From space to swamp: innovative AI method classifies mangrove species with unprecedented accuracy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING

 

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FLOWCHART OF THE METHODOLOGY IMPLEMENTED IN THIS STUDY.

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CREDIT: JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING

Mangrove ecosystems, vital for biodiversity and climate change mitigation, face challenges in monitoring and conservation due to their complex species composition. A new study introduces an AI-driven approach to classify mangrove species with remarkable accuracy, potentially transforming conservation efforts.

Mangroves are crucial for biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and coastal protection but face threats from climate change and human activities. Traditional monitoring methods fall short in accurately capturing their complex features. The integration of advanced machine learning algorithms with multisource remote sensing data offers a promising solution. Based on these challenges, it is essential to conduct in-depth research to develop more precise and effective techniques for mangrove species classification, which can significantly enhance conservation and restoration efforts.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a novel framework for mangrove species classification using an XGBoost ensemble learning algorithm, as published in the Journal of Remote Sensing, on 6 Jun 2024. The study (DOI: 10.34133/remotesensing.0146), which combines multisource remote sensing data, offers a significant leap in the precision of mangrove species mapping.

The study examined the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve in China, using data from WorldView-2, OrbitaHyperSpectral, and ALOS-2 satellites. Researchers extracted 151 remote sensing features and designed 18 classification schemes to analyze the data. By combining these features with the XGBoost algorithm and recursive feature elimination, they achieved an impressive classification accuracy of 94.02%. The integration of multispectral, hyperspectral, and synthetic aperture radar data proved highly effective in distinguishing six different mangrove species. This approach demonstrated that the combined data sources significantly improved classification results compared to single-source data. The study highlights the potential of advanced remote sensing techniques and machine learning algorithms to enhance ecological monitoring and species classification, providing a robust framework for future research and practical applications in mangrove conservation.

Dr. Junjie Wang, corresponding author of the study, emphasizes the potential impact of this research, stating, "Our findings not only advance the field of mangrove species classification but also contribute to the broader application of AI in ecological conservation, providing a robust tool for environmental scientists and policymakers."

The application of this AI framework extends beyond species classification, offering insights into mangrove health, ecosystem dynamics, and aiding in the assessment of degradation and restoration efforts. The implications of this research are far-reaching, supporting sustainable development and conservation initiatives on a global scale.

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References

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0146

Original Source URL

https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/remotesensing.0146

Funding information

This research was jointly funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (42171379, 42222103, 42101379, and 42171372), Science and Technology Development Program of Jilin Province, China (20210101396JC), Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017277 and 2021227), Young Scientist Group Project of Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2022QNXZ03), and Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (JCYJ20210324093210029).

About Journal of Remote Sensing

The Journal of Remote Sensing, an online-only Open Access journal published in association with AIR-CAS, promotes the theory, science, and technology of remote sensing, as well as interdisciplinary research within earth and information science.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Remote Sensing

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0146 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Performance of XGBoost Ensemble Learning Algorithm for Mangrove Species Classification with Multisource Spaceborne Remote Sensing Data

 

Nordic researchers develop predictive model for cross-border COVID spread

The uniquely multinational and cross-disciplinary research was made possible by transparent data-sharing between Nordic countries

AALTO UNIVERSITY

As COVID-19 spread globally in 2020, many countries swiftly closed their borders to prevent the disease from entering. However, there was little scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of such measures.

While post-COVID research has extensively focused on the efficacy of internal travel restrictions, cross-border travel has received less attention due to challenges in accessing quality data. In a major multidisciplinary collaboration effort across Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, a group of researchers — including mathematicians, physicists and computer scientists — have published a pioneering study on the spread of infections across Nordic borders from spring until the end of 2020. The report sheds light on the efficacy of cross-border travel restrictions, helping us better understand which measures actually make a difference.

‘There have been many studies using data and modelling within countries, but this cross-border research is rather unique,’ says Associate Professor of Mathematics Lasse Leskelä from Finland’s Aalto University.

