[prokroustis]

Mediterranean Turning into Tropical Sea, WWF Warns


A beach on the Greek island of Lesvos.

The Mediterranean is turning into a tropical sea due to rising global temperatures, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned in a report published recently.

The Italian branch of the WWF says that due to the climate crisis nearly 1,000 exotic species have adapted to live in its waters — replacing endemic species.

This finding confirms reports by Greek scientists that alien fish species from the Red Sea have “invaded” the Aegean and the Ionian Seas over the last several years.

Tropical sea temperatures?
The study found that with temperatures rising 20 percent faster than the global average and sea levels also rising — they are projected to have risen one meter by 2100 — the Mediterranean is becoming the saltiest and fastest-warming sea on the planet.

“Urgent action is needed to further mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the new reality of a warming sea,” the WWF said.

“The scenarios presented by experts on the future of the Mediterranean, which speak of accelerating temperature rises and the entry of numerous alien species, the Mare Nostrum is at risk of changing face very quickly with inevitable consequences for communities. Now, more than ever, it is necessary to focus on the protected marine area, at least 30% by 2030,” the president of WWF Italy, Donatella Bianchi, said in a statement.

Deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea also affected

The study also notes that rising temperatures are also transforming the depths of deep waters in the Mediterranean. Endemic grasslands and Pinna nobilis have decreased throughout the region, eventually becoming completely extinct in some areas.

The loss of these species would have a dramatic impact on the entire marine ecosystem as they provide vital habitats for many species, produce benefits in the fight against climate change as some of them function as natural carbon sinks and also for our economy as they often attract divers and tourists, the study warns.

The maritime director of WWF Italy, Giulia Prato, said: “the Mediterranean sea today is no longer what it was. Its tropicalization is already advanced. Climate change is not a problem of the future, it is a reality that scientists, fishermen, divers, coastal communities and tourists are already experiencing today”.

The report says native mollusks have declined by almost 90% in Israeli waters, invasive species such as rabbitfish account for 80% of catches in Turkey, and southern species such as barracudas and brown groupers have become common sightings in the waters of northern Liguria (Italy).

Likewise, storms and higher temperatures are also transforming deep water depths and endemic forests of “posidonia”, “gorgonians” and “Pinna nobilis” have declined throughout the region, and have become completely extinct in some areas, such as in the Spanish Mediterranean.

“The loss of these species would have a dramatic impact on the entire marine ecosystem, as they provide vital habitats for many species, produce benefits in the fight against climate change, as some of them function as natural carbon sinks and also for our economy, as they often attract divers and tourists,” the WWF says.

[Zbignieww]

Egyptian siblings earn five records for hand, foot and arm span size


Siblings Huda and Mohamed Shehata collectively hold five Guinness World Records after their hands, feet and arm spans were measured by a Guinness adjudicator. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records

June 16 (UPI) -- A pair of Egyptian siblings how have five Guinness World Records between them after their hands, feet and arm spans were measured.

Mohamed Shehata, 34, and Huda Shehata, 30, both developed a condition shortly before puberty that involves a benign tumor of the pituitary gland producing too much growth hormone.

Mohamed Shehata now holds two Guinness World Records, widest hand span on a living person (male) and widest arm span on a living person (male). The span of his left hand was measured at 12.32 inches and his arm span was measured at 8 feet, 2.5 inches.

Huda Shehata holds the records for largest feet on a living person (female), largest hands on a living person (female) and widest arm span on a living person (female). Her right foot was measured at 1 foot, 1.02 inches; her left hand was measured at 9.56 inches; and her arm span was measured at 7 feet, 8.4 inches.

The siblings have a combined height of 13 feet and 7 inches, nearly as tall as a double-decker bus. The siblings said they are still getting taller, and might need to undergo surgery to stop their growth from becoming dangerous to their health.

