Tag Archives: school

School strikes over climate change continue to snowball

Subscribe to The Beacon

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

The 16-year-old activist behind the fast-growing School Strikes 4 Climate Action has taken her campaign to the streets of Davos, to confront world leaders and business chiefs about the global emissions crisis.

Greta Thunberg, whose solo protest outside Sweden’s parliament has snowballed across the globe, will join a strike by Swiss school children in the ski resort on Friday — the final day of the World Economic Forum.

Thunberg traveled by train for 32 hours to reach Davos, and spent Wednesday night camped with climate scientists on the mountain slopes — where temperatures plunged to -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F).

Having already addressed the U.N. Climate Change COP 24 conference, Thunberg is rapidly becoming the voice for a generation who are demanding urgent action to slow the rise in global temperatures.

As she traveled down Davos’s funicular railway from the Arctic Base Camp — while more than 30,000 students were striking in Belgium — Thunberg said the rapid growth of her movement was “incredible.”

“There have been climate strikes, involving students and also adults, on every continent except Antarctica. It has involved tens of thousands of children.”

Thunberg started her protest by striking for three weeks outside the Swedish parliament, lobbying MPs to comply with the Paris Agreement. After the Swedish election, she continued to strike every Friday, where she is now joined by hundreds of people.

“This Friday I can’t be there,” she told the Guardian. “So I will have to do it here in Davos, and send a message that this is the only thing that matters.”

Students around the world have been inspired by Thunberg, with thousands skipping school in Australia in November. Last Friday there were strikes in Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland, where more than 20,000 students skipped school.

Missing gym class, geography, and religion each Friday is something of a sacrifice for Thunberg, who says she loves school and can’t pick a favorite subject.

“I like all subjects. I love learning, which people maybe don’t think about me.”

She’s also been forced to give up her hobbies, as climate change activism has taken more of her time. “I used to play theatre, sing, dance, play an instrument, ride horses, lots of things.”

She’s sanguine, though, pointing out that climate activism is much more important: “You have to see the bigger perspective.”

Thunberg said she would like more students to join her strike. “That would have a huge impact, but I’m not going to force anyone to do this.”

In the U.K., only a small number of students have so far begun strikes, including 13-year-old Holly Gillibrand in Fort William. But plans are now being made for a big strike on February 15. Thunberg predicts there will be protests in many locations.

She believes parents should be supportive if their children tell them they’re striking on Friday. “Everyone keeps saying that the young people should be more active, and they’re so lazy, but once we do something we get criticized.”

The world’s scientists warned in October that, without a dramatic ramping up of action to cut emissions, global temperatures would rise by more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels, with severe consequences for humanity.

Thunberg believes the older generations need to acknowledge that they have failed to protect the environment.

“We need to hold the older generations accountable for the mess they have created, and expect us to live with. It is not fair that we have to pay for what they have caused,” she says.

Thunberg has also called on business leaders and politicians to commit to “real and bold climate action,” and focus on the “future living conditions of mankind” rather than economic goals and profits.

In a video address for leaders attending Davos, she says: “I ask you to stand on the right side of history. I ask you to pledge to do everything in your power to push your own business or government in line with a 1.5 C world.”

Thunberg has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, which she believes helps her see the problem of climate change clearly.

“My brain works a bit different and so I see things in black and white. Either we start a chain reaction with events beyond our control, or we don’t. Either we stop the emissions or we don’t. There are no grey areas when it comes to survival.”

The school strikes last Friday were by far the biggest to date. In Germany, an estimated 30,000 students left their schools in more than 50 cities to protest, carrying banners including: “Why learn without a future?” and “Grandpa, what is a snowman?” One 17-year-old student in Kiel, Moritz, told Deutsche Welle: “We want to help shape and secure our future so that there will be another world for us to live in in 60 years.”

In Belgium, 12,500 students went on strike last Thursday and plan to strike weekly until the E.U. elections in May. Some teachers were tolerant of the truancy. Patrick Lancksweerdt, in Brussels, said: “Education has to turn youngsters into mature citizens. By their actions, they proved that they are.”

