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Understanding Homelessness in Toronto: A Comprehensive Overview

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Homelessness in Toronto is a pressing issue that affects thousands of individuals and families each day. At Homes First, we are committed to addressing this crisis through a holistic approach. We develop and provide affordable stable housing and support services to break the cycle of homelessness for those with the fewest housing options. The Effects […]

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Homelessness in Toronto: Infographic - 2021

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Homelessness in Toronto: Infographic - 2021

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A range of gears are used in commercial fishing. Every type of gear has some effect on the ocean environment. However, if carefully managed, virtually all gear types can be used responsibly and sustainably.

Common fishing gear types

The common gear types below are some of those used by fisheries engaged in the MSC program.

Except for fisheries using explosives and poisons, any fishery catching fish in the wild can be assessed to the MSC Fisheries Standard. The impacts of a fishery on habitats and fish populations are considered by an independent assessment team.

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Fishing methods and gear types | Marine Stewardship Council

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A range of gears are used in commercial fishing. Every type of gear has some effect on the ocean environment. However, if carefully managed, virtually all gear types can be used responsibly and sustainably. The common gear types below are some of those used by fisheries engaged in the MSC program.

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Overfishing refers to a situation when fish are caught faster than their stocks can be replenished, resulting in the species becoming increasingly underpopulated in that area. Not only does this pose a huge threat to marine biodiversity and marine food supply but it also affects many people directly - especially communities who rely on fishing to make a living or as their main source of food. Here are 10 overfishing facts for kids to better understand why this is considered one of the biggest environmental issues of our lifetime.
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10 Overfishing Facts for Kids

1. Over the past 40 years, marine species have seen a decrease of 39% .

2. From sharks and rays to reptiles, just under 3,000 marine species globally are listed as endangered or threatened by overfishing and climate change.

3. Illegal and unregulated fishing - a broad term that captures a wide variety of fishing activities that are not reported or are misreported to relevant authorities in violation of national and international laws - represents 12-28% of fishing worldwide, equivalent to around 11-26 million tonnes of fish.

4. Researchers found that Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are sometimes related to more serious problems like human trafficking and slavery at sea.

5. Another huge problem related to overfishing is bycatch , which occurs when large amounts of unwanted sea animals are captured during the fishing for a particular species and then are discarded as waste, causing the unnecessary loss of billions of fish and sea creatures. About 38.5 million tonnes of bycatch results from the practice every year.

6. One of the most highly-caught fish is tuna, which reached its highest levels in 2018 with over 7.9 million tonnes.

7. Nowadays, people consume more than twice as much seafood as they did 50 years ago, with per capita aquatic food consumption growing from an average 9.9 kilogrammes to a staggering 20.2 kilogrammes in 2020.

8. Today, less than 65% of stocks are considered to be fished within biologically sustainable levels, with the remaining part being classified as "overfished".

9. The world's largest fish producer and exporter is China while the European Union is the world's largest importer of fish and fish products.
If you liked these 10 overfishing facts for kids, make sure to check this out next: 7 Facts About Ocean Plastic Pollution for Kids
10. As part of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 14 is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use the oceans, seas and marine resources. The United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are working towards maintaining the proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels.

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10 Overfishing Facts for Kids - Earth.Org Kids

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Here are 10 overfishing facts for kids to better understand why this is considered one of the biggest environmental issues of our lifetime.

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Fishing: How Can We Only Catch the Fish We Want to Eat?

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Fishing: How Can We Only Catch the Fish We Want to Eat?

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How can we make sure to catch only the fish we want to eat? - Science Journal for Kids and Teens

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Researchers explored whether illuminating gillnets could reduce the accidental bycatch of marine animals like sharks, rays, and squid.

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Food Choices & Environment: Science Journal For Kids

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Food Choices & Environment: Science Journal For Kids

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Food Choice & the Environment: Video Explanation

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Food Choice & the Environment: Video Explanation

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Kids v scientist: Food and Climate Change | BBC Studios

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Food Choices & Environment: How Food Waste Affects the Environment

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Food Choices & Environment: How Food Waste Affects the Environment

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Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

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Lesson 13 Environmental Impacts of Food Waste

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An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation.

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March 9, 2015
The post below is by Lisa Smith, the mother of seven children, two with special needs. Her son Tate has autism. Lisa blogs about her experiences and can be found on Facebook at Quirks and Chaos or at quirks-and-chaos.blogspot.com. For more resources for teachers and help with inclusion and acceptance at school, check out the Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit.
I have a follower who is a teacher and she asked me to do a "Ten things I'd like to tell teachers about autism" list. I came up with 12 things that I would tell my son's teachers in grade school if I could go back in time.
1. Autism is a huge spectrum.
If you have taught other children with autism you may have a good general idea of what autism looks like but my son will still be different than the others. If you have questions about my son or how autism affects him, ask me. Nothing will impress me more about you than your willingness to learn about my son and his needs.
2. A routine and transition warnings are helpful for a child with autism.
While we know that flexibility is an important life skill and one we need to work on, my son does not handle surprises or big changes in his routine well. Things like a substitute teacher, a fire drill, or a field trip are all going to cause anxiety for my son. A warning and clear instructions will help. A visual schedule would be a helpful tool for my son. A five-minute warning, a two-minute warning, and tolerance are needed.
3. A child with autism needs extra time to process language.
Use simple language and short sentences. Give no more than two-step instructions. Give my son at least three full seconds after you make a statement or ask a question to respond. If you choose to repeat, do not rephrase, as then he will have to start processing over again. Trying to hurry my son will only slow him down further.
4. Receptive language and expressive language are two different things.
My son may understand much more than you think he does. He may not be able to put into words all the things he wants to say. On the other hand he may be able to quote long complicated phrases or passages without understanding any of the meaning of the words. It is difficult to know exactly what my child really knows and what he still needs to learn sometimes.
5. Children with autism are literal.
Figurative language and abstract ideas are a mystery to a child with autism. So, when you say things like, "Pick up the pace" and your other students know you want them to walk faster, my son will be looking for something called "pace" that he should be lifting from the floor. These things happen all day long.
6. A child with autism can get stuck on one subject.
My son obsesses about things that do not matter to you or I. He might want to talk about Disney movie characters for a long period of time and there will be little you can do to distract him. He gets stuck in a continuous loop. Occasionally these topics of interest can be incorporated into his learning but mostly they distract him from learning.
7. A child with autism may need help with social interactions.
My son will probably appear disinterested in his peers and he may actually be disinterested but he will never learn social skills unless we keep trying. You have him in a perfect setting for teaching social skills. It is an environment I cannot recreate at home. It would be so helpful if you would use every opportunity available there to teach and reteach social skills.
8. Sensory issues are a distraction for many children with autism.
Sounds that are barely noticeable to you may distract my child and keep him from learning. Textures may cause my son to recoil in disgust. Smells may cause him to gag. Please be considerate of this. Over stimulation can sometimes overwhelm him and cause a meltdown. A meltdown looks similar to a temper tantrum but it is not the same at all.
9. Children with autism use stereotypic behaviors or repetitive behaviors when they are excited, bored, or stressed.
My son will need redirection throughout the day. The behaviors will cause him to appear odd to his peers. Please consider giving the class an age appropriate definition of autism to help his peers understand.
10. Positive Reinforcement will be helpful but punishments will not.
Punishments or threats of punishment will probably result in anxiety and impede progress. He will work toward a reward but will shut down if he fears a punishment.
11. People with autism tell the truth as they see it.
My son may let you know you need to lose weight, you need a shave, or your breath smells bad. Do not take it personally. A sense of humor is a must when working with children with autism.
12. Kids with autism are not scary or unlovable. They are just different.
Sometimes different is intimidating but educating yourself about autism and about my son will help. I'm can help with that! I will willingly answer any questions you have.

For more resources for teachers and help with inclusion and acceptance at school, check out the Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit.

Everyone deserves the chance to reach their full potential. We need your help to tell lawmakers that improving education for children and young adults with autism is a priority for our community. Sign the petition here to have your voice heard.

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12 Things I'd Like Teachers to Understand about Autism | Autism Speaks

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March 9, 2015 The post below is by Lisa Smith, the mother of seven children, two with special needs. Her son Tate has autism. Lisa blogs about her experiences and can be found on Facebook at Quirks and Chaos or at quirks-and-chaos.blogspot.com.

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As classrooms grow to better meet the needs of neurodiverse learners, we have gathered a growing list of resources to help educate ourselves and our classroom communities about neurodivergent topics, terms and accommodations. While this list doesn't cover everything under the neurodiverse umbrella, it's a starting point to hopefully expand our understanding.

VIDEOS:

ADDitude Magazine Podcast. Check out episodes like:
- Top 10 IEP & 504 Plan Problems: A Troubleshooting Guide
- Shedding Labels, Shedding Shame: How to Unlock Powerful ADHD Accommodations with Acceptance, and more.

The Alie Ward Ologies Podcast features an interview with Russell Barkley, bestselling author of Taking Charge of Adult ADHD and a 2-part episode with René Brooks of BlackGirlLostKeys.com, TEDTalk speaker and How to ADHD YouTuber Jessica McCabe, and neuroscientist Jahla Osborne of University of Michigan.

All Things ADHD and ADHD 365 are produced by CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and address a variety of topics for anyone dealing with ADHD. Scroll the feed for podcasts for educators like, Helping African-American Students with ADHD Succeed, and Homework Tips.

Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast offers support, tools, and community to help take control of ADHD with Nikki Kinzer & Pete Wright.

Parenting ADHD and Autism: a weekly podcast with insights, strategies, and resources for parents raising kids with ADHD, LDs, and/or autism -- hosted by Penny Williams.

Celebrating Neurodiversity with Dr. Manju Banerjee and Maggie Beattie Roberts on the Heinemann Podcast.

Books & Resources

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A roundup of resources to educate ourselves, our classrooms, and our school communities to better support our Neurodivergent students and colleagues.

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Learning Disabilities: Symptoms, Effects, etc. 

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Learning Disabilities: Symptoms, Effects, etc. 

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Overview

What is a learning disability?

Federal law states that a learning disability (LD) is a permanent neurological disorder that may be subtle to severe. It limits the brain's ability to store, process, and produce information and affects a person's ability to speak, listen, read, write, or do math. A child with a learning disability has average to above average intelligence, but he or she falls below his or her academic potential to a significant degree. The current estimates indicate that children with learning disabilities make up 15 percent of the school-age population.

What are the risks factors?

The most common risk factor is family history. Less common risk factors include poor nutrition, severe head injuries, child abuse, and pregnancy-related factors. (National Center for Learning Disabilities)

Lead poisoning, infections of the central nervous system, or treatment for cancers, such as leukemia, can also increase the risk for learning disabilities.

What factors are not considered risk factors?

Blindness, visual problems, deafness, physical or motor handicaps can cause difficulties with learning, but are not a cause of learning disabilities. Likewise, intellectual disabilities (formerly called mental retardation), autism spectrum disorders, or low intelligence quotient (IQ) all may be associated with learning difficulties, but are not considered learning disabilities. Environmental, cultural or economic disadvantages do not cause learning disabilities but may co-occur with learning disabilities. Similarly, behavioral disorders or emotional disturbances may also be present with learning disabilities.

What other problems might children with learning disabilities have?

About 20 percent of children with learning disabilities also have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with learning disabilities may become frustrated, lose interest in school, and avoid challenges. They may have low self-esteem and emotional problems, such as withdrawal, anxiety, depression, or aggression. It is also common for children with learning disabilities to have social problems. Children with undiagnosed learning disabilities can become angry and frustrated. These feelings may lead to emotional problems.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is one of the most common forms of learning disability. Dyslexia is a language-based disorder that affects reading, writing, spelling, and often handwriting. Although letter or word reversals may be a concern for children with dyslexia, they are not the primary markers for dyslexia.

Who is likely to suspect a learning disability?

The child's parents and teachers are most likely to suspect a learning disability since they spend the most time with the child. The child's physician may also suspect a learning disability.

Symptoms and Causes

What are the signs of learning disabilities?

The following signs may signal that a child has a learning disability:

Dislike of or difficulty with reading

Poor handwriting

Difficulty with math

Difficulty organizing thoughts to express what they want to say

Memory problems

Trouble with coordination

Difficulty with language such as following directions, remembering words, rhyming, and expressing oneself

Difficulty with reasoning

Difficulty with spelling

History of delayed speech

What are the signs of dyslexia?

The early signs of dyslexia include:

A delay in spoken language

Difficulty "finding" the right word

Difficulty with rhyming

Difficulty with short-term auditory memory

Subtle mispronunciations, particularly of words with more than one syllable

After a child enters school, the following signs of dyslexia may appear:

Difficulty learning the names of the letters of the alphabet

Difficulty learning how to write the letters of the alphabet

Difficulty learning whole words for reading and spelling

Difficulty using phonics

Difficulty with comprehension related to difficulty reading words

Management and Treatment

How are learning disabilities treated?

Learning disabilities are treated educationally, preferably with early intervention. An educational specialist can teach effective learning strategies to help a child overcome his or her learning problems. In addition to ensuring that schools provide diagnostic testing, federal laws require that remedial services be provided to all children who qualify for them. Private tutoring may also be beneficial to maximize progress. Repeating a grade is typically not recommended and may be associated with poor long term outcomes.

Children and their families may benefit from psychological counseling. Understanding and emotional support are needed for children with learning disabilities so they can feel good about themselves. It is also essential to provide opportunities for success in areas where the child may shine. Finally, children with learning disabilities sometimes have problems with peer relationships and may benefit from counseling to help improve their social skills.

Learning disabilities are not treated medically; however, children with learning disabilities who are also diagnosed with a co-existing disorder such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from medication. Physicians should follow the academic progress of their patients as part of their overall medical management.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the outlook for children with learning disabilities?

Even though children don't outgrow learning disabilities, they can learn to adapt and improve their weak skills. If learning disabilities are identified and treated early, children with these disabilities are more likely to learn to overcome their difficulties while maintaining a positive self-image. They can also learn to develop their personal strengths and become very productive and successful adults.

Where can I find more information on learning disabilities?

Living With

What should you do if you or your child's teacher or physician suspects a learning disability?

Parents should formally request testing through their school system. Schools are required to evaluate a child (age 3 to 21) if he or she is suspected of having a disability that is affecting his or her learning or educational performance. This evaluation is provided free of charge to families and must, by law, involve more than one standardized test or procedure.

It is important that school personnel, families, and the family physician work together to establish the diagnosis and treatment plan for children with learning disabilities. The sooner learning disabilities are detected, the better, so the child can start receiving the educational help he or she needs.

What can parents do?

Parents should make sure that their child receives help for his or her learning problems. They should also monitor the child's progress to make sure adequate improvement is being made in skill development. Parents should foster communication between outside specialists, school personnel, and the child's physician. It is also critical that parents provide an atmosphere at home that encourages learning.

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Federal law states that a learning disability (LD) is a permanent neurological disorder that may be subtle to severe. It limits the brain's ability to store, process, and produce information and affects a person's ability to speak, listen, read, write, or do math.

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What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

The 17 SDGs are integrated-that is, they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Through the pledge to Leave No One Behind, countries have committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first. That is why the SDGs are designed to bring the world to several life-changing 'zeros', including zero poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls.

Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.
SDG Integration
What is UNDP's role?

As the lead UN development agency, UNDP is well-placed to help implement the Goals through our work in some 170 countries and territories.

We support countries in achieving the SDGs through integrated solutions. Today's complex challenges-from stemming the spread of disease to preventing conflict-cannot be tackled neatly in isolation. For UNDP, this means focusing on systems, root causes and connections between challenges-not just thematic sectors-to build solutions that respond to people's daily realities.

Our track record working across the Goals provides us with a valuable experience and proven policy expertise to ensure we all reach the targets set out in the SDGs by 2030. But we cannot do this alone.

Achieving the SDGs requires the partnership of governments, private sector, civil society and citizens alike to make sure we leave a better planet for future generations.
Background on SDGs

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

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What is Neurodiversity?

The term Neurodiversity indicates the viewpoint that brain differences are normal and acceptable, rather than deficits. In other words, the natural neurological difference between how a person's brain functions and processes information represents neurodiversity.

Being neurodivergent means having a different brain structure, chemistry, and/or functioning than what is considered normal or typical. This may mean having ADHD, autism, dyslexia, Asperger's syndrome, learning differences and more which are included in the umbrella of neurodiversity. All these can cause difficulties in how one processes information or behaves socially.

Those who identify as being neurodivergent have found ways to make their lifestyles work for them, using strategies like alternate thinking styles, recognizing and embracing their unique skills and strengths instead of only focusing on potential limitations. Being neurodivergent also involves understanding one's own neurological condition and actively working towards finding solutions which help accommodate any challenges it brings.

Neurodiverse people may interpret, interact with, and experience the world in unique ways. The concept of neurodiversity helps to reduce stigma around how different people learn and think differently from others.

The majority of humans are neurotypical, and typically human brains interpret the world how society might expect. They express the typical cognitive, intellectual and developmental abilities expected for an individual of their age. Acas reported that nearly 15% population of the UK is neurodivergent. This indicates that their brain functions differently from the majority of people.

People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD), Dyspraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Dyslexia are typically categorised as neurodivergent people. There are several different types of neurodiversity, in fact, any person suffering from a medical condition that affects their thinking skills can be identified as neurodivergent.

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The Autism Spectrum and the concept of neurodiversity

Most individuals experience neurodivergence with a " spectrum" of traits. These characteristics are different for each person. Psychological theories suggest that all neurodivergent conditions overlap with one another. For example, a person with dyspraxia may also be dyslexic. Or people with autism may possess the creative skills frequently associated with dyslexia. Within autism, using the terminology 'spectrum' helps us talk about a child's needs with a greater degree of accuracy. Outside the wider autism community, this condition is often misunderstood.

From a teaching perspective, educators need to explore different ways of scaffolding the learning process. Making the curriculum accessible is a key challenge in every school. Instructional practice might need to include alternative approaches that embrace the neurodiversity paradigm.

When teaching children with autism, it helps to be able to relate to them. This means knowing their interests, needs, and challenges. One way to connect with students with autism is through learning games. These games teach important concepts and skills, such as counting, sorting, matching, and sequencing. They're also great for helping kids with autism develop social skills.

Another way to connect with students is through play. Playtime is when children with autism learn most effectively. So, during playtime, teachers should try to create situations where students with autism can practice social skills.

Finally, there are some things teachers can do to improve communication between themselves and students with autism. For example, teachers can use visual supports to communicate with students with autism. Visual supports include pictures, diagrams, charts, graphs, timelines, and maps. Teachers can also use verbal supports, such as gestures, body language, and facial expressions. Finally, teachers can use physical supports, such as props, toys, and manipulatives. These are just a few examples of ways to support students with autism. There are many others. And, as you work with students with autism, keep these tips in mind.

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Therefore, one must not stereotype and judge neurodiverse people based on their neurocognitive deficit and outward characteristics. But, according to the neurodiversity paradigm, it is still beneficial to be familiar with the common characteristics of neurodivergence. Most commonly:

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) influences a person's ability to focus. People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may also be impulsive and hyperactive. They might start a task but never finish, change from one project to another, or delay starting up something that doesn't particularly interest them. But, most of them tend to be great at problem-solving.

Autism Spectrum Disorders are most likely to be associated with individuals' poorly developed social skills. Most of the people with the autistic spectrum find it difficult to express themselves and engage in receptive communication. Autistic people may exhibit repetitive and restrictive behaviours. But, members of the autistic community are mostly good at learning and memorising information quickly.

Dyspraxia (also termed as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder) affects people's movement and coordination and the ability to collect thoughts. They are more likely to move clumsily. But they tend to be more empathetic and creative.

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How can we make classroom learning more accessible to neurodivergent children?

There are many people with diverse thinking patterns. We can make learning accessible to each child by applying different learning methods in the classroom, including:

1. Creating a psychologically safe environment in the classroom: It is a kind of a classroom environment where students are not worried about looking unreasonable if they ask questions for clarification or if they did not understand something. The idea of neurodiversity indicates that learners in psychologically protected classroom environments have better well-being and self-confidence. It must be the topmost priority for teachers, as it means eliminating barriers to learning and participation for neurodivergent learners.

By creating positive relationships with other students, they'll be more motivated to speak up. An effective way of promoting a psychologically safe environment is ' active listening' - this is when educators use their body language and repeat/ explain the speaker's thoughts to show that they were attentive and listening.

For neurodivergent students, it can be difficult to verbally convey their opinions and thoughts effectively or at all. Therefore, teachers must be patient and allow neurodivergent students to plan, think and process their response and protect them from feeling overwhelmed rather than pushing them to participate or to answer. It is also suggested to give options of communication to these students and give them support to communicate how they feel the most comfortable.

2. Diversifying the teaching style: Children whose brains function differently may find certain approaches or subjects more difficult. Hence, while teaching in neurodiverse conditions, teachers must think about how their lesson plan might impact each student. Teachers must spend some time to see how each student is getting on with learning. For example, some children find it easier to learn maths online as compared to face to face teaching. Wider theories of Neurodivergence suggests monitoring students' progress and adapting to their preferred approaches for future lessons accordingly.

3. Recognising children's strengths: Many neurodivergent people have certain significant strengths. So, teachers should praise them for the things in which they thrive. For instance, some people with autistic traits can show great attention to detail. Also, people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder can sometimes see links and patterns in a better way than neurotypical persons. Due to this, they can problem-solve in a totally different, but equally effective, way.

4. Parental engagement: Parents and carers help support children in the classroom. According to the Science Of Neurodiversity, families can provide a lot of information about how their children respond to specific learning styles. Feedback to parents about their children's mental health conditions and performance is a great way to reduce the gap between children's school and home. It is beneficial for the parents of neurodivergent children to get knowledge about their children's progress in return.

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Neurodiverse learners

Neurodivergent individuals often face challenges in social situations, especially in the classroom. The concept of autism, for example, is associated with difficulty in processing social cues and understanding social norms. Similarly, individuals with neurodivergent conditions such as an intellectual disability, cognitive disability, and learning disability also face challenges in terms of their social interactions.

Moreover, neurodivergent individuals may find it difficult to engage in collaborative experience with their peers. This is because they may have difficulty in communicating their ideas or understanding the input of others. As a result, they may find it challenging to participate in group projects or class discussions, which can have a negative impact on their overall learning experience.

Furthermore, neurodivergent individuals may also struggle with the pace of instruction in the classroom. They may require additional time to process new information, and the fast-paced nature of classroom instruction can be overwhelming for them. This can lead to difficulties in retaining information and completing assignments on time.

The challenges faced by neurodiverse students in the classroom are complex and multifaceted. Addressing these challenges would require an inclusive approach that takes into account the unique needs of each individual.

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Meeting the needs of different types of neurodiversity

The following section is designed to give you some practical ideas about making the curriculum more accessible to every child. We think that cognitive science holds some of the answers, understanding a few simple principles can be transformational. Some things to try:

1) Utilise the block building kits to enable children to break down big ideas. This playful approach to learning provides freedom not usually allowed in an exercise book. For some children, they need to have a physical experience of the concept to fully understand it. We use the term 'thinking with their hands' or in the world of cognitive research, embodied cognition.

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2) Provide clear guidance to help children navigate their way through complex tasks. The universal thinking framework has been used to guide learners through challenging tasks.

3) Use visual strategies such as graphic organisers. These tools enable children to organise their ideas and elaborate on their thoughts.

4) Embrace imagery to help make the curriculum accessible by reducing the amount of decoding a child has to do.

5) Try to make classrooms inclusive and not move children out into the corridor away from their peers.

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What is the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace?

According to the Neurodiversity proponents, people withneurocognitive disabilitiespossess skills, talents and perspectives that can improve the workplace environment in many ways.

1. To Close Skills Gaps: 80% of neurodivergent people are currently facing unemployment. According to the Department of Human Services, Europe is currently facing a serious shortage of IT workers and many IT organisations are now looking to hire adults with autism and other neurological conditions due to their unique thinking skills. For example, SAP, a German multinational software corporation, has greatly enhanced its innovation capabilities, quality, productivity, and employee engagement by hiring Neurodiverse Employees under SAP's Autism at Work program. Neurodivergent employees don't just outshine in software testing, their neurodiverse talent enables them to do a great job in areas like HR, product management, and customer support.

2. To Attract Highly Skilled Workforce: Neurodiversity advocates claim that having neurodivergent adults in employment, attracts prospective applicants to apply for jobs. According to research, 64% of Millennials looks at the social commitment of a company before applying for a job. Nearly two-thirds of the employees only want to work for a company with a strong social corporate responsibility policy.

