-trump-thinks-no-one-paying" target="_blank">reported</a>, Trump signed an executive order allowing federal agencies to waive environmental rules to speed approval of energy projects like oil pipelines.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1269079062447828992" id="twitter-embed-1269079062447828992" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1269079062447828992&created_ts=1591407001.0&screen_name=foe_us&text=Trump+just+opened+up+a+marine+sanctuary+to+commercial+fishing%2C+undermining+protections+for+endangered+whales%2C+sea+t%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FH3gTJU3oEQ&id=1269079062447828992&name=Friends+of+the+Earth" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="1431750a6a1c5950b96b7a78a46362f1"></iframe>
<p>Brad Sewell, senior director of oceans for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said in a statement that commercial fishing "poses a range of threats, such as harm to deep-sea corals from heavy fishing gear, and entanglement of bycatch and marine mammals."</p><p>Sewell said NRDC is prepared to take legal action against the Trump administration to "protect these marine treasures from harm and exploitation by commercial fishing and other extractive industries." </p><p>"These fragile, extraordinary ocean areas are full of thousand-year-old corals, endangered whales, and other precious marine life," said Sewell. "They belong to all Americans, and they are held in trust for future generations."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/06/quietly-putting-hundreds-species-risk-trump-opens-5000-square-miles-atlantic-ocean" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><em></em></p>
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Pixabay
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a healthy way to incorporate vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants into your diet.
<p>Before eating fresh fruits and vegetables, it has long been a recommendation to rinse them well with water to remove any unwanted residues from their surfaces.</p><p>However, given the COVID-19 pandemic, many headlines have been circulating that encourage more abrasive ways to wash fresh produce before eating it, making some people wonder whether water is enough.</p><p>This article reviews the best practices for washing various fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them, as well as methods that are not recommended.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/washing-vegetables" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
Why You Should Wash Fresh Produce
<p>Global pandemic or not, properly washing fresh fruits and vegetables is a good habit to practice to minimize the ingestion of potentially harmful residues and germs.</p><p>Fresh produce is handled by numerous people before you purchase it from the grocery store or the farmers market. It's best to assume that not every hand that has touched fresh produce has been clean.</p><p>With all of the people constantly bustling through these environments, it's also safe to assume that much of the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-and-vegetables" target="_blank">fresh produce</a> you purchase has been coughed on, sneezed on, and breathed on as well.</p><p>Adequately washing fresh fruits and vegetables before you eat them can significantly reduce residues that may be left on them during their journey to your kitchen.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Washing fresh fruits and vegetables is a proven way to remove germs and unwanted residues from their surfaces before eating them.</p>Best Produce Cleaning Methods
<p>While rinsing fresh produce with water has long been the traditional method of preparing fruits and veggies before consumption, the current pandemic has many people wondering whether that's enough to really clean them.</p><p>Some people have advocated the use of soap, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-vinegar" target="_blank">vinegar</a>, lemon juice, or even commercial cleaners like bleach as an added measure.</p><p>However, health and food safety experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), strongly urge consumers not to take this advice and stick with plain water.</p><p>Using such substances may pose further health dangers, and they're unnecessary to remove the most harmful residues from produce. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/chlorine-poisoning" target="_blank">Ingesting commercial cleaning chemicals</a> like bleach can be lethal and should never be used to clean food.</p><p>Furthermore, substances like lemon juice, vinegar, and produce washes have not been shown to be any more effective at cleaning produce than plain water — and may even leave additional deposits on food.</p><p>While some research has suggested that using neutral electrolyzed water or a baking soda bath can be even more effective at removing certain substances, the consensus continues to be that cool tap water is sufficient in most cases.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The best way to wash fresh produce before eating it is with cool water. Using other substances is largely unnecessary. Plus they're often not as effective as water and gentle friction. Commercial cleaners should never be used on food.</p>How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables With Water
