Items

• 
  2022-06-10

  Smithfield Foods to shutter California meat-packing plant

  This is a news story from ABC News by The Associated Press. The shutdown of the Smithfield Foods plant in California is happening in part due to COVID. Some 300 employees were exposed to the virus in 2020, which created labor issues. Due to the exposure, California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined the company $60,000.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Water, Water, Everywhere

  Looking back at 2020, and thinking about what event(s) really tapped into my senses, I needed to look back at all the pictures and videos I took throughout that year. After doing so, I noticed a common theme: water. Seeing, hearing, and touching water was a common theme for my whole family. My little ones learned that year, that it's fun to splash in puddles after a big rain storm. They learned that our wonderful state (Michigan) has some pretty awesome beaches. We also started making a point to visit local nature preserves. One we found had a giant river running through it. We found a spot to safely dip our toes and let the water wash over them, while sitting quietly and listening to the calming sounds of the river flow. The video I've attached to this is of the rain chain that runs down the side of my house. I love sitting outside when it's warm and just listening to the water trickle down. I will sit quietly, with my eyes closed, and just enjoy the calming sounds of the rain flowing down the chain. I couldn't immediately remember when I started sitting on my porch and doing this, and then it dawned on me that it started the spring of 2020 (first spring of the pandemic). When life was forcibly slowed down on us, I found myself really enjoying the sounds that nature provides, specifically, water. In a time of such stress and uncertainty, the sounds of flowing water were (and still are) so therapeutic.
• 
  2022-04-12

  VAP and SMhopes #20

  There will be roads connecting buildings in the sky and over water.
• 
  2020-01-04

  A pot, some water, eucalyptus oil, and a towel....breathe

  My brother and I went to visit our parents in Florida for Christmas in 2019. We flew out of Clarksburg, WV on December 23rd and arrived in Florida a few hours later. Christmas in Florida with our parents was great, but eventually we learned it came at a cost. We returned to the Orlando airport to leave December 30th and our flight was delayed for three hours with no real explanation as to why. We roamed the Airport and kept ourselves occupied before we were finally able to board the plane. We landed safely back in WV a few hours later. However, a day or two after returning I started to feel sick which got progressively worse. I had trouble breathing and my body ached so much that I could barely sleep. I didn’t have the strength to really do anything, and I hardly ate because I couldn’t taste or smell. I called my mom at some point and told her how sick I was, and she told me that my brother was extremely sick too. She pleaded with me to go to the doctor, but I told her it was probably just the flu and I’d be ok. My mother knew I wasn’t going to go to the doctor any time soon, so she told me to use some Eucalyptus oil to help with my congestion and respiratory issues. I grabbed a large pot and boiled some water. After the water had boiled, I added drops of eucalyptus essential oil. With a towel over my head, I began to take in the vapors, and slowly I started to feel like I could breathe once again. This became my ritual for the next week or so. I was probably doing this 3-4 times a day when I had the strength to leave my bed. I believe I was sick for nearly two weeks. The day before I finally started to feel better, I almost went to the hospital because I legitimately thought I was dying. Anyways, after news of the pandemic started ramping up, I later found out that Florida had their first Covid-19 cases in December 2019. I’m guessing that airport delay ultimately sealed our fates and that’s where my brother and I ended up getting Covid (our parents didn’t get sick). For my post I’ve included an audio file recreating my Covid ritual of boiling water and breathing in eucalyptus vapors. You can hear the water boiling, the glass bottle of eucalyptus oil being opened and then placed on the counter. You can hear a slight rustling from the towel and me taking in the vapors.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Memes

  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.
• 
  2020-08-17

  Touching Ground

  This photograph is of my feet, buried in the sand and rocks of the beach of Lake Michigan, on the coast of Port Washington. Covid-19 affected so many areas of our lives in 2020, and in so many ways, that it can be hard to pin down which loss was the worst. Like many others, the sense I missed the most over the course of that long year was that of touch: physical contact with family, the cool water of the public pool, the slap of bare feet on pavement, dust coated legs on a school field trip. Over time, so many little touches were lost that it began to feel as though I was untethered, floating free in space in my little bubble of house-kids-spouse-pets. The cozy feeling of my rocking chair, the heavy press of my son on my lap and the rasp of my dog's coat against my knee became the only thing I registered, my little space-ship in this weird galaxy of loneliness created by Covid-19. In August I left the house for the first time in far too long, headed for the abandoned shoreline of a nearby coast town, desperate to feel connected to anything outside my little bubble. I stood there, feeling the spray of the water on my ankles, the grit of the sand and rocks between my toes, the sun on my face and the wind against my skin. In these feelings I was reconnected, I was present once again, my tether to this beautiful world damaged but intact.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-10

