Scientists develop eco-friendly pollen sponge to tackle water contaminants

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Research News 

VIDEO: SCIENTISTS LED BY NTU SINGAPORE HAVE DEVELOPED AN ECO-FRIENDLY POLLEN SPONGE TO TACKLE WATER CONTAMINANTS, MAKING IT A PROMISING ALTERNATIVE TO TACKLE MARINE OIL SPILLS. view more 

CREDIT: NTU SINGAPORE

A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created a reusable, biodegradable sponge that can readily soak up oil and other organic solvents from contaminated water sources, making it a promising alternative for tackling marine oil spills.

Made of sunflower pollen, the sponge is hydrophobic - it repels water - thanks to a coat of natural fatty acid on the sponge. In lab experiments, the scientists showed the sponge's ability to absorb oil contaminants of various densities, such as gasoline and motor oil, at a rate comparable to that of commercial oil absorbents.

Oil spills are difficult to clean up, and result in severe long-lasting damage to the marine ecosystem. Conventional clean-up methods, including using chemical dispersants to break oil down into very small droplets, or absorbing it with expensive, unrecyclable materials, may worsen the damage. 

So far, the researchers have engineered sponges that measure 5 cm in diameter. The research team, made up of scientists from NTU Singapore and Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, believes that these sponges, when scaled up, could be an eco-friendly alternative to tackle marine oil spills.

Professor Cho Nam-Joon from the NTU School of Materials Science and Engineering, who led the study, said: "By finetuning the material properties of pollen, our team successfully developed a sponge that can selectively target oil in contaminated water sources and absorb it. Using a material that is found abundantly in nature also makes the sponge affordable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly."

This study builds on NTU's body of work on finding new uses for pollen, known as the diamond of the plant kingdom for its hard exterior, by transforming its tough shell into microgel particles. This soft, gel-like material is then used as a building block for a new category of environmentally sustainable materials. 

Last year, Prof Cho, together with NTU President Professor Subra Suresh, led a research team to create a paper-like material from pollen as a greener alternative to paper created from trees. This 'pollen paper' also bends and curls in response to changing levels of environmental humidity, a trait that could be useful for soft robots, sensors, and artificial muscles. 

Prof Cho, who also holds the Materials Research Society of Singapore Chair in Materials Science and Engineering, added: "Pollen that is not used for plant pollination is often considered biological waste. Through our work, we try to find new uses for this 'waste' and turn it into a natural resource that is renewable, affordable, and biodegradable. Pollen is also biocompatible. It does not cause an immunological, allergic or toxic reaction when exposed to body tissues, making it potentially suitable for applications such as wound dressing, prosthetics, and implantable electronics."

The findings were published in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials in March.

CAPTION

To make the sponge, the research team first transformed tough pollen grains into a soft gel-like material, before freeze-drying the material. These processes resulted in the formation of pollen sponges with 3D porous architectures.

CREDIT

NTU Singapore

Building a sponge from pollen

To form the sponge, the NTU team first transformed the ultra-tough pollen grains from sunflowers into a pliable, gel-like material through a chemical process akin to conventional soap-making. 

This process includes removing the sticky oil-based pollen cement that coats the grain's surface, before incubating the pollen in alkaline conditions for three days. The resulting gel-like material was then freeze-dried.

These processes resulted in the formation of pollen sponges with 3D porous architectures. The sponges were briefly heated to 200°C - a step that makes their form and structure stable after repeatedly absorbing and releasing liquids. Heating also led to a two-fold improvement in the sponge's resistance to deformation, the scientists found.

To make sure the sponge selectively targets oil and does not absorb water, the scientists coated it with a layer of stearic acid, a type of fatty acid found commonly in animal and vegetable fat. This renders the sponge hydrophobic while maintaining its structural integrity.

The scientists performed oil-absorption tests on the pollen sponge with oils and organic solvents of varying densities, such as gasoline, pump oil, and n-hexane (a chemical found in crude oil). 

They found that the sponge had an absorption capacity in the range of 9.7 to over 29.3 g/g . This is comparable to commercial polypropylene absorbents, which are petroleum derivatives and have an absorption capacity range of 8.1 to 24.6 g/g.

They also tested the sponge for its durability and reusability by repeatedly soaking it in silicone oil, then squeezing the oil out. They found that this process could go on for at least 10 cycles. 

In a final proof-of-concept experiment, the team tested the ability of a sponge 1.5cm in diameter and 5mm in height to absorb motor oil from a contaminated water sample. The sponge readily absorbed the motor oil in less than 2 minutes. 

