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ALASKA: Polar bear attack victims young mother and 1-year-old son

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Authorities said a polar bear chased several residents, isolated Alaska Native whaling village, killing a mother and her 1-year-old son in an extremely rare attack before being shot and killed by another community member.

The fatal mauling happened on Tuesday in Wales, which is a small town on the coast of the Bering Strait about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Russia. It is on the westernmost tip of North America and has lived with polar bears for a long time.

According to Alaska State Troopers, Summer Myomick of Saint Michael and her son, Clyde Ongtowasruk, were killed in the attack.

The predominantly Inupiaq community of about 150 people organizes patrols when bears are expected in town, from July to early November, before sea ice forms and bears head out on the frozen landscape to hunt seals.

This is almost unheard of because polar bears are normally far out on the ice in the dead of winter and not close to villages, according to Geoff York, senior conservation director at Polar Bear International, a conservation organization. The most recent fatal polar bear encounter in Alaska occurred in 1990.

The Attack Took Place Near A School In Wales.

“I would have been walking around the community of Wales probably without any (bear) deterrents because it’s historically the safe time of year,” said York, who has studied polar bears for decades. “You don’t expect to see bears because they’d be hunting seals on the sea ice.”

After the polar bear attack on Tuesday, troopers and wildlife officials couldn’t get to Wales because the gravel airstrip there didn’t have runway lights. Attempts were made again on Wednesday.

Dawn Hendrickson, the school principal in Wales, described the mood on Wednesday as “traumatic.” A day after the fatal attack, classes were canceled. “The students have returned home,” Hendrickson said. Students were given access to counselors.

She stated that no memorials for the two victims had been announced. “Not yet,” she explained. “We’re still in the early stages.”

It’s unclear whether this attack was caused by climate change, but it’s consistent with what’s expected as the Arctic continues to warm four times faster than the rest of the world, altering the ecosystem in ways that are still unknown, according to York. However, according to Andrew Derocher, a polar bear expert and professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, this bear is part of a healthy population.

Climate Change In Alaska May Be To Blame

In 2019, Alaska scientists from the US Geological Survey discovered that changes in sea ice habitat had coincided with evidence that polar bears were using land more and that the chances of encountering a polar bear had increased.

Wales is located approximately 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Nome. The community can be reached by plane and boat, including barges transporting household goods. Winter trails allow snowmobiles to travel to other communities and subsistence hunting grounds. ATVs are used for hunting and fishing trips outside of the winter season.

Polar bears are at the top of the food chain and see humans as a food source, according to York.

In a report he helped write called “Understanding Polar Bear Attacks,” he found that most polar bear attacks that ended in death happened when:

  • Either sub-adult bears.
  • Usually, males are always hungry.
  • Older bears who are injured or ill and having difficulty getting enough calories.

Unlike brown or black bears, polar bears do not hibernate in the winter. Only pregnant females enter snow dens, and only for reproduction.

Attacks Can Happen Year Round

The other polar bears are out and about, usually on the sea ice, where their prey is available all year.

The Alaska Nannut Co-Management Council, which was made to be “the collective voice of Alaska Natives in polar bear co-management,” says that polar bears coming close to or entering villages are always a safety risk for places that are in polar bear territory.

The group talks about a few polar bear patrol programs in Alaska, like one in Wales that needs money and one in Diomede, where a patrol works mostly in the winter to protect kids walking to and from school.

York, who has worked in the Arctic for about 30 years, 21 of which have been in Alaska, said the Welsh community has long been involved in establishing a polar bear patrol program and taking measures to keep polar bears out of the community.

“This appears to be one of those terrible cases where, despite doing everything correctly, we had a bear that was an outlier at a time of year when you would never expect that to happen,” he said.

Polar Bear Too Far South For This Time of Year

Derocher, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, says that the area where the attack happened is far south of where polar bears usually live, but it is not unusual for them to be there.

Derocher said the bear is from a polar bear population in the Chukchi Sea that is doing well despite climate change. He said that the attack could have been caused by a bear drawn to attractants like food or garbage rather than by climate change factors.

According to Derocher, polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea, east of the Chukchi Sea population, are in worse condition.

Polar Bears Homes Shrinking

In this case, while ice exists in the Chukchi and northern Bering seas, the quality of that ice is unknown. More importantly, York stated that they have yet to learn what is happening beneath the ice or the availability of seals and other prey for polar bears.

York says that the changes happen even in the winter, when people thought they were safe from polar bears on the shore.

“Communities may no longer exist,” he speculated.

SOURCE – (AP)

 

Kiara Grace is a staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. Her writing focuses on technology trends, particularly in the realm of consumer electronics and software. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for breaking down complex topics. Kiara delivers insightful analyses that resonate with tech enthusiasts and casual readers alike. Her articles strike a balance between in-depth coverage and accessibility, making them a go-to resource for anyone seeking to stay informed about the latest innovations shaping our digital world.

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Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?

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HealthDay

(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.

This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.