  How Tribal Communities Have Dealt with the Pandemic

  A cursory look into A Journal of the Plague Year reveals that the pandemic is nondiscriminatory, all of are affected. Yet, the reality is that Covid-19 is having more impact on certain populations in American communities. Arizona State University's Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict partnered with the Henry Luce Foundation to provide rapid relief funding to marginalized communities in the southwest. As part of the rapid relief program, the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict is collaborating with A Journal of the Plague Year and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to raise awareness about the marginalized communities that were assisted via this grant. By joining this "Southwest Stories" project, we at the Podcast of the Plague Year were granted the opportunity to spotlight one Native American community in Arizona- the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
• 
  2021-01-27

  Analyzing a water usage during COVID article

  The Pacific Institute Article is here (in the document this was the link but ill just give the actual URL below)!! “As many people have put together a water shortage is happening because of COVID. This is because so many more people are using longer showers and stuff while they stay home as they are uncomfortable doing their business outside of home. In Portsmouth, England water demand increased by 15% throughout the past 10 months. Here in SF water demand for residential blocks gained 10% whilst decreasing by over 30% everywhere else. There are also many other facts given other than Portsmouth and SF.” Is the main info the article is given through a very stately manner. This article also likes using numbers which I like about it giving facts instead of something they think. The article keeps circling back to utilities and is clearly meant for DIY workers instead of giving other info. It also heads sections unlike many other articles on other subtopics. This is actually quite useful if you need certain information like using the article much more as a source than most other articles. Even with all this I still think it is an article, not a list of instructions or facts.
• 
  2020-08

  Beach walks - HIST30060

  I spent lockdown on the Mornington Peninsula; when the 5km radius restriction was put in place my family and I couldn't help but laugh - most of our 5km was in the water...While there were absolutely days where I felt that my world had shrunk immensely, I was always so appreciative to have the ocean less than a ten minute walk away. I probably visited the back beach four or five times a week, finding that the enormity of the ocean put things in perspective for me and helped me to ground myself when things were overwhelming.
• 
  2020-08-05

  Many Navajos face pandemic without running water, tribal members urged to ‘lift each other up’

  By McKenzie Allen-Charmley/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship
• 
  2020-08-06

  Pandemic causing more drowning deaths on open water, say experts

  "A drowning prevention expert says the COVID-19 pandemic and Ottawa's record-hot July have both contributed to shifts in where people are getting into trouble on the water — and it might be time to change safety messaging. There has been a string of recent drownings in Ottawa, and officials say the vast majority of them are occurring in open water, not at backyard swimming pools or supervised beaches." "'That's why we're seeing a lot of river drownings. [It's] because of it being so hot, and accessibility to the pools is restricted,' said Wagg, noting municipal pools can only operate at about one-sixth capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions."
• 
  2020-03-29

  Security standing in front of the Beach – Hermosa Beach, California

  A security officer is seen standing behind a closed sign in front of an empty beach letting passersby know that Hermosa Beach in California is closed due to COVID-19. The related Article is about how a surfer who repeatedly ignored warnings to not enter the water due to Coronavirus concerns received a $1000 citation. The article continues to say that most people follow the closures, but despite many similar closures, there is still public flocking towards these non-essential activities, leading officials to temporarily limit vehicle access.
• 
  2020-07-26

