Truth and Hammer

Author: Truth & Hammer

Why planting shade trees helps reduce the temperature of urban heat islands

Many of the landscape trees adorning urban cityscapes in Southern California are at or close to the end of their lifespans.

While several species of oak, maple, crape myrtle, ficus, magnolia and other common shade trees have a life expectancy of 50-80 years or longer in unstressed environments, few reach their full potential in cities and urban areas.

Why? In order to accommodate growing populations, cities have large areas of paved concrete and asphalt surfaces that create ‘urban heat islands (UHI)’.These hard surfaces absorb large amounts of heat that builds up during the day and is released at night, leading to much higher night temperatures in cities than in surrounding areas.

The good news is that trees offer many benefits that offset the impacts of UHIs. Cities with larger tree canopies are a testament to this fact and have fewer adverse impacts from UHIs than do cities with low tree canopies.

Trees reduce the impact of UHIs by releasing heat back into the atmosphere faster than do concrete and asphalt surfaces. In addition, well-placed trees produce shade that cools the surrounding environment and reduces air conditioning needs. They also cool the air through transpiration and absorb and store carbon which moderates the impacts of pollution from fossil fuels.

Trees reduce temperatures in parking lots and other urban heat islands’ and ‘A well placed shade tree can reduce cooling costs in homes and buildings. Photo by Janet Hartin.

Planting trees that withstand UHIs today is crucial for tomorrow. University of California Division of Natural Resources researchers are identifying landscape tree species that can remain healthy under adverse urban conditions. In one study, 12 species of underplanted but promising landscape trees in the greater Los Angeles basin that currently grow well in desert climates are being evaluated at UC Riverside. Similarly, the health and longevity of trees currently performing well in Riverside and San Bernardino are being assessed in coastal areas. The idea is that trees growing well now in warmer climate zones will be good choices for cooler zones that are becoming warmer over time.

Reducing impacts of UHIs and maximizing life expectancies of currently planted urban trees that are not so resilient is just as important as looking into alternative species. In fact, research and education on sustaining these trees is critical to maintain and expand tree canopies as trees age. Even the loss of one front yard shade tree can significantly reduce shade, increase the surrounding temperature, and diminish energy savings.

Furthermore, trees subjected to UHIs can easily become heat and drought stressed leading to a downward spiral. Trees already declining due to one stress often fall prey to other stressors such as disease-forming pathogens or insect outbreaks. Identifying the cause of the tree’s decline is crucial. Applying a pesticide to a tree that has no biotic disorder but is unhealthy due to lack of water does not solve the problem and can kill beneficial organisms important for keeping actual pests at bay.

Fortunately, there are many free online search engines that allow consumers to select trees based on multiple criteria such as climate zone, pest resistance, drought tolerance, ability to withstand high temperatures. These engines also provide ‘fact sheets’ for each species that provide information on the species’ ultimate size and space requirements. One reliable and reputable searchable index is Urban Forest Ecosystem’s found here: https://selectree.calpoly.edu/.

Trees reduce temperatures in parking lots and other urban heat islands’ and ‘A well placed shade tree can reduce cooling costs in homes and buildings. Photo by Janet Hartin.

Since many long-lived species (such as magnolia and ficus) become large at maturity, they offer excellent shade potential and can mitigate UHIs better than smaller growing species. However, they require up to 2,500 to 3,000 cubic feet of root space and should not be planted close to sidewalks and structures. Doing so can result in significant damage.

For more information on selecting and caring for urban trees, contact your local UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener helplines.

Here’s how to contact the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener helplines in your area.

Los Angeles County: 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/

Orange County: 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/

Riverside County: 951-683-6491 ext. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/

San Bernardino County: 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu/

This content was originally published here.

June 12, 2019
Aspen is first city in Colorado to ban sale of flavored nicotine products amid efforts to curb teen vaping

In an effort to combat what officials have called an “epidemic” of teen vaping, several Colorado communities have moved to further regulate tobacco sales through new laws that increase taxes or raise the legal age to buy such products.

But this week Aspen took a far more aggressive approach, becoming the first city in the state to ban the sale of all flavored nicotine products, including those containing menthol.

The prohibition on selling flavored cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes and vaping products in Aspen goes into effect Jan. 1.

“It is, I think, our duty on council and in government to protect public health, and this ban, which I fully support, not only protects youth but tries to address addiction by adults,” Councilman Ward Hauenstein said during Monday night’s meeting.

Only 37 other cities in the U.S. — including Chicago, San Francisco and Minneapolis — have passed such sweeping restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco products, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which submitted a letter to the Aspen council supporting that city’s flavor ban.

