Caporalato, LGBTQ+ online and music for corals
#309 Outriders Magazine
Hot oceans, underwater Sentinel and music to help corals
The current ocean heatwaves, characterized by high ocean water temperatures, have been happening for two consecutive years. Scientists warn that this may significantly alter the Earth's systems, which could be irreversible. In the Atlantic basin, sea surface temperatures have risen by 1-2°C compared to the baseline from 1971-2000. Satellite data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that the anomaly in the waters off the coast of South Africa, Japan, and the Netherlands is three °C or more. The World Meteorological Organization predicts that by 2023, the waters of the eastern part of the North Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the North Pacific, and large areas of the Southern Ocean will warm even more significantly.
Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have made groundbreaking discoveries in the US Virgin Islands. They found that playing the sounds of a healthy coral reef through underwater speakers, particularly blooming coral, can stimulate a degraded reef to regenerate. This discovery could revolutionize the field of coral reef conservation. Coral larvae were up to seven times more likely to settle on a degraded coral reef when recordings of the crackling, groaning, grunting, and scratching sounds accompanying a healthy ecosystem were played. Half of the coral reefs have disappeared since the 1950s, including due to warming ocean waters.
The British company DEEP is constructing the Sentinel system, an underwater territory that will enable scientists to stay permanently under the water's surface. Scientists can live and work underwater at a depth of up to 200 meters for 28 days without interruption. Sentinel is modular, scalable, autonomous, reconfigurable, and reusable.
Conditions for appropriate brain development: from infant to teenager
A study conducted at Washington University in St. Louis highlights the importance of several factors in the proper development of a child's brain in their first year, including proper nutrition, sleep, a stimulating environment, a safe environment, proper care, and a regular circadian rhythm. Even if other conditions are unfavourable, providing these five factors guarantees proper development.
According to studies conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University at Albany, exposing elementary school students to books that deal with complex topics intended for older teenagers, even if they are considered "disturbing," has a beneficial effect on their learning and emotional development. These students were happier, more empathetic, and better able to cope with unpleasant feelings. The books covered topics such as depression, suicide, drug use, and sexual abuse. However, in 2022-2023, schools in the US banned over 1,500 books due to their inappropriate and harmful content.
According to scientists from the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE), "transcendent" thinking can help develop the adolescent brain, leading to stronger identity development and more significant life satisfaction in the future. "Transcendent" thinking goes beyond responding to the specifics of social situations and considers broader ethical, systemic, and personal implications. It requires analyzing situations’ more profound meaning, historical context, civic resonance, and/or underlying ideas.
Sustainable fuel, WindWings and supersonic travel
Microbes can be used to produce jet fuel through a process called fermentation. Microorganisms metabolize industrial gases and convert them into ethanol, a crucial component in jet fuel production. In November 2023, Virgin Atlantic and Gulfstream Aerospace completed successful test flights across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel. This marks a significant milestone in the decarbonization of the aviation industry.
The cargo ship Pyxis Ocean has been equipped with technologically advanced WindWings sails, which are 37.5 meters-high automated structures. Thanks to these sails, the ship can save up to 11 tons of fuel daily. The WindWings sails have been tested for six months in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. In 2023, the International Maritime Organization adopted a strategy to reduce the shipping industry's carbon dioxide emissions by at least 40% by 2030.
Since the last Concorde flight in 2003, no commercial supersonic passenger jet has been built. However, private companies such as Boom, Exosonic, and Spike are attempting to change this by developing supersonic travel that is both greener and cheaper than before. The NASA space agency and Lockheed Martin have also presented the first X-59 demonstrator jet. We will be monitoring the progress of these efforts in Outriders Magazine.
Slave labour in Italy, Oman and Saudi Arabia
In Piedmont, Italy, irregular immigrants are employed in famous vineyards, where they face harassment, abuse and racism. Since April last year in the Langhe region vineyards, local authorities discovered more than 30 cases of caporalato - a form of exploitation in which intermediaries recruit migrant workers - often other immigrants - and forced to work in inhumane conditions for Italian companies. Estimates indicate that at least ⅔ of 4,000 to 5,000 people may be at risk of exploitation.
According to the Bangladesh government, almost 14,000 people died in Saudi Arabia between 2008 and 2022. However, Bangladeshis are more and more willing to come there to work. Death certificates state "natural causes", e.g. "circulatory arrest" or "breathing disorders". According to activists, difficult working and living conditions, exploitation, stress, and heat stroke may contribute to workers' deaths. The situation will worsen if the Arabs receive the right to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034 and start building the necessary infrastructure.