  Trekking to Glendale for the Splash Pad

  Everything in Tempe has been closed since late March. Well, almost everything. The bars and restaurants have opened and re-closed. By contrast, playgrounds, splash pads, and pools have stayed closed. It’s been so hard not be able to take the kids somewhere to burn off energy. But, because of the inconsistency in state and municipal responses, the counties surrounding Tempe have different rules. That means we can go to a swimming pool in Chandler or a splash pad in Chandler. I realize that taking the kids anywhere in a pandemic is polemical, but they need a break from the monotony. It’s way too hot during the day (111-118 F) to just go on a bike ride or walk around the neighborhood. Therefore, we have to do something with water. We don’t go out every weekend, but we try to get out once in a while. My 6yo is struggling the most, she misses her friends, she misses school, and I feel like these outings help with morale.
• 
  2020-07-20

  Drinking fountain with safety instructions in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

  A drinking fountain (bubbler) on Macquarie Street in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia with government-issued safety instructions.
• 
  2020-07-06

  Wash Hands Before Entering

  These photographs taken of the east side of a local Wichita grocery store depict the continuing efforts businesses are taking to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Positioned just off the east parking lot, this recently-installed hand-washing station makes clear in both English and Spanish that it is not for any use other than sanitation. With medical professionals touting masks and thorough, 20-second hand-washing as some of the most effective means of prevention, images like this reflect how stores are attempting to ensure customer and employee safety as much as possible by making hygienic facilities as widely available as possible, even before a customer even enters the store.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-05-22

  Lineups & physical distancing could mean extra time in the sun

  A tweet from Ottawa Public Health from during an exceptional heat wave warning that increased lines outside of stores and services due to physical distancing measures could expose people to the heat for longer than usual and that precautions should be taken to avoid heat related illness such as sun burn or heat stroke.
• 2020-05-31

  Hope Will Keep on Living

  The art reminded me that there is always happiness, even in the darkest of times. No matter how bad or painful things get in this life, we have to remember to just keep on living.
• 
  05/09/2020

  COVID-19 Shutdowns Have Minimal Impact On Water Use

  An essay based on a the State of Nevada program's discussion on the water usage in Nevada and if/how it has become affected because of the pandemic. *It was an assignment for a PSC 101 course at the University of Nevada Las Vegas *A student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas *An essay
• 
  0220-05-08

  KNPR "State of Nevada" Summary

  A student's paper discussing a KNPR segment on how the pandemic may affect water usage in Nevada.
• 
  2020-05-09