3. Minimal Financial Impact: Itwasobserved that most of the adjustments to business environments, due to the neurodivergent employees, do not cost much. Extra cost for providing employment opportunities, access to speech-to-text apps, dimmer lighting, noise-cancelling headphones, or placing a desk by a window is relatively lesser, particularly when weighed against the advantages of human diversity to a company's success.

4. Employee Morale and Organisational Culture: Many companies reveal that having a neurodiverse workforce brings competitive advantages and positively affects organisational culture and improves overall employee morale. Mostly, neurotypical workers appreciate being informed about neurological diversity and when neurodiverse employees are assigned to the job responsibilities that align with their abilities and skills, like most neurotypical workers- they often report greater self-esteem and confidence.

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7 Ways Schools can Communicate and Celebrate their Neurodiversity

Celebrating neurodiversity is an essential aspect of creating an inclusive and accepting environment within schools. The neurodiversity movement recognizes the wide range of human variation, including people with disabilities, medical conditions, and normal variations in cognitive functioning. Here are seven practical steps that school leaders can take to celebrate neurodiversity:

1. Educate the Community: Offer workshops and training sessions on the benefits of neurodiversity, emphasizing the value of diverse human minds. Include information about developmental disorders like autism and the potential strengths of an autistic worker.

2. Highlight Success Stories: Share examples of successful autistic employees or students, demonstrating the potential and capabilities of autistic adults.

3. Create Inclusion-Focused Services: Develop programs and services that cater to the unique needs of neurodiverse individuals, ensuring reasonable adjustments in the learning environment.

4. Celebrate Neurodiversity Week: Organize a week-long celebration with activities, guest speakers, and events that challenge traditional ideas of normality and promote acceptance.

5. Involve Families and Stakeholders: Engage families in discussions and planning, ensuring their perspectives are considered in shaping an inclusive school culture (Source 1).

6. Hire Neurodiverse Staff: Actively recruit and support neurodiverse teachers and staff, recognizing the unique insights and contributions they can bring.

7. Develop Partnerships: Collaborate with local organizations that support neurodiversity to enhance resources and support within the school community.

Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen, a leading expert in autism research, stated, "Recognizing neurodiversity is the key to unlocking the potential of thousands of individuals who think differently." A relevant statistic to consider is that approximately 1 in 54 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder ( CDC, 2020).

By embracing these strategies, schools can foster a culture that values and celebrates the unique contributions of neurodiverse individuals, promoting a more inclusive and compassionate community.

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Final thoughts on Neurodiversity

Neurodiverse persons see and process knowledge differently. Some may find it difficult to understand other people's feelings, while others may find it hard to stay organised. Neurodiverse people frequently show greater comfort with interpersonal interactions when neurotypical people consider environmental factors and make suitable accommodations for their needs.

By providing an accomodating environment, supporting them through their weaknesses and playing with their strengths, we can help both neurodivergent students and employees to thrive and make valuable contributions to society. In conclusion, society needs to recognize the importance of neurodiversity and its role in human development. We should celebrate the differences between us and embrace them instead of trying to eliminate them. Neurodiversity is a gift to society, and we should all learn to embrace our unique difference s and talents.

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Neurodiversity in the classroom: a teacher's guide

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Neurodiversity in the classroom: a teacher's guide for making the curriculum accessible to every child.

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Release date: November 14, 2023

Description: Food insecurity among Canadian families: Which families are the most vulnerable?

In 2022, 18% of Canadian families reported experiencing food insecurity in the previous 12 months.

Families below the poverty line more than twice as likely as those above the poverty line to experience food insecurity.

﻿

Poverty status

Families that are food insecure

Reported food insecurity

Percentage

Number

Female lone-parent families are among the most likely to experience food insecurity.

﻿

Above poverty line

Below poverty line

percent

Male lone-parent

20

Note F: too unreliable to be published

Food insecurity lowest in Quebec

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Province

Percent

Newfoundland and Labrador

23

Prince Edward Island

21

Nova Scotia

21

New Brunswick

22

Quebec

14

Ontario

19

Manitoba

19

Saskatchewan

20

Alberta

22

British Columbia

17

Source: Uppal, S., 2023, "Food insecurity among Canadian families," Insights on Canadian Society, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-006-X.

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Food insecurity among Canadian families: Which families are the most vulnerable?

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This infographic uses data from the from the 2021 Canadian Income Survey to examine food insecurity, offering insight into families most at risk for food insecurity.

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Meet young Changemaker, Siena! - National Geographic Kids

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Siena has been championing neurodiversity since she was just 13 years old! She’s passionate about making everyone feel supported…

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Urban Pollution: Microplastics in Lake Ontario

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Urban Pollution: Microplastics in Lake Ontario

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The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

A new study of one of Canada's most urbanized rivers suggests it dumps the equivalent of about 18 cars worth of microplastics into Lake Ontario every year, a finding that shocked the lead author and underscored efforts to cut down on pollution.

The peer-reviewed study published Thursday estimates the Don River basin flushes about 500 billion particles of microplastics, with a mass of about 36,000 kilograms, into the lake each year. That's far more than the estimated 160 kilograms of larger plastic items.

"I was pretty shocked to see that levels that we see here are more on par with places that don't have as good of waste management," said co-author Chelsea Rochman, an expert on plastics pollution and associate professor at the University of Toronto.

Microplastics, no bigger than a pencil eraser and down to particles smaller than what's visible with the human eye, have become ubiquitous and shown up everywhere from human blood to Arctic Sea ice. The broken-down bits of larger plastics have been linked to a suite of issues in wildlife, including lower levels of fish growth and reproduction, while also raising concerns about possible human health impacts.

WATCH | This is how microplastics seep into the environment:

Some common sources of microplastics in the Don River are construction foam, car tires, plastic pellets and tiny pieces shed from larger single-use plastics, Rochman said.

The most common large plastics found in the river were bags and wet wipes, accounting for about 20 per cent each, the study suggested. Rochman estimates there are tens of thousands of those wipes sitting in the river system at any given time, particularly in Taylor-Massey Creek.

For comparison, another study co-authored by Rochman and published in June found the Don River discharged far more large plastics than the river running through Chicago.

"By understanding these sources, we can work with the relevant stakeholders to turn off the tap on each of those sources," said Rochman.

That includes working with companies to stop foam from blowing off construction sites, continued support for sewer infrastructure upgrades and banning some single-use plastics, said Rochman.

"There's a lot we can do, but it's really important that we monitor."

Toronto's sewage system part of problem

Part of the issue is Toronto's aging combined sewer system, Rochman said.

When heavy rains stretch the system, untreated sewage is dumped into the river and Lake Ontario. When people flush plastic wet wipes down the toilet - "which we should never do," Rochman says - they can get released into the river during a storm.

The city is in the midst of a $3-billion program to upgrade the system and get sewer overflow out of the river.

The researchers behind the study measured plastics before, during and after a storm at four spots along the river basin. The study suggests the amount of plastic in the river was about the same before and after the storm.

That finding suggests if all plastic pollution was cut off the river may naturally "clean itself" over time, Rochman said.

"We could truly protect this watershed that a lot of us here in Toronto know well and love," she said.

The study was published in the academic journal Philosophical Transactions A of the Royal Society.

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Toronto's Don River sends 500 billion microplastics into Lake Ontario each year: study | CBC News

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A new study of one of Canada's most urbanized rivers suggests it dumps the equivalent of about 18 cars worth of microplastics into Lake Ontario every year, a finding that shocked the lead author and underscored efforts to cut down on pollution.

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Access to Clean Drinking Water: Israeli Innovation

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Access to Clean Drinking Water: Israeli Innovation

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Israeli company makes WATER out of thin air!

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Wave Energy: Generating Clean Electricity

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Wave Energy: Generating Clean Electricity

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How this 'artificial blowhole' could make wave energy mainstream

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Tips for a More Neurodiversity Inclusive Classroom (Braintastic)

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Tips for a More Neurodiversity Inclusive Classroom (Braintastic)

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Lake Ontario Pollution from Ontario Place Construction

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Lake Ontario Pollution from Ontario Place Construction

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Litter can be a big problem in Toronto. It makes the city look bad, can have harmful effects on the environment and animals, and costs millions of dollars a year to clean up. Small items such as cigarette butts and gum, and large items such as paper towels and napkins, masks, and single-use drink cup […]

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Urban Pollution: Polluted Water in Storm Drains - Toronto

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Urban Pollution: Polluted Water in Storm Drains - Toronto

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Have you noticed the fish that have shown up in our neighbourhood recently, most noticeably the ones on our streets?

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What Is Water Pollution?

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances-often chemicals or microorganisms-contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

This widespread problem of water pollution is jeopardizing our health. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined. Meanwhile, our drinkable water sources are finite: Less than 1 percent of the earth's freshwater is actually accessible to us. Without action, the challenges will only increase by 2050, when global demand for freshwater is expected to be one-third greater than it is now.

What Are the Causes of Water Pollution?

Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a "universal solvent," water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. It's the reason we have Kool-Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls. It's also why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with it, causing water pollution.

Here are some of the major sources of water pollution worldwide:

Agricultural

Not only is the agricultural sector the biggest consumer of global freshwater resources, with farming and livestock production using about 70 percent of the earth's surface water supplies, but it's also a serious water polluter. Around the world, agriculture is the leading cause of water degradation. In the United States, agricultural pollution is the top source of contamination in rivers and streams, the second-biggest source in wetlands, and the third main source in lakes. It's also a major contributor of contamination to estuaries and groundwater. Every time it rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock operations wash nutrients and pathogens-such bacteria and viruses-into our waterways. Nutrient pollution, caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water or air, is the number-one threat to water quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms, a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can be harmful to people and wildlife.

Sewage and wastewater

Used water is wastewater. It comes from our sinks, showers, and toilets (think sewage) and from commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities (think metals, solvents, and toxic sludge). The term also includes stormwater runoff, which occurs when rainfall carries road salts, oil, grease, chemicals, and debris from impermeable surfaces into our waterways

More than 80 percent of the world's wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused, according to the United Nations; in some least-developed countries, the figure tops 95 percent. In the United States, wastewater treatment facilities process about 34 billion gallons of wastewater per day. These facilities reduce the amount of pollutants such as pathogens, phosphorus, and nitrogen in sewage, as well as heavy metals and toxic chemicals in industrial waste, before discharging the treated waters back into waterways. That's when all goes well. But according to EPA estimates, our nation's aging and easily overwhelmed sewage treatment systems also release more than 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater each year.

Oil pollution

Big spills may dominate headlines, but consumers account for the vast majority of oil pollution in our seas, including oil and gasoline that drips from millions of cars and trucks every day. Moreover, nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way into marine environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based sources such as factories, farms, and cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10 percent of the oil in waters around the world, while regular operations of the shipping industry-through both legal and illegal discharges-contribute about one-third. Oil is also naturally released from under the ocean floor through fractures known as seeps.

Radioactive substances

Radioactive waste is any pollution that emits radiation beyond what is naturally released by the environment. It's generated by uranium mining, nuclear power plants, and the production and testing of military weapons, as well as by universities and hospitals that use radioactive materials for research and medicine. Radioactive waste can persist in the environment for thousands of years, making disposal a major challenge. Consider the decommissioned Hanford nuclear weapons production site in Washington, where the cleanup of 56 million gallons of radioactive waste is expected to cost more than $100 billion and last through 2060. Accidentally released or improperly disposed of contaminants threaten groundwater, surface water, and marine resources.

Categories of Water Pollution

To address pollution and protect water we need to understand where the pollution is coming from (point source or nonpoint source) and the type of water body its impacting (groundwater, surface water, or ocean water).

Where is the pollution coming from?

Point source pollution

When contamination originates from a single source, it's called point source pollution. Examples include wastewater (also called effluent) discharged legally or illegally by a manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as contamination from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and illegal dumping. The EPA regulates point source pollution by establishing limits on what can be discharged by a facility directly into a body of water. While point source pollution originates from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways and ocean.

Nonpoint source

Nonpoint source pollution is contamination derived from diffuse sources. These may include agricultural or stormwater runoff or debris blown into waterways from land. Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water pollution in U.S. waters, but it's difficult to regulate, since there's no single, identifiable culprit.

Transboundary

It goes without saying that water pollution can't be contained by a line on a map. Transboundary pollution is the result of contaminated water from one country spilling into the waters of another. Contamination can result from a disaster-like an oil spill-or the slow, downriver creep of industrial, agricultural, or municipal discharge.

What type of water is being impacted?

Groundwater pollution

When rain falls and seeps deep into the earth, filling the cracks, crevices, and porous spaces of an aquifer (basically an underground storehouse of water), it becomes groundwater-one of our least visible but most important natural resources. Nearly 40 percent of Americans rely on groundwater, pumped to the earth's surface, for drinking water. For some folks in rural areas, it's their only freshwater source. Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants-from pesticides and fertilizers to waste leached from landfills and septic systems-make their way into an aquifer, rendering it unsafe for human use. Ridding groundwater of contaminants can be difficult to impossible, as well as costly. Once polluted, an aquifer may be unusable for decades, or even thousands of years. Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Surface water pollution

Covering about 70 percent of the earth, surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes, rivers, and all those other blue bits on the world map. Surface water from freshwater sources (that is, from sources other than the ocean) accounts for more than 60 percent of the water delivered to American homes. But a significant pool of that water is in peril. According to the most recent surveys on national water quality from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly half of our rivers and streams and more than one-third of our lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking. Nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates, is the leading type of contamination in these freshwater sources. While plants and animals need these nutrients to grow, they have become a major pollutant due to farm waste and fertilizer runoff. Municipal and industrial waste discharges contribute their fair share of toxins as well. There's also all the random junk that industry and individuals dump directly into waterways.

Ocean water pollution

Eighty percent of ocean pollution (also called marine pollution) originates on land-whether along the coast or far inland. Contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals are carried from farms, factories, and cities by streams and rivers into our bays and estuaries; from there they travel out to sea. Meanwhile, marine debris- particularly plastic-is blown in by the wind or washed in via storm drains and sewers. Our seas are also sometimes spoiled by oil spills and leaks-big and small-and are consistently soaking up carbon pollution from the air. The ocean absorbs as much as a quarter of man-made carbon emissions.

What Are the Effects of Water Pollution?

On human health

To put it bluntly: Water pollution kills. In fact, it caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015, according to a study published in . Contaminated water can also make you ill. Every year, unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people. And low-income communities are disproportionately at risk because their homes are often closest to the most polluting industries.

Waterborne pathogens, in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human and animal waste, are a major cause of illness from contaminated drinking water. Diseases spread by unsafe water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in wealthy nations, accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff from farms and urban areas, contribute harmful pathogens to waterways. Thousands of people across the United States are sickened every year by Legionnaires' disease (a severe form of pneumonia contracted from water sources like cooling towers and piped water), with cases cropping up from California's Disneyland to Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Meanwhile, the plight of residents in Flint, Michigan-where cost-cutting measures and aging water infrastructure created a lead contamination crisis-offers a stark look at how dangerous chemical and other industrial pollutants in our water can be. The problem goes far beyond Flint and involves much more than lead, as a wide range of chemical pollutants-from heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury to pesticides and nitrate fertilizers -are getting into our water supplies. Once they're ingested, these toxins can cause a host of health issues, from cancer to hormone disruption to altered brain function. Children and pregnant women are particularly at risk.

Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, 3.5 million Americans contract health issues such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden coastal waters, according to EPA estimates.

On the environment

In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi-all of which interact, directly or indirectly, with each other. Harm to any of these organisms can create a chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments.

When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the proliferation of newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in turn reduces oxygen levels in the water. This dearth of oxygen, known as eutrophication, suffocates plants and animals and can create "dead zones," where waters are essentially devoid of life. In certain cases, these harmful algal blooms can also produce neurotoxins that affect wildlife, from whales to sea turtles.

Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate waterways as well. These contaminants are toxic to aquatic life-most often reducing an organism's life span and ability to reproduce-and make their way up the food chain as predator eats prey. That's how tuna and other big fish accumulate high quantities of toxins, such as mercury.

Marine ecosystems are also threatened by marine debris, which can strangle, suffocate, and starve animals. Much of this solid debris, such as plastic bags and soda cans, gets swept into sewers and storm drains and eventually out to sea, turning our oceans into trash soup and sometimes consolidating to form floating garbage patches. Discarded fishing gear and other types of debris are responsible for harming more than 200 different species of marine life.

Meanwhile, ocean acidification is making it tougher for shellfish and coral to survive. Though they absorb about a quarter of the carbon pollution created each year by burning fossil fuels, oceans are becoming more acidic. This process makes it harder for shellfish and other species to build shells and may impact the nervous systems of sharks, clownfish, and other marine life.

What Can You Do to Prevent Water Pollution?

With your actions

We're all accountable to some degree for today's water pollution problem. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can prevent water contamination or at least limit your contribution to it:

Learn about the unique qualities of water where you live. Where does your water come from? Is the wastewater from your home treated? Where does stormwater flow to? Is your area in a drought? Start building a picture of the situation so you can discover where your actions will have the most impact-and see if your neighbors would be interested in joining in!

Reduce your plastic consumption and reuse or recycle plastic when you can.

Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils, and nonbiodegradable items to keep them from going down the drain.

Maintain your car so it doesn't leak oil, antifreeze, or coolant.

If you have a yard, consider landscaping that reduces runoff and avoid applying pesticides and herbicides.

Don't flush your old medications! Dispose of them in the trash to prevent them from entering local waterways.

Be mindful of anything you pour into storm sewers, since that waste often won't be treated before being released into local waterways. If you notice a storm sewer blocked by litter, clean it up to keep that trash out of the water. (You'll also help prevent troublesome street floods in a heavy storm.)

If you have a pup, be sure to pick up its poop.

With your voice

One of the most effective ways to stand up for our waters is to speak out in support of the Clean Water Act, which has helped hold polluters accountable for five decades-despite attempts by destructive industries to gut its authority. But we also need regulations that keep pace with modern-day challenges, including microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants our wastewater treatment plants weren't built to handle, not to mention polluted water that's dumped untreated.

Tell the federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and your local elected officials that you support water protections and investments in infrastructure, like wastewater treatment, lead-pipe removal programs, and stormwater-abating green infrastructure. Also, learn how you and those around you can get involved in the policymaking process. Our public waterways serve every one of us. We should all have a say in how they're protected.
This story was originally published on May 14, 2018, and has been updated with new information and links.

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Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

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Our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas are drowning in chemicals, waste, plastic, and other pollutants. Here's why and what you can do to help.

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Huddled in secret schools, Afghan girls refuse to give up on education

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Behind a yellow door in an alley blanketed by snow, 25 girls sit on the floor, huddled in coats and headscarves, in front of a white board. “What are you doing?

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Watch this brief, video picture of practice that captures everyday classroom life and provides real-life examples of how students learn and think about freshwater topics.

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Climate change is the process of the Earth heating up. It describes the changes in conditions such as weather, temperature, and rainfall over a long period of time. After years of observing the planet, scientists have discovered that one of the major consequences of climate change is global warming - the warming of the Earth's surface. They estimate that human activities have caused the planet to warm by 1°C since the Industrial Revolution that started in 1760. While it might not sound like much, this is a very important issue for us and wildlife all around the world. We prepared an easy guide on climate change for kids.
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Why is The Earth Getting Warmer?

The Earth is surrounded by a layer of gas, called the atmosphere. When sunlight enters the atmosphere, some of the sun's heat is reflected from clouds and the atmosphere, while most of it is absorbed by the Earth's surface, which makes the Earth warm enough to live on.

However, climate experts believe that human activities are the main causes of Earth's warming. When it is summertime, we turn on the air conditioner. When we want to go from one place to another, we burn fuel to power cars and buses. When factories make products like toys and phones, toxic materials are burned, releasing huge amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. These gases are called greenhouse gases .

These toxic gases absorb heat by trapping a lot of sunlight. This increases the Earth's average temperature, which changes its climate. In fact, the past five years have been the warmest in centuries.

What are the Effects of Climate Change?
Melting Icebergs and Rising Sea Levels
About 20 000 years ago, large areas of Asia, Europe, and North and South America were covered with huge sheets of ice, each many kilometres thick. As the Earth's temperature increases, icebergs are melting, causing the sea level of the entire planet to rise. Some experts believe that by the end of the century, the global sea level will rise by a few meters! Such a rise will cause widespread flooding of low-lying coastal areas and threaten many large cities. Rising sea levels is the reason Indonesia is moving its capital city- the current one is sinking .

Today, the only ice sheets are found around Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean. Scientists predict that the major icebergs are melting more rapidly. Some satellite images show that unusually large chunks of sea ice have been melting during the Arctic summer- summers here might have no ice at all by 2050! Melting of floating ice is an important environmental change. Since ice sheets help cool the Earth and reflect sunlight like a mirror, the disappearing ice makes major changes to the climate. Wildlife living in the polar regions might also be pushed into extinction.
Worsening Natural Disasters
Warmer air caused by an increase in global temperatures can hold more water vapour than cooler air. When storms are ready to release water vapour in the form of rain, they have more to use, leading to heavier rainfalls.

As surface temperatures continue to rise, oceans will get warmer, causing larger storms, longer droughts, and larger wildfires. This is why Australia's recent bushfire season in late 2019 and early 2020 was the worst season ever recorded, killing more than 33 people and burning down more than 2000 houses.

What Can We Do to Stop Climate Change?

In our daily lives, we use electricity all the time, but to make electricity, dirty fuels, like coal, gas and biomass, are often used. These are fuels that release greenhouse gases, which is what causes climate change to happen much faster!

Luckily, not all power plants cause pollution. Some power plants use renewable energy. That means they are not burning fossil fuel to generate energy, but are using nature to make energy . This energy is not harmful to the environment and is always available. Governments should be generating power from this kind of energy instead of harmful fossil fuels.

Hydro power plants get power from water. When water held on top of a huge dam is released, water runs through the dam and spins the blades of the turbines. The turbines are connected to a generator that makes electricity as it spins. Similarly, wind power plants get power from fast-moving wind that rushes past windmills.

Solar power plants get energy from sunlight. Some people even have solar panels on the roofs of their houses.

We can also help slow down climate change by conserving energy in our everyday life. At home, we can take shorter showers and turn off the lights when we leave the room. To save manufacturing energy, we could recycle more. Outside , we can walk or bike more often.

We should also encourage our friends, family and other people to save energy. This way, we could really make a difference and stop climate change and global warming!
Check This Out Next: Reducing Emissions: What is the Paris Agreement?

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Climate Change for Kids - Earth.Org Kids

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Climate change is the process of the Earth heating up. It describes the changes in conditions such as weather, temperature, and rainfall over a long period of time. After years of observing the planet, scientists have discovered that one of the major consequences of climate change is global warming - the warming of the Earth's surface.

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Learning Disabilities: AboutKidsHealth

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Trusted information on everyday and complex child health conditions from The Hospital for Sick Children.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.
PLASTIC ACCUMULATION

It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less dense than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea.

1.15 to 2.41 million metric tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year.

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The stronger, more buoyant plastics show resiliency in the marine environment, allowing them to be transported over extended distances. They persist at the sea surface as they make their way offshore, transported by converging currents and finally accumulating in the patch.

Once these plastics enter the gyre, they are unlikely to leave the area until they degrade into smaller microplastics under the effects of sun, waves and marine life. As more and more plastics are discarded into the environment, microplastic concentration in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will only continue to increase.

ESTIMATION OF SIZE

The GPGP covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an estimated surface of 1.6 million square kilometers

To formulate this number, the team of scientists behind this research conducted the most elaborate sampling method ever coordinated.

This consisted of a fleet of 30 boats, 652 surface nets and two flights over the patch to gather aerial imagery of the debris.

Sampling at different locations within the same time period allowed a more accurate estimate of the size of the patch and the plastic drifting in it.

LOCATION

Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP's location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are predominantly influenced by currents and less by winds were likely to remain within the patch.

By simulating concentration levels in the North Pacific, the researchers were able to follow the location of the patch, demonstrating significant seasonal and interannual variations. On average the patch orbits around 32°N and 145°W. However, the team observed seasonal shift from west to east and substantial variations in latitude (North to South) depending on the year.

The Ocean Cleanup is currently cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with System 03.

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Help fund our scale-up and let's make the Great Pacific Garbage Patch a thing of the past

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At the time of sampling, there were more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch that weigh an estimated 80,000 tonnes. These figures are much higher than previous calculations.
TOTAL MASS AND COUNT

80'000 tonnes of plastic float in the GPGP, equivalent to 500 Jumbo Jets

The mass of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) was estimated to be approximately 80,000 tonnes, which is 4-16 times more than previous calculations. This weight is also equivalent to that of 500 Jumbo Jets.

