#Rotterdam area

[throwing-roses-into-the-abyss]

also ngl but I HATE the suggestion that if an historical object is not just of local importance but of national importance, it therefore by definition has to go to a big museum like the rijksmuseum in amsterdam. like why shouldn't local museums hold important objects if they can. it belongs to the local people, it's their stuff, let them keep it. rural people already have to travel across the country for everything deemed Cultural, why do the big cities get to hog everything, are city people more important than rural people?

[micheltaanman-blog]

Rotterdam - StayOkay Cube Hostel

[radicalgraff]

"NO HOME, NO KING"

Anti-Monarchy poster in Rotterdam on a real estate sign. Foreground is King Willem Alexander, background of the poster is the Tweebos neighbourhood that was recently demolished so the area could be gentrified.

The design is an updated version of an old anti-monarchist poster from the 1980's.

[nobrashfestivity]

Unknown, This nkisi in female form seems to have been created to encourage conception and healthy delivery. Kongo male artist from Lower Congo River area, Democratic Republic of Congo, late 19th century. H 9.84″. Wereld museum Rotterdam, WM-4075. Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0.

[germanpostwarmodern]

Established in Rotterdam in 1948 by Jo van den Broek (1898-1978) and Jaap Bakema (1914-81) the office of Van den Broek & Bakema was leading in postwar Netherlands and also operated successfully beyond Dutch borders. With an incredibly broad portfolio ranging from single-family homes over residential areas to town halls it is safe to say that basically anyone in the Netherlands has at some point entered a building by Van den Brook & Bakema. In 2000 the Netherlands Architecture Institute (today Het Nieuwe Instituut) in Rotterdam dedicated a retrospective to the architects that was accompanied by the present catalogue: „Van den Broek en Bakema 1948-1988: Architectuur en Stedenbouw“, compiled by Hans Ibelings and published by NAi Uitgevers.

The book pays tribute to the influential work of the architects: in eleven essays both architects and art historians discuss the work, theory and influence of Van den Broek & Bakema (both Van den Broek and Bakema were professors at TU Delft). In addition personal recollections of former employees and students add a vivid note to the book and shed light on the work processes of a buzzing architectural practice. Certainly it also contains a selection of works, among them the Lijnbaan in Rotterdam and of course the town halls in Marl/Germany and Terneuzen, the latter being one of Brutalism’s finest examples. Most of them are presented in photographs, drawings and plans that make the book even more valuable.

[fatehbaz]

In August 1963, the Dutchveterinarian Dan (E.H.) Kampelmacher stepped on a plane to Lima, the capital of Peru. His destination: smelly factories in Lima’s port city which ground up tiny anchovy fish from the Pacific Ocean into huge amounts of animal feed. Peru exported one fifth of this ‘fishmeal’ to the Netherlands, where farmers used it to feed their quickly rising numbers of chickens and pigs in new intensive livestock or ‘factory’ farms. [...]

The ports of Lima and Rotterdam connected the ecosystems of Peruvian fishmeal plants and Dutch farms. [...] [H]ardly anyone showed any interest in what the stuff was made of. Although Dutch farmers had started to refer to their new industrial poultry and pig farms as ‘landless’ at this point in time, they did not intend this phrase to mean their growing dependence on oceans rather than land. Rather, it characterized a fundamental change in livestock farming: in the postwar era farmers could increase their numbers of animals independently of the area of land they had for growing feed. The phrase ‘landless’ erased from view that these farms in fact depended on places elsewhere on the planet. [...] [T]he fish, called “anchoveta” [were] from the Humboldt Current ecosystem [...].

Fishmeal was invisible, despite its crucial importance for two interrelated major changes in the Netherlands and the global north in general: the rise of intensive livestock farming, and the unprecedented increase in the consumption of meat and eggs. [...] How did fishmeal and its environmental impacts connect industrial livestock farming in the global north to its production places in the global south [...]? [...]

---

Shadow places are ‘all those places that produce or are affected by the commodities you consume, places consumers don’t know about, don’t want to know about, and in a commodity regime don’t ever need to know about or take responsibility for’. It is very similar to the ‘ghost acres’ concept used by environmental and global historians: the acres of land countries used elsewhere on the planet [...]. Cushman analyses the rise of the Peruvian fishmeal industry as another case of what he calls ‘neo-ecological imperialism’: the ‘Blue Revolution’ [...], to stress the connection between fishmeal production in the Pacific World and the rise of industrial livestock farming in the global north. [...]

