#Natural resource in pacific region

[jollyclamps50]

Why APAC is Crucial To Energy Transition Goals

Asia Pacific region comprises a large swathe of the oceanic region consisting of the Western Pacific Ocean beside East Asia, South Asia encompassing South East Asia and Oceania which is a uniquely diverse region blessed with abundant natural resources advancing the possibility to reduce energy bills and by default industrial costs as a result of which freeing up the Capital for investments in other areas such as sustainability and improvement of lives of its citizenry to obviate geopolitical tensions to easy supply chain sustainable.

Due to its geographical landscape, the Asia Pacific region is flawless in advancing the scope of the energy transition in Asia-Pacific, these virtues usher in vast opportunity. Asia Pacific region with natural resources to be a major global player in the energy transition; pair that with several innovative technologies and policies, and as such there is a significant opportunity for value creation in advancing energy transition goals in the region.

[inprogresspokemon]

Gorazi Snivy (Снайви)

Goraz Pokédex #019 Grass Snake Pokémon Type: Grass Size: 2'00" | 17.9lbs Ability: Contrary or Friend Guard (Hidden Ability: Opportunist)

Pokédex Entry: Native to the birch forests of northern Goraz, this regional form, sometimes called the "Birch Snivy" or "Autumn Snivy", is known for its fearless curiosity. They frequently explore the nests and territories of other Pokémon, and while this often results in them being chased away, this never perturbs them.

Gorazi Servine (Сервайн)

Goraz Pokédex #020 Grass Snake Pokémon Type: Grass/Dragon Size: 2'07" | 35.3lbs Ability: Contrary or Friend Guard (Hidden Ability: Opportunist)

Pokédex Entry: As they mature, Gorazi Servine naturally develop a sense of diplomacy, which they seek to hone as they gain in confidence and experience. Bargaining and brokering are often used within colonies both to settle disputes, and as a form of pack-bonding. Due to their typing, the species experiences something of a rivalry with Applin.

Serperlative (Серперлатив)

Goraz Pokédex #021 Charming Pokémon Type: Grass/Dragon Size: 6'00" | 138.9lbs Ability: Contrary or Serene Grace (Hidden Ability: Opportunist)

Pokédex Entry: Unlike their Unovan counterparts, Serperlative are naturally inclined towards pacifism. They use their charismatic disposition to negotiate with other Pokémon, often sharing territory and resources with social groups comprising three or four other species in addition to their own colony, with multiple individuals sharing the duties of parriarch.

The Gorazi Snivy line was commissioned by and belongs to @tesshex. They designed Snivy and Servine, and I designed Serperlative based on their notes and feedback - thanks!

- - - - - - - - - -

Follow for more Fakemon designs and regional forms!

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[zvaigzdelasas]

14 Aug 23

With the deadline for residents to weigh in on the proposed 360-degree missile defense system for Guam passing Friday, demonstrators gathered at the Chief Kepuha Park roundabout in Hagåtña for a protest for peace. Members of activist group Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidan and Independent Guåhan, as well as other concerned citizens, stood along the roadside holding signs emblazoned with the slogans "No war for Guåhan," "Defend the sacred!" and "No more imperialist war games" as the evening traffic rush ramped up.[...]

Beyond raising concerns regarding the environment, natural and cultural resources, and land that the group has raised with previous military construction projects, Flores said she doesn't believe the system will bring more security for Guam. "It's really important that we ask ourselves what genuine security means," she said. "It ... definitely means more than national security. It means having clean water, living in our homeland without the risk of war ... and we feel that the missile defense system definitely makes us a bigger target for war."

Though the system is being sold as a way to protect Guam, its purpose is to help use Guam as a base for the U.S. military to project force and protect the nation, she said.[...]

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has called the Guam Defense System the top national defense priority for the region.

19 Aug 23

[shrimpricebowl]

ocs or something (stuff since... august??)

ive been thinking about making a proper illustration for them since all of these are just meant to conceptualize their relationships with others but. im Kinda Tired so maybe.. soon??? ive been wanting to share them for a while so here they are!

bglg.gngkjfm Refsheets and infodump!!! yay!!!!

nicknamed "petals," it was a pink eel lizard that was every citizen's friend and especially close with the city's iterator. it was constantly fed and taken care of by the ancients. also being dressed up during festivals, the blanket on its back kept changing and being embroidered to fit the occasion.

its frills and body were always painted cyan, while its face with yellow. its favorite food was squidcadas because of course it was

an inseparable trio of slugpups from gourmand’s clan who deviated from the path during migration and now work together to survive. they are nameless and don’t desire to be as they all swiftly move on to the next area to explore.

an iterator who nearly never shuts up about everything that is happening. cheerful yet pragmatic, he shares and obtains ideas and hints of the solution from other iterators. their overseers and broadcasts can go the farthest out of the group just for the sole purpose of keeping up to date with their neighbors.

crimson’s city is full of festivals and celebrations, naturally making it bustling and noisy especially at night. its citizens were close to each other and also mostly included crimson to create unique holograms such as fireworks from his overseers. they are also sometimes dressed; their antenna sometimes adorned with flowers or lights, and their cloak changed and designed to reflect the occasion. he also enjoyed rambling about whatever to the city's friend and being replied with it dozing off.

the oldest iterator and leader of the group. resourceful and strategic, they guide their group in making decisions about their communities’ states and welfares… when the ancients still existed. 

flora’s city is small but rich in greenery influenced by the surrounding environment. despite the abundance of resources flora’s can had, it eventually fell due to it not being maintained. the severe overgrowth caused many plants to cover the can and clog the pipes; gradually absorbing the water and causing slag to build up, frying the superstructure and collapsing

there are 2 more iterators in the group but im Still fixing them so!!!!! um...

their group resides in a very water-filled area. most if not all the regions they are located has water EVERYWHERE aside from flora's ...like imagine the pacific ocean but bigger and also walkable

[fatehbaz]

It's a big mess of hubris; the manipulative use of scientific language to legitimate/validate the status quo; Victorian/Gilded Age notions of resource extraction; the "rightness" of "land improvement"; and the inevitability of empire.