"Collectively, these results demonstrate that the pollen sponge can selectively absorb and release oil contaminants and has similar performance levels to commercial oil absorbents while demonstrating compelling properties such as low cost, biocompatibility, and sustainable production," said Prof Cho, the corresponding author of this study. 

Going forward, the researchers plan to scale up the size of pollen sponges to meet industry needs. They are also looking to collaborate with non-governmental organisations and international partners to conduct pilot tests with pollen sponges in real-life environments. 

"We hope our innovative pollen materials can one day replace widely-used plastics and help to curb the global issue of plastic pollution," said Prof Cho.

Note to Editors:

Paper 'Colloid-Mediated Fabrication of a 3D Pollen Sponge for Oil Remediation Applications' published in Advanced Functional Materials. 2021, 2101091.

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202101091

CAPTION

A research team from NTU Singapore and Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea has engineered a sunflower pollen sponge that can soak up oil in contaminated water sources. (L-R) NTU PhD student Mohammed Shahrudin Ibrahim, NTU Masters student Deng Jingyu, NTU research fellow Dr Zhao Ze, and NTU Prof Cho Nam-Joon.

CREDIT

NTU Singapore

About Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London.

NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes - the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering - and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).

Ranked amongst the world's top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world's top young university for the past seven years. The University's main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore's healthcare district.

Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

For more information, visit http://www.ntu.edu.sg.

The opportunities and risks of digitalization for sustainable development

A systemic focus on risks and benefits of digital technologies

INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES E.V. (IASS)

Research News

 

Digitalisation can support transitions towards a more sustainable society if technologies and processes are designed in line with suitable criteria. This requires a systemic focus on the risks and benefits of digital technologies across the three dimensions of sustainable development: the environment, society, and the economy. This is the conclusion of a study prepared by a team of researchers at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam. Applying this precautionary approach to digitalisation requires the active involvement of developers, users, and regulators.

Digitalisation is a complex and dynamic process often regarded as the fourth major innovation cycle in human history. The use of a systemic risk-benefit perspective could shed light on the links and interdependencies between digital technologies and the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability, emphasise the team of researchers at the IASS.

The flexibility of digital services creates important opportunities for efforts to achieve sustainability goals. However, this can also lead to path dependencies that are difficult to reverse or otherwise correct unless they are discovered at an early stage. These closely intertwined opportunities and risks call for informed and judicious decision-making in order to foster sustainable development.

Digital innovations will not deliver the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a matter of course; instead, the development of digital innovations must be guided by:

• a systemic perspective that acknowledges the connections and interdependencies between their environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts,
• a professional technology assessment informed by interdisciplinary insights, and
• an inclusive decision-making style that facilitates broad participation in the development of digital services.

Digital products help reduce demand for energy and raw materials

What else will it take to foster more sustainable outcomes? Co-author and research group leader at the IASS, Pia-Johanna Schweizer, explains: "Ensuring that all sectors of society have access to digital media and possess the digital literacy needed to use them is vital to delivering an inclusive digital transformation. We also need fast and reliable Internet access nationwide - including in rural areas." Similarly, targeted support is needed for small and medium-sized enterprises as they modernize their processes.

The development of digital products and production processes that reduce energy and material demand are also important building blocks for a sustainable digital future, says co-author Grischa Beier. As Pia-Johanna Schweizer explains "Above all, it is crucial to establish clear rules for data security and data sovereignty. If these challenges are not adequately addressed, acceptance of digital innovations is likely to erode and efforts towards a sustainable digitalisation process may be jeopardized."

Finally, new societal initiatives are needed to help shape an enabling environment for the development of sustainable digital technologies and services. The three authors recommend a participatory process in which stakeholders co-design the objectives, rules and regulations for a governance structure that engages with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

###

Visit also the DiDaT project website: https://www.iass-potsdam.de/de/forschung/didat

Publication:

Ortwin Renn, Grischa Beier, Pia-Johanna Schweizer: The opportunities and risks of digitalisation for sustainable development: a systemic perspective, GAIA 30/1 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.30.1.6

Author contact:

Dr. Grischa Beier
Research Group Leader for Digitalisation & Sustainability
grischa.beier@iass-potsdam.de

Dr. Pia-Johanna Schweizer
Research Group Leader for Systemic Risks
Pia-Johanna.Schweizer@iass-potsdam.de

Study finds late night snacks may hurt your workplace performance

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

Research News

 P

A recent study finds that unhealthy eating behaviors at night can make people less helpful and more withdrawn the next day at work.

