thewakingtimes--2020-04-24--Can EMF Make Us More Susceptible to Coronavirus Infection?

Can EMF Make Us More Susceptible to Coronavirus Infection ?
In this interview , Brian Hoyer — one of the primary consultants for my latest book , “ EMF*D ” — discusses how electromagnetic field ( EMF ) radiation may be impacting the COVID-19 epidemic and your infection risk .
Many have raised questions about whether there is a connection between 5G and this pandemic .
In some ways , the connection between COVID-19 and 5G is a moot issue .
In other ways , it ’ s not .
Either way , it ’ s tangential to what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and your family from here on out .
At the time of this interview , which took place March 31 , 2020 , a vast majority of those who have died from COVID-19 were elderly .
Those who died in China and Italy under the age of 50 have generally been encumbered with obesity , diabetes and hypertension , with insulin resistance being the common denominator .
Very few under the age of 19 are affected .
That said , the infection appears to be more aggressive than influenza in older individuals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular flu .
So , there ’ s enhanced virulence to this virus for some reason we yet do not understand .
While unproven , one current theory is that EMF radiation — and the addition of 5G in particular — could be having an impact .
Hoyer cites data from Dr. Arthur Firstenberg ’ s book , “ The Invisible Rainbow , ” in which he catalogued epidemiological evidence showing that as electrification of the world was implemented , throughout the course of history , viral pandemics ensued .
In his book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a connection between EMF and influenza .
And , this connection existed far before the advent and introduction of man-made EMFs , which probably happened in very small quantities in the late 18th century .
But , he also describes something called the maunder minimum , which lasted from 1645 to 1715 .
Essentially , this was a period of time when the sun was very quiet and had very few or no sun spots .
Then , in 1727 , the number of sun spots increased to over 100 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , I know this is ancient history , but it ’ s important to understand that because in 1728 , influenza arrived in waves over the entire planet and it was the first flu pandemic in almost 150 years .
So , this is the first hint , at least historically , that there might be a connection between EMF and viral illness because , in the solar flare , you ’ re going to have increased radiation .
The next major pandemic was in 1889 , and the interesting part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that this infection was established pretty much everywhere all at once .
We obviously did not have transcontinental flights the way we did in the current COVID-19 disease .
It appears to have emerged in Wuhan City , China , where , incidentally , 5G had recently been rolled out , but millions of people traveled in and out of that area and on to other parts of the world .
Well , the 1889 epidemic took place at a time when we didn ’ t have the ability to travel very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic emerged very rapidly in widely scattered regions around the world .
Interestingly , in 1889 , we saw the emergence of what Firstenberg calls power line harmonics .
According to Firstenberg , that changed the Earth ’ s magnetic field , ushering in the 1889 influenza pandemic .
Next , there was the Spanish flu of 1918 , which also spread far more rapidly than it could or should have were it spread through travel .
In 1918 , radio was the emerging technology .
Firstenberg ’ s revised edition also mentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book builds a case for the theory that increases in EMFs , natural or man-made , might make us more susceptible or sensitive to viral illnesses .
If natural EMF exposures have the ability to influence our biology , it ’ s not so hard to imagine that man-made exposures might have an exponential impact .
Hoyer adds : We Don ’ t Know What We Haven ’ t Studied A significant problem with man-made EMFs is that they ’ re pulsed .
We are also surrounded by RF radiation , both analog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RF signals .
With regard to COVID-19 , underlying health conditions clearly appear to play a role .
However , we don ’ t know whether the use of certain drugs might have a bearing on the severity of the disease and its outcome .
For example , while French doctors say they ’ ve noticed a pattern that patients given ibuprofen fared worse than those given acetaminophen , their findings have been largely ignored simply because there are no studies to prove it .
When did clinical findings become useless ?
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered and acted upon during an active pandemic when time is of the essence .
At this time , we really need to listen to the medical professionals in the field who are treating patients .
During a March 12 , 2020 , lecture at the Health and Human Rights Summit in Tucson , Arizona , Dr. Thomas Cowan likely stunned the audience by bringing up a potential connection between 5G and COVID-19 .
By and large , many of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19 have recently implemented 5G which , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prone to serious infection by lowering their immune function .
Cowan also presents the theory that COVID-19 and other influenza epidemics are not transmitted from person to person but , rather , are the result of cellular toxicity , including but not limited to EMF-induced cellular toxicity .
To be clear , I ’ m not saying 5G spreads the infection or is a vector of infection .
But by lowering your natural immune defenses and causing chronic inflammation , it is likely impairing your innate immune system ’ s ability to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased susceptibility to illness would apply to all disease , both acute and chronic , and would not be limited to COVID-19 .
Exaggerated EMF exposure may well be a hidden variable that could be contributing to the reason why so many people get sick in particular areas .
Intense EMF exposure could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel ’ s back , meaning the factor that breaks the immune system .
How to Protect Yourself Now I ’ ve published a series of suggestions on how to minimize your risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sauna , nebulized hydrogen peroxide , vitamin C , ozone , melatonin and other nutraceuticals .
My favorite supplement of all , which I believe is particularly useful at this time , is molecular hydrogen tablets .
The tablets are made of metallic magnesium , which when placed in water dissociates into magnesium ions , not a salt like magnesium oxide or magnesium threonate .
It ’ s just simple pure magnesium , which doesn ’ t have a laxative effect , and molecular hydrogen gas — both of which are extraordinarily useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of EMF .
I think almost everyone would benefit from them .
The beautiful thing about molecular hydrogen is that it ’ s a selective antioxidant .
Unlike most traditional antioxidants that indiscriminately reduce most free radicals , molecular hydrogen merely helps activate endogenous antioxidants to reduce the damage from the NRLP3 inflammasome activation .
The magnesium , meanwhile , acts as a calcium channel blocker , which helps mitigate the damage from the EMF exposure .
So , it helps in many different ways .
I think it ’ s one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I recommend taking two tablets in water once a day ( twice if you have heavy exposure either to COVID-19 or EMFs ) .
Ideally , you want to pulse your intake , as consuming it regularly doesn ’ t seem to work as well .
You need to pulse it to get the benefit because there needs to be a change in the concentration in your system .
As for lowering your EMF exposure , you can download a free chapter from my book , “ EMF*D ” that summarizes most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most important considerations in “ The No .
1 Thing to Do to Protect Yourself From EMFs.
” Hoyer is also working on videos demonstrating how to use shielded paint and other remediation strategies , so keep an eye out for those on his website , ShieldedHealing.com .
Be Mindful of Symptoms of EMF Sensitivity The most important area to shield is your bedroom , as that is where you spend your nights — the time when your body is going through its most valuable regeneration and healing processes .
Sleeping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way toward avoiding electrosensitivity , which by the way tends to come on very rapidly , in many cases seemingly “ overnight.
” Common symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity include ringing in the ears , a feeling of burning or prickling in the skin , headache , heart palpitations and inexplicable anxiety , for example .
Once you ’ re electrosensitive , additional and more extensive remediation strategies may become necessary .
Again , it may not be 5G per se that breaks down the immune system , but rather that the total EMF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many individuals .
As explained by Hoyer , EMF shielding materials are capable of blocking about 99 % of the harmful frequencies we ’ re exposed to , but not the lower frequencies associated with the Schumann resonance , which are associated with healing .
He also points out that : What Will 42,000 Satellites Do to the Earth ?
SpaceX , which currently has about 400 low-Earth orbiting satellites , has obtained permission to put 42,000 satellites into orbit in order to provide the whole world with 5G coverage .
The exact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen , but I ’ m not particularly optimistic .
Hoyer comments : Compassion for Each Other Is Paramount As noted by Hoyer , we need to have more compassion in general for those who are immune compromised .
Clearly , they need to be protected from SARS-CoV-2 .
But they also need to be protected from wireless frequencies and EMF exposure , and few give this a single thought .