School strikes also took place in 15 cities and towns in Switzerland. In Geneva, 12-year-old Selma Joly said: “Frankly, I would rather demand climate action than go to school. Otherwise, years from now, we may no longer be here.”

Janine O’Keeffe, who helps coordinate and keep track of the school strikes from her home in Stockholm, Sweden, was surprised at the scale of last week’s actions: “I am still in shock, actually — a nice kind of shock.”

Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace, says youth activism on climate change gives her hope. “The 15-year-olds just speak truth to power.”

More – 

School strikes over climate change continue to snowball

Posted in Accent, alo, Anchor, Casio, Citizen, Everyone, FF, G & F, GE, Landmark, LG, ONA, Radius, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School strikes over climate change continue to snowball

Micro-Organisms and Biotechnology – Birchfield Interactive

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

Micro-Organisms and Biotechnology

High School Edition

Birchfield Interactive

Genre: Science & Nature

Price: $0.99

Publish Date: July 17, 2012

Publisher: Birchfield Interactive

Seller: BIRCHFIELD INTERACTIVE LTD


This textbook uses stunning 3D animation with voice-over, video, imagery and interactive activities to ensure effective learning for this topic. Superb for independent learning, covering the following topics areas: Classes of Microbes; Microbes and Disease; Defense Against Microbes; Microbes and Food Production; Other Applications of Biotechnology, and Famous Microbial Discoveries.

Continued:  

Micro-Organisms and Biotechnology – Birchfield Interactive

Posted in alo, Anchor, FF, GE, ONA, PUR, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Micro-Organisms and Biotechnology – Birchfield Interactive

Carbon prices could save us … if we actually start using them

Ahh, carbon prices. Those pesky, politically fraught penalties governments slap on pollution and the polluters who emit it. Carbon taxes and pricing schemes could be our golden ticket out of climate change, but a new report shows just how far we have to go to put an effective price on carbon.

Welcome to the carbon price gap, the distance between a country’s current CO2 price and the low-end benchmark of an effective carbon tax (around $35). Earth is on track to warm more than 2 degrees C, a threshold at which ice sheets collapse at breakneck speeds, small island nations drown, and natural disasters pummel coastal regions.

At their current rate, carbon prices won’t overlap with the actual cost of carbon pollution until 2095. We simply don’t have that kind of time. The report, titled Effective Carbon Rates 2018, shows that the carbon price gap is closing at a “snail’s pace.” The carbon pricing gap for a group of 42 countries surveyed in the study dropped from 83 percent in 2012 to an estimated 76.5 percent this year. We’re talkin’ 6.5 percentage points in six years.

This is how much more each country needs to tax emissions to meet their Paris goals and keep warming under 2 degrees C (the numbers are based off data from 2015, but the authors point out that, unfortunately, nothing has changed too much in the years since):

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

See? Pretty dismal. The countries that have the most work to do — Russia, Indonesia, Brazil — pollute a lot and have made virtually zero effort to price carbon. The countries with the smallest carbon gap — Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Norway — are nearly there. As you can see, most countries assessed in this report have a long way to go.

Here’s the good news: There are ways to close the gaps faster. China’s new emissions plan could reduce the country’s gap from 90 to 63 percent in the next few years. A handful of countries including the U.K., India, and South Korea implemented a variety of tactics to make some real headway on pricing emissions between 2012 and 2015.

And let’s not get bogged down with the percentages, says Jesse Jenkins, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School with a decade of experience in the energy sector. “How do we make the most impact in the least costly way within the political constraints that we face in each country?” Jenkins says. In other words, closing the gap requires a custom-built approach.

And there are even more reasons to be optimistic that carbon pricing, in addition to other sustainability initiatives, could help us stave off the worst effects of global warming. California has one of the only economy-wide carbon pricing policies in the U.S. The Golden State appears to have a paltry carbon price — about $20 per ton — but its other green initiatives actually make it pretty competitive compared to other global winners in sustainability.

“The magnitude of the carbon price itself is not a sufficient proxy for how effective climate policy is across the whole context,” Jenkins says. “It’s one piece of the overall effort.”