The researchers developed a sophisticated mathematical model relying on a long trail of footwork gathering travel data from the four neighbouring countries. Focus was on the short-term spread of the disease at a stage of the pandemic when infections had already started to spread within each country.

Border closures a blunt tool

The modelling revealed that cross-border closures were only likely to have significant impact in very specific scenarios. For example, a substantial disparity in disease prevalence between two countries would have to be accompanied by a high volume of cross-border traffic for restrictions to notably impact spread. It is notable that even though Sweden’s comparatively loose restrictions in 2020 contributed to the nation having vastly more case numbers than in neighbouring Finland, the overall impact of cross-border travel on the Finnish disease situation was low in absolute terms.

‘The way I see these results is that the closing of borders was mostly not very well justified. This was done out of uncertainty, because countries did not know what else to do. Since it has so many adverse effects, my take on this is that in the future, such drastic measures must be very carefully considered’, says Professor Tapio Ala-Nissilä from Aalto University.

However, the researchers point out that in different stages of a pandemic situation, there can be many layers of complexity. If a government must act, choosing between restricting local populations within its borders versus restricting travel across them, the latter may prove the better option.

‘According to our model, travellers from Sweden were over 10 times more likely to have COVID-19 in the summer of 2020 than the domestic Finnish population. So if you think about when the restrictions should hit and who should be affected, it would make more sense to place restrictions on these travellers at this time,’ Assistant Professor Mikko Kivelä from Aalto University points out.

The model also shows interesting differences between types of travel. Commuters, who may spend half a day in the destination country at a time, played a smaller role in spreading infections than vacationers who possibly spent their entire infectious periods in the country.

Preparing for the next pandemic

Kivelä emphasises that in spring 2020, decision-makers were faced with myriad uncertainties that made it impossible to reliably analyse and estimate the effects of their countermeasures. This is also where the current study makes its most significant contribution – as a predictive model for future use.

‘The really important part is that we have developed different ways of looking at this question: a mathematical machinery to answer questions about what border control interventions are necessary and when to apply,’ says university researcher Mikhail Shubin from the University of Helsinki.

Although the current study pertains to the Nordics, the researchers say that it can be applied to other countries as well. The main concern is getting reliable and comparable data. Often, even if the outward appearance of a particular data set is promising, details like reporting delays will complicate its usage.

‘Access to mobility is not easy to gain, and within the Schengen area in particular there is no detailed tracking for who moves where. You need to have access to lots of data sets, from road crossings to railroads, ferries and aeroplanes. We also used mobile phone data to validate our findings,’ explains Leskelä. ‘Usually, to do this detailed modelling, you need personal contacts and you need to build trust.’ 

The study is part of the NordicMathCovid project. The project includes teams from Finland, Sweden and Norway and involves a number of universities and public institutions across the Nordics. Supported by NordForsk, the project started in September 2020 and has produced research on pandemic flows and vaccination strategies from varying angles.

The full journal article from PLOS Computational Biology can be found at https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012182

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JOURNAL

PLoS Computational Biology

DOI

10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012182 

ARTICLE TITLE

The influence of cross-border mobility on the COVID-19 epidemic in Nordic countries

World’s oldest artwork discovered in Indonesian cave


By AFP
July 3, 2024


The cave painting of a pig, the oldest narrative artwork made by humans - Copyright GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY/AFP -
Daniel Lawler

It may not look like much — just a flaking image of three people around a big red pig.

But the humble cave painting discovered in Indonesia is the oldest known narrative artwork ever made by human hands, dating back more than 51,000 years, new research said on Wednesday.

“This is the oldest evidence of storytelling,” Maxime Aubert, an archaeologist at Australia’s Griffith University, told AFP.

Aubert was part of the team that identified the previous record holder in 2019, a hunting scene found in a nearby Indonesian cave then estimated to be nearly 44,000 years old.