Can EMF Make Us More Susceptible to Coronavirus Infection?
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
In this interview, Brian Hoyer — one of the primary consultants for my latest book, “EMF*D” — discusses how electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation may be impacting the COVID-19 epidemic and your infection risk. Many have raised questions about whether there is a connection between 5G and this pandemic.
In some ways, the connection between COVID-19 and 5G is a moot issue. In other ways, it’s not. Either way, it’s tangential to what you need to do now to protect yourself and your family from here on out. At the time of this interview, which took place March 31, 2020, a vast majority of those who have died from COVID-19 were elderly.
Those who died in China and Italy under the age of 50 have generally been encumbered with obesity, diabetes and hypertension, with insulin resistance being the common denominator. Very few under the age of 19 are affected.
That said, the infection appears to be more aggressive than influenza in older individuals, and the illness lasts longer than the regular flu. So, there’s enhanced virulence to this virus for some reason we yet do not understand. While unproven, one current theory is that EMF radiation — and the addition of 5G in particular — could be having an impact.
Electrification and Global Illness
Hoyer cites data from Dr. Arthur Firstenberg’s book, “The Invisible Rainbow,” in which he catalogued epidemiological evidence showing that as electrification of the world was implemented, throughout the course of history, viral pandemics ensued.
“The big one in there that’s been cited on the internet about possible connection to 5G is, if you go back to 1918 when the Spanish flu went around the world, that was when the first radio telegraphs were more widely used.
You see the Spanish flu popping up all over the world, but [not] in a way [that would suggest] we are passing it from person to person, but [it popped up on] one side of the world to the other side of the world very quickly.
Today, we wouldn’t know if that’s happening because we travel so frequently. And there are theories out there about how viruses actually transmit from person to person … That said, what we have is probably the unhealthiest population in the history of mankind … as far as chronic conditions … We also have more sterility …
But we also have more practices of separation and decontamination, and all of those things are better than ever before. So why is this virus spreading so rapidly?
I believe it has to be the terrain of the individual and also environmental stressors that are creating this perfect storm where a virus has an easy way to get into the body and can actually reproduce on the cellular level inside of the human body. Which is really how viruses work. It’s not the same as bacteria. I think a lot of people have that false sense that a virus is just a smaller version of a bacteria.”
Viral Pandemics Coincide With Increases in EMF Exposure
In his book, Firstenberg brings up this concept that there is a connection between EMF and influenza. And, this connection existed far before the advent and introduction of man-made EMFs, which probably happened in very small quantities in the late 18th century.
But, he also describes something called the maunder minimum, which lasted from 1645 to 1715. Essentially, this was a period of time when the sun was very quiet and had very few or no sun spots.
Then, in 1727, the number of sun spots increased to over 100 for the first time in over a century. Now, I know this is ancient history, but it’s important to understand that because in 1728, influenza arrived in waves over the entire planet and it was the first flu pandemic in almost 150 years.
So, this is the first hint, at least historically, that there might be a connection between EMF and viral illness because, in the solar flare, you’re going to have increased radiation. The next major pandemic was in 1889, and the interesting part of this, which Hoyer mentioned, is that this infection was established pretty much everywhere all at once.
We obviously did not have transcontinental flights the way we did in the current COVID-19 disease. It appears to have emerged in Wuhan City, China, where, incidentally, 5G had recently been rolled out, but millions of people traveled in and out of that area and on to other parts of the world.
Well, the 1889 epidemic took place at a time when we didn’t have the ability to travel very fast or far. Yet, the pandemic emerged very rapidly in widely scattered regions around the world. Interestingly, in 1889, we saw the emergence of what Firstenberg calls power line harmonics. According to Firstenberg, that changed the Earth’s magnetic field, ushering in the 1889 influenza pandemic.
Next, there was the Spanish flu of 1918, which also spread far more rapidly than it could or should have were it spread through travel. In 1918, radio was the emerging technology. Firstenberg’s revised edition also mentions 5G technology.
In summary, his book builds a case for the theory that increases in EMFs, natural or man-made, might make us more susceptible or sensitive to viral illnesses. If natural EMF exposures have the ability to influence our biology, it’s not so hard to imagine that man-made exposures might have an exponential impact. Hoyer adds:
“Things are happening now that have never happened before. We [have] a lot of people who are electrosensitive. One of the things they report is that … they feel sick during lightning storms with influenza-type symptoms. Flashes of lightning create a radio frequency. It’s called microwave sickness in the literature.
A lot of people call it electromagnetic hypersensitivity or electrosensitivity, but in a lot of the literature, you have to look up microwave sickness … Then you’ll find these references to when storms come, when solar flares are active, people are getting more and more symptoms.
Depression is a huge thing that happens when there’s more solar radiation and also during a full moon even. So, there’s a lot of natural electromagnetic radiation that happens. Most of that is gradual, but with the radio frequency (RF) lightning pulses, those are definitely a pulsed phenomenon … I think it’s in the kilohertz range. But it varies … it’s never the same frequency, it’s always different.
You’ll actually hear it when the lightning goes off and if you have a really sensitive meter, when you turn on and off light switches, you can hear the arcing and there’s an RF that transmits out from that arcing that happens … Solar flares … can affect all types of electronics and can cause electromagnetic interference, and that is technically in the kilohertz to megahertz range.”
We Don’t Know What We Haven’t Studied
A significant problem with man-made EMFs is that they’re pulsed. We are also surrounded by RF radiation, both analog RF signals from radio stations and pulsed RF signals.
“A lot of times I wonder, ‘What would a real study look like if you have the 50 Hz to 60 Hz modulation and the RF and everything?’ Usually, in these studies, they’re just testing one thing in a controlled environment.
They’re never testing the entire soup that we’re constantly bathed in as human beings. We’re the big experiment here and they’re just testing one thing at a time in this Western medicine type of fashion,” Hoyer notes.
With regard to COVID-19, underlying health conditions clearly appear to play a role. However, we don’t know whether the use of certain drugs might have a bearing on the severity of the disease and its outcome.
For example, while French doctors say they’ve noticed a pattern that patients given ibuprofen fared worse than those given acetaminophen, their findings have been largely ignored simply because there are no studies to prove it.
When did clinical findings become useless? If anything, clinical suspicions should be rapidly considered and acted upon during an active pandemic when time is of the essence. At this time, we really need to listen to the medical professionals in the field who are treating patients.
Link Between 5G Implementation and COVID-19 Hotspots?
During a March 12, 2020, lecture at the Health and Human Rights Summit in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Thomas Cowan likely stunned the audience by bringing up a potential connection between 5G and COVID-19.
By and large, many of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19 have recently implemented 5G which, at least theoretically, might render residents more prone to serious infection by lowering their immune function.
Cowan also presents the theory that COVID-19 and other influenza epidemics are not transmitted from person to person but, rather, are the result of cellular toxicity, including but not limited to EMF-induced cellular toxicity.
To be clear, I’m not saying 5G spreads the infection or is a vector of infection. But by lowering your natural immune defenses and causing chronic inflammation, it is likely impairing your innate immune system’s ability to fight off the coronavirus. Naturally, this increased susceptibility to illness would apply to all disease, both acute and chronic, and would not be limited to COVID-19.
Exaggerated EMF exposure may well be a hidden variable that could be contributing to the reason why so many people get sick in particular areas. Intense EMF exposure could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, meaning the factor that breaks the immune system.
“[Cowan] is a top-notch doctor, he’s on the cutting edge,” Hoyer says. “In that video, he talks about Wuhan as one of the testing grounds for 5G, where 5G was first implemented in China. And what’s interesting about Italy … is that Milan — the Lombardi area of Italy where two-thirds of the cases are — is considered the 5G capital of the European Union according to Vodafone, which is the big 5G carrier out there …
If you go on Vodafone’s website, you can see the 5G map, and it’s sprinkled throughout all Milan and Lombardi, that province up there. So that is definitely a more concentrated area. On top of that, you have all of the older population in Italy, and people that are likely fully buying into the Western medicine and are on [multiple] medications — those sorts of things.
The way that all of those medications are interacting, combined with the 5G stress and the electromagnetic stress, I think it’s no wonder everyone’s immune system is suppressed and they’re so susceptible. It’s the terrain that’s the problem, the environmental stress.
We can actually kind of control that ourselves. Getting off of our phones and working to shield our environment will help to strengthen our immune system. Then taking some … supplements can take to help boost your immune system …
So, there’s 5G in Milan, in Wuhan, and New York City is one of the highest, most intense [5G] areas I’ve seen, and Seattle … But 5G doesn’t matter so much to me. It’s about the intensity of the EMF. New York was basically as intense as a 5G area already, before 5G was implemented, in my opinion. It maxes out all of our meters wherever I go. There are hidden antennas everywhere in New York City.
[Seattle] has a lot of hills in the city, and right on Queen Anne, there are two huge radio towers with probably 100 antennas on them, just blasting the whole city. We’ve had assessments there where we’ve maxed out [our meters], and even shielded rooms upstairs and it still maxed out.
So, we have to do a complete covering of the floor, the ceiling and the walls, and be really strict about how we’re doing the shielding over the windows so that everything is sealed almost perfectly, like a true perfect Faraday cage. In most homes we don’t have to do an absolutely perfect Faraday cage, with all the electrical connections and no gaps whatsoever. We can still dial it down to where the levels are low enough.
But in places where it’s really intense, we have to use different strategies in order to make it so that there’s absolutely no gaps … The exponential pressure of all that EMF radiation that can leak in through a tiny hole is really important in those more saturated areas …
Some people watching this will be like, ‘Oh, EMF is the cause of everything.’ That’s not what I’m saying at all. But it definitely weakens our immune systems. Martin Pall’s research shows one mechanism for how that happens and … we know how electric the body is.
I mean, the heart communicates with the brain through an electromagnetic pulse, that’s been proven with the HeartMath studies … You can [find] fascinating articles on there about how we physiologically depend on different voltage changes in order for our body to function optimally.
Just to think that there are people out there that believe this environment we’ve created does not affect us — it’s insane when you start to read some of these studies about how our body uses voltage to heal and to function.”
How to Protect Yourself Now
I’ve published a series of suggestions on how to minimize your risk of COVID-19, including the use of sauna, nebulized hydrogen peroxide, vitamin C, ozone, melatonin and other nutraceuticals.
My favorite supplement of all, which I believe is particularly useful at this time, is molecular hydrogen tablets. The tablets are made of metallic magnesium, which when placed in water dissociates into magnesium ions, not a salt like magnesium oxide or magnesium threonate.
It’s just simple pure magnesium, which doesn’t have a laxative effect, and molecular hydrogen gas — both of which are extraordinarily useful for mitigating the negative effects and impacts of EMF.
I think almost everyone would benefit from them. The beautiful thing about molecular hydrogen is that it’s a selective antioxidant. Unlike most traditional antioxidants that indiscriminately reduce most free radicals, molecular hydrogen merely helps activate endogenous antioxidants to reduce the damage from the NRLP3 inflammasome activation.
The magnesium, meanwhile, acts as a calcium channel blocker, which helps mitigate the damage from the EMF exposure. So, it helps in many different ways. I think it’s one of the best strategies during this epidemic.
I recommend taking two tablets in water once a day (twice if you have heavy exposure either to COVID-19 or EMFs). Ideally, you want to pulse your intake, as consuming it regularly doesn’t seem to work as well. You need to pulse it to get the benefit because there needs to be a change in the concentration in your system.
As for lowering your EMF exposure, you can download a free chapter from my book, “EMF*D” that summarizes most of the major recommendations. I also review the most important considerations in “The No. 1 Thing to Do to Protect Yourself From EMFs.”
Hoyer is also working on videos demonstrating how to use shielded paint and other remediation strategies, so keep an eye out for those on his website, ShieldedHealing.com.
“Many are at home right now. You have time to do this. Our company stocked up on shielding paint before [the COVID-19 pandemic] so we don’t have to import it anymore. It would be a good time to take on a [remediation] project. Beyond that, things you can do right now is get off your cellphone. Your cellphone is a walking cellphone tower. I always have mine on airplane mode …”
Be Mindful of Symptoms of EMF Sensitivity
The most important area to shield is your bedroom, as that is where you spend your nights — the time when your body is going through its most valuable regeneration and healing processes. Sleeping in an EMF-free environment can go a long way toward avoiding electrosensitivity, which by the way tends to come on very rapidly, in many cases seemingly “overnight.”
Common symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity include ringing in the ears, a feeling of burning or prickling in the skin, headache, heart palpitations and inexplicable anxiety, for example. Once you’re electrosensitive, additional and more extensive remediation strategies may become necessary.
Again, it may not be 5G per se that breaks down the immune system, but rather that the total EMF burden simply exceeds the tolerable threshold of many individuals.
“It involves a lot of detox of different heavy metals [and chemicals],” Hoyer explains. “There’s a chemical load, there’s heavy metal load. There’s all types of stressors that we need to reduce to make a person less electrosensitive. We’re getting more and more sensitive as a species and eventually we’ll hit a tipping point — perhaps once you add a virus that we’ve never had exposure to before …
You have to wonder, is this the tipping point? Not necessarily 5G? Is this virus and even 4G the tipping point? I wonder about that. I know 5G is adding more saturation of these frequencies, but we really need to get to a point where we understand that, at least in the bedroom, we need to be shielded. If you’re still reacting to things, you have to do more work.”
On 5G Frequencies
As explained by Hoyer, EMF shielding materials are capable of blocking about 99% of the harmful frequencies we’re exposed to, but not the lower frequencies associated with the Schumann resonance, which are associated with healing. He also points out that:
“A lot of people equate 5G with millimeter waves (MMW). That’s absolutely not the case in my opinion. I’ve tested … frequencies all the way up to 23.5 gigahertz (GHz) with 3G and 4G as back haul transmitters. Satellite TV is 12 to 18 GH.
The 5G frequencies they’re going to be using, or are using in some areas, are point-to-point communication right now … it’s laser pointed. I had a meter that measured MMWs and I took it to Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.
I didn’t detect anything in Austin where 5G was live. In Los Angeles, there were some neighborhoods where I barely detected something, but I had to point my receiver directly at the antenna to get it. If I was even a centimeter off, I would not detect it.
So [5G antennas] are like laser pointed frequencies from what I can tell with the testing that I did. And most of the 5G frequencies we’re being exposed to are going to be below 6 GHz. That’s what’s going to be communicating with our devices if you choose to get a 5G device, which I would recommend not to do …
We have much more saturation, like in Houston, there’s 3.5 GHz on every telephone pole. That’s a higher frequency than 2.4 so it’s faster. Five GHz on your router is faster. Some people report more symptoms from 5 GHz router versus 2.4 GHz and vice versa. It seems to be frequency dependent.
What’s interesting is the lower the frequency, down to 50 or 60 megahertz (MHz), the more it resonates with the human body. The size of the human body you’re getting in around 60 to 80 MHz range is about 6 foot. That’s what your body will resonate with.
On any meter where I measure this, I measure it with a real-time spectrum analyzer. You can actually see the rise and you’re using your body as an antenna much more from about 60 MHz all the way up to around 900 MHz, sometimes in up to 1500 MHz you can still see this antenna effect on the body.
But the higher frequencies don’t resonate as much with the conductance of the skin. So, your skin does provide a slight Faraday cage against the higher frequencies, but these lower frequencies definitely penetrate, including T-Mobile’s 600 MHz 5G frequency, which goes further and can penetrate deeper into tissue and through forests and everything.”
What Will 42,000 Satellites Do to the Earth?
SpaceX, which currently has about 400 low-Earth orbiting satellites, has obtained permission to put 42,000 satellites into orbit in order to provide the whole world with 5G coverage. The exact ramifications of this saturation remain to be seen, but I’m not particularly optimistic. Hoyer comments:
“SpaceX has about 400 satellites up. That was the number Elon Musk wanted to start … testing the network. That could turn on at any time. So those of us out there who are electrosensitive are paying attention and reading the news on that.
Amazon … Facebook [and] companies in the U.K. and Canada also have petitions to put up satellites, so it’s not just SpaceX … But SpaceX is looking at doing 42,000 satellites. They just got approved by the government for 1 million antennas on the ground, to work with the satellites. That is what I’m much more concerned about than the stuff beaming down from above, because they’re closer …
I think a lot of people are very concerned. I almost see this apocalyptic look on people’s faces when we talk about the Starlink and the satellites … like we’re not going to be protected at all. It’s just going to be everywhere.
Well, I think that’s true, but even the satellite dishes that we have for television and cable, you have to have a dish that collects that signal and concentrates it up. So, they’re actually pretty weak signals coming from above. It’s not like they’re completely blasting you with a laser beam down.
But like I was saying, the 1 million antennas on the ground, that’s what I’m much more concerned about. And then the devices that we and our neighbors have, those are very concerning. If you have a metal roof, that’s going to protect you somewhat from a lot of the different frequencies that are beaming down … I’m much more concerned about the stuff that’s way closer to us.”
Compassion for Each Other Is Paramount
As noted by Hoyer, we need to have more compassion in general for those who are immune compromised. Clearly, they need to be protected from SARS-CoV-2. But they also need to be protected from wireless frequencies and EMF exposure, and few give this a single thought.
“Many of these older people grew up in an environment where they didn’t have nearly as much EMF exposure. There’s still some of these older people who grew up in places that didn’t even have electricity.


