Science & Environment

[spaminator]

New Jersey custodian tainted school food with bodily fluids
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Jan 15, 2025 • 1 minute read

The accusations levied against a New Jersey school custodian more than a year ago were vile and vomit-inducing.


Giovanni Impellizzeri, 27, of Vineland, was accused of tainting school lunch food with bodily fluids — saliva, urine and feces — and cleaning products, and rubbing cooking utensils and other objects on his genitals.

On Monday, he entered a guilty plea to second-degree official misconduct, according to a statement from Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae.



He also pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, which was discovered during the investigation by New Jersey State Police.

Prosecutors said Impellizzeri, who worked at for the Upper Deerfield School District since 2019, took videos and pictures of himself and shared them to an online chat group that showed food intended for students and staff were contaminated.

In one incident, Impellizzeri sprayed bleach onto cucumbers intended for students, police said in court documents, reports Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI.

In another, he placed bread on his private areas and spit on it, and then put it back into a container.

He was arrested on Oct. 31, 2023.


Prosecutors alleged Impellizzeri wrote in chatrooms that it was “a sexual fetish” of his to contaminate school food and utensils.

According to NBC affiliate WCAU, Impellizzeri’s public defender said last November that his client has received treatment for mental health issues.

The lawyer also pointed out that Impellizzeri had no criminal history.

Impellizzeri is awaiting sentencing and is facing a recommended sentence of five years for the misconduct charge and three years for child porn possession, which would run concurrently.

https://www.facebook.com/njccpo/posts/1015562537275245

Former NJ elementary school custodian pleads guilty to contaminating food meant for students, staff

A former New Jersey elementary school custodian pleaded guilty to contaminating food meant for students and staff with bodily fluids and bleach.

nbcphiladelphia.com

Former NJ school janitor accused of tainting food with bodily fluids pleads guilty

In another incident, police say Giovanni Impellizzeri touched his private areas with bread, spit on it, and then put the bread back into a container to be served to students.

6abc.com

'SEXUAL FETISH': New Jersey custodian tainted school food with bodily fluids

The criminal accusations levied against a New Jersey school custodian more than a year ago were vile and vomit-inducing.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Yep, that's cafeteria food. What's the issue?

 

[spaminator]

What foods contain red dye No. 3, and how do you avoid them?
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Mark Johnson, Rachel Roubein, The Washington Post
Published Jan 16, 2025 • 3 minute read

The Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the use of red dye No. 3 in food is set to take place in mid-January 2027 and affects hundreds of products, including candies and drinks, snacks and fruit cocktails.


The ban comes more than two years after advocates pressed the FDA to ban the dye, citing studies that show high doses could cause cancer in rats.

Here’s what you need to know about what products contain red dye No. 3 and how to avoid it.

What foods and products contain red dye No. 3?
Many candies, “particularly those available during Halloween and Valentine’s Day,” contain red dye No. 3, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Although the centre said that the candy company Brach’s sold about 100 products that contained the dye as of 2023, that has changed.

Ferrara Candy, owner of Brach’s, released a statement Wednesday saying that it began phasing out the use of red No. 3 in early 2023, adding that “more than half of Brach’s products do not include,” the dye.


“Brach’s Candy Corn candy shipping for the Fall 2025 season will not contain Red No. 3, and we are on track to eliminate the food coloring from remaining products by the end of 2026,” the company said.

The National Confectioners Association, a trade industry group, said it will comply with the new FDA edict.

“Our consumers and everyone in the food industry want and expect a strong FDA, and a consistent, science-based national regulatory framework,” the group said.

The dye has also been found in some beverages, ice creams, packaged snack cakes, canned fruit cocktails and some medicines. While red dye No. 3 will be banned in foods in 2027, it must be removed from ingested drugs by 2028.

How do I avoid red dye No. 3?
Check food labels to make sure red dye No. 3 is not included in the ingredients. Some experts recommended seeking products with natural alternatives such as food colored with beets and red cabbage. For those trying to naturally add color to food while cooking and baking at home, concentrated vegetable or fruit juices, beet powder and fruit extracts are potential alternatives.


“Also you can limit your consumption of ultra-processed foods, which are more likely to contain Red 3,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group. “When you do eat packaged products, choose certified organic options when available and affordable. Organic packaged food must meet strong standards that protect consumers from exposure to potentially harmful food additives, including Red 3.”

How has the industry responded to the change?
The International Association of Color Manufacturers told The Washington Post last month that it stands behind the dye, saying it is “safe for its intended uses” and that removing the additive would lead to higher costs for consumers.


But some companies began phasing out red dye No. 3, after California passed a statewide ban in 2023. Dole has eliminated the dye from all of its U.S. products, said Karey Tanner, senior communications manager for Dole Packaged Foods U.S.

Buena Vista Foods, which produces cookies and other baked goods, said it has been phasing out red dye No. 3. While the dye is in a pink heart-shaped cookie the company produces for Valentine’s Day, it will be replaced by beet juice starting in March.

What foods contain red dye No. 3, and how do you avoid them?

The Food and Drug Administration's ban on the use of red dye No. 3 in food is set to take place in mid-January 2027.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Surprise finding sheds light on what causes Huntington’s disease, a devastating fatal brain disorder
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Laura Ungar
Published Jan 16, 2025 • 3 minute read

Scientists are unraveling the mystery of what triggers Huntington’s disease, a devastating and fatal hereditary disorder that strikes in the prime of life, causing nerve cells in parts of the brain to break down and die.


The genetic mutation linked to Huntington’s has long been known, but scientists haven’t understood how people could have the mutation from birth, but not develop any problems until later in life.

New research shows that the mutation is, surprisingly, harmless for decades. But it quietly grows into a larger mutation — until it eventually crosses a threshold, generates toxic proteins, and kills the cells it has expanded in.

“The conundrum in our field has been: Why do you have a genetic disorder that manifests later in life if the gene is present at conception?” said Dr. Mark Mehler, who directs the Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and was not involved in the research. He called the research a “landmark” study and said “it addresses a lot of the issues that have plagued the field for a long time.”


The brain cell death eventually leads to problems with movement, thinking and behaviour. Huntington’s symptoms — which include involuntary movement, unsteady gait, personality changes and impaired judgment — typically begin between the ages of 30 and 50, gradually worsening over 10 to 25 years.

Scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, McLean Hospital in Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School studied brain tissue donated by 53 people with Huntington’s and 50 without it, analyzing half a million cells.

They focused on the Huntington’s mutation, which involves a stretch of DNA in a particular gene where a three-letter sequence _ CAG — is repeated at least 40 times. In people without the disease this sequence is repeated just 15 to 35 times. They discovered that DNA tracts with 40 or more such “repeats” expand over time until they are hundreds of CAGs long. Once CAGs reach a threshold of about 150, certain types of neurons sicken and die.


