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By: Kirti Moteka   Image retrieved from Environmental Defense Fund Tsunamis, famines, wildfires, pandemics — all the disasters in recent years can be linked to climate change. Climate change is the increase in global warming due to greenhouse gases. Essentially, the sun’s rays get trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases and gradually increase the average temperature of Earth. Over time, this can lead to a change in ocean currents and wind patterns, melting of glaciers at the poles, and an increase in pollution. The Paris Agreement by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed by 195 members in 2016, in a global effort to impede climate change. The agreement aims to limit global warming to below 2 ̊C and 1.5°C. However, according to the UN Emissions Gap Report 2019, they state, “By 2030, emissions would need to be 25 percent and 55 percent lower than in 2018 to put the world on the least-cost pathway to limiting global warming to below 2 ̊C and 1.5°C respectively.” This means that as global citizens, we all need to prioritize climate change and work towards reversing it. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, which ceased the $3 billion funding that the United States provided to the UN. On the other hand, president-elect Joe Biden promises to rejoin the Paris Agreement and work towards meeting the UN’s climate goals. Yet regardless of government policies, we can all do our part to prevent Earth from heating. By reducing our driving, carpooling, avoiding fast fashion, composting, and even planting trees, we can work towards a more sustainable planet. Climate change affects everyone and the consequences are disastrous. In addition to the effects mentioned earlier, NASA predicts that heavy precipitation events will continue, which means a larger amount of rainfall in dry regions as well. Yet according to weather patterns, larger rainfall in one place may lead to decreased rainfall in other places - leading to droughts and wildfires. As rainfall rates rise, so are expected storm intensities, which would lead to larger hurricanes. By 2100, the sea level is predicted to rise by 1-8 feet, which causes some habitable areas to be evacuated. Before 2050, the Arctic Ocean is expected to become ice-free due to the large amounts of glaciers melting. All of these consequences would prompt animals, plants, and humans to migrate - which means many people would lose homes. However, it’s not just humans that would lose homes — animals and plants are at risk as well. According to the UN’s report on biodiversity in 2019, about 1 million animals and plants are at risk of extinction. This mass extinction is a result of animals losing long term habitats and a rise in invasive species. Pollution on land and in water also hurts habitats, as 300-400 million tons of trash are dumped into the oceans. Coral reefs are in even more danger - if the oceans rise by one more degree celsius, then 99% of the world’s coral reefs will be in danger. Climate change and global warming are substantial crises that need our attention. We can not put it off for later generations — our actions today will determine what tomorrow looks like. Earth is our home, and we must work to protect everyone and everything on it. Sources: https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24021772 https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2019 https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-1-million-animals-plant-species-face-extinction-d ue-climate-change-human-activity-population/
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By: Bonne Leung  It’s strange to think that on the last day of the year 2019, most of the people on the planet were celebrating the end of an era and welcoming the new decade with a warm embrace, unaware that in Wuhan, China, a novel coronavirus was on the verge of being identified, and by the first day of 2020, the WHO would be already be sending emergency support to contain the outbreak. By the fifth day of the year, there were news flashes on international television from the WHO, announcing the nature of the new virus including a risk assessment as well as China’s reports of the status of infected patients and the ramifications on public health. By March 2020, most of the world had gone into lockdown. Cheery ‘Open!’ signs were flipped to the other side, blinds were drawn, and the planet sat by idly while a virus ravaged the population. While many communities have taken a blow in the face of people scrambling to find someone, something, to blame, none has suffered as much as the Asian community. Around the world, it’s not just Chinese persons who are targeted for unjust prejudice, but all who resemble the stereotype of slanted eyes and black hair have been faced with not only verbal abuse but also physical violence. In the United States alone, cases of xenophobia and racism has increased by 58%, with a study from San Francisco State University recording 650 direct reports of discrimination