4 to 16 times more plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch than Previously Estimated

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The center of the GPGP has the highest density and the further boundaries are the least dense. When quantifying the mass of the GPGP, the team chose to account only for the denser center area. If the less-dense outer region was also considered in the total estimate, the total mass would then be closer to 100,000 tonnes.

A total of 1.8 trillion plastic pieces were estimated to be floating in the patch - a plastic count that is equivalent to 250 pieces of debris for every human in the world.

Using a similar approach as they did when figuring the mass, the team chose to employ conservative estimations of the plastic count. While 1.8 trillion is a mid-range value for the total count, their calculations estimated that it may be range from 1.1 to up to 3.6 trillion pieces.

Concentration

Using data from multiple reconnaissance missions, a mass concentration model was produced to visualize the plastic distribution in the patch.

The mass concentration model, pictured below, shows how the concentration levels gradually decrease by orders of magnitude towards the outside boundaries of the GPGP. The center concentration levels contain the highest density, reaching 100s of kg/km² while decreasing down to 10 kg/km² in the outermost region.

These results prove that plastic pollution at sea, while densely distributed within the patch, is scattered and does not form a solid mass, thus demystifying the trash island concept.

Vertical distribution

The Ocean Cleanup measured the vertical distribution of plastic during six expeditions between 2013 to 2015. Results from these expeditions proved that the buoyant plastic mass is distributed within the top few meters of the ocean.,

Factors such as wind speed, sea state, and plastic buoyancy will influence vertical mixing. However, buoyant plastic will eventually float back to the surface in calmer seas. Larger pieces were observed to resurface much more rapidly than smaller pieces.

Persistency

Characteristics of the debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, such as plastic type and age, prove that plastic has the capacity to persist in this region.

Plastic in the patch has also been measured since the 1970's and the calculations from subsequent years show that microplastic mass concentration is increasing exponentially - proving that the input of plastic in the patch is greater than the output. Unless sources are mitigated, this number will continue to rise.

The vast majority of plastics retrieved were made of rigid or hard polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), or derelict fishing gear (nets and ropes particularly). Ranging in size from small fragments to larger objects and meter-sized fishing nets.

Size classes

Plastic within the patch was categorized into four size classes:
- Microplastics (0.05 - 0.5 cm)
- Mesoplastics (0.5 - 5 cm)
- Macroplastics (5 - 50 cm)
- Megaplastics (anything above 50 cm)

92% of the total mass is made of debris larger than 5mm

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When accounting for the total mass, 92% of the debris found in the patch consists of objects larger than 0.5 cm, and three-quarters of the total mass is made of macro- and mega plastic. However, in terms of object count, 94% of the total is represented by microplastics.

Categorization types

75% to 86% of GPGP Plastics Comes from Fishing Activities

Once the plastics were collected, a team of volunteers classified the plastic into:
- Type H: Hard plastic, plastic sheet or film;
- Type N: Plastic lines, ropes, and fishing nets;
- Type P: Pre-production plastics (cylinders, spheres or disks);
- Type F: Fragments made of foamed materials

These plastic types were then screened for clues on age and origin. This was performed by examining each object for dates, languages, trademarks, symbols or 'made in' statements.

Why large debris matter

Because the plastics have been shown to persist in this region, they will likely break down into smaller plastics while floating in the GPGP.

This deterioration into microplastics is usually the result of sun exposure, waves, marine life, and temperature changes. Microplastics have been discovered floating within the water surface layers, but also in the water column or as far down as the ocean floor.

Once they become this small, microplastics are very difficult to remove and are often mistaken for food by marine animals.

Not only does plastic pollution in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch pose risks for the safety and health of marine animals, but there are health and economic implications for humans as well.

Impact on wildlife

Plastic has increasingly become a ubiquitous substance in the ocean. Due to its size and color, animals confuse the plastic for food, causing malnutrition; it poses entanglement risks and threatens their overall behavior, health, and existence.

84% of samples contained toxic chemicals

Studies have shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these interactions are with plastic. 17% of the species affected by plastic are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.

Toxic for Sea Surface Feeders

180X more plastic than food at the surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Floating at the surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is 180x more plastic than marine life. Animals migrating through or inhabiting this area are then likely consuming plastic in the patch. For example, sea turtles by-caught in fisheries operating within and around the patch can have up to 74% (by dry weight) of their diets composed of ocean plastics. Laysan albatross chicks from Kure Atoll and Oahu Island have around 45% of their wet mass composed of plastics from surface waters of the GPGP.

Since 84% of this plastic was found to have at least one Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic (PBT) chemical, animals consuming this debris are therefore ingesting the chemicals attached to the plastic.
Entanglement of Marine Life
Fishing nets account for 46% of the mass in the GPGP and they can be dangerous for animals who swim or collide into them and cannot extract themselves from the net. Interaction with these discarded nets, also known as ghost nets , often results in the death of the marine life involved.

Impact on Humans and Society

Once plastic enters the marine food web, there is a possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Efforts to clean and eradicate ocean plastic have also caused significant financial burdens.

Plastic pollution costs 13B dollars per year.

Affects the Human Foodchain

Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal feeding on the plastic, and as the feeder becomes prey, the chemicals will pass to the predator - making their way up the food web that includes humans. These chemicals that affected the plastic feeders could then be present within the human as well.

Affects the Economy

According to a study conducted in collaboration with Deloitte, yearly economic costs due to marine plastic are estimated to be between $6-19bn USD. The costs stem from its impact on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, and (governmental) cleanups. These costs do not include the impact on human health and the marine ecosystem (due to insufficient research available). This means that intercepting plastic in rivers is much more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences downstream. Learn more in our interactive map.

Resulting from several research missions, traveling across and above the GPGP, The Ocean Cleanup team compiled an unprecedented amount of data to better understand the plastic that persists in this region.

Boyan Slat - The New Picture of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (2018)

Research Expeditions

"To accurately quantify a problem of the size, we had to do research at a scale that had never been done before" - Boyan Slat

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Scientists have been studying this area since the 1970's - usually by means of dragging a small sampling net through the debris. This method showed a bias towards smaller objects and did not provide much insight into the larger pieces, and, thus, the entire scope of the GPGP.

Over the course of three years, researchers at The Ocean Cleanup went on several data collection missions. This included the Multi-Level-Trawl expedition, where they analyzed the depth at which buoyant plastic debris may be vertically distributed; the Mega Expedition using vessels to cross the patch with many trawls at once; and the Aerial Expedition which involved the use of a plane flying at low altitude to observe the debris from above.

2015 - Multi-Level-Trawl Expedition

Realizing that previous methods of analyzing the plastic in the patch needed improvement, The Ocean Cleanup designed a new research tool, called the multi-level-trawl, which allowed measurements of 11 water layers simultaneously going as far down as 5 meters below surface level. This trawl was then used in the Vertical Distribution Research.

The multi-level-trawl allowed the team to study further down into the water and understand to which depths buoyant plastic may be distributed. Through these studies, it was observed that buoyant plastic floats primarily in the first few meters of the water.

2015 - Mega Expedition

In 2015, 30 vessels and 652 surface nets, in parallel, crossed the GPGP as part of the Mega Expedition.
Numerous vessel owners offered the use of their ships for the mission. Of those ships, many carried behind them a Manta-trawl; including one mothership, the 171ft long Ocean Starr, which was able to carry two 6-meter-wide trawls and a survey balloon.

The fleet returned with over 1.2 million plastic samples that rendered an unprecedented amount of plastic measurements from the three months of study. Scientists present on the expedition noted that there was an alarming amount of plastic floating in the patch, and their preliminary findings indicated that there were more large objects than originally expected.

2016 - Aerial Expedition

After the Mega Expedition, the team wanted to learn more about these large plastic pieces that were difficult to come by. Megaplastics are more scattered than the smaller plastics, and, to study this important aspect of the patch, the team needed to cover an even larger area.

Using a C-130 Hercules aircraft, The Ocean Cleanup surveyed 311 km² with advanced sensors and an RGB camera (CS-4800i) that captured one photo every second of flight time. They took two flights and came back with over 7,000 single frame mosaics from the mission.

Ocean Research Laboratory

Once the ocean plastic was brought back to the Netherlands, it then needed to be counted, classified and analyzed.

Counting and Classifying

The first step in analyzing the plastic was to quantify it - to turn this physical matter into data.

Every piece of plastic that was recovered was cleaned, counted and classified by size and type. In total, 1.2 million plastic samples were counted, one by one, and were used to further study the physical properties and toxicity of the plastic that floats in the GPGP.

The Research team takes on the monumental task of counting and classifying the Mega Expedition samples.

Understanding Physical Properties

Not only is the size and count of the plastic in the GPGP important to calculate, but the way in which the plastic interacts in the water helps the team learn more about the buoyancy and depths of the plastic.

To test this, various experiments were performed on the plastic in environments that were intended to replicate oceanic conditions and particularly salinity. Laboratory tests were conducted to measure the vertical speed of the plastic as it resurfaces.

More than 4000 rising speed tests to understand how plastic particles behave in the water.

Understanding Toxicity

It is commonly known that harmful PBT (Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic) chemicals are found in ocean plastics, so researchers at The Ocean Cleanup tested plastic samples from the expeditions for their chemical levels. Their results helped them to realize what chemicals are present in the patch and what that means for animals feeding there.

Plastics ranging from various type and size were analyzed by placing them in mixtures that would allow the various chemicals to be identified. A process known as Chromatography. They found through various tests that 84% of the plastics in the GPGP contain at least one type of PBT chemical.

Ocean Plastic Data Science

Numerous computational and mathematical processes and methods were used throughout the study of the GPGP, allowing the team to visualize and characterize many features of the patch and the plastic within it.

Turning Ocean Plastic into Data

When the manta trawls samples were captured and then brought on the vessel, several criteria were noted in the datasheets, including the date, duration, and final coordinates of each tow.

With this information, the team was able to identify the exact location where the plastic was retrieved. The location and duration of all tows were confirmed during a post-processing phase by inspecting all the recorded datasheets against GPS trackers that were installed on all participating vessels. The total distance of tows, for example, combined with the net's characteristics allowed the researchers to estimate the total surveyed surface.

Process Aerial Expedition Data

Aboard the C-130 Hercules aircraft used for the Aerial Expedition were three types of sensors: Lidar (an advanced active sensor that is similar to that used on Google's autonomous cars), SWIR imager (an infrared camera to detect ocean plastic) and an RGB camera.

There were 3 sensor technicians, 7 navigation personnel and 10 researchers who helped track the plastic from above and monitor the equipment on board.

The data from this expedition were then analyzed and processed resulting in multispectral and geo-referenced imagery that was used to screen the surface area for plastic by trained observers and a machine-learning algorithm, providing spatial distribution of larger debris (>0.5m).

A Key to Convert Pixels into Kilograms

The mass of the plastic debris in the GPGP was calculated using imagery from the Aerial Expedition. By comparing the top view surface against dry mass of multiple objects collected during the first expedition at sea, including ghost nets, the team was able to make these estimations.

Merge all the Data into Comprehensive Computer Models

The data and imagery gathered from these objectives were eventually used by our team of computational modelers to build various models and computer-generated graphics. These served as a visual representation of the studies and tests that had been performed during the expeditions.

Research of this nature is crucial when understanding the many facets of the GPGP. These models have helped the engineers at The Ocean Cleanup to further improve the design of the cleanup system, which was deployed mid-2018.

We also use modeling to identify the pathways that bring plastic to the gyres. In 2022 our researchers published a new study based on over 6000 plastic objects (over 5 cm in size) captured in the GPGP by our System 001/B cleaning system in 2019. We then compared our field observations with our 'virtual particle' modeling results, allowing us to see the most statistically probable sources of GPGP plastic.

This indicated that over 75% of plastics in the GPGP - not only the 46% made up of fishing nets, as we discovered in 2018 - are attributable to offshore fishing activities. More research will be required in order to discover if this also applies to the other garbage patches around the world.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch * The Ocean Cleanup

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is located between Hawaii and California. Scientists of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation have conducted the most extensive analysis ever of this area.

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Clean Water Accessibility in Indigenous Communities CTV News

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Clean Water Accessibility in Indigenous Communities CTV News

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Auditor General says Canada hasn't done enough for First Nations boil water advisories

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Ryerson University's Pam Palmater joins us to discuss what the government should be doing to address the issue.

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Great search engine for kids!

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SweetSearch - A Search Engine for Students

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A search engine for students that emphasizes high quality resources evaluated and approved by educators, librarians and research experts.

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Another great search engine for kids!

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Random Fun Facts

Clothes dried outside smell better because of a process called photolysis (sunlight breaks down compounds that cause odor).

A lions feed once every 3 to 4 days.

Cows can walk up stairs but not down them..

It is illegal in the United Kingdom to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances..

The Grand Canyon can hold around 900 trillion footballs.

A dragonfly can fly at 40kph (25mph).

Glaciers and ice sheets hold about 69 percent of the worlds freshwater..

The Eiffel Tower is repainted every 7 years.

Kangaroos can not walk backwards..

Shakespeare invented the words 'assassination' and 'bump'.

view more cool facts

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KidzSearch - Family-friendly safe search engine for kids. We are the leading search engine used by schools around the world since 2005. Results are always Strict Filtered. Nothing to install. Free public service.

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Thursday, April 8, 2021 | netzach she'b'gevurah Dear All, It's Earth Day two weeks from today. This prompts me to think about Earth Day as the secular equivalent of one of the festivals of Jewish life. ...

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Thursday, April 8, 2021 | netzach she'b'gevurah Dear All, It's Earth Day two weeks from today. This prompts me to think about Earth Day as the secular equivalent of one of the festivals of Jewish life. ...

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The authoritative information on the status of approval, acceptance, accession and ratification of the Agreement is provided by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the respective internet page of the United Nations Treaty Depositary under: Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 195 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Currently, as of 27 January 2026, there are 194 Parties to the Paris Agreement.

Its overarching goal is to hold "the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels" and pursue efforts "to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels."

However, in recent years, world leaders have stressed the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century.

That's because the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that crossing the 1.5°C threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030.

The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.

How does the Paris Agreement work?

Implementation of the Paris Agreement requires economic and social transformation, based on the best available science. The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action -- or, ratcheting up -- carried out by countries. Since 2020, countries have been submitting their national climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Each successive NDC is meant to reflect an increasingly higher degree of ambition compared to the previous version.

Recognizing that accelerated action is required to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the COP27 cover decision requests Parties to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their NDCs to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2023, taking into account different national circumstances.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also communicate in their NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Long-Term Strategies

To better frame the efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement invites countries to formulate and submit long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS).

LT-LEDS provide the long-term horizon to the NDCs. Unlike NDCs, they are not mandatory. Nevertheless, they place the NDCs into the context of countries' long-term planning and development priorities, providing a vision and direction for future development.

How are countries supporting one another?

The Paris Agreement provides a framework for financial, technical and capacity building support to those countries who need it.

Finance

The Paris Agreement reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary contributions by other Parties. Climate finance is needed for mitigation, because large-scale investments are required to significantly reduce emissions. Climate finance is equally important for adaptation, as significant financial resources are needed to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate.

Technology

The Paris Agreement speaks of the vision of fully realizing technology development and transfer for both improving resilience to climate change and reducing GHG emissions. It establishes a technology framework to provide overarching guidance to the well-functioning Technology Mechanism. The mechanism is accelerating technology development and transfer through its policy and implementation arms.

Capacity-Building

Not all developing countries have sufficient capacities to deal with many of the challenges brought by climate change. As a result, the Paris Agreement places great emphasis on climate-related capacity-building for developing countries and requests all developed countries to enhance support for capacity-building actions in developing countries.

How are we tracking progress?

With the Paris Agreement, countries established an enhanced transparency framework (ETF). Under ETF, starting in 2024, countries will report transparently on actions taken and progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and support provided or received. It also provides for international procedures for the review of the submitted reports.

The information gathered through the ETF will feed into the Global stocktake which will assess the collective progress towards the long-term climate goals.

This will lead to recommendations for countries to set more ambitious plans in the next round.

What have we achieved so far?

Although climate change action needs to be massively increased to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the years since its entry into force have already sparked low-carbon solutions and new markets. More and more countries, regions, cities and companies are establishing carbon neutrality targets. Zero-carbon solutions are becoming competitive across economic sectors representing 25% of emissions. This trend is most noticeable in the power and transport sectors and has created many new business opportunities for early movers.

By 2030, zero-carbon solutions could be competitive in sectors representing over 70% of global emissions.

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The authoritative information on the status of approval, acceptance, accession and ratification of the Agreement is provided by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the respective internet page of the United Nations Treaty Depositary under: Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

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They look like something commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art: 115-foot-high yellow tulip-shaped sun collectors designed by AORA, a solar energy innovator from Israel.

With about 50 tracking mirrors focusing the sun's rays onto it, the solar "tulip" generates electricity using ultra-high temperature concentrating solar power (CSP) technology.

AORA, which started generating solar power in Israel in 2009, will dedicate its second demo power plant in February in Almeria, Spain, on a half-acre plot of land at the Platforma Solar Almeria science park. It is hoped to serve as a point of entry into the European market and beyond.

The system uses giant yellow solar receivers fitted with 100-kilowatt gas turbines, which heat air to about 1,000 degrees Celsius using the sun's energy, directing the heated air to a turbine that then converts thermal energy to electric energy.
A hybrid system
The new installation in sunny Spain will provide 100 kilowatts of electric power to the grid, as well as 170 kilowatts of thermal power, enough to supply 50 average households. The idea is to build clusters of these plants in order to achieve big numbers in energy production.

It's a hybrid system, meaning that when available sunlight is not sufficient, it can operate on any alternative fuel source in order to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply.

The first AORA power station, in Israel's southern Kibbutz Samar, is still providing power to the grid since it was turned on in 2009.
A flower-power garden
Zev Rosenzweig, the CEO of AORA, tells ISRAEL21c that the Spanish deal could open up business in the Italian market nearby - and eventually, much farther afield.

Since Spain is already a solar energy leader, that was the easiest market to enter, he explains. "We hope to have one dozen [plants] in the southeast United States by end of 2012," he says, "as well as a number of plants in Mexico, our primary focus for the next two years."

Demonstration plants help the company achieve bankability and financing, he points out.

A migrant to renewables from the nuclear industry, Rosenzweig admits that at first blush it seems that the kilowatts of power promised by AORA pale in comparison to megawatt systems, like the BrightSource CSP plant in California that deflects sunlight from its mirrors, or heliostats, to a high tower where they turn turbines to generate electricity.

But the premise behind AORA, conceived in the Weizmann Institute of Science lab of Prof. Jacob Karni in the 1980s, is to avoid losing energy in the usual CSP process as the sun's rays travel through the air.

By building the collection station close to the mirrors, and by building the plants close to or on the grid, more power is retained. "Our philosophy is to have many small units, each highly efficient, and close to the tower," says Rosenzweig.
Small investment, high returns
Rather than billions, a half million dollars can build a solar plant to power roughly 50 homes in Europe, and a few fewer in the United States where consumption is higher. Hooked up together, a "flower garden" of AORA plants could power entire cities, or simply feed their power back to the grid as they are currently built to do. Off-grid solutions, though, are possible.

AORA stations do not need to be built on flat surfaces like the deserts of California. And because they are small, clusters of them can be built around wildlife corridors instead of through them. This could help avoid clashes with environmentalists looking to protect open space for wildlife.

Requiring less water to run than do larger systems, less downtime for maintenance - since only one unit of the plant needs to go offline at a time instead of a whole large plant - and the fact that it can run on hybrid mode, make AORA's a flexible and reliable system for both remote and green communities.

AORA is based in Rehovot, Israel, and together with its staff in Spain employs 18 people. About $25 million has been invested to date; the company seeks an additional $25 to 30 million. The company was founded in 2008 and has private shareholders as well as a major shareholder, EDIG.

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They look like something commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art: 115-foot-high yellow tulip-shaped sun collectors designed by AORA, a solar energy innovator from Israel. With about 50 tracking mirrors focusing the sun's rays onto it, the solar "tulip" generates electricity using ultra-high temperature concentrating solar power (CSP) technology.

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This is Ivan, a graduate from the Ve'ahavta Skills Academy.

When Ivan sat down with our Director of Development, Brandon Lablong, he told us about how he used to feel quite hopeless and lost. He was not able to maintain steady work but couldn't figure out why.

With Ve'ahavta's help and an in-depth assessment, Ivan was able to identify that he has been living his whole life with an undiagnosed condition. Once he had a better understanding of himself, he was able to choose the path right for himself. Listen to his story...

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A Jewish Humanitarian Organization - Ve'ahavta

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This is Ivan, a graduate from the Ve'ahavta Skills Academy. When Ivan sat down with our Director of Development, Brandon Lablong, he told us about how he used to feel quite hopeless and lost. He was not able to maintain steady work but couldn't figure out why.

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Ensuring that all girls and young women receive a quality education is their human right, a global development priority, and a strategic priority for the World Bank.

Achieving gender equality is central to the World Bank Group twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. As the largest financing development partner in education globally, the World Bank ensures that all of its education projects are gender-sensitive, and works to overcome barriers that are preventing girls and boys from equally benefiting from countries' investments in education.

Girls' education goes beyond getting girls into school. It is also about ensuring that girls learn and feel safe while in school; have the opportunity to complete all levels of education, acquiring the knowledge and skills to compete in the labor market; gain socio-emotional and life skills necessary to navigate and adapt to a changing world; make decisions about their own lives; and contribute to their communities and the world.

Both individuals and countries benefit from girls' education. Better educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and their children are usually healthier, should they choose to become mothers. They are more likely to participate in the formal labor market and earn higher incomes. A recent World Bank study estimates that the "limited educational opportunities for girls, and barriers to completing 12 years of education, cost countries between US$15 trillion1 and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings." All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and countries out of poverty.
The Challenge
According to UNESCO estimates, around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, and 97 million of secondary school age.

Globally, primary, and secondary school enrollment rates are getting closer to equal for girls and boys (90% male, 89% female). But while enrollment rates are similar - in fact, two-thirds of all countries have reached gender parity in primary school enrollment - completion rates for girls are lower in low-income countries where 63% of female primary school students complete primary school, compared to 67% of male primary school students. In low-income countries, secondary school completion rates for girls also continue to lag, with only 36% of girls completing lower secondary school compared to 44% of boys. Upper secondary completion rates have similar disparities in lower income countries, the rate is 26% for young men and 21% for young women.

The gaps are starker in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV). In FCV countries, girls are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys, and at the secondary level, are 90% more likely to be out of secondary school than those in non-FCV contexts.

Both girls and boys are facing a learning crisis. Learning Poverty (LP) measures the share of children who are not able to read proficiently at age 10. While girls are on average 4 percentage points less learning-poor than boys, the rates remain very high for both groups. The average of Learning Poverty in in low- and middle- income countries is 55% for females, and 59% for males. The gap is narrower in low-income countries, where Learning Poverty averages about 93% for both boys and girls.

In many countries, enrollment in tertiary education slightly favors young women, however, better learning outcomes are not translating into better work and life outcomes for women. There is a large gender gap in labor force participation rates globally. It is especially stark in regions such as South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, which have some of the lowest female labor force participation rates at 24% and 20% per region, respectively. These are appallingly low rates, considering what is observed in other regions like Latin America (53%) or East Asia (59%), which are still below rates for men.

Gender bias within schools and classrooms may also reinforce messages that affect girls' ambitions, their own perceptions of their roles in society, and produce labor market engagement disparities and occupational segregation. When gender stereotypes are communicated through the design of school and classroom learning environments or through the behavior of faculty, staff, and peers in a child's school, it goes on to have sustained impact on academic performance and choice of field of study, especially negatively affecting young women pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Poverty is one of the most important factors for determining whether a girl can access and complete her education. Studies consistently reinforce that girls who face multiple disadvantages - such as low family income, living in remote or underserved locations or who have a disability or belong to a minority ethno-linguistic group - are farthest behind in terms of access to and completion of education.

Violence also prevents girls from accessing and completing education - often girls are forced to walk long distances to school placing them at an increased risk of violence and many experience violence while at school. Most recent data estimates that approximately 60 million girls are sexually assaulted on their way to or at school every year. This often has serious consequences for their mental and physical health and overall well-being while also leading to lower attendance and higher dropout rates. An estimated 246 million children experience violence in and around school every year, ending school-related gender-based violence is critical. Adolescent pregnancies can be a result of sexual violence or sexual exploitation. Girls who become pregnant often face strong stigma, and even discrimination, from their communities. The burden of stigma, compounded by unequal gender norms, can lead girls to drop out of school early and not return.

