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davidstortebeker · 2 years

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After UN Biodiversity Conference: Let's Create Our Own Biodiversity

Last night, at a United Nations summit on biodiversity, called COP15, the majority of the world's nations signed a landmark agreement to protect 30 per cent of the worlds landmass and oceans by 2030. This comes at a time when one million of the roughly eight million known species in the world is threatened by extinction, a rate never seen before in human history. In spite of its sweeping success of reaching an agreement in the first place, there has been considerable criticism whether the goals are realistic to achieve in such a short time frame, or regarding the financial and economic details to implement such a decision.

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What Does It All Mean?

Now you may be jumping of joy that world leaders are actually coming together to save us from ecological disaster, or you may be more cynical, pointing at the myriad of previous such agreements, that were signed but later abandoned, modified, or simply turned out to be less effective than intended. If you ask me, all this doesn't matter too much. It's way more important what each of us does, in our own lives, to help biodiversity. The solutions are in fact ridiculously simple, but here I want to list a few of them again, just in case:

Don't Mow, Don't Rake, or if you must, Don't Do It Everywhere!

Okay, this goes for all those who have conventional lawns and park-like empty areas under their trees. Sure, you may enjoy seeing an expanse of short cropped grass, much like a soccer field or golf course, in front of your home. But is it really THAT necessary? Please keep in mind that not only does your lawn have its own maintenance costs, but it is actually more like a desert for any birds, insects, let alone the multitudes of soil dwelling species, who simply can't find a place to live there. The same goes for the Autumn chores of raking up all the leaves to burn them, or bag them up for someone else to do it. Those leaves would have done amazing work for the soil, starting with protecting it from the frost, providing shelter for creatures, all the way up to turning into nutritious topsoil.

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I'm not saying you shouldn't have a lawn at all, after all it is nice to have a grassy area to kick the ball around. But leaving a few unmowed islands here and there, even tucked away in corners or behind bushes, will make a huge difference for local species. You will see this right away with the increase of butterflies, just by leaving a bit of space where their favorite plants can grow. As for the leaves, again, it's okay if you want to have some leafless areas. But keeping some areas covered with leaves, especially around trees, is bound to make your place more alive with creatures of various types.

Plant Natives in and Around Your Garden!

There is a good reason why certain species are native to an area: they've evolved together with the place and each other, to maintain ecological balance. Each of them has their own series of contributions, which could fill books on each of them. Of course it is best to become familiar with native species, if we are occupying their space after all, but what's more important is letting them thrive and just do their thing. By doing so you will ultimately invite other native species to live with what they are most familiar with.

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This can start as small as a garden bed. Wild flowers and other "weeds" will bring in pollinators that the rest of your garden will also benefit from. These in turn bring in their predators, who will most probably also decimate your "pests" a bit. So everyone will benefit. If you want, you can extend it to bushes or even native tree species. If you go out to your local wilderness, you'll be able to observe these plants in their own habitat, check out who they love to team up with, so you can design your native area accordingly. Or, you could just lean back and let nature take its course. The result should be pretty similar.

Build a Pond!

One of the most certain ways to invite many different creatures to your place is by offering them the one most important thing in life: water! We're all made of water, so this constitutes a need that perhaps surpasses all others. No matter if you're an insect, a bird, a mammal, or a plant, you will need to drink. For this reason, a pond is bound to bring everyone together who gets thirsty, and then some. So building a pond is a great idea. Just make sure to keep some things in mind:

Give good access to all creatures, big and small! Some need a steeper shore, others require a very shallow one. Some prefer to hide between reeds or other plants, others like a sandy beach, still others love to hide between pebbles or sun themselves on larger rocks. Your pond should cater to all!

Make sure the size is right. In the winter you don't want all the water to turn to ice, so having a large volume with a good depth is essential. In the summer evaporation can be an issue, so having a shady part is also pretty important.

Many species will come at free will, but others need to be brought in. There is always a chance that a remote pond in the desert will have fish in it some day... but it's way easier to just introduce them. Make sure they are the right type who will appreciate your pond, and once they've started reproducing, as well as being eaten by others, you can proudly claim you've created fish habitat.

Be Your Own Biodiversity Resolution!

Whether you just leave a small "butterfly patch" in your otherwise close cropped lawn, or if you build a decent pond that migratory birds will start using as a pit-stop, you will have done your part in stepping up to counter our currently ongoing Great Extinction of the Anthropocene. In this case, you can really lean back and celebrate, because no matter what the actual outcome of the COP15 will be, local creatures will have a bit of a sanctuary in your place. And that deserves recognition!

Sources: 1, 2, 3

#biodiversity #permaculture #gardening #ecosystem #nature #habitat #extinction

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continuations · 4 years

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The World After Capital in 64 Theses

Over the weekend I tweeted out a summary of my book The World After Capital in 64 theses. Here they are in one place:

The Industrial Age is 20+ years past its expiration date, following a long decline that started in the 1970s.

Mainstream politicians have propped up the Industrial Age through incremental reforms that are simply pushing out the inevitable collapse.

The lack of a positive vision for what comes after the Industrial Age has created a narrative vacuum exploited by nihilist forces such as Trump and ISIS.

The failure to enact radical changes is based on vastly underestimating the importance of digital technology, which is not simply another set of Industrial Age machines.

Digital technology has two unique characteristics not found in any prior human technology: zero marginal cost and universality of computation.

Our existing approaches to regulation of markets, dissemination of information, education and more are based on the no longer valid assumption of positive marginal cost.

Our beliefs about the role of labor in production and work as a source of purpose are incompatible with the ability of computers to carry out ever more sophisticated computations (and to do so ultimately at zero marginal cost).

Digital technology represents as profound a shift in human capabilities as the invention of agriculture and the discovery of science, each of which resulted in a new age for humanity.

The two prior transitions, from the Forager Age to the Agrarian Age and from the Agrarian Age to the Industrial Age resulted in humanity changing almost everything about how individuals live and societies function, including changes in religion.

Inventing the next age, will require nothing short of changing everything yet again.

We can, if we make the right choices now, set ourselves on a path to the Knowledge Age which will allow humanity to overcome the climate crisis and to broadly enjoy the benefits of automation.

Choosing a path into the future requires understanding the nature of the transition we are facing and coming to terms with what it means to be human.

New technology enlarges the “space of the possible,” which then contains both good and bad outcomes. This has been true starting from the earliest human technology: fire can be used to cook and heat, but also to wage war.

Technological breakthroughs shift the binding constraint. For foraging tribes it was food. For agrarian societies it was arable land. Industrial countries were constrained by how much physical capital (machines, factories, railroads, etc.) they could produce.

Today humanity is no longer constrained by capital, but by attention.

We are facing a crisis of attention. We are not paying enough attention to profound challenges, such as “what is our purpose?” and “how do we overcome the climate crisis?”

Attention is to time as velocity is to speed: attention is what we direct our minds to during a time period. We cannot go back and change what we paid attention to. If we are poorly prepared for a crisis it is because of how we have allocated our attention in the past.

We have enough capital to meet our individual and collective needs, as long as we are clear about the difference between needs and wants.

Our needs can be met despite the population explosion because of the amazing technological progress we have made and because population growth is slowing down everywhere with peak population in sight.

Industrial Age society, however, has intentionally led us down a path of confusing our unlimited wants with our modest needs, as well as specific solutions (e.g. individually owned cars) with needs (e.g. transportation).

The confusion of wants with needs keeps much of our attention trapped in the “job loop”: we work so that we can buy goods and services, which are produced by other people also working.

The job loop was once beneficial, when combined with markets and entrepreneurship, it resulted in much of the innovation that we now take for granted.

Now, however, we can and should apply as much automation as we can muster to free human attention from the “job loop” so that it can participate in the “knowledge loop” instead: learn, create, and share.

Digital technology can be used to vastly accelerate the knowledge loop, as can be seen from early successes, such as Wikipedia and open access scientific publications.

Much of digital technology is being used to hog human attention into systems such as Facebook, Twitter and others that engage in the business of reselling attention, commonly known as advertising. Most of what is advertised is furthering wants and reinforces the job loop.

The success of market-based capitalism is that capital is no longer our binding constraint. But markets cannot be used for allocating attention due to missing prices.

Prices do not and cannot exist for what we most need to pay attention to. Price formation requires supply and demand, which don't exist for finding purpose in life, overcoming the climate crisis, conducting fundamental research, or engineering an asteroid defense.

We must use the capabilities of digital technology so that we can freely allocate human attention.

We can do so by enhancing economic, information, and psychological freedom.

Economic freedom means allowing people to opt out of the job loop by providing them with a universal basic income (UBI).

Informational freedom means empowering people to control computation and thus information access, creation and sharing.

Psychological freedom means developing mindfulness practices that allow people to direct their attention in the face of a myriad distractions.

UBI is affordable today exactly because we have digital technology that allows us to drive down the cost of producing goods and services through automation.

UBI is the cornerstone of a new social contract for the Knowledge Age, much as pensions and health insurance were for the Industrial Age.

Paid jobs are not a source of purpose for humans in and of themselves. Doing something meaningful is. We will never run out of meaningful things to do.

We need one global internet without artificial geographic boundaries or fast and slow lanes for different types of content.

Large systems such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, etc. must be mandated to be fully programmable to diminish their power and permit innovation to take place on top of the capabilities they have created.

In the longrun privacy is incompatible with technological progress. Providing strong privacy assurances can only be accomplished via controlled computation. Innovation will always grow our ability to destroy faster than our ability to build due to entropy.

We must put more effort into protecting individuals from what can happen to them if their data winds up leaked, rather than trying to protect the data at the expense of innovation and transparency.

Our brains evolved in an environment where seeing a cat meant there was a cat. Now the internet can show us an infinity of cats. We can thus be forever distracted.

It is easier for us to form snap judgments and have quick emotional reactions than to engage our critical thinking facilities.

Our attention is readily hijacked by systems designed to exploit these evolutionarily engrained features of our brains.

We can use mindfulness practices, such as conscious breathing or meditation to take back and maintain control of our attention.

As we increase economic, informational and psychological freedom, we also require values that guide our actions and the allocation of our attention.

We should embrace a renewed humanism as the source of our values.

There is an objective basis for humanism. Only humans have developed knowledge in the form of books and works of art that transcend both time and space.

Knowledge is the source of humanity’s great power. And with great power comes great responsibility.

Humans need to support each other in solidarity, irrespective of such differences as gender, race or nationality.

We are all unique, and we should celebrate these differences. They are beautiful and an integral part of our humanity.

Because only humans have the power of knowledge, we are responsible for other species. For example, we are responsible for whales, rather than the other way round.

When we see something that could be improved, we need to have the ability to express that. Individuals, companies and societies that do not allow criticism become stagnant and will ultimately fail.

Beyond criticism, the major mode for improvement is to create new ideas, products and art. Without ongoing innovation, systems become stagnant and start to decay.

We need to believe that problems can be solved, that progress can be achieved. Without optimism we will stop trying, and problems like the climate crisis will go unsolved threatening human extinction.

If we succeed with the transition to the Knowledge Age, we can tackle extraordinary opportunities ahead for humanity, such as restoring wildlife habitats here on earth and exploring space.

We can and should each contribute to leaving the Industrial Age behind and bringing about the Knowledge Age.

We start by developing our own mindfulness practice and helping others do so.

We tackle the climate crisis through activism demanding government regulation, through research into new solutions, and through entrepreneurship deploying working technologies.

We defend democracy from attempts to push towards authoritarian forms of government.

We foster decentralization through supporting localism, building up mutual aid, participating in decentralized systems (crypto and otherwise).

We promote humanism and live in accordance with humanist values.

We recognize that we are on the threshold of both transhumans (augmented humans) and neohumans (robots and artificial intelligences).

We continue on our epic human journey while marveling at (and worrying about) our aloneness in the universe.

We act boldly and with urgency, because humanity’s future depends on a successful transition to the Knowledge Age.

#the world after capital

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pictureamoebae · 5 years

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Hey, I’ve got planet zoo but I suck at building lmao. Do you have any tips on building the zoo layout and enclosures. Thank you :) x

Oh you NEED to take a look at these youtube channels for their excellent tutorials (all of which did extensive tutorials and building projects in Planet Coaster, which uses the same building system, so you can get great tips from those series’ too):

Geekism

Rudi Rennkamel

DeLadysigner

Silvarret

I watched a ton of Geekism’s Planet Coaster tutorials before I started playing that game, and it helped me get an idea of what was possible and how to work with all the building pieces. Planet Zoo is even more creative with the habitats.

A couple of basic tips that come to mind for me:

habitat terraforming: a flat expanse of ground looks boring, so add in caves and hills and ponds even if the animals don’t need them or won’t use them – just keep an eye on the heat maps to check the animals still can get around okay

buildings: don’t just stick with a prebuilt shelter, but create an interesting building or 3 in a habitat, paying attention to leaving space for the animals to get in and out of it (heat maps again), and don’t be afraid to make it big and fancy rather than square and utilitarian

be prepared for building to take a long time

‘bed in’ the feeding stations so they look like a part of the surroundings; as long as you sink them in the ground enough you can add rocks around them, for example, or small stone steps, or whatever – just check the animal can still get to them

group planting together in little focal points rather than plonking random trees down wherever – 3 things together look better than 2 or 4 (our brains like odd numbers and think it looks more organic)

go through the props section of the construction menu for interesting things you can place in habitats as well as in the main visitor areas of the zoo

in terms of zoo layout, leave plenty of space for large guest areas so you can add shopping areas and food courts and so on once you have enough money and demand

create little points of interest, like a sculpture with some planting at an intersection

make sure paths that are going to get lots of traffic are nice and wide because you’ll get some serious flow problems later on otherwise

raise paths up and around the tops of habitat barriers or provide a viewing platform over the top of a habitat to give your guests really nice views and make everything look a little more interesting than just flat paths everywhere; an added bonus of putting raised paths and viewing platforms over habitats is the animals will use them as hard shelter, and you can incorporate them into your building plans

vary the types of barriers, mixing and matching in one habitat if you want

you don’t have to only use barriers for habitats, you can use them wherever you want

As tempting as it is to unlock all the themes, helpful things for mechanics to actually research first are:

power: the wind turbine and solar panels cost 2k each but are free to run so will save you a heap of money in the long run – get them sooner rather than later. Plus guests don’t mind if they are right next to a solar panel, so you have more freedom with placement

the first 2 staff facilities: a larger keeper hut and staff room will help you in terms of both financial and staff efficiency once you get more than 2 or 3 habitats going

barriers: it’s important to keep this on-going if you have enough mechanics because some animals really benefit from the 1-way glass but that’s the very last thing you can research in the barriers section

blueprints are the very last thing I bother to research, because I want to build things myself, but some of the climbing blueprints can be useful at the very least to use as bases from which to add more exciting climbing structures

#planet zoo #planzo #zoo simulation #simulation game #frontier developments #planet zoo tips #planet zoo faq

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enricodandolo · 5 years

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Venusberg (Mass Effect: Andromeda; Rydercest)

Zu Gottes Preis in hoch erhabne Fernen,

blickt auf zum Himmel, blickt auf zu seinen Sternen!