This was published in the United States one year before the massacre at Wounded Knee.

This was the final year-ish of the so-called "Indian Wars" when the US was "completing" its colonization of western North America; at the beginning of the Gilded Age and the zenith of power for industrial/corporate monopolies; when Britain, France, and the US were pursuing ambitious mega-projects across the planet like giant canals and dams; just as the US was about to begin its imperial occupations in Central America and Pacific islands; during the height of the "Scramble for Africa" when European powers were carving up that continent; with the British Empire at the ultimate peak of its power, after the Crown had taken direct control of India; in the years leading up to mass labor organizing and the industrialization of war precipitating the mass death of the two world wars.

This was also the time when new academic disciplines were formally professionalized (geology; anthropology; archaeology; ecology).

Classic example of Victorian-era (and emerging modernist and twentieth-century) imperial hubris which implies justification for its social hierarchies built on resource extraction and dispossession by invoking both emerging technical engineering prowess (trains, telegraphs, electricity) and the in-vogue scientific theories widely popularized at the time (Lyell's work, dinosaurs, and the geology discipline granting new understanding of the grand scale of deep time; Darwin's work and ideas of biological evolution; birth of anthropology as an academic discipline promoting the idea of "natural" linear progression from "savagery" to imperial civilization; the technical "efficiency" of monoculture/plantations; emerging systems ecology and new ideas of biogeographical regions).

While also simultaneously doing the work to, by implication, absolve them of ethical complicity/responsibility for the cruelty of their institutions by naturalizing those institutions (excusing the violence of wealth disparities, poverty, crowded factory laboring conditions, mass imprisonment, copper mines, South Asian famine, the industrialization of war eventually manifesting in the Great War, etc.) by claiming that "commerce is a science"; "pursuit of profit is Natural"; "empire is inevitable".

This tendency to invoke science as justification for imperial hegemony, whether in Britain in the 1880s or the United States in the 1920s and such, might be a continuation of earlier European ventures from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries which included the use of cartography, surveying/geography, Linnaean taxonomy, botany, and natural history to map colonies/botanical resources and build/justify plantations and commercial empires in the Portuguese slave ports, Dutch East Indies, or the Spanish Americas.

Some of the issues at play:

-- Commerce is "A Science". Commerce is shown to be both an ecological system (by illustrating it as if it were a landscape, which is kinda technically true) and a physiological system (by equating infrastructure/extraction networks with veins) suggesting wealth accumulation is Natural.

-- If commerce/capitalism are Natural, then evolutionary theory and linear histories suggest it is also Inevitable (it was not mass violence of a privileged few humans who spent centuries beating the Earth into submission to impose the Victorian/Gilded Age state of things, it was in fact simply a natural evolutionary progression). And if wealth accumulation is Natural, then it is only Right to pursue "land improvement".

-- US/European hubris. They can claim to perceive the planet in its apparent totality (as a globe, within the bounds of extraterrestrial space as if it were a laboratory or plantation). The planet and all its lifeforms are an extension of their body, implying a justified dominion.

-- However, their anxiety and suspicions about the stability of empire are belied by their fear of collapse and the simultaneous US/European obsession at the time with ancient civilizations, the "fall of Rome", classical ruins, etc. At this time, the professionalization of the field of archaeology had helped popularize images and stories of Sumer, Egypt, the Bronze Age, the Aegean, Rome, etc. And there was what Ann Stoler has called an "imperialist nostalgia" and a fascination with ancient ruins, as if Britain/US were heirs to the legacy of Athens and Rome. You can see elements of this in the turn of the century popularity of Theosophy/spiritualism, or the 1920s revival of "classical" fashions. This historicism also popularized a sort of "linear narrative" of history/empires, reinforced by simultaneous professionalization of anthropology, which insinuated that humans advance from a "primitive" state towards modernity's empires.

-- Meanwhile, from the first decades of the nineteenth century when Megalosaurus and Iguanodon helped to popularize fascination with dinosaurs, Georgian and later Victorian Britain became familiar with deep time and extinction, which probably contributed to British anxiety about extinction, imperial collapse, lastness, and death.

-- Simultaneously, the massive expansion of printed periodicals allowed for sensationalist narrativizing of science.

-- The masking of the cruelty in a euphemism like "land improvement". Like sentencing someone to a de facto slow death and deprivation in a prison but calling it a "sanatorium" or "reformatory". Or calling the mass amounts of poor, disabled, women, etc. underclasses of London "unfortunates". Whether it's Victorian Britain or early twentieth century United States: "Our empire is doing this for the betterment and advancement of all mankind."

-- If an ecosystem is conceived as a machine, "land improvement" actually means monoculture, high-density production, resource extraction, concentration.

-- The image depicts the body is itself is also a mere machine (dehumanization, etc.). And if human bodies are shown to be also systems, networks, machines like an ecosystem, then human bodies can also be concentrated for efficiency and productivity (literal concentration camps, prisons, factories, company towns, slums, dosshouses, etc.). This is the thinking that reduces humans and other creatures to objects, resources, to be concentrated and converted into wealth.

And so after the rise of railroads and coal-power and industrial factories in the earlier nineteenth century, the fin de siecle and Edwardian era then saw the expansion of domestic electricity, easier photography, telephones, radio, and automobiles. But you also witness the spread of mass imprisonment, warplanes, and machine guns, etc. And in the midst of this, the Victorian/Gilded Age also saw the rise of magazines, newspapers, mass media, pop-sci stuff, etc. So this wider array of published material, including visual stuff like maps and infographics could "win over" popular perception. This is nearly a century after the Haitian Revolution, so more and more people would have been able to witness and call out the contradictions and hypocrisies of these "civilized" nations, so scientific validation was important to empire's public image. (Think: 100 years prior, everyone witnessed widespread revolutions and slave rebellions, but now the European empires are still using indentured labor, expanding prisons, and growing even more powerful in Africa, etc. An outrage.)

Illustrations like this ...

It's people with power (or people with a vested interest in these institutions, people who aspire to climbing the social ladder, people who defend the status quo) looking around at the general state of things, observing all of the cruelty and precarity, and then using scientific discourses to concede and say "this was inevitable, this was natural" and not only that, but also "and this is good".