Fishmeal fed the twentieth-century shift to industrial livestock farming – the Netherlands was among the top three fishmeal importers internationally from 1954 to 1972. [...] Animal proteins – and fishmeal in particular – played an essential role in this shift to industrial livestock farming [...]. But for poultry and pigs, animal proteins were an ‘indispensable ingredient’ [...]. Internationally, fishery landings tripled in the period 1950–1973 due to the rise in fishmeal production for animal feed. [...] During the Peruvian fishmeal boom from 1958 until 1970, [...] [t]he livestock sector started to refer to it explicitly as ‘Peru fishmeal’ [...]. The Netherlands was the second-largest importer after the USA in 1955 [...].

---

According to Cushman and Wintersteen, the spectacular rise of the Peruvian fishmeal industry was the result of [...] international interest in the Peruvian stocks of small fish suitable for fishmeal production, interest from the USA in particular.

After the collapse of the Californian fishmeal industry shortly after the Second World War, industrial fishmeal plants in Peru were realised with American marine expertise, investments by American industrialists, subsidiaries of American companies like Cargill and Ralston Purina, and second-hand American fishmeal equipment and technology. [...]

As a result, the Peruvian fishery industry changed radically during the 1950s. Rather than a being a by-product of fish canneries, fishmeal became its core focus. [...] [A]nd industrialists moved in entire fishmeal plants from the USA and Scandinavia. These plants could turn 5.4 tons of fish into a ton of fishmeal at the peak of the industry [...].

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Angola exported fishmeal under Portuguese colonial rule (until 1975), and South Africa exported fishmeal during Apartheid (until 1994). In Chile the neoliberal dictatorship of general Augusto Pinochet (1973–1990) gave fishmeal industrialists free rein again from 1973 onwards, and Chile had replaced Peru as the major fishmeal exporter by 1980.

Social inequality was exacerbated [...]. Fishmeal industrialists made enormous amounts of money, and stock exchanges in the global north enabled speculation on fishmeal. Simultaneously, workers in the fishmeal plants were poorly paid and lived in slums with no paved roads, running water or electricity, unhealthy conditions and polluted air. Fishmeal’s volatile market resulted in labour unrest during the 1960s in Peru, and during the 1980s in Chile. [...] Many factories were moved to less-regulated places along the coast, taking the air pollution and resulting public health problems with them. One of these places was the city of Chimbote, which quickly grew into the largest fishmeal city of Peru, and became ‘one of the nation’s … most polluted cities’. [...] One place impacted by the feeding of fish to farm animals was in particular in shadows: the marine ecosystems from which the tiny fish were taken, like the Pacific Humboldt Current along the coast of Peru and Chile. [...]

The ocean ecosystems in the global south exploited to feed the industrial livestock sector in the north remained largely invisible. [...] The disappearance of the Peruvian anchoveta also made the ‘protein crisis’ move north. The Dutch livestock sector referred to the ‘true emergency situation’ of the Peruvian fishmeal crisis as the ‘protein crisis’ (‘de eiwit-crisis’). [...] But in 1972–1973 the Humboldt Current marine ecosystem created its own shadow places in both the north and the south. The extraordinary strong El Niño led to the sudden disappearance of the anchovy population [...].

---

All text above by: Floor Haalboom. “Oceans and Landless Farms: Linking Southern and Northern Shadow Places of Industrial Livestock (1954-1975).” Environment and History Volume 28 Number 4. November 2022. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[somediyprojects]

Free Palestine designed by Jacob de Graaf of Modern Folk Embroidery.

