EPA suspends enforcement of environmental laws amid coronavirus
BY REBECCA BEITSCH – 03/26/20 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a sweeping suspension of its enforcement of environmental laws Thursday, telling companies they would not need to meet environmental standards during the coronavirus outbreak.
The temporary policy, for which the EPA has set no end date, would allow any number of industries to skirt environmental laws, with the agency saying it will not “seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations.”
Cynthia Giles, who headed the EPA’s Office of Enforcement during the Obama administration, called it a moratorium on enforcing the nation’s environmental laws and an abdication of the agency’s duty.
“This EPA statement is essentially a nationwide waiver of environmental rules for the indefinite future. It tells companies across the country that they will not face enforcement even if they emit unlawful air and water pollution in violation of environmental laws, so long as they claim that those failures are in some way ’caused’ by the virus pandemic. And it allows them an out on monitoring too, so we may never know how bad the violating pollution was,” she wrote in a statement to The Hill.
The EPA has been under pressure from a number of industries, including the oil industry, to suspend enforcement of a number of environmental regulations due to the pandemic.
“EPA is committed to protecting human health and the environment, but recognizes challenges resulting from efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may directly impact the ability of regulated facilities to meet all federal regulatory requirements,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement.
In a 10-page letter to the EPA earlier this week, the American Petroleum Institute (API) asked for a suspension of rules that require repairing leaky equipment as well as monitoring to make sure pollution doesn’t seep into nearby water.
Other industries had also asked to ignite the “force majeure” clauses of any legal settlements they had signed with the EPA, allowing for an extension on deadlines to meet various environmental goals in the face of unforeseen circumstances.
But Giles and others say the memo signed Thursday goes beyond that request, giving industries board authority to pollute with little oversight from the agency.
“Incredibly, the EPA statement does not even reserve EPA’s right to act in the event of an imminent threat to public health,” Giles said.
“Instead, EPA says it will defer to states, and ‘work with the facility’ to minimize or prevent the threat. EPA should never relinquish its right and its obligation to act immediately and decisively when there is threat to public health, no matter what the reason is. I am not aware of any instance when EPA ever relinquished this fundamental authority as it does in this memo.”
The memo says companies should try to minimize “the effects and duration of any noncompliance” with environmental laws and should also keep records of their own noncompliance, along with identifying how the coronavirus was a factor.
The EPA on Friday pushed back against characterization of the memo as a waiver of environmental rules.
“During this extraordinary time, EPA believes that it is more important for facilities to ensure that their pollution control equipment remains up and running and the facilities are operating safely, than to carry out routine sampling and reporting,” agency spokeswoman Andrea Woods told The Hill by email.
“If a facility has exceedances of limits on pollution the policy does not offer any no action assurance. We retain all our authorities and will exercise them appropriately. It is a temporary policy and will be terminated when this crisis is past.”
Critics say it’s not unreasonable to refrain from environmental enforcement on a case-by-case basis when companies are unable to comply with the letter of the law, but many were alarmed by the breadth of Thursdays memo.
“It is not clear why refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities that continue to operate and keep their employees on the production line will no longer have the staff or time they need to comply with environmental laws,” Eric Schaeffer, a former director of civil enforcement at the EPA who is now with the Environmental Integrity Project, wrote in a letter signed by a number of environmental groups in anticipation of the memo.
The letter writers also criticized the requests from the API, arguing nearby communities would face prolonged exposure to a number of air and water pollutants that might be expelled through oil production — something they say would have “a very specific impact on public health and safety.”
The diminished compliance requirements for industry comes at a time when the EPA has refused to budge on deadlines for comments as they proceed with a number of deregulatory actions.
Environmental and public health groups had argued that those with science and health backgrounds who would normally weigh in on such regulations have been pulled into the coronavirus fight, leaving them unable to divert their attention.
“The Environmental Protection Agency has not shown the same concern for the impact the coronavirus has had on the ability of community and public interest groups to respond to various proposals to weaken environmental standards,” Schaeffer wrote in the letter.But the EPA has argued exceptions were not needed.
“We’re open and continuing our regulatory work business as usual,” an EPA spokesperson told The Hill in a statement. “As regulations.gov is fully functioning, there is no barrier to the public providing comment during the established periods.”
Friday sees the first lunar eclipse in Sagittarius since the eclipse cycle of 2010-13 – and it looks like this new eclipse cycle might turn out to be a bumpy ride.
For a start, the eclipse is locked into a tight square with a highly passive aggressive, overly sensitive, emotionally volatile Mars in Pisces. It’s also opposite Venus retrograde, hindering the expression of genuine emotion and loving kindness. This combination of a Moon-Mars square and a Moon-retrograde Venus opposition do not bode at all well for interpersonal relationships. There’s a huge amount of anger in this energy, coupled with bitterness, resentment and perhaps jealousy too.
Lunar eclipses tend to clear the path towards something our souls need to learn, but they often do so with major accompanying drama, tears and upset. This eclipse energy may test even the most stable and loving of relationships; for a struggling relationship, the tension may just be too much.
On a geopolitical scale, both Mars and Venus retrograde are traditionally considered portents of war, so for them to be tightly involved with a lunar eclipse is pause for thought indeed. We are already seeing wide scale social anger, whether connected to the covid-19 epidemic, or connected to racial, economic and social injustice – this lunar eclipse suggests that this anger is not likely to simmer down any time soon. There are also hints of earthquakes or other geophysical upheaval connected to this energy.
Interestingly, the lunar eclipse occurs at 15 degrees Sagittarius, just one degree away from the mysterious ‘Great Attractor’ – a gravitational anomaly which, for reasons science can’t yet explain, appears to be pulling our galactic neighbourhood towards it. The Great Attractor lies at 14 degrees Sagittarius; the symbolism of its mysterious pull or hold over us is not lost in this eclipse, which exudes Sagittarian mystery energy as we collectively seek an elusive truth – but whose truth? My truth or your truth? What if there is more than one truth? What if the powers that be in today’s modern world are experts in manipulating ‘the truth’? Is this how wars start?