The latest discovery, which was dated using a new laser technique, marks “the first time we’ve passed the 50,000-year barrier,” said Aubert, a co-author of a new study in Nature describing the find.

That early humans were able to tell such a “sophisticated” story through art could rewrite our understanding of human cognitive evolution, he added.

“Our discovery suggests that storytelling was a much older part of human history… than previously thought,” study co-author archaeologist Adam Brumm told a press conference.

– New laser dating –

For the discovery, the researchers used a new method that uses lasers and computer software to create a “map” of rock samples.

This laser ablation technique is more precise, easier, quicker, cheaper, and requires much smaller rock samples than the previous uranium series method, Aubert said.

The team first tested the new technique on the previous record holder.

It determined that the hunting scene was actually at least 48,000 years old — 4,000 years older than the uranium series method determined in 2019.

The team then tried the laser method out on a previously undated painting first spotted in a cave on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island in 2017.

It was found to to be least 51,200 years old, smashing the previous record.

The painting, which is in poor condition, shows three people around a wild pig.

“We don’t know exactly what they’re doing,” Aubert admitted.

He speculated that the paintings were likely made by the first group of humans who moved through Southeast Asia before arriving in Australia around 65,000 years ago.

“It’s probably just a matter of time before we find samples that are older,” Aubert added.

– Art gap mystery –

Humans first evolved in Africa more than 300,000 years ago.

The first images known to have been made by humans are simple lines and patterns made in ochre found in South Africa dating back 100,000 years.

But then there is a “huge gap” in human art until the Indonesian cave paintings 50,000 years later, Aubert said.

“The question is, why is it not everywhere?”

One theory is that artwork elsewhere did not survive all those millennia. Another is that ancient art could still be out there waiting to be discovered.

Previously the first narrative art was thought to have emerged in Europe. A “lion man” statue found in Germany has been dated to around 40,000 years ago.

The date given for the Indonesian cave art is “quite provocative” because it is so much older than what has been found elsewhere, including in Europe, said Chris Stringer, an anthropologist at London’s Natural History Museum.

Stringer, who was not involved in the research, said the experienced team’s findings looked sound but needed to be confirmed by further dating.

“In my view this find reinforces the idea that representational art was first produced in Africa, before 50,000 years ago, and the concept spread as our species spread,” he told AFP.

“If that is true, much new supporting evidence from other areas including Africa has yet to emerge…”

 

Scientists Propose A New Measure Of Flexibility For Crystals

A study led by Professor Umesh V. Waghmare from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru has introduced a novel approach to quantify the mechanical flexibility of crystals. This research could transform the way materials are screened and designed, particularly in the field of Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Their paper, “Quantifying the intrinsic mechanical flexibility of crystalline materials”, presents groundbreaking insights on the origin of mechanical flexibility and was published in the journal Physical Review B.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a large class of crystalline materials which possess the remarkable ability to absorb gases, such as carbon dioxide, and store them as well as act as filters for crude oil purification.

The new study addresses these challenges by proposing a unique theoretical measure of flexibility based on the fractional release of elastic stress or strain energy.

Historically, flexibility in crystals has been assessed in terms of a parameter called elastic modulus, which is a measure of a material’s resistance to strain-induced deformation. In contrast, this study proposes a unique theoretical measure based on the fractional release of elastic stress or strain energy through internal structural rearrangements under symmetry constraints.

This new metric can be readily calculated using standard techniques of simulation and can rate the flexibility of a crystal on a scale of zero to one, zero signifying the least flexibility while one indicates maximum flexibility.

Additionally, this development provides a unique and quantitative insight into the flexibility of crystals, a dimension that was previously unexplored.

“This theoretical framework enables the screening of thousands of materials in databases, providing a cost-effective and efficient way to identify potential candidates for experimental testing,” said Prof. Waghmare. The measure rates crystal flexibility on a scale from zero to one, offering unprecedented insights into this previously unexplored dimension of material properties.