Visit source:  

Carbon prices could save us … if we actually start using them

Posted in alo, Anchor, FF, GE, ONA, Radius, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Carbon prices could save us … if we actually start using them

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe – Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella & Evan Bernstein

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe

How to Know What’s Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake

Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella & Evan Bernstein

Genre: Essays

Price: $15.99

Publish Date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Seller: Hachette Digital, Inc.


An all-encompassing guide to skeptical thinking from podcast host and academic neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine Steven Novella and his SGU co-hosts , which Richard Wiseman calls "the perfect primer for anyone who wants to separate fact from fiction." It is intimidating to realize that we live in a world overflowing with misinformation, bias, myths, deception, and flawed knowledge. There really are no ultimate authority figures-no one has the secret, and there is no place to look up the definitive answers to our questions (not even Google). Luckily, THE SKEPTICS' GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE is your map through this maze of modern life. Here Dr. Steven Novella-along with Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein-will explain the tenets of skeptical thinking and debunk some of the biggest scientific myths, fallacies, and conspiracy theories-from anti-vaccines to homeopathy, UFO sightings to N- rays. You'll learn the difference between science and pseudoscience, essential critical thinking skills, ways to discuss conspiracy theories with that crazy co- worker of yours, and how to combat sloppy reasoning, bad arguments, and superstitious thinking. So are you ready to join them on an epic scientific quest, one that has taken us from huddling in dark caves to setting foot on the moon? (Yes, we really did that.) DON'T PANIC! With THE SKEPTICS' GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE, we can do this together. "Thorough, informative, and enlightening, The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe inoculates you against the frailties and shortcomings of human cognition. If this book does not become required reading for us all, we may well see modern civilization unravel before our eyes." –Neil deGrasse Tyson "In this age of real and fake information, your ability to reason, to think in scientifically skeptical fashion, is the most important skill you can have. Read The Skeptics' Guide Universe ; get better at reasoning. And if this claim about the importance of reason is wrong, The Skeptics' Guide will help you figure that out, too." –Bill Nye

Link:

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe – Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella & Evan Bernstein

Posted in alo, Anchor, FF, GE, Grand Central Publishing, LAI, ONA, PUR, Ultima, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe – Steven Novella, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella & Evan Bernstein

Losing Justice Kennedy puts fundamental environmental protections in peril

In a letter hand-delivered to President Trump on Wednesday, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement after 30 years on the Supreme Court.

Trump has already hinted at a list of potential replacements — all of whom are likely to side with the court’s now clear conservative majority. Kennedy has been the swing vote for decades. And without his moderating influence, advocates of the environment will face a steep challenge in winning over a majority of the justices.

With time quickly running out before the world locks in dangerous levels of climate change, that’s a frightening proposition. A more conservative-leaning court could make broad modifications to U.S. law that could last for decades. With environmental protections weakened, future presidents who want to take action on climate will have a much tougher time making lasting policy decisions.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that, when it comes to climate change and environmental protection, the next Supreme Court justice’s opinions will have consequences that are planetary in scope.

Since the implications of a solidly conservative Supreme Court are so far-reaching, Grist reached out to several environmental law experts to learn which specific rulings and regulations could be most at risk. Responses were lightly edited for clarity.

Massachusetts vs. EPA: Gives the government authority to regulate greenhouse gases as pollutants.

Justice Kennedy was in the majority on Massachusetts v. EPA. It would be quite something if a new court, by a 5-4 decision, opted to reverse such recent precedent. But given what we have seen in the last few days [from the Supreme Court], it’s not impossible to see it happening.

—Michael Burger, Columbia University Law School

The Clean Air Act and climate protections are most at risk. Kennedy was the deciding vote on Massachusetts v. EPA, which reaffirmed the Clean Air Act as the most important mechanism for regulating greenhouse pollution economy-wide. We’re one vote away from losing fundamental protections for our climate.

—Kassie Siegel, Center for Biological Diversity

“Waters of the United States” Rule: Provides protection to some wetlands.