Today I want to share a pattern with you that uses Tatreez embroidery elements in support of the people of Palestine struggling through one of the most difficult times in their lives. I am aware that this is a highly divisive and contentious issue for a lot of people. Some people might be shocked or hurt by me sharing this design. I do hope on the other hand that by speaking out, others will do the same and will not be afraid of any backlash that might be there.  Sadly, the world has become more and more polarised – you are either this or that, and if you’re pro-this, you must be anti-that. The world is a more complex place and though I might be pro-this, it does not mean that I am anti-something-else. I hope you can see that side of me. We should not be scared to stand up for what is right, and to speak about such things without the fear of polarisation getting the better of us. For now, the text below as it appears in the booklet plus download links for the pattern.. Rotterdam, May 8th 2024 Lately, my great-uncle Jacob de Graaf and his wife Trijntje de Kroon have been on my mind. Three years ago, they were posthumously awarded the Yad Vashem award for bravery displayed during the Second World War by hiding Jewish citizens in their homes and saving them from certain death at the hands of the Nazis. I never got to know them as they passed just before and after my birth, but I admire their bravery in doing what they felt was right at a time when it was not only difficult but potentially life-threatening. They stood up for people they could help. I thought of it again yesterday when I saw a young man (@samih.madhoun on Instagram) playing a borrowed oud and singing songs in the refugee camp in Rafah, lifting the spirits of fellow refugees through his art. As I tearfully watched the video, I got angry at myself for not doing more besides weeping at my phone. For months, I have been shocked into a state of numbness by the genocide playing out on my TV, computer and phone. The annihilation of Palestine by the Israeli army is being broadcast to us live, and for too long, I have been struggling with how to express my fear, my anger, my frustration, and my support for the Palestinian people.We cannot turn a blind eye to what is currently happening. Our political leaders need to take action and speak out against the current genocide. I do not have the bravery of my great-aunt and uncle, but I can design patterns and share them with others—and hopefully inspire folks to speak out, too. My great-uncle did what was right during WWII. Will we do the same for our brothers and sisters in Palestine? ABOUT THE DESIGN This design uses Tatreez motifs found on traditional Palestinian dress. The central motif, called Scissors and Roses (Muqass wa Ward ), comes from Gaza. As the land is torn apart, I split the design into two, placing the question “Are we not their brothers and sisters” between them. On the sides is a rose border found on a dress from Ramallah. The doves at the bottom are found on many Palestinian embroideries. TECHNICAL DETAILS This design uses two colours: Black (2224 crosses) and Red (4226 crosses). It measures 113 crosses in width and 153 crosses in height. It features only full crosses and no specialty stitches. From the second page of the pattern onwards, you will notice a greyed-out area of 3 crosses wide — this indicates an overlap with the previous page to make it easier for you to continue stitching. The graph below gives size- and floss estimates for a wide range of materials. Floss calculations are based on working with 2 strands on 28- to 36-count linen (14- to 16-count aida). Higher counts use a single strand. You are free to stitch with as many strands as you like. The first floss estimate is for black, the 2nd for red. For instance, on 32-count linen, you would require 1.1 skein of black floss (standard 8 metre length skeins such as DMC and Anchor), and 2.1 skein of red floss.

I charted this in black and red, but feel free to choose your own colours. If you stitch on white, you could add some green to the design for instance to reflect the colours of the Palestinian flag. Thank you so much for downloading this free pattern and showing your support for Palestine. If you can, please make a donation to organisations who are actually doing amazing work in physically helping the Palestinian people. Two organisations that I have donated to are unwra.org and pcrf.net – but there are many bigger and smaller initiatives worthy of your support. Click on one of the links below to download your pattern. Feel free to share, print, and redistribute this design. When you do, I would ask not to change the booklet itself. Free Palestine – A4 format Free Palestine – Letter format With love, Jacob de Graaf

[lionessfeather]

So last night as I was starting to slowly drift off to sleep, my brain suddenly stuck on something (I promise this is Temeraire related). You see, the Netherlands have used "can't get an army across lots of water" as a basic defence strategy pretty much from Roman times until we got airplanes. The extent of it has varied; sometimes it was as simple as "well the river is too big" (Romans), sometimes it was "if we break this dike right here, the polder will flood and the Spanish can't get at the city". But, from the end of the 17th century, there was a systematic line of forts along the polders and rivers that could protect the province of Holland (specifically), here shown in purple. To the south there's big rivers leading into an estuary, and then it protects the province from invasion to the east. From about 1870, it was replaced by the orange parts, as well as the brownish line around Amsterdam specifically. The yellow area is from the mid-18th century. It is basically a collection of forts, and a series of locks. Together, these can make it so the coloured areas flood to a depth of 30-60 cm. Too deep for infantry, not deep enough for boats. It protects the capital of Amsterdam (with its important harbour), and the big cities of The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam.

And again, until we developed airplanes and parachutists and airplane bombs and so on, this worked really well.