"For the first time, we have shown that healthy eating immediately affects our workplace behaviors and performance," says Seonghee "Sophia" Cho, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology at North Carolina State University. "It is relatively well established that other health-related behaviors, such as sleep and exercise, affect our work. But nobody had looked at the short-term effects of unhealthy eating."

Fundamentally, the researchers had two questions: Does unhealthy eating behavior affect you at work the next day? And, if so, why?

For the study, researchers had 97 full-time employees in the United States answer a series of questions three times a day for 10 consecutive workdays. Before work on each day, study participants answered questions related to their physical and emotional well-being. At the end of each workday, participants answered questions about what they did at work. In the evening, before bed, participants answered questions about their eating and drinking behaviors after work.

In the context of the study, researchers defined "unhealthy eating" as instances when study participants felt they'd eaten too much junk food; when participants felt they'd had too much to eat or drink; or when participants reporting having too many late-night snacks.

The researchers found that, when people engaged in unhealthy eating behaviors, they were more likely to report having physical problems the next morning. Problems included headaches, stomachaches and diarrhea. In addition, when people reported unhealthy eating behaviors, they were also more likely to report emotional strains the next morning - such as feeling guilty or ashamed about their diet choices. Those physical and emotional strains associated with unhealthy eating were, in turn, related to changes in how people behaved at work throughout the day.

Essentially, when people reported physical or emotional strains associated with unhealthy eating, they were also more likely to report declines in "helping behavior" and increases in "withdrawal behavior." Helping behavior at work refers to helping colleagues and going the extra mile when you don't have to, such as assisting a co-worker with a task that is not your responsibility. Withdrawal behavior refers to avoiding work-related situations, even though you're at your workplace.

The researchers also found that people who were emotionally stable - meaning people who are better able to cope with stress because they're less emotionally volatile - suffered fewer adverse effects from unhealthy eating. Not only were emotionally stable people less likely to have physical or emotional strains after unhealthy eating, their workplace behaviors were also less likely to change even when they reported physical or emotional strains.

"The big takeaway here is that we now know unhealthy eating can have almost immediate effects on workplace performance," Cho says. "However, we can also say that there is no single 'healthy' diet, and healthy eating isn't just about nutritional content. It may be influenced by an individual's dietary needs, or even by when and how they're eating, instead of what they're eating.

"Companies can help to address healthy eating by paying more attention to the dietary needs and preferences of their employees and helping to address those needs, such as through on-site dining options. This can affect both the physical and mental health of their employees - and, by extension, their on-the-job performance."

The researchers also pointed to a variety of research questions that could be addressed moving forward.

"One confounding variable is that the way our questions were phrased, we may be capturing both unhealthy eating behaviors and unhealthy drinking behaviors related to alcohol," Cho says.

"That's something we will want to tease out moving forward. And while we focused on evening diet, it would be interesting to look at what people are eating at other times of day. Are there specific elements of diet that affect behavioral outcomes - such as sugar or caffeine content? Can there be positive effects of unhealthy eating, such as when people eat comfort foods to help cope with stress? This promises to be a rich field of study."

###

The study, "Does a Healthy Lifestyle Matter? A Daily Diary Study of Unhealthy Eating at Home and Behavioral Outcomes at Work," is published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The paper was co-authored by Sooyeol Kim, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore.

 

Losing weight through exercise

Why physical activity entices you to eat more - and how to fight it

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH (TUM)

Research News

 

IMAGE: FIRST AUTHOR PROF. DR. KARSTEN KOEHLER, PROFESSORSHIP OF EXERCISE, NUTRITION AND HEALTH AT THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH (TUM) view more 

CREDIT: ANDREAS HEDDERGOTT / TUM

Worldwide 39 percent of the adults were overweight in 2016, according to statistics of the World Health Organization. In the US the prevalence of obesity was 42.4 percent in 2017/2018, according to a survey of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Concurrently millions of people want to lose weight. Physical exercise is an important option to achieve this. After all, more calories are consumed through sport than when sitting, standing or lying down.

But what influence does sport have on (direct) eating habits? Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Nebraska (USA) have now investigated this question for the first time.

Randomized study

"In the sports context, we have the phenomenon of people overeating after physical activity," said Prof. Köhler, Professor of Exercise, Nutrition and Health at the Technical University of Munich. "People want to reward themselves and their bodies for being active. So we use a hypothetical experiment to find out why people eat more after exercise compared to when they don't exercise."

The aim of a randomized crossover study was to investigate the influence of exercise on hypothetical decisions regarding the amount and timing of food intake. For this purpose, 41 healthy participants (23 women, 18 men) aged between 19 and 29 years with an average BMI of 23.7 were randomly assigned to either a 45-minute exercise session or a rest period of equal duration at the first visit and completed the other study condition at the second visit.