The findings “were really surprising, even to us,” said Steve McCarroll, a Broad member and co-senior author of the study, which was published Thursday in the journal Cell. The study was partly funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, an organization that also supports The Associated Press Health and Science department.

The research team estimated that repeat tracts grow slowly during the first two decades of life, then the rate accelerates dramatically when they reach about 80 CAGs.

“The longer the repeats, the earlier in life the onset will happen,” said neuroscience researcher Sabina Berretta, one of the study’s senior authors.

Researchers acknowledged that some scientists were initially skeptical when results were shared at conferences, since previous work found that repeat expansions in the range of 30 to 100 CAGs were necessary — but not sufficient — to cause Huntington’s. McCarroll agreed that 100 or fewer CAGs are not sufficient to trigger the disease, but said his study found that expansions with at least 150 CAGs are.


Researchers hope their findings can help scientists come up with ways to delay or prevent the incurable condition, which afflicts about 41,000 Americans and is now treated with medications to manage the symptoms.

Recently, experimental drugs designed to lower levels of the protein produced by the mutated Huntington’s gene have struggled in trials. The new findings suggest that’s because few cells have the toxic version of the protein at any given time.

Slowing or stopping the expansion of DNA repeats may be a better way to target the disease, researchers said.

Though there are no guarantees this would stave off Huntington’s, McCarroll said “many companies are starting or expanding programs to try to do this.”

Surprise finding sheds light on what causes Huntington’s disease, a devastating fatal brain disorder

Scientists are unraveling the mystery of what triggers Huntington's disease, a devastating and fatal disorder affecting the brain.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Drinking alcohol a problem among too many Canadians: Report
One fifth of adults are ignoring government guidelines on alcohol

Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Jan 16, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

Excessive drinking is a problem among too many Canadians, especially people in their early 20s.


A federal report says approximately one fifth of adults are ignoring government guidelines on alcohol, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

“Nineteen to 21 per cent of Canadians who drank alcohol in the past year exceeded the guidelines that help reduce long-term alcohol-related harms,” said the report, Alcohol Use Among Canadians. “The prevalence of exceeding guidelines was highest among 20- to 24-year-olds.”

Canadian guidelines advise women should limit their alcoholic intake to two standard drinks per day and 10 per week, and three drinks per day for men and 15 per week.

It also recommends pregnant women avoid drinking alcohol and that youth, with parental consent, limit alcohol to no more than twice weekly and one or two drinks each time.


Examples of a “standard drink” are a bottle of beer, a glass of wine or 1.5-ounce shot of whiskey, vodka or other spirits.

“Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance among Canadian,” said the Department of Health report. “Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for global disease burden.”

The number of Canadian who consume alcohol occasionally is about four-fifths, while the rate among young adults was 84%.


The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction is proposing stricter recommended limits on drinking, and advises no more than two bottles of beer a week.

It said drinking more than three times in a week increases the risk of cancer “significantly.”

Federal research released last year suggested adding warning labels on alcoholic beverages to reduce consumption.


“Suggestions for regulatory measures included increasing the cost of alcohol, i.e. taxing it more, restricting the availability of alcohol, legislating generic packaging as is the case with cigarettes, offering tax incentives for producers of low or non-alcoholic beverages and non-liquor serving establishments, limiting or restricting alcohol advertising and restricting the depiction of alcohol consumption in movies,” said the report Public Awareness Of Alcohol-Related Harms: Focus On Younger Adults.

Drinkers Don’t Listen: Report | Blacklock's Reporter

blacklocks.ca

Drinking alcohol a problem among too many Canadians: Report

Excessive drinking is a problem among too many Canadians, especially people in their early 20s.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Hideous sea creature discovered off Vietnam named after Darth Vader
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Jan 16, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

According to researchers, Bathynomus vaderi can grow to more than 30 centimetres and weigh a kilogram or more.
According to researchers, Bathynomus vaderi can grow to more than 30 centimetres and weigh a kilogram or more. Photo by Nguyen Thanh Son /ZooKeys
A gigantic but hideous sea creature trawled from the deep waters off Vietnam has been named after Darth Vader due to its appearance.


Scientists made the shocking discovery after purchasing samples from a fish market.

According to researchers, Bathynomus vaderi can grow to more than 30 cm in length and weigh at least a kilogram or more.

“I am the biggest Star Wars fan in the team, as it’s my vintage. The first movie was in 1977, in my youth, and it was cool,” Peter Ng, a marine biologist at the National University of Singapore, told New Scientist.

“But we all agree that the face of Bathynomus looks so much like Darth Vader that it just had to be named after the Sith Lord.”

Top and bottom view of Bathynomus vaderi, a new creature found off Vietnam in the South China Sea.
Top and bottom view of Bathynomus vaderi, a new creature found off Vietnam in the South China Sea. Photo by Nguyen Thanh Son /ZooKeys
Ng and his team published a research article in the journal ZooKeys this week that describes the creature found near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea as having distinctive physical features that are different from other supergiant isopods.


And it appears the hideous crustacean has been a seafood delicacy in Vietnam since 2017, with some describing the taste similar to lobster.

Researchers said the creatures, known locally as a “sea bug,” are brought back to shore in ice boxes and can be kept alive for several days if kept very cool.


They are then sold to restaurants and either cooked on demand at smaller establishments or kept in large tanks at larger eateries.

When they were first brought ashore, Bathynomus vaderi was selling for 2 million Vietnamese Dong — well over $100 — per kilogram.

However, after increasing supply, prices for the sea creatures dropped to about 1.5 million Dong, or $85 per kilo.

“Today, some seafood markets in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang City keep up to 30 individuals in their chilled water tanks for customers to buy,” researchers wrote. “It is also common to see advertisements selling ‘sea bugs’ on social network by some seafood stores.”

The local delicacy has also been exported to high end restaurants in other Asian nations.

A new species of supergiant Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cirolanidae) from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomy of Bathynomus jamesi Kou, Chen & Li, 2017

A new supergiant species of Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 from Vietnam is described. Bathynomus vaderi sp. nov. is characterised by its wide, rectangular clypeal region with parallel lateral margins, concave distal margin, and narrowly acute apex; the distally narrowing and posteriorly...

zookeys.pensoft.net

Giant isopod named after Darth Vader is a delicacy in Vietnam

A marine crustacean that looks like Darth Vader’s helmet has been recognised as a new species, but it could be under threat from trawling due to its popularity in Vietnamese restaurants

newscientist.com

Hideous sea creature discovered off Vietnam named after Darth Vader

A gigantic but hideous sea creature trawled from the deep waters off Vietnam has been named after Darth Vader due to its appearance.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Days to avoid to improve your odds at winning the lottery
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Published Jan 17, 2025 • 2 minute read

If you are considering purchasing tickets for the next Lotto Max or Lotto 649 draw — or Lottario, Daily Grand or Ontario 49, for that matter — you may want to hold off.