Sagittarius energy in its purest form is about wisdom and justice. Tumultuous events around this lunar eclipse should help to clear the way towards a greater understanding of wisdom and justice, but the path to reach that desirable end point may be troubled indeed. We can hope for wisdom, but we should also prepare, metaphorically at least, for war, both in our public and private lives. The two weeks between now and the solar eclipse on June 21st will be critical.
Aries
New religious or cultural experiences are opening your mind – but you may not be comfortable with that. You may be stuck in a process of denial, attempting to hold onto the status quo, but this lunar eclipse demonstrates that you must make a leap of faith or be left behind. It’s OK to have been wrong; what matters is that you are big enough now to acknowledge your mistakes and to adjust your thinking. You could lead the way towards a better understanding across cultures, communities and backgrounds, but to do so, you must first relinquish your need to be right and your need to ‘win’.
Taurus
Something you’ve been clinging to, whether it’s a person or a project, is about to be removed. This will be upsetting, for sure, but in your heart, you’ve seen this coming. Whether it’s a relationship breakdown or the ending of a cherished idea, you will need some time to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and face the world afresh. What you lose will be more than made up for by the potential which is heading your way, but it might not feel that way at first. Understand that life goes in cycles. You will be back on the up again soon.
Gemini
This eclipse is a turning point for a close relationship. If you are truly in love, and you believe it’s worth keeping and fighting for, then do that. Put in the work and heal your love life. If, on the other hand, you are not being treated well, then make a conscious choice to walk away with your head held high. Struggling on and pretending it’s not happening is no longer an option. If your relationship is settled and happy, you can easily ride out this bump, but in that case look for the ‘make or break’ effect in a different close partnership or interpersonal relationship. Something has to give.
Cancer
Events around this lunar eclipse may throw your daily life into chaos for a while – never a lot of fun. However, this disruption to your routines is a blessing in disguise. Under the cover of chaos, you can start to work out what you want to keep and what you want to discard from your daily arena. When you emerge from the chaos, things will be very different, but you have a great deal of say over how different and in what way. It’s important to seize what looks like a problem at this time and turn it into an opportunity to clear the decks.
Leo
A compulsive desire to take risks surfaces for you during this lunar eclipse – especially risks involving love or money. Or both! You need to walk a fine line here, between getting an adrenaline rush versus getting run over by the consequences of your risk. Stay away from gambling, and don’t take chances with a relationship you value too much to lose. You do have some issues to work through here, regarding spontaneity and a quest for fun and enjoyment, but if you allow this eclipse energy to push you too far into recklessness, the lessons you’ll learn will be painful indeed.
Virgo
Childhood trauma may resurface during this eclipse energy, particularly if you have suffered abuse of any kind. The struggle to get your truth heard may be very painful, but help is available to you if you ask for it. There’s also a focus on your current home and family, and you may be suffering from itchy feet and a strong desire to move home. Hold of on any major decisions until the eclipse energies have settled, because all is not quite what it seems here. Impulsive moves regarding major legal contracts are not, repeat not, a good thing right now.
Libra
For you, seeking wisdom during this eclipse may be quite a literal theme. Your plans to go back to school may be disrupted, or you may suddenly discover that you need extra qualifications or that you have to study for something, even if you don’t really want to. You’re being asked to make a distinction between facts and wisdom. ‘Knowing things’ is not wisdom in itself; wisdom is the skilful application of what you know. Don’t become complacent over your level of education; instead, seek to expand your mind and to gain true wisdom and insight.
Scorpio
Your ethics are in question during this lunar eclipse; if you have done something shady, you can expect to be found out. The eclipse also impacts your financial zone, and may bring unwelcome financial news. The key to handling this is to not panic. You will survive. Avoid going into unnecessary debt; avoid working yourself to exhaustion. Learn to be grateful for what you do have, not to be resentful over what you do not have. Fostering gratitude for life will help you to absorb any shocks this eclipse has in store, and will also put you in better touch with your divine self.
Sagittarius
Think back to the 2010-2013 period. Something was going on in your life at that time which taught you a great deal – but now it’s time to re-visit that lesson. Your sign always seeks wisdom and truth, but you are kidding yourself over one particular issue, preferring to lie to yourself instead of facing reality. This eclipse cycle will show you the worst of what happens if you deceive yourself or others – but it can also show you the magic of self-belief and the divinity of honesty. Set your sail towards truth and be ruthless in pursuing it, even – especially – within yourself.
Capricorn
Your empathy and compassion are laudable, but during this eclipse you may be shown the folly of having a ‘saviour mentality’. Look to your own motives when you’re trying to help others. There’s more going on here than just you doing good deeds; it speaks to a fundamental part of your character and your need to be liked, admired and seen as a success. The eclipse is here to teach you humility; to learn this lesson, you need to listen to your higher consciousness and to stop caring so much about what others think of you.
Aquarius
Your sign has always battled a need to belong on the one hand versus a need to be independent on the other hand. The lunar eclipse shatters your illusions about the need to fit in, and frees you to be the different, unique soul you are. It’s time to stop trying to change the system from within the system. It’s not going to work. Step outside, learn about the greater concepts of reality, and discover the power of manifestation. The price of real change is that people may not like you for it; is that a price you’re willing to pay?
Pisces
This lunar eclipse rocks your understanding of power – both the power you personally have and the power you as a citizen have delegated to your elected representatives. Neither your personal power nor the collective political power is serving you well right now. The eclipse teaches you, however, that you are never powerless. You always have your own personal integrity, and your freedom of choice. How you deal with your current crisis will be telling; others may be calling the shots and circumstances may be beyond your control, but you always, always have a choice over how to react.
About the author:
Nikki Harper is a spiritualist writer, astrologer, and editor for Wake Up World.
Seismologists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have found previously unknown undersea faults near the epicenters of earthquakes in Puerto Rico. The findings will help seismologists develop a clearer picture of tectonic activity in the area and give the public a clearer sense of the potential for future tremors.
In a news release published by the USGS, the agency announced that seafloor faults may have triggered the previous earthquake series on the island, which began December 28, 2019, including an M6.4 on January 7, 2020.
