tag:theconversation.com,2011:/articlesEnglish – The Conversation2024-03-19T04:45:36Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2260132024-03-19T04:45:36Z2024-03-19T04:45:36ZWhat’ll happen when Facebook stops paying for news? Here’s what happened when radio stopped paying for music<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582727/original/file-20240319-22-xag9u9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1502%2C732%2C3364%2C1769&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio?</p>
<p>It can’t be because of the money.</p>
<p>In Australia they are paid at rates so low they come close to making streaming services look generous. By law, no radio station can be made to pay no more than <a href="https://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1968133/s152.html">1%</a> of the station’s gross revenue for all of the music it plays, even if it is an all-music station. By the time the labels have had their cut, the artists get <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3161/Sub28_CRA.pdf">a lot less</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F27117%2F0048%22">Legislation</a> now before the Senate would remove the ceiling, allowing radio stations and the representatives of musical artists to negotiate freely, with a final decision made by a tribunal in cases where they can’t reach agreement.</p>
<p>It’s a bit like the legislation set up to arbitrate disputes between platforms such as Facebook and <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/by-industry/digital-platforms-and-services/news-media-bargaining-code/news-media-bargaining-code">news organisations</a> about the amount to pay for news.</p>
<p>The parallels tell us an awful lot about where the power lies in disputes between platforms and providers. Here’s a hint: it doesn’t lie with providers, whether they provide music, or news, or, for that matter, fruit to Coles and Woolworths.</p>
<h2>Radio pays little for music, and always has</h2>
<p>Here’s what happened with radio.</p>
<p>Legislation dating back to 1968 has given Australian radio stations a blanket right to play whatever music they want so long as they negotiate a payment rate with the relevant collecting society.</p>
<p>If the station and collecting society can’t agree on the rate, the decision is made by an <a href="https://www.copyrighttribunal.gov.au/">independent tribunal</a>, but, for commercial stations, the tribunal is limited to awarding no more than 1% of the station’s gross revenue, and for ABC stations, a mere <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582675/original/file-20240318-26-prqomy.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=1">half of one cent</a> per Australian resident per year.</p>
<p>The Attorney General introduced the ceilings to “<a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/agispt.20210216043919">allay the fears</a>” of radio stations and initially promised a review after five years, a provision he later <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/agispt.20210216043919">dropped</a> from the final draft of the legislation. A half a century of inflation has rendered the ABC’s ceiling of half a cent per person worth a fraction of what it was.</p>
<h2>The ABC pays half a cent per person</h2>
<p>The ceilings only apply to radio stations and only to the recordings. Television stations (including ABC stations) pay much more per track. </p>
<p>And composers, who are paid separately with no legislated limit, get much more. </p>
<p>This means the composers of <a href="https://youtu.be/PQCH1-ffP-g?si=RhF2m5hjQjJvPUVq">You’re the Voice</a> get paid quite well, but the performer, John Farnham, does not.</p>
<p>The record industry has tried time and time again to remove the ceiling. </p>
<p>In 2010 it even went to the High Court, arguing along the lines of the case depicted in the movie <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/19/its-the-vibe-25-years-on-how-the-castle-became-an-australian-classic">The Castle</a> that the constitution prevented the Commonwealth from acquiring property other than “on just terms”. </p>
<p>The High Court said “<a href="https://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/showCase/2012/HCA/8">no</a>”, finding copyright wasn’t property. </p>
<p>Now, independent Senator David Pocock is trying again. </p>
<h2>‘Fair pay for radio play’</h2>
<p>Pocock’s <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s1386">Fair Pay for Radio Play</a> bill would remove the ceilings, allowing the radio industry and the record industry to negotiate “<a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F27117%2F0048%22">a fair rate</a>” subject to adjudication by the Copyright Tribunal.</p>
<p>The radio industry says, if that happens, it will play <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/commsen/27539/toc_pdf/Legal%20and%20Constitutional%20Affairs%20Legislation%20Committee_2024_03_07.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22committees/commsen/27539/0000%22">less Australian music</a>. It would also ask to be freed from the legislated requirement to play Australian music.</p>
<p>The recording industry talks as if the radio industry is bluffing. </p>
<p>Annabelle Herd, head of the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, told the Senate hearing </p>
<blockquote>
<p>even if the radio networks stopped playing all Australian music, they would still have to pay to play UK music, Canadian music and music from pretty much every other country in the world. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s a point she might not want to push too far.</p>
<p>In 1970 that’s exactly what happened. In response to what it felt was an over-large demand from the Phonographic Performance Company, the commercial radio industry said no, and refused to play any of its music.</p>
<p>Instead, it played records from independent Australian labels who didn’t charge and got their records pressed in <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3160/1970_RECORD_BAN.pdf">Singapore</a>, and American music, lots of it.</p>
<p>While the industry couldn’t play music from the UK, Canada and a bunch of other countries that were signatories to the relevant copyright treaty, it could play music from the United States, which didn’t charge, and wasn’t.</p>
<h2>When radio called the labels’ bluff</h2>
<p>A disc jockey quoted at the time said he didn’t think the average listener would <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110321578">notice</a>, and there’s nothing on record to suggest the average listener did.</p>
<p>The Beatles album <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/let-it-be-mw0000192939">Let it Be</a> was released on May 8. The <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/radio-100-1970-record-ban">record ban</a>, as it was called, came into force on May 16. <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/radio-100-1970-record-ban">The Long and Winding Road</a> cracked the top five just about everywhere it was released, apart from Australia.</p>
<p>Five months later, the record companies caved. The only thing the radio industry offered it was a <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3160/1970_RECORD_BAN.pdf">guaranteed number of advertisements</a> per week. Which had been the radio industry’s point all along. The record companies needed ratio play for exposure. Without it, people were unlikely to buy their discs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/facebook-wont-keep-paying-australian-media-outlets-for-their-content-are-we-about-to-get-another-news-ban-224857">Facebook won't keep paying Australian media outlets for their content. Are we about to get another news ban?</a>
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<p>It’s possible to stretch parallels too far, but when Facebook temporarily stopped linking to pieces from Australian news sites in 2021, traffic to those sites slid <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-03-03/facebook-news-ban-australian-publisher-page-views-rebound/13206616">13%</a>.</p>
<p>The common theme is that – as unfair as it seems – platforms have an awful lot of power over providers. If Coles and Woolworths say no, fruit growers won’t be able to distribute their product; if radio stations say no, artists won’t be as widely disseminated; and if Facebook and its ilk say no, news sites will get fewer clicks.</p>
<p>Facebook has been paying millions of dollars to Australian news sites since the <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/news-media-bargaining-code">news media bargaining code</a> began in 2021. In February it said when the agreements expire, it will <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-02/facebook-google-news-media-deal-media-pay-meta/103534342">pay no more</a>.</p>
<p>The code allows the government to force Facebook to pay, but only if it continues to link to news, and it has given <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2024/02/update-on-facebook-news-us-australia/">every indication</a> it won’t.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226013/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Martin is Economics Editor of The Conversation. </span></em></p>Put to the test in 1970, Australia’s radio industry abandoned the record labels that wanted them to pay more. The labels backed down.Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2261192024-03-19T04:32:37Z2024-03-19T04:32:37ZFuture of Anthony Albanese’s religious discrimination legislation is in Peter Dutton’s hands<p>The federal government has flagged draft legislation on religious freedom but Anthony Albanese this week personally told Peter Dutton he won’t proceed with it without opposition approval. </p>
<p>The PM raised the matter with Dutton when they were both aboard a VIP flight on Monday going to the funeral of former Labor minister Joel Fitzgibbon’s son Jack. </p>
<p>One piece of legislation would amend the Sex Discrimination Act that allows religious schools to discriminate on the basis of their values.</p>
<p>The government would remove the right of schools to discriminate against children on any ground but would retain the schools’ right to preference in hiring staff of their faith or who support their values. </p>
<p>The other piece of legislation is a religious discrimination bill that would add faith to the attributes (such as sex and sexuality) on which people are protected from discrimination. </p>
<p>Albanese told caucus on Tuesday: “If there is bipartisan agreement we will proceed. If there is not agreement, now is not the time to have a divisive debate, especially with the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia”.</p>
<p>He indicated support from the Catholic church, Sydney Anglicans and imans for the government’s approach. </p>
<p>Labor promised before the election it would bring in legislation on religious discrimination. </p>
<p>The attempt by the Coalition government to legislate in this area ended in political disaster for then prime minister Scott Morrison when a number of Liberals crossed the floor over the issue of transgender children. Morrison then pulled the bill.</p>
<p>Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to advise the government on how to protect students and teachers against discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identification, while also enabling schools to maintain their religious ethos. </p>
<p>The report will be tabled Thursday – the deadline for doing so. </p>
<p>Dutton, at a news conference later on Tuesday, accused Albanese of a “set up”. He claimed the PM was trying to find a way out of his pre-election promise by saying he couldn’t proceed without bipartisan support. This “talks to the character of the Prime Minister”, who couldn’t be taken at his word.</p>
<p>Dutton said Albanese, who had not given him any document, had made it clear he would not support any parliamentary committee inquiry into the legislation. The Opposition Leader said he had treated the conversation as confidential. </p>
<p>Defending its position that it would not have a parliamentary inquiry into the legislation, the government says that since 2016, there have been at least 10 inquiries, more than 260 hearings and consultations and over 70,000 submissions into religious discrimination and removing discrimination exemptions from the Sex Discrimination Act.</p>
<p>In an article in the West Australian on Tuesday Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash posed several issues about the as-yet-unseen legislation. </p>
<p>“First, will the government’s reforms drive school fees up? If the government winds back existing protections, it will increase their exposure to litigation, ” she asked. </p>
<p>“Second, how will religious schools be able to maintain their values? </p>
<p>"Third, could religious schools now be sued for teaching religious doctrines? </p>
<p>"Fourth, can you now be sued for comments about religion under the proposed legislation?”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226119/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The prime minister has flagged he has draft legislation on religious freedom waiting in the wings, but unless Peter Dutton agrees to it, it may never see the light of day.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258802024-03-19T04:27:53Z2024-03-19T04:27:53ZWhy scrapping the term ‘long COVID’ would be harmful for people with the condition<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582695/original/file-20240319-28-gsqe8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3988&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lonely-young-woman-feeling-depressed-stressed-636183893">kitzcorner/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-15/long-covid-symptoms-queensland-chief-health-officer-john-gerrard/103587836">John Gerrard</a> that it’s time to stop using the term “long COVID” has made waves in <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/long-covid-should-be-scrapped-over-fears-its-probably-harmful-qld-chief-health-officer/news-story/61d3a2328dbfb0e3e0a79b02474bac3e">Australian</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/14/lifestyle/no-such-thing-as-long-covid-health-agency-says-in-shock-claim-unnecessary-fear/">international media</a> over recent days.</p>
<p>Gerrard’s comments were related to <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037611">new research</a> from his team finding long-term symptoms of COVID are similar to the ongoing symptoms following other viral infections.</p>
<p>But there are limitations in this research, and problems with Gerrard’s argument we should drop the term “long COVID”. Here’s why.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1768403811704750300"}"></div></p>
<h2>A bit about the research</h2>
<p>The study involved texting a survey to 5,112 Queensland adults who had experienced respiratory symptoms and had sought a PCR test in 2022. Respondents were contacted 12 months after the PCR test. Some had tested positive to COVID, while others had tested positive to influenza or had not tested positive to either disease. </p>
<p>Survey respondents were asked if they had experienced ongoing symptoms or any functional impairment over the previous year. </p>
<p>The study found people with respiratory symptoms can suffer long-term symptoms and impairment, regardless of whether they had COVID, influenza or another respiratory disease. These symptoms are often referred to as “post-viral”, as they linger after a viral infection. </p>
<p>Gerrard’s research will be presented in April at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. It hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-have-covid-how-likely-am-i-to-get-long-covid-218808">I have COVID. How likely am I to get long COVID?</a>
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<p>After the research was publicised last Friday, some experts highlighted flaws in the study design. For example, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/co-lead-of-long-covid-clinic-says-qld-study-on-covid-is-an-unusual-approach-to-public-health/vi-BB1jV5oA#details">Steven Faux</a>, a long COVID clinician interviewed on ABC’s television news, said the study excluded people who were hospitalised with COVID (therefore leaving out people who had the most severe symptoms). He also noted differing levels of vaccination against COVID and influenza may have influenced the findings. </p>
<p>In addition, Faux pointed out the survey would have excluded many older people who may not use smartphones.</p>
<p>The authors of the research have acknowledged some of these and other limitations in their study.</p>
<h2>Ditching the term ‘long COVID’</h2>
<p>Based on the research findings, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037611">Gerrard said in a press release</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We believe it is time to stop using terms like ‘long COVID’. They wrongly imply there is something unique and exceptional about longer term symptoms associated with this virus. This terminology can cause unnecessary fear, and in some cases, hypervigilance to longer symptoms that can impede recovery.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But Gerrard and his team’s findings cannot substantiate these assertions. Their survey only documented symptoms and impairment after respiratory infections. It didn’t ask people how fearful they were, or whether a term such as long COVID made them especially vigilant, for example.</p>
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<img alt="A man sits on a bed, appears exhausted." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582697/original/file-20240319-18-aci07e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Tens of thousands of Australians, and millions of people worldwide, have long COVID.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/depressed-overweight-man-on-bed-home-1575723550">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In discussing Gerrard’s conclusions about the terminology, Faux noted that even if only 3% of people develop long COVID (the survey found 3% of people had functional limitations after a year), this would equate to some 150,000 Queenslanders with the condition. He <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/co-lead-of-long-covid-clinic-says-qld-study-on-covid-is-an-unusual-approach-to-public-health/vi-BB1jV5oA#details">said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>To suggest that by not calling it long COVID you would be […] somehow helping those people not to focus on their symptoms is a curious conclusion from that study.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another clinician and researcher, Philip Britton, <a href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/expert-reaction-long-covid-may-be-no-different-to-other-long-term-virus-effects">criticised Gerrard’s conclusion</a> about the language as “overstated and potentially unhelpful”. He noted the term “long COVID” is recognised by the World Health Organization as a valid description of the condition.</p>
<h2>A cruel irony</h2>
<p>An <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adl0867">ever-growing body of research</a> continues to show how COVID can cause harm to the body across organ systems and cells. </p>
<p>We know from the experiences shared by people with long COVID that the condition can be highly disabling, preventing them from engaging in study <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/daniel-has-long-covid-it-has-cost-him-more-than-100-000/j8e18pxji">or paid work</a>. It can also harm relationships with their friends, family members, and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/long-covid-mecfs-health-damaging-relationships-crisis/103205564">even their partners</a>.</p>
<p>Despite all this, people with long COVID have often felt gaslit and unheard. When seeking treatment from health-care professionals, many people with long COVID report they have been <a href="http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e050979.abstract">dismissed</a> or turned away. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-activism-trucker-caps-the-fascinating-story-behind-long-covid-168465">Social media, activism, trucker caps: the fascinating story behind long COVID</a>
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<p>Last Friday – the day Gerrard’s comments were made public – was actually <a href="https://www.longcovidawareness.life/">International Long COVID Awareness Day</a>, organised by activists to draw attention to the condition. </p>
<p>The response from people with long COVID was immediate. They shared their anger <a href="https://twitter.com/SMpwrgr/status/1768456837861618005?s=20">on social media</a> about Gerrard’s comments, especially their timing, on a day designed to generate greater recognition for their illness.</p>
<p>Since the start of the COVID pandemic, patient communities have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35307048/">fought for recognition</a> of the long-term symptoms many people faced. </p>
<p>The term “<a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-activism-trucker-caps-the-fascinating-story-behind-long-covid-168465">long COVID</a>” was in fact coined by people suffering persistent symptoms after a COVID infection, who were seeking words to describe what they were going through. </p>
<p>The role people with long COVID have played in defining their condition and bringing medical and public attention to it demonstrates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7850205/">the possibilities of patient-led expertise</a>. For decades, people with invisible or “silent” conditions such as ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) have had to fight ignorance from health-care professionals and stigma from others in their lives. They have often been told their disabling symptoms are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10819994/">psychosomatic</a>.</p>
<p>Gerrard’s comments, and the media’s amplification of them, repudiates the term “long COVID” that community members have chosen to give their condition an identity and support each other. This is likely to cause distress and exacerbate feelings of abandonment.</p>
<h2>Terminology matters</h2>
<p>The words we use to describe illnesses and conditions are incredibly powerful. <a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/10/01/why-we-need-to-keep-using-the-patient-made-term-long-covid/">Naming a new condition</a> is a step towards better recognition of people’s suffering, and hopefully, better diagnosis, health care, treatment and acceptance by others.</p>
<p>The term “long COVID” provides an easily understandable label to convey patients’ experiences to others. It is well known to the public. It has been routinely used in news media reporting and and in many reputable <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0867">medical journal articles</a>. </p>
<p>Most importantly, scrapping the label would further marginalise a large group of people with a chronic illness who have often been left to struggle behind closed doors.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225880/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Lupton is affiliated with OzSAGE.</span></em></p>People with long COVID have already fought hard to become visible.Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257902024-03-19T03:17:31Z2024-03-19T03:17:31ZThe government wants to fast-track approvals of large infrastructure projects – that’s bad news for NZ’s biodiversity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582659/original/file-20240318-20-iz8kas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=41%2C95%2C3938%2C1981&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images/Gerald Corsi </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to be of national or regional significance.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/54SCENV_SCF_083F0A7B-F182-41D5-0897-08DC3E31559C/fast-track-approvals-bill">Fast-track Approvals Bill</a>, introduced under urgency on March 7, would <a href="https://www.bellgully.com/insights/government-s-fast-track-approvals-bill-released-under-100-day-plan/">take precedence over several current environmental laws</a> and give ministers the power to skirt existing approval processes.</p>
<p>Leaders of ten scientific societies that conduct biodiversity research in Aotearoa New Zealand, representing thousands of members (ourselves included), have called on the government to <a href="https://newzealandecology.org/open-letter-coalition-government-scientific-societies-13-march-2024">slow down the pace of reform</a>. </p>
<p>They warn that <a href="https://www.bellgully.com/insights/government-s-fast-track-approvals-bill-released-under-100-day-plan/">decision-making criteria are weighted towards
development</a>, not environmental protection or sustainable resource use, and undermine New Zealand’s obligations to protect the country’s unique and threatened biodiversity.</p>
<p>New Zealand’s economy relies on the environment in many ways. One study <a href="https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/assets/Publications/Ecosystem-services-in-New-Zealand/3_2_Patterson.pdf">estimated</a> New Zealand’s land-based ecosystem services contributed NZ$57 billion to human welfare in 2012 (27% of the country’s GDP). This includes services such as <a href="http://www.mwpress.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/77057/2_11_Newstrom.pdf">crop pollination by insects</a>, erosion control by plants and flood regulation by wetlands. </p>
<p>The fast-track bill requires expert panels to provide recommendations to the relevant ministers within six months of a project being referred to them. This time frame is wholly unsuitable to making <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195925513001108?casa_token=1abt1A-X3y0AAAAA:zjrU7aX-Mh1FDQfdP0XfQLYzE268A9qBb64jfjnJ6jX8MvSsORW28sAc6t1DcRGAc7pEqDnxvQ">proper assessments</a> of environmental impacts, including those on plants and animals, as surveys will likely be conducted at <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2404742">inappropriate times of the year</a>.</p>
<h2>No time for on-site ecological assessments</h2>
<p>A key requirement of assessing impacts on biodiversity is to undertake <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07349165.1995.9726099">new ecological surveys</a> of the project site and surrounds. Such surveys identify the threatened species and ecosystems found on the site, catalogue where they are found and estimate their population numbers. </p>
<p>This information is then used to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07349165.1995.9726099">determine</a> how those species and ecosystems could be affected, and whether the project could be modified to avoid or mitigate these impacts.</p>
<p>There are currently no directions in the bill for the expert panel to commission new ecological surveys. However, even if panels could do this, the six-month time frame precludes robust ecological surveys.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/without-a-better-plan-new-zealand-risks-sleepwalking-into-a-biodiversity-extinction-crisis-182279">Without a better plan, New Zealand risks sleepwalking into a biodiversity extinction crisis</a>
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<p>Thorough ecological assessments involve conducting surveys at multiple times throughout the year because certain species will only be present during particular seasons. </p>
<p>For instance, <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/apply-for-permits/interacting-with-wildlife/applying-to-develop-land-with-native-lizards-and-frog-species/">reptiles, frogs</a>, <a href="https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3551">invertebrates</a> and <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/sap232.pdf">migratory species of birds</a> are usually only detectable during warmer times of the year. Surveys for them during winter are unlikely to find these species. </p>
<p>Even certain plants, such as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01869.x">orchids</a> that can lie dormant underground as a tuber, have life cycles that make them difficult to detect. Many grasses are <a href="https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/AusGrass/key/AusGrass/Media/Html/Guide/bestpractice.htm">best identified</a> when they are in flower.</p>
<p>In many cases, restricting consenting to just six months means expert panels would have to make their assessments based only on existing ecological information. This is known as a “desktop assessment”.</p>
<p>While a useful first step, these are not a replacement for on-the-ground surveys. This is particularly the case in New Zealand, where we have limited data on many species and for many parts of the country. For example, we don’t have sufficient data on most of New Zealand’s <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs35entire-feb2024.pdf">reptiles</a>. </p>
<h2>Evidence-based decisions are critical</h2>
<p>Apart from the proposed fast-tracking of resource consents, the government has already repealed the <a href="https://environment.govt.nz/acts-and-regulations/acts/natural-and-built-environment-act-2023/">Natural and Built Environment Act</a> and the <a href="https://environment.govt.nz/acts-and-regulations/acts/spatial-planning-act-2023/">Spatial Planning Act</a>. Both were enacted only last year as part of a new resource management regime. </p>
<p>The government also plans to replace the <a href="https://environment.govt.nz/publications/national-policy-statement-for-freshwater-management-2020-amended-january-2024/">National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management</a>, which provides direction to local authorities on how to manage activities that affect the health of lakes and rivers.</p>
<p>None of the recent and proposed changes to environmental legislation are responsive to the dual biodiversity and climate crises. They are also inconsistent with the government’s own <a href="https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350118150/national-act-coalition-agreement-full">stated goal</a> of evidence-based decision making. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/restoring-ecosystems-to-boost-biodiversity-is-an-urgent-priority-our-eco-index-can-guide-the-way-217092">Restoring ecosystems to boost biodiversity is an urgent priority – our ‘Eco-index’ can guide the way</a>
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<p>New Zealand’s plants, animals, fungi and ecosystems are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/35002501">globally unique</a>. They underpin key economic sectors, especially primary production and tourism. But they are also threatened with extinction. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/extinction-threat-to-indigenous-species/">More than 75%</a> of New Zealand’s native species of reptile, bird, bat and freshwater fish are either threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened. </p>
<p>New Zealand has international obligations to conserve biodiversity under the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile?country=nz">Convention on Biological Diversity</a>, which was signed in 1993. In 2022, New Zealand joined almost 200 member nations in adopting the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbf">Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework</a>, which commits countries to protect 30% of land and ocean globally by 2030. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-its-green-image-nz-has-worlds-highest-proportion-of-species-at-risk-116063">Despite its green image, NZ has world's highest proportion of species at risk</a>
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<p>Much of New Zealand’s most at-risk indigenous biodiversity is <a href="https://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3235.pdf">found on private land</a> and may be subject to detrimental impacts from land use and development pressures. </p>
<p>The fast-tracking agenda threatens to undermine New Zealand’s progress on biodiversity protection and other key environmental issues. It erodes rather than sustains the natural capital on which the economy depends. </p>
<p>New Zealand’s scientific societies are urging the coalition government to allow adequate time for appropriate parliamentary select committee processes and thorough public consultation on the bill. </p>
<p>They call for a comprehensive legislative and policy framework, centred on the protection of environmental values and sustainable resource management, to ensure development occurs in ways that don’t further degrade natural capital.</p>
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<p><em>The authors thank Dr Fleur Maseyk for her comments and discussions on this piece.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Curran receives funding from the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Hellaby Grasslands Trust, Marlborough District Council, Brian Mason Scientific and Technical Trust, and the Lincoln University Argyle Trust. Tim is the Submissions Coordinator and a past President of the New Zealand Ecological Society, and coordinated and helped draft the open letter to the government referred to in this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jo Monks receives funding from the New Zealand Department of Conservation and Auckland Zoological Park. She is Vice President of the New Zealand Ecological Society and a council member of the Society for Research on Amphibians and Reptiles in New Zealand. Jo is a previous employee of the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Jo signed the open letter to government referred to in this article on behalf of the New Zealand Ecological Society.</span></em></p>New Zealand’s plants and animals are globally unique and underpin primary production and tourism. The government’s fast-tracking proposal threatens to erode the natural capital the economy relies on.Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New ZealandJo Monks, Lecturer in Ecology, University of OtagoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2260102024-03-19T00:41:15Z2024-03-19T00:41:15ZDevil in the details: breaking down the branding of the AFL’s newest team<p>After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its <a href="https://www.afl.com.au/news/1086666/watch-live-tasmanias-afl-team-revealed">jumper, logo and colours in Devonport</a> this week. </p>
<p>The Devils will wear green, yellow and red, and their guernsey will feature a map of Tasmania with a central red “T”. The club’s logo features a profile of a Tasmanian devil, which chair Grant O’Brien said represented the state’s “proud, tough, determined” characters.</p>
<p>Were there any surprises in the branding? None. Perfectly on brand and what has largely been seen already from Tasmania’s junior state teams. </p>
<p>The difference though was this was the official AFL launch. No turning back. And it had cleared some fairly big hurdles such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-07/why-the-afl-is-fighting-for-tassie-to-be-the-devils/102310490">reaching an agreement with global entertainment giant Warner Bros</a> over the use of the name, colours and logo. </p>
<p>But why was this day so important?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-case-for-a-tasmanian-afl-team-from-an-economists-point-of-view-163166">The case for a Tasmanian AFL team, from an economist's point of view</a>
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<h2>Building the (sports) brand</h2>
<p>Sport has always been the original crowd funding model. Without fans, there is no team, really. So it was great to see the Devils have been saintly with their marketing to their base – <a href="https://membership.tasmaniafc.com/">namely the $10 foundation membership</a>. </p>
<p>Within two hours of the launch, the Devils had sold more than 40,000 foundation memberships at $10 a pop. For comparison, the AFL’s most recent expansion clubs, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, totalled 23,359 and 33,036 members respectively at the end of 2023.</p>
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<p>Selling cheap foundation memberships several years ahead of the team’s first game was smart, as it gets some nice hard cash rolling in until match-day revenue and sponsorships arrive. </p>
<p>Next, they gain access to a large database, so critical in breaking down members into different segments, and then tailoring an offering to each. </p>
<p>And of course there is the engagement aspect, which for the Devils is particularly important as both the stadium and team are several years away from AFL action - the club is set to enter the national competition in 2028.</p>
<p>They need to keep these foundation members, these key supporters, <a href="https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJSMM.2009.026756">engaged to keep word of mouth high</a>. And these members aren’t just in Tasmania – they are going to be found everywhere. The team will only play half its games at home, so it is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02640410400021567">going to need supporters at games played outside the state</a>. The AFL needs this as well. </p>
<p>It helps that these supporters can call themselves foundation members forever. Powerful word of mouth and nice branding. And 50,000+ in a few short hours says the market agrees. </p>
<p>The Devils though must focus on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/16184742.2014.944199">retaining those initial members</a> during what will be a long journey before they play their first game at Macquarie Point. </p>
<h2>Why is branding so crucial for sports teams?</h2>
<p>Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the benchmarks in world sport for why details matter in sports marketing. Think “CR7” and you think of only one person. And what kid would say no to a Messi number 10 jersey? </p>
<p>Both bring in <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-lionel-messi-vs-cristiano-ronaldo-jersey-sales-which-superstar-s-jersey-sold-more">tens of millions per year for their franchise in merchandise and ticket sales</a>. </p>
<p>The biggest sporting brands on earth, such as Barcelona FC, <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/1601557/barcas-digital-strategy-creates-new-relationship-with-fans-in-order-to-adapt-to-changing-consumer-habits">manage every single detail of their brand image</a> down to the actual colour shade on all brand offerings. </p>
<p>It’s the same for the Devils, not least because of Warner Bros, but also to avoid the <a href="https://footyology.com.au/black-and-white-debate-has-a-colourful-history/">Port Adelaide v Collingwood jersey issue</a>. </p>
<p>The Devils offering had to be unique to every other brand in the AFL, but also use colours in the logo and character which would deepen resonance between team, supporters, and community. </p>
<p>The <strong>colours</strong> of myrtle green, primrose yellow, and rose red do exactly that. That mix and variations are all theirs. They are representative of the colours of Tasmania, and have been used extensively by many other sporting teams from the state. Consistency is so important in sports marketing and this was great to see. </p>
<p>These colours will help drive deeper emotional responses to the brand, and keep supporters engaged at the highest level, thereby helping to attract sponsors. </p>
<p>As for the <strong>brand logo,</strong> there was no other choice than the Tasmanian devil, and it’s a great one. Nearly every other AFL team builds much of their branding around their character and this is something the Devils need to do sooner and not later. </p>
<p>The initial public reaction was almost overwhelmingly positive, and allows the Devils to build that core base of supporters who will fill 23,000 seats every home game. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/job-creation-isnt-always-a-good-thing-hobarts-new-stadium-can-only-make-tasmanias-housing-crisis-worse-204806">Job creation isn't always a good thing. Hobart's new stadium can only make Tasmania's housing crisis worse</a>
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<h2>Challenges and next steps for ‘brand Tasmania’</h2>
<p>There will be challenges the brand can’t control, such as the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/26/afl-does-not-regret-past-concussion-management-but-says-understanding-of-brain-injury-has-changed-inquiry-hears">rising concern over concussion</a> and the growth of competitors such as basketball, e-sports and soccer. These may impact the brand but overall will be handled by the AFL itself. </p>
<p>Locally, the brand has to focus on providing as many touch-point experiences as possible, such as meet and greets or merchandise days. Tangibility adds value to sports brands in ways most other brands envy. </p>
<p>And this will help keep the brand community active and vocal, which will help deflect any <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-tasmanian-afl-team-turned-into-a-political-football-205846">political challenges to the covered stadium</a>, but also attract other supporters, sponsors and community to the team the closer the start date gets. </p>
<p>With the Devil out of the bag, the challenge for the club will now be to ensure it doesn’t veer too much out of its territory and lose sight of just how hard and long it is going to take before its real prey: that one day in September at the MCG.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226010/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The AFL’s newest team, the Tasmania Devils, launched on Monday night, drawing on its rich football history in a blaze of myrtle green, primrose yellow and rose red.Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258902024-03-19T00:37:16Z2024-03-19T00:37:16ZLed by Leah Purcell’s captivating performance, High Country delivers fresh take on Australian rural noir<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582408/original/file-20240317-18-a6ms01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C25%2C2801%2C4172&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Narelle Portanier/Binge</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>“If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime series High Country. </p>
<p>Andie has recently arrived in the lush remote Victorian High Country with her partner Helen Hartley (Sara Wiseman), both trying to put traumas behind them as they start afresh. </p>
<p>Driving along a snaking winding road, Andie finds an isolated Mercedes Benz car. The driver’s door is wide open and the owner has left valuables behind, including keys and wallet. </p>
<p>Doctor Haber (Francis Greenslade) is another in a line of missing persons who have disappeared mysteriously into the rural mountain wilderness.</p>
<p>New in town and without the experience of other local police, Andie – to the decry of her colleagues – is assigned the case of solving a murder and disappearance of two locals that has the agitated town wanting answers.</p>
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<h2>Seasoned hands</h2>
<p>From the opening of this new eight-part series on Binge, High Country feels in steady hands helped by the well-seasoned cast of familiar Australian crime genre actors. Purcell (previously seen in Wentworth Prision) is joined by Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road), Nicholas Bell (Scrublands), Henry Nixon (The Kettering Incident), Geoff Morrell (Deep Water) and the versatile Northern Irish actor Ian McElhinney.</p>
<p>High Country was created and written by Marcia Gardner and John Ridley whose background includes scripting Australian network crime shows Wentworth Prison and Stingers. They are joined by Wentworth Prision director Kevin Carlin, who directs five of the eight episodes.</p>
<p>With this experience, Gardner, Ridley and Carlin have created a well-plotted and suspenseful procedural crime series that never loses pace or focus. An effective cliff hanger ends each episode making this a very binge-worthy show. </p>
<p>High Country sits within the tradition of uniformed middle-aged female police officers, most notably Jodie Foster in the recent series of True Detective: Night Country and Sarah Lancashire in Happy Valley. </p>
<p>Similar to these series, Andie’s own past comes back to haunt her, forcing her to confront the very thing that she was trying to flee. High Country equally deals with the issues and frustrations of women having to navigate themselves through the gender politics of a male-dominated workforce. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/true-detective-night-countrys-indigenous-representation-offers-hope-for-decolonising-television-221348">True Detective: Night Country's indigenous representation offers hope for decolonising television</a>
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<h2>Space for contemplation</h2>
<p>Despite High Country arriving in a packed market of quality crime television and the show always playing within the tropes of the crime genre (dirty cops, historical town secrets, wrongly accused victims) there is enough nuance for it never to feel predictable or cliched.</p>
<p>An important reason for this is Purcell’s captivating performance, equally convincing in the sensitive domestic scenes with her partner and wayward teenager daughter, contrasted against dealing with the white, male, toxic thugs who think they run the town. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Leah Purcell in the woods" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582409/original/file-20240317-26-4fd075.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Leah Purcell’s performance is captivating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Enticknap/Binge</span></span>
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<p>High Country possesses a vastness that allows ample opportunity for contemplation. The viewer is invited to delve into the intricacies of the setting and its characters. The writing and cinematography are multi-dimensional, offering depth and complexity that encourages reflection and engagement at each turn.</p>
<h2>Australian rural noir</h2>
<p>The line “if you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are” is repeated across the series. It also becomes the very thing that Andie must investigate in order to solve the crime. </p>
<p>In the rich tapestry of Australian crime fiction – and as its title would suggest – High Country adds to the rise of what has been dubbed “outback” or “rural” noir, sharing similarity with other recent Australian series such as Scrublands and Mystery Road. </p>
<p>A localised theme emerging through Australian rural noir is the Indigenous detective at the centre of the narrative. This is true of TV shows Mystery Road and High Country and also present in literary rural crime noir such as Julie Janson’s Madukka: The River Serpent (2022), an outback crime novel told from the perspective of a Aboriginal sleuth in her 50s. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three policemen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582410/original/file-20240317-22-jvi6j4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Andie must confront the boys club of the local police force.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Enticknap/Binge</span></span>
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<p>Taking place in the Victorian Alps, High Country was filmed in the region that served as the backdrop for Robert Connelly’s latest feature film, Force of Nature: The Dry 2, which also deals with people missing in the Victorian wilderness. </p>
<p>Set in the close-knit community, the narrative tackles climate change, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity and land possession. Garner and Ridley paint a vivid picture of the ethical and societal ramifications of these challenges on rural populations. </p>
<p>High Country presents a poignant and impactful exploration of environmental crises and domestic turmoil that has every potential to resonate with a broad mainstream streaming audience.</p>
<p><em>High Country is on Binge from today.</em></p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/you-rarely-see-abuse-directed-at-men-a-look-at-the-sexist-abuse-women-police-officers-face-online-200381">'You rarely see abuse directed at men': a look at the sexist abuse women police officers face online</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225890/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Gaunson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From the opening of this new eight-part series on Binge, High Country feels in steady hands.Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2229872024-03-19T00:12:59Z2024-03-19T00:12:59ZThe ‘digital divide’ is already hurting people’s quality of life. Will AI make it better or worse?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579788/original/file-20240305-18-nir9gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C22%2C2775%2C1971&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/road-closed-sign-outback-red-center-1438599635">ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Today, <a href="https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ADII-2023-Summary_FINAL-Remediated.pdf">almost a quarter of Australians</a> are digitally excluded. This means they miss out on the social, educational and economic benefits <a href="https://ctu.ieee.org/benefits-of-closing-the-global-digital-divide/">online connectivity provides</a>.</p>
<p>In the face of this ongoing “digital divide”, countries are now talking about a future of inclusive artificial intelligence (AI).</p>
<p>However, if we don’t learn from current problems with digital exclusion, it will likely spill over into people’s future experiences with AI. That’s the conclusion from our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-024-00452-3">new research</a> published in the journal AI and Ethics.</p>
<h2>What is the digital divide?</h2>
<p>The digital divide is a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162521007903#bib0030">well-documented social schism</a>. People on the wrong side of it face difficulties when it comes to accessing, affording, or using digital services. These disadvantages significantly reduce their quality of life.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/">Decades of research</a> have provided us with a rich understanding of who is most at risk. In Australia, older people, those living in remote areas, people on lower incomes and First Nations peoples are most likely to find themselves digitally excluded.</p>
<p>Zooming out, <a href="https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/facts-figures-2023/">reports</a> show that one-third of the world’s population – representing the poorest countries – remains offline. Globally, the <a href="https://gddindex.com/#:%7E:text=The%20Gender%20Digital%20Divide%20Index%20(GDDI)%20is%20a%20pilot%20benchmarking,gender%20divides%20in%20digital%20development.">digital gender divide</a> also still exists: women, particularly in low and middle-income countries, face substantially more barriers to digital connectivity.</p>
<p>During the COVID pandemic, the impacts of digital inequity became much more obvious. As large swathes of the world’s population had to “shelter in place” – unable to go outside, visit shops, or seek face-to-face contact – anyone without digital access was severely at risk.</p>
<p>Consequences ranged from social isolation to reduced employment opportunities, as well as a lack of access to vital health information. <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2020/sgsm20118.doc.htm">The UN Secretary-General stated in 2020</a> that “the digital divide is now a matter of life and death”. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A lonely older woman looking out a window while wearing a medical mask." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579789/original/file-20240305-22-cqzgoc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People without digital access were severely impacted during the COVID pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lonely-senior-woman-surgical-mask-sitting-1688780245">Miriam Doerr Martin Frommherz/Shutterstock</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-inclusion-and-closing-the-gap-how-first-nations-leadership-is-key-to-getting-remote-communities-online-216085">‘Digital inclusion’ and closing the gap: how First Nations leadership is key to getting remote communities online</a>
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<h2>Not just a question of access</h2>
<p>As with most forms of exclusion, the digital divide functions in multiple ways. It was originally defined as a gap between those who have access to computers and the internet and those who do not. But research now shows it’s <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tesg.12047">not just an issue of access</a>. </p>
<p>Having little or no access leads to reduced familiarity with digital technology, which then erodes confidence, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/global-agenda-for-social-justice/tackling-digital-exclusion-counter-social-inequalities-through-digital-inclusion/C9171EE3C4C944FC7712306280EAABDC">fuels disengagement</a>, and ultimately sets in motion <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1882577">an intrinsic sense of not being “digitally capable</a>”.</p>
<p>As AI tools increasingly reshape our workplaces, classrooms and everyday lives, there is a risk AI could deepen, rather than narrow, the digital divide.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/artificial-intelligence-holds-great-potential-for-both-students-and-teachers-but-only-if-used-wisely-81024">Artificial intelligence holds great potential for both students and teachers – but only if used wisely</a>
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<h2>The role of digital confidence</h2>
<p>To assess the impact of digital exclusion on people’s experiences with AI, in late 2023 we surveyed a representative selection of hundreds of Australian adults. We began by asking them to rate their confidence with digital technology. </p>
<p>We found digital confidence was lower for women, older people, those with reduced salaries, and those with less digital access.</p>
<p>We then asked these same people to comment on their hopes, fears and expectations of AI. Across the board, the data showed that people’s perceptions, attitudes and experiences with AI were linked to how they felt about digital technology in general. </p>
<p>In other words, the more digitally confident people felt, the more positive they were about AI. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/giving-ai-direct-control-over-anything-is-a-bad-idea-heres-how-it-could-do-us-real-harm-210168">Giving AI direct control over anything is a bad idea – here's how it could do us real harm</a>
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<p>To build truly inclusive AI, these findings are important to consider for several reasons. First, they confirm that digital confidence is not a privilege shared by all. </p>
<p>Second, they show us digital inclusion is about more than just access, or even someone’s digital skills. How confident a person feels in their ability to interact with technology is important too. </p>
<p>Third, they show that if we don’t contend with existing forms of digital exclusion, they are likely to spill over into perceptions, attitudes and experiences with AI. </p>
<p>Currently, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/09/digital-quality-life-internet-affordability-cybersecurity/">many countries are making headway</a> in their efforts to reduce the digital divide. So we must make sure the rise of AI doesn’t slow these efforts, or worse still, exacerbate the divide.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A person working on a laptop with the ChatGPT loading screen displayed." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577249/original/file-20240222-22-7cjal0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">AI tools are already transforming lives – but only if you’re on the right side of the ‘digital divide’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-is-using-a-laptop-computer-on-a-table-16094056/">Matheus Bertelli/Pexels</a></span>
