IN A NUTSHELL 6/2019-20

IN A NUTSHELL 6/2019-20

RED HAZE IN INDONESIA

Photos taken by Eka Wulandari from Indonesia have arguably been the most discussed ones last week worldwide. Because of the so-called ”red haze” what you can see reminds more of Mars than Earth. Literally everything is red and looks very scary. Many people argue the photos were fake but the author denies such accusations. They were taken in Jambi province in Indonesia where forest fires are exceptionally spread at the moment and the skies indeed turned red. Scientists who explained the phenomenon for BBC say it is possible because of particles 0.05 micrometres in size which are present in the haze and have a tendency to scatter red light more. Citizens say the red haze hurts their eyes and throats. Photos being real or fake, it certainly is true a lot of forest is on fire in Indonesia (every year, sadly). This year alone some 384,724 hectares of land have already burnt. The reason is the same as in the Amazon: corporations and farmers seeking money, in Indonesia from palm oil and paper plantations in particular.

Source: bbc.com, an article from September 23, 2019 about red haze in Indonesia

 

GOVERNMENT PLANE RESCUES POLISH VOLLEYBALL TEAM

The last weeks have been an amazing time for Polish volleyball fans. Through most of the Volleyball European Championship they remained absolutely undefeated, winning in spectacular style. Over six matches they lost only 1 set and hardly ever let their opponents collect 20 points, which is very unusual for volleyball. When they were about to set off for Ljubljana where they were going to play their semi-final game, an unusual problem occurred, at least at this level of competition. Because of a strike of a Slovenian airline, the Polish team’s flight was cancelled and they were left with an option of 18-hour bus journey from Amsterdam. This is when PM Mateusz Morawiecki announced Poland would set their government plane to transport the players on time and make sure they are well-rested before the important game. The ”rescue operation” was successful, the semi-final itself, however, was not. After a nervous and controversial game Poles lost against the hosts, Slovenia. To make up for this, they won the bronze medal on Sunday, beating France in Paris.

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF FACEBOOK

Although Facebook made it to the news headlines many times in a negative context (Camdridge Analytica, selling data of users, impact on mental health), it does have a bright side. It all started in 2015 with the Ice Bucket Challenge. Everybody remembers the initiative but few people are aware its real purpose wasn’t just pouring a bucket of cold water over one’s head, but collecting funds for ALS Association. The association’s aim is to help people who suffer from ALS, a condition whose symptoms include slowly disappearing muscles and which leads to death within 3-5 years on average. Ice Bucket Challenge gave birth to Birthday Fundraisers, a way to collect money for charity organizations through Facebook on the occasion of user’s birthday. This is how since 2015 over 45 million users donated their money through Birthday Fundraisers and other charity collections and over 2 billion dollars combined was transferred to help those in need. When a fundraiser manages to attract enough attention incredible sums are collected within days, sometimes within hours. The record in Poland was PLN 16 million during the collection for GOCC (WOŚP) after the assassination of Paweł Adamowicz, the former president of Gdańsk.

Source: businessinsider.com.pl, an article from September 19, 2019 about Facebook fundraisers

THIRD PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT CASE IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

On September 24, 2019 the Democrats from the House of Representatives (the US equivalent of Polish Sejm) announced that they were launching an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. Impeachment inquiries are investigations checking whether current government officials commit crimes while in office – they are restricted neither to the US, nor to its presidents. In case of US presidents, however, they are extremely rare. Only two others (Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998) have been impeached and neither of them was eventually convicted by the Senate. The reason for the inquiry this time? In late July in a telephone conversation with the Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, president Trump made it clear that he would appreciate if the Ukrainians helped find damaging information on his potential rival in the next presidential elections, Joe Biden. Or more specifically: on Joe Biden’s son illegal business dealings in Ukraine. As Ukraine’s national security heavily depends on US military help, Trump’s actions could be interpreted as extortion. It is important to understand that impeachment does not necessarily result in removal from office. It is only „a legal statement of charges, parallel to an indictment in criminal law.” However, in the famous case of another former US president Richard Nixon, the mere possibility of impeachment inquiry was enough for him to resign even before the actual proceedings began.

Source: cnn.com, a September 26, 2019 CNN10 material on the impeachment of Donald Trump.

DISCUSSION:

  1. An international agency should control forest fires worldwide.
  2. Sending a government plane for volleyball players was inappropriate.
  3. Facebook has more advantages than disadvantages.
  4. Impeachment inquiries are a waste of tax payers’ money.

