Items
topic_interest is exactly
water
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2021-09-16
Life is Better Where It's Wetter
Travel had always been in my blood. I can even remember the first time I was legally allowed to board a plane on my own without having to wear a silly "Unaccompanied Minor" badge around my neck. The idea of getting on an airplane and landing in a completely new place only hours later would always thrill me. Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit, travel started to look a little different. The freedom I once felt when I stepped foot on a 737 began to feel more like an anxiety-filled hassle. Normally, I would have been found jet-setting across the U.S. to the big cities on the east and west coasts where the parties lasted all night long, but that was no longer possible. I started to remembered how I had always wanted to visit Lake Tahoe. I'd always seen the outdoorsy girls on my Instagram feed post pictures of the clear, blue water. Maybe this was my chance to take a break from the major hubs and slow down my pace. One thing remained, though. I still didn't want to face those airports. That's when I made one of the biggest decisions of my young life. I packed up my Jeep and started out on what would become 3 weeks across our American highways - just me, a Jeep Wrangler, and the open road. I never could have expected what I would discover while driving. I truly gained a new appreciation for the world around me and realized I much preferred travel by wheel than by wing. Here I thought the freedom I felt when traveling was at risk of becoming obsolete, when in reality it was the opposite. Any time there was a unique store along the road or a picturesque landscape, I simply stopped. I never could have done that in an airplane! When I finally made it to the beach at California's gorgeous Lake Tahoe, I was speechless. It was everything I could have imagined and more. The views, the smells, the sounds - breathtaking. It was in those moments, I got my freedom back in the middle of a pandemic. -
2022-04-10
Boost sought in wastewater covid tracking
This is a news article detailing the work of health officials and scientists and a new program of tracking COVID in wastewater through a program at the University of Arkansas. The Arkansas Department of Health hopes this new program will allow scientists and health officials to receive an early warning about a potential surge in the spread of COVID and take appropriate measures to minimize the potential damage. If successful, the University and the Arkansas Department of Health hope to apply for a $30 million dollar grant from the CDC to implement the process across the country and perform more research. The basic premise is to collect a sample of wastewater and test for COVID-19 and thereby generally derive if the community is increasing or decreasing in cases. While the program cannot give a specific number of afflicted individuals, it is suggested that understanding COVID in wastewater will give health officials a better understanding of those who test at home and therefore do not report on state-wide numbers. This article is fascinating, I think, because it demonstrates a rapid growth in scientific ideas to combat the pandemic since the dawn of COVID in America. Indeed, COVID has permeated every aspect of our lives, so it is only natural to derive a solution from even the most mundane aspects of humanity. It would seem impossible to gain a greater understanding of COVID from something such as wastewater, but the pervasiveness of COVID has encouraged study such as this. I think the ultimate mission of this program is valuable. When I had COVID at the start of February, I took an at home test and therefore I was not reported as a number in the statewide totals. This article really made me think about whether or not we as a society really know how many people are afflicted with COVID and just how serious the pandemic is or not. This article was published in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. -
2020
Humorous memes about coronavirus
During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes. -
2021-01-19
Tȟokáta Hé Miyé (My Name Is Future)
A film by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Earthjustice Written and Directed by Josué Rivas Narrated by Grace DeRockbrain Cinematography by: Josué Rivas, Adam Johansson. Drone2Bwild, Digital Smoke Signals, Akicita Film Edited by Dylan Sylwester Audio by Natalie Huizenga Community Outreach and Recording: Sunshine Woman Grace DeRockbrain (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) Teena Pugliese and AnnaLee Yellow Hammer Translation: Doug Goodfeather Co-Producers: Rebecca Bowe and Chris Jordan-Bloch for Earthjustice -
2021-03-06
Call to Biden Administration to Stop Pipeline in Great Lakes
On his first day in office, president Biden signed an executive order to stop construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. But now, many people in the Great Lakes region are asking the Administration to halt a different pipeline project they believe poses an even greater threat to indigenous communities and local waterways. And as NewsHour Weekend’s Ivette Feliciano reports, experts and climate advocates say it’s time to stop oil pipeline projects in the U.S. once and for all. -
2021-02-27
Calling all Warriors!!!
Calling all warriors!! Let’s take a stand together! For the land, for the water, for what is right ✊🏽❤️ Reach out at giniw@protonmail.com -
2021-03-27
No Coal Mines on Niitsitapi Land
This is a YouTube video of a speech given in Calgary Alberta on March 27th, 2021 during a protest against the UCP’s (United Conservative Party) attempt to create coal mines on Niitsitapi land, threatening Indigenous sovereignty and ecological stability. The description is as follows, “A protest rally was held March 27th, 2021, to show support and solidarity with the water protectors who defend Treaty Territories. Titled, No Coal Mines on Niitsitapi Land. It is all our responsibility, Settlers and Indigenous to defend what the nature gives to us. Water creates and sustains life.” This speech in particular resonated with me as it spoke about the reality of living on this land, that we are a treaty person – both First Nations and settlers. We must work together to uphold the treaty (in this particular situation it would be treaty 7), to protect the water and land which came before us and sustained us throughout history. The pandemic has shown that there is a fundamental need for social and environmental change to allow future generations to have access to the water, a basic human right. We live on this land together, we will fight for this land together and we will build a new future together. -
2020-11
Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 one Water Fountain at a Time
This photograph was taken of a water fountain in the athletics and recreation building at St. Mary's University. The water fountains are all blocked off with signage in the building besides the fountains that allow for the placement of a water bottle beneath it to be filled, unable to directly drink from it. -
2020-04-03
Boredom Hike
I’ve uploaded pictures of my hike to signify my boredom through this time. With just staying home, going on walks or hikes was like an event in your day/week. I don’t normally take pictures during my hike because it takes a lot to get good pictures and it’s a mostly boring desert when hiking. I was so bored that I decided to challenge myself and try to take good pictures on this mediocre hike. This is the type of little thing about this pandemic that everyone can relate to. I never would have done this without quarantine. -
2020-04-03
Boredom Hike
I’ve uploaded pictures of my hike to signify my boredom through this time. With just staying home, going on walks or hikes was like an event in your day/week. I don’t normally take pictures during my hike because it takes a lot to get good pictures and it’s a mostly boring desert when hiking. I was so bored that I decided to challenge myself and try to take good pictures on this mediocre hike. This is the type of little thing about this pandemic that everyone can relate to. I never would have done this without quarantine. -
2020-06-14
Black Lives Matter, but Flint still doesn't have clean water
I grew up in Michigan, and I still feel connected to the struggle residents in Flint face for clean drinking water, and in general the environmental health violations that get overlooked every day in the name of private interests. I saw this Tweet in my feed, and I'm not sure how to process it. Yes, Flint still doesn't have clean water and it's a problem, but for me this is another facet of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Police reform & brutality are one component, yes- but the overarching umbrella of racism and the negligence of a healthy municipal water supply are connected to that fight. -
05/12/2020
Birthday wishes during a pandemic can still come true.
Maya wanted to celebrate her 6th birthday at the pool. Per state law, Arizona pools were closed. I even tried local hotels to see if any would let me rent a room in order to access the pool. No luck. In the end, we decided to bend some local rules and try to swim in Rio Salado, gaining access via the boat launch. We swam in the warm water for about an hour before a park official warned us that the police could ticket us. It was almost nap time for the 1 yo, and we were ready to leave anyway. It wasn't a pool, but we did get to swim. The day was declared a success by my 6yo who declared it "the best birthday ever." Photo from left to right: Julián Peralta-Kole, Katy Kole de Peralta, Maya Peralta-Kole, and Cassie Ashdown.