Sen. Joe Manchin Was A Headliner At A Secretive Coal CEOs' Confab



Mary Papenfuss
Mon, November 1, 2021, 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key foil of Democratic plans to fight climate change, was a top speaker at a recent secretive confab of coal company executives.

Manchin’s role was revealed when the event program and a video touting the “Coal and Investment Leadership Forum” in September was unearthed by an investigative journalist for Documented. The three-day, invitation-only event was held in Virginia at the luxe Olde Farm golf resort, owned by Jim McGlothlin, a founding partner of the United Coal Co., Documented reported Monday.

Those attending — which included coal and energy CEOs and other top executives and bankers, according to an event roster — had to pony up $7,000, plus lodging expenses, according to a website’s information on the gathering, which was tracked by Documented.

Manchin’s headline billing adds to the evidence of his powerful connections to key players in the fossil fuel business and highlights his investments in the industry even as he chairs the Senate’s influential Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The senator who has become “America’s climate decider-in-chief ... has a massive climate conflict of interest,” The Guardian noted in a Sept. 30 article.

On Monday, Manchin again criticized the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” infrastructure proposal, which includes measures to battle climate change. Manchin had already won major concessions in the shrinking legislative package over the issue — and had blocked a paid family leave provision — by indicating that he would at one point support some plan.

“We must allow time for complete transparency and analysis on the impact of changes to our tax code and energy and climate policies,” Manchin said at a news conference Monday on Capitol Hill.

The bulk of the Build Back Better legislation is meant to address the worsening climate crisis.


(Photo: Screen Shot/Leadership Forum/Courtesy of Documented)

Meanwhile, according to his financial disclosures, Manchin last year earned at least $490,000 from his co-ownership of Enersystems, a coal company he founded. (His Senate salary is $174,000). He owns as much as $5 million in stock in the company.

Manchin has emphasized that his holdings are in a blind trust, but he’s well aware that his support for the fossil fuel industry benefits Enersystems. The company is now run by his son, The New Yorker noted in a story last week.

He’s also the U.S. senator who has received the most political donations from the oil, gas, and coal industries, reported The New Yorker.

Manchin’s fellow senator from West Virginia, Shelley Moore Capito (R), was also a speaker at the coal executives’ huddle.

“I know both of these individuals well,” boasted Olde Farm manager and Chief Operating Officer Larry Kleine in a video touting the event (see it up top). “You’d be really hard-pressed to find two more influential people in politics right now, and I’m sure you’ll be curious about what they have to say.”

Manchin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Check out the full story and more coal country background on Manchin in Documented here.

When and how was walking invented?

Jan Simek, Professor of Anthropology, University of Tennessee
Mon, November 1, 2021

Three upright walkers, including Lucy (center) and two specimens of *Australopithecus sediba*, a human ancestor from South Africa dating back nearly 2 million years. Image compiled by Peter Schmid and courtesy of Lee R. Berger/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

When and how was walking invented? — Rayssa, 11, Newark, New Jersey

This is an important question because many anthropologists see bipedalism – which means walking on two legs – as one of the defining characteristics of “hominins,” or modern humans, and their ancestors. It is difficult to give a simple answer, though, because bipedalism did not just appear one day. It went through a gradual evolution that began many millions of years ago.

Of course there are no video clips of the first person ever walking upright. So how do scientists try to answer questions about how people moved in the very ancient past? Luckily, the shape of a creature’s bones and the way they fit together can tell the story of how that body moved when it was alive. And anthropologists can find other evidence in the landscape that indicates how ancient people walked.


In 1994, the first fossils of an unknown hominin were found in Ethiopia. The anthropologists who found the remains called the new discovery, an adult female individual, Ardipithecus ramidus, nicknamed “Ardi.” Over the next 10 years, more than 100 fossils from Ardi’s species were found and dated to between 4.2 million and 4.4 million years old.

When scientists examined this collection of bones, they identified certain characteristics that indicated bipedalism. The foot, for example, had a structure that allowed the kind of toe push-off that we have today, which four-legged apes do not have. The shape of the pelvic bones, how the legs were positioned under the pelvis and how the leg bones fit together all suggested upright walking too. It may be that Ardi did not walk exactly as we do today, but bipedalism as the normal way of movement does seem to be characteristic of these fossils from as early as 4.4 million years ago.