<p>Washing fresh fruits and vegetables in cool water before eating them is a good practice when it comes to health hygiene and food safety.</p><p>Note that fresh produce should not be washed until right before you're ready to eat it. Washing fruits and vegetables before storing them may create an environment in which bacterial growth is more likely.</p><p>Before you begin washing fresh produce, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-should-you-wash-your-hands" target="_blank">wash your hands well</a> with soap and water. Be sure that any utensils, sinks, and surfaces you're using to prepare your produce are also thoroughly cleaned first.</p><p>Begin by cutting away any bruised or visibly rotten areas of fresh produce. If you're handling a fruit or vegetable that'll be peeled, such as an orange, wash it before peeling it to prevent any surface bacteria from entering the flesh.</p><p>The general methods to wash produce are as follows:</p><ul><li><strong>Firm produce.</strong> Fruits with firmer skins like apples, lemons, and pears, as well as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/root-vegetables" target="_blank">root vegetables</a> like potatoes, carrots, and turnips, can benefit from being brushed with a clean, soft bristle to better remove residues from their pores.</li><li><strong>Leafy greens.</strong> Spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, leeks, and cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts and bok choy should have their outermost layer removed, then be submerged in a bowl of cool water, swished, drained, and rinsed with fresh water.</li><li><strong>Delicate produce.</strong> Berries, mushrooms, and other types of produce that are more likely to fall apart can be cleaned with a steady stream of water and gentle friction using your fingers to remove grit.</li></ul><p>Once you have thoroughly rinsed your produce, dry it using a clean paper or cloth towel. More fragile produce can be laid out on the towel and gently patted or rolled around to dry them without damaging them.</p><p>Before consuming your fruits and veggies, follow the simple steps above to minimize the amount of germs and substances that may be on them.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Most fresh fruits and veggies can gently be scrubbed under cold running water (using a clean soft brush for those with firmer skins) and then dried. It can help to soak, drain, and rinse produce that has more dirt-trapping layers.</p>The Bottom Line
<p>Practicing good food hygiene is an important health habit. Washing fresh produce helps minimize surface germs and residues that could make you sick.</p><p>Recent fears during the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19 pandemic</a> have caused many people to wonder whether more aggressive washing methods, such as using soap or commercial cleaners on fresh produce, are better.</p><p>Health professionals agree that this isn't recommended or necessary — and could even be dangerous. Most fruits and vegetables can be sufficiently cleaned with cool water and light friction right before eating them.</p><p>Produce that has more layers and surface area can be more thoroughly washed by swishing it in a bowl of cool water to remove dirt particles.</p><p>Fresh fruits and vegetables offer a number of healthy nutrients and should continue to be eaten, as long as safe cleaning methods are practiced.</p>From Your Site Articles
- 30 Awesome Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar Everyday - EcoWatch ›
- Here's How to Clean Your Groceries During the COVID-19 Outbreak ... ›
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19 Individuals and Organizations Building Stronger Black Communities and Food Systems
12h
Insights + Opinion
These 19 organizations and individuals represent a small portion of the efforts underway to fight racism and inequality and to build stronger Black communities and food systems. rez-art / Getty Images
By Danielle Nierenberg
Following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, people around the United States are protesting racism, police brutality, inequality, and violence in their own communities. No matter your political affiliation, the violence by multiple police departments in this country is unacceptable.