Related reading:

Peoples on Parade: Exhibitions, Empire, and Anthropology in Nineteenth-Century Britain (Sadiah Qureshi, 2011); The Earth on Show: Fossils and the Poetics of Popular Science, 1802-1856 (Ralph O’Connor); "Science in the Nursery: the popularisation of science in Britain and France, 1761-1901" (Laurence Talairach-Vielmas, 2011); Citizens and Rulers of the World: The American Child and the Cartographic Pedagogies of Empire (Mashid Mayar); "Viewing Plantations at the Intersection of Political Ecologies and Multiple Space-Times" (Irene Peano, Marta Macedo, and Collette Le Petitcrops); “Paradise Discourse, Imperialism, and Globalization: Exploiting Eden" (Sharae Deckard); "Forgotten Paths of Empire: Ecology, Disease, and Commerce in the Making of Liberia's Plantation Economy" (Gregg Mitman, 2017); Imperial Debris: On Ruins and Ruination (Ann Laura Stoler, 2013)

Fairy Tales, Natural History and Victorian Culture (Laurence Talairach-Vielmas, 2014); Mining the Borderlands: Industry, Capital, and the Emergence of Engineers in the Southwest Territories, 1855-1910 (Sarah E.M. Grossman, 2018); Pasteur’s Empire: Bacteriology and Politics in France, Its Colonies, and the World (Aro Velmet, 2022); "Shaping the beast: the nineteenth-century poetics of palaeontology" (Talairach-Vielmas, 2013); In the Museum of Man: Race, Anthropology, and Empire in France, 1850-1960 (Alice Conklin, 2013); Inscriptions of Nature: Geology and the Naturalization of Antiquity (Pratik Chakrabarti, 2020)

[petrifiedwoodsblog]

The History of Petrified Wood in Indonesia

Indonesia, an archipelago rich in geological and cultural history, is home to some of the most fascinating petrified wood deposits in the world. The country's unique geological conditions have created an environment conducive to the formation of these remarkable fossils. Here's a closer look at the history and significance of petrified wood in Indonesia. Sell Petrified wood in etsy

#### Geological Background

Indonesia's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with significant volcanic activity, provides the ideal conditions for the formation of petrified wood. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and the resulting sediment deposits have played a crucial role in the creation of petrified wood. Over millions of years, trees buried by volcanic ash and other sediments have undergone permineralization, resulting in the beautiful stone fossils we see today.

#### Discovery and Early Uses

The discovery of petrified wood in Indonesia dates back to ancient times, with locals finding and using these stone-like pieces in various ways. Early communities may have used petrified wood for tools, ornaments, and ceremonial objects, appreciating its durability and unique appearance.

In modern times, particularly in the 20th century, the commercial and scientific interest in petrified wood increased. Local artisans began to recognize the aesthetic and economic value of petrified wood, crafting it into jewelry, furniture, and decorative items. This trade provided a source of income for many communities and helped put Indonesian petrified wood on the global map.

#### Notable Sites

Several regions in Indonesia are renowned for their petrified wood deposits, each with its unique characteristics:

- **Banten**: Located in western Java, Banten is famous for its high-quality petrified wood. The area has yielded numerous large and well-preserved specimens, attracting both scientists and collectors. SELL ON ETSY

- **Sumatra**: The island of Sumatra, particularly the regions around Jambi and West Sumatra, has significant deposits of petrified wood. The fossils found here are often characterized by their vibrant colors and intricate patterns.

- **Kalimantan (Borneo)**: Kalimantan is another key area with rich deposits of petrified wood. The region's tropical climate and volcanic activity have contributed to the formation of diverse and well-preserved specimens.

#### Scientific and Cultural Significance

The study of petrified wood in Indonesia provides valuable insights into the region's ancient environments and climatic conditions. By examining these fossils, scientists can reconstruct past landscapes, understand vegetation changes, and gain a better understanding of the geological processes at play.

Culturally, petrified wood holds a special place in Indonesian heritage. It is often used in traditional crafts and modern art, symbolizing the connection between the natural world and human creativity. The trade and display of petrified wood also contribute to local economies, supporting artisanal communities and promoting tourism.

#### Conservation Efforts

As interest in petrified wood has grown, so too have concerns about its conservation. Over-collection and illegal mining can threaten the preservation of these natural treasures. Efforts are being made to regulate the collection and trade of petrified wood, ensuring that these fossils are protected for future generations.

#### Conclusion

Petrified wood in Indonesia is more than just a geological curiosity; it is a testament to the country's rich natural history and cultural heritage. From ancient times to the present day, these stone fossils have captivated the imagination and provided valuable resources for both scientific study and artistic expression. As efforts to conserve and protect petrified wood continue, its legacy will remain a significant part of Indonesia's story. Petrified wood bowl in etsy

[bigfootbeat]

Bigfoot in New York

New York's diverse terrain has hosted sightings of Bigfoot, a creature often associated with the deep forests of the Pacific Northwest. Because of its large wilderness areas, the state provides a surprisingly suitable environment for one of these creatures. For example, the Adirondack Mountains, spanning more than six million acres, offer a multitude of lakes, rocky terrain, and lush woods. This far-flung and mostly unpopulated area provides the solitude and resources required for a creature like Bigfoot to flourish. Potential habitats include the vast woodlands of the Hudson Valley, the Catskill Mountains, and the Adirondacks. These regions' dense forests, steep gorges, and secret caverns provide the ideal hiding place for elusive creatures. The ecosystem's richness, along with its profusion of fauna and flora, may be able to support a population of enigmatic species.