The Trump Administration’s proposal to rescind the Obama-era Waters of the United States Rule — which would curtail the federal government’s authority to limit pollution in wetlands and other smaller bodies of water under the Clean Water Act — may well ultimately end up before the Supreme Court. Justice Kennedy’s replacement will influence how we protect our air and water, as well as how we respond to climate change, for generations to come.

—Augusta Wilson, Climate Science Legal Defense Fund

Clean Power Plan: Limits greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

I’m particularly concerned about the regulations that the Trump administration will introduce to replace Obama-era climate protections — for example the replacement to the Clean Power Plan. The administration will no doubt be gutting some of these rules and potentially violating statutory mandates in the process. It’s much more likely that the Supreme Court will uphold the replacement rules with another Trump nominee replacing Kennedy.

—Jessica Wentz, Columbia University Law School

​There is a good chance that the new justice will go along with the other conservative justices in narrowly reading the regulatory authority that statutes like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act give to EPA and other federal agencies. This could be bad news if the next President tries to revive something like the Clean Power Plan, which was widely portrayed as pushing the envelope of EPA’s authority — an issue the courts still haven’t decided.

—Michael B. Gerrard, Columbia University Law School

Standing: Allows plaintiffs to bring environmental grievances to court more often.

My main concern is how the newly configured court will interpret environmental groups’ standing to sue to enforce federal laws. Justice Kennedy had a nuanced take on standing, and it is likely that Trump’s nominees will have a more blunt approach, one that seeks to significantly curtail the ability of these groups to get into court.

—Burger

The future for environmental laws or standards:

Litigation is often the only option for those seeking to protect air and water and ensure public input on the value of sensitive ecosystems, endangered species, other wildlife species, and for those wanting to preserve important national landscapes. My general thought is that Kennedy was the last bulwark of reasonableness against the Trump Administration’s environmental onslaught. Every environmental lawyer I know is incredibly fearful of what this retirement will mean for the future of environmental protection in the United States.

—Hillary Hoffmann, Vermont Law School

I think just about any environmental rule that makes its way to the Supreme Court after Kennedy’s successor is appointed will be in jeopardy. We already have four hyper-conservative justices who tend to vote along ideological/party lines — and antipathy towards regulation, particularly environmental regulation, is a core part of that ideology. I have no doubt that Trump will nominate another conservative justice who shares his anti-regulation agenda. Through this justice, Trump will be able to continue advancing his deregulatory agenda for years after he his presidency ends.

—Wentz

View article – 

Losing Justice Kennedy puts fundamental environmental protections in peril

Posted in alo, ALPHA, Anchor, Casio, FF, GE, Hoffman, LAI, ONA, Thayer, Ultima, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Losing Justice Kennedy puts fundamental environmental protections in peril

7 Green Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

Shares

By Marissa Hermanson

Weddings are beautiful events, but they aren’t always environmentally friendly — just think about all those little details from paper invitations to gas-guzzling transportation. However, by planning ahead, you and your beau can help ensure that your nuptial celebration is eco-friendly.

The type of wedding favor you give guests might seem a minor issue — but the wrong choice could result in significant waste. In lieu of wrapped trinkets, show friends and family your gratitude with an environmentally friendly gift. Here are a few ideas for wedding favors that reflect your commitment to sustainability, from fragrant potted herbs to jars of local honey.

1. Potted Plants

A gift that lasts beyond the honeymoon, potted plants are a thoughtful and environmentally friendly favor for your wedding guests. Head to your local garden store and buy plants in bulk that you can pot at home. If you want to give a low-maintenance plant, succulents are a great option. Or consider fragrant herbs that your guests can use for cooking and garnishing. You might want to dress up the plants by decorating the pot with your names and wedding date.

Low-maintenance succulents make attractive wedding favors.

2. Seed Packets or Bulbs

For out-of-town guests, opt for seed packets or flower bulbs that friends and family can easily transport home. If you’re a dahlia enthusiast and the flower is making an appearance at your wedding, order a variety of dahlia bulbs. Alternately, packets of wildflower seeds are a fun gift for guests who have property where they can sprinkle the seeds. Just be sure not to distribute an invasive species. (Also, keep in mind that international guests may not be able to transport seeds or bulbs through customs.)