Child marriage is also a critical challenge. Girls who marry young are much more likely to drop out of school, complete fewer years of education than their peers who marry later. They are also more likely to have children at a young age and are exposed to higher levels of violence perpetrated by their partner. In turn, this affects the education and health of their children, as well as their ability to earn a living. Indeed, girls with secondary schooling are up to six times more likely to marry as those children with little or no education. According to a recent report, more than 41,000 girls under the age of 18 marry every day. Putting an end to this practice would increase women's expected educational attainment, and with it, their potential earnings. According to the report's estimates, ending child marriage could generate more than US$500 billion in benefits annually each year.

COVID-19 is having a negative impact on girls' health and well-being - and many are at risk of not returning to school once they reopen. Available research shows that prevalence of violence against girls and women has increased during the pandemic - jeopardizing their health, safety and overall well-being. As school closures and quarantines were enforced during the 2014‐2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, women and girls experienced more sexual violence, coercion and exploitation. School closures during the Ebola outbreak were associated with an increase in teenage pregnancies. Once schools re-opened, many "visibly pregnant girls" were banned from going back to school. With schools closing throughout the developing world, where stigma around teenage pregnancies prevails, we will probably see an increase in drop-out rates as teenage girls become pregnant or married. As girls stay at home because of school closures, their household work burdens might increase, resulting in girls spending more time helping out at home instead of studying. This might encourage parents, particularly those putting a lower value on girls' education, to keep their daughters at home even after schools reopen. Moreover, research shows that girls risk dropping out of school when caregivers are missing from the household because they typically have to (partly) replace the work done by the missing caregiver, who might be away due to COVID-19-related work, illness, or death. Therefore, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, we might see more girls than boys helping at home, lagging behind with studying, and dropping out of school.

Last Updated: Feb 10, 2022

The World Bank is committed to seeing every girl prosper in her life. Our projects support the education of hundreds of millions of girls and young women across the world. Working through interventions in education, health, social protection, water, infrastructure, and other sectors, we are making an even stronger commitment to support countries in ensuring that every girl receives the quality education she deserves.

Our 180 projects are impacting more than 150 million girls and young women worldwide. Hundreds of millions more have been impacted over the past few decades.

We tackle key barriers that girls and young women face when trying to obtain an education. Guided by evidence on what works for girls' education, our projects use multi-pronged approaches across areas including:
1. Removing barriers to schooling

Addressing financial barriers, through scholarships, stipends, grants, conditional cash transfers

Addressing long distances and lack of safety to and from school by building schools, providing transportation methods for girls to get to school

Addressing a lack of information about returns to girls' education but running community awareness campaigns engaging parents, school leaders, and local community leaders

Working with the community to address and inform on social and cultural norms and perceptions that may prevent girls' education

2. Promoting safe and inclusive schools

By constructing and rehabilitating schools to create safe and inclusive learning environments,

Efforts at the community- and school-levels, and programs to engage the school (including teachers, girls, and boys) in reducing gender-based violence (GBV) and ensuring available mechanisms to report GBV

Support for hygiene facilities and menstrual hygiene management for adolescent girls

3. Improving the quality of education

Investing in teacher professional development, eliminating gender biases in curriculum and teaching practices, and focusing on foundational learning

Adapting teaching and learning materials, and books to introduce gender sensitive language, pictorial aspects, and messaging

4. Developing skills and empowering girls for life and labor market success

Promoting girls' empowerment, skills development programs and social programs

Prioritizing and promoting women in STEM subjects and careers in both traditional and non-traditional sectors

Reducing barriers and providing incentives through scholarships for women to enroll in higher education and TVET programs

Support for childcare programs for women and girls to join the labor market

For more information on our girls' education investment and projects, please read Count Me In: The World Bank Education Global Practice: Improving Education Outcomes for Girls and Women, which highlights our decades-long commitment to girls' education, and showcases how Education GP projects are creating opportunities for girls around the world to succeed in their education and beyond.
Last Updated: Oct 26, 2021

The WBG supports girls' education through a variety of interventions. Our focus on girls' education and wellbeing goes beyond school attendance and learning outcomes - we strive to ensure girls have safe, joyful, and inclusive experience with education systems that set them up for success in life and motivate them to become lifelong learners. This approach, reflected in the current Education portfolio impacting at least 150 million girls and young women, prioritizes investments in four key areas listed below.
1. Removing barriers to girls' schooling

Our projects providing stipends to improve primary and secondary school completion for girls and young women in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Sahel benefit close to half a million girls.

Our Girls Empowerment and Learning for All Project in Angola will use a variety of financial incentives to attract adolescent girls to schools, including scholarships, and new school spaces for girls.

The AGILE (Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment) project in Nigeria is providing conditional cash transfers to households for sending girls to school, removing cost barriers to their education.

The MIQRA (Mali Improving Education Quality and Results for All Project) has a school feeding and nutrition program targeted at retention and attendance for girls in schools.

2. Promoting safe and inclusive schools for girls

In Tanzania, the Bank is supporting the training of a counselor in every school who will provide life-skills training in girls' and boys' clubs - which is important because closing gender gaps is not only about interventions for girls but also for boys.

In Nigeria, female counselors will provide life skills training to about 340,000 girls in safe spaces. Several of our other projects also support the construction of separate sanitary toilets for girls, as well as introducing GBV-reducing and reporting mechanisms in school systems.

3. Improving the quality of education for girls (and boys)

In Ghana, the Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project is conducting teacher training for gender-sensitive instruction, and aims to create guides for teachers to support gender sensitivity in classrooms.

In Honduras, the Early Childhood Education Improvement Project, will create a revised preschool curriculum that will include content on gender equity, inclusion, and violence prevention, as well as training for teachers, including training to combat GBV.

The Girls Empowerment and Quality Education for All Project in Sao Tome & Principe is creating girls' clubs after school, where they are also provided with life skills training, and counseling.

4. Developing skills for life and labor market success for young women

The Nurturing Excellence in Higher Education Project in Nepal is focusing on increasing access to tertiary education for young women from low-income groups, and additional providing scholarships for the poorest applications, alongside communication and advocacy campaigns for more female enrollment in STEM subjects.

The ASSET (Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation) project in Bangladesh is working to increase the participation of women in skills training programs, and conducting awareness and communications campaigns to address dropout.

In Pakistan, the Higher Education Development project seeks to support women enrolled in STEM programs, with an aim to move them from 2-year to more comprehensive 4-year programs.

The Higher Education Project in Moldova and the Higher Education Modernization Project in Belarus will both support and finance activities to increase enrollment of women in STEM fields. The Côte d'Ivoire Higher Education Development Support Project provides scholarships for women in higher education, and extra tutoring support for females pursuing STEM subjects.

Schemes to increase participation of girls in higher education. Through the Africa Centers of Excellence (ACE) project, the Bank has supported increased enrollment of females in masters and PhD programs. The number of female students in ACE centers was 343 in 2014 and is now 3,400 in 2020; a tenfold increase. The Bank is also building the pipeline of female students interested in computer science and engineering programs and retain them.

For more information on our girls' education investment and projects, please read Count Me In: The World Bank Education Global Practice: Improving Education Outcomes for Girls and Women, which highlights our decades-long commitment to girls' education, and showcases how Education GP projects are creating opportunities for girls around the world to succeed in their education and beyond.
Last Updated: Oct 26, 2021

The WBG works closely with governments and other development organizations on girls' education issues to identify and advance interventions that improve girls' education outcomes and provide resources to support countries implementing such initiatives. Partnerships both within and outside of the World Bank are critical to the Education GP's work on girls' education. The Education GP works with other global practices in the Bank to improve girls' education-for example, collaborating with the Water GP for access to sanitation and hygiene in schools, with Social Protection and Jobs GP for challenges related to labor market transition, or Energy GP to improve school safety.

The World Bank collaborates actively with many donors and organizations. As a signatory to the G7 Charlevoix Commitment, the Bank has already committed an estimated $2.5 billion to girls' education in FCV countries as of September 2021-exceeding its pledge of $2.0 billion from 2018 to 2023.

The Education GP:

is collaborating with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office FCDO (UK) about targets and high-level engagement with G7 donors, to support aid and financial commitment for girls' education;

is a member of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Girls' EiE Reference Group, which seeks to further research and advocacy for girls' education in emergencies;

a member of the UNESCO Gender Flagship Reference Group and has provided technical contributions to the UNESCO-commissioned study (December 2020-July 2021); and

is working closely with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) as the implementing agency for 54 percent of the total GPE grants of $3.62 billion, that support girls' education.

is a member of the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI), which comprises over 20 partners representing multilateral, bilateral, civil society, and non-governmental organizations.

collaborated with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) to produce Economic Impacts of Child Marriage, a recent report detailing the effects of child marriage, which was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, and GPE.

Last Updated: Oct 26, 2021

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Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

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Our Trajectory

Earth Will Continue to Warm and the Effects Will Be Profound

The potential future effects of global climate change include more frequent wildfires, longer periods of drought in some regions, and an increase in the duration and intensity of tropical storms. Credit: left - Mellimage/Shutterstock.com, center - Montree Hanlue/Shutterstock.com, right - NASA.

Global climate change is not a future problem. Changes to Earth's climate driven by increased human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are already having widespread effects on the environment: glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking, river and lake ice is breaking up earlier, plant and animal geographic ranges are shifting, and plants and trees are blooming sooner.

Effects that scientists had long predicted would result from global climate change are now occurring, such as sea ice loss, accelerated sea level rise, and longer, more intense heat waves.

"Taken as a whole, the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time."

- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Some changes (such as droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall) are happening faster than scientists previously assessed. In fact, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - the United Nations body established to assess the science related to climate change - modern humans have never before seen the observed changes in our global climate, and some of these changes are irreversible over the next hundreds to thousands of years.

Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for many decades, mainly due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.

A Degree of Difference

So, the Earth's average temperature has increased about 2 degrees Fahrenheit during the 20th century. What's the big deal?

Read more

The IPCC's Sixth Assessment report, published in 2021, found that human emissions of heat-trapping gases have already warmed the climate by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since pre-Industrial times (starting in 1750). The global average temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees C (about 3 degrees F) within the next few decades. These changes will affect all regions of Earth.

What's the difference between climate change and global warming?

"Global warming" refers to the long-term warming of the planet. "Climate change" encompasses global warming, but refers to the broader range of changes that are happening to our planet, including rising sea levels; shrinking mountain glaciers; accelerating ice melt in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic; and shifts in flower/plant blooming times.

detailed answer

The severity of effects caused by climate change will depend on the path of future human activities. More greenhouse gas emissions will lead to more climate extremes and widespread damaging effects across our planet. However, those future effects depend on the total amount of carbon dioxide we emit. So, if we can reduce emissions, we may avoid some of the worst effects.

"Increasing magnitudes of warming increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive, and irreversible impacts." ²

- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Future Effects in the U.S.

U.S. Regional Effects

U.S. Regional Effects

Climate change is bringing different types of challenges to each region of the country. Some of the current and future impacts are summarized below. These findings are from the Third and Fourth National Climate Assessment Reports, released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Is it too late to prevent climate change?

Humans have caused major climate changes to happen already, and we have set in motion more changes still. However, if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, the rise in global temperatures would begin to flatten within a few years. Temperatures would then plateau but remain well-elevated for many, many centuries.

detailed answer

Northeast. Heat waves, heavy downpours, and sea level rise pose increasing challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Farmers can explore new crop options, but these adaptations are not cost- or risk-free. Moreover, adaptive capacity, which varies throughout the region, could be overwhelmed by a changing climate. Many states and cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning.

Northwest. Changes in the timing of peak flows in rivers and streams are reducing water supplies and worsening competing demands for water. Sea level rise, erosion, flooding, risks to infrastructure, and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire incidence and severity, heat waves, insect outbreaks, and tree diseases are causing widespread forest die-off.

Southeast. Sea level rise poses widespread and continuing threats to the region's economy and environment. Extreme heat will affect health, energy, agriculture, and more. Decreased water availability will have economic and environmental impacts.

Midwest. Extreme heat, heavy downpours, and flooding will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more. Climate change will also worsen a range of risks to the Great Lakes.

Southwest. Climate change has caused increased heat, drought, and insect outbreaks. In turn, these changes have made wildfires more numerous and severe. The warming climate has also caused a decline in water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, and triggered heat-related health impacts in cities. In coastal areas, flooding and erosion are additional concerns.

References
References

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intergovernmental panel on climate change

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Our Trajectory Global climate change is not a future problem. Changes to Earth's climate driven by increased human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are already having widespread effects on the environment: glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking, river and lake ice is breaking up earlier, plant and animal geographic ranges are shifting, and plants and trees are blooming sooner.

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By age 14, many girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys. ¹ Through more than 25 years of research, the Women's Sports Foundation has identified key factors which contribute to this alarming statistic. Read on to learn more about how these factors influence girls' sport experiences and why they need to stay in the game.

1. Why they drop out:

Lack of access. Girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys have. Lack of physical education in schools and limited opportunities to play sports in both high school and college mean girls have to look elsewhere for sports -which may not exist or may cost more money. Often there is an additional lack of access to adequate playing facilities near their homes that makes it more difficult for girls to engage in sports.

Why they need to stay in:

Through sports, girls learn important life skills such as teamwork, leadership and confidence.

2. Why they drop out:

Safety and transportation issues. Sports require a place to participate - and for many girls, especially in dense urban environments, that means traveling to facilities through unsafe neighborhoods or lacking any means to get to a good facility miles away. And if there isn't a safe option like carpooling with other families, the only option for a girl and her family may be to stay home.

Why they need to stay in:

Girls active in sports during adolescence and young adulthood are 20% less likely to get breast cancer later in life. ²

3. Why they drop out:

Social stigma. Despite recent progress, discrimination based on the real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity of female athletes persists. Girls in sports may experience bullying, social isolation, negative performance evaluations, or the loss of their starting position. During socially fragile adolescence, the fear of being tagged "gay" is strong enough to push many girls out of the game.

Why they need to stay in:

Sports are an asset to American families, fostering communication and trust between parents and children. ³

4. Why they drop out:

Decreased quality of experience. As girls grow up, the quality level of their sports experience may decline. The facilities are not as good as the boys' venues and the playing times may not be optimal. The availability of quality, trained coaches may be lacking in their community or these coaches may be more focused on the boys' programs that have more money for training. Equipment, and even uniforms aren't funded for many girls' programs at the same levels as boys so their ability to grow and enjoy the sport is diminished. In short, sports just aren't "fun" any more.

Why they need to stay in:

More than three-quarters of working women feel that sports participation helps enhance their self-image. ⁴

5. Why they drop out:

Cost. School sports budgets are being slashed every day, all across the country. Fewer opportunities within schools mean families must pay to play in private programs while also footing the bill for expensive coaches, equipment and out-of-pocket travel requirements. This additional expense is just not possible for many families.

Why they need to stay in:

Girls' involvement with sports is related to higher levels of family satisfaction, in both single-parent and dual-parent families.

6. Why they drop out:

Lack of positive role models. Today's girls are bombarded with images of external beauty, not those of confident, strong female athletic role models. To some girls, fitting within the mold that they are constantly told to stay in is more important than standing out. Peer pressure can be hard for girls at any age; when that pressure isn't offset with strong encouragement to participate in sports and healthy physical activity, the results may lead girls to drop out altogether.

Why they need to stay in:

High school female athletes have more positive body images than non-athletes.

1. Girls drop-out at different rates depending on where they live. Sabo, D. and Veliz, P. (2008). Go Out and Play: Youth Sports in America. East Meadow, NY: Women's Sports Foundation.
2. Staurowsky, E. J., DeSousa, M. J., Gentner, N., Miller, K. E., Shakib, S., Theberge, N., & Williams, N. (2009). Her Life Depends On It II: Sport, Physical Activity, and the Health and Well-Being of American Girls and Women.
3. Sabo & Veliz (2008) Go Out and Play: Youth Sport in America.
4. Sabo & Snyder (1993) Sports and Fitness in the Lives of Working Women.
5. Sabo & Veliz (2008) Go Out and Play: Youth Sport in America.
6. Miller, Sabo, Melnick, Farrell & Barnes (2000), Health Risks and the Teen Athlete.

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Do You Know the Factors Influencing Girls' Participation in Sports? - Women's Sports Foundation

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By age 14, many girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys.1Through more than 25 years of research, the Women's Sports Foundation has identified key factors which contribute to this alarming statistic. Read on to learn more about how these factors influence girls' sport experiences and why they need to [...]

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Impact of Fashion on Environment: Infographic - Delta College

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Impact of Fashion on Environment: Infographic - Delta College

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The fashion industry is responsible for 4-8% of Global Greenhouse Gas Emission, which has a contribution to climate change. Fast fashion production also comprises 10% of total global carbon emissions. It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams. Resulting in 85% of all textiles to go to dumps each year. It takes approximately 70 million barrels of oil a year to produce the synthetic fast fashion items we wear. And 35% of the world's ocean microplastics comes from the laundering of these synthetics. To produce on cotton shirt we use about 2,720 litres of water which is around the same amount of water consumed by the average person over three years(Hawthorn). To manufacture garments it make up for 20% of global industrial water pollution. Since clothing is being sold at price that do not massively impact the consumers it can encourage a throwaway mindset, which only contributes to the landfill problems (Koutsou-Wehling). It has been reveled that never wearing clothing that they bought is common among 24% of high-income and 17% of low-income online shoppers in the U.S. (Koutsou-Wehling). "About 10-20% of what is donated actually gets sold, and what isn't sold ends up in the Global South in places like Kantamanto, Ghana or the Atacama desert in Chile." (Cardona).

Due to the rapid change in fast fashion and quick people are to dispose or even donate their clothes it has begun to affect second hand shops and thrift stores. "If you go to thrift stores now, you may see racks stuffed with products from SHIEN, Fashion Nova, or other fast fashion brands." (Sparkman). While thrifting or reselling clothes may help extend the life time of the garments, they still end up in landfills at the end of the day for they were not designed for multi-use or resell. They are extremely focused on keeping up with the latest trends and because of that there is a decrease quality of the materials as well las underpaid labor (Sparkman).

Image of a graph showing the amount of synthetic and natural fibers that is used in clothes over the years.

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Research Guides: Copy of Change Your World Week for grading: The Truth of Fast Fashion

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What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism (say: AW-tiz-um) spectrum disorder is a difference in the way a kid's brain develops. Kids with autism may have trouble understanding the world around them.

What's It Like to Have Autism Spectrum Disorder?

A kid with autism might have trouble:

talking and learning the meaning of words

making friends or fitting in

dealing with changes (like trying new foods, having a substitute teacher, or having toys moved from their normal places)

dealing with loud noises, bright lights, or crowds

Kids also might move in an unusual way (like flapping their hands) or do the same thing over and over (like saying the same word).

A kid with autism may have a little trouble with these things, or a lot. Some kids need only a little bit of help, and others might need a lot of help with learning and doing everyday stuff.

What Causes Autism?

Autism is something people are born with. No one knows exactly what causes it. It probably has something to do with a kid's genes and other things that change the way the brain develops.

How Is Autism Diagnosed?

Doctors check babies and little kids for signs of autism at every checkup. A parent may think that something is wrong and tell the doctor. Maybe the child is old enough to speak but doesn't. Or a kid doesn't seem interested in people or plays in unusual ways.

When a doctor thinks a kid might have autism, he or she will work with a team of experts to see if it is autism or something else.

How Is Autism Spectrum Disorder Treated?

There is no cure for autism, but treatment can make a big difference. The younger kids are when they start treatment, the better.

Doctors, therapists, and special education teachers can help kids learn to talk, play, and learn. Therapists also help kids learn about making friends, taking turns, and getting along.

What if My Friend Has Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Some people with ASD do not feel that they have a disorder and don't want to change. They're proud of who they are and they want to be accepted, even though they may have different strengths and weaknesses than most other people.

All people deserve respect. But kids with ASD may be teased, bullied, or left out because they're different. Bullying and teasing are never the right way to treat other people, but it may be hard to be a friend with someone who has ASD.

Kids with ASD often don't understand playful jokes. You may need to be very clear when you communicate with someone who has ASD.

Try to be patient and kind. Remember how hard it might be for the person with ASD to understand how to be a friend. Stand up for classmates who are bullied. Tell adults, so they can help protect kids who are bullied.

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Autism spectrum disorder makes it hard for kids to learn and communicate. Find out more in this article for kids.

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What is autism spectrum disorder? | Articles | CBC Kids

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Autism Awareness

March 28, 2022

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day - let's find out what it's about.

Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is something that some people are born with. It affects how the brain works.

It's not a disease like diabetes or asthma. And it's not something you can catch like a cold.

It makes some people experience the world a little differently from others. It's just a different way of processing information.

We are all unique

We all experience the world a little differently, including kids with autism.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Some things that are easy for you may be harder for others. Kids with autism are just that: kids. They want friends and have hobbies, too.

No two people with autism are exactly alike, which is why it's called a "spectrum."

Kids with autism are just like everyone else!

Kids with autism feel the same emotions, but may show them in different ways. They may rub or flap their hands, cover their ears, rock back and forth or make sounds.

Some may not like being touched or making eye contact. Some may be very sensitive to noises, bright lights or too many things happening at once.

Sometimes when things get too overwhelming, a little quiet time helps.

We all communicate differently

Some people may communicate by pointing to pictures. Others use sign language or may use a computer to talk for them.

Just because someone can't talk doesn't mean they can't communicate.

My friend has autism

If you have a friend with autism that doesn't react the way you expect, be patient. It doesn't mean they don't want to be your friend. They may just need a break or to go somewhere more quiet.

And if you are a kid with autism, be kind to yourself. Remember to keep being yourself, be kind and appreciate each other for who they are.

Famous and on the spectrum

People born with autism spectrum disorder experience the world in unique ways. Meet these inspiring people living their best life on the spectrum.

Greta Thunberg - Youth activist

Greta Thunberg calls autism her "superpower." Greta gets people in Sweden and around the world to do more to help the environment. Greta, the eco superhero!

Michael Fuller - Pianist, composer and opera singer

Michael Fuller taught himself music by memorizing the sounds he heard around him in England. Like Mozart, people think he is a child prodigy (that means having serious talent at a young age).

Armani Williams - Nascar driver

Knowing about ASD helped Armani Williams understand himself, become confident and make friends. This American Nascar driver never let autism slow down his need for speed!

Paige "Layle" Hennekam - Influencer & youth activist

Like many females, Paige's experience of autism is very different from a males'. This Ontario youth uses social media to change the way the world understands ASD.

Niam Jain - artist and model

This South-Asian teen from Ontario was introduced to art at 12. Jain is already making waves in the world, selling his art and winning awards!

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What is autism spectrum disorder? | Articles | CBC Kids

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World Autism Awareness Day is April 2 - have you ever heard of autism spectrum disorder? Read on to find out more about it!

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Autism is a difference in how your child’s brain works that causes them to socialize and behave in unique ways. Learn early signs of autism and more.

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Discrimination in Sports: 5 Types & 25 Solutions | Case IQ

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Learn about various forms of discrimination in sports, such as gender, race, and disability, and find effective solutions to foster inclusivity and fairness.

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Guide to Sustainable Shopping - Nat. Geo for Kids

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Guide to Sustainable Shopping - Nat. Geo for Kids

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Knowing that a big event is coming up can prompt kids' need for new things. Whether it's uniform that fits, 'cool clothes' for hanging out with friends, or new stationery for class, the back-to-school shopping list can grow and grow. But is this sustainable shopping?

It's natural for kids to want new items. But even though most kids are passionate about protecting the environment, they're not always aware of how their consumption affects it.

"Eventually, stuff becomes another piece of plastic that will never biodegrade in kids' lifetimes," says Molly Nation, assistant professor of environmental education at Florida Gulf Coast University. "You can ask: Are you prepared to have this item not decay in landfill for however long amount of time? Being really intentional about our purchases and understanding our greater footprint is a great start."

Here's how you and your family can restock in an eco-friendly way - with sustainable shopping in mind.

What shopping does to the Earth

Before you get your family set on a more planet-focused way to shop, it's helpful to know the difference you'll be making.

If you've ever ordered something in a few colours or sizes with a plan to keep just one, you're not alone. 40% of us shop that way. (It even has a name: 'bracketing'.)

