Can Anyone Stop the Illegal Pet Trade?

International authorities have finally begun cracking down on the illegal trade in exotic pets, a $20 billion a year industry that wreaks havoc on local ecosystems while posing a huge health threat to animals and humans alike. Last July, INTERPOL teamed up with the World Customs Organization in a coordinated global bust of animal traffickers across the globe, arresting over 600 suspected traffickers while rescuing thousands of trafficked animals, from snakes, turtles, and birds to bears and lions.

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A Serval, Small Wildcat from Africa, Rescued by Cat Tales Zoological Photo by Matt Reinbold

Similar busts were carried out in 2017 and 2018 but the latest sting operation, dubbed “Operation Thunderball,” was the largest and most successful to date.

The traffic in exotic pets is only one part of the $200 billion wildlife trade industry, most of it legal. Nations in Africa and Southeast Asia especially sell animals raised in captivity to zoos and as well as animal skins to wholesalers (e.g. leather) and body parts o scientific laboratories. An international treaty signed in 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is supposed to monitor and regulate the trade through diplomatic coordination and intelligence sharing.

But few countries have enough inspectors available to provide effective enforcement at points of entry. On-site monitoring is so lax that many traffickers can operate with virtual impunity. And in recent years, the wildlife trade has begun flourishing online, in a regulatory gray area, making regulation even more difficult.

That means even the legal wildlife trade often exceeds established limits while the illegal trade is barely noticed unless a special global-wide effort is made to go after trafficking rings based on months of intelligence gathered from local sources, including former traffickers turned informants.

Unlike the legal trade, most illegally trafficked animals aren’t bred in captivity but are simply captured in the wild and then shipped clandestinely — usually to the United States, Europe and Asia where the biggest consumer markets are.

There are several serious problems associated with the illegal wildlife trade. One is that the vast majority of the animals trafficked (as many as 80%, depending on the species) die in transit, largely because of the cruel ways they are shipped, ostensibly to avoid detection. Many animals are drugged and stuffed in suitcases for hours and even days with no food or water and little if any air to breathe.

Another is that the purchasers are usually impulse buyers who have no idea how to care for their new pet, especially as it grows beyond its original size. In a majority of cases, owners end up dumping their exotic purchases into the outdoors where they often survive to become an “invasive species” that mates with other wildlife and disrupts local eco-systems.

One of the most notorious examples is the Burmese python, which has come to dominate large swaths of the Florida Everglades, displacing other reptiles. Florida authorities are engaged in a massive effort to capture the pythons and repopulate the area with its “natural” predators. Exotic pets can also pose a major health hazard to humans because of the germs and diseases they carry. In a few highly publicized cases, dozens of people have fallen ill and died due to illnesses traced to illegally-obtained exotic pets.

The range of animals being captured for the illegal pet trade is truly phenomenal. It includes dozens of reptile and amphibian species as well as lions, bears, monkeys, exotic anteaters known as pangolins, and birds, especially parrots. It also includes a plethora of prized plant species as well as animal skins and ivory tusks, primarily from elephants.

Can the illegal trade in wildlife really be stopped when the demand is so high and ever-growing? It’s already become one of the world’s most lucrative illegal businesses, constituting the third-largest illicit trade globally, second only to illegal drugs and firearms. And the three forms of illegal trade tend to overlap because they often rely on the same transshipment points and trade routes as well as illegal financing mechanisms. One in-depth investigation has revealed the distinct patterns that characterize the illegal pet trade. For example, Asia’s illicit wildlife market – based largely in Japan but increasingly in China – is fueled by animals originating in East, Central and Southern Africa. By contrast, consumers in Europe and the United States typically receive their pets from South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

As with illegal drugs, there is also a wide range of participants or stakeholders in the trade, including poachers and farmers, tourism guides, and local government officials on the take. The more the illegal trade becomes interwoven into the daily economies of poor and dependent nations, reinforced by bribes and government corruption, the harder it is to root out.

The latest global bust, like the previous two, was meant to send a signal to traffickers. In fact, these operations have barely made a dent in their operations – at least so far.

Even when caught, few traffickers serve time in prison for their crimes. Often they receive a hefty fine, which they pay, before simply turning around and resuming their lucrative operations.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Illegal Wildlife Trade (worldwildlife.org)

• Africa: There Are No Winners in the Illegal Trade in Wildlife (allafrica.com)

• Illegal Wildlife Trade (fws.gov)

• Animal Trafficking: The Wildlife Trade You Don’t Want to Believe Exists (sentientmedia.org)

Parking Crunch Affects Aircraft Fleet Health

UNITED STATES – Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline industry has suffered near-crippling financial losses with declines in bookings, and quarantines. The travel industry as a whole has realized an 80% estimated losses in global revenue compared to last year, largely a consequence of reduced tourism. Globally, there are an estimated 16,000 planes that have been grounded. Though some airlines have repurposed passenger planes to transport cargo to stave off bankruptcy, well over half of the entire world’s air fleet remains grounded due to COVID-19 and bans/fear of travel.

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Airbus A340-313X [CC-CQE] & Douglas MD-83 ‘N619SC,’ Photo by Alan Wilson

Kevin Micheals, Managing Director of AeroDynamic Advisory: Aerospace Consulting, stated that “it is somewhere around 60 percent of the aircraft fleet that is currently sitting idle. Though we’ve had aircraft storage facilities spanning across the globe for decades, what’s unique in this event is the sudden mass of parking.”

