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More Than 60,000 Used Masks and Gloves Found in Beaches and Oceans

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WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

  • More than 60,000 coronavirus PPE items were gathered from oceans and beaches from 76 countries.
  • These PPE items threaten marine life and the world’s oceans with its microplastics.
  • There is a need for proper disposal management of these PPE items.

COVID-19 has not only created a global health problem but now threatens the oceans and beach shorelines with masks, gloves, and other PPE items used in the fight against it.

In an International Coastal Cleanup event by the Ocean Conservancy in September, there were a total of 62,210 of these items collected. Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that conducts this annual event in partnership with other organizations in different countries to clear trash from beaches in line with their advocacy to preserve/protect the world’s oceans and waterways.

In its 2019 report, the most common items that end up in our oceans and beaches include: plastic grocery bags, cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, food wrappers, straws, plastic take-out containers.  In the more than 30 years that Ocean Conservancy has done this event, this is the first time that PPE was included in the data category for the event.

According to the Environmental Science and Technology journal, globally, there are 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves that are being used.  Mismanaging the disposal of these items during the pandemic could lead to “widespread environmental contamination.”

In a statement to CNN, Dr. George Leonard, a chief scientist with Ocean Conservancy said, “We absolutely believe that PPE waste is a significant threat to oceans and marine life.”

Leonard explained, “There’s enhanced demand and use of single-use plastics like bags and containers by consumers and businesses for groceries and food takeout. Then there’s the global use of disposable masks and gloves. No one would have thought a few months ago that the entire world would be using them.”

Chad Nelsen, the CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, a California nonprofit organization that also works to protect the oceans and beaches says, “As much as 80 percent of plastic waste in oceans comes from land. Every mask or glove that you see on the street that’s not picked up will most likely go into a storm drain, into a river then into the ocean.”

He continued, “Also, people may not realize that these blue masks and gloves have plastic in them. So what we’re using just for a couple of minutes can last on Earth for thousands of years. It won’t biodegrade. When it does decompose into microplastics, it will be digested by animals on land and my marine wildlife.”

Nelsen added, “We’re just scratching the surface of this threat. If we are not concerned or careful, it could become a big setback and a disastrous situation for oceans.”

In 2019, a total of 23,333,816 pounds of trash from 122 participating countries was collected.

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Initially in 2020, at least 1.6 million pounds of trash have been collected from 76 participating countries.  The number would still rise by the end of the year.

Source: PEOPLE

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Science

Pregnant Teen Says She’s Carrying Evil Spirit’s Baby

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In a Nutshell:

  • A 19-year-old Colombian woman, claiming to have never been with a man, asserts she was impregnated by an ‘evil spirit’, sparking a spirited debate on social media.
  • Following strange dreams and a sense of supernatural presences, along with her missing periods, a visit to the gynecologist confirmed her pregnancy.
  • Despite some skepticism and accusations of her fabricating the story, there are also supporters who believe her claims, citing they’ve heard similar stories before.

When it comes to tales of the unexpected, this one is surely one for the books.

A 19-year-old woman from Colombia, who says she has never been romantically involved with a man, now insists that her current pregnancy is the work of an ‘evil spirit.’

A supernatural Casanova, if you will.

The Colombian teen has been stirring up all kinds of chatter on Latino social media after she boldly told TV Malambo, a local media outlet, that she’s convinced her pregnancy is a supernatural event.

According to her, she began having strange dreams and experienced eerie presences in her room.

Then suddenly, she stopped having her period, leading her mother to rush her to a gynecologist, who declared her pregnant.

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She made the claim inn a statement that almost reads like a novel.

“I have not been with any man, suddenly I stopped menstruating and my mother took me to the health center for a check-up and there I found out that I got pregnant.”

The young woman accepts that her story is difficult to swallow and confesses that she herself is puzzled about her mysterious pregnancy.

However, this hasn’t stopped the internet from erupting into a spirited (pun intended) debate.

Some skeptics suggest she concocted the story to dodge parental wrath, while others back her claim, swearing they’ve heard of similar instances.

One supporter commented, “She is telling the truth, I have heard of other cases like this. The last thing her father or mother should do is kick her out of the family home.”

It should be noted that in Colombia, teen pregnancies are more common than in most countries worldwide.

But this is definitely not your average teen pregnancy story.

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In fact, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first ‘supernaturally-induced’ pregnancy we’ve heard about.

Just last year, an Indonesian woman claimed she got pregnant after a gust of wind swept through her.

With stories like these, who needs Netflix for entertainment?