<p>We must remember and honor the memory of people including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and David McAtee, the owner of a barbecue restaurant in Louisville who was killed by police during protests. These murders are a travesty and something that should not happen in the United States of America—or any nation.</p><p>It's time for people of all backgrounds to not only denounce violence, but to actively use their voices, dollars, and power to demand change. I'm in awe of the many people who have been working for years to restore democracy, empathy, and equality to this country. </p><p>These 19 organizations and individuals represent a small portion of the efforts underway to fight racism and inequality and to build stronger Black communities and food systems, and I hope you'll join me in supporting them.</p>
<p><strong>1. </strong><a href="http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Anti Police-Terror Project</strong></a></p><p>The Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-generational coalition of people working to end police terror in communities. Based in Oakland and Sacramento, California, APTP is building a sustainable model for justice that can be replicated around the country. They also document police abuses and help impacted families access legal and healing resources.</p><p><strong>2. </strong><a href="https://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Church Food Security Network</strong></a></p><p>Based in Baltimore but operating nationally, the Black Church Food Security Network aims to support gardening and farming within Black churches. They establish agricultural projects on church land, connect farmers to congregational markets, and create asset maps of Black churches and surrounding neighborhoods to help better use resources. They also operate <a href="https://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/black-farmer-network" target="_blank">a small directory and interactive map</a> of faith-based Black farmers across the East Coast, Midwest, and southeastern U.S.</p><p><strong>3. </strong><a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Lives Matter</strong></a></p><p>Black Lives Matter, a movement created in response to murders of innocent Black people by police and vigilantes, works to build power to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe. Black Lives Matter is a broad coalition and affirms the lives of Black people across the gender spectrum, of all abilities, and of any documentation status.</p>
<p><strong>4. </strong><a href="https://www.blackurbangrowers.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Urban Growers Association</strong></a></p><p>Black Urban Growers maintains a network and community support in order to foster Black leadership in food and farm advocacy. Their programs include the Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference, a national conference started in 2010 that brings together Black farmers, advocates, chefs, and communities to share their best practices and leadership efforts.</p><p><strong>5. </strong><a href="http://www.detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Detroit Black Community Food Security Network</strong></a></p><p>The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network is working on the ground in Detroit, Michigan, to ensure that the local urban agriculture movement is racially and socially inclusive. It was founded in 2006 to mobilize the Black community to address food insecurity challenges, and the network believes that the most effective movements grow organically within the communities they are designed to benefit. They operate organic urban farm sites, various local food policy initiatives, and a cooperative food-buying program for community residents.</p><p><strong>6. </strong><a href="http://dreamingoutloud.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Dreaming Out Loud</strong></a></p><p>Washington D.C. nonprofit Dreaming Out Loud works to create healthier, more equitable food systems in low-income communities. Dreaming Out Loud supports economic opportunity-building with their two-acre farm, several community gardens and farmers markets, and a food business accelerator. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they partnered with Little Sesame restaurant to provide free meals for people of all ages every weekday afternoon.</p>
<p><strong>7. </strong><a href="https://fairfight.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Fair Fight</strong></a></p><p>One of the most impactful ways to participate in democracy is by voting, but many people, particularly in minority communities, face structural barriers against having their voices be heard. Fair Fight was founded by Stacey Abrams, who lost a close race for Georgia governor in 2018 amid allegations that her opponent, then-state Secretary of State Brian Kemp, had engaged in voter suppression. The organization aims to end voter suppression, make sure everyone can access their constitutional right to vote, and fight for fairer elections. You can <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fairfight-2020-dtd" target="_blank">donate online here</a>.</p><p><strong>8. Jamila Norman of </strong><a href="https://www.patchworkcityfarms.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Patchwork City Farms</strong></a></p><p>Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jamila Norman is a world-renowned urban farmer and food activist. In 2010, Norman founded Patchwork City Farms, a certified naturally grown organic urban farm where Norman farms—and provides the local community with safe and nutritious foods. Norman is also co-founder of EAT Where You Are, an initiative that aims to spread awareness of the importance of including fresh foods in diets, and is the manager and one of the founding members of the South West Atlanta Growers Cooperative, which helps Black farmers create equitable, sustainable, responsible food systems.