Anthropologists had already found the nearly 40%-complete skeleton of a hominin species that lived about a million years after Ardi, also in Ethiopia. Because of its similarity to other fossils found in southern and eastern Africa, they called it Australopithecus afarensis, which in Latin means “southern ape from the afar region.” This individual was female, so they nicknamed it “Lucy” after a song by the Beatles that was popular at the time.

Many more fossils from this species – more than 300 individuals – have been added to the group, and today researchers know quite a lot about Lucy and her relatives.

Close-up image of face of a model based on Lucy and other _A. afarensis_ fossils

Lucy had a partial but well-preserved pelvis, which was how anthropologists knew she was female. The pelvis and upper leg bones fit together in a way that showed she walked upright on two legs. No feet bones were preserved, but later discoveries of A. afarensis do include feet and indicate bipedal walking as well.

In addition to fossil remains, scientists found other remarkable evidence for how Lucy’s species moved at the Laetoli site in Tanzania. Beneath a layer of volcanic ash dating to 3.6 million years ago, anthropologists found fossilized footprints in what had once been a wet surface of volcanic ash. The tracks go along for almost 100 feet, and 70 individual prints indicate the presence of at least three individuals walking upright on two feet. Given the presumed age, the makers were likely Australopithecus afarensis.

The tracks prove that these hominins walked on two legs, but the gait seems to be a bit different from ours today. Still, Laetoli provides solid evidence for bipedalism 3.5 million years ago.

A hominin whose anatomy was so like our own that we can say it walked as we do did not appear in Africa until 1.8 million years ago. Homo erectus was the first to have the long legs and shorter arms that would have made it possible to walk, run and move about Earth’s landscapes as we do today. Homo erectus also had a much larger brain than did earlier bipedal hominins and made and used stone tools called Acheulean implements. Anthropologists consider Homo erectus our close relative and an early member of our own genus, Homo.

So, as you can see, human walking took a very long time to develop. It appeared in Africa more than 4.4 million years ago, long before tool-making appeared.

Why did hominins walk upright? Perhaps it allowed them to see predators more easily, or to run faster, or maybe the environment changed and there were fewer trees to climb as earlier hominins did.

In any case, humans and their ancestors began to walk very early in their evolutionary history. Even though bipedalism came before tool-making, an upright posture freed the hands to make and use tools, which ultimately became one of the hallmarks of humans like us.

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

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.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Jan Simek, University of Tennessee.

Read more:

Fossil jawbone from Israel is the oldest modern human found outside Africa

How did humans evolve, and will we evolve more?

Jan Simek has received funding from the LSB Leakey Foundation, the NSF, the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the National Geographic Society.

ECOCIDE

Bomb squad Marines reveal what it takes to create a towering 'wall of fire' 1,000 feet long

Ryan Pickrell

Mon, November 1, 2021

A Blue Angels aircraft is silhouetted by the "Wall of Fire" during the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, Air Show, May 4, 2018. US Marine Corps photo

• The pyrotechnic display known as the "wall of fire" takes military air shows to a new level.

• Explosive ordnance disposal teams, military bomb squads, spend hours setting these up.

• Two EOD technicians talked to Insider about what it takes to create these towering infernos.

The US military sometimes likes to add a spark to its air shows with a massive pyrotechnic display known as the "wall of fire."

Most recently, the Marines did this at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, as can be seen in this Sept. 26 video from the base. The "wall of fire" was around 1,000 feet long and estimated to be several hundred feet tall.

The "wall of fire" is usually the penultimate act. The finale is typically the headline performance by an aerial demonstration team like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds.

Although the demonstration is meant to look like an aircraft is dropping bombs on the airfield, the successive fiery explosions are the result of hours of work by a team of skilled explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel.

Two Marine EOD technicians told Insider about what it takes to make a "wall of fire."

A crowd watches as the Wall of Fire - a pyrotechnic blast conducted by Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point EOD technicians - sets the sky ablaze during a demo at the 2021 MCAS Cherry Point Air Show on Sept. 26, 2021. US Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Lauralle Walker

"It takes time. It takes the raw materials, the explosives, and a little bit of expertise. I had about 30 guys working for me," Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael Gaydeski, who has been in explosive ordnance disposal for most of his 23 years in the Marine Corps, said.