The research team, which included collaborators from Oxford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, examined four different systems using theoretical calculations. They discovered that flexibility arises from large structural rearrangements associated with soft and hard vibrations within a crystal.

This new approach goes beyond traditional methods that focus solely on elastic properties, establishing flexibility as an intrinsic property of crystals. The findings could lead to the development of ultraflexible crystals and open doors to innovative materials with diverse industrial applications.

While the proposed measure is theoretical, it is expected to be highly valuable for experimentalists. The interdisciplinary nature of this research underscores the importance of collaboration in advancing materials science and paves the way for a new paradigm in the field.

 

An ant that selectively amputates the infected limbs of wounded sisters

CELL PRESS

 

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VIDEO STILL IMAGE – WOUNDCARE AND AMPUTATION IN C. MACULATUS

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CREDIT: DANNY BUFFAT

Saving lives through surgery is no longer exclusive to humans. In a study publishing July 2 in the journal Current Biology, scientists detail how Florida carpenter ants, a common, brown species native to its namesake, selectively treat the wounded limbs of fellow nestmates—either by wound cleaning or amputation. When experimentally testing the effectiveness of these “treatments,” not only did they aid in recovery, but the research team found the ants’ choice of care catered to the type of injury presented to them.  

“When we're talking about amputation behavior, this is literally the only case in which a sophisticated and systematic amputation of an individual by another member of its species occurs in the animal Kingdom,” says first author Erik Frank (@ETF1989), a behavioral ecologist from the University of Würzburg.

Wound care among ants is not an entirely new phenomenon. In a paper published in 2023, it was discovered that a different group of ants, Megaponera analis, use a special gland to inoculate injuries with antimicrobial compounds meant to quell possible infections. What makes Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) stand out is that because they have no such gland, they appear to be using only mechanical means to treat their nestmates.

The researchers found that this mechanical care involves one of two routes. The ants would either perform wound cleaning with just their mouthparts or perform a cleaning followed by the full amputation of the leg. To select which route they take, the ants appear to assess the type of injury to make informed adjustments on how best to treat.

In this study, two types of leg injuries were analyzed, lacerations on the femur and those on the ankle-like tibia. All femur injuries were accompanied by initial cleaning of the cut by a nestmate, followed by a nestmate chewing off the leg entirely. In contrast, tibia injuries only received the mouth cleaning. In both cases, intervention resulted in ants with experimentally infected wounds having a much greater survival rate.

“Femur injuries, where they always amputated the leg, had a success rate around 90% or 95%. And for the tibia, where they did not amputate, it still achieved about the survival rate of 75%,” says Frank. This is in contrast to the less than 40% and 15% survival rate for unattended infected femur and tibia abrasions, respectively.

The researchers hypothesized that the preferred path of wound care could be related to the risk of infection from the wound site. Micro-CT scans of the femur showed it is largely composed of muscle tissue, suggesting it plays a functional role of pumping blood, referred to as hemolymph, from the leg into the main body. With an injury to the femur, the muscles become compromised, reducing their ability to circulate potentially bacteria-laden blood. The tibia, on the other hand, has little muscle tissue and thus little involvement in blood circulation.

“In tibia injuries, the flow of the hemolymph was less impeded, meaning bacteria could enter the body faster. While in femur injuries the speed of the blood circulation in the leg was slowed down,” says Frank.

You may expect, then, if tibia damage results in faster infections, amputating the full leg would be most appropriate, but the opposite is observed. It turns out the speed at which the ants can amputate a leg makes a difference. An ant-assisted amputation takes at least 40 minutes to complete. Experimental testing demonstrated that with tibia injuries, if the leg was not immediately removed post-infection, the ant would not survive. “Thus, because they are unable to cut the leg sufficiently quickly to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, ants try to limit the probability of lethal infection by spending more time cleaning the tibia wound,” remarks senior author and evolutionary biologist Laurent Keller (@KellerLab_Ants) of the University of Lausanne.