Earthquakes in southern Puerto Rico – May 2020. Credit: TW/SAM, Google. Data source: USGS
USGS said their seismologists were not surprised by the fact that earthquakes occurred but by where they occurred.
Puerto Rico lies on an active boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates, with the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate moving eastward about two centimeters (less than an inch) per year along a strike-slip fault. There is geologic evidence of earthquakes that probably took place millennia ago, while history records earthquakes and tsunamis in Puerto Rico as far back as the 1500s. But most seismic activity has been on the north side of the island, not the south side, where previously unknown undersea faults may have triggered this latest earthquake series.
“It seemed likely that a previously unknown fault system off the south coast was involved in the earthquake sequence, and there should be evidence of that on the seafloor,” said Uri ten Brink, a USGS research geophysicist.
“We thought that if that were true, the information would be potentially very valuable to science, and to the people of southern Puerto Rico. They are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria, and now they are facing a completely different type of hazard, and they are hungry for information about it.”
Ten Brink, along with scientists from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, ran a sequence of one-day research cruises out of the University of Puerto Rico Marine Station in La Parguera from March 7 to 13.
Preliminary findings confirm ten Brink’s assumptions that there is proof of at least one underwater fault in Guayanilla Bay, which might be an extension of a fault mapped previously on land.
Several more faults had been tentatively identified lying 7 and 15 km (4 and 9 miles) offshore, in waters up to about 1 000 m (3 300 feet) deep, also within areas identified as the epicenters of some of the latest earthquakes.
Locations of multichannel seismic reflection profiles (in black), collected during cruise FA2020-14. Image credit: Uri ten Brink, USGS
The team towed a device called “sparker” to map the faults, which uses an electrical charge to produce an air bubble in the sea. When the bubble expands, it generates a sound wave that travels through water and into the seabed, where geologic layers reflect some of the energy back to the surface. The research vessel also towed an array of 32 hydrophones below the sea surface to spot pressure changes underwater.
By measuring differences in the signals’ return, researchers can identify differences in the elevation of the rock beneath the seafloor. The differences, called offsets, are considered to be indications of faults that have been active recently.
The USGS team collected about 250 km (155 miles) of seismic reflection data, imaging the seabed and underwater structures at resolutions of just a few meters.
From the ship, several fresh scars were identified in shore-facing cliffs from Punta Montalva to Guayanilla Bay, which was caused likely by rockfalls due to the powerful tremors.
The team also searched for evidence of a fault breaking the seafloor at Punta Montalva, but the seismic data do not indicate clearly such a fault at first look.
Ten Brink said that in the following months, more sophisticated data processing is likely to unveil more faults, and the team expects to be able to measure ruptures along the faults.
“This data will eventually help seismologists develop a clearer picture of tectonic activity in the area,” he remarked. “Ultimately, we hope the USGS’ work in this region will help give the public a clearer sense of the potential for future earthquakes.”
“The USGS’ research findings are being used to improve building codes that will help Puerto Rico better withstand future earthquakes and to better prepare for tsunamis.”
These days, the soap is also made with coconut, castor, or hemp oils. Sometimes it’s made with avocado, walnut, and almond oils as well. These oils give the soap its lathering, moisturizing, and cleansing properties.
Castile soap is an exciting product since it’s not only environmentally friendly but also incredibly useful and effective for certain purposes. You can use it on your body, to clean your house, and even on pets.
You may find that a bottle or bar of castile soap conveniently replaces a plethora of other products in your home.
Castile soap is also safe and gentle to use as long as it’s diluted properly.
26 different uses for castile soap
You may be surprised by all of the ways that you can use castile soap. Some types of castile soap are made with essential oils. If you buy plain or unscented castile soap you may choose to add essential oils to the following solutions at your own discretion.
Feel free to experiment a bit with the recipes to find a ratio that works to suit your personal preference. But know that when you dilute the soap, you’re shortening its shelf life, so be sure to use the solution within a few weeks.
1. Wound cleaning
Castile soap can be used to clean minor wounds. Add 2 teaspoons of soap to 2 cups of filtered drinking water to create a cleansing solution.
A 1999 animal studyTrusted Source found that castile soap was effective in healing wounds and lowering the rate of wound complications. It was compared to a saline solution, benzalkonium chloride, bacitracin, and a combination of all of these.
However, research from 2015 found that saline solution works better than castile soap in cleaning open fractures. This research followed 2,500 people for a year and found that people who used castile soap at the start of surgery were 32 percent more likely to require a second surgery compared to people who used saline.
2. Deodorant
Castile soap can be used to make a natural deodorant. Add 1/2 teaspoon of castile soap and 1 teaspoon of sea salt to a small spray bottle and use in the underarm area as needed.
3. Dish soap
Add 1 part of castile soap to 10 parts of water to make a liquid dish soap.
4. Dishwasher detergent
Use a natural option to replace your usual dishwasher detergent. Mix equal parts of castile soap and water in a bottle. Fill your detergent compartment as normal.
5. Window cleaner
Freshen up and shine your windows with a natural spray. Use 1 tablespoon of castile soap in a quart of water to clean your windows. Then rinse using soda water and dry the windows with newspaper.
6. Shampoo
Pre-make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of castile soap in a cup of water. Use a small amount of this diluted castile soap to wash your hair. Or simply work a small amount of neat (undiluted) soap into wet hair.
7. Face wash
Castile soap is mild enough to use on your face and strong enough to potentially prevent acne and kill harmful bacteria. Rub a few drops of soap onto your face and rinse as usual.
8. Body wash
Squeeze a small amount of castile soap into your hands to use as a body wash. Use a washcloth or loofah to gently exfoliate your skin.
9. Hand soap
You can easily make your own hand soap or foaming hand soap. Add 2 tablespoons of castile soap to 12 ounces of water. It’s optional to add 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil or any essential oil. Fill your soap dispenser with the mixture.
10. Shaving
You can use castile soap in place of shaving cream. Lather up a bit of pure soap in your hands and then apply it to the area you want to shave. You can add a small amount of a carrier oil to help moisturize your skin.