"As soon as it's light, I have the guys working," he told Insider, explaining that it took about four hours to set up the explosive display, which used over 4,000 feet of detonation cord, among other combustible materials, mainly large amounts of fuel.

The "wall of fire" does not require a lot of explosive material, Gaydeski said. "It's not much at all. It's the manner it's employed. And then it's enhanced by fuel. There is a significant amount of fuel that goes up in that."

Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael Gaydeski, the officer in charge for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), goes over standard operating procedures with EOD technicians during a practice event at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, Aug. 12, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jacob Bertram

The recent air show at MCAS Cherry Point was Gaydeski's third time creating a "wall of fire," but for a lot of the Marines involved, this was their first show.

"It's definitely not common," Gaydeski said. "Guys who have experience doing that can be hard to find."

A little over a month before the big event, the Marines did a practice run to make sure everyone knew what to do, with Gaydeski providing guidance.

An explosion is set off by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians during a practice event at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, Aug. 12, 2021. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jacob Bertram

'More dangerous' than Fourth of July fireworks

Pyrotechnic displays are not unusual, as anyone who has ever attended a big Independence Day celebration knows, but the "wall of fire" takes things to another level.

It is "more dangerous" than Fourth of July fireworks, Gaydeski told Insider.

The EOD personnel use explosives that they put together themselves, not something manufactured. The fiery explosions, though they are contained, tend to set the grass on fire. And there is always the possibility that something will go wrong, risking an unplanned detonation or resulting in unexploded ordnance that needs to be rendered safe.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians prepare detonation cord during an EOD practice event at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, Aug. 12, 2021, US Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jacob Bertram

"Once things start catching on fire, you might have other explosives that are still on the field. Then you have fire and explosives, and you don't want an unintentional detonation," Gaydeski said.

"If something goes wrong and we're unable to fire a particular charge, perhaps because one of the wires got burned through - that is the most common cause - we've got to disarm that," he said.

"We have got to put out the fire first so that we can get in and remove those explosives or rewire and detonate them manually, whichever we deem to be safer."

Marine Corps Master Sgt. Carlos Villarreal, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, delivers a safety brief before an EOD practice event at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, Aug. 12, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jacob Bertram

Master Sgt. Carlos Villarreal, the second in charge with 18 years in the Marine Corps and almost 11 years in EOD, was tasked with overseeing safety during the air show.

Because the display uses "actual explosives" and because of the "amount of fuel that we use in order to make the detonations make that nice fireball," Villarreal told Insider, "we have the safety concern of people being injured" or worse.

So his job is making sure everybody is behind cover before detonation and that the explosives do not pose a threat to personnel or aircraft, among other things.

Villarreal said creating the wall of fire was "exciting" while Gaydeski said it is "still fun" despite having done three of these.

"If you get the chance, I would say go to it," Gaydeski said. "The spectator line is almost 1,500 feet away. The wall of fire is 1,000 feet long. You'll feel the heat and the blast pressure."

Hell of a victory: Satanists convince Pennsylvania school district to change anti-satanic dress code

Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Sun, October 31, 2021,

Satanists earned a victory after convincing a Pennsylvania school district to remove a student dress code ban on clothes that are "satanic in nature."

The Rose Tree Media School District, just west of Philadelphia, had included a ban on satanic clothing, along with clothes those that are sexually suggestive, obscene or promote violence. But earlier this week, the superintendent issued a statement that the dress code's reference to satanic clothing would be removed, reported WPVI-TV, an ABC TV station in Philadelphia.

"Although we have had no complaints or concerns brought forward by any student, parent, or resident we will remove this language from our current dress code information in the student handbook," the announcement read, according to WPVI.

The myth of the poisoned Halloween candy: Here's how often kids are actually injured from their trick-or-treat stash

Joseph Rose, founder of the group Satanic Delco, in Philadelphia.

Joseph Rose, founder of the Philadelphia area group Satanic Delco, began contacting the school district about a month ago after learning about the dress code language from parents with children in the district. The wording is discriminatory, he argued.