Paul Oliver, the Vice President of customer service at Airbus, noted in an interview with CNBC that air fleet “customers have come to us and said ‘look, were parking hundreds of aircraft per day! And logistically, it is quite complex.’ This is a particularly difficult time, and we’ve created a particular application that allows them to park the aircraft virtually.”

With over 11,000 planes in operation, in addition to logistics issues, there is also a pressing health concern. In the case of the aviation industry, it is the health of the fleet during the global downturn. To address this, Airbus launched a new aviation open data platform in collaboration with Palantir Technologies. Because of Airbus’ massive industrial footprint, Palantir was able to leverage historical data and analytics necessary to build the app.

Thus, Skywise, a technology platform that would be beneficial to all major aviation players, was created. The tool is essential for customers that require immediate insight at an “aircraft, fleet, company, and global level.” This app enables carriers to improve their operational performance through predictive and preventative methods to determine the health of their fleets. Now, more than ever, this tool is invaluable to airlines that have had planes grounded for an extended period. The app collects various data from sensors and systems to assist in proactive maintenance detection. It also helps with the logistics of everyday travel operations, such as the launch of a new feature that enables carriers to locate parking for their fleets or individual planes.

Parking aviation carriers can be more complicated than what it feels like landing as a passenger. To a passenger, we are happy when we land, eager as we taxi to the gate, impatient to deplane, but not once do we think about what happens afterward. For instance, how does one park a plane?  Numerous factors come into play when a decision is made to park a plane and have it sit out of service for an extended period, chief among them, maintenance of the craft.

Like cars, airplanes engines must be started when in storage, and this requires engineers and maintenance crews to exercise the batteries, turbines, check electronic systems, sanitize the plane, perform bodywork or interior cabin repairs, etc. Proximity to airplane hangers is also a vital consideration. Skywise keeps track of all of this. But, not many airlines were prepared for an economic event that would necessitate the grounding of a significant part of, if not entirely, the fleet of their planes.

The pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to the travel industry, and it seems that airlines did factor in this potentiality and, therefore, seemingly did not prepare for long-term storage needs. As any frequent traveler can tell you, airlines are highly motivated to board passengers and depart as quickly as possible, because parking, especially at European hubs, can run about $285 per hour. In the wake of massive disruption to the industry, airlines have had to become extremely creative about parking.

Arid environments are best suited for plane storage since high humidity can have adverse effects on engines and airframes.  In Europe, airports are “temporarily decommissioning runways” to be used by airlines to park planes. In the United States, Roswell International Air Center, which is in New Mexico, is “in the process of adding 300 more acres of asphalt parking space to its existing 4,000-acre footprint -- enough space to accommodate up to 800 airliners.” (Source: CNN)

In Australia, the Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage (APAS) company, founded by Tom Vincent, former Deutsche Bank Vice President, and research analyst, provides storage for short, medium, and long-term needs. Vincent’s entrepreneurial foray, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, seems eerily prescient. Located in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, Vincent says, “The climatic conditions are ideal for aircraft asset value preservation, with extremely low humidity.”

According to Time, two-thirds of the world’s airlines are grounded.  But with the coronavirus continuing to run amuck, many countries are having to delay or scale back opening. Even after countries fully open, there is no guarantee that airlines will be operating at full capacity utilizing their entire fleets. Until travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, planes will be in storage for the foreseeable future. Skywise can help airlines ensure that their fleets are ready to meet the demand as the world adjusts to living in a post-COVID-19 world, and passengers can be assured that the planes they are flying on have been optimally maintained and are flight-worthy.

Related Articles

• Here’s What You Do With Two-Thirds of the World’s Jets When They Can’t Fly (bloomberg.com)

• Airlines have grounded more than 16,000 planes — here’s a look at what it takes to park them (cnbc.com)

• In Photos – Most Of World’s Airplanes Now Grounded At Airports (forbes.com)

• Nigeria: As COVID-19 Grounds 7,000 Aircraft Worldwide (allafrica.com)

Hyperloop: Will the U.S, Dutch, Spanish, or Asia Arrive First?

EUROPEAN UNION - What is the Hyperloop? It’s not a new app for your mobile phone or a new video-game despite its futuristic sound. Its a newly proposed transportation system that uses magnetic levitation (or a “hotbed of air”), to propel a pod or proposed cargo, via a series of sealed tubes with low air pressure and reduced friction. This sealed environment essentially simulates a total vacuum, conditions similar to space, which allows cargo to travel at hyper-sonic speeds, bypassing traffic and congestion while covering much further distances in far, far less time.

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While based on an informal proposal uploaded online by Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk back in August 2013, the general idea itself dates back to the 1800s. Pneumatic tubes, the smaller ancestor to the proposed hyperloop tunnels, were still being used to transport mail and telegrams. Inevitably, however, the idea of scaling it up to accommodate bigger cargo, perhaps even living people, became both potentially economically lucrative, yet technologically infeasible for the time.

The dream may finally become a reality, based upon recent significant funding shifts and the progress of construction abroad in Europe. Recently, a Dutch study has claimed that the Hyperloop transport system could be a viable means of replacing the use of short-term flights altogether. The study, which was headed the European airport company Royal Schiphol Group and Hardt Hyperloop, posited that pods carrying passengers through this transport system would be a low-carbon option compared to short-haul flights.