"I have always dreamed of dressing like other women, but I accept myself now and live with satisfaction and conviction," Huda Shehata told Guinness officials.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/06/16 ... 623860146/

[PennySerenade]

Storied music venue Massey Hall to reopen in November with Gordon Lightfoot



TORONTO -- Gordon Lightfoot, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Broken Social Scene are among the artists set to perform at a renovated Massey Hall when the historic Toronto music venue reopens in November.

The 127-year-old performance space has announced the first lineup of acts after a three-year closure for an extensive restoration.

Lightfoot, who was the last artist to perform there on July 1, 2018, will play three consecutive shows Nov. 25 through Nov. 27.

Sainte-Marie's concert is set for Nov. 30 with special guests the Sadies.

And indie rock collective Broken Social Scene will mark its 20th anniversary with a Toronto concert on Dec. 16, which will use the venue's new general admission-seating configuration in the centre floor.

Other artists set to take the stage in the coming months include City and Colour, a.k.a. Dallas Green, who will play two intimate solo performances on Dec. 9 and 10.

A complete list of confirmed performers is on the website.

Tickets go on sale to the public June 21.

Massey Hall first opened in 1894 and is considered a national historic site.

Its revitalization includes new performance and education spaces, and meticulously restored ceiling arches and the original stained glass windows.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2021.

[mrvictor]

Lobster Diver Swallowed by Humpback Whale Off Cape Cod: ‘I was completely inside’



In the Bible, God’s unwilling messenger Jonah is cast into the sea and swallowed up by the Leviathan, where he spends three days and three nights rethinking the error of his ways before being tossed on Nineveh’s shore to complete his appointed mission.

On Friday, June 11th, 56-year-old Wellfleet, Massachusett’s resident Michael Packard wasn’t fleeing the wrath of the Lord when he dove into the waters of Provincetown’s Herring Cove Beach. He was diving for lobster.

But in a straight out of Jaws scenario, like Jonah before him, in one fell swoop, Packard found himself in the belly of the beast—a humpback whale, to be exact.

“All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black,” Packard told the Cape Cod Times. “I could sense I was moving, and I could feel the whale squeezing with the muscles in his mouth.”

Packard’s first terrifying thought as he struggled in the darkess was that he’d been scarfed down by great white shark. While it didn’t take him long to realize the gullet in which he was uncomfortably lodged belonged to a whale rather than a toothy shark, his prospects for survival still didn’t look good.

As panicked as Packard was, the whale was more than a little distressed as well. A humpback’s usual diet consists of fish, krill, and other small marine animals. Cumbersome humans are definitely not on their preferred menu.

According to marine biologists, the most likely explanation for the feeding faux pas was the medium-sized humpback, dining on a school of sand lances on the ocean floor whilst moving with great momentum, unintentionally vacuumed up the stunned commercial diver along with his morning meal.

“They can basically open their mouth through 90° and kind of unlock their jaw and have it drop down,” New England Aquarium’s lead whale researcher Peter Corkeron said in an interview NBC News-10 Boston.

“The water off the Cape is pretty murky,” Corkeron added, “and when whales are doing these feeds, they’re moving really fast… This [was] just an accident. I imagine the whale had this, ‘Oh my goodness!’ moment and probably got rid of him as quickly as it could.”

Thrashing its head, the whale made for the surface in a major hurry, where it speedily spat the gobsmacked Packard back into the briny water. The entire episode took under a minute, but it was enough for Packard to see his life flash before his eyes.

“I was completely inside; it was completely black,” Packard told Cape Cod News. “I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here. I’m done, I’m dead.’ All I could think of was my boys—they’re 12 and 15 years old.”

Although he suffered a dislocated knee and a great deal of soft tissue damage, for a lobsterman who’d been recently ingested and disgorged by a 25-ton marine mammal, Packard survived the encounter remarkably intact—and thankful to be alive.

While it’s a story that’s likely to take on biblical proportions in the retelling, at least for everyone concerned—man and Leviathan—this is one whale of a tale that’s got a happy ending.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/diver-s ... vincetown/

[hija]

The micro homes designed to tackle the UK housing crisis



Being smart with space is a necessity in densely populated cities, yet awkward slithers of brownfield land remain a common sight in many urban areas.