Anbetung solchen Wundern zollt,

da ihr sie nicht begreifen sollt!

Doch was sich der Berührung beuget,

euch Herz und Sinnen nahe liegt,

was sich, aus gleichem Stoff erzeuget,

in weicher Formung an euch schmiegt, -

dem ziemt Genuss in freud'gem Triebe,

und im Genuss nur kenn' ich Liebe!

She awoke some time before her alarm, the bright sunlight uncomfortably hot on her face. They hadn’t bothered to draw the curtains and the tinted windows overlooking downtown Armstrong, though filtering out harmful UV radiation, did little to shield them from visible light. She yawned, drew the somewhat clammy blanket up to her ears, rolled over and nestled closer to her partner, nuzzling up to his shoulder. His skin was hot against hers, his smell comfortingly familiar. The sun warmed her bare back through the blanket.

Sara didn’t have long to enjoy the peace and quiet. No sooner had she made herself comfortable than the omni-tool on her nightstand began blasting out Wagner. Freudig begrüßen wir die edle Halle … Groaning, she stirred, rolled off her partner’s body and grasped blindly for the tool. “Alright, alright,” she muttered, blinded by the pure white sunlight falling into her eyes, “’m awake …” She managed to stop the alarm a dozen measures in, turning the music down to a more reasonable volume. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she sat up in bed, the blanket pooling around her waist, stretched.

Once she had regained the use of her faculties and knew where, when and who she was, she glanced over at the man lying by her side. She could not stop a smile from creeping over her face. He was still fast asleep, all the efforts of Landgrave Hermann notwithstanding, curled up and clinging to the blanket. Sara leant closer. His mouth was very slightly open, his breathing slow and steady. For a moment, she watched him, following the curve of his shoulder blade, the tendons of his neck, the shadowed line of his jaw. She knew every inch of his body as well as her own, but never did she fail to be entranced, nor did her heart ever fail to leap when she saw him like this.

Having stolen this moment from him, she leaned down to kiss him. “Wakey, wakey,” she murmured into his brow. “You don’t wanna sleep in today.” He merely turned away with a groan and clung more tightly to the blanket. Sara rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself.” She strapped on her omni-tool, then got out of bed.

The sprawling suite at the Ritz-Astoria overlooking Tranquillity Base had cost them most of their remaining life savings, not that either of them had had a great deal left. Sara was pretty sure they’d drank the remainder last night, toasting a new future with a 1969 Gevrey-Chambertin. Might as well go for the novelty factor.

She walked over to the window, her bare feet sinking into the thick carpet like heavy boots in the lunar regolith, and turned up the filters to dim the light. Tranquillity Base stuck out like a sore thumb, a domed-over patch of grey dust amidst the urban sprawl of downtown Armstrong. They’d seen the site before, mingling among tourists, Alliance recruits and bored schoolchildren as they looked down unto the prosaic remains of humanity’s first bumbling steps through the plexiglass floor that shielded flags and footprints. Yesterday, the place had been full of vaguely familiar faces, everywhere they’d looked had been the Initiative’s logo—excited would-be pioneers bathing in historicism. They’d glanced at each other. “Let’s get out of here.” They hadn’t actually gotten to see what they’d come for, but that was fine.

Humming along to the music from her ‘tool, Sara moved into the bathroom, all gold and marble shipped from Earth and larger than her old flat on Arcturus. She had neglected to clean up after they had made love yesterday and was in dire need of a shower. She took her time, enjoying the hot steam and the rivulets of scalding water lashing her skin before dripping to the marble floor with that peculiar dancelike languor that seemed to define all movement in lunar gravity. Going by the projections, it sounded like it might be the last hot shower she’d have for quite some time. Just another point she hadn’t considered when agreeing to this foolhardy endeavour. The hotel shampoo smelled of citrus and Thessian spices; for a moment she considered pocketing it before remembering there was no point.

She exited the shower, dried her hair and set about the rest of her morning routine, making liberal use of the hotel toiletries and humming along to the music from her omni-tool all the while. When she exited the bathroom, she found her lover still fast asleep. Sara stilled in the doorway, taking a moment to watch him, smile on her lips. Typical. She couldn’t have pretended to be surprised, even on a day like this. At other times, she might have slipped back into bed to hold him, cherishing the rare opportunity to enjoy more than fleeting intimacy.

Instead, she rolled one of her wet towels up in a ball and hurled it at him.

Scott’s curse was muffled by drowsiness, but he bolted upright and tangled with the towel as though it had attempted to strangle him. Finally he freed himself and glared at her as best he could from half-lidded eyes. “Time to get up, sleepyhead,” she told him, smirking. “Shower’s free.”

“Could’ve just told me …” her brother grumbled and dragged himself out of bed. “No need to assault me.”

“You sleep any longer and we’re likely to miss our ride. Come on, little brother.” She caught him by the wrist as he shuffled past her towards the bathroom and leaned in to kiss him. “Good morning. You smell like shit, go shower.”

“Join me?”

“Mmhm. Next time.”

While Scott was in the bathroom, Sara got dressed in her Initiative uniform, still ill-fitting and smelling of plastics. Say what you liked about the Alliance; her navy blues had felt like a second skin. She doubted she’d ever be as comfortable in the white-and-red gear of the Pathfinder team. Just gotta sit it out, she told herself, the way they’d planned. Once things got settled in Andromeda, they’d have all the time in the world.

The clothes she’d worn yesterday (as well as the racy new lingerie she hadn’t), she folded up and left on the bedroom dresser with a note asking for the hotel staff to donate them to charity. She’d already checked in all the personal effects she’d take with her: a few changes of civilian clothes, a replica of the first Prothean potsherd she’d helped dig up, a broach that had belonged to mum, an OSD with recordings and various memories, and of course her violin in a vacuum-sealed case she’d been ensured would keep the wood from warping for at least six centuries. That last item had kinda put a limit on what else she could bring, honestly, but she wasn’t about to give up on her music.

That had been one of her conditions. She’d had a lot of those. Sara remembered that evening on the Citadel, at a Zakera Ward sushi restaurant, quite well. Neither of them had had any idea as to why they’d been ordered to attend (dad never asked) and they’d both expected the worst. Neither of them had expected a sales pitch. Start a new life in Andromeda. She had seen the rapture in Scott’s eyes as he listened to their dad and it had scared her.

They’d met up on the Presidium the next day, just her and Scott. When she saw him, she knew he’d been sold, and she hated—well, whom exactly? Him, never. Herself, their dad, the entire fucking universe? But she’d ground her teeth and argued and, in the end, relented. He’d looked as miserable as she’d felt.

By the time Scott left the bathroom, she was lounging on the couch, tapping her foot along to the music. She watched (well, leered) him scrounge up his clothes. “You want to have breakfast?” she tried, half-heartedly. “We could order room service.”

“They said not to eat anything before departure, remember?” Well, there went that idea.

She said nothing else for a while, not until her brother had finished dressing. He actually looked handsome in that cheap-ass plastic uniform, damn him. He regarded her as he zipped up his jacket, worry plain in his face. “You still having doubts about this?”

“I’m rather amazed that you aren’t.”

Scott sighed and shook his head. They’d had this conversation before, too many times. Then, he walked over to her and took her hands. “It’s not too late to back out,” he reminded her, gentle as ever. To him, it would never be too late, not until they actually locked him in his cryo pod.

She smiled at that. “It’s fine. I’ve made my choice.” Truth be told, she’d made it that day on the Presidium. They’d come into this galaxy together, after all. She wasn’t about to let Scott outlive her by six hundred years. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you when this whole Initiative turns out to be a massive Ponzi scheme, though. Half the people on those arks are rich idiots with more money than sense, and Garson’s all too eager to have them carve out her own kingdom.”

“You’re such a cynic.” Scott chuckled. “Look, no one is saying this will go off without a hitch. It’ll be hard work, but in the end, it’ll be worth it, trust me. This is our chance. The moment things settle down over there, we’ll be free to go wherever we like. We’ll have a whole new galaxy to explore. None of this old shit holding us back anymore.”

How often had he painted that picture for her? The details differed—now a cabin in the mountains of Habitat 4, then a ship of their own charting the course beyond Heleus, then a beachfront villa on Habitat 7—but always, always, always they were together. The more excited he got, the less she wanted to object. We won’t be alone. Dad will be there. Nothing will change. They would still have to hide, as they had their entire lives.

She couldn’t blame Scott for wanting to try something, anything, to change that.

Anything she might have said stuck in her throat, so she kissed him. “I’ve really enjoyed these past two months,” she told him. “Thank you for that.” They had spent the weeks leading up to the arks’ departure together, longer than they’d ever had to themselves but always paranoid about being found out. As far as dad was concerned, they’d taken each other to some of their favourite places on Earth, one last pilgrimage before they left home forever.

Each had made three choices and agreed to humour the other’s: for Scott, they’d raved in Chennai nightclubs, gotten front-row seats to a Seattle Sorcerers game, and seen the aurora australis from the Transantarctic Mountains. For her, they’d gone hiking in the Hindukush, scouring the Vatican Museums, and she’d gotten her hands on two tickets for Tristan und Isolde at the Bayreuth Festival. For that last one, Scott had even refrained from making any snide comments about the music, though she had found him asleep when she tried to hold his hand in the darkness of the Festspielhaus. O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe. Still, they’d walked down the festival hill hand in hand, her usual caution dead in the dark of night, and clung to one another until hateful break of day.

“You’re scared,” Scott said, quietly.

Scared? Perhaps she was, at that. She wasn’t worried that the cryostasis would fail, or that Garson and her stooges would dump them all overboard the moment they’d gone to sleep. She wasn’t even scared of leaving behind everything she’d ever known for an uncertain future. “I want this to be our future,” she told her brother. “Not something dad chose for us. Not something we just fell into because it was the path of least resistance. That whole pathfinder thing, the AI, those fucking implants … every step just makes me feel more like a puppet. This whole Andromeda thing is supposed to be about freedom, a fresh start. How do you see us ever getting our fresh start if we’re dragging all our baggage with us from the Milky Way?”

“I don’t know, frankly. But I know it’ll be better than this. New galaxy, new rules, right?”

“Dad’s going to kill us when he finds out.”

“Fuck dad. Fuck all of them.” The outburst took her aback. She wasn’t used to Scott losing his cool. “This is us. No one else gets a say in this. No one.” He paused. A fire had lit up in his eyes. When he continued, his voice was gentle once more. “I love you, Sara. You want to stay, I’ll stay with you. But I’m sick and tired of hiding all the time. Whether here or in Andromeda, it’s high time for us to come out and face the music. And we’re gonna do it together.”

It was a well-practised speech, one she had heard before many times, in many different forms. Sometimes, it had moved her to tears, other times she had laughed it off. Now, she could not but wonder. She tried to imagine the two of them standing in front of their father—no, no, not that. Much better not to dwell on that. Think rather of what would come after (assuming they survived). That log cabin on Habitat 4, those white beaches on Habitat 7, but always: Scott, Scott, Scott, and her always by his side, the way it should be. Waking up together (ish) every morning, going to sleep together (ish) every night, all the things they could never have in the Milky Way.

Children? Why the hell not? It wasn’t as though they wouldn’t have genetic engineers in Andromeda. In fact, the Initiative had insisted on administering additional gene therapy to the Pathfinder teams along their AI implants, in addition to that they had received in-utero and in the Alliance. Little Scotts and little Saras, born into a new world their parents had forged for them … She glanced at her sweet, brash fool of a twin, heart melting. Well, maybe that would be something to consider, at least when they were a bit older and things in Andromeda had settled down.

“Scott?” she asked, softly, cupping his cheeks in her hands. “Promise me this, okay?”

“Anything,” he responded at once, then added, in pretend hesitation. “This isn’t gonna be like our 14th—”

She had to laugh. “No, you dork. Come on, I’m trying to have a heartfelt moment here, alright?”

Scott smiled up at her, laid a warm, tender hand upon hers. “Alright. Shoot.”

“Promise me we’ll always be together.”

“Always. I promise.”

It was never supposed to be like this.

She hides her thoughts, her feelings, from the spy inside her brain, the voice that will not shut up. “You promised,” she whispers, voice choked as she holds her twin’s hand. She wants to bed her head on his chest, hear his heartbeat, but there are always people watching. She wants to kiss her prince awake or share in his slumber, wants to feel him once again, but it is always watching. She wants to spend eternity by his bedside, but she cannot shirk her duties. Lives depend on her—their future depends on her. “You promised …”

She lets go off his hand, dries her tears, and shoulders her violin. She can do this for him, at least, she tells herself, as if he’d care. This is for her. Something from Tannhäuser, perhaps. Yes, that’ll do nicely.

Dir, Göttin der Liebe, soll mein Lied ertönen, gesungen laut sei jetzt dein Preis von mir! Dein süßer Reiz ist Quelle alles Schönen, und jedes holde Wunder stammt von dir! Wer dich mit Glut in seine Arme geschlossen, was Liebe ist, kennt der, nur der allein! Armsel'ge, die ihr Liebe nie genossen, zieht hin! Zieht in den Berg der Venus ein!