against primarily Asian Americans between 18 and 26 March 2020. Cases of racial slurs and violent attacks, particularly towards Chinese Americans, have also increased, reaching 1,497 reports by 15 April. Not to mention the fact that former President Trump regarded the virus as the ‘Chinese virus’ which many were quick to point out was inherently racist. He deflected these claims, but referred to the virus again as the ‘Kung Flu’ later on, perpetuating the anti-Asian sentiment. Even in South Asian countries, the prejudice continues, but in an entirely different manner. In Hong Kong, the divide between the Hong Kongese and travelers from the Mainland — or anyone speaking in Mandarin, for that matter — gapes further as over a hundred restaurants deny customers who didn’t speak Cantonese or English. Furthermore, hundreds of petitions have been signed by thousands of people to protest against letting Chinese travelers enter countries, with insensitive sentiments shared on social media regarding the origins of the virus. A petition signed by over 250,000 people claimed that the spread of the virus was due to ‘[chinese peoples’] unhygienic lifestyle’. The discrimination doesn’t stop at the injustices faced by the Chinese community. In Jordan, a South Korean man reported to the police that he was beaten and mocked for his Asian appearance. The xenophobic narrative surrounding the virus has put strains on myriads of Asian-run businesses, many of which saw a dramatic drop in sales. While economies in general have taken a hit, there has been a significantly high number of small businesses like restaurants that have faced closure due to customers boycotting them or being vandalized. So what has the community done in response to the discrimination? Many have rallied to the #HATEISAVIRUS movement, which aims to organize community-driven aid to help Asian American businesses affected by COVID-19 and the xenophobia that came with it. It took place mainly on digital platforms since in-person events were unsafe, and the team of enthusiastic and driven individuals have launched the ‘Raise A Million’ fundraiser in attempts to raise a million dollars to help support small Asian businesses. Many other communities have also stood in solidarity with the Asian community, and many continue to encourage others to continue supporting their businesses. During a time like this, it’s important for everyone to stand together. There are only so many fronts that we can fight on at the same time, and when there is a common adversary, it seems asinine to be refusing to sit next to an Asian-resembling person due to xenophobic sentiments. Movements such as the #HATEISVIRUS is only the start of the fight back against discrimination, and while some might argue that these movements detracted from the importance of others such as the Black Lives Matter Movement, it’s important to remember that systematic racism affects every community differently, and by standing in solidarity with each other, the institutionalized discrimination can be undone  Most families living off of minimum wage with only one guardian working, as is the case for most low-income families, are considered impoverished by the United States Federal poverty guidelines (“2019 Povery Guidelines”). The majority of low income families living below the poverty guideline have such “limited or no resources” that they are unable to “create opportunities to advance themselves” economically and in turn, are stuck in their own poverty (Dubay). An American cycle of poverty continues in which the limited resources of lower-income families immobilizes economic growth. A 2015 study conducted by a team of economists from Harvard along with successful economists from around the country, found one out of every three individuals who had grown up “in the top one percent of income distribution” had reached a salary of at least $100,000 by the age of thirty. The chances of income improvement for someone who was raised “in the bottom half of income distribution” was much slimmer. Only one out of every 25 adults who grew up in an area of concentrated poverty had reached a cumulative family income of $100,000 by the age of thirty (Leonhardt). Affluent American families remain wealthy while lower-income families remain in poverty. The cycle of poverty America faces today was originally ensured by prejudice-based practices such as Redlining. Redlining was a legal practice throughout the 1900s built upon “racial housing discrimination” cultivated by a “system of disinvestment in communities of color” (Scheper). Bankers would outline the areas they deemed as dangerous investments-consistently lower-income communities of color-in red and share the maps with other businesses and banks. Redlining illustrated communities of color as high risk for businesses, and because of that, bankers often “refused to invest in those areas” while lenders would not “make loans or offer borrows” (Scheper). Without business opportunities or community investment, it was impossible for concentrated areas of poverty to improve