Often overlooked for being too small or difficult to build on, such plots can remain in a state of neglect for years. Meanwhile, people struggle to get on the housing ladder due to a lack of affordable homes.

Offering a potential solution to these twin problems is a new micro housing project called ‘gap homes’, featuring properties that can be dropped into tight urban spaces.

A consultation is currently under way to install nine of the dwellings on brownfield land in Bristol. The proposed site was previously occupied by dilapidated council garages, which were recently pulled down.

Plans for the development feature communal gardens and outdoor seating areas to encourage residents to mingle. The two-storey homes also feature PV solar panels and air-source heat pumps to reduce their environmental impact.

The homes would be owned by Bristol city council and assembled in a factory.

“Manufacture of the houses would largely be carried out off-site, which would cause less disruption than a traditional build during the construction phase,” said the council in its consultation.

The gap homes concept was designed by BDP architects to help ease the housing crisis in Bristol, which like most UK cities, has a lack of affordable properties.

BDP said the homes would help revitalise neighbourhoods in Bristol and potentially beyond. With an estimated 2,000 council garages located across the city, there is certainly potential for the concept to be scaled-up locally.

“Placing these new, attractive and carefully designed houses in their place will not only help deliver much-needed homes, it will also bring new energy and life, revitalising neighbourhoods and helping to build stronger, more resilient communities,” said BDP.

It's behind you! Hilarious moment sneaky whale pops up behind sightseers as they look the wrong way

The group of whale watchers were on a trip to San Ignacio Lagoon, in Baja California Peninsula, Mexico
As they were looking over the open ocean in anticipation of whales, one snuck up behind them in the water
Luckily, the group turned around at the last moment to catch the humpback whale before it disappeared

By Chris Jewers For Mailonline

Published: 05:34 EDT, 16 June 2021 | Updated: 05:49 EDT, 16 June 2021

A group of whale watchers nearly missed the moment of a lifetime when a sneaky whale popped up right behind their boat - as they looked in the opposite direction.

The group were pictured waiting patiently with their cameras poised, but very nearly missed the spectacular encounter by looking the wrong way while the whale surfaced a matter of feet away from their boat.

Fortunately, the sightseers turned around in their boat just in the nick of time to spot the huge humpback whale, before she disappeared back into the ocean's depths, sparking scenes of celebration on the skiff.
Photos taken from another vessel show the stealthy whale poking its rostrum out from beneath the water as the group face forward, pointing their cameras at the open ocean ahead of them in anticipation (pictured)
+10

Photos taken from another vessel show the stealthy whale poking its rostrum out from beneath the water as the group face forward, pointing their cameras at the open ocean ahead of them in anticipation (pictured)
But before the creature could disappear into the sea again, the whale watchers spotted her at the last second, with a second photograph showing their jubilation at the close encounter (pictured)
+10

But before the creature could disappear into the sea again, the whale watchers spotted her at the last second, with a second photograph showing their jubilation at the close encounter (pictured)
Fortunately, the sightseers turned around in their boat just in the nick of time to spot the huge humpback whale a matter of feet away from them, before she disappeared back under the water
+10

Fortunately, the sightseers turned around in their boat just in the nick of time to spot the huge humpback whale a matter of feet away from them, before she disappeared back under the water

Photos taken from another vessel show the stealthy whale poking its rostrum out from beneath the water as the group face forward, pointing their cameras at the open ocean ahead of them in anticipation.

But before the creature could disappear into the sea again, the whale watchers spotted her at the last second, with a second photograph showing their jubilation at the close encounter.