thewakingtimes--2020-04-25--Cops Wage Elaborate Undercover Scheme to Arrest Woman for Giving a Manicure Out of Her Home

Cops Wage Elaborate Undercover Scheme to Arrest Woman for Giving a Manicure Out of Her Home Two Texas police officers went undercover in an elaborate sting operation to catch citizens giving salon services for money in their own home .
The cops posed as regular citizens needing to get a manicure .
Tipsters ( also known in some neighborhoods as “ rats ” or “ snitches ” ) pointed police to a woman who was advertising manicure services on social media — the horror .
Laredo police arrested Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia , 31 , at the 1200 block of Harding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an undercover officer with a manicure .
Again , the horror .
Castro-Garcia was arrested and charged with “ Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B ” and was taken to the Webb County Jail where she was offered a $ 500 bond .
In a separate and unrelated case Brenda Stephany Mata , 20 , was arrested at the 1100 block of Hubner Street after she allegedly offered to do an undercover cop ’ s lashes .
Just like Castro-Garcia , she was charged with “ Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jail for booking .
Only 11 of the nearly 300,000 residents of Laredo , Texas have reportedly died of COVID-19 complications .
Had the ladies not been making money for their salon services the police would never have been tipped off by citizens ratting out their neighbors for presumably trying to feed themselves and their families .
Yes , America .
Police officers in Laredo Texas presumably had nothing better to do than enforce an arbitrary decree from a politician for people not to work and earn a living during a pandemic — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two cosmopolitan ladies the officers pretended to be potential clients , offering money to citizens to break the rules and give them a manicure and lash treatment respectively .
Placing the citizens further in harms way they then arrested them , instead of citing them , which forced the two presumably healthy women to be inside the confines of a jail cell with other individuals who themselves could have been infected with COVID-19 .
The defiance of logic in these two situations is utterly absurd and speaks to the arbitrary nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuban-style block monitoring will likely not stop with the arrest of the two beauticians .
No , police all over the country have made a point to make examples out of people for paddle boarding by oneself in the ocean , creating satirical posts on social media , and for feeding the homeless during a social distancing mandate .
We ’ ve been told by cop apologists the actual beat cops do not really want to enforce the laws but are forced to do so by their higher-ups .
For those apologists we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government told you to stop being a police officer and to stay home without pay with your family , how would you provide a living for those you love ?
Somewhere along the way the insanity needs to stop .
Where is the outrage in Texas ?
As TFTP reported this week , a video of a mother being arrested for bringing her kids to the park caused outrage across the internet and manifested into a massive act of police accountability .
After Sara Walton Brady ’ s arrest , dozens of protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Department officer who arrested Brady .
The protest was reportedly spearheaded by Ammon Bundy , who as TFTP reported last week , has been planning resistance to the lockdowns .
As the crowd grew larger at the officer ’ s home , his fellow cops helped guard him .
“ There was a woman at a park with her children and she was arrested !
” Bundy screams at the four or five cops standing in the driveway .
“ Completely inappropriate.
” “ The people will not allow you guys to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bundy yells at the cops in the video .
“ You will not go into the park and arrest people !
You will not go into parks and arrest mothers , and you will not go anywhere and arrest us for exercising what our rights are.
” The cops seemed receptive to the message and appeared to have an actual conversation with the protesters instead of simply ignoring them .
We need more of these conversations , now .
Jack Burns writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com , where this article first appeared .