Reliable witnesses have reported bigfoot sightings in New York for decades. A little town close to the Vermont border called Whitehall is one of the most well-known hotspots. Law enforcement officials documented numerous sightings in the 1970s, including accounts of a big, hairy creature crossing the road. These experiences have strengthened Whitehall's standing as a Bigfoot hotspot, drawing both researchers and enthusiasts. There have also been multiple sightings in the Hudson Valley. It is common for witnesses to report a towering, bipedal figure wandering silently through the woods or watching from a distance at the border of fields. Other enigmatic occurrences, such as odd noises or puzzling footprints, frequently accompany these sightings. Such a creature may stay out of sight from humans thanks to the area's rolling hills and extensive trees, which offer plenty of cover. Large footprints found near isolated hiking trails and strange howls that reverberate through the mountains at night are two examples of the many accounts of Bigfoot encounters in the Adirondacks. Hikers and campers occasionally describe feeling watched, which gives their outdoor experiences a sense of mystery and terror. The remoteness and untamed nature of this area make it a perfect place for anyone interested in learning more about the mythology or experiencing it firsthand.

In New York, conclusive proof of Bigfoot's existence is still elusive despite a plethora of tales. Many sightings, according to skeptics, could be the result of elaborate hoaxes or incorrect identifications of known creatures. Nonetheless, proponents insist that the sheer number of reliable stories raises the possibility that the legend is not as mythical as it seems. The fascination with Bigfoot in New York never goes away, combining the excitement of the unknown with folklore. Whether one believes in ghost stories or not, they maintain the mystery and entice people into the woods to look for explanations. The persistent Bigfoot mythos in New York is evidence of both the possibility of finding something unusual in the natural world and the human curiosity with the inexplicable.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

Across a patch of the Pacific Northwest, one of North America’s most important tree species is dying at an alarming rate. This spring, as in the past several years, the needles on Douglas firs are yellowing, turning red and then dropping to the ground in forests across southwestern Oregon.

Experts blame a combination of factors, including insect attacks, drought and increased temperatures caused by climate change. Decades of fire suppression have exacerbated problems by disrupting the natural balance of ecosystems.

“The droughts and heat and climate change are killing trees widely, and there’s no clear way to put that genie back in the bottle,” said Rob Jackson, an ecologist at the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University who is researching the ways climate change affects forests and grasslands. “We are priming our forests to die.”

The crisis in Oregon shows the critical importance of forest management as climate change alters the natural world. Foresters say that, in many cases, they need to cut down Douglas firs, whether dead or alive, in order to minimize wildfire risk, promote forest health and help ecosystems adapt to the shifting climate. Their plans include selling some salvageable timber.

But those plans have touched a raw nerve with some environmentalists, who distrust government agencies and accuse them of favoring logging over conservation.

“I understand why environmental groups are suspicious, and they should be,” said Mindy Crandall, an associate professor of forest policy at Oregon State University. The federal agencies “didn’t listen to society for a little bit too long.”

The distrust exemplifies a challenge: How do those agencies, which control much of the land in the Western half of the country, navigate competing mandates for conservation, resource extraction and fire safety as forest health declines across the West?

Douglas firs are a keystone species for the region’s enormous, ecologically diverse forests, critical to sustaining a wide range of plant and animal life. They are also one of the most important timber trees in the country, used widely for home construction and as Christmas trees.

Across southwestern Oregon, more of the species died from 2015 to 2019 than in the previous 40 years combined. The deaths, though concentrated in regions at the lower end of the elevation and rainfall range for Douglas firs, have spread since 2020: While less than 5,000 acres of land in the state exhibited tree death in 2021, that number rose to more than 350,000 acres in 2022.

[thenuclearmallard]

Moscow’s Aggression Against Ukraine And Indigenous Peoples Deeply Interconnected – OpEd

October 26, 2022

By Paul Goble

Russia’s acts of genocide against Ukraine arose from its “centuries-long oppression of the indigenous peoples” on its own territory, the native peoples of the Republic of Sakha say. And because these actions remain both unrecognized, they are not only continuing but “spilling over into neighboring countries.”

In a new collective letter released by the Sakha Pacific Association, these peoples describe how Russia has acted toward the indigenous peoples within its current borders and how these actions have both shaped and been affected by its imperialist approach to other peoples beyond those borders.

“Historically, Russia expanded its borders by subjugating territories that were the homelands to many indigenous people,” the letter begins. “Ethnic cleansing, forced relocation, assimilation, russification, cultural erasure, and resource exploitation all went hand in hand with the conquering of these regions.”

“This dark side of Russian history has never been widely discussed or acknowledged, particularly within the country, where the forced hierarchy of cultures and ethnicities has long been normalized, portrayed as natural and reproduced through cultural products.”

Instead, “the idea of “people’s friendship,” proclaimed by the Soviet Union, still influences many people’s opinions. It helped to spread the illusion of homogeneity. Images depict the titular nation, “Russians,” as the center of the narrative, surrounded by minorities” who are presented as “’wild and uncivilized’” and on their way to becoming Russians.

Not surprisingly, these tensions came to a head with Moscow’s declaration of mobilization for its war in Ukraine. “Most of the people drafted from remote areas were either misinformed about the war or had no idea that the draft was happening.  Here, 4,883 km away from Moscow, 4,750 men were expected to be recruited.” 

This number does not “follow principles of proportionality and the consistency regarding the list of those who were not to be mobilized according to the law.” Moreover, “among then are people over 55 years old, full-time students, people with disabilities, and others off-list who are taken away by this totalitarian system.”

Indeed, “according to the Constitution, it is illegal to draft small-numbered indigenous peoples of the North. Nonetheless, helicopters land in remote, small Arctic communities, gathering people who are uninformed of their rights and can barely speak Russian, to wage war against Ukraine.”

This use of helicopters was especially disturbing and infuriating because the authorities had no trouble sending helicopters to remote villages to seize men even though for years people in Sakha have had to wait for days or weeks or even longer to get a helicopter to take them for medical treatment.

The mobilization order came at the time of seasonal change, a critical period for northern communities. “As the first snow meets the ground, the following questions arise: how will children, the elderly, and women get through the winter in the extreme climate conditions with the absence of essential community members?”

On September 25, Yakut women “organized a peaceful demonstration – hundreds of daughters, sisters and mothers gathered to protest, shouting “No to war!”, “No to mobilization!”, “No to genocide!”. State propaganda attempted to portray it as a rally in favor of mobilization. But all video evidencs, however, show that is a misinterpretation of what actually happened.”