</p><p><strong>9. Karen Washington, founder of </strong><a href="http://www.riseandrootfarm.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Rise and Root Farm</strong></a></p><p>Karen Washington, a farmer and community activist, wants to build a different agricultural narrative, inclusive of all races, genders, and sexualities. She created Rise and Root Farm to be a place of healing for diverse and marginalized communities—particularly important today, as black farmers work to call attention to not only their own contributions to the modern food system but also the impact of the slave trade on the development of global food chains. "Agriculture must be inclusive in its diversity," Washington tells Food Tank.</p>
<p><strong>10. </strong><a href="https://viacampesina.org/en/" target="_blank"><strong>La Via Campesina</strong></a></p><p>La Via Campesina is an international coalition of organizations that defend food sovereignty as a way to promote social justice and worker dignity. They built a movement that amplifies the voices of smallholder peasant farmers and aims to decentralize the power of corporate-driven agriculture, which they argue is destructive to the environment and social relations.</p><p><strong>11. Leah Penniman, founder of </strong><a href="http://www.soulfirefarm.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Soul Fire Farm</strong></a></p><p>Soul Fire Farm grows food as an act of solidarity with those oppressed by food apartheid while maintaining respect for their ancestors, history, and the environment. Soul Fire Farm conducts training programs to raise the next generation of activist-farmers and support food sovereignty for future communities. The organization's Co-Director Leah Penniman recently completed a book, "Farming While Black," a guide for African-heritage growers to reclaim their dignity.</p><p><strong>12. </strong><a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" target="_blank"><strong>National Bail Fund Network</strong></a></p><p>The <a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" target="_blank">National Bail Fund Network</a> is a directory of bail funds in over 30 states, which free unfairly detained people from jail and fight to end the cash bail system. Donations to local and national bail funds support jailed protesters who are not only at risk for being prosecuted unfairly, but who are also at risk for contracting COVID-19 while detained.</p>
<p><strong>13. </strong><a href="http://www.blackfoodjustice.org/" target="_blank"><strong>National Black Food and Justice Alliance</strong></a></p><p>A coalition of Black-led organizations, the National Black Food and Justice Alliance builds Black self-determination around food and land sovereignty. They accomplish this through community organizing and increasing visibility of Black narratives, visions, and achievements. In 2018, co-founder Dara Cooper was honored with a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award "for dedicating her life to racial equity and justice in the food system and increasing capacity and visibility of Black-led narratives and work."</p><p><strong>14. </strong><a href="https://plantingjustice.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Planting Justice</strong></a></p><p>In Oakland, California, Planting Justice builds economic justice and food sovereignty among communities impacted by mass incarceration. Planting Justice teaches gardening skills to people while in prison and offers them paid positions after release. Planting Justice has planted over 500 gardens in the Bay Area, <a href="https://oaklandnorth.net/2019/09/20/planting-justice-celebrates-10-years-of-cultivating-gardening-skills-for-incarcerated-people/" target="_blank">offered</a> reentry employment opportunities to over 40 people, and helped people <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2019/04/30/indigenous-women-reclaim-stolen-land-california-bay-area/" target="_blank">reconnect</a> with the land.</p><p><strong>15. </strong><a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about" target="_blank"><strong>Reclaim the Block</strong></a></p><p>A Minneapolis-based organization, <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about" target="_blank">Reclaim the Block</a> works to reallocate city money away from police and instead toward community-led health and safety initiatives. They have assembled an extensive digital toolkit to help communities in all cities and states advocate for divestiture from police. You can support them via <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2" target="_blank">donations</a> or by <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#petition" target="_blank">signing their petition</a> encouraging the Minneapolis City Council to redirect police department funding toward resources for Black and Indigenous communities.</p>