But a huge amount of our solid waste comes from packaging - that is, things that are used to ship, store and protect products, which is discarded soon after the product is purchased. And those returns? Often, like packaging, they simply end up in landfill.

Why all the waste instead of your item being resold? "It might take too much time and effort to inspect every product," says Meagan Knowlton, director of sustainability at Optoro, a company that helps businesses streamline their returns to reduce waste. "These companies are really good at selling to you. They're not necessarily optimised at returns."

Knowlton adds that the transportation of those returns adds up to nearly 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That's about the yearly emissions of 3.5 million cars.

Plastic problems

But reducing fossil fuel consumption from shopping isn't just about vehicle emissions. It's also about the environmental cost of production, especially when creating synthetic plastics from natural gas, coal or crude oil.

That can include lots of back-to-school shopping items like synthetic fabrics, glitter or even erasers that are hard to recycle. If nothing changes, a team of experts from organisations including the Centre for International Environmental Law predicts that CO ₂ emissions from producing plastic products could triple by 2050.

And what happens to those products is concerning. According to a report published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as of 2015, 79% of the plastic produced in the last 10 years was in landfills or littering the environment. And 40% of that plastic comes from - you guessed it - packaging.

Talking to kids about sustainable shopping

Kids care deeply about protecting the environment, but their brains are also wired to want new stuff. That's because the thrill of shopping can boost the feel-good hormone dopamine in kids' noodles.

"Many people think that dopamine is released when the brain receives a reward. But dopamine is actually released in anticipation of a reward," says Asha Patton-Smith, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. "So, the build-up in dopamine before the buy, then surges with the buy."

Patton-Smith suggests reconciling kids' need to be kind to Earth with their need for more stuff by having a series of conversations - and by modelling good behaviour.

"Parents are the best example," she says. "By consistently not buying the new, hot thing themselves, or by explaining to kids what they're buying and why they're buying it, kids will learn through experience."

Break it down.

Start by helping children think critically about their consumption: "What is this thing doing to help the environment, or how is it hurting the environment?" If they're salivating over, say, a cartoon-figure lunch box, have them think about where the product came from and how it gets to your house. Older kids can break down the cost of transport, how much fuel is used, or how much water is used to grow the raw materials.

"So, kids begin to understand the lunch box is so much more than what they see," Patton-Smith says.

And even if you broke down and bought those sparkly new trainers, Patton-Smith suggests checking in after a few weeks to see if kids still feel the same way about the product.

"Those dopamine levels fall after the buy," she says. "Use that instant gratification as a teaching moment to reshape how children look at things."

Show them the reality.

Sometimes the best way to show kids the impact of their consumption is to bring them face-to-face with their actions by visiting a recycling centre, landfill or dump.

"I was once told that when you throw something away, it's going away from you, but it's not actually going away," Knowlton says. "It's staying on the Earth, it's going to a dump or a landfill, and it's going to sit there for a long, long time. If you keep using a product, you're keeping something in use and not putting it in a dump."

Here at National Geographic Kids, sustainability is at the fore-front of our business. That's why, in the UK, our monthly magazines are plastic-free and made from recycled paper. Plus, they're recyclable too! Learn about all the other benefits of a National Geographic Kids subscription today.

Top tips for sustainable shopping

Experts agree that mindful shopping - whether it's your back-to-school shopping list, throwing an (almost) zero waste party, or a sustainable shopping goal for Christmas - is key to teaching kids about Earth-friendly consumption. "We can raise a generation that has totally different buying habits than we had in the past." Nation says.

Here's how your family can get that done this season...

Look for stuff that lasts.

That cute K-pop lunchbox probably isn't going to have the same appeal in a few months. But a sleek, more durable lunch container stays hip at all ages. Ellis Jones, associate professor of sociology at the College of the Holy Cross, says you can use your kids' desire to be more grown-up to Earth's advantage.

"I often frame it as 'Would you prefer to buy that water bottle with your favourite character on it, or would you prefer one like Dad has?" he says. "They feel even cooler because they have one that's something you earn as an adult."

Be patient.

Explain to kids that by waiting a little longer for their order, they can reduce the number of delivery cars on the road - and the greenhouse gases they emit. Even if you end up getting multiple packages after foregoing fast shipping, you're likely making a difference.

"The products may be coming from two warehouses, but they're sending two trucks fully loaded to your location rather than sending one car to your house," says Miguel Jaller, co-director of the sustainable freight research program at the University of California Davis. "If you don't need two-hour delivery, don't use two-hour delivery."

Look for swapping or gently-used items.

When mum Annamarie Dopheide's six-year-old wants a new plastic fad item (say, one of those hot pop-it fidgets to keep at his desk), "I let him help me make a post in our local 'Buy Nothing' group," she says. If it doesn't appear, they'll shop for a more sustainable version.

If you can, try to buy better quality.

Remind kids that fast fashion items might be cheap, but they'll likely wind up in a landfill much sooner than something better made - and if that happens, they might end up disappointed. "Buying higher-quality products means you're buying less of them," Nation says.

So, if you need just one pair of leggings or one backpack, explain that it's better for the Earth to spend the same money on the one you really need than to buy two cheaper-but-trendier ones for the same price. Shopping on second-hand marketplaces may make those originally more expensive items easier to obtain, too.

Do a scavenger hunt.

Before picking up a new binder just because it's cool, have kids search the house for something similar they could decorate themselves. If it's still a must-have? "I'll often tell my five-year-old, 'Let me take a picture of it and we'll talk about it later this week if you still want it,'" Jones says. "I wait to see if she asks about it, and if she doesn't, she's let it go."

Care for returns.

Returns aren't ideal, but they happen. So, make sure your kids understands that the quicker you return something that's been kept in perfect shape, the more likely the item will be resold and kept out of a landfill. "Try to maintain the original packaging as best you can," Knowlton says. Then you can reuse it to send it back.

Bargain shop.

At the same time, kids can help keep other people's returns out of dumps by doing some bargain hunting for high-quality sustainable shopping. Often, Knowlton says, items in the clearance section are returns - and just as good as full-price goods. If your kid isn't sold on clearance, Patton-Smith suggests showing off your own finds to warm them up to the idea.

Fix what you can.

Are your kids great at fixing things? Let them find repair videos online for that broken zip, leaky water bottle or jammed mechanical pencil. They'll feel proud, and the stuff might survive another season.

What are your tips for sustainable shopping? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh. Image credits: Seconhand © Juanmonino / Getty Images; all others (c) Adobe Stock.

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Your guide to sustainable shopping | Parents | National Geographic Kids

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Kids begging for new clothes or toys? Looking for some back-to-school sustainable shopping? Check out this eco-friendly guide...

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Examples of Gender Stereotypes | gender-equality-law

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Victims of intimate partner violence are weak because they stay in the relationship

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Huddled in secret schools, Afghan girls refuse to give up on education

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Behind a yellow door in an alley blanketed by snow, 25 girls sit on the floor, huddled in coats and headscarves, in front of a white board. “What are you doing?

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History of Women in Canadian Politics/Government

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History of Women in Canadian Politics/Government

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One hundred years ago, on 6 December 1921, Agnes Campbell Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons and the first woman parliamentarian in the Parliament of Canada. This HillNote provides an overview of selected notable firsts for women in the Parliament of Canada. It also discusses the results of the 44 th federal general election, held on 20 September 2021, in the context of women's representation and the representation of certain other groups in the House of Commons. Finally, the importance of the availability of data on the diversity of candidates in federal electoral politics in Canada and its related challenges are discussed.

History of Women's Representation in the Parliament of Canada

Since 1921, women's representation in the Parliament of Canada has gradually increased, reaching a record proportion in 2021. As of 22 November 2021, women represented 49% of all senators (13 seats were vacant) and 30.5% of all members of the House of Commons. Women's representation has historically been higher in the Senate of Canada than in the House of Commons. Senators, unlike members of the House of Commons, are appointed; current considerations for the appointment process include achieving gender balance. While gender parity has already been achieved in the Senate (in December 2020, there were 47 women senators and 47 men senators), women remain underrepresented in the House of Commons.

Many women have paved the way for others over the past 100 years; selected historic moments for women's representation in the Parliament of Canada since 1919 are highlighted in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Women in Parliament: Selected Highlights over 100 Years

Note: The proportions of parliamentarians who are women represent a snapshot in time and were calculated, in the case of the Senate, based on the makeup of the Senate on the first sitting day of the Parliament and, in the case of the House of Commons, based on the results of federal general elections.
Source: Figure prepared by the Library of Parliament.

Results of the 44th Federal General Election

The first step to gaining a seat in the House of Commons is the decision to run for office. According to data received from Elections Canada, in the 44 th federal general election, 37% of candidates who indicated their gender identity self-identified as women, and 0.5% self-identified as a gender identity other than woman or man.

On election day, women won 103 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons. It is the first time that women's representation in the House of Commons has surpassed 30%. However, progress towards achieving gender parity in the House of Commons remains slow: women's representation in the 44 th Parliament is only 0.9% higher than that at the time of the dissolution of the 43 rd Parliament in August 2021. As of 1 October 2021, Canada ranked 59 th worldwide in terms of women's representation in national lower or single houses of parliament.

Recent updates and additions to available data on candidates in federal general elections have allowed for more detailed analyses of diversity among candidates. Data from Semra Sevi's Who Runs? Canadian Election Datasets show that, among all candidates in the 44 th federal general election,

3% were "publicly out" members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2) communities (59% of these candidates were women); and

2.4% had Indigenous origins (52% of these candidates were women).

Among members of the House of Commons elected on 20 September 2021, 2.4% are publicly out members of LGBTQ2 communities and 3.3% have Indigenous origins. Additionally, the election of Blake Desjarlais, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Griesbach, marked the first time an openly Two-Spirit candidate was elected.

Availability of Data on the Diversity of Candidates in Electoral Politics

Women's right to full and equal participation in the public and political life of their country is recognized by the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The proportion of parliamentarians who are women, or women's descriptive representation, is often used to measure the achievement of this right. For instance, it is used to measure progress towards achieving goal 5 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and the advancement of gender equality in Canada.

There are different sources of data on the gender identity of candidates in Canadian federal elections. Elections Canada collects self-identification data via the candidates' nomination papers, but these data are not always published. As well, the Library of Parliament compiles data on the gender identity of all federal electoral candidates based on publicly available material. Other organizations, such as Equal Voice, and research initiatives collect gender-disaggregated data but, in most cases, these organizations collect such data only for candidates running for major political parties.

While the collection and availability of data on gender identity are important, the collection and availability of data on other identity factors of candidates and parliamentarians are equally important in understanding the representation of all women in political institutions. In Canada, self-identification data on candidate diversity, such as racial diversity, sexual orientation, and Indigenous origins, are not collected by Elections Canada. Political parties in Canada do not usually publish individual-level data on the demographic diversity of their candidates.

For parliamentarians, in addition to data on gender identity, the Library of Parliament compiles publicly available data on Indigenous origins, family ties in Parliament and military service.

In 2021, a group of Canadian researchers published a dataset of 4,516 candidates from the five major political parties that fielded candidates in the 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2019 federal general elections; this dataset included "new data on racial and Indigenous backgrounds." While the dataset shows that diversity among electoral candidates has increased since 2008, individuals who are racialized or Indigenous are underrepresented both as candidates and as members of the House of Commons in comparison to the representation of these demographic groups in the general population. Overall, members of the House of Commons who are women are more diverse than members who are men. In 2019, 24% of members of the House of Commons who were women were racialized or Indigenous, compared to 16% of members who were men (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 - Proportion of Members of the House of Commons Elected in the 2008 and 2019 Federal General Elections Who Were White, Racialized and Indigenous, by Gender

Note: Independent candidates were not included in the dataset used to prepare the figure. Consequently, the three members of the House of Commons who were elected as independents in the 2008 and 2019 federal general elections are not represented in the figure.
Source: Figure prepared by the Library of Parliament using data obtained from Anna Elizabeth Johnson et al.,Dataset on the Demographics of Canadian Federal Election Candidates (2008-2019), Harvard Dataverse Repository, V1, 2021, accessed 15 November 2021.

According to this dataset, of all elected candidates in the 2019 federal general elections, 28% were women, 15% were racialized individuals, and nearly 3% were Indigenous.

Data on gender diversity among candidates and members of the House of Commons representing major federal political parties in Canada are generally available, allowing for analyses of women's representation in federal politics. Improving the availability of authoritative data disaggregated by other intersecting identity factors for senators, members of the House of Commons and candidates will allow for the study of various population groups' representation in federal politics over time.
Additional Resources
de Geus, Roosmarijn et al., eds. Women, Power, and Political Representation: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives. 2021.

House of Commons, Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Elect Her: A Roadmap for Improving the Representation of Women in Canadian Politics. Fourteenth report. April 2019.

Inter-Parliamentary Union. Women in Parliament in 2020. 2021.

Tremblay, Manon. 100 Questions About Women and Politics. 2018.
Authors: Clare Annett and Dominique Montpetit, Library of Parliament
Categories: Government, Parliament and politics, Social affairs and population

Tags: 44Parl, Agnes Campbell Macphail, Elections, gender, House of Commons, Senate, Women

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Women in the Parliament of Canada: 100 Years of Representation - HillNotes

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One hundred years ago, on 6 December 1921, Agnes Campbell Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons and the first woman parliamentarian in the Parliament of Canada. This HillNote provides an overview of selected notable firsts for women in the Parliament of Canada.

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Women's Leadership in Government & Politics (United Nations)

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Women's equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. However, data show that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide and that achieving gender parity in political life is far off.

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Facts and figures: Women's leadership and political participation

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Women's equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. However, data show that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide and that achieving gender parity in political life is far off.

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https://truenorthaid.ca/how-to-help-first-nations/

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Ending stereotypes begins in the classroom

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Girls' self-esteem, ambition and expectations are the first victims of gender stereotypes. Therefore, eradicating clichés and their associated behaviours should be a priority for any society and should begin in schools. Some initiatives advocate introducing female role models into the classroom as a first step.

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Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children's version

1. Definition of a child

A child is any person under the age of 18.

2. No discrimination

All children have all these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what language they speak, what their religion is, what they think, what they look like, if they are a boy or girl, if they have a disability, if they are rich or poor, and no matter who their parents or families are or what their parents or families believe or do. No child should be treated unfairly for any reason.

3. Best interests of the child

When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children. All adults should do what is best for children. Governments should make sure children are protected and looked after by their parents, or by other people when this is needed. Governments should make sure that people and places responsible for looking after children are doing a good job.

4. Making rights real

Governments must do all they can to make sure that every child in their countries can enjoy all the rights in this Convention.

5. Family guidance as children develop

Governments should let families and communities guide their children so that, as they grow up, they learn to use their rights in the best way. The more children grow, the less guidance they will need.

6. Life survival and development

Every child has the right to be alive. Governments must make sure that children survive and develop in the best possible way.

7. Name and nationality

Children must be registered when they are born and given a name which is officially recognized by the government. Children must have a nationality (belong to a country). Whenever possible, children should know their parents and be looked after by them.

8. Identity

Children have the right to their own identity - an official record of who they are which includes their name, nationality and family relations. No one should take this away from them, but if this happens, governments must help children to quickly get their identity back.

9. Keeping families together

Children should not be separated from their parents unless they are not being properly looked after - for example, if a parent hurts or does not take care of a child. Children whose parents don't live together should stay in contact with both parents unless this might harm the child.

10. Contact with parents across countries

If a child lives in a different country than their parents, governments must let the child and parents travel so that they can stay in contact and be together.

11. Protection from kidnapping

Governments must stop children being taken out of the country when this is against the law - for example, being kidnapped by someone or held abroad by a parent when the other parent does not agree.

12. Respect for children's views

Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. Adults should listen and take children seriously.

13. Sharing thoughts freely

Children have the right to share freely with others what they learn, think and feel, by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way unless it harms other people.

14. Freedom of thought and religion

Children can choose their own thoughts, opinions and religion, but this should not stop other people from enjoying their rights. Parents can guide children so that as they grow up, they learn to properly use this right.

15. Setting up or joining groups

Children can join or set up groups or organisations, and they can meet with others, as long as this does not harm other people.

16. Protection of privacy

Every child has the right to privacy. The law must protect children's privacy, family, home, communications and reputation (or good name) from any attack.

17. Access to information

Children have the right to get information from the Internet, radio, television, newspapers, books and other sources. Adults should make sure the information they are getting is not harmful. Governments should encourage the media to share information from lots of different sources, in languages that all children can understand.

18. Responsibility of parents

Parents are the main people responsible for bringing up a child. When the child does not have any parents, another adult will have this responsibility and they are called a "guardian". Parents and guardians should always consider what is best for that child. Governments should help them. Where a child has both parents, both of them should be responsible for bringing up the child.

19. Protection from violence

Governments must protect children from violence, abuse and being neglected by anyone who looks after them.

20. Children without families

Every child who cannot be looked after by their own family has the right to be looked after properly by people who respect the child's religion, culture, language and other aspects of their life.

21. Children who are adopted

When children are adopted, the most important thing is to do what is best for them. If a child cannot be properly looked after in their own country - for example by living with another family - then they might be adopted in another country.

22. Refugee children

Children who move from their home country to another country as refugees (because it was not safe for them to stay there) should get help and protection and have the same rights as children born in that country.

23. Children with disabilities

Every child with a disability should enjoy the best possible life in society. Governments should remove all obstacles for children with disabilities to become independent and to participate actively in the community.

24. Health, water, food, environment

Children have the right to the best health care possible, clean water to drink, healthy food and a clean and safe environment to live in. All adults and children should have information about how to stay safe and healthy.

25. Review of a child's placement

Every child who has been placed somewhere away from home - for their care, protection or health - should have their situation checked regularly to see if everything is going well and if this is still the best place for the child to be.

26. Social and economic help

Governments should provide money or other support to help children from poor families.

27. Food, clothing, a safe home

Children have the right to food, clothing and a safe place to live so they can develop in the best possible way. The government should help families and children who cannot afford this.

28. Access to education

Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary and higher education should be available to every child. Children should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level possible. Discipline in schools should respect children's rights and never use violence.

29. Aims of education

Children's education should help them fully develop their personalities, talents and abilities. It should teach them to understand their own rights, and to respect other people's rights, cultures and differences. It should help them to live peacefully and protect the environment.

30. Minority culture, language and religion

Children have the right to use their own language, culture and religion - even if these are not shared by most people in the country where they live.

31. Rest, play, culture, arts

Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities.

32. Protection from harmful work

Children have the right to be protected from doing work that is dangerous or bad for their education, health or development. If children work, they have the right to be safe and paid fairly.

33. Protection from harmful drugs

Governments must protect children from taking, making, carrying or selling harmful drugs.

34. Protection from sexual abuse

The government should protect children from sexual exploitation (being taken advantage of) and sexual abuse, including by people forcing children to have sex for money, or making sexual pictures or films of them.

35. Prevention of sale and trafficking

Governments must make sure that children are not kidnapped or sold, or taken to other countries or places to be exploited (taken advantage of).

36. Protection from exploitation

Children have the right to be protected from all other kinds of exploitation (being taken advantage of), even if these are not specifically mentioned in this Convention.

37. Children in detention

Children who are accused of breaking the law should not be killed, tortured, treated cruelly, put in prison forever, or put in prison with adults. Prison should always be the last choice and only for the shortest possible time. Children in prison should have legal help and be able to stay in contact with their family.

38. Protection in war

Children have the right to be protected during war. No child under 15 can join the army or take part in war.

39. Recovery and reintegration

Children have the right to get help if they have been hurt, neglected, treated badly or affected by war, so they can get back their health and dignity.

40. Children who break the law

Children accused of breaking the law have the right to legal help and fair treatment. There should be lots of solutions to help these children become good members of their communities. Prison should only be the last choice.

41. Best law for children applies

If the laws of a country protect children's rights better than this Convention, then those laws should be used.

42. Everyone must know children's rights

Governments should actively tell children and adults about this Convention so that everyone knows about children's rights.

43 to 54. How the Convention works

These articles explain how governments, the United Nations - including the Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF - and other organisations work to make sure all children enjoy all their rights.

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The Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children's version

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Read and download the child-friendly version of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

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Refugees in Canada: A glimpse into the lives and achievements of the one million refugees who arrived in Canada since 1980.

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Conscious Consumerism for Kids: Empowering the Next Generation

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Discover how to cultivate conscious consumerism in children and empower them to make sustainable choices. Explore the buyerarchy of needs and learn practical strategies for teaching kids about mindful consumption. Start building a foundation for a better future today.

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Meet young Changemaker, Siena! - National Geographic Kids

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Siena has been championing neurodiversity since she was just 13 years old! She’s passionate about making everyone feel supported…

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Want to see some great action that IB students have taken to address an issue? Check this out!

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The graduating class of 2020 at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa recognized the value of their Diploma Programme (DP) and wanted to give back to their community as they transitioned to a new chapter. With the #DoMore2020 initiative, these grads pledged to raise US$50,000 in scholarship funds for African students pursuing an IB education.

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Creativity, activity, service (CAS) | IB Community Blog

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The graduating class of 2020 at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa recognized the value of their Diploma Programme (DP) and wanted to give back to their community as they transitioned to a new chapter. With the #DoMore2020 initiative, these grads pledged to raise US$50,000 in scholarship funds for African students pursuing an IB education.

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News article about the arrival of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.

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'I feel very helpless': Ukrainian refugees fleeing invasion start settling around GTA

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Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion are starting to arrive in the Greater Toronto Area, charting a new path as they continue to watch more death and destruction in their homeland.

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Map of Long Term - Drinking Water Advisories (LT -DWA) for Indigenous Communities

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Map of Long Term - Drinking Water Advisories (LT -DWA) for Indigenous Communities

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Map of long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserves

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Explore the map of lifted and remaining long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserves across Canada.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water.

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Image

Photograph by David Liitschwager

Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastic particles. Officially, they are defined as plastics less than five millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter-smaller in diameter than the standard pearl used in jewelry. There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary.

Primary microplastics are tiny particles designed for commercial use, such as cosmetics, as well as microfibers shed from clothing and other textiles, such as fishing nets. Secondarymicroplastics are particles that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items, such as water bottles. This breakdown is caused by exposure to environmental factors, mainly the sun's radiation and ocean waves.

The problem with microplastics is that-like plastic items of any size-they do not readily break down into harmless molecules. Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose-and in the meantime, wreak havoc on the environment. On beaches, microplastics are visible as tiny multicolored plastic bits in sand. In the oceans, microplastic pollution is often consumed by marine animals.

Some of this environmental pollution is from littering, but much is the result of storms, water runoff, and winds that carry plastic-both intact objects and microplastics-into our oceans. Single-use plastics-plastic items meant to be used just once and then discarded, such as a straw-are the primary source of secondary plastics in the environment.

Microplastics have been detected in marine organisms from plankton to whales, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. Alarmingly, standard water treatment facilities cannot remove all traces of microplastics. To further complicate matters, microplastics in the ocean can bind with other harmful chemicals before being ingested by marine organisms.

Scientists are still unsure whether consumed microplastics are harmful to human or animal health-and if so, what specific dangers they may pose. Even so, many countries are taking action to reduce microplastics in the environment. A 2017 United Nations resolution discussed microplastics and the need for regulations to reduce this hazard to our oceans, their wildlife, and human health.

National Geographic Society

October 31, 2023

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Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to the environment and animal health.

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Removing Carbon Dioxide From the Air to Combat Climate Change

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Removing Carbon Dioxide From the Air to Combat Climate Change

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One of the challenges facing the world as it fights the climate crisis is how to remove pollution from the air, and store it so that it's harmless. Today, NFK looks at the promise and challenges of "capturing carbon".

It's no secret that the world is struggling to deal with a "climate crisis". The heavy use of fossil fuels over the last 150 years has caused the Earth to warm up. That pattern will continue and get worse unless we stop the pollution very, very quickly.

And even if we do end fossil fuel use, there's still way too much of a polluting gas called "carbon dioxide" (CO2) in our atmosphere. Recent reports by scientists make it clear that this CO2 must be removed from the atmosphere and stored.

Plants and trees do this naturally. But there's so much CO2 in the atmosphere that planting trees and protecting forests won't come close to solving the problem. That means humans need to come up with ways of removing carbon from the air and storing it. This is called Direct Air Capture (DAC).

Carbon Dioxide in the Air
Even though there's too much carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, CO2 is still just a small part of the gases that make up air. If you could somehow take a bag of air, split it into the gases that make up the air, and put those gases into 2,500 tiny bags, only one of those tiny bags would have carbon dioxide in it. That's what DAC technologies need to remove.