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<h2>What should we hope for AI?</h2>
<p>While there <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-dystopian-scenarios-ai-is-pervasive-today-and-the-risks-are-often-hidden-218222">is a slew of associated risks</a>, when deployed responsibly, AI can make significant positive impacts on society. Some of these can directly target issues of inclusivity.</p>
<p>For example, computer vision can <a href="https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/monash-university-and-tennis-australia-serve-up-world-first-accessible-audio-stream-for-fans-with-blindness-or-low-vision">track the trajectory of a tennis ball</a> during a match, making it audible for blind or low-vision spectators.</p>
<p>AI has been used to analyse <a href="https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/closing-gap/implementation-measures/csiro-indigenous-jobs-map">online job postings</a> to help boost employment outcomes in under-represented populations such as First Nations peoples. And, while they’re still in the early stages of development, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-022-00560-6">AI-powered chatbots</a> could increase accessibility and affordability of medical services. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-boost-indigenous-employment-we-need-to-map-job-opportunities-to-skills-and-qualifications-our-new-project-does-just-that-212440">To boost Indigenous employment, we need to map job opportunities to skills and qualifications. Our new project does just that</a>
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<p>But this responsible AI future can only be delivered if we also address what keeps us digitally divided. To develop and use truly inclusive AI tools, we first have to ensure the feelings of digital exclusion don’t spill over. </p>
<p>This means not only tackling pragmatic issues of access and infrastructure, but also the knock-on effects on people’s levels of engagement, aptitude and confidence with technology.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222987/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Bentley works for CSIRO, which receives funding from the Australian Government.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claire Naughtin works for CSIRO, which receives funding from the Australian Government.</span></em></p>The benefits of AI are transforming modern life — but disparities in digital confidence are leaving some behind.Sarah Vivienne Bentley, Research Scientist, Responsible Innovation, Data61, CSIROClaire Naughtin, Principal Research Consultant in Strategic Foresight, Data61Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257802024-03-18T23:20:44Z2024-03-18T23:20:44Z‘Care is in everything we do and everything we are’: the work of Indigenous women needs to be valued<p>It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group.</p>
<p>Working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner’s office, we worked with <a href="https://caepr.cass.anu.edu.au/research/publications/caring-about-care">more than 100 Indigenous women across</a> Australia to talk about their interpretations and experiences of care. </p>
<p>“Mainstream” definitions and measures of care do not include the vast and complex ways care is defined by First Nations women. This includes care not only for people, but for communities, Country and culture. </p>
<p>It means important work goes unrecognised, uncompensated or misunderstood, leading to the marginalisation of this crucial work and the women who do it.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/definitions-are-often-very-western-this-excludes-us-our-research-shows-how-to-boost-indigenous-participation-in-stem-223465">'Definitions are often very western. This excludes us.' Our research shows how to boost Indigenous participation in STEM</a>
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<h2>Redefining the concept</h2>
<p>The Australian Human Rights Commission’s <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-social-justice/publications/wiyi-yani-u-thangani">Wiyi Yani U Thangani</a> report illuminates the crucial importance of the care provided by First Nations women. Our work follows and builds on this report.</p>
<p>An Indigenous woman from the East Kimberley told us:</p>
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<p>Well, care for me, as an Indigenous person, is not just caring for your family, it’s caring for your Country.</p>
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<p>Another woman from the ACT told us care is a disposition, and a means of respecting culture and heritage: </p>
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<p>[Care is] enveloped in everything we do and everything we are and everything about where we are going and paying homage again to our ancestors and who’s come before us. That’s what care is.</p>
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<p>This notion of care as a strength is an important insight from the women in this study. However, unpaid care is often unrecognised and undervalued in Australian policy, which while prioritising getting women into employment, has neglected funding and supporting the existing unpaid care work that women do. </p>
<p>What is evident from our study is that Indigenous women want more support for the care work they do, as well as better care services largely within Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to assist them in doing it.</p>
<h2>Care has consequences</h2>
<p>Women frequently linked their demanding care loads to ongoing colonisation, which continues to create damage to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A woman from greater Sydney said:</p>
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<p>It’s colonial […] It’s just not being able to do things in the way we should be doing them […] because of the colonial structure and things like that. </p>
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<p>This includes the impacts of colonisation on gender roles, child removals, incarceration rates, poor health, poverty, racism and more. </p>
<p>It also includes the impacts of state institutions set up to “care”, but which are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/01/coalition-hails-success-of-cashless-welfare-card-and-says-kalgoorlie-will-be-next-site">often uncaring</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/first-nations-children-are-still-being-removed-at-disproportionate-rates-cultural-assumptions-about-parenting-need-to-change-169090">may be violent and harmful</a>.</p>
<p>Ultimately, this requires Indigenous people’s care to heal, adding extra demands on existing care loads. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/first-nations-women-dont-always-access-health-care-after-head-injuries-from-family-violence-heres-why-206084">First Nations women don't always access health care after head injuries from family violence. Here's why</a>
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<p>Many of the women interviewed in this study were also tired, and often carers needed care too. Some were in, or had been through, periods of utter exhaustion and illness due to trying to carry their stressful care load. A Central Australian woman told us:</p>
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<p>It’s hard. It’s draining. Every day just exhausted. Sometimes there’s days when I just can’t keep up with it. And I don’t want to listen, just go away. But those are days when they really need help. So yeah, it’s very exhausting.</p>
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<h2>Time is money, but no one gets paid</h2>
<p>Our research also included a time-use survey, which showed that all unpaid care activities accounted for, on average, 62% of our participant women’s time on a usual weekday (about 14.8 hours per day on average), with 48% of their time (around 11.5 hours) spent caring for others and/or caring for Country and culture specifically. </p>
<p>Because (lost) remuneration for this work was raised as a crucial point by Indigenous women during our interviews, we also calculated the approximate market value of this unpaid care work through using hourly award rates for corresponding care activities (sometimes called the replacement method, which understands the cost of this work in the paid market). </p>
<p>The estimated economic value of this work ranged between $223.01 and $457.39 per day (representing an estimated annual salary of between $81,175.64 and $118,921.40). This estimation is conservative as it does not include the multitasking of more than one care activity at the one time.</p>
<p>The estimation raises important questions as to what is owed to Indigenous women, not just because the economy free-rides on unpaid care, but also because much of this care work mops up the mess of colonisation. </p>
<p>Many of the women we spoke to also talked about how unpaid care and paid employment interact. </p>
<p>In addition to their unpaid care roles, most women in paid employment in this study had roles in the community sector which put them at the frontline of caring for community. They saw this work as part of their broader commitment to supporting their families, communities and advancing Indigenous peoples. It is therefore hard to draw a line for these women between paid and unpaid work, meaning it is rare to be able to “switch off”. </p>
<p>Often, employers didn’t realise the amount of unpaid care of this type women do in <a href="https://theconversation.com/during-naidoc-week-many-indigenous-women-are-assigned-unpaid-work-new-research-shows-how-prevalent-this-is-in-the-workplace-208454">their paid work roles</a>, even though this actually makes their paid employment successful. Women are also not paid adequately for these valuable skills.</p>
<h2>A new approach is needed</h2>
<p>Our research follows generations of Indigenous women who have long shown the strength of care, but also looks at how settler society makes this work harder. </p>
<p>This research underlines the importance of a new approach to supporting Indigenous women, in which their voices, ideas and needs are central, and where care is placed at the heart. This is different to just “fitting” Indigenous care into various settler models, policies and measures already in circulation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225780/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Klein receives funding from the Gender Institute at the Australian National University. She is a member of the Anti-Poverty Centre, the Accountable Income Management Network and a Co-Director of the Australian Basic Income Lab.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chay Brown receives funding from the Office of Gender Equity and Diversity at the Northern Territory Government. She is affiliated with ANU, Tangentyere Council, and Her Story Mparntwe. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kayla Glynn-Braun is a First Nation Wiradjuri Women whom is a project coordinator at The Equality Institute and Co-Foundered Her Story Consulting and lead on U Right Sis? project, Indigenous Knowledge</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janet Hunt and Zoe Staines do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To First Nations women, ‘care’ is more broad and all-encompassing than traditional definitions. We need a new approach to capturing, and appreciating, their work, paid and unpaid.Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National UniversityChay Brown, Managing Director, Her Story Consulting & Postdoctoral fellow, Australian National UniversityJanet Hunt, Honorary Associate Professor, CAEPR, Australian National UniversityKayla Glynn-Braun, Director of Her Story, project coordinator at The Equality Institute, lead on U Right Sis? project, Indigenous KnowledgeZoe Staines, Senior Lecturer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254602024-03-18T23:18:23Z2024-03-18T23:18:23ZWith nominations decided, Trump leads Biden in US polls; UK Labour far ahead as election approaches<p>Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a <a href="https://www.thegreenpapers.com/P24/D">majority of all delegates</a> to their parties’ conventions, including delegates not yet allocated. </p>
<p>Both Biden and Trump won their nominations easily, with Biden taking 86.4% of the national Democratic primary vote in contests so far, far ahead of the next closest Marianne Williamson with 3.4%. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.thegreenpapers.com/P24/R">Republican contest</a>, Trump defeated Nikki Haley by 73.4–23.1 in the national popular vote, with the winner takes all/most rules that apply for most Republican contests further benefitting him in delegates.</p>
<p>Conventions that formally elect the nominees will be held in July (for Republicans) and August (Democrats). If either Trump or Biden withdrew prior to the convention, delegates bound to that candidate would need to be persuaded to vote for another candidate. It could be messy to replace either Trump or Biden as the nominee.</p>
<h2>Trump is ahead in general election polls</h2>
<p>By the November 5 general election, Biden will be almost 82 and Trump 78. In the <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/approval/joe-biden/?ex_cid=abcpromo">FiveThirtyEight aggregates</a>, Biden’s net approval is -16.8, with 55.4% disapproving and 38.6% approving. Trump’s net favourability is -9.7, with 52.5% unfavourable and 42.8% favourable. Recently both Biden’s and Trump’s ratings have dipped, with Biden’s March 7 <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/03/07/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-prepared-for-delivery-2/">State of the Union address</a> making no difference.</p>
<p>Biden’s net approval is worse than <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/">for any other president</a> at this stage of their presidency since scientific polling began in Harry Truman’s presidency (1945–53). John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford were not president for as long as Biden has been.</p>
<p>There isn’t yet a FiveThirtyEight aggregate for <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/national/">general election polls</a>, but, while there are three recent national polls that give Biden one-to-two point leads, the large majority of national polls have Trump ahead, usually by low single-digit margins.</p>
<p>The national popular vote does not decide the presidency. Instead, there are 538 Electoral Votes distributed among the states based mostly on population, and it takes 270 to win. In my previous US politics article in December, I said that this system would probably favour Trump more than the national popular vote margin.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/us-elections-2024-a-biden-vs-trump-rematch-is-very-likely-with-trump-leading-biden-219093">US elections 2024: a Biden vs Trump rematch is very likely, with Trump leading Biden</a>
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<p>US <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-confidence">consumer sentiment</a> surged from 61.3 points in November to 79 in January, the highest it has been since July 2021. In the next two months, consumer sentiment has fallen back a little to 76.5 in March. </p>
<p>The big gains in consumer sentiment were probably due to reduced inflation. However, the latest economic data suggests inflation is increasing again.</p>
<p>Despite the large gain in consumer sentiment, Biden’s ratings in the FiveThirtyEight aggregate have scarcely changed since my December article. This is bad for Biden, as it implies there is something else wrong other than economic sentiment; his age is the obvious answer.</p>
<p>In December I said the two main chances for a Biden revival were improved economic confidence and Trump being convicted. Economic confidence has improved, but without lifting Biden. On the legal front, Trump’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68577638">criminal trials all face delays</a> that may push them back until after the election. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court on March 4 <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-05/trump-wins-us-supreme-court-ballot-colorado/103545028">unanimously overturned</a> a Colorado court’s decision, so Trump will be on the ballot paper in all states in November.</p>
<h2>US economic data</h2>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">February US jobs report</a>, the unemployment rate increased 0.2% from January to 3.9%. While there were 275,000 jobs created in February, there were large downward revisions to job gains in December and January, resulting in 167,000 fewer jobs in those months than previously reported.</p>
<p>Inflation rose 0.4% <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">in February</a>, up from 0.3% in January and 0.2% in December. Core inflation also rose 0.4% in February (0.4% in January and 0.3% in December).</p>
<p>Real (inflation-adjusted) <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/realer.t01.htm">hourly earnings</a> were down 0.4% in February, though real weekly earnings were flat owing to a gain in weekly hours worked. But there has been a trend towards fewer weekly hours, resulting in a real hourly wage gain of 1.1% in the last 12 months, but only a 0.5% real weekly gain.</p>
<h2>UK Labour far ahead as general election approaches</h2>
<p>The 650 members of the UK House of Commons are elected by first-past-the-post, where the candidate with more votes than any other wins the seat. The UK has five-year terms, and at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election">December 2019 election</a> Boris Johnson led the Conservatives to a thumping victory.</p>
<p>Much has changed since 2019, with Johnson replaced as PM by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Johnson#Premiership_(2019%E2%80%932022)">Liz Truss</a> in September 2022, then Truss was replaced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Truss#Premiership_(2022)">Rishi Sunak</a> in October 2022.</p>
<p>Labour has led in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election#">UK national polls</a> since late 2021, with their lead blowing out during Truss’ short stint as PM. While the Conservatives recovered some ground under Sunak, they have not been in a competitive position since Johnson was PM.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/">Politico Poll of polls</a> currently has Labour on 43%, the Conservatives on 24%, the far-right Reform on 12%, the liberal Liberal Democrats on 10%, the Greens on 5% and the Scottish National Party on 2%. The last two national polls, which were conducted after a scandal involving a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/14/tories-urged-return-further-5m-donation-frank-hester">Conservative donor accused of racism</a>, gave Labour 23 and 26-point leads.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/prediction_main.html">Electoral Calculus</a> seat forecast in late February, based on estimated vote shares in polls of 43.1% Labour, 25.2% Conservative, 9.9% Lib Dems, 10.2% Reform, 5.9% Greens and 3.2% SNP, was a massive Labour landslide, with Labour winning 455 of the 650 seats, to 113 Conservatives, 40 Lib Dems and 18 SNP.</p>
<p>The Conservatives have also lost six of the last seven <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_by-elections_(2010%E2%80%93present)">byelections</a> in Conservative-held seats since July 2023, five to Labour and one to the Lib Dems. In many of these losses, there were massive swings.</p>
<p>Sunak can call a general election at any time, but it is likely to be held in late 2024, though it could be delayed until <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_United_Kingdom_general_election">January 2025</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225460/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the Trump v Biden contest shapes up ahead of the US presidential election in November, the polls are not favourable to the incumbent president.Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2227962024-03-18T21:40:07Z2024-03-18T21:40:07ZMentorship is key to improving social and economic outcomes for Black youth<p>Black youth in Canada experience <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2020002-eng.htm">poorer educational achievement than other children and youth</a>, which leads to subsequent poor economic outcomes. </p>
<p>A series of problems and barriers <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ644352">contribute to poor educational outcomes</a>. These include negative attitudes of teachers towards Black youth, lack of African-Canadian history and culture in the educational curriculum, low teacher expectations of Black children, alienating school environments <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-youth-yearn-for-black-teachers-to-disrupt-the-daily-silencing-of-their-experiences-177279">and a lack of Black teachers</a> and mentors.</p>
<p>These, coupled with systemic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-011-0344-3">discrimination and bias in hiring processes</a>, translate to poorer economic outcomes. </p>
<p>By being mentored by Black people, Black youth are able to see that they have potential to achieve what their mentors have achieved. This is especially important for Black youth whose families have faced socio-economic disadvantage or downward occupational mobility.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582016/original/file-20240314-28-a13s7d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The presence of Black teachers and mentors is important for Black students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/EDU images)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Improving outcomes</h2>
<p>Black children suffer disproportionate discipline at school. They are more likely to be <a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/reality-of-anti-black-racism-in-canada">suspended or expelled from school</a> — and <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-curb-anti-black-racism-in-canadian-schools-150489">bias or anti-Black racism creates hostile environments</a> for them, contributing to student disengagement. They are also less likely than other youth to attain <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/75-006-x/2020001/article/00002-eng.pdf?st=H0dPj5oE">a post-secondary qualification</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/voices-of-black-youth-remind-adults-in-schools-to-listen-and-act-to-empower-them-210849">Voices of Black youth remind adults in schools to listen — and act to empower them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This is despite the higher educational aspirations and <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2020002-eng.htm">resilience of Black children compared to other similarly aged racial or ethnic groups</a>.</p>
<p>Several factors improve Black children’s educational outcomes: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580909334503">support from their parents</a>, parental values related to education, pride in one’s heritage, use of a minority language at home and having a strong sense of <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ734489">trust in and knowledge of one’s culture</a>. </p>
<h2>Education strategies needed</h2>
<p>However, despite Black parents’ interest in supporting their children, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9493.1994.tb00222.x">structural and systemic constraints</a> disrupt children’s flourishing. These constraints are based on differential privileges and positions of power that families face related to diverse racialized, class and gender-based social locations. </p>
<p>The United Nations <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/wg-african-descent">Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent</a> recommends that Canada “<a href="https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v44i1.5117">implement a nationwide African Canadian education strategy</a> … [and] strengthen Afrocentric education curricula.”</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581428/original/file-20240312-30-j6bxo2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black youths’ outcomes improve when they are taught by Black teachers or can study their history.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/EDUimages)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.01.007">Black youths’ outcomes improve</a> when they can study their history <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-38277-3_38">and are taught or</a> <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w25254">mentored by Black teachers</a>. Mentorship is a central strategy to improve the educational and economic experiences of Black youth. </p>
<p>Mentorship is also effective for countering negative effects of racism on Black youth, and has been <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-017-0074-z">identified as having a stronger impact on addressing racism than education alone</a>. </p>
<p>Black-focused education can improve the <a href="https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/encounters/article/view/5285">economic outcomes of Black youth</a>.</p>
<h2>Afrocentric programs, communities</h2>
<p>Strong evidence indicates mentorship is effective across behavioural, social, emotional and academic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033447">domains of youth development</a>. </p>
<p>Proponents of Afrocentric educational programs assert that Black youth suffer from low self-esteem, which leads to low school performance, but that they can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38277-3_38">be motivated to achieve by studying their history</a>. </p>
<p>Research also shows alienation and expulsion rates decrease and self-esteem and university attendance rates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.01.007">increase when Black students are taught by Black teachers</a>. <a href="https://canadianteachermagazine.com/2022/01/20/11014">Afrocentric supplementary educational programs</a> have proven to be effective in improving the educational success of Black youth.</p>
<p>The personal experience of the first author of this article (Bukola Salami) attending a mentorship program for Black youth and delivering one highlight the potential positive impact of mentorship on the lives of Black youth. </p>
<p>Bukola writes: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“In 1998, I was a student of a mentorship program for Black youth in Canada. For me, attending this program indicated the potential strong effect of the program on fostering a positive identity. Having mentors of similar background inspired my confidence to succeed.” </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Potential to contribute to positive outcomes</h2>
<p>In 2019, an interdisciplinary university-based mentorship program was created through Bukola’s leadership after she received funding from the Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://ucalgary.ca/news/empowering-future-black-youth-mentorship-and-leadership-program-transforms-lives#">Black Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program</a> seeks to socially and economically empower Black youth to contribute to Canadian society. The program was initially created for students about to enter Grade 11 and 12 (but has also engaged university students with a modified curriculum). </p>
<p>Black youth are paired with Black faculty and professionals from whom they gain valuable experience and skills. Evaluations of the program indicate it cultivated a positive <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/nursing/media-library/research/health-immigration/black-youth-mentorship-program-final-report.pdf">sense of cultural identity among Black youth and improved their sense of community belonging, sense of responsibility, leadership skills and economic outcomes</a>.</p>
<p>Lessons learned from the Black Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program, alongside other research, indicate the potential of mentorship programs to contribute to improved social and economic outcomes for Black youth. This will serve as a key ingredient to addressing anti-Black racism in Canada.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222796/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span> Bukola Salami receives funding from Policywise for Children and Families for a project on mental health of Black youth named in this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aloysius Nwabugo Maduforo and Myra Kandemiri do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Mentorship programs serving Black youth are an important part of addressing anti-Black racism in Canada.Bukola Salami, Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of CalgaryAloysius Nwabugo Maduforo, Research Manager, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of CalgaryMyra Kandemiri, Academic Teaching Staff Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Education, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253302024-03-18T20:34:22Z2024-03-18T20:34:22ZOperation Legacy: How Britain covered up its colonial crimes<p>In 2011, the world learned of the secret British policy called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/apr/18/britain-destroyed-records-colonial-crimes">Operation Legacy</a> that was implemented in the 1950s. The goal of this policy was to remove incriminating documents from former colonies in the months before each one became politically independent. </p>
<p>Documents that might embarrass or damage the British government, police and military <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/29/revealed-bonfire-papers-empire">were either secretly removed or destroyed</a>. This policy had an impact far and wide, and was implemented in British colonies throughout the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. </p>
<p>In an age where <a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/the-misinformation-age-0xqnez/">misinformation</a> is everywhere, Operation Legacy provides us with an instructive example of the repercussions faced when people with power determine what information is available to interpret events of the past. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oPGVGckn7kQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A TED-Ed explainer on Operation Legacy and how British officials destroyed embarrassing documents or sent them to the U.K.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Kenya: the unravelling of a British lie</h2>
<p>We know about Operation Legacy because of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/21/mau-mau-torture-kenyans-compensation">a case brought before the British High Court</a>. Five elderly Kenyans accused the British colonial government of imposing a policy of torture and human rights abuses during a state of emergency from 1952-1960 instituted in response to a rebellion against colonial rule.</p>
<p>The case revealed the price many Kenyans paid as they fought against colonialism. At the core of the conflict was access to land. From the beginning of colonial rule in 1895, the British were aggressive in their efforts to displace Africans from their lands. The goal was to reserve the most fertile land for white settlement and farms. </p>
<p>By the 1950s, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-12997138">African resistance became more organized and intense</a>. When the colonial government declared a state of emergency, Kenyans suspected of challenging British colonial rule faced even greater risks. The state of emergency gave colonial authorities a wide ranging set of powers — which included torture and other human rights abuses — to deal with the anti-colonialists. </p>
<p>The propaganda from the period is telling. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-vOLVyPSdwc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A 1955 British news report casting Kenyan anti-colonial rebels as fanatics and bandits.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Privileging the colonizer’s narrative</h2>
<p>Many historians of 20th century Kenya — but not all — overlooked or downplayed this colonial policy of violence. Some might argue they should be forgiven as there were no official colonial documents that revealed a British policy of human rights violations in Kenya. </p>
<p>But what happens when the absence of proof is really due to the deliberate removal of evidence?</p>
<p>Others might be inclined to think those historians did not look hard enough. They were only willing to believe the official colonial records even though there were Kenyans alive who could give oral testimony. </p>
<p>For the five elderly Kenyans, the irrefutable evidence was the scars they bore on their bodies. Make no mistake, the human rights violations were extreme. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/5/5/we-are-the-mau-mau-kenyans-share-stories-of-torture">They even included castration</a>. The Kenyans also had their memories. Yet, this mattered little for those historians who privileged official colonial documents above all else. </p>
<p>However, it was the work of historians David Anderson, Huw Bennett and Caroline Elkins that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03086534.2011.629082">helped turn the court case around</a>. Their research challenged the historical silence on colonial violence during this period. </p>
<p>In court, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/hwj/dbv027">evidence was presented</a> that colonial documents were deliberately removed and that the testimony of the elderly Kenyans was, in fact, credible. In December 2010, the presiding judge ruled that the British Foreign and Commonwealth office had to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article/120/3/852/19858">release all documents related to the case</a>. </p>
<p>Once these documents were released and analyzed, the evidence was clear. The British colonial government sanctioned extreme abuses. We now know that over 80,000 people were imprisoned without trial and more than 1,000 people were convicted as “terrorists” and put to <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/Histories-of-the-Hanged">death by hanging</a>. </p>
<p>Only eight white officers were accused of extreme abuse, and they were all granted amnesty. This includes the officer accused of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/11/mau-mau-high-court-foreign-office-documents">“roasting alive” one Kenyan</a>. </p>
<p>Shortly after the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was required to release documents concerning the case, <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110405-wms0001.htm?_gl=1*1wvpzwq*_ga*ODkyMzY3MTQxLjE3MTAyODQ4NDI.*_ga_QQVTWCSLDS*MTcxMDI4NDg0Mi4xLjEuMTcxMDI4NTMwOS42MC4wLjA.#1104069000380">an announcement</a> was made in the House of Lords that files were also being held concerning 37 former British colonies. An <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43917577">independent audit</a> revealed there were more than 20,000 files taken from former colonies. </p>
<p>Some files were also slated for destruction, and there is no way to know how many were destroyed. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Part of a document detailing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=136&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=136&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=136&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=171&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=171&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581372/original/file-20240312-18-k34uug.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=171&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Instructions given to colonial officials for the destruction of documents found in the U.K.’s national archives.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(The National Archives)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Guyana: destroyed documents and a coup</h2>
<p>The files that did survive were eventually transferred to The National Archives in London. They are now officially referred to as the “Migrated Archive,” a carefully chosen misnomer. Now that they are in the public domain, we have a better idea about the documents available for other former British colonies. </p>
<p>I am currently working on a project, <a href="https://www.chainedinparadise.com">Chained in Paradise</a>, that explores the impact of Operation Legacy on the Caribbean. When the public was informed about the specific documents in the Migrated Archive, historian Richard Drayton was <a href="https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/empire-decolonisation/britains-secret-archive-of-decolonisation/">the first to point out</a> there were no documents for British Guiana, present-day Guyana.</p>
<p>In other words, unlike in Kenya where some documents were hidden, in British Guiana they were all destroyed. Did Britain have things to hide concerning its colonial policies in British Guiana? The short answer is yes. </p>
<h2>The Personal net</h2>
<p>Approximately one year after Britain declared a State of Emergency in Kenya, it declared another in British Guiana in October 1953; six months after the colony’s first democratic election.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/26/mi5-files-coup-british-guiana">British troops were deployed to remove the elected Prime Minister Cheddi Jagan</a>. The constitution of British Guiana was suspended and the British governor ruled for three more years. The area formerly known as British Guiana became the independent nation of Guyana in 1966.</p>
<p>Jagan was accused of being a communist and went to England to protest his removal. However, he and his allies were eventually placed under house arrest.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PHRtChiUH7Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A British news report on the deposition of Guyana’s Prime Minister Cheddi Jagan.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>According to one document I have reviewed from the Migrated Archives, less than one month after Prime Minister Jagan was elected, records in British Guiana were incorporated into a secret system for hiding official correspondence. It was called the “Personal” net.</p>
<p>There are three things we can learn from these records:</p>
<p>1) As soon as British Guiana had its democratically held elections, plans were put in place for high levels of British secrecy. Not only was there to be no transparency, there was also to be high levels of duplicity.</p>
<p>2) Before political independence — in other words, when Britain was on the cusp of losing its political control — documents were to be destroyed so the incoming government would be left in the dark about the tactics of its former British colonizers. </p>
<p>3) The document below suggests that certain colonial records could be destroyed because there were copies in England. To date, no such documents have been released as part of the Migrated Archives. This raises questions about where those documents currently are and if they still exist.</p>
<h2>History is about the future</h2>
<p>In his book, <a href="https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/9781846275852"><em>The History Thieves</em></a>, journalist Ian Cobain argues that Operation Legacy was implemented so that British colonialism would be remembered with “fondness and respect.” He is right, but there is more to history than what we remember. </p>
<p>The long-term objective of Operation Legacy was to undermine future criticism of colonialism by sanitizing the past. That would make the transition from colonialism to neocolonialism easier as future economic relations with their former colonies would be negotiated without a proper historical understanding of Britain’s motives.</p>
<p>History was a powerful tool of the British empire, and it has been used to maintain unequal relations with its former colonies long after they attained political independence.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225330/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Audra Diptée receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Operation Legacy highlights the repercussions faced when people with power determine what information is available to interpret events of the past.Audra Diptée, Associate Professor, History, Carleton UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259012024-03-18T19:22:04Z2024-03-18T19:22:04ZPolitical donations rules are finally in the spotlight – here’s what the government should do<p>Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/big-money-to-be-taken-out-of-politics-in-radical-electoral-overhaul-20240308-p5faxq.html">begin briefing MPs</a> on its plan. Greater transparency on who is donating, caps on donations, and limits on campaign expenditure are all on the table. Here’s what the government should – and shouldn’t – do.</p>
<p>Rules around political donations at the federal level have long lagged the states. Under the federal rules, only donations of more than $16,300 need to be on the public record. Before the last federal election, Labor promised to lower this threshold to $1,000, in line with NSW, Victoria, and Queensland, and it is now seeking to fulfil this promise.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-special-minister-of-state-don-farrell-wants-donation-and-spending-caps-for-next-election-208107">Politics with Michelle Grattan: Special Minister of State Don Farrell wants donation and spending caps for next election</a>
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<p>Donations from the same donor should also be aggregated by political parties to prevent “donations splitting”.</p>
<p>Quicker reporting of political donations is long overdue. Under the current system, it takes at least seven months and sometimes up to 19 months for a large donation to be made public. Introducing “real time” disclosure requirements would mean that Australians know who’s donating while policy issues – and elections – are still “live”.</p>
<p>These three changes – reducing the donations disclosure threshold, aggregating donations from the same donor, and publishing the data in real time – are all quite simple reforms that could be implemented quickly. And there is likely to be widespread support across parliament for these sorts of transparency measures, so this would be a good place to start. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1767357229114794059"}"></div></p>
<p>Where things get trickier is around caps – on both political donations and campaign spending. Both types of caps were supported by a recent parliamentary committee inquiry into the 2022 election, and Labor has <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/big-money-to-be-taken-out-of-politics-in-radical-electoral-overhaul-20240308-p5faxq.html">signalled its interest</a> in these bigger reforms.</p>
<p>A cap on political donations aims to reduce the influence of any one donor. Clive Palmer’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/big-money-was-spent-on-the-2022-election-but-the-party-with-the-deepest-pockets-didnt-win-198780">record-breaking donations</a> in the lead-up to the 2019 and 2022 federal elections have highlighted the potential for wealthy individuals to have substantial influence in Australian elections. </p>
<p>The trick will be in setting the right level for the cap: low enough to be meaningful, yet high enough to enable new entrants to raise the funds necessary to compete with existing players. Some people show their political support with time, others with money, so donations caps need to allow for different forms of democratic participation too. </p>
<p>Caps on campaign spending would be the real game-changer though. Parties and candidates can currently spend as much money as they can raise, so big money means greater capacity to sell your message to voters.</p>
<p>Capping expenditure in the lead-up to elections would limit the “arms race” to raise more and more funds, and ultimately reduce parties’ dependency on major donors. It is this dependency that <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/whos-in-the-room/">“buys” donors substantial access</a> to politicians – and access means opportunities to sway public decisions in the donor’s favour.</p>
<p>Caps on campaign spending would be a big reform to reduce the influence of money in politics. But there are several design issues that still need to be resolved.</p>
<p>Given that other groups, such as unions and industry peak bodies, may campaign on political issues, their political expenditure would also need to be capped. A higher cap should apply for political parties – the primary players in an election – than for third parties.</p>
<p>Independents have warned that spending caps could create <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Electoral_Matters/2022federalelection/Interim_Report/Additional_comments_by_Kate_Chaney_MP">barriers for new entrants</a>. A “one-size-fits-all” model would favour the major parties because they are already well known and usually contest every seat. At a minimum, caps are needed both for total spend and per electorate, to prevent major parties pooling their resources to fight just a few seats. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-full-ban-on-political-donations-would-level-the-playing-field-but-is-it-the-best-approach-81821">A full ban on political donations would level the playing field – but is it the best approach?</a>
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<p>These challenges are not insurmountable. NSW has long had expenditure caps in place for state elections and offers a model the federal government could follow. </p>
<p>Another way to resolve many of the concerns would be for the cap to apply to political advertising expenditure only. The idea would be to limit political-party and third-party advertising during election campaigns, but not restrict political expression through more grass-roots channels, or at other times. </p>
<p>The government should take the time to get this right. Campaign spending caps would be a bold reform that would strongly benefit from agreement across the parliament. Even if a quick consensus could be reached, the Australian Electoral Commission would still need time to implement the changes, so this reform would not be ready for the next federal election. </p>
<p>The government should take a consultative approach on caps to land a model that has broad support and trust. But there is no need to delay the transparency reforms. If the government moves quickly, Australians could have much better information on who funds political parties when we head to the polls in 2025.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225901/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments, $4 million from BHP Billiton, and $1 million from NAB. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute’s board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and contribute to funding Grattan Institute's activities. Grattan Institute also receives funding from corporates, foundations, and individuals to support its general activities as disclosed on its website.</span></em></p>There are simple (and some not-so-simple) measures that would make donations more transparent and fairer.Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253542024-03-18T19:21:57Z2024-03-18T19:21:57ZStudy links microplastics with human health problems – but there’s still a lot we don’t know<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582403/original/file-20240317-28-ha8xio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=62%2C0%2C7008%2C4668&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/microplastics-hand-air-pollution-aquatic-food-2164471827">Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822">recent study</a> published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health.</p>
<p>The study involved patients in Italy who had a condition called carotid artery plaque, where plaque builds up in arteries, potentially blocking blood flow. The researchers analysed plaque specimens from these patients. </p>
<p>They found those with carotid artery plaque who had microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death (compared with carotid artery plaque patients who didn’t have any micro- or nanoplastics detected in their plaque specimens). </p>
<p>Importantly, the researchers didn’t find the micro- and nanoplastics <em>caused</em> the higher risk, only that it was correlated with it. </p>
<p>So, what are we to make of the new findings? And how does it fit with the broader evidence about microplastics in our <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aax1157">environment</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258">our bodies</a>?</p>
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<h2>What are microplastics?</h2>
<p>Microplastics are plastic particles less than five millimetres across. Nanoplastics are less than one micron in size (1,000 microns is equal to one millimetre). The precise size classifications <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.024">are still a matter of debate</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics and nanoplastics are created when everyday products – including clothes, food and beverage packaging, home furnishings, plastic bags, toys and toiletries – degrade. Many personal care products contain microsplastics in the form of microbeads.</p>
<p>Plastic is also used widely in agriculture, and can degrade over time into microplastics and nanoplastics.</p>
<p>These particles are made up of common polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride. The constituent chemical of polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride, is <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=281&toxid=51">considered carcinogenic</a> by the <a href="https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/vinyl-chloride.pdf">US Environmental Protection Agency</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, the actual risk of harm depends on your level of exposure. As toxicologists are fond of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.12622">saying</a>, it’s the dose that makes the poison, so we need to be careful to not over-interpret emerging research.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-are-washing-microplastics-down-the-drain-and-its-ending-up-on-our-farms-223079">Australians are washing microplastics down the drain and it's ending up on our farms</a>
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<h2>A closer look at the study</h2>
<p>This new study in the New England Journal of Medicine was a small cohort, initially comprising 304 patients. But only 257 completed the follow-up part of the study 34 months later. </p>
<p>The study had a number of limitations. The first is the findings related only to asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (a procedure to remove carotid artery plaque). This means the findings might not be applicable to the wider population.</p>
<p>The authors also point out that while exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics has been likely increasing in recent decades, heart disease rates have been <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.015293">falling</a>.</p>
<p>That said, the fact so many people in the study had detectable levels of microplastics in their body is notable. The researchers found detectable levels of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride (two types of plastic) in excised carotid plaque from 58% and 12% of patients, respectively. </p>
<p>These patients were more likely to be younger men with diabetes or heart disease and a history of smoking. There was no substantive difference in where the patients lived.</p>
<p>Inflammation markers in plaque samples were more elevated in patients with detectable levels of microplastics and nanoplastics versus those without. </p>
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<img alt="Plastic bottles washed up on a beach." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582404/original/file-20240317-18-nz99jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Microplastics are created when everyday products degrade.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-waste-beach-1234533793">JS14/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>And, then there’s the headline finding: patients with microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque had a higher risk of having what doctors call “a primary end point event” (non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, or death from any cause) than those who did not present with microplastics and nanoplastics in their plaque.</p>
<p>The authors of the study note their results “do not prove causality”.</p>
<p>However, it would be remiss not to be cautious. The history of environmental health is replete with examples of what were initially considered suspect chemicals that avoided proper regulation because of what the US National Research Council refers to as the “<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12209/science-and-decisions-advancing-risk-assessment">untested-chemical assumption</a>”. This assumption arises where there is an absence of research demonstrating adverse effects, which obviates the requirement for regulatory action. </p>
<p>In general, more research is required to find out whether or not microplastics cause harm to human health. Until this evidence exists, we should adopt the precautionary principle; absence of evidence should not be taken as evidence of absence.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/were-all-ingesting-microplastics-at-home-and-these-might-be-toxic-for-our-health-here-are-some-tips-to-reduce-your-risk-159537">We're all ingesting microplastics at home, and these might be toxic for our health. Here are some tips to reduce your risk</a>
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<h2>Global and local action</h2>
<p>Exposure to microplastics in our home, work and outdoor environments is inevitable. Governments across the globe have started to acknowledge we must intervene. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/nations-agree-end-plastic-pollution">Global Plastics Treaty</a> will be enacted by 175 nations from 2025. The treaty is designed, among other things, to limit microplastic exposure globally. Burdens are greatest <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119957">especially in children</a> and especially those in low-middle income nations. </p>
<p>In Australia, legislation <a href="https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/our-programs-and-projects/single-use-plastics-ban">ending single use plastics</a> will help. So too will the increased rollout of <a href="https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/containerdeposit/">container deposit schemes</a> that include plastic bottles.</p>
<p>Microplastics pollution is an area that requires a collaborative approach between researchers, civil societies, industry and government. We believe the formation of a “microplastics national council” would help formulate and co-ordinate strategies to tackle this issue.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-oodies-hooded-blankets-are-cosy-but-they-are-not-great-for-oceans-or-our-health-163087">The problem with Oodies: hooded blankets are cosy but they are not great for oceans or our health</a>
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<p>Little things matter. Small actions by individuals can also translate to significant overall environmental and human health benefits. </p>
<p>Choosing natural materials, fabrics, and utensils not made of plastic and disposing of waste thoughtfully and appropriately – including recycling wherever possible – is helpful.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225354/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Patrick Taylor is a full-time employee of EPA Victoria, appointed to the statutory role of Chief Environmental Scientist.