Now, since I've been rereading the Temeraire books, the drifting off to sleep made me suddenly realise - how would dragon aerial warfare interact with this? Which morphed into a discussion with my partner (who hasn't read the books) about how Dutch dragons would work.

The first thing I'd like to do is point out the size of the Netherlands, compared to the British Isles and to the United States:

In other words, very small. And, very importantly, it used to be even smaller; a lot of the current land was reclaimed from the sea or large lakes between roughly 1650 and 1950. Most of the west of the country is below sea level, and very wet. A fair part of the east of the country isn't very rich soils and thus not great for farming (until chemical fertiliser is invented in the 1900s) (though they did use sheep dung as fertiliser, and they would almost certainly have thought of using dragon dung as well, eventually).

So I propose that actually, the Netherlands probably would have mostly had middle- and lightweights. There just isn't the area to support a large enough population of heavyweights that they aren't all inbred. My partner suggested there is probably one heavyweight breed, and I like that idea. I think that - militarily - the Netherlands would probably have figured out a strategy for using middle-weights against heavy-weights when they are fighting alone, but preferentially use their middle-weights as support in battles when there is a larger coalition, joining whoever is on their side.

However. There may only be middle-weight dragons, there would be a fairly large number of different breeds, with different strengths. You see, unlike the United Kingdom, where England was mostly united by around 900 CE, and then the Normans strengthened that, or France, which has a similar time scale, the Netherlands is a collection of loose duchies and counties and prince-bishoprics and so on, pretty much until the 1550s. The map pictured is from 1670, after a fair amount of the lands have been united into a republic; there would likely have been more divisions before then.

They get united under the dukes of Burgundy, eventually, but even at that time, it is still the Duchy of Brabant and the County of Holland and so on. But until they come together against Spanish rule, the separate parts regularly fight with each other. Which means that each of them would have their own breeds. (Likely, Holland and Zeeland would have very similar dragons, with aquatic adaptations, who get fed on a mixture of fish and meat; the more inland regions would have more "standard" breeds. To outsiders they all look incredibly alike, but if you mention to someone from Guelders that you cannot tell their Zwarte van Gelre apart from the Brabants Blauwtje, they would be so insulted. Can you not tell that theirs is a pure midnight black while the Brabants Blauwtje is blue? However, the breeds are so alike that most of them follow a continuum. Except the Fryske Grutskens, which looks very distinct). This is also where the single heavy-weight breed comes in - I think it would have been Flanders. Flanders is a part of the kingdom of France (rather than the Holy Roman Empire, which is the power the rest of the motley collection belongs to). One of the counts of Flanders probably got a breeding pair of heavy-weights from the king of France; maybe during one of the (many) revolts. These were crossed with the native middle-weights until a new breed of heavy-weights was developed. And finally, purely for my own amusement, William the Silent/William of Orange, who led the 1548 revolution against the Spanish, would have a dragon that is actually orange. No one knows how or why it came out that colour, none of its progenitors was, it just did and he was named for it (the fact that he is Prince of Orange is a bonus).

I also think that the Dutch would be using dragons for shipping, at least within the country. It is efficient and cheap (especially the dragons that grew up having fish as part of their diet), and the Dutch have always been fans of efficient and cheap and trade. And since it's all middle-weights, that is less scary than heavyweight breeds dropping in. I don't think dragons would be used for passenger-work, but loading the big ships, that can't quite reach the harbour? Definitely. And if you have large-ish ships, but only middle-weight dragons, it's probably much easier to ship dragons across the world, so you can also have a dragon when you arrive at your destination.

To bring it back to the idle thought that started this all - the Waterlinie, aka using the water to prevent invasion. My partner and I think it would still have worked, mostly. The Romans start taming the native European breeds, so they probably could cross the Rhine. In our world, the Rhine was the limes, the border, because they can't cross it in large enough numbers; but if they have dragons and the native Germanic tribes don't, then they can. I don't think they'd have been able to hold the land, not for long, and it's not interesting enough to bother anyway. But after that, when the playing field is levelled by everyone having dragons, the water would still be a workable defence. Yes, the aerial forces can come over and wreak havoc - except everyone has dragons now and so they will try to defend it - but the infantry still has trouble crossing the water. And then, when artillery gets developed, it's still the same. You can shoot at the enemy dragons, they can shoot at yours - and the infantry still can't cross the water. I think an enemy (often the French) would try to use dragons against the forts, before they can inundate the land, but that it wouldn't work as well after.