One woman standing on the boat is shown throwing her arms into the air to celebrate, while the other sightseers sit open mouthed in surprise and click away on their cameras.
The whale watchers' near-miss was captured by director and photographer, Eric J Smith during a trip to San Ignacio Lagoon, in Baja California Peninsula, Mexico
+10

The whale watchers' near-miss was captured by director and photographer, Eric J Smith during a trip to San Ignacio Lagoon, in Baja California Peninsula, Mexico
Pictured: Two boats of whale watchers have a close encounter with the sperm whale off the coast of Baja, Mexico
+10

Smith, a 49-year-old from Los Angeles, said the whale 'slowly and silently stuck her head high above the water to look around. I was in another panga a few dozen feet away and caught the moment right before everyone realized she was so close.'
+10

The whale watchers' near-miss was captured by director and photographer, Eric J Smith during a trip to San Ignacio Lagoon, in Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

The 49-year-old from Los Angeles, said: 'She slowly and silently stuck her head high above the water to look around. I was in another panga a few dozen feet away and caught the moment right before everyone realized she was so close.

'When everyone turned around, she quickly sank below the surface. Cheering and hysterical laughter ensued.

'Whale photography involves a lot of luck, but the key is to always be on alert and ready. On a whale watching voyage, it is easy to get complacent because there is a lot of waiting. It seems like the moment you let your guard down a spectacular breach occurs.'
Pictured: A close-up of a humpback whale off the coast of Mexico. The species are found in oceans all over the world, and typically migrate up to 16,000 miles. They are known for breaching the surface, making them popular among whale watchers
+10

Like other large whales, humpbacks were once the target of the whaling industry which nearly hunted them until extinction. A worldwide moratorium in 1966 outlawed hunting, and their numbers have partially recovered since
+10

Pictured: One of the whale watchers pats a humpback whale from a sightseeing boat off the coast of Mexico

[lush]

Study: Puppies Know from Birth How to Communicate with People
Posted on June 14, 2021*

• They’re all good dogs, and now we have the research to prove it.

Last week we published a list on unusual toys and treatswith which to spoil your dog. Now, a new study has shed light on why your puppy deserves those treats.

The fresh research – published in the journal Current Biology – has found that puppies are born with a degree of knowledge in how to communicate with people. In other words, your pooch is hardwired to be a good dog and follow commands.

According to the study’s lead author Emily Bray, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Arizona, there’s been a question of when exactly dogs learn how to socialize with people.

“There was evidence that these sorts of social skills were present in adulthood, but here we find evidence that puppies – sort of like humans – are biologically prepared to interact in these social ways,” Bray said.

Not only that, the researchers discovered why some dogs are better at following orders than others. According to them, it all comes down to genetics.



A Young Pup’s Game
In a way, Bray has pretty a dream job. She has spent the last decades playing with puppies to conduct research in collaboration with service dog organization Canine Companions.

For this particular study, Bray’s research team had a horde of 375 eight-week-old puppies do a series of tests. Probably not all at once, or there would’ve been nothing but chaos.

The reason why they picked such young pups for the tests was to establish whether their skills to socialize with humans were natural or learned. The dogs were still living with their littermates and had had little human interaction.

According to Bray, this made it “unlikely that [their social behaviors] were learned.” In other words, the puppies were perfect for finding out if they knew how to socialize with people purely on instinct.

Go Get the Treat!
Each dog went through a series of four tests. In the first test, the researchers placed a treat under one of two cups and pointed at the cup the dog should go to.

Both cups also had a hidden treat taped to their inside so the researchers would know that the dog wasn’t just sniffing out the fresh treat. The second task was pretty much the same, but Bray placed a yellow block next to the correct cup instead of pointing at it.

The other two tests measured how eager the puppies were to look at human faces. In the first test, the researcher would read a script in “doggy-talk.” You know, the high-pitched, infantile way of speaking we all use when talking to our dogs and think no one’s watching.

While the researcher babbled on, another would measure how long it maintained eye contact with the reader. In another gaze test, the researchers put a treat into a sealed contained and recorded how often the puppy looked at the human for help.
Part Nature, Part Nurture

So, what exactly did we learn from all this? Well, we now know that puppies know how to interact with people as soon as they’re born.

“Collectively, our results demonstrate that dog social skills emerge robustly in early development,” the researchers write.