The science of removing carbon from the air is hugely challenging, and it's still fairly new. But there are already about 18 working carbon removal factories around the world. Some store the CO2 they remove. Others turn it into other products, including fuel. So far, though, they can't remove much carbon.

Last September, the world's largest carbon capture factory opened in Iceland. Called Orca, the project is run by Climeworks, which works on capturing the CO2, and CarbFix, which handles storing the carbon in rocks deep underground. The factory can remove up to 4,000 metric tons of CO2 a year.

Though the Orca plant represents huge progress, there's a very long way to go. Experts say that by 2030, we need to be able to remove 85 million metric tons of CO2 from the air. It would take 1,000 factories like Orca over 20 years to remove that much. Factories that can remove even more CO2 are being planned, but it will take time for them to be built.

Until recently, scientists working on capturing carbon had a hard time finding support for their research. Now, because of the crisis, there are many scientists working on the problem, and many companies willing to pay for it. Governments worldwide have promised nearly $4 billion to develop carbon capture methods and factories.

Not everyone is excited about carbon removal. Some people worry that there's not enough time left for DAC technology to be developed and become powerful enough to make a big difference. Others worry that focusing on removing carbon could take attention away from more important climate actions, like switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

It's certainly true that the world needs to cut fossil fuel use. But experts say that the world also needs to pull carbon out of the air. The trick will be for governments and companies to do both.

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The Challenge of Removing Carbon Dioxide from the Air

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One of the challenges facing the world as it fights the climate crisis is how to remove pollution from the air, and store it so that it's harmless. Today, NFK looks at the promise and challenges of "capturing carbon". It's no secret that the world is struggling to deal with a "climate crisis".

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The Plastic Eating Enzyme that Could Solve Our Plastic Problem

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The Plastic Eating Enzyme that Could Solve Our Plastic Problem

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Only a portion of the over 359 million tons of plastic that is produced annually gets recycled (Credit: Hans/CCO/Pixabay)

The negative health impacts of plastic on both wildlife and humans have been well-documented. However, the versatile material, which is used for everything from grocery bags to drink bottles to food packaging, is hard to avoid. Experts estimate that of the 359 million tons of plastics produced annually worldwide, about 150-200 million tons end up in landfills or the environment. To make matters worse, the material derived from the small percentage of plastic that is recycled is of lower quality and can only be used a few times for items like clothing or carpets before it has to be discarded.

Now, French start-up Carbios wants to help alleviate the world's plastic pollution problem with a mutant bacterial enzyme that digests PET - the most abundant polyester plastic used to produce packaging, textile fibers, and plastic bottles - and turn it into its chemical building blocks. The resulting material can be used to create anything and, more importantly, can be continuously recycled.

Carbios has developed an enzyme that breaks down plastic into its original chemical building blocks (Credit: Carbios)

Mechanical recycling, which entails washing, shredding, and melting the polymer, "is limited," explains Carbios CEO Martin Stephan. "To make a transparent bottle with that technology, you need a transparent bottle as a feedstock. And you cannot do that infinitely. After six or seven cycles of recycling, the plastic might only be good enough to use for something like the plastic on the backing of a carpet, and eventually, it will have to be thrown away entirely. So it's not a solution for the end of life of plastics, whereas our solution is an infinite recycling solution."

The company's quest for the optimal plastic-eating bacteria began about a decade ago, with 100,000 promising candidates. The list was soon whittled down to one - a leaf compost bug, which was first discovered in 2012. "It had been completely forgotten, but it turned out to be the best," said Alain Marty, a professor at the Univerité de Toulouse and the chief science officer at Carbios.

The recycled material produced by Carbios is of high quality and can be reused forever (Credit: Carbios)

Once the perfect contender had been identified, Carbios scientists introduced mutations to improve its plastic digesting prowess and keep it stable at 65 degrees Celsius - the ideal temperature for fast degradation. The new and improved enzyme was able to downgrade 90 percent of a metric ton of shredded plastic in less than 10 hours.

To breakdown the plastic, the waste is placed in a reactor with water and the enzyme and heated for 16 hours at 65 degrees Celsius. The resulting mix is then filtered and purified. This allows for the recovery of the building blocks that make up PET plastics - PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid) and MEG (Mono Ethylene Glycol) - and also extracts any additives and colors that may be present. "These [PTA and MEG] are then repolymerized into virgin PET and transformed into a bottle, without the need of having to use new monomers [molecules] made from fossil resources," says Benjamin Audebert, the company's head of investor relations.

Carbios manufactures new food-grade plastic bottles created using recycled material (Credit: Carbios)

The recycling process, which is currently in its pilot stage, will be tested on a larger scale at a new, bigger facility in Lyon, France, by the end of 2020 or early 2021. Once all the kinks have been removed, Carbios hopes to launch the technology commercially. Not surprisingly, the company has already signed up several large customers, including L'Oréal, Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo, and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, who are all eager to reduce their ecological footprint. "We are the first company to bring this technology on the market," said Stephan. "Our goal is to be up and running by 2024, 2025, at large industrial scale."

Though Carbios's recycling technique will certainly help reduce plastic pollution, Stephan believes it is only part of the solution. The CEO thinks we can only win the battle if people do a better job of ensuring that plastic waste does not end up in the environment or in landfills. So the next time you use a plastic bottle or container, be sure to make the extra effort to place it in a recycling bin.

Resources: Forbes.com, Fastcompany.com, Time.com

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Carbios's Plastic-Eating Enzyme May Help Alleviate The World's Pollution Problem

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The negative health impacts of plastic on both wildlife and humans have been well-documented. However, the versatile material, which is used for everything from grocery bags to drink bottles to food packaging, is hard to avoid. Experts estimate that of the 359 million tons of plastics produced annually worldwide, about 150-200 million tons end up in landfills or the environment.

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Fair Trade Products: What is Fair Trade?

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Fair Trade Products: What is Fair Trade?

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No water, no school: How water delivery issues disrupt learning for Inuit children in Nunavik — CBC News

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Damaged or inadequate pumps, filtration or water storage tanks and mechanical breakdowns in water delivery trucks and an unforgiving climate mean that schools in northern Quebec’s Inuit territory of Nunavik regularly face water supply issues.

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Exploring the Distinct Types of Learning with Examples for the Classroom

In our educational system today, teachers are well aware of the fact that individual students respond to specific types of learning. However, the challenge to be effective still remains for teachers who stand in front of a large classroom of diverse children. Most of these classes are too large to offer much individual instruction catered for each student.

It wasn't long ago when learning challenges such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and a myriad of other learning disabilities went undiagnosed or even considered. But even with added resources and understanding, individual teachers are expected to provide quality education on a multiple of subjects to a relatively mass audience.

Since every child is unique, we believe that if distinct types of learning are employed throughout school year, fewer children will be left behind. Teachers may notice that some children who were struggling have responded to a specific method. At the very least, changing things up from day to day will offer variety and make school more engaging for everyone.

The Distinct Types of Learning Styles

The predominate learning styles is laid out in the VARK system ( Visual | Auditory | Reading (and Writing) | K inesthetic). Let dig into these types first.

Visual Learning

A learning style in which information is best processed when presented visually. Individuals with a preference for visual learning often learn more effectively through images, charts, graphs, diagrams, and other visual aids. They may find it easier to understand and remember information when a visual format is used.

Examples of Visual Learning:

Mind Maps: Visual representations of information, concepts, or ideas, often created around a central theme or topic. They use branches, colors, and keywords to organize and illustrate relationships between different pieces of information. Similarly, flowcharts visually show the workflow from beginning to end of a process.

Infographics: Visual representations of data or information designed to present complex information quickly and clearly. They often use a combination of text, images, and icons to convey information in an easily digestible format. Visual learners benefit from infographics as they provide a visually engaging way to grasp and remember information.

Auditory Learning

A learning style in which individuals prefer to absorb information through listening. People with a strong auditory learning preference may learn more effectively through spoken words, discussions, and other auditory stimuli. They often benefit from explanations, lectures, and group discussions.

Examples of Auditory Learning:

Lectures and Oral Presentations: Auditory learners excel in environments where information is delivered verbally, such as lectures or oral presentations. They are likely to remember and understand concepts better when they hear them explained rather than reading them. Engaging speakers and dynamic presentations can be particularly effective for auditory learners.

Podcasts and Audiobooks: Auditory learners may find podcasts and audiobooks to be valuable tools for acquiring new information. Listening to spoken content allows them to absorb information through their sense of hearing. This form of learning is flexible, as it can be done while commuting, exercising, or performing other activities, making it convenient for auditory learners.

Reading/Writing

The Reading/Writing learning style in the VARK model refers to individuals who prefer to process information through written words. Learners with this preference often excel when they can read and write about a topic to understand and remember it effectively. They may prefer textbooks, written instructions, and notetaking as primary methods of learning.

Examples of the Reading and Writing learning style:

Text-Based Materials: Individuals with a preference for reading/writing often benefit from traditional text-based materials such as books, articles, and written instructions. They may find it easier to grasp information when presented in written form, allowing them to analyze and comprehend details through reading.

Note Taking and Summarizing: Reading/Writing learners often engage in notetaking as a strategy to reinforce their understanding of information. They may jot down key points, create outlines, or write summaries to process and remember what they've learned. This process of translating information into written form helps solidify their comprehension.

Kinesthetic Learning

Also known as tactile learning, the kinesthetic learning style where individuals prefer a hands-on approach to learning. Kinesthetic learners process information best through physical activities, movement, and direct manipulation of objects. They often learn by doing and benefit from actively engaging with the material.

Examples of Kinesthetic Learning:

Experiential Learning Activities: Kinesthetic learners thrive in activities that involve direct experiences and physical interactions. This can include science experiments, simulations, role-playing exercises, or field trips. By actively participating in these experiences, kinesthetic learners can better understand and retain information.

Hands-On Projects: Kinesthetic learners often excel in projects that require physical manipulation or construction. This could involve building models, conducting experiments, or creating something tangible related to the subject matter. For example, in a science class, kinesthetic learners might understand concepts better by physically assembling a model of a cell or conducting hands-on experiments to explore scientific principles.

Exploring Additional Learning Styles

A teacher need feel bound to teach according to one specific system of learning. Likewise, there are other additional factors to look at that can inhibit or strengthen their ability to learn. Beyond the primary types of learning, taking into account the styles of learning below can greatly enhance student engagement. Some of these relate to a child's personality type while others have more to do with a particular aptitude.

Social Learners (Linguistic)

Social learners thrive on interaction and collaboration with others as a primary means of acquiring and processing information. These individuals are most effective when they can engage in discussions, work in groups, and share ideas with peers. Social learning is often characterized by a preference for interpersonal communication and learning through social cues.

Example of Group Discussions and Collaborative Projects:

Social learners excel in group settings where they can actively participate in discussions and collaborative projects. For instance, in a classroom setting, a social learner might perform exceptionally well during group study sessions, where ideas are exchanged, different perspectives are considered, and the collective knowledge of the group is harnessed to deepen understanding. This collaborative approach helps social learners reinforce their learning through social interaction.

Solitary Learners

Also known as intrapersonal learners, solitary learners, prefer to work independently and often find solitary environments conducive to their learning process. These individuals are self-reflective and tend to be more introspective, thriving in settings where they can focus on individual tasks without external distractions.

Example of Independent Study and Self-Paced Learning:

Solitary learners are likely to excel in situations where they can study independently, such as through self-paced courses, individual research projects, or personal reading. For example, a solitary learner might prefer to read textbooks, conduct research alone, or work through course materials independently. This allows them to concentrate and learn effectively in a quieter and more self-directed environment.

Logical Learners (Analytical)

Also referred to as analytical learners, logical learners are individuals who excel in environments that require reasoning, analysis, and systematic thinking. They thrive when they can understand the underlying principles and relationships governing a subject. Logical learners prefer structure and logic in their learning materials.

Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Exercises:

Logical learners often excel in activities that involve problem-solving and critical thinking. For instance, in a STEM program they may perform well when presented with complex problems that require a logical and systematic approach to find solutions. Engaging in activities that challenge their analytical skills, such as puzzles, simulations, or experiments with a clear cause-and-effect relationship, can be particularly effective for logical learners.

Nature Learners

While learning styles like visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and others focus on sensory preferences, the concept of "nature learners" doesn't have a widely recognized definition in traditional educational psychology. However, if you're referring to individuals who have a strong affinity for learning in natural environments or through nature-related activities, I can provide an example:

Outdoor Education and Environmental Exploration:

Individuals who thrive as nature learners may benefit from educational experiences that take place outdoors. This could involve field trips to natural settings, environmental studies, or activities like gardening. For instance, a nature learner might better understand ecological concepts by actively participating in projects that involve observing and interacting with the natural world. This hands-on experience in nature enhances their learning process and allows them to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world observations.

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that can engage a variety of students regardless of their dominate learning style. PBL centers around students taking part in complex, real-world projects to deepen their understanding of a subject. Instead of traditional classroom methods, this method of learning emphasizes hands-on, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning.

Project-based learning is not just utilized in schools. It is a universal concept that any team can use in any organization.

Here is a video that explains Project-Based Learning in a non-school setting:

For students, class members typically work on projects in groups that require critical thinking, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge and skills. This frees up teachers to roam the classroom and provide individual attention where needed.

Benefits and Examples of Project-Based Learning:

Real-World Projects: Involve students in working on authentic, real-world projects that connect academic content to practical applications.

Inquiry and Investigation: Have students engage in inquiry and investigation. Encourage the asking of questions and exploring topics in-depth to develop a deeper understanding.

Hands-On Activities: Emphasize hands-on, experiential learning, and allow students to actively participate in the learning process on a set project or exercise.

Collaboration: Put students to work in collaborative groups on a project. This promotes teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Critical Thinking: Encourage critical thinking and problem-solving by having students analyze information, make decisions, and solve complex problems.

Autonomy and Ownership: Provide students with a sense of autonomy and ownership over their learning. Teamwork on a task will give them greater sense of responsibility for their education.

Reflection: Include opportunities for students to reflect on their learning process, identify challenges, and consider how to improve their work.

Presentations and Exhibitions: Have students work together with the end goal being the presentation or exhibitions of their projects to an audience. The presentation could 50% of their mark to promote communication skills as a team.

Continuous Learning: Check in with group projects to assist with students who are encountering challenges. Encourage them revise their work to refine their understanding throughout the project.

Summing Up the Distinct Types of Learning

All the elements explored here have hopefully served to collectively contribute to the effectiveness of teaching students to be the best they can be. Just as 'one shoe does not fit all', that does not mean kids shouldn't be exposed to various learning styles. At the very least, variety is the spice of life and will help hold a student's attention throughout the school year. Furthermore, in a classroom setting, employing various learning styles ensure all students are given equal opportunity to learn in a way that suits them.

Additionally, a pre-existing strength in one area does not mean a child cannot effectively expand their horizons and benefit from several types of methods. Children will face a myriad of challenges in their lifetime. Exposure to classroom lectures, individual teaching, and group settings will equipment them to better respond and develop live long learning in their relationships, career, and whatever they set their minds too.

Kid-Approved Ear Care: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Little Ears in Top Shape

When it comes to the health of our family members, especially the youngest ones among us, there is nothing more important than making sure their ears are in top shape. As parents, no matter how great a job we do try to keep our kids safe and healthy, little ears can sometimes be easily forgotten about...until something goes wrong.

The good news is that ear care for your children doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming; with a few simple tips and tricks, you can quickly learn the best ways to make sure your kid's ears stay nice and clean without being overly invasive!

Through this ultimate guide on kid-approved ear care practices, you'll find out everything you need to know when it comes to keeping those cute little lobes healthy - from prevention methods and education on infections down to different home remedies if any issues arise. So, let's get started now - after all - your child's safety should always come first!

Choosing the Right Hearing Aid

Choosing the right hearing aid for your child is a decision that can greatly affect their quality of life. It's important to consider a few factors when making this decision, such as the type and severity of their hearing loss, the child's age, and lifestyle, as well as personal preferences. A consultation with an audiologist can greatly assist in finding the best hearing aid options available. From traditional behind-the-ear models to discrete in-the-ear styles, the cost of hearing aids varies, and there are a variety of hearing aids available that can accommodate your child's unique needs and ensure they can communicate effectively in any setting. By taking the time to research and test different models, you can make an informed decision and provide your child with the best-fit hearing aid.

Identifying an Ear Infection

Ear infections can be extremely uncomfortable and painful. Symptoms can vary depending on the type of infection and age of the individual. However, some common signs include ear pain, fever, drainage from the ear, difficulty hearing, and irritability in children. If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, it is important to seek medical help.

Ignoring the symptoms can lead to more serious complications, such as hearing loss or ruptured eardrum. Your healthcare provider can examine your ears and determine the cause of the infection. Treatment may include antibiotics or other medications to alleviate symptoms and prevent the infection from worsening. Remember, early detection and treatment are key when it comes to ear infections.

Create an Ear Care Routine for Kids

Proper hygiene is essential for maintaining good health, and ear care is a crucial part of it that we tend to overlook. Children, in particular, need to have a regular ear care routine to prevent infections or wax build-up. However, as parents, we understand that convincing your little ones to clean their ears can be challenging. So, we have put together some tips to make ear cleaning a regular part of your child's grooming routine. By incorporating these simple practices, you can help your young ones form healthy habits that will benefit them in the long run. So, let's dive in and make ear care easier for both you and your child!

Treating Common Ear Problems

Our ears are essential for experiencing the sounds of the world around us, but even the smallest ear problems can be a major annoyance. Fortunately, many common ear issues can be treated easily with at-home remedies. If you're dealing with minor infections, wax build-up, or other common ear ailments, there are plenty of natural solutions that can help relieve discomfort and promote healing.

From oil drops to warm compresses, explore some of the top home remedies for treating common ear problems. With a little bit of knowledge and a few simple ingredients, you can keep your ears healthy and hearing clearly.

Best Practices for Maintaining Healthy Ears

As parents, we want our children to be healthy in all aspects of their lives, and one area that can sometimes be overlooked is the health of their ears. It's important to establish good habits early on so that little ears stay clean and healthy. One key practice is to avoid sticking anything smaller than your elbow into your child's ear! This can push earwax further into the ear canal, potentially causing damage or hearing loss.

Instead, gently clean the outer ear with a washcloth and avoid using cotton swabs. Additionally, be mindful of noise levels in your child's environment as excessive noise can damage hearing. By following these best practices and establishing healthy habits, we can help keep little ears in tip-top shape!

Prepping Kids for a Professional Cleaning Visit

Whether it's a routine check-up or for a specific concern, getting your child's ears checked at the doctor's office can be a nerve-racking experience for both kids and parents. As a parent, it's important to make sure your child feels comfortable and prepared for the visit. One way to ease their worries is by explaining the process beforehand and answering any questions they may have.

Consider practicing at home by using a toy doctor's kit to give your child a sense of what to expect. Also, be sure to bring along some distractions like a book or a favorite toy to keep them occupied during the exam. Remember, the more informed and at ease your child feels, the smoother and more successful the visit will be.

With all this information, it's clear that there's a lot more to ear care and health than many families realize. This is why it's so important for parents and guardians to be informed about best practices when it comes to ear care - understanding warning signs, proper maintenance tips, professional visits, and the right hearing aid if needed. Implementing a consistent ear-cleaning routine can go a long way in helping keep your child's hearing safe.

Ear health is something that should not be taken lightly, and you must be prepared with proper knowledge and resources. Hearing impairments can also lead to issues with speech and your child's overall education. \ If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to a professional - they can help you determine the best course of action for keeping your little one safe and healthy. So, what are you waiting for? Get informed today so that your children can have healthy ears tomorrow!

Why Keeping Games Consoles Secure Should be a Priority

The rise in video games cannot be understated. What was once a public novelty has now evolved into a quintessential part of most homes, with children and teenagers firmly accustomed to the idea of playing video games. Unlike age ratings like for films and content, there is no official or recommended age for using games consoles

With online gaming becoming vastly popular, it's never been more important for parents to decide if their child can safely use one. This guide is here to explain why ensuring your child's gaming system should always be secure, and why overlooking that aspect could present some serious concerns.

Gaming and Consoles are Mainstays of 2024

Recent surveys show that most children aged 7 to 18 (68%) own a games console, with a further 9% having access to one, which is quite telling of the situation many parents and educators find themselves in. At least 53% of US households report owning at least one gaming console, with 26% claiming a 'next-generation' model. Not only are video games and consoles firmly ingrained in how kids interact with each other and form social connections, but they also shape their experiences.

As our culture has grown increasingly digitally connected in recent years, it's no surprise that video gaming consoles have become 'must-haves' for today's youth. With many kids in elementary school playing video games semi-regularly, it's become a solid necessity to not feel isolated from their peers.

Multiplayer capabilities and a host of new releases making the rounds each year also make consoles highly coveted. Not only that, but the advancements in tech also make gaming more enticing, with keen gamers seeking new consoles and exclusive games to immerse themselves in. Therefore, it's fair to say that consoles and gaming are here to stay, so parents and caretakers must ensure safe usage, rather than restrict access.

Security Concerns of Video Gaming

Amid all the discourse surrounding video games and their influence on children's behavior, it cannot be denied that they can, if moderated and monitored appropriately, can have educational and social benefits. However, one thing that remains constant is the level of risk that lies with such proficient online gaming. Consoles introduce risks, ranging from interconnectivity with strangers in online, often 'lawless' chatrooms and forums, to a plethora of other cyber security risks and privacy breaches.

Providers and network administrators have their part to play in ensuring the robustness of their infrastructure. They can use mechanisms like vulnerability patching and penetration testing for weaknesses, although each user has to exercise vigilance. Console developers, meanwhile, are often tasked with rigorously securing networks and infrastructure, yet bad actors can still slip through the cracks. Sony recently suffered a series of hacks and security breaches which compromised user data, thus emphasizing the need for bolstering defenses.

Risks and Threats Associated with Gaming Devices

Games consoles introduce a range of potential cyber risks which can be concerning for parents. These include but are not limited to the following:

Personal data collection - Like all internet-connected devices, consoles and games can collect and transmit large amounts of user data. From usernames and passwords to usage data and communications, this information needs safeguarding with precision to prevent it from being used fraudulently or maliciously.

Device takeovers - Unwarranted hacks can give attackers full control over the console and any other connected devices. Remote hackers can compromise a device and expose users to unauthorized or inappropriate content.

Account takeovers - Attackers with stolen login credentials can access user accounts, steal personal information, make fraudulent purchases with saved payment cards, exploit associated email accounts, and much more.

Communication platforms - Instant messaging, and voice chat features can expose vulnerable children to bullying and harassment. If not supervised, kids can become victims of exploitative cyberbullying and social engineering attacks.

Malware risks - Viruses, spyware, and other malware can 'brick' games and consoles or render them inaccessible. These can often materialize innocuously without arousing suspicion from users.

Network risks - Gaming on public Wi-Fi networks - or those with poor, weak network security - leaves consoles vulnerable to eavesdropping and MitM (man-in-the-middle) cyber attacks.

This year alone we have seen the aforementioned attacks on the PlayStation Network, as well as a large-scale data leak on the Xbox servers. As these are two of the industry's most recognizable brands, it only proves that as consoles grow in popularity, they can become more appealing targets for cybercriminals. Therefore, personal safety and security is essential.

Securing Gaming Devices and Accounts

While there are undoubtedly risks when using gaming consoles, they are, fundamentally, no different than those that exist when using the Internet. This type of technology is increasingly available and beneficial, so the steps that parents can take to minimize threats bear many similarities to moderating children's Internet usage and access.

As a baseline level, consider implementing these controls to keep your kids safer when using online game consoles.

Use Strong Passwords and MFA

Establishing strong, unique passwords - using undecipherable, random strings of letters, numbers, symbols and capitalizations - will make initial barriers harder to break. Avoid using birthdays, pet names, or other easy-to-guess information in passwords.

Keep this data safe and bolster it by allowing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to validate login attempts. It might seem overly protective, but this will prevent usernames and passwords from being compromised.

Limit Personal Info

When setting up accounts, make sure that only essential information is provided. Consider leaving phone numbers, locations, school names, and other identifiable information fields blank, and restricting the access that third-party applications have to this data. Consider also masking real names on user profiles to avoid being targeted or identified.

Monitor Friends and Chats

If your child interacts with friends online, there's a good chance that, over time, they may encounter mutual friends and broaden their friendship circle online. However, listen carefully to what they say. Take a fervent interest in what they talk about and the interactions they mention in conversation.

If they seem 'off' or dissociate, it could indicate that they are interacting with someone anonymous who is worrying or stressing them. Cyberbullies and predators lurk in gaming comms channels, so pay close attention. If necessary, step in and enable parental controls and enhance privacy settings.