their economic status. Redlining prevented economic growth and development in these communities, ensuring that historically poor neighborhoods remained poor and power was kept in the hands of those who already had it. Many bankers and lenders continued the practice of Redlining because there was no law to encourage lower-income community investment. Society continued to allow the injustice of Redlining until 1977 when the American government publicly recognized the detrimental effects of Redlining practices and enacted the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The CRA “requires the Federal Reserve” as well as other federally run banking regulators “to encourage financial institutions to help meet the credit needs” of all residents in their neighborhoods of service, “including low- and moderate-income” families (“Community Reinvestment Act”). The CRA prevents financial institutions from denying a consumer business on the basis of the neighborhood in which they live. Encouragement of investment aims to increase the capital of communities by allowing for a wider range of stable financial opportunities. The effects of Redlining and the mindset it created among investors reverberates throughout high poverty concentrated neighborhoods and/or communities of color today. The New York Times reported “three out of four neighborhoods” previously “marked 'hazardous'” by the federal government 80 years ago, “are still lower-income” (Jesse). Kate Crosby, head of Dayton, Ohio’s human relations council, states that throughout communities who had suffered from Redlining “small business development is not occurring,” and consequently, “economic development is not occurring” (Wallace). A study done in 2016 by the Federal Reserve Bank found “the three biggest bank mortgage lenders” across America, those that “account for more than one-third of all deposits,” made “only 15 percent of their lending to low- and moderate-income borrowers” by the end of 2016 (Jesse). This study outlines how businesses do not invest in lower-income communities unless required, and if companies do, it is a very little amount. Without business investment, communities are isolated from the resources necessary to achieve their potential and increase their capital (“Understanding Neighborhood Effects of Concentrated Poverty”). This isolation fuels the cycle of poverty, especially because it deprives the children of the community of substantial education. Without sufficient community investment, public school systems suffer. A study done by the Pew Trust Research Center found “70 percent of poor Philadelphians said their children attended district-run schools” over a “charter school or private school,” but for the well-off, only 46 percent attended a public school (Swall). Lower-class families are not only denied more avenues for better education but “according to the district,” out of all the poor children in their public schools “only 2 percent” finished “elementary or middle schools with high achievement ratings” (Swall). Disinterest in lower-income neighborhoods from investors as well as the federal government affects neighborhoods of concentrated poverty on all levels. One of the most effective ways to end modern-day Redlining and increase investment in lower-income communities is to encourage development through federal and community investment. The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is a charity based in Harlem that began developing the community and its members through a pipeline basis. The “program begins at birth” and aids the child “every step of the way until college graduation” with exceptional programs centered around “education, social services, and family support” (“Harlem Children’s Zone”). In 2003, the HCZ created “the Practitioners Institute to share information about” their programs, and their pipeline foundation was proven to be so successful that in 2008, President Obama modeled the federally funded Promise Neighborhood Program after it (“Harlem Children’s Zone”). The Promise Neighborhood “initiative offers $10 million in...grants” to charities across America with an aim to “design a pipeline of social, educational and health supports” (“Cleveland Promise Neighborhood”). The federal initiative proved to be effective and motivated the federal government to develop the program on a larger scale through Choice Neighborhoods. Choice neighborhoods provide assistance in navigating financial situations and other community challenges to low-income neighborhoods. Choice Neighborhoods are funded by “public and private dollars” that go towards “addressing struggling neighborhoods with distressed” housing situations “through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation” (“Choice Neighborhoods”). Both the Promise and Choice Neighborhood programs have provided a substantial amount of aid to communities across America. In 2017, “97 percent of all children a part” of the HCZ program “were accepted into college,” creating a better reputation for the future generations of Harlem (“Harlem Children’s