However, with speeds approaching 700 m.p.h., it would be reasonable to expect more than just tubes to be built; while revolutionary, the technology must be thoroughly tested beforehand. Hardt Hyperloop, located in the Netherlands, is notable for also being the first company in Europe to establish a full-scale testing facility for the transportation system itself.

Unique to Hardt Hyperloop’s approach is the concept of a hyperloop switch, which would allow vehicles using the hyperloop to pass one another similar to trains, but one in a network of tubes spanning across vast distances and various cities. Areas such as the province of North Holland also tout hyperloop’s safety versus consumer vehicle use and the beneficial environmental impact of reducing everyday traffic.

Zeleros, a Spain based company also developing their version of the hyperloop, also recently raised 7 million euros and is now in the funding lead for the European Union. The company proclaims that its novel approach to mass transportation is bleeding edge because of its design. The majority of the technology required resides inside of the vehicle itself. Because of this design, the cost for infrastructure such as rail, etc. will be significantly reduced, resulting in a lower price of services as calculated per kilometer.

Zeleros also posits that their hyperloop reduces greenhouse emissions by 7m tonnes per annum, allowing the technology to play an essential part in the battle against climate change. The company is currently looking at testing a 3km track in at the European Hyperloop Development Centre in Spain as a proof of concept for the technology. The companies CEO, Tim Houter, also made comments regarding the increasing viability of the hyperloop projects across Europe as being bolstered by the European Green Deal.

Elsewhere in Asia, however, there are also murmurs of activity with the Virgin Hyperloop One project: connecting Mumbai and Pune in under 20 minutes, at a speed of 1000 km (or 621 miles) a second might be an economic advantage to the region. Of note is the suggestion that the hyperloop itself could in-fact be solar-powered, further making it transportation apart from the past, and one more suited for a future more focused on climate change and hand-wringing over carbon production.

With multiple countries participating and competing for their role in the construction of the hyperloop, the result may very well end up being the sum of many countries working together for a common goal. In all of this, however, one major disadvantage of the hyperloop despite its highly coordinated efforts is the number of resources required to implement this futuristic transportation system. Also, as with other renewable energy technologies, there is a small but vocal group of detractors. All in all, it seems that in addition to new technological and funding capabilities, the environmental prospects for climate change in the 21st century seem to be giving the Hyperloop transportation project the boost that it needs to arrive sooner, rather than later, into the future.

Related Articles

• How long until Hyperloop is here? (cnn.com)

• The WIRED Guide to Hyperloop (wired.com)

• Hyperloop One takes first step on a promising test road in America’s heartland (cnbc.com)

• Hyperloop One is considering 11 US routes for its futuristic transport system — here they are (businessinsider.com)

Marxism and its Prominence in China

CHINA - Marxist macroeconomics claims that in any historical epoch, the means of economic production and exchange of goods lay the foundation of every event thereafter. Karl Marx, the founder of Marxian economics, concludes that the roots of an economic structure, alone, explain the entire history and politics not only of a nation, but of mankind. He places blame on the rich, “bourgeoisie”, as the group responsible for the oppression of the lower class and for the tiers that divide those of different economic status.

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Shanghai, Photo by Mussi Katz

His writing establishes ways to remove inequality, further reasoning a need to remove all barriers that contribute to diversity among individuals. Marx establishes a sameness that antagonizes human nature. Furthermore, Marxist macroeconomic theory is compelling due to its depiction of a “utopian” economic structure; however, when put in action, it fails repeatedly.

Marxian economics is defined as a school of economic thought based on the roles of labor and development in the macro-economy. It was founded upon principles laid out in two bodies of work, The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital. Albeit the content of Marx and Engel’s writing is alluring, it is flawed. If executed, the entire economy would never generate any revenue because everyone would make the same regardless of their amount of work. This is evident as both supply and demand remain constant when the income of an entire population remains constant.

Marxian economics also claims: in order for the production of goods to occur, labor is needed, therefore the value of a good must accommodate both the materials needed to produce it and the manufacturer. Once again, an even distribution of wealth is justified and Marx argues: the manufacturing of goods costs too much to generate more revenue for those who provide more labor. This argument fails to understand that a low GDP is the result of an even distribution of wealth, hence the inability for communist societies to pay manufacturers for their services. His argument remains paradoxical as he claims the poor economy is the reason those who work harder cannot make more, but then claims the structure of an economy must never establish a difference in wealth among its people. 

Historically, Marxian principles were practiced first in the Soviet Union following the October Revolution, around 1848. At this time, in The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels called for a revolt against capitalism by saying:” Workers of the World Unite”, a message that drew in many, rapidly. Soon after, Vladimir Lenin and the Bolksheviks seized power over Russia, jump starting the first society structured after Marxian ideals. As a result, the czar’s officials were executed and prisoner-of-war labor camps were established. These extreme exertions of power, and lack of consequences following, are reflective of a society with no given higher power.  

Another example of a failing communist society is China. Presently, China remains a communist country, with roots in 1921, modeled after the Russian Revolution. During World War II, the support of communism in China grew exponentially and nationalists were dictated by communists. 