Colorado steps up efforts to curb “epidemic” of teen vaping with increased checks on retailers, health advisories

Flavored nicotine products, especially those used in e-cigarettes and vaping devices, have come under fire by state and federal health officials, who say they draw teenagers, and even children, to vaping. Other than menthol, vaping products’ flavors can include creme brulee, mint, cucumber and mango.

The Food and Drug Administration has referred to the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers as an “epidemic,” while Colorado’s high rate of teen vaping has drawn the attention of the state’s two most recent governors.

This year, Gov. Jared Polis introduced a plan to create an excise tax on vaping products and increase taxes on all nicotine products. The bill failed but followed a push by then-Gov. John Hickenlooper in November to increase regulation of e-cigarettes.

In Colorado, teens and children use e-cigarettes more than any other tobacco product, with 27 percent of youths reporting they used the products, according to a 2017 state survey of middle and high schoolers.

A spokesman for Juul Labs said the e-cigarette company has taken action to curb underage use of its products, but “flavors are a complex issue” as the firm believes they help adults switch from smoking cigarettes.

“While we do not and will not sell flavors which are clearly targeted to youth, we also understand that flavors that drive adults from cigarettes have the potential to appeal to youth,” Juul spokesman Ted Kwong said in an email.

Ahead of their vote this week, Aspen’s city leaders in May approved a partial ban that prohibited just the sale of flavored e-cigarette products. It’s already illegal for anyone under 21 to buy tobacco products in the city, according to the Aspen Daily News.

When the City Council considered the ban in May, convenience store owner Michael Haisfield opposed the proposal, saying that he had removed all vaping and e-cigarette products from his stores in 2018 because of the problem with youth vaping.

“In my opinion, vaping and e-cigs are the issue with young adults, not the other tobacco products,” he wrote in a letter to council members. “This ban is imposing restrictions on grown adults, who are, despite assumptions to the contrary, the primary users of flavored tobacco products and should be allowed to make their own decisions.”

Other cities across the state have considered or approved ordinances to further regulate the sale of tobacco products, such as Lakewood, which now requires retailers selling products such as e-cigarettes, cigars and chew to get a license from the city and to check identification to prevent underage buyers.

Denver has proposed prohibiting teenagers from buying tobacco products by raising the minimum purchase age to 21.

And other cities, such as Loveland and Snowmass Village, have expressed interest in considering ordinances similar to that passed in Aspen, said Jodi Radke, a regional director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

“Our elected officials are looking to pass policies that they know will decrease use rates among kids and prevent them from ever starting,” she said, adding, “The conversation definitely doesn’t stop at Aspen.”

This content was originally published here.

June 12, 2019
I am a Syrian Living in Syria: “It Was Never a Revolution nor a Civil War. The Terrorists Are Sent by Your Government” – Global ResearchGlobal Research – Centre for Research on Globalization

Among Global Research’s most popular articles in 2016 and 2017 by Mark Taliano author of Voices from Syria, 2017. (Click link to order directly from Global Research)

Two years ago, “Majd” wrote these words on a Facebook posting:

” I am Syrian… living in Syria in the middle of everything. We have seen horrors. It was never a revolution nor a civil war. The terrorists are sent by your goverment. They are al Qaeda Jabhat al Nusra Wahhabi Salafists Talibans etc and the extremist jihadists sent by the West, the Saudis, Qatar and Turkey. Your Obama and whoever is behind him or above him are supporting al Qaeda and leading a proxy war on my country.

We thought you are against al Qaeda and now you support them.

The majority here loves Assad. He has never committed a crime against his own people… The chemical attack was staged by the terrorists helped by the USA and the UK, etc. Everyone knows that here.

American soldiers and people should not be supporting barbarian al Qaeda terrorists who are killing Christians, Muslims in my country and everyone.

Every massacre is committed by them. We were all happy in Syria: we had free school and university education available for everyone, free healthcare, no GMO, no fluoride, no chemtrails, no Rothschild IMF- controlled bank, state owned central bank which gives 11% interest, we are self-sufficient and have no foreign debt to any country or bank.

Life before the crisis was so beautiful here. Now it is hard and horrific in some regions.

I do not understand how the good and brave American people can accept to bomb my country which has never harmed them and therefore help the barbarian al Qaeda. These animals slit throats and behead for pleasure… they behead babies and rape young kids.

They are satanic. Our military helped by the millions of civilian militias are winning the battle against al Qaeda. But now the USA wants to bomb the shit out of us so that al Qaeda can get the upper hand.