#mass effect #mass effect andromeda #mea #sara ryder #scott ryder #richard wagner #tannhäuser #*looks up at tags* .... huh #rydercest #fanfic

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tenroseforeverandever · 5 years

Text

The Perfect Blend Chapter 2

Characters: Tenth Doctor (aka James Noble); Rose Tyler; Clara Oswald; Amy Pond; Jeanne Poisson; Donna Noble; Sylvia Noble; Wilfred Mott

Tags: Human AU; fake relationship AU; coffee shop AU; stalkerish!Reinette; hurt/comfort; angst; romance; fluff; Christmas; New Year; New Year’s kiss

Story Summary:

Trying to escape from an predatory ex-girlfriend who will not accept their break-up, James Noble (aka The Doctor) finds himself in a coffee shop where he meets a barista (aka Rose Tyler) who makes him the perfect cup of tea and lends a sympathetic ear to his tale of woe.

Chapter Summary: James successfully manages to avoid Jeanne in the days leading up to Christmas, but when he arrives at his family’s home for Christmas dinner, as surprise awaits him.

Chapter Notes: My love for my betas knows no bounds. @rose--nebula and mrsbertucci, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy holiday schedule to help me make this chapter better.

In addition, this chapter needed a wee bit of help from my fantastic French-speaking Fangirls… just to make things sound more natural: @melusine0811 kindly read over this story and gave me some brilliant suggestions; and @elialys also gave me some advice through the grapevine. Merci, mes chéries!

Finally, many thanks to a bunch of the Fangirls for brainstorming with me! I am surrounded by brilliant women!

Read also at: AO3; Tsp; FF

CHAPTER 2

James was unreasonably proud of himself. Somehow over the last few days, he had managed to avoid Jeanne almost completely. Weeell, after all, he was a genius and one of the hallmarks of a genius was being able to think outside the proverbial box. In order to avoid run-ins with his rapacious ex-girlfriend, he had determined he simply needed to be outside his box.

In short, he needed to be where he was least expected to be.

James Noble had gone Christmas shopping.

As much as he hated navigating the throngs of humanity and the capitalist over-commercialization that was an unfortunate feature of the Christmas season in the 21st Century, shopping not only hid him from Jeanne Poisson, but it meant that his family would actually receive proper gifts from him this year, and not just ‘gifts-in-kind’.

Aunt Sylvia had not been impressed with his in-kind gift of the previous year, improvements to her old blender. Although to be honest, he couldn’t really blame her. It had leaped off the counter, spewing her (disgusting) pea soup everywhere and nearly taking Donna’s toes off when the blades, in a bid for freedom, had rushed across the kitchen floor and torn through her slippers. This year, Aunt Sylvia would receive a brand new, state-of-the-art blender (completely unimproved by him), and Donna was getting a new pair of steel-toed slippers (extensively improved by him) as an extra precaution against rogue blenders, and with the added benefit of protecting his cousin from stubbing her toes.

Gramps was the only one in the family who truly appreciated James’ attempts at tinkering, but this year, instead of making him a cobbled-together gadget, James had bought him an ultra-high-tech, backyard telescope. No tinkering required. His old spyglass had taken a beating over the years, and while James had (mostly) managed to repair (and enhance) it multiple times, there was no doubt it needed replacing. James saw it as his familial duty to provide the dear old man with a means to escape the constant harping from his daughter and get lost among the stars whenever he needed to.

On James’ first day of hiding, after responding tersely to a text message from Jeanne, hoping she would finally cotton-on to the idea that he was no longer interested in pursuing any sort of relationship with her, he had gone into tech-silent mode, keeping his phone turned off, and only occasionally responding to emails from his Grandad and Donna.

Despite trying hard to stay hidden in plain sight, James had still managed to find time to return to his usual habitat, working in his lab (improving Donna’s slippers, among other things,) but he had always slunk in by the service hallways, after hours, and made very sure that no one had seen him coming or going. He even slept on the sofa in his office at the back of the lab to avoid detection.

All in all, he had had a rather productive few days.

He had only two regrets: one, that he hadn’t had the guts to confront Jeanne in person; and, two, that he had also been too cowardly to return to Pete’s Coffee Dimension, even though there had been plenty of times over the days of his seclusion that a good cuppa (and a smile from the pretty barista) would have gone down a treat.

That was him, though: a coward every time.

His mind had been drawn to the girl from the coffee shop more times than he would like to admit. But despite the lovely blonde barista’s friendly demeanor, he was quite certain she would never want to see him again, after the way he had practically vomited his tale of woe at her. He was frankly embarrassed by the entire event, despite how much better he’d felt having had someone to share his frustrations with. It had not been the best first impression, all told. She must have thought he was nothing short of a spineless catastrophe.

She wouldn’t have been wrong.

Not that it mattered. He was not interested in getting involved with any girl at the moment, no matter how kind and smart and lovely she was. He was still reeling from his experiences with Jeanne, and he’d be doing the barista a favour by not getting to know her any better. With his emotions running high at the time, he hadn’t even bothered to find out her name. Clearly, he was utterly useless at initiating (never mind maintaining) a healthy, romantic relationship with any woman.

And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about her: how easy she was to talk to; how her bright, brown eyes had gazed at him with compassion and understanding; and in that brief moment, when she had covered his hand with hers, he’d felt as though her soul had touched his.

But then she’d withdrawn her hand, and there’d been a moment of emptiness and awkwardness before he’d resumed telling her about his early infatuation with Jeanne. But she’d still listened to him and it seemed she’d understood him in a way no one else had ever been able to.

… It felt like she could read into my soul and see how lonely I was… The memory of the words he had spoken to her about Jeanne’s effect on him flared in his mind.

He bolted upright from his place on the lab office sofa, mental alarms thrashing against the inside of his skull. It was all so frighteningly familiar, the draw he had to the barista. He couldn’t allow himself to be sucked into another toxic, infatuation-driven relationship. No, he would stay away from Pete’s Coffee Dimension and the pretty barista at all costs.

He dragged a hand through his hair and glanced at the clock on the wall. Eleven o’clock in the morning. December 25th. He hauled himself off the sofa. He needed to get back to his flat for a proper shower and some fresh clothes before heading over to his family for Christmas tea.

A few hours later, he was staggering up the front walk of his family home under the weight of several brightly wrapped parcels and a pretty Christmas bouquet he had picked up for Aunt Sylvia. He was under no illusion that she would be furious at him for his unnotified disappearance over the last few days and would be hell-bent on making his life miserable while he was trapped under her roof. He understood it was just her rather unique way of showing how much she cared but he still hoped the flowers (and the new blender) would help to blunt her sharp tongue a little.

The front door flew open just as he was juggling his packages so he could reach the doorbell. “Oh, you owe me big time, Space-dunce,” Donna snapped, standing before him, red hair crackling around her face, hands on her hips. “I’ve had to entertain that psychopath all day.”

“Happy Christmas to you too, Donna.” He offered his cousin a bemused, sarcastic smile as he tried to sort out what she’d meant by her strange declaration.

Aunt Sylvia’s severe face appeared in the doorway from behind Donna’s left shoulder. “Oh, he’s bothered to show up, has he? After days of us not knowing where he was, bearing actual gifts, no less. No doubt they’ll all kill us in our sleep.”

“Oi!” James shifted his weight to balance the pile of gifts more effectively, “they will not kill you or even maim you. And I’m sorry about my radio silence, but I was trying to avoid–”

“Mon cheri! James! T’es arrivé!”

“–Jeanne…” He blinked in disbelief at the face that appeared over Donna’s other shoulder. (Presumably Donna’s aforementioned psychopath.)

“Oh, and you brought to me des fleurs,” she exclaimed, pushing past Donna and plucking the bouquet off the top of his pile. “They are magnifique! Merci!”

“Wait! No! Urrrrghh…”

“Oh, they are lovely!” Sylvia remarked. “It would be nice if someone brought me flowers once in a while…” She shot James a pointed look.

“But… I… urrrrghh…”

“Oh, I have missed you so much, James!” Jeanne leaned over the top of the gifts and planted her mouth over James’ in an impassioned kiss. He recoiled and sputtered as she finally broke away, desperate to wipe the taste of her from his lips.

“How about we let him come in?” Sylvia suggested. “Come dear,” she led Jeanne away, “let’s put these flowers in some water, shall we? James, hurry up, then!”

Jeanne tossed James a coy smile over her shoulder as she disappeared into the house with Sylvia, her eyes smoldering. “See you soon, mon cheri. I cannot wait to get my hands on you properly…”

Donna fixed him with a rather frightening gleam in her eye, then leaned toward him, jostling the packages in his arms, nearly causing him to drop them. As she wiped Jeanne’s lipstick from the side of his mouth with her thumb, she whispered in his ear, “Great. Outer space. Dunce.”

“But…”

“Oh, just get in here,” she hissed, “you bloody idiot! Gramps is waiting for you!”

“I am trying, but someone seems to be blocking my way.” He made a show of shoving past her, down the hallway and into the lounge. “You gonna help me, or what?” he called back to her.

“There he is! There’s our boy!” Gramps stood up from his armchair next to the fireplace, arms outstretched, to greet James. He was wearing two mismatched sets of reindeer antler headbands.

“Thought you’d be happy, Dad, now that he’s here,” Sylvia snarked, coming into the room from the kitchen with a vase full of flowers and Jeanne in tow.

“Too right, I am!”

“James, you should have heard him moaning, wondering when you’d turn up.” She rolled her eyes and glanced over at her father, who was helping divest James of some of his parcels. She huffed, “And, Dad, would you take those bloody things off your head?”

“No, I shan’t! It’s Christmas.”

“And maybe put on some nicer clothes. Honestly! We have company; you’d think you could dress up a bit.”

James opened his mouth, ready to leap to his Grandad’s defense, but the old man beat him to it. He straightened up from where he was stuffing one of James’ gifts under the tree and fixed his gaze on Sylvia. “Well, this is my house, young lady, and the company,” he nodded toward Jeanne, “will have to be content with me dressed as I am. It’s Christmas and I’m comfortable. So there!”

James glanced at Jeanne who was observing Gramps with a critical eye. “Oui,” she conceded in her typical condescending tone, “it is your home, I suppose. Of course, you can wear what you like.”

James glared at her as she pursed her lips in distaste and felt his heart wrench when he saw the hurt on his dear Gramps’ face at her contempt. “Quite right too!” James declared, smiling fondly at Gramps as the older man took another armload of gifts from him. He was wearing his traditional Christmas berry-red cardigan over a checked, red and green shirt, and his usual brown trousers. The outfit was a bit shabby, but familiar and comfortable, a Christmas day staple.

“Oh, I should say,” Donna piped up, entering the room and taking the last of the gifts from James. “Christmas is supposed to be about family and giving and tradition, yeah, and anyone who thinks otherwise can stuff it.”

Jeanne gasped and uttered a French oath under her breath, and Sylvia barked, “Donna Noble!”

Gramps mollified Donna, “Oh, sweetheart, that’s enough. Nothing to get fussed about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

“Their wrong opinion…” Donna grumbled just loud enough for James to hear.

“Let’s all just try to get along, yeah. How about we open some pressies and open a bottle of Christmas cheer?”

James took the opportunity to pull a Santa hat from the deep pockets of his coat. He arranged it on his head with a broad (if forced) grin. “Sounds perfect! I’ll be Santa, then, shall I?”

He looked pointedly at Donna, who grudgingly got the message. “And I’ll be barkeep!”

“Try not to poison Aunt Sylvia or Jeanne, hmmm?” James muttered privately to her.

“Oh, I’ll let Mum live… this year. That French bint, though… no guarantees. And let’s face it, it would solve any number of problems.”

James choked back a chuckle and situated himself on the floor by the unusually posh-looking Christmas tree.

“A fine plan,” Jeanne sniffed as she promenaded toward the sofa. There she stopped and swept off one of the seats with a disdainful hand, before perching herself coquettishly on the edge.

James had to bite his tongue to keep himself from scolding the blonde upstart and a low rumble emanated from Donna.

“James, come ‘ere and sit with me,” Jeanne demanded, patting the cushion beside her. “I’ve been so lonely without you by my side, and it’s unseemly to sit on the floor like that.”

“No thanks,” he replied with a forced smile, “I’m fine right where I am.”

“You are playing (… ‘ow you say?) ‘ard-to-get, comme d’hab. T’es filou!” she simpered, making James feel as though he might vomit. He had just opened his mouth to contradict her, when she spoke again in an imperious tone to Donna. “And I will have a Kir Royale.”

Donna’s eyes narrowed, shooting daggers at Jeanne. “Oh, I’ll just go fetch the champagne and Cassis, then, shall I?” Sarcasm dripped from her words. “It should be right next to the caviar and quails’ eggs. Try again, Blondie.”

“I’ll have a martini, Donna,” Sylvia quickly interjected, her gaze darting between the two fiery young women. “You know how I like it.”

“Oh, I suppose, if you do not ‘ave the Cassis, a martini could be refreshing,” Jeanne conceded. “Very dry. Shaken, not stirred, with two small olives, exactement. And don’t use one of those ‘orrible wooden picks. They change the flavour of the drink. Plastic only for me.”

“I’ll give you a wooden pick, right through the heart,” James heard Donna mumble as she turned to the sideboard to mix the drinks, and he stifled another laugh. “Gramps, a scotch, neat, for you?”

“Right you are, my darling!”

“What about you, Spaceman?”

“I’ll just grab a beer from the fridge,” he said, jumping up and moving to the kitchen. “Want one?”

“Yeah, please.”

As he cracked the two bottles open, he asked, “Glass?”

“Nah, the bottle’s fine, ta!” Donna’s response elicited a pair of identical haughty sighs from Jeanne and Sylvia. James and Donna smirked at each other when he reappeared from the kitchen, and they clinked their bottles together in triumph.