“The fact that the ants are able to diagnose a wound, see if it's infected or sterile, and treat it accordingly over long periods of time by other individuals—the only medical system that can rival that would be the human one,” Frank says.

Considering the sophisticated nature of these behaviors, a reasonable next thought would be how these ants are capable of such precise care. “It’s really all innate behavior,” says Keller. “Ant behaviors change based on the age of an individual, but there is very little evidence of any learning.”

Now the lab team is running similar experiments in other Camponotus species to see just how conserved this behavior is and begin to unpack whether all ant species without the special antimicrobial (metapleural) gland also perform amputation. Also, since the ant receiving care allows for the slow removal of a limb while conscious, this calls for further exploration into our understanding of pain in ant societies.

“When you look at the videos where you have the ant presenting the injured leg and letting the other one bite off completely voluntarily, and then present the newly made wound so another one can finish cleaning process—this level of innate cooperation to me is quite striking,” says Frank.

Amputation in Camponotus macul [VIDEO] | 

Woundcare in Camponotus florid [VIDEO] |

This study was supported by the Swiss NSF, the ERC, and the DFG.

Current Biology, Frank et al. “Wound-dependent leg amputations to combat infections in an ant society” https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00805-4

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

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DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.021 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Wound-dependent leg amputations to combat infections in an ant society

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

2-Jul-2024

 

Bacteria detected in tattoo and permanent makeup inks

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY

Washington, D.C.—Researchers have detected anaerobic and aerobic bacteria in commercial tattoo and permanent makeup inks. The findings, reported in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, demonstrate that the inks could be a source of human infections. The new study is particularly notable as it is the first to investigate the presence of anaerobic bacteria in commercial tattoo inks. 

“Our findings reveal that unopened and sealed tattoo inks can harbor anaerobic bacteria, known to thrive in low-oxygen environments like the dermal layer of the skin, alongside aerobic bacteria,” said corresponding author Seong-Jae (Peter) Kim, Ph.D., a microbiologist with the Division of Microbiology, National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Ark. “This suggests that contaminated tattoo inks could be a source of infection from both types of bacteria. The results emphasize the importance of monitoring these products for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including possibly pathogenic microorganisms.” 

The main goal of the new study was to assess the prevalence of both aerobic and anaerobic microbial contaminants in tattoo inks available on the U.S. market. For the detection of aerobic bacteria, the researchers mixed 1 to 2 grams of tattoo ink solution with appropriate media and incubated them in a standard incubator, and to detect anaerobic bacteria, they mixed the ink solution with appropriate media and incubated them in an anaerobic chamber, a device specifically designed to cultivate anaerobes. This chamber is kept oxygen-free by constant flushing with a mix of gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The researchers conducted this procedure for a total of 75 tattoo inks from 14 different manufacturers. 

The investigators discovered that around 35% of tattoo or permanent makeup inks sold in the U.S. were found to be contaminated with bacteria. “Both types of bacteria, those needing oxygen (aerobic) and those not needing oxygen (anaerobic), can contaminate the inks,” Kim said. “There was no clear link between a product label claiming sterility and the actual absence of bacterial contamination.”

“The rising popularity of tattooing in recent years has coincided with an increase in tattoo-related complications or adverse reactions,” Kim said. “It should be noted that microbial infections constitute just one aspect of these complications. In addition to microbial infections, immunologic complications such as inflammatory reactions and allergic hypersensitivity, as well as toxic responses, represent a significant portion of these issues. In light of our study results, we want to emphasize the importance of continuously monitoring these products to ensure the microbial safety of tattoo inks.”

Kim and his colleagues will move their research forward in 2 key directions. They will develop more efficient microbial detection methods for tattoo inks, making the process quicker, more accurate and less labor-intensive. They will also conduct systematic research to deepen the understanding of microbial contamination in tattoo and permanent makeup inks. This will include studying the occurrence, co-occurrence and diversity of microbial contaminants, which is essential for preventing contamination in these products.
 