In 1997, Hong Kong, which was known as a British colony, returned to Chinese control, but with it in writing that “current social and economic systems” and “lifestyle” in Hong Kong would remain the same for 50 years. Legally, Hong Kong is supposed to continue operating under a capitalist economy; thereby allowing rights to speech, press, assembly, and religious beliefs among residents until at least 2047. According to this, the Chinese government is violating their own Sino-British Joint declaration. This is just one example of how communist leaders tend to abuse their power, as they can always override their citizens. 

Protests in Hong Kong began to emerge in 2019 when a proposed bill stated it would allow local authorities to “detain and extradite” fugitive offenders that are wanted in areas that Hong Kong does not have extradition agreements with. Protests arose out of fear that there would be a legalized kidnapping and fear for the future after 2047 when the Sino-British Joint declaration expires. 

In the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels argue that intellectual property is also a product of society, therefore, according to this school of economic thought, privacy is almost non-existent. There are myriad issues with privacy violations and ethical concerns among the citizens of communist societies regarding technology. For instance, anything that a Chinese citizen does on a software platform is open for the government to view. 

Ultimately, Marxian ideas of total government control and an equal distribution of wealth in order to combat oppression, cause more oppression. He depicts a world where those who work harder make the same as those who work less. Marxian macroeconomic theory is also oblivious to the need for economic growth, and when applied, it is impossible for such to occur. Moreover, in every society where Marx’s principles have been applied, the people have rebelled. It is evident in instances like these, Marxian macroeconomics does not and will not ever work. 

Related Articles

• People’s Republic of China at 70: how the Chinese state uses Marxism today (theconversation.com)

• The Most Troubling China-India Conflict Is Economic (washingtonpost.com)

• China’s Economy Shrinks, Ending a Nearly Half-Century of Growth (nytimes.com)

• India-China Clash Could be a Sign of Things to Come (nahmiasreport.com)

India-China Clash Could Be a Sign of Things to Come

INDO-CHINA BORDER - The most violent border clash in decades between China and India occurred last week.  Is war between the world's two most populous nations really possible? Probably not, but the growing tension between them is reflective of the evolving power balance throughout Asia, experts say. Chinese military and diplomatic influence are surging throughout the region while India, backed heavily by the Trump administration, is increasingly poised as the West's strategic counterweight.  Ongoing low-level conflict, accompanied by occasional flashpoints and hostilities that fall short of open war, may be inevitable now.

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India Chinese Military March in Tandem, Photo Source Edtimes.in

Ostensibly, last week's skirmish occurred because India discovered that China had built two tents and observation towers on the Indian side of the historical Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates the two countries.  Earlier, China had brought in pieces of machinery, cut a trail into a Himalayan mountainside, and may have even dammed a river, satellite pictures suggest.  That would constitute an open breach of the LAC agreement, and in theory, would be an act of war.

However, anticipating an Indian advance, China decided to pull back its forces, leaving the tents and towers behind.  The Indian army soon destroyed the structures, but according to Beijing, unlawfully crossed into China to confront its troops.

The ensuing clash involving some 900 soldiers did not, in fact, include shooting.  Under current rules of engagement, Chinese and Indian soldiers are supposed to keep their rifles slung on their backs. The two sides, armed with little more than spike-studded batons and rocks, squared off, leaving 20 soldiers dead.  China also captured 10 Indian soldiers, who were released within a day after hastily arranged negotiations.

At one level, the outbreak of open hostilities is something of a shocker.  It' s been 50 years since China and India last clashed – in 1967, over the disputed Kashmir region.  An earlier conflict occurred in 1962, in part due to India recognition of the Dali Lama in Tibet and its refusal to allow Chinese patrols along its claimed border.   In that era, the Soviet Union and China were competing for global influence. With growing Sino-Indian tension, Moscow made a significant effort to support India, notably with the sale of advanced MiG fighter-aircraft.  In response, the United States and Britain refused to sell advanced weaponry to India, causing it to side formally with the Soviet Union in the deepening Cold War.       

But the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the ever-expanding economic influence of China and the rise of the Asian Pacific as a renewed zone of geopolitical competition has altered this calculus.  The West, anxious to protect its long-standing allies from China's robust expansion, has been searching for a new strategic partner.  And with Japan's persistent reluctance to increase defense spending, successive American administrations, starting with President Obama's, have been forced to look elsewhere. 

Almost out of nowhere, India, which in 2014 elected its first conservative government overturning decades of entrenched center-left rule, has emerged as the perfect ally.    

The new Indian-American alliance has proceeded rapidly under the Trump administration, which has made no secret of its desire to transform the world's largest democracy into a bulwark against Chinese ambitions.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out the red carpet for Trump during the American president's high-level visit to Delhi in late February when the two leaders announced that Delhi planned to purchase some $3 billion worth of U.S.-made military helicopters for its navy and additional Apaches.

Already, the new Indo-American alliance has yielded a 2016 military base-sharing agreement, transfers of sensitive defense technologies, and increasingly routine cooperation in military exercises.  

The United States wants India to remain the Pacific's dominant maritime power and is also investing in India border security, which, over time, could implicate America in Delhi's never-ending border conflicts with China.

Still, India is playing a cagey game.  It cannot afford an open conflict with China any more than the United States can.  And with continuing internal conflict in the Kashmir region and with its Muslim minorities, as well as its long rivalry with Pakistan, the country has pressing security needs elsewhere.