  KNPR Summary of Megadroughts

  Reporting from radio station KNPR (88.9) “State of Nevada” program they are specifically there to give the news/information of what is happening in Nevada. With the news being broadcast on the radio they tend to talk about business-related news, politics in Nevada, and in this week’s radio news they were talking about “Megadroughts in Nevada” in the beginning. A megadrought is a shortage of water in the land causing it to become dry usually lasting much longer than a normal drought. In KNPR radio news they discuss how Nevada we have been in a drought, a megadrought to be specific for about two decades. Listening to this week’s broadcast news a summary of this topic will be given in the following order such as the topic being discussed, who were the participants, the specific issues deliberated, terms the program discussed, and what were the points made by the participants. As regards to listening to KNPR news program, the topic of one of this week’s broadcast was about megadroughts in Nevada. Megadroughts have been happening all over the western areas of the United States of America. To be more precise it has been happening more in northern California, northern Nevada, Utah, some parts of Colorado, and northern New Mexico. In the broadcast, they explain what causes that megadroughts have come every 5 centuries. They determine that by looking at the tree rings records looking at the moisture of them. In the past megadroughts occur once in five hundred years stated in the broadcast. By looking at the past megadroughts, this megadrought in Nevada that was talked about in the broadcast is confirmed to be in the pace of becoming like those past megadroughts. This topic was being talked about in KNPR radio news to explain to its viewers and fellow Nevadans that this is a serious topic to talk about since it will affect them in the long run. It brings attention to this topic making fellow Nevadans more concerned with this dilemma. KNPR “State of Nevada” program helps this problem come to light and with the help of the participant gain knowledge and information about this topic. The participant named A. Park Williams talked about the topic of this week being megadroughts in Nevada with the interviewer being Joe Schoenmann. A. Park Williams is a professor at Columbia University and wrote an article about megadroughts in Northern America in the journal of the science magazine. Through the interview in the KNPR radio as he explains how this drought in Nevada can go to 21 years or more considering that the past megadroughts could last 30 to 100 years stated by professor Williams. It is important for Nevada and its residents to hear about this professor opinion, knowledge, and wise-words about the topic of megadroughts. He states that Nevada is in the midst of a megadrought that has gone through 20 years that could last up to 80 more years affecting the water system and environment of Nevada and other states as well. Professor Williams goes through the issues with the megadroughts in more depth throughout the broadcast. In more depth of Professor Willams explaining the issues of Nevada, he explains what the issues deliberated in KNPR. KNPR gave the chance to professor Williams to describe the issues of Nevada with megadroughts. The issues were that if this megadrought continues it will not only affect the environment but as well the way of our life. Water is the main constraint of life, therefore, being very valuable and should be sacred when coming to it. Humans have had their addition to megadrought increasing causing climate change and it is a contributing factor to the megadrought. Even though professor Willams declares that climate change has had an impact role in the temperature it is behind 2.5 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it would be without humans causing climate change. Therefore the megadrought would have had to happen, either way, but the human is still a contributing factor to the megadrought. He states that this drought is becoming an issue becoming it growing to be a long-lasting megadrought being a huge issue. The issue is climate change is affecting either a small or large amount to increase the possibilities of a megadrought. Coming to the end of this interview it makes the audience think about what kind of concepts this theme goes through. Tying this segment of megadroughts in Nevada the course concepts as one of the viewers make us think they are talking about is state cooperation. State cooperation is another form of is a system where the system of government in which powers/policies assignments are shared between states and national government and interchange cooperatively and altogether solve common problems. The government of different states working together toward a common goal. Megadroughts is a common trait between Northern California, Northern Nevada, part of Colorado, Northern New Mexico, and Utah. This is shared between these states because they have a river following through these states which they use the source from to live and sustain their environment. Since this is a common problem for the western side of the United States they should share federal guidelines for this issue and follow guidelines for how to solve this dilemma. The federal government should give some kind of tax revenue to these states in order to find a solution to this problem since it will eventually affect them greatly. Even though professor Williams didn’t make a statement about state cooperation he made very good points in this broadcast. Some good points that Professor Williams made throughout this broadcast were very much knowledgeable and helpful information that helps the audience truly know about megadroughts. One of the good points was that the cause of the megadrought was from climate change. He stated that humans have an effect on megadroughts making them maybe last longer than usual. Another point he made was that what made this drought was that it had a more spacial extent than the last past megadroughts. He pointed with the spatial extent statement because global warming events are happening not occurring in Nevada but all across the west. Making it known to other states that it was affecting them too. He points out throughout the interview that Nevada should be realistic about this issue since it will be affecting them for a long time. Professor Williams mainly pointed out that he wants to be able to anticipate those climate changes so that the megadrought could come to an end. Stephanie Morales summarizing from KNPR station
• 
  2020-05-04

  State of Nevada paper

  A student's paper discussing the issue of water conservation in Nevada.
• 
  2020-05-06

  Nature coming back to Life

  It shows the wildlife coming back as less people come out of their homes and scare the wildlife from their true homes.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Quechan Tribe Reassures that Drinking Water Isn't Contaminated with Virus

  “Per the US Environmental Protection Agency's regulations for public water systems, our trained and certified operators carefully test each month the water produced by our two wells. The test results confirm that our water is safe to drink and to use for cooking, washing, and so on. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has not been detected in drinking water supplies, and based on current scientific evidence, the risk to water supplies is low.” #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-04-30

