Items

• 
  2021-11-05

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 131

  Analyzing Democratic election
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  2021-11-26

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 133

  Kamala Harris, dazed and confused
• 
  2020-04-09

  How fast things can change

  At the start of 2020, and even into the beginning of March, we had absolutely no idea what was lurking right around the corner. I recently got shown this video, and I thought it did a perfect job of capturing the suddenness of the pandemic. So much happened in only a matter of a few weeks; the shift in what life was and would be like in April compared to January was stark.
• 
  2020-06-18

  Why COVID-19 will end up harming the environment

  This article warns that COVID will only offer a brief respite from environmental problems like air pollution. Post-COVID, we may see even worse pollution and accelerated climate change.
• 
  2021-07-21

  Coronavirus, Climate Change, and the Environment

  In this article, Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, answers questions about how climate change and COVID-19 are related. He discusses the problems that animal agriculture causes for both the environment and human health. Hopefully, more people will hear the words of a world-renowned scientist and make the change to veganism like I did 4 years ago.
• 
  2020-10-22

  Turtle Baby Boom

  As an animal lover, one of the best things about the pandemic was the many stories of animals in the wild and in zoos breeding more successfully. Turtles around the globe were able to return to traditional nesting sites without the interference of tourists and beach goers. National Geographic published this article about nesting turtles in Florida. Some say the pandemic made a big difference in nesting success, others are less convinced. They also point out that the pandemic has caused increased poaching due to economic hardships. Finally, the article also sheds light on the ongoing problems turtles face due to climate change.
• 
  2021-04-09

  Water Protectors Blocade Enbridge Office Demanding #StopLine3!

  Water Protectors Blockade Enbridge Office Demanding #StopLine3! This morning, 11 water protectors locked to one another in front of all entrances to Enbridge’s Bemidji, MN, office, protesting the company bulldozing through Minnesota wetlands, watersheds and Anishinaabe treaty territory as lawsuits led by three Ojibwe tribes opposed to Line 3 remain pending. The Enbridge office sits in Beltrami County, one of the top-billing counties to the “Public Safety Escrow Trust” funded by Enbridge and overseen by Minnesota to pay police for all costs associated with Line 3 protests. Much of Northern Minnesota has heavily militarized, purchasing riot gear, less lethal weapons and ammunition, etc. Law enforcement along the proposed route have billed thousands of hours of “overtime” to Enbridge, with Cass County alone billing 7,500 hours to the Enbridge escrow account in 3 months. Indigenous people and local residents have reported heavy surveillance, targeted pullovers and harassment by law enforcement in connection with Line 3 resistance. Water Protector Khalea said, “During Ferguson so many people came out and supported us, and I want to keep doing that... I am here for the liberation of all oppressed people, for the earth, for the liberation of all of our people, I am here to stand with Mother Earth and to protect the water and the wild rice and to stand with my Indigenous friends and loved ones as we all fight this collectively, we are all opposing these systems of oppression.” Water Protector Alex said, “This is part of my responsibility as someone who is a guest on this land and as someone who faces the impacts of climate change. Enbridge lies.” Water Protector Ishmaiah said, “I have spent the last several years fighting for the liberation in St. Louis, specifically Black St. Louis, and I see this as expanding and having a more holistic approach to what that fight can look like, because this land and this water touches us, and I think without that connection, grounding myself in the land and the water, doing solidarity with my Indigenous family, we can sometimes forget about the universal struggles around us.”
• 
  2020-03-24

  Climate change, Wildlife, and the pandemic

  In this article by PBS it is discussed how climate change, wildlife, and the pandemic all have a connection. One of them being that with more habitats for wildlife being destroyed, the higher risk for contact with wildlife increases which increases the chances of another pandemic. This is a short but informative article and they interview a doctor from Harvard as well who gives his input to this topic. He explains that direct contact with animals is the cause of the pandemic and if we do not do something about this soon, it will just reoccur again.
• 
  2020-08-06

  Widlife Sightings during COVID-19

  This journal entry is important because it gives insight as to why the wildlife sightings were important to note during the pandemic. During the pandemic it was noted by many people across the world that wildlife was a lot more active and out. This could be for a variety of reasons, some of the obvious reasons being that there is less human interaction and traffic therefore the wildlife feels comfortable exploring. This journal entry also explains how it may just be that people are noticing wildlife more, not that there is more wildlife. This journal explains how wildlife scientists were able to study them during the pandemic period which can help answer long term questions.
• 
  2021-04-01

  White House demonstration

  Today joined by allies and relatives we took the streets of DC to demand @joebiden #ShutDownDAPL and #StopLine3. We delivered 100,000 petitions, had 900 calls to the White House and counted coup on the fossil fuel snake in Biden’s front yard. This youth led action featured a run, die-in, march and a 300 ft snake representing the pipelines that have been forced upon our communities without our consent. More soon.
• 
  2021-04-02

  Mark Ruffalo Interviews Sec. Deb Haaland

  Mark Ruffalo interviews Sec. Deb Haaland about climate change, Pipeline 3, Biden administration, pandemic, tribal affairs, and Deb Haaland's rise in politics.
• 
  2020-05-01