3. Charity Donation + Seed Paper

For the activist couple, donate money to your favorite local nonprofit or environmental cause on behalf of each guest. To make the gift more personal, write a brief note that explains why you selected the organization(s) for your charitable donation. Print the note (with plant-based ink, if possible) on environmentally friendly seed papers that guests can take home and plant later.

4. Edible Treats

Fill Mason jars or recyclable packages with yummy treats for guests to take home. Bake a batch of cookies, harvest local honey or buy fair-trade coffee from your favorite coffee shop. Your guests can savor these treats at home while they remember your special day.

5. Floral Centerpieces

Floral centerpieces can double as favors. For long tables, consider arranging tall, dramatic orchids down the center; for round tables, cluster potted perennials, greenery or lucky bamboo cuttings. Rather than purchasing new vases or pots, buy them used from local thrift stores. Make sure each table has enough plants for each guest to take one home at the end of your celebration.

6. Double-Duty Glassware

Consider using items at your reception that guests can take home. For instance, budget-friendly Mason jars printed with your wedding date can be used to serve drinks (and eliminate disposable cups). Guests can keep their jars as favors and reuse them at home.

7. No Favors

More and more couples are shying away from wedding favors because they’re costly and can have a negative impact on the environment. If you’re providing food, drink and entertainment, there’s no need to feel guilty about forgoing favors for guests to take home.

When it comes to planning a green wedding, favors are an easy place to start. Your eco-friendly approach to choosing wedding favors may help inspire other decisions you make throughout your planning process, resulting in a celebration that’s as beautiful as it is sustainable.

Did you have a green wedding? What favors did you give your guests? Let us know in the comments.

Marissa Hermanson is a wedding expert who has been published on The Knot, Southern Living, Cosmopolitan and more. She currently writes for Larson Jewelers, where you can find a wide selection of rings like titanium wedding bands.

You Might Also Like…

Gorgeous Handmade Gifts Using Mason Jars

Handmade gifts are the ideal way to show loved ones …Wendy GabrielDecember 7, 2017

Vow to Hold an Eco-Friendly Wedding: 5 Easy Tips to Green Your I Do’s

Dreamy destinations, signature cocktails, tasty treats and designer duds create …Lisa BeresDecember 10, 2014

Where to Recycle Your Wedding Decor

You’ve probably heard about the charitable organizations that take donations …Megan WinklerApril 28, 2014

7 Green Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

By Marissa Hermanson Weddings are beautiful events, but they aren’t …Earth911April 12, 2018

The Newest Eco Food Trend: Blended Burgers

Though many environmentalists understand that red meat isn’t always green, …Lauren MurphyApril 12, 2018

Help Kids Celebrate Earth Day: Organize a School Event

Do you want to share your love of nature with …Sarah LozanovaApril 11, 2018

earth911

Jump to original: 

7 Green Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

Posted in ATTRA, bamboo, eco-friendly, FF, G & F, GE, LAI, Mop, ONA, PUR, solar, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 7 Green Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

Green Beer for St. Paddy’s Day! Not So Fast

Shares

As parade and bar-goers know, the color green saturates everything in sight on St. Paddy’s Day — including food and drink.

But what may seem like a harmless way to celebrate all things Irish (yes, we’re talking about you, green beer and green milkshakes) is in fact not all that bonny for the planet or your body, research shows.

Industrial artificial green food coloring — known variously as FD&C Green No. 3 and Fast Green FCF — is derived from petroleum, a limited resource, and contains coal tar. It’s also associated with an increased risk of certain cancers and hyperactivity in children, according to a study released by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The European Union requires a warning label on foods containing dye, including FD&C Green No. 3, but in the U.S. it remains one of nine synthetic dyes FDA-approved for food processing.

Still thirsty for a green beer?

Try coloring up your drink with a naturally derived food dye instead. India Tree dyes use red cabbage, turmeric and beets to create intense shades of blue, yellow and red. (Remember from grade school? Blue + yellow = green.) Chefmaster sells ready-made green derived from red cabbage and beta carotene.