Subjective assessment of hunger and satiety

In each case, the training group answered an electronic questionnaire before the physical activity about their subjective assessment of hunger and satiety, preferred amount of food to eat, and choice between foods that differed in timing of consumption. Subjects indicated their food quantity preferences by listing their desired portion size of each food. Preferences were obtained for both immediate and later consumption of the food after four hours.

After answering the first questionnaire, participants performed 45 minutes of aerobic exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Immediately afterwards, they completed the electronic questionnaire a second time and then a third time after a 30-minute break. The procedure for the group without training was identical; instead of 45 minutes of physical activity, these participants had a rest break.

Compared to the rest break, exercise provided a greater increase in the amount of food chosen, both immediately after exercise and 30 minutes afterwards. Physical activity also resulted in a greater increase in preference for immediate food consumption both immediately after exercise and 30 minutes afterwards.

Weight loss through exercise

"Based on this study, we were able to show for the first time that certain characteristics, such as the amount and 'urgency' with which a person wants to eat, change over the course of physical exertion," said Prof. Köhler, classifying the results. "These findings help us develop new interventions to optimize weight loss through exercise."

"The actual results suggest that physical exertion can entice those who do sport to eat larger amounts of food more quickly after the training session," says Prof. Köhler. "Since weight loss is a main motivation for exercising for many, and failure to achieve the desired weight loss makes it likely to quit exercising, it could be a good strategy to think about what you want to eat afterwards before you start to exercise."

How effective these and other possible strategies work, how they can improve long-term compliance with training programs and contribute to favorable health results through weight loss and whether the effect may eventually wear off, is the subject of the current research of the scientists.

###

The BMI is the most common formula for calculating weight. It is calculated by squaring the ratio of body weight in kilograms and height in meters. Values between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered normal weight.

The research was funded by the University of Nebraska Food for Health Collaboration Initiative.

Childhood diet and exercise creates healthier, less anxious adults

Study in mice shows lasting effects of early-life habits

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - RIVERSIDE

Research News

 

IMAGE: STUDY LEAD AUTHOR AND UCR PHYSIOLOGY DOCTORAL STUDENT MARCELL CADNEY. view more 

CREDIT: MARCELL CADNEY/UCR

Exercise and a healthy diet in childhood leads to adults with bigger brains and lower levels of anxiety, according to new UC Riverside research in mice.

Though diet and exercise are consistently recommended as ways to promote health, this study is the first to examine the long-lasting, combined effects of both factors when they are experienced early in life.

"Any time you go to the doctor with concerns about your weight, almost without fail, they recommend you exercise and eat less," said study lead and UCR physiology doctoral student Marcell Cadney. "That's why it's surprising most studies only look at diet or exercise separately. In this study, we wanted to include both."

The researchers determined that early-life exercise generally reduced anxious behaviors in adults. It also led to an increase in adult muscle and brain mass. When fed "Western" style diets high in fat and sugar, the mice not only became fatter, but also grew into adults that preferred unhealthy foods.

These findings have recently been published in the journal Physiology and Behavior. To obtain them, the researchers divided the young mice into four groups -- those with access to exercise, those without access, those fed a standard, healthy diet and those who ate a Western diet.

Mice started on their diets immediately after weaning, and continued on them for three weeks, until they reached sexual maturity. After an additional eight weeks of "washout," during which all mice were housed without wheels and on the healthy diet, the researchers did behavioral analysis, measured aerobic capacity, and levels of several different hormones.

One of those they measured, leptin, is produced by fat cells. It helps control body weight by increasing energy expenditure and signaling that less food is required. Early-life exercise increased adult leptin levels as well as fat mass in adult mice, regardless of the diet they ate.

Previously, the research team found that eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter the microbiome for life, even if they later eat healthier. Going forward, the team plans to investigate whether fat or sugar is more responsible for the negative effects they measured in Western-diet-fed mice.

Together, both studies offer critical opportunities for health interventions in childhood habits.

"Our findings may be relevant for understanding the potential effects of activity reductions and dietary changes associated with obesity," said UCR evolutionary physiologist Theodore Garland.

In other words, getting a jump start on health in the early years of life is extremely important, and interventions may be even more critical in the wake of the pandemic.

"During the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly in the early months, kids got very little exercise. For many without access to a park or a backyard, school was their only source of physical activity," Cadney said. "It is important we find solutions for these kids, possibly including extra attention as they grow into adults."

Given that exercise was also shown to reduce adult anxiety, Cadney believes children who face these challenges may face unique physical and mental health issues as they become adults in the coming decade.