“The idea that a public school, which really isn’t a place for religion to begin with, would allow all but one religion is just so obviously unfair and unconstitutional,” Rose told WPIV-TV.

The group Satanic Delco does not "promote a belief in a personal Satan," it says on its website. "We believe that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition. … To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world – never the reverse."

The school district made the correct move, Villanova law professor Ann Juliano told WPIV-TV. "They recognize that there could be religious beliefs at issue, not that there are, but there could be, and therefore they would take it out," she said.

Rose is currently fighting similar dress code wording – a ban on clothing or jewelry with satanic or cult references – at Garnet Valley School District, also near Philadelphia.

"I'm glad the (Rose Tree Media School District) made the right choice, and I only hope it sends a message to other schools that freedom of expression has to be given equally," Rose told USA TODAY.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Satanists get PA school district to change 'satanic' dress code ban

The science everyone needs to know about climate change, in 6 charts


Betsy Weatherhead, 

Senior Scientist, 

University of Colorado Boulder
Mon, November 1, 2021,

Scientific instruments in space today can monitor hurricane strength, sea level rise, ice sheet loss and much more. Christina Koch/NASA

With the United Nations’ climate conference in Scotland turning a spotlight on climate change policies and the impact of global warming, it’s useful to understand what the science shows.

I’m an atmospheric scientist who has worked on global climate science and assessments for most of my career. Here are six things you should know, in charts.

What’s driving climate change

The primary focus of the negotiations is on carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – are burned, as well as by forest fires, land use changes and natural sources.

The Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s started an enormous increase in the burning of fossil fuels. It powered homes, industries and opened up the planet to travel. That same century, scientists identified carbon dioxide’s potential to increase global temperatures, which at the time was considered a possible benefit to the planet. Systematic measurements started in the mid-1900s and have shown a steady increase in carbon dioxide, with the majority of it directly traceable to the combustion of fossil fuels.

Once in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide tends to stay there for a very long time. A portion of the carbon dioxide released through human activities is taken up by plants, and some is absorbed directly into the ocean, but roughly half of all carbon dioxide emitted by human activities today stays in the atmosphere — and it likely will remain there for hundreds of years, influencing the climate globally.

During the first year of the pandemic in 2020, when fewer people were driving and some industries briefly stopped, carbon dioxide emissions from fuels fell by roughly 6%. But it didn’t stop the rise in the concentration of carbon dioxide because the amount released into the atmosphere by human activities far exceeded what nature could absorb.

If civilization stopped its carbon dioxide-emitting activities today, it would still take many hundreds of years for the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to fall enough naturally to bring the planet’s carbon cycle back into balance because of carbon dioxide’s long life in the atmosphere.
How we know greenhouse gases can change the climate

Multiple lines of scientific evidence point to the increase in greenhouse emissions over the past century and a half as a driver of long-term climate change around the world. For example:

Laboratory measurements since the 1800s have repeatedly verified and quantified the absorptive properties of carbon dioxide that allow it to trap heat in the atmosphere.

Simple models based on the warming impact of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere match historical changes in temperature.

Complex climate models, recently acknowledged in the Nobel Prize for Physics, not only indicate a warming of the Earth due to increases in carbon dioxide but also offer details of the areas of greatest warming.

Long-term records from ice cores, tree rings and corals show that when carbon dioxide levels have been high, temperatures have also been high.

Our neighboring planets also offer evidence. Venus’ atmosphere is thick with carbon dioxide, and it is the hottest planet in our solar system as a result, even though Mercury is closer to the sun.

Temperatures are rising on every continent

The rising temperatures are evident in records from every continent and over the oceans.

The temperatures aren’t rising at the same rate everywhere, however. A variety of factors affect local temperatures, including land use that influences how much solar energy is absorbed or reflected, local heating sources like urban heat islands, and pollution.

The Arctic, for example, is warming about three times faster than the global average in part because as the planet warms, snow and ice melt makes the surface more likely to absorb, rather than reflect, the sun’s radiation. Snow cover and sea ice recede even more rapidly as a result.

What climate change is doing to the planet

Earth’s climate system is interconnected and complex, and even small temperature changes can have large impacts – for instance, with snow cover and sea levels.