<p><strong>16. </strong><a href="https://soilgeneration.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Soil Generation</strong></a></p><p>Based in Philadelphia, Soil Generation is a Black- and Brown-led coalition with a vision for "a people's agroecology"—a combination of environmental and food justice with a focus on community self-representation, anti-racism training, education, and advocacy. Soil Generation has successfully worked with the city council to <a href="https://www.pubintlaw.org/current-cases-projects-public-health/soil-generation/" target="_blank">amend</a> a bill that would have put urban gardens at risk and continues to actively <a href="https://www.phillytrib.com/lifestyle/philly-s-farm-chief-kicks-off-plan-to-save-endangered/article_fb129084-810a-538d-a9bf-8ce3b0642a7c.html" target="_blank">campaign</a> for rights to vacant lots.</p><p><strong>17. <a href="https://civileats.com/author/tfields/" target="_blank">Tanya Fields </a>of the Black Feminist Project</strong></p><p>As founder and executive director of The Black Feminist Project, <a href="https://civileats.com/author/tfields/" target="_blank">Tanya Fields</a> is a food justice activist and educator. Fields started the <a href="https://theblkprojek.wordpress.com/programs/urban-farming-the-libertad-urban-farm-project/" target="_blank">Libertad Urban Farm</a>, an organic urban garden in the Bronx, as an effort to address the lack of nutritious food and food education accessible to low-income people, specifically underserved women of color. Additionally, Fields works closely with The Hunts Point Farm Share, connecting city residents to high-quality local produce through community-supported agriculture.</p><p><strong>18. </strong><a href="https://tonitiptonmartin.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Toni Tipton-Martin</strong></a></p><p>Toni Tipton-Martin, based in Baltimore, Maryland, works on a series of endeavors to promote food justice. She has written two James Beard Award-winning books that trace Black cuisine, <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/talking-toni-tipton-martin/" target="_blank">Jubilee</a> and <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/talking-toni-tipton-martin/" target="_blank">The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbook</a>. Martin served as the president of Southern Foodways Alliance board of directors and was the first Black food editor at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Additionally, Martin founded the SANDE Youth Project, a nonprofit organization that works with children to combat obesity while supporting Black food culture.</p><p><strong>19. </strong><a href="https://urbangrowerscollective.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Urban Growers Collective</strong></a></p><p>The Urban Growers Collective operates eight urban farms on 11 acres of land in Chicago's South Side and works with more than 33 partner organizations to create economic opportunity and boost healthy food access. Each farm uses organic methods and integrates education, leadership training, and food production. The organization was co-founded by Laurell Sims and <a href="https://urbangrowerscollective.org/team/erikaallen/" target="_blank">Erika Allen</a>, a visual artist and food advocate who works to use creativity for social change.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/06/19-individuals-and-organizations-building-stronger-black-communities-and-food-systems/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>.</em></p>Related Articles Around the Web
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Residents plant mangroves on the coast of West Aceh District in Indonesia on Feb. 21, 2020. Mangroves play a crucial role in stabilizing the coastline, providing protection from storms, waves and tidal erosion. Dekyon Eon / Opn Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Mangroves play a vital role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere. Mangrove forests are tremendous assets in the fight to stem the climate crisis. They store more carbon than a rainforest of the same size.
<p>However, they are under threat from <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise" target="_self">sea level rise</a>. A <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aba2656" target="_blank">new study</a> found that if emissions continue unabated, mangroves will not be able to keep up and could disappear in 30 years, as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280580/sea-level-rise-mangroves-climate-change-2050" target="_blank">The Verge</a> reported.</p><p>The new study published in the journal <em><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aba2656" target="_blank">Science</a></em> found that mangroves will start to die out if sea levels rise just six millimeters per year. However, mangroves are more likely to survive when sea level rise is less than 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) per year, which is projected for low-emissions scenarios this century, according to a Rutgers University <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200604152109.htm" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