Celebrity psychic and astrologer Inbaal Honigman spoke with the folks at Casino.ca about what days are lucky — and unlucky — for lottery players, based on astrology.

Honigman shared her insight for those looking to improve their odds.

It appears Friday and Saturday are days to avoid.

While Friday is “a lucky day for romance, emotions and home” — so think things like engagements and home renovations — Honigman advised that it’s a day to avoid buying a lottery ticket.

“This is because Venus is the planet that rules Friday, which is aligned with stability, not unexpected riches.”

She added that Saturday is also unlucky.

“The day of Saturday is known as Karma day, because Saturday is the planet of Karma,” she explained.


“Karma and the lottery should never be mixed, as it means you’ll win only if you deserve to win, but not if you’ve done wrong.”

Honigman added: “Saturn is also a slow planet, not associated with quick gains, and is therefore wholly unsuitable for playing the lottery.”

As for an all-encompassing day, baby Friday is where it’s at.

“The luckiest day of the week to play the lottery is Thursday,” she said, noting that it’s the day of the week of the planet of Jupiter — a.k.a. the planet of luck.

“It is seen as a jolly planet of growth, expansion and wealth.”

Also, don’t count out Sundays.



“Sunday is also a lucky day for purchasing a lotto ticket because it is ruled by the Sun,” Honigman noted, connecting the day with “luck, success, positivity and abundance.”

The best time of day to buy is “sunrise,” if you can find a store that’s open.

“It is the time of beginnings, when the day starts to wake up,” Honigman said.

“The Sun is a lucky element in the sky, and is the giver of life.”

As for signs, this year’s luckiest sign is Sagittarius, so 2025 could be their year for a win.

Happy ticket-buying!

Days to avoid to improve your odds at winning the lottery

If you are considering purchasing tickets for the next lottery draws, you may want to hold off.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

New research bolsters calls for smoke-free generations in Canada
Imposing a lifetime ban on cigarette sales to people born after a certain date would result in huge health benefits, according to research.

Author of the article:Elizabeth Payne
Published Jan 20, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read

Doug Coyle, a uOttawa health economist, is the author of new research that found Canada would save billions in health costs by banning smoking to everyone born after 2009, the smoke-free generation concept that has been supported by anti-smoking advocates and public health officials.
Doug Coyle, a uOttawa health economist, is the author of new research that found Canada would save billions in health costs by banning smoking to everyone born after 2009, the smoke-free generation concept that has been supported by anti-smoking advocates and public health officials.
Imposing a lifetime ban on cigarette sales to anyone born after a certain date would result in huge health benefits in Canada, according to new research from an Ottawa academic.


University of Ottawa health economist Doug Coyle’s just-published research estimates that a so-called smoke-free generation policy would result in a $2.3 billion reduction in Canadian health care costs and add an estimated 476,814 life years over 50 years.

Coyle said banning tobacco sales based on year of birth would be more successful over time at stopping any uptake of smoking among younger people than current policies which restrict tobacco sales to those under 18 or, in some provinces including Ontario, under 19.

“Current legislation is ineffective as most long-term smokers initiate smoking prior to the legal age for smoking. Thus, a smoke-free generation policy avoids the vast health losses occurring due to uptake of smoking earlier than legally allowed,” he said. It would take several years to be fully effective but as the legal age to buy cigarettes rose, the risk of underage youth getting easy access to cigarettes would diminish, he said.


The research comes at a time when smoke-free generation policies are being debated in some countries and recommended by smoking cessation and public health officials in Canada and elsewhere. Ottawa Public Health is among the organizations that have called on the federal government to institute such a policy. A smoke-free generation bill was introduced in the UK last year, but it has not been passed into law. New Zealand had a law in place that was later repealed.

“It is been a concept that has been talked about internationally for some years,” said Dr. Andrew Pipe, Canada’s foremost smoking cessation expert. Pipe, who is former chief of the prevention and rehabilitation at the uOttawa Heart Institute, is among those who have called on Canada to institute such a policy.


He said it is as important as ever to institute more effective policies to stop smoking, even with a significant decrease in smoking rates over recent decades.

“I think it is important to underscore that while rates of smoking have changed, it is still the leading cause of premature death and of unbelievable expenses that we as non-smoking taxpayers assume,” said Pipe.

Coyle noted that there are some signs there has been an uptick in tobacco use among younger Canadians associated with the rise of vaping – “something we thought we would never see.” In 2022 in Canada, there was a slight increase in the number of Canadians who are daily smokers, from 8.4 per cent to 9.1 per cent.

His research, believed to be the first of its kind, analyses the health impacts, and health savings, associated with implementing smoke-free generation policies in reduction of illnesses associated with smoking.


While the study found that such a policy would lead to significant health care savings and better health for Canadians, it also found that banning smoking for those under a certain age would result in a $7.4-billion drop in smoking-related taxes and $3.1 billion less in tobacco industry gross domestic product (GDP).

The study concludes that the value of health benefits outweighed the “negative offsets” of tobacco taxes and tobacco industry revenues.

In the study, Coyle wrote that he did not consider additional income tax raised by people living longer because of the policy. He wrote that a decline in tax revenues “is not a loss from a societal perspective as taxation is merely a transfer of funds from individuals to governments.” Smoking-related taxes are regressive and tend to target the poor, he said.


He also noted that reducing the consumption of tobacco would lead to more disposable income available “to consumer other resources”.

Coyle said the amount of health care costs saved according to the analysis “were much higher than I was expecting.” Before doing the analysis Coyle said he expected having fewer smoking-related deaths might actually increase health-care costs because many people would live longer, but that was not the case.

“The health gain here is huge There is an incredibly large number of health benefits across the population including all these smoking-related diseases and that individuals who smoke have a lower quality of life. There are so many positives. Smoking impacts so many diseases and recovery from diseases.”


Coyle said there is always pushback to suggestions of the policy, but he said the benefits are clear.

“From my perspective, this is something that we know causes direct harm to many Canadians yet it would be a very simple solution to try to put this in place to slowly eliminate the product from our country and realize the health benefits,” said Coyle.

Pipe said the research bolsters the case for a smoke-free generation policy in Canada.

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s 17th annual Ottawa conference on smoking cessation takes place Jan. 24-25 at the Rogers Centre Ottawa.

New research bolsters calls for smoke-free generations in Canada

Imposing a lifetime ban on cigarette sales to people born after a certain date would result in huge health benefits, according to research.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Blooming corpse flower in Sydney has thousands lining up for a whiff
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Charlotte Graham-mclay And Rick Rycroft
Published Jan 23, 2025 • 3 minute read

An endangered plant known as the "corpse flower" for its putrid stink, is about to bloom at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
An endangered plant known as the "corpse flower" for its putrid stink, is about to bloom at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. Photo by Rick Rycroft /AP Photo
SYDNEY — The rare unfurling of an endangered plant that emits the smell of decaying flesh drew hundreds of devoted fans to a greenhouse in Sydney on Thursday where they joined three-hour lines to experience a momentous bloom — and a fragrance evoking gym socks and rotting garbage.