He previously received funding via an Australian Government Citizen Science Grant (2017-2020), CSG55984 ‘Citizen insights to the composition and risks of household dust’ (the DustSafe project). Outputs from this project included published work on microplastics with Drs Neda Sharifi Soltani and Scott Wilson who were at Macquarie University at that time.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott P. Wilson works for the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project run by the not for profit organisation the Total Environment Centre. He has previously received funding from the NSW EPA for research into microplastic source tracking in Deewhy Lagoon and for developing a Microlitter Reduction Framework. </span></em></p>Microplastics are created when everyday products – including clothes, food and beverage packaging, home furnishings, plastic bags, toys and toiletries – degrade.Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversityScott P. Wilson, Research Director, Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP); Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2228042024-03-18T19:21:49Z2024-03-18T19:21:49Z‘I wanted to stop … but I also wanted to pull’. 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania – a new memoir unpacks compulsive hair-pulling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581450/original/file-20240312-22-juqvok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3994%2C3982&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Towards the end of Adele Dumont’s affecting memoir <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/the-pulling-9781922585912">The Pulling</a>, she thanks the reader, her “stranger”, for the opportunity to unburden herself of her compulsion of 17 years (and since the age of 17): to pull out strands of her hair, regularly and frequently. As a result, a large section of her scalp would eventually lay bare, yet cleverly concealed from others. </p>
<p>Hair-pulling, or <a href="https://theconversation.com/pulling-out-your-hair-in-frustration-what-you-need-to-know-about-trichotillomania-45228">trichotillomania</a>, does not come up much in public conversation. While terms such as ADHD, OCD or PTSD have almost passed into common parlance, hair-pulling is not well known, despite, as the author claims, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9063575/.">affecting 2% of the population</a> – an incidence greater than that of <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia">schizophrenia (0.32%)</a> or <a href="https://library.neura.edu.au/bipolar-disorder/epidemiology-bipolar-disorder/prevalence-epidemiology-bipolar-disorder/worldwide-4/index.html">bipolar disorder</a> (around 1% over a lifetime). </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pulling-out-your-hair-in-frustration-what-you-need-to-know-about-trichotillomania-45228">Pulling out your hair in frustration? What you need to know about trichotillomania</a>
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<p>But the secrecy and shame that surrounds trichotilllomania mean it is very much a hidden disorder, poorly understood by the general population. <em>Pull your hair out – why don’t you just stop?</em> </p>
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<p><em>Review: The Pulling – Adele Dumont (Scribe)</em></p>
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<p>Dumont’s memoir is structured around themes (“inside an episode”, “shame”, “other people”) and starts with an account of her childhood and family upbringing. The quality of the writing and the tender voice quickly drew me into the mystery of this baffling disorder. </p>
<p>Reading it, I was alert for evidence of trauma or abuse, anything that might explain Dumont’s “eventual unravelling”. There are very few clues from childhood. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581470/original/file-20240313-18-g2eevp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Adele Dumont’s affecting memoir investigates her trichotillomania, or compulsive hair-pulling.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Scribe</span></span>
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<h2>Sensing something amiss</h2>
<p>Her parents met while fruit-picking in far-north Queensland; her father was a backpacker from France. Together they spent 15 years moving between orchards and later, with their two daughters, from farm to farm across rural Australia. The family lived in tents and later a caravan, and the young Adele remembers a solitary childhood: lived in nature, but never far from her parents. </p>
<p>The family moved to the outskirts of Sydney for the girls to attend school. In the holidays or on weekends, the young Adele remembers her father lifting her gently from sleep to her bed in the Kombi, waking up in orchards. </p>
<p>Her parents stayed together, despite some “unease in the marriage”. She adored her self-taught French bookworm father, his devotion to her and younger sister (“E”), his capacity to accept others “as they were”. Dumont presents her mother as a psychologically complex character, a little scary. “Mama” was at pains to provide materially for her daughters, but not present in a way that enabled them to relax in their own home.</p>
<p>Mama was devoted to her daughters and they led a frugal (“elemental”) life where nothing was ever wasted. Dumont uses the example of her mother’s tendency to hoard, and her own tendency to hoard secrets, to explain her eventual writing of “this silence and all this story” — lest it be wasted. </p>
<p>Dumont writes of her mother’s “laughter without any happiness in it”. She can’t remember her mother “ever being calm”. Perhaps her mother’s family history might account for this: she had an alcoholic brother who died young and a father diagnosed with PTSD – Dumont recalls him as “emotionally detached and damaged”. </p>
<p>The watchful young Adele falls into a pattern of reasoning that is common to hyperaware and highly empathic children who sense something amiss in the people they love. She feels responsible for, in this case, her mother’s suffering. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-reading-help-heal-us-and-process-our-emotions-or-is-that-just-a-story-we-tell-ourselves-197789">Can reading help heal us and process our emotions – or is that just a story we tell ourselves?</a>
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<h2>Compensating by being ‘exceptional’</h2>
<p>One possible clue to the origins of the hair-pulling habit is that the young Adele resented comparison with her mother (her thick hair or full cheeks, for example) but loved being noticed for being “just like Papa” for her habit of playing with her hair while reading. This innocuous-seeming gesture was, in Dumont’s words “a convenient cover for what I was really doing”. </p>
<p>Another clue is Dumont’s tendency towards perfectionism and savage self-criticism. Like so many young women who, sadly, are not comfortable about their appearance, Dumont developed “good girl” behaviours and excelled at school, writing and languages. (“To compensate for this ugliness I needed to be exceptional – exceptionally good, exceptionally polite, exceptionally kind.”) She became a teacher of English and taught asylum-seekers in detention, the subject of her first book. </p>
<p>Dumont claims her secret was too “nebulous” to even attempt putting into words. But she manages to powerfully and elegantly deconstruct the experience of a hair-pulling episode, at the same time cautioning her reader (“you”) that this might be painful to bear. </p>
<p>She describes the urge to go to the place “where only [she] could go”, the desire to pull, the trance-like state it engendered. In her transportation, she finds something “unknowable”, a kind of clarity and “grace”: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Rather than different thoughts all jostling for attention, I am able to discern one strand of thought, which reveals itself as cleanly as a fishbone lifted from its surrounding flesh. This strand of thought distinguishes itself not only in its purity but in its fluidity; roaming and cartwheeling and leaping like a creature released.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dumont manages very effectively to evoke the full, sensory, “surreal” experience of hair-pulling for her. As a reader, I felt I could enter her world and (almost) comprehend the payoffs of the behaviour. I understood these as something to do with being in flow and claiming an intimate, secret space of oneness with self. There is some enlightenment, yet enough mystery to keep reading. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pulling-out-your-hair-in-frustration-what-you-need-to-know-about-trichotillomania-45228">Pulling out your hair in frustration? What you need to know about trichotillomania</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Defining compulsions</h2>
<p>There are no simple answers to the problem of trichotillomania: “I wanted to stop pulling, but I also wanted to pull. And one of these desires was always stronger than the other.”</p>
<p>The ambivalence Dumont reveals about her hair-pulling is also reflected in the “irreconcilable” chasm she feels between herself and others, and between her known self and the self revealed to others. It also explains her resistance to therapy. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1173&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1173&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581237/original/file-20240312-22-3mx1s3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1173&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>It took Dumont 11 years to seek professional help for a disorder that started as a harmless habit and morphed into a significant compulsion that threatened relationships, work, quality of life and her future. Such resistance might resonate with anyone trying to dispense of an unwelcome habit. </p>
<p>There is the sense of not wanting to let go of something that is in some way defining, as Dumont puts it: “Nobody – no professor or psychiatrist – has the power to eradicate my compulsions. They are mine to keep.” </p>
<p>There is also, fortunately for the reader empathising strongly with Dumont’s conflict and pain, a healthy dose of self-dignity at stake (no doubt also familiar to hesitant help-seekers). “Asking someone for help was a form of cheating.”</p>
<p>But the biggest reason for resisting help or even disclosing the habit to those close to her – not even her parents or sister knew – was shame. Shame and being “ashamed at [her] own shame” drew her into a defensive cycle of approaching/resisting help and disclosure. The tension and effort of having to keep the habit secret for fear of being discovered took a toll Dumont admits is “so high it can shape one’s destiny”. </p>
<p>Dumont’s silent plea for the psychologist to whom she would eventually confide could also be “you” – her reader, her stranger. She writes: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I need her to be tender and patient and sensitive but not to pity me. Professional but not clinical. I need her to understand the gravity of my situation, but not to try to amend it. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is a plea for acceptance and a strong aversion to glib solutions. </p>
<p>There is a sharply intellectual quality to this memoir, written by a deeply reflective young woman. By the last page of the memoir, I felt I was indeed Dumont’s intended reader, her stranger, her “you”. I returned her appreciation, grateful for the opportunity to walk a little in her shoes, painful though it was at times – and for her honesty, courage and intimacy. </p>
<p>Dumont’s testimony is written with perceptive insight, both into herself and those around her. She is a gifted and compassionate linguist and writer. </p>
<p>Despite the very specific nature of the subject, the memoir speaks to a broad readership: to anyone who has felt the isolation of difference, whether “being” different or simply feeling it. Hers is at once a brave appeal to readers for understanding and acceptance, and a brave read.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222804/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jane Turner Goldsmith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Adele Dumont’s affecting memoir, The Pulling, draws the reader into the secrecy, shame and impulses behind trichotilllomania, or compulsive hair-pulling.Jane Turner Goldsmith, PhD candidate, Creative Writing, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253562024-03-18T19:21:43Z2024-03-18T19:21:43ZIntimacy, ‘secret service’ and social climbing: meet the real Villiers women behind Mary & George<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582101/original/file-20240315-22-3y4x18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=61%2C24%2C8181%2C5462&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Binge</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the early 17th century English royal court. </p>
<p>George Villiers rose from humble beginnings to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup-bearer">cup-bearer</a> in 1614, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_and_Gentlemen_of_the_Bedchamber">Gentleman of the Bedchamber</a> in 1615, and ultimately to the royal favourite of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I">King James VI & I</a>, amassing many titles and court appointments. In 1623 he was made Duke of Buckingham, the only duke who was not a member of the royal family. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i3hlTrtnXGo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>In Mary & George, Mary moulds George to be James’ lover, where he would become the second-most powerful man in England. But from dizzying heights can come a great fall.</p>
<p>Much of the show is embellished for dramatic effect – it’s unclear if James actually did have sexual relationships with his male favourites, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon">Sir Francis Bacon</a> did not die of syphilis. </p>
<p>However, other aspects of the show are fact. The Earl and Countess of Somerset were tried and found guilty of <a href="https://humanities.uconn.edu/2019/03/06/scandal-and-murder-in-the-folger-archives/">murder through poisoning</a> (though they weren’t executed) and Frances Coke really was abducted and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Coke,_Viscountess_Purbeck">forced to marry</a> John Villiers (witnesses noted her crying in the ceremony just like depicted). </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Oil painting" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582421/original/file-20240318-18-4exp03.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Villiers Family painted in 1628.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_School,_17th_century_-_The_Family_of_the_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham_(1592-1628)_-_RCIN_402607_-_Royal_Collection.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although George’s relationship with James is a central focus of the series, the Villiers women – George’s mother, sister and wife – all strategically bolstered the power and influence of their male relatives and ensured their family remained in royal favour.</p>
<p>Here’s what you should know about the real women behind the characters.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-friends-and-influence-people-as-a-17th-century-woman-87205">How to make friends and influence people (as a 17th-century woman)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The mother: Mary Villiers</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Engraving and photograph" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582093/original/file-20240315-22-t6ti75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An engraving of Mary Villiers from 1814, and Julianne Moore as Mary Villiers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Villiers,_Countess_of_Buckingham,_by_George_Perfect_Harding.jpeg">Wikimedia Commons/Binge</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While the fictional Mary Villiers’ origins are depicted as low-born, the real Mary was from a gentry family with a good name but little money. </p>
<p>Mary’s four children with her first husband, George Villiers, were Susan, John, George and Christopher (“Kit”), who all feature in the show. </p>
<p>She married again to Sir William Rayner, and finally Sir Thomas Compton. She was created Countess of Buckingham in her own right (not tied to a husband) in 1618.</p>
<p>Like many women at this time who could not own property or assets due to the laws of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01440365.2022.2092945">coverture</a>, Mary strategically married and used the other avenues available to her – such as social networking – to rise through the ranks of Jacobean society until her death in 1632. </p>
<p>History has not been kind to Mary. Her ambition for her family marked her as greedy, calculating and ruthless, which the show extends to lesbianism and murder despite the absence of any historical evidence.</p>
<h2>The sister: Susan Villiers</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Side by side pictures" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=665&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=665&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582402/original/file-20240317-26-45214i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=665&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Susan Feilding, nee Villers, is played by Alice Grant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royalist_father_and_Roundhead_son;_being_the_memoirs_of_the_first_and_second_earls_of_Denbigh,_1600-1675_(1915)_(14757234486).jpg">Wikimedia Commons/Binge</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mary’s only daughter Susan is portrayed in the show as a quiet, timid and boring teenager. In reality Susan, who went by Sue, learned a great deal from her mother and used strategic connections to improve the social standing of her family. </p>
<p>In 1607, before the rise of the Villiers family at court, she married a country gentleman named William Fielding. Sue and William used George’s favour with the king to obtain many offices and titles; they were made the Countess and Earl of Denbigh in 1622. </p>
<p>After Charles I ascended the throne and married French princess <a href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/henrietta-maria">Henrietta Maria</a>, Sue was appointed as the most senior <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_the_Bedchamber">Lady of the Bedchamber</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beheaded-and-exiled-the-two-previous-king-charleses-bookended-the-abolition-of-the-monarchy-190410">Beheaded and exiled: the two previous King Charleses bookended the abolition of the monarchy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These positions gave her vast influence at court. Surviving papers describe how she was frequently paid for “secret service” for the queen.</p>
<p>Over time, Sue developed a close relationship with Charles and Henrietta Maria, godparents to some of her grandchildren. Her letters show she was concerned with the social position of her own son, his education and his advancement at court. </p>
<p>When the queen fled for France during the English civil wars, Sue went with her and remained until her death in 1652.</p>
<h2>The wife: Katherine Manners</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Oil painting and photograph" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582097/original/file-20240315-30-djpnwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Katherine Manners, painted in 1628, is played by Mirren Mack.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00882/The-Duke-of-Buckingham-and-his-Family?">National Portrait Gallery/Binge</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the show, George is forced into a partnership with “Katie” Manners when his mother and sister conspire to lock them in a room overnight, risking their reputations. </p>
<p>Young, “fertile” and wealthy, Katie describes herself as the perfect aristocratic wife. </p>
<p>They married in 1620 in a private ceremony witnessed only by James and her father, the Earl of Rutland. Katie became Katherine Villiers, Marchioness and then Duchess of Buckingham. She and George had four children, Mary, Charles, George and Francis. </p>
<p>James was Mary’s doting godfather. In his letters, he called her his grandchild, while Kate and George became his “children” and he their “dear dad”.</p>
<p>As the show depicts, George and the Villiers women became like a new family to James. This intimacy explains the libels which claimed Mary and George killed the king, a rumour the show brings to life. </p>
<p>Katherine, like Mary and Sue, became a Lady of the Bedchamber to Henrietta Maria. Katherine was pregnant when George was assassinated in 1628 and witnessed his death at the Greyhound Inn (where <a href="https://www.yespotteddogge.co.uk/">you can still stay</a>) in Portsmouth. </p>
<p>She went into mourning, commissioning portraits and the <a href="https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/villiers-family">Buckingham monument at Westminster Abbey</a> in a chapel usually reserved for royalty. She continued to live at York House in London, marked today by its <a href="https://londonist.com/london/history/york-watergate">Watergate</a> near Embankment Station. </p>
<p>Although she and her children remained favourites of Charles, her reconversion to Catholicism in 1628 and marriage to the Irish Catholic Randall MacDonnell in 1635 caused a strain. Katherine spent much of the civil wars in relative poverty in Ghent and Ireland, with her husband often imprisoned for his role in the Irish Confederacy. </p>
<p>She died in 1649, shortly after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromwellian_conquest_of_Ireland">Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland</a>, her life and the rule of Charles I both coming to an end.</p>
<p>But the influence of the Villers women in the royal court continued throughout the 17th century. George and Katherine’s daughter Mary married a Stewart, making their royal connections official. </p>
<p>Later generations of Viliers women, including Sue’s daughter Barbara also served in the households of Henrietta Maria and later, Catherine of Braganza, continuing the tradition of royal service and influence that began under Mary and George. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mary-and-george-homosexual-relationships-in-the-time-of-king-james-i-were-forbidden-but-not-uncommon-223522">Mary & George: homosexual relationships in the time of King James I were forbidden – but not uncommon</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225356/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Bendall receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK and Parold Research Fund.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan Shaw does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Mary & George depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the early 17th century English royal court.Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic UniversityMegan Shaw, PhD Candidate in Art History, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2251812024-03-18T19:21:34Z2024-03-18T19:21:34ZDo you have 7,513 unread emails in your inbox? Research suggests that’s unwise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581813/original/file-20240314-18-q0ect0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=60%2C13%2C2965%2C2018&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/email-inbox-phone-outdoors-list-new-2135776669">Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>How do you manage your emails? Are you an “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/04/email-is-a-zombie-that-keeps-rising-from-the-dead-the-endless-pursuit-of-inbox-zero">inbox zero</a>” kind of person, or do you just leave thousands of them unread?</p>
<p>Our new study, published today in the journal <a href="https://informationr.net/infres">Information Research</a>, suggests that leaving all your emails in the inbox is likely to leave you dissatisfied with your personal records management. </p>
<p>In an exploratory survey, we asked participants how they dealt with their personal records such as bills, online subscriptions and similar items. Many of these <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.13282">arrive by email</a>.</p>
<p>We found that most respondents left their electronic records in their email. Only half saved items such as bills and other documents to other locations, like their computer or the cloud. But having a disorganised inbox also led to problems, including missing bills and losing track of important correspondence.</p>
<h2>The risk of losing track of your emails</h2>
<p>Receiving bills, insurance renewals and other household documents by email <a href="https://www.questline.com/blog/top-reasons-customers-choose-paperless-billing">saves time and money</a>, and reduces unnecessary paper use.</p>
<p>However, there are risks involved if you don’t stay on top of your electronic records. Respondents in our research reported issues such as <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/drivers-fined-millions-since-new-no-vehicle-registration-sticker-system-introduced-in-nsw/news-story/040a82526edc73eb8c23bce47fd1b8f9">lapsed vehicle registration</a>, failing to cancel <a href="https://newsroom.ing.com.au/unused-subscriptions-and-forgotten-outgoings-could-cost-each-aussie-up-to-1261-a-year/">unwanted subscriptions</a>, and overlooking tax deductions because it was too much trouble finding the receipts. </p>
<p>This suggests late fines and other email oversights could be costing people hundreds of dollars each year.</p>
<p>In addition to the financial costs, research suggests that not sorting and managing electronic records makes it more difficult to put together the information needed at tax time, or for other high-stakes situations, such as loan applications.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-get-so-much-spam-and-unwanted-email-in-my-inbox-and-how-can-i-get-rid-of-it-208665">Why do I get so much spam and unwanted email in my inbox? And how can I get rid of it?</a>
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<h2>What did we find?</h2>
<p>We surveyed over 300 diverse respondents on their personal electronic records management. Most of them were from Australia, but we also received responses from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland, Portugal and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Two-thirds of the respondents used their email to manage personal records, such as bills, receipts, subscriptions and more. Of those, we found that once respondents had dealt with their email, about half of them would sort the emails into folders, while the other half would leave everything in the inbox.</p>
<p>While most sorted their workplace email into folders, they were much less likely to sort their personal email in the same way.</p>
<p>The results also showed that only half (52%) of respondents who left all their email in the inbox were satisfied with their records management, compared to 71% of respondents who sorted their email into folders.</p>
<p>Of the respondents who saved their paperwork in the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox and similar), 83% reported being satisfied with their home records management.</p>
<p>The study was exploratory, so further research will be needed to see if our findings apply more universally. However, our statistical analysis did reveal practices associated with more satisfactory outcomes, and ones that might be better to avoid.</p>
<h2>What can go wrong with an inbox-only approach?</h2>
<p>Based on the responses, we have identified three main problems with leaving all your email in the inbox.</p>
<p>First, users can lose track of the tasks that need to be done. For example, a bill that needs to be paid could slip down the line unnoticed, drowned by other emails.</p>
<p>Second, relying on search to re-find emails means you need to know exactly what you’re looking for. For example, at tax time searching for charity donation receipts depends on remembering what to search for, as well as the exact wording in the email containing the receipt.</p>
<p>Third, many bills and statements are not sent as attachments to emails, <a href="https://publications.archivists.org.au/index.php/asa/article/view/10421">but rather as hyperlinks</a>. If you change your bank or another service provider, those hyperlinks may not be accessible at a later date. Not being able to access missing payslips from a former employer can also cause issues, as shown by the <a href="https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2019/court-finds-robodebt-unlawful.html">Robodebt scandal</a> or the recent case of the Australian Tax Office <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-14/ato-reignites-old-debts-individuals-businesses-struggle/103578746">reviving old debts</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=270%2C779%2C3168%2C2001&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close-up of a mouse cursor selecting an inbox link with one unread email." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=270%2C779%2C3168%2C2001&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581489/original/file-20240313-24-614jwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">You can apply a few simple practices to your email management to minimise stress and financial losses.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/email-menu-on-monitor-screen-127894817">kpatyhka/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>4 tips for better records management</h2>
<p>When we asked respondents to nominate a preferred location for keeping their personal records, they tended to choose a more organised format than their current behaviour. Ideally, only 8% of the respondents would leave everything in their email inbox, unsorted. </p>
<p>Our findings suggest a set of practices that can help you get on top of your electronic records and prevent stress or financial losses:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>sort your email into category folders, or save records in folders in the cloud or on a computer</p></li>
<li><p>download documents that are not attached to emails or sent to you – such as utility bills and all your payslips</p></li>
<li><p>put important renewals in your calendar as reminders, and</p></li>
<li><p>delete junk mail and unsubscribe, so that your inbox can be turned into a to-do list.</p></li>
</ul>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-answer-emails-outside-work-hours-do-you-send-them-new-research-shows-how-dangerous-this-can-be-160187">Do you answer emails outside work hours? Do you send them? New research shows how dangerous this can be</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225181/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Balogh previously received funding from an Australian Government Research Training Stipend Scholarship.</span></em></p>Managing our electronic records is a big task. But using a few simple tips to turn your inbox into a to-do list can save a lot of problems down the line.Matt Balogh, Adjunct Lecturer, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254462024-03-18T19:21:22Z2024-03-18T19:21:22ZWhat’s the best way to ease rents and improve housing affordability? We modelled 4 of the government’s biggest programs<p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/housing-series-2024-153769">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ease rental stress and get more Australians into home ownership. Four of the most prominent are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://firsthome.gov.au/">first homeowner grants</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://unohomeloans.com.au/articles/shared-equity-schemes">shared equity schemes</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/taxes-duties-levies-royalties/transfer-duty/first-home-buyers">first homeowner stamp duty exemptions</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support/programmes-services/commonwealth-rent-assistance">rent assistance</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Our team at Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies has modelled the economic impact of each of them in a way that allows their outcomes to be <a href="https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-344.pdf">compared</a>.</p>
<p>The bad news is that we’ve found none of the four can simultaneously lift affordability for renters, lift affordability for owners, get more Australians into home ownership, and boost economic efficiency.</p>
<p>The good news is we’ve found a mix that could work well.</p>
<p>We used Victoria University’s regional economic model to compare the effect of spending an extra A$500 million on the variant of each of the programs presently available in Victoria.</p>
<p>To better assess the economic impact, we assumed the extra $500 million was paid for by an increase in taxation.</p>
<h2>Grants and shared equity</h2>
<p>We found first homeowner grants improve affordability for owners, slightly improve affordability for renters, and slightly increase home ownership rates, but come with a heavy economic cost.</p>
<p>The cost to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economic_efficiency.asp">economic efficiency</a> amounts to about 20 cents for every dollar spent. Economic efficiency measures the extent to which inputs such as labour, land and capital are allocated to their most valuable uses.</p>
<p>Importantly, that 20 cents in the dollar cost is the economic cost of the spending, not the cost of raising the revenue to fund it.</p>
<p>With the average economic cost of state government taxation in the vicinity of <a href="https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-289.pdf">30 cents</a> per dollar raised, that means every extra dollar raised to be spent on a first home buyer grant has an economic cost of about 50 cents, making it an economically expensive way to get people into homes.</p>
<p>Shared equity schemes in which the government part-owns a home with a buyer have similar costs, but are better at getting people into their own homes.</p>
<h2>Stamp duty discounts</h2>
<p>Our modelling finds that stamp duty discounts for first home buyers have an economic benefit. This is because stamp duty is an extraordinarily inefficient tax that makes it <a href="https://theconversation.com/swapping-stamp-duty-for-land-tax-would-push-down-house-prices-but-push-up-apartment-prices-new-modelling-finds-184381">harder for people to move</a>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the model also finds stamp duty discounts will make home ownership even less affordable by pushing up property prices, and make it only slightly easier for the first home owners able to get the discounts. </p>
<h2>Rent assistance</h2>
<p>Rent assistance is delivered by the Commonwealth rather than states to Australians in receipt of Commonwealth benefits. </p>
<p>Our study finds its economic costs are low, just 5 cents for every dollar spent, meaning that raising extra tax and spending it on rent assistance should have a total economic cost of about 35 cents for each dollar raised and spent.</p>
<p>We find it has a significant effect in making rent more affordable, but causes home ownership rates to fall, because it tips the balance for financially strained households in favour of renting rather than buying.</p>
<h2>What works best</h2>
<p>If making shelter more affordable for low-income earners is the number one priority, by far the best way to do it is to boost rent assistance.</p>
<p>While the benefits come at the expense of home ownership, for the renters receiving them, they are worth having.</p>
<p>But rent assistance is federally administered. For a state government, the best way to help both owners and renters at the lowest economic cost appears to be a mix of two thirds first home buyer grants and one third stamp duty discounts. </p>
<p>Our modelling suggests such a blend would have a negligible impact on economic efficiency and home affordability, while allowing more owners to rent and, as a result, make renting more affordable. </p>
<p>However, it would be costly. From a national perspective, the same improvement in rental affordability could be achieved for less than one-tenth the financial cost if the Commonwealth were to fund additional rent assistance.</p>
<p>If nothing else, our modelling proves these decisions are difficult.</p>
<p>No single tool is perfect, but using the right mix of them can help – all the more so if the states and Commonwealth can work together. Our estimates can help.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-help-to-buy-scheme-will-help-but-wont-solve-the-housing-crisis-224956">The Help to Buy scheme will help but won't solve the housing crisis</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225446/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For the Commonwealth, the best measure is rent assistance. For the states, it’s a mix of two-thirds first homebuyer grants and one-third stamp duty discounts.Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria UniversityJames Giesecke, Professor, Centre of Policy Studies and the Impact Project, Victoria UniversityXianglong Locky Liu, Research fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2252682024-03-18T19:21:15Z2024-03-18T19:21:15ZOn a climate rollercoaster: how Australia’s environment fared in the world’s hottest year<p>Global climate <a href="https://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-confirms-2023-smashes-global-temperature-record">records were shattered</a> in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year and numerous weather disasters occurred as climate change reared its head. </p>
<p>How did Australia’s environment fare against this onslaught? In short, 2023 was a year of opposites.</p>
<p>For the past nine years, we have trawled through huge volumes of data collected by satellites, measurement stations and surveys by individuals and agencies. We include data on global change, oceans, people, weather, water, soils, vegetation, fire and biodiversity. </p>
<p>Each year, we analyse those data, summarising them in an <a href="https://bit.ly/ausenv2023">annual report</a> that includes an overall Environmental Condition Score and <a href="https://ausenv.online/aer/scorecards/">regional scorecards</a>. These scores provide a relative measure of conditions for agriculture and ecosystems. Scores declined across the country, except in the Northern Territory, but were still relatively good.</p>
<p>However, the updated <a href="https://tsx.org.au/">Threatened Species Index</a> shows the abundance of listed bird, mammal and plant species has continued to decline at a rate of about 3% a year since the turn of the century.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581821/original/file-20240314-22-p8uskx.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Environmental condition indicators for 2023, showing the changes from 2000–2022 average values. Such differences can be part of a long-term trend or within normal variability.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.wenfo.org/aer/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2023_Australias_Environment_Report-1.pdf">Australia's Environment 2023 Report.</a></span>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-2023s-record-heat-worsened-droughts-floods-and-bushfires-around-the-world-220836">How 2023's record heat worsened droughts, floods and bushfires around the world</a>
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<h2>Riding a climate rollercoaster in 2023</h2>
<p>Worldwide, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-2023s-record-heat-worsened-droughts-floods-and-bushfires-around-the-world-220836">77 countries broke temperature records</a>. Australia was not one of them. Our annual average temperature was 0.53°C below the horror year 2019. Temperatures in the seas around us were below the records of 2022. </p>
<p>Even so, 2023 was among Australia’s eight warmest years in both cases. All eight came after 2005.</p>
<p>However, those numbers are averaged over the year. Dig a bit deeper and it becomes clear 2023 was a climate rollercoaster.</p>
<p>The year started as wet as the previous year ended, but dry and unseasonably warm weather set in from May to October. Soils and wetlands across much of the country started drying rapidly. In the eastern states, the fire season started as early as August. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, there was generally still enough water to support good vegetation growth throughout the unusually warm and sunny winter months.</p>
<p>Fears of a severe fire season were not realised as El Niño’s influence waned in November and rainfall returned, in part due to the warm oceans. Combined with relatively high temperatures, it made for a hot and humid summer. A tropical cyclone and several severe storms caused flooding in Queensland and Victoria in December. </p>
<p>As always, there were regional differences. Northern Australia experienced the best rainfall and growth conditions in several years. This contributed to more grass fires than average during the dry season. On the other hand, the rain did not return to Western Australia and Tasmania, which ended the year dry.</p>
<h2>So how did scores change?</h2>
<p>Every year we calculate an Environmental Condition Score that combines weather, water and vegetation data.</p>
<p>The national score was 7.5 (out of 10). That was 1.2 points lower than for 2022, but still the second-highest score since 2011. </p>
<p>Scores declined across the country except for the Northern Territory, which chalked up a score of 8.8 thanks to a strong monsoon season. With signs of drought developing in parts of Western Australia, it had the lowest score of 5.5.</p>
<p>The Environmental Condition Score reflects environmental conditions, but does not measure the long-term health of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. </p>
<p>Firstly, it relates only to the land and not our oceans. Marine heatwaves damaged ecosystems along the eastern coast. Surveys in the first half of 2023 suggested the recovery of the Great Barrier Reef plateaued. </p>
<p>However, a cyclone and rising ocean temperatures occurred later in the year. In early 2024, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-barrier-reefs-latest-bout-of-bleaching-is-the-fifth-in-eight-summers-the-corals-now-have-almost-no-reprieve-225348">another mass coral bleaching event</a> developed. </p>
<p>Secondly, the score does not capture important processes affecting our many threatened species. Among the greatest dangers are invasive pests and diseases, habitat destruction and damage from severe weather events such as heatwaves and megafires.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-ecosystems-unprecedented-climates-more-australian-species-than-ever-are-struggling-to-survive-222375">New ecosystems, unprecedented climates: more Australian species than ever are struggling to survive</a>
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<h2>Threatened species’ declines continued</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://tsx.org.au/">Threatened Species Index</a> captures data from long-term threatened species monitoring. The index is updated annually with a three-year lag, largely due to delays in data processing and sharing. This means the 2023 index includes data up to 2020.</p>
<p>The index showed an unrelenting decline of about 3% in the abundance of Australia’s threatened bird, mammal and plant species each year. This amounts to an overall decline of 61% from 2000 to 2020.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Line graph of Threatened Species Index" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581823/original/file-20240314-16-yi6tr0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Threatened Species Index showing the abundance of different categories of species listed under the EPBC Act relative to 2000.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.wenfo.org/aer/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2023_Australias_Environment_Report-1.pdf">Australia's Environment 2023 Report</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>The index for birds in 2023 revealed declines were most severe for terrestrial birds (62%), followed by migratory shorebirds (47%) and marine birds (24%).</p>
<p>A record 130 species were added to Australia’s <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/nominations">threatened species lists</a> in 2023. That’s many more than the annual average of 29 species over previous years. The 2019–2020 <a href="https://theconversation.com/200-experts-dissected-the-black-summer-bushfires-in-unprecedented-detail-here-are-6-lessons-to-heed-198989">Black Summer bushfires</a> had direct impacts on half the newly listed species.</p>
<h2>Population boom adds to pressures</h2>
<p>Australia’s population passed <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/population-clock-pyramid">27 million</a> in 2023, a stunning increase of 8 million, or 41%, since 2000. Those extra people all needed living space, food, electricity and transport. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-population-is-expected-to-double-in-80-years-we-asked-australians-where-they-want-all-these-people-to-live-176889">Our population is expected to double in 80 years. We asked Australians where they want all these people to live</a>
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<p>Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/australias-emissions-projections-2023">have risen by 18% since 2000</a>. Despite small declines in the previous four years, emissions increased again in 2023, mostly due to air travel rebounding after COVID-19. </p>
<p>Our emissions per person are the <a href="https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2023">tenth-highest in the world</a> and more than three times those of the average global citizen. The main reasons are our coal-fired power stations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-passenger-vehicle-emission-rates-are-50-higher-than-the-rest-of-the-world-and-its-getting-worse-222398">inefficient road vehicles</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/11/how-many-cattle-are-there-in-australia-we-may-be-out-by-10-million">large cattle herd</a>.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, there are reasons to be optimistic. Many other countries have dramatically <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/co2-gdp-decoupling">reduced emissions without compromising economic growth</a> or quality of life. All we have to do is to finally follow their lead.</p>
<p>Our governments have an obvious role to play, but we can do a lot as individuals. We can even save money, by switching to renewable energy and electric vehicles and by eating less beef.</p>
<p>Changing our behaviour will not stop climate change in its tracks, but will slow it down over the next decades and ultimately reverse it. We cannot reverse or even stop all damage to our environment, but we can certainly do much better.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-australias-net-zero-transition-threatens-to-stall-rooftop-solar-could-help-provide-the-power-we-need-220050">As Australia's net zero transition threatens to stall, rooftop solar could help provide the power we need</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225268/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Australia’s Environment is produced by the ANU Fenner School for Environment & Society and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), an NCRIS-enabled National Research Infrastructure. Albert Van Dijk receives or has previously received funding from several government-funded agencies, grant schemes and programmes.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tayla Lawrie is a current employee of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shoshana Rapley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Conditions deteriorated in 2023 but were stlil relatively good for ecosystems and agriculture. Unfortunately, the alarming decline of threatened species continued.Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National UniversityShoshana Rapley, Research Assistant, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National UniversityTayla Lawrie, Project Manager, Threatened Species Index, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255082024-03-18T18:33:20Z2024-03-18T18:33:20ZChad presidential election: assassination of main opposition figure casts doubt on country’s return to democracy<p><em>The <a href="https://www.miragenews.com/chad-opposition-leader-assassinated-1185873/">assassination</a> of Chad’s main opposition leader, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68435145">Yaya Dillo</a>, is hanging heavy over <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/28/chads-election-agency-sets-dates-for-presidential-polls//">presidential elections</a> due in early May. Dillo was killed on 28 February when the headquarters of the opposition <a href="https://psf-tchad.org/">Party Socialiste sans Frontières</a> (Party of Socialists without Borders) in the Chadian capital N'Djamena was <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/28/chad-announces-several-deaths-after-foiled-intelligence-office-attack">besieged</a> by the newly formed Rapid Reaction Force.</em> </p>
<p><em>It’s not the first violence meted out to the opposition. In October 2022 Chadian security forces <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2023/02/24/deadly-chad-protests-death-toll-now-estimated-at-128//">killed</a> hundreds of protesters. They were protesting the extension of the transition to democracy from 18 to 36 months and the decision of transitional <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/mahamat-idriss-deby-itno-named-chad-s-transitional-president/2706374">president Mahamat Idriss Déby</a> to stand as a candidate in presidential elections.</em></p>
<p><em>An expert on democratisation in sub-Saharan Africa, especially Chad, <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helga-dickow-1209876">Helga Dickow</a>, sets out what this level of violence portends for the country.</em> </p>
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<h2>Who was Dillo, and why was he important for the upcoming poll?</h2>
<p>The assassination took place one day after the publication of the electoral calendar for the presidential elections. For the first time a member of the ruling clan was killed publicly in N'Djamena. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.state.gov/chads-national-dialogue-commission-report/">resolutions</a> of the 2022 national dialogue, elections must take place before October 2024 to end the political transition and return to constitutional order. No dates have been set for the parliamentary and local elections. It is more than doubtful that they will take place in the near future.</p>
<p>Dillo was determined to take part in the elections and challenge the rule of his cousin, Mahamat Déby, even though he’d faced heavy intimidation. His <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/01/chad-prominent-opposition-leader-killed">stated ambition</a> was to see Chad return to democracy, to end widespread corruption and improve the living conditions of poor people in the country. </p>
<p>Dillo had clear ideas about fighting poverty based on insights he’d gained doing a doctorate in economics in Canada.</p>
<p>There are a number of reasons, in my view, why his death is a tragic loss for Chad.</p>
<p>Firstly, Chad has lost a political leader whose competences are desperately needed in the country.</p>
<p>Secondly, Yaya Dillo was one of the few politicians from the north of the country and the only one from the ruling Zaghawa clan who reached out to and connected with the opposition in the south. </p>
<p>He had shown that he was able to overcome ethnic, religious and regional boundaries in a highly divided country. An example of this was that he <a href="https://eng.fatshimetrie.org/2023/12/11/political-tensions-in-chad-one-week-before-the-vote-on-the-new-constitution-the-country-is-preparing-to-make-a-crucial-decision-for-its-future/">joined</a> the opposition coalition Groupe de concertation des acteurs politiques (Group of Consultative Political Actors), which opposes the dynastisation of the Déby family and stands for better living conditions for all Chadians. </p>
<p>This voice has now been silenced. His supporters are in <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/01/chad-prominent-opposition-leader-killed">hiding</a> or have already been arrested and taken to the Koro Toro high-security prison in the desert. His party has been dissolved by the government.</p>
<h2>What does the assassination mean for the presidential elections?</h2>
<p>Dillo’s murder hasn’t changed the programme for the upcoming elections. Three days after Dillo’s death, transitional president Mahamat Déby <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/2/chad-interim-leader-deby-confirms-plan-to-run-for-president-in-may">declared</a> himself a candidate. </p>
<p>Déby, who became interim president in 2021, is the candidate of a new coalition of more than 200 political parties and more than 1,000 civil society organisations, the so-called Coalition pour un Tchad uni (<a href="https://www.trtafrika.com/news/for-a-united-chad-coalition">Coalition for a United Chad</a>).</p>
<p>The driving force behind this coalition is the former ruling party <a href="https://tsep.africa.ufl.edu/the-party-system-and-conditions-of-candidacy/chad/">Mouvement Patriotique du Salut</a>, which was led by his <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Idriss-Deby">father, the late Idriss Déby</a>. </p>
<h2>How prepared is Chad to conduct elections?</h2>
<p>The transitional president and his allies, especially the Movement Patriotique du Salut and some members of the parliament, are in a hurry to hold the elections to replace the “interim president” with a “president”.</p>
<p>But the key question is whether the presidential poll will be followed by parliamentary elections, as was agreed in the transition plan of the <a href="https://www.state.gov/chads-national-dialogue-commission-report/">national dialogue of 2022</a>. </p>
<p>There are many, including myself, who doubt this will happen. Mahamat Déby is likely to act like his father, who attached great importance to presidential elections but steered clear of parliamentary polls. Before <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-signs-of-a-true-transition-in-chad-a-year-after-idriss-debys-death-181203">Idriss Déby’s death</a> in 2021, the last parliamentary elections were held in <a href="https://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3518/">2011</a>.</p>
<p>Additionally, there are strong doubts about the independence of the electoral authorities. Mahamat Déby nominated most members of the Agence nationale de gestion des élections (<a href="https://eng.fatshimetrie.org/2024/01/26/the-national-election-management-agency-in-chad-a-crucial-issue-for-democracy-in-a-period-of-political-transition/">National Election Management Agency</a>) and of the Constitutional Court, which must validate the election results. All of them were loyal to his father in the past and have been members of the Movement Patriotique du Salut for many years.</p>
<p>Potential candidates in the presidential election could submit their candidacy from 6 to 15 March. The list of candidates approved by the Constitutional Council will be published on 24 March. Voter registration has already taken place in preparation for the constitutional referendum in December 2023. The same lists will be used. But anyone who reached the age of 18 in the period between the registration exercise and May 2024 will not be able to vote.</p>
<p>From a logistical point of view, everything seems to be ready for the presidential poll.</p>
<h2>What’s behind the political violence in the country?</h2>
<p>Violence against the political opposition is nothing new in Chad. It has always taken the form of attacking anyone in the way of either Déby. In 2008, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/afr200032012en.pdf">Ibni Oumar</a>, a widely respected political opponent of Idriss Déby in the north and south, was arrested. He <a href="https://sudantribune.com/article26131/">disappeared</a>. No trace of his body was ever found.</p>
<p>On 28 February 2021, Yaya Dillo was <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68435145">attacked</a> in his home and his mother and other members of his household were killed. He managed to escape. He had declared his intention to run against <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Idriss-Deby">Idriss Déby</a> in the presidential poll that year. </p>
<p>On exactly the same day three years later, he was killed in very similar circumstances. </p>
<p>Dillo was one of the few Zaghawa who <a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202403060514.html">continued</a> to call for an investigation into Idriss Déby’s death. Three years later, the circumstances are still unclear. Salay Déby, a younger brother of Idriss Déby, has gone as far as to <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/violence-against-chads-opposition-escalates-before-polls/a-68450630">accuse</a> Mahamat Déby, the (adopted) son and president of the transitional government, of being behind the death of his own father. </p>
<p>Yaya Dillo and Salay Déby, both members of the ruling clan, joined forces two weeks before Dillo’s assassination. The party headquarters that has now been destroyed was located in Salay Déby’s house.</p>
<h2>How inclusive is the electoral process?</h2>
<p>Looking only at the Coalition pour un Tchad uni, the electoral process might appear to be inclusive. But democracy is not a one-party system. It is doubtful that all the parties and associations joined out of conviction in favour of Mahamat Déby and his allies in the parliament.</p>