11. All-purpose household cleaner
An all-purpose castile liquid cleaner can tackle all sorts of cleaning jobs. Use 1 to 2 cups of soap in a quart of water as a cleaning spray.
12. Foot bath
Use castile soap to make yourself a relaxing foot bath. Simply add 2 teaspoons of liquid soap to a small bucket of hot water. You can add a few drops of an essential oil to enhance the experience. Sit back and unwind as you soak your feet for up to 20 minutes.
Make your bath more luxurious by adding 2 tablespoons of liquid soap to a hot tub of water. You can add 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil if you want some extra moisture for your skin.
15. Sinus decongestion
A castile soap steam is a convenient way to clear your sinuses. Simply add 1 tablespoon of soap to a bowl of boiling hot water. Place your face over the water, drape a towel over your head, and breathe in the mist.
16. Mopping
Castile soap can be used to make your floors sparkle. Add 1/2 cup of soap to 3 gallons of hot water and mop as usual.
17. Toilet cleaner
Mix 1 cup of soap and 4 cups of water and put in a spray bottle. Use this solution to clean your toilet.
18. Ant spray
Add 1/4 cup of soap to a quart of water to make a spray that can be used to keep ants away from plants. Always test it on a small part of the plant before using it on the entire plant.
19. Fruit and vegetable rinse
Castile soap is a great way to clean any pesticides or residue from fresh fruits and vegetables. Add 1/4 teaspoon of soap to a bowl of water. Soak and then gently rub the produce using your hands. Then rinse with plain water.
20. Teeth cleaner
If you can handle the taste, you can use a drop of soap on your toothbrush to brush your teeth. You may wish to use a peppermint or tea tree oil castile soap.
21. Pet wash
Castile soap can even be used to wash your pets. The exact amount of soap you use will vary depending on the amount of hair and the size of your animal. Use a small amount of soap mixed with water to wash your pet. Then rinse with clean water.
Essential oils can be toxic to animals, so use an unscented soap.
Also note that castile soap is sometimes made with avocado oil. While many parts of the avocado are toxic to animals as well, the oil is generally considered safe. Even so, you may prefer to use a castile soap that is formulated without avocado oil.
22. Plant spray for bugs
Keep bugs off of your plants by mixing 1 tablespoon of castile soap in a quart of water to make a spray.
23. Makeup remover
Castile soap can be combined with witch hazel and a carrier oil to make a natural makeup remover. Mix equal parts of all three ingredients together and use a cotton ball to gently remove makeup. Then use a washcloth with warm water to remove any remaining residue.
24. Mouthwash
Make a mouthwash by adding 1 drop of castile soap to a shot glass of water. Use peppermint soap to improve the taste.
25. Scouring scrub
You can use a castile soap scrub cleaner in your kitchen or bathroom. Mix 1 cup of castile soap and 3 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake some baking soda and then spray the cleaning solution on the area that needs to be cleaned. Use a sponge or brush to scrub away any dirt or grime.
26. Makeup brush cleaner
Remember to wash your makeup brushes every week if you can. Simply fill a cup with warm water and a few drops of castile soap. First rinse your brushes in water, then place them in the cup for about 10 minutes. Rinse the brushes again and allow them to air dry.
Over the past 200 years, Earth’s magnetic field has lost around 9% of its strength. Meanwhile, a large region of reduced magnetic intensity has developed between Africa and South America — known as South Atlantic Anomaly. Over the past 5 years, however, a second center of minimum intensity has emerged southwest of Africa, suggesting that the South Atlantic Anomaly could split up into two separate cells.
Earth’s magnetic field is vital to life on our planet– it is a complex and dynamic force that protects living beings from cosmic radiation and charged particles from the Sun.
The current prevailing understanding is that it’s largely generated by a sea of superheated, swirling liquid iron that makes up Earth’s outer core around 3 000 km (1 864 miles) below the surface. It acts as a spinning conductor, producing electrical currents that generate the continuously changing electromagnetic field.
Image credit: World Data Center for Geomagnetism/Kyoto University
Image credit: World Data Center for Geomagnetism/Kyoto University
For the past 200 years, the magnetic field has lost about 9 percent of its strength on a worldwide average.
Meanwhile, a large region of reduced magnetic intensity has developed between Africa and South America — known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.
The South Atlantic Anomaly refers to an area where our protective shield is weak. This animation shows the magnetic field strength at Earth’s surface from 2014-2020 based on data collected by the Swarm satellite constellation. Credit: ESA
The minimum field strength in this area has pummeled from 24 000 nanoteslas to 22 000 from 1970 to 2020. At the same time, the area of the anomaly has expanded and advanced westward at a pace of around 20 km (12 miles) per year.
In addition, for the past five years, a second center of minimum intensify has appeared southwest of Africa, indicating that the South Atlantic Anomaly could rupture into two separate cells.
The magnetic field is commonly pictured as a powerful dipolar bar magnet at the planet’s core, tilted at about 11° to the axis of rotation. However, the growth of the anomaly signifies that the process involved in generating the field is more complex as simple dipolar models were not capable of accounting for the latest development of the second minimum.
The South Atlantic Anomaly refers to an area where our protective shield is weak. White dots on the map indicate individual events when Swarm instruments registered the impact of radiation from April 2014 to August 2019. The background is the magnetic field strength at the satellite altitude of 450 km (280 miles). Credit: ESA
Scientists from the Swarm Data, Innovation, and Science Cluster (DISC) used information from ESA’s Swarm satellite constellation to study the anomaly and have a better understanding of it. Swarm satellites are built to determine and accurately measure the different magnetic signals comprising the Earth’s magnetic field.
“The new, eastern minimum of the South Atlantic Anomaly has appeared over the last decade and in recent years is developing vigorously,” said Jurgen Matzka from the German Research Center for Geosciences.
“We are very lucky to have the Swarm satellites in orbit to investigate the development of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The challenge now is to understand the processes in Earth’s core driving these changes.”
Image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab
Scientists have been speculating whether the present weakening of the field is an indication that the planet is heading for an imminent pole reversal, in which the north and south magnetic poles reverse places.