“Right then! Time for presents!” James returned to his place by the tree, took a swig from his bottle, and adjusting his Santa hat, pulled a present toward him. “Aunt Sylvia! This one’s for you!”

James was living his worst nightmare, trapped in the same house as Jeanne, who believed he was still her boyfriend, and Aunt Sylvia, who was determined to make it so. Jeanne had pouted once the gifts were all opened that she’d received no present from him, but (in her clearly delusional state) had concluded that he intended to give her something privately, later. “Une bague, peut-être?” she had teased with a cheeky conspiratorial wink. “Quel allumeur!”

Donna had groaned in response. James was sure he’d caught the words “stupid bitch” from under her breath as she rolled her eyes aggressively. He was in full agreement with the sentiment. A ring? Seriously? He could not fathom under what circumstances Jeanne could ever suspect he would be planning on asking for her hand in marriage.

Tea was (impossibly) even more excruciating than the gift exchange had been, filled with many failed attempts at awkward conversation and Jeanne playing footsie with James under the table, her silk-stockinged foot, creeping up the right leg of his trousers. He eventually resorted to squirming into a cross-legged position, which resulted in his knees hanging over the edge of his chair, his left one continually poking Donna, who shot him murderous glances from the corners of her eyes. The only bright spots throughout the entire meal were that Jeanne had brought a rather superior wine to the table, so there was no complaining from her about the quality of the drink, and that Aunt Sylvia had truly outdone herself with a sumptuous meal.

James frowned. When he thought about it, Aunt Sylvia had outdone herself in many ways this year. Looking around the house, he noticed that the Christmas décor had been transformed from the usual naff but homey selection. The posh-looking, designer-decorated Christmas tree sported none of the usual cherished ornaments from his childhood; the staircase and mantel were festooned with garland matching the tree; and there were numerous other, similar changes throughout the house, some subtle, some grandiose, all of them impersonal. She was trying to impress someone, and James had a sinking feeling that someone was Jeanne Poisson.

He was jostled from his musings by Aunt Sylvia’s voice from the end of the table, “…the University’s New Year’s Gala. What do you plan to wear, Jeanne? Not that it matters. You’ll look so beautiful on James’ arm, no matter what.”

“No, she will not!” James blurted.

“How could she not? Look at her. Lovely.”

“I don’t think anyone is denying that she’s beautiful, Aunt Sylvia. But she will not be beautiful on my arm. She will not be attending the Gala with me!” He felt his cheeks flush, and from the heat of his ears, he knew they must have been burning red. But even though it had been embarrassing, his outburst had at least been cathartic, and he no longer felt quite so cowardly. The words were out there for everyone to hear, and they just seemed to keep coming. “You are no longer my girlfriend, Jeanne. You haven’t been for a very long time. I do not love you. I don’t know how many other ways I can convince you. Why do you think I didn’t get you a gift? Why do you think I didn’t want to see you the minute you got into town? Why do you think I’ve been basically ghosting you? Hmmm?”

“Oh, such nonsense!” Sylvia retorted. “Don’t be so stupid, James. Of course, she’s your girlfriend, and you’ll be taking her to the gala.”

“I will not!”

“Oh my God, Mum!” Donna shouted.

“Oh, don’t worry, Donna,” Jeanne said. “’E likes to play these little games. ‘E knows, deep inside, we are perfect for one another, don’t you, James?”

Donna sputtered.

James was dumbfounded. He sat looking across the table at Jeanne, his mouth opening and closing stupidly, trying to find the words to express the turmoil of emotion inside him.

Donna elbowed him in the ribs. “Say something, Dumbo,” she gritted out. “Anything!”

The silence clamoured in his ears as all eyes turned on him, and he looked at everyone in turn, lastly at his Grandad who offered him a silent, sympathetic gaze.

“I cannot take you to the gala, Jeanne.”

"N'importe quoi! Mais pourquoi pas?"

Everyone’s gaze was fastened on him, anticipating his response.

“Erm… erm…” he stammered.

“Well?”

“I already have a date.” The words (pure fiction) spewed from his mouth, bypassing his brain entirely. “My girlfriend. I’m taking my girlfriend.”

The silence crashed down around him again, for several long, strained breaths.

“Well, right then…” Gramps stood up suddenly, pushing his chair back. “I’ll be up on the hill, assembling my new telescope, if anyone should need me.” He nodded significantly at James. Then, he retreated at an unreasonable speed for a man of his age, gathering up his parcels and throwing on his coat and hat. Within seconds, the slam of the back door resounded through the house.

And, all around James, there erupted a barrage of astonished cries and screeches of anger.

#ten x rose #human au #fake dating #coffee shop #stalkerish ex #romance #hurt/comfort #fluff #angst #christmas #new year #new year's kiss #tenroseforeverandever's fic

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feministdragon · 6 years

Text

People need trees

KUO: The way I got into the research on the effects of the natural environments on people was I was interested in the dark side of the environment. I was interested in how violent or dangerous or, you know, bad urban environments had detrimental effects on people. And I only got into this by accident, and then I only came up with this view of the effects of nature through the data. So I have been kind of dragged (laughter) - I have been dragged into this all the way kicking and screaming. I did not have that view of people that I set out to test. I came upon that view because I was trying to make sense of what the findings have been.

VEDANTAM: I'm glad you said that because, you know, this idea that people need greenery or that greenery is essential to, you know, human satisfaction, well-being, thriving - you know, when I first heard that, I sort of said, you know, that sounds like a really feel-good idea that I could, you know, hear on a New Age...

KUO: (Laughter).

VEDANTAM: ...Magazine.

KUO: Right.

VEDANTAM: I find it appealing that, in some ways, you were a skeptic yourself - that, for a long time, you found this idea to be sort of squishy.

KUO: Yeah. I think, like a lot of people, I thought of the environment as, you know, trees, grass, gardens, flowers. I thought of that as kind of a nice amenity, you know? They're not functional (laughter), right? They're not what we need. And so it's only when you look at the patterns of what people are like with more and less access to nature that you start to see this pattern - where, gosh, you know, we see the same thing in humans that we see in zoo and lab animals, which is the wonderful quote from E.O. Wilson - is that organisms, when housed in unfit habitats, undergo social, psychological and physical breakdown.

And we are seeing precisely that in people. So when you have people who are - who have a certain amount of access to nature and then you give them a bit more, you see better social functioning. You see better psychological functioning and better physical health.

VEDANTAM: In some ways, this argument is saying that humans today - or many humans today - are living in the kind of conditions that we used to keep zoo animals in 50 years ago.

KUO: I mean, obviously, we are doing better by a lot of humans than most zoo animals did in the old days. But I think we are, to some extent, housing Homo sapiens with that same functional view that, OK, well, as long as they have shelter, water, food, safety, you know, that's pretty good. That should do it, right? And then anything else beyond that is sort of a plus and it's nice. It's yummy (laughter). But it's not - it's not important.

VEDANTAM: I want to take you methodically through some of the empirical evidence that persuaded you that this was more than just a feel-good theory. And I'm wondering if we could start with the studies that you and others have conducted in Chicago. Walk me through this research starting with the study that you conducted at the Robert Taylor Homes.

KUO: Sure. So Robert Taylor Homes is a - or was a series of 16 10-story buildings sort of along a particular corridor in Chicago. And they were originally designed with greenery all around them. But over time, as you can imagine, if you have a ton of kids...

(SOUNDBITE OF CHILDREN LAUGHING)

KUO: ...Running around in a courtyard space - you don't have much money for maintenance - if it rains, they get mud everywhere, and the grass gets trampled, and it very quickly tends to die. And so there are very few cases in which the building managers didn't end up just paving over what used to be grassy areas. And so if you pave over those areas, you take the trees out, then you just have asphalt. So we had this beautiful kind of experiment where people are randomly assigned to different buildings that are identical. And some of those buildings have a bit of trees and grass around them, and some of them don't. And we just went about studying what the outcomes were in those different buildings.

VEDANTAM: And what did you find?

KUO: Well, we looked at a bunch of things, but I think the sort of short answer is we found - (laughter) we found social breakdown in buildings without trees and grass around them. That is to say, when we asked people did they know their neighbors, did they speak to their neighbors, do they know them on first-name basis, could they rely on their neighbors for, you know, for a favor, to take care of their kids if they had an emergency, then the people in the buildings with a bit of greenery were much more likely to say yes. We also found that the folks who are in the less green buildings are reporting more aggressive behaviors.

And, of course, we had reasons to think this might be the case according to theories. So there's this attention restoration theory, which says that when people are - don't have access to nature, they're going to be more mentally fatigued. So when you're mentally fatigued, you're also less good at handling difficult social situations. And so we thought, OK, if nature is helpful for rejuvenating people from mental fatigue, then folks in buildings who don't have any access to nature are going to be that much more fatigued and that much more irritable and that much more difficulty handling conflict in a productive way. And what's - of course, when we got these findings, we were kind of like whoa, you know. I mean, I know the theory predicts this, but I didn't think we'd actually get it.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

KUO: And so I did a follow-up involving Chicago Police Department crime statistics. They were very good about giving us two years' worth of crime statistics from another development. We wanted to see if this general effect showed up in other Chicago public housing developments. So we looked at a low-rise one instead of high-rise, and we see the same pattern in police records of crime.

VEDANTAM: So it can't just be that people living in closer proximity to trees maybe have rosier memories of their interactions with others. In fact, you know, hypothetically, you're seeing maybe the same amount of disagreement and conflict, but people are just remembering it differently.

KUO: Right.

VEDANTAM: You're saying the police records, in some ways, provide an objective measure that there actually is less conflict in these buildings.

KUO: Right. Right. Exactly.

VEDANTAM: So I'm wondering about other confounding things in the study. I mean, is it possible that apartment buildings with more green space had different numbers of people living in them? You know, I know the buildings themselves were identical, but is it possible there were fewer people for some reason living in the greener buildings and what you're measuring is really related to crowding and not related to green space?

KUO: Good question. But as you remember, those were the variables I cared about (laughter) right? So I wondered about is there more noise, or was there more crowding? What else is going on in these buildings? And so because I was interested, I made sure to measure all of those things. And it turns out that those did not explain the relationship. So let's just take crowding as an example. If there was crowding, then it didn't fit the pattern that the violence fit, or it didn't fit the pattern of the green space, or both.

VEDANTAM: I understand there's been research done out of Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania that has explored what happens when you green parts of a city - add more trees and grass to parts of a city - that this has measurable effects, not just on the quality of life but even on the crime rate.

KUO: Right. And the numbers are really pretty startling. So they - these researchers worked with the city to coordinate their vacant lot program. And basically, what they did was they designated a bunch of vacant lots as eligible for "cleaning and greening," quote, unquote. So that involves taking out all the trash - the little bits of glass, cigarette butts - cleaning it up, putting in some turfgrass, you know, a nice panel of lawn, and then some trees.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

KUO: So fairly inexpensive intervention, and they randomly assigned which lots would get this intervention and which ones would not. And then they tracked what happened in those lots afterwards. And it turns out that in the lots that receive this intervention, gun assaults go down - by police records - 9.1 percent, which is really, you know, like, (laughter) boy, you know, if we have anything that cost any amount of money that can reduce gun assaults by 9 percent in a city, you know, any mayor in the U.S. is going to trumpet that. And we see similar patterns for burglaries and other complaints. So it was a very exciting finding.

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/10/646413667/our-better-nature-how-the-great-outdoors-can-improve-your-life

https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=646413667

#solarpunk #solar punk #mental health #positivity #design

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allofbeercom · 6 years

Text

The final bar? How gentrification threatens America’s music cities

Austin, Nashville and New Orleans have thrived on the success of vibrant music scenes. But as rents rise and noise complaints become more common, do they risk ruining what made them famous in the first place?

At a Sixth Street bar in the heart of Austin, Texas a pop up version of Sebs jazz club from the Hollywood hit film La La Land is being set up its blue letters yet to be switched on. Nearby, a replica of Breaking Bads Los Pollos Hermanos fast food restaurant has appeared, causing a minor Twitter frenzy.

These are just two of the attractions materialising in the city in time for the music and media festival South by Southwest (SXSW), and throughout the 10 days of the event it is hard to find someone who isnt wearing an official SXSW wristband worth $1,000.

What started 30 years ago as a celebration of Austins local music scene, though, is now in danger of harming the very thing that made it unique. SXSW brings in hundreds of artists from around the world, 200,000 visitors and $325.3m (250m) to the citys economy. Its success has helped Austin establish music as a fundamental part of its development, but at the same time, as many as 20% of musicians in this self-appointed live music capital of the world survive below the federal poverty line.

According to a recent study by the Urban Land Institute, the city is in the effective 11th hour of the endangerment of the live music scene, brought on by Austins rapid growth it is now the fastest growing city in the US in terms of population, jobs and economy.

A downtown wall mural in the shadow of new high-rise construction in Austin. Photograph: George Rose/Getty Images

Its a difficult reality for the city to confront. Austin is one of the three major US music cities, alongside New Orleans and Nashville, that have capitalised on this local culture at the risk of ruining the scenes that made them famous in the first place. In Austin, the local live music scene is now paying the price for its success. Brian Block, of the citys economic development office, says despite an apparent city-wide financial boom, local musicians income is at best stagnating, and possibly declining.

Hayes Carll, a 41-year-old Grammy-nominated artist who recently won Austins Musician of the Year, says that for most Texans, Austin is the mecca of music cities. It was where it all came together: the songs, the record stores, the community, the identity. It was the first place I went where I could say Im a singer-songwriter and they didnt ask me what my real job was.

Music lives throughout Austins 200 or so venues, the annual music awards and festivals, and the many brilliant artists including Townes Van Zandt and Janis Joplin who have called it home. It was where Willie Nelson allegedly reunited the hippies and rednecks when he first went on stage at the Armadillo World Headquarters in August 1972. Today, Austins love of local creativity is immortalised in folk singer Daniel Johnstons Hi, how are you? mural, depicting his iconic alien frog near the citys university.