Tall, pointed and smelly, the corpse flower is scientifically known as amorphophallus titanum — or bunga bangkai in Indonesia, where the plants are found in the Sumatran rainforest.

But to fans of this specimen, she’s Putricia — a portmanteau of “putrid” and “Patricia” eagerly adopted by her followers who, naturally, call themselves Putricians. For a week, she has graced a stately and gothic display in front of a purple curtain and wreathed in mist from a humidifier at the Royal Sydney Botanic Garden.

Her rise to fame has been rapid, with up to 20,000 admirers filing past for a moment in her increasingly pungent presence. No corpse flower has bloomed at the garden for 15 years.

A slow bloomer
There are thought to be only 300 of the plants in the wild and fewer than 1,000 including those in cultivation. The corpse flower only blooms every 7-10 years in its natural habitat.


“The fact that they open very rarely, so they flower rarely, is obviously something that puts them at a little bit of a disadvantage in the wild,” said garden spokesperson Sophie Daniel, who designed Putricia’s kooky and funereal display. “When they open, they have to hope that another flower is open nearby, because they can’t self-pollinate.”

After seven years at the garden, Putricia’s flower was spotted in December when she was just 25 centimetres (10 inches) high. By Thursday, she was 1.6 metres (5 feet 3 inches) tall.

During the day, her flower spike slowly opened like a pleated skirt around a majestic central tuber, the yellow-green outer curling to reveal a burgundy centre.

Putricia-mania builds
As excitement grew in Sydney about the unfolding bloom, garden staff erected crowd barriers giving the Victorian greenhouse the air of a rock concert. Fans trod a red carpet to view Putricia from behind velvet ropes in a display inspired by Queen Victoria’s funeral, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and the oeuvre of the late director David Lynch.


Inside, fans took selfies and leaned in for a sniff — a more perilous prospect as Putricia’s odor developed. People inhaled the “slaughterhouse” stench and canceled their dinner plans, said Sydney Morning Herald science reporter Angus Dalton.

“I am sickened,” he added. “I am in awe.”

One young woman raised her hands and bowed as though in worship. On social media, garden staff performed a viral dance in front of the plant to Chappell Roan’s summer hit HOT TO GO!

It was difficult to say why the regal, mysterious and stinky flower had attracted such a following -_ but perhaps the answer lay in the “reverence” viewers felt in the presence of “such an amazing living being,” Daniel said.

A swift rise to online fame
Along with her real-life visitors, Putricia’s online fandom has been rapid, global and deeply strange -_ if much less smelly. A 24/7 live stream established by the botanic garden drew close to a million views in less than a week and prompted a shared language of memes and inside jokes.


Frequently deployed acronyms included WWTF, or we watch the flower, WDNRP — we do not rush Putricia — and BBTB, or blessed be the bloom. “Putricia is a metaphor for my life,” wrote one poster, who did not elaborate.

Commenters on social media planned to hurry to the garden as the plant opened. In just 24 hours, Putricia’s bloom -_ and her stench -_ would be gone.

As she unfurled, the plant heated to 37 degrees Celsius (100 F) to better spread her scent, attracting flies and carrion beetles which burrowed inside and laid eggs. Then work began to hand-pollinate the plant in an effort to ensure the species’ diversity and survival.

But first, thousands of Putricians attempted to get as close as they could to their hero of a week.

“We did have a few conversations early on about whether or not we should have vomit bags in the room,” said Daniel, adding that garden staff ultimately decided against it. “I haven’t heard of anyone actually being harmed.”

— Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

Blooming corpse flower in Sydney has thousands lining up for a whiff

The rare unfurling of an endangered plant that emits the smell of decaying flesh drew hundreds of devoted fans to a greenhouse in Sydney.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Sugary drinks caused some 2.2 million Type 2 diabetes cases globally in 2020
Researchers assessed data from 184 countries

Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Hannah Docter-Loeb
Published Jan 27, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

In 2020, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages caused an estimated 2.2 million new cases of Type 2 diabetes globally, according to new research published in Nature Medicine.


In the study, researchers assessed data from 184 countries to estimate global cases of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverage intake. In addition to cases of Type 2 diabetes, researchers estimated that 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease were caused by drinking such beverages.

The study looked at how cases varied across different demographics. On average globally, the burden of sugar-sweetened beverage intake was higher among men than women, as well as among younger adults, higher-educated adults and those in urban areas.

The burden of disease differed across world regions. Sugary drinks contributed to the highest burdens of disease in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, the study found. In sub-Saharan Africa, sugar-sweetened beverages were a factor in about 21 percent of all new diabetes cases in 2020; in Latin America and the Caribbean, they “contributed to nearly 24% of new diabetes cases and more than 11% of new cases of cardiovascular disease,” a press release reported.


With an average of 793 new cases, from 1990 to 2020, Colombia had the highest increase in Type 2 diabetes over time attributable to sugary drinks per 1 million adults. In 2020, nearly 50 percent of new Type 2 diabetes cases in Colombia were linked to sugary drinks. The United States was second in increased incidence of Type 2 diabetes linked to sugar-sweetened beverages, with an average increase of 671 Type 2 diabetes cases per 1 million adults from 1990 to 2020. The study also found the largest proportional increases in both diseases from 1990 to 2020 in sub-Saharan Africa.

The study authors said they hope their research can help shape effective policies and interventions to reduce the worldwide burden of sugar-sweetened beverage-attributable disease.

“Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations. Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences,” Dariush Mozaffarian, the paper’s senior author and the director of the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, said in the release.

Sugary drinks caused some 2.2 million Type 2 diabetes cases globally in 2020

Researchers assessed data from 184 countries to estimate global cases of Type 2 diabetes attributable to sugar-sweetened beverage intake.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

’Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight amid threats of climate change, nuclear war, pandemics, AI
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 28, 2025 • 1 minute read

Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday as it advanced its famous “Doomsday Clock” to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been.


The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the annual announcement — which rates how close humanity is from ending _ citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations.

The clock had stood at 90 seconds to midnight for the past two years and “when you are at this precipice, the one thing you don’t want to do is take a step forward,” said Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board.

The group said it’s concerned about cooperation between countries such as North Korea, Russia and China in developing nuclear programs. Russia President Vladimir Putin has also talked about using nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.


“A lot of the rhetoric is very disturbing,” Holz said. “There is this growing sense that … some nation might end up using nuclear weapons, and that’s terrifying.”