Cops Wage Elaborate Undercover Scheme to Arrest Woman for Giving a Manicure Out of Her Home
Jack Burns, The Free Thought Project
Waking Times
Two Texas police officers went undercover in an elaborate sting operation to catch citizens giving salon services for money in their own home. The cops posed as regular citizens needing to get a manicure. Tipsters (also known in some neighborhoods as “rats” or “snitches”) pointed police to a woman who was advertising manicure services on social media — the horror.
Laredo police arrested Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia, 31, at the 1200 block of Harding Street after she allegedly agreed to provide an undercover officer with a manicure. Again, the horror. Castro-Garcia was arrested and charged with “Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B” and was taken to the Webb County Jail where she was offered a $500 bond.
In a separate and unrelated case Brenda Stephany Mata, 20, was arrested at the 1100 block of Hubner Street after she allegedly offered to do an undercover cop’s lashes. Just like Castro-Garcia, she was charged with “Violation of Emergency Management Plan C/B” and was also taken to Webb County Jail for booking.
Only 11 of the nearly 300,000 residents of Laredo, Texas have reportedly died of COVID-19 complications. Had the ladies not been making money for their salon services the police would never have been tipped off by citizens ratting out their neighbors for presumably trying to feed themselves and their families.
Yes, America. Police officers in Laredo Texas presumably had nothing better to do than enforce an arbitrary decree from a politician for people not to work and earn a living during a pandemic — in their own home.
To arrest the two cosmopolitan ladies the officers pretended to be potential clients, offering money to citizens to break the rules and give them a manicure and lash treatment respectively. Placing the citizens further in harms way they then arrested them, instead of citing them, which forced the two presumably healthy women to be inside the confines of a jail cell with other individuals who themselves could have been infected with COVID-19.
The defiance of logic in these two situations is utterly absurd and speaks to the arbitrary nature of the enforcement of such laws.
The Cuban-style block monitoring will likely not stop with the arrest of the two beauticians. No, police all over the country have made a point to make examples out of people for paddle boarding by oneself in the ocean, creating satirical posts on social media, and for feeding the homeless during a social distancing mandate.
We’ve been told by cop apologists the actual beat cops do not really want to enforce the laws but are forced to do so by their higher-ups. For those apologists we have one simple question. If the government told you to stop being a police officer and to stay home without pay with your family, how would you provide a living for those you love?
Somewhere along the way the insanity needs to stop. Where is the outrage in Texas?
As TFTP reported this week, a video of a mother being arrested for bringing her kids to the park caused outrage across the internet and manifested into a massive act of police accountability. After Sara Walton Brady’s arrest, dozens of protesters went to the home of the Meridian Police Department officer who arrested Brady. The protest was reportedly spearheaded by Ammon Bundy, who as TFTP reported last week, has been planning resistance to the lockdowns.
As the crowd grew larger at the officer’s home, his fellow cops helped guard him.
“There was a woman at a park with her children and she was arrested!” Bundy screams at the four or five cops standing in the driveway. “Completely inappropriate.” “The people will not allow you guys to do this for very long!” Bundy yells at the cops in the video. “You will not go into the park and arrest people! You will not go into parks and arrest mothers, and you will not go anywhere and arrest us for exercising what our rights are.”
The cops seemed receptive to the message and appeared to have an actual conversation with the protesters instead of simply ignoring them. We need more of these conversations, now.
About the Author
Jack Burns writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared.


thewakingtimes--2020-04-25--Satellite Data Show Amazon Rainforest Likely Drier, More Fire-Prone This Year

Satellite Data Show Amazon Rainforest Likely Drier , More Fire-Prone This Year Huge swaths of Brazil ’ s Amazon rainforest are drier than usual after a rainy season with rainfall index well below historical levels , raising concerns about a further spike in wildfires and deforestation as the dry season approaches .
Data from NASA and the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research ( INPE ) points to stressed climate conditions : the soil is drier , temperatures are higher , and groundwater is depleted .
Peak rainy season , which runs from December to February , was among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with just 75 % of the season ’ s usual rainfall .
Last year , wildfire and deforestation in the Amazon hit the highest levels in a decade .
But the flames were contained by the rainforest ’ s natural humidity after several months of intense rainfall .
This year , the rainforest may not be so lucky .
Since taking office in January 2019 , Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro has scaled back environmental protections and pushed to change the country ’ s legislation to open up indigenous reserves to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main drivers of Amazon destruction .
The government has also cut down on environmental raids amid the COVID-19 pandemic , opening the doors to increased deforestation , wildcat mining and land grabbing .
As a result , deforestation this year increased 51 % through March compared to the first quarter of 2019 , according to INPE .
The deforestation figure for August 2019 to the end of March 2020 is reportedly nearly twice that of the same period a year earlier .
Adding a drier climate to the mix , experts warn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , intensifying forest dieback and allowing more untouched , healthy forest to catch fire in the long term .
Although weather forecasts for the Amazon are highly unpredictable , which could potentially reverse the current deficit , climate models by Brazil ’ s Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Research ( CPTEC ) show no indication of above-average precipitation in the coming months .
“ We are entering a drier season where rains are not [ usually ] intense enough to impact the potential for fire and other factors related to the dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Mongabay .
Water shortages in the soil right after a rainy season also signal trouble later on in the year , says NASA scientist and hydrologist Matthew Rodell , who works with NASA ’ s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On ( GRACE-FO ) satellites monitoring water levels stored deep beneath the Earth ’ s surface .
Their data are used to predict drought worldwide .
Recent GRACE-FO images of South America have shown large areas of Brazil ’ s Amazon and Cerrado biomes in the deep red zone , meaning water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we see normal to low precipitation this year , then there is potential for drought , ” Rodell told Mongabay in a telephone interview .
“ I would be concerned.
” But for Ane Alencar , the head of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute ( IPAM ) and a specialist in rainforest wildfires , an increase in fires this year depends far more on political decisions than climate conditions , which she expects will be within an average range .
“ I have the worst possible expectations about uncontrolled human-induced deforestation and fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t exist in the Amazon , ” she told Mongabay .
A technical report by IPAM published this week also anticipates a surge in fires caused by the deforestation spike of 2019 , as the modus operandi of land grabbers is to deforest one year then set fire the next , in order to successfully transform forest into farmland and pastures .
Drier soil conditions overlap with high deforestation rates .
In northern Pará state , home to 40 % of all deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon last year , early fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the area around the city of Santarém , which already has the highest deforestation rates in the Amazon , fires and land clearing may also spike after the recent paving of the BR-163 highway that cuts through the Amazon rainforest , described by Bolsonaro on Twitter as “ at the heart of agribusiness.
” The gradual drying of the Amazon has concerned scientists for decades , as it threatens to set off a cycle of forest dieback that may push the rainforest over its tipping point , turning rainforest into degraded savanna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events like droughts and floods have increased and published data show dry seasons getting longer and more severe .
But figures on the Amazon rainy season are new .
According to rainfall data shared with Mongabay by CPTEC , eight of the 10 driest rainy seasons in Brazil ’ s northern region recorded since 1962 happened after the year 2000 .
“ We have observed a negative trend , a significant sign of reduction in rain through the years , ” CPTEC scientist Jatobá told Mongabay .
Nevertheless , there is still some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Nepstad , some steps are already being taken by a part of the agribusiness sector to encourage farmers to plant trees .
“ Farmers are on the hook to plant 6 million hectares ( 14.8 million acres ) in the next 20 years , but they often don ’ t have enough money or incentives to do this .
This is part of the solution , ” he said .

