Association | Jotup

We gave $7,500 to people experiencing homelessness — here's what happened next

Retrieved on:

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Individuals experiencing homelessness are heavily stigmatized, dehumanized and perceived to be less competent and trustworthy.

Key Points:

Individuals experiencing homelessness are heavily stigmatized, dehumanized and perceived to be less competent and trustworthy.
A 2020 count by the BC Non-Profit Housing Association in Metro Vancouver found there were 3,634 people experiencing homelessness; among them, 1,029 unsheltered and 2,605 sheltered.
Present approaches are failing, as evidenced by the rapidly increasing number of people experiencing homelessness.

Trying something new

We gave a one-time cash transfer of $7,500 to people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver.
This lump sum, equivalent to the 2016 annual income assistance in British Columbia, provided people the financial freedom to pay rent and meet other living costs.
The cash transfer also represented a dignified way to empower people to escape homelessness.

Our participants

The 50 participants in the cash group were informed about the cash transfer only after completing the baseline survey.
We lost contact with around 30 per cent of participants during this time while some relocated away from Vancouver.
The workshop consisted of a series of exercises to help participants brainstorm ways to regain stability in their lives.
Coaching consisted of phone calls with a certified coach trained to help participants achieve their life goals.

What we found

That means the cash transfers actually saved the government and taxpayers money.
Cash recipients increased spending on rent, food, transit and things like furniture or a car.
That challenges the stereotype that people in homelessness would squander money they receive on alcohol and drugs.
However, around 50 per cent of participants in our study moved into housing just one month after the cash transfer.
But despite that, they were still below the poverty line and nowhere close to meeting the living costs in Vancouver.

Why AUKUS is here to stay, despite looming roadblocks

Retrieved on:

Sunday, September 17, 2023

AUKUS is a defence agreement among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States designed to deter Chinese power in the Indo-Pacific region.

Key Points:

AUKUS is a defence agreement among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States designed to deter Chinese power in the Indo-Pacific region.
It’s a long game, something the world should keep in mind as the two-year-old pact faces multiple political complications in U.S. Congress.

Two pillars

The partnership is set up into two pillars.
Details are still to come about AUKUS Pillar 2 and its focus areas: other advanced (but non-nuclear) defence technologies such as hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
It’s also pledging sustained joint involvement of diverse ministries and public agencies — a whole-of-government approach — among all three nations.
The other two authorizations involve the sale of Virginia-class submarines to Australia and Australian participation in the American submarine industrial base.

The spectre of Trump

But what about a Donald Trump — or Trumpist — comeback in 2024?
The stakes of the 2024 presidential election are high.
The possibility of civil disorder is real, as is a sharp turn towards authoritarianism.
The main Australian political parties are united in boosting the pact’s benefits while minimizing its risks and costs.

Wider support

Importantly, support for AUKUS is not confined to the three member states.
Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan have all welcomed the pact as a counterweight to China.
The same goes for Canada and New Zealand, both of which are already in the intelligence-pooling Five Eyes partnership with AUKUS nations.
Rather than voicing loud concerns about nuclear non-proliferation and regional arms races, India tacitly supports the partnership.

Another day, another roadblock: how should NZ law deal with disruptive climate protests?

Retrieved on:

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Everywhere, including in New Zealand, roads and highways have been blocked.

Key Points:

Everywhere, including in New Zealand, roads and highways have been blocked.
It’s entirely likely such protests will continue and escalate in their impact as the climate emergency worsens, and frustration grows with a perceived lack of meaningful government action.
But for every climate action there has been a political and legal reaction.

Rights and freedoms

Although there is no specific right to protest in law, protesting is a manifestation of the rights to freedom of movement, association and peaceful assembly in most liberal societies.
Globally, such rights are protected by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the related framework of human rights treaties.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Bill of Rights Act 1990 guarantees those rights.

No absolute right to protest

And yet, the right to protest is not absolute.
As with most rights, it can be subject to such reasonable legal limits as can be justified in a free and democratic society.
In practice, this means not all forms of protest may be permissible, such as disorderly acts or ones that risk violence or public safety.
Tolerance of protest and some levels of inconvenience should be expected in liberal democracies.