  Return to the beach not to normal life

  I wish I could explain the emotion that was felt the moment this picture was taken. When Covid first came about and the city began to shut down, it was the ocean that gave people in my city comort. I live in a small beach town in San Diego county. Surfing and going to the beach is an everyday thing. The ocean to many in the area is our church. The beach and the ocean is where we go to celebrate, to think, to heal our hearts after a break up. Being with our toes in the sand gives some of us strength more than breathing. When Covid happened we all lost our life source when they closed the beach. They first closed the beach to staying tanning and sitting and reading. This was a hard adjustment as going to the beach to meditate and talk to the universe and set my intentions and manifestations was something I have done almost daily for 35 years. But it was okay, we could still walk the beach and we could still feel the toes in our sand and feel the waves crashing against our legs. The day they closed the beach, it started to rain and it rained for days. Its as if the universe and the Gods all felt our loss. This past month being stuck in the house has been so feeling like being in a bucket of lobsters and they are all struggling to get out. Its funny to think just some sand and some water can have such an affect on a person. As I type this I have tears streaming down my face and I can remember that beautiful moment yesterday when finally getting back to the beach. The moment my toes touched the sand and felt the water, it was as though it was easier to breathe. In speaking and keeping social distancing to some of the surfers and locals around and about, I discovered that I was not the only one that felt that way. So many people see the ocean and the beach as their church, their religion, the thing that gives them strength, hope, courage and comfort. The ocean is like a giant warm hug with side of hot cocoa. The water looks so brown and gross I know, but if you check out the waves at the beach at night, this is the time when the waves show off their bilolumencent glow! At night its a beautiful mixture of glowing blue, purple and white. Such a great reward from mother nature for enduring the time away.
• 
  2020-03-29

  Escaping Reality

  This photo was taken on a boat to escape the quarantine. My family and I were going stir crazy so we decided to go out on our boat and take a break from staying inside all day. I took this photo for others to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. #FlaglerCollege
• 
  2020-04-18

  Some people don't care about grocery store rules

  A small story about my tales of working at a grocery store during our pandemic. As of the last couple of weeks, my grocery store has had a limit on certain items like meat, water, eggs, toilet paper, etc. I was working in at customer service this day and I was making sure things were in order, wasn't really busy anyway. We had this couple come up to me and ask if I was ready to check them out and I directed them to a register, but before they walked away I realized they had 2 cases of water and 5 things of chicken. I informed them of our limit on those specific items right now, even though we had signed by each of these items explaining the same thing. The husband told me " What if I just come back in and buy the rest, are you going to stop me?". That really caught me off guard because it was such a disregard for basic rules. I told him still, he has to put some of it back, he kept joking around he was gonna put it back or come back in. He played it off like I wasn't paying attention by just putting the water back. He put it on some random shelf right behind him too. He still got into line with all the chicken. I told another cashier to tell them the same thing. So as they checked out they had 2 more cashiers tell them. I was told the guy said him and his wife would split the order so they could get all the chicken. I can't imagine just wanting something so bad you gotta just bend around the rules to get it, especially when those rules are in place to make things fair to other people. In the end, he had to put the 3 extra chickens back because of a manager getting involved. I don't know why people can't respect simple rules.
• 
  2020-04-10

  Navajo Nation Hit Hard: Approaching Top 3 Hot Spots in Nation and Running Out of Water

  597 people in Navajo Nation have tested positive for Coronovirus while people also are running out of water. National Guard rushing potable water to rural Navajo families while also setting up emergency health facilities. #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-04-07

  Emergency water packets strewn in the street

  These emergency water packets were lying in the middle of Orchid Street on an early Tuesday morning. Accident? Litter?
• 
  2020-03-27

  Doggie Sundae

  A local icecream shop called FRESH was one of few local shops still open in for more than just delivery. They had a service window where they still served icecream from while patrons waited outside. We had initially stopped because the shop had put out large bowls of water for dogs to drink while they were on walks. We stopped because the park close by had shut off the water to the dog water fountain. They also served doggie sundae filled with chilled peanut butter and dog treats in a convenient to-go container. Loki loved the treat and thanks to the water they left out he easily finished his walk without needing help.
• 
  2020-02-17

  Hoarded water before this Coronavirus outbreak in the United States

  As we all know, China is the first country with a coronavirus outbreak. So, we already know how serious this virus is. So, I hoarded as much water as I could early on.
• 
  2020-03-31

  COVID19 Feels

  It's poking fun at the regulations being put into action because of COVID19.
• 
  2020-03-18

  Americans flood into Mexico in search of toilet paper, food, and water

  An online news article about people from the USA (California) crossing the US-Mexico border in order to purchase high-demand products such as toilet paper, bottled water, and food.
• 
  2020-03-14

  Guarding the Water

  The stores have been packed, so I went to the grocery store this morning at 6 am. They had a security guard standing with the water to ensure nobody took too many.