Satellite Data Show Amazon Rainforest Likely Drier, More Fire-Prone This Year
Shanna Hanbury, Guest
Waking Times
Huge swaths of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest are drier than usual after a rainy season with rainfall index well below historical levels, raising concerns about a further spike in wildfires and deforestation as the dry season approaches.
Data from NASA and the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) points to stressed climate conditions: the soil is drier, temperatures are higher, and groundwater is depleted. Peak rainy season, which runs from December to February, was among the top 10 worst on record this year, with just 75% of the season’s usual rainfall.
Last year, wildfire and deforestation in the Amazon hit the highest levels in a decade. But the flames were contained by the rainforest’s natural humidity after several months of intense rainfall.
This year, the rainforest may not be so lucky.
“It’s very worrisome, it could be that there are much more fire events than what we saw last year, and earlier in the season,” Daniel Nepstad, a forest ecologist and president of the Earth Innovation Institute who has studied rainforest resistance to drought, told Mongabay.
Since taking office in January 2019, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has scaled back environmental protections and pushed to change the country’s legislation to open up indigenous reserves to mining and other development activities that are the main drivers of Amazon destruction.
The government has also cut down on environmental raids amid the COVID-19 pandemic, opening the doors to increased deforestation, wildcat mining and land grabbing. As a result, deforestation this year increased 51% through March compared to the first quarter of 2019, according to INPE. The deforestation figure for August 2019 to the end of March 2020 is reportedly nearly twice that of the same period a year earlier.
Adding a drier climate to the mix, experts warn, may be lethal for the forest, intensifying forest dieback and allowing more untouched, healthy forest to catch fire in the long term.
Low groundwater levels
Although weather forecasts for the Amazon are highly unpredictable, which could potentially reverse the current deficit, climate models by Brazil’s Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Research (CPTEC) show no indication of above-average precipitation in the coming months. “We are entering a drier season where rains are not [usually] intense enough to impact the potential for fire and other factors related to the dry season,” CPTEC climatologist Diego Jatobá told Mongabay.
Water shortages in the soil right after a rainy season also signal trouble later on in the year, says NASA scientist and hydrologist Matthew Rodell, who works with NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) satellites monitoring water levels stored deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Their data are used to predict drought worldwide.
Recent GRACE-FO images of South America have shown large areas of Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado biomes in the deep red zone, meaning water levels are severely impacted. “If we see normal to low precipitation this year, then there is potential for drought,” Rodell told Mongabay in a telephone interview. “I would be concerned.”
But for Ane Alencar, the head of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and a specialist in rainforest wildfires, an increase in fires this year depends far more on political decisions than climate conditions, which she expects will be within an average range. “I have the worst possible expectations about uncontrolled human-induced deforestation and fire ignition this year. Spontaneous combustion doesn’t exist in the Amazon,” she told Mongabay.
An El Niño system, the cyclical climate event that causes intense droughts in the Amazon, is highly unlikely this year, Alencar added. “In an El Niño year, one human-induced fire can turn into a hundred. That’s not what we’re looking at this year.”
A technical report by IPAM published this week also anticipates a surge in fires caused by the deforestation spike of 2019, as the modus operandi of land grabbers is to deforest one year then set fire the next, in order to successfully transform forest into farmland and pastures.
Deforestation triggering drier soil conditions
Drier soil conditions overlap with high deforestation rates. In northern Pará state, home to 40% of all deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon last year, early fires may happen, climate maps show.
In the area around the city of Santarém, which already has the highest deforestation rates in the Amazon, fires and land clearing may also spike after the recent paving of the BR-163 highway that cuts through the Amazon rainforest, described by Bolsonaro on Twitter as “at the heart of agribusiness.”
“With the paving of the highway, there may be more land speculation in the region. And with less rain, it becomes easier to deforest because machinery can enter the forest,” says Marcos Heil Costa, one of Brazil’s top climate scientists and a researcher at the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Drier rainy seasons
The gradual drying of the Amazon has concerned scientists for decades, as it threatens to set off a cycle of forest dieback that may push the rainforest over its tipping point, turning rainforest into degraded savanna. In recent years, extreme weather events like droughts and floods have increased and published data show dry seasons getting longer and more severe.
But figures on the Amazon rainy season are new. According to rainfall data shared with Mongabay by CPTEC, eight of the 10 driest rainy seasons in Brazil’s northern region recorded since 1962 happened after the year 2000. “We have observed a negative trend, a significant sign of reduction in rain through the years,” CPTEC scientist Jatobá told Mongabay.
Nevertheless, there is still some hope for reversing the current scenario. According to Nepstad, some steps are already being taken by a part of the agribusiness sector to encourage farmers to plant trees. “Farmers are on the hook to plant 6 million hectares (14.8 million acres) in the next 20 years, but they often don’t have enough money or incentives to do this. This is part of the solution,” he said.


thewakingtimes--2020-04-25--‘Silent Spring Is Already Here’: Global Study Shows Nearly 25% Drop in Insect Population Over 30 Yea

‘ Silent Spring Is Already Here ’ : Global Study Shows Nearly 25 % Drop in Insect Population Over 30 Years The largest ever assessment of long-term insect abundance found that there has been a nearly 25 % decrease of land-dwelling bugs like ants , butterflies , and grasshoppers over the past 30 years—a revelation that inspired fresh demands for urgent international action to tackle the decades-long , human-caused “ bugpocalypse.
” The Guardian reported on the new assessment , published in the journal Science : The analysis combined 166 long-term surveys from almost 1,700 sites and found that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In particular , freshwater insects have been increasing by 11 % each decade following action to clean up polluted rivers and lakes .
However , this group represent only about 10 % of insect species and do not pollinate crops .
Researchers said insects remained critically understudied in many regions , with little or no data from South America , south Asia , and Africa .
Rapid destruction of wild habitats in these places for farming and urbanization is likely to be significantly reducing insect populations , they said .
The researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insects of 0.92 % , “ which may not sound like much , but in fact it means 24 % fewer insects in 30 years ’ time and 50 % fewer over 75 years , ” lead author Roel van Klink of the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research ( iDiv ) and Leipzig University said in a statement .
“ Insect declines happen in a quiet way and we don ’ t take notice from one year to the next , ” he explained .
“ It ’ s like going back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s only because you haven ’ t been there for years that you suddenly realize how much has changed , and all too often not for the better.
” The researchers found insect declines—generally caused by habitat loss , light pollution , and pesticides—were strongest in the U.S. West and Midwest and in Europe , particularly Germany .
“ Europe seems to be getting worse now—that is striking and shocking , ” van Klink told the Guardian .
“ But why that is , we don ’ t know.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ but we know from our results that the expansion of cities is bad for insects because every place used to be more natural habitat—it is not rocket science , ” he added .
“ This is happening in East Asia and Africa at a rapid rate .
In South America , there is the destruction of the Amazon .
There ’ s absolutely no question this is bad for insects and all the other animals there .
But we just don ’ t have the data.
” Van Klink also pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature preserves are doing only slightly better , and “ we found that very striking and a bit shocking—it means something ’ s going wrong there.
” The new study follows a major February 2019 assessment that , as Common Dreams reported , led one expert to warn that “ if insect species losses can not be halted , this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet ’ s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind.
” The past year has seen more research about declines in insects and other species , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mass extinction .
In January , 73 international scientists released a roadmap to battle the insect apocalypse , calling for aggressive action to combat the global climate crisis ; cut back on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers ; limit light , water , and noise pollution ; prevent the introduction of alien and invasive species ; promote conservation efforts ; and improve land management practices .
British biologist and author Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex helped develop that roadmap .
In response to the new analysis , with which he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ People should be as concerned as ever about insects .
It is great news that some aquatic insects seem to be increasing , probably from a very low level .
But the bulk of insects are terrestrial and this new study confirms what was already clear : they have been declining for many decades.
” Reporting on the new assessment sparked impassioned calls for action : “ We depend on the services of insect pollinators and predators to grow food , so it is essential that we create space for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countryside safer for them , ” CEO of the British conservation charity Buglife Matt Shardlow said in a statement .
“ It is also clear that strong regulatory legislation can reduce pollution levels and reverse biodiversity decline , we need similarly strong legislation to improve the management of terrestrial wildlife habitats and to reduce light pollution.
” Despite their bleak findings , researchers behind the analysis expressed optimism about the recovery of freshwater insects .
Jonathan Chase of iDiv and Martin Luther University-Halle Wittenberg said in a statement that the freshwater insect recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these negative trends.
” “ Over the past 50 years , several measures have been taken to clean up our polluted rivers and lakes in many places across the world , ” Chase added .
“ This may have allowed the recovery of many freshwater insect populations .
It makes us hopeful that we can reverse the trend for populations that are currently declining.
” As van Klink put it : “ Insect populations are like logs of wood that are pushed under water .
They want to come up , while we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can reduce the pressure so they can rise again .
The freshwater insects have shown us this is possible .
It ’ s just not always easy to identify the causes of declines , and thus the most effective measures to reverse them .
And these may also differ between locations.
” Jessica Corbett is a staff writer for Common Dreams .
Follow her on Twitter : @ corbett_jessica .