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The American Society for Microbiology is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 32,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.

ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.

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JOURNAL

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

 

Study explores what motivates people to watch footage of disasters and extreme weather

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

 

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STORM EUNICE WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS TO HIT THE UK IN 2022. IT SAW HIGH WINDS CAUSE DAMAGE ON LAND AND AT SEA, WITH THIS PICTURE SHOWING WAVES OVERTOPPING THE BREAKWATER IN PLYMOUTH SOUND (UK)

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CREDIT: LLOYD RUSSELL/UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes and storms have increased in both frequency and severity in recent years.

With that has come heightened public interest, resulting in often dramatic footage being live-streamed on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Discord.

Now, a new study conducted at the University of Plymouth has for the first time analysed what might be motivating people to watch these streams – in some instances for up to 12 hours at a time.

The research centred around the live-streaming of three events – Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin in 2022.

Through a detailed analysis of viewers’ comments, it was found that people in affected areas were using streams to discuss official government risk advice they had received – for example, about whether to evacuate.

Others were drawn to the streams because they had a previous connection to the affected region. For these people, watching live footage – which included taking time to share messages of ‘hope’ for the hurricane or storm to pass without destruction – was a way of showing support to places and people impacted by the event.

The research was published in the journal Environmental Hazards and conducted by Dr Simon Dickinson, Lecturer in Geohazards and Risk in the University’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

He said: “When dramatic things happen – whether that relates to extreme weather or events like tornados or volcanoes erupting – people flock to watch. You might assume that this is just a form of online ‘rubber-necking, and that people are naturally drawn to spectacular sights. However, this study has shown that the drivers to watch extreme weather footage are more complex. Live-streams provide the opportunity for people in, close to, and far away from the event to interact in real time. The footage becomes a marker that people use to sense-check their understandings of how significant the event is, how hazards work, and as an online gathering point to share experiences of similar events. It is a fascinating insight into human behaviour that has previously been unexplored.”

The research focused on nine live-streams of the 2017 and 2022 hurricanes and storms, which broadcast a total of 65 hours of video footage watched by more than 1.8million people.

During that time, over 14,300 comments were left by 5,000 unique accounts, a reflection of the fact that footage focused on unfolding events of national or global importance generate higher-than-normal audience engagement.

Many of the streams were already existing webcam channels that were repurposed during the hurricane or storm, such as webcams that streamed beach or port conditions. In some instances, affected people streamed live-footage from their own house security or doorbell cameras.

The study demonstrates that people are keen to learn more about the science behind what is happening, highlighting the need for further work that examines how people are using new technologies to make sense of hazard risk.

Dr Dickinson added: “Although scientists are getting better at communicating risk, people are far more likely to discuss hazards in informal and relatively unmoderated settings. Moments of extreme weather are important because they focus people’s attention and generate discussion about hazards, how they work, and how they will increasingly affect us in future. New digital practices – such as live-streaming – are thus important for us to understand because they’re not just spaces of disaster voyeurism. Rather, they’re spaces of learning, community and emotional support in a world that can feel increasingly volatile.”

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JOURNAL

Environmental Hazards

DOI

10.1080/17477891.2024.2324058 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Watching the disaster unfold: geographies of engagement with live-streamed extreme weather

OPINION

The collapse of Britain's stillborn Rwanda plan

July 3, 2024 

Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against the British Government’s latest plan to deport immigrants to Rwanda, outside the Home Office in central London on December 18, 2023. [ HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images]

by Anadolu Agency


The Conservative government’s plan to deport the vast bulk of those claiming asylum in the United Kingdom (UK) to Rwanda was always about politics rather than policy – ​​symbolism rather than substance.

Government’s attempt to save itself

It was first unveiled in the spring of 2022, ostensibly to head off criticism over the number of migrants crossing to England from France in small boats – criticism which came from both Conservative party members of parliament and the populist radical right party, Reform UK.