Patch Networks and Consoles

Ensure your home Wi-Fi uses modern WPA2 or WPA3 encryption protocols and a long, complicated pre-shared key (password). If relevant, consider installing a separate VPN to offer more robust, controlled connections.

Keep firmware updated on the console itself as well as routers and other network devices, applying all new security patches and revisions when prompted.

Disable remote administration capabilities and UPnP on routers, and, where possible, connect consoles to routers using ethernet cables. This stabilizes the connection between the console and the Internet.

Beware of Social Engineering

Kids may instinctively try to keep their gaming activities secret from parents, particularly if they find it to be an immersive escape from daily life. However, it's important to bridge that gap where possible and educate them - not forcefully but, rather, openly - on attempts to manipulate them.

Teach them ways to identify attempts to steal login credentials or sensitive data, and emphasize that divulging this could pose a security risk. Phishing emails, notifications, and links can be dangerous, so they should take time to assess their legitimacy before clicking them.

It will help exponentially if your child feels comfortable maintaining autonomy when using their console but flagging up any suspicions to you with confidence, at which point you can intervene without reprimanding them.

While no gaming console security is foolproof, combining the security steps outlined above will significantly reduce the attack surface. Parents must manage and monitor console usage carefully but not to the point where it becomes disruptive or invasive to their child's enjoyment. Stay alert for new threats and make cyber safety an ongoing conversation with your young gamer(s), as they should feel empowered to enjoy the gaming experience without becoming desensitized to it because of security concerns.

If your kids want to find their own solutions to any challenging parts of the games they are playing, you can support them to navigate the web safely by using Safe Search Kids. Using Safe Search Kids means that you don't have to worry about your kids stumbling upon content that isn't appropriate for them.

15 Heartfelt and Affordable Gifts for Mum-to-Be

Welcoming a new life into the world is exciting, especially for expectant mothers. It's a period filled with anticipation, joy, and, of course, a bit of anxiety. During this time, celebrating a mum-to-be with thoughtful gifts can add a sparkle to her journey.

But here's the thing - these gifts don't have to break the bank. In this guide, we'll explore some heartfelt yet affordable gift ideas, perfect for showing love and support without stretching your wallet.

Why Affordable Gifts Matter for Mum-to-Be

In an age where the cost of living and raising a child is ever-increasing, being budget-conscious is more critical than ever. But let's not confuse affordable with less meaningful. The value of a gift lies in its thoughtfulness, not its price tag. Cheap presents can be practical and emotionally gratifying, offering a way to show care without financial strain. Considering the expenses awaiting new parents, a budget-friendly gift can be a considerate choice.

The Joy of Gifting: What Expectant Moms Appreciate

What do expectant moms cherish the most? It's the thought and love put into a gift. These soon-to-be mothers are embarking on one of life's most beautiful journeys, and a gift that acknowledges their emotional and physical needs during this time can be significant. Whether it offers relaxation, celebrates the upcoming arrival, or makes their day-to-day a bit easier, the sentiment behind the gift truly counts. So, when considering gifts for mum to be, remember that love and care matter most.

Thoughtful and Affordable Gifts for Mum-to-Be

Personalised Gifts

Personalised Baby Name Keychain: More than just a keychain, it's a daily reminder of the new life about to be welcomed. This charming gift can accompany her everywhere as a token of the joyous future.

Customised Photo Frame: Ideal for those first sonogram images or newborn pictures, this frame becomes a cherished family heirloom, capturing a moment in time that's forever precious.

Handmade Greeting Card: Crafted with care, a handmade card can express sentiments that store-bought ones cannot. It's a unique way to convey your excitement and best wishes for her journey into motherhood.

Self-Care and Relaxation

Scented Candles: These candles don't just light up a room; they offer a serene ambience, perfect for moments of reflection and calm amid a busy prenatal period.

Herbal Tea Assortment: Carefully selected for safety and comfort during pregnancy, these teas provide a comforting and warm ritual that can soothe both body and mind.

DIY Bath Salts Kit: A DIY kit isn't just a gift; it's an experience. Mixing her bath salts adds a personal touch to her relaxation routine, making it all the more special.

Practical Baby Essentials

Baby Bibs: These aren't just practical; they come in various fun designs and colours, adding a bit of joy to everyday baby care.

Baby Socks: Keeping those tiny toes warm is crucial, and with an array of cute patterns, they're a delightful addition to any baby's wardrobe.

Baby Washcloths: Gentle on the baby's skin and indispensable during bath time, these washcloths are a must-have for any new parent, blending functionality with comfort.

Books for Parenting and Pregnancy

Pregnancy Journal: This journal offers a space to document thoughts, feelings, and experiences, creating a priceless memoir of her pregnancy journey.

Parenting Advice Book: Packed with practical advice, these books are a great resource, offering reassurance and guidance through the early stages of parenthood.

Children's Bedtime Storybook: It's more than just a book; it's the beginning of many nights of bedtime stories, fostering a love for reading and bonding time between parent and child.

Homemade Treats

Hand-baked Cookies or Muffins: These treats, made from the heart, are a sweet gesture of care and provide a comforting, home-cooked taste that's hard to beat.

Fruit Basket: A basket of fresh, hand-picked fruits looks beautiful and offers a healthy snack full of vitamins and nutrients.

Homemade Pregnancy-safe Face Mask: Using natural ingredients, this face mask is a thoughtful way to encourage her to take some time for herself, ensuring it's safe and soothing for her skin during pregnancy.

Where to Find Budget-Friendly Mum-to-Be Gifts

Image by gpointstudio on Freepik

There are several places where you can find these gems. Online marketplaces often offer personalised items at low costs. Local thrift stores or second-hand shops are treasure troves for unique finds. For crafty people, DIY and crafting stores are your go-to materials to make your gifts. And remember community groups and online forums, where you can often find gently used items perfect for gifting.

Tips for Selecting the Perfect Affordable Gift

When choosing an affordable gift for a mom-to-be, consider her style, needs, and allergies to make it meaningful and suitable. Please pay attention to skincare or edible items to ensure her comfort.

Your relationship with the expectant mother matters. For close bonds, go for customised or sentimental gifts; opt for universally appealing and practical items for more formal relationships. Balancing these factors enhances the gift's value.

Creative Presentation Ideas

The presentation of your gift can elevate its perceived value and show the care you've put into it:

DIY Gift Wrapping: Personalise your gift with handmade wrapping paper or decorate a plain gift box with drawings, stickers, or ribbons. This adds a unique touch and shows the extra effort you've put into the gift.

Gift Baskets: Assemble a themed gift basket with small items. For instance, a self-care basket with herbal teas, scented candles, and a homemade face mask can be charming and helpful.

Handwritten Note: Including a handwritten note with your gift adds a deeply personal touch. It's a chance to express your excitement and well-wishes for her journey into motherhood, making the gift even more memorable.

You're All Set!

Celebrating a mum-to-be with thoughtful, affordable gifts is a beautiful way to share the joy and anticipation of the new arrival. Each gift idea we've explored offers a blend of practicality, sentiment, and care, proving that it's not about how much you spend but the thoughtfulness you put into the gift.

Now, it's your turn to spread the joy. Take these ideas, find the perfect gift that resonates with the expectant mother in your life, and tell her how much she appreciates it. Whether it's a handmade card, a personalised keepsake, or a soothing self-care item, your gift will surely bring a smile and warmth to her heart.

Remember, the best gifts come from the heart, not the wallet. So make a mum-to-be's day special, and enjoy the happiness of giving.

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Safe Search Kids | Filtering Enhanced by Google for Safer Search

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The Kids' Search Engine that ensures Google safe search in school and at home on all devices. We filter the internet and provide educational resources.

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15 of the most endangered animals in the ocean

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Here are just 15 of the most endangered animals in the ocean, all of which are classed by the IUCN as endangered or critically endangered.

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Here are some facts about hunger and how it affects students in school.

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Hunger In Our Schools - Infographics and Facts

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Hunger In Our Schools - Infographics and Facts

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The infographics in this resource are most likely based on U.S. statistics, FYI.

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All the machines of modern life require energy to make them run. About 90 percent of that energy comes from burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels include petroleum (oil), coal,...

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Bundles of dried sage tied together with red ribbon hang from black fixtures connected to wood-panelled walls.

The space - in a building known simply as "the lodge" - may be small, but it is mighty in meaning.

Outside, nearly two dozen colourful apartment units form a circle. A sacred fire sits bull's-eye.

It's Winnipeg's first tiny home village for people who were homeless, dubbed Astum Api Niikinaahk or "come sit at our home" in Michif, a language spoken by many Métis.

After years of development, the first residents moved in last month.

Tears filled Melissa Stone's eyes when she handed the first tenant a key.

"He got into his robe and fell asleep. He was just happy and in tears. The smile, it was just beautiful," she said.

Stone is the co-ordinator at Astum Api Niikinaahk, which is overseen by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, a community service provider. Planning for the project started in late 2019 after consultations with people who have first-hand experience with homelessness.

"It had to be something that they could call their home. They didn't want to worry about being kicked out if they smoked a cigarette in their room," Stone said.

There are 22 bachelor-style units, four accessible for people who use wheelchairs or walkers. Each suite has a bathroom, bed, television, and a kitchenette with a sink, microwave, stove and mini-fridge.

Designs originally included stained glass windows and skylights, but practicality prevailed.

"It was those esthetic things that we thought would make it brighter and more beautiful, but that wasn't reality to someone who's been living on the streets for years," said Stone.

Some residents may have been concerned about someone breaking the glass.

"Safety's number 1."

Rounding out the village is "the lodge," which houses staff offices, a commercial kitchen, a programming area, a medical clinic and the traditional medicine room. Organizers hope to include a 10-person sweat lodge for ceremonies.

Staff provide mental health, addiction, medical and cultural services.

Giving individuals a place to settle and stabilize allows them a chance to "reconnect to their culture and their own journey," instead of constantly searching for heat and food, said Stone.

Rochelle Drury, the harm reduction planner at the village, says team members meet residents where they're at.

"We're offering those tools to change, inviting them in and making them feel safe with taking [the help]," said Drury.

For some residents, transitioning into a home can present challenges after years on the streets.

"Even if it's small steps for people, we're going to be able to help them through those," said Drury.

Referrals can be made by individuals or the project's partner agencies. Rental rates vary depending on how residents receive their income. There is no limit to how long people can live there, said Stone.

"Everyone heals differently, so they can stay as long as they need."

The project received funding for construction from the federal government's rapid housing initiative in 2020.

It was originally supposed to open the following summer but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising costs of building materials.

While tiny house villages to address homelessness have long been called for by advocacy groups, few have been set up across the country. Some are operating in Edmonton and Calgary for veterans.

The federal government has provided funding for projects in Saskatchewan and Yukon.

Operational costs work out to between $800,000 to $900,000 a year, says Stone, and will be covered by some of their partners, the province and United Way. However, permanent funding has not been secured.

Jason Whitford, CEO of project partner End Homelessness Winnipeg, would like to see municipal budgets address the need.

Whitford estimates the city needs about 1,800 units to address homelessness, with about one-third being transitional housing to respond to complex challenges people living with mental health problems, addictions or trauma may experience.

"There's a tremendous demand for culturally appropriate housing in our city to respond to chronic homelessness, particularly Indigenous-led solutions," he said.

Data collected last year during the Winnipeg Street Census suggests about three-quarters of those experiencing homelessness are Indigenous.

The city has seen recent examples of first responders being called to encampments for fires or overdoses, while one woman was found dead in a bus shelter.

Without upfront funding for social housing, Whitford said, "we're not going to be ending homelessness, we're going to be managing it."

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Tiny home village for people without housing welcomes 1st residents | CBC News

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Bundles of dried sage tied together with red ribbon hang from black fixtures connected to wood-panelled walls. The space - in a building known simply as "the lodge" - may be small, but it is mighty in meaning. Outside, nearly two dozen colourful apartment units form a circle.

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The carpenter who built tiny shelters for unhoused people, before the City of Toronto filed a court injunction for him to stop, has launched another project that will contribute to supporting those living outside.

In late 2020, Khaleel Seivwright created Toronto Tiny Shelters, building small, insulated dwellings meant to keep people living outside warm through the winter. The city considered it illegal dumping of wooden shelters on city-owned property and also cited safety concerns regarding the structures in the court application against him.

In a settlement with the city, Seivwright agreed his program would not continue in the same way and acquiesced to not placing any more structures on city property without permission or maintaining existing ones.

Since then, Seivwright has been silent on the Toronto Tiny Shelters Instagram page, previously used for raising funds and awareness. Late last month, he returned to the page to announce a new project in collaboration with a few of the people that helped build the tiny shelters.

"We're building very well insulated lightweight camper trailers for anyone that would like one for as low as a price that we can do it for," Seivwright tells CityNews.

He says the new venture, called Fat Drop Trailers, aims to give people a very affordable option to purchase convenient campers, without the need for a pickup truck to use them.

"We'd be trying to build something that's under 1,300 pounds that any SUV could tow. So it's going to be very readily available for someone that doesn't have, or is not interested in buying a new vehicle just to be able to [tow a camper]," he explains.

In addition, Seivwright says the trailers can be used for longer term camping.

"This is maybe less common, but maybe it's an opportunity for someone to have something that they can actually use and live out of to visit more long-term living situations in different places, like intentional communities. I've done this myself and I think it's a really cool way to exist for extremely cheap and just learn lots of new skills and meet people," he says.

Fat Drop Trailers is currently fundraising, with an initial goal of $100,000 to pay for materials, staff and a permanent workshop space. Thereafter, Seivwright hopes it will become a self-sustaining business.

"It's not just - 'alright, we're gonna start doing this project until we run out of money.' The idea is to create a project that's continuous, that's able to maintain itself and able to also support other projects," he says.

A prototype has already been built and he's aiming to finalize the design and price by mid-July. The blue prints for the camper will be made public, so anyone who wants to can build one themselves.

Seivwright has also picked a unique initiative to contribute the funds from sales.

"I was planning on paying for the staff, paying for the space and the materials and then after that we'd be donating our profits to A Better Tent City."

A Better Tent City (ABTC) is a community-run project in Kitchener that houses about 50 residents in 40 small, insulated cabins on a dedicated plot of land with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities for those living on site. It began as a volunteer-run initiative that has now grown into a non-profit organization that has both volunteers and some paid staff.

"For people whose lives have been completely sidetracked by mental illness and drug addiction, they have run out of options and A Better Tent City provides a good option for them," explains volunteer and board chair Jeff Willmer. "They're no longer trespassing because they have a property where they're welcome. They now have the stability of a house of their own and a community and so this has really given them a step up."

Willmer explains that the concept originated with the late Ron Doyle who had the idea for a community of tiny homes for people who were living rough outside. He owned an event space on industrial land that was lying empty during the pandemic and offered it up as the first location of ABTC, which has since moved to city-owned land after Doyle's passing.

The first residents of ABTC were a group of unhoused people who were being sheltered nightly by local business owner Nadine Green in her convenience store. Willmer says Green also moved into the ABTC community and continues to serve as a mother figure who "helps keep everything calm and stable."

ABTC has the support of several community partners and businesses. The city of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo have also embraced the project, providing water and sanitation services as well as allowing free use of the land.

Seivwright says he greatly admires what A Better Tent City has built and initiatives like it need more support and encouragement.

"I really like what they're doing and I think the model that they're operating with - of not treating people as if they're prisoners ... but treating them with respect and giving them autonomy - I think that model really encourages self-respect and self-confidence ... and it's stable, you're able to stay there for a consistent amount of time," he says.

Willmer says they are excited about the opportunity to possibly collaborate with Seivwright.

"I think he's got some great ideas and we've got a model that seems to be working. Maybe by working together we can adapt it and help make something that can work in other communities," he says.

Seivwright says he hopes to see similar projects like ABTC that work with the municipal government in Toronto and he'd like to donate profits from his new business to any such initiatives in the city.

"I think there's quite a few vacant spaces where it could work for sure - it's just getting the willingness of city council and finding people that are willing to participate."

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Toronto carpenter behind tiny shelters launches new project to benefit unhoused people | CityNews Toronto

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The carpenter who built tiny shelters for unhoused people, before the City of Toronto filed a court injunction for him to stop, has launched another project that will contribute to supporting those living outside. In late 2020, Khaleel Seivwright created Toronto Tiny Shelters, building small, insulated dwellings meant to keep people living outside warm through the winter.

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National Housing and Homelessness Plan | Department of Social Services, Australian Government

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Improving the lifetime wellbeing of people and families in Australia.

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Looking for shelter, clothing, housing or food? Homelessness is a complex problem that demands a response from governments, service providers, service recipients and the community at large. Fred Victor's commitment to ending homelessness is illustrated through our leadership in the ZeroTO collective impact initiative.

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Blog post updated on 27th July 2022.

What Are Some Examples of Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology is any kind of device or software that can be used to support neurodiverse individuals.

This can include anything from noise-cancelling headphones to more complex systems that provide real-time transcription of speech.

Assistive technology can also include the following:

Text-to-speech software

Speech to text

Transcription software

Handheld reading devices

Noise-cancelling earbuds

While assistive technology can be extremely helpful, it is important to remember that it is only one part of a wider support network. Other key elements include trained staff, clear communication, and a willingness to adjust on an individual basis. When all these elements are in place, neurodiverse people can thrive in both work and study environments.

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology (AT) describes products or systems that support and assist individuals with disabilities. These include hidden disabilities, or learning differences, such as ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. AT can also be beneficial for people who have restricted mobility or other impairments because it helps them to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.

Low-tech types of AT include communication boards that are made from cardboard or Fuzzy Felt.

High-tech types of AT include special-purpose computers. Computers can include hardware such as special keyboards or mice; and special software such as screen readers and speech-to-text software.

What Are the Most Common Types of Assistive Technology?

The most common types of AT for neurodiverse people include screen and text readers; alternative input devices; and spell-checking and word prediction software. There is also AT for visually impaired people such as talking devices; hearing impaired people such as vibrating alarm clocks; and speech-generating devices for those with impaired verbal communication.

Screen and Text Readers

Screen and text readers can make reading easier for individuals. These can include C-Pens, Apple VoiceOver for Mac, and Narrator for Windows. Screen-and-text-reading software also include TextHelp's Read&Write and ClaroRead. While the C-Pen scans text and speaks it, the examples of screen-and-text-reading software have a feature where the user highlights the text and has it spoken out aloud.

Alternative Input Devices

Alternative input devices are tools that enable users with disabilities to use computers and related technology more easily. These devices include touch screens, and modified keyboards, joysticks, and mice. People may use these devices with various body parts such as their feet, head, eye, mouth, breath, thumb, or a single finger.

Spell-Checking and Word Prediction Software

Spell-checking and word prediction software are types of software that help individuals with their spelling and writing. Examples of spell-checking and word prediction software also include TextHelp's Read&Write and ClaroRead. Both programs have a text-to-speech feature, word prediction and spell-checkers. Microsoft Word also includes a spell-checking feature while Apple applications such as Messages and Notes include a word prediction feature, otherwise known as predictive text.

How Can Assistive Technology Help Neurodiverse People?

Those who have limited motor skills or find it difficult to write by hand can cause them to miss content and context to be. With the use of AT, individuals will be supported so that they can focus in meetings

Assistive technology can be helpful for neurodiverse people in a working environment in the following ways:

Talking word processors - These enable neurodiverse individuals to hear what they have written. They also help neurodiverse individuals with their comprehension skills.

Assistive listening systems (ALS) - These help neurodiverse individuals hear more clearly.

Visual organisers and supports - These use graphics and pictures to communicate with those on the neurodiversity spectrum who may face challenges while writing. They are also beneficial for team leaders and managers to communicate better with neurodiverse employees.

Assistive Technology for Dyslexia

The following types of assistive technology can be the most beneficial for people with dyslexia:

Speech recognition software - This is also known as speech-to-text software. An example of this is Dragon. It allows users to speak to a computer and convert their speech into text. This type of software is especially helpful for those who have difficulty with spelling or writing.

Mind-mapping software - This allows users to plan their work more effectively in a more visual way. An example of mind-mapping software is MindManger.

Spell-checkers - These automatically make corrections in forms of written communication such as documents and e-mails.

Other types of assistive technology that dyslexic individuals find useful include smartpens (such as the C-Pen), tablets and smartphones.

Assistive Technology for Autism

There are at least three different groups of assistive technology for people with autism:

Low-tech AT - These include items that require no electricity. Examples of low-tech AT include weighted vests, sensory balls, and picture boards.

Mid-tech AT - Types of AT that fall under this group are simple enough to be inexpensive and easy to operate. Examples include battery-operated toys, visual timers, and social skills videos.

High-tech AT - This is digital technology. It can include augmentative communication technology for non-verbal people and robots that help people build up social skills.

Assistive technology for people with autism can also help them with the following:

Basic communication

Reading, writing and maths

Telling the time

Managing schedules

Staying safe

Daily living activities

Assistive Technology for ADHD

Here are some types of assistive technology that people with ADHD may find beneficial:

Ayoya (formerly Droptask) - This helps individuals get things done.

XMind - This allows users to create mind maps and business charts.

Learning Ally - This is designed for individuals who face difficulties while reading.

Ghotit Real Writer and Reader - This is available on Windows. It can help those with ADHD improve their reading and writing skills.

Notability - This allows users to take notes more effectively.

Isolator - This enables those with ADHD to concentrate on their work.

Time Timer - This helps people to keep track of time.

WizCom Tech Pen - Similar to the C-Pen, it is built for individuals that need help with tough words or vocabulary.

wordQ - This helps users to predict the words they want to type.

My Neurodiverse Assistive Technology Webinar

Nat Hawley, our Head of Community, has hosted a webinar that covers various types of assistive technology that neurodiverse people may find helpful.

Useful links

Workplace Needs assesments
Employee support for people with Dyslexia
Employee support for people with Autism
Employee support for people with ADHD

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What is Assistive Technology? - Exceptional Individuals

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Blog post updated on 27th July 2022. Assistive technology is any kind of device or software that can be used to support neurodiverse individuals. This can include anything from noise-cancelling headphones to more complex systems that provide real-time transcription of speech.

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Climate Change

Heatwaves, high temperatures and other extreme weather events are becoming more common as the climate worsens. Image: REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Research Director , Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development

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The analytical framework for transitioning towards sustainable cooling. Image: Khosla et al. (2020) via Carbon Brief

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Demand for cooling is blind spot for climate and sustainable development

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Climate Change Heatwaves, high temperatures and other extreme weather events are becoming more common as the climate worsens. Image: REUTERS/Mike Hutchings Research Director , Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development Stay up to date: Climate Change Follow The analytical framework for transitioning towards sustainable cooling. Image: Khosla et al.

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In most seasons, air conditioners are extremely sought after. They can either cooled up a place or warm it up, but we have all heard of its side effects on our health. Air conditioners have detrimental health effects on our bodies, though that is not the only problem with air conditioners. It also has many negative impacts on the environment itself. Read on to know more about the negative environmental impacts of air conditioners:

1. CFCs/ HFCs

Air conditioners are complex machines that are made up of many different parts which work in several ways. CFCs and HFCs are both cooling agents that are in the air conditioners which, when released, increases the holes in the ozone over time.

Older air conditioners rely on CFC and HFC and contribute to global warming in a major way. Even newer models, which rely more on HFCs and HFOs play a large role in ozone depletion.

2. Energy use

Air conditioners require lots of energy to function properly. It consumes so much electricity and therefore releases pollution. When fossil fuel is burned, carbon dioxide is also released into the air, more commonly known as a greenhouse gas, which is a major contribution to ozone depletion.

The average and typical air conditioner will consume about 3000 to 5000 watts of electricity every hour, depending on the season - the warmer, the more power used. This is clearly very harmful to the environment, as well as extremely expensive.

3. Unclean ducts

It is important to note that air conditioners do not only affect the environment in a global way, it also affects it on a small scale as well. The ducts in each air conditioner, over time, collect dust and bacteria and every time the air conditioner is turned on, both are released, and are toxic for humans, especially children.

There are ductless mini-split brands though that focus more on the environment and safety of people. Ductless mini-split brands are actually more durable and work in warmer climates such as Middle East, Asia and Central and South America.

4. Materials used

In the past air conditioners were mainly made out of metals. Though over the years, people decided that metal is too expensive and too heavy, so they opted for plastic. Although metal and plastic are both harmful to the environment, plastic is completely non-biodegradable, which makes it an enemy of the environment. The production of plastic alone is extremely detrimental, as it too releases carbon dioxide into the air and causes what we now know as the greenhouse effect.