Please help us American people. They are destroying the cradle of civilization. Stop your government.

Impeach that bankster puppet you have as president… support Ron Paul or Rand or anyone the like who are true American patriots. but be sure of one.thing..if they attack and I think they will….it will be hell.

Be sure that if it were to be a world war, many many will die. Syria can and will defend itself and will sink many US ships. Iran will go to war..Russia and China eventually if it escalates… and all this for what ? For the elites who created al Qaeda through the US government and use it to conduct proxy wars and destabilize countries which do not go along with their new world order agenda !!?

American people…you gotta regain control of your once admirable country. Now everyone hates you for.the.death you bring almost everywhere.

Ask the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Pakistanis, the Palestinians, the Syrians, the Macedonians, the Serbs, the Libyans, the Somalis, the Yemenis, all the ones you [your government] kill with drones everyday. Stop your wars, Enough wars. Use diplomacy, dialogue, help, not force.”

Consistent testimonies from Syrians, as well as well-documented, open-source Western sources, and historical memory, all serve to reinforce the accuracy of the aforementioned testimony.

Syrians are living the horror brought to them by the criminal West. They can not afford the complacency of shrugging their shoulders in indecision, not when their lives and their ancient civilization is being threatened by Western-paid terrorist mercenaries of the worst kind.

“Our” proxies, slit throats, chop heads, and take no prisoners as we waffle in indecision, ignore empirical evidence, and take the comfortable easy road of believing the labyrinth of lies promulgated by Western media messaging.

The veil of comfortable confusion, nested in an unconscious belief that our government knows best or that it is patriotic to believe the lies and fabrications implicit in the hollow words of politicians (who no longer represent us) and the false pronouncements of Imperial messengers, is concealing an overseas holocaust.

Western societies are rotting from the inside out because of these lies and this barbarity. We are protecting a criminal cabal of corporate globalists who do not serve our interests and never will.

Our democracies, which we should be protecting, have long disappeared – except in the hollow words of newspaper stenographers. Instead we are supporting transnational corporate elites and their delusional projects.

Poverty and disemployment are all soaring beneath the fakery of government pronouncements, as the public domain evaporates beneath words like “efficiency” or the “economy” — all false covers that serve to enrich elites and destroy us. Internal imperialism at home is a faded replica of the foreign imperialism abroad.

As countries are destroyed, and its peoples are slaughtered — think Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and others — by abhorrent Western proxies — public institutions are contaminated, and ultimately replaced by parasitical “privatized” facsimiles. Public banking is looted and destroyed in favour of transnational banksterism, World Bank funding, and IMF usury. Food security is destroyed and replaced by biotech tentacles and engineered dependencies on cash crops and unhealthy food. Currencies are destroyed, sanctions are imposed, and the unknown, unseen hand of totalitarian control imposes itself, amidst the cloud of diversions and confusions, aided by comprador regimes, oligarch interests, and shrugging domestic populations.

Syria refuses to submit. That is why the West is taught to hate her, and the rest of the world learns to love and respect her.

Yet, Syria’s struggles are our struggles. Syria represents international law, stability, and integrity: the same values that western peoples overtly cherish but stubbornly reject, as our countries wilt beneath suffocating veils of lies and delusions.

I support Syria, because I respect what remains of international law.

I support Syria because I reject Wahhabism, Sharia law, and terrorism.

I support Syria because I reject the undemocratic, transnational oligarchies that are subverting our once flourishing, now dead, democracies.

I reject the lies of our propagandizing media, the hollow words of our politicians, and the fake “humanitarian” messaging that demonizes non-belligerent countries and their populations.

In the name of justice, humanity, and the rule of law, I support the elected government of Syria led by its President, Bashar al-Assad. Syria, an ancient cradle of civilization, is leading the way towards a better future for all of us.

All we have to do is open our eyes.

The original source of this article is Global Research

This content was originally published here.

June 12, 2019
House panel passes 9/11 victims fund bill a day after Jon Stewart’s emotional testimony – CBS News

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a bill which would permanently reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Wednesday, the day after comedian Jon Stewart gave impassioned testimony in support of the bill in video that quickly went viral.

The bill will now go to the floor for a full vote in the House of Representatives, where it is likely to pass. It’s unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will take up the bill in the Senate, although Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Wednesday that he was “imploring, pleading, even begging” McConnell to bring the bill to the floor as soon as it passes in the House.

Stewart, the former host of “The Daily Show,” gave emotional testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties on Tuesday, at times broke down in tears and shouted at the lawmakers, calling them “shameful.”