Even as the two countries spar over their long-standing territorial disputes, India and Chian continue to explore avenues for cooperation.  After the 6th Annual China India Economic Summit held last September, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time to establish a high-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism.   The two leaders also agreed to designate 2020 as the beginning of a new era of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, with 70 events scheduled to mark the 70th anniversary of China-India diplomatic ties. 

Thanks to the latest border dispute, these friendly engagements have been placed on hold for the time being. Looking ahead, one should expect more low-level saber-rattling between China and India, accompanied by high-flown diplomatic rhetoric, but still carefully calibrated to avoid escalation.  Not surprisingly, the Trump administration, which publicly siding with India in last week's border dispute, also disavowed any intent to intervene, calling it a matter for India to decide.  And Beijing, for its part, has also downplayed the incident, abandoning its traditional efforts to portray fallen Chinese soldiers as national "martyrs."

This may well be the new face of "Cool" War in the Pacific-- or perhaps "Hot" Diplomacy would be more accurate.  Amid the flurry of charges and counter-charges, there is simply too much at stake economically for America, India, and China to allow their inevitable tensions to escalate into prolonged hostilities and outright war.  To be sure, battles of the kind that occurred last week could result in unintended military escalation and more considerable diplomatic fallout.  And should that happen, India could find itself pushed, willy-nilly, into a full-throated embrace of the West.                                                  

For now, though, all parties are keeping their options open. After all, there's a critical American presidential campaign underway, and Trump might well lose reelection.  That would give pro-Chinese forces within the US government a new opening.  It would likely lead to some changes in American diplomatic posturing toward China and less open hostility on trade. Paradoxically, it won't lessen the need for a China containment strategy, one which may require an increasingly well-armed, if militarily constrained, India at its core. It may even heighten that need.

RELATED ARTICLES

• India, China go toe-to-toe in New Cold War (asiatimes.com)

• China claims disputed valley where Chinese, Indian troops engaged in a deadly brawl (nbcnews.com)

• China-India standoff: Beijing lays claim to disputed border region after deadly clash (independent.co.uk)

• India's infra push behind Chinese aggression (hindustantimes.com)

• Sharp fall in Chinese incursions at border areas (indiatoday.in)

Artificial Intelligence Advances the Battle Against COVID-19

Many countries have put their best ideas and creations to the test prevention measure to halt the spread of COVID-19, specifically in the realm of technology. Artificial Intelligence and robots are leading the way in countries putting new tech to new tests. The company “PUDU” allowed China to do trial runs on robots, that could deliver food to patients and other citizens in Wuhan during the rigorous quarantine period earlier in 2020.

Source: Pixabay

BlueOcean robotics also sent a hoard of "UVD Robots" there, which CEO Claus Risager said, "use advanced algorithms and specialized sensors to cover all surfaces with the right amount of (virus killing) light. With this data, users can see exactly which rooms have been cleared of bacteria and viruses." These robots can complete their jobs in as little as 10-15 minutes, including their ability to reach places some humans previously couldn't. These robots are more effective in the prevention of the Coronavirus spread. First, they reduce the risk of a person becoming exposed to the virus while disinfecting an area, and they have a higher success rate in successfully decontaminating every surface and crevice of these high-risk areas.

Hong Kong has even hired these similar types of robots to assist in keeping the Hong Kong Mass Transit Rail System. Vaporizing hydrogen peroxide robots are cleaning trains and specific areas where citizens could most likely become infected due to exposure to asymptomatic carriers, or contaminated metal and plastic surfaces on which the virus can survive for several hours if not days.

Network Communication programs are using technology like "Telegram" and "Facebook" to provide an open forum for ideas to flow from engineers and other professionals using their skills to help healthcare workers see assistance in loads of accessing ventilators and masks. In fact, low efficient technology has appeared to be highly volatile in allowing virtually any and everyone to help. Face masks that have been produced locally with the help of clothing designers. These masks are distributed with a simple "Do It Yourself" instructions on social media, and even groups have dedicated their clothing manufacturing skills to gather and mass-produce masks for local hospitals.

Engineering groups have also been able to take part in helping healthcare professionals by using 3-D printing to design respirators and ventilators. A group in Spain recently assembled an open-source respirator proto-type. An Irish open-source hardware project has also produced a prototype ventilator using three-dimensional primed materials and readily available inexpensive parts. Facebook's spin attraction propelled these projects in seven days to reach more than 300 engineers, medical professionals, and researchers.

Artificial Intelligence has proven to be very useful in detection and issuance. BlueDot, a Canadian startup, has produced Artificial Intelligence that analyzes governments and news reports, along with social media, to assist in tracking infectious at blazing speed. BlueDot had already shown its ability to process information and make appropriate claims, when on January 25th this year, it issued a warning beating the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. It takes into account every possible outcome, from air travel, populations in distinct areas, climate, mosquitos, demographics, and a countries inherent ability to respond, are all included in assisting the A.I. comprehend where it will spread along with its impact.

Jack Maas of Alibaba, is also developing artificial intelligence diagnostic systems that process C.T. scans with 96% accuracy. We also see that this machine can also ease the time of reading this information, dropping dramatically from fifteen minutes to twenty seconds.