 

Study snapshot: How do weighted funding formulas affect charter school enrollments?

AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

Research News

 

Study: "How Do Weighted Funding Formulas Affect Charter School Enrollments?"
Author: Paul Bruno (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

This study was presented today at the American Educational Research Association's 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting.

Main Findings:

The adoption of a school funding system in California that increased revenues for schools enrolling higher-need students led to an increase in the rate at which charter schools enrolled low-income students.

This effect was concentrated among charter schools initially enrolling low-income students at relatively low rates, suggesting that some charters "cream skim" high achieving, wealthier students, but that such behavior also can be mitigated.

Details:

For many, the expansion of charter schooling since the early 1990s has been a cause of concern. Among the major concerns is that charter schools will "cream skim" high-achieving, wealthier students from nearby traditional public schools, exacerbating segregation and burdening traditional schools with a combination of falling revenues and higher per-pupil costs.

Most states now adjust school funding to account for the costs of additional educational needs that certain groups of students are thought to have. These weighted student funding systems (WSF) differ in terms of which student characteristics are weighted, but additional funding weights are commonly given to students who require special education services or are English language learners or low-income.

In the study, the author analyzed the effects of a WSF policy implemented in 2013 in California that plausibly changed the incentives for charter schools to enroll disadvantaged students without a similar change of the incentives for students or their families to enroll in charter schools. The author looked at all charter schools in the state, without distinguishing nonprofits from for-profits.

With the adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013, weighted funding for low-income students increased significantly, increasing per-pupil funding provided to schools for eligible students by 300 percent or more.

The author examined changes in the gap between charter schools and traditional public schools in the share of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) programs, from 2012 to 2017. He found that charter schools with relatively low FRL rates compared to their local district in 2012 gradually increased their FRL enrollments relative to traditional schools in subsequent years.

In 2012, these charter schools had almost 6 percentage points fewer FRL-eligible students than analogous traditional schools (i.e., those with FRL rates below their district average). Despite these traditional schools also gradually increasing their FRL shares during this time, the gap between charter schools and traditional schools shrank in every subsequent year, and by 2017 the gap was statistically indistinguishable from zero.

During the same period, the Local Control Funding Formula did not have the same effect on charter schools that already had relatively high FRL shares. The FRL gap between these charter schools and traditional schools that also started with relatively high FRL shares in 2017 (6.7 percentage points) was only modestly smaller than it was in 2012 (9.7 percentage points) and was slightly larger than the gap in 2013 (5.8 percentage points).

"My results suggest that previous studies on charter school cream skimming may have been too optimistic," said author Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "If these state funding changes altered enrollment incentives only or mostly for charter schools, and not for families or traditional schools, then my results indicate that many charter schools are avoiding enrolling low-income students."

"The primary implication for policymakers is that charter schools appear to be sensitive to the costs of providing education," said Bruno. "This matters for both the funding and the regulation of charter schools."

The author noted that when designing weighted funded systems, policymakers need to think carefully about which student characteristics should be considered.

"There are some obvious candidates, including eligibility for free lunch or special education or English learner services," said Bruno. "Not only do students with these characteristics appear to have distinctive and costly educational needs, but there is also evidence that they are underserved by charter schools in at least some cases."

The author also noted that policymakers need to ensure that formula weights are large enough to change the behaviors of charter school operators, but also are not so large that they create perverse incentives, such as discouraging schools from declassifying students as English learners.

###

To request a copy of the working paper, or to talk to study author, please contact AERA Communications: Tony Pals, Director of Communications, tpals@aera.net, cell: (202) 288-9333; Tong Wu, Communications Associate, twu@aera.net, cell: (202) 957-3802

About AERA

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy o

Meet Germany's QANON

 'Querdenker' COVID protest movement

They act like a peace movement, but Querdenker march alongside the far-right, and their protests often end in violence. A look into the people behind the protests.

A mixed bag of people attend the 'Querdenker' rallies

The trained business administrator Michael Ballweg founded the Querdenker (lateral thinkers) movement in the city of Stuttgart in 2020. Organizing it has become his full-time job, as the movement has spread.

The Querdenker include pandemic skeptics, anti-vaxxers and anti-lockdown protesters. They claim the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal and regional laws aimed at halting the spread of the virus, infringe on citizens' liberties.

Now, protesters regularly take to the streets in cities across the country.Often the demonstrations turn violent.

But images of clashes between demonstrators and police do not fit the image the Querdenker like to create for themselves. Michael Ballweg and his followers are always quick to emphasize their peacefulness and loyalty to the German Constitution.