Zone”). Likewise, the Choice Neighborhoods, focused on community investment, made an immense impact on the redevelopment of the Pearl Meats Factory. The building was “a long, vacant” deserted meat factory “in one of Boston’s poorest neighborhoods,” but the Choice Neighborhood program helped to transform the building into a “multi-tenant food manufacturing center” (“Bornstein and Pearl”). Both of these success stories illustrate how increased aid to the community both socially and financially can be influential steps towards breaking the cycle of poverty and ending modern-day Redlining. While there are many success stories of these programs, most of the Promise and Choice neighborhoods are only in urban areas. Both programs require a base charity to fund and most lower-income, rural areas do not have these. To get this aid in rural communities, it would require extra funding from the government it is not likely to give. With this in mind, one looks towards investors, but most investors are not likely to donate funds unless they have a social or economic connection. Therefore, the federal government has an obligation to spread the Promise and Choice programs into all areas in order to decrease poverty rates. An influential method of breaking modern day Redlining is through individual business’ investment in their communities. Based in Carrollton, Georgia, Southwire, a wire and cable making company, “tackled a shortage of high school graduate” workers by hiring “a new factory entirely with students at risk of dropping out,” who were required “to stay in school to keep their jobs” (Porter). As a result, the Southwire initiative increased “the county's high school graduation rate” by a total of “10 percentage points” as “the factory was adding $1.7 million to earnings” in five years (Porter). Companies dedicated to providing economic opportunities to areas of concentrated poverty are pioneers in breaking the cycle of poverty. Moreover, the Southwire study also illustrates that investment in one’s community can provide an increase in production and therefore profit for businesses. Initiatives and investments in communities of need offer the opportunity for lower-income families to increase their capital while also allowing for more income opportunities as a business. The companies and initiatives mentioned are extremely important steps towards an end to redlining, but many larger and more renowned businesses are not going to want to invest in communities with a reputation of high-risk investments. For this reason, a market-based CRA is the best solution to ending the system of disinvestment modern-day Redlining creates. As of now, the CRA is “focused primarily on banks’” efforts towards “advertising and soliciting mortgage applications” in neighborhoods of low income or color, “not on the number of loan applications received or granted” (Neuberger). A market-based CRA would require financial institutions to maintain a quota of lower-income investment rather than simply encouraging it. “Banks are willing to be judged on results rather than efforts” in order to fully meet the credit needs in areas of concentrated poverty (Neuberger). A market-based CRA would give businesses the push and guidelines it needs to increase their investments in these neighborhoods. While the market-based CRA is predicted to be an effective solution, it infringes on the economy’s ideas of a free market. The new policy would require “some form of credit allocation,” which increases regulation on companies’ business (Neuberger). However, companies view “the certainty of meeting a measurable standard” preferable over the current CRA’s “vague evaluations of effort” in their investments by the federal government (Neuberger). Overall, if effectively implemented, a market-based CRA has the potential to end modern-day Redlining and lessen America’s cycle of poverty. WORKS CITED “2019 Poverty Guidelines.” ASPE, 22 May 2019, aspe.hhs.gov/2019-poverty-guidelines. “About.” Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood, 2019, www.clevelandpromiseneighborhood.org/about/. Block, Fred. "The Compassion Gap in American Poverty Policy." Contexts, Spring, 2006. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265364395?accountid=14 0586. Dalaker, Joseph. An Introduction to Poverty Measurement. , 2017. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2260276432?accountid=14 0586. Dalaker, Joseph. Poverty in the United States in 2015: In Brief. , 2016. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2260274180?accountid= 140586. DiMaggio, Anthony. "Welfare Helps Reduce Poverty." Welfare, edited by Margaret Haerens, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010238265/OVIC?u=noke74748&sid=OVIC&xid=0ee c37bc. Accessed 11 Dec. 2019. Originally published as "Forgotten Casualties of the Recession," Counterpunch, 7 July 2010. Dubay, Alicia. “What Is the Cycle of Poverty?” World Vision Canada, 10 Feb. 2018, www.worldvision.ca/stories/child-sponsorship/what-is-the-cycle-of-poverty. “Evidence Matters: Understanding Neighborhood Effects of Concentrated Poverty: HUD USER.” Evidence Matters: Understanding Neighborhood Effects of Concentrated Poverty | HUD USER, 2011, www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/em/winter11/highlight2.html. "Hidden Costs in the 'Fight for $15'." Wall Street Journal, 08 Apr 2019. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2266019455?accountid=14 0586. Jesse, Van T. "A Green Light for Banks to Start 'Redlining' again." New York Times (Online), 28 Aug 2018. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2264166985?accountid=1405 86. Leonhardt, David. "Geography seen as Barrier to Climbing Class Ladder." New York Times, 22 Jul 2013. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2266150624?accountid=14 0586. Neuberger, Jonathan A., and Ronald H. Schmidt. A Market-Based Approach to CRA. , 1994. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2250575966?accountid=1405 86. "Outer-City Poverty." Economist, 28 Sep 2019. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2308698225?accountid=1405 86. Porter, Eduardo. "Corporate Action on Social Problems has its Limits." New York Times, 09 Sep 2015. sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2262513855?accountid=1405 86. Sherman, Jennifer. "Coping with rural poverty: economic survival and moral capital in rural America." Social Forces, vol. 85, no. 2, 2006, p. 891+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A156364103/OVIC?u=noke74748&sid=OVIC&xid=fa43 6348. Accessed 11 Dec. 2019. “Spreading the Model, Leading the Nation.” Harlem Children's Zone, 2019, hcz.org/spreading-the-model-2/. Scheper, Jeanne. "Mortgaged minds: faculty-in-debt and redlining higher education." Radical Teacher, Winter 2017, p. 32+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A496085867/OVIC?u=noke74748&sid=OVIC&xid=768a 7673. Accessed 11 Dec. 2019. Swall, Lexey. “Philadelphia's Poor: Experiences From Below the Poverty Line.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, 16 Sept. 2018, www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2018/09/26/philadelphias-poor-expe riences-from-below-the-poverty-line. Wallace, Lewis. “A Call for Responsible Banking in Low-Income Neighborhoods.” Marketplace, 26 Apr. 2019, www.marketplace.org/2015/05/14/call-responsible-banking-low-income-neighborhoods/. By: Ines Laimeche  “The War on Christmas” is a debate that pops up every holiday season and somehow manages to become more annoying each year. It’s this idea that stems from right-wing Christians (the mid-20th century organization known as the John Birch Society, Sarah Palin, the late 90s alt-right website known as VDARE, and Fox News, to name a few) that the very sanctity of Christmas is being ruined by “political correctness” and “modern Christophobia.”
Which, of course, is completely ridiculous as Christmas is still recognized and celebrated (whether in the religious aspect or not) by a large swath of Americans. 93% of Americans, actually, according to a 2019 Gallup poll. And it’s also still one of the most commercialized holidays in the country, as shown by the amount of content dedicated to it, from the films to the music to corporate marketing. There is no war on Christmas. Christmas in the United States isn’t going anywhere. What is happening, however, is nothing simpler than a move towards inclusivity. By replacing “Merry Christmas” with messaging like “Happy Holidays,” both parties and the general public are acknowledging the very existence of winter holidays outside of Christmas, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and not automatically assuming the religious beliefs of others. It’s just one more syllable, nothing difficult. Saying “Happy Holidays” is not, unlike what some conservatives would argue, forcing you to celebrate a holiday that isn’t yours. In the words of a commentator from The Huffington Post, “Those who object to being forced to celebrate another's religion are drowning in Christmas in a sea of Christianity dominating all aspects of social life.” If I could provide a sound argument playing the devil’s advocate here, I would. But there simply isn’t one. As I’ve said, there is no “War on Christmas” in America. It’s an absurd and unfounded argument that’s based on making a religious group the victim in a situation where they are not one. Personally, as someone who isn’t Christian, I couldn’t care less if someone says “Merry Christmas” to me, and I’m sure many non-Christians wouldn’t either. It’s not going to ruin my day, and it’s not a hill I’m willing to die on. What does bother me, however, are the Bill O’Reillys, Tucker Carlsons, Sarah Palins, John Gibsons and Donald Trumps of the world who have devoted airtime and entire books (I wish I was kidding about that: John Gibson wrote a whole book on the “War on Christmas” in 2006) to convince Americans to boycott corporations like Best Buy, Target, and Gap for simply saying “Happy Holidays.” By: Luca Iposi  As is the case in other early civilizations such as the ancient Greeks and the Hindus, we can find queerness engraved in Hawaiian culture.