<p>On the contrary, it is obvious that the regime used and will continue to use violence. The fear is that recent events are only the beginning of another permanent dictatorship in Chad.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225508/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helga Dickow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It is feared that the current violence against political opposition in Chad could signal the beginning of another long term dictatorship.Helga Dickow, Senior Researcher at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institut, Freiburg Germany, University of FreiburgLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222672024-03-18T18:24:24Z2024-03-18T18:24:24ZCheers to health? Uncovering myths around the health benefits of moderate drinking<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582572/original/file-20240318-22-wdfo1c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C31%2C3270%2C2206&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many studies exaggerated the benefits of moderate drinking due to methodological flaws known as selection biases.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The notion that enjoying a casual beer or sipping on your favourite wine could not only be harmless but actually beneficial to one’s health is a tantalizing proposition for many. This belief, often backed by claims of research findings, has seeped into social conversations and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/moderate-drinking-may-be-heart-healthy-says-new-research-1.293437">media headlines</a>, painting moderate alcohol consumption in a positive light. </p>
<p>As researchers at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, we find ourselves frequently revisiting this topic, delving deep into the evidence to separate fact from wishful thinking. Can we confidently say, “Cheers to health?”</p>
<h2>Unpacking beliefs about moderate drinking</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2001.96464113.x">commonplace belief</a> that moderate drinking can be beneficial to health can be traced back to the 1980s when researchers found an association suggesting that French people were less likely to suffer from heart disease, despite eating a diet high in saturated fat. </p>
<p>This contradiction was thought to be explained by the assumption that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.5344/ajev.2011.11013">antioxidants and alcohol found in wine</a> might offer health benefits, leading to the term “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(94)92883-5">French paradox</a>.”</p>
<p>This concept reached a broader audience in the 1990s, following a segment on the American news show <em>60 Minutes</em> which had a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769410058894">profound impact on wine sales</a>. Later <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03780.x">research expanded on this idea</a>, suggesting that frequently drinking small amounts of any type of alcoholic beverage might be good for health.</p>
<p>This idea was formalized into what is now known as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.07.710">J-shaped curve hypothesis</a>. Put simply, the J-shaped curve is a graphical representation of the apparent relationship between alcohol consumption and death or disease. According to this model, abstainers and heavy drinkers are at higher risk of certain conditions, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03780.x">such as heart disease</a>, compared to moderate drinkers, whose risk is lower.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustration of the J-shaped Curve." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580343/original/file-20240307-20-h2zkss.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The J-shape curve is a graphical representation of the apparent relationship between alcohol consumption and death or disease. According to this model, abstainers and heavy drinkers are at higher risk compared to moderate drinkers, whose risk is lower.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Current perspectives on moderate drinking</h2>
<p>People used to think that tobacco use was good for health, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025727300012333">historically describing it as a remedy for all disease</a>. As scientific understanding has advanced, however, tobacco use has been increasingly recognized as a <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/372043/9789240077164-eng.pdf?sequence=1">leading cause of preventable disease and death</a>.</p>
<p>Like tobacco, alcohol was once used in medicine and has since become recognized as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02123-7">major cause of preventable mortality and illness</a>. For instance, recent global estimates suggest <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30231-2">alcohol is responsible for 5.3 per cent of all deaths</a>. </p>
<p>Furthermore, in Canada, the revenue generated from selling alcohol does not come close to covering the damage it causes, leaving the government <a href="https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/cisur/assets/docs/cape/cape3/fed-results-en.pdf">$6.20 billion short every year</a>. However, much of these costs can be attributed to heavy drinking. </p>
<p>So where does this leave moderate drinkers? We recently set out to answer this question by analyzing data from over 4.8 million people from more than 100 studies, covering more than 40 years. </p>
<p>We found that many studies exaggerate the benefits of moderate drinking due to methodological flaws known as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13451">selection biases</a>. No matter if we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6185">analyzed the studies as one big group</a>, using statistical methods to try and lessen these mistakes, or if we <a href="https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.23-00283">separated the good studies from the not-so-good ones</a>, one thing was clear: moderate alcohol consumption does not appear to offer the health benefits once believed.</p>
<h2>Explaining the contradiction</h2>
<p>Selection biases represent data distortions caused by how research participants are selected. Such biases lead to unfair comparisons between groups, which skews analyses towards finding a J-shape curve. Essentially, it is like comparing two runners in a race, where one wears heavy boots and the other wears lightweight running shoes. Concluding that the second runner is more talented misses the point; it is not a fair comparison.</p>
<p>Here are five examples of selection bias in the context of the alcohol J-shaped curve which can accumulate as people age:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(88)92890-5">Poor health, less alcohol</a>. As health declines, especially in older age, people often reduce their alcohol consumption. Not distinguishing between those who cut back or quit for health reasons can falsely indicate that moderate drinking is healthier.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2013-202576">Unhealthy lifetime abstainers</a>. Comparing moderate drinkers with individuals who have never consumed alcohol due to chronic health issues may falsely attribute health advantages to alcohol consumption.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2005.01.011">Moderate in other ways.</a> Moderate drinkers often lead balanced lifestyles in other areas, too, which may contribute to their perceived better health. It is not just moderate drinking, but also their healthier overall opportunities and choices, such as better health-care access and self-care, that make them seem healthier.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/009145090403100304">Measurement error.</a> Assessing alcohol consumption over a short period of time, like a week or less, can lead to a misclassification of drinkers. Heavy drinkers who happened to not consume alcohol during the week of assessment would be incorrectly classified as abstainers, for example.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13709">Early alcohol-attributable deaths.</a> The inevitable exclusion of individuals who may have died from alcohol-related causes before a study of older people starts can result in a “healthy survivor” bias, overlooking the earlier detrimental effects of alcohol.</p></li>
</ol>
<h2>Continuing the conversation</h2>
<p>We should be skeptical of results suggesting that moderate drinking is healthy because selection biases can muddy the waters. For instance, multiple implausible J-shape curve relationships have been published, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.510230513">including between moderate drinking and liver disease</a>.</p>
<p>We are well aware that this news might not be what you were hoping to hear. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2024.2316681">It might even stir up feelings of unease or skepticism</a>. For many people, limited alcohol consumption <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-016-0058-4">is enjoyable</a>. However, it is not without risk and it is important for people to understand these risks to make informed decisions about their health.</p>
<p>The risks are reflected in the 2023 <a href="https://www.ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2023-05/CGAH-Drinking-Less-is-Better-en.pdf">Canadian Drinking Guidance</a>. The guidance attempts to “meet people where they are at,” suggesting that one to two drinks per week represent a low risk of harm, three to six drinks a week represent a moderate risk, and seven or more drinks a week represent an increasingly high risk. Ultimately, they enable people to make informed decisions that best suit their health and well-being.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222267/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s time to revisit the evidence for the health benefits of moderate drinking, and separate fact from wishful thinking. Can we confidently say, ‘Cheers to good health?’James M. Clay, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of VictoriaTim Stockwell, Scientist, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and Professor of Psychology, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255022024-03-18T18:09:02Z2024-03-18T18:09:02ZFloating crystals slow stellar aging — for some stars, this can delay death by billions of years<p>Imagine the embers of a campfire, slowly dimming over time. That is the fate most stars in the universe face. After their nuclear fuel is spent, 98 per cent of stars — including our sun — will eventually become white dwarfs. These small, dense remnants are thought to <a href="https://esahubble.org/wordbank/white-dwarf/">simply cool down</a>, becoming ever fainter as the universe ages.</p>
<p>In 2019, astronomers discovered <a href="https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab4989">a group of white dwarfs</a> that mysteriously stopped cooling. These “forever-young” stars remain at a near-constant surface temperature for at least eight billion years — an incredible length of time, considering the universe is <a href="https://www.space.com/24054-how-old-is-the-universe.html">13.8 billion years old</a>. </p>
<p>Something is fuelling these stars from within, but given that they had run out of their nuclear fuel source, scientists were unsure what could be keeping them shining so brightly. Our research, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07102-y">recently published in <em>Nature</em></a>, presents the solution to this conundrum.</p>
<p>Using information gathered by the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia">Gaia space observatory of the European Space Agency</a>, researchers discovered that some white dwarfs essentially stop cooling.</p>
<p>By studying how white dwarfs are distributed as a function of temperature (from hot to cold) <a href="https://sci.esa.int/web/gaia/-/61343-shedding-light-on-white-dwarfs-the-future-of-stars-like-our-sun">in the Gaia data</a>, astronomers noticed an accumulation of white dwarfs at intermediate temperatures. This indicates that some white dwarfs spend more time at these intermediate temperatures — eight billion years more than thought possible.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nkXR7bpmy7Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Interview with University of Victoria astrophysics researcher Simon Blouin.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Stellar crystals</h2>
<p>White dwarfs are weird. A mere teaspoon of material from their cores <a href="https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/W/white+dwarf">weighs several tonnes</a>. Under such extreme densities, matter can behave strangely. Even though the interiors of white dwarfs are millions of degrees hot, the density is high enough that they can freeze into a solid state. They form crystals out of the carbon, oxygen and other elements present in their interiors.</p>
<p>The formation of these crystals normally starts at the centre of the star, where density is highest. As the white dwarf cools down, more crystals are formed in successive layers until almost the whole star is completely solid.</p>
<p>However, this inside-out crystallization does not apply to all white dwarfs. We discovered that the heaviest elements present in white dwarfs are expelled from the crystals as they are formed, just as <a href="https://nsidc.org/learn/parts-cryosphere/sea-ice/science-sea-ice">salt is expelled from ice crystals</a> when seawater freezes.</p>
<p>The crystals become less dense than their surroundings, and float up like ice cubes in a glass of water. As the crystals do not stay in place, the core cannot simply freeze from the inside out.</p>
<p>The movements created by the floating crystals reshuffle the chemical layering inside the star. Gradually, the heaviest elements are transported toward the centre. This releases a steady flow of gravitational energy that keeps the star shining at a near-constant temperature for billions of years.</p>
<p>Floating crystals can pause the stellar aging process, providing a final energy source to otherwise dead stars.</p>
<h2>The exception or the rule?</h2>
<p>So far, this cooling pause has been conclusively identified only for a small fraction of the white dwarf population. The high masses and peculiar compositions of these anomalous white dwarfs suggest that they had quite violent histories. Most likely, they are the products of stellar mergers — events where two stars collide and combine.</p>
<p>But this may be just the tip of the iceberg. Based on our findings, we suspect that almost all white dwarfs, and not just the merged ones, experience some cooling pause during their evolution. However, this more universal cooling pause would be much shorter than the multi-billion-year interruption studied so far.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1719">Observations are ongoing</a> to try to identify this shorter cooling pause in the rest of the white dwarf population.</p>
<h2>Cosmic clocks</h2>
<p>These findings have implications for stellar archaeology. The cooler the white dwarf, the older it must be. Just as archeologists use carbon-14 dating to determine the age of artifacts and reconstruct the history of a city or civilization, astronomers rely on white dwarf cooling to measure the ages of stars and understand the history of our Milky Way galaxy.</p>
<p>Our discovery makes this more complicated. A white dwarf with a certain temperature could be billions of years older than initially assumed because of the formation of these floating crystals. The key now is to figure out which stars experience this cooling pause and which do not.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225502/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Blouin receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Floating crystals can pause the stellar aging process, providing a final energy source to otherwise dead stars.Simon Blouin, CITA National Postdoctoral Fellow, Astrophysics, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253442024-03-18T17:38:17Z2024-03-18T17:38:17ZDonor-advised funds: US regulators are scrambling to catch up with the boom in these charitable giving accounts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582340/original/file-20240316-18-84zsoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C817%2C4767%2C3172&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">DAFs more or less operate as a mini foundation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/golden-piggy-bank-and-golden-coins-3d-render-royalty-free-image/1484749250?adppopup=true">Wong Yu Liang/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/a-short-history-of-the-fast-and-furious-rise-of-dafs">revolution in charitable giving</a> is underway due to the growth of donor-advised funds in the United States.</p>
<p>Known widely as DAFs, these <a href="https://www.nptrust.org/what-is-a-donor-advised-fund/">financial accounts are designated for charitable giving</a>. Donors can get an immediate tax deduction by putting money or other assets into the accounts, and advise the accounts’ managers to give away the money at a later date.</p>
<p>After years of concerns about how quickly the money reserved for charity gets distributed and whether donor-advised funds need to operate more transparently, <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/14/2023-24982/taxes-on-taxable-distributions-from-donor-advised-funds-under-section-4966">proposed new federal regulations</a> are now pending. Though the regulations would not create new requirements for how rapidly these funds distribute money, they do provide some new guidelines for what <a href="https://www.nptrust.org/what-is-a-donor-advised-fund/grantmaking-rules/">uses for DAFs are allowed</a> by law.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://fisher.osu.edu/people/mittendorf.3">an accounting researcher</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/donor-advised-funds-charities-with-benefits-74516">who studies DAFs</a>, I believe these new changes may mark the start of what could become a series of reforms.</p>
<h2>Nearly $230 billion</h2>
<p>DAFs have been <a href="https://cof.org/sites/default/files/documents/files/DAF-timeline.pdf">around since the 1930s</a> but got off to a slow start. After decades of being concentrated in community foundations, DAFs became more widely accessible with the introduction of <a href="https://www.investmentnews.com/industry-news/news/fidelity-charitable-reveals-record-year-in-philanthropic-giving-249461">Fidelity Charitable</a> – a DAF-sponsoring organization tied to Fidelity Investments – in 1991.</p>
<p>Many more DAF sponsors <a href="https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2023/07/20/5b-in-giving-shows-rapid-rise-of-donor-advised-funds-schwab-charitable/">connected to investment companies</a> have since emerged. </p>
<p>Because donors <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/managing-wealth/080216/donoradvised-funds-benefits-and-drawbacks.asp">get tax breaks when they put money in them</a> and can then wait a long time before distributing it to nonprofits, DAFs essentially operate as <a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/should-congress-curb-donor-advised-funds">streamlined foundations</a>.</p>
<p>DAFs are not, however, subject to the same restrictions.</p>
<p>Foundations have to disclose their donors to the public and also have to distribute minimum amounts for charitable use each year. <a href="https://www.givedirectly.org/donor-advised-funds/">DAFs face</a> <a href="https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/behind-the-debate-examining-the-measures-of-daf-payout/">neither requirement</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/daf-grants-to-charities-totaled-52-billion-in-2022-report-finds">DAFs held nearly US$230 billion in assets by the end of 2022</a> and distributed some $52 billion to charities that year. Those are significant sums as giving of all kinds <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-charitable-donations-fell-to-499-billion-in-2022-as-stocks-slumped-and-inflation-surged-207688">totaled about $500 billion that year</a>.</p>
<p>As of 2023 there were about <a href="https://www.nptrust.org/reports/daf-report/">2 million donor-advised funds</a>, according to the National Philanthropic Trust.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Set of diverse hands and payment methods. Arms with cash, credit cards, banknotes, wallet, putting coins into piggy bank. Hand drawn vector illustration isolated on light background, flat cartoon style." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582341/original/file-20240316-22-v60hk0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are few DAF regulations in place, but that could soon change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/set-of-diverse-hands-and-payment-methods-royalty-free-illustration/1491990624?adppopup=true">Olena Zagoruyko/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>40% don’t distribute a dime</h2>
<p>Critics of DAFs say that the government should require them to <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/7/25/8891899/john-arnold-billionaire-criticism-donor-advised-funds-silicon-valley-philanthropic-loophole">regularly disburse at least some of their charitable funds</a>.</p>
<p>Foundations have faced that kind of obligation for more than five decades. They must pay out at least <a href="https://www.nptrust.org/donor-advised-funds/daf-vs-foundation/">5% of their assets</a> each year – although some of that money can be used to pay for their operations or even be set aside in a donor-advised fund.</p>
<p>Supporters of DAFs counter that the payout rate for those accounts is already much higher than the foundation floor of 5%. It <a href="https://www.givechariot.com/post/breaking-down-the-donor-advised-fund-market-in-2022">hovers around 20%</a>.</p>
<p>However, that statistic applies to all the money held in DAFs, not what happens with each one of them. <a href="https://johnsoncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DAFRC_Executive_Summary_Key_Findings.pdf">And almost 40% of them don’t distribute any money at all</a> in a given year. </p>
<h2>Calling for change</h2>
<p>Other changes have been proposed over the years, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://inequality.org/great-divide/private-foundations-dafs-2021/">Not letting foundations count money they put in a DAF</a> toward their annual 5% payout requirement.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/an-unlikely-event-the-israel-hamas-war-could-finally-spark-daf-reform">Introducing new disclosure requirements</a> because currently the public, the charity that gets money from a DAF and even the IRS have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/silent-donor-tim-sanders-daf-privacy-9e499583181ed0c8b7d6685fbea31ecb">no way of knowing</a> for sure who originally provided those funds.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/donor-advised-funds-let-wall-street-steer-charitable-donations/">Reining in</a> the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-wall-street-takeover-of-charity">commercial investment companies</a> that have been at the center of much of the growth in DAFs, by limiting the fees they can earn or <a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_problem_with_donor_advised_fundsand_a_solution">restricting the ties</a> between them and their affiliated charities.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>IRS regulations</h2>
<p>The IRS released <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/14/2023-24982/taxes-on-taxable-distributions-from-donor-advised-funds-under-section-4966">proposed new DAF regulations</a> at the end of 2023, and gave the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/IRS-2023-0053-0001/comment">public an opportunity comment</a> on them.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/proposed-irs-regulations-of-donor-advised-funds-fall-short-critics-say">proposed regulations</a> <a href="https://nonprofitlawblog.com/proposed-donor-advised-fund-regulations-what-is-a-donor-advised-fund/">would clarify what constitutes a DAF</a>, who is considered a fund’s adviser, and restrictions on DAF disbursements.</p>
<p>Though largely focused on definitions, these proposed regulations are not without teeth. Nor <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/proposed-irs-regulations-of-donor-advised-funds-fall-short-critics-say">have they been immune to controversy</a>.</p>
<p>The proposed regulations would identify certain distributions as taxable and declare that donors are not the only parties considered DAF advisers – the <a href="https://www.mcguirewoods.com/client-resources/alerts/2024/2/donor-advised-funds-proposed-regulations/">donors’ personal financial advisers</a> are, too. This means the financial advisers, like donors, cannot receive any benefits from a DAF.</p>
<p>In identifying taxable distributions, the regulations include the possibility that funds used to support <a href="https://www.taxnotes.com/research/federal/other-documents/public-comments-regulations/nonprofits-group-targets-trouble-spots-donor-advised-fund-regs/7j6vy#7j6vy-0000011">lobbying or activities tied to political campaigns</a> could lead to penalties for both the donor and the fund’s manager. And <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4744533">evidence suggests</a> DAFs are commonly used to support lobbying.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.mossadams.com/articles/2024/01/proposed-regulations-on-donor-advised-funds">tax would be levied on the DAF totaling 20% of the distribution and another 5%</a> charged to a participating fund manager.</p>
<p>By including <a href="https://www.investmentnews.com/regulation-and-legislation/news/industry-awaits-an-answer-on-proposed-donor-advised-fund-regulations-250293">a donor’s personal financial adviser</a> in the group considered advisers to the DAF, investment fees paid to such financial advisers for their services would become <a href="https://www.cadwalader.com/brass-tax/index.php?nid=79&eid=336">impermissible “excess benefit” transactions</a>. As such, the proposed new rules would require the <a href="https://www.mcguirewoods.com/client-resources/alerts/2024/2/donor-advised-funds-proposed-regulations/">repayment of their compensation plus a 25% penalty</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/roundtable-submits-comment-letter-on-proposed-rules-for-donor-advised-funds/">Some DAF proponents</a> have objected to the proposed regulations. A key concern they’ve expressed has to do with what the regulations could mean for <a href="https://www.sifma.org/resources/submissions/irs-proposed-rule-taxes-on-taxable-distributions-from-donor-advised-funds/">financial advisers</a>. </p>
<p>Since financial advisers often oversee investments of both the donor and the donor’s charitable funds, such dual advisory roles may be eliminated by the threat of penalties. </p>
<h2>Changes possible in Congress</h2>
<p>Additional, bigger, changes could occur in the near future through legislation.</p>
<p>Possibilities include requiring DAFs to disclose donors and connect them with distributions so <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/an-unlikely-event-the-israel-hamas-war-could-finally-spark-daf-reform">the public can follow the money</a> or <a href="https://acceleratecharitablegiving.org/reforms/">delaying tax benefits</a> when donations to DAFs are not immediately distributed to charities to encourage donors with DAFs to dispatch their gifts quickly.</p>
<p>Although legislation aimed at requiring faster payouts was <a href="https://nonprofitquarterly.org/do-donor-advised-funds-require-regulatory-attention/">first proposed in 2014</a>, few lawmakers have made it a priority.</p>
<p>The most recent bill, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/ace-act-legislation-would-significantly-affect-donor-advised-funds-2021-11-11/">Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act</a>, was first proposed by <a href="https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-grassley-introduce-legislation-to-ensure-charitable-donations-reach-working-charities">Sens. Angus King and Chuck Grassley</a> in 2021. It did not <a href="https://www.investmentnews.com/industry-news/news/daf-payout-bill-stalls-in-congress-229779">amass enough support</a> to garner a vote. At this point, it is <a href="https://inequality.org/research/donor-advised-fund-blocking-reform/">unclear whether the lawmakers will reintroduce</a> that measure.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://blog.candid.org/post/donor-advised-funds-daf-growth-popularity-in-philanthropy/">as DAFs play an ever larger</a> role in charitable giving, I believe that Congress will eventually have to take action if it wants to meaningfully regulate this new charitable environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225344/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Mittendorf does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Big changes would require an act of Congress but lawmakers have not stepped up. And there’s been pushback against new rules the IRS has proposed for these accounts reserved for giving.Brian Mittendorf, Professor of Accounting, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220942024-03-18T17:12:01Z2024-03-18T17:12:01ZThe hidden racist history of hair loss<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581618/original/file-20240313-24-vfq5r9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C28%2C4810%2C3168&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/image-bald-man-looking-half-head-1632693475">Chris Tefme/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hair loss is common in men and women, particularly with age – for example, androgenetic alopecia (or pattern baldness) affects <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-016-0629-5">80% of men and 40% of women</a>. For the most part, it can be physically inconsequential. </p>
<p>Yet, modern society has a distaste for hair loss. Look at how news stories have speculated about whether ten-year-old Prince George and his younger brother, Louis, will inherit their father’s <a href="https://london-post.co.uk/princes-louis-and-george-will-probably-go-bald-like-their-dad-says-hair-expert/#:%7E:text=expert%20%2D%20London%20Post-,Princes%20Louis%20and%20George%20will%20probably%20go,their%20Dad%2C%20says%20hair%20expert&text=Royal%20Princes%20George%20and%20Louis,hair%2C%20an%20expert%20has%20claimed.">“baldness genes”</a>. </p>
<p>The market in hair restoration procedures is projected to be worth <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4844574/hair-restoration-services-market-by-service-type">£10 billion</a> by 2026. You can even purchase wigs for babies that proclaim to make children up to three years old <a href="https://www.amazon.com/colorvay-Hairband-headband-Children-Accessories/dp/B0B7L5VRLF/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2NMdjCSLMFiYV1bKK8VQ7UPVtimQ6dBnry119SE6YhVlke3oxZdNd5-rjnptPXm23JOsa_ih9-1CIBgktuzPM6BX7GNp6iY6o8U6n-rla4l1FJKGQvCRLBIqTZH6wHwNpwmqRkl5PLdftMjZ6_W1gdLWb9FFyDcjSwf5AbY48jQlIO-cYtOsMCX61pUyEUTHe8xB0X_6yo4PDi17omp29aeBGq44dfl5cxhZS2w4-mbDLFf9-fyBCJ4-wx_2UaHPBJRGnZdA2VIA9YBEFG2uwcMvHNAEBmTK9JeVwH9GQWk.3I-M2F8KvztAuSAV6b2O49GNG_m6yl6uBI8RTQGRY9Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=baby+wig&qid=1708942972&sr=8-2">“more attractive”</a>. </p>
<p>It wasn’t always this way. In many cultures and periods of history, baldness has been revered, from ancient Egypt to the 18th century people of Issini (modern-day Ghana). Shaved and bald heads could represent purity, a rejection of superficiality, and be ritualised through daily shaving. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Fresco painting of a balding Jesus with a halo." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581644/original/file-20240313-22-eoaj97.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The fresco of a young, bald-headed Jesus in Cave Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Serbia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Celavi_isus.jpg">непознати/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bald heads have also been positively associated with divinity. Medieval and Christian art includes <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Celavi_isus.jpg">balding depictions of Jesus</a> and <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_Fouquet_-_Virgin_and_Child_Surrounded_by_Angels_-_WGA8039.jpg">Madonna</a>. Today, Buddhist monks, nuns and <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0738081X11002082">other political and religious groups</a> routinely shave their heads. </p>
<p>In the west in the 19th century, baldness also came to be celebrated. But rather than for religious reasons, it was for pseudoscientific ones that were tied in with harmful ideas about intelligence and race. It set a precedent for a Eurocentric bias in hair-loss research that continues to this day.</p>
<h2>Eugenicists and hair loss</h2>
<p>Ten years after Charles Darwin published his famous evolutionary thesis “On The Origin of Species” in 1859, his cousin Francis Galton extended it to suggest that some groups of humans were <a href="https://galton.org/books/hereditary-genius/text/pdf/galton-1869-genius-v5.pdf">more evolved than others</a>. Galton and others used any observable differences in humans, including variation in skin colour and hair, as “proof” of distinct human races, some of which were supposedly superior to others. </p>
<p>Black people in particular were pseudoscientifically classified as being differently haired and evolutionarily inferior to white people. Victorian <a href="http://archive.org/de.tails/9604111.nlm.nih.gov">eugenicists</a> regarded black people’s hair as animal fur, arguing they had been the same “blackskinned, woolly-headed animal[s] for the last 2,000 years”.</p>
<p>Related to eugenics was the pseudoscience of phrenology, which attempted to predict traits like personality and morality from physical characteristics. These included a person’s head shape, complexion and head hair amount. Phrenology, which has been thoroughly discredited, was used to uphold <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/phrenology-the-pseudoscience-of-skull-shapes">scientific racism</a>, the idea that race is biological and that some races are superior to others.</p>
<p>The Victorian writer Henry Frith wrote in his 1891 book, <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/How_to_Read_Character_in_Features_Forms/bHkAAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=physiognomy+and+baldness&pg=PA1&printsec=frontcover">How to Read Character in Features, Forms and Faces</a>: “The hairless men are the intellectual ones: their mental and bodily strength are both considerable … brain dominates matter in the bald”.</p>
<p>Such ideas were combined with the false belief in white men’s superiority and intelligence compared to other “hairier” races. Frith wrote: “White and, comparatively, hairless races hav[e] dominion in the world [over the] strong, wild, hairy races.” </p>
<p>American medical students <a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781582343945/Bald-Hairless-Heroes-Comic-Combovers-1582343942/plp">were taught</a> “that slaves, Indians, women and donkeys never go bald because of their small and undeveloped brains”. In 1902, medical doctor David Walsh <a href="https://archive.org/details/willan-72129">wrote</a> a book on hair diseases in which he stated: “Baldness is practically unknown among savages.”</p>
<p>Shockingly, such eugenicist logic remained unchallenged until the late 20th century. In 1966, the dermatologist <a href="https://cdn.bad.org.uk/uploads/2022/01/29200050/Dr-I-Martin-Scott.pdf">Ian Martin-Scott</a> concluded: “In coloured races baldness is a rarity and virtually unknown in many semi-civilised communities”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Illustration of Franz Joseph Gall, the founder of phrenology, measuring the head of a bald, elegantly dressed old lady; her pet poodle is entwined in her wig on a chair." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=670&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=670&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581629/original/file-20240313-28-xbar5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=670&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Phrenologists thought your skull shape determined your personality.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://wellcomecollection.org/works/vjrra36z/images?id=egmjuj96">Wellcome Collection</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Diversity in hair loss matters</h2>
<p>Today, such false beliefs are thankfully rare in science. However, as in many areas of medical research, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/12034754221099667">studies and clinical trials into hair loss</a> predominantly focus on white people, ignoring or excluding other racial groups.</p>
<p>Social psychologist Hannah Frith (no relation) and I <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2023.2242049">recently reviewed psychology studies</a> that collectively researched more than 10,000 balding men. We found almost all of the research participants were European or Asian, with just 1% from South America or Africa. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, dermatologists and other hair-loss practitioners continue to routinely study medical textbooks that only include images of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jdv.13028">white scalps and straight-textured hair</a>. </p>
<p>This is a problem because, as recent (and limited) research shows, hair loss is common in all racial and ethnic groups. A 2022 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2022.03.016">study</a> reviewed data from almost 200,000 UK men (aged 38-73). The researchers found 68% of white men reported hair loss compared to 64% of South Asian men and 59% of black men. (The relatively small differences are partially explained by the fact the white men in the study were older).</p>
<p>There are also forms of hair loss that are known to be more common in people of colour. For example, Asian women are more likely to have <a href="https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/alopecia-areata">alopecia areata</a>, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. </p>
<p>Black people are more likely to develop <a href="https://knowyourskin.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/condition/traction-alopecia/">traction alopecia</a>, a hair loss type related to constant pulling of the hair follicles including through tight hairstyles. This condition highlights the impact of a racist society on hair. </p>
<p>Specifically, black people may feel compelled to conceal their afro-textured hair (stereotyped as uncivilised) through weaves, braids and chemical relaxers. All of these practices can be physically damaging, including to the hair follicles. </p>
<p>Alopecia resources that are racially inclusive (by the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/cebd/resources/skin-of-colour/hair-scalp-disorders.aspx">Centre of Evidenced-based Dermatology</a>) help dermatologists make more realistic recommendations that situate people’s hair concerns within their societal and cultural contexts.</p>
<p>A better understanding of the racism of hair loss research is important. It reminds us that neither the texture, colour nor amount of hair a person has conveys anything meaningful about them, evolutionarily or otherwise.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222094/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Glen Jankowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Victorian eugenicists perpetuated the idea that only white men went bald because of their intelligence.Glen Jankowski, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2252482024-03-18T17:08:11Z2024-03-18T17:08:11ZBiden v Trump: winning suburbia is key to clinching the presidency in 2024<p>The fight for votes in the upcoming US presidential election is likely to be particularly focused on suburbia.</p>
<p>Historically, Republicans win most support in rural areas and Democrats have larger vote shares in cities. But the suburbs have long been a <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/news/release/blue-metros-red-states-americas-suburbs-and-new-battleground-presidential-politics">political battleground</a>. </p>
<p>Voters in these areas have swung in favour of candidates of both parties in <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voting-patterns-in-the-2022-elections/">recent elections</a>, making them a key target for political advertising in 2024. But there are a few key factors that could make the suburban vote slightly different this year. </p>
<p>Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden have recorded electoral successes in suburban areas in past elections. In 2016, Trump outperformed Hillary Clinton in the suburbs, if only by a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JKd0lNwopBqXpDglgvkrlqWgbTvsNNNSaWVtj-EkLJs/edit#gid=970549130">two-point margin</a> (47-45). Just two years into his presidency, however, voting behaviour in the suburbs shifted away from Trump’s Republican party. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JKd0lNwopBqXpDglgvkrlqWgbTvsNNNSaWVtj-EkLJs/edit#gid=970549130">2018 midterms</a>, Democrats won the support of 52% of suburban voters while Republicans only received 45% of the vote. Biden was able to build on this momentum in 2020, with 54% of suburban residents casting their vote for the Biden-Harris ticket while Trump fell short of his 2016 result, receiving only 44% of the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voting-patterns-in-the-2022-elections/">suburban vote in 2020</a>. </p>
<p>Under Biden, the midterms also saw slight shifts in voting behaviour in the suburbs. In the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voting-patterns-in-the-2022-elections/">2022 midterms</a>, Democrats received slightly less support in the suburbs than in 2020 and 2018, gaining just 50% of the vote. Republicans, on the other hand, recorded 48%, a slight upward trend from their 2018 and 2020 results in suburban counties. </p>
<p>Only 5% of 2018 Democratic voters <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voting-patterns-in-the-2022-elections/">swung Republican</a> in 2022 and only 4% of 2018 Republican voters switched to supporting Democratic candidates in 2022. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7bJF37d1Mcs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Suburban woman problem podcast.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Shifting political opinions may not be the only possible explanation for swing votes in suburban counties. According to data from Pew Research, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voting-patterns-in-the-2022-elections/">voter turnout</a> is a much larger issue for both parties, though more so for Democrats. </p>
<p>Among suburban voters who voted for Democratic candidates in 2018, 22% did not vote in the 2022 midterms. On the Republican side, 16% of 2018 suburban voters stayed home in 2022. </p>
<p>Another possible explanation for shifting voting patterns in the suburbs lies in who has moved there recently. The population of the large suburban counties has increased by 25% in the 21st century. </p>
<p>Overall, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/07/29/prior-to-covid-19-urban-core-counties-in-the-u-s-were-gaining-vitality-on-key-measures/">population growth</a> in the suburbs has been above the national average. And since 2000, the US population has been increasingly concentrated in the 52 largest metropolitan areas, and particularly their suburban counties. </p>
<h2>Who will win Haley’s supporters?</h2>
<p>People living in the suburbs are now more likely, than in previous decades, to be <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/lbc/educational-attainment-rural?tid=1000">college-educated</a>, a demographic group that has been more likely to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/demographic-profiles-of-republican-and-democratic-voters/">vote for Democratic candidates</a> and hold <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/04/26/a-wider-ideological-gap-between-more-and-less-educated-adults/">more liberal political views</a>. </p>
<p>Interestingly, it was this demographic group, college-educated voters, who made up a large share of <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/06/haley-trump-weakness-00145472">Nikki Haley’s supporters</a> during her Republican primary campaign. Many Republican women who backed Trump in 2016 and 2020 <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-02-18/south-carolina-suburban-women-see-haley-as-hope-for-republican-party">shifted to Haley</a> in the 2024 primaries – arguing that Haley would be able to unify the party and bring about change while Trump could not deliver on either of those issues.</p>
<hr>
<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/state-of-the-union-biden-hits-back-at-critics-as-he-warns-of-threats-to-democracy-at-home-and-overseas-224913">State of the Union: Biden hits back at critics as he warns of threats to democracy at home and overseas</a>
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<p>And while Trump outperformed Haley in most demographic groups throughout the primaries, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-02-18/south-carolina-suburban-women-see-haley-as-hope-for-republican-party">college-educated women</a> were the exception. As Trump and Biden compete for Haley’s voting bloc now, the place to find these voters may just be in the suburbs. And this is where <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/lbc/educational-attainment-rural?tid=1000">college-educated residents</a> now make up the largest share of the population.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581740/original/file-20240313-24-tastza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">YouGov</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Both candidates could face difficulties in suburbia, though. Throughout the primaries, gaining support from suburban voters has been one of Trump’s key weaknesses. </p>
<p>Currently, Biden is doing slightly better with the key suburban demographic groups than Trump. Among college-educated adults, Biden has a <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/trackers/joe-biden-favorability?crossBreak=collegegrad">favorability rating</a> of 46.6%, while Trump only records a 39.7% <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/trackers/donald-trump-favorability?crossBreak=collegegrad">favorability rating</a> (where people rank their feelings towards a politician as positive or negative). </p>
<p>However, the president may not do as well in smaller suburban counties where the population is less likely to be college-educated. Current polling shows that <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/trackers/donald-trump-favorability?crossBreak=hsorless">Trump</a> does much better among people with education qualifications up to a high school diploma (56.7% favorability rating) than <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/trackers/joe-biden-favorability?crossBreak=hsorless">Biden</a> (36%). </p>
<h2>Trump’s suburban woman problem</h2>
<p>However, Trump has not been doing as well in the suburbs during the primaries as <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/168f3c5a-4f70-49af-a406-7b5972b2ae50">pollsters</a> had predicted. This has raised questions about the accuracy of polls and potential biases or blind spots. </p>
<p>Moving populations and changing demographics are also a potential explanation. There are other issues at stake in 2024 that may cause shifts in electoral behaviour and which could mean these voters are not wiling to reveal their intentions to pollsters. </p>
<p>One example of this is the issue of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/13/abortion-republican-voters-presidential-election">abortion rights</a>. While some <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/politics/donald-trump-primary-wins.html#:%7E:text=His%20overwhelming%20primary%20victories%2C%20including,.%20Biden%20Jr.%20in%202020.">conservative voters</a> have disclosed that they were supportive of abortion rights and were therefore not voting for Trump, there may be a significant number of women, particularly in more conservative neighbourhoods and states, who may be hesitant to disclose such shifts in voting intentions. </p>
<p>Haley did well among suburban women, particularly those who had <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-02-18/south-carolina-suburban-women-see-haley-as-hope-for-republican-party">concerns</a> about Trump’s policies on family and health, wanted more focus on the economy and were not happy with the nastiness of the Trump campaign. </p>
<p>If the key to the White House is winning over Haley’s voters, as has been widely suggested since her exit from the race, this voting group may just be what Biden needs, a detail that has not gone unnoticed by his <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-courts-haley-supporters-after-exit-board/story?id=107846566">campaign</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225248/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Caroline Leicht does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are more college-educated people living in the US suburbs than there used to be, and this may be an important factor in how the vote splits.Caroline Leicht, PhD Candidate in Politics, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255492024-03-18T17:08:09Z2024-03-18T17:08:09ZOil firms want to drill in four of the UK’s areas of outstanding natural beauty<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582197/original/file-20240315-16-bbee8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=442%2C538%2C4138%2C2161&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There's oil under them thar Lincolnshire Wolds.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lincolnshire-wolds-summer-1163149636">Gill Kennett</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Think of onshore oil fields and images of oil derricks and “nodding donkeys” may spring to mind, perhaps in Texas or the Middle East. So it might come as a surprise to learn that the UK has its own onshore oil fields, mostly scattered across the east Midlands and southern England. Wytch Farm, on the south coast, is the largest onshore oil field in western Europe.</p>
<p>The industry is now looking at the UK with renewed vigour. Reserves that were previously considered too expensive or hard to reach have been made accessible thanks to higher oil prices and breakthroughs in <a href="https://www.oil-gasportal.com/drilling/new-technologies-innovations/">technologies like fracking and horizontal drilling</a>. </p>
<p>There are plans for new drilling at 15 locations across England, with a Friends of the Earth investigation showing <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/fossil-fuel-map-where-are-onshore-extraction-sites-england-and-wales?utm_source=media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=energy&utm_content=FY2324-08_guardian-link-for-fossil-fuels-map">four of these sites</a> are situated within officially designated areas of outstanding natural beauty.</p>
<p>One of these sites is near the village of Biscathorpe in the picturesque Lincolnshire Wolds, where an oil company wants planning permission to start drilling. Following an initial rejection by the local council in 2021, a planning inspector’s investigation prompted by the UK government led to the refusal being overturned in November 2023. </p>
<p>This reignited intense local debate, and campaigners recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/04/campaigners-get-go-ahead-to-challenge-plans-for-oilfiield-in-lincolnshire-wolds">obtained a judicial review</a> from the high court, to be heard later in the year.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Map of England and Wales showing oil wells in southern England and east Midlands" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582200/original/file-20240315-16-ipi9i3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Onshore oil and gas in England. Operating wells are marked in blue, proposed new activity is red. National parks and areas of outstanding national beauty are shaded in green.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/fossil-fuel-map-where-are-onshore-extraction-sites-england-and-wales?utm_source=media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=energy&utm_content=FY2324-08_guardian-link-for-fossil-fuels-map">Friends of the Earth (Data: BGS/OS/NSTA)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The sums add up – but the alternatives are better</h2>
<p>Precise extraction rates are difficult to predict for the Biscathorpe site and will vary throughout the lifetime of the well. Comparing with <a href="https://drillordrop.com/2024/03/04/uk-onshore-oil-and-gas-production-in-charts-december-2023/">existing nearby sites</a>, Biscathorpe might provide an average of around 600 barrels per day over its first 15 years at a cost of a competitive US$18 (£14) per barrel – starkly lower than the <a href="https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/North-Sea-Oil-Faces-Crisis.html">US$30-US$50</a> (£24–£39) associated with North Sea oil fields. </p>
<p>Oil is currently priced at around US$80 per barrel. Although a large share of revenue would go to the state, the site’s backers might make around US$8 (£6) profit per barrel or around £2.5 million per year. With the oil company seeking planning permission for 15 years of extraction, the economic motivation is obvious.</p>
<p>National energy security was given as the main reason for the planning inspector to overturn the local council’s initial refusal. Yet the site’s potential oil yield, while economically tempting at the local scale, pales in comparison to the UK’s daily oil consumption of <a href="https://www.energyinst.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1055542/EI_Stat_Review_PDF_single_3.pdf">1.3 million barrels</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Onshore wind farm at sunset" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582203/original/file-20240315-20-1qt3w9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Conisholme wind farm is about 12 miles from the proposed Lincolnshire oil well. It was built in the late 2000s, when the UK was still building wind farms onshore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sunset-conisholme-wind-farm-lincolnshire-692882863">John-Kelly/shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>For comparison, a modern onshore wind farm with 14 turbines could generate the same amount of energy as those 600 barrels of oil per day, assuming the oil is refined for petrol vehicles and the wind energy powers electric vehicles. The contrast is even more significant when comparing heating. Just 10 wind turbines could heat as many homes as 600 barrels of oil per day (when comparing oil boilers to homes heated by modern air-source heat pumps).</p>
<p>Sustainable energy technology is still improving fast. Ten years ago we would have required around 19 wind turbines for the transport comparison and 16 for the heating comparison. Oil isn’t going to make similar efficiency improvements any time soon.</p>
<h2>Focus on wind not oil</h2>
<p>This makes the search for onshore oil harder to justify when the country is trying to reduce its carbon emissions to net zero. The UK has plenty of wind. And, unlike some onshore oil reserves, that wind isn’t intrinsically tied to any particular areas of natural beauty. Yet <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/15/zero-plans-for-public-onshore-windfarms-submitted-last-year-in-england">very few</a> onshore wind farms have been built over the past decade, even despite planning regulations being relaxed in 2020.</p>
<p>It’s evident that just as local planning and regulation play a crucial role in safeguarding cherished nature spots, our broader energy policy must equally prioritise the protection of our planet. This dual focus on local conservation and global environmental health is crucial for mitigating the worst impacts of climate change. </p>
<p>Rather than extracting limited onshore oil reserves, the UK’s energy security would be much better served by installing more wind and solar power. Diversifying energy sources through renewables would reduce the reliance on volatile oil markets and mitigates the risk of further conflicts like Russia-Ukraine, leading to more stable energy prices. The UK could also position itself as a leader in clean energy technologies, just as it was once a leader in oil & gas technology. </p>
<p>In light of the latest budget announcements, which were widely criticised for their <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/07/budget-fell-far-short-on-uk-green-investment-experts-say">lack of substantial green measures</a>, the UK stands at a crossroads. The choice is between continuing down a path that risks natural heritage and global environmental health or one that embraces renewable energy and sustainable development. The preservation of areas of natural beauty and the broader fight against climate change demand decisive action and visionary policy making.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225549/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tom Rogers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Higher oil prices and better drilling technologies haveTom Rogers, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Energy Engineering, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247742024-03-18T17:08:07Z2024-03-18T17:08:07ZWhat your hair can tell you about your health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579862/original/file-20240305-20-96aic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C4684%2C3130&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Genetics, hormones and age can all affect our hair growth.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/damaged-hair-frustrated-asian-young-woman-2403657911">Kmpzzz/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hair speaks volumes. The way we cut, style and colour often acts as a representation of who we are.</p>
<p>But hair is more than just aesthetic. It also has many important functions – preventing heat loss from the skin for instance, or (in the case of our eyebrows) stopping sweat dripping into the eyes. </p>
<p>Hair can be a reflection of what’s going on inside our body, too. Many diseases can alter the quality and appearance of our hair. Paying attention to the way it looks can give us clues to the state of our health. </p>
<h2>The hair cycle</h2>
<p>Some of the tiniest organs in our bodies are the follicles which produce and nourish hairs. Hair can only grow where follicles exist. </p>
<p>Hair growth is a complex process. Each tiny follicle goes through different <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1064740618300270?via%3Dihub">cyclical stages</a>. The first is the stage of active hair growth (the “anogen” phase), before growth is arrested (the “catagen” phase). This then progresses to the stage when the hair is lost or shed from the follicle (the “telogen” phase). </p>
<p>Many factors – from our genetics to our hormones to our age – can affect these follicles and their growth.</p>