A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.

The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”

According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.

The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.

This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.

The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.

Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.

As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.

A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.

The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.

Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.

A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.

“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.

The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.

SOURCE: USN

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Russian Oil Ships In The Kerch Strait Are Undergoing Rescue Operations.

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AP

(VOR News) – Following Sunday’s powerful storm, a Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of tonnes of oil products ultimately broke apart, causing an oil spill into the Kerch Strait below. Additionally, Russian officials reported that the damage was causing problems for another vessel.

Sunday, Russian authorities announced an emergency rescue operation.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS, which claimed the Emergency Situations Ministry as its source, the Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying fuel oil and carrying thirteen crew members, ran aground and suffered damage to its bow. A shipment of fuel oil was being transported by the tanker.

Authorities have told the public that the damage was brought on by the extreme weather conditions that are currently occurring.

A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was damaged during the storm and is currently stranded in the same area with 14 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The tanker was discovered abandoned and alone in the same spot.

Additional tankers also suffered damage. The 132-meter-long cruiser, which was constructed in 1973, hangs the Russian flag around its neck.

The footage posted by state media showed the 136-meter Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was cut in two with its bow underwater, and waves crashing over its deck. At least one person lost his life as a result of this tragedy. This led to the opening of two distinct criminal investigations by the Russian authorities to look into potential violations of certain safety regulations.

Having flown the Russian flag since 1969, the yacht was finished.

Rosmorrechflot, the Russian government agency in charge of water transportation, reported a petroleum product spill.

It is believed that the cargo capacity of each tanker is around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.

The magnitude of the leak and the cause of the substantial damage one of the tankers received were not specified in the official remarks. This is in accordance with the official remarks.

Several news sites cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin directed the formation of a working committee to handle the rescue effort and lessen the effects of the oil disaster.

Peskov recommended that the government appoint the working committee’s members. This comment was made public right after Putin met with the ministries responsible for ecology and disaster management.

The Russian government has said that it will be sending more than fifty individuals and pieces of equipment to the area in response to the current crisis. Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats are examples of these people and tools.

The news that experts are presently investigating the damage at the event site was announced by Svetlana Radionova, who is in charge of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s natural resources regulating entity.

Kommersant reports that Volgoneft-212 used 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.

The footage, which showed a partially submerged ship and murky water on rough seas, was posted to Telegram without the owner’s consent.

The warships were located in the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland, when the distress signals were sent out.

The Kerch Strait is a crucial international marine passage that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, allowing for easier traffic between the two bodies of water. It also acts as a border between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation. The Kerch Strait is located in the centre of the two nations.

The peninsula has remained a major source of contention between the two national governments ever since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. Russia was the one who seized the peninsula. Ukraine brought legal action against Russia before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.

Specifically, the lawsuit claimed that Russia intended to illegally take over a location. The argument was supported by evidence pertaining to Russia’s conduct in the region. In 2021, the Russian Federation closed the strait for several consecutive months

SOURCE: VN

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Japan List Cannabis as Narcotic Criminalizes Recreational Use

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Japan started criminalizing the use of cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

TOKYO – Japan updated its cannabis and narcotics control legislation on Thursday, criminalizing cannabis (Marijuana) use and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), imposing a maximum seven-year prison sentence.

While the possession, transmission, and cultivation of cannabis and THC were already prohibited in Japan, the new rules will classify them as narcotics and criminalize their use as well, with a prison sentence of up to seven years for violations.

The amended regulations also legalize medical items containing cannabis-derived compounds that are beneficial and safe.

In 2019, 1.8 percent of the Japanese population had used cannabis at least once, making it the country’s second most popular illicit substance behind methamphetamine.

In 2023, a record 6,703 people were probed in cannabis-related criminal cases in Japan, topping methamphetamine cases for the first time, according to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry. Seventy percent of instances involved people under the age of thirty.

A nationwide poll performed the same year by the ministry’s research group estimated that approximately 200,000 people had consumed marijuana within the previous year.

Japan previously did not penalize cannabis usage, apparently taking into account farmers who may have accidentally ingested the drug while producing cannabis plants for use in hemp products.

The amendments will also lift a restriction on cannabis-derived medicines, putting them under a licensing system similar to other drugs used for pain relief and other purposes.

Drugs derived from cannabis plants were only allowed in clinical studies in Japan, but patient groups have been advocating for access to cannabis-derived cannabidiol treatments already licensed in Europe and the United States for illnesses like severe epilepsy.

Cannabis cultivation dates back to the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory, roughly six to ten thousand years ago (source: Wikipedia).

Cannabis hemp, as one of Japan’s first cultivated plants, provided an essential supply of plant fibre for clothing, cordage, and Shinto ritual goods, among other uses.

For much of Japanese history, hemp was common for fabric and food before cotton emerged as the country’s dominant fibre crop during industrialization during the Meiji period.

Following the end of World War II and the occupation of Japan, the Cannabis Control Law prohibited cannabis possession and manufacturing.

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