Before colonization, the Hawaiian Islands and many other Pacific Islands were ruled by local kings and chiefs. Alongside them were spiritual leaders that had a huge role in society during those days. Some of these spiritual leaders were considered as either belonging to a third gender that was neither masculine nor feminine or being “between genders” or “cross-gender” (which we today call transgender) and they took the name of Mahu. They were seen as having a unique connection, higher than that of other spiritual leaders, with the gods and nature. They were teachers, dancers, and healers, but most importantly were entrusted with the keeping and passing of Hawaiian cultures and practices. The Mahu were not classified based on their sex given at birth birth or gender expression, so they had access to some places that were forbidden to women. This is a sign that even though Hawaiian society was quite strongly sexist it was not indeed queerphobic and that those who embraced their queerness were highly regarded. Furthermore, in the 1400s, Liloa, a ruler on the island of Hawaii, originated the practice of moe aikane, relationships frequently between same-sex male partners. After that, it became more common for men to have male partners. However, things started to change once colonizers set foot on the islands. In 1778, Captain James Cook first arrived in the archipelago and in 1816 that land officially became part of the British Empire, which was followed by many Christian missionaries sailing to Hawaii to convert the natives of these islands as they did wherever the Crown set foot. By 1820, the 10 commandments were law and the Mahu were stripped of any political and social power. To facilitate the process of abandoning the old ways, colonizers started to create a stigma around the person of the Mahu. Christians began erasing religious practices and drove away the Mahu from society so that it was harder for them to pass on the traditional uses. In 1850, the first law against sodomy was passed, making it illegal for people to have same sex relationships and partners. In 1959 on the island of Oahu, it was required for trans women to identify as men, therefore completely erasing their identity. To this day, mainly on big islands and cities in the archipelago, the term Mahu is seen as a derogatory term for any gay and transgender person. Some people, especially in smaller communities more in touch with their old culture have started to reclaim the word Mahu as a glorifying word rather than a negative one. This is just one of the many cases where white Christian supremacy has tried to erase cultures that promoted acceptance and install a regime of homophobia that to this day is still ingrained in society and impacts queer people around the world. By: Sophia Deen  As you may have already heard, the new Covid-19 vaccinations springing up after months of trials may just bring us one step closer to beating this pandemic. Both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have made large strides towards an effective vaccine, and they’re currently doing better than we thought.
The Moderna vaccine has been reported as 94.5% effective according to data released- “There were 95 cases of infection among patients in the company’s 30,000-patient study. Only five of them occurred in patients who developed Covid-19 after receiving Moderna’s vaccine” STAT mentions. Moderna’s mRNA-1273 is given in 2 doses, 4 weeks apart. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has stated “I had been saying I would be satisfied with a 75 percent effective vaccine. Aspirationally, you would like to see 90, 95 percent, but I wasn’t expecting it. I thought we’d be good, but 94.5 percent is very impressive.” he mentioned in an interview. As well as this, Pfizer/BioNTech has produced a vaccine that is shown to be 95% effective “with no safety concerns” the company stated. “The company counted 170 cases of coronavirus infection among volunteers who took part in the trial. It said 162 infections were in people who got placebo, or plain saline shots, while 8 cases were in participants who got the actual vaccine.” CNN mentions. The vaccine requires 2 doses a few weeks apart, protection being achieved around 28 days after the first shot. Pfizer has been seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization, expecting to produce “up to 50 million vaccine doses” globally in 2020, and “up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.” Although this is great news, the vaccine will take some time to be distributed, studies show months of anticipation is yet to come. Clinical trials must take place to ensure the vaccine is safe for public distribution. As well as this, regulators must approve of the vaccine before it is sent out. In terms of who will be receiving the approved vaccine first; front-liners and healthcare workers are big priorities, hospital staff and such will be at the top of the list followed by older residents and the over-80’s due to research showing a higher risk factor for older individuals. Pfizer and BioNTech have said that they will be submitting to the FDA for an emergency use authorization “within days” for their vaccine. The companies have stated that their vaccine candidate will possibly be available for use in high-risk populations. By: Bonne Leung  It’s typhoon season in the Philippines— and for those that reside on the island country, they do what little they can to prepare for it. Some evacuate, some simply hope to ride out the storm. But the storms are becoming more frequent, stronger with each drop of the rain and roar of the wind.