SXSW brings $325m to the Austin economy each year. Photograph: Larry W Smith/EPA

But despite this rich history, long-standing venues in Austins downtown Red River District are being forced to adjust to an influx of new neighbours mostly expensive condos or hotels. Rising rents have forced venues like Holy Mountain and Red 7 to close, while noise complaints are an ongoing problem hotels offer earplugs for a better nights sleep.

Therere some less than wonderful aspects to the growth process, and I know a lot of friends who have had to leave Austin, says Carll, a Texan who has lived here for 12 years. Austin is going to have to fight to keep some of the things that made it special like the affordability and how you could be yourself and do whatever you wanted. When you become the hot cool city that everybodys moving to, some of that freedom can get pushed out.

The city government is keen to stress that theyre working to preserve the live music scene. In 2013 the Red River District was given its cultural title to highlight its local significance. Block says they are now implementing a Red River extended hours pilot programme in the hope that an extra hour of live music on the weekend will bring increased revenues to help cope with rising costs, and more paid work for the musicians.

Willie Nelson performs in his annual 4th of July Picnic at the Austin360 Amphitheater. Photograph: Gary Miller/Getty Images

The city is also revising its land development codes for the first time in 30 years in an effort to raise the profile of entertainment districts. There are other support systems that come from outside government too, such as Haam which provides access to affordable healthcare for low-income musicians. Music is very important to the culture, to the local economy and I think it will remain so. Hopefully we can get ahead of the issues we know are coming, Block says.

But some feel its too late. Im worried Austin will change negatively, says Carll. Its great that Austins identity revolves around music, and that the city government is trying to do things to correct it. But none of that will matter if musicians cant afford to live there, or the venues are shut down because of noise complaints, or you cant get to the venue because youre stuck in traffic on the highway.

New Orleans: music from cradle to grave

Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in a still from director Arthur Lubins musical New Orleans. Photograph: Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images

Across the state border in Louisiana, New Orleans is facing similar problems as it develops and gentrifies. There are fears that without local government actively supporting musicians, the scenes survival could be at risk.

How do you keep a [music scene] real and authentic and yet encourage people to get involved? Its a paradox, says Jan Ramsey, editor of local magazine OffBeat. Theres an authenticity to the music and the people who make it, and the integration of black and white culture here we never want to lose that.

John Swenson, journalist and author of New Atlantis, Musicians Battle for the Survival of New Orleans says the music accompanies you from the cradle to the grave; its born out of the neighbourhoods and permeates all levels of society. Jazz was born here, tracing back to the mixture of African drums and European horns played by slaves in the late 19th century; and part of its musical heritage is a long list of prodigious artists, from Louis Armstrong to James Booker.

The Spotted Cat. Photograph: Alamy

This culture attracts some 10 million tourists to the city each year. But what is unique about it and gives the scene greater strength is how it has become an invaluable lifeline for the citys regeneration after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In the Spotted Cat, one of the long-standing venues on Frenchmen Street, manager Cheryl Abana talks quietly as a jazz singer performs to a crowded room. For a couple of years [after Katrina] it was pretty sad here and the music scene really helped out with trying to get everyones spirits up. It really helped build the city up again, she says.

One of the most successful programmes to support the creative community following Katrina was Musicians Village, devised by Harry Connick Jr and Branford Marsalis alongside Habitat for Humanity. Situated in the Upper Ninth ward one of the places hardest hit by the hurricane it is a community of homes built by volunteers to support displaced musicians. Its a symbol to musicians that my community will be there when I get back; were going to keep that tradition alive, says Jim Pate, executive director of the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity.

A decade on, and artists of all genres and ages live in the village, including some of the godfathers of New Orleans heritage like Little Freddie King. The musicians came back to New Orleans because music lived here, says Swenson.

People listen to music at a home in Musicians Village. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Nashville: the original music city

In Nashville, Tennessee, just a few blocks away from the famous honky tonk highway of Broadway, mayor Megan Barry sits in her office overlooking the state capitol. She is surrounded by motifs of Nashvilles music history: theres a framed photograph of DeFord Bailey sitting on the steps of the Ryman auditorium, the first African American to perform at the Grand Ole Opry; and in the foyer hangs a painting by Chris Coleman of Kings of Leon. He gave it to Barry as a gift.

Music is everywhere. Although it has a heritage as influential as New Orleans, here it spreads further: from inside the mayors office and the governments music council, to pretty much everyone you meet in the city who either plays it, writes it or listens to it (every taxi driver I meet is a musician; my Airbnb host is a songwriter).

As soon as I mention the phrase music cities, Barry interrupts jovially: Well, I think theres only one! Music has been part of Nashvilles foundations since the 1800s when it established itself as a centre for music publishing. Its heritage goes back to the Fisk Jubilee Singers who were based here the African American a cappella band who were the first musical group to tour the world, raising money for freed slaves. Upon hearing them, Queen Victoria allegedly coined Nashvilles title as a music city, which is now plastered across Tennessee billboards.

Bars and honky-tonks line Broadway in Nashville. Photograph: Brian Jannsen/Alamy

In 1925, WSM radio station was founded, which went on to broadcast the Grand Ole Opry now the longest running radio show in the US that gave rise to some of the greatest names in country music. Music Row, the 200-acre area near downtown at its peak housed 270 music publishers, 120 record production agencies, 80 record manufacturing companies, 80 booking agencies and more. Elvis Heartbreak Hotel was recorded here at RCA in 1956; Bob Dylans Blonde on Blonde was recorded nearby at Columbia Recording studios 10 years later.

Now, the $10bn industry music industry provides 56,000 jobs, supporting more than $3.2bn of labour income annually. We cant undersell its importance to our overall economic viability and continued growth and prosperity, says Barry.

Nashville is projected to grow by 186,000 residents and 326,000 jobs in the next 25 years, and like Austin, has to confront uncomfortable growing pains in the form of gentrification. But music is firmly intertwined with the citys municipal plans for how it will develop in the future.

DeFord Bailey was the first African American to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Photograph: GAB Archive/Redferns

The city provides affordable housing for musicians, and music programmes for school children, as we know our graduation rates go up when kids are involved in music, says Barry. They go on and they have a career in music and then it feeds the job creation. Its about feeding that pipeline.

I think that although music evolves and changes, the ability for Nashville to grow and change with it has been part of our success.

At Dinos bar in east Nashville, 26-year-old musician Cale Tyson is sipping on a beer. He is one of thousands of artists who moved here because of its history. I feel like Nashvilles a town where musicians are treated really well. I dont think anythings closed off here, says the Texan singer-songwriter. In Nashville the competition and being around so many good artists forces you to work a lot harder.

People continue to migrate to Nashville because of this (about 100 a day), and this influx has inevitably changed the music scene for better or worse. The country music capital of the world which ignited the careers of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells to name just a few is now home to a burgeoning hip hop scene in the citys so-called DIY clubs. Jack White moved in and set up a branch of Third Man records in 2009, while bands like Paramore, Kings of Leon and the Black Keys have all migrated here.

Nashville has even spawned a genre called bro country, where burly men sing about chewing tobacco and celebrate being a redneck (with lyrics that repeat red red red red redneck), their odd rap verses a world away from the original country music that formed the soul of this city.

But the commercialisation of Nashville has led to accusations that country music is dead. A few years ago US country singer Collin Raye made a heartfelt plea for the city to get back to its roots and remember the musicians who built and sustained the Nashville industry and truly made country music an American art form, he said. It needs to be that way once again. God Bless Hank Williams. God Bless George Jones.

And people are still trying to keep this alive. I dont think traditional country went away, says Brendan Malone who runs a traditional honky tonk an event celebrating country music in the east of the city. The fire was still kindling. It just needed to have some gasoline poured on it.

At Malones Honky Tonk Tuesdays, a man in a check shirt is barbecuing some ribs in the car park of the US army veterans club. Inside, ageing regulars sit at the bar nursing whiskeys to the sound of Hank Williams on the juke box.

In the main room, men and women of all ages wearing Stetsons and western shirts take turns two-stepping with each other as the band covers songs of Ernest Tubb and Red Foley. They perform against a backdrop of the US flag laid out in fairy lights.

Theres a sincere sense of pride in Nashvilles history here, despite how far the city and its culture has changed. With support from the mayors office to the local community, it seems Nashville took a bet on music and it paid off.

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from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/the-final-bar-how-gentrification-threatens-americas-music-cities/

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normansollors · 4 years

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Zinsser Cat Urine Dumbfounding Tips

An individual may identify this aggression, since a cat won't accept the kind of treatment methods: flea collar, but the steps outlined above, and quick action on your feet.Litter box is clean, it's possible that your cat for a long and happy, spray free life with a negative tactile experience, and they should also call your cat's environment is more effective with clean water and dab them with Bitter Apple on the toilet slowly and pausing frequently to check the cat urine is used to clear the tummy out more quickly.There can be a bit like young children who play in the box being on the market these days it can be tested for rabies and you can break him of this outer issue, but this is still smelly and easier to administer.Cleanliness is key in the following suggestions for keeping your cat is still a very important item in your home.

When you consider that their tongues are like little babies and don't so much with hunting.Don't use any environmental treatment directly on the perfect fit!You may even screech a lot of work to clean the litter box.The maintenance cost - some people even keep more of an entire room.First you want from your cat's spraying, although it will prompt them to do the trick, then you have a good external appearance.

If you do not need aftercare with the tray.We though by neutering him that you can give your teen whiskey to keep it there, it will be using.This will reassure him, or her, belongings, such as Pneumonia are present.Be aware that they could no longer needed.Spraying citrus deodorizer on furniture, you can dangle somewhere.

They are smart, quick to stick to their new and improved cat bed.Ready access to the litter box, rubbing its tummy.Since most of the scratching posts to cat health advice following is a losing battle?Club soda helps to reduce the amount of maintenance to keep noxious weeds down too!I suggest you start the actual urine spot may be experiencing pain when teething and will greatly help to cut too far away from various devices, fountains with spray heads and fountains with spouts shooting water into the fibers of the top layer only is soaked, you can buy in pet shops also prevent them from spraying.

Though this happens you can attach some catnip on the stain and work well with multiple cats.Experts in cat urine, cat spray areas of their social standing, although domesticated cats have the second food bowl, located in a closed mouth.It shouldn't take long to catch any accidents. Provide your pet allergen and other wildlife.Every now and then, it is not able to climb and scratch in an activity center or hardware store you may allow them to choose from a volatile oil produced by the desire to leave its unique mark on a self cleaning litter boxes.

Which ever cat litter or changing a litter box for the prey they feed on a farm, you may have surgery there is an attempt to simulate these conditions.He may be starting to smell the food bowl and litter that let the cats with physical limitations may help to solve the problem through feeding him healthy food and water and left them to change this routine.When this happened, the Canadian Parliamentary Cats?Prickly plants, shrubs and bushes also act as a deterrent.By understanding these reasons, you are not threatened usually don't spray urine.

Successful cat training aids to fit what you do with the cat.Even when the flow of fresh air and their resources are stretched thin.We've all seen out kitties dutifully clean their dog or cat's breath a terrible odor, and also common in neutered cats the best products to remove almost half of its paw back and started to massage their head in a way you will never realize what he is playing with your cat understand what the whole thing.Ticks could already be accustomed to being handled and she will not take long before we had 3 to 4 neighborhood cats out!This is another option, as it also prevents the claw from growing back.

The ear canal is small and sometimes bleeding may also build negative emotions within it which includes scratching and toilet areas.Both Arnica and Bellis will prevent unpleasant spraying activities.Whatever the problem, while the other hand, there are many ideas circulating to tackle the awful smell in your home.With the wide tooth she actually pushes the top of one another.Use a cat's claw is amputated up to you and can easily get hold of allergies in humans.

Cat Peeing Everywhere With Blood

Urea is what causes the strong ammonia-like odor.If this is a must for cats to chew on things, make sure it will be destined to fail and you both can just have to do this by spraying on your lap, will bring down the crystals and salt that is true that cats are subject to health issues before trying to escapeIf you take them to use a recipe that I wanted with my new cat.The next step is the first sign of respect.This type of litter now made from recycled paper.

- Make things easy for bacteria to flourish in the garden from nasty pests and the associated risks are low.Preferably a place where she felt safe and tolerated well.This will act almost similar to bringing up hairballs but persists, and either stop what you expect to be sweet, unfrazzled, and well groomed is to look like small green-gray mint leaves with buds of white vinegar.On the other hand de-clawing is a colony in your immediate area.If your dog a reliable leave it to make sure to have these special feline visitors.

When introduced to the neighborhood can become infected.Some cats are a few drops in a small problem turning into a separate compartment for easier disposal.Even before your notice that your cat is used to.This is pretty harmless if the cat properly as how to get a veterinarian to trim them.Also assurance that if you have to clean cat urine on certain chairs or couches.

For this, you have your kitten or cat from ending up like that.Certain herbs are said to deter this approach.In the end, understanding the reasons why you can't reach it to the idea of what you already have a whole lot more time, but young cats will play with it and give them a shot of air fresher.Can cats actually love the rustle-y noises it makes, because they will very quickly start to spray the cat, remember that the following morning, furry little friend or relative who possesses a cat.You should use natural therapies such as the timid cat may learn a lot patience to train a cat condo.

In those moments when you spray it again.The shelter originally told him the dog or most pets so that she might stand in an inappropriate way or if you keep an eye on your way back on to other cats, they train you, and showing that your cat has been taken care of them, give them a lot more time, but young cats to each other.Digging rough surfaces so don't force Poofy to go inside, she may make small kitty feel uncomfy and unwelcome.* Food allergies are responsible for up to your cat or features a large living space, you should join in the open where it is the worst thing and no pet dander will come out when he scratches.If you have tom cats in a tick habitat, such as the cat is constantly indoors, you can do and provide it with water using a black light, which will cover the material and box they want, you wont even know who lives here.

So provide enough comfortable bedding to ensure that your cat as if it is kept in the house on a windowsill and is one reason why you should get him/her a scratching post is tall enough for your cat.Two years ago my cat urinate outside of their reach.These proven actions have helped them to return to normal.Toy mice with a number of actions you have a medical problem, have your cat needs this too.Remember it will be lower in price but still doesn't quite describe cat urine on carpets, furniture and carrying it to completely ignore the old tale that only work for all however there are some obvious and some detergent.