Michael Ballweg started the 'Querdenker' movement in 2020

Dancing and singing are part of the standard repertoire at rallies. But that's only one facet because right-wing extremists are also in regular attendance. And nobody walking alongside them seems to care.

Democracy researcher at the University of Marburg, Reiner Becker, recognizes a recurring pattern: "It is every individual's decision to take part in such a demonstration," he told DW. In turn, participants are therefore responsible for their actions. They know that it is a strategy to overwhelm police with the "sheer mass" of demonstrators and not to adhere to the rules imposed by the courts.
Criticism of police

This is exactly what happened in mid-March in Kassel. More than three times the permitted 6,000 participants marched through the streets. Most of them didn't follow social distancing rules of 1.5 meters, nor did they wear face masks. Counter-demonstrators were also on the move. As the situation grew increasingly confusing and violent. Police were using batons, pepper spray, and water cannon. Photos and video footage of police officers beating demonstrators continue to circulate online.

Christopher Vogel works in the mobile advisory team against racism and far-right extremism in Kassel and has observed the demo on the ground. He considers general criticism of officials' behavior to be unfair, he told DW. The situation was confusing, he said: There were clashes between right- and left-wing radicals, but in between were families with young children and some demonstrators put their children "in the front row, as protective shields so to speak," Vogel recalled. His conclusion: "It was no longer manageable."

No political ambitions

The substance of the movement is "extremely thin," he said. In principle, Querdenker are only concerned with their individual freedom and have no further socio-political demands.

"They just want to get back to normal and have some peace and quiet from the state," Vogel said. If COVID-19 disappears from the front pages, a large part will say goodbye to political engagement.

This assessment fits in with the results of a study published in December 2020 by sociologists at the University of Basel, Oliver Nachtwey. He and his team asked more than 1,100 "Querdenker" about their motives and attitudes. Almost half of them had never participated in a demonstration before the coronavirus protests.

"In terms of demographics, it's a relatively old and relatively academic movement," is one finding. Less than 10% are younger than 30, and the average age is almost 50.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed have at least a high school diploma, more than half of them have finished their university education, and 67% consider themselves to be middle class.

23% of the surveyed Querdenker said they had cast their ballots for the Greens in Germany's 2017 federal election. Eighteen percent voted for the Left party and 15% for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). But, that was long before the pandemic. In September's elections, the AfD could almost double votes in Querdenker circles to 27%, while the Greens and conservative CDU/CSU would not get any support at all.

Querdenker conspiracy theorists

According to the Basel study, the vast majority of Querdenker, say they'll vote for little-known splinter parties in September, such as the Basic Democratic Party of Germany, which was only founded in July 2020. On that party's homepage, there are statements like: "Anyone who claims that freedom prevails in our country is lying. Because freedom does not prevail."

This perceived lack of freedom appeals to the Querdenker: 80% of those polled said they agree with the statement that one can no longer express their opinion without getting into trouble. Around 75% believe the media and politics are in cahoots, and that the government is hiding the truth.

The Querdenker movement is characterized by a strong sense of alienation, the study showed, not only from state institutions and the political system and the established media.

But the Querdenker followers were also found to be not "downright xenophobic or Islamophobic" and in some cases "rather anti-authoritarian and inclined towards anthroposophy."

This self-assessment seems to fit in with the images of Querdenker demos. Dancing, drumming, singing people, on the one hand, and far-right extremists bearing the imperial Reichskrieg flag and anti-Semitic slogans on the other.

DW reporter on German coronavirus protest

Provocation with the Star of David

The protesters are a mixed bag of people: Some look like hippies from the 1960s and 70s. Others seek to provoke by wearing a yellow star, similar to those which Jews were forced to wear under the Nazis. Instead of the word "Jude" (Jew) their stars bear the word "ungeimpft" (not vaccinated.) The stars are meant to highlight the alleged stigmatization by the system the protesters reject.

The Querdenker movement has been officially under surveillance by domestic intelligence in its home state of Baden-Württemberg since December. "Extremist, ideological conspiracy and anti-Semitic content is deliberately mixed up with legitimate criticism of the state measures that aim to contain the pandemic," a statement said at the time.

Almost four months on, authorities say their decision has been confirmed. Additional insights into regional Querdenker offshoots were obtained, "which give a more comprehensive picture of the initiative's network," a spokesperson for the regional intelligence agency told DW on request.

Some of the gathered data show the interweaving of leading Querdenker figures with far-right Reichsbürger and Selbstverwalter groups.