Tuguegarao City— a thriving city with the highest population in Cagayan Valley and Northeastern Luzon. The busy metropolis lies along a picturesque river with a backdrop of mountains, but when the skies darkened and the water rose, nothing could stop the brown deluge from swallowing entire villages, flooding streets, and homes. On the 13th of November, Typhoon Ulysses ravaged the Luzon mainland and left thousands vulnerable as their homes were destroyed, turning to evacuation centers for safety. Since then, water has continued to rise, and many have been killed in the landslides caused by flooding, and as of Monday 18th November, 24 of the 28 towns in the Cagayan Province are underwater. The conditions worsened as torrential rain forced water to spill over the Magat Dam, further flooding the banks of one of the longest rivers in the Philippines. But what was once cherished as a source of life and abundance quickly claimed lives with countless trapped in flooded homes or caught in the murky torrents. As of now, there have been more than 70 known deaths, and the effects of the typhoon have affected eight regions and 3 million people. There are many villages that still remain inaccessible, even by boat, and rescue workers have been forced to deliver relief by air, plucking hundreds of survivors from their roofs every day. Slowly, people are trickling back into their homes and picking up the damage caused, hanging up bedsheets and towels to dry, counting their blessings that they were safe once more. In Manila City, another city that has taken a blow from Typhoon Ulysses, classes in all levels have been suspended due to the battering storm, and 3.8 million homes lost power in the influx. This was worsened by the fact that Typhoon Ulysses followed directly behind one of the strongest typhoons in the world this year, Typhoon Goni, which had left 30 dead or missing and over 270,000 households destroyed, which had resulted in tens of thousands of remaining displaced when the most recent storm hit. The waters have been slowly receding as Ulysses was blown out into the South China Sea, the weather clearing to reveal the destruction it left behind. While the island nation is slowly recovering from the aftermath of the latest storm surge, many are looking for an answer for what caused the extreme conditions. Manuel Mamba, the governor of the Cagayan Province, has attributed the calamity to the illegal logging and quarrying along the river that has perpetuated over the years despite government intervention. A family rests at a typhoon evacuation centre in Legazpi City, the Philippines’ Albay province, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA Despite the tragedy, we may see a rise in these occurrences as more and more cities — especially coastal ones — are affected by the consequences of human avarice and climate change. Scientists have reported increased intensity of storms that are linked directly with the rising sea levels caused by the melting ice caps. The Philippines was affected more severely due to its insular location, but if a change isn’t made now in consumption levels, many cities around the world may be underwater by 2100. Although the Philippines is slowly getting back on its feet and brushing away the debris from its banks, there are families who have lost everything they own and barely escaped with their lives. For resources, visit https://redcross.org.ph/ulyssesph/ to read more about the current situation or to donate, or visit https://www.caritasmanila.org.ph/donate-1/ which is a local organization that has helped 150 families since the 13th of November, calling for donations to help those affected by both Typhoon Ulysses as well as Typhoon Rolly. |
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