<h2>Excess hair growth</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534854/#:%7E:text=Introduction-,Hypertrichosis%20is%20defined%20as%20excessive%20hair%20growth%20anywhere%20on%20the,%5D%5B2%5D%5B3%5D">Hypertrichosis</a> is a condition where hair grows in excess all over the body. In most cases, this is a reaction to starting a new medication, such as phenytoin, which is used to treat epilepsy. But it may also be caused by diseases, such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738081X23000329?via%3Dihub">anorexia</a> and HIV. </p>
<p>Some conditions also cause hair to grow in places where it shouldn’t. In newborn babies, tufts of hair near the base of the spine may indicate <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10657727/pdf/cureus-0015-00000047396.pdf">spina bifida occulta</a>. This occurs when the lower vertebrae of the spine haven’t formed properly, leaving the delicate spinal cord covered only by skin. </p>
<p>The hows and whys of these conditions and their ability to trigger hypertrichosis remain poorly understood.</p>
<p>Hirsutism is another condition where hair grows excessively, but in a typically male pattern – on the face, lips, chest and arms. This is driven by androgen hormones, namely testosterone, which in high levels promotes hair growth in these regions. This may be observed in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27510481/">polycystic ovary syndrome</a>.</p>
<h2>Hair loss</h2>
<p>Hair may also start to fall out in abnormal amounts, making it thinner or absent in certain body regions. The medical term for hair loss is <a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/alopecia-areata/">alopecia</a> and may either be localised or widespread. <a href="https://www.pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidance/alopecia-an-overview">Causes of alopecia</a> are manifold and include fungal infections, iron-deficiency anaemia, low thyroid hormone levels and use of medications (including chemotherapy). </p>
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<img alt="A man with hair loss." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Male pattern baldness begins in the mid-20s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/caucasian-man-hair-loss-problem-2335225091">ANDRANIK HAKOBYAN/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Age, gender and genetics are also to blame. <a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/male-pattern-hair-loss-male-androgenetic-alopecia/">Male pattern baldness</a>, occurs at the hairline and the crown of the head. It’s influenced by the hormone testosterone, which shortens the growth phase of hairs and makes them finer. Most men with male pattern baldness will begin to observe hair loss by the age of 20-25. </p>
<p><a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/female-pattern-hair-loss-female-androgenetic-alopecia/">Female pattern baldness</a>, on the other hand, usually affects the front hairline first and causes thinning rather than complete loss. The role of testosterone is more debatable in women, but a hormonal cause is implicated since thinning is more common around and after the menopause. </p>
<p>Hair loss may also arise as a result of hair pulling. Styling hair tightly can cause <a href="https://knowyourskin.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/condition/traction-alopecia/#:%7E:text=Traction%20Alopecia%20is%20a%20type,pulled%20repeatedly%20by%20tight%20hairstyles.">traction</a> on the follicle and loss of hair integrity. Some people may also pull or pluck their hairs out of habit. This is called <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/trichotillomania/">trichotillomania</a>.</p>
<h2>Treating hair problems</h2>
<p>Helping hair to regrow could be as simple as treating the underlying condition causing it. Another treatment to consider is the medication <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31496654/">minoxidil</a> – the active ingredient of Rogaine. It was initially developed as a treatment for high blood pressure, but was observed to also promote hair growth. This may be through a direct effect on hair follicles, or by improving blood flow to the scalp. These uncertainties may explain why some patients see good improvement, and others not. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962221009014?via%3Dihub">Hair transplants</a> are also a possibility, relocating crops of hairs to bald patches. There are two ways of performing them – you can either relocate multiple small “punched-out” grafts, or a larger strip of skin. The grafts are taken from hairy skin on the patient’s own body – this is an example of an autograft.</p>
<p>Sometimes the presence of hair in visible areas is not desirable, and there are certain treatments available to stop excessive growth. Aside from traditional hair removal methods, the contraceptive pill and other medications that <a href="https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/0801/p168.html">regulate hormonal influence</a> on hair (such as finasteride), can be considered in cases where a hormonal condition is the cause (such as PCOS). </p>
<h2>Test your own hair</h2>
<p>In order to get a better sense of your hair’s health you can perform a simple test at home yourself, known as a <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/cme/principles/examination-of-hair-and-scalp">hair pull</a>. </p>
<p>Select a group of between 30-50 hairs (a small clump) and run your fingers from the base of the hairs at the scalp, up to the ends. You don’t need to pull hard – gentle traction is all that’s needed to dislodge a shedding hair. Look to see how many you’ve pulled out. </p>
<p>It’s normally only one or two hairs that will come out with one pull – but this can vary between people. Greater than ten hairs and your scalp is likely to be shedding more hairs than normal. This could be suggestive of alopecia – though having a dermatologist perform a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31479564">more detailed inspection</a> may help you know if your hair loss indicates a more serious problem.</p>
<p>Changes in your hair may not simply be a case of age or how you’ve been styling it. There are many patterns of hair growth and loss to be aware of. Take heed of any differences noticed by you, or your hairdresser.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many diseases can alter the quality and appearance of your hair.Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259152024-03-18T17:08:04Z2024-03-18T17:08:04ZGaza conflict: Washington’s patience is wearing thin over the lack of leadership from both Israel and Palestine<p>The US senate majority leader Chuck Schumer – a Democrat and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/us/politics/schumer-netanyahu-israel-elections.html">highest-ranking Jewish official</a> in US history – has called for the removal of both Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, seeing both as representing the politics of the past. </p>
<p>In an incendiary intervention, Schumer – a longtime and stalwart supporter of Israel – <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-03-14/ty-article/.premium/senate-majority-leader-calls-for-new-elections-in-israel/0000018e-3d65-d67c-a18e-ff6d1f4a0000">told the Senate</a> that the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is testing US patience and that the lack of vision by both current Israeli and Palestinian leaders for the future beyond the war is also at variance with US policy.</p>
<p>Of the Israeli prime minister, he said: “Nobody expects Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, to preserve his credibility on the world stage, to work to a two-state solution.” </p>
<p>Turning to Netanyahu’s counterpart in Ramallah, Schumer was equally forthright: “For there to be any hope of peace in the future, Abbas must step down and be replaced by a new generation of Palestinian leaders who will work towards attaining peace with a Jewish state.”</p>
<p>Reflecting on his fellow Democrat’s comments, US president Joe Biden said Schumer had made <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/15/schumer-netanyahu-speech-biden-reaction">“a good speech”</a>, adding that: “I think he expressed a serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans.”</p>
<p>Schumer’s speech came at the end of a week where Israeli and Palestinian politics showed how far away they are from the kind of change that Schumer rightly says is necessary.</p>
<p>Shifting factional politics has made Netanyahu’s position more secure. On March 12, Gideon Saar – a key powerbroker in the ruling coalition and an ally of Netanyahu’s biggest rival Benny Gantz – announced he was <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-statesmanlike-right-why-gideon-saar-has-decamped-gantzs-national-unity-party/">pulling out of his alliance with Gantz</a> and demanded that Netanyahu appoint him to the war cabinet. This has weakened Gantz while strengthening Netanyahu’s position. </p>
<p>The last opinion poll taken before Saar’s announcement showed Gantz with a <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-finds-44-of-israelis-prefer-trump-over-biden-as-next-us-president/">12-point lead over Netanyahu</a> and the opposition winning 74 seats out of the 120 Knesset seat if there were an election. But, with Saar’s change of allegiance, an election that could bring about the change that Schumer wants to see now appears further away.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in Ramallah, the Palestinian president called on Muhammad Mustafa, a close associate, <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-14/ty-article/.premium/pa-president-abbas-to-ask-mohammad-mustafa-to-form-new-palestinian-government/0000018e-3cac-d30d-a7de-7cbf89b70000">to be prime minister</a> after the resignation of Mohammad Shtayyeh in February. </p>
<p>Washington had expressed the hope that Abbas would reach outside his circle and appoint a fresh face, maybe choosing a candidate from the next generation that could project the hope of a revitalised Palestinian Authority (PA). While Mustafa is two decades younger than Abbas, at 69 he hardly qualifies as someone who can relate to a Palestinian population with a median age is <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2023-11-14/population-religion-and-poverty-the-demographics-of-israel-and-gaza#">21.9 years</a>.</p>
<p>Schumer’s frustration with the regional politics reflects a long-held view in Washington. Many US presidents have found Benjamin Netanyahu difficult to deal with, going back to Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Even Donald Trump had problems with Netanyahu, as the then US president’s <a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/deal-of-the-century-what-is-it-and-why-now/">“deal of the century”</a> provided for a Palestinian state – small and weak though it would have been.</p>
<h2>Testing US support</h2>
<p>The Biden administration had thought that its solidarity with Israel after the October 7 atrocities would at least give it some influence over Israel’s response. </p>
<p>It has provided significant financial and human resources to Israel over the past five months. It has been resupplying much-needed military equipment while providing a diplomatic safety net through its veto at the UN security council. </p>
<p>This has been backed by the assiduous efforts of US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to achieve a ceasefire and the return of the Israeli hostages. But Washington has watched in horror as its ally flattened Gaza and exacted a terrible civilian death toll.</p>
<p>Schumer is right when he says that Netanyahu’s alliance with Israel’s far-right is driving the country towards pariah status. The Gaza tragedy is accompanied by a <a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-occupied-west-bank-since-october-7-movement-restrictions-and-collective-punishment/">vicious conflict in the occupied West Bank</a>, which has seen a rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths as a result of both IDF action and settler violence. All of this is aimed at undermining any moves towards reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians and a two-state solution.</p>
<p>Abbas succeeded Yasser Arafat as the president of the PA on Arafat’s death in 2004. He won the election in 2005 but has not held elections since. His administration lacks legitimacy and is widely seen as corrupt. </p>
<p>The combination of inefficiency and corruption of the PA and the continuing inhumanities of more than five decades of Israeli occupation alienates many Palestinians from any idea of peaceful coexistence with Israel and increases the attractiveness of extremist views. Schumer is right that there are extremists on both sides who want the destruction of the other,</p>
<p>But the US administration and leaders like Schumer are unable to change the politics of either Israel or Palestine, all they can do is call for new leaders. </p>
<p>Indeed, some might argue that all this noise about replacing leaders of other countries not only smacks of colonialism but could have the opposite effect. Netanyahu and Abbas – who are both beleaguered at home – might find it useful to have a foreign adversary as a foil to shore up domestic support. Both will pose as defenders of the nation. </p>
<p>With conflict resolution, the challenge is to bring together leaders who are often deeply flawed and who advance reprehensible policies. If they weren’t so flawed and unable to see the other side’s point there would not be a conflict. Schumer has shone a light on the extremist politics in both Israel and Palestine. The political developments in both countries this week make the vision of a peaceful future look more difficult. </p>
<p>And that’s why the US and the international community need to rise to the challenge. Less rhetoric and more practical peacebuilding would be a good start.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225915/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Strawson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>But there is little sign that either side is listening.John Strawson, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of East LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2236982024-03-18T17:08:03Z2024-03-18T17:08:03ZThe UK government is using private tech companies to deliver public funds to asylum seekers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580124/original/file-20240306-26-4saaqo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Asylum seekers are brought ashore after being rescued at sea by Border Force in Dover, Kent, in September 2022. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dover-kent-uk-22nd-september-2022-2205152061">Sean Aidan Calderbank|Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-counts-as-a-refugee-four-questions-to-understand-current-migration-debates-219735">asylum seekers</a> arrive in the UK, they are not eligible for benefits. Those who do not have anywhere else to live are provided with government-funded housing. Those who are not able to <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64edefc56bc96d000d4ed1ef/Assessing_destitution.pdf">meet essential needs</a> can access basic Home Office funds to cover food, clothing and toiletries. </p>
<p>The sums in question are paltry. As of December 2023, asylum seekers housed in self-catering facilities are given <a href="https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get">£49.18</a> per week, per person. Those housed in hotels get £8.86. </p>
<p>Private tech companies are increasingly encroaching on the delivery of public funds to vulnerable people. These are distributed via a prepayment system called the Asylum Support Enablement (Aspen) card, provided by Prepaid Financial Services (PFS, a subsidiary of EML Payments Ltd).</p>
<p>This is the same technology used by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ refugee cash assistance programme in Greece. Research there has shown that it restricts asylum seekers’ mobility and constrains <a href="https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/26694/1/IPS-Tazzioli.pdf">what they can purchase</a>. </p>
<p>We have found similar patterns in the UK. Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2024.2312249">recent study</a> shows this technology isolates asylum seekers from networks of financial support, compounding their already precarious financial situation. It also restricts their consumption habits, and enables the government to collect their personal purchasing data. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Protestors hold up posters." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580123/original/file-20240306-20-jly07k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Restrictive payment systems are part of how the hostile environment is created.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/morton-halllincolnshireuk-january-20th-2018-eighty-1277329108">Ian Francis|Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A restrictive system</h2>
<p>Over the spring and summer of 2021, we analysed policy papers, legal reports, web pages and <a href="https://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/4788/uk-home-office-finally-responds-our-questions-about-surveillance-aspen-card-users">government Freedom of Information Act correspondence</a> related to the Aspen card.</p>
<p>We also undertook qualitative interviews and focus groups with 21 participants (all anonymised in our paper, and all based in <a href="https://migrationscotland.org.uk/policyarea/asylum-dispersal/">Glasgow</a>). These included asylum seekers who were Aspen cardholders, refugees who had used such cards in the past, and NGO staff who supported asylum seekers. We also interviewed staff at PFS.</p>
<p>As a funds management system, the Aspen card is highly restrictive. You can only use it to buy <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8bf2a9e5274a2e87dc4057/section-4_1_-handling-transitional-cases-v1.0ext.pdf">food and other essential items</a>, mainly from the supermarkets that will accept it. Only asylum seekers whose asylum application is pending can use it to withdraw cash.</p>
<p>The card cannot be used for internet shopping. At the time of our study in 2021, it could be used for contactless payments, but that is no longer the case. Friends or family cannot add money to it and you cannot transfer money to other accounts from it. </p>
<p>Our interviewees told us it often does not work in independent shops including charity shops, cheap clothing stores, halal butchers and African food stores. As a result, they said that in Glasgow, asylum seekers often struggle to buy the warm clothing needed to manage the cold Scottish climate. They also find it difficult to access foods that suit their cultural and religious needs. </p>
<p>The Aspen card is fluorescent orange, which makes its users highly visible in public spaces – potentially exposing them to abuse. Further, in enabling the surveillance of people’s purchasing habits, the card breaches asylum seekers’ right to privacy. Our interviewees told us it makes them afraid of how their patterns of consumption might affect their right to asylum. </p>
<h2>A highly unreliable system</h2>
<p>Above all, the card often does not work. Our interviewees told us about people suddenly being left unable to withdraw money, sometimes for months at a time. As one asylum seeker explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The first time it happened, I went to the machine on Monday to withdraw the money, and it was telling me I had £70-something in there – but zero balance to withdraw. And I was like … I just got here, I’ve not even used the card! How is it possible that I don’t have any money to withdraw?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Home Office has contracted organisations including the charity Migrant Help and housing management company Mears to support asylum seekers with such problems. However, more often that not, they are being left to deal with these issues alone. Another asylum seeker explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>For close to eight months, I was not receiving the complete money. But I don’t have anywhere to go, because even if you call Migrant Help or you phone Mears or the Home Office, they will not give a response to you. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Of the 16 asylum seekers we spoke with, 13 had experienced a malfunctioning card, as had their friends. The stress of relying on such an unpredictable system only compounds the extremely low level of support these people have access to in the first place.</p>
<p>At the time of our research in 2021, the UK government was giving asylum seekers around £35 per week, per person. While this has since <a href="https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get">increased to £49.18</a>, such severely limited funds make it practically impossible for people to fully cover their needs, let alone save any money. </p>
<p>When a card stops working, asylum seekers are left completely destitute. Mothers are unable to buy food, nappies or toiletries. One person with a young toddler was left for five weeks without income. When their housing officer eventually told them that emergency support would be granted, they were given just over an hour to collect it. </p>
<p>When questioned about these findings, Mears referred The Conversation to the Home Office. A spokesperson for Migrant Help said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>In instances of challenges with Aspen cards, we facilitate raising the issue to the attention of the payment provider, and strive to offer guidance and assistance. However, it’s crucial to note that we can’t resolve issues of this nature, as that is the responsibility of the payment provider contracted by the Home Office.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A Home Office spokesperson said: “We take the welfare of all asylum seekers very seriously, which is why we provide a weekly allowance to those who would otherwise be destitute through our Aspen card system. There are no restrictions on asylum seekers using the monetary provision to make purchases from retail outlets or withdraw cash from an ATM to buy food.”</p>
<p>The government says it records people’s use of the Aspen card, and may investigate if there are safeguarding concerns or potential breaches of the conditions of support to which the recipients have agreed (to prevent fraud). </p>
<p>Despite this, many of the interviewees we spoke with were unaware of the terms and conditions applicable to use of this card. Furthermore, precisely because they are destitute, asylum seekers have no choice but to accept whatever terms and conditions those might be. </p>
<h2>A tool of surveillance and control</h2>
<p>Prior to contracting PFS, the Home Office had reportedly <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/digitaliberties/big-brother-says-no-surveillance-and-income-management-of-asylum-seekers-through-the-uk-aspen-card/">spent around £84 million</a> on the previous card system, supplied by Sodexo. We estimate that between January <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-spending-over-25000-2020">2020</a> and December <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-spending-over-25000-2021">2021</a>, it then spent over £198 million on the PFS system. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-spending-over-25000-2020">Home Office spending data</a> shows most of this expenditure was attributed to an item labelled “cash support”. Although not explicitly stated, this is likely to refer to the emergency cash support given to asylum seekers when their Aspen card is not working. The documents show that instances of this charge spiked following the contract handover to PFS, which saw <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/02/thousands-of-asylum-seekers-go-hungry-after-cash-card-problems">thousands of asylum seekers</a> left without financial support.</p>
<p>This is concerning, not least because PFS is a preferred supplier for prepaid cards across UK government departments until at least 2025. PFS currently has <a href="https://prepaidfinancialservices.com/en/councils">agreements with</a> around 121 local councils and NHS clinical commissioning groups. It also has an agreement with <a href="https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6248">Crown Commercial Services</a> – the largest <a href="https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/about-ccs">public procurement organisation</a> in the UK. (EML Payments Ltd was approached for comment regarding PFS, its subsidiary, but did not respond.)</p>
<p>Through its collection of purchasing data and constraining rules, the Aspen card serves as a tool of surveillance and control – a means through which the UK government’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/hostile-environment-the-uk-governments-draconian-immigration-policy-explained-95460">“hostile environment”</a> is potentially achieved. This raises questions about the role of financial technology companies in shaping punitive digital welfare practices across the UK.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223698/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sophie Bennani-Taylor receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nasar Meer receives funding from the British Academy, UKRI, ESRC, RSE and JPI Urban Europe. </span></em></p>Private tech companies are increasingly being used to delivery public funds to vulnerable people – and facilitate the government’s hostile environment policies.Sophie Bennani-Taylor, Doctoral Researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of OxfordNasar Meer, Professor in Social and Political Sciences, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2257482024-03-18T16:52:03Z2024-03-18T16:52:03ZVladimir Putin’s gold strategy explains why sanctions against Russia have failed<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-economy-1.7141305">There are more than 16,000 sanctions imposed against Russia</a>. Yet the Russian economy and war machine grew by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-gdp-boost-military-spending-belies-wider-economic-woes-2024-02-07/">3.6 per cent in 2023 and is projected to grow another 2.6 per cent in 2024</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/90753">Nearly six per cent of Russia’s gross domestic product goes towards military spending</a>. At a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scrambling to acquire arms, funds and recruits, Vladimir Putin seems <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/putin-s-confidence-heading-2024">confident in his ambitions for the future</a>.</p>
<p>How have <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-sanctions-economy-1.7141305">16,000 strategic sanctions issued by some of the most powerful economies in the world</a> failed to derail Putin? </p>
<p>As I recently watched the news break on CBC about Russia’s robust economy, an advertisement from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZRGt5Mj4tU">the World Gold Council</a> popped onto the screen. And there was the answer, hiding in plain sight: Gold.</p>
<h2>The role of gold</h2>
<p>Sanctions against Russia needed to be strategic, targeting the environment it operates in.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/smart-sanctions-for-a-stupid-war-the-west-finally-gets-clever-about-russia-196105">Smart sanctions for a stupid war: The West finally gets clever about Russia</a>
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<p>Economic sanctions targeted shipping and trade into Russia, but the gold market is a massive environment left largely untouched. After Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-cracks-down-on-gold-and-oil-networks-propping-up-russias-war-economy">the United Kingdom, a major gold broker with one of the world’s largest gold reserves, cut all Russian imports of gold into the U.K</a>. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.gold.org/what-we-do?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqdqvBhCPARIsANrmZhMH6km3d7zz-Sx3e4A64LwKNb1Qa7l7mivRcH9Fa7UXsCgnSri8IvIaAu9PEALw_wcB">World Gold Council</a>, Russia is now the second largest producer of gold at <a href="https://www.mining-technology.com/data-insights/gold-in-russia/">324.7 tonnes in 2023, behind China at 374 million tonnes. Russia is expected to increase production of gold by four per cent a year until 2026</a>.</p>
<p>Since 2013, Russia has been <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/2024/03/11/why-russia-has-been-so-resilient-to-western-export-controls-pub-91894">preparing for western sanctions</a> and managed to isolate its economy from transactions requiring American dollars.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/russias-currency-bounces-back-after-moscow-mandates-payment-for-gas-in-gold-pegged-ruble">In early 2022, Russia pegged its currency, the ruble, to gold</a>, and 5,000 rubles will now buy an ounce of pure gold. The plan was to shift the currency away from a pegged value and into the gold standard itself so the <a href="https://bullionexchanges.com/blog/russia-pegs-ruble-to-gold-what-does-that-mean-to-the-world-order">ruble would become a credible gold substitute at a fixed rate</a>. </p>
<p>Usually the rationale for holding on to gold reserves is to use them to settle foreign transactions at home and abroad. Gold holders can trade it on one of several bullion exchanges; it can be swapped for currencies to settle transactions and then swapped back into bullion.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/maduro-to-tap-sanctioned-dealmaker-to-ship-gold-to-iran-1.1433389">Venezuela, for example — a heavily sanctioned country — sent gold bullion to Iran in exchange for technical assistance with oil production.</a></p>
<p>Usually countries want gold <a href="https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400229947.001">as a safety backing to insulate against broader global financial shocks</a>. Many central banks are purchasing gold at breakneck pace, with about <a href="https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-demand-trends/gold-demand-trends-full-year-2023/central-banks">1,073 tonnes purchased in 2022</a>. A single tonne is about US$65 million, which means $110.6 billion in gold went into central banks globally in 2023.</p>
<h2>Gold prices fluctuate</h2>
<p>China is the world’s leading producer of gold, and also the world’s second largest buyer of it. <a href="https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/gold/reporter/chn">China imported US$67.6 billion in gold in 2022</a>, whereas <a href="https://oec.world/en/profile/country/che">Switzerland took top place by importing US$94.9 billion</a>. </p>
<p>China’s appetite for gold has a great deal to do with stabilizing its own currency. In 2022, if someone purchased a new condo in Shanghai, often the developer would throw in a few <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/12/gold-bars-used-to-lure-chinese-homebuyers-amid-market-slowdown">gold bars to sweeten the deal</a>. </p>
<p>The World Gold Council argues that gold is the safest place to invest in times of conflict. But if that were true, there would have been a permanent bull market for gold dating back to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/071414/when-and-why-do-gold-prices-plummet.asp">Tutankhamen, making the price today infinite</a>. </p>
<p>Its price rises and falls like anything else. Which is why Putin’s goal of turning the ruble into pure gold is not genius, it is desperate.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-russia-has-put-the-rouble-on-a-gold-standard-but-its-unlikely-to-last-180632">Why Russia has put the rouble on a gold standard – but it's unlikely to last</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The U.K., the United States and Canada will not touch Russian gold. But others will. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/russia-with-gold-uae-cashes-sanctions-bite-2023-05-25/">The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) imported 96.4 tonnes (US$6.2 billion)</a> of Russian gold in 2022 following the British sanctions. That’s up 15 times from the 2021 imports of only 1.3 tonnes (US$84.5 million). </p>
<p>It’s no mystery why so many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-jets-go-russia-dubai-after-putin-pledges-self-cleansing-2022-3">private jets left Russia for Dubai</a> following the war and ensuing sanctions. </p>
<p>The other big client of Russian gold is Switzerland. </p>
<p>In 2022, Switzerland imported 75 tonnes of Russian gold (US$4.87 billion). <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-20/swiss-imports-of-russian-gold-climb-to-highest-since-april-2020">In 2023, it imported about US$8.22 billion</a> in gold from the U.A.E., which doesn’t produce its own but buys enormous sums from Russia, and US$3.92 billion from Uzbekistan, Russia’s next-door neighbour. </p>
<p>Billions upon billions of dollars of Russian gold is being freely traded at top dollar while avoiding every one of those 16,000 sanctions. </p>
<p>That’s why global sanctions against Russia haven’t derailed a thing. In order for Putin’s plan for economic resilience through gold to work, however, gold needs to increase in value. His long-term goal is that gold, not the U.S. dollar, will be the global trading currency. </p>
<h2>Consumer activism</h2>
<p>Here’s where average citizens come in, and how they can help determine what’s to come.</p>
<p>Right now, if you’re a Costco member, <a href="https://www.costco.ca/1-oz-gold-bar-pamp-suisse-lady-fortuna-veriscan-new-in-assay.product.4000201245.html">you can order an ounce of Swiss gold for CA$3,045</a> (limit two per member, and no refunds). This is not a speculative investment. Physical gold will not quadruple in value by Christmas. </p>
<p>Instead, buying gold is a <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/071414/when-and-why-do-gold-prices-plummet.asp">guard against inflation and currency devaluation</a> in times of uncertainty. It’s the doomsday currency, which is why the World Gold Council advertises gold on cable news networks in exactly that vein. </p>
<p>If North American consumers, central banks and investors are panicked enough to buy gold en masse, the price will go up, and Putin’s plan works. </p>
<p>In the last quarter of 2023, American consumers purchased more than <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/15/costco-sold-more-than-100-million-in-gold-bars-last-quarter.html">US$100 million in gold bars through Costco alone</a>. </p>
<p>Is there actual Russian gold in those bars? Between Switzerland’s 2022 gold purchases from Russia and the 2023 purchases from the U.A.E., it’s likely there is.</p>
<p>If people are worried about the ethics of purchasing Russian gold, they can always buy <a href="https://www.costco.ca/1-oz-gold-coin-2024-canadian-maple-leaf.product.4000258262.html">the single-source Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin</a>. It comes from Québec, and as demand for coins like this increases, so too does the price of gold overall. </p>
<p>Still, bars and coins cannot compete with the power of demand from the central banks, and currently it’s high.</p>
<h2>Tarnishing gold</h2>
<p>To thwart Putin’s plan, the lustre needs to be removed from gold. Increasing gold supply could lower the price. Australia, Canada and the U.S. have important roles to play as leading gold producers. </p>
<p>Rising interest rates also tend to lower gold prices. A mass sell-off of government holdings in gold could also cause a tailspin for the ruble, but likely for the U.S. and Canadian dollars as well.</p>
<p>No single policy can thwart Putin’s goals — it requires disrupting the supply of gold beyond Russia, and that might well mean involving the U.A.E.</p>
<p>But with 16,000 sanctions on the books against Russia, one more smart sanction against the Emirates might be the golden egg Zelenskyy needs right now.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225748/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Huish received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. </span></em></p>Russia has tied its currency to gold to evade sanctions. Shifting the ruble away from a pegged value and into the gold standard itself is aimed at making it a credible gold substitute at a fixed rate.Robert Huish, Associate Professor in International Development Studies, Dalhousie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259542024-03-18T14:31:13Z2024-03-18T14:31:13ZProfits over patients: For-profit nursing home chains are draining resources from care while shifting huge sums to owners’ pockets<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582294/original/file-20240315-20-7m2n83.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C17%2C6000%2C3907&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The for-profit nursing home sector is growing, and it places a premium on cost cutting and big profits, which has led to low staffing and patient neglect and mistreatment.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/february-2024-baden-w%C3%BCrttemberg-na-a-resident-of-a-nursing-news-photo/1985540302">picture alliance via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The care at Landmark of Louisville Rehabilitation and Nursing was abysmal when state inspectors filed their survey report of the Kentucky facility on July 3, 2021.</p>
<p>Residents <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24170104-landmark-nursing-070321#document/p72/a2407365">wandered the halls</a> in a facility that can house up to 250 people, yelling at each other and stealing blankets. One resident beat a roommate <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24170104-landmark-nursing-070321#document/p66/a2407364">with a stick</a>, causing bruising and skin tears. Another was found in bed with a broken finger and a bloody forehead <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24170104-landmark-nursing-070321#document/p55/a2407366">gash</a>. That person was allowed to roam and enter the beds of other residents. In another case, there was <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24170104-landmark-nursing-070321#document/p21/a2407367">sexual touching</a> in the dayroom between residents, according to the report.</p>
<p>Meals were served from filthy meal carts on plastic foam trays, and residents struggled to cut their food with dull plastic cutlery. Broken tiles lined showers, and a mysterious black gunk marred the floors. The director of housekeeping reported that the dining room was unsanitary. Overall, there was a critical lack of training, staff and <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nursing-homes/homes/h-185122">supervision</a>.</p>
<p>The inspectors tagged Landmark as <a href="https://medicare.gov/care-compare/inspections/pdf/nursing-home/185122/health/standard?date=2021-07-03">deficient in 29 areas</a>, including six that put residents in immediate jeopardy of serious harm and three where actual harm was found. The issues were so severe that the government slapped Landmark with <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/details/nursing-home/185122?state=KY&measure=nursing-home-penalties">a fine of over US$319,000</a> − <a href="https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/g6vv-u9sr">more than 29 times the average</a> for a nursing home in 2021 − and suspended payments to the home from federal Medicaid and Medicare funds. </p>
<p>But problems persisted. Five months later, inspectors levied six additional deficiencies of immediate jeopardy − the highest level.</p>
<p>Landmark is just one of the 58 facilities run by parent company Infinity Healthcare Management across five states. The government issued penalties to the company almost 4½ times the national average, according to bimonthly data that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services first started to make available in late 2022. All told, Infinity paid <a href="https://data.cms.gov/quality-of-care/nursing-home-affiliated-entity-performance-measures/data">nearly $10 million in fines</a> since 2021, the highest among nursing home chains with fewer than 100 facilities.</p>
<p>Infinity Healthcare Management and its executives did not respond to multiple requests for comment.</p>
<h2>Race to the bottom</h2>
<p>Such <a href="https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/">sanctions are nothing new</a> for Infinity or other for-profit nursing home chains that have dominated an industry long known for cutting corners in pursuit of profits for private owners. But this race to the bottom to extract profits is accelerating, despite demands by <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-104813.pdf">government officials</a>, health care experts and advocacy groups to protect the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.</p>
<p>To uncover the reasons why, The Conversation delved into the nursing home industry, where for-profit facilities make up more than 72% of the nation’s nearly 14,900 facilities. The probe, which paired an academic expert with an investigative reporter, used the most recent government data on ownership, facility information and penalties, combined with <a href="https://data.cms.gov/quality-of-care/nursing-home-affiliated-entity-performance-measures/data">CMS data on affiliated entities</a> for nursing homes.</p>
<p>The investigation revealed an industry that places a premium on cost cutting and big profits, with low staffing and poor quality, often to the detriment of patient well-being. Operating under <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4541739">weak and poorly enforced regulations</a> with financially insignificant penalties, the for-profit sector fosters an environment where corners are frequently cut, compromising the quality of care and endangering patient health. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, owners make the facilities look less profitable by siphoning money from the homes through byzantine networks of interconnected corporations. Federal regulators have neglected the problem as <a href="https://theconsumervoice.org/news/detail/latest/new-report-nursing-homes-funnel-dollars-through-related-party-companies">each year likely billions of dollars are funneled</a> out of nursing homes through related parties and into owners’ pockets.</p>
<h2>More trouble at midsize</h2>
<p>Analyzing <a href="https://data.cms.gov/search">newly released government data</a>, our investigation found that these problems are most pronounced in nursing homes like Infinity − midsize chains that <a href="https://data.cms.gov/quality-of-care/nursing-home-affiliated-entity-performance-measures/data">operate between 11 and 100 facilities</a>. This subsection of the industry has higher average fines per home, lower overall quality ratings, and are more likely to be tagged with resident abuse compared with both the larger and smaller networks. Indeed, while such chains account for about 39% of all facilities, they operate 11 of the 15 most-fined facilities.</p>
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<p>With few impediments, private investors who own the midsize chains have swooped in to purchase underperforming homes, expanding their holdings even as larger chains divest and close facilities.</p>
<p>“They are really bad, but the names − we don’t know these names,” said Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonprofit law organization.</p>
<p>In response to The Conversation’s findings on nursing homes and request for an interview, a CMS spokesperson emailed <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24478510-nursing-home-information-request">a statement</a> that said the CMS is “unwavering in its commitment to improve safety and quality of care for the more than 1.2 million residents receiving care in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes.”</p>
<p>“We support transparency and accountability,” the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, a trade organization representing the nursing home industry, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24475011-re-nursing-home-chains-and-cms-regulation-the-conversation-deadline-34-at-5pm-est">wrote in response</a> to The Conversation‘s request for comment. “But neither ownership nor line items on a budget sheet prove whether a nursing home is committed to its residents.”</p>
<h2>Ripe for abuse</h2>
<p>It often takes years to improve a poor nursing home − or <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/when-private-equity-takes-over-a-nursing-home">run one into the ground</a>. The analysis of midsize chains shows that most owners have been associated with their current facilities for less than eight years, making it difficult to separate operators who have taken long-term investments in resident care from those who are looking to quickly extract money and resources <a href="https://www.wpr.org/st-louis-nursing-home-closes-suddenly-prompting-wider-concerns-over-care">before closing them down or moving on</a>. These chains control roughly 41% of nursing home beds in the U.S., according to CMS’s provider data, making the lack of transparency especially ripe for abuse.</p>
<p>A churn of nursing home purchases even during the pandemic shows that investors view the sector as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17288">highly profitable</a>, especially when staffing costs are kept low and fines for poor care can easily be covered by the money extracted from residents, their families and taxpayers.</p>
<p>A March 2024 study from Lehigh University and the University of California, Los Angeles also <a href="https://ucla.app.box.com/v/RelatedParties">shows that costs were inflated</a> when nursing home owners switched to contractors they controlled directly or indirectly. Overall, spending on real estate increased 20.4% and spending on management increased 24.6% when the businesses were affiliated, the research showed.</p>
<p>“This is the model of their care: They come in, they understaff and they make their money,” said Sam Brooks, director of public policy at the Consumer Voice, a national resident advocacy organization. “Then they multiply it over a series of different facilities.”</p>
<p><em>This is a condensed version of an article from The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/announcing-the-conversations-new-investigative-unit-were-looking-for-collaborators-in-academia-207394">investigative unit</a>. To find out more about the rise of for-profit nursing homes, financial trickery and what could make the nation’s most vulnerable citizens safer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-profit-nursing-homes-are-cutting-corners-on-safety-and-draining-resources-with-financial-shenanigans-especially-at-midsize-chains-that-dodge-public-scrutiny-225045">read the complete version</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225954/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Campbell is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University and a contributing writer at the Garrison Project, an independent news organization that focuses on mass incarceration and criminal justice.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Harrington is an advisory board member of the nonprofit Veteran's Health Policy Institute and a board member of the nonprofit Center for Health Information and Policy. Harrington served as an expert witness on nursing home litigation cases by residents against facilities owned or operated by Brius and Shlomo Rechnitz in the past and in 2022. She also served as an expert witness in a case against The Citadel Salisbury in North Carolina in 2021. </span></em></p>Owners of midsize nursing home chains harm the elderly and drain huge sums of money from facilities using opaque accounting practices while government doesn’t do enough to stop it.Sean Campbell, Investigative journalist, The ConversationCharlene Harrington, Professor Emeritus of Social Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1994412024-03-18T13:45:00Z2024-03-18T13:45:00Z100,000 years and counting: how do we tell future generations about highly radioactive nuclear waste repositories?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519023/original/file-20230403-22-qlgar9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C20%2C3456%2C2276&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden, where KBS-3 repository technologies have been tested.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anna Storm</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In Europe, increasing efforts on climate change mitigation, a sudden focus on energy independence after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and reported breakthroughs in <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/20/climate/nuclear-fusion-energy-breakthrough-replicate-climate/index.html">nuclear fusion</a> have sparked renewed interest in the potential of nuclear power. So-called <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2023/05/17/french-government-passes-bill-to-accelerate-the-construction-of-new-nuclear-reactors_6026936_19.html">small modular reactors</a> (SMRs) are increasingly under development, and familiar promises about nuclear power’s potential are being revived.</p>
<p>Nuclear power is routinely portrayed by proponents as the source of <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/05/world/iter-nuclear-fusion-climate-intl-cnnphotos/">“limitless”</a> amounts of carbon-free electricity. The rhetorical move from speaking about “renewable energy” to “fossil-free energy” is increasingly evident, and telling.</p>
<p>Yet nuclear energy production requires managing what is known as “spent” nuclear fuel where major problems arise about how best to safeguard these waste materials into the future – especially should nuclear energy production increase. Short-term storage facilities have been in place for decades, but the question of their long-term deposition has caused <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/europes-radioactive-problem-struggles-dispose-nuclear-waste-french-nuclear-facility/">intense political debates</a>, with a number of projects being <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/german-nuclear-phaseout-leaves-radioactive-waste-problem/a-66661614">delayed</a> or <a href="https://ejatlas.org/print/nuclear-waste-storage-near-the-spanish-frontier-of-portugal">cancelled entirely</a>. In the United States, work on the Yucca Mountain facility has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/18/nuclear-waste-why-theres-no-permanent-nuclear-waste-dump-in-us.html">stopped completely</a> leaving the country with 93 nuclear reactors and no long-term storage site for the waste they produce.</p>
<p>Nuclear power plants produce three <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oekoinstitut/23144291019">kinds of radioactive waste</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Short-lived low- and intermediate-level waste; </p></li>
<li><p>Long-lived low- and intermediate-level waste; </p></li>
<li><p>Long-lived and highly radioactive waste, known as spent nuclear fuel.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The critical challenge for nuclear energy production is the management of long-lived waste, which refers to nuclear materials that take thousands of years to return to a level of radioactivity that is deemed “safe”. According to the US <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/radwaste.html">Nuclear Regulatory Commission</a> (NRC), in spent fuel half of the radiation in strontium-90 and cesium-137 can decay in 30 years, while it would take 24,000 years for plutonium-239 to return to a state considered “harmless”. However, exactly what is meant by “safe” and “harmless” in this context is something that <a href="https://www.xcdsystem.com/wmsym/2018/pdfs/FinalPaper_18430_0321010427.pdf">remains poorly defined</a> by international nuclear management organisations, and there is surprisingly little international consensus about the time it takes for radioactive waste to return to a state considered “safe” for organic life.</p>
<h2>“Permanent” geological repositories</h2>
<p>Despite the seeming revival of nuclear energy production today, very few of the countries that produce nuclear energy have defined a long-term strategy for managing highly radioactive spent fuel into the future. Only Finland and Sweden have confirmed plans for so-called “final” or “permanent” geological repositories.</p>
<p>The Swedish government <a href="https://skb.com/nyhet/the-government-approves-skbs-final-repository-system/">granted approval</a> for a final repository in the village of Forsmark in January 2022, with plans to construct, fill and seal the facility over the next century. This repository is designed to last 100,000 years, which is how long planners say that it will take to return to a level of radioactivity comparable to uranium found in the earth’s bedrock.</p>
<p>Finland is well underway in the construction of its <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/finland-built-tomb-store-nuclear-waste-can-it-survive-100000-years">Onkalo high-level nuclear waste repository</a>, which they began building in 2004 with plans to seal their facility by the end of the 21st century.</p>
<p>The technological method that Finland and Sweden plan to use in their permanent repositories is referred to as <a href="https://skb.com/future-projects/the-spent-fuel-repository/our-methodology/">KBS-3 storage</a>. In this method, spent nuclear fuel is encased in cast iron, which is then placed inside copper canisters, which are then surrounded by clay and bedrock approximately 500 metres below ground. The same or similar methods are being considered by other countries, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-nuclear-waste-whats-the-plan-and-can-it-be-safe-181884">such as the United Kingdom</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582198/original/file-20240315-26-xd0r1h.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A test KBS-3 canister buried underground at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anna Storm</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sweden and Finland have described KBS-3 as a world-first nuclear-waste management solution. It is the product of decades of scientific research and negotiation with stakeholders, in particular with the communities that will eventually live near the buried waste.</p>
<p>Critical questions remain about the storage method, however. There have been widely publicised concerns in Sweden about the <a href="https://www.mkg.se/en/scientifically-inferior-skb-report-on-copper-corrosion-in-lot-project-shows-that-copper-is-not">corrosion of test copper canisters</a> after just a few decades. This is worrying, to say the least, because it’s based on a principle of passive safety. The storage sites will be constructed, the canisters filled and sealed, and then everything will be left in the ground without any human monitoring its safe functioning and with no technological option for retrieving it. Yet, over 100,000 years the prospect of human or non-human intrusion into the site – both accidental or intentional – remains a serious threat.</p>
<h2>The Key Information File</h2>
<p>Another major problem is how to communicate the presence of buried nuclear waste to future generations. If spent fuel remains dangerous for 100,000 years, then clearly this is a time frame where languages can disappear and where the existence of humanity cannot be guaranteed. Transferring information about these sites into the future is a sizeable task that demands expertise and collaboration internationally across the social sciences and sciences into practices of nuclear waste memory transfer – what we refer to as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/27539687231174242">nuclear memory communication</a>.</p>
<p>In a project commissioned by the Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company (SKB), we take up this precise task by writing the “Key Information File” – a document aimed at non-expert readers containing only the most essential information about Sweden’s nuclear waste repository under development.</p>
<p>The Key Information File has been <a href="https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15060/preservation-of-records-knowledge-and-memory-across-generations-developing-a-key-information-file-for-a-radioactive-waste-repository">formulated</a> as a summary document that would help future readers understand the dangers posed by buried waste. Its purpose is to guide the reader to where they can find more detailed information about the repository – acting as a “key” to other archives and forms of nuclear memory communication until the site’s closure at the end of the 21st century. What happens to the Key Information File after this time is undecided, yet communicating the information that it contains to future generations is crucial.</p>
<p>The Key Information File we will publish in 2024 is intended to be securely stored at the entrance to the nuclear waste repository in Sweden, as well as at the National Archives in Stockholm. To ensure its durability and survival through time, the plan is for it to be <a href="https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15088/preservation-of-records-knowledge-and-memory-across-generations-final-report">reproduced in different media formats and translated into multiple languages</a>. The initial version is in English and, when finalised, it will be translated into Swedish and other languages that have yet to be decided.</p>
<p>Our aim is for the file to be updated every 10 years to ensure that essential information is correct and that it remains understandable to a wide audience. We also see the need for the file to be incorporated into other intergenerational practices of knowledge transfer in the future – from its inclusion into educational syllabi in schools, to the use of graphic design and artwork to make the document distinctive and memorable, to the formation of international networks of Key Information File writing and storage in countries where, at the time of writing, decisions have not yet been made about how to store highly radioactive long-lived nuclear waste.</p>
<h2>Fragility and short-termism: a great irony</h2>
<p>In the process of writing the Key Information File, we have discovered many issues surrounding the efficacy of these strategies for communicating memory of nuclear waste repositories into the future. One is the remarkable fragility of programs and institutions – on more than one occasion in recent years, it has taken just one person to retire from a nuclear organisation for the knowledge of an entire programme of memory communication to be halted or even lost.</p>
<p>And if it is difficult to preserve and communicate crucial information even in the short term, what chance do we have over 100,000 years?</p>
<p>International attention is increasingly fixated on “impactful” short-term responses to environmental problems – usually limited to the lifespan of two or three future generations of human life. Yet the nature of long-lived nuclear waste requires us to imagine and care for a future well beyond that time horizon, and perhaps even beyond the existence of humanity.</p>