Starting in 1947, the advocacy group used a clock to symbolize the potential and even likelihood of people doing something to end humanity. After the end of the Cold War, it was as close as 17 minutes to midnight. In the past few years, to address rapid global changes, the group has changed from counting down the minutes until midnight to counting down the seconds.

The group said the clock could be turned back if leaders and nations worked together to address existential risks.

’Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight amid threats of climate change, nuclear war, pandemics, AI

Earth is moving closer to destruction, an advocacy group said as it advanced its famous "Doomsday Clock" to 89 seconds till midnight

torontosun.com

 

[bob the dog]

’Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight amid threats of climate change, nuclear war, pandemics, AI
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 28, 2025 • 1 minute read

Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday as it advanced its famous “Doomsday Clock” to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been.


The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the annual announcement — which rates how close humanity is from ending _ citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations.

The clock had stood at 90 seconds to midnight for the past two years and “when you are at this precipice, the one thing you don’t want to do is take a step forward,” said Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board.

The group said it’s concerned about cooperation between countries such as North Korea, Russia and China in developing nuclear programs. Russia President Vladimir Putin has also talked about using nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.


“A lot of the rhetoric is very disturbing,” Holz said. “There is this growing sense that … some nation might end up using nuclear weapons, and that’s terrifying.”

Starting in 1947, the advocacy group used a clock to symbolize the potential and even likelihood of people doing something to end humanity. After the end of the Cold War, it was as close as 17 minutes to midnight. In the past few years, to address rapid global changes, the group has changed from counting down the minutes until midnight to counting down the seconds.

The group said the clock could be turned back if leaders and nations worked together to address existential risks.

’Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight amid threats of climate change, nuclear war, pandemics, AI

Earth is moving closer to destruction, an advocacy group said as it advanced its famous "Doomsday Clock" to 89 seconds till midnight

torontosun.com

Almost time to take a serious look at that

 

[spaminator]

Increased volcanic activity detected on Greece’s popular tourist island
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 30, 2025 • 2 minute read

ATHENS, Greece — Increased volcanic activity in Greece’s famed tourist hotspot of Santorini has prompted the country’s civil protection minister to call a meeting with local and disaster response officials.


In an announcement late Wednesday, the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry said monitoring sensors had picked up “mild seismic-volcanic activity” in Santorini’s caldera. Similar volcanic activity had been recorded in the area in 2011, when it lasted for 14 months and ended without causing any issues.

Scientists monitoring the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, which stretches from the Peloponnese in southern Greece through the Cycladic islands, have noted an increase in activity in a central fault line in the northern part of Santorini’s caldera, the announcement said.

“According to the scientists, based on the currently available data there is no cause for particular concern,” it added.

The crescent-shaped island of Santorini is one of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing visitors from across the world for its whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches clinging to the cliff edge of the flooded caldera.


It was also the site of one of largest volcanic eruptions in human history, which took place in the Bronze Age around 1620 BC, destroying a large part of the island and giving Santorini its current shape. The eruption is believed to have contributed to the decline of the ancient Minoan civilization which had flourished in the region.

Although it is still an active volcano, the last notable eruption occurred in 1950.

“What we must realize is that the Santorini volcano produces very large explosions every 20,000 years,” Efthymios Lekkas, seismologist and head of the scientific monitoring committee for the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, said on Greece’s ERT television Thursday. “It’s been 3,000 years since the last explosion, so we have a very long time ahead of us before we face a big explosion.”

In the intervening time, Lekkas said, volcanic activity increases and decreases, and can cause small earthquakes. “The volcano is a living organism,” he said, adding that “we will not face a big explosion, but a mild procedure.”

Lekkas was among those who attended Wednesday’s meeting called by Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, along with the head of Greece’s fire department, the deputy minister in charge of natural disaster recovery and several local and regional officials.

Increased volcanic activity detected on Greece’s popular tourist island

Increased volcanic activity in Greece's tourist hotspot of Santorini has prompted the country's civil protection minister to call a meeting

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Wetlands are our community’s unsung heroes
Author of the article:Special to Toronto Sun
Published Feb 01, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 3 minute read

February 2nd is usually highlighted by Groundhog Day when furry rodents forecast if we will have an early spring – but since 1971, this day also serves as World Wetlands Day.


Our wetlands perform many essential functions that many of us overlook.

Wetlands provide safety benefits with an efficiency and resiliency often greater than many human-made infrastructure, including protecting our homes, businesses and roads from heavy rains and flooding. They also help regulate water runoff throughout the year, storing water during high precipitation periods and slowly releasing it during drought and dry periods.

Wetlands clean water by filtering out sediments, excess nutrients, pesticides, fertilizers and heavy metals. This is important in wetlands connected or close to watercourses, since we use this water for drinking, fishing and agriculture. Wetlands also supply fantastic recreational opportunities for communities like nature appreciation, birdwatching, paddling, fishing and hunting.


Extreme rainfall events are becoming more frequent, and conditions would be much worse if we didn’t have wetlands acting as a huge sponge during floods, buffering our community infrastructure and working lands.


This was reinforced by a new research study involving the University of British Columbia and the Nature Conservancy of Canada Flood prevention benefits provided by Canadian natural ecosystems – ScienceDirect.

This collaboration examined the benefits that Canada’s natural ecosystems provide for flood prevention. It identified the natural ecosystems across the country that capture and retain the highest amounts of runoff and are simultaneously located upstream of urban and agricultural areas. The most important of these ecosystems help prevent flooding in 54% of urban areas and 74% of agricultural lands within floodplains.


Beyond the natural safety benefits to people and communities, wetlands are crucial nesting and feeding grounds for many species of birds. They are nursery habitat for fish and support a wide diversity of insects that are the foundation of the food chain. Close to half of Canada’s wildlife species, and a third of species at risk, rely on wetlands for at least part of their lifecycle.

Here in Ontario, NCC has conserved critical wetland habitats across the province. Many NCC wetland sites are critical habitat for vast numbers of ducks and birds who depend on these areas to breed or stopover during migration. Thousands of hectares of coastal wetlands on Lake Erie near Turkey Point are now protected across a wide network of conservation lands, providing an important stopover point for thousands of migrating birds. In Eastern Ontario, recently protected wetlands support breeding grounds for great blue herons, while on the north shore of Lake Superior, forested wetlands safeguarded by NCC are home to birds like American white pelican and peregrine falcon.


Canada is home to an astonishing 25% of the world’s wetlands yet these diverse and vital ecosystems are underappreciated and under-protected. The country has lost an estimated 70% of its ponds, bogs, swamps, salt marshes, estuaries and other wetlands in southern areas where most people live. In some communities it is high as 95%. This is due to land conversion, urbanization, commercial and industrial development, roads, land use practices, sewage and illegal dumping.