Anyway, here are some rambly thoughts about Dutch dragons in the Temeraire universe. (Sidenote but I can't make heads nor tails of the Dutch names that are used once or twice in the books. They just don't work.)

[hxllfires-gifs]

PAIRING. thomas raggi x fem!reader

SUMMARY. måneskin is competing in eurovision and thomas’ girlfriend surprises him with the help of their friends, to support her lover who thought that she would be staying home because of work.

WORD COUNT. 897

Y/N L/N WALKED around the airport after her flight finally landed and she gathered her luggage. She had flown to Rotterdam in order to surprise her boyfriend Thomas. The grand final of Eurovision was later on and there was a specific time that she needed to meet her friends at the venue. She made plans with Victoria, Ethan, and Damiano to surprise the youngest member but she also wanted to be there to support her friends.

She had a taxi take her to the place and she was met by Victoria who ushered her to the backstage area. She would be sitting in the green room with them once the finals actually started, but for now she was ready to see her partner. The two girls walked for a little longer before the H/C haired girl came to a stop. She could heard Thomas’ voice speaking to Ethan and Damiano most likely.

“What is this surprise?” Thomas asked, a tiny bit annoyed that his friends were trying to keep something from him and would not tell him. He had asked about it like fifty times, yet he still got no straightforward response.

“We will tell you soon, just be patient!” It was the singer who spoke up this time, his voice being louder than he intended. “You are going to love it, that’s all I can say for now.”

Thomas rolled his eyes at the two other males, not wanting to talk about it anymore because of the fact they were so hush hush. He wondered what could be so important but everyone in the band could be a little on the unpredictable side sometimes. Who knows what they had in store for him.

“Stay right there for a second,” Victoria’s words were more quiet so that Thomas was unable to hear. She turned and walked back into the dressing room with a smirk present on her face, not attempting to hide anything from the younger male.

Her slight mischievous energy gained his attention, causing him to focus on Victoria completely. “Why do you look like that? Did you do something you shouldn’t have?” His words held a teasing tone to them.

“Why do you assume I did something?” It wasn’t long before she feigned offense, not able to do it for too long though.

She glanced at Ethan and Damiano, who had the same type of expressions on their faces. It was time for them to reveal the big surprise. The bassist was excited to see how her friend would react. His girlfriend had been working a lot recently and originally thought that she wouldn’t be able to go to Rotterdam, but fate had different plans.

The de Angelis started explaining what she and the other two had been keeping from Thomas. “We are finally ready to tell you about your surprise. You’ve seemed a little…disappointed recently, so we wanted to cheer you up with someone special.”

This was Y/N’s cue to made her presence known so she joined the band in the room and her eyes immediately landed on the guy she loved so much. A look of disbelief had flashed upon his features but it was soon replaced with happiness. Thomas walked over to his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her, feeling tears in his eyes that he tried to keep at bay.

“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t able to come because of work. Are you staying for the finals?” There were so many thoughts in his brain that he almost couldn’t keep up.

Y/N laughed, finding his reaction a little funny but more-so precious. “Yes, I am staying for the finals and afterwards. I’ll go back home with you guys. I honestly thought I wouldn’t but I worked something out with my boss and she let me take a couple of days off. I talked with these three about surprising you and hopped on the first flight here that I could get.”

She rubbed his back once she felt his hands fidgeting, which was a habit that he had picked up because of her. He was the happiest person and it was obvious in that moment. The girl stepped back a bit and it didn’t take long for their eyes to lock with one other’s gaze. He had a couple of tears that escaped, which made Y/N frown for a split second.

She wiped them away before kissing his cheeks. “Angel, I’m here, okay. I came here to support you guys. I could never miss out on something as big as this.”

“I was convinced that I’d have to do this without you, but I’m happy that you’re here now.” Thomas’ confession almost broke the L/N’s heart but she was over the moon that she could be here in person to cheer him on like he and their friends deserved.

“I hate to break up this sweet moment but we have to finish getting ready,” Damiano reminded his band mates.

Y/N placed a hand on her boyfriend’s arm and smiled once more. “I’ll be here all night so go and get ready, rockstar.”

Thomas playfully rolled his eyes but did as she and Damiano said, going to change into his outfit for their performance. It was going to be a crazy night but he felt like it would be ten times better now that Y/N was with him.