Such events have happened many times throughout the Earth’s history, and we are long overdue by the average rate — roughly every 250 000 years at which the switch occurs.
While the mysterious origin of South Atlantic Anomaly is yet to be identified, ESA said that at the surface level it does not present a cause for alarm. However, satellites and other spacecraft flying through the area are more likely to experience technical malfunctions as the magnetic field is weaker in this region, so charged particles can penetrate the altitudes of low-Earth orbit satellites. In addition, SWARM scientists think the intensity dip in the South Atlantic occurring now is well within what is considered normal levels of fluctuations.
Dolphins Bring Gifts From the Sea in Apparent Response to Lack of Human Interaction
The sea mammals have been lining up to bring gifts ashore – “apparently because they’re missing interaction with humans,” according to a report by 7News.
(TMU) – For much of the world, it’s been weeks if not months since we entered lockdown. And while humanity hitting the “pause” button has seemingly been a blessing in disguise for some creatures who have used the respite to enjoy clean air and water for the first time in decades, other animals actually may miss us human beings.
Such appears to be the case for the dolphins who hang out at Tin Can Bay in Queensland, Australia, where the sea mammals have been lining up to bring gifts ashore – “apparently because they’re missing interaction with humans,” according to a report by 7News.
Barnacles Café and Dolphin feeding is typically filled with tourists throughout the year, and offers visitors the priceless opportunity to interact with wild humpback dolphins. And the wild dolphins do enjoy the opportunity to be treated to fresh fish by happy visitors.
But Australia began imposing strict quarantine rules in the middle of March, visitors stopped lining up to feed the animals – and the humpbacks may be worried about the sudden disappearance of their land-loving bipedal friends.
According to Barnacles, the local dolphin pod has been presenting gifts to staff at the café, ranging from barnacle-encrusted bottles to sea sponges and fragments of coral.
“The pod has been bringing us regular gifts, showing us how much they’re missing the public interaction and attention. They are definitely missing you all.”
A volunteer at the café told reporters from ABC that while the pod has displayed this behavior in the past, the gestures have been increasing since the venue shut down.
For dolphin expert and University of Queensland PhD student Barry McGovern, the explanation for the dolphins’ behavior could be far more mundane.
“Nothing surprises me with dolphins and their behavior anymore. They do everything – they use tools, they have culture, they have something similar to names in signature whistles.”
In general, dolphins are one of the most intelligent animal species on the planet. From their playful nature to their sociability and friendliness toward humans, as well as their legendary interactions with seafarers, dolphins have inspired the adoration of humans since time immemorial.
Increasingly, human researchers are discovering that dolphins display skills and sophistication previously attributed only to the human species, including strong problem solving capabilities and a complex system of communication.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we should project our own feelings of longing borne of the quarantine onto ocean mammals. McGovern explained:
“In all likelihood, they probably don’t miss humans per se … They probably miss a free meal and the routine.”
Dolphins are also generally prone to “play-like behavior.” McGovern said:
“They often play with bits of weed and coral and all sorts of things and just leave it on their rostrum (nose).They’re used to getting fed now, so they’re used to humans coming in. When it’s not happening, maybe it’s just out of boredom.”
Since coronavirus restrictions are being phased out, Barnacles Café has reopened and they have resumed dolphin feeding activities.
Etched equilateral cross petroglyph seen at Inscription Canyon near Prescott,
Arizona. (Source)
In “Kásskara: Sunken Land of the Hopi Ancestors” (18th March 2020), Hopi elder Oswald “White Bear” Fredericks (1905-1996) described the Hopis’ epic migration story as it unfolded through aeons and on several continents, a couple of them now on the ocean floor. Their mythology, which I explain more fully in the first article, essentially envisions a series of “worlds” through which the human being, personally and collectively, must pass, these worlds corresponding generally to vast periods of time and changing configurations of global geology.
White Bear described a succession of cycles through which human societies develop and then self-destruct because they have fallen out of harmony with the intelligent universal force from which all life springs.
According to Hopi mythology, the First World, Tokpela, was destroyed by fire. The Second World, Tokpa, was destroyed by ice. Both conditions may have come about through disturbances in the Earth’s orbit and polar shifts. In the previous article I mentioned that Plato, recounting in Critias his uncle’s Egyptian sojourn, said a temple priest at Sais had told Solon that “a great conflagration of things upon the earth, which recurs after long intervals…” caused the sinking of Atlantis, a notion consonant with the Hopi world view. Kásskara (Lemuria) was coeval with Talawaitichqua (Atlantis) and was destroyed by water, White Bear said, in the following manner:
“The kickmonguity, or Queen of Atlantis, had been threatening Kásskara with destruction from weapons that could be fired from space. Our people had knowledge comparable with the people of Atlantis, but we used it only for good and useful ends. As I already mentioned, we studied the secrets of nature, the power of the Creator in living things,” White Bear said, explaining that his ancestors did not seek revenge and avoided killing even to defend themselves. The Hopi culturally embody Jesus’ admonition not to resist evil: “Turn the other cheek”.
The Shield of Protection
“My people did not defend themselves when [Kásskara was] attacked. And it was right! If that seems strange to you, look at what the Hopi do today. The government of the United States gave us a reservation. Can you imagine? And then they kept coming to cut pieces out of it. They reduced our country more and more. Each time the government does that we say, ‘It is not right’, as we were instructed [to do] by the Creator,” White Bear said, noting that even if his ancestors had not defended themselves actively, they still had their “shield of protection.” He said he could not scientifically explain what this shield was and how it worked, but he described it this way:
“If there is lightning, it reaches our shield, and there it explodes. It does not cross the shield. I remember well how my grandmother showed me the way in which the shield acts. One day when I was still a child, she took a basin and turned it over, saying, ‘Now you are under the basin. If something falls on it, it will not hurt you’. Perhaps I should tell you that she wanted me to repeat all the stories that she told me,” White Bear said. “When I made a mistake she stopped me, and I had to start all over again. It’s why I know by heart all of what my grandmother told me.”