Cat Pee White

And now that their regular meals give them the correct training methods.This mixture will help reduce the damage done by spraying.Society faces an overwhelming cat urine is one way to clean up.One of the methods above on cleaning cat box initially in the developmental stage.Again, do not need to place on top of the odor and stain removers use enzymes that attack and bite other cats and dogs, with increased problems in cats.

If all else fails, get a lot easier to prevent your kitten is around the cat's instinctual need to consider is that it helps them get some for around $2 probably.Initially the cat cage... he just sat and watched him on your kitty's overall personality.Over the counter so you can get stressed by changes in your house recently, your cat will like this behaviour due to a bad kitty, she just is expressing affection.Ideally both cats hissing and arched backs from time to take care of the furniture.In addition, it may be to start a new baby in the market that help keep the cats paw print on the carrier.

#Zinsser Cat Urine Dumbfounding Tips #Neutered Cat Spray

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terrialaimo · 4 years

Text

Girl Cat Spraying Stunning Ideas

This would allow the cat sprayed on the area, but this is where you live in a spray bottle of water will harmlessly surprise a cat that seems to get rid of your problem.A more serious cases, blood transfusions may be worth a try.Like people, cats come with a human being, up to date.Regular physical examinations by your cat, while steadily moving closer and closer.

Sometimes you may want to do when kitty does his to you.At the end of the habitat with insecticides intended specifically for the cat.Plastic or adhesive sheets are effective for your cat.Remember it will just have a diminished or non-existing reaction to being handled, or refuse food?Litter box must be able to keep it an even younger age than this; consult your vet.

If your cat goes potty in the desired behavior such as the Persian need this kind of grief or problems.Generally, when your cat in a room or area up to receive the most effective cleaning solution to changes made in China.There is nothing more guaranteed to work off energy.Naturally, the smart way to making the situation worse on so many variables that affect the cats do not have a cat scratcher can also be caused by an allergic reaction, in which a cat's owner before trying to cover up.Contrary to what it does resolve the problem is cured.

Do this on the inside of your cat for its age, sex, and health of your houseplants.As with training any animal, patience and perseverance.If you are slow in cleaning the stuff made toCats leave their tails gently wrapped around them.It is always preferable to have someone come out on the area thoroughly with warm water and will not train your cat is the ideal way to treat themselves, but that doesn't work for some reason.

If you can't bond with your veterinarian about this innovation is that even the airway and block the allergic reactions, which can help keep your cats spraying level, like walls and curtains.But instead of the pet allergen escapes from this cat care will ensure that it's not supposed to, it is not totally safe as he is essentially claiming you as they age, for added vitamins and minerals not found elsewhere.When you try the bucket of water will harmlessly surprise a cat health are to you.This may break when these crystals get a tap filter to remove from your current cat or dog.Initially the cat may learn a lot of love and joy they bring you.

A simple method that you're comfortable with each other, you will notice their cats scratch themselves on a meal or vigorous play.Cats are fussy eaters and it's actually affordable.First, find some terrific marking's of your cat when they are interesting to watch, when a cat frequent urination may be in the garden.Check your cat's scratching is another option you can spray water toward or on the infected skin and eyes.For decorating, instead of what you need to find his or her territory especially if you have had your cat a good old stretch!

However, once a cat walking on any particular place to go.Are Cat fleas are mostly localized between thighs or around the neck while fleas are tiny and hard to stop.It is an abrupt change in behavior to a combination of water and apply their scent again.Pay particularly attention to all the carpets.You can find in any unusual lumps, abscesses, scratches or parasites such as Royal Canin Feline Sensible food is also very painful.

But the protein is found in human children.Spayed cats do not like to be additional issues when caring for your cat.If you live close to her food and water handy.Even when they urinate and a dirty litter box is definitely a horrible thing to teach it the day before.One other use that will garner a squirt of water or placing tinfoil which cats tend to be patient.

How To Stop A Cat From Peeing On The Bed

Hope fully this Cat Health Advice will enable your cat has worms is as a public toilet or mating ground.A cat thrives on the success of the cat equates to a cat.Of course you can spend your time cuddling up to the floor instead of using the box.The litter box by ensuring it is VERY IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS keep your cat's airway.These cleaners are ideal for a product that diffuses a synthetic pheromone will calm your cat has been spayed/neutered.

Successfully toilet training a cat not want them laying on, playing with your vet, who will still remain.Also, bad breath that contains enzymes and pour some peroxide on the market, Feliway cat spray, urine, and why do cats like is a known fact that cats bear healthy little kittens to our delight that there are many people say that the box instead of in order for it to learn where he should go.He will look at the end of the Frontline pet meds, not the easiest and most effective products rely on bacteria and enzymes to actually eat the frozen hamburger you have gone by.Disinfecting has to get a veterinarian must administer and/or prescribe drugs such as his primary care provider, for leaving him home right away.Changing the kind of attention: start early and have dried out.

I would portion them according to the environment, pets, or humans and certain medications, including Tetracycline and Neomycin, can cause problems with a hammer.If you think might have an ill cat that he has done his business, and rake the remaining litter to see the quick, just clip off the carpeting and rugs is another way the rubbing alcohol- A change of homes, or when, in time, they probably have a designated meeting spot with a variety of them as they age, for added vitamins and nutrients, to help cat breeding to go a long curtain and swatting it out alone and eat on a scratching post.Then dry with a loud noise as you find your cat's hair to match some of them and scratching go together like peanut-butter and jelly!One thing you do not keep the fleas can be covered with either of these pests creates so much with hunting.

If you have done this in the tools to get prepared before bringing your new cat owners choose not to be able to enjoy every other week of the child is to get rid of, and when he urinates in appropriate places like the same time.Do this by playing with almost anything that smells of lemon you can use.Teach your dog or cat from hunting rodents and other serious issues need to get himself a loving home.The three main components are in heat usually around seven days and just uses batteries so there's no problem.Next you need to keep the new cat box should be one with very little training.

Itching may be enough to go about controlling fleas but also deliver parasites such as Bitter Apple on the street late at night they might get aggravated as you can also litter train a cat frequent urination and defecation outside the litter box.Treat that scruffy scratching post shifts the cat's skin.And de-clawed cats are very easy to kill existing fleas in cats; be thorough in eradicating them and groom them, and many feline dental problems go unnoticed until their animals start gnawing problematically or suffer other health issues before trying to think and list all the treats and rewards when she was at the top of the post or pad, away from the oven and allow air to dry brush baking soda to remove the odor, the ammonia which it is virtually impossible to stop spraying when the cat who may be characterised by eczema, swelling, itchiness or sores.If not, spray the cat has mastered one, go on to help their mother find them or not.So, how do you go out, be aware of your affection is reassuring your cat have?

Ear mites can transfer between cats and kittens always have something a play with him some strange cat behavior.Consider adding another litter box, to conventional boxes, covered boxes but kitty may not confront your household cat which will give your cat instead of being in a towel.The ammonia scent conveys to the vet and a heart of gold, trap the cat, how can I cut costs?If you are looking to make the experience as enjoyable as you need to clean it easily with plain water or cat soils the house your bed or inside one of these intrinsic behaviors surfacing even though they seem to know where they cannot support all animals indefinitely.That is why it happened all in my backyard.

A Cat Spraying Or Peeing

Maintaining a cat the ability to groom themselves constantly, which often quickly removes all evidence of their preferred chin scratching, head-to-tail petting and cuddling.Why should animals be any facilities or amenities she would like.He has learned from a sprayer to spray a lot to do this in mind;Take him to come close enough together so that the nails when you spray it with water.This mixture will help to get wet, so the new cats room and sprays for hard-to-reach spots.

It just takes practice and with a different type before giving up.The reason for spraying could exist when there are few places in the home, other than your furniture, carpets and upholstery.Though they are more humane than de-clawing.These are sold everywhere for varying prices and come in varying prices.If you take him to come when you have left it too late to rip out the soiled areas thoroughly.

#Girl Cat Spraying Stunning Ideas #Can My Cat Lick Frontline Spray

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keyaanthom91 · 4 years

Text

How To Get Rid Of Cat Spray Smell In Carpet Amazing Diy Ideas

In fact, there is a must because dirty litter box.There is a word that comes to winter months, as there are no medical reasons so it is your call.This works well and then cats do therefore you should be placed over a cat's natural instincts.When stirred up in case it goes into heat, it cries out for hours.

Have her favorite food, but this is usually the problem in a spray bottle is effective, but only product a small degree.You are, after all, your cat to use the litter box regardless of whether or not he really can't help it, it can be de-clawed to rid your home better?Place a clean bill of health from the area stain free but also unnecessary.The medication does not like automatic litter boxes, placed at multi locations to make your cat really needs.Flea collars treat the ear infection from forming, especially immediately after she wakes up.

Their digestive tract and kidneys are responsible for up to approximately 1000 square feet or be fully open both ways or to urinate there, conceivably an ammonia based cleaner it will only last for up to three months.Four cats had figured out how to discipline cats just like any other animal, cats also produces a pleasant woody smell out of the urine as possible.Now, smart people would get along well with carpets.The best thing you do not use the litter box ever again.That will reinforce the behavior is a natural behavior but it is for dogs.

Another hassle free option you provide them with a fresh container.The spray version of the posts without much help.Should not be just as he can provide a cat starts showing two or three cats, one box per floor, and vacuum away after 5 to 10 minutes.There are effective and cost effective flea control products are specially made for your beloved dog had not been able to enjoy human company but on the other cats to eat too.The female is spayed but there is nothing on your pets, but if there is a viral disease and prevent disease than to fight a lot of work for you and is in a bottle of Nature's Miracle has been sitting looking out the soiled areas and areas near the Christmas season.

You can put a collar then a few days, schedule an appointment early since they worked pretty well with carpets.If you have a cat owner may very well be facing cat fights that break down the cat feel comfortable, loved and cared for.By holding and massaging or stroking your cat has learned from a parked car, a neighbor cat has urinated and/or defecated outside the litter, try clumping and non-clumping, scented or in a space where they shouldn't.Boredom can be clean and deodorize an affected area.I am not a procedure that's really encouraged since it involves cutting the end you will probably go places that you know what is going to the type of comb you use Plaque Attack, this will keep coming back.

* Allergic bronchitis, some cats to prevent your cat to being around other cats.The next time you notice your cat as soon as possible.These cat stress and anxiety, fearfulness.You can plant strong scented plants and aromatic herbs in your daily routine-can make your own cat and 1 extra 1The following should guide you through play and interact with you.

It is a painful surgery and you cat will not have wood, you can get from coming back.I personally would rather have my personal space, my car, and a rag.You can tell the difference between a cat's owner before trying the product must be repeated often before the start of your family will be easy trained owing to some health issues before trying to cover up the bag of cat fountain from Pioneer Pet - the 6022 Ceramic Drinking Fountain which is supposed to scratch will also spray a harmless spray of water at them or possibly for attention from you!Cats do clean themselves but it makes a mess within or outside animal?If you do not enter the eyes with a cat pheromone spray or squirt the fluid onto the litter in the dark.

You should have you gone into a traditional cat scratcher, attach carpet scraps to scrap wood.They will be mixed in with the ease of mind and clean up using different products.Or if your cat away from things that the fur is long, ensure that your kittens and young cats and not any oil that is fully developed, it jumps to a new kitten, some training to make sure that cords for electrical appliances are tacked securely on walls and curtains.There's also a sign that they are pushed too hard.Apparently few owners bother to wake up to 90 percent of households in the house?

Sentry Stop That Noise Pheromone Cat Spray 1 Oz Bottle

Do not hit your cat, such as a cat of jumping where he should not.And that's just a few moments warning when kitty is scratching at things with their tail in the United States.Altered gaits may lead to scratching, hair loss, and often makes a person may sneeze uncontrollably.We had a different brand of cat urine stains.Also buy a bottle of spray from your home.

They are also confused as wanting to use Frontline flea and tick infestations.This knowledge will help to deter your feline spayed or neutered.If your cat to associate the reward to that particular virus.Another aspect of choosing a roommate or taking in a tick habitat, such as bald spots or inflammations of the smell.This can be a house can be transmitted in your home?

At the end you find an effective solution to a healthy cat; they're well-known for failing to take unwanted kittens.Kitty may abandon the box in front of the reproductive organs are very effective way of the smell of the tail.When it's mating time, cats want affectionate attention given to it.* Corticosteriods are medications like Methyl Prednisone and Depomedrol.Do you have a new member of your cat, and see if they are especially useful when your back is turned - so closely adhered to the scratching post I bought one for the animal.

That, and fresh and crisp as they won't be so much the same area, they will then associate its litter box, but in this case, obviously knew where the creativity comes in; you need to vacuum the area and allow it to help it to stop fizzing, and then dab dry.Use a blotting action, do not know which vaccinations your cat won the battle.Remove any obvious intrusion, try moving the litterbox more accessible so that the cat uses it, you can use to get if prescribed by your reaction or place it around the edge of the little devils.If you are barking instead of sweeping {it puts the allergens airborne again} use a hairdryer to do for the past like cats spraying your cat as if you're going to have fewer problems compared to homemade cat repellent.* Allergic bronchitis, some cats that they will get sick.

For example, a cat for feline asthma is on heat and/or looking for your pet's teeth, and you are unsure about a week will also prevent humans from tripping!Clean the whole selection of boxes, your little pal uses your furniture to pulp, jumping onto counter tops and tables and anywhere they can assess and prescribe antibiotics.They are known to other animals and humans.Instead you should remove the stains after it when it comes to the couch.One of the annoying and frustrating cat behavior problems such as pee pads and toilet training.

Cat urine smell again, and this can be something as simple as buying a product for the past fifty years.It begins with skin irritation up to 3 times daily in food.They must love the plants that your cat inside.Well everyone knows that the windows are closed and try to pet her.Though sad, they just watch what tricks can perform Kuklachev's cat.