At the same time, some dogs performed better in the tasks than others. Since all puppies were future service dogs, the researchers knew their pedigree and could analyze if genetics had an effect on their abilities.

It turns out that it did. According to bray, genetics could explain more than 40% of the variation in how well the dogs followed orders and maintained eye contact.

“We found that there’s definitely a strong genetic component, and they’re definitely doing it from the get-go,” said study co-author Evan MacLean, assistant professor of anthropology and director of the Arizona Canine Cognition Center.

Another thing the researchers discovered was that although most puppies followed verbal and gesture commands, few tried to get help during the treat-in-a-jar test. According to the scientists, this could mean that puppies know how to respond to communication, but don’t know how to initiate it.

“In studies of adult dogs, we find a tendency for them to look to humans for help, especially when you look at adult dogs versus wolves. Wolves are going to persist and try to independently problem solve, whereas dogs are more likely to look to the social partner for help,” explained Bray

“In puppies, this help-seeking behavior didn’t really seem to be part of their repertoire yet.”

Like Little People
In many ways, the puppies’ behavior compares to that of human children. No, that still doesn’t justify calling them “furbabies.”

“If you think about language learning, children can understand what we’re saying to them before they can physically produce the words,” Bray said.

“It’s potentially a similar story with puppies. They are understanding what is being socially conveyed to them, but the production of it on their end is probably going to take a little bit longer, developmentally.”

There was a further point to the study other than getting paid to play with puppies, too. Bray suggests that the results could help pick out puppies that have the potential to become good service dogs.

What the researchers now have to do is identify the specific genes that contribute to dog-human communication.

“If you could identify a potential genetic basis for these traits, you might be able to predict, even before the puppy is born, if they are part of a litter that would be good service dog candidates, because they have the right genetic background,” she said.

“It’s a long way down the road, but there is potential to start applying this.”

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
THURSDAY JUNE 17
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING

EXAMPLE POST

​Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag

A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You can post as many stories as you like, but you will only get paid for One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can only earn WRZ$ once a day.
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -5)
2:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)
on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them short, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
All payments will be made at THE END of the weekly news cycle.
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS

[prokroustis]

McDonald's worker hailed as a 'legend' after quitting job with savage note
A furious McDonald's employee shut down his restaurant and left a scathing note explaining why he was throwing in the towel.


The savage note was taped to the drive-thru machines

A raging McDonald's employee has quit their job in such a dramatic way that people are branding him as a 'legend'.

Many of us dream of the day we can quit our job without the slightest care in the world but seldom get the chance to actually do it in such a savage way.

But for one McDonald's employee who had finally had enough, they made it a reality, reports Daily Star.

The ex-staff member shut down the entire restaurant and left notes on the drive-thru speaker boxes to inform customers as to why they would not be getting their Big Macs or McFlurries.

A customer stopped by his local drive-thru, revealed a picture of the savage note he found and popped it on Twitter.

The letter had been taped to the machine where customers stop to place their food orders.

The note, which had been stuck to other machines, read: "We are closed because I am quitting and I hate this job."

It was short, coherent, and straight to the point.

Sharing the photo from the Louisville branch on social media, he joked: "Seen at our local McDonald's!"

The potential resignation letter was received with praise with some social media users hailing the former employee as a "legend".

One said: "Putting this sign on the front door of my office tomorrow morning."

Another replied: "Why don’t they save us all the trouble and put up a sign saying their milkshake machine isn’t working?"

Speaking from their own experience, a third wrote: "Good for them.

"I should’ve done that when I had to close as the only cashier for Walmart by myself last month."

[ozswede]

Woman with the world's longest eyelashes breaks her own record with 8 inch eyelash 'gifted by Buddha'

* You Jianzia, from China, had originally set the Guinness World Record in 2016 when her eyelash measured 4.88 inches (12.5 cm)

* But now her eyelashes have nearly doubled in length with one reaching 8 inches

* Doctors have been left baffled by the condition, but Jianzia believes they are a 'gift given by Buddha'

A woman in China with the world's longest eyelashes has broken her own record with an astonishing eight inch eyelash which she says was gifted by Buddha.