We might, in our modern sophistication, feel tempted to disregard or trivialise White Bear’s grandmother as a credible source of information, but consider that the matrilineal Hopi respect and value wisdom passed down by their elders. His grandmother would not intentionally lie to him, and her insistence that he repeat minor details he hadn’t easily recalled suggests that she took seriously the transmission of this knowledge to her grandson. This transmission is the basis of all oral traditions. The Hopi in their annual cycle of ceremonies re-enact these stories because they consider them too important to be forgotten.
“All the bombs, or whatever they were, exploded far above our heads, and the shield protected all people who were to be saved and had been gathered in a certain area. Cities were attacked and many people perished. Only we were saved. And then—as my grandmother said—somebody pushed the ‘bad button’ and the two continents sank,” White Bear explained. “However, the destruction was not universal. The entire Earth was not destroyed, and not all men were killed. But Atlantis disappeared very quickly into the ocean and our Third World, Kásskara, disappeared very slowly.”
The Laws of the Creator
One interesting feature of the Hopi religious mindset is its similarity to that of certain Eastern religions. The Hopi embrace the idea of reincarnation. They acknowledge “Kundalini energy” and the vortices of psychic vitality called “chakras, and they also recognise the universal law of karma, the spiritual equivalent of Newton’s third law of motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” The law of karma is also expressed eloquently in the biblical admonition, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” White Bear explained the Hopi view of karma:
“Let us suppose that I want to kill somebody and that I have an accomplice. We agree to do it. Even if it is me that kills, the accomplice does it in thought. But he is not as guilty as me,” White Bear said. “It is the reason for the fast destruction of Atlantis; they attacked. We, or some of our people, were only collaborators at the time Atlantis attacked Kásskara. This is why the fault on our side was minor and our group had a new chance. If we had been as guilty as the people from Atlantis, we also would have been quickly destroyed,” he added.
“The power external to the human capacity did not allow that the People of Peace be destroyed completely. These people were reincarnations of men who had lived in the Second World, Tokpa, and who had followed the laws of the Creator. It was His will to give to those who were to be saved the means of succeeding.
“We were saved and we came here because since the First World, Tokpela, we have always obeyed the Divine Laws! We will see now what occurred then and what role the Kachinas played in bringing us to this continent in the Fourth World,” White Bear said.
Kachinas: Emissaries from Space
Since their emergence in the First World, the Hopi and their ancestors remained in a close relationship with Kachinas, who White Bear defined as “initiated, highly ranked, esteemed beings.” They were originally called Kyákyapichina, the plural form of Kyápchina, the term also incorporating the word “chinakane”, which means “growth” as in the growth of a plant, although in this context the word also indicates the spiritual growth that the Kachinas inspire. The language evolved over time, and now these entities are simply called Kachinas.
Pahlikmana, Hopi kachina doll, c. late 19th century, held in the Brooklyn Museum. (PD0)
Kachinas can manifest visibly or invisibly, but White Bear made it clear that these beings come from locations vastly distant from Earth.
“The Kachinas come from space. They do not come from our solar system but from very distant planets. It would require several generations for our astronauts to get there,” White Bear said. “The Hopi name for these planets is Tóónatakha, which means ‘close to each other’, in a spiritual sense rather than a material one because all their inhabitants share the same responsibilities and work closely together. For this reason, the Hopi translate “Tóónatakha” as “Confederation of Planets”; and because we know there are 12 such worlds, we also refer to the “Confederation of Twelve Planets”, he explained, adding: “While I pronounce this sentence, they can traverse vast distances. Their vessels fly with magnetic force even when they circle the Earth.”
In 1978, White Bear accompanied my anthropology teacher, Henry Denny, and me to Inscription Canyon near Prescott, Arizona, an area noted for its ancient petroglyphs. He pointed out an equilateral cross on a rock slab, its deeply etched outline suggesting an amniotic enclosure. The glyph pre-dates the birth of Christ, he told us, saying that it anticipated this future divine incarnation. White Bear also showed us a glyph of the aforementioned Confederation of Planets, indicating those inhabited worlds that communicate with each other.
In ancient times it was known among certain people that intelligent beings had come from space and helped cultivate mankind out of its primitive state, but this knowledge was nearly lost when the Earth suffered global and semi-global cataclysms. Some of this knowledge survived in the mythologies of aboriginal people, and even in the West some of this information remained concealed by various powerful institutions, often with contradictory interests, such as Freemasonry and the Roman Catholic Church.
White Bear explained that Kachinas have varying ranks depending upon their capacities. While they’re all called Kachinas‚ some are also called Wuyas, which means “divinity” and denotes an exceptionally wise person.
“Comparing Kachinas and Wuyas with Christian entities, we might say Angels for Kachinas and Archangels for Wuyas. They are all Angels‚ but the highest in rank you would call Archangels. The divinities are positioned above the Kachinas, and above all there is the Creator,” White Bear said. “Only Kachinas are in contact with the human beings‚ not the divinities who only give instructions to the Kachinas.”
The Hopi refer only to Kachinas when familiarising children with the initiated beings. “It would be too difficult to explain the difference to them, and this is where the Kachina puppets serve their role: they accustom children to these beings’ physical appearance so they do not fear seeing the dancers,” White Bear explained, adding that even tourists who buy these puppets call them Kachinas, but it doesn’t really matter if they are unaware of the deeper meanings.
“We do the same thing with the San Francisco mountains [a sacred range southwest of Hopiland]. When children see those high peaks, they understand when we tell them that this is where the Kachinas go when they leave us,” White Bear said, saying that it’s easier for children to understand a high mountain than a distant planet. “Think about what you tell your children about Santa Claus and the child Jesus. But when the children are accepted among the adults‚ the difference is explained. The Kachinas come from a very distant planet, and when they leave us they return there. The men who carry out the dances represent these learned beings who came to us a long time ago,” he said.
The San Francisco Peaks, a volcanic mountain range in north-central Arizona, sacred to the Hopi. (PD0)
White Bear described three kinds of Kachinas. The first involves survival and the continuity of life. In the Hopi dances, these Kachinas appear in mid-winter when in nature all life sleeps.