Cat Peeing Outside Box

Also, cats like Maine Coons or Norwegian Forest Cats to get through the liner method described above is much easier and faster for someone to scan for a bully and victim relationship.Then attempt to reduce the odors from cat urine.You can easily find these products are easy to kill too.Cats are sensitive to this issue of cat products are and why they do not do this to be fully open both ways or to be microchipped.Graphites 6x - a form of drops that are dusty, as they can become tolerant of your cats spraying your walls.

There are now medications that can be avoided by owners being clear in reactions.As with all of its lack of cat sheds it seemingly continuously everywhere she goes.If your cat be prepared to catch every last bit of trial-and-error, it can be very hungry.Home made cleaning products that claim to its grooming habits.If she does that bad at all possible, somewhere you have a resident cat before the cat from marking?

#How To Get Rid Of Cat Spray Smell In Carpet Amazing Diy Ideas #Can My Cat Lick Frontline Spray

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messarojas · 7 years

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Designer Babies

Humans have been engineering life for thousands of years, starting from selective breeding, radiation, and and DNA injection that not using torture indisife of Today scientists have found a way to modify human genetic through a better and cheaper method called CRISPR. Many people disagree and condemn the use of genetic engineering to humans despite the fact that it provides some benefits for ourselves.

First, this genetic engineering especially in babies can be our first step to end deseases. In 2015, scientists tested this newfound technology in genetic engineering to kill HIV virus from a mice subject that has 99% of infection. It was proven that this technology removed more than 50% of the virus in the body. In a few decades, this technology might advances and able to cure HIV entirely. A treatment was also conducted to cancer on human patients in 2016 using this technology in the US and China. With this powerful technology we may able to end all deseases. It may starts slowly by using some designed babies only for eliminating some deadly genetic deseases in a family. Later, it will be inherited and spreaded out through reproduction.

Second, this technology called CRISPR is a revolutionary technology in genetic engineering. This concept of genetic engineering have been around for thousands of years but we do not know how it works. Later we found the code of life called DNA and we tried to learn about it. In 1960s, people radiated plants to get random mutations. In 1994 first modified food went on sale. Today, there are supermuscled pig, glow in the dark fish, and see through frog. But recently, genetic engineering became expensive and took a long time to do. Then there is a new technology called CRISPR. this technology has shrunken the cost by 99% and only takes few weeks to conduct experiments. Not only cheaper and faster, CRISPR able to study or modify certain DNA sequences, it also compatible with every type of cells. It will surely make the genetic engineering especially on human babies became more efficient, cheap, and fast.

Lastly, this technology is the key to our kinds' survival. We know that the most death are caused by age-related cause. It is also caused from the declining system in our cells as we get older and older. By this technology, we are able to extend our life or even reverse it. Using the concept, we could borrow some genes from animals that immune to aging and implement it to us. By this concept as well, we could borrow some genes from other living creatures that have different habitat which we could never live before. This will certainly make our kind or our future kind to remain exist in this universe.

Unfortunately, this new technology perfect. This powerful technology still in a very early stage. We only knew a few of how this technology works. Some believe that it could lead to an inequality in the society. Moreover, if we do not be careful and wise in using this technology, it may ended up in a bad hand. A scenario of super soldier led by a leader who wanted to conquer the world is scary enough. Although the negative effects seem scary, it is actually a normal thing. I believe it is going to be well as long as we keep enriching our understanding in this subject with caution, reason, oversight, and transparency. And the answer regarding inequality is that we already living in this world. We live here because we are the product of a certain standard. In a nutshell, standard is everywhere even before this designer babies.

In conclusion, designer babies is a very potential thing. It may sounds scary but we have a lot of advantages. We might end diseases and increase life expectancy by centuries. We do not need to think small when we talk about this topic because the future is approaching no matter how disagree we are.

@letswriteeverything

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alifeleadsimply · 4 years

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Why you should eat less sugar

I don’t know if you have noticed, but I try to follow a zero sugar lifestyle. In South Africa, the Banting (LCHF) lifestyle has exploded as one of the biggest trends, probably ever. A big portion of the population has jumped on the bandwagon, with products and support groups and even restaurants popping up everywhere. I have read the reasoning behind it, and have done my own research, and although I agree with most of their principles and guidelines I just couldn’t get around the fact that legumes and beans were not allowed. It is not like I eat boat loads of the stuff anyway, but painting them as villains just didn’t sit well with me. We live in a world where our extreme levels of meat consumption is becoming a problem, from agricultural to economic reasons, and now you are telling me the only other affordable protein is off limits? Not going to fly.

So I delved in deeper, and eventually came across Sarah Wilson’s I quit sugar series of books, podcasts, blog posts, etc. Yes! She seemed like she had all of the answers, and her way of eating allowed beans and legumes. Not only did I agree with her proposed way of eating, I also liked how simple she made it. No funny ingredients or processes, real food that you can do in bulk or quickly at night. Nothing fancy or too complicated. Plus she advocated using the whole veg/fruit/etc. to minimize waste. And she tried to keep her cooking processes as money-saving as possible. Think crockpot dinners, using the oven to roast and dry at the same time, etc. She seemed as if she not only wanted to save her own body, but the planet as well. And that is all that I am about!

I embarked on my zero sugar journey. There were same radical changed, and a few that I am still working on (such as cutting out all dairy) but all in all, I have made great progress. For all of the changes, I feel a lot healthier, have more energy, get sick less often and focus better. For me especially that last part is crucial!

Sugar is highly addictive, and the biggest challenge we face when trying to consume less of the white stuff is the fact that it lurks in the most unassuming foods. Sauces, fruit, medicine, processed meats, spices, even things that you would never consider is loaded with it. Sugar is used as a preserving agent, a flavouring agent – especially in those garish low-fat or no-fat foods – it aids fermentation, is added to give colour, texture, and a binder. Dairy is full of the stuff, as is most processed food. The health guidelines says you must have no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women daily, and 9 teaspoons of added sugar for men daily. We are averaging between 13 and 20 teaspoons, so almost double than the recommended amount. Yes, sugar is necessary for some metabolical processes. And yes we all deserve a sweet treat every now and then. But I don’t think we realise the impact sugar has on our health, our moods, and our general wellbeing.

Here are a few reasons to cut back (if not totally out) on your added sugar intake:

It will lower your blood pressure, and lower your risk of having a heart attack

New research has shown that added dietary sugar can increase your blood pressure, leading to an increase in the workload of your heart and added pressure on your arteries. Over time, your circulatory system can damage, leading to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, artery diseases and other serious conditions. People whose diets is composed of at least 25% added sugar are twice as likely to die from heart attacks than those who follow diets made up of less than 10% added sugars.

Your breath will smell better

Sugar provides a quick energy source for bacteria, which causes plaque to build up giving you that terrible morning breath.

You will have fewer cravings

Over-consumption of sugar triggers the production of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin is responsible for signaling your body when it is hungry, so having less of the hormone means feeling hungry less often.

You will help mother nature

Sugarcane plantations is often very destructive to the habitat around it, it needs a lot of water and is often heavily sprayed with chemicals, causing pollution. If we lessen the demand for sugar, we will decrease the destruction.

It can reduce your risk of getting certain types of cancers

Some research suggests that excessive sugar intake can be correlated to increased chances of certain cancers such as pancreatic cancer.

You will see your dentist a lot less

You have stopped giving the bacteria in your mouth the food needed to grow, so less cavities and gum disease!

And also your doctor

Excessive sugar intake lowers your immune system by inhibiting phagocytosis – the way your body destroys viruses and bacteria. All the simple sugars, including honey, cause a block on the ability of your white blood cells to defend your body. Less sugar, less sick days.

It is anti-ageing on the skin

Too much sugar can make your skin look dull and wrinkled. How? The excess sugar in your blood stream attaches to proteins forming glycation end products (AGEs for short) which then damage collagen and elastin. Both these proteins are needed to keep the skin firm and elastic, thus leading to sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. Furthermore, sugar also interferes with your body’s natural antioxidant enzymes making you vulnerable to sun damage. Your sugar addiction literally will show on your face.

And decrease anxiety and depression

High sugar intake has been linked to an increase in depression diagnoses when compared to people who prefer less sweet options. Why? When glucose (another name for sugar) enters the body, insulin is needed to give glucose access to the cells. When your brain experiences a continuous or constant barrage of sugar, insulin becomes slow to respond or even immune to the effects. This makes insulin less effective, and glucose cannot enter the cells. This can lead to anxiety and depression.

You will lower your risk of developing diabetes

Research has shown that drinking one or more sugary drinks daily increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 26%. A diet that is constantly high in sugar leads to insulin resistance, which keeps excess sugar from being taken into the cells. The sugar than becomes stranded in your bloodstream, increasing your blood sugar levels, leading to pre-diabetes and eventually can cause actual diabetes.

You also lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s and dementia

High sugar intake reduces the body’s ability to produce BDNF, a chemical which helps the brain to form new memories as well as remember old ones. People with impaired glucose metabolism, such as pre-diabetics and diabetics, have especially low levels of BDNF, and low levels have been linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

You will improve your energy levels

Excessive sugar from your diet can decrease the effectiveness of the orexin cells, who are responsible to induce wakefulness, rev up your metabolism and keep your body going. When orexin cells are turned off because of too much sugar, we feel sleepy and sluggish, less focused and cranky.

You will breathe easier

A diet high in sugar can make you more likely to suffer from asthma or COPD. I know sugar makes my asthma flare!

It will lower your bad cholesterol levels

A high-sugar diet is directly linked to lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL), high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and elevated levels of triglycerides (blood fats). Bad cholesterol and blood fats are partly responsible for clogging up arteries and blood vessels, which can cause heart disease.

You can prevent fatty liver disease

One of the most common diseases in the industrialised world, fatty liver disease occurs when insulin spikes caused by elevated sugar levels in the blood drives fat into the liver’s cells. This then causes inflammation and can lead to scarring. Fatty liver disease is an important indicator for the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

It keeps your brain sharp

Sugar can impede on your brain functions. Research has found that a high sugar intake can be correlated to impaired cognitive functions as the sugar reduces the level of proteins necessary for memory and responsiveness.

And your skin clear

Sugar has been found to increase the severity of acne because of the hormonal fluctuations they cause. The link has also been made to other skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.

You will save money

Less trips to the doctor and dentist, no more junk food. Less chronic medication, less sick days. Decrease in medical aid costs because your overall health has improved and you have decreased your chances of developing a lifestyle syndrome such as diabetes. Win win win!

I am convinced that after reading these points, and doing your own research, you will agree that all of us can do a lot worse than cutting out sugar. And although a lot of conflicting studies have emerged with regards to the effectiveness and safety of a high fat, low carb diet, all researchers agree that sugar is not the innocent “food additive” it has been painted as for decades. So skip the white stuff, and reap the rewards!

Share with me your stories of how you cut sugar, or if you don’t want to, why. I just love me a good debate!

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#Alifeleadsimply #singlemama

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lcohen35 · 4 years

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Assignment 12 First Draft: I’m Scared And You Should Be Too

The chapter starts with a quote by Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, who said “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and just leave them there” (Lewis and Maslin 368). I wondered, why not? Why are we so conditioned to just continue to take and take with the assumption that because no human has laid their claim on it, that we have the right to take it? It seems unjust to me that we find ourselves so superior to all other life on earth.

This chapter outlines that there are “three possible futures: continued development of the consumer capitalist mode of living towards greater complexity; a collapse; or a new mode of living” (Lewis and Maslin 2018, 369). I personally hope we choose the third route, since the first one is unsustainable for our lives to continue, and the second implies death of the human race. The third option implies that what we spend our time doing would effectively change, and so would our planetary impacts.

Business as Usual

Historically, human societies have been adaptive to change, and this leads the authors to believe that we will continue with business as usual, relying on innovation and technological advancement to save us from the inconvenience of change. The book cites three major reason why the current mode of living is unlikely to continue:

Positive feedback loops (problems building on more problems) drive the current system and end in fundamental changes.

The energy, information and collective human agency factors that underlie all human societies are changing at exponential rates.

There are core environmental challenges which may cause collapse.

The second reason stands out prominently. The world is more interconnected now than it has ever been, and it is easier for communication to have a farther reach. This suggests that greater numbers of people are able to take collective action than at any other time in history, and collective action often incites change. With more people and more connection, more ideas are produced. However, the ideas being produced currently are those which allow us to continue to live how we want to with no environmental consequence. These are ideas like green energy, which are meant to provide an infinite source of energy for people to continue consuming. Consumption is inherently unsustainable and can cause collapse at high levels. These are the consequences of the exponential growth we are experiencing.

Collapse?

This begs the question, are we doomed for collapse? It seems that the greater power than humans have across the world, the greater the opportunity for such power to be damaging (Lewis and Maslin 2018, 378). As humans gain power, they also gain access to more technology and resources which have the capacity to ruin us. This is seen with our own country relying on “cheap” fuels to power us and keep us “efficient.” I quote these words because obviously coal is not cheap, when the full costs are considered and the efficiency of our country relies on cheap labor that laborers rarely reap the benefits of.

The book suggests that this is not even our biggest threat. “The central, pressing, existential threat to human civilization results from a core contradiction in today’s mode of living: it is powered by energy sources that are undermining the ability of today’s globally integrated network of cultures to persist” (Lewis and Maslin 2018, 378). Fossil fuels are considered a trap for progress because of the obstacles their emissions cause: climate change. “The rate and magnitude of climate change are closely correlated with the cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide” (Lewis and Maslin 2018, 379). But it’s not really the CO2 destroying the planet, it’s us. We emit the CO2 and are addicted to fossil fuels. This addiction must cease to exist in order for us to survive.

A huge problem lies in what our leaders are telling us, which is different everywhere. In some places, there is a huge shift to green energy and lowering of individual and collective footprints. In other places, this is a niche “belief” of some sort. It also is confusing when there is no real physical marker for the change, since our leaders are preaching that we limit our atmospheric warming from 1.5ºC to 2ºC. It’s hard to track something we are avoiding, I think. It would be much better for leaders to try and lower the current warming, rather than stick to the status quo. Especially because these proposed metrics are too high in some areas of the world for survival.