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The ‘Amazon Jungle Book’: 4 Kids Survive 40-Day Ordeal After Plane Crash [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Four indigenous children, ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years old, were found in the Amazon jungle 40 days after the crash of their small plane.
  • Their survival is hailed as a miracle, and it’s noted that they must have survived on available resources in the jungle.
  • Search efforts involved tracking dogs, the military, and indigenous communities, with footprints believed to belong to one of the children aiding the successful rescue mission.

In a real-life saga that puts any Hollywood survival drama to shame, four indigenous kids, including a baby, made it through a whopping 40 days in the Amazon jungle after their plane crashed.

These extraordinary children, members of the Uitoto Indigenous community and aged from 11 months to 13 years, went from “missing presumed gnawed” to “survivors extraordinaire” in a twist that had Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, lauding them as national heroes.

“They themselves are an example of survival that will go down in history,” Petro declared at a news conference.

“Today, those children are the children of peace and the children of Colombia.”

Their health remains a mystery, with doctors yet to make that call.

“Their health must be frail,” speculated Petro, making us all picture these tykes going full ‘Bear Grylls’ to survive.

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Petro also said, “We need to see into their mental health.”

The children, identified as Lesly, Soleiny, Tien, and baby Cristin, survived when their plane, in an unfortunate game of ‘nose goes,’ buried its snout in the Colombian jungle after an engine failure.

While the wreckage was discovered two weeks later with three unfortunate adult casualties, the quartet was nowhere to be found.

In a plot twist that would have hardened detectives smiling, footprints believed to belong to one of the kids sparked hope they were still alive.

The search continued with tracking dogs, armed forces, and local Indigenous communities, proving once and for all that you should never bet against local knowledge when it comes to jungles.

President Petro took time to credit both the military and the indigenous communities.

“The work between armed forces and Indigenous communities — who obviously know the jungle better than we do — that work was successful,” he said.

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It was a show of unity that makes the phrase “It takes a village” seem a bit inadequate.

In the end, it was the indigenous communities and military who found the kids, marking a happy ending to a tale that will no doubt be remembered as the ‘Miracle of the Amazon.’

Hollywood, are you listening?


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Science

Don’t Try This at Home: YouTuber’s Deadly Jellyfish Soup Stirs the Pot [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ stirred up a controversy by cooking and eating a broth made from Portuguese Man-o-Wars, a marine organism known for its deadly sting, in a video for his over one million subscribers.
  • While the YouTuber reported no ill effects and described the taste as similar to scallops, marine experts strongly cautioned against trying to recreate the risky recipe, due to the potential for remaining toxicity and risk of inhaling poisonous fumes during cooking.
  • Despite having a health professional present during the stunt, homosapi’s video has sparked a debate about responsible content creation, and experts are urging the public to avoid attempting to cook or consume dangerous marine creatures like the Man-o-War.

In what might be the next “do not try this at home” viral sensation, popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ has stirred the pot, quite literally, with a marine menace: the Portuguese Man-o-War.

To his over one million subscribers, he served up a video of himself cooking and slurping a broth made from these dangerous dwellers of the deep.

Known for their venomous sting capable of immobilizing or even killing its prey, the Portuguese Man-o-War is not your usual soup du jour.

However, homosapi was not deterred, having been inspired by adventurous eaters who allegedly claimed the venomous creature’s broth was as delectable as the finest delicacy.

Seeking not only the thrill of the culinary dare but also the promise of viral views, homosapi and his friends embarked on a beach trip, hunting for washed-up Man-o-Wars.

Once they’d bagged their jelly-like prizes, the YouTuber proceeded to cook them into a wobbly blob.

He added veggies, sauces, and a suspect pinch of MSG before diving in with a daring taste test.

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His verdict?

It’s somewhat scallop-esque, with no apparent ill effects.

While the YouTuber may have taken the phrase “anything for views” quite literally, marine life experts were quick to condemn the stunt.

Warning the public against recreating this risky recipe, they emphasized that while a boiled Man-o-War might lose some of its toxicity, there’s no guarantee that the potent, protein-based poison is completely neutralized.

Shuhei Ikeda, a jellyfish breeder at the Kamo Aquarium, also highlighted the danger of inhaling toxic fumes during the cooking process, which could result in serious allergies and breathing issues.

In an attempt to counterbalance the wild stunt, homosapi revealed that a health professional was on hand throughout the precarious cooking show.

Nonetheless, the video continues to raise eyebrows and spark debates about responsible content creation.

So, folks, let’s stick to more traditional soup ingredients, shall we?

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Leave the Man-o-Wars to the marine experts, not the daredevil YouTubers.


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