One of the greatest threats to Ontario’s wetlands is phragmites, an invasive perennial aquatic reed. Found mostly in wetlands and along roadways and ditches, this towering plant takes over moist areas, choking out all other life as it forms dense stands of reeds that can number up to 200 stems per square metre. It outcompetes native wetland plants, leaving wildlife like frogs and turtles without vital habitat, and blocking shoreline views and access.


NCC and the Invasive Species Centre are working together to lead the Ontario Phragmites Action program, a collaborative effort to support invasive phragmites management in priority areas across the province. This work will protect critical infrastructure for communities, restore sensitive habitats for species, improve biodiversity, and ensure a healthier environment for people across Ontario to enjoy.

Globally, 64% of the world’s wetlands have already been lost, a rate three times greater than the loss of forests. Although our wetlands are mainly under ice this time of year – they are nature’s multi-taskers and provide us with safer communities.

Visit natureconservancy.ca to learn more on how the Nature Conservancy of Canada is preserving and restoring some of our most critical ecosystems for both people and wildlife.

– Eric Cleland is the director of conservation in Ontario with the Nature Conservancy of Canada

Nature Conservancy of Canada

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada's leading national land conservation organization. Since 1962, NCC and our partners have helped to conserve 15 million hectares of ecologically significant land nationwide.

natureconservancy.ca

CLELAND: Wetlands are our community’s unsung heroes

February 2nd is usually highlighted by Groundhog Day – but since 1971, this day also serves as World Wetlands Day.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Drain 'em and build housing on 'em.

 

[spaminator]

Increased volcanic activity detected on Greece’s popular tourist island
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 30, 2025 • 2 minute read

ATHENS, Greece — Increased volcanic activity in Greece’s famed tourist hotspot of Santorini has prompted the country’s civil protection minister to call a meeting with local and disaster response officials.


In an announcement late Wednesday, the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry said monitoring sensors had picked up “mild seismic-volcanic activity” in Santorini’s caldera. Similar volcanic activity had been recorded in the area in 2011, when it lasted for 14 months and ended without causing any issues.

Scientists monitoring the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, which stretches from the Peloponnese in southern Greece through the Cycladic islands, have noted an increase in activity in a central fault line in the northern part of Santorini’s caldera, the announcement said.

“According to the scientists, based on the currently available data there is no cause for particular concern,” it added.

The crescent-shaped island of Santorini is one of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing visitors from across the world for its whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches clinging to the cliff edge of the flooded caldera.


It was also the site of one of largest volcanic eruptions in human history, which took place in the Bronze Age around 1620 BC, destroying a large part of the island and giving Santorini its current shape. The eruption is believed to have contributed to the decline of the ancient Minoan civilization which had flourished in the region.

Although it is still an active volcano, the last notable eruption occurred in 1950.

“What we must realize is that the Santorini volcano produces very large explosions every 20,000 years,” Efthymios Lekkas, seismologist and head of the scientific monitoring committee for the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, said on Greece’s ERT television Thursday. “It’s been 3,000 years since the last explosion, so we have a very long time ahead of us before we face a big explosion.”

In the intervening time, Lekkas said, volcanic activity increases and decreases, and can cause small earthquakes. “The volcano is a living organism,” he said, adding that “we will not face a big explosion, but a mild procedure.”

Lekkas was among those who attended Wednesday’s meeting called by Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, along with the head of Greece’s fire department, the deputy minister in charge of natural disaster recovery and several local and regional officials.

Increased volcanic activity detected on Greece’s popular tourist island

Increased volcanic activity in Greece's tourist hotspot of Santorini has prompted the country's civil protection minister to call a meeting

torontosun.com

Multiple tremors near Greek island of Santorini shut schools and put residents on edge
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Demetris Nellas
Published Feb 02, 2025 • 2 minute read

ATHENS, Greece — A series of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini have led authorities to shut down schools, dispatch rescue teams with sniffer dogs and send instructions to residents including a request to drain their swimming pools.


Even though earthquake experts say the more than 200 tremors that have hit the area since early Friday are not related to the volcano in Santorini, which once produced one of the biggest eruptions in human history, locals are on edge.

The strongest earthquake recorded was magnitude 4.6 at 3:55 p.m. Sunday, at a depth of 14 kilometres, the Athens Geodynamic institute said. A few tremors of over magnitude 4 and dozens of magnitude 3 have followed. There were no reports of damage or casualties.

Earthquake experts and officials from the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the fire service have been meeting daily and decided to close schools Monday on the island of Santorini as well as nearby Amorgos, Anafi and Ios.


After Sunday’s meeting, they also advised residents and hotel owners in Santorini to drain their swimming pools over concerns that large volumes of water could destabilize buildings in case of a strong quake.

Another meeting was scheduled Sunday evening at the prime minister’s office with the chief of Greece’s armed forces and other officials.

The fire service sent a contingent of rescuers including a sniffer dog on Saturday, and dispatched more forces Sunday, as a precaution. The rescuers have pitched tents in open fields.

Island residents have been advised to avoid large open-air events and to move about the islands mindful of rockfalls. All four islands have steep cliffs and, in the case of Santorini, a large part on the main town is built on a cliffside.


Experts said it was impossible to predict whether the seismic activity could lead to a stronger tremor, but added that the area could potentially produce a 6 magnitude quake.

Mild earthquakes have also been recorded in Santorini’s volcano caldera, which is mostly undersea, since September. The strongest one with magnitude 3.8 occurred on Jan. 25. Since then, seismic activity inside the volcano has subsided, experts say.

The Santorini volcano eruption at about 1600 B.C. devastated the island, buried a town, and caused massive earthquakes and flooding that impacted the island of Crete and as far as Egypt. Experts estimate that up to 41.3 cubic kilometres of rocks were ejected and 9-metre (29-foot) tsunamis hit Crete.

In the 1990s, the Santorini volcano was designated one of 16 volcanoes around the world that need to monitored because of past massive eruptions and proximity to dense population areas.

Multiple tremors near Greek island of Santorini shut schools and put residents on edge

A series of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini have led authorities to shut down schools and dispatch rescue teams.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Shannon Osaka, The Washington Post
Published Feb 03, 2025 • 5 minute read

Microplastics as found in the Great Lakes.
A new study shows that microplastics are making their way into human brains – with potentially dangerous effects on people’s health and mental acuity.


A paper published Monday in Nature Medicine found that the tiny fragments of plastic are passing the blood-brain barrier and into human brains, and the amount of microplastics in the brain appears to be increasing over time. There were 50 percent more fragments in brains analyzed in 2024 than in 2016.

The scientists also examined the brains of 12 deceased patients diagnosed with dementia, and found that they had three to five times more microplastics than normal brains.

“Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?'” one of the paper’s lead authors, University of New Mexico toxicology professor Matthew Campen, said in an interview about an earlier version of the paper.


Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic – less than 5 millimetres in size, or smaller than a pencil eraser – that are either manufactured or slough off of plastic objects. Nanoplastics are even smaller, and can be a fraction of the width of a human hair.