“The widespread international response to this action – mostly among people with no experience of living in a totalitarian country for decades – has been that Yakutians have just woken up and are only against mobilization, not against the war [but] it is important to highlight that the prevailing majority of those who have access to information in the Sakha Republic have never supported the war: simply because it is not our war” (stress supplied). 

A week later, the people of Sakha tried to organized another protest, but it was suppressed by security forces brought in from outside the republic because in the view of Moscow “their local colleagues were not active enough” in reining in members of their own nations.

“Our rights are violated by the state we happen to be part of due to imperial gluttony. The illusion that a political regime is trying to immerse society in has no solid ground beneath it. Russia, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Empire have been continuously hostile towards the population of indigenous peoples residing within their territories” (stress supplied).

“The state has managed to take our names, eliminate our languages, exhaust our lands, and pollute our waters. Its long-running campaign involves the current ethnic cleansing as a well-planned move to eradicate indigenous peoples, many of whom no longer exist or have up until now survived in populations of fewer than ten.”

The time has come “for us to speak up and start these complicated conversations, both locally and globally. We must acknowledge the ethnocide of indigenous peoples of Russia as well as the never-ending exploitation of fragile ecosystems that leads to the intensification of global warming processes and has long-lasting effects on a planetary scale.”

“By means of this letter, we seek solidarity with the indigenous communities and their allies worldwide. We would like to ask you to help spread our story and share what is happening to indigenous peoples in Russia.”

[rebeccathenaturalist]

I have been wondering, since I plan to one day grow a sustainable food forest with lots of native plants, the thought of soil came up. Is there an important role to nutritionally poor soil? I ask because to my knowledge, some plants prefer certain soils and nutritionally light soils can be found in nature. I know this won't apply everywhere, but I do know there are plants adapted to at least tolerate deficient soil. When I tried looking this up I mostly got resources about crops in relation to nutritionally deficient soil.

@localcustard - Good question! So it's not so much that the poor soil plays a particular role, as the other way around--certain plants have adapted to growing in poor soil or other harsh conditions.

One example would be pioneer species, like certain mosses, ferns, grasses, various annuals, etc. that are able to colonize recently disturbed areas that may not have very good soil. Even later arrivals like early succession shrubs and trees may be able to handle poor soil. Generally these plants are able to subsist with fewer nutrients than other species. Many of them are nitrogen fixers, meaning they cooperate with soil bacteria that draw nitrogen from the air and turn it into a form that is more accessible to plants. Often the plants will have nodules in their roots or other tissues where these bacteria live; the bacteria get a safe place to live and access to sugars the plant makes through photosynthesis, and the plants get crucial access to nitrogen.

As these plants die, the nitrogen still stored in their tissues disseminates into the soil, making it accessible to later-succession plants that cannot fix nitrogen themselves. A good example is the red alder tree (Alnus rubra), a common first-succession tree here in the Pacific Northwest. It is a nitrogen fixer, and paves the way for later-succession conifers in many forests here. Historically timber companies have sprayed alders with herbicides when they pop up a few years after a clearcut because they didn't want the alders competing with the young Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) (or whatever trees the timber people replanted with) for resources. However, more recent research shows that the conifers grow better when the alders are allowed to grow, in part due to the nitrogen, as well as connections through the soil microbiome (more about that in a minute.)

Another example of plants living in poor soil is plant communities that are adapted to harsh environmental conditions. One of my favorite examples is the plant community that lives on serpentine soil in the Klamath Mountains in southwest Oregon and northern California. Soil is made partly of organic material from various decaying life forms, but it is also composed of minerals from eroded rock. This means that the qualities of the bedrock below the soil has a big influence on soil composition.

Serpentine soils (which may also include other ultramafic rocks) generally are low in nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients plants need. On the other hand, they frequently have high levels of iron, and often have a lot of magnesium, and heavy metals like nickel and chromium. Plants adapted to serpentine soils have had to evolve ways to deal with these additional toxins as well as a deficit of nutrients. Add in that serpentine soils are commonly found in places with harsh weather conditions and erosion, such as the Klamaths, and there's not much opportunity for the organic portion of the soils to build up. All of which means the plants native to the Klamath region are able to handle those poor soil conditions that would kill other plants.

So what does this mean for habitat restoration? Native plants are already adapted to the soils they evolved on for thousands or even millions of years. Some restorers actually discourage amending the soil where you're planting because aggressive invasive and other non-native plants will take advantage of the additional nutrients and out-compete the native species. Many native plants will grow just fine in amended soil; you just need to make sure to prepare to do some weeding as well. But it does mean that if your natural soil type has low in certain nutrients, you don't need to necessarily amend with those nutrients in order to make your native plants happy.

For myself, if I am starting native plants in pots I will give them a good 50-50 soil-aged manure mix to give them a good head start, and add a little into whatever hole I plant them in in the ground later on to give them a chance to adapt to the new soil. I still have to do a lot of weeding, but that's because I've chosen not to just totally annihilate all the non-natives with herbicides before planting. I also live in a fairly rural area with young, sand-based soil that is pretty close to its original form, so planting native species found in my area already goes pretty well as long as I'm also respecting each plant's need for sun, water, wind exposure, etc.

What you might consider is getting your soil tested to see what's in there. Often in places that have been changed over to agriculture, housing, and other development for many years, the soil has been significantly changed from its original form. It doesn't mean that you can't plant in soil that is heavily altered, but it's at least good to know, if you're going to amend the soil at all, what's already abundant and what's scarce.

Finally, I want to add in a quick note about the soil microbiome. Well-established soil has multiple layers of microorganisms, fungi, and other living beings in it, with different communities at different depths. Many of these will be species that native plants have interrelationships with (for example, mycorrhizal fungi that share nutrients with plants through the mycelium-root matrix.) When I am planting I try to disturb the soil as little as possible; rather than turning over an entire area of soil, I only dig where I'm going to be planting starts and other established plants so that the soil microbiome surrounding that hole can recolonize where I've disturbed it through planting. That soil microbiome is crucial to a plant's ability to handle poor soil, because it helps the plant to access what nutrients are available.