“I can’t help but think what an incredible metaphor this room is … a filled room of 9/11 first responders and in front of me, a nearly empty Congress. Sick and dying, they brought themselves down here to speak to no one … shameful,” said Stewart at the outset of his remarks. A little over half of the 14-member subcommittee members were present, mostly Democrats.

Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010, over opposition from some Republicans who balked at its $7 billion price tag. The act was reauthorized in 2015 for 90 years. But a portion of the law — the Victim Compensation Fund — was only funded for five years, through the end of 2020. The fund aimed to provide necessary financial support for the thousands who suffered serious medical issues, including a spate of cancer diagnoses, after the 2001 attacks.

Several members of the New York congressional delegation, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, both Democrats, and GOP Rep. Peter King, have introduced the Never Forget the Heroes Act of 2019 to reauthorize the Victim Compensation Fund. It also has the support of New York’s two senators, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Stewart has long been a champion for the cause, first devoting an entire episode of “The Daily Show” to the political debate over the Zadroga Act back in 2010. He’s since become one of the most vocal advocates for 9/11 responders, repeatedly defending the right to health care coverage for those who responded and ran toward the falling towers.

Stewart was disgusted by the small number of members assembled for Tuesday’s hearing, calling the showing an “embarrassment to this country” and a “stain on this institution.”

“You should be ashamed of yourselves for not being here,” he added. “Accountability appears to not be something that occurs in this chamber.” Stewart expressed concern that such legislation like the Never Forget Act would just be punted like a “political football” and attached to riders in massive budget bills.

“Why this bill is not unanimous consent is beyond my comprehension,” Stewart admonished. He also lambasted Congress for those that consider the measure a “New York” issue.

“More of these men and woman are going to get sick and they’re going to die, and I’m awfully tired of hearing this is a ‘New York issue,’” he said. “Al-Qaeda didn’t shout ‘death to Tribeca.’ They attacked America.”

This content was originally published here.

June 12, 2019
Pollinator Gardens: 8 Easy Steps to Design a Landscape with Native Plants – Gardenista

When it comes to pollinator gardens, not all are created equal. In fact, we were surprised to learn that many plants advertised as “pollinator friendly” actually do more harm than good, either because they do not support the entire life span of pollinators and threaten native species that do, or because they are grown with toxic pesticides that can remain for years. For the conscientious garden, a chemical-free, native pollinator garden is the best choice.

With the help of New England Wild Flower Society, we are learning more about effective native pollinator gardens through the program Pollinate New England, an initiative made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. I attended one of the society’s lectures and demonstrations to learn all about how to plant my very own native pollinator garden. (Though the organization is New England–based, their native gardening practices can be applied throughout the world.)

Photography by Justine Hand for Gardenista.

Why plant a native pollinator garden?

Pollinators are essential because they allow plants to reproduce. Yet, throughout the world this vital group is in crisis. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and the widespread use of chemical pesticides are threatening the insects, birds, and bats that are a crucial part of our ecosystems. Among these, native pollinators are among the most sensitive to these environmental and man-made pressures, because they require specific plants to survive, which are also threatened by habitat loss and invasive species.

Fortunately, even the smallest native garden can help. From urban rooftop gardens to vase country estates, all you need is a small plot to help struggling native pollinators.

1. Choose native plants to help native pollinators.

This content was originally published here.

June 12, 2019
Pinterest Listed Top Pro-Life Site as Porn, “Bible Verses” Censored

Insider: Search Term “Christian” Won’t Auto-Complete, Others Can’t Trend, No Notifications, or Recommendations

Pinterest Blacklisted Pro-Life Group LiveAction.org, Classified as “Pornography,” Cannot Link to Site

Leaked “Sensitive Terms List” Includes “bible verses” and “christian easter”

Ben Shapiro Commentary Censored in “zero tolerance moment,” Slack Messages Reveal

Planned Parenthood Undercover Videos Marked as “harmful” Conspiracy

Veritas Calls On More Silicon Valley Insiders to Come Forward

UPDATE 1: Pinterest REACTS. LiveAction.org is no longer on their “Porn Domain Blacklist”

UPDATE 2: Pinterest REACTS AGAIN. LiveAction’s Pinterest Account has been permanently suspended.

UPDATE 3: A Pinterest spokesperson has provided a statement in response to our request for comment: “Religious content is allowed on Pinterest, and many people use our service to search for and save Pins inspired by their beliefs. To protect our users from being targeted based on personal characteristics such as their religion, we have policies in place so that ads and recommendations don’t appear alongside certain terms.”

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June 12, 2019
A fake video of Mark Zuckerberg giving a sinister speech about the power of Facebook has been posted to Instagram. The company previously said it would not remove this type of video.