If you’re game for the DIY route, check out these instructions for fruit- and veggie-based homemade dye from the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Simple Steps site. (It works — the city of Chicago, which dyes its river green every St. Patrick’s Day, uses vegetable dye to get the job done.)

As for that hangover, though, you’re on your own.

This story was originally published on March 10, 2011. It was updated on March 18, 2018.

You Might Also Like…

Kiss Me, I’m Eco-Friendly! 5 Tips for a Truly Green St. Patrick’s Day

Genealogy tests be damned, March 17 is a day when …Madeleine SomervilleMarch 17, 2017

5 Traditions That Are Terrible for the Environment (And What You Can Do Instead)

Holidays, weddings and funerals — all events that are practically …Liz GreeneMarch 15, 2017

25 St. Patrick’s Day Crafts That Scream Green

You don’t have to be of Irish descent to love …Chrystal JohnsonMarch 12, 2015

Green Beer for St. Paddy’s Day! Not So Fast

As parade and bar-goers know, the color green saturates everything …Alison Neumer LaraMarch 17, 2018

Take a Bite Out of Waste in Your School Cafeteria

Every school cafeteria across the country is unique: different kitchens, …Wendy GabrielMarch 16, 2018

China’s Recycling Ban: What Do We Do with Our Plastics Now?

Thanks to curbside recycling programs, most Americans have developed an …Liz GreeneMarch 15, 2018

earth911

View original post here:  

Green Beer for St. Paddy’s Day! Not So Fast

Posted in alo, eco-friendly, FF, GE, ONA, PUR, solar, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Green Beer for St. Paddy’s Day! Not So Fast

The GOP tax bill could cost us the next generation of climate scientists

grad luck

The GOP tax bill could cost us the next generation of climate scientists

By on Dec 8, 2017

Grad students around the country are protesting the so-called grad student tax. Of course they are! They stand to lose thousands of dollars. But even if you’re not an aspiring PhD, the tax is cause for concern: It could hurt scientific research, leaving us less capable of tackling climate change.

In the environmental sciences, like many STEM fields, universities offer graduate students a stipend and cover their tuition in return for teaching or conducting research. The House tax bill approved in November would start treating tuition as taxable income. The Senate version keeps tuition waivers tax-free, but it’s unclear whether the tax will be part of the the final bill that reconciles the two versions.

More than half of grad students make $20,000 or less a year, according to stats from the Department of Education. Paying an extra few thousand dollars in taxes could make grad school unaffordable for many, and economists say it would discourage people from seeking advanced degrees. Professors and grad students in the environmental sciences told me that the tax would decrease the diversity and number of students in their programs, and could ultimately devastate climate change research.

This shirt is so
hot right now.

donate for yours

“The worry is that if this passes — and then the other attacks on funding within the federal government for climate science — then we’re going to lose a generation of climate scientists,” LuAnne Thompson, professor of oceanography at the University of Washington (UW), said in an interview with Grist.

Graduate students are the muscle behind the research force, often making up the majority of researchers in a lab. They plan experiments, acquire data, and publish articles about the results.

“I feel like people are underestimating what it would mean for there to be fewer grad students,” says Natalie Lowell, a PhD student at UW’s School of Aquatics and Fishery Sciences. “It really is a direct correlation with how much less research there’s going to be.”

Lowell, who researches native shellfish species, says that she has to live fairly frugally to get by on her stipend. She lives in a basement apartment where squirrels “come out of the wall” and pee everywhere. In Seattle, where the tech boom has caused rent to skyrocket, this “absolute steal” costs $500 a month. She’s been saving up a couple thousand dollars a year, but she wouldn’t be able to do so under the tax. It would knock about $3,600 out of her bank account each year she’s in school.

For in-state students at UW, taxes would increase from roughly $2,700 to $4,200 a year, according to Matt Munoz, a graduate student studying public administration and policy at UW. Out-of-state students would be charged nearly $5,800.