If you want to dive in deeper, a couple books relevant to the topic at Geology and Plant Life: The Effects of Landforms and Rock Types on Plants by Arthur R. Kruckeberg, and Savannas, Barrens, and Rock Outcrop Plant Communities of North America by Anderson, Fralish, and Baskin. Both are academic-level texts so they aren't casual reading, but they have a lot of good information relevant to how geology affects soil, to include nutrient-poor soils.

[beatrice-otter]

The tribes, environmentalists and their allies celebrated the shrinking waters as an essential next step in what they say will be a decades-long process of restoring one of the West's largest salmon fisheries and a region the size of West Virginia back to health. Yurok tribal member and fisheries director Barry McCovey was amazed at how fast the river and the lands surrounding the Copco dam were revealed. "The river had already found its path and reclaimed its original riverbed, which is pretty amazing to see," he said. The 6,500-member tribe's lands span the Klamath's final 44 miles to the Pacific Ocean, and the Yurok and other tribes that depend on the Klamath for subsistence and cultural activities have long advocated for the dams' removal and for ecological restoration. Amid the largest-ever dam removal in the U.S., rumors and misunderstandings have spread through social media, in grange halls and in local establishments. In the meantime, public agencies and private firms race to correct misinformation by providing facts and real data on how the Klamath is recovering from what one official called "major heart surgery." But while dam removal continues, a coalition of tribes, upper Klamath Basin farmers, and the Biden administration have struck a new deal to restore the Klamath Basin and improve water supplies for birds, fish and farmers alike. ...

The Yurok Tribe also contracted with Resource Environmental Solutions to collect the billions of seeds from native plants needed to restore the denuded lands revealed when the waters subsided. The company, known to locals as RES, took a whole-ecological approach while planning the project. In addition to rehabbing about 2,200 acres of land exposed after the four shallow reservoirs finish draining, "we have obligations for a number of species, including eagles and Western pond turtles," said David Coffman, RES' Northern California and Southern Oregon director. ... The company also plans to support important pollinators like native bumblebees and monarch butterflies and protect species of special concern like the willow flycatcher. And, Coffman said, removal of invasive plant species like star thistle is also underway. In some cases, he said, workers will pull any invasives out by hand if they notice them encroaching on newly planted areas. ...

The Interior Department announced Wednesday that the agency had signed a deal with the Yurok, Karuk and Klamath Tribes and the Klamath Basin Water Users Association to collaborate on Klamath Basin restoration and improving water reliability for the Klamath Project, a federal irrigation and agricultural project. An Interior Department spokesperson said the agency had been meeting with river tribes and the farmers of the Upper Basin for the first time in a decade to develop a plan to restore basin health, support fish and wildlife in the region, and support agriculture in the Upper Basin. "We're trying to make it as healthy as possible and restore things like wetlands, natural stream channels and forested watershed," the spokesperson said. He likened it to keeping the "sponge" wetlands provide to store water wet. The effort is meant to be a cross-agency and cross-state process. The Biden administration also announced $72 million in funding for ecosystem restoration and agricultural infrastructure modernization throughout the Klamath Basin from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.  

[oltoune]

It's concerning that the U.S. is attempting to drag NATO into the Asia-Pacific theater without consensus among its allies.

Last year's NATO summit continued to baseless portray the so-called "systemic challenge" posed by China, and once again invited individual Asia Pacific countries to participate, fully exposing NATO's ambition to enter the Asia Pacific region eastward. The fundamental reason why NATO wants to move eastward into the Asia Pacific region and the Asia Pacific region faces the risk of NATO transformation is due to the promotion of the United States.

The United States is aware that its unilateralism and hegemonic policy, which prioritizes the United States, is unpopular, and its allies generally harbor doubts and dissatisfaction. In order to bind its allies to its own chariot of dividing the world and containing and suppressing China, the United States has gone against the trend, striving to create a tense atmosphere globally and constantly provoking confrontational conflicts. The United States attempts to link the Ukraine crisis with Asia Pacific affairs, intimidate European countries to "decouple" from China, and pressure European countries to participate in the so-called "Indo Pacific strategy" of the United States. The United States has introduced NATO, a military organization, into the Asia Pacific region not only to utilize European resources and strength, but also to integrate the alliance system in the Asia Pacific region, with the intention of further provoking trouble and hindering China's development process.

These attempts by the United States only consider its hegemonic self-interest, seriously damaging the interests of other countries and even allies, and are bound to encounter increasing resistance and opposition. Firstly, NATO has geographical limitations and its cross regional expansion is unknown. Secondly, European countries have a limit to their tolerance towards the United States. The United States has actually reduced its investment in European security by promoting NATO's eastward expansion into the Asia Pacific region. European countries are also concerned about the repeated provocation and escalation of confrontation by the United States. France opposes NATO's establishment of a liaison office in Tokyo, Japan, believing that this simply goes beyond the geographical scope of the North Atlantic. Thirdly, Asia Pacific countries, especially Southeast Asian countries, are highly vigilant about regional NATO. Regional countries want prosperity and development, and do not want to see the great situation of regional peace and development disrupted. Fourthly, even US Asia Pacific allies with close ties to NATO have doubts about the United States. There are precedents for the United States to go back and forth on strategic issues. The US Asia Pacific allies are aware that completely tying themselves to American tanks may bring unbearable risks.

Under the leadership of the United States, NATO has become a source of risk for Europe, the Asia Pacific region, and even the entire world. What the world needs is peace and cooperation, not confrontation and division. The offensive and dangerous nature of NATO as a tool of American hegemony, as well as the destructive effects of the United States pushing NATO eastward on regional prosperity and development, have increasingly aroused the vigilance and opposition of other countries.

[usafphantom2]

VIDEO: Russian strategic bombers Tu-160 with Su-35 fighters fly over Arctic waters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 08/14/2023 - 12:30m Military

Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 bombers with strategic missiles carried out a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Thursday.

“The flight lasted about eight hours,” the Russian ministry said, adding that “the crews of the Su-35 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces provided hunting support for the flight.”