‘Silent Spring Is Already Here’: Global Study Shows Nearly 25% Drop in Insect Population Over 30 Years
Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams
Waking Times
The largest ever assessment of long-term insect abundance found that there has been a nearly 25% decrease of land-dwelling bugs like ants, butterflies, and grasshoppers over the past 30 years—a revelation that inspired fresh demands for urgent international action to tackle the decades-long, human-caused “bugpocalypse.”
The Guardian reported on the new assessment, published in the journal Science:
The analysis combined 166 long-term surveys from almost 1,700 sites and found that some species were bucking the overall downward trend. In particular, freshwater insects have been increasing by 11% each decade following action to clean up polluted rivers and lakes. However, this group represent only about 10% of insect species and do not pollinate crops. Researchers said insects remained critically understudied in many regions, with little or no data from South America, south Asia, and Africa. Rapid destruction of wild habitats in these places for farming and urbanization is likely to be significantly reducing insect populations, they said.
The researchers found an average annual decrease among terrestrial insects of 0.92%, “which may not sound like much, but in fact it means 24% fewer insects in 30 years’ time and 50% fewer over 75 years,” lead author Roel van Klink of the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Leipzig University said in a statement.
“Insect declines happen in a quiet way and we don’t take notice from one year to the next,” he explained. “It’s like going back to the place where you grew up. It’s only because you haven’t been there for years that you suddenly realize how much has changed, and all too often not for the better.”
The researchers found insect declines—generally caused by habitat loss, light pollution, and pesticides—were strongest in the U.S. West and Midwest and in Europe, particularly Germany. “Europe seems to be getting worse now—that is striking and shocking,” van Klink told the Guardian. “But why that is, we don’t know.” Data is less available for some regions, “but we know from our results that the expansion of cities is bad for insects because every place used to be more natural habitat—it is not rocket science,” he added. “This is happening in East Asia and Africa at a rapid rate. In South America, there is the destruction of the Amazon. There’s absolutely no question this is bad for insects and all the other animals there. But we just don’t have the data.”
Van Klink also pointed out that bugs in protected spaces like nature preserves are doing only slightly better, and “we found that very striking and a bit shocking—it means something’s going wrong there.”
We keep getting clear signs that the way we live and the actions we take are having severe consequences. We can make small changes – such as buying pesticide free food and supporting local farms – to reduce our impact. #zeropesticides #buylocalhttps://t.co/ngvx5Pg4E0 pic.twitter.com/Wvrrm2Q28l — Local Greens (@localgreensveg) April 24, 2020
The new study follows a major February 2019 assessment that, as Common Dreams reported, led one expert to warn that “if insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind.” The past year has seen more research about declines in insects and other species, and more warnings from scientists about biodiversity and mass extinction.
In January, 73 international scientists released a roadmap to battle the insect apocalypse, calling for aggressive action to combat the global climate crisis; cut back on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers; limit light, water, and noise pollution; prevent the introduction of alien and invasive species; promote conservation efforts; and improve land management practices.
British biologist and author Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex helped develop that roadmap. In response to the new analysis, with which he was not involved, Goulson told the Guardian: “People should be as concerned as ever about insects. It is great news that some aquatic insects seem to be increasing, probably from a very low level. But the bulk of insects are terrestrial and this new study confirms what was already clear: they have been declining for many decades.”
Reporting on the new assessment sparked impassioned calls for action:
The evidence for widespread decline in insect populations gets stronger. Evidence for causes and solutions on agricultural land are needed to boost resilience of agriculture to produce food, maintain soils and manage pests @agricology https://t.co/PUZ6C8rneF — Farm Wildlife (@FarmWildlifeUK) April 24, 2020
“We depend on the services of insect pollinators and predators to grow food, so it is essential that we create space for them to thrive and that we make the countryside safer for them,” CEO of the British conservation charity Buglife Matt Shardlow said in a statement. “It is also clear that strong regulatory legislation can reduce pollution levels and reverse biodiversity decline, we need similarly strong legislation to improve the management of terrestrial wildlife habitats and to reduce light pollution.”
Despite their bleak findings, researchers behind the analysis expressed optimism about the recovery of freshwater insects. Jonathan Chase of iDiv and Martin Luther University-Halle Wittenberg said in a statement that the freshwater insect recovery numbers “show that we can reverse these negative trends.”
“Over the past 50 years, several measures have been taken to clean up our polluted rivers and lakes in many places across the world,” Chase added. “This may have allowed the recovery of many freshwater insect populations. It makes us hopeful that we can reverse the trend for populations that are currently declining.” As van Klink put it: “Insect populations are like logs of wood that are pushed under water. They want to come up, while we keep pushing them further down. But we can reduce the pressure so they can rise again. The freshwater insects have shown us this is possible. It’s just not always easy to identify the causes of declines, and thus the most effective measures to reverse them. And these may also differ between locations.”
About the Author
Jessica Corbett is a staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow her on Twitter: @corbett_jessica.


thewakingtimes--2020-04-25--“Scan Your Code!”: Dystopian Post-Lockdown ‘Normal’ In Wuhan Enforced By ‘Anti-Virus Patrols’

“ Scan Your Code !
” : Dystopian Post-Lockdown ‘ Normal ’ In Wuhan Enforced By ‘ Anti-Virus Patrols ’ The industrial hub of over eleven million people and ground zero for the global outbreak , Wuhan , has come roaring back to life but more in the way of a dystopian version of itself after the virus peaked there in February and now with almost no new infections occurring according to official numbers .
Under strict lockdown since late January as the virus ripped through the original ‘ hot zone ’ epicenter of Hubei province , the capital city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers in the West may look like in a new post-lockdown world .
Just to get a major Lenovo tablet and phone factory on the outskirts of the city up and running again – previously closed for over two months – workers are first greeted by a series of four temperature checks .
If flagged for even slightly higher than normal temperature ( above 99.1F ) they get referred to an in-house “ anti-virus task force ” to make determinations .
The steps the factory as well as businesses and offices across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any potential resurgence in infections a mere minutes after symptoms appear .
And this is after returning employees have already been exhaustively tested for both the virus and antibodies before being able to go back to their place of work .
And yet still , as Bloomberg describes , there ’ s a detailed regimen involved at every step of the day in the ‘ new normal ’ : Once cleared , they returned to work to find the capacity of meeting rooms built for six reduced to three and the formerly communal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered in reminders to avoid conversation .
Signs everywhere indicate when areas were last disinfected , and robots are deployed wherever possible to transport supplies , so as to reduce the number of people moving from place to place .
Elevators , too , are an artifact of the Before Times ; everyone now has to take the stairs , keeping their distance from others all the way .
Amid a surge in global demand for laptops and tablets given schools around the world have gone to remote learning , the Lenovo factory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening operations , with over 10,000 employees on-site .
Head of Wuhan ’ s Lenevo operations Qi Yue told Bloomberg the entire factory would immediately shutter again should even one employee get coronavirus .
“ In my meetings with my staff I always tell them , ‘ No loosening up , no loosening up.
’ We can ’ t allow any accidents , ” he said .
Ever worried also about asymptomatic spreaders which could could trigger a second wave , an elaborate electronic surveillance tracking system has also been erected and mandated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as trains .
This is where scores of black-clad police officers will meet citizens , checking the app : Police in black uniforms and medical masks seemed to be everywhere .
“ Scan your code !
” they shouted at travelers approaching the departure gates .
The public-private “ health code ” system that China developed to manage Covid-19 , hosted on the Alipay and WeChat apps but deeply linked with the government , assigns one of three viral risk statuses — red , yellow , or green — to every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool with clear potential for abuse .
A green QR code , which denotes a low risk of having the virus , is the general default , while coming into contact with an infected person can trigger a yellow code and a mandatory quarantine .
Red is for a likely or confirmed case .
It should be recalled too that politicians and tech companies in the West have batted around the idea of app-based ‘ infection trackers ’ and/or ‘ immunity certificates ’ and ‘ special passports ’ .
Places like banks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back up , but with significant alterations , such as outdoor waiting areas , screening areas and temperature checks before going in , and often outdoor seating and dining .
One area the government has controversially maintained strict controls and curtailments on is funerals , out of concern that large family gatherings can reactivate COVID-19 spread , though critics of the policy say Chinese authorities are sensitive to political aspects to how the virus was handled , as Bloomberg describes : Officially , no patients in Wuhan are still dying from Covid-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass away remains an extremely sensitive subject .
On Tomb-Sweeping Day in early April , when Chinese families traditionally gather to pay respects to their ancestors , Wuhan ’ s cemeteries were kept closed .
Funerals have been banned until at least the end of the month , and family members of the dead have reported pressure from government officials to mourn quickly and quietly .
…But the restrictions also help Beijing avoid having funerals become a venue for people to vent anger about how the epidemic was handled , or to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s true death toll .
The political anger is there beneath the surface , as a new FT piece also documents of “ a small but tight-knit group of dissidents based in Wuhan who took it upon themselves to document the earliest days of coronavirus , a period that has become a closely guarded secret by China ’ s Communist party.
” They are angry not only over the slow reaction of government authorities in late December , of a lingering aggressive silencing of those who dared and continue to speak up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West , and comparing the current crisis to the post-9/11 world , and how American relatively quickly recovered , Bloomberg notes , “ It ’ s reasonable to think this time will be different.
” By Tyler Durden / Republished with permission / Zero Hedge