But it was also made by former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who was in big trouble with British voters in the wake of the “Partygate” scandal. Desperate to avoid being forced out of Downing Street in disgrace, he needed something to distract him from his travails. Rwanda was that distraction; never mind whether the scheme would work in practice or represented good value for money.

As a result, it was widely assumed that it would be quietly abandoned when, a few months later, Johnson eventually succumbed to the inevitable to be replaced, first by former UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and then, after her premiership was imploded after just 49 days, by Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

READ: Rwanda says UN refugee agency lying in British asylum policy case

However, with public concern over rising migration, the government decided, instead, to make the Rwanda flagship scheme of its efforts to deter people from seeking asylum in the UK. Anyone not arriving in the UK via a handful of officially sanctioned schemes would be deemed automatically to be breaking the law. Furthermore, the Home Secretary (the UK’s interior minister) would be under a legal duty to detain and then remove them to a safe country, namely Rwanda. Moreover, whoever was sent there would have no right to return to the UK, even if their application for asylum was granted.

Predictably, this last feature of the scheme, along with concerns that Rwanda could not, in reality, be considered a safe country, triggered loud protests among refugee and migration charities, as well as lawyers. The opposition Labour Party also refused to support the scheme but, because public opinion was split, with some of the voters hoping to win back following its landslide defeat in 2019 expressing their support for it, it did so mainly on the grounds of workability and cost.

But it was ultimately the legal rather than the political objects that prevented the government from getting any flights off to Rwanda. In the summer of 2022, following a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), judges in the UK ordered a last-minute halt to deportations. And, in November 2023, the justices of the UK’s Supreme Court unanimously declared the scheme unlawful, albeit only on the grounds that Rwanda’s asylum system could not be said to meet the standards expected of it by the UK.

Sunak’s last struggle

Sunak responded by signing a new treaty with Rwanda and – in extraordinary fashion – passed a controversial Act of Parliament in April 2024 which asserted that, if the UK government deemed Rwanda’s system adequate and the country safe, then that was indeed the case.

At that point, it was widely assumed that deportation flights would take off sometime this summer, allowing the Conservatives to demonstrate to voters, in advance of an autumn election, that their deterrent scheme was up and running. Instead, Sunak was amazed by everyone calling for an election in early July, presumably because he anticipated yet more legal challenges and because, even if those challenges failed, he knew the scheme (a scheme that would initially accommodate only a few hundred people rather than the tens of thousands coming “illegally” across the English Channel every year) would not, in fact, “stop the boats”.

Labour looks set to win that election easily and has made it clear that it will not implement the Rwanda scheme, instead concentrating on its efforts to process asylum claims more efficiently in the UK, negotiating a series of return arrangements with sending countries, and “smashing the smuggling gangs”.

As a result, a scheme that has cost the UK hundreds of millions of pounds and which has seen only two people travel to Rwanda (and to do that voluntarily!), will, like those (in)famous deportation flights, never actually get off the ground – a monument to a policy that no serious politician would ever have dreamt up in the first place.

No, immigrants aren't more likely to commit crimes | Opinion

Jul 3, 2024“There’s this famous line about immigration policy: that it takes five minutes to explain and 30 seconds to lie about — and that is absolutely true,” Catherine Rampell says. 

Read more: https://wapo.st/3VeyznI.

 

Activists call for largest sit-in in Washington during Netanyahu visit

[03/July/2024]

WASHINGTON July 03. 2024 (Saba) -Corporations supporting the Palestinian Cause and youth groups have called, on social media, for a gathering outside the Capitol in Washington during a visit expected by the Zionist PM Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a speech to the Congress on the 24th of this July.

The call comes in rejection to the visit of Netanyahu, dubbed as war criminal whose forces committed massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, according to WAFA.

The activists, through posts, called on the Congress to issue an arrest warrant and a verdict against Netanyahu at his arrival in the U.S. over the brutal crimes against innocents in Gaza, the Palestinian news agency added.


K.N