The tax provision would be bad timing, since it could sabotage the efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion that were finally picking up speed at UW. Thompson, the oceanography professor, says that the extra cost could make it impossible for people with limited resources to participate in College of Environment graduate programs.

“The way we think about conservation science has really shifted” as it has become more inclusive, UW’s Lowell says. “[The tax] is the sort of thing that would just throw a wrench in that. Because who’s doing the research totally determines how you frame questions, how you make connections, how you treat your workers.”

By limiting who can participate in graduate research, the grad student tax could stifle scientific innovation, similar to Trump’s travel ban. It could also make education prohibitively expensive for many international students, potentially sending some of the world’s brightest minds to other countries.

Marysa Laguë, a student from Canada pursuing a PhD in atmospheric science at UW, pays taxes in both Canada and the United States. She told me that she always has the “fallback plan” of going back to her home country if staying in grad school in Seattle becomes too expensive. “I don’t want to have to do that,” she says. “I’m here for a reason. I wanted to be here.”

Continue reading here: 

The GOP tax bill could cost us the next generation of climate scientists

Posted in alo, Anchor, FF, G & F, GE, LAI, ONA, PUR, Radius, Ultima, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The GOP tax bill could cost us the next generation of climate scientists

New Mexico: OK, fine, we’ll put science back in science standards.

The mayor of the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, said on Tuesday that the community will likely suffer permanent damage from the Category 4 storm.

It’s been nearly two months since Hurricane Harvey tore through Texas, leaving behind decimated buildings, torn-up infrastructure, and thousands of displaced people. While most national media attention focused on Houston, Rockport, population 10,645, suffered some of the hurricane’s worst wind and storm surge damage.

During a panel discussion in Victoria, Texas, Mayor Charles Wax said that approximately one-third of the town was destroyed in the hurricane, and a significant portion of that will be impossible to rebuild.

Only 300 of Rockport’s 1,300 businesses have reopened since the storm, 856 of Rockport’s 2,400 students have left the school district, and the town lost most of its trees in the storm. Disaster relief crews have cleared almost 800,000 cubic yards of vegetation felled by hurricane winds and rain. 

Wax, along with three other coastal Texas mayors coping with staggering devastation from the hurricane, said he has received more help from the state government than from FEMA. The agency is definitely spread a bit thin, it seems.

See original – 

New Mexico: OK, fine, we’ll put science back in science standards.

Posted in alo, Anchor, FF, G & F, GE, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Mexico: OK, fine, we’ll put science back in science standards.

Los Angeles Just Had the Most Expensive School Board Race Ever—and Betsy DeVos Couldn’t Be Happier

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

Charter school advocates landed a major victory Tuesday night, winning two seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education in the most expensive school board race in US history. Now, with charter supporters making up a majority of the board for the first time since 2010, the country’s second-largest school district could see a charter school expansion—just as it confronts a looming budget deficit and declining enrollment.

Charter-backed Nick Melvoin unseated board president Steve Zimmer, who was running for his third and final term, according to unofficial results. Kelly Gonez, a pro-reform candidate, declared victory late Tuesday night over Imelda Padilla.

The board election capped a long-standing battle between teachers’ unions and wealthy charter school proponents like former mayor Richard Riordan, Walmart heirs Alice and Jim Walton, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, philanthropist and major charter backer Eli Broad, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who gave $5 million to the California Charter Schools Association Advocates, a pro-charter PAC. Both sides attacked candidates in brutal advertisements—as of Wednesday, outside spending on the school board races reached more than $14 million, twice the amount spent in 2013, according to Los Angeles Ethics Commission campaign finance data.

The Los Angeles Unified School District already has more charter schools than any other district in the country, serving 16 percent of enrolled students. One of the first questions before the new school board could be whether to keep Superintendent Michelle King, an outspoken school choice proponent, who has been in office for 14 months.

More: 

Los Angeles Just Had the Most Expensive School Board Race Ever—and Betsy DeVos Couldn’t Be Happier

Posted in FF, GE, LG, ONA, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Los Angeles Just Had the Most Expensive School Board Race Ever—and Betsy DeVos Couldn’t Be Happier