“Scan Your Code!”: Dystopian Post-Lockdown ‘Normal’ In Wuhan Enforced By ‘Anti-Virus Patrols’
Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge
Waking Times
The industrial hub of over eleven million people and ground zero for the global outbreak, Wuhan, has come roaring back to life but more in the way of a dystopian version of itself after the virus peaked there in February and now with almost no new infections occurring according to official numbers.
Under strict lockdown since late January as the virus ripped through the original ‘hot zone’ epicenter of Hubei province, the capital city provides a glimpse of what hard-hit urban centers in the West may look like in a new post-lockdown world.
“So far, Wuhan’s answer has been to create a version of normal that would appear utterly alien to people in London, Milan, or New York — at least for the moment,” Bloomberg writes. It’s a situation that appears ‘normal’ but with a totalitarian twist: “Bolstered by China’s powerful surveillance state, even the simplest interactions are mediated by a vast infrastructure of public and private monitoring intended to ensure that no infection goes undetected for more than a few hours.”
Just to get a major Lenovo tablet and phone factory on the outskirts of the city up and running again – previously closed for over two months – workers are first greeted by a series of four temperature checks. If flagged for even slightly higher than normal temperature (above 99.1F) they get referred to an in-house “anti-virus task force” to make determinations.
The steps the factory as well as businesses and offices across the city have taken are designed to spot any potential resurgence in infections a mere minutes after symptoms appear. And this is after returning employees have already been exhaustively tested for both the virus and antibodies before being able to go back to their place of work. And yet still, as Bloomberg describes, there’s a detailed regimen involved at every step of the day in the ‘new normal’:
Once cleared, they returned to work to find the capacity of meeting rooms built for six reduced to three and the formerly communal cafeteria tables partitioned off by vertical barriers covered in reminders to avoid conversation. Signs everywhere indicate when areas were last disinfected, and robots are deployed wherever possible to transport supplies, so as to reduce the number of people moving from place to place. Elevators, too, are an artifact of the Before Times; everyone now has to take the stairs, keeping their distance from others all the way.
Amid a surge in global demand for laptops and tablets given schools around the world have gone to remote learning, the Lenovo factory has added more than 1,000 workers since reopening operations, with over 10,000 employees on-site.
Head of Wuhan’s Lenevo operations Qi Yue told Bloomberg the entire factory would immediately shutter again should even one employee get coronavirus. “In my meetings with my staff I always tell them, ‘No loosening up, no loosening up.’ We can’t allow any accidents,” he said.
Ever worried also about asymptomatic spreaders which could could trigger a second wave, an elaborate electronic surveillance tracking system has also been erected and mandated for anyone wishing to take public transport, such as trains.
This is where scores of black-clad police officers will meet citizens, checking the app:
Police in black uniforms and medical masks seemed to be everywhere. “Scan your code!” they shouted at travelers approaching the departure gates. The public-private “health code” system that China developed to manage Covid-19, hosted on the Alipay and WeChat apps but deeply linked with the government, assigns one of three viral risk statuses — red, yellow, or green — to every citizen. It’s a powerful tool with clear potential for abuse. A green QR code, which denotes a low risk of having the virus, is the general default, while coming into contact with an infected person can trigger a yellow code and a mandatory quarantine. Red is for a likely or confirmed case.
It should be recalled too that politicians and tech companies in the West have batted around the idea of app-based ‘infection trackers’ and/or ‘immunity certificates’ and ‘special passports’.
Places like banks, restaurants, and coffee shops are opening back up, but with significant alterations, such as outdoor waiting areas, screening areas and temperature checks before going in, and often outdoor seating and dining.
One area the government has controversially maintained strict controls and curtailments on is funerals, out of concern that large family gatherings can reactivate COVID-19 spread, though critics of the policy say Chinese authorities are sensitive to political aspects to how the virus was handled, as Bloomberg describes:
Officially, no patients in Wuhan are still dying from Covid-19, but the treatment of those who did pass away remains an extremely sensitive subject. On Tomb-Sweeping Day in early April, when Chinese families traditionally gather to pay respects to their ancestors, Wuhan’s cemeteries were kept closed. Funerals have been banned until at least the end of the month, and family members of the dead have reported pressure from government officials to mourn quickly and quietly. …But the restrictions also help Beijing avoid having funerals become a venue for people to vent anger about how the epidemic was handled, or to ask uncomfortable questions about subjects such as China’s true death toll.
The political anger is there beneath the surface, as a new FT piece also documents of “a small but tight-knit group of dissidents based in Wuhan who took it upon themselves to document the earliest days of coronavirus, a period that has become a closely guarded secret by China’s Communist party.”
They are angry not only over the slow reaction of government authorities in late December, of a lingering aggressive silencing of those who dared and continue to speak up.
As far as recovery in the West, and comparing the current crisis to the post-9/11 world, and how American relatively quickly recovered, Bloomberg notes, “It’s reasonable to think this time will be different.”
“Different” and with collective trauma on a larger scale because in the current societal crisis “Hardly anyone alive today has endured a pandemic this severe, and the basic problem it’s created — that anyone, whether friend, family, or stranger, might be a vector for lethal infection — is uniquely corrosive to the daily interactions that keep countries and economies going.”
By Tyler Durden / Republished with permission / Zero Hedge


thewakingtimes--2020-04-27--Air Pollution Has Dropped by as Much as 60% in Major Cities Across the World Due to Lockdown

Air Pollution Has Dropped by as Much as 60 % in Major Cities Across the World Due to Lockdown As the globe continues to grapple with the inexorable spread of the coronavirus pandemic , air pollution has plunged to unprecedented new lows worldwide and especially in some of the most contaminated cities , new research has found .
On Earth Day , Swiss-based air quality technology company IQAir published a COVID-19 Air Quality Report that shows how air pollution levels in 10 major cities around the globe have fallen to as much as 60 percent due to government-mandated shutdowns of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to curb the novel coronavirus .
The study examined cities ’ measurements before and after the COVID-19 outbreak of the harmful fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5 .
The particulate matter , which lodges deep into the lungs and passes into vital organs and the bloodstream , causes a number of serious risks to people ’ s health .
The report looked at London , Los Angeles , New Delhi , New York City , Madrid , Mumbai , Rome , São Paulo , Seoul , and Wuhan .
The research revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution in almost every city facing lockdown compared to a year earlier , with the exception of Rome .
New Delhi experienced a 60 percent fall of PM2.5 from 2019 levels .
The metropolis also experienced a sharp drop in hours during which the Indian capital experienced air pollution ratings of “ unhealthy , ” with the percentage of hours falling from 68 percent in 2019 to 17 percent during the 2020 lockdown .
In Mumbai , air pollution dropped by 34 percent .
Seoul , South Korea , saw a 54 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan , China , dropped by 44 percent .
Meanwhile , in São Paulo , Brazil , air pollution has dropped by 32 percent .
In sunny Los Angeles , California , which has long been associated with its clogged freeways and dense smog , Angelenos celebrated Earth Day with some of the best air quality the city has ever seen , according to IQAir .
With far fewer cars on the road due to the city ’ s Safer-at-Home order and much-welcomed spring showers , the City of Angels ’ fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to last year and 51 percent compared to the previous four-year average .
Meanwhile , New York City saw its air pollution drop by 25 percent as a result of its lockdown .
London and Madrid saw far more modest air pollution reductions at 9 percent and 11 percent , respectively .
Frank Hammes , CEO of IQAir Group said in a statement : While this news is more than welcome amid the horrific stream of daily news related to the novel coronavirus that attacks the respiratory system and our bodies ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not last .
Air pollution is expected to kick off again with a vengeance once restrictions are loosened and industries churn back into action .
Such rebounds impacting air quality and greenhouse gas emissions have been recorded during past crises including the 2008 recession .
However , the dire fears over a prolonged and deep recession with no precedent since the Great Depression of the 1930s could mean that this respite for the air could last much longer than investors and global markets desire .