IN A NUTSHELL 5/2019-20

SIX DEMANDS OF YOUTH CLIMATE STRIKE

On Friday September 20, 2019 tens of thousands of young people gathered in the streets of over 60 cities in Poland to take part in Youth Climate Strike, a global movement initiated by a Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg who became famous after she protested every Friday in front of the Swedish parliament against the government’s indifference towards climate change. Her initiative grew immensely and now 150 countries take part in it. This year Greta demonstrated in New York giving everybody her key message: ”together we are unstoppable”. Participants of the Polish strike worked out six demands which they declared during the demonstration. In the first place they want climate policy to reflect the present state of scientific knowledge on climate change and they require that solutions suggested by the scientists are implemented without delay and within international cooperation. Secondly, they demand that Poland declares the state of climate crisis so that climate change no longer is subject of ideological debate. What is more, they expect complex and up-to-date knowledge about climate change to be part of the school curriculum and they want the media to take responsibility for informing society about the dangers that await us if no action is taken. Also, they want the Polish Parliament to establish an independent Climate Council which will work out a strategy helping Poland to reach climate neutrality by 2040 and, finally, they think steps should be taken to transform our economy so that emission of greenhouse gases is reduced. Well done, young people!

NEW LAW WILL HELP TO REDUCE WASTING FOOD

Data about how much food is wasted in developed countries must make impression on everyone. In Europe we are talking about some 89 million tonnes per year (179 kilograms per person on average), in Poland the numbers are even worse – 9 million tonnes per year which is 235 kilograms per person. On September 18, 2019 a new law has been introduced whose aim is to reduce these numbers. The law means shops bigger than 250 square metres (bigger than 400 square meter for the first 2 years) who earn more than 50% of their income from the sales of food will have to sign a contract with an NGO (non-government organization) which will collect from them all food considered as waste. Most of these products are still good to eat but just have damaged packaging or their expiry date is coming. From March 1, 2020 sellers will have to pay PLN 0.1 for each kilogram of wasted food and if they do not comply with this rule they will face fines of PLN 500 to PLN 10,000. NGOs hope now the food which would otherwise end on a landfill will reach those who need it. They estimate some 100,000 tonnes of products will be saved.

Source: bankier.pl, an article from September 18, 2019 about new law helping to reduce wasting food

SON SHOTS FATHER DURING HUNTING

A real tragedy happened on Sunday September 22, 2019 near an Italian town, Postiglione. Two local men went hunting for wild boars. When the 34-year-old saw a shadow nearby he open fire and soon afterwards realised he was aiming at his own father. The bullet hit the lower abdomen of the 55-year-old Martino and although his son immediately called for help and tried to keep his father alive doctors had no chance of saving him. What makes the case more complicated is the fact the men were there illegally — the territory is a national park and hunting there is prohibited. The police took away the rifles of the two men and criminal trial is likely to follow. According to a BBC report cases of illegal hunting have become more and more common in the country. Unfortunately, this is not the first tragedy of similar kind as earlier this month a 56-year-old and a 20-year old were killed.

Source: bbc.com, an article from September 23, 2019 about a son who shot his own father while hunting

THOMAS COOK GOES OUT OF BUSINESS

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Thomas Cook brand is a tourism equivalent of the Boeing Company in aviation or Daimler-Benz in car industry. Named for its British founder and the inventor of modern tourism, it was the oldest and one of the largest travel businesses in the world. Why „was”? Well, on September 23 it officially went bankrupt, leaving 600,000 people stranded on vacation worldwide. The simple explanation is that the company ran out of cash, but there are of course many reasons behind that. For one, it’s online competitors were cheaper: Thomas Cook had 500 high-street retail stores in the UK. Some also say it wasn’t managed well, others that the uncertainty over Brexit and improving weather (Thomas Cook could be viewed as another victim of climate change), has made people in Britain (and the rest of Europe) swap their vacation for staycation. The GBP 1,6-billion debt forced the company to close its operations with immediate effect, which also means that around 21,000 people worldwide lost or very soon will lose their jobs. The largest peace-time repatriation in the history of Great Britain is underway as the UK government tries to bring back home its 150,000 castaways.

Source: cnn.com, a September 24, 2019 CNN10 material on the downfall of Thomas Cook.

DISCUSSION:

  1. Young people will persuade politicians to take more decisive action on climate change.
  2. Shops should pay for food they waste.
  3. Hunting should be totally banned.
  4. It’s safer to put organize your vacation by yourself.