<p>Responding to these challenges, even partially, requires governments and research funders internationally to provide the capacity for long-term intergenerational research on these and related issues. It also demands care in developing succession plans for retiring experts to ensure their institutional knowledge and expertise is not lost. In Sweden, this could also mean committing long-term funding from the <a href="http://www.karnavfallsfonden.se/informationinenglish.4.725330be11efa4b0a3f8000131.html">Swedish nuclear waste fund</a> so that not only future technical problems with the waste deposition are tackled, but also future <em>societal</em> problems of memory and information transfer can be addressed by people with appropriate capacity and expertise.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199441/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keating's work is partly supported by Svensk Kärnbränslehantering (grant no.24992). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Storm's work is partly supported by Svensk Kärnbränslehantering (grant no. 24992) and by the Swedish Research Council (grants no. 2020-00623 and no. 2020-06548).</span></em></p>Spent nuclear fuel remains dangerous for so long that languages can disappear and humanity’s very existence cannot be guaranteed. So how do we communicate information about repositories into the future?Thomas Keating, Postdoctoral Researcher, Linköping UniversityAnna Storm, Professor of Technology and Social Change, Linköping UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2258342024-03-18T13:44:57Z2024-03-18T13:44:57ZThere are ways to improve the London Stock Exchange crisis, but they’re not pretty<p>Another week, another set of signs that the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is running aground. Two medium-sized listed businesses are selling out to US rivals: tech-testing firm <a href="https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/corporate-finance/crawleys-spirent-communications-sells-for-1bn-to-us-firm-viavi/">Spirent Communications</a>, based Crawley, West Sussex, is being bought by Viavi Solutions for around £1 billion, while west country <a href="https://www.logisticsmanager.com/wincanton-board-set-to-proceed-with-recommended-offer-from-gxo/">logistics-provider Wincanton</a> is going to GXO Logistics for around £750 million. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Leicester-based wealth manager <a href="https://citywire.com/new-model-adviser/news/pe-house-pollen-street-buys-mattioli-woods-for-432m/a2437857">Mattioli Woods</a> is departing the exchange via a takeover by London private equity group Pollen Street Capital for £432 million. None of these pieces of business may seem spectacular, but they are part of a wider exodus with a common cause: the <a href="https://www.fdiintelligence.com/content/data-trends/the-london-stock-exchanges-star-fades-83429">very low valuations</a> of LSE-listed companies, <a href="https://www.schroders.com/en-gb/uk/individual/insights/six-charts-that-show-just-how-cheap-uk-equities-are/">particularly compared</a> with their counterparts in the US. </p>
<p>These valuations are an “absurdity”, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/03/05/currys-investor-hits-out-absurd-london-stock-exchange/">according to</a> JO Hambro Capital, a leading shareholder in electrical goods retailer Currys. Currys, which is also LSE-listed, has itself just <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/11/us-elliott-ends-bid-buy-uk-retailer-currys-board">fended off</a> a takeover bid a from US investment, group Elliott. </p>
<p>Various other UK companies have been defending themselves from predatory moves by relisting elsewhere, commonly in the US. Recent examples include building materials companies <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/crh-shareholders-back-primary-listing-switch-new-york-london-2023-06-08/">CRH</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/kingspan-plans-quit-london-listing-latest-blow-lse-2023-04-28/">Kingspan</a> and betting company <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/08/betting-firm-flutter-to-list-on-new-york-stock-exchange-in-january-london">Flutter</a>, while office co-working group <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/62908244-579b-4258-ad7c-4f0dd158dcd0">IWG seems set</a> to follow suit. New listings such as the Cambridge-based <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/22/uk-chip-designer-arm-us-listing-nasdaq-ipo">chip designer Arm Holdings</a> are heading stateside too. </p>
<p>The UK government is sufficiently concerned about losing tax income that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68359756">several measures</a> in his March budget. UK taxpayers are being given an extra tax-free savings allowance of £5,000 a year to invest in British businesses, while UK pension funds are going to have to publish the proportion of their investments that are UK-based each year. </p>
<p>However, this pensions move <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ee040014-164e-4a28-9b29-413f16d95276">has been criticised</a> for unfairly interfering in investment activity, while <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2024/mar/06/british-isas-are-a-gimmick-that-wont-move-the-dial">few seem</a> to think the savings allowance will make much difference. </p>
<p>So what is behind the LSE’s problems and what might move the dial?</p>
<h2>Five key problems</h2>
<p><strong>1. Investor preferences</strong></p>
<p>Institutional investors and funds are putting their money into better-performing markets like the US because the UK economy has struggled due to things like <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/new-report-reveals-uk-economy-almost-ps140billion-smaller-because-brexit">Brexit</a> and <a href="https://www.economicsobservatory.com/the-uks-productivity-gap-what-did-it-look-like-twenty-years-ago#:%7E:text=Despite%20some%20improvement%20since%20the,to%20Sweden%2C%20Finland%20and%20Spain.">poor productivity</a>. Lately, UK companies have been reduced to <a href="https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1023777/mind-the-valuation-gap-why-has-the-square-mile-lost-its-lustre-1023777.html">bargain-basement</a> level thanks to the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/what-can-we-expect-uk-economy-2024-after-recession-2024-02-15/">current recession</a>. Take pharmaceutical companies, for instance. They trade on a price to earnings ratio of 13.7 in the UK compared with 22 <a href="https://www.schroders.com/en/global/individual/insights/six-charts-that-show-just-how-cheap-uk-equities-are/">in the US</a>. </p>
<p>As well as making takeover bids more likely, this may well be affecting the number of advisers supporting listed businesses in London, such as consultants, lawyers, <a href="https://www.morganmckinley.com/uk/article/londons-financial-services-job-market-decline-amidst-summer-slowdown-and-end-post-pandemic">accountants and brokers</a>. Their numbers are all declining, though it’s difficult to say how much is due to the valuations problem as opposed to other issues like Brexit. </p>
<p><strong>2. Private equity and not enough flotations</strong></p>
<p>Private equity firms aim to buy, improve and sell businesses at a profit, and have been ever more deal-hungry in recent years. In 2021, for instance, <a href="https://www.bain.com/insights/private-equity-market-in-2021-global-private-equity-report-2022/">they conducted</a> one third of all mergers and acquisitions around the world, threatening stock exchanges everywhere. </p>
<p>The LSE is not seeing the same number of flotations as its rivals to offset the phenomenon. <a href="https://www.pwc.co.uk/services/audit/insights/global-ipo-watch.html">Most new listings</a> are heading to the US, particularly in technology, while the UK is becoming a backwater. The number of UK-listed firms <a href="https://scottishfinancialreview.com/2024/01/29/london-stock-exchange-lost-25-of-firms-in-decade/">has shrunk 25%</a> in the last decade and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/02/08/london-stock-markets-decline-starting-look-terminal/">40% since 2008</a>. </p>
<p><strong>3. The LSE-Refinitiv deal</strong></p>
<p>One cause of the problem is probably the <a href="https://theconversation.com/london-stock-exchange-vs-eu-refinitiv-battle-reveals-unease-over-power-of-modern-stock-markets-145215">LSE’s £20 billion acquisition</a> of US data giant Refinitiv in 2021. Since then, one suspects that the LSE management has <a href="https://www.bain.com/insights/10-steps-to-successful-ma-integration/">been distracted</a>. Indeed, Chief Executive David Schwimmer <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lses-pitch-to-investors-were-a-tech-company-not-a-stock-exchange-lrzxcdjc7">made it clear</a> recently that he saw the future in data rather than trading exchanges. If he were doing more to fight the LSE’s corner by persuading investors to back the exchange, and government to relax some regulations, it might help the situation. </p>
<p><strong>4. Regulations</strong></p>
<p>UK listing requirements preclude companies from issuing classes of shares that carry different voting rights. In the US, founders commonly use this to retain control of the business through having, for example, 20 votes for each share they hold, compared with one vote for other investors. Many US technology firms have this structure, including Meta, Google and Snapchat. </p>
<p><strong>5. Salary distractions</strong></p>
<p>For UK companies, relisting in the US has the added attraction that top CEOs earn far more running S&P 500 companies than FTSE 100 equivalents. The difference can be as much as <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/445b6b0f-3ff8-4355-b459-591168989833">US$10 million (£7.9 billion)</a> a year, according to the FT. </p>
<h2>What can be done</h2>
<p>Jeremy Hunt’s budget announcements are certainly welcome, but neither encouraging savers nor putting pressure on pension funds is likely to make a huge difference. Having said that, the alternative solutions would not be plain sailing. </p>
<p>One is to increase the pay of directors of UK-listed companies. Indeed, some senior UK executives <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/10/when-17m-isnt-enough-ftse-firms-plead-to-pay-bosses-millions-more">are pushing</a> for rebasing director pay to be more comparable to US levels. Yet investors are not exactly enthusiastic, and it’s hard to imagine the public being supportive after so many years of <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/uk/bed/average-real-wage/44028/">wages barely rising</a> once you strip out inflation. Another possibility is to split the LSE from Refinitiv to ensure more focus on the exchange, but it is not clear the mechanism exists to do this. </p>
<p>Alternatively, the UK government could allow multiple share classes to make it easier for founders to keep control of businesses. That would certainly help, particularly with tech listings, though investors would have less protection against founders running their businesses badly. </p>
<p>Similarly, the US allows what are known as special purpose acquisition companies or Spacs. Often referred to as “blank cheque companies”, these list to raise funds from investors to buy a business, and are able to avoid many of the reporting requirements associated with other types of listing. However, the outcome for investors has been <a href="https://www.valuationresearch.com/insights/spac-market-update-who-turned-on-the-lights/#:%7E:text=Within%20the%20first%20two%20weeks,%25%20lower%20in%202021%2C%20respectively.">almost universally poor</a>.</p>
<p>That said, this is a race to the bottom. Lifting these investor protections may be the most effective solution – barring a turnaround in the economy. It would lead to better returns, but the risks for the unwary will be significant. This is something that both the main political parties ought to reflect on as the general election draws nearer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225834/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Colley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If the UK doesn’t want to lose London’s role as one of the great magnets for world capital, there are some ugly choices to weigh up.John Colley, Professor of Practice, Associate Dean, Warwick Business School, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255902024-03-18T13:44:34Z2024-03-18T13:44:34ZOats and oatmeal aren’t bad for you, as some claim – in fact, they probably have more health benefits than you realise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581925/original/file-20240314-24-ysaqlb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3494%2C1964&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Oats are a great source of fibre, which can help you stay full after eating.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/oatmeal-porridge-berries-honey-healthy-breakfast-1721472361">Vladislav Noseek/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Oats have long had a reputation for being one of the healthier foods you can choose for breakfast. But some people on social media have been calling this claim into question, suggesting that rather than being a healthy staple, oatmeal (and porridge, which is often made using oats) might in fact have <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12509825/cardiologist-SHOULDNT-eat-oatmeal.html">no nutritional value</a> whatsoever.</p>
<p>However, while these claims have garnered plenty of media attention, there’s little evidence to back them up. Rather, the science overwhelmingly shows that oats can be beneficial for your health in many ways. </p>
<p>One line of reasoning used to argue oats aren’t healthy is that eating them can lead to spikes in blood sugar (glucose). This seems to be linked to the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/5/2030">rising use of glucose monitors</a> by people who don’t have diabetes. These monitors may depict normal changes in blood glucose, which happen after we eat, as a “<a href="https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pdi.2475">spike</a>” in blood sugar. </p>
<p>Foods that contain carbohydrates (including starchy foods such as oats and other cereals) are broken down during digestion into sugar (mainly glucose but also fructose and galactose). As the foods are broken down, the levels of sugar in the bloodstream begin to rise. This is a normal but important process – the sugar provides us with immediate energy or is stored by the muscles and liver cells for energy later. </p>
<p>Some foods take longer to digest, which means they spend more time in the stomach before reaching the intestines. As such, they will cause a smaller but more sustained rise in blood sugar. This can be better understood by looking at the glycaemic index, which rates foods based on how quickly they affect blood sugar levels.</p>
<p>The glycaemic index shows that the <a href="https://glycemicindex.com/gi-search/?food_name=oatmeal&product_category=&country=&gi=&gi_filter=&serving_size_(g)=&serving_size_(g)_filter=&carbs_per_serve_(g)=&carbs_per_serve_(g)_filter=&gl=&gl_filter=">sugars in oatmeal and porridge</a> are absorbed at about two-thirds the rate of sugar from white bread. This means oats are considered a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/what-is-the-glycaemic-index-gi/">medium glycaemic index</a> food, similar to pasta but absorbed more slowly than many other breakfast cereals. </p>
<p>Generally, it is a good thing for food to be absorbed more slowly, as it is thought this helps with appetite control. So, while your blood sugar may rise after eating oats, this rise is a normal part of the digestive process.</p>
<p>But while the glycaemic index tells us how quickly sugars are absorbed by the body, it doesn’t really look at the portion size of the food. The <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/what-is-the-glycaemic-index-gi/">more carbs you eat</a> in one go, the more it will increase your blood glucose levels <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/glycemic-load#:%7E:text=Glycemic%20load%20refers%20to%20the,the%20bloodstream%20(glycemic%20index).">after a meal</a> – even if they are normal overall.</p>
<h2>Cholesterol-lowering benefits</h2>
<p>Oats are also a great <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/">source of fibre</a>, which not only helps us stay full after eating but also keeps our bowel movements <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/78/5/343/5602346">regular and healthy</a>.</p>
<p>Oatmeal contains specific types of fibre called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3236515/">beta-glucans</a>. These have been linked to lower risk of insulin resistance (associated with type 2 diabetes), weight gain, high blood pressure and high <a href="https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1885#:%7E:text=The%20following%20wording%20reflects%20the,oat%20beta%2Dglucan%20per%20day.">cholesterol</a>. Beta-glucans are also linked with a <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.81#:%7E:text=Daily%20dietary%20intake%20levels%20of,of%20whole%20oats%20and%20barley.">lower risk of heart disease</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A bowl of uncooked rolled oats." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581928/original/file-20240314-24-4nh1zr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Beta-glucans are a beneficial type of fibre.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/oats-spoon-plate-on-table-scattered-417963298">Timmary/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This cholesterol-lowering effect is the result of the way the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6892284/#:%7E:text=Viscous%20%CE%B2%2Dglucan%20is%20hypothesized,systemic%20LDL%20cholesterol%20(59).">beta-glucan bind to bile</a>, a fluid that helps with digestion, in our intestines. This process reduces the amount of bile that can be re-absorbed into the body as cholesterol.</p>
<p>But in order to get these benefits from beta-glucans, you need to consume at least 3g of them daily. Given an average <a href="https://www.heartuk.org.uk/ultimate-cholesterol-lowering-plan/uclp-step-3">30g serving of oats contains 1g</a> of beta-glucans, pairing a bowl of porridge with other foods that are rich in beta-glucans (such as oat cakes and pearled barley) can help you get enough of these important fibres in your diet each day.</p>
<h2>Oatmeal and gut health</h2>
<p>Oatmeal is a source of soluble fibre, which means it can be fermented by the bacteria in our digestive tract. This has led to suggestions that oats might be beneficial for our gut microbiome. </p>
<p>Emerging evidence suggests that as well as increasing numbers of bacteria linked to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10459712/#:%7E:text=Oat%20fiber%20increased%20expression%20of,not%20all%20indices%20(Shannon)">healthy bowel</a>, oatmeal may also help with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10459712/#:%7E:text=Oat%20fiber%20increased%20expression%20of,not%20all%20indices%20(Shannon).">short-chain fatty acid production</a>. </p>
<p>These are produced by bacteria and help nourish the cells in the colon. They may even help us to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/control-of-appetite-and-energy-intake-by-scfa-what-are-the-potential-underlying-mechanisms/A1EFBE12AD6F9838EBE3D7314D1EE1B4">regulate our appetite</a> and control <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-018-0248-8">blood fats and glucose</a>, which may help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.</p>
<h2>Is all oatmeal healthy?</h2>
<p>Although all oatmeal will contain fibre, how it’s milled can affect how quickly it’s digested. Instant oats are digested more quickly compared with rolled oats due to the way they’re milled.</p>
<p>Unlike other cereals, oats need steaming and heating before they can be cut or rolled. This is to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733521007000689#:%7E:text=Steaming%20is%20routinely%20used%20during,process%20also%20improves%20the%20flavour.">stop enzymes</a> breaking down the fats in the oats, which would cause rapid spoilage. </p>
<p><a href="https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1161&context=bulletins">Oats can be rolled</a> to make larger oat flakes, or cut first before rolling to make quick or instant oats. Larger (rolled) oats are digested more slowly than cut oats. </p>
<p>Making oatmeal with milk can add additional nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12 and protein. But even if your porridge is made with water, oats are a good source of manganese, phosphorous and zinc, as it is. These are <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/ab470e/ab470e06.htm">essential</a> for hormone production, bone health and wound healing. So, although oats may not be fortified in the same way as other cereals, they contain <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173905/nutrients">valuable nutrients</a> and fibre, and are far from nutrient-free.</p>
<p>Oats clearly have benefits. But what this debate highlights is that no food is perfect – or completely useless – for our health. We need to look beyond the positives and negatives of individual foods, even oatmeal, and look instead at how all the foods in our diet work together when it comes to our health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225590/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Duane Mellor is a member of the British Dietetic Association</span></em></p>Oats have many health benefits – including keeping our bowels regular and healthy.Duane Mellor, Lead for Evidence-Based Medicine and Nutrition, Aston Medical School, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2244622024-03-18T13:44:33Z2024-03-18T13:44:33ZEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at 20: an unflinching meditation on love and memory<p><em>This article contains spoilers.</em></p>
<p>Heartbreak is a universal experience. When a heart breaks, we vacillate between hope and fear, anger and denial and a thousand fragmentary moments of grief. Uninvited memories persistently invade our days: memories of what was, what could have been and what will never be.</p>
<p>When writing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Charlie Kaufman could not have known about the seismic impact of social media in years to come. How we now lurk on our former lovers’ profiles, view their photos, analyse their posts and remove images – metaphorically wiping the slate clean and willingly deleting our past.</p>
<p>This relatable angst of ridding ourselves of past memories of heartbreak is the premise of director Michel Gondry’s masterpiece, which is 20 years old this week.</p>
<p>With a non-linear narrative steering a roller coaster script, this quirky, nebulous, joyous then rueful story is not for those who like their love stories simple. Gondry’s emotive film dares to confront the not so happy-ever-afters in a dark fairy tale which meditates on love and memory and the discombobulation of a broken heart. </p>
<p>We first meet Joel (Jim Carrey) as he abandons his daily commute for the opposite platform, to catch a train heading for the coast. It’s there, on a desolate grey beach, that he first sees Clementine (Kate Winslet), with her colourful blue hair. She introduces herself on the return journey with a sharp punch to the arm and a direct, unflinching intensity. </p>
<p>Shy, insular Joel is hooked and so are we. With the meet-not-so-cute established, the whirling storyline begins to loop and bend around time. Is this the beginning of the love story, or the end?</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/07-QBnEkgXU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Can’t get you out of my head</h2>
<p>We duly witness Joel’s agony and ecstasy through a collection of memories which ultimately end with the loss of Clementine. With her gone, Joel’s life loses its colour and verve. </p>
<p>He’s galvanised to win Clementine back, but is confused when she doesn’t recognise him. This leads him to discover that Clementine has had their entire relationship erased from her mind by the avuncular Dr Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) and his eccentric team: an unusually chaotic Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst. When Joel decides to undergo the same procedure to shut out his own pain, the chaotic emotional conflict deepens. </p>
<p>The space between waking and dreaming become progressively intertwined with nightmarish depictions of Joel’s brain cleansing. Acid-coloured set design that exaggerates childhood memory, nightmarish Kafka-esque corridors of the mind and circus-like distortions exacerbate the effect.</p>
<p>In this anything-can-happen landscape, Joel’s desperation to hang on to his memories of Clementine becomes a driving force and the audience roots for their love, however dead it has seemed, to live on. We hope that they will outrun the mind-filtering process and come out ready to give love another try.</p>
<p>In real life, Gondry’s low-key, laidback and friendly persona <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-anniversary-jim-carrey-michel-gondry">enabled him to persuade</a> big stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet to sign up for the quirky premise and his own relatively untested directorial vision.</p>
<p>Up until then, his main gig had been as <a href="https://www.redbull.com/us-en/7-best-michel-gondry-directed-music-videos">music video director</a> for artists including The White Stripes, Bjork and The Foo Fighters. He had form as an imaginative and experimental auteur, but the one previous cinematic outing that he and Kaufman had created, the Tim Robbins and Patricia Arquette comedy Human Nature (2001), resulted in an underwhelming box office and a <a href="https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/2022/09/naturally-shortsighted/">confused set of critics</a>.</p>
<p>When Carrey first met Gondry to talk about the project, he was reportedly in a state of brokenness after coming out of a relationship with fellow actor Renee Zellweger – something that Gondry <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/fucked-up-meeting-inspired-jim-carrey-greatest-role/">urged him to preserve</a> for the character of Joel. Gondry saw the actor as the opposite of the ebullient, anarchic character he mainly portrayed and as someone who stood apart from the crowd. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls-9_Iz0zR4">He cited</a> a lonely moment he had once seen of Carrey standing to the side during the credits of Saturday Night Live, as others danced and celebrated.</p>
<p>Winslet, doyenne of many a period drama by that point, took on the more conventional Carrey-esque role of Clementine, showcasing hair of many colours throughout the movie, and a changeable personality to match. Her performance was revelatory and ultimately the gamble of going against casting type paid off, winning her a best actress Oscar nomination.</p>
<p>Gondry and Kaufman <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2Nav-ct3W8">won the Oscar</a> for best screenplay. In later years, Kaufman <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38OC0vvB4h8">urged an audience of writers</a> to subvert narrative structure with advice seemingly tailored to his experience of Eternal Sunshine: “your dreams are very well written. Approach your work like your dreams would and throw away conventional approaches.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/loves-labors-lost/read/5/2/">“A light heart lives long”</a> intones Shakespeare in Love’s Labour’s Lost, and nearly all romantic comedies end on such a “happily ever after” But in Eternal Sunshine, Gondry’s gift is to present us with love as it often really is: a messy, painful experience that fans the flames of hope, connection and intimacy in us all. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224462/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jane Steventon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This quirky, nebulous, joyous then rueful story is not for those who like their love stories simple.Jane Steventon, Course Leader, BA (Hons) Screenwriting; Deputy Course Leader & Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Film Production, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2259302024-03-18T13:44:32Z2024-03-18T13:44:32ZGlastonbury’s first K-pop group is a reflection of years of Korean government strategy<p>The 13-member K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN will make history this year as they become the first Korean group on the Glastonbury music festival lineup. While top Korean groups such as <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/bst-hyde-park-2023-when-will-blackpink-perform-on-stage-date-time-tickets/articleshow/101417692.cms?from=mdr">Blackpink</a> and <a href="https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190602000198">BTS</a> have performed in the UK before, this will be the first time the K-pop genre has featured at the world famous festival, which is held on Worthy Farm in Somerset. </p>
<p>The booking marks a major milestone in the <a href="https://www.routledge.com/South-Korean-Popular-Culture-in-the-Global-Context-Beyond-the-Fandom/Lim/p/book/9781032233710">decades-long ambition</a> of Korean creative industries to find success in the global entertainment market.</p>
<p>K-pop has reached new international heights over the past decade. Girl group Blackpink broke new ground this year when they joined <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/blackpink-join-spotify-billions-club-how-you-like-that-3600941">Spotify’s “Billions Club”</a> with their 2020 single How You Like That (2020), marking over one billion streams. The most famous K-pop band, BTS, are also “Billions Club” members, thanks to their songs Dynamite (2020) and Butter (2022).</p>
<p>The global success of K-Pop is the result of a clever cultural marketing strategy <a href="https://www-tandfonline-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1080/10286632.2018.1557646">deployed by the Korean government</a> in collaboration with the creative industries. This strategy has dovetailed with advances in the ease of access to cultural content via streaming services and social media, resulting in a <a href="https://www.investkorea.org/ik-en/cntnts/i-326/web.do">global fan base</a> in the hundreds of millions. </p>
<h2>The history of K-pop’s success</h2>
<p>It all began with the Korean government’s recognition of the <a href="https://www-tandfonline-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1080/10286632.2013.829052">economic potential</a> of creative content in the 1990s. South Korea was looking for ways to recover from the ravages of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. </p>
<p>Even as International Monetary Fund-imposed deregulation and liberalisation of the economy was rolled out in the 2000s, <a href="https://www-tandfonline-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1080/10286632.2018.1429422">the government supported</a> the film, television and music industries by maintaining a firm hand in the sector’s growth and export development. This included financial incentives for production companies and infrastructure development such as investment in high speed internet access across the country to support content production and consumption. </p>
<p>The strategy worked. The popularity of a steady stream of Korean television dramas <a href="https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/asia/korean-wave-hallyu-the-rise-of-koreas-cultural-economy-pop-culture/">began to grow in Japan and China</a>. The Korean government then invested further in infrastructure to grow the industry and take Korean content beyond the region. Today, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/60-netflix-users-watched-korean-title-streaming-service-ceo-says-rcna91180">60% of all Netflix subscribers</a> have watched Korean content on the platform.</p>
<p>The success of Korean popular culture is felt across <a href="https://keia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/KEI_Koreas-Economy_2021_211019_Parc_2.pdf">other areas of the economy too</a>. K-pop and screen stars have struck brand deals with Korean companies, advertising items such as cosmetics, washing machines and smart phones to global audiences.</p>
<p>Korea’s cultural content market is now one of the <a href="https://www.investkorea.org/ik-en/bbs/i-308/detail.do?ntt_sn=490776">largest in the world</a> at around US$80 billion (£63 billion) in 2024, not far behind France and the UK. Its continuing growth is backed by a <a href="https://www.investkorea.org/ik-en/cntnts/i-326/web.do">multi-pronged policy</a> of financial investment, tax breaks and institutional support both in-country and via Korean culture centres in overseas cities. The government also provides financial incentives for cooperation between production companies and conglomerates such as LG and Samsung, which benefit from the success of Korean popular culture abroad.</p>
<p>The success of popular culture also lends itself to Korea’s public diplomacy. A concerted nation branding strategy implemented in the late 2000s and 2010s by the administration of <a href="https://www.ft.com/stream/100823f6-f80c-3991-9974-f56583650114">Lee Myung-Bak</a> administration aimed to push South Korea up the various nation branding indexes. Lee acknowledged the role that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10357823.2018.1509299">soft power could play</a> in securing Korea’s position as a state with moderate global influence. </p>
<p>Since that time, K-Pop stars have come to play a role in Korea’s public diplomacy at forums <a href="https://theconversation.com/bts-take-a-break-worlds-biggest-k-pop-group-is-caught-between-koreas-soft-power-ambitions-and-national-security-185433">including the UN</a> and <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/climate-connection/be-inspired/blackpink-climate-action-cop26">COP26</a>.</p>
<h2>No ordinary K-Pop band?</h2>
<p>This is not to say that SEVENTEEN are mere cogs in a larger machine of Korean cultural content production and export. Unlike many other pop groups in their peer group, the members produce <a href="https://time.com/5868040/seventeen-k-pop-everything-to-know/">much of their own work</a>, writing songs and raps and choreographing dance routines.</p>
<p>Unusually, SEVENTEEN is <a href="https://time.com/5868040/seventeen-k-pop-everything-to-know/">made up of a number of sub-groups</a>. At times, these sub-groups record separately in order to showcase their respective skills across rap, dance and singing. As is typical of Korean cultural content, the band aims to create multiple moments of connection with audiences. </p>
<p>One example is the band’s reality TV series, <a href="https://time.com/5868040/seventeen-k-pop-everything-to-know/">Going SEVENTEEN</a>, which is a mixture of games, challenges and behind the scenes clips, released weekly on YouTube and V Live, a Korean live streaming app for celebrity content.</p>
<p>As is also common in K-Pop bands, SEVENTEEN’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66541773">membership</a> is made up of people from different countries including China and the US. This helps them <a href="https://www-sciencedirect-com.sheffield.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S1568484922000314">connect with foreign fans</a> and ensures there is always a member able to handle international media appearances in languages other than Korean.</p>
<p>UK-based fans will be thrilled their idols are making an appearance at Glastonbury, hopefully paving the way for more K-pop at international festivals in the future. It also perhaps shows that the festival industry is responding to the increasingly global music tastes of festival-goers, bringing new acts and genres onto their stages. </p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah A. Son does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>SEVENTEEN’s performance will mark a major milestone in Korea’s decade’s long strategy to take Korean popular culture to the world.Sarah A. Son, Senior Lecturer in Korean Studies, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254042024-03-18T13:44:30Z2024-03-18T13:44:30ZFour ways to eat less meat that are better for the planet, your health and your bank balance<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582064/original/file-20240314-24-maslyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Making a few simple eco-friendly food choices can be healthy and cost-effective too. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-stall-holder-farmers-fresh-food-267549425">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do I choose the meat in my local store or drive out of town for tofu instead? Shall I add honey to my winter porridge or would strawberries or mango be better? Should I choose to drink oat milk or organic goat’s milk?</p>
<p>Most people are familiar with the idea that food consumption will affect their health. But food consumption also contributes between 20% and 30% of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.09.046">environmental footprint</a> from daily life, with impacts from production, processing, transport and retail. For many of us, our diet could be <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i3004e/i3004e00.pdf">healthier and more sustainable</a>, but it can be hard to know which options will have the biggest positive effect. </p>
<p>As part of our research into healthy and sustainable eating, interviews with predominantly young adults found that UK consumers are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106388">willing to make small changes</a> that would improve the health and environmental footprint of their diet, if these changes will have some benefit and are of little cost to them. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000345030">Small dietary changes</a> tend to be easier to maintain in the longer term than larger changes, but the small changes to make for greatest benefit, for health and the planet, are not well known.</p>
<p>To provide this advice, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107194">compared</a> the health-related, environmental and financial effects of a number of sustainable dietary actions that have previously been proposed. We applied 12 sustainable actions to the dietary data of 1,235 UK adults in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey">National Diet and Nutrition Survey</a>. </p>
<p>We investigated differences between the new diet and the original diet for six dietary markers (protein, saturated fat, sugars, salt, iron, calcium), three environmental markers (greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater withdrawals, land use), and dietary cost. There were some limitations – we couldn’t quantify the impacts of reducing food waste, for example. </p>
<p>But our research showed that four simple switches resulted in the greatest benefits for your diet, the planet and for your pocket. These changes won’t be small or simple for everyone, but you don’t need to try them all. Every switch will benefit both your health and our home, and lots of small changes will soon add up. </p>
<h2>1. Replace meat items with pulses</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071472">Beans, chickpeas and lentils</a> are high in protein, fibre and are low in fat. They have low environmental impacts and can even benefit the growth of other crops, plus they are very inexpensive. Barriers that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2023.119">prevent people consuming pulses</a> tend to focus around their taste or texture. And pulses can be perceived as inconvenient, effortful or difficult to cook. </p>
<p>Start with houmous – a tasty pre-prepared chickpea spread or dip. Including more pulses in your diet is made easier and quicker by using pre-prepared and canned pulses or by batch cooking dishes and freezing portions for another day. Try incorporating canned beans into your favourite soups and stews. Add lentils to your bolognese sauce. If you’re feeling more adventurous, experiment with some <a href="https://pulses.org/recipes/worlds-greatest-pulse-dishes">tasty new recipes</a> from cultures that traditionally use pulses, such as Mexico, the Middle East or India. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Flatlay shot looking down over a dozen or so colourful bowls of different beans, pulses, legumes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Replacing the meat in your diet with a diverse array of pulses is good for your health as well as for the planet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/collection-variety-cereal-food-wooden-equipment-1341145883">Nopparat Promtha/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>2. Replace meat items with eggs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-eggs">Eggs</a>, like pulses, are highly nutritious. They provide protein and many micronutrients, have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaq0216">low environmental impacts</a>, and are good value for money. Choose free-range eggs for added animal welfare benefits. </p>
<p>Eggs can be easy to prepare. They are soft and can be easier to eat for those who may have difficulties chewing, swallowing or cutting up foods. Eggs can add <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020002712">taste and flavour</a> to your diet. Eggs can be consumed at any meal. Poached or scrambled, they make a great high-protein breakfast, hard-boiled eggs are a filling on-the-go snack, and sous-vide (slow-cooked) eggs can impress guests at dinner parties. </p>
<h2>3. Replace meat items with hard or soft cheeses</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/milk-and-dairy-nutrition/">Cheese</a> is another nutritious food, full of calcium and other micronutrients, good for strong bones and teeth. Often considered a food with high environmental impacts, cheese typically has a lower environmental footprint than meat, even more so for soft cheeses. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://profilebooks.com/work/how-bad-are-bananas/">environmental impact of dairy foods</a> increases with the processing needed, predominantly as a result of the waste created at each stage of manufacture. Milk has the lowest environmental impact, yoghurt slightly higher, soft cheeses, such as cream cheese, slightly higher again, and hard cheeses such as Cheddar are higher still. </p>
<p>Try switching your pepperoni pizza for four cheeses pizza, replace the meat in pasta dishes for soft blue cheese to retain flavour, and use soft cheeses in sandwiches. </p>
<h2>4. Reduce meat consumption by 20%</h2>
<p>Meat production, particularly for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaq0216">beef and lamb</a>, has high environmental impacts. Consuming a lot can be unhealthy, but <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/meat-nutrition/">meat consumption in small amounts</a> can offer a valuable source of protein and micronutrients, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. Try consuming smaller portions, increase the quality of meat you buy to gain the health benefits while eating less, or aim to have regular vegetarian days, such as meat-free Mondays. Choose the meat option when you’re eating out, make it a treat for special occasions, and eat more plant-based dishes at home.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Appleton currently receives funding from the EU for a project (FoodMAPP), which aims to encourage the consumption of local food and reduce food waste, and she has previously received funding from the EU for a project on vegetable consumption (VeggiEAT) and from the British Egg Industry Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danielle Guy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From replacing meat with pulses to eating more eggs, these top tips will reduce the environmental impact of your diet while improving the nutritional value and cutting costs.Katherine Appleton, Professor of Psychology, Bournemouth UniversityDanielle Guy, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253962024-03-18T13:44:28Z2024-03-18T13:44:28ZAwaab’s law is a start but England needs whole new approach to ensure healthy homes for all<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580958/original/file-20240311-28-3bfgij.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cullum-welch-house-part-golden-lane-1018003162">I Wei Huang | Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 2020 a coroner’s court in Rochdale found that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-disturbing-parallels-between-awaab-ishaks-death-in-rochdale-and-the-grenfell-tower-disaster-195077">two-year-old Awaab Ishak</a> had died as a result of living in a mould-infested home. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rsh-sets-new-standards-to-drive-improvements-in-social-housing">New housing standards</a>, devised as part of the social housing regulation bill in response to this tragedy, are now set to come into force in England. </p>
<p>From April 1 2024, all social housing providers in England will have to ensure their tenants’ safety by keeping apprised of the conditions of the homes they let and the needs of the people they house. They will have to listen to complaints and respond within strict time frames, particularly, under the section dubbed “<a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3177">Awaab’s law</a>”, to problems of mould and damp.</p>
<p>This will improve the lives of thousands living in social housing. However, like many reactive policies, it only addresses one part of a much wider problem. Elsewhere in the housing and planning system, the government is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-speed-up-planning-build-homes-and-level-up">cutting regulations</a> to speed up house building, a process that the Labour party <a href="https://labour.org.uk/updates/press-releases/how-not-if-labour-will-jump-start-planning-to-build-1-5-million-homes-and-save-the-dream-of-homeownership/">wants to accelerate</a>. </p>
<p>Health is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07352166.2023.2260029">often forgotten about</a> in housing policies. Amid the clamour for economic growth, house building targets and reducing bureaucracy, housing quality and tenant wellbeing take a back seat. Regulations and standards are often derided as unnecessary red tape, but they can perform a vital role in protecting health. For residents who live in poor-quality housing, the consequences can be severe. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103023">Our research on health and housing</a> shows that these new regulations do not go far enough. The next UK government needs a comprehensive healthy-homes strategy, a move championed by the <a href="https://www.tcpa.org.uk/collection/campaign-for-healthy-homes/">Town and County Planning Association</a>. This would prevent tragedy, transform the lives of many tenants and have significant economic benefits.</p>
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<h2>Living with damp and mould</h2>
<p>The new social housing standards are part of a suite of reforms aiming to ensure that all tenants have decent, safe and secure homes. Awaab’s law sets requirements on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-deliver-awaabs-law">social landlords</a> to quickly investigate and repair hazardous conditions in the home such as damp and mould.</p>
<p>This is important. Around 1 million homes in the UK have a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/chapters-for-english-housing-survey-2022-to-2023-headline-report/chapter-4-dwelling-condition#damp">problem with damp</a>. Research <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9696/">shows</a> this can cause respiratory conditions – which can be critical – such as asthma and can damage mental health. In England, residents in an estimated <a href="https://files.bregroup.com/research/BRE_Report_the_cost_of_poor_housing_2021.pdf">75,000 homes experience conditions</a> so serious they are judged to pose an immediate risk to health and safety. </p>
<p>The UK government’s commitment to improving the quality of social housing is to be commended. However, it is striking that the government were only moved into action after a court inquest into the <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/awaab-ishak-toddlers-death-from-mould-triggers-review-of-landlord-guidance-12786323">tragic death</a> of a young child. </p>
<p>One obvious problem with this reactive mode is many important injustices and policy failings go unnoticed. It also means that when reforms do come, they only address one part of a much greater problem. </p>
<p>Damp and mould doesn’t just affect people in social housing. It’s actually a bigger problem in the private rented sector, where an estimated <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/chapters-for-english-housing-survey-2022-to-2023-headline-report/chapter-4-dwelling-condition#damp">9% of homes</a> are affected by damp, compared to 5% in social housing. </p>
<p>The lack of security for many private sector tenants and the fear of eviction means they are also <a href="https://youtu.be/1FOc9F1IrOo">less likely to report</a> mould or damp. </p>
<h2>Making homes healthy</h2>
<p>Damp and mould are not the only problem. There are many other ways that poor housing quality can have important health consequences. Over 4,500 deaths in England in 2022 <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66890135">were linked to homes overheating</a>. Older people, young children and people with underlying health conditions are the most at risk from extreme heat and the <a href="https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/its-getting-hot-in-here/">greatest burden</a> falls on poorer households. </p>
<p>Climate change will only intensify these problems. However, the UK is not well prepared. Research by the Committee on Climate Change has revealed that 55% of the housing stock in England is currently at risk of overheating. However, that number is likely to increase to <a href="https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/addressing-overheating-risk-in-existing-uk-homes-arup/">90% of homes</a> with a 2°C rise in temperatures, an estimate well within the range of likely scenarios. </p>
<p>Regulations <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overheating-approved-document-o">introduced in 2021</a> to prevent overheating only affect new homes. They will not protect the majority who live in older properties. </p>
<p>If these problems are to be solved, a piecemeal approach that reacts to specific high-profile cases is insufficient. Instead, the UK needs a comprehensive <a href="https://www.tcpa.org.uk/collection/campaign-for-healthy-homes/">healthy homes strategy</a> that addresses not just damp and overheating, but also overcrowding, noise pollution and indoor air pollution, all of which have important health consequences. It must regulate not just the social housing sector, but also housebuilders and private landlords. </p>
<p>With the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-levelling-up-missions/statement-of-levelling-up-missions#mission-7-health">Conservatives’</a> “mission to level up life expectancy” and <a href="https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mission-Public-Services.pdf">Labour’s</a> “prevention first revolution”, both parties have ambitious targets on health. But neither plan will succeed without facing up to the shocking health consequences of squalid housing in the UK.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225396/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This research comes from the TRUUD project, a research programme based at the University of Bristol, that aims to reduce non-communicable disease (such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illness) and health inequalities linked to the quality of urban planning and development for use in discussions with government and the developer industry. The TRUUD research project (<a href="https://truud.ac.uk/">https://truud.ac.uk/</a>) is funded by the the UK Prevention Research Partnership (<a href="https://ukprp.org/">https://ukprp.org/</a>).</span></em></p>To truly make UK housing safe and healthful for residents, the government needs a comprehensive strategy.Geoff Bates, Lecturer in Social Policy, Research Fellow, University of BathJack Newman, Research Fellow, School for Policy Studies, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256932024-03-18T13:44:27Z2024-03-18T13:44:27ZSpace tourists and crew suffer high radiation risks – regulation is needed to protect them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581725/original/file-20240313-18-7nh0go.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C44%2C4210%2C2798&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Richard Branson, next to White Knight Spaceship 2.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/spaceport-america-new-mexico-october-17th-2008061687">Jared Ortega/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a decade or two, journeys into space could become as normal as transatlantic flights. In particular, the number of humans travelling into space with the help of commercial companies, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/virgin-galactic-space-tourism-takes-off-with-bransons-inaugural-flight-164142">Virgin Galactic</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/virgin-galactic-and-blue-origin-can-they-be-more-than-space-joyrides-for-millionaires-164513">Blue Origin</a>, will increase significantly. </p>
<p>But such travel comes with huge radiation risks. Sudden changes in space weather, such as solar flares, for example, could have significant health implications for crew and passengers. Now <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0265964624000043">our recent paper</a>, from the University of Surrey, Foot Anstey LLP Space and Satellite Team, has found that current legislation and regulation don’t do enough to protect space tourists and crew.</p>
<p>Changes in space weather could expose space tourists to radiation doses in excess <a href="https://www.icrp.org/publication.asp?id=ICRP%20Publication%20103">of the recommended maximum</a> 1 millisievert (mSv) yearly uptake for a member of the public and 20mSv yearly for those working with radiation. Research at the University of Surrey shows that during an extreme space weather event, flight participants could receive doses in excess of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468896723000289">100mSv</a>.</p>
<p>Current <a href="https://www.caa.co.uk/uk-regulations/aviation-safety/civil-aviation-act-1982-the-ano-2016-the-rules-of-the-air-2015-and-the-dg-regulations-2002/the-civil-aviation-air-navigation-order-2016/">legislation and regulation</a> focusing on potential radiation exposure for space tourists is limited and largely untested. There is a heavy focus on conventional non-radiation risk and wider safety, with guidance stemming from regulation of normal commercial flights. However, these are significantly different to space tourism enterprises. </p>
<p>Similarly, the law around space flights and their associated risk liability <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-space-tourism-travelling-faster-than-space-law-43586">is complex</a>. Space law incorporates a mix of international law (such as international agreements, treaties and conventions), domestic legislation and guidance. </p>
<h2>Cancer risk</h2>
<p>Exposure to low levels of background natural radiation is part of everyday life. Most people are not aware of this exposure and the potential risks to our health. For example, an 0.08mSv effective dose from a commercial flight from the UK to the US.</p>
<p>However, exposure to elevated levels of ionising radiation, such as those possible during space weather events, can potentially cause damage to DNA. The risk of space travel therefore ranges from a minor increase in health defects to serious health implications such as cancers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Diagram illustrating the comparison of radiation doses." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=678&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=678&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=678&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=852&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=852&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581729/original/file-20240313-26-4razll.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=852&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Comparison of radiation doses.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There has been significant risk assessment of radiation exposure on Earth; for example in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2004.08.022">nuclear industry</a>. This is unlike the space tourism industry, which is still in its infancy. </p>
<p>Previous <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.08.035">research</a> has focused on the potential risk assessment for astronauts from radiation exposure and long duration missions outside low-Earth orbit. But this does not consider risks for those on short trips to space as tourists. Thus, there is still significant work to be done to assess the unique risk for space tourist flights and the supporting guidance and regulation.</p>
<p>Any existing regulation, such as the <a href="https://www.caa.co.uk/uk-regulations/aviation-safety/civil-aviation-act-1982-the-ano-2016-the-rules-of-the-air-2015-and-the-dg-regulations-2002/the-civil-aviation-air-navigation-order-2016/">UK Air Navigation Order</a> and <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-III/subchapter-C/part-460">Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) space flight regulations</a>, that is applicable to potential space flights focuses on crew, rather than paying passengers.</p>
<p>The space tourism industry is currently not fully aware of the radiation risks, we discovered. It is instead relying on incomplete “informed consent” for non-crew participants. The current regulation for the industry therefore places the risk burden firmly on the space tourist. We argue more legislation and regulation are needed.</p>
<h2>Our recommendations</h2>
<p>We made a series of recommendations in our report. But they are advisory. They are intended for the industry and regulators to consider as the space tourism sector continues to develop, particularly the FAA and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). </p>
<p>We suggest these bodies collaborate with industry, including space tourism companies, spacecraft manufacturers and space research organisations, to understand the technical challenges and risks associated with new spaceflight activities.