[arthiiwille]

Rotterdam-Dordrecht rivalry, 14-17 century.

Rot and Dordt are the classic "New Money versus Old Noble" rivals. Out of Count of Holland's favor, Dordt gained staple privilege over a range of trading goods in the Middle Ages. The exclusiveness of such privilege provoked envy from Delft and Rotterdam. The flood in 1421 ended Dordt's dominance of trade in the area, which gave Rotterdam the necessary space to grow.

Rotterdam's growth continued into the 16th century, especially when Amsterdam fell into stagnation during the Eighty Years War. During the Dutch Republic age, Rotterdam and Dordrecht frequently get into conflict as Dordrecht tries to protect her old privilege. When, in 1618, Dordt tried to extend the staple privilege to French wine, which is the major trading good of Rotterdam, a violent clash between the two towns broke out.

Rotterdam(before 1940)'s design inspired by twi: mi_kan1609

reference

[elenadoeslife]

Is it a specific dutch tradition or a family tradition? I'd love to hear more!

I live in the east, opposite to big cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In my area I've seen many decorated houses, usually with one blow up figure and a banner. I don't know if people do it across the country. My boyfriend's family's from Utrecht (central) and they've never heard about it.

I had to look up what started this tradition in the first place, because I honestly didn't have a clue. It started in the 60s and apparently it's based on the biblical story of Abraham & Sarah. Back in the sixties it used to be a milestone to reach the age of 50. It granted you access to a circle of wise people, "seeing" or "meeting" Abraham (as a man) or Sarah (as a woman). That's the best I can explain it, haha.

My mom's side of the family isn't religious, though. It's always been something we've done around here for as long as I can remember. We celebrate people reaching the age of 50 by displaying blow up figures (usually in the form of Abraham -an elderly man- or Sarah -a grey woman-), along with banners with poems about the person's character, mannerisms and quirks, pictures from them during their lifetime included.

In my aunt's case, there's a blow up pig (her favourite animal), a doll holding a bike with a crate that's filled with mail (she delivers mail) and a Tiroler blow up doll (she loves Austria and Germany) and several banners with pictures and poems about her. There's even more stuff out of frame too, like the Sarah blow up figure.

I hope this answers your question! 😊

Call to all Dutchies 🇳🇱 : do you celebrate this?? @borg-collective @shapeyoursmile (girl, waar is onze hele groep van vroeger gebleven?)

[lunasilvis]

I have this (male) gay friend from Rotterdam, whom - as we mutually agreed to - I'd instantly marry, if it wasn't for both our sexualities polarizing.

He is feminine in all the areas I am not, as I am masculine in all the areas he is not. It's the funniest yin-yang thing. Endless hilarious talks about it, and I think we're just a little in love (a little) (unseriously)

[solarpunkbusiness]

4 solarpunk startups to help the ocean

Dutch startup SEASOGOOD were the first to get fish-free tuna on Albert Heijn’s shelves. 

“We can imitate the tuna structure with soybeans, which under pressure and heat get a fibrous structure that, like tuna, ‘falls apart’ a bit. To imitate the taste of tuna, we take seaweed and algae from the sea. In this way, we add omega-3 fatty acids. Many people think that these nutrients are found naturally in fish, but it is in fish because they eat seaweed and algae. We add the food of the fish so we don’t need the fish.”

2. RanMarine, a company based in Rotterdam, has developed innovative drone technology to combat water pollution. Their specialized aqua drones, including the WasteShark and MegaShark, are designed to combat plastic waste and harmful algal blooms in natural swimming waters.

The WasteShark drones, inspired by the wide mouth of a whale shark, have a large storage capacity and can collect up to five hundred kilograms of floating waste daily. These drones are particularly effective in narrow channels and congested areas, such as harbors and marinas, where plastic waste tends to accumulate

3. Dutch start-up The Great Bubble Barrier, captures plastic before it reaches the ocean. The barrier is composed of a tube with holes that releases air bubbles. The bubble curtain creates an upward current which directs plastic to the surface. By placing the Bubble Barrier diagonally across the river, the natural flow of the water will push the plastic waste to the side and into the catchment system. Operating 24/7, the system does not interfere with fishing and shipping activities.