IN A NUTSHELL 4/2019-20

TRUMP INTRODUCES BAN ON FLAVOURED E-CIGARETTES

Until September 6, 2019 the USA has witnessed more than 450 cases of a strange respiratory condition clearly related to e-cigarettes. ”Vaping sickness” has already led to six deaths. Many of the patients who had the symptoms are young. In connection to the growing problem President Donald Trump decided to introduce a ban on flavoured liquids. Over the last years e-cigarettes have become very popular in America especially among students and, unfortunately, children. The number of teens who use them daily rose last year to a worrying 5 million. There are many factors to blame. E-cigarettes are perceived as a healthier alternative to standard ones, come in all kinds of attractive packaging and in some countries (UK, for example) have even been prescribed by doctors as a way to give up smoking. Finally, liquids are available in many flavours which do not remind people of the old bad traditional smokes. So far it remains unclear what exactly causes the vaping sickness but it seams reasonable to avoid e-cigarettes altogether, at least until the causes of the problem are identified.

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POLAND TO BUY F-35 FIGHTER JETS

Poland continues to invest in modernizing its army. Only last year we signed the biggest contract in the history of military purchases, spending $4.7 billion on the Patriot missile system. This year after the American vice president visited our country during the event commemorating 80 years since the outbreak of World War II, it has been announced that we again want to cooperate with the USA in the field of defense. Poland declared it wants to buy 32 fighter jets (F-35) and the US State Department has already agreed to sell them to us for a maximum of $6.5 billion, a price which is still open for negotiation. The contract includes many elements such as the necessary spare and repair parts, personnel training, communications, navigation and all other support. F-35 fighter jets are the most technologically advanced machines of this kind in the world. They come in a few versions, some of which can even start and land vertically. Their cost is much bigger than that of their predecessor, the F16 (100 million versus 17 million). Poland hopes the purchase will tighten relationship with the USA as well as reduce our dependance on Russia – parts of current fleet include Russian machines MiG-29 and Su-22.

Source: businessinsider.com, article from September 11, 2019 about Poland buying F-35 fighter jets

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MINIMUM WAGE TO RISE TO PLN 4,000 IN 2023

During a press conference organized in Łowicz, Prime Minister Morawiecki announced considerable changes in the area of minimum wage. According to the presented plan the minimum wage will start to rise next year: in 2020 it will reach PLN 2,600, which is PLN 350 more than now. Only a year later (2021) a Pole will not be able to earn less than PLN 3,000 and by the end of 2023 the minimum wage will be PLN 4,000. Modifications apply also to minimum hourly rates. Prime Minister says such move will help Polish companies because it will increase their efficiency and innovativeness as well as have good influence on the quality of work and employee satisfaction. With so fast a pace many people are not sure what kind of effect the decision will have on the economy, especially on small and medium enterprises. There is risk that many of them will not be able to carry the burden of additional spendings and will either go bankrupt, be forced to let some of the workers go or employ them without any formal contracts (illegally).

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AND THE 2019 IG NOBEL GOES TO…

…two scientists who measured the differences in temperature between testicles among postmen in France, depending on whether the postmen were naked or clothed. Strange, but true. Although the Ig Nobel awards have been given out annually for the past 29 years, they deserve to be called unusual. Organized by a scientific humor magazine AIR, each year researchers are celebrated for their achievements in science that „first make people laugh and then make them think”. During this year’s gala held on September 12 at (the real) Harvard University, genuine Nobel Prize laureates handed out the Ig Nobels to winners in ten categories. The 2019 Medicine Ig Nobel, for example, went to Silvano Gallus for collecting evidence that pizza might protect against illness and death, if the pizza is made and eaten in Italy. The Economics prize went to several Turkish scientists for testing which country’s paper money is best at transmitting dangerous bacteria. The organizers emphasize that these were all real studies, based on real research and published in serious scientific papers. „Good achievements can also be odd, funny and even absurd” – as they point out. The award’s name is a pun on the actual Nobel Prize and the word „ignoble”, meaning „common” or „not noble”. And, if it did make you curious, the left testicle is warmer, but only if the (only French?) postmen are clothed.

Source: cnn.com, a September 14 article on 2019 Ig Nobel awards

DISCUSSION:

  1. All e-cigarettes should be banned.
  2. Poland should invest a lot in its army.
  3. Raising minimum wage will have good effect on the economy.
  4. The Ig Nobel contest promotes hate speech.

O edukacji bez ram utartych metod podczas TEDx Warsaw 2019

Dlaczego szkoła powinna być laboratorium inwencji? Jak ważne jest zaszczepienie przekonania, że drugi człowiek jest zawsze celem, a nigdy środkiem? O tym wszystkim – i nie tylko – mówiła Izabella Gorczyca podczas tegorocznej edycji TEDx Warsaw.