Worlds collide

One response might be to designate new areas where such protests can be held (including on roads) as a way to help those messages be heard and seen.
These must be authorised and conducted in ways that don’t unreasonably hinder the rights of other citizens.
They cannot also become blunt tools for repressing social movements dedicated to holding those same powers to account.

Electric vehicle fires are very rare. The risk for petrol and diesel vehicles is at least 20 times higher

Retrieved on:

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Five cars were destroyed after a lithium battery ignited in a car parked at Sydney Airport on Monday.

Key Points:

Five cars were destroyed after a lithium battery ignited in a car parked at Sydney Airport on Monday.
Despite these incidents, electric vehicle battery fires are rare.
Indeed, the available data indicate the fire risk is between 20 and 80 times greater for petrol and diesel vehicles.

How common are these fires?

From 2010 to June 2023, its database records only 393 verified fires globally, out of some 30 million electric vehicles on the road.
Australia recorded only four electric vehicle battery fires over the same period.
Read more:
Australia’s adoption of electric vehicles has been maddeningly slow, but we’re well placed to catch up fast

Are the risks higher than for petrol or diesel cars?

As electric vehicle numbers grow, this week’s reports might lead some people to fear fire risks will increase.
However, data for the past 13 years suggest quite the opposite is true as electric vehicles replace petrol and diesel vehicles.
The fleet of 4.4 million petrol and diesel vehicles recorded 3,400 fires (0.08%).
While it was difficult to find similar global statistics for petrol and diesel vehicles, EV Firesafe used a range of country reports and found a much higher 0.1% risk of catching fire.

What causes electric vehicle fires?

Electric vehicle battery packs store a lot of energy in a very small space.
About 95% of battery fires are classed as ignition fires, which produce jet-like directional flames.
Read more:
How far to the next electric vehicle charging station – and will I be able to use it?

A battery fire is challenging

Lithium battery fires burn at extremely high temperatures, can last for days and cause extensive damage.
If not managed properly, battery fires can emit highly toxic gases and chemicals for many hours.
Methods to control a fire include cooling the battery with water, or using a crane to lift the vehicle and submerge it in a large water container.

Why are the risks higher in e-scooters and e-bikes?

In the first half of 2023, EV Firesafe data show they accounted for more than 500 battery fires, 138 injuries and 36 deaths worldwide.
Over the same six months, 35 electric vehicle battery fires resulted in eight injuries and four deaths.
The higher risk for e-scooters and e-bikes is mainly linked to poor-quality battery design and construction, and the use of unapproved chargers.

A national approach to electric vehicle fire safety

As part of the strategy, the federal government committed to funding the development of world-leading guidance on electric vehicles, road rescue demonstrations and fire safety training.
The surge in electric vehicle numbers means this funding is needed now to ensure firefighters can deal effectively with any fires that do happen.

Vulva health conditions: it's time to shatter the silence

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

I didn’t know I had a vulva until I was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus and stage three vulval cancer.

Key Points:

I didn’t know I had a vulva until I was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus and stage three vulval cancer.
She spoke of her anger at how, despite numerous doctor appointments, her cancer was not spotted until it was at an advanced stage.
Baumhauer had had symptoms since the age of five, feeling burning pain “like razor blades” when going to the toilet.
Despite undergoing 58 rounds of radiotherapy in 2016- 2017, Baumhauer experienced a recurrence in 2023 and had to have further surgery.

A disturbing silence

There are accounts of women experiencing dyspareunia (pain during sex) in ancient Egyptian papyri.
Yet today there is still an oppressive silence around the vulva and vulval disease.
This article is part of Women’s Health Matters, a series about the health and wellbeing of women and girls around the world.
So young women and those who menstruate grow up thinking gynaecological pain is just something to be accepted, even expected.
Instead, we receive the message that we shouldn’t be surprised when we experience pain or itching, but we also shouldn’t talk about it.