Such collaboration would help ensure that regulations are practical, effective and reflective of the latest technological advances.</p>
<p>We also advise considering international standards. As the commercial space industry becomes more global, it will be important for the CAA and FAA to collaborate with international regulatory bodies elsewhere, such as the <a href="https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx">International Civil Aviation Organization</a> (ICAO) and <a href="https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/index.html">the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (Uncopuos)</a>, to develop consistent regulations that apply across multiple jurisdictions.</p>
<p>Safety should be a critical consideration for any new regulations related to spaceflight. The CAA and FAA will need to ensure that new regulations adequately address risks associated with spaceflight. This is particularly exposure to radiation, but also the potential for accidents or system failures.</p>
<p>Finally, we encourage innovation. The commercial space industry is characterised by rapid innovation and technological advancement. Any new regulations must not stifle this innovation. The CAA and FAA will need to develop regulations that strike a balance between promoting safety, encouraging the development of new technologies and approaches, and enabling growth of the industry.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the CAA and the FAA will need to be flexible and adaptive. As the industry continues to evolve, they should review and update regulations to ensure they remain relevant and effective.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225693/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Rees does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Sudden changes in space weather, such as solar flares, for example, could have significant health implications for crew and passengers.Chris Rees, Postgraduate Researcher of Space Risk Engineering, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247502024-03-18T13:42:37Z2024-03-18T13:42:37ZPress freedom in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda: what journalists have to say about doing their jobs<p>A majority of the world’s population has experienced a decline in press freedom in recent years, according to <a href="https://www.unesco.org/reports/world-media-trends/2021/en">a UN report</a>. In east Africa, the results are mixed and debatable. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/rwanda/freedom-world/2024">Rwanda</a>, both international press freedom rankings and journalists on the ground say press freedom has increased over the past 10 years. In neighbouring <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/uganda/freedom-world/2024">Uganda</a>, both international rankings and local journalists say media freedom has declined. In <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/kenya/freedom-world/2024">Kenya</a>, rankings reflect declining freedom over the past decade, but reporters acknowledge they have more freedom than their counterparts in Uganda and Rwanda.</p>
<p>In our roles as associate professors in journalism and mass communication, we interviewed and surveyed more than 500 journalists in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. We learned that the evolution and current state of press freedom in the region is complex. In our book, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/press-freedom-and-the-crooked-path-toward-democracy-9780197634202?cc=us&lang=en&">Press Freedom and the (Crooked) Path Toward Democracy: Lessons from Journalists in East Africa</a>, we provide an updated state of press freedom in these three countries. </p>
<p>We argue that much of the academic research that classifies global media systems has overlooked the world’s most developing nations, and those that have included developing nations have failed to consider their historical contexts. They have worked from a misguided premise that nations develop in a linear fashion – from non-democracy to democracy – and from a restricted press to a free press. In reality, press freedom and democracy ebb and flow. </p>
<p>We examine the impact of social, political, legal and economic factors on media in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya to help with understanding media systems outside the western world. </p>
<p>We chose to study these three countries because they represent varying stages of development and democracy building. Rwanda, which experienced a genocide in 1994, is in relatively early (though fast paced) stages of reconstruction. Uganda, which experienced a civil war in the 1980s and unrest in the 1990s but arguably not to the extent of Rwanda’s genocide, can be considered in a middle stage of development. Kenya, which has remained largely peaceful, can be understood as being in a more advanced stage of development.</p>
<h2>Rwanda</h2>
<p>In Rwanda, despite 30 years of economic, social and media progress and development, <a href="https://rsf.org/en/country/rwanda">lingering impacts</a> from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi permeate the country’s media. <a href="https://cpj.org/reports/2014/12/legacy-of-rwanda-genocide-includes-media-restricti/">Multiple laws</a> limit free expression in the name of genocide prevention, and international press freedom rankings indicate the nation is <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/rwanda/freedom-world/2024">not free</a>. </p>
<p>Yet, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/press-freedom-and-the-crooked-path-toward-democracy-9780197634202?cc=us&lang=en&">we found</a> that many Rwandan journalists believe that they have a great deal of freedom and that outsiders don’t consider the country’s history when evaluating the media. Outsiders, for example, hear that Rwandan journalists cannot criticise the president or high-ranking government officials and immediately think there is no press freedom. But local journalists say they don’t feel oppressed. They feel relatively free to choose their story topics. They don’t want to publish critical stories because they want to foster peace. </p>
<p>Journalists believe their role is to act as unifiers and right the wrongs of their predecessors who exacerbated the genocide. Public trust in the media <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/49408/chapter-abstract/418504465?redirectedFrom=fulltext">remains high</a>, according to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1077699021998647">focus groups</a> conducted with members of the general public. In Rwanda, there appears to be a relationship between press freedom and distance from conflict. That is, the more time that passes since the country experienced war, the more press freedom it has. </p>
<p>Prioritising social good over media rights has helped the country unify and develop, but over the long term <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/press-freedom-and-the-crooked-path-toward-democracy-9780197634202?cc=us&lang=en&">we see signs</a> that Rwanda’s linear path towards increasing democracy and press freedom may not continue. Rather, prioritising peace at the cost of press freedom could limit development and reinforce existing <a href="https://theconversation.com/rwanda-paul-kagame-is-a-dictator-who-clings-to-power-but-its-not-just-for-his-own-gain-204834">authoritarian power structures</a>.</p>
<h2>Uganda</h2>
<p>In Uganda, the relationship between press freedom and distance from conflict has been less linear. Some media restrictions have lessened and others have worsened. </p>
<p>Despite a sustained period of peace after conflict with the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-lords-resistance-army-violence-in-the-name-of-god/a-18136620">Lord’s Resistance Army</a> in the northern part of the country that began in the 1980s, <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/uganda/freedom-world/2024">press freedom is not increasing</a> as time passes. Overall, journalists in the country largely agree with the international perception that they’re restricted and that the situation is worsening the longer President Yoweri Museveni remains in power. Journalists in Uganda perceive their press freedom to be lower than journalists in neighbouring countries. They also have a more pessimistic outlook. </p>
<p>Government interference, some of which stems from the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2010/05/02/media-minefield/increased-threats-freedom-expression-uganda">conflict</a> and some that’s <a href="https://www.cjr.org/analysis/eron-kiiza-defends-the-press-uganda.php">new</a>, remains pervasive. Worn down by government intimidation and repressive laws, coupled with low pay and lack of necessary equipment, some journalists <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1461670X.2020.1852097">told us</a> they had turned to unethical behaviour, such as acting as spies in the newsroom. </p>
<h2>Kenya</h2>
<p>Kenya is home to the <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/kenya/freedom-world/2024">freest media environment</a>. It’s also the only one in our study that has seen changes in presidential leadership in recent years. But just because a nation regularly holds elections doesn’t mean the path to democratisation and media freedom is smooth. </p>
<p>External measures indicate that Kenya has more press freedom than Uganda and Rwanda, and journalists in the country perceive this to be true. However, data show ups and downs of media freedom that have mirrored varying political administrations and events, including spurts of <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2009/10/un-human-rights-team-issues-report-post-election-violence-kenya">post-election violence</a>. These ebbs and flows are largely due to politicians or powerful members of society who share ideological goals or have financial interests like <a href="https://kenyamedia.reboot.org/">owning major media houses</a> and influencing coverage. </p>
<p>Despite the challenges, journalists attribute Kenya’s state of press freedom to the vast international connections the country and its leaders have. An empowered civil society – which stems from both a space for dissent given by public officials, and the culture and spirit of Kenyans – has promoted the growth of human rights, including media freedoms.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>After a nuanced examination of the factors that affect the media in each of these countries, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/press-freedom-and-the-crooked-path-toward-democracy-9780197634202?cc=us&lang=en&">our book lists</a> a set of factors that affect press freedom and democracy building. </p>
<p>Specifically, we believe each country’s distance from conflict, political benchmarks, international linkages and civil society strength are central to understanding its degree of press freedom, development and democratisation. </p>
<p>While these factors are not the only elements that influence media landscapes, they are a starting point for better understanding and theorising about press freedom environments. </p>
<p>A free and independent press allows the public to hold leaders accountable, make informed decisions and access a diversity of opinions. This makes it important to accurately understand how free varying media landscapes are, and why.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224750/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Important factors, such as conflict, are central to understanding a country’s degree of press freedom, development and democratisation.Karen McIntyre, Assistant Professor, Journalism and Director of Graduate Studies, Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityMeghan Sobel Cohen, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and the Master of Development Practice, Regis UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246992024-03-18T13:42:04Z2024-03-18T13:42:04Z76% of Africa’s energy could come from renewable sources by 2040: here’s how<p>Over half of Africa’s people – about 600 million – <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/sdg7-data-and-projections/access-to-electricity">lack access to even the bare minimum of electricity</a>. The tough question to answer is how access can be extended without adding to global warming by relying on fossil fuels.</p>
<p>We – a team from Rwanda and Germany who work in the field of renewable energy scientific modelling – set out to find the answer by building the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01922-1">Renewable Power Plant Database Africa</a>, the first on the continent. It’s a database of available open access data on hydro, wind and solar energy sources that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-023-00501-1">we’ve analysed</a>. </p>
<p>The database shows that some countries, such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe, have enough projects in the pipeline to potentially transition away from fossil fuels by 2050. And that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-023-00501-1">76% of all electricity required on the continent could come from renewable resources by 2040</a>. This would happen if the capacity of existing hydro-, solar and wind power plants were fully utilised and if all plants currently on the drawing-board were built.</p>
<p>The 76% from renewables would be met by 82% hydropower, 11% solar power and 7% wind power. Hydropower has been the main renewable energy resource to date, but declining costs for solar photovoltaics (90% decline since 2009) and wind turbines (55%–60% decline since 2010) mean solar and wind have potential to lead sustainable renewable energy options. </p>
<p>We conclude that combining the advantages of hydropower with wind and solar would be a more sustainable alternative to hydropower alone. And that hybrid solutions would be the best option.</p>
<p>But none of this can happen unless countries are willing to get into transnational electricity sharing arrangements. In addition, providing openly accessible and location specific data is fundamental for the development of an integrated sustainable renewable energy mix.</p>
<h2>What the data says</h2>
<p>We compiled the publicly available records of 1,074 hydropower, 1,128 solar and 276 wind power plants into one database. These were both existing and planned plants. We included the location of each proposed plant for all African countries. </p>
<p>We then integrated the data into a harmonised and updated database. This is the first comprehensive overview of renewable energy plants in Africa that includes their geographic coordinates, construction status and capacity (in megawatts).</p>
<p>This database shows that some countries have enough projects in the pipeline to potentially transition away from fossil fuels.</p>
<p>Hydropower is used by Eswatini, Angola, Djibouti, Gambia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo as a major or main source of renewable electricity. </p>
<p>Other countries, including Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Libya, Cape Verde, Morocco and Tunisia, are lagging behind in renewable energy development. These countries are highly electrified and their economies <a href="https://au.int/en/Agenda2063/popular_version">depend strongly on fossil fuels</a>. </p>
<p>We found that hydropower could <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01922-1">more than double to 132GW</a>. This would happen if those plants that have already had feasibility studies carried out were built. The Aswan High Dam has an installed capacity of 2.1GW and generates most of Egypt’s energy. So 132GW would be enough to provide power for several countries.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/limitless-energy-how-floating-solar-panels-near-the-equator-could-power-future-population-hotspots-210557">'Limitless' energy: how floating solar panels near the equator could power future population hotspots</a>
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<p>However, hybrid solutions are more likely to provide reliable electricity to a growing population in a changing climate. The cost of wind and solar power is dropping while a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adf5848">recent analysis</a> concluded that barely any hydropower will be profitable after 2030. If hydropower is not a favourable option under future climate change scenarios, wind and solar will be able to step in. </p>
<p>Hybrid power plants that generate a combination of renewable energy are another option. A promising example of this is the installation of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01525-1">floating solar panels on existing reservoirs</a>.</p>
<h2>Share electricity, data and experience across borders</h2>
<p>To meet the demand across Africa, we recommend the following.</p>
<p>Firstly, that there is international electricity sharing between African countries. This is the only way to ensure a renewable electricity supply to all countries. </p>
<p>Secondly, African leaders must also move away from economic driven development and integrate the different interests from people involved or affected, such as local residents, the general population, and governmental and non-governmental organisations. In the past, the land-intensive expansion of renewable power plants has caused conflicts with farmers, national parks and industries. </p>
<p>Thirdly, renewable energy development must include the interests of different people involved or affected by new energy projects, such as local communities and the general population. In the past, the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82042-5">land-intensive expansion of renewable power plants </a> has caused conflicts with farmers, national parks and industries. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/solar-and-wind-power-could-break-the-grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-deadlock-158898">Solar and wind power could break the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam deadlock</a>
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<p>Fourth, governments must share experience across borders to avoid mistakes such as damming the Nile River for hydropower. The Aswan High Dam, for example, disturbs the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-008-0043-3">transport of sediments down to the delta of the Nile</a>, threatening the highly biodiverse wetlands and inducing shoreline erosion, putting humans at risk. The Great Ethopian Renaissance Dam, currently under construction, is a recent prominent example of the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01557-5">need for cooperation and river management across borders</a>, especially when facing potential impacts of climate change like droughts on the efficiency of the hydropower plant.</p>
<p>Fifth, we call for a general rethink on how data is managed. All data should be shared and openly accessible across the world. Countries need to share high-quality data, including data about their power plants. High-quality data is key to analysing the different routes that electricity development should take across the continent in future. Such projections are only as good the knowledge and data they are based on. </p>
<p>African countries that follow this route will be global role models for a renewable energy transition. </p>
<p><em>(Jürgen Berlekamp, Charles Kabiri, Beth A. Kaplin and Klement Tockner co-authored the research that this article is based on.)</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224699/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If Africa built only all the renewable power plants it has already planned, this would be enough to generate 76% of all electricity needed on the continent by 2040.Christiane Zarfl, Professor for Environmental Systems Analysis, Faculty of Science, University of TübingenRebecca Peters, PhD candidate in Environmental Systems Analysis, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of TübingenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253612024-03-18T13:41:37Z2024-03-18T13:41:37ZMalawi and maize: prices have spiked on the back of bad weather and trade bans<p>Maize is the <a href="https://cgspace.cgiar.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/3bd9d66e-1614-4bdd-9971-56f44ed73455/content">leading staple</a> food in Malawi and crucial for food security. Typically, local production from smallholder farmers meets and exceeds annual requirements of around <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/amid-maize-bumper-harvests-malawi-food-insecurity-reigns#:%7E:text=Malawi's%20annual%20maize%20requirement%20is,opposite%20has%20been%20the%20case.">3 million metric tonnes</a>.</p>
<p>The country, however, is currently facing a crisis with <a href="https://response.reliefweb.int/malawi/food-security/reports">4.4 million Malawians (22% of the population)</a> being food insecure. </p>
<p>This is due firstly to a poor harvest in 2023. The subsequent shortages led to a spike in prices which hit households hard. Such severe impacts on households could have been avoided, however, with <a href="https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/800690-01-ACF-Position-Papers-COP27-Food-Prices-05.pdf">more integrated regional</a> markets to buffer against such shocks.</p>
<p>We analysed the dynamics behind these developments. We concluded that regional trade was not working well. Supply shocks driven by extreme weather were exacerbated by ad hoc trade bans and by apparent market speculation.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/enforcing-competition-would-ease-food-price-hikes-in-east-and-southern-africa-182879">Enforcing competition would ease food price hikes in east and southern Africa</a>
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<p>These factors added hundreds of millions of dollars to the total costs of maize for ordinary Malawians from August 2023 to January 2024. Our calculations indicate that households incurred additional spending of around US$200 million due to the elevated maize prices. Prices were elevated by <a href="https://sway.cloud.microsoft/W8DD8rBEbGpa6pOG?ref=Link">50%</a>, in the period when most households in Malawi had to purchase maize as <a href="https://massp.ifpri.info/files/2024/02/Working-Paper-45-Welfare-impacts-of-seasonal-maize-price-fluctuations-in-Malawi.pdf">smallholders had exhausted their own production</a>. Sharp price hikes have been seen in earlier years, such as in <a href="https://www.competition.org.za/s/AMO_Price-tracker-18_Oct_14112022.pdf">Kenya in late 2022</a>, for similar reasons.</p>
<p>These numbers should be sounding a loud warning for expected supply volatility in future. Our view is that stakeholders, together with the national and regional competition authorities, should monitor markets and advocate for fair prices. They should intervene where appropriate if there are signs of anti-competitive conduct.</p>
<h2>The dynamics</h2>
<p>Trade from neighbours with good harvests could have mitigated the impact of supply shocks. </p>
<p>In 2023, facing high fertilizer prices, <a href="https://sway.cloud.microsoft/W8DD8rBEbGpa6pOG?ref=Link">Malawi imported</a> much smaller fertilizer volumes, including supplies for its <a href="https://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi-government-misses-deadline-on-aip-implementation/">Affordable Inputs Programme</a>. The <a href="https://www.mwapata.mw/_files/ugd/dd6c2f_decdb3b481b243388d835f560a28fc9d.pdf?index=true">programme</a> is a government initiative which seeks to promote food security and reduce poverty in Malawi by improving access to affordable farming inputs. The decision hurt crop yields. Maize harvests were also hit hard by <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/cyclone-freddy-malawi-aftermath#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9C%5BCyclone%20Freddy%5D%20caused%20soil,the%20productivity%20of%20agricultural%20land.">Cyclone Freddy</a> early in 2023. </p>
<p>The reduction in domestic maize supply would be expected to result in somewhat higher maize prices in Malawi. But Malawi’s neighbours in east Africa had abundant maize supply from the 2023 harvest. Prices in Malawi shouldn’t have increased above the costs of imports. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/zambia-can-meet-growing-food-demand-how-to-fix-whats-standing-in-its-way-187373">Zambia can meet growing food demand: how to fix what's standing in its way</a>
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<p>Malawi prices shot up following <a href="https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/countrysummary/Default.aspx?id=MI">the 2023 May harvest period</a> (Figure 1). The prices of US$650 per metric tonne were far above those of neighbouring countries (such as $250 per tonne in south-west Tanzania). In addition, the prices hugely exceeded the import parity price based on adding transport and related costs for importing into Malawi.</p>
<p>From August to October, prices continued to be marked up substantially above the import parity price of around $370 per tonne. The import parity price represents a reasonable price and is calculated using the maize prices from Tanzania and Zambia, which averaged $300 per tonne over the period, and <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52246331e4b0a46e5f1b8ce5/t/627b83c72818b8346e9227a0/1652261854313/WP+Assessing+agriculture+food+markets+in+Eastern+and+Southern+Africa+an+agenda+for+regional+competition+enforcement.pdf">transport costs of US$50-80 per tonne</a>. </p>
<p>In 2024 there are widespread concerns again about production in some southern African countries, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/dry-weather-hits-southern-africas-farmers-putting-key-maize-supplies-at-risk-how-to-blunt-the-impact-224974#:%7E:text=South%20Africa%2C%20Zambia%20and%20Zimbabwe,hit%20by%20heatwaves%20and%20dryness.">Zambia</a>, because of persisting dry weather conditions. At the same time, there is abundant production and good growing conditions in countries such as Tanzania, which remains a substantial maize net exporter, having <a href="https://dailynews.co.tz/maize-boom-in-season-of-surplus/">experienced good harvests</a>.</p>
<h2>Trade and prices</h2>
<p>The sharp reduction in prices in Malawi in November 2023 followed 40,000 tonnes of maize being <a href="https://sway.cloud.microsoft/W8DD8rBEbGpa6pOG?ref=Link">imported by the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation</a> from Mozambique to be distributed all over the country. Prices dropped to US$458 per tonne. However, the currency depreciation of almost 50% in the same month meant that prices in local currency did not fall. </p>
<p>The currency depreciation flowed through to huge local price increases in December as prices increased in US dollar terms to their highest levels: $670 per tonne. The December increases were due in large part to <a href="https://farmersreviewafrica.com/malawi-suspends-unmilled-maize-imports-from-kenya-and-tanzania-sights-necrosis-disease/">a ban initiated by Malawi</a> on maize imports from Tanzania at the same time as Zambia was restricting maize trade to Malawi. The holders of maize stocks were able to earn staggering excess margins over the import parity prices that would have applied if trade had been possible.</p>
<p>In January 2024, maize prices declined to $446 as the trade restrictions with Tanzania were relaxed again. Market participants <a href="https://sway.cloud.microsoft/W8DD8rBEbGpa6pOG?ref=Link">reported an influx of maize</a> into the market from imports and traders with storage facilities. Even though prices declined in January, they were still inconsistent with fair market outcomes. </p>
<h2>Harm to consumers</h2>
<p>The highest prices from August to December coincided with the period when in a normal year most households in rural areas have exhausted their own produce and would have to <a href="https://massp.ifpri.info/files/2024/02/Working-Paper-45-Welfare-impacts-of-seasonal-maize-price-fluctuations-in-Malawi.pdf">buy additional maize</a>. </p>
<p>On average each person in Malawi <a href="https://massp.ifpri.info/files/2024/02/Working-Paper-45-Welfare-impacts-of-seasonal-maize-price-fluctuations-in-Malawi.pdf">consumes about 9.5kg of maize per month</a>. With an average overcharge on maize in the order of $200 per tonne, which is calculated as the difference between the prevailing price in Malawi and the import parity price, this means that <a href="https://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/3818/download/49047">an average household of 4.3 people</a> spent an additional $8 per month to maintain their consumption. This assumes that the increases are passed through by millers. The cost shock also affects animal feed, affecting prices of foods such as poultry and eggs, which has not been considered in this analysis.</p>
<p>In conclusion, the sustained excess margins in Malawi indicate that regional trade is not working well. Supply shocks, such as those due to extreme weather, are exacerbated by ad hoc trade bans as well as by apparent market speculation, as conveyed to us by market participants.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225361/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Roberts works for the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED) at the University of Johannesburg and is an advisor to the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate which has provided funding for CCRED's research on African food markets. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Namhla Landani works for the African Market Observatory (AMO), an initiative of the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development at the University of Johannesburg. The AMO receives funding from the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate for research on African Food Markets.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olwethu Shedi works for the African Market Observatory (AMO), an initiative of the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development housed at the University of Johannesburg. The AMO receives funding from the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate.</span></em></p>Approximately 22% of Malawians are food insecure, partly because of the poor maize harvest in 2023.Simon Roberts, Professor of Economics and Lead Researcher, Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, UJ, University of JohannesburgNamhla Landani, Economist at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of JohannesburgLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234152024-03-18T12:32:12Z2024-03-18T12:32:12ZAs the US government and record labels go after TikTok, musicians get the squeeze<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582257/original/file-20240315-16-a1ogtt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C24%2C8243%2C5462&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thomas Raggi of the band Måneskin performs a concert that streamed live on TikTok in 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/thomas-raggi-of-the-band-maneskin-performs-at-a-live-news-photo/1233487624?adppopup=true">Fabian Sommer/Picture Alliance via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For much of the year, TikTok has been on the defensive. </p>
<p>On March 13, 2024, the House of Representatives <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">voted to approve a bill</a> that would force the short-form video app to be sold off from its Chinese parent company to non-Chinese owners or face a ban in the U.S. The Senate will still have to vote on the legislation, which received broad bipartisan support due to beliefs that TikTok creates risks to national security.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Universal Music Group, one of the biggest record labels in the world, <a href="https://www.universalmusic.com/an-open-letter-to-the-artist-and-songwriter-community-why-we-must-call-time-out-on-tiktok/">stopped licensing its music to TikTok</a> at the end of January 2024. Since then, songs by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and scores of other artists can no longer be used on the platform, while millions of TikTok videos that had incorporated tracks from Universal artists were muted.</p>
<p>Universal Music Group has an estimated <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4580695-universal-music-group-buy-the-leader-of-the-music-industry-ahead-of-earnings">37.5% market share</a> in the music industry, so its songs likely make up a significant portion of the clips used on TikTok prior to the ban.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/tiktok-begins-removing-universal-music-publishing-songs-expanding-roya-rcna140713">The record label claims</a> its artists account for a majority of songs on the platform, and therefore, Universal artists should be better compensated and have guardrails against the harmful effects of artificial intelligence. TikTok, in its response, has said that it has come to amicable agreements with other record labels and that Universal is being unreasonable to the detriment of the artists it seeks to protect.</p>
<p>In the end, both companies simply want to have a larger piece of the pie.</p>
<p>But each of their interests, I believe, should be secondary to the creators that sustain them. Over the past two decades, as the internet and streaming have disrupted the music industry, wage gains for music professionals have been far more pronounced at the top of the income ladder. However, most composers and performers have seen their income and employment prospects dwindle.</p>
<p>TikTok has become a beacon in an otherwise dismal digital streaming landscape, and while musicians increasingly need TikTok, TikTok also needs music. </p>
<h2>Gains have gone to the top</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/bc01f8f80efe2e8d006b26520064d146">My research explores the impact of technology</a> on music professionals in the internet era.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91040797/what-the-digital-streaming-revolution-of-the-2000s-can-teach-us-about-the-ai-revolution-today-according-to-a-former-musician">Technology was supposed to democratize the music industry</a>, allowing more artists to more easily gain access to new markets.</p>
<p>Artists no longer needed a record deal to record their music and get it out to the world. They can record music cheaply using their computers, upload it to YouTube, Spotify, BandCamp, SoundCloud, Tidal or any number of platforms for music distribution, then promote their work on social media to build their audience.</p>
<p>But this didn’t lead to more music professionals making a living off their work.</p>
<p>That’s the conclusion I came to by analyzing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which includes two categories of music professionals: performers, who record songs and put on live shows, and composers, which includes musicians who conduct performances or create original works of music but do not necessarily perform that music. A performer would be someone like Dua Lipa, whereas a composer might be someone who is credited for writing a track on Dua Lipa’s album. </p>
<p>From 1999 to 2022, composers saw a strong 85.3% boost in employment, reflecting a gain of 5,380 jobs. This alone suggests that technology has helped music professionals gain employment.</p>
<p>However, when we look at performers – whose employment numbers shrank by 14,690, or 31.6% – it tells a different story. </p>
<p>Put together, the total number of music professionals fell by 9,310 people from 1999 to 2022, reflecting a 17.6% drop. All the free promotion of social media and the lowered barriers to entry that the internet provided were not enough to sustain artists’ livelihoods.</p>
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<p>Wages tell a more complex story. </p>
<p>While more people have earned a living from composing music since 1999, their wage gains paled in comparison to that of performers. In short, there are fewer people working as performers now, but those who can cut it are making more money. </p>
<p>This would seem to show that technology has helped most working music professionals.</p>
<p>However, there were outsize gains among the top 10% of music professionals – so the bulk of the rewards from technological advancement went to those at the top. The average wage gain for music professions rises as you climb the income ladder.</p>
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<h2>Artists first, or artists last?</h2>
<p>Artists, then, are having an increasingly difficult time making a living, especially independent artists who comprise the lower income brackets. </p>
<p>The promises of technology <a href="https://hbr.org/2024/01/is-genais-impact-on-productivity-overblown">are often overblown</a>; in the case of music, the winners and losers have ended up mirroring <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rising-inequality-a-major-issue-of-our-time/">broader societal inequalities</a>.</p>
<p>Even as technology hasn’t deliver what it promised to artists, artists are increasingly reliant on technology to make a living. </p>
<p>They’ve increasingly turned to TikTok to do so.</p>
<p>TikTok, with <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/">more than a billion active users</a> worldwide, has revolutionized music promotion and discovery. Unlike traditional social media, TikTok’s unique format, algorithm-driven content discovery and collaborative features supposedly democratize fame. </p>
<p>Lesser-known artists can go viral, shaping the Billboard charts and propelling songs into the mainstream. Lil Nas X <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/lil-nas-xs-no-1-run-began-tiktok-now-music-industry-taking-notice">rose to fame on TikTok</a> with “Old Town Road” and promptly signed on to Columbia Records. Oliver Anthony, the creator of the populist hit “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/oliver-anthony-music-rich-men-north-of-richmond-number-one-debut-hot-100-1235396681/">went viral</a> in summer 2023, eventually reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.</p>
<p>In this era of virality, TikTok has become an essential promotional tool for musicians and record labels alike, transcending the boundaries of conventional social platforms.</p>
<p>By cutting ties with TikTok, Universal Music Group is not only depriving its artists of these opportunities, but it’s also alienating a large and loyal fan base who use TikTok to interact with their favorite artists and their songs. </p>
<p>TikTok also loses in this situation, since music is such a critical part of its audiovisual experience. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-22/tiktok-lost-customers-when-it-took-away-music-in-australia">In a 2023 test conducted by TikTok</a>, the platform limited the music that some users in Australia could use in posts. For three straight weeks, the number of users, along with the time users spent on the app, declined. </p>
<p>Both parties say they want to protect the artists, <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktok-statement-in-response-to-universal-music-group">with TikTok arguing</a> that it has reached “artist-first agreements with every other label” and that “Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.”</p>
<p>TikTok is banking on the perception that platforms provide opportunities for cultural producers by saying that the power of the platform lies in it being “a free promotional and discovery vehicle” for artists. Some members of Congress who opposed the TikTok ban cited the platform’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/tiktok-bill-ban-house-vote-af4d0800?mod=hp_lead_pos1">utility for maintaining creators’ livelihoods</a>, so this is a common refrain.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman holds sign reading 'I'm 1 of 170 million Americans on TikTok.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582253/original/file-20240315-28-ytsbjo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A protester holds a sign in support of TikTok at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on March 12, 2024.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/participants-hold-signs-in-support-of-tiktok-at-a-news-news-photo/2079160123?adppopup=true">Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>In response, Universal Music Group has declared that TikTok has an “outdated view” of the modern music business due to the app’s insistence that it provides exposure for artists – and that this exposure is good enough. As my research shows, this free promotion has not grown the ranks of artists who can make a living off music.</p>
<p>TikTok still holds out hope that it can reach “<a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/umpg-update-february-28-2024">an equitable agreement with Universal Music Group</a>,” but the record label hasn’t budged.</p>
<p>The two media companies say they want to protect artists. But I believe the artists are the ones who will end up hurt the most in a divorce.</p>
<p>In other words, TikTok and Universal need to stay together for the kids.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223415/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ediz Ozelkan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For some musical artists, TikTok has become a beacon in an otherwise dismal digital streaming landscape.Ediz Ozelkan, Lecturer of Media Studies, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200362024-03-18T12:31:28Z2024-03-18T12:31:28ZAI vs. elections: 4 essential reads about the threat of high-tech deception in politics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582204/original/file-20240315-28-p5czjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4977%2C6250&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Like it or not, AI is already playing a role in the 2024 presidential election.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/android-celebrating-4th-july-royalty-free-image/499467267?phrase=Robot+Uncle+Sam">kirstypargeter/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s official. Joe Biden and Donald Trump have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/13/few-voters-decide-trump-biden-nominations/">secured the necessary delegates</a> to be their parties’ nominees for president in the 2024 election. Barring unforeseen events, the two will be formally nominated at the party conventions this summer and face off at the ballot box on Nov. 5. </p>
<p>It’s a safe bet that, as <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-tech-firms-have-tried-to-stop-disinformation-and-voter-intimidation-and-come-up-short-148771">in recent elections</a>, this one will play out largely online and feature a potent blend of news and disinformation delivered over social media. New this year are powerful generative artificial intelligence tools such as <a href="https://openai.com/chatgpt">ChatGPT</a> and <a href="https://openai.com/sora">Sora</a> that make it easier to “<a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=4040800">flood the zone</a>” with propaganda and disinformation and produce convincing deepfakes: words coming from the mouths of politicians that they did not actually say and events replaying before our eyes that did not actually happen.</p>
<p>The result is an increased likelihood of voters being deceived and, perhaps as worrisome, a growing sense that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378236203_Profiling_the_Dynamics_of_Trust_Distrust_in_Social_Media_A_Survey_Study">you can’t trust anything you see online</a>. Trump is already taking advantage of the so-called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055423001454">liar’s dividend</a>, the opportunity to discount your actual words and deeds as deepfakes. Trump implied on his Truth Social platform on March 12, 2024, that real videos of him shown by Democratic House members were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/13/trump-video-ai-truth-social/">produced or altered using artificial intelligence</a>.</p>
<p>The Conversation has been covering the latest developments in artificial intelligence that have the potential to undermine democracy. The following is a roundup of some of those articles from our archive. </p>
<h2>1. Fake events</h2>
<p>The ability to use AI to make convincing fakes is particularly troublesome for producing false evidence of events that never happened. Rochester Institute of Technology computer security researcher <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UxGWcUYAAAAJ&hl=en">Christopher Schwartz</a> has dubbed these <a href="https://theconversation.com/events-that-never-happened-could-influence-the-2024-presidential-election-a-cybersecurity-researcher-explains-situation-deepfakes-206034">situation deepfakes</a>.</p>
<p>“The basic idea and technology of a situation deepfake are the same as with any other deepfake, but with a bolder ambition: to manipulate a real event or invent one from thin air,” he wrote.</p>
<p>Situation deepfakes could be used to boost or undermine a candidate or suppress voter turnout. If you encounter reports on social media of events that are surprising or extraordinary, try to learn more about them from reliable sources, such as fact-checked news reports, peer-reviewed academic articles or interviews with credentialed experts, Schwartz said. Also, recognize that deepfakes can take advantage of what you are inclined to believe.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/events-that-never-happened-could-influence-the-2024-presidential-election-a-cybersecurity-researcher-explains-situation-deepfakes-206034">Events that never happened could influence the 2024 presidential election – a cybersecurity researcher explains situation deepfakes</a>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4gd-EpBlS0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How AI puts disinformation on steroids.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Russia, China and Iran take aim</h2>
<p>From the question of what AI-generated disinformation can do follows the question of who has been wielding it. Today’s AI tools put the capacity to produce disinformation in reach for most people, but of particular concern are <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-disinformation-is-a-threat-to-elections-learning-to-spot-russian-chinese-and-iranian-meddling-in-other-countries-can-help-the-us-prepare-for-2024-214358">nations that are adversaries</a> of the United States and other democracies. In particular, Russia, China and Iran have extensive experience with disinformation campaigns and technology.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot more to running a disinformation campaign than generating content,” wrote security expert and Harvard Kennedy School lecturer <a href="https://www.schneier.com/">Bruce Schneier</a>. “The hard part is distribution. A propagandist needs a series of fake accounts on which to post, and others to boost it into the mainstream where it can go viral.”</p>
<p>Russia and China have a history of testing disinformation campaigns on smaller countries, according to Schneier. “Countering new disinformation campaigns requires being able to recognize them, and recognizing them requires looking for and cataloging them now,” he wrote.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-disinformation-is-a-threat-to-elections-learning-to-spot-russian-chinese-and-iranian-meddling-in-other-countries-can-help-the-us-prepare-for-2024-214358">AI disinformation is a threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Healthy skepticism</h2>
<p>But it doesn’t require the resources of shadowy intelligence services in powerful nations to make headlines, as the New Hampshire <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-robocall-biden-new-hampshire-primary-2024-f94aa2d7f835ccc3cc254a90cd481a99">fake Biden robocall</a> produced and disseminated by two individuals and aimed at dissuading some voters illustrates. That episode prompted the Federal Communications Commission to <a href="https://theconversation.com/fcc-bans-robocalls-using-deepfake-voice-clones-but-ai-generated-disinformation-still-looms-over-elections-223160">ban robocalls that use voices generated</a> by artificial intelligence. </p>
<p>AI-powered disinformation campaigns are difficult to counter because they can be delivered over different channels, including robocalls, social media, email, text message and websites, which complicates the digital forensics of tracking down the sources of the disinformation, wrote <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=yu4Ew7gAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Joan Donovan</a>, a media and disinformation scholar at Boston University.</p>
<p>“In many ways, AI-enhanced disinformation such as the New Hampshire robocall poses the same problems as every other form of disinformation,” Donovan wrote. “People who use AI to disrupt elections are likely to do what they can to hide their tracks, which is why it’s necessary for the public to remain skeptical about claims that do not come from verified sources, such as local TV news or social media accounts of reputable news organizations.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fcc-bans-robocalls-using-deepfake-voice-clones-but-ai-generated-disinformation-still-looms-over-elections-223160">FCC bans robocalls using deepfake voice clones − but AI-generated disinformation still looms over elections</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0X3W1utdRQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How to spot AI-generated images.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. A new kind of political machine</h2>
<p>AI-powered disinformation campaigns are also difficult to counter because they can include bots – automated social media accounts that pose as real people – and can include <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-take-over-elections-and-undermine-democracy-206051">online interactions tailored to individuals</a>, potentially over the course of an election and potentially with millions of people.</p>
<p>Harvard political scientist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3Bl9cn8AAAAJ&hl=en">Archon Fung</a> and legal scholar <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LxG5YWcAAAAJ&hl=en">Lawrence Lessig</a> described these capabilities and laid out a hypothetical scenario of national political campaigns wielding these powerful tools.</p>
<p>Attempts to block these machines could run afoul of the free speech protections of the First Amendment, according to Fung and Lessig. “One constitutionally safer, if smaller, step, already adopted in part by European internet regulators and in California, is to prohibit bots from passing themselves off as people,” they wrote. “For example, regulation might require that campaign messages come with disclaimers when the content they contain is generated by machines rather than humans.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-take-over-elections-and-undermine-democracy-206051">How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/election-2024-disinformation-151606">This article is part of Disinformation 2024:</a></strong> a series examining the science, technology and politics of deception in elections.</em></p>
<p><em>You may also be interested in:</em></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/disinformation-is-rampant-on-social-media-a-social-psychologist-explains-the-tactics-used-against-you-216598">Disinformation is rampant on social media – a social psychologist explains the tactics used against you</a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/misinformation-disinformation-and-hoaxes-whats-the-difference-158491">Misinformation, disinformation and hoaxes: What’s the difference?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/disinformation-campaigns-are-murky-blends-of-truth-lies-and-sincere-beliefs-lessons-from-the-pandemic-140677">Disinformation campaigns are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs – lessons from the pandemic</a></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220036/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Using disinformation to sway elections is nothing new. Powerful new AI tools, however, threaten to give the deceptions unprecedented reach.Eric Smalley, Science + Technology EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2228472024-03-18T12:30:59Z2024-03-18T12:30:59ZHow do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578175/original/file-20240227-28-cejldv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7668%2C4449&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. airlines carry more than 800 million passengers per year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/airplane-isolated-on-sky-3d-rendering-royalty-free-image/1147868750?phrase=airplanes">Lasha Kilasonia/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>How do airplanes fly? – Benson, age 10, Rockford, Michigan</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>Airplane flight is one of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century. The <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/wright-brothers">invention of the airplane</a> allows people to travel from one side of the planet to the other in less than a day, compared with weeks of travel by boat and train.</p>
<p>Understanding precisely why airplanes fly is an ongoing challenge for <a href="https://www.clarkson.edu/people/craig-merrett">aerospace engineers, like me</a>, who study and design airplanes, rockets, satellites, helicopters and space capsules. </p>
<p>Our job is to make sure that flying through the air or in space is safe and reliable, by using tools and ideas from science and mathematics, like computer simulations and experiments. </p>
<p>Because of that work, flying in an airplane is <a href="https://usafacts.org/articles/is-flying-safer-than-driving/">the safest way to travel</a> – safer than cars, buses, trains or boats. But although aerospace engineers design aircraft that are stunningly sophisticated, you might be surprised to learn there are still some details about the physics of flight that we don’t fully understand.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram of an airplane that shows the four forces of flight." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577439/original/file-20240222-28-v3tjb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The forces of weight, thrust, drag and lift act on a plane to keep it aloft and moving.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/airplane-cruise-balanced-forces/">NASA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>May the force(s) be with you</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/four-forces-of-flight/#:%7E">four forces</a> that aerospace engineers consider when designing an airplane: weight, thrust, drag and lift. Engineers use these forces to help design the shape of the airplane, the size of the wings, and figure out how many passengers the airplane can carry. </p>
<p>For example, when an airplane takes off, the thrust must be greater than the drag, and the lift must be greater than the weight. If you watch an airplane take off, you’ll see the wings change shape using flaps from the back of the wings. The flaps help make more lift, but they also make more drag, so a powerful engine is necessary to create more thrust. </p>
<p>When the airplane is high enough and is cruising to your destination, lift needs to balance the weight, and the thrust needs to balance the drag. So the pilot pulls the flaps in and can set the engine to produce less power.</p>
<p>That said, let’s define what force means. According to <a href="https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/4079abf0-7a4b-4f49-80ad-c69cd06a80f9/newtons-second-law-of-motion/">Newton’s Second Law</a>, a force is a mass multiplied by an acceleration, or F = ma. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black and white historical photograph of the first flight of the Wright brothers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579678/original/file-20240304-22-jrh9mr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">On Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. Orville Wright is at the controls, while Wilbur looks on.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-flyer-takes-off-from-kill-devil-hill-with-orville-news-photo/517389284?adppopup=true">Bettmann via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A force that everyone encounters every day is <a href="https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity/en/#:%7E">the force of gravity</a>, which keeps us on the ground. When you get weighed at the doctor’s office, they’re actually measuring the amount of force that your body applies to the scale. When your weight is given in pounds, that is a measure of force. </p>
<p>While an airplane is flying, gravity is pulling the airplane down. That force is the weight of the airplane. </p>
<p>But its engines push the airplane forward because they create <a href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/what-is-thrust/">a force called thrust</a>. The engines pull in air, which has mass, and quickly push that air out of the back of the engine – so there’s a mass multiplied by an acceleration. </p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-wh3fJRdjo">Newton’s Third Law</a>, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. When the air rushes out the back of the engines, there is a reaction force that pushes the airplane forward – that’s called thrust.</p>
<p>As the airplane flies through the air, the shape of the airplane pushes air out of the way. Again, by Newton’s Third Law, this air pushes back, <a href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/what-is-drag/#:%7E">which leads to drag</a>. </p>
<p>You can experience something similar to drag when swimming. Paddle through a pool, and your arms and feet provide thrust. Stop paddling, and you will keep moving forward because you have mass, but you will slow down. The reason that you slow down is that the water is pushing back on you – that’s drag. </p>
<h2>Understanding lift</h2>
<p><a href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/what-is-lift/">Lift</a> is more complicated than the other forces of weight, thrust and drag. It’s created by the wings of an airplane, and the shape of the wing is critical; that shape is <a href="https://howthingsfly.si.edu/media/airfoil#:%7E">known as an airfoil</a>. Basically it means the top and bottom of the wing are curved, although the shapes of the curves can be different from each other. </p>
<p>As air flows around the airfoil, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO75jDwGCdQ">it creates pressure</a> – a force spread out over a large area. Lower pressure is created on the top of the airfoil compared to the pressure on the bottom. Or to look at it another way, air travels faster over the top of the airfoil than beneath. </p>
<p>Understanding why the pressure and speeds are different on the top and the bottom is <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/lift-and-copjpg">critical to understand lift</a>. By improving our understanding of lift, engineers can design more fuel-efficient airplanes and give passengers more comfortable flights.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram that shows how the airfoil of a plane works." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579698/original/file-20240304-24-6df49v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Note the airfoil, which is a specific wing shape that helps keep a plane in the air.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/how-airplanes-fly-royalty-free-illustration/1401215523?phrase=airfoil+diagram&adppopup=true">Dimitrios Karamitros/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The conundrum</h2>
<p>The reason why air moves at different speeds around an airfoil remains mysterious, and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/no-one-can-explain-why-planes-stay-in-the-air/">scientists are still investigating</a> this question. </p>