<p>"Under high-emissions scenarios, rates of sea-level rise on many tropical coastlines will exceed 7 millimeters per year, the rate at which we concluded there's a 6.2 percent probability mangroves can sustain growth," said co-author Erica Ashe, a post-doctoral scientist in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University, in the <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200604152109.htm" target="_blank">statement</a>. "The loss of these mangrove ecosystems could result in increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and fewer vital buffers against storm surges in the long run."</p><p>Around the world, there are 80 different species of mangrove trees. All of them grow in warm, shallow, coastal waters around the tropics. They spread their roots in sediment that is under the water, while their upper trunks, branches and leaves are above the water. The forests usually flood twice a day during high tide, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>.</p><p>They play a crucial role in stabilizing the coastline, providing protection from storms, waves, and tidal erosion. Their root systems provide a habitat for fish and other animals, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>. Mangrove forests work their magic by pulling freshwater from salty seawater to serve as a nursery for fish, crustaceans and shellfish. But if their roots are completely submerged for too long, the mangroves will drown.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280580/sea-level-rise-mangroves-climate-change-2050" target="_blank">The Verge</a> noted, mangrove forests are a boon to people and the planet, which is why scientists in Florida have sought to use mangroves as a defense for coastal communities from the ravages of the climate crisis. However, for mangroves to help us, we will first need to help them.</p><p>"We have an opportunity here to take action and to keep the rates of sea level rise below these critical thresholds, which is part of the reason that this is an important study," says Ashe, as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280580/sea-level-rise-mangroves-climate-change-2050" target="_blank">The Verge</a> reported.</p><p>To figure out just how much sea level rise was too much for the mangroves, Ashe and her colleagues, led by Neil Saintilan from Macquarie University in Australia, examined sediment core samples from 78 locations around the world. Those samples shed light on how mangroves responded to past changes in the rate of sea level rise, which went from more than 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) per year nearly 10,000 years ago to almost stable around 4,000 years later, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported. They discovered that mangrove ecosystems only developed when rates of sea level rise dropped below about 7 millimeters a year.</p>
<p>"There was good news and bad news. The good news was that mangroves were clearly capable of surviving much higher rates of sea-level rise than we have around the world at present," Saintilan told <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>. "There were many examples where mangroves were able to keep pace with sea-level rise of 5 millimeters per year; the current rate is just over 3 millimeters per year."</p><p>"However, there was little evidence that mangroves could keep pace with sea-level rise of over 7 millimeters per year, and this threshold was lower for mangroves on coral reef settings, which failed to keep pace with sea-level rise above 5 millimeters per year. If the rate of sea-level rise doubles, mangroves are in serious trouble," he added.</p>
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UN World Oceans Day is usually an invite-only affair at the UN headquarters in New York, but this year anyone can join in by following the live stream on the UNWOD website from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. https://unworldoceansday.org/
Monday is World Oceans Day, but how can you celebrate our blue planet while social distancing?
<p>Luckily, the UN has you covered with a fascinating lineup of talks focusing on the theme of "innovation for a sustainable ocean." UN World Oceans Day (UNWOD) is usually an invite-only affair at the UN headquarters in New York, but this year anyone can join in by following the live stream on the <a href="https://unworldoceansday.org/page/home" target="_blank">UNWOD website</a> from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.</p>
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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA5UJGIANyD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">When the world feels like it’s at a standstill, it’s important to remember what keeps it spinning. Our ocean is our life source, supporting us & every other organism on earth. Celebrate @UNWorldOceansDay on June 8th with @UnitedNations and @Oceanic.Global to learn what thought leaders around the world are doing to protect the ocean and how you can be part of the solution. Featured ocean voices include @caradelevingne, @fatoumata_diawara__, @ashadevos, @c.syresmith, @fcousteau, @jackharries, @dr.sylviaearle, @thegreatbubblebarrier, @codysimpson, @oceanx, @alessandraambrosio, @lillys_plastic_pickup and more. This all-digital event is free and open to all online. See the full line-up and RSVP: UNWorldOceansDay.org/2020</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unworldoceansday/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> World Oceans Day</a> (@unworldoceansday) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-06-01T14:22:02+00:00">Jun 1, 2020 at 7:22am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>The event is a partnership with solutions-focused non-profit <a href="https://oceanic.global/" target="_blank">Oceanic Global</a>.</p><p>"It's an honor to partner with the United Nations on World Oceans Day 2020," the group's founder and executive director Lea d'Auriol said in a statement. "As an organization, Oceanic Global focuses on industry and individual solutions that engage new audiences in ocean conservation. This year's World Oceans Day theme, 'Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean' ties perfectly into our mission as we are always seeking new paths forward to further support ocean health as well as amplify the voices within the ocean community."</p>