In recent years, scientists have realized that many plastic items (plastic bags, water bottles, tires, polyester or synthetic clothing) can shed small fragments or fibres that make their way into air, food and water. Many of those particles are burrowing deep into the human body. Microplastics have been identified in the liver, placenta, blood, testicles, even certain arteries that lead to the heart.

For the new study, scientists analyzed 52 brain specimens, 28 that were autopsied in 2016 and 24 that were autopsied in 2024. They found microplastics in every sample, but there were significantly higher numbers of microplastics in those from 2024.


Researchers then obtained additional brain samples going back to 1997 and found that they followed the same trend: more recent samples had much higher numbers of microplastics. They found no correlation with how old the person was when they died.

Campen says that, with just a single study, there is reason to be cautious when interpreting the results. But, he added, the amount of plastics produced globally doubles every 10 to 15 years, which suggests that humans’ level of exposure has skyrocketed. “To see it go up 50 percent in eight years in human organs … I think that’s perfectly in line with what we’re seeing in the environment.”

The researchers estimated that the average brain studied had around 7 grams of microplastics in it, or a little more than the weight of a plastic spoon. But they cautioned that could be an overestimate, as some other particles in the brain can resemble microplastics.


Jaime Ross, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Rhode Island who has studied microplastics’ effect on mouse brains, praised the new research and said the increased “plastic burden” of microplastics in the body was concerning because it could exacerbate inflammation.

Phoebe Stapleton, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Rutgers who was not involved in the study, said in an email that scientists have long wondered whether microplastics could pass the blood-brain barrier – the thick membrane that protects the brain from toxins and viruses.

While it’s not the first time researchers have found microplastics in the brain, the new study shows that the pieces of plastic are reaching deeper into the frontal cortex. Last year, a group of researchers found microplastics in the olfactory bulb, or the part of the brain that processes smells. The particles were present in 8 of the 15 brains studied.


“This paper provides clear evidence that micro and nanoplastics are indeed in the human brain,” she said. The paper also showed that the brain appears to be more susceptible to microplastics than other organs – brain samples had 7 to 30 times more microplastics in them than similar tests of the liver and kidneys.

The scientists also used an electron microscope to identify the shards of plastic in the tissue itself. They found small shards or flakes, in a shape that Stapleton described as “unexpected.” Most studies of microplastics’ effect on cells and organs examine spherical-shaped particles – different shapes could mean different health effects.

Other scientists have used mice to study how microplastics in the brain could affect health, and found troubling signs. In one study from Ross and other University of Rhode Island researchers, mice were given water laced with tiny polystyrene particles, the same type of plastic that is used in plastic foam and yogurt containers. After just three weeks of exposure, the mice demonstrated cognitive changes – including changes in the brain consistent with early markers of Alzheimer’s. (Humans are getting microplastics through water as well – the tiny particles have been found in bottled water and in tap water.)


Researchers caution that it’s still far too early to connect microplastics to specific cognitive problems, given the ways in which dementia alters the body. Patients with dementia have weaker blood-brain barriers, they warn, and have a harder time clearing toxins from the brain. In human brains, therefore, the high numbers of microplastics could be an effect of dementia or Alzheimer’s, rather than the cause.

Richard Thompson, a professor of marine biology at the University of Plymouth and the first scientist to use the word “microplastics,” said that linking the tiny particles to health effects is “far more challenging” than identifying them in the first place. But Thompson, who was not involved in the current research, added that studies like this start to paint a picture of associations between the particles and health risks.


Kimberly Wise White, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the American Chemistry Council, a plastics industry group, said in an email that plastic makers are working to help reduce the creation of microplastics. “The global plastics industry supports advancing scientific understanding of microplastics,” she added.

Still, researchers warn that they are still just scratching the surface of what possible health risks microplastics could pose. Last year, a study found that patients with microplastics in a key artery were more likely to experience stroke, heart attack or death. But more research is needed to identify the risks – and part of the issue is the sheer ubiquity of these particles.

“There are no control groups,” Campen said. “Everyone is exposed.”

In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains

A new study shows that microplastics are making their way into human brains.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Multiple tremors near Greek island of Santorini shut schools and put residents on edge
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Demetris Nellas
Published Feb 02, 2025 • 2 minute read

ATHENS, Greece — A series of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini have led authorities to shut down schools, dispatch rescue teams with sniffer dogs and send instructions to residents including a request to drain their swimming pools.


Even though earthquake experts say the more than 200 tremors that have hit the area since early Friday are not related to the volcano in Santorini, which once produced one of the biggest eruptions in human history, locals are on edge.

The strongest earthquake recorded was magnitude 4.6 at 3:55 p.m. Sunday, at a depth of 14 kilometres, the Athens Geodynamic institute said. A few tremors of over magnitude 4 and dozens of magnitude 3 have followed. There were no reports of damage or casualties.

Earthquake experts and officials from the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the fire service have been meeting daily and decided to close schools Monday on the island of Santorini as well as nearby Amorgos, Anafi and Ios.


After Sunday’s meeting, they also advised residents and hotel owners in Santorini to drain their swimming pools over concerns that large volumes of water could destabilize buildings in case of a strong quake.

Another meeting was scheduled Sunday evening at the prime minister’s office with the chief of Greece’s armed forces and other officials.

The fire service sent a contingent of rescuers including a sniffer dog on Saturday, and dispatched more forces Sunday, as a precaution. The rescuers have pitched tents in open fields.

Island residents have been advised to avoid large open-air events and to move about the islands mindful of rockfalls. All four islands have steep cliffs and, in the case of Santorini, a large part on the main town is built on a cliffside.


Experts said it was impossible to predict whether the seismic activity could lead to a stronger tremor, but added that the area could potentially produce a 6 magnitude quake.

Mild earthquakes have also been recorded in Santorini’s volcano caldera, which is mostly undersea, since September. The strongest one with magnitude 3.8 occurred on Jan. 25. Since then, seismic activity inside the volcano has subsided, experts say.

The Santorini volcano eruption at about 1600 B.C. devastated the island, buried a town, and caused massive earthquakes and flooding that impacted the island of Crete and as far as Egypt. Experts estimate that up to 41.3 cubic kilometres of rocks were ejected and 9-metre (29-foot) tsunamis hit Crete.

In the 1990s, the Santorini volcano was designated one of 16 volcanoes around the world that need to monitored because of past massive eruptions and proximity to dense population areas.

Multiple tremors near Greek island of Santorini shut schools and put residents on edge

A series of earthquakes near the Greek island of Santorini have led authorities to shut down schools and dispatch rescue teams.

torontosun.com

Emergency crews deployed on Santorini as an earthquake swarm worries Greek experts
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Derek Gatopoulos
Published Feb 03, 2025 • 4 minute read

Greece-Earthquakes-Santorini

SANTORINI, Greece (AP) — Schools were closed and emergency crews deployed on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini on Monday after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake.