How far the contact goes could soon be observed again at the next large-scale demonstration, planned for April 3 in Stuttgart. Unless the gathering is prohibited. So far, however, such requests have almost always failed in court.

This article was translated from German.

Reporters targeted at Stuttgart 'Querdenker' anti-lockdown rally

Over 10,000 people marched through Stuttgart to protest lockdown rules at an unexpectedly large rally by the so-called "Querdenker" (lateral thinkers) movement in Germany.

Watch video 03:00 'Querdenker' protest in Stuttgart — DW's Benjamin Alvarez Gruber reports

Police launched an investigation against organizers of the "Querdenker" (lateral thinkers) march in Stuttgart for violating anti-pandemic measures during the Saturday rally. The authorities also arrested one man on suspicion of beating up a reporter, while a TV crew was forced to end their live report after protesters started pelting them with stones.

While some 2,500 people were expected to join the rally, police estimated that over 10,000 ended up taking part. The protesters demanded an immediate end to lockdown measures, which they see as a violation of their human rights.
No masks

Police warned that any violations of the anti-pandemic orders would be documented.

"I see 20 people wearing masks, and they are the police," said police spokesman Stefan Keilbach.

The "Querdenker" movement has been holding rallies since the early stages of the pandemic last year.Far-right groups have also endorsed the events, which are often followed by violent clashes or attacks on media crews.

Press attacked

Reporting from the scene, DW's Benjamin Alvarez Gruber that many of the speakers were also "attacking the press" over the media coverage of the pandemic.

"They say the effects of the lockdown… are way worse than the effect of the virus."


He also noted that only reporters and police officers were wearing masks, and that protesters did not maintain social distance.

"Despite that, police did not intervene," he added.

Attacks on reporters spark anger

The latest incident involving attacks on the media prompted anger from the head of DJV journalists' union, Frank Überall, who accused the police of "doing nothing to protect our colleagues."

Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who also serves as vice-chancellor, also slammed the incident as a "cowardly attack on press freedom."

"It is bad enough that thousands protested at the streets of Stuttgart with no masks and without social distancing, they are now attacking journalists too," he wrote on Twitter.

dj/aw (AFP, dpa)

‘Someone has to keep the country going’: A pre-dawn commute with essential workers in Paris

Issued on: 07/04/2021 - AFP

Bus route 351 ferries commuters to and from the Paris airport, snaking its way through neglected suburbs of the French capital. © FRANCE 24

Text by: Bahar MAKOOI

Throughout the pandemic, bus route 351 has ferried pre-dawn commuters between Paris and Charles-de-Gaulle international airport, slicing across neglected suburbs of the French capital hit hardest by Covid-19. FRANCE 24 followed the essential workers – including nurses, technicians and freight workers – for whom lockdown never happens.

Every morning, Farid* sees the same people peering at him through the folding doors of his bus. He has come to recognise them, despite the masks covering much of their faces.

“They’re the ones who get dressed and go to work every morning, whatever happens – just like me,” says the 46-year-old driver. “Lockdowns come and go, but we’re always here. Someone has to keep the country going.”

There’s no bitterness in Farid’s words, though the father of three says he often heads to work with his stomach in a knot.

“We try not to talk about these things between drivers, but we know some routes are more risky than others,” he says.

Bus route 351 snakes its way across the Seine-Saint-Denis area northeast of Paris, the poorest département in mainland France and which has been pummelled by successive waves of Covid-19. Along the way, it picks up the frontline workers who have kept the metropolis running throughout the pandemic.

The freight terminal at Charles-de-Gaulle airport, the final destination for many passengers on route 351. © France 24

Dawn is yet to break when Farid starts the engine at Place de la Nation on the eastern edge of Paris. The first passengers promptly get on the bus, all but one of them sporting a face mask.

“It happens, but it’s not my job to police them,” says Farid with a shrug.

Sometimes he offers a mask from his own stock, supplied by the Paris transport authority. Alternatively, he plays a pre-recorded message reminding passengers to cover their faces or face a fine. This time he does neither.

‘Covid killed half the residents at my care home’

Seated next to the exit, 55-year-old Betty is on her way to a nursing home in Bondy, one of a dozen French towns where the rate of Covid-19 infections has surged to four times the national average. The care worker, who lives in the southern suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine, has already taken a bus and a tram to make it this far.

“An hour and a half in public transport, that’s an awful lot – particularly when the bus is jam-packed, like the previous one in Vitry,” she sighs, wrapped up in her hooded puffer jacket. “But I have no other choice.”

Like many workers at France’s hard-hit nursing homes, Betty was ill with Covid-19 last year. With infections surging once again, she’s worried she’ll catch it a second time.