Air Pollution Has Dropped by as Much as 60% in Major Cities Across the World Due to Lockdown
Elias Marat, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
As the globe continues to grapple with the inexorable spread of the coronavirus pandemic, air pollution has plunged to unprecedented new lows worldwide and especially in some of the most contaminated cities, new research has found.
On Earth Day, Swiss-based air quality technology company IQAir published a COVID-19 Air Quality Report that shows how air pollution levels in 10 major cities around the globe have fallen to as much as 60 percent due to government-mandated shutdowns of non-essential businesses and physical distancing measures meant to curb the novel coronavirus.
The study examined cities’ measurements before and after the COVID-19 outbreak of the harmful fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5. The particulate matter, which lodges deep into the lungs and passes into vital organs and the bloodstream, causes a number of serious risks to people’s health.
The report looked at London, Los Angeles, New Delhi, New York City, Madrid, Mumbai, Rome, São Paulo, Seoul, and Wuhan.
The research revealed a “drastic drop” in air pollution in almost every city facing lockdown compared to a year earlier, with the exception of Rome.
New Delhi experienced a 60 percent fall of PM2.5 from 2019 levels. The metropolis also experienced a sharp drop in hours during which the Indian capital experienced air pollution ratings of “unhealthy,” with the percentage of hours falling from 68 percent in 2019 to 17 percent during the 2020 lockdown. In Mumbai, air pollution dropped by 34 percent.
Seoul, South Korea, saw a 54 percent decrease from last year while soot levels in Wuhan, China, dropped by 44 percent.
Meanwhile, in São Paulo, Brazil, air pollution has dropped by 32 percent.
In sunny Los Angeles, California, which has long been associated with its clogged freeways and dense smog, Angelenos celebrated Earth Day with some of the best air quality the city has ever seen, according to IQAir. With far fewer cars on the road due to the city’s Safer-at-Home order and much-welcomed spring showers, the City of Angels’ fine particle pollution has dropped by 31 percent compared to last year and 51 percent compared to the previous four-year average.
IQAir North America CEO Glory Dolphin Hammes said:
“We saw that L.A. had some of the cleanest air quality in the world. “About a year ago, Los Angeles was ranked the worst air quality in the entire country- and now we’re seeing some of the best air quality in the world.”
Meanwhile, New York City saw its air pollution drop by 25 percent as a result of its lockdown.
London and Madrid saw far more modest air pollution reductions at 9 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
Frank Hammes, CEO of IQAir Group said in a statement:
“Across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has had a monumental impact on the way we live. “While the human and economic costs are devastating, we are also witnessing how much of air pollution comes from human activity. The drastic reduction in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdowns shows how our habits and behaviors directly impact the air we breathe. That’s an important insight [after] this unique Earth Day.”
While this news is more than welcome amid the horrific stream of daily news related to the novel coronavirus that attacks the respiratory system and our bodies’ major organs, the news regrettably will not last.
Air pollution is expected to kick off again with a vengeance once restrictions are loosened and industries churn back into action. Such rebounds impacting air quality and greenhouse gas emissions have been recorded during past crises including the 2008 recession.
However, the dire fears over a prolonged and deep recession with no precedent since the Great Depression of the 1930s could mean that this respite for the air could last much longer than investors and global markets desire.
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


thewakingtimes--2020-04-27--This Mushroom Building Purifies The Air As It Grows

This Mushroom Building Purifies The Air As It Grows A creative organization called “ Company New Heroes ” and the biotechnology company “ Krown Design , ” have teamed up to create an incredible building made of mushrooms , which they call the “ The Growing Pavillion.
” The structure was built for Dutch Design Week , and was created entirely out of materials that grow on earth , including timber and mycelium .
Krown Design says that the team who built the structure filled molds with a hemp waste substrate where mycelium was placed to grow .
In just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to grow enough to fill in the mold , at which point it is dried by heat so it stops growing .
Company New Heroes creator Diana van Bokhoven said that this structure can clean the air as well .
Dutch Design Week is attended by more than 75,000 people from a variety of different professions and backgrounds , including government figures , many of whom were able to get an up-close look at the revolutionary design .
Bokhoven pointed to the unsustainability of traditional building materials like concrete , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is actually a limited resource that is quickly diminishing in supply , so sustainable alternatives are going to become extremely important in the years to come .
“ For now , good materials alone are not enough to make large-scale applications possible .
Think about scaling up production , appropriate regulations , innovative designers , and conscious consumers .
With The Growing Pavillion and through this atlas , we put this conversation on the world ’ s agenda and facilitate it .
This is an essential step in order to achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture , and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems .
He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast .

This Mushroom Building Purifies The Air As It Grows
John Vibes, Truth Theory
Waking Times
A creative organization called “Company New Heroes” and the biotechnology company “Krown Design,” have teamed up to create an incredible building made of mushrooms, which they call the “The Growing Pavillion.”
The structure was built for Dutch Design Week, and was created entirely out of materials that grow on earth, including timber and mycelium.
Krown Design says that the team who built the structure filled molds with a hemp waste substrate where mycelium was placed to grow. In just four days time, the mycelium is able to grow enough to fill in the mold, at which point it is dried by heat so it stops growing.
Company New Heroes creator Diana van Bokhoven said that this structure can clean the air as well.
“Social challenges such as climate change, subsidence, CO2 emissions, and the scarcity of fossil fuels require new, sustainable solutions. The call for a more biobased and circular economy is becoming increasingly necessary,” Diana van Bokhoven said.
Dutch Design Week is attended by more than 75,000 people from a variety of different professions and backgrounds, including government figures, many of whom were able to get an up-close look at the revolutionary design.
Bokhoven pointed to the unsustainability of traditional building materials like concrete, which is responsible for a high level of emissions, and is actually a limited resource that is quickly diminishing in supply, so sustainable alternatives are going to become extremely important in the years to come.
“For now, good materials alone are not enough to make large-scale applications possible. Think about scaling up production, appropriate regulations, innovative designers, and conscious consumers. With The Growing Pavillion and through this atlas, we put this conversation on the world’s agenda and facilitate it. This is an essential step in order to achieve the desired change in thinking and acting,” she said.
About the Author
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast.


thewakingtimes--2020-04-27--With No Visitors, Australian Scuba Companies Are Planting Coral On Great Barrier Reef

With No Visitors , Australian Scuba Companies Are Planting Coral On Great Barrier Reef While the Australian tourism industry may have dried up in the coronavirus lockdown , dive tour operators have decided to put their time to good use by planting coral along the Great Barrier Reef .
Family-owned Cairns-based company Passions of Paradise have provided a catamaran and fuel .
Other businesses involved include Wavelength , Ocean Freedom , Sailaway and Quicksilver Cruises .
They are working alongside a team from the University of Technology Sydney led by Dr. David Suggett .
The initiative is called the Coral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area were already in place , such as the Crown-of-Thorns ( a coral destroying starfish ) eradication and the Eye on Reef monitoring program .
But what makes this latest project unique is that it ’ s the first time tour companies have worked together with researchers .
The technique being used to restore the coral – using ‘ coral clips ’ , is also a first .
Lorna Howlett , project coordinator and PhD student , explains how it works : “ It involves finding fragments of opportunity – coral fragments that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And attaching them back on to the reef using a coral clip .
We can only use fragments of opportunity found at the site , so Passions of Paradise has installed six frames at the site which can be used as a nursery to grow more corals.
” Approximately 1000 pieces of coral have been planted on Hastings Reef so far .
The Great Barrier Reef is home to an incredibly diverse array of sea-life and was declared a World Heritage Area in 1981 .
Situated off the northeast coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2300km .
It is the biggest coral reef system in the world , comprising around 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands .
A 2014 report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority found that climate change and global heating is the biggest threat to the reef .
Polluted land water quality running into the sea , coastal development , fishing , ocean acidification and coral bleaching are other major issues .
According to a 2012 report , the Great Barrier Reef has lost half it ’ s coral since 1985 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into place .
This is a 35-year plan for the long-term management of pollution and climate change .
Anthony McLennan is an experienced journalist who has written for some of South Africa ’ s biggest publications .
Also a photographer , soccer coach , dog-lover and surfer , enjoys spending time outdoors in beautiful Cape Town .
He believes that a new approach is needed to sustain our planet and that it is important to put this message out .

With No Visitors, Australian Scuba Companies Are Planting Coral On Great Barrier Reef
Anthony McLennan, Truth Theory
Waking Times
While the Australian tourism industry may have dried up in the coronavirus lockdown, dive tour operators have decided to put their time to good use by planting coral along the Great Barrier Reef.
Family-owned Cairns-based company Passions of Paradise have provided a catamaran and fuel. Other businesses involved include Wavelength, Ocean Freedom, Sailaway and Quicksilver Cruises. They are working alongside a team from the University of Technology Sydney led by Dr. David Suggett.
Unique solution
The initiative is called the Coral Nurture Program. Similar projects in the area were already in place, such as the Crown-of-Thorns (a coral destroying starfish) eradication and the Eye on Reef monitoring program.
But what makes this latest project unique is that it’s the first time tour companies have worked together with researchers.
The technique being used to restore the coral – using ‘coral clips’, is also a first.
Lorna Howlett, project coordinator and PhD student, explains how it works:
“It involves finding fragments of opportunity – coral fragments that have naturally broken off,” she said. “And attaching them back on to the reef using a coral clip. We can only use fragments of opportunity found at the site, so Passions of Paradise has installed six frames at the site which can be used as a nursery to grow more corals.”
Approximately 1000 pieces of coral have been planted on Hastings Reef so far.
Great Barrier Reef Background
The Great Barrier Reef is home to an incredibly diverse array of sea-life and was declared a World Heritage Area in 1981. Situated off the northeast coast of Australia, it stretches for around 2300km. It is the biggest coral reef system in the world, comprising around 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
A 2014 report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority found that climate change and global heating is the biggest threat to the reef.
Polluted land water quality running into the sea, coastal development, fishing, ocean acidification and coral bleaching are other major issues.
According to a 2012 report, the Great Barrier Reef has lost half it’s coral since 1985.
In 2015, the Reef 2050 Plan came into place. This is a 35-year plan for the long-term management of pollution and climate change.
About the Author
Anthony McLennan is an experienced journalist who has written for some of South Africa’s biggest publications. Also a photographer, soccer coach, dog-lover and surfer, enjoys spending time outdoors in beautiful Cape Town. He believes that a new approach is needed to sustain our planet and that it is important to put this message out.