“They offer the certainty to us that life will return and continue; and as reincarnation belongs to the continuity of life‚ it means that we will take birth again and have the possibility to improve,” White Bear said.
The second group consists of the teachers. “We learn from them who we are and where we are‚ what transformations we can undergo and what we must do,” he noted.
The third group represents the guardians of the law. “They are the ones who warn us. They explain to us patiently what not to do,” White Bear said, “but in time they stop informing us and start punishing us for any evil we do.”
White Bear reported that children have been born following a “mystical relation” between Hopi women and Kachinas. “There was a physical proximity between our people and Kachinas. We could touch them. But even if that seems strange‚ they never had sexual relations. The children were conceived in a mystical way,” he said, apparently referring to the phenomenon called “virgin birth” in Christian doctrine.
“Such children‚ when grown, possessed great knowledge and wisdom and sometimes even supernatural capacities, which they had received from their spiritual father,” White Bear explained. “They were splendid, powerful men who were always ready to help but never to destroy.”
Flying Shields and Magnetic Fields
White Bear made it clear that Kachinas have physical bodies. “That’s why they need vessels to travel in our skies and return to their planets,” he said, adding that the spaceships have various sizes and names. “One name is Patoowa, ‘the object which can fly above water’. Pahu means ‘water’ in our language, and Toowata is ‘an object with a curved surface’. Because of this form, we also call it a ‘flying shield’. I will tell you what it resembles: if you cut a calabash [gourd] in two‚ a form is obtained with the aspect of a saucer. You may assemble two of these and approximate the shape of the vessel which they used formerly to go to these planets. A pilot sitting inside can move the craft in all the directions and does not lose balance regardless of speed. Because of this form, we call it Inioma,” he said.
I haven’t been able to locate a definition for Inioma beyond White Bear’s description that suggests the occupants were unaffected by the ship’s velocity. It’s also clear that White Bear believed that the spaceships flew by somehow utilizing magnetic or gravitational fields.
The Hopi know that some of their ancestors flew in these spaceships, which had also been used in other countries. In India, for example, they were called Vimanas. “People from Atlantis came to us in these vessels. Near Oraibi there is a petroglyph representing a woman in a flying shield. The arrow signifies high speed,” he said. “You can see that she carries the hair of a married woman.”
Describing these spaceships, White Bear said the two halves are held together by a “support” which the pilots must actuate. When they turn a lever to the right‚ the ship goes up. When they turn it to the left‚ it goes down.
“The vessels do not have engines like aeroplanes and do not use fuel. They fly in a magnetic field. Pilots must only know the adequate height. If they want to move towards the east‚ they choose a certain height. If they want to go north‚ they choose another height. It is enough to go up to the height corresponding to the selected direction and the vessel flies in the desired direction. This way, they can reach any place inside our atmosphere and can also leave the Earth,” White Bear said. “It is very simple!”
Toowakachi, The Fourth World
It’s clear that the Hopi embrace a world view which is more expansive, timeless and wondrous than our own. Members of our “modern culture” are slowly abandoning the anthropocentric view that humanity represents a pinnacle of Creation. Life must exist elsewhere in the Universe and permeate it.
It took our clever culture of reason and science hundreds of years to apprehend knowledge that the Hopis have embodied all along—awareness that malicious human activity, including large-scale warfare and wilful environmental destruction, disturbs a delicate balance that directly harms all life on the planet. The Hopi say they know what’s coming because their ancestors have seen this inevitable cycle play out before.
After a great war between Kásskara and Talawaitichqua—the land we call Atlantis—Kásskara had begun slowly sinking, while Atlantis submerged quickly. A long time before Kásskara and Atlantis had been “absorbed into the earth” as White Bear described it, the Kachinas had noticed a continent to the east emerging from the water. “It was the same country as that we had lived on in our Second World, Tokpa, but its appearance was different, so now we called it ‘Toowakachi’— the Fourth World,” he said, referring to the continent we today call South America.
The Kachinas had been monitoring this emerging land mass, and when a sufficient portion was above the water, they began preparing for great migrations to this new continent, White Bear explained. These migrations spanned centuries. The Creator had decided to save these people and directed the Kachinas to help them reach this new homeland.
The initial groups, consisting of those essential to the development of infrastructure such as planners and engineers, arrived on various types of flying craft. The largest groups of immigrants were transported using reed boats via a chain of islands, Easter Island being the only one still above water. ∞
The Earth was hit by a fragmented comet around 13,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene Era and scientists are now starting to agree.
A new research paper has been published in Scientific Reports regarding an ancient civilisation in what is modern-day Syria that was wiped out by the cataclysm, as academics finally come round to the idea that yes this event did happen.
Even the sceptic Michael Shermer, who famously debated Graham Hancock on the Joe Rogan podcast has tweeted Graham saying:
“Ok Graham, I shall adjust my priors in light of more research like this, and modify my credence about your theory.”
The evidence always spoke for itself for a lot of people, but it’s positive to see him address Graham in a public manner like this.
So what have the scientists discovered? Well, remnants of glass have been found that could only have been created during a high-impact event. Other minerals such as chromium, iron, nickel and others were discovered too, all of which form at temperatures higher than 2,200 degrees, according to a statement from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
The site the discovery was made is known as Abu Hureyra, which was abandoned around 5,000 years ago.
The glass finds are believed to have been formed from the instantaneous melting and vaporization of regional biomass, soils and floodplain deposits, followed by instantaneous cooling. This is really only common during impact events.
Graham Hancock and others such as Randall Carlson have long said that it was likely a fragmented comet, and that is what the scientists are saying who are analysing the Syrian finds. A single, major asteroid impact could not have caused the widely scattered material discovered at Abu Hureyra and the experts say that it is more likely a fragmented comet.
The Younger Dryas Event is what caused a large megafaunal extinction, seeing the end of woolly mammoths, species of bison, American horses and camels, and giant sloths. It also saw the end of the North American Clovis culture.
The evidence is there in the field and it continues to stack up. Two years ago we read about reports of a 19-mile wide crater in Greenland that could be related to this cataclysmic event and in October 2019, a study was published that said there was a mini ice age 12,800 years ago that was caused by an impact event.