Changes are already happening. Studies show that rising temperatures are already affecting precipitation, glaciers, weather patterns, tropical cyclone activity and severe storms. A number of studies show that the increases in frequency, severity and duration of heat waves, for example, affect ecosystems, human lives, commerce and agriculture.

Historical records of ocean water level have shown mostly consistent increases over the past 150 years as glacier ice melts and rising temperatures expand ocean water, with some local deviations due to sinking or rising land.

While extreme events are often due to complex sets of causes, some are exacerbated by climate change. Just as coastal flooding can be made worse by rising ocean levels, heat waves are more damaging with higher baseline temperatures.

Climate scientists work hard to estimate future changes as a result of increased carbon dioxide and other expected changes, such as world population. It’s clear that temperatures will increase and precipitation will change. The exact magnitude of change depends on many interacting factors.

A few reasons for hope

On a hopeful note, scientific research is improving our understanding of climate and the complex Earth system, identifying the most vulnerable areas and guiding efforts to reduce the drivers of climate change. Work on renewable energy and alternative energy sources, as well as ways to capture carbon from industries or from the air, are producing more options for a better prepared society.

At the same time, people are learning about how they can reduce their own impact, with the growing understanding that a globally coordinated effort is required to have a significant impact. Electric vehicles, as well as solar and wind power, are growing at previously unthinkable rates. More people are showing a willingness to adopt new strategies to use energy more efficiently, consume more sustainably and choose renewable energy.

Scientists increasingly recognize that shifting away from fossil fuels has additional benefits, including improved air quality for human health and ecosystems.

[Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week. Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Betsy Weatherhead, University of Colorado Boulder.

Read more:

What is COP26? Here’s how global climate negotiations work and what’s expected from the Glasgow summit


4 key issues to watch as world leaders gather for the Glasgow climate summit


Climate change is relentless: Seemingly small shifts have big consequences

Betsy Weatherhead 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.

BHP's Plan to Exit Thermal Coal Is in Doubt



Thomas Biesheuvel, Harry Brumpton and James Thornhill
Mon, November 1, 2021, 

(Bloomberg) -- BHP Group’s exit from thermal coal is looking less certain as record prices and shifting investor attitudes put the brakes on its planned retreat from the dirtiest fuel, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company has been planning its thermal coal exit for at least two years -- BHP has already sold a stake in the Cerrejon thermal coal mine in Colombia and is nearing a deal to sell some Australian coking coal mines.

But the process for offloading its Mt Arthur mine in Australia is stalling because coal’s rally has made the asset more valuable, and it’s no longer under as much pressure from some investors to sell, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the details are private. That’s giving BHP more room to consider its options for Mt Arthur and wait for better offers.

BHP and rivals including Anglo American Plc have looked to exit thermal coal under pressure from investors who weren’t comfortable with blue-chip names mining the dirtiest fuel. Yet that urgency has softened somewhat in the past year, with some activists now saying major miners are best placed to eventually close down operations responsibly themselves.

A spokesman for BHP declined to comment.

BHP Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry last month said the plan to exit thermal coal was largely business-based, rather than being driven purely by a green agenda.

There “wasn’t any push toward becoming fossil-fuel free,” he said at a shareholder meeting. “It was simply a cold-eyed assessment on how those commodities fit with the BHP portfolio, how we saw the long-term value and the ability to compete for capital in the BHP portfolio.”

BHP has already rebuffed multiple offers for Mt Arthur, and with uncertainty around future liabilities, has yet to receive offers that match its valuation, the people familiar with the matter said.

BHP will also have its deal to exit Cerrejon in Colombia fresh in its mind. The timing of the sale agreement means that BHP and partner Anglo are essentially giving away their interests in the mine. While Glencore Plc agreed to pay $588 million this year to buy stakes from the two companies, it also took over cash flows for the rest of 2021. The recent surge in coal prices means those cash flows will likely more than cover the purchase cost.

Benchmark prices for thermal coal exported from Australia spiked to a record last month, though prices have pulled back as China rolls out measures to ease a supply crunch that’s contributed to power shortages.

BHP’s BMC metallurgical coal assets in Australia are the more attractive of the coal mines up for sale, and that process is ongoing, the people said.