  COVID19 and wildlife

  This website gives more insight on how cover 19 has effected wildlife and how humans can help the cause.
• 
  2021-01-10

  Protestors Gathered to Demand and End to Line 3 Pipeline

  Yesterday, hundreds of protestors gathered to demand an end to the Line 3 pipeline construction by Enbridge in Aitkin County, Minnesota. The group blocked traffic on U.S. Highway 169 and MPR is reporting eight people were arrested. The pipeline construction will bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. Tar sands oil is one of the most carbon intensive forms of energy and the US Congressional Research Service found it produces 14% more carbon emissions than conventional crude oils. If global carbon emissions continue to follow their current trajectory, the global temperature will rise roughly 5.4 degrees (F) by century’s end, resulting in catastrophic changes to the planet. Enbridge has been working on construction of the 338-mile pipeline since December -- claiming it will create thousands of construction jobs. Recently, a lawsuit was filed asking a federal court to halt construction, stating the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to address several environmental issues and tribal treaty rights when it approved a water quality permit.
• 
  2021-01-22

  Construction on Line 3 Pipeline

  As Minnesota Governor Walz continues to allow construction on the Line 3 pipeline while simultaneously pushing for carbon-free energy in the state by 2040, pressure is building on President Biden to end construction of it. Immediately after his inauguration, Biden revoked a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline which was meant to carry crude oil from Canada to the U.S. Rescinding this permit delivered a victory to anti-pipeline activists who challenged its development for over 12 years.
• 
  2021-01-30

  Protesters March to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office

  Hundreds of protesters marched to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in St. Paul to demand President Biden direct them to revoke Line 3's water crossing permit. The additional carbon emissions from the proposed Line 3 expansion is equivalent to operating 50 new coal plants over thirty to fifty years. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found if global emissions continue to follow their current trajectory, the global temperature will rise roughly 5.4 degrees (F) by century’s end, resulting in catastrophic changes to the planet.
• 
  2020-12-05

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 83

  Presidents and non consecutive terms
• 
  2020-09-13

  Homemade Air Purifier

  I live in California, and during this pandemic we have also been dealing with devastating wildfires. The pollution from these fires has been very concerning for me. Noticing that all the air purifiers were sold out and me wanting to save money, I found a "lifehack" to make a homemade one with a box fan and air filter. It worked like a charm and was more effective than most luxury models. While I no longer have to deal with the smell of wildfires in my apartment, the constant hum of this contraption is a constant reminder of how climate change is destroying California.
• 
  2020-10-08T06

  Pollution's Effect on Coronavirus

  Bad air quality could worsen the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
• 
  2020-08-26

  The Intersectionality of Climate Change and Prisons Plus More Pandemics

  This Tweet brings up a point many may not have thought of. Climate change and it causing more pandemics which greatly effect incarcerated populations.
• 
  2020-05-15

  The Countries Taking Advantage of Antarctica During the Pandemic

  In this article for the Atlantic, LEAH FEIGER and MARA WILSON say, "the cutbacks delay important research on rising sea levels and the effects of climate change, but they also leave a door open for great-power competition that has been playing out across the globe—as Western nations have pulled back, the Russians and Chinese have maintained their activities on the continent in this period and are fighting for more access to fishing, oil reserves, and mining." It is a pertinent and thoughtful article about what governments take advantage of in times of crises in order to get ahead and an edge on other government entities.
• 
  2020-04-23

  Awakening the Inner Scientist news story

  Suffolk faculty encourage people of all ages to explore and record the world around them, and with the coronavirus keeping so many at home, opportunities abound for those interested in joining a growing movement toward citizen science. "Some people want to do science because they're concerned about what is happening in the environment, and they want to have a positive impact. Some are naturally curious about the world around them," says Professor Patricia Hogan, director of Suffolk's Center for Urban Ecology & Sustainability. She sees a role for people who are not trained in science.
• 
  04/10/2020

  Clear Skies

  These are two examples of a type of photograph that began appearing all over social media during April 2020. At that point, isolation and quarantine measures had been in place in many parts of the world for weeks or even months. The sudden reduction in traffic had a notable effect on the clarity of the atmosphere in these places. The Los Angeles photo is striking because LA is known for being under a yellow haze of smog to the point where a yellow tinge is associated with the city. The Himalayan Ranges image is striking because it reveals something that was previously invisible. There haven't been many upsides to COVID-19, but the demonstration of how it is within our power to drastically reduce air pollution is a powerful message. (Posted for class HUM 404) Creator: (Possibly) Bill Goss and Unknown
• 
  2020-03-28

  COVID-19 Brings Out Al the Usual Zombies

  Opinion piece on why virus denial resembles climate denial.
• 
  2020-03-20

  Ness of Brodgar Dig canceled

  Discovered in 2003, the Ness of Brodgar has been an active archaeological dig site every summer since. This year the dig was canceled due to COVID19 precautions. Being in a low-lying area of Mainland Orkney, the site, like many other sites around the globe, is endangered by sea level changes due to Climate Change.