Over the course of several weeks, the world has vastly changed due to an invasion of enigmatic, nefarious, microscopic entities.
And while truth and clarity are still being uncovered amid the vastness of misinformation, fear seems to run freely and abundantly.
This round-up aims to provide information that can be useful, practical, and encouraging during these uncertain times. While the COVID-19 virus itself is of obvious physical concern, there are other, less conspicuous implications that may be brought on as a result of this outbreak.
As in any emergency situation, be calm, be smart, and be aware.
Water Crisis
"Desalination plants — which convert seawater into drinking water and water for agriculture — have been used since the 1950s in the Middle East and tropical regions of the world. While the technology has met urgent needs for clean water supplies, the environmental cost has been heavy due to its dependence on oil and gas-powered plants. "
Desalination has been under development as a promising method of sustainable water technology for several decades. And while the desalination of seawater continues to be a frontier that many scientists are exploring, the problem of efficiency prevents it from taking mainstream.
That is until researchers in Neom, a developing megacity in Saudi Arabia, may have discovered the key to solar-desalination.
By harnessing the power of the sun as a sustainable energy source to desalination plants, seawater desalination may be coming closer to a truly, sustainable reality.
Read full article here.
Preparedness
"I've been watching people panic buy and strip the shelves off of toilet paper for no good reason. Most countries produce their own toilet paper not to mention, it’s not difficult to make toilet paper. As long as you have trees, countries can make toilet paper. You can even recycle other paper and wood into toilet paper.
So why bulk buy toilet paper? It makes no sense. People do it because they don’t know what they actually need so they just copy the next guy. So I’ve compiled a list of things you will ACTUALLY need to survive the next 4-12 months as this global pandemic spreads and progresses. "
Toilet paper, hand sanitizers, N95 masks, and dried beans. Panic buying has caused certain items to become extinct while others still remain accessible.
But is herd behavior truly an indicator of which items are more important? Or should we be thinking more rationally and individually?
This article provides an actively updated list of items that can provide real value in a pandemic.
Read full article here.
"Creator Jay Doscher pitches the CyberDeck as a recovery kit. This is a machine built to help people get other machines working again. It’s got a mechanical keyboard, is water-resistant, uses an internal battery for power with the ability to switch to an external source, and is shielded from electromagnetic pulses with copper foil."
The concern for electronic device losing the ability to function during an emergency is something that many of us experience. With the CyberDeck, all your electronic devices can be rebooted and remain connected should your internet provider fail.
The CyberDeck is portable, waterproof, and provides a means for your internet-connected devices to remain on the network via DNS.
Read full article here.
"Creator Jay Doscher pitches the CyberDeck as a recovery kit. This is a machine built to help people get other machines working again. It’s got a mechanical keyboard, is water-resistant, uses an internal battery for power with the ability to switch to an external source, and is shielded from electromagnetic pulses with copper foil."
With concern for social unrest due to COVID-19, many people are turning to prepper and survivalist networks for advice. But with all the information circulating the web, how does one separate fact from misinformation? These 5 survival experts shed light on what's most important.
Read full article here.
Self-Sufficiency
"At MOTHER EARTH NEWS, we have a 40-plus-year tradition of arming homesteaders with practical, straightforward advice, and in recent years, much of this advice has been relayed via our popular Know-How department. This Homestead Know-How page includes links to a number of articles that promote strong homesteading skills and are written by experts in the field."
Vegetable gardens are an invaluable means to self-sufficiency and are quickly gaining popularity even in urban areas. But how does one get started without any experience? This series by Mother Earth News provides a wealth of information on how to start growing your own food.
Read full article here.
"Numerous companies are still shipping seeds to gardeners, often offering even more selection than you’d find at the store. The six we outline below are our favorites, but keep in mind that your order could be delayed by up to 10 days, as many of these sites are processing more orders than usual."
With social distancing making storefronts less accessible, it may be increasingly difficult to purchase seeds for your vegetable garden. These online retailers sell a variety of seeds to the public.
Read full article here.
"Looking for something to do while you’re stuck at home during the COVID-19 quarantine? Planning ahead for the day that the food pantry is bare? Gardening is a great activity in the springtime and anyone can grow food, even if you’re stuck in an apartment. You’ll just need a spot with ample sunlight, some dirt and water, something to start growing, and a generous amount of patience. Whether you’re gardening just as a pastime or doing it as a food security strategy, you might be surprised how rewarding it can be."
During World War I and II, Americans started "victory gardens" in order to circulate food among communities, ultimately relieving commercial food enterprises of their normal operations so they could focus on the war effort.
With COVID-19 crippling industries worldwide, vegetable gardens are again surfacing. This article details how to start your own.
Read full article here.
Contagion Awareness
"Can you contract the virus from your post, deliveries or groceries? How likely are you to be infected from touching something? And what cleaning products should you be using?
We take a look at how to keep your home clean and the science behind the virus remaining on certain surfaces, according to experts."
How often should you wash your hands? How often should you wipe down your phone and steering wheel?
This article explains how long COVID-19 remains on surfaces and what you need to do to keep them clean.
Read full article here.
"For a while, it felt as though advice from health professionals was changing every day about whether most Americans should be wearing face masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now officially recommended that everyone but infants should wear a cloth mask or face covering in certain public settings."
In terms of blocking viruses from entering the nasal passage, N95 masks are the most effective. While make-shift masks certainly won't work as well, they're better than nothing and they definitely prevent the spread of disease when a sick person wears them.
This article explains how one can design and manufacture their own face mask with household materials.
Read full article here.
Sustainability
"Scientists in Australia think hardy agave plants could be the next big biofuel source. In addition, the bioethanol produced from the plants could help fill unprecedented global demand for hand sanitizer."
While the search for sustainable fuel options will forever be a task of environmental scientists, the plant which tequila is created from might prove a small victory. Australian scientists have found a way to use agave as a legitimate biofuel.
Read full article here.
"There are efforts on these fronts to make batteries better. Firms like Tesla are working to remove controversial elements like cobalt, while big factories like CATL are seeking to bring prices down by increasing production.
Some of the biggest energy storage breakthroughs could come from more fundamental research. Here are the coolest battery technologies set to make a splash."
Batteries, the tools which allow us to charge our devices without being connected to an electrical grid, are made of different substances: alkali, mercury, lithium. As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, six new battery technologies show promising alternatives.
Read full article here.
Climate and Environment
"The incredible vastness of the virosphere is hard to overstate. While several thousand kinds of virus have been studied in detail, scientists say we haven't even scratched the surface. There could be trillions of species overall, some think."
While the novel COVID-19 virus is barely a few months old, viruses themselves are hardly a modern discovery. In fact, scientists suspect that there are currently trillions of species of viruses on the earth, not to mention the variety of viruses that have existed throughout history.
A new study shows that many ocean creatures such as sponges, clams, crabs, and oysters, subsequently filter the ocean of millions of harmful viruses and have been doing so for thousands of years.
Read full article here.
Water Tech
"Atmospheric water generation could be a solution to water woes confronting citizens and industry across the globe, including the U.S."
As the search for sustainable water technology continues, scientists discover a way to generate water from atmospheric vapor. If the technology can be scaled and rendered efficient, this could prove to be a game changer for citizens and industry.
Read full article here.
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