You Jianzia, from the southern city of Changzhou, had originally set the Guinness World Record in 2016 when her eyelash measured 4.88 inches (12.5 cm).

But five years on, her eyelashes have nearly doubled in length with one on her left upper eyelid reaching a new record of eight inches (20.5 cm).

Doctors have been left baffled by her condition, which has meant her eyelashes now fall down her cheeks and even past her jaw.

But Jianzia believes her long eyelashes are a 'gift given by the Buddha' after she spent a year and a half in the mountains on a nature retreat.


A woman in China with the world's longest eyelashes has broken her own record with an astonishing eight inch eyelash which she says was gifted by Buddha

'I first realised that my eyelashes were growing in 2015,' she said. 'They continue to grow slowly, becoming longer and longer.

'I did visit medical professionals to find out why my eyelashes are longer than other people's eyelashes. The doctor couldn't explain this, and he felt it was really amazing.

'I also tried to find scientific reasons such as genes or something else. However, none of my family have long eyelashes like me, so it can't be explained.'

Jianxia has now said it may be down to divine intervention rather than science.

'I kept thinking about why I have such long eyelashes, then I remembered that I had spent over 480 days in the mountain, years ago.'

'So, I told myself that my eyelashes must be a gift given by the Buddha.'


You Jianzia, from the southern city of Changzhou, had originally set the Guinness World Record in 2016 when her eyelash measured 4.88 inches (12.5 cm)

Jianxia added that the long eyelashes have made her look younger and made her body stronger.

'There might be some connections between my long eyelashes and a stronger body. I am in fair health now, but when I was born, I was relatively weak. Now I feel quite good and many people think I look younger.'

Despite her eight-inch eyelashes falling across her face, Jianxia said they don't affect her daily life - and even save her time when she applies makeup.

'Thanks to my naturally long eyelashes, I don't need to wear eyeshadow or eyeliner. My natural long eyelashes act as the long eyeliner.'

'Because my eyelashes are natural, I find it easy to wash my face and go about my daily life. They fall out and grow again. Sometimes they break if you pull them carelessly. It's not an issue, as they are still growing. They are now several centimetres longer than they were five years ago.

'In my daily life, my eyelashes don't bring any concerns or difficulties. Just lots of joys. Only joys, no trouble.'

'I would like to say to other people who have unique beauties - let us rejoice together and encourage happiness,' she added.

Source

[Fatima99]

Bees Have a New, Lifesaving ‘Vaccine’ to Make Them Immune to Pesti-side Effects



There’s been a lot of talk about vaccines these days, but not for bees. But a Cornell student has figured that since our most important pollinators are regularly exposed to lethal pesticides, there ought to be talk about a bee vaccine.

James Webb did more than talk though, he invented one—a pollen-sized microparticle containing a compound that neutralized one of the most commonly used and toxic pesticide bees encounter. Once fed to bees, they demonstrated hugely increased survival rates after being exposed to the pesticide compound malathion.

Beemunnity is a marketable supplement/vaccine for beekeepers that was demonstrated in a study—published in Nature journal—to prevent 100% of bee deaths from malathion (whereas the survival rate of bees exposed to malathion in the control group was 0%).

The enzyme it contains enters the digestive system and breaks down the malathion before it reaches the bee’s brain.

The first product was only effective for one major chemical used in agriculture pesticides, but Webb is trying to develop others, as well as have one for wild bee species ready by the end of the year. For example, the same pollen-inspired microparticle technology can be filled with a special oil that soaks up other pesticides like a sponge. The bee leaves the particle behind when it goes to the bathroom, but the pesticides don’t return to the environment.

“So far we have not found one pesticide which cannot be captured by the technology,” Webb writes.

“I always thought there was a lot of research going into seeing if bees were dying, and the extent to which bees were dying, but not really many solutions,” Webb told Adele Peters of Fast Company.