<p>Aerospace engineers have measured these pressures on a wing in both wind tunnel experiments and during flight. We can create models of different wings to predict if they will fly well. We can also change lift by changing a wing’s shape to create airplanes that fly for long distances or fly very fast. </p>
<p>Even though we still don’t fully know why lift happens, aerospace engineers work with mathematical equations that recreate the different speeds on the top and bottom of the airfoil. Those equations describe a process <a href="https://howthingsfly.si.edu/media/circulation-theory-lift">known as circulation</a>. </p>
<p>Circulation provides aerospace engineers with a way to model what happens around a wing even if we do not completely understand why it happens. In other words, through the use of math and science, we are able to build airplanes that are safe and efficient, even if we don’t completely understand the process behind why it works.</p>
<p>Ultimately, if aerospace engineers can figure out why the air flows at different speeds depending on which side of the wing it’s on, we can design airplanes that use less fuel and pollute less.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222847/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Craig Merrett receives funding from the Office of Naval Research and L3Harris. He is affiliated with the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, and is a licensed professional engineering in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Merrett is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY. </span></em></p>People have been flying airplanes for well over a century. Engineers know how to balance all the forces at play, but still aren’t exactly sure how some of the physics of flight actually works.Craig Merrett, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Clarkson UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255092024-03-18T12:28:06Z2024-03-18T12:28:06ZAmid growth in AI writing tools, this course teaches future lawyers and other professionals to become better editors<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581594/original/file-20240313-18-ljzu6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C93%2C6852%2C4260&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Even the best paragraphs may have room for improvement.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cyber-law-or-internet-law-concept-with-ai-robot-royalty-free-image/1350320510?phrase=law+students+writing+ai+&adppopup=true">PhonlamaiPhoto via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Text saying: Uncommon Courses, from The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/uncommon-courses-130908">Uncommon Courses</a> is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.</em> </p>
<h2>Title of Course:</h2>
<p>“Editing and Advocacy”</p>
<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>
<p>In part, I wanted to improve the career prospects of the law students, business students and other aspiring professionals I teach. People who can consistently improve the sentences and paragraphs that come across their desk each day have the opportunity to improve the way ideas and messages are communicated. Who wouldn’t want to add someone like that to their company, government agency or nonprofit organization?</p>
<p>Mostly, though, I designed the course so that my students can experience the empowering magic that comes with being able to take a string of words — whether drafted by themselves or somebody else — and transform them into a revised version that is undeniably better than the original. </p>
<h2>What does the course explore?</h2>
<p>Students edit emails. They edit contracts. They edit memos, articles, speeches, proposals, text messages, blog posts — pretty much anything that lawyers and other professionals compose. Sometimes they edit alone. Other times they edit as part of a team. But the goal is always the same: learn and practice a skill that is fundamental to becoming an excellent advocate.</p>
<h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>
<p>I first starting teaching “Editing and Advocacy” a few years before the launch of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. But now that those tools have significantly reduced the cost of producing drafts, the course’s focus on revising drafts — for accuracy, for clarity, for persuasive power — has taken on a newfound relevance.</p>
<p>For instance, when asked how AI might affect what he and other members of the knowledge economy do, tech journalist <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2023/3/21/23649894/the-ai-revolution-could-be%2520-bigger-and-weirder-than-we-can-imagine.">Charlie Warzel suggested</a> that “the greatest skill that we can all have now is to be ‘editors.’” We may, he noted, start to spend an increasing amount of time correcting and refining AI-produced material.</p>
<p>Ilona Logvinova, associate general counsel and head of innovation for the legal department at consulting giant McKinsey, <a href="https://wsjcustomevents.com/lexisnexis2024">made a similar point</a>, telling attendees at a recent conference on the use of AI in law: “I really believe that we’re at a moment where we, as lawyers, can transition from being ‘drafters’ to being ‘editors.’”</p>
<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>
<p>One of the most critical lessons is something I put front and center on the syllabus: “Good editors don’t just see the sentence that was written. They see the sentence that might have been written. They know how to spot words that shouldn’t be included and summon up ones that haven’t yet appeared. Their value comes not just from preventing mistakes but also from discovering new ways to improve a piece’s style, structure, and overall impact.”</p>
<p>The current generation of AI tools is really good at proofreading. But so far, I haven’t encountered any large language model that has the vision, empathy and deep understanding of both context and nuance — not to mention of personal voice —required of a truly exceptional editor.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman peers into a book while seated at her desk, which has both a desktop and a laptop computer." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582048/original/file-20240314-21-w762u1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Experts say editing will take on greater importance in the age of artificial intelligence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Laurence Dutton via Getty Images</span></span>
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<p>That doesn’t mean that a technology with those capacities won’t eventually develop, nor that the technology we already have can’t provide enormously useful editing assistance. In fact, more and more of my assignments in “Editing and Advocacy” give students a chance to play around with ChatGPT-like tools. I have also created an entirely separate course called “Digital Lawyering: Advocacy in the Age of AI” that explores the possibilities – and pitfalls – of using artificial intelligence as a kind of co-counsel.</p>
<p>But as I often remind students in both classes, editing is as much about imagination, emotional intelligence and restraint as it is about syntax, semicolons and subject-and-verb agreement. A good way to become better at it is to cultivate the parts of you that are most human. </p>
<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>
<p>Hoping to save my students some money — and wanting to make the materials of the course easily available online — I worked with the <a href="https://www.publishing.umich.edu/our-mission">publishing team</a> at the University of Michigan to create a set of open-access books that anyone with an internet connection can read for free. These include “<a href="https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/hq37vr12w">Editing and Advocacy</a>,” “<a href="https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/dv13zw31v">Notes on Nuance</a>,” “<a href="https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/f1881p37d">Punctuation and Persuasion</a>” and “<a href="https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/8623j145m">Feedback Loops: How to Give and Receive High-Quality Feedback</a>.”</p>
<p>We also use videos, quizzes and exercises from <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/good-with-words">Good with Words: Writing and Editing</a>, a series of online courses I created for the educational platform <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a>. </p>
<h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>
<p>Editing involves reliably making informed, value-creating decisions. You need to know what to add. You need to know what to delete. You need to know what to separate, combine and rearrange. Students in the course study, evaluate and regularly participate in those types of decisions. In the process, they develop an extremely important and highly transferable skill: good judgment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225509/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patrick Barry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Learning how to produce polished prose can greatly enhance your value on the job.Patrick Barry, Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Digital Academic Initiatives (University of Michigan Law School) | Visiting Lecturer (University of Chicago Law School) | Visiting Lecturer (UCLA School of Law), University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2251492024-03-18T12:27:18Z2024-03-18T12:27:18ZChildren experience more injuries, stress and even burnout when they specialize in one sport<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582293/original/file-20240315-24-m854g4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C6019%2C3982&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Along with ankle injuries, kids focusing on one sport tend to have more shoulder and knee issues, including ACL injuries.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/hispanic-soccer-player-outdoor-in-sunny-day-having-royalty-free-image/1438631123?phrase=kid+athlete+with+injury&adppopup=true">LSOphoto/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>From football to baseball, gymnastics to tennis, more young athletes are becoming sports specialists. They join expensive sports clubs or youth leagues and devote themselves to a single sport all year long. But <a href="https://orthosurgery.ucsf.edu/patient-care/faculty/nirav-pandya">Nirav Pandya</a>, a professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at the University of California San Francisco, says there are risks when kids specialize, including an increased possibility of injury and a high burnout rate.</em></p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Dr. Nirav Pandya discusses the problems that can occur when kids specialize in one sport.</span></figcaption>
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<p><em>The Conversation has collaborated with SciLine to bring you highlights from the discussion, which have been edited for brevity and clarity.</em></p>
<p><strong>What trends do you see related to kids and sports participation?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> We’re seeing a <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/latest-global-youth-sports-market-153000303.html">tremendous number of kids</a> who are participating in sports <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/a/morganmcdaniel1/aau-is-dominating-high-school-basketball">outside of the school setting</a>. </p>
<p>And kids are specializing in sports at younger ages. Six-, 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds are playing one sport year-round to the exclusion of other sports. </p>
<p><strong>What are the outcomes for kids who specialize?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> When kids specialize, they have a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967120922764">significantly increased risk of injury</a>.</p>
<p>We also know <a href="https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/27833/Professionalization-of-youth-sports-can-lead-to?">70% of kids will drop out of sports</a> by age 13 if they specialize.</p>
<p>Also, in the long term, kids who specialize in a single sport perform less well in that sport and in all sports in general than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671221129594">kids who play more than one</a>. So once again, we’re really hurting kids from multiple different levels if they’re specializing. </p>
<p><strong>What is the relationship between sports specialization and injuries?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> There’s a tremendous increase in traumatic injuries. <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acl-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350738">ACL tears</a> used to be something we’d see in 17-, 18-, 19-year-olds. Now, 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds get them. The rate of ACL injuries has gone <a href="https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2023/health-trends">up 12% over the last decade</a> in this adolescent age group. </p>
<p>Based on my experience as a clinician, kids are also getting overuse injuries like knee pain and shoulder pain from doing too much of the same activity again and again. </p>
<p><strong>Are clubs and leagues costly?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> The Aspen Institute has shown that families will spend, on average, <a href="https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2022/costs-to-play-trends">about $1,000 per year</a> for these travel or private club sports. That’s a big financial burden for a lot of families. </p>
<p>In addition, the reason why a lot of families are doing this is because they want their kids <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/betting-on-a-sports-scholarship-to-pay-for-kids-college-dont/">to get a college scholarship</a>. Colleges are very expensive, and parents think if their child specializes in a sport and plays on these club teams, they can get to that level. </p>
<p>What families don’t understand is that the average four-year college scholarship amount <a href="https://www.debt.org/students/athletic-scholarships/#:%7E">is only $14,000</a>. And of all the kids playing sports, only 2% of them are <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/886012/recruiting-fact-sheet-web.pdf">actually going to get a college scholarship</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Is this mainly a problem for the rich?</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> You have one group of kids who have access to sports because their families have the money and those kids are getting injured. And then you have another group of kids whose families don’t have the money to participate, and therefore there isn’t really an outlet for them to be physically active because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-021-09716-5">school funding is going down</a>. Recreational programs don’t exist. So then those kids get <a href="https://projectplay.org/youth-sports/facts/benefits">the problems of diabetes, obesity and hypertension</a>, and they carry that into adulthood.</p>
<p><strong>What can parents do to ensure their kids have a healthy relationship with sports?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> It’s important for parents to understand the data. And that’s our role as physical therapists, athletic trainers and coaches – to understand that data and give it to parents. </p>
<p>I think the second thing is also not to feel the pressure to enter the youth sports complex, <a href="https://time.com/4913687/how-kids-sports-became-15-billion-industry/">a US$15.3 billion industry</a>. Instead, donate to a community organization that is funding recreational sports, or try to push for your school to have those opportunities for your kids. </p>
<p>And finally, if your child is going to be playing travel sports or year-round sports, the parents should look at the websites of the club. Are they promoting kids to be healthy and active in a safe environment, or are they promoting kids to get a scholarship? </p>
<p><em>Watch the <a href="https://www.sciline.org/health-medicine/sports-specialization/">full interview</a> to hear more.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.sciline.org/">SciLine</a> is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225149/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nirav Pandya does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The rate of injury for single-sport adolescents is far higher than for other kids who play a variety of sports.Nirav Pandya, Associate Professor, Pediatric Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of California, San FranciscoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2232702024-03-18T12:24:52Z2024-03-18T12:24:52ZFree school meals for all may reduce childhood obesity, while easing financial and logistical burdens for families and schools<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580529/original/file-20240307-16-nylyj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1024%2C683&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">School meal waivers that started with the COVID-19 pandemic stopped with the end of the public health emergency.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/plymouth-ma-a-student-at-plymouth-county-intermediate-news-photo/1242013592">Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>School meals are critical to child health. Research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090924">school meals can be more nutritious</a> than meals from other sources, such as meals brought from home. </p>
<p>A recent study that one of us conducted found the quality of school meals has steadily improved, especially since the 2010 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.9517">Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act</a> strengthened nutrition standards for school meals. In fact, by 2017, another study found that school meals provided the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.5262">best diet quality</a> of any major U.S. food source.</p>
<p>Many American families became familiar with universal free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. To ease the financial and logistical burdens of the pandemic on families and schools, the <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus">U.S. Department of Agriculture issued waivers</a> that allowed schools nationwide to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. However, these <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/offsite-monitoring-after-phe#">waivers expired</a> by the 2022-23 school year. </p>
<p>Since that time, there has been a substantial increase in schools participating in the <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/community-eligibility-provision">Community Eligibility Provision</a>, a federal policy that allows schools in high poverty areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all attending students. The policy became available as an option for low-income schools nationwide in 2014 and was part of the <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/Child_Nutrition_Fact_Sheet_12_10_10.pdf">Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act</a>. By the 2022-23 school year, <a href="https://frac.org/cep-report-2023">over 40,000 schools</a> had adopted the Community Eligibility Provision, an increase of more than 20% over the prior year.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Many families felt stressed when a federal program providing free school meals during the pandemic came to an end.</span></figcaption>
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<p>We are <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ihU7JuoAAAAJ&hl=en">public health</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=VkqyJPcAAAAJ&hl=en">researchers who</a> study the health effects of nutrition-related policies, particularly those that alleviate poverty. Our newly published research found that the Community Eligibility Provision was associated with a net <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-063749">reduction in the prevalence of childhood obesity</a>.</p>
<h2>Improving the health of American children</h2>
<p>President Harry Truman <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/nslp-fact-sheet">established the National School Lunch Program</a> in 1946, with the stated goal of protecting the health and well-being of American children. The program established permanent federal funding for school lunches, and participating schools were required to provide free or reduced-price lunches to children from qualifying households. Eligibility is <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/fr-020923">determined by income</a> based on federal poverty levels, both of which are <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/17/2024-00796/annual-update-of-the-hhs-poverty-guidelines#">revised annually</a>.</p>
<p>In 1966, the <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cna-amended-pl-111-296">Child Nutrition Act</a> piloted the <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/program-history">School Breakfast Program</a>, which provides free, reduced-price and full-price breakfasts to students. This program was later made permanent through an amendment in 1975.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/community-eligibility-provision">Community Eligibility Provision</a> was piloted in several states beginning in 2011 and became an option for eligible schools nationwide beginning in 2014. It operates through the national school lunch and school breakfast programs and expands on these programs.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Gloved hand placing cheese slices on bun slices" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580532/original/file-20240307-22-r2dnw1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Various federal and state programs have sought to make food more accessible to children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cafeteria-worker-puts-together-sandwiches-for-free-meals-as-news-photo/1213018954">John Moore/Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>The policy allows all students in a school to receive free breakfast and lunch, rather than determine eligibility by individual households. Entire schools or school districts are eligible for free lunches if at least 40% of their students are directly certified to receive free meals, meaning their household participated in a means-based safety net program, such as the <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLPDirectCertification2016.pdf">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, or the child is identified as runaway, homeless, in foster care or enrolled in Head Start. Some states also <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/direct-certification-medicaid-demonstration-project">use Medicaid for direct certification</a>.</p>
<p>The Community Eligibility Provision increases school meal participation by <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300134">reducing the stigma</a> associated with receiving free meals, eliminating the need to complete and process applications and extending access to students in households with incomes above the eligibility threshold for free meals. As of 2023, the eligibility threshold for free meals is 130% of the federal poverty level, which amounts to US$39,000 for a family of four.</p>
<h2>Universal free meals and obesity</h2>
<p>We analyzed whether providing universal free meals at school through the Community Eligibility Provision was associated with lower childhood obesity before the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>To do this, we measured <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-063749">changes in obesity prevalence</a> from 2013 to 2019 among 3,531 low-income California schools. We used over 3.5 million body mass index measurements of students in fifth, seventh and ninth grade that were taken annually and aggregated at the school level. To ensure rigorous results, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2020.12.001">accounted for differences</a> between schools that adopted the policy and eligible schools that did not. We also followed the same schools over time, comparing obesity prevalence before and after the policy.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Child scooping food from salad bar onto a tray; other children lean against the wall" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580530/original/file-20240307-24-swy6q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Free school meals may help reduce health disparities among marginalized and low-income children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/westbrook-middle-school-fifth-grade-student-salem-bukasa-news-photo/469592304">Whitney Hayward/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found that schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision had a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-063749">2.4% relative reduction</a> in obesity prevalence compared with eligible schools that did not participate in the provision. Although our findings are modest, even small improvements in obesity levels are notable because effective strategies to reduce obesity at a population level <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0176-8">remain elusive</a>. Additionally, because obesity <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:106273">disproportionately affects</a> racially and ethnically marginalized and low-income children, this policy could contribute to reducing health disparities.</p>
<p>The Community Eligibility Provision likely reduces obesity prevalence by substituting up to half of a child’s weekly diet with healthier options and simultaneously <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102646">freeing up more disposable income</a> for low-to-middle-income families. Families receiving free breakfast and lunch save approximately $4.70 per day per child, or $850 per year. For low-income families, particularly those with multiple school-age children, this could result in meaningful savings that families can use for other health-promoting goods or services.</p>
<h2>Expanding access to school meals</h2>
<p>Childhood obesity <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053708">has been</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.14590">increasing over</a> the past several decades. Obesity often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12334">continues into adulthood</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/obesity-in-children-is-rising-dramatically-and-it-comes-with-major-and-sometimes-lifelong-health-consequences-202595">and is linked</a> to a range of <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2016.303326">chronic health conditions and premature death</a>. </p>
<p>Growing research is showing the benefits of universal free school meals for the health and well-being of children. Along with our study of California schools, other researchers have found an association between universal free school meals and reduced obesity in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/723824">Chile</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101072">South Korea</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubecp.2022.100016">England</a>, as well as among <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22175">New York City schools</a> and school districts in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00380">New York state</a>.</p>
<p>Studies have also linked the Community Eligibility Provision to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.57.3.0518-9509R3">improvements in academic performance</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312231222266">reductions in suspensions</a>.</p>
<p>While our research observed a reduction in the prevalence of obesity among schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision relative to schools that did not, obesity increased over time in both groups, with a greater increase among nonparticipating schools.</p>
<p>Universal free meals policies may slow the rise in childhood obesity rates, but they alone will not be sufficient to reverse these trends. Alongside universal free meals, identifying <a href="https://theconversation.com/fixing-the-global-childhood-obesity-epidemic-begins-with-making-healthy-choices-the-easier-choices-and-that-requires-new-laws-and-policies-207975">other population-level strategies</a> to reduce obesity among children is necessary to address this public health issue.</p>
<p>As of 2023, <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-states-addressing-child-hunger-and-food-insecurity-with-free-school-meals-for-all/">several states have implemented their own</a> universal free school meals policies. States such as California, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico have pledged to cover the difference between school meal expenditures and federal reimbursements. As more states adopt their own universal free meals policies, understanding their effects on child health and well-being, as well as barriers and supports to successfully implementing these programs, will be critical.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223270/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Jones-Smith receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Localio does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Since nutrition standards were strengthened in 2010, eating at school provides many students with healthier food than is available cheaply elsewhere. Plus, reducing stigma increases the number of kids getting fed.Anna Localio, Ph.D. Candidate in Health Services, University of WashingtonJessica Jones-Smith, Associate Professor of Health Systems and Population Health, Epidemiology, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2251532024-03-18T12:23:59Z2024-03-18T12:23:59ZBiden and Trump, though old, are both likely to survive to the end of the next president’s term, demographers explain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581396/original/file-20240312-16-ug5e1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C6%2C4247%2C2965&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are nearly twice the median age of the U.S. population.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/Election2024ChinaUnitedStates/46152c599dd14340abc0595fca447682/photo">AP Photo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3890">In a recent poll</a>, 67% of Americans surveyed believe that President Joe Biden, 81, is too old to serve another term as president. But only 41% of respondents said they feel that way about former President Donald Trump, who is 77. Both men have stumbled around and have forgotten or mixed up names and events, <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-loss-and-forgetfulness/memory-problems-forgetfulness-and-aging">which are behaviors that characterize some older people</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jAfhO2YAAAAJ&hl=en">We</a> are <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OBIxsGQAAAAJ&hl=en">demographers</a> – not <a href="https://www.salon.com/2024/02/23/dr-john-gartner-on-a-tale-of-two-brains-bidens-brain-is-aging-brain-is-dementing/">scholars of brain function</a> considering people’s cognitive abilities. But there is a question we can answer, one that speaks to concerns about both men’s ages: their life expectancy.</p>
<p>And it turns out that the four-year age difference between Biden and Trump isn’t really much of a difference when it comes to their respective odds of surviving. The statistical odds are good that both would complete a four-year term as president.</p>
<p>We know this because of one of the most versatile <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/population-and-society/5D47EB8139ED72FD59F7379F7D41B4FB">tools of demography</a>, which is called a life table. It’s a table of age groups, usually from 0 to 100 years, showing the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf#page=14">percentages of the population at any age</a> surviving to a later age. It is based on the age-specific death rates of the population.</p>
<h2>Early record-keeping</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A table of figures representing births and deaths." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=716&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581391/original/file-20240312-28-kj30q1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A bill of mortality for 1605 and 1606, by John Graunt, an early version of what is now known as a life table.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bill_of_Mortality_1606.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The life table dates back to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Graunt">John Graunt, a self-educated citizen of London</a> in the 17th century who is known by many as the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/population-and-society/references/35C31BCEC27E2B0448B160414E1893BF">founder of demography</a>. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41138862">In 1662, Graunt produced and distributed the first life table</a>, showing the probabilities of London’s population surviving from one age to the next.</p>
<p>There are two kinds of life tables. The first is a cohort life table, which represents the death rates and ages for a specific group of people. A cohort table could, for example, document the deaths of all males born in the U.S. in 1940. That table would be very precise, but it wouldn’t be complete until every member of the group had died – so it’s not especially useful for examining the prospects of the living.</p>
<p>As a result, demographers more often use life tables for a current time period, such as the year 2021, which is the date of the most <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf">current period life table for the U.S.</a></p>
<p>It shows the probabilities of surviving from one age to another age based on the death rates in 2021. </p>
<h2>Statistical documentation</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf">A period life table for 2021</a> indicates that almost 99% of all people born in the U.S. survive from age 0 to age 20; just over 95% of them survive to age 40, and over 85% to age 60. More than 51% of them live to age 80.</p>
<p>But life tables get much more specific. It’s important to examine life tables’ data for each age, race and gender combination. This is because males don’t live as long as females, Black people don’t live as long as white people, and non-Hispanic people don’t live as long as Hispanic people. There are more specialized life tables that focus on education level and income, but they are not as current and complete as the broader tables.</p>
<p>Biden and Trump are both non-Hispanic white men. Biden is 81 and Trump is 77.</p>
<p>Based on the age-specific death rates of non-Hispanic white men in the U.S. in 2021, Biden has a 92.9% probability of surviving at least to age 82. Trump has a 95.1% probability of surviving to at least age 78. These odds are nearly identical, so each man is very likely to be alive on Inauguration Day 2025, regardless of which of them is being sworn in as president.</p>
<p>What about finishing out that four-year term? <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf#page=47">Our calculations from the life tables</a> reveal that there is a 63.3% probability that Biden will survive another five years – to at least 86. And there is a 73.6% probability for Trump to survive that period – to at least age 82. Of course, it’s possible either or both will die, but their odds of death are much lower than their odds of survival.</p>
<p>In general, the chances are a bit more favorable for Trump, because he is slightly younger.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A table of figures showing how many people of one age survive to a future age." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581097/original/file-20240311-20-hc2ous.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The 2021 life table for the U.S. is the most recent available.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf#page=10">U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Precise calculations</h2>
<p>There are two factors that let us demographers get even more specific. </p>
<p>First, we measure age as exact years. Their age gap is not four years, but 3.5: <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/joseph-r-biden-jr">Biden was born on Nov. 20, 1942</a>, and <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/donald-j-trump">Trump on June 14, 1946</a>. That 10 percentage-point survival advantage for Trump over Biden was based on a four-year age difference. The real difference drops one or two points because they’re not quite so far apart in age.</p>
<p>Second, demographers have shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/2648114">people who attend church regularly live longer</a> than those who don’t. This is not because of some divine favor but because churchgoers tend to have more optimistic attitudes, clearer senses of purpose and more regular social interactions and connections. All of these factors extend people’s lives. Biden is a Catholic and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AC1X6/">attends Mass weekly, in general</a>. Trump was raised as a Presbyterian but now considers himself to be a “<a href="https://www.deseret.com/2023/10/22/23922731/biden-trump-faith-and-presidential-candidates/">nondenominational Christian</a>,” and he attends religious services very irregularly. So, Biden gets the survival advantage associated with churchgoing. </p>
<p>Other factors come into play with longevity as well, such as marital status, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10936-2">body mass index scores</a>, diets and levels of physical fitness and exercise. </p>
<h2>A comparison with the American people</h2>
<p>Biden and Trump are <a href="https://theconversation.com/candidates-aging-brains-are-factors-in-the-presidential-race-4-essential-reads-223419">two of the three oldest people</a> ever to serve as president. The population they are seeking to lead is also older than ever before.</p>
<p>The median age of the nation’s population was <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/population-estimates-characteristics.html">38.9 in 2022</a> compared with <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1972/dec/pc-s1-10.html">28.1 in 1970</a> and just <a href="https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2000/phc/phc-t-09/tab07.pdf">16.7 in 1820</a>. </p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/opinion/biden-aging-america-population.html">Relative to the age of the population</a>, President Biden is no older than the country’s first presidents,” including Thomas Jefferson, wrote James Chappel, a scholar of aging and history at Duke University, in The New York Times. More recently, Reagan was older than the median American of his time than Biden and Trump are today.</p>
<p>At their second inaugurations, Jefferson was roughly 45 years older than the median age of the U.S. population then, and Reagan 43 years older. If Biden wins a second term, he will be 42 years older than today’s median. If Trump wins in 2024, he will be 38 years older than the current median. </p>
<p>As demographers, we can say it is likely that both Biden and Trump will be alive when the presidential term that begins in 2025 comes to an end in 2029. But as the U.S. population gets older too, the age factor may become less important to voters. This is not an immediate change, however, but one that will likely occur over the next decade or so.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225153/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Detailed data on the ages at which people die can give good indications of a person’s remaining life span.Dudley L. Poston Jr., Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M UniversityRogelio Sáenz, Professor of Demography, The University of Texas at San AntonioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2230352024-03-18T10:59:45Z2024-03-18T10:59:45Z2024 Senegal election crisis points to deeper issues with Macky Sall and his preferred successor<p>The botched attempt by Senegalese president <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Macky-Sall">Macky Sall</a> to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/3/senegals-macky-sall-postpones-presidential-election">postpone</a> the presidential election has stirred unnecessary tension in an already strained electoral process. The move reflected deeper governance problems in the country.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/3/senegals-macky-sall-postpones-presidential-election">Sall’s decree</a>, subsequently <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2024/02/16/constitutional-council-plunges-senegal-into-the-unknown-by-overturning-election-postponement_6531088_124.html">annulled by the Constitutional Council</a>, was the latest in a range of government interventions that exceeded the scope of the executive authority. These have included the <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/22/sonko-wade-not-listed-among-official-candidates-of-feb25-presidential-election/">disqualification</a> of key opposition candidates, the manipulation of judicial procedures, and the arbitrary detention of dissenting figures.</p>
<p>Sall’s 12-year tenure has been marked by contradictions. His administration boosted investment in transport and urban infrastructure. Notably, he worked on the <a href="https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/319731593403262722/text/Senegal-Transport-and-Urban-Mobility-Project.txt">motorway network</a>, the new Diass international airport, the development of major roads and the completion of public transport projects.</p>
<p>But these investments have not translated into improvements in the lives of Senegalese. Thousands of young people still go on <a href="https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1072143/politique/tribune-whatshappeninginsenegal-quand-le-drame-des-migrants-passe-au-second-plan/">perilous journeys</a> to Europe having lost hope of fulfilling their potential in their own country.</p>
<p>This is the backdrop to his move to postpone the elections in a last bid to secure a winning strategy for his camp. His anointed successor, <a href="https://www.ecofinagency.com/public-management/1109-44836-senegals-macky-sall-endorses-pm-amadou-ba-as-2024-successor">Amadou Ba</a>, remains a contested figure within the ruling <a href="https://www.senegel.org/en/movements/political-parties/poldetails/2">Alliance for the Republic Party</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amy-Niang">I have a research interest</a> in state formation in west Africa. As I <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781786606525/The-Postcolonial-African-State-in-Transition-Stateness-and-Modes-of-Sovereignty">have argued</a> in my work, states sustain themselves by producing and alienating internal “others”. This refers to a scenario where governments assert sovereignty not against outside forces but against internal cultural groups and existing logics of governance. Sall’s style of government follows this pattern closely. </p>
<h2>Crisis within his party</h2>
<p>Sall <a href="https://fr.africanews.com/2024/02/10/senegal-macky-sall-se-justifie-sur-le-report-de-la-presidentielle//">said</a> he was postponing elections because of an alleged conflict between parliament and the Constitutional Council. The parliament had approved the creation of a commission of inquiry into the process of validation of presidential candidacies by the Constitutional Council.</p>
<p>Sall in fact latched onto <a href="https://www.bbc.com/afrique/articles/c1vywrx3xx9o">an accusation</a> of corruption levelled by Karim Wade against two Constitutional Council judges following Karim’s disqualification from running in the election due to his dual citizenship.</p>
<p>But the most plausible reason was a crisis within the ruling camp. The Alliance for the Republic is a divided party that is going to the elections in disarray. Sall’s chosen successor, <a href="https://guardian.ng/news/world/senegal-pm-amadou-ba-named-ruling-party-candidate-for-president/">Ba</a>, has generated little enthusiasm among voters. He symbolises the status quo. An affluent candidate, Ba has the difficult task of convincing an impoverished electorate that he is up to the task. </p>
<p>Sall overstepped his constitutional powers. The Senegalese <a href="https://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/IssueLibrary/SENEGAL_Constitution.pdf">constitution’s limitation</a> of the president’s term duration can’t be amended. Further, according to the <a href="https://dge.sn/sites/default/files/2019-01/CODE%20ELECTORAL%202018_0.pdf">electoral code</a>, the decree setting a date for presidential elections must be published no later than 80 days before the scheduled ballot. Sall postponed the poll just 12 hours before the campaigning was due to start, and <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/14/senegal-authorities-restrict-internet-access-and-ban-march//">22 days before the ballot</a>.</p>
<p>Sall’s attempt at postponing the elections, which has fostered a climate of distrust in the integrity of the electoral process, has left Senegal embroiled in a serious constitutional crisis. His decree brought forth two important issues:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the government’s commitment to an orderly handover of power</p></li>
<li><p>the integrity of the democratic process.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Erosion of a democratic tradition</h2>
<p>Since 2021, a series of protests and riots have pitted Ousmane Sonko, a key opposition figure facing rape allegations, and his supporters against a government accused of manipulating the judiciary to thwart a serious candidate. As a result, the economy has been severely disrupted. Each day of protests causes an estimated <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/restaurants-water-towers-unrest-dents-senegals-economy-2023-06-09/">$33 million loss</a> in economic output. </p>
<p>Further, Sall has used security and defence forces to establish an order of fear. He has resorted to heavy-handed measures against opposition figures and dissenting voices within civil society through arbitrary detention and prosecution. His government has systematically <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/05/senegal-violent-crackdown-opposition-dissent">restricted</a> the freedom of assembly, banned protests, suppressed independent media and mobilised public resources to bolster the ruling party.</p>
<p>For all these reasons, Senegal has seen an erosion of institutions meant to uphold the rule of law, foster political participation and ensure public accountability.</p>
<p>Sall was elected in <a href="https://fr.allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00016260.html">2012</a> after a tumultuous period under the flamboyant government of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abdoulaye-Wade">President Abdoulaye Wade</a>. Sall owes his entire political career to Wade’s patronage. Yet their relationship soured when it became evident that Sall harboured ambitions to challenge Wade’s son, <a href="https://www.africa-confidential.com/profile/id/254/page/4">Karim</a>, who was being groomed to succeed his father. </p>
<p>Sall pledged to deliver virtuous and frugal governance. But public euphoria soon petered out as scandals involving cabinet ministers and <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2019/06/25/senegal-soupconne-de-corruption-le-frere-du-president-macky-sall-demissionne_5481292_3212.html">close family members</a> laid bare the corruption within the administration.</p>
<p>In 2023, amid much brouhaha over the validity of a third term, Sall <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66093983">yielded</a> to public pressure after <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/senegalese-opposition-rally-against-president-sall-s-possible-third-term-ambition-/7091705.html">violent protests</a>. These resulted in the most serious political crisis since the 1960s, claiming over 60 lives and leading to the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/01/22/senegal-pre-election-crackdown">arrest</a> of over 1,000 people.</p>
<h2>Where to for Senegal?</h2>
<p>In compliance with the <a href="https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/rest-of-africa/senegal-presidentsets-presidential-election-for-march-24-4547872">Constitutional Council ruling</a>, Sall has finally agreed to organise elections before his exit.</p>
<p>As the election day of 24 March draws near, the absence of key contenders, and uncertainties regarding the electoral procedures, inject an element of unpredictability. </p>
<p>Furthermore, the erosion of trust is such that the Senegalese public still doubts Sall’s commitment to fulfil his obligations and facilitate an orderly handover.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223035/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Niang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Attempts to postpone Senegal’s election indefinitely reflect deeper governance problems within Macky Sall’s administration, and the shortcomings of his chosen heir, Amadou Ba.Amy Niang, Head of Research Programme, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2255692024-03-18T06:11:15Z2024-03-18T06:11:15ZAnime live-action adaptations are often hated by (Western) fans. Are they being too harsh?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582456/original/file-20240318-16-8vktzs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=32%2C9%2C2027%2C1425&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">IMDB</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to get right?</p>
<p>Despite the <a href="https://www.thebobaculture.com/anime/avatar-the-last-airbender-is-not-an-anime">ongoing debate</a> about whether Avatar (2005–08) is indeed an “anime” (since it’s made by US creators), the series has nonetheless gone down as a favourite among Western anime fans. </p>
<p>Netflix’s new rendition is rated highly by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9018736/ratings/?ref_=tt_ov_rt">fans</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/22/avatar-the-last-airbender-review-a-sparkling-return-for-one-of-the-greatest-fantasy-series-of-all-time">critics</a> alike. Viewers have flocked online to share their opinions on everything from the casting choices, to the sets and costumes, to changes in the story. </p>
<p>But while the new Avatar is being praised, that makes it an outlier in live-action anime adaptations. </p>
<p>What is it about these adaptations that leads to them being so closely scrutinised? And why are they so often met with disappointment? </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ByAn8DF8Ykk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>‘Anime’ is evolving</h2>
<p>Before the original Avatar came out, defining “anime” or “Japanimation” was straightforward. Anime were cartoons made in Japan, often based on manga or Japanese comics. </p>
<p>However, Japanese studios are outsourcing more and more of their background and scenery animation to studios in South Korea and South-East Asia, creating only the main character animation in house. </p>
<p>So <a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-anime-only-defined-as-being-animation-from-Japan">anime purists</a> – who often seem to be Western viewers – may argue the above definition is no longer sufficient. (It’s helpful to remember that in Japanese, “anime” refers to all animated material, regardless of country of origin.)</p>
<p>Avatar is noted for its anime-inspired themes and action, and for laying the path for other US-made series such as Voltron (2016–18), and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–20). Both shows mix 1980s nostalgia with 2010s storytelling and a hybrid animation style. While they may not technically be anime (depending on whom you ask) the overlap can’t be ignored.</p>
<h2>Successful cases</h2>
<p>One successful anime live-action adaptation is the 2008 film Speed Racer, adapted from the 1967–68 anime of the same name. Directed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wachowskis">the Wachowskis</a>, the film has become a camp classic. It uses the same comic book-style special effects developed for The Matrix franchise, which <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/how-the-matrix-was-inspired-by-the-greatest-anime-movies-of-all-time">itself was inspired by</a> anime and manga, and particularly by Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film Ghost in the Shell. </p>
<p>A more recent adaptation success was Netflix’s One Piece. This show has arguably rewritten the rules of live-action anime adaptations by blending original anime and manga story lines with a diverse <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/one-piece-cast-live-action-netflix">cast of talented young actors</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582467/original/file-20240318-30-joxjbr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The live-action One Piece actors hail from countries including Japan, the UK, Mexico and the US.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">IMDB</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Through a mix of expert writing, costuming, characterisation and visual effects, the essence of the long-running manga and anime series is retained for a new audience. The story of the boy who dreams of becoming king of the pirates – published over some 25 years – is distilled into a fast-paced series portrayed through childhood flashbacks and wacky hijinks. </p>
<p>Upon seeing the cast, original One Piece author and creator Oda Eiichiro said the crew <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/one-piece-creator-eiichiro-oda-netflix-series-snail-phone-1235707079/">was perfect</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s like you’re watching the Straw Hats in real life.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure>
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</figure>
<h2>Notable failures</h2>
<p>So, does the opinion of the original creator determine the success of an adaptation?</p>
<p>Certainly it may if we consider the infamous 2009 film Dragon Ball: Evolution. This US remake, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/one-piece-creator-eiichiro-oda-netflix-series-snail-phone-1235707079/">rated 2.5/10</a> on IMDB, was widely criticised for its lacklustre production and “whitewashing”. </p>
<p>It was such a failure that it inspired Dragon Ball creator Toriyama Akira, who passed away <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/08/akira-toriyama-dragon-ball-creator-manga-series-dies-aged-68">on March 1</a>, to return to the franchise after a 15-year hiatus. Toriyama felt the <a href="https://kotaku.com/didnt-like-hollywoods-dragon-ball-movie-well-neithe-465066558">film didn’t capture</a> the “world” or the “characteristics” of the series.</p>
<figure>
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</figure>
<p>Similarly, 2017 live-action film Ghost in the Shell was heavily criticised for its casting of Scarlett Johansson as the Major, with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/31/ghost-in-the-shells-whitewashing-does-hollywood-have-an-asian-problem">fans saying</a> she should have been played by a Japanese actor.</p>
<p>In the various Ghost in the Shell anime, films and manga, the Major is an augmented cyborg whose original identity is never revealed. Indeed, the search for some kind of connection or identity forms part of her character. Johansson’s casting should therefore not really be an issue. Mamoru Oshii himself said there was “no basis” for an “Asian actress” to <a href="https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2016/11/11/Ghost-in-the-Shell-featurette-Original-director-Mamoru-Oshii-praises-Scarlett-Johansson/1151478870706/">play the role</a>. </p>
<p>However, the 2017 film was ultimately too clever for its own good as the final twist reveals the Major is a … <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/the-ghost-in-the-shell-twist-addresses-whitewashing-claims-in-a-disturbing-way-47138">Japanese woman</a> in a white woman’s body.</p>
<h2>An adaptation problem, or a fan problem?</h2>
<p>Besides issues of whitewashing, what makes anime adaptations so different to other adaptations that might also miss the mark?</p>
<p>For instance, the Marvel films – adapted from the original superhero comics – have <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-marvel-cinematic-universe-movies-ranked/">delivered hits</a> alongside horrible flops. Yet, one could argue the flops didn’t attract quite as much fan fury as botched anime adaptations often do. </p>
<p>It may be that live-action anime adaptations actually aren’t that bad when judged independently, but the change in medium, language – and the impossible task of casting humans as anime characters – is what sets fans’ collective teeth on edge.</p>
<p>So much of anime’s magic lies in the creativity and imagination of the animators who build massive fantasy worlds brimming with the impossible. Currently, no amount of CGI can perfectly replicate anime world-building.</p>
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</figure>
<p>There’s also the issue of condensing anime narratives for live action. Whereas anime made for Japanese audiences can have hundreds, or even thousands, of episodes, US-made live-action versions tend to have much shorter seasons due to time and budget constraints. </p>
<p>This means creators have to scrap and condense much of the original content. While these scrapped scenes might be considered “filler” to them, they likely hold a lot of value in fans’ eyes and contribute to making the original anime so compelling.</p>
<h2>Japanese versus Western audiences</h2>
<p>There have been a number of incredibly successful Japanese-language anime and manga live-action adaptations. Some of these have been faithful to the original series, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurouni_Kenshin_(film)">Ruroni Kenshin</a> (2012-21). Others such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_(2005_film)">Nana</a> (2005) play with the source material to create new stories.</p>
<p>Anime fans in Japan arguably aren’t as offended by slightly off-kilter adaptations as Western audiences are. Perhaps this is because they’ve been raised on franchises where the same characters appear over and over in different shows, with a different backstory each time. </p>
<p>One example is manga artist <a href="https://tezukainenglish.com/wp/?page_id=912">Tezuka Osamu’s “star system”</a>. Throughout his career, Tezuka has reused the same character designs and names across different series. The character of Shunsaku Ban, for instance, appears as a detective in Metropolis, but as Astro Boy’s teacher in Astro Boy. </p>
<p>These disparate versions exist simultaneously, and fans are free to pick their favourites and ignore the others. It’ll be interesting to see whether this approach is eventually embraced in adaptations made for Western audiences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225569/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emerald L King does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Live-action anime adaptations have never been more popular. Yet there are many factors that make them difficult – but not impossible – to pull off.Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.