Heatwaves, Fathers and Evolution, and Illegal Child Labor
Outriders Magazine #318
Illegal Child Labor in Egypt, the US, and India
A BBC investigation into the perfume supply chain uncovered that underage workers harvested jasmine in Egypt for Lancôme, LOCOM, and Aerin Beauty suppliers. Despite this, all luxury perfume brands claim not to accept child labour. L'Oréal SA, the owner of Lancôme, has committed to upholding human rights, and Estée Lauder, the owner of Aerin Beauty, has reportedly reached out to its suppliers. Experts have noted that luxury brands are reducing their budgets, leading to low wages. Consequently, Egyptian jasmine pickers are resorting to employing their children.
The US Department of Labor has initiated legal action against Hyundai Motor Company, one of its suppliers, and the employment agency Best Practices Service for employing children at the Smart Alabama plant in Luverne. One victim, a 13-year-old girl, was reportedly working up to 60 hours a week on an assembly line for car parts.
Children in India's stone-cutting industry engage in hazardous work for meagre pay. They manufacture paving stones exported to Europe and the United States, often earning less than one British penny for each stone. The UK, the largest importer of Indian sandstone, sells a square meter of these stones for about £80 at retail.
Disinformation: AI Threats and Armenian Citizens’ Struggle
The UK’s Centre for Combating Digital Hate (CCDH) published a report stating that AI voice cloning tools can be used to create political disinformation. The researchers used the voices of well-known politicians such as Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Emmanuel Macron, along with six AI-based tools to generate recordings. These recordings featured politicians warning voters not to vote due to threats of attacks or claiming that the election results had been manipulated. The study found that around 80% of the attempts produced convincing results. The CCDH suggests that companies responsible for developing AI should implement special safeguards to prevent the spread of such misleading content.
In Armenia, civil society is working on implementing mechanisms to combat disinformation. This can involve promoting legislative reforms, collaborating with independent media, and advocating for better media literacy. They are also creating fact-checking platforms. Following the Velvet Revolution in 2018 and the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, disinformation campaigns in Armenian society, including on security and the LGBTQ+ community, have become more prevalent. A 2023 poll revealed that only 13% of respondents considered the media a reliable source of information about security in Armenia.
Heat: Impact on Vulnerable People with Neurological Conditions in India and the US
In the sweltering city of New Delhi, some hospitals have established specialized wards to treat patients with health issues related to the high temperatures. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a "red alert" for severe weather in the country's capital, with a record high temperature of 47.8°C (118°F) observed in the southern part of the city. The extreme heat disproportionately affects the impoverished and blue-collar workers in New Delhi. Heatwaves in India are becoming increasingly severe, with scientists attributing the intensification, frequency, and duration to the climate crisis.
In Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, 645 heat-related deaths were reported last year. The extreme weather did not discriminate; victims were both old and young, men and women, homeless and affluent, and from diverse racial backgrounds, including black, white, Latino, Asian, and Native American. Phoenix authorities are opening special shelters and extended-hour cooling centres at night and on weekends to better prepare for this year's heat. Additionally, call centre workers assist individuals in finding aid centres, paying electricity bills, and repairing home refrigeration equipment.
Extreme heat can be particularly harmful to individuals with cardiovascular diseases, migraines, strokes, and neurological disorders, leading to disruptions in brain function. Patients with epilepsy, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease are especially vulnerable.
Green Cement, Food Recycling in the Emirates, and Alternatives to Plastic
The University of Cambridge has developed a large-scale method for producing ultra-low-emission concrete. The method uses recycled steel and electrically powered arc furnaces to recycle cement, a concrete component with a high carbon footprint. The recycled cement can be used to make new concrete.
In the United Arab Emirates, the recycling app Reloop is helping businesses, from restaurants to farms, save money. Instead of sending food waste to landfill, the app collects and undergoes a composting process, breaking it down into nutrient-rich soil. This compost is used at local farmers’ fields, making growing food in the desert country easier and more sustainable.
According to scientists from the Universities of Leicester and Cape Town, red, blue, and green plastics break down into microplastics faster than black, white, and silver plastics. Retailers and manufacturers should pay more attention to the colour of plastics and avoid plastics that break down faster in the environment.
The California Legislature has passed legislation that would prohibit retailers in the state from giving customers any plastic bags, including reusable bags that were previously allowed. Grocery stores could sell paper bags from at least 50% recycled material. If approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom and others, the legislation could go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Addictions: Kush Drug and Online Sports Betting in the US
Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, among others, have developed a whey protein gel that breaks down alcohol in the intestines and reduces its intoxicating effects, which could help develop a new way to treat hangovers. The gel, which has not yet been tested on humans, can reduce blood alcohol levels in mice by up to 50%. With further research, the gel could be converted into an oral tablet, taken before or during drinking, to prevent acetaldehyde from increasing blood alcohol levels and damaging the body.
The Sierra Leone authorities have declared war on a cheap synthetic drug called kush, which is destroying the younger generation of Sierra Leoneans. It is a cannabis derivative mixed with synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and tramadol and chemicals such as formaldehyde. Given the ineffective health care, volunteers catch patients at the request of their families and sometimes chain them in locked rooms to prevent them from escaping. In this way, they are trying to cut them off from the drug and get them out of the addiction.
The past five years have seen the fastest growth in the history of the legal gambling industry in the United States. Following the 2018 Supreme Court decision, 30 states have legalised online sports betting, which has generated billions of dollars in revenue for gambling operators. All professional sports leagues in the US have entered into partnerships with bookmakers. The betting frenzy has also led to an increase in the number of people addicted to gambling. Experts fear that gambling companies will use sports betting as a bridgehead to achieve their main goal – to allow casino-style gambling on the smartphones of all users.
Wartime Environmental App in Ukraine and the Tren Maya Project in Mexico
The Ukrainian authorities have developed a mobile application that allows citizens to report environmental crimes committed by Russians during the war. These can include fires or toxic leaks. The application also provides Ukrainians with the latest information on air, soil, water pollution, and radiation. So far, Ukrainians have recorded 5,000 cases of ecocide, including the blowing up of the Dnieper dam in Veliky Kakhovka. The damage has been estimated at over 56 billion euros.
The unique system of 10,000 underground caves, rivers, and lakes under the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is threatened by the construction of the Tren Maya project, or the Mayan Train, a 1,460 km long railway line. Along the railway line are cenotes – water-filled sinkholes characteristic of the plains of Mexico and Cuba. Initially planned for more urban areas, the new railway line was moved deeper into the jungle after complaints from hotel owners. This placed it above the most important cave system in the country. Millions of trees were also destroyed, part of the largest rainforest in America after the Amazon.
The caves are also a significant water source in the region, and in 2022, archaeologists discovered some of the oldest human remains in North America. Scientists and environmentalists warn that the Mayan Train and mass tourism will cause long-term environmental ruin and that the railway project itself is an example of ecocide.