April 2, 2021

Rapid global heating is hurting farm productivity, study finds

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/rapid-global-heating-is-hurting-farm-productivity-study-finds/ar-BB1fd7X4

The Guardian

Rapid global heating is hurting farm productivity, study finds

Oliver Milman
4/1/21

The climate crisis is already eating into the output of the world’s agricultural systems, with productivity much lower than it would have been if humans hadn’t rapidly heated the planet, new research has found.
….snip
While farming has generally become far more efficient in recent decades, it is increasingly menaced by heatwaves that exhaust farm workers and wither certain crops. Extreme weather events and drought can also affect the output of a farm, particularly smaller operations in poorer countries.

In 2019, scientists who analyzed the top 10 global crops that provide the majority of our food calories found that climate change is reducing the worldwide production of staples such as rice and wheat. Again, less affluent countries are suffering worst from this situation.

The intensification of farming to boost output has in itself caused major environmental damage, through the deforestation of grazing land, loss of valuable topsoil, pollution from pesticides and the release of vast amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global heating.
….snip

“Why can’t you argue with Pi? It’s irrational.” Popular Science

April 2, 2021

Appalachian Pipeline Blockade Ends With Arrests After 932 Days

https://truthout.org/audio/yellow-finch-blockade-of-mountain-valley-pipeline-ends-after-932-days/

Appalachian Pipeline Blockade Ends With Arrests After 932 Days
BY
Mike Ludwig, Truthout
PUBLISHED
April 2, 2021
…snip
Today we go to the Yellow Finch blockade near Elliston, Virginia, a tree-sit that prevented construction of the embattled Mountain Valley Pipeline for a whopping 932 days until police finally extracted two protesters from the trees last week – and both activists were still in jail when we recorded this podcast. A tree-sit, aka an arial blockade set up in trees, is textbook nonviolent civil disobedience – keep protesters living in trees for as long as possible, and the trees cannot be cut down until the protesters leave or are removed by police. This direct action tactic was developed years ago to oppose logging out West and is now being used to prevent construction crews from cutting down trees in the path of fossil fuel pipelines.

Pipelines endanger ecosystems, but they are also strategic chokepoints in the climate fight. Stop a pipeline, and you can prevent production of fossil fuels for decades to come. According to Appalachians Against Pipelines, the group behind the Yellow Finch Blockade in Virginia, construction of the Mountain Valley pipeline is now three years behind schedule and $2.7 billion dollars over budget. Controversial permits remain in limbo. Is a win for activists on the horizon? To find out, I spoke with Max and Caroline, two activists who have been supporting the Yellow Finch blockade. Max and Caroline are on the ground near the site of the tree-sit and they don’t have a great internet connection, so this interview has been edited for clarity and you might here some background noise, like a rooster crowing in the background. Please bear with us as we take you to the front lines of the climate fight.
…snip

April 2, 2021

Don't post your COVID-19 vaccination card on social media

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-not-just-about-whats-on-that-card-dont-post-your-covid-19-vaccination-card-on-social-media-heres-why-11617284498?mod=home-page

‘It’s not just about what’s on that card’: Don’t post your COVID-19 vaccination card on social media — here’s why

Last Updated: April 2, 2021 at 10:18 a.m. ET
First Published: April 1, 2021 at 9:41 a.m. ET
By Meera Jagannathan
……snip
“Social media is no place for COVID-19 vaccination cards,” the Federal Trade Commission warned in February. “Once identity thieves have the pieces they need, they can use the information to open new accounts in your name, claim your tax refund for themselves, and engage in other identity theft.”

‘Nothing surprises me anymore’

When it comes to identity theft, “it’s all about putting together pieces of the puzzle” that is your digital identity, said Kerskie. “The more information a bad guy or an identity thief has about you, the greater chance of their success,” she told MarketWatch.
It’s true that some of the data on that card, like your name, is already publicly available, Velasquez added. But it also contains your date of birth, and potentially some health information. “It’s one of those things where, do you really want to take that chance?” she said. “I don’t want to be alarmist about it, but I also don’t think it’s as innocuous as most people think.”
..snip

April 2, 2021

Donation made to DU

I wanted to demonstrate my appreciation for this site and the people who manage the site or post here.