COVID-19 has had no problem showing its tenacity, but so have countries across the globe like Hong Kong and Spain, for example, using both high and low efficient technologies from robots to masks. Medical professionals, engineers, and researchers are now working in a way that no longer has any boundaries, while still practicing "Social Distancing." Thanks to technology and global participation in fighting COVID-19, we can use these innovations for future developments in society and hopefully be better equipped to prevent another mass spread, as large as the one we are witnessing now with the Coronavirus.

RELATED ARTICLES

• 10 technology trends to watch in the COVID-19 pandemic (weforum.org)

• CRISPR-based technology spots COVID-19 (news.harvard.edu)

• Technology companies can help fight Covid-19 (cnn.com)

• Digital technology and COVID-19 (nature.com)

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Governors Hide COVID-19 Testing Kits from Feds

N95 Mask, Photo by Michael Swan

UNITED STATES, Maryland - The COVID-19 epidemic has many people feeling confused and overwhelmed, and the government's handling of the situation is not assuring. While the state governors try unsuccessfully to procure medication, often by negotiating directly with overseas manufacturers, American citizens pin their hopes the latest snake-oil promises. Amid this pandemic, it is ludicrous that toilet paper and meat have become iconic symptoms of scarcity. 

It is into this miasma of uncertainty, the ideas which arose from the first constitution and the "Articles of Confederacy" have reasserted into the national discourse. The lines of demarcation between the federal and state governments have increasingly become amplified, with each fighting about the right way to proceed in keeping the nation's people and economy safe. 

Many speculate that it is due to the economy's current state, that the president's administration is too focused on reopening America to the public and less concerned with the public's health. According to BBC News, investors are worried about the negative impact the Coronavirus pandemic on the nation's economic growth. More than 30 million people are seeking work, and unemployment hit a record high since the start of the lockdown, oil prices have crashed to a 21- year low and U.S. oil prices have turned negative for the first time.

Though all of these are genuinely frightening, experts are still reluctant to "reopen" America. Why? Because people will die. Many Americans have started to think of this as having to pick a side between saving their fellow Americans' lives and saving the country's economy. Several experts, however, feel that it is imperative for both that we keep strict lockdown orders—others state that reopening should be a slow process with mass testing to keep everyone safe. Testing has been minimal, however. Many people who exhibit symptoms are routinely denied testing until their symptoms are dire due to the lack of supplies. 

It is because of this lack that Republican Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan, who has recently secured 100,000 COVID-19 tests from South Korea, has deployed the national guard and the state police to protects these tests which he has stored at an undisclosed location. Though to some, this may sound like extreme caution bordering on paranoia; Governor Hogan cites the recent seizure of N95 masks in Massachusetts as justification.  

Earlier this year, Governor Charlie Baker, of the State of Massachusetts spent approximately three million dollars on N95 masks for care workers and first responders. The federal government unexpectedly seized these at the port of New York, and this was the first sign that something was amiss. In fact, according to USA TODAY, Marketwatch, EMS1, and WLRN, the federal government had also seized millions of masks ordered by Delaware and Florida.

After losing the first shipment, Governor Charlie Baker bought more masks, which he arranged to have flown them directly into the State of Massachusetts, using the New England Patriots' private plane. While in Maryland, Governor Hogan is still putting together a plan on how to use his new kits best. He announced in a press conference that the kits would be distributed to nursing homes and assisted-living areas and other Virus "hot spots," including an outbreak in a poultry plant on the Eastern Shore. 

Once these hotspots have been taken care of, the governor hopes to start then testing about 10,000 people per day to safely and responsibly end the strict quarantine orders.  

Two private labs have been contracted to support Maryland's state lab with processing the test swabs from the kits once they reach prearranged distribution centers. Because of the seizures, and the ubiquitous unavailability of test kits, hoarding has come under some scrutiny. Some people question why the governor is hoarding the kits with armed guards, and others yet are perplexed as to why he felt the need to purchase the tests internationally. However, FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also bought millions of dollars of tests from two South Korean companies. 

According to the Washington Post, U.S. manufacturers have been able to produce and ship tests by the millions. However, some government officials admit that there have been shortages in the supplies necessary to perform the tests, like cotton swabs, which Eric Blank, the Association of Public Health Laboratories' Chief Program Officer, refutes.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Why Wearing a Face Mask Is Encouraged in Asia, but Shunned in the U.S.(time.com)

• Unmasking Differing U.S. And South Korean Approaches To COVID-19 (forbes.com)

• Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission (cdc.gov)

• Officials in at least 6 states are accusing the federal government of quietly diverting their orders for coronavirus medical equipment (businessinsider.com

Africans in China and Covid-19

CHINA - Africans are not strangers to discrimination, scarred by the long history of the slave trade, colonial rule, and now technological dominance, the peoples of the Continent have yet to realize independence fully. The stigma of racism remains a pressing reality for many Africans in the United States, Europe, and, most recently, China. Many Western countries have a bias about Africans. They are often regarded as uncivilized, ignorant, and unhygienic, particularly those seeking asylum as refugees. These stereotypes are dangerous, but also belie the truth that many Africans are successful business people and entrepreneurs. In 2018, six of the world’s fastest-growing nations were in Africa.

Ever since the first cases of the  COVID-19 virus were reported to World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2019, Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei province located in the central region of China, has become synonymous with the plague which purportedly originated in its “wet markets.” During the first few months of 2020, as worldwide infections and deaths increased, massive efforts to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus resulted in aggressive quarantines.