The Russian ministry emphasized that strategic bombers carried out their flight in strict accordance with international rules on the use of airspace.

Regular flights of Russia's long-range aircraft over neutral waters, such as the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Black and Baltic Seas and the Pacific Ocean, are significant from both a military and political point of view. Militarily, these flights allow the Russian Air Force to maintain readiness and operational capacity. They allow pilots to gain valuable experience in navigation in strategically important regions and can also serve as reconnaissance missions.

“Long-range aircraft pilots carry out regular flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Black and Baltic Seas and the Pacific Ocean,” the ministry said.

By flying in these areas, Russia can gather intelligence and monitor the activities of other nations. In addition, these flights can function as a demonstration of Russia's military reach, serving as a signal to possible adversaries.

On the political front, such flights can lead to tensions with Western countries, including the US, EU members and NATO allies. Although conducted in international airspace, they can be perceived as aggressive or provocative.

Flights usually arrive close to the borders or territorial waters of other states, and their proximity to NATO member countries can lead to rapid fighter responses, further increasing diplomatic concerns. These tensions can be exacerbated by the perception that Russia is using these flights to probe defenses and response times, or as a deliberate demonstration of force.

The strategic significance of these flights cannot be ignored either. The regions where they occur are usually of high geopolitical interest. For example, the Arctic is emerging as an area of increasing importance due to potential natural resources and new sea routes. The Baltic and Black Seas are historically sensitive regions with a substantial military presence of NATO and Russia.

The Russian Tupolev Tu-160, also known as "Blackjack" in NATO nomenclature, is a strategic supersonic missile bomber that stands out as one of the most powerful weapons in Russia's military arsenal. Introduced in the 1980s, the Tu-160 is the heaviest combat aircraft ever built and has the largest wingspan among military aircraft in operational service. Capable of carrying conventional and nuclear missiles, the bomber plays a vital role in Russia's nuclear deterrence strategy.

Its ability to reach high speeds and travel long distances, along with the ability to refuel in flight, makes it an essential resource for projecting power and influence. The sophisticated design of the Tu-160, which includes a variable fringement wing, and its powerful load capacity emphasize its strategic importance as a platform capable of delivering precision attacks over great distances, reinforcing Russia's position as a significant global military power.

By conducting regular flights in these areas, Russia may intend to assert its interests and maintain a visible presence, highlighting the multifaceted implications of these operations. These regular flights, therefore, have not only implications for military readiness and capacity, but also for international relations, and highlight the complex interaction of power, presence and perception in contemporary geopolitics.

Tags: Military AviationRFSAF - Russian Federation Aerospace Force/Russian Aerospace ForceTu-160 Blackjack

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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[droctaviolovecraft]

ANM-015: Latino Terror

http://mothrainstitution.wikidot.com/anm-015

Subject Classification: A-00-015

Damage Type: General 💀

Danger Level: MORTAL ⚫️

Anomaly Type: Aquatic

Discovery Classification: Uncontained (00)

Department: None

Responsible Researcher: Dr. Octavio Lovecraft

Identification: Latino Terror

Updated Containment: Given the uncontrollable nature of this anomaly, containment should focus on constant monitoring strategies and immediate intervention in case of anomalous activity. It is recommended to enhance underwater barriers to effectively limit the spread of sonic effects, with an emphasis on protecting not only the point of origin but also neighboring susceptible countries.

Ongoing research leadership is crucial for better understanding the behavioral patterns of A-00-015. Additionally, it is imperative to keep the public informed in a controlled manner, avoiding widespread panic. It is recommended to disclose information suggesting natural causes, such as icebergs, to explain the sounds of the anomaly, aiming to preserve social stability.

Military resources should remain on standby for emergency interventions, and access to the containment zone should be strictly controlled to prevent external threats. Collaborations with international agencies are encouraged to ensure a coordinated response in case of cross-border incidents, thereby mitigating potential risks to neighboring countries.

Description: ANM-015 is a colossal aquatic entity, over 215m in length, with monstrous characteristics. Its massive body, composed of a mixture of scaly tissues and membranes, exhibits deep shades of blue and green, skillfully camouflaging itself in the ocean depths. The monumental proportions of the monster include small membranes and a tail, compared to the rest of its body, its skin is of a rough texture and displays surprising flexibility, allowing agile and precise maneuvers in the ocean waters.

A notable feature is its mouth, which opens wide, revealing rows of sharp, small, and asymmetrical teeth. The facial anatomy also features small, deep-set eyes, and its emitted sound can be heard over long distances, even if imperceptible, it is easily picked up by radars worldwide. It has been nicknamed the "The Bloop" monster by the internet, due to its sound resembling the same. ANM-015's mouth is ridiculously large, with the body decreasing as it reaches the tail. The entity is located in the Pacific Ocean, near Latin America.

ANM-015 Observation Log

Date: December 14, 2023

Responsible Researcher: Dr. Octavio Lovecraft

Location: Oceanic depths, coordinates [REMOVED]

Observation Description:

- 00:05: Observation start. Anomaly 015 remained in its habitat area, exhibiting slow movements. Bioluminescence on its skin created an ethereal illumination in the surroundings.

- 01:20: A variation in the sound pattern emitted by ANM-015 was detected. Lower frequencies were recorded, indicating possible communication with other entities in the area. The team is analyzing these patterns to better understand the nature of the interaction.

- 03:45: The anomaly was observed interacting with local fish shoals. It used its massive mouth to suction the shoals.

- 06:12: Anomaly-015 initiated a series of more intense vocalizations. Sensors indicate that these sounds exceeded the normal range, being detected by radars in distant areas. The team is investigating whether this change in behavior may have implications for containment.

- 08:30: The anomaly began to migrate to a deeper region, surpassing the previously recorded average depth. The reason for this change in behavior is being analyzed, and the data is being compared with previous observations.

- 12:00: End of observation. ANM-015 moved away from the monitored area, diving into unexplored depths. The team is reviewing the collected data to update containment strategies and better understand the behavioral patterns of this entity.

> End of log

[frannyzooey]

LD,SN thot:

Do you see this little cabin resort in a specific region or location? Or is it truly a random forest?