Weed withdrawal: More than half of people using medical cannabis for pain experience withdrawal symptoms


Lara Coughlin, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan
Sun, October 31, 2021,

The use of cannabis, though safer than many other drugs, is not entirely without risk

. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file

CC BY-ND

In stark contrast to the overblown fears portrayed during decades past, these days, most people think cannabis is relatively harmless. While weed is indeed less dangerous than some other drugs, it is not without risks.

In a study published Jan. 5, my colleagues and I found that 59% percent of people using medical cannabis for chronic pain experienced moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms if they stopped ingesting weed for hours or days.

Most states in the U.S. have legalized cannabis for medical purposes and 15 have legalized it for recreational use. More people are using cannabis, especially older adults, and the perceived harms from weed use are steadily decreasing. While many people report therapeutic benefits or enjoy recreational use of cannabis, it is important people understand the potential risks of cannabis use too.

What cannabis withdrawal looks like

Cannabis withdrawal symptoms can include both physical and psychological experiences that emerge when someone comes down from being high or goes for a period of time without use.

When people use cannabis regularly – such as daily or nearly daily – parts of the brain become reliant on cannabinoids, the psychoactive chemicals in cannabis. Cannabinoids are naturally produced in the body, but at a much lower level than is available in most cannabis products. Among those who don’t use weed for a period of several hours or days, cannabinoid levels drop and they experience withdrawal symptoms. These can including irritability, depressed mood, decreased appetite, sleep difficulties, a desire or craving to use cannabis, restlessness, anxiety, increased aggression, headaches, shakiness, nausea, increased anger, strange dreams, stomach pain and sweating.

Cannabis withdrawal symptoms usually go away within one to two weeks after use is stopped as the body adjusts back to its own natural production of cannabinoids. Unlike withdrawal from some psychoactive substances – such as alcohol – cannabis withdrawal is not life threatening or medically dangerous. But it does exist. Cannabis withdrawal can also be quite unpleasant and people can end up continuing their cannabis use – even when they want to cut back – just to avoid experiencing withdrawal.

A man inhales marijuana smoke from a glass bong in a room with other people around.
How common are withdrawal symptoms?

To figure out how common withdrawal symptoms are, over two years, my colleagues and I repeatedly surveyed 527 people who were using medical weed for chronic pain. We found that 59% of people who use medical cannabis for chronic pain had moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms. The most common symptoms were sleep difficulties, irritability and anxiety.

We also found that cannabis withdrawal symptoms were more severe in younger people, people with mental health problems, people who had a longer history of cannabis use and people who used more frequently or in larger amounts. Additionally, we found that smoking cannabis – rather than eating or topically applying it – was correlated with worse withdrawal symptoms.

Our team also looked at how people’s withdrawal symptoms changed over time. Most continued to experience the same severity of withdrawal symptoms any time they stopped ingesting cannabis over the two years of the study, but about 10% – particularly younger people – got worse over time. As with most dependency-forming substances, reducing the frequency or amount of cannabis use may help to alleviate these symptoms.

Our study looked at people who use medical cannabis only for pain. But in another recent meta-analysis that included both recreational and medical use, researchers found that 47% of frequent cannabis users experience withdrawals.

Cannabis may not be the demon drug from “Reefer Madness,” but neither is it a wonder–plant with limitless upsides and no downsides. As cannabis use increases across the U.S., it’s important for people to understand that regular use can lead to withdrawals, and to know what those symptoms are.

[Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week. Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Lara Coughlin, University of Michigan.

Read more:

Why do so many Americans now support legalizing marijuana?

Oregon just decriminalized all drugs – here’s why voters passed this groundbreaking reform

Addiction treatment shrinks during the pandemic, leaving people with nowhere to turn

Lara Coughlin receives funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Cotton Prices Near 10-Year High With Supply Deficit Seen Growing




Marvin G. Perez
Mon, November 1, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- Cotton prices surged near a 10-year high as forecasts for lower Indian supply heightened concern that a global deficit will get worse, threatening to increase costs for clothing.

Most-active futures climbed as much as 3.3% in New York, approaching a peak set in early October. The Cotton Association of India on Saturday said the country’s exports will drop by 38% in the 2021-22 season, while researcher Cotlook last week raised its estimate for a global deficit, citing lower output and more demand.