4. Danish start-up All in One Green also captures plastic before it reaches the ocean – but with a robot instead of a bubble curtain. When co-founder Mads Tranders Nielsen visited Melbourne (Australia), he saw huge amounts of garbage floating from a river straight to the sea. “That idea didn’t leave me and once back home I started working with engineers to design a system that does exactly that.” Nielsen founded start-up All In On Green and developed the SeaProtectorOne: a robot that systematically filters river water.

[fatbirdpics]

Tl;dr an important Dutch bird sanctuary is in danger of closing due to rising costs associated with the avian flu 😱 If you have the resources to donate, link below, otherwise please help by spreading the word 🐤🪺

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/6a6789c7

Details from a friend:

Vogelklas, one of the only remaining Dutch bird sanctuary in its area, is in danger of closing. They have tended to 11,000 birds in the past 12 months and they really need our help to keep their doors open right now. They are taking on more animals than ever since they are one of the only ones left, and there are many extra costs for them as they fight to protect their birds from the birdflu. Please 🙏 consider donating even just a little to this sanctuary so these animals stay safe and healthy, and conservation efforts in the Netherlands can continue. 💙🐦

[mayakern]

I took a sign language course the past few weeks and tonight was graduation night. I wore your black-and-white Hands skirt to it and I got SO MANY COMPLIMENTS on it, and my instructor immediately wanted to know where I got it! So if you suddenly get a bunch of orders from the General Rotterdam (Netherlands) Area then that’s why lmao.

what!! that’s awesome! and congrats on getting through the course!

i’m not sure how many, if any, hands skirts we have left to list but it’ll be back in some form or another at some point next year probably.

[presidentstalkeyes]

Some more OC beeswax I've had on the mind for a while, or half-OC in Dart's case. I know it's common to depict him either the same age as Raz or younger, sometimes making him the next-generation Intern to Adult Raz, but then I thought 'what if he was older?' And then I threw in an unrelated OC and things mentally blew up. :V (This also plays off my earlier headcanons about Dart's power set)

Razputin wasn't the first psychic to be inducted into the Psychonauts at such a young age - Dart beat him to the punch by nearly twenty years. An orphan permitted to become a full-fledged agent on Otto's personal recommendation, he simply wasn't ready and got overconfident during a mission, indirectly causing the execution of several hostages. Horrified, he deserted the agency, dropping off the grid, only resurfacing years later after studying under a sect of psychic monks in the Himalayas that sent him out on his own to meditate and strengthen his connection with the collective unsconscious.

His journey took him to the obscure Central African country of Makanisi (nestled somewhere between Angola, Zambia and the DR Congo), known for two things: once being privately-owned by a Grulovian businessman, and being the site of the world's largest Psitanium deposit outside North America. He took up residence in a cave, banking on the Psitanium enhancing his astral projection powers.

It was here he met Tandi Ngazu, a psychic teenager from the Makanisian capital of Zoltzberg. A martial arts prodigy, Tandi ran away from home after she lost a championship bout and lashed out with her psychic powers, injuring her competitor in front of a huge audience. Dart found her hiding out in the slums while on a rare excursion into town, and reminded of how he was found by Otto as a street urchin in Rotterdam, he agreed to shelter the girl and give her some advanced tutoring - though due to his own relative youth and the fact he was on his own quest for understanding, he was far from confident. He was always a cynical person, and struggled with the whole 'empathy' thing, which in a way made him uniquely suited for 'taming' the collective unconscious without allowing it to affect his own emotional state.

Eventually, after about five years, a civil war broke out in Makanisi. Against Dart's advice, Tandi emerged from her secluded training to aid the rebels - many of whom she personally knew - in their struggle against the corrupt colonial government. She used Dart's training in astral projection to leave her own body while wide awake and completely ignore pain, gather information from people's mindscapes, and channel background psychic residue into physical attacks while far outside her body. She avoided the same fate that befell Lucrecia by staying guarded against outside influence and maintaining her sense of self even when among the Collective Unconscious, a technique mastered by Dart and soon noticed by the Psychonauts who arrived in the country to secure the Psitanium. She ended up joining the agency after Makanisi secured its freedom, but was unable to convince Dart to return with her.

That was all another five years before canon - Tandi is now 26 and has recently graduated to a full-fledged agent, and there's talk of letting her instruct the kids at Whispering Rock in combining out-of-body projection with physical exercise, provided they can work on her patience. Dart is 32 and his whereabouts are currently unknown, though rumour has it he's been sighted around the Questionable Area?, poking around through caves.