These measures have brought most countries to the brink of economic collapse and triggered a desire to scapegoat. The lockdown is detrimental to global trade and development. Adding racial discrimination, violence, and detention will only make matters worse. During the best of times, racism is a scourge deeply rooted and often denied. But, when societies face undue stress, underlying currents of xenophobia can manifest. The latest target of this blame game is the People’s Republic of China.

Unfortunately, in response to this, it appears that some have tried to shift blame to an immigrant community. It has been reported that in Guangzhou, the fifth largest city in China, some of the people have sought to blame Africans for the current outbreak.

Nicknamed ‘Little Africa,’ the prosperous southern city of Guangzhou, is home to Asia’s largest African migrant population, who come to China chasing business opportunities, reputable universities, and low living costs. Although there are no precise figures, more than 15,000 Africans, mainly from Egypt, Mali, the DRC, and Nigeria, are estimated to live in the bustling city, which forms part of the Pearl Delta Region – the largest urban area in the world in terms of size and population. More than half a million travel here each year to buy every imaginable ‘Made in China’ product, from air conditioners to fake Nike sneakers, and send them back to Africa. (Source: New Internationalist)

China has long been perceived as a homogeneous nation, but until recently, it was a relatively hidden fact that there are African citizens and permanent residents. Currently, China produces one-third of global manufacturing. Through a sheer economic will, low overhead, China’s model of state capitalism has positioned it as a formidable trading partner. It has become the primary source for both developed and emerging economies nations from which to purchase low-cost goods and technology solutions. The existing supply chain disruption has revealed the level to which China has become an indispensable player in facilitating the delivery of goods and services worldwide.

African countries have increasingly become dependent on China for investments in infrastructure, consumer goods, and even clothing. Hence, the migration of Africans to China is expected. The majority are there on business, and while some travel there on student visas courtesy of Chinese government scholarships. One can hope that with these economic relationships, Africans would be welcomed in China; unfortunately, that is not the case. Following the outbreaks, there have been reports and videos showing the maltreatment of foreigners, especially black people, in China.

The Chinese authorities have even started seizing travel documents like passports and other forms of the federal ID. Chinese landlords have evicted legal residents leaving them homeless. Some restaurants have posters saying, “Africans are not welcomed.” In a video shared on Instagram, two Black men perceived to be Africans are seen being beaten.  In an interview, a Ugandan student described her treatment and the situation in general as “inhumane.”

Though myths of Africans being immune to the virus have persisted, even though it has been proven that COVID-19 afflicts people irrespective of race, religion, or status. The Chinese believe they were able to defeat the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. With the reemergence of the virus and the likelihood of a second wave of the pandemic, some people have begun to falsely assert that foreigners, mostly Africans, are the source.

One might wonder: what the leaders of African Governments have done in response to the maltreatment of their citizens? In April, a group of African Ambassadors gathered to draft a statement requesting the cessation of the embarrassment and forceful quarantining of their citizens. To many, this seems at best, an inept and empty request that lacks enforceability due to their economic obligations. Countries like Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana are in serious debt to China. 

Though these leaders may not be in the position to do more than ask abeyance, inherent in their requests is the fact that xenophobia is unacceptable. Also, the acknowledgment that if we are to survive and possibly defeat Covid-19, we must do so as a collective. In the words of Tedros Adhanom, the WHO Chief, “we should not politicize the virus” instead of working together to defeat it as it.

RELATED ARTICLES

• China’s Top 10 Largest Cities (chinahighlights.com)

• As Africa Groans Under Debt, It Casts Wary Eye at China (wsj.com)

• Wuhan: Inside the Chinese city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak (cnn.com)

• The rise of ‘Made by China’ in America (cnbc.com)

• Chinese lending to African countries jumped tenfold in the last five years (qz.com)

• The Top Ten African Countries With the Largest Chinese Debt (africanexponent.com)

AcroYoga - A Language of Perfect Union

The mission and focus of this website informs the presentation and dialogue about stories on gender relations with a particular emphasis on women’s’ rights. Consequently, we report on stories from around the world in which women are not allowed to realize their full potential either through force or circumstance. But, not every man is bad, nor every woman abused. In fact, the state of mankind is not as dire as it seems despite all our bad behavior, and millions of men and women across the globe experience healthy and loving relationships.

AcroYoga with Hagar Tsabar and Elad Sadeh Choreography and Production by Hagar Tsabar

Balance in reporting is as important as it is in life, and the video above featuring a husband and wife practicing AcroYoga or partner yoga is a beautiful illustration of the best in us as humans. Though this is demonstrated through yoga, one need not be a practitioner to achieve the highest ideals of harmony and peace between all people as there are many paths to this destination.

For some people, the path toward peace and enlightenment is achieved through religious observance and a belief in a higher power. For others it is meditation or actively living consciously by being aware of our impact on the world and other people so that we don’t accumulate negative Karma.

For others, it is a combination of all of the above and yoga. I fall into this category as I regularly practice yoga. In Western societies, most practitioners use yoga as a form of health and fitness similar to pilates which is an exercise created by Joseph Pilates to strengthen and stretch the body to achieve a strong core.