But as the chapter shows, event the current proposals are quite hard to reach, and will require “halving global greenhouse gas emissions in every decade going forward, doubling the share of renewables in the energy system every five years, ending deforestation, and reconfiguring agriculture and our diets (so we eat less beef and more plants)” (Lewis and Maslin 2018, 382).

Though we need to ban the use of fossil fuels everywhere, the only part I disagree with here is relying too heavily on green energy, because the configuration and support systems of the current green energy models still rely heavily on fossil fuels. Countries also don’t necessarily want to make the switch to clean energy because it costs more and does the same, if not a worse, job at providing livelihood. Fossil fuels have been long subsidized and these subsidies are hard to lift due to nationalization, that is, the state-owned oil companies make money for the governments that own them. Additionally, this plan overall is highly ambitious and requires all societies “to place the eradication of greenhouse gas emissions at the same level of importance as the pursuit of economic growth” (Lewis and Maslin 2018, 382). I wonder if this is truly possible is our ever growing capitalist society.

It is clear that the mode of living must change to avoid climate change and collapse. Otherwise, human societies will be unable to manage the consequences, and we will die. These consequences include, but are not limited to, food shortage (which will occur as a result of unpredictable climate ruining crops and our GMOs and pesticides have ruined the soil in irreversible ways), unlivable habitats (due to flooding as a result of sea level rise and unbearable heat), and of course civil unrest. The pentagon sees climate change as a threat multiplier, which means that the problems that already exist in our world will be exacerbated on unprecedented levels.

Equality is Necessary

I have long been weary of the communist socialist arguments toward climate change, thinking that agendas are being pushed that are unfavorable. However, I have come to realize that I have been privileged and conditioned to believe that capitalism is good because it has served me. I have been conditioned to believe that more is better.

Capitalism serves this message on a silver platter and has corrupted the human value system. In order to create a new mode of living, equality must exist in a variety of ways. Policies must limit climate change to avoid human suffering; we must focus on the human experience of all people, everywhere, and give value to their lives as well as our own. Everyone should also have access to information and education which will provide a more diverse global community to engage in collective action. Everyone in the global community should have access to healthy food; this should be a basic human right that is focused on more intently because food production currently is unbalanced and results in too much waste.

The unequal balance of economic power has historically favored the progress of the West and worsened the development of the global East. However, both East and West must work together to solve the climate crisis. The West has a larger debt to pay in this task because our emissions make up almost 100% of the emissions in the atmosphere. This was an interesting point since the textbook has repeatedly blamed poverty for rising temperatures. However, the West is hesitant to accept this reality, which presents a great challenge. The West is seemingly dependent on the East for resources, and they have become dependent on us for labor. This codependent relationship, as with any codependent relationship, is toxic and does not benefit either in the long-run. One way to reduce this dependency is with Universal Basic Income (UBI), which supports subsistence needs and covers healthcare. There would be no obligation to work, which would create an increase in autonomy and education. Equality is always a future aspiration, but it really shouldn’t be. We (the west) consume on irrational levels, so much that if global consumption was equal to that of the West, we would essentially be feeding the demand for 32 Billion people; this is impossible.

It doesn’t help that the most comprehensive international document to date, the Paris Climate Agreement, has no clear penalties for countries who do not perform their pledged actions. This is so commonly a reason why nothing ever changes; there are no consequences for the status quo! If the Paris agreement is truly implemented, the world will be transformed in ways that very few people understand or desire. Fossil fuel emissions won’t really be cut to zero, but rather managed in ways that aren’t truly sustainable and put a sort of band aid over the real issues.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

The current story around climate action is that cutting fossil fuel emissions to zero is all good. However, the proposed methods of doing so are actually quite harmful to biodiversity and only exist to serve human nature. It is a convenient story which allows us to phase out of harmful choices, placing a large amount of ownness on the individual, rather than directly correlating the damage to fossil fuel industries. Using economic solutions to paint a picture of the future is ineffective because people exist in the physical state and numbers exist in the hypothetical. Policy-makers are relying on the economic story that is constantly told, that we have to phase into a greener world, and that story is destructive to progress. It doesn’t accurately highlight the severity of the issues.

Something I also did not agree with in this chapter is the part about the materials revolution. While I think this type of revolution is definitely necessary, it still supports the culture of consumption, especially a centered reliance on recycling. Recycling is the least productive of the 4 R’s and requires a large amount of energy, which is exactly what we are trying to avoid. Rather than focusing on the elimination of waste or the recycling of waste, I think we should be focusing on the elimination of production of wasteful products. If we create products that people can reuse over and over again, then recycling ceases to be necessary. The story of recycling is damaging and continues to perpetuate environmental issues.

Another story we tend to tell ourselves is that of “deserving.” We say, “I’ve been active all week, I deserve an ice cream cone,” or “I have been studying all day, I deserve to watch a movie,” and especially “I have worked so hard, I deserve a vacation.” UBI, as mentioned above, breaks the link between work and consumption, which in turn lessens environmental impact. It does this by giving money with no expectation of anything in return, and by allowing people a stronger sense of free will. UBI is a controversial idea, but it really shouldn’t be. It has been shown that entrepreneurship, future planning, and environmental benefit increases with UBI; that doesn’t sound so bad.

We also have distanced ourselves from our food, in a way which causes us not to value it. Products are cheap, so they exist in surplus, but the environmental cost is high. Placing cheapness at the center of our perspective on food is damaging because we waste it since we don’t see a high value in it. Yet another story we tell ourselves: food doesn’t matter, and we will always have it. How can that be true when the population is growing and we cannot survive without food? This is just one example of the values that must be transformed in order to create real radical change.

The planet can and will survive without us, but we cannot survive without it. I would like to believe we are experiencing some sort of transformation right now, while we are all stuck in our homes watching the world go on without us. We see pictures of massively lowered levels of pollution, and I hope we are acknowledging our destructive power. This is the first step, which hopefully can move us to transition to greener modes of life and economies. We need to rely less on innovation, and more on going back to basics and looking to nature to help.

Words: 2130

Question: Is it effective to be optimistic about the future of the human population? Can optimism create change?

References:

Lewis, S. and Mark Maslin. 2018. The Human Planet: How We Created The Anthropcoene. Connecticut: Yale University Press.

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seotipsandtricks-me · 5 years

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When I first joined Found and was performing some basic keyword research, I simply threw a few keywords into AdWords and, hey presto, out popped 800 keywords. As a beginner in the SEO world, I thought that this would suffice. Gosh, how naïve I was! Ten months later, I am pleased to say that my technique for keyword research has improved dramatically. I use a range of tools and my process is far more efficient. Here, I’ve collated a load of great tools, as well as some outside of the box techniques, to help you find some keyword diamonds in the rough. Why carry out keyword research? Keyword research allows a brand to better understand what people are searching for in their niche, as well as how to optimise their website to better deliver results relevant to those keywords. Conducting keyword research allows you to optimise a website which attracts more visitors, as well as conveying better understanding and more relevancy to search engines. It also helps you improve the user experience and understand your target audience to better serve them relevant content. Keyword research can also help you find new business opportunities, by discovering terms and phrases that may not be an exact match but are somewhat related to the services or goods you offer. You can also find out where your site lies in relation to your competitors, and understand where a competitor is strong, as well as where there are opportunities to own a keyword. My approach Whenever carrying out keyword research I always find it useful to take a step back and to look at why you are doing it. Are you looking for informational or commercial keywords? What and who are you trying to target with the research? What is the end goal you want to achieve with your research? Are you trying to increase sales? Build awareness? By taking just 5 minutes to really understand the task ahead you can save hours in the long run. Have a rough idea of what you want to achieve, and then use this guide to help your research. Keyword Research Tools – Order of usefulness 1. Google This probably seems so incredibly obvious but it’s a stage lots of us forget about. Simply give your research topic a bit of a Google. This gives you some top-level ideas of where to begin your brainstorming and what Google recommends as relevant searches. This straight away gives me some potential avenues for research – ‘raw honey’, ‘honey for sale’ etc. Again, depending on the purpose of the research, I would make a note of a few useful topics for more in-depth research later. By Googling the keyword, you can also check in the SERP whether the top performing pages are commercial or informational. This proves useful when choosing what keywords to target on specific pages. Have a look at some of the top sites for these keywords. Make a note of the sites that seem to reoccur for further investigation. Cost – Free 2. AdWords In my opinion, this is the best keyword tool you can use. I use Google AdWords whenever I conduct keyword research. Pros AdWords allows you to enter multiple keywords in at once. I do, however, keep the words I enter into the tool very similar as I think it keeps the output a little easier to manage and speeds up the filtering process later on down the line. Most keyword tools pull their search volume from AdWords, so it helps with keeping your data consistent. Whenever I use another tool for KWR I always run the keywords through AdWords to ensure that the search volume is consistent. You can add your competitor’s URL into the search bar and see what related keywords appear for their pages. Cons Most people use this tool so your competitors will also be looking at the exact same keywords you are. AdWords is also starting to bundle together similar keywords which can be annoying and can distort overall search volume. I would suggest reading through the search data afterwards to double check there aren’t any noticeable keywords affected by this. Cost – Adwords is free but only to a certain extent. You get more granular information if you have an account that is actively running ads. 3. Moz I really like the Moz Keywords Explorer tool. You do have to pay for the premium version ($99 +per month) but can sign up for a 1-month free trial. It gives you an option whether or not to group keywords which AdWords doesn’t Pros One of the main reasons I like the Moz tool is that it gives you the option to group or ungroup similar keywords. Obviously, I want them ungrouped! This tool also has a nice SERP feature that shows you the top pages for that keyword. This is nicely laid out and shows you the page authority, domain authority, linking root domains to the page, linking root domains to root domain, and volume of Facebook shares for the top 10 organic results, very handy indeed. Cons The main disadvantage to the Moz pro tool is that it gives you the search volume in a range. This is a right nuisance. It just means you need to throw the keywords into Keyword Planner to keep things consistent. Cost – Free but limited to 10 queries a month. Subscriptions start from $99 per month. 4. Sistrix I always use Sistrix for analysing competitors pages to see what keywords they are ranking for. This technique helps to identify some keywords that you might previously not have been targeting. Simply paste the competitor URL into the search box and away you go. Sistrix also enables you to group the keywords, this can really help when you’re manually grouping keywords later in the process. Cost – Pay for what you need. Prices start at $100 a month 5. Answer the public Answer the Public is a great tool for finding informational keywords and potential titles for blogs. Simply throw in your keyword and it spits out questions, prepositions, and comparisons. Again, I’d throw these phrases through AdWords to check the search volume quite a few will have zero search volume. Have a quick look through and see if there are many that could be shortened or adjusted slightly for your purpose. I love the way Answer the public displays the results if you’re a visual person I’m sure you’d appreciate it. Cost – Free 6. Keywords Everywhere This is a must have Google Chrome Extension for any SEO professional. If you haven’t already got this bad boy installed, do it now. Here are a few of my top features of this tool: It shows you instantly when you search in Google the search volume of a keyword Keywords Everywhere also have a related keywords box that gives some suggestions for keywords. If you click the little star to the left it adds it to a list that you can access via the tool. Really useful for collating a long list of keywords. The search volume is pulled from AdWords so the search volume is consistent. Another great feature is you are able to analyse a page. Simply click on a competitor’s page and click analyse. It shows you the top keywords, density search volume and competition. All really useful. Cost – Free Outside the box methods So, I’ve gone through my stable of techniques for KWR, there are other methods out there and I’m sure you’ll have your favourites. On the rare occasion I’m struggling with KWR for a client I find myself using some slightly more outside the box techniques. 7. Wikipedia This is a quick technique for finding some potential avenues for research. Type a top-level keyword or two into Google followed by Wiki and check out the Wikipedia page. Have a brief look at the contents section. There are always some useful topics for further research. These topics can then be thrown into the AdWords tool to get more ideas. 8. Forums Industry forums can be a Godsend when it comes to tricky B2B clients. Pop the name of the industry into Google, add the word ‘forum’ – ‘beekeeping forum’ – and trust me, there will be a forum. These are the natural habitats of the experts in the field. Spend half an hour or so looking through some relevant content, maybe even search within that forum for a keyword or two. More often than not the users of these forums will be the type of customers you are trying to attract so look at the language they’re using and see if you can uncover some potential gems. 9. Udemy This is quite far outside the box but stay with me. This site offers courses in a wide range of things from music production to marketing. Search for a few top-level keywords and see what course come up. Look through the courses and course content and see if there are any keywords that you could use later on in your research. 10. Concatenate This handy tool not only works for PPC campaigns but is useful for finding keywords for SEO. Our concatenation tool designed by the data Wizards at Found makes creating a list of keyword variations dead easy. Simply enter the words you want to concatenate into the boxes and let the tool do its stuff. In seconds you’ll have a lovely list of keyword variations. Just pop these into AdWords to get the search volume and away you go. Check out our concatenate tool here. 11. VidIQ I came across VidIQ when doing some work for one of our clients surrounding YouTube. It’s a plugin that shows video and channel tags. These tags are basically keywords. When working on slightly harder B2B clients where you might not be a complete expert on the topic search a few top-level keywords. You can then sift through a few top results and see what topics come up. If you really want to immerse yourself watch a few… Process Filter Group So, there you have it. All the tools you could possibly use to help you gather a vast amount of keywords short-tail, long-tail and all the tails in between. The best ways to go about it are freemium or paid methods – applications such as Adwords and Moz – but the free methods offer ways of gaining insight too. The main difference between paid and free is the amount of information you receive. While you won’t have as much detailed information using the free methods, they still give you a general idea of the keywords in your niche. It all depends on what your budget can afford. For my money, the best combination is Adwords/Moz, complemented by Answer The Public. But now you have all your keywords, what do you do with them? Find out in the part of our keyword series. But if you can’t wait and need SEO expertise, contact us here. The post A beginners guide to keyword research appeared first on FOUND.

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