Webb acknowledges this is a last resort, but that until industrial agriculture can get pesticides out of their operations, his products will help beekeepers and enthusiasts alike to protect their bees.

[BigGlen]

Midnight snack goes wrong



The dream was like something out of a spy thriller: 29-year-old Jenna Howell of San Diego, Calif., was running from some shady characters on a high-speed train, and her fiancé told her to hide her engagement ring—fast. Howell popped off the ring and swallowed it.

She woke suddenly and, relieved that it was just a dream, quickly dozed off again. But the next morning she noticed her left hand was bare. After a trip to the ER and an X-ray to confirm that Howell really had downed the diamond in her sleep, doctors fished it out via endoscopy.

Howell praised the doctors for being able to safely remove it without having her squat over a bowl for a week or so and the ring’s designer for crafting “jewels so lovely you could eat them. But don’t—trust me.”

Suzannah Showler

Scientists convert used plastic bottles into vanilla flavouring

Plastic bottles have been converted into vanilla flavouring using genetically engineered bacteria, the first time a valuable chemical has been brewed from waste plastic.

Upcycling plastic bottles into more lucrative materials could make the recycling process far more attractive and effective. Currently plastics lose about 95% of their value as a material after a single use. Encouraging better collection and use of such waste is key to tackling the global plastic pollution problem.

Researchers have already developed mutant enzymes to break down the polyethylene terephthalate polymer used for drinks bottles into its basic units, terephthalic acid (TA). Scientists have now used bugs to convert TA into vanillin.

Vanillin is used widely in the food and cosmetics industries and is an important bulk chemical used to make pharmaceuticals, cleaning products and herbicides. Global demand is growing and in 2018 was 37,000 tonnes, far exceeding the supply from natural vanilla beans. About 85% of vanillin is currently synthesised from chemicals derived from fossil fuels.

The research, published in the journal Green Chemistry, used engineered E coli bacteria to transform TA into vanillin. The scientists warmed a microbial broth to 37C for a day, the same conditions as for brewing beer, Wallace said. This converted 79% of the TA into vanillin.

[PennySerenade]

Ontario offers free fishing and park-use over Father’s Day weekend



TORONTO -- The Ontario Government is making it easier for families to get out into nature over the Father’s Day weekend by offering license-free fishing and free day-use.

The initiative, announced on Wednesday, will run on June 19 and June 20, allowing Ontario families to fish without purchasing a license beforehand or go to a provincial park without carrying an Outdoors Card.

“Whether you’re new to fishing or it’s something you already do as a family, free fishing on Father’s Day weekend provides a fun and safe way to bond with your family,” John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, said. “This is a great way for families to enjoy one of Ontario’s greatest natural resources – our beautiful and abundant lakes, rivers and streams.”

While families are enjoying their weekend, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wants to remind them to follow conservation license catch limits, obey size limits and sanctuaries, and follow all other fishing regulations.



You don’t have to go fishing, however — Seventeen select provincial parks will be part of the program, allowing visitors without day-use passes to roam throughout the parks.

“Ontario Parks offer so many opportunities for families to be together, get active and take in the fresh air, and we are happy to provide another affordable way to do that with free day-use this Father’s Day,” Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Jeff Yurek said.

“I encourage all families to take advantage of the great weather and celebrate the day, while also being responsible and continuing to follow all public health advice, including physical distancing,” he continued.

Families participating in this program have been reminded by the Ontario government that, as part of the provincial reopening plan, Step 1 only allows for gatherings of up to ten people outdoors.

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Eagles returned to Loch Lomond after 100 years



Twitchers are aflutter this week after white-tailed eagles were spotted at Loch Lomond for the first time in over a century. A pair of the raptors were seen ‘nest prospecting’, suggesting they intend to stay.

Persecution and habitat changes pushed the birds to extinction in the UK in the early 20th century. However, subsequent reintroductions have seen them recolonise Scotland where there are now believed to be more than 150 breeding pairs.

Paul Roberts, operations manager of NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency, said: “This is the latest chapter in the continuing success story of sea eagle conservation.”