<p>Here is a selection of some of the voices you will get a chance to hear by tuning in:</p><p>1. Cara Delevingne: Delevingne is an actress and musician who also launched <a href="https://ecoresolution.earth/" target="_blank">EcoResolution</a> to encourage people to take action on the climate crisis. She will deliver the opening remarks, focusing on how we are connected to the ocean and the importance of protecting it.</p><p>When: 10 a.m.</p><p>2. Francis Zoet: Zoet developed the <a href="http://thegreatbubblebarrier.com/en/" target="_blank">Great Bubble Barrier</a> to stop some of the eight billion kilos of plastic that enter the oceans every year. Zoet's barrier stops <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-pollution" target="_self">plastic</a> from entering the ocean from rivers or canals while allowing fish and ships to pass through. She will explain the barrier and how it could be scaled up on a panel with other innovators called "Spotlight Solutions" for the Ocean.</p><p>When: 11 a.m.</p><p>3. Jean-Michel, Céline and Fabien Cousteau: <span>The family of explorers and conservationists will speak on how their family has used technology to increase our understanding of the ocean over time and therefore of what needs protecting and how.</span></p><p>When: 12 p.m.</p><p>4. Lilly Platt: Platt has cleaned up more than 100 thousand pieces of plastic since launching <a href="https://m.facebook.com/lillysplasticpickup/" target="_blank">Lilly's Plastic Pickup</a> in 2015, when she was just seven years old. She will speak on her experience of youth environmental activism along with other young ocean advocates on a panel called Youth Driving Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.</p><p>When: 3 p.m.</p><p>5. A Concert for the Ocean: The day will wrap up with live performances from musicians around the world, including Fatoumata Diawara, Vieux Farka Touré and Alice Phoebe Lou.</p><p>When: 4 p.m.</p>
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Cryptococcus yeasts (pictured), including ones that are hybrids, can cause life-threatening infections in primarily immunocompromised people. KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images
By Jacob L. Steenwyk and Antonis Rokas
From the mythical minotaur to the mule, creatures created from merging two or more distinct organisms – hybrids – have played defining roles in human history and culture. However, not all hybrids are as fantastic as the minotaur or as dependable as the mule; in fact, some of them cause human diseases.
<p>We are evolutionary biologists who are trying to understand <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008315" target="_blank">why certain fungi infect</a> hundreds of thousands of patients each year while others are harmless. We are particularly interested in infections caused by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.01.021" target="_blank"><em>Aspergillus</em> fungi</a>, a group of molds – multicellular fungi that typically grow by forming networks of hairlike filaments – that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00140-18" target="_blank">cause very serious infections in patients with weak immune systems</a>. While examining <em>Aspergillus</em> strains isolated from patients with lung-related diseases, we unexpectedly discovered <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.071" target="_blank">an <em>Aspergillus</em> hybrid</a> that infects humans. This finding is significant not only because this is the first known example of a hybrid mold infecting humans but also because accurate identification of the species causing disease is key for managing fungal infections.</p>
When Looking Through a Microscope Isn’t Close Enough.
<p>For the last few years, <a href="http://www.rokaslab.org/" target="_blank">our team at Vanderbilt University</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Gustavo-Goldman-Lab" target="_blank">Gustavo Goldman's team at São Paulo University in Brazil</a> and many other collaborators around the world have been collecting samples of fungi from patients infected with different species of <em>Aspergillus</em> molds. One of the species we are particularly interested in is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/rwgn.2001.0082" target="_blank"><em>Aspergillus nidulans</em>, a relatively common and generally harmless fungus</a>. Clinical laboratories typically identify the species of <em>Aspergillus</em> causing the infection by examining cultures of the fungi under the microscope. The problem with this approach is that very closely related species of <em>Aspergillus</em> tend to look very similar in their broad morphology or physical appearance when viewing them through a microscope.</p><p>Interested in examining the varying abilities of different <em>A. nidulans</em> strains to cause disease, we decided to analyze their total genetic content, or genomes. What we saw came as a total surprise. We had not collected <em>A. nidulans</em> but <em>Aspergillus latus</em>, a close relative of <em>A. nidulans</em> and, as we were to soon find out, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.071" target="_blank">a hybrid species that evolved through the fusion of the genomes</a> of two other <em>Aspergillus</em> species: <em>Aspergillus spinulosporus</em> and an unknown close relative of <em>Aspergillus quadrilineatus</em>. Thus, we realized not only that these patients harbored infections from an entirely different species than we thought they were, but also that this species was the first ever <em>Aspergillus</em> hybrid known to cause human infections.</p>Several Different Fungal Hybrids Cause Human Disease.