It is important to note that air conditioners can sometimes be vital for mere survival. There are places, due to global warming, that are extremely warm and need the presence of coolant. Though this turn into a cycle since ACs contribute to global warming, we undoubtedly still need them in order to survive the rising temperatures, whether it's at home or in our working spaces.

However, all is not lost as we still have the option of going with more eco-friendly air conditioners can be both beneficial for your health as well as the world's health, and as technology advances, so do the efforts to make them less harmful to our environment.

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environmental impacts of air conditioners

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4 Negative Environmental Impacts Of Air Conditioners

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In most seasons, air conditioners are extremely sought after. They can either cooled up a place or warm it up, but we have all heard of its side effects on our health. Air conditioners have detrimental health effects on our bodies, though that is not the only problem with air conditioners.

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One of the great ironies of climate change is that as the planet warms, the technology that people need to stay cool will only make the climate hotter. By 2050, researchers expect the number of room air conditioners on Earth to quadruple to 4.5 billion, becoming at least as ubiquitous as cell phones are today. By the end of the century, greenhouse gas emissions from air conditioning will account for as much as a 0.5-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures, according to calculations by the World Economic Forum.

In short, air conditioning urgently needs an upgrade. The basic cooling technology behind air conditioning and refrigerators hasn't changed significantly since 1902, when a young American engineer named Willis Carrier devised the first air conditioner to solve a humidity problem for a printing company in New York City. It is no hyperbole to say that air conditioning has shaped our modern world-and will continue to do so well into an unprecedented climate future. In countries with fast-growing economies and already-dangerous levels of heat and humidity-such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil-billions of people will soon buy their first home air conditioner. Whether they'll be able to afford climate-friendlier units-or the pollution-heavy models that have long dominated the market-hangs in the balance.

Making sure that this wave of new customers can afford more-efficient air conditioners is the motivation behind the Global Cooling Prize. Strategically, the prize focuses not on the central air systems common in U.S. homes, nor on window units, but on a single-room air conditioner similar to those commonly installed in apartment buildings in India, where the competition will take place. In November 2019, eight finalists were announced for the $1 million competition to design a room air conditioner that produces five times less greenhouse gas over the course of its lifetime than does a standard room unit.

Launched in 2018, the competition is sponsored by the Indian Department of Science and Technology, part of the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology; the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI); a coalition of 24 additional countries; and Richard Branson, founder and CEO of the Virgin Group. The prize aims to accelerate the development of air conditioners that use dramatically less energy together with climate-friendlier coolants. If such a technology were rapidly deployed, it could prevent up to 100 gigatons of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050, RMI estimates.

The winning unit must cost no more than twice what a standard room air conditioner costs and must keep people cool in the sweltering heat of an apartment block in Delhi, India, where the heat index-a measurement of how hot it feels -can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. After receiving in November $200,000 to refine their proposals, the eight teams are now racing to build prototypes that will be shipped to India for testing in fall 2020.

To understand the challenge, it helps to picture the basic system that Willis Carrier invented-and that we are essentially still using today. It is known as the vapor-compression cycle, explains Clark Bullard, a mechanical engineer and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. In its most stripped-down form, it consists of two metal coils, one located inside the space to be cooled, one outside. A liquid refrigerant circulates through the coils, alternately evaporating and condensing under varying pressure. As the refrigerant vaporizes, it gets cold and chills the metal coil inside the room. When it reaches the outdoor coil, the refrigerant condenses, ejecting heat into the air before beginning the next cycle. Meanwhile, a fan blows over the cold metal coil, cooling the air and removing humidity as water condenses on the coil like droplets "on a cold beer glass," Bullard says.

Today's $60-billion air-conditioning market, dominated by a few large corporations, has long focused on lowering the cost of vapor compression-based air conditioners, not reducing the amount of energy needed to power them. In addition to making air conditioners more efficient, there's an urgent need to replace the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants that most air conditioners still use, despite global efforts to phase out the chemicals. Roughly 1,000-3,000 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, these refrigerants slowly leak into the atmosphere and escape when air conditioners are destroyed.

Despite decades of searching, few refrigerants have proven to be viable alternatives to HFCs, Bullard says. "We don't like them to be flammable. We don't like them to be toxic. We like them to have a certain boiling point. We don't like them to be too viscous, because it costs more to pump them around, and we don't want them to mess up the ozone layer or warm up the planet. By the time you start applying all of those constraints, you're down to just a handful of choices."

Therein lies the dilemma for innovators-should they focus their efforts on finding the climate-friendliest refrigerant, or on reducing electricity use? To attain the contest's goal of five times less impact on climate, an air conditioner using a standard HFC refrigerant would have to use 6.4 times less electricity than the baseline unit. In contrast, a unit that uses a refrigerant with zero potential to contribute to global warming would need to be only four times as efficient.

Most of the contest finalists strike a balance between the two approaches, combining climate-friendlier refrigerants with efficiency-boosting hacks such as smart controls and solar panels. But others have opted for a third possibility-ditching HCFs altogether. Barocal, a startup founded by materials scientist Xavier Moya at the University of Cambridge, aims to solve the problem of refrigerant leakage with a new, solid refrigerant made from organic crystals. Cheap and nontoxic, the crystals release and absorb heat under pressure as they change volume, Moya explains. A typical air-conditioning compressor can easily produce the lowest pressure needed-70 bars, or atmospheres-but higher pressures may be needed. The air conditioner's efficiency will depend on how the team applies the pressure to the crystals.

Other teams have set their sights on the energy end of the equation. As anyone who lives in a muggy climate can attest, sticky heat feels much worse than dry heat because the body can't get rid of as much heat through evaporation. Most vapor-compression systems take a brute-force approach to dehumidification, making the indoor coil so cold that water droplets are forced to condense as air blows over the cold metal. Particularly in humid climates, this often means that an air conditioner has to be set to colder temperatures than people actually want, thus wasting energy.

To tackle that problem, several teams are looking for ways to dehumidify the air before it gets cooled. Transaera, a startup out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for example, is collaborating with Qingdao Haier Air Conditioner Gen Corp. Ltd to build a device that removes water molecules from the air using a new, highly porous material called a metal organic framework. Nanoscale pores in the material act like a molecular sponge, removing water droplets from the air more efficiently than any other known material. The team plans to dry out the sponge using waste heat from the air conditioner's compressor, allowing it to be used over and over. If that "sponge" can work with existing units and doesn't need frequent replacement, it could pull ahead in the competition.

Time, however, is not on the inventors' side. To keep global emissions from new air conditioners from rising, new technologies that meet the prize criteria of five times less global warming potential would have to scale up extremely quickly, hitting the market by 2022 and capturing nearly 100 percent of annual sales by 2040, RMI has calculated.

Competition to keep prices low is so fierce that it will be difficult to displace cheaper options, particularly in countries such as India and Brazil, where rising incomes mean many people will soon be able to afford to buy their first air conditioner. Yet in poor countries, lowering the expense of running an air conditioner can be just as important as reducing its upfront cost, says Sorin Grama, Transaera's founder.

While living in New Delhi and working on rural refrigeration systems for Indian dairy farmers, Grama gave a member of his staff a room air-conditioning unit so that her daughter could study more comfortably. Later, when he checked to see if it had helped, the woman told him she hadn't been using it because she couldn't afford to run it.

Grama hopes the Global Cooling Prize will help align India's policies with technological innovations, setting new standards for efficiency and cost. Like many other tropical countries, India has an urgent need to keep its population cool-under a high-emissions scenario, three-quarters of India's population will face life-threatening levels of heat and humidity by 2100, a 2017 study in Science Advances found. Regulations requiring that air conditioners meet the Global Cooling Prize standards would save India $380 billion on air-conditioning costs and meet roughly 40 percent of the country's emissions- reduction target, according to the World Economic Forum.

Worldwide, extreme heat waves could kill more than 255,000 people each year by 2050, the World Health Organization estimates. New air conditioners won't be sufficient to stave off these deaths- other measures, such as building with better insulation materials than glass and concrete, are also needed. If history is any indication, the fastest route to transforming how we stay cool will be a combination of innovation, competition, and regulation. And speed is essential, as the stakes of the global cooling race are not just comfort, but survival.
Reprinted with permission from Anthropocene Magazine-bringing together the world's most creative professionals to create a sustainable human age we actually want to live in. ©Future Earth 2021

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How to Prevent Air Conditioners from Heating the Planet

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One of the great ironies of climate change is that as the planet warms, the technology that people need to stay cool will only make the climate hotter. By 2050, researchers expect the number of room air conditioners on Earth to quadruple to 4.5 billion, becoming at least as ubiquitous as cell phones are today.

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How Cities are Making Housing Affordable to Address Homelessness 

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How Cities are Making Housing Affordable to Address Homelessness 

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Canada reaches $30b agreement to compensate indigenous children taken from families

The largest class-action settlement in Canada's history has recently been passed, compensating indigenous children who were taken from their families and put into the child welfare system.

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These innovative projects are tackling homelessness around the world

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An estimated 150 million people are homeless globally, though the real number is probably higher. This shows the pressing need to support people who don't have homes.

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Learn about the minimum amount a worker should make per hour to make a "living wage" in each city in Ontario (a wage that is enough to support their basic living needs). What's Ontario's minimum wage? Is it enough to live in Toronto? What's the minimum wage in other countries?

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A new report has revealed how much money people need to make in 23 Ontario regions in order to afford a basic lifestyle.

According to the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN), people residing in Toronto need to make $22.08 per hour, which is the most in Ontario, to afford the basics.

The OLWN says a living wage is how much you need to make in order to cover the costs of living in your community, including food, clothes, shelter, transportation, child care, medical care, recreation and a modest vacation.

It does not include things like paying off debts, homeownership, saving for your children's education or any other type of emergency fund.

"Our 2021 calculations now take into account a weighted average between a family of four, single parent with one child and a single adult," the OLWN said in their report.

Halton Region requires the second highest living wage in the province at $20.75 per hour.

In Peel Region, people need to make $19.80 per hour to afford a basic lifestyle.

According to the report, the lowest living wage required to afford a basic lifestyle is in Sault Ste. Marie, where $16.20 per hour is needed.

CTV News Toronto learned Monday that Ontario plans to increase minimum wage to $15 per hour on Jan. 1

Minimum wage in Ontario is currently $14.35 per hour.

After being elected in 2018, the Ford government scrapped legislation that would have pushed the minimum wage to $15.

On Monday, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath asked Premier Doug Ford in Question Period about the cost of living and minimum wage.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the premier has the chance to "give back what he stole" from workers when the PC party cancelled the minimum wage increase.

She had to withdraw the comment.#onpoli
- Colin D'Mello CTVNews (@ColinDMello) November 1, 2021

"The premier, billionaires, the premier's buddies, they never need to worry about putting food on the table or putting a roof over the head of their kids," Horwath said.

"Workers have lost out on $5,300," Horwath said.

Ford responded by talking about gas prices and then said more people have jobs since he took over from the Liberal government.

These are the living wages for the 23 regions included in the OLWN's report.

Durham Region: $17.80

Guelph Wellington: $18.10

Haldimand-Norfolk: $17:35

Halton Region: $20.75

Hamilton: $17.20

Hastings-Prince Edward: $17.75

Kingston: $17.75

Leeds, Grenville, Lanark Counties: $18.25

London: $16.55

Muskoka: $18.55

Niagara Region: $18.90

Northumberland Country: $18.80

Ottawa: $18.60

Peel Region: $19.80

Perth and Huron Counties: $17.95

Peterborough: $18.35

Renfrew County: $17.40

Sault Ste. Marie: $16.20

Simcoe County: $19.05

Sudbury: $16.98

Thunder Bay: $16.30

Toronto: $22.08

Waterloo Region: $17.20

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Living wages required for basic lifestyle in 23 Ontario regions revealed

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A new report has revealed how much money people need to make in 23 Ontario regions in order to afford a basic lifestyle. According to the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN), people residing in Toronto need to make $22.08 per hour, which is the most in Ontario, to afford the basics.

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Reducing Food Waste and Hunger: Student Initiative

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Reducing Food Waste and Hunger: Student Initiative

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Students turn food into non-perishable powder

Students turn food into non-perishable powder

Assign to Google Classroom

Next time you toss rotten lettuce or moldy berries you should think about this. Globally, we waste more than a third of the food we produce. That is according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

A group of Swedish graduate students is working to fight that fact. They are in the Food Innovation and Product Design program at Lund University and have come up with a way to use produce that is about to go to waste. It may help people who have limited access to food.

They are calling it FoPo Food Powder. It is exactly what it sounds like. It is dried, powdered, shelf-stable fruits and vegetables. The powder can be dropped into relief efforts after natural disasters. Or it can be given out in low-resource areas where fresh food and refrigeration are hard to come by.

"When we found out that one third of the food produced was going to waste while people in the world were starving, we could not back out," says Kent Ngo. He is one of the students who developed it.

Ngo says they are not making something ground-breaking. Powdered food has been around since the early days of astronauts. But they are rethinking the waste and delivery channels. Their development team reached out to farmers and retailers to source fruit. The food scientists experimented with different drying and powdering methods. They settled on spray-drying it. The process then included grinding it up. From there, the students looked at ways to give it out, through commercial and government supported sites.

One member of the group is Gerald Perry Marin. He grew up in the Philippines. It is the country's capital. He had seen how typhoons and other natural disasters cut people off from their food supply. And how important it was to have food options that were easy to access in a relief situation.

"Today a relief bag for humanitarian disasters contains various foods such as strawberry jam, peanut butter and peas in tomato sauce. We think that an easily transported pack of cheap dried food powder with high nutritional value would fit in perfectly," Ngo says. The team has been trying to keep its prices down, too. That would aid low-budget humanitarian groups and non-governmental groups.

Freeze-dried food retains most of the nutritional benefits of raw food. It loses some vitamin and mineral density in the drying process. But it is still a good way to get fiber and nutrients.

The makers of FoPo are currently running a pilot program in Manila. For their first run, they are drying calamansi. It is a citrus fruit. Ngo says it tastes like a mix of lime and tangerine. There is a surplus of it. It is not available in other places. And it is easy for their Philippine manufacturing program to dry and powder.

The group has reportedly gotten support from senators in the Philippines. And they are about to start working with the U.N.'s Initiative on Food Loss and Waste. The want to try and reach more people and countries that could benefit. To broaden their reach, they are also working with commercial suppliers and companies that want to use FoPo in their food products. Some examples might be cake mixes and ice cream. Consumers can also sprinkle it into food or drinks, or use it in baking. The company has almost 40 international supermarkets on board.

"I was a bit surprised that the calamansi powder tasted so good," Ngo says. "I cannot wait for the mango and pineapple powder."
Source URL: https://www.tweentribune.com/article/tween56/students-turn-food-non-perishable-powder/
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

Why is FoPo powdered?

Write your answers in the comments section below

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Students turn food into non-perishable powder

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Students turn food into non-perishable powder Students turn food into non-perishable powder Assign to Google Classroom Next time you toss rotten lettuce or moldy berries you should think about this. Globally, we waste more than a third of the food we produce. That is according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

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Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications. At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.

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How much plastic enters the ocean?

Plastic leaks into the ocean from thousands of sources all over the world every day. Increasing consumption combined with improper waste management in many countries has made plastic pollution a worldwide problem, causing damage not only to the environment but also to human health and economies.

Humans produce over 400 million metric tons of plastic annually. That's roughly the weight of all humans on the planet - and plastic production is projected to keep going up.

So of this 400 million tons that gets produced each year - how much actually ends up in the ocean? Less than 0.5% percent .

This is because only a small proportion of plastic is disposed of incorrectly, and an even smaller part of that enters waterways. This does not mean the ocean plastic pollution problem is "small" - over 1 million metric tons is still a massive amount of pollution.

So how does plastic become ocean plastic, and what factors can influence it? Let's dig deeper.

How does plastic enter the ocean?

Plastic usage and waste management infrastructures differ all over the world. Only 9% gets recycled, and about 22% of plastic waste worldwide is either not collected, improperly disposed of, or ends up as litter.

People in high income countries consume the most plastic, but the waste management systems there are usually effective - meaning that even though there's a lot of plastic around, it is mostly kept out of the natural environment. Meanwhile, lower income countries often consume less plastic, meaning emissions from these countries remain low even if the local waste management infrastructure is lacking.

Most plastic emissions come from middle-income countries, where plastic usage is growing, but a lack of adequate waste management systems presents challenges in dealing with the increase in consumption.

During storms and other heavy rain events, plastic emissions can increase as much as tenfold as trash is washed into waterways. Rivers are the arteries that carry plastic from land to sea - but not every piece of plastic in a river will end up in the ocean. Many objects sink to the riverbed or get stuck somewhere along the river system.

The closer the plastic is to a river, and the closer that river is to the ocean, the greater the chances that the plastic will reach the ocean.

Therefore, coastal cities in middle-income countries are the world's plastic emissions hotspots. All these factors taken into account led to our study from 2021 identifying 1000 rivers worldwide representing almost 80% of ocean plastic emissions.

Where does plastic pollution go?

MOST PLASTIC EITHER SINKS OR BEACHES WITHIN A MONTH
Nearly half of the plastic sinks directly because of its low buoyancy. Of the other half which floats, our research shows most of it doesn't go far out in the ocean - about 80% of floating plastic will beach on a coastline within a month of leaking into the ocean. Some objects may be washed out to sea again, but coastlines are the final resting place for most floating ocean plastic. This can have serious consequences for the coastal environment and the fishing and tourism industries, as well as high cleanup costs for coastal communities.

If we take a PET bottle as an example; it is likely to sink as it fills up with water, but the cap, which is made of different type of plastic (HDPE), will stay afloat for much longer. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) products are most likely to travel long distances.

TRAPPED IN THE GYRES
It can take years for a plastic piece to break free from these coastal waters and be carried out to the open ocean - but once it's out there, it can stay there for a long time.

Plastic accumulates in huge subtropical oceanic areas called gyres - massive circular currents that trap the floating plastic for decades, if not centuries.

There are five gyres in our oceans. The most polluted - and best-studied - is the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the North Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and California.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to be twice the size of Texas - that's triple the size of France or Thailand. However, the garbage patch is not a solid island of trash, a common misconception - it's more often compared to a plastic soup.

Around 100 million kilograms of plastic float in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which contains 1.8 trillion pieces larger than 0.5 mm. That is about 160 pieces per person living on the planet. About 92% of the floating plastic mass in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch consists of larger objects. Only about 8% of the mass is microplastics. However, these larger objects are continually fragmenting into smaller pieces, which are much harder to clean up; the longer the problem exists, the worse it gets.

Other sources of plastic pollution

FISHING WASTE
Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution, but there is another major source of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - fishing gear. Where most plastic in coastal waters comes from land-based sources, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is different. In fact, our research shows that about 80% of the plastic in the GPGP comes from fishing activities at sea.

Fishing equipment lost or dumped at sea has a much higher chance of accumulating offshore because it is emitted far from coastlines (making it less likely to naturally return to shore), and because fishing gear is designed to survive in the water for long periods.
MICROPLASTIC SOURCES
When talking about microplastics, it is helpful to differentiate between primary and secondary microplastics. Primary microplastics, such as nurdles and cosmetic microbeads , are produced in that size. Secondary microplastics come from the degradation of larger objects. Two major sources of secondary microplastic from/on land are vehicle tires and synthetic clothing.

Microplastics are much more difficult to clean up, and because of their small size, their bioavailability increases, meaning they can potentially impact more species than larger objects. The Ocean Cleanup removes plastic objects from the ocean while they are still at a larger 'macroplastic' size, to prevent these objects from breaking into smaller pieces and eventually forming microplastics.

What is the impact of plastic pollution?

WILDLIFE
Marine wildlife suffers the most direct and damaging effects of ocean plastic pollution. From all kinds of fish to turtles, seals, crustaceans, micro-organisms and many other forms of life, the damage caused by plastic pollution to marine animals is increasingly visible as we learn more about this problem.

One of plastic's biggest assets as a material is its durability. However, this means that once plastic enters the ocean, it will persist there for long periods; it won't go away by itself. The oldest pieces we have found in our cleanup catches date back to the 1960s - and during this whole period, marine life is bearing the consequences.

Entanglement and ingestion have been found to impact 914 megafaunal species, of which more than 100 are endangered. As an example, the Mediterranean monk seal's (Monachus monachus) second leading cause of death (after deliberate killing) is fishing gear entanglement. Our researchers have spotted whales in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, indicating they are exposed to and affected by high quantities of plastic pollution. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has 180 times more plastic than biomass, indicating that plastic could be a primary food source for organisms in this region.

A DELICATE ECOSYSTEM
Any marine ecosystem is finely balanced, and any change to that balance can seriously impact the inhabitants. Floating plastic debris can allow species such as coastal organisms to spread far from their usual environments and thrive in the open ocean - upsetting the balance in the GPGP. This can be damaging to marine life naturally occurring in ocean garbage patches, such as neuston .

Some plastic not only contains harmful additives and chemicals but also acts as magnets for toxins from the surrounding air or water, so the longer a piece of plastic is out there, the more harmful it can become to any animal that ingests it.

Degradation is slow but constant, so the larger objects are a ticking time bomb, breaking down over time and raising levels of microplastics exponentially. Smaller objects impact and travel up the food chain - a food chain that ends with us humans.

OXYGEN AND CARBON
Research on Prochlorococcus, an abundant bacteria/phytoplankton in the ocean that produces oxygen, has shown that leaking toxins from plastic negatively affects their oxygen production and their reproduction.

Oceans not only produce oxygen , but also pump carbon down to the seabed. Zooplankton found ingesting microplastic consumed 40% less carbon biomass. The fecal pellets of zooplankton also sink at a lower rate when consuming significant doses of microplastic, which also may have an impact on the carbon pump.
HUMAN HEALTH
Microplastic is all around us - in our seafood, tap water, and salt, to name a few sources. Studies indicate that plastic can pass through the blood-brain barrier in mice as quickly as 2 hours after consumption. Research has found that it potentially poses acute and (sub) chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and developmental toxicity.

However, the long-term effects on our health are not yet fully understood, and given how omnipresent it is, it is hard to isolate its full effects.
ECONOMIES
According to a Deloitte study, plastic pollution has been estimated to cost up to 19$ billion USD per year to the global economy. The costs considered stem from the impact on fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and governmental cleanup. Derelict fishing gear also poses a safety risk to vessels at sea if they get stuck in propellers, which we also experienced firsthand.

What is being done about plastic pollution?

Plastic pollution is a global problem that requires a global response. Efforts to address plastic pollution on a systemic level are fragmented. Thankfully, the momentum for international cooperation to address the plastic crisis has increased over the past year. In particular, marine litter and microplastics have been on the agenda of the UN Environment Assembly for several years. On March 2, 2022, 175 countries participating in UNEA-5.2 adopted the resolution "End plastic pollution: towards an International legally binding instrument". This historic resolution launched the negotiations for a new legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution. The new instrument should address plastic pollution throughout the entire lifecycle of plastic, from source to sea.

Although this is a milestone worth celebrating, change will be inherently slow. The need for cleanup of what is currently polluting our waterways is evident given its impact right now. Local and global organizations, companies, and initiatives are working to clean up, but we have a long way to go.

We at The Ocean Cleanup work on cleaning up what is on its way through rivers, and what is already polluting our oceans. Identifying the sources of mismanaged waste leakage into the ocean means we can focus our cleanup efforts in those locations and with maximum impact.

As well as helping to identify the key sources of pollution, our cleanup operations provide a unique monitoring tool to track levels of pollution, evaluate the efficiency of policy measures, and optimize solutions. Together with our partners we use this growing knowledge to work towards a future where cleanup is no longer necessary.

Contribute to science

Help enrich the data on the sources of ocean plastic pollution. Using the Citizen Science app, you can share valuable information from your nearest river or ocean.

Find out more

We must clean up what is already polluting our oceans and what is on its way via the top 1000 polluting rivers. Learn more about our technology and approach, or check our impact dashboard for our current catch numbers.

Fund the cleanup

As a non-profit, The Ocean Cleanup can clean up plastic in the ocean and on its way via rivers, thanks to your donations.

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Ocean Plastic Explained * The Ocean Cleanup

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Plastic leaks into the ocean from thousands of sources all over the world every day. Increasing consumption combined with improper waste management in many countries has made plastic pollution a worldwide problem, causing damage not only to the environment but also to human health and economies.

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Zero Waste Scotland works in resource efficiency and the circular economy to create a society where resources are valued and nothing is wasted.