Learning
On Earth Day Find Your 'Local' Waterkeeper Organization; Biden's National Climate Task Force
Cabinet members and White House leaders discussed pathways that will significantly reduce greenhouse gases while growing the economy, creating good-paying, union jobs, and cutting pollution on a sector-by-sector basis, consistent with direction from President Biden to develop a 2030 greenhouse gas target as part fulfilling his promise to re-enter the Paris Agreement. Regions: CANADA, CHESAPEAKE, EAST ASIA, GREAT LAKES, GULF, INTERNATIONAL,LATIN AMERICA, NORTH ATLANTIC, PACIFIC, SOUTH ASIA, SOUTH ATLANTIC. There are over 300 Waterkeeper organizations and affiliates on six continents fighting for communities’ clean water rights. Waterkeepers can be large or small, but every member patrols their waterway and enforces clean water protections when agencies and the federal government fail to do so. more »
National Institutes of Health: Study Finds Link Between Red Hair and Pain Threshold
People with red hair have a variant of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene. This gene controls the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. The cells that make melanin produce two forms — eumelanin and pheomelanin. People with red hair produce mostly pheomelanin, which is also linked to freckles and fair skin that tans poorly. While red hair has been linked to differences in pain processing, the underlying reasons weren’t well understood. Researchers led by Dr. David E. Fisher of Massachusetts General Hospital examined the connection between MC1R and pain perception. more »
Jo Freeman Reviews From Preaching to Meddling: A White Minister in the Civil Rights Movement
Jo Freeman Writes: Fr Walter founded the Selma Inter-Religious Project, a support organization for civil rights activists. He and his wife lived in Tuscaloosa, probably the most racially liberal town in Alabama. One of his main projects was turning the Freedom Quilting Bee, a co-operative established by local black women, into a major business. With his New York ties, Walter was able to send the quilts to NYC to be auctioned. Publicity and promotion led to munificent prices which the Alabama women used to improve their lives and that of their children. The business lasted until 2012. more »
Kaiser Health News (KHN): Colleges and Universities Plan for Normal-ish Campus Life in the Fall
Almost every official who spoke with KHN said universities will open their classrooms and their dorms this fall. In many cases, they no longer can afford not to. But controlling those environments and limiting viral spread loom among the largest challenges in many schools’ histories — and the notion of what constitutes normalcy is again being adjusted in real time. The university officials predicted significantly increased on-campus activity, but with limits. Most of the schools expect to have students living on campus but attending only some classes in person or attending only on selected days — one way to stagger the head count and to limit classroom exposure. And all plan to have vaccines and plenty of testing available. more »