The BBC's African section investigated the smuggling of women from Malawi to Oman who were molested and used to work in slave-like conditions. Approximately 2 million women are estimated to be employed as servants in the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. In a survey of 400 women in Oman conducted by the organization Do Bold, almost all of them were found to be victims of human trafficking; ⅓ of them said they had experienced sexual violence, and half reported physical violence and discrimination.
How to deal with sexual orientation harassment
PC gamers from the LGBTQ+ community - those with marginalized sexual orientation or gender identity - use the gaming world to express themselves freely despite hostile environments in real life. They use video games as a means of self-expression, especially when they face discrimination in real life. According to a report from GLAAD, around one in five intense gamers belong to the LGBTQ+ community. They are 11% more likely to use games as an escape from difficult real-world situations than heterosexual and cisgender people. Moreover, 66% of them find it more comfortable to express themselves through gaming than in real life.
Unfortunately, new laws in some US jurisdictions targeting the LGBTQ+ community have put families and children at risk of physical attacks and suicide. In 2023 alone, over 500 bills were considered in state legislatures, and 84 were accepted. These laws limit discourse on LGBTQ+ people and legal protection for queer and transgender youth. However, research shows that family support is crucial for the mental resilience of queer and trans children. Therefore, parents are creating safe spaces, such as online communities, to support each other and find LGBTQ+-friendly places to raise their children in the United States.
Beef rice and nutritional advantages of wild fish over farmed salmon
South Korean researchers from Yonsei University have created a new sustainable protein source by combining cow muscle cells with rice grains. By feeding rice with enzymes, they created a foundation for the growth of animal muscle and fat cells, resulting in a cheaper alternative to farmed cattle meat. Beef rice has approximately 8% more protein and 7% more fat than regular rice, with 18% of its protein from animals.
South Korea has traditionally associated meat with wealth and health, leading to a high consumption of animal products. Korean barbecue and local cuisine also significantly influence the country's social life. In 2022, per capita meat consumption exceeded rice consumption for the first time and now stands at almost 61 kg. Only 4% of South Korean adults identify as vegetarians, with 12% as flexitarians.
A study by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Lancaster, the University of Stirling, and the University of Aberdeen found that salmon farming leads to the loss of six out of nine essential nutrients. The researchers suggest eating the same wild fish that salmon are fed, such as mackerel, anchovies, and herring. Compared to salmon fillets, wild-feed fish fillets have five times the calcium content, four times the iodine content, and more than one and a half times the iron, omega-3, vitamin B12, and vitamin A contents.
USA, China, Russia: competition in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific
After Niger's military cooperation with the United States came to an end, the US army is now trying to predict the future of its anti-terrorist operations in the Sahel region. Al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked jihadist groups operate in the area. The American base in northern Niger was previously used for both manned and unmanned surveillance missions. Experts suggest that Niger's decision highlights the reduced US influence in the region. In response, Mali and Burkina Faso have turned to Russia for security support.
The US authorities have decided to renew financial aid to the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau for over 20 years, with over USD 7 billion in aid. The aid is crucial for the health, education, and infrastructure sectors, which are strategically important in the face of the rivalry between the Pacific islands and China. The United States will ensure security and may use the territories of the aforementioned countries, which have a maritime area larger than the continental United States, to operate bases and conduct military exercises.
In the first two decades of the 21st century, China's trade with the countries of the Americas increased 26 times to USD 315 billion. Meanwhile, the United States has paid little attention to Latin America and the Caribbean for years. China is exploiting its economic involvement in the region to gain access to vital natural resources, such as lithium, and to persuade countries to loosen their relations with Taiwan.
Faces of migration in Panama's Bajo Chiquito and Ireland's Roscrea
Are murders committed by undocumented migrants on the rise in the United States? According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, undocumented migrants have committed a total of 162 homicides from fiscal year 2017 to the present. However, in 2015, the homicide conviction rate for undocumented migrants was lower than that of native-born Americans. Meanwhile, regular immigrants have the lowest conviction rate for murder.
The Panamanian town of Bajo Chiquito has experienced a rapid increase in population due to the flow of migrants through the Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia. It has become a communication hub for one of the busiest migration routes in the Western Hemisphere, with an estimated record of 520,000 migrants and asylum seekers crossing it in 2023. As a result, trade in food, water, accommodation, electricity, and internet access has developed in the town. Experts estimate the local community earns tens of thousands of dollars daily thanks to migration.
In Ireland, the town of Roscrea has become a symbol of the anti-immigrant sentiments directed towards Ukrainians that have divided the country. The housing crisis, far-right influence, and online propaganda fuel these sentiments. Last year, there were riots in Dublin, and facilities for asylum seekers were set on fire.