Two artists and an advertising company created a deepfake of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg saying things he never said, and uploaded it to Instagram. The video, created by artists Bill Posters and Daniel Howe in partnership with advertising company Canny, shows Mark Zuckerberg sitting at a desk, seemingly giving a sinister speech about Facebook’s power. The video is framed with broadcast chyrons that say “We’re increasing transparency on ads,” to make it look like it’s part of a news segment.

“Imagine this for a second: One man, with total control of billions of people’s stolen data, all their secrets, their lives, their futures,” Zuckerberg’s likeness says, in the video. “I owe it all to Spectre. Spectre showed me that whoever controls the data, controls the future.” The original, real video is from a September 2017 address Zuckerberg gave about Russian election interference on Facebook. The caption of the Instagram post says it’s created using CannyAI’s video dialogue replacement (VDR) technology. This deepfake of Zuckerberg is one of several made by Canny in collaboration with Posters, including ones of Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump, as part of Spectre, an exhibition that took place as part of the Sheffield Doc Fest in the UK.

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June 12, 2019
‘I had to escape this debtors’ prison’: College grad flees U.S. to avoid student loan debt

Eventually, he just couldn’t take it anymore. The rejection, the depression, the mounting bills, it became too much to deal with all on his own, Chad Albright said. “I had to escape this debtors’ prison,” he said — it felt like there was no other choice. “That’s what America became to me, a prison. So I left.” Albright bought a one-way ticket to China and boarded an airplane, uncertain if he would ever return to the country he once considered home. It was 2011, and Albright was 30 years old, starting over in a country more than 7,000 miles away from his life in Pennsylvania — away from his family, his friends, and far away from the $30,000 he owed in student loans. Borrowing money for college seemed like a sound financial decision at the time. Albright thought his degree would reliably lead the way to a well-paying career. With tuition comes high debt. And when delivering pizzas was the only job he could find two years post-graduation — with the country’s outstanding student debt rising above $1 trillion, and one million people defaulting on student loans every year — it didn’t seem like it was worth it after all. “I was expected to make a $400 loan payment every month, but I had no money, no sustainable income,” Albright said during a Skype interview. “College ruined my life.”

In high school, he read books about the American dream, classics like “The Great Gatsby” and “The Grapes of Wrath.” If he worked hard, it would pay off — that’s what he was always told. But, Albright said, he now knows those were just stories. “There was no future for me in the United States,” Albright said. “And the American dream? Yeah, it doesn’t exist.” And few places have higher student debt than Pennsylvania. Average debt per student in the commonwealth is $36,854, one of the highest in the country, compared to the national average of $28,650. To get educated, most students go into debt. About two in three students who graduated in 2017 had student loan debt.

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June 12, 2019
Drug to replace chemotherapy may reshape cancer care

A class of drugs is emerging that can attack cancer cells in the body without damaging surrounding healthy ones. They have the potential to replace chemotherapy and its disruptive side effects, reshaping the future of cancer care.

The complex biological medicines, called antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), have been in development for decades, and are now generating renewed excitement because of the success of one ADC in late-stage testing, a breast cancer treatment called DS-8201.

The fervor over ADCs is such that AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.N) in March agreed to pay as much as US$6.9 billion to jointly develop DS-8201 with Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo Co. (DSNKY.PK), the British drugmaker’s biggest deal in more than a decade. The investment was widely seen to be a validation of DS-8201’s potential — and the ADC class of drugs as a whole — as an alternative for chemotherapy, the most widely used treatment, for some types of cancer.

DS-8201, which will be filed for U.S. approval by the end of September, is so well-regarded that some analysts already predict it will surpass the US$7 billion in annual sales for Roche Holding AG’s (RHHBY.PK) breast cancer drug Herceptin, which it aims to replace.

“DS-8201 may become one of the largest cancer biologic drugs,’’ said Caroline Stewart, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence who estimates sales of the drug to eventually approach US$12 billion globally. That’s a level that has been attained by only a handful of biologic drugs, which are produced from extracts of other living organisms.

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June 12, 2019
U.S. CITIES OVERWHELMED WITH NUMBERS OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ARRIVING FROM EBOLA-STRICKEN COUNTRIES

Some U.S. cities are becoming overwhelmed with the number of illegal African migrants arriving from Ebola-stricken countries, with Portland, Maine, complaining that they are beyond capacity.

Large groups of migrants are arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been hit by one of the biggest ebola outbreaks in history, with 2,000 recorded cases in the last 10 months.

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June 12, 2019