But at the beginning of this mini ice age there were huge levels of burning and now we know that Abu Hureyra was abruptly destroyed from what can only be an impact event. We have new direct evidence of the disaster, together with tons of data from around the world. History is finally being re-written!
All images are taken from Google Images and the below sources for educational purposes only.
Göbekli Tepe’s Architectural Layout Required an Understanding of Geometry and Complex Planning—13,000 Years Ago
Archaeologists with Israel’s Tel Aviv University have discovered a previously-unnoticed geometric pattern in the layout of the excavated portions of Göbekli Tepe, the 13,000-year-old megalithic complex in modern-day Turkey that has upended modern archaeological assumptions since its unveiling over two decades ago. This geometric pattern not only predates the advent of writing and the wheel by at least a millennium, but it also appears to hint at the evolution of human society and consciousness—specifically, the change in our understanding of our place in the natural world.
The discovery of these geometric patterns was made by Tel Aviv University’s Gil Haklay and Avi Gopher, with the architectural pattern apparent in both the internal and external layouts of the three stone circles at Göbekli Tepe known as enclosures B, C and D. An analytical method called “architectural formal analysis” was applied to the complex’s layout by Haklay, an Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist and a former architect; this form of analysis is used to determine the planning methods and principles used in the design of existing structures.
The analysis was used to determine the center points of each of the three otherwise irregularly-shaped enclosures, each of which sat roughly between the set of twin T-shaped pillars that dominate the center of each circle. While that outcome was expected, one important pattern became apparent: the three points formed a nearly perfect equilateral triangle, with each point only 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) away from forming a perfect triangle with 19.25-meter (63.16-foot) sides.
“I certainly did not expect this,” Haklay said. “The enclosures all have different sizes and shapes so the odds that these center points would form an equilateral triangle by chance are very low.”
Specifically, a line can be traced through enclosure B and C’s four central pillars, forming the southern side of the triangle; a line drawn perpendicularly through the midpoint of this line intersects the triangle’s northern point in the middle of enclosure D, consistent with the geometry of an equilateral triangle.
While such a simple geometric arrangement might be easily taken for granted today, this layout implies that the supposedly hunter-gatherer builders of Göbekli Tepe made a plan of the layout before they commenced construction of the three enclosures, at a time when written language had yet to be invented. The layout would have required the use of a scaled floor plan, according to Haklay, possibly using something as simple as a diagram set out on the ground using reeds cut to equal lengths.
“Each enclosure subsequently went through a long construction history with multiple modifications, but at least in an initial phase they started as a single project,” Haklay explains, referring to the commonly-held assumption that each of Göbekli Tepe’s enclosures were made individually over a long period of time. However, the complex—or at least enclosures B, C and D—appear to have at least been planned as one project, if they weren’t actually built as such. However, if the three circles were constructed at the same time, then even more manpower would be required to build the complex than previously assumed.
“The implication is that a single project at Göbekli Tepe was three times larger than previously thought and required three times as much manpower – a level that is unprecedented in hunter-gatherer societies,” Haklay concludes.
This large-scale coordination of planners and workers (not to mention the people supporting the project with food and other necessities) would make Göbekli Tepe the oldest known example of a stratified society, requiring a hierarchy to successfully plan and execute the project.
The site itself may also indicate that the complex’s builders were aware of such changes to their way of life: Haklay and Gopher suspect that the triangle itself may represent the emergence of a hierarchy in the builders’ society. And while the stonework at Göbekli Tepe is rich with carved reliefs of both humans and animals, the twin pillars at the center of enclosure D are the only ones that depict human figures exclusively, in what may be a powerful message that the humans there began to consider themselves above the natural world.
“In Paleolithic art humans are rare, and this is true here as well, but you start to see change, the beginning of an anthropocentric world view in which animals and plants are no longer equal to humans but are subordinated to them,” according to Gopher.
“The end of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle is more of an ideological transformation than an economic or technological one,” Gopher continues. “Hunter-gatherers cannot domesticate anything; it’s against their world view, which is based on equality and trust. Once that ideology changes, the entire structure of society is transformed and a new world is born.”
On this Earth Day 2020 our world is changing…fast. We’re growing from one paradigm to another. We seeds have had a lot of fertilizer thrown on us of late. What we need to help make sense of things is to push through all that and get out of our box. Look at things from a higher perspective. Act more like the cosmic tree that we are, rather than identifying with the seed.
For instance, what if we view earth as a doughnut? Or a torus? A wormhole? You can see it everywhere – in atoms, cells, seeds, flowers, trees, animals, humans, hurricanes, planets, suns, galaxies and even the cosmos as a whole.
What if we begin to identify with this pattern?
Agnes Denes.
Agnes Denes did this. She reimagined our globe’s spatial coordinates, squished them a bit, and voila, our beautiful home now bends to torus physics. In fact, our universe may be torus shaped.
There are wonderful similarities between the torus model of the universe and such mythic models as Yggdrasil, the World Tree or Cosmic Tree.
Yggdrasil.
Yggdrasil is understood to be two trees in one, the part which branches above ground and the part which branches below.
The Cosmic Tree compares geometrically with the torus, the trunk being the central worm hole. Also, both trees are a single dynamic recirculating systems like the torus.
Yggdrasil is understood to be two trees in one, the part which branches above ground and the part which branches below. From its central trunk — or central wormhole — we see the lustrous rainbow bridge Bifröst , the shimmering wormhole.
With its branches in the heavens and its roots in the underworld, the Cosmic Tree is a common feature of religions and mythologies around the globe.
Ultimately the Cosmic Tree is our body. We are like Odin hanging on Yggsdrasl. Each of us is a tree rising in the center of the universe. Our body is a ladder we use to descend into the underworld or ascend into the heavens. We are heavens bridge.
How would this change your personal relationship with the universe?
What would you differently if you know that with every breath the universe collapse into you, just as you collapse into it?
Archaeologists with Israel’s Tel Aviv University have discovered a previously-unnoticed geometric pattern in the layout of the excavated portions of 
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