Precautions were also ordered on several nearby Aegean Sea islands — all popular summer vacation destinations — after more than 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded in the area over the past three days.

“We have a very intense geological phenomenon to handle,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said from Brussels, where he was attending a European meeting. “I want to ask our islanders first and foremost to remain calm, to listen to the instructions of the Civil Protection (authority).”

Mobile phones on the island blared with alert warnings about the potential for rock slides, while several earthquakes caused loud rumbles. Authorities banned access to some seaside areas, including the island’s old port, that are in close proximity to cliffs.


“These measures are precautionary, and authorities will remain vigilant,” Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said late Sunday following an emergency government meeting in Athens. “We urge citizens to strictly adhere to safety recommendations to minimize risk.”

While Greek experts say the quakes, many with magnitudes over 4.5, are not linked to Santorini’s volcano, they acknowledge that the pattern of seismic activity is cause for concern.

Government officials met with scientists throughout the weekend and on Monday to assess the situation, while schools were also ordered shut on the nearby islands of Amorgos, Anafi and Ios.

Residents concerned
The frequency of the quakes, which continued throughout Sunday night and into Monday, has worried residents and visitors.


“I have never felt anything like this and with such frequency _ an earthquake every 10 or 20 minutes. Everyone is anxious even if some of us hide it not to cause panic, but everyone is worried,” said Michalis Gerontakis, who is also the director of the Santorini Philharmonic Orchestra.

“We came out yesterday and performed. Despite the earthquakes, the philharmonic performed for a religious occasion,” Gerontakis said. “When you are playing, you cannot feel the quakes but there were earthquakes when we were at the church. No one can knows what will happen. People can say whatever they like, but that has no value. You cannot contend with nature.”

Residents and visitors were advised to avoid large indoor gatherings and areas where rock slides could occur, while hotels were instructed to drain swimming pools to reduce potential building damage from an earthquake.


Fire service rescuers who arrived on the island on Sunday set up yellow tents as a staging area inside a basketball court next to the island’s main hospital.

“We arrived last night, a 26-member team of rescuers and one rescue dog,” said fire brigadier Ioannis Billias, adding that many residents, including entire families, spent the night in their cars.

Some residents and local workers headed to travel agents seeking plane or ferry tickets to leave the island.

“We’ve had earthquakes before but never anything like this. This feels different,” said Nadia Benomar, a Moroccan tour guide who has lived on the island for 19 years. She bought a ferry ticket Monday for the nearby island of Naxos.

“I need to get away for a few days until things calm down,” she said.


Others said they were willing to take the risk. Restaurant worker Yiannis Fragiadakis had been away but said he returned to Santorini on Sunday despite the earthquakes.

“I wasn’t afraid. I know that people are really worried and are leaving, and when I got to the port it was really busy, it was like the summer,” Fragiadakis said. “I plan to stay and hopefully the restaurant will start working (for the holiday season) in three weeks.”

South Korean tourist Soo Jin Kim, from Seoul, arrived Sunday on a family vacation.

“We had dinner last night at the hotel and felt mild shakes about 10 times. But at midnight we felt a big one, a big shake so I checked the news report we are half-worried and half-looking to see what the situation is,” she said, adding she didn’t plan to change her travel plans.


The volcanic island of Santorini
Crescent-shaped Santorini is a premier tourism destination with daily arrivals via commercial flights, ferries, and cruise ships. The island draws more than 3 million visitors annually to its whitewashed villages built along dramatic cliffs formed by a massive volcanic eruption — considered to be one of the largest in human history — more than 3,500 years ago.

That eruption, which occurred around 1620 BC, destroyed a large part of the island, blanketed a wide area in meters (feet) of ash and is believed to have contributed to the decline of the ancient Minoan civilization, which had flourished in the region.

Although it is still an active volcano, the last notable eruption occurred in 1950.


Prominent Greek seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos cautioned that the current earthquake sequence — displayed on live seismic maps as a growing cluster of dots between the islands of Santorini, Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi — could indicate a larger impending event.

“All scenarios remain open,” Papadopoulos wrote in an online post. “The number of tremors has increased, magnitudes have risen, and epicentres have shifted northeast. While these are tectonic quakes, not volcanic, the risk level has escalated.”

In Santorini’s main town of Fira, local authorities designated gathering points for residents in preparation for a potential evacuation, though Mayor Nikos Zorzos emphasized the preventive nature of the measures.

“We are obliged to make preparations. But being prepared for something does not mean it will happen,” he said during a weekend briefing. “Sometimes, the way the situation is reported, those reports may contain exaggerations… so people should stay calm.”

Emergency crews deployed on Santorini as an earthquake swarm worries Greek experts

An earthquake swarm worries Greek experts.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Scientists hope these tiny froglets can save their species
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sylvia Hui
Published Feb 03, 2025 • 1 minute read

LONDON (AP) — It was quite the journey for such tiny froglets: travelling thousands of miles from the forests of southern Chile to London, carried and brooded inside their fathers’ vocal sacs for safety.


London Zoo said Monday that 33 endangered Darwin’s frogs, named after scientist Charles Darwin who discovered the species, were born in their new home as part of a rescue mission to save the species from extinction.

Known populations of Darwin’s frogs have suffered a 90% decline within a year since a deadly disease known as chytrid fungus arrived in 2023 in their habitat, the Parque Tantauco forests in southern Chile. The fungus has affected hundreds of amphibian species around the world.

The creatures have a unique reproductive strategy: after the females lay eggs, the male frogs protect and rear the tiny tadpoles inside their distensible vocal sacs for them to develop in safety.

A team of conservationists traveled to Chile’s forests in October in search of healthy Darwin’s frogs free of the infectious disease. They collected 52 frogs, which were then placed in climate-controlled boxes for a 7,000-mile (11,265 kilometres) ride by boat, car and plane to their new home in London.


Of the group, 11 male frogs — each measuring under 3 centimetres (1.2 inches) — carried 33 tadpoles that were born at the zoo.

“We knew we were embarking on something special — the clock was ticking, and we needed to act quickly if we were going to save these frogs,” said Ben Tapley, curator of amphibians at London Zoo.

He said the successful parent-rearing of the froglets was a “powerful symbol of hope for the species.”

Andres Valenzuela-Sanchez, a researcher at ZSL, the conservation charity behind London Zoo, said the project will ensure the species has a fighting chance of recovery.

“These frogs are not only vital for the future of their species but also help us better understand how we can combat chytrid fungus and safeguard other amphibians globally,” he said.

Scientists hope these tiny froglets can save their species

London Zoo said Monday that 33 endangered Darwin's frogs were born in their new home as part of a rescue mission.

torontosun.com