<p>Hybrid fungi that can cause infections in humans are well known to occur in several different lineages of single-celled fungi known as yeasts. Notable examples include multiple different species of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/yea.3242" target="_blank">yeast hybrids</a> that cause the human diseases <a href="https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6218/cryptococcosis" target="_blank">cryptococcosis</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/index.html" target="_blank">candidiasis</a>. Although pathogenic yeast hybrids are well known, our discovery that the <em>A. latus</em> pathogen is a hybrid is a first for molds that cause disease in humans.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM3NDk4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTIwOTgyOX0.gCsk3b5GHdZq78oT3M2ajq3QYT9i-PrLNjoxB6AF1Dg/img.jpg?width=980" id="365cb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e1f11ec0f5a0b5a5bc3a94b1fa86bd97" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Left) Candida yeasts live on parts of the human body. Imbalance of microbes on the body can allow these yeasts, some of which are hybrids, to grow and cause infection. (Right) Cryptococcus yeasts, including ones that are hybrids, can cause life-threatening infections in primarily immunocompromised people. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008315" target="_blank">Why certain <em>Aspergillus</em> species are so deadly</a> while others are harmless remains unknown. This may in part be because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbr.2007.02.007" target="_blank">combinations of traits, rather than individual traits</a>, underlie organisms' ability to cause disease. So why then are hybrids frequently associated with human disease? Hybrids inherit genetic material from both parents, which may result in new combinations of traits. This may make them more similar to one parent in some of their characteristics, reflect both parents in others or may differ from both in the rest. It is precisely this mix and match of traits that hybrids have inherited from their parental species that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/science/14creatures.html" target="_blank">facilitates their evolutionary success</a>, including their ability to cause disease.</p>The Evolutionary Origin of an Aspergillus Hybrid.
<p>Multiple evolutionary paths can lead to the emergence of hybrids. One path is through mating, just as the horse and donkey mate to create a mule. Another path is through the merging or fusion of genetic material from cells of different species.</p><p>It is this second path that appears to have been taken by our fungus. <em>A. latus</em> appears to have two of almost everything compared to its parental species: twice the genome size, twice the total number of genes and so on. But unlike other hybrids, which are often sterile like the mule, we found that <em>A. latus</em> is capable of reproducing both asexually and sexually.</p><p>But how distinct were the parents of <em>A. latus</em>? By comparing the parts contributed by each parent in the <em>A. latus</em> genome, we estimate that its parents are approximately 93% genetically similar, which is about as related as we humans are with lemurs. In other words, <em>A. latus</em>, an agent of infectious disease, is the fungal equivalent of a human-lemur hybrid.</p>How A. Latus Differs From its Parents.
<p>Elucidating the identity of closely related fungal pathogens and how they differ from each other in infection-relevant characteristics is a key step toward reducing the burden of fungal disease. For example, we found that <em>A. latus</em> was three times more resistant than <em>A. nidulans</em>, the species it was originally identified as using microscopy-based methods, to one of the most common antifungal drugs, <a href="https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00520" target="_blank">caspofungin</a>. This result provides a clear example of the potential importance of accurate identification of the <em>Aspergillus</em> pathogen causing an infection.</p><p>We also examined how <em>A. latus</em> and <em>A. nidulans</em> interact with cells from our immune system. We found that immune cells were less efficient at combating <em>A. latus</em> compared to <em>A. nidulans</em>, suggesting the hybrid fungus may be trickier for our immune systems to identify and destroy.</p><p>In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our quest to understand <em>Aspergillus</em> pathogens is becoming more urgent. Growing evidence suggests that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/myc.13096" target="_blank">a fraction of COVID-19 patients are also infected with <em>Aspergillus</em>.</a> More worrying is that these <a href="https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.201603" target="_blank">secondary <em>Aspergillus</em> infections</a> can worsen the clinical outcomes for those infected with the novel coronavirus. That being said, we stress that little is known about <em>Aspergillus</em> infections in COVID-19 patients due to a lack of systematic testing, and none of the infections identified so far appear to have been caused by hybrids.</p><p>So, when it comes to hybrids, some are fantastic (the minotaur), some are helpful (the mule) and some are dangerous (<em>Aspergillus latus</em>). Understanding more about the biology of <em>Aspergillus latus</em> may help in our understanding of how microbial pathogens arise and how to best prevent and combat their infections.</p>
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