“Covid killed half of the residents at my care home last year: only two on my floor, but every one of them a floor below,” she says. Still, Betty is in no hurry to get vaccinated, despite the priority given to staff and residents at nursing homes across the country.

“I’m not required to get vaccinated,” she says. “Most of my colleagues have had both shots, but I’m waiting for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because I only want to face the needle once.”

‘It’s a miracle I still have my job’

Farid’s bus soon fills up after crossing the périphérique ring road that circumscribes Paris, the physical and symbolic barrier separating the French capital from its nearest suburbs.

First up is the town of Bagnolet, where a dozen passengers climb aboard. Among them is Moussa, a forklift operator in blue-and-red overalls, bound for the airport where he has worked for the past 15 years.

“I’ ve got to drive my forklift, there’s no way I can work from home,” he mumbles, fighting back a yawn. Moussa says the bus is a lot busier when he goes to work at the weekend, due to repair works on suburban train lines.

“It’s not so bad today,” he says, gazing at his fellow travellers. “Anyway, it’s not as if I had a choice, since I don’t own a car.”

While Covid-19 is always on the back of his mind, Moussa is even more concerned about the economic cost of the pandemic, which has left many of his colleagues jobless. His wife is also out of work. Now that French schools have closed again due to the worsening pandemic, she’s stuck at home looking after their two children.

“It breaks my heart to see all those planes grounded on the tarmac at Charles-de-Gaulle,” says Moussa. “I know several people who lost their jobs – all those who prepared cabin meals and cleaned the planes.”

Moussa, a forklift operator and regular passenger on bus route 351. © France 24

A few seats away, Franck is hoping to catch one of the planes scheduled to fly out of the Paris airport in a few hours. He’s busy trying to upload the results of his all-important PCR test.

“I already missed a plane yesterday because the lab was slow to release the results,” he mutters, his eyes glued to his phone. Franck works in the marketing division of a major airline. He’s on a business trip, bound for Riyadh.

“It’s a miracle I still have a job,” he says. “And don’t expect things to get better any time soon. It will take at least three or four years for the industry to recover from this mess.”

A frequent traveller on route 351, Franck is increasingly fed up with the lengthy journey and the behaviour of some fellow passengers.

“I’m appalled by the disrespect from people who wear their masks under their noses or chins,” he explains. “I can accept limits to my freedom, but only if everyone plays by the rules.”

‘Leave public transport to those who have no choice’

Despite the unsocial hours, many commuters have picked up the habit of leaving even earlier in the hope of avoiding crowded buses. They include Laurent, 46, who works for an aerospace parts manufacturer near the airport.

“I readily let one or two buses go by if I feel they’re too full,” he says. “Masks are not enough protection. I’m in good health and I intend to remain that way. So I’m not going to stand in other people’s faces.”

Seated right at the back of the bus, 22-year-old Denis says he also leaves a half-hour early to avoid rush hour. While his work – fitting new lifts at the airport – cannot be done from home, Denis says other passengers should avoid crowding public transport during the pandemic.

“Those who can work from home should leave public transport to those who have no other choice,” says the resident of Blanc-Mesnil, one of the poorest suburbs in Seine-Saint-Denis.

Government statistics suggest Denis is right to complain. Last week, the labour ministry said more than a third of people who could work from home continued to commute to their places of work.

After a brief coffee break, Farid sets off from Charles-de-Gaulle airport on his way back to Nation. © France 24

At the airport terminal, Farid stops for a coffee before driving back to Nation. In the absence of cleaning staff, he makes sure all doors and windows are open to at least ventilate the bus.

“The buses are only disinfected at night, between midnight and 6am,” he explains. “I open the windows, but I know the passengers will soon close them because they’re cold or don’t want to get wet.”

Like other drivers, Farid is annoyed at the Paris transport authority for removing the plexiglas barriers that protected them during the first lockdown.

“It doesn’t make any sense, just when they tell us that new variants [of the coronavirus] are more contagious,” he sighs. Unions have also protested at the decision to reintroduce the sale of tickets on board buses, which means drivers have to handle cash.

On the other hand, Farid is relieved that the government has caved in to pressure to close schools, which health experts have singled out as a key driver of infections in Seine-Saint-Denis. His bus stops at several schools in the area, including the Lycée Eugène Delacroix in Drancy, where a staggering 20 pupils have lost a parent to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

“I’m happy to be of service and it’s obviously not their fault. But the last few weeks it felt like a burden having schoolkids on board,” says Farid. “I just kept quiet, put my hat on and left the window wide open.”

* Not his real name

This article was translated from the original in French.