However "the traditional purpose of Yoga, has always been to bring about a profound transformation in the person through the transcendence of the ego," (Feuerstein, Georg. The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice. Boston: Shambhala, 2003)

According to the Levy, “Yoga in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism means "spiritual discipline”…..It is an activity that has been practiced for thousands of years, and it is something that has evolved and changed overtime…..the exact history and origins of yoga is uncertain; however……the earliest signs of yoga appear in ancient Shamanism. Evidence of yoga postures were found on artifacts that date back to 3000 B.C.

Evidence of Yoga is found in the oldest-existing text, Rig-Veda. Rig-Veda is a composition of hymns. Topics of the Rig-Veda include prayer, divine harmony, and greater being. Yoga originally focused on applying and understanding the world. Its focus later changed to the self. Self-enlightenment became the ultimate goal.”

Though many may take umbrage, at the end of the day “When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it's not so much which road you take, as how you take it.” ~ Charles de Lint

Editor-in-Chief: @ayannanahmias
LinkedIn: Ayanna Nahmias

Will Kim Yo-jong Join the Ranks of Female Leaders?

Kim Jong-un, Photo by Victoria Borodinova.

PYONGYANG, North Korea — Today, reports seem to confirm the theory that North Korea's young and enigmatic leader, Kim Jong-un, 36, is believed to be dead. The United States has been consumed by the Coronavirus pandemic and the mounting death toll, which has currently topped 50,000, so the possibility of Kim's death, though noted by political pundits, has barely broken through the noise of the current national discourse.

The "supreme leader," as Jong-un is known, had been absent from the public's eye for some time, and speculations abounded regarding his ill-health. Following the death of his father, Kim Jong II, from a heart attack in 2011, Jong-un became the third-generation hereditary leader, and if he is indeed dead, he would most likely be succeeded by next heir, his sister Kim Yo-jong.

Fears of Jong-un's demise solidified when he missed an April 15 holiday honoring the founder of the country, Kim II Sung, who was his late grandfather. Then, ten days later, on the 88th anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, Kim was once again absent, prompting rumors of his demise.

If proven right, the timing could prove additionally problematic for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been seeking any win to off-set his administration's questionable response to mounting Covid-19 deaths. Trump became the first sitting president to meet with Kim, and in June 2019 stood next to him and his sister, Kim Yo-jong, in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, which was established during the 1953 armistice which separated North and South Korea.

This third meeting between Washington and Pyongyang was unprecedented. However, these meetings were more advantageous for Kim, who had seized upon the elevation to the global stage by holding additional high-profile meetings, “four with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, and five with China's President Xi Jinping.” The U.S. meetings did not result in the promised denuclearization deal, and with the possible death of Jong-un, the potential for this deal to be realized is even more unlikely.

When asked at a White House Briefing about Kim Jong-un's condition, the president said, "I think the report was incorrect, let me just put it that way. I hear the report was incorrect. I hope it was an incorrect report," he added, and the administration failed to provide any further comment. "We have a good relationship with North Korea, I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, and I hope he's okay. And I think it was a fake report," Trump added.

According to Newsweek, a senior Pentagon official not authorized to speak on the record was quoted as stating that "North Korean military readiness remains within historical norms, and there is no further evidence to suggest a significant change in defensive posturing or national level leadership changes."

Until confirmation of Kim's death by U.S. intelligence agencies, we can only speculate that he is dead as asserted by a "Hong Kong Satellite T.V. executive. Her uncle is purportedly a Chinese foreign minister, and she told her 15 million followers on Weibo that she had a source saying Kim was dead.

If Kim has died, then a succession of leadership would demand that his sister, Yo-jong, assume the reigns of power. According to the Associated Press, which reported that the chances of her being appointed are "more than 90%," per Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea who noted that "Yong-un she has "royal blood," and "North Korea is like a dynasty." Kim's sister is reportedly feared, but a capable and accomplished leader who has been groomed for this eventuality.

"Kim Yo-jong is the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. She joined the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in 2007, eventually serving as secretariat to her father, Kim Jong-il, until his death in 2011. Kim Yo-jong continued to ascend her party's ranks under her brother's rule, taking control of his image as the first vice-department director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department and later becoming an alternate member of the WPK's powerful politburo. After making a highly publicized appearance at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Kim joined her brother for his denuclearization summits with Trump." (Source: Biography.com)

It remains to be seen if the change in governance will result in the "hermit nation" becoming even more of a player in the global economy, and if under Yo-jong's leadership, the country will accelerate its modernization efforts. If so, Yo-jong will join the ranks of influential female leaders and heads of state, as she shepherds the economic development of North Korea under the auspices of China's global marketplace of state capitalism.

RELATED ARTICLES

• North Korea’s Disappearing Leader: Speculation Grows Around Kim Jong Un’s Health (forbes.com)

• Trump: Reports on N Korea's Kim Jong Un illness are 'fake' news (aljazeera.com)

• Train possibly belonging to North Korean leader spotted in resort town: think tank (reuters.com)

• Are female leaders more successful at managing the coronavirus crisis? (theguardian.com)

• Biography of Kim Yo-jong (biography.com)

• Countries currently led by Women (247wallst.com)

• Trump meets Kim Jong Un, becomes first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea (nbcnews.com)

Editor-in-Chief: @ayannanahmias
LinkedIn: Ayanna Nahmias