Harvesting in U.S. growing regions around the Mississippi Delta may see some rain disruption this week, according to Drew Lerner, the president of World Weather Inc. Southeast areas will be drier, which they need, after last week’s heavy rains probably hurt fiber quality in parts of Florida, Alabama and Georgia.

Prices have jumped more than 45% this year, cutting into margins for apparel makers and threatening to raise prices for everything from t-shirts to jeans. Costlier clothes would add to inflationary pressure for consumers already facing high food and energy prices.

“We’re expecting domestic consumption to be very strong with pandemic cases dropping and Diwali around the corner,” independent analyst Ajay Kedia said by phone, referring to India. “I’ve been visiting a lot of textile showrooms and demand is very good from the customer side -- around 110% of pre-pandemic levels.”

A surge in demand and lower crops in places like top importer China will spur a second world deficit in 2021-22. Top grower India will see domestic use climb to record. Meantime, there are signs bollworm disease will curb output in that country’s province of Punjab, local press reported over the weekend, citing government officials.

Demand is also very strong across other key textile exporters such as Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. That typically means good demand for the coveted quality from top shipper U.S., where stockpiles are very tight.

Meantime, commercial traders are holding a huge short position, tracked as unfixed cotton sales that must be closed by purchasing a futures contract. That’s become the biggest supportive factor for higher levels, said consultant Ollie Cleveland, a Mississippi State University economics professor emeritus.

“As long as yarn prices remain strong then demand will continue to be the principal driver,” he said. “At times the market is not trading physical cotton as much as it is trading the textile mills need to fix the price of cotton already contracted.”

While the surge may bring bigger global production in coming years, for now the situation points to higher prices toward $1.25 a pound, he said.

Cotton for March delivery gained 3.5% to $1.1503 a pound at 11:57 a.m. in New York.

In other soft commodities, raw sugar and arabica coffee also advanced in New York, with coffee rising as much as 2.8%.

Nearly all development banks committed to cutting coal investment, data shows


Men stand by a car near a coal-fired power plant in Shanghai

David Stanway
Mon, November 1, 2021, 10:04 PM·2 min read

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Nearly all internationally available development financing is now committed to reducing or ending investment in coal-fired power after moves by China and the G20 to stop supporting new projects overseas, new research showed on Tuesday.

Just before a new round of climate talks began in Glasgow, the G20 nations pledged on Sunday to end finance for all coal-fired power plants overseas. It followed a similar commitment made by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United Nations General Assembly in September.

According to new research from Boston University's Global Development Policy Center, the G20 pledge means that 99% of all development finance institutions are committed to cutting coal investment and raising support for renewables.

"If these institutions live up to their commitments, it will be easier for developing countries to find official finance for renewable energy and coal power phase-out than for building new coal-fired power plants," said Rebecca Ray, senior researcher at the GDP Center and one of the study's authors.

The study said only three major "holdouts" remain - the Development Bank of Latin America, the Islamic Development Bank and the New Development Bank - though many of the major shareholders in those institutions were part of the G20 pledge.

Xi's September announcement that China would no longer be involved in overseas coal projects was the most significant change so far, depriving coal-fired power of its biggest financial backers, including the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, the study said.

The decision appears to have had an immediate effect on the country's financial institutions, with the Bank of China vowing to end new overseas coal mining and power projects starting in October.

One expert involved in drawing up guidelines to decarbonise China's Belt and Road investments said Chinese financial institutions were aware of the waning demand for coal-fired power, making it easier for Xi's order to be implemented.

"They are quite serious about it," said the expert, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. "They are not looking for excuses to continue the projects; they are looking for reasons not to continue."

With coal already struggling to compete with renewables - and many analysts forecasting that the sector will eventually consist of billions of dollars worth of "stranded assets" - China's decision to pull out represented a rare alignment of political, economic and climate interests, analysts said.

"The economics have changed, and their experience with financing coal with the Belt and Road Initiative wasn't good - there are already issues with host countries defaulting on debt," said Matt Gray, analyst with the climate think tank TransitionZero. "I think they now have the political signals (to stop investing) that they have been crying out for all along."

(Reporting by David Stanway. Editing by Gerry Doyle)