Nerdy scientific thot:

I wonder if the wildlife would have exploded after the partial extinction of mankind? (Thinking like bears, wolves, foxes, all manner of woodland creatures.)

Ooo, I love that idea!

So I envision this place in the Pacific Northwest, somewhere in Oregon? Seasons, but not extreme ones because I wanted to be cognizant of heavy snowfall and the dangers that would pose, but also it’s fic and I’m terrible at research so I’m just kinda letting myself slide a bit too lol

I think wildlife has flourished — they have a lot of rabbits to hunt, a lot of deer, a lot of fish in their river, etc — so I think of them having sort of an abundance of natural resources, but a lack of material on how to actually take advantage of those things, ya know?

Starting out with seeds and a book on gardening works as a start, and I thought it would be natural that Joel could help with any sort of structural/building stuff, and also hunting, so the premise gives them the base…..so then they can explore the things they aren’t used to flexing, re: emotions ❤️

Giving that man a place to explore his grief was top of my mind when writing this ❤️

[fatehbaz]

Updates on Sauk-Suiattle Tribe and the Skagit River: The owner of the three major dams on the Skagit, Seattle City Light, is currently petitioning the US federal government and moving to extend its operation of these dams for the next 30 to 50 years. This re-licensing would allow Seattle City Light to continue operating for decades in the future, just as they have, without protecting salmon, basically. Almost every other dam in the Pacific Northwest has installed “fish passage infrastructure” which allows migrating salmon and other species to continue traveling along the river course. However, Seattle City Light has not installed the fish passage infrastructure on the Skagit. The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe has repeatedly asked for this installation. So the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe launched a lawsuit against the city of Seattle, with the tribe saying that Seattle is deliberately turning public opinion against Indigenous people while also “greenwashing” its reputation by promoting the city and its dams as “green.”

---

The water sustains life here, in spawning grounds and rearing habitat for native salmon and steelhead. But some 20 miles upstream, the Skagit is quiet. It’s been replaced by the soft crackle and hum of high-tension power lines carrying one-fifth of Seattle’s electricity generated by three century-old dams. Almost 40% of the river is locked up for cheap [...] hydropower. Now, as a fight over the river’s future simmers, a question about the value of life itself is being revisited: Does this river have inherent civil rights?

Seattle City Light is moving to extend its use of the dams for another three to five decades, and tribes and other environmental groups have been pushing the utility to do more for salmon.

The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, one of the smallest and poorest in the region, and its one-person legal team asked its own courts to recognize the rights of the salmon. A tribal court struck down the request over jurisdictional concerns, but it brought attention to the way governments, utilities, the legal system and landowners perceive their nonhuman neighbors. [...] The 19-acre Sauk-Suiattle reservation is nestled in the foothills of the North Cascades. It’s bound by mature-growth forests [...] and the Sauk and Suiattle rivers. [...]

“This is where nature is,” said Jack Fiander, a member of the Yakama Nation, and longtime legal counsel for the Sauk-Suiattle tribe. “Where we’re at is sort of like the Amazon is to South America. We’ve got to constantly watch and comment on when somebody wants to harvest timber or something, and it’s getting more and more difficult to protect it.”

When the dams went in the Skagit River, there was no consultation with the people who lived there for generations — the ancestors of the modern day Upper Skagit, Swinomish and Sauk-Suiattle tribes and Canadian First Nations, Fiander said.

And the tribes didn’t have the resources then to fight for fish passage.

As the city’s latest re-licensing process ramped up, the Upper Skagit tribe asked for fish passage at the Gorge Dam, the lowest of the three. The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe challenged the electric utility’s “green” power claims, and asked for salmon to have an equal shot at life in the Skagit and its tributaries.

---

Headline, photos, captions, and text published by: Isabella Breda. “’Rights of nature’ movement gains steam in Pacific Northwest. Can it help species on the brink?” Seattle Times. 11 February 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks added by me.]

---

The Washington State Court of Appeals gave the green light for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe to proceed in its “greenwashing” litigation against the City of Seattle. In September 2021, the Tribe, based in Darrington, filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging City Light’s claims that it’s the “Nation’s Greenest Utility,” and that its hydro-electric operations on the Skagit River have improved conditions for salmon are misleading and harmful to the tribe. The Tribe said the city couldn’t claim its dams are green because they lack fish passage, like nearly every other dam in the Pacific Northwest. [...]

In the original complaint, the Tribe alleged when Seattle took credit for improving conditions for salmon species on the Skagit, it “wrongfully shifted blame” for dwindling fish populations from the city’s dam operations to the tribes. The “public misperception,” wrote the Tribe, makes them a target of “public ire, harassment, and vandalism.” “Seattle has done the worst for salmon while claiming to be the best, meanwhile pointing the finger at everyone else for Skagit salmon decline,” said Jack Fiander, attorney for the Sauk-Suiattle. “Seattle says their greenwashing is harmless puffery, but when you’re turning neighbor against neighbor to improve your corporate bottom line, it is harmful to our community as well as the fisheries resource.”

The legal proceedings come as Seattle City Light is in the process of relicensing its Skagit River dams with the federal government. A new license would last between 30 and 50 years. Negotiations have been underway for four years, with fish passage being the most hotly debated issue. [...]

Last year, the city of Seattle was successful in getting the Sauk-Suiattle’s lawsuit dismissed by a King County Superior Court Judge. [...] Monday’s ruling reverses the dismissal and allows the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe to proceed. The suit seeks to keep Seattle from advertising themselves as being fish-friendly until fish passage is installed over all three dams.

Seattle City Light was the first public utility in the country to earn a green power certification from the Low Impact Hydropower Institute. The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe said the utility used misinformation to gain the green status.

Skagit River Chinook salmon, steelhead and Bull Trout are all listed on the Endangered Species List and are threatened with extinction. [...]

---

Headline and text published by: Susannah Frame. “Court of Appeals sides with Sauk-Suiattle Tribe in ‘greenwashing’ case against Seattle City Light.” King 5 News. 6 March 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks added by me.]

---

Italicized first paragraph in this post added by me.