Breaking the silence

In the 1970s and 1980s, women began to break the silence and share their breast cancer experiences with the public.
The disease claims tens of thousands of lives a year, but a silence surrounded it meaning many missed the early signs.
And recently singer Meghan Trainor shared her experience of vaginismus, a condition causing the pelvic muscles to tense up painfully during sex.
Visual, literary and performing arts can be powerful tools for breaking down stigma.

Trump's mug shot is now a means of entertainment and fundraising − but it will go down in history as an important cultural artifact

Retrieved on:

Friday, September 1, 2023

One of the most anticipated events in the summer of 2023 was former President Donald Trump’s mug shot.

Key Points:

One of the most anticipated events in the summer of 2023 was former President Donald Trump’s mug shot.
Trump’s photo instantly generated a significant amount of media coverage and attracted public attention.
It will likely be at least a decade or two before Trump’s mug shot’s significance truly registers with people.
Long after the various trials come to conclusion, the mug shot will serve as a reminder of a particularly troubling time in American history.

From the 1840s to now

French police were the first to produce mug shots using a daguerreotype camera as early as the 1840s.
In order to avoid increased penalties for repeat offenses, criminals could try to change their appearance or give different names if arrested.
Given its use over more than 150 years, the mug shot has an established association with criminality or, at the very least, suspicion of criminality.

Variations of mug shots

By contrast, the mug shots of former Trump associates David Shafer and Jenna Ellis look more like family photos, with their wide eyes and toothy grins.
Shafer’s and Ellis’ mug shots follow in the recent practice of others – typically celebrities or politicians – who have pushed back against traditional ideas of how mug shots should look.
Socialite Paris Hilton also struck highly stylized poses for the camera during all three times she took mug shots following her arrests for drug possession and driving under the influence in the mid-2000s.

Mug shots influence culture

Mug shots primarily serve as an official police identification record.
But when mug shots are released publicly, they become part of a broader conversation about culture and society and can take on different meanings over time.
Mug shots tap into a cultural fascination with crime and criminal justice, so it is no surprise that mug shots find their way into popular culture – especially when the subjects are famous people.
The mug shots of mobster Al Capone and singer Frank Sinatra from the 1930s are still available on a wide range of commercial products, like shirts and hats.

Trump’s mug shot and its legacy

Some – including Trump’s legal team – have said that Trump does not need to have a mug shot.
I think that Trump’s mug shot is unlikely to sway the hardened views of his most ardent proponents and detractors.
A mug shot won’t make Trump’s supporters think he’s a criminal, but it might encourage future generations to come to that conclusion.

How analyzing ancient and modern polar bear samples reveals the full scope of global warming

Retrieved on:

Friday, September 1, 2023

These are objectively true statements that most people have come to accept.

Key Points:

These are objectively true statements that most people have come to accept.
But it is also true that Earth’s climate has never been stagnant and climate anomalies have been frequent throughout the past.
Are the impacts of modern climate change comparable to those of the medieval warm period (MWP) or the little ice age (LIA)?

Ecosystem background

Predators at the top of the food chain, like polar bears, reflect changes across the entire ecosystem, all the way down to microscopic algae.
In the Arctic, the base of the food web is sourced from two categories: sea ice-associated algae and open-water phytoplankton, which are distinguishable through their carbon isotopes.

Results from our study

In our study we examined stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in polar bear bone collagen.
The polar bears were all from the Lancaster Sound sub-population and spanned the last 4,000 years.

What it all means

The results of the nitrogen isotopes showed that throughout time, 4,000 years BP to the present, the structure of the Lancaster Sound food web was relatively unchanged.
Polar bears eat seals, seals eat cod, cod eat zooplankton, et cetera.
There were no surprising shifts in the diets of polar bears despite past and present climate change.

Evidence of a warming climate

For ringed seals, the primary prey of polar bears, it is a platform for denning and raising young.
In this case, we have illustrated the magnitude of difference occurring in the modern Arctic, relative to past climate anomalies.
We can, therefore, not dismiss calls to action on climate change on the basis that the climate has always fluctuated.

How this summer's hit 'Rich Men North of Richmond' was appropriated by both the right and left

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Rich Men North of Richmond by Oliver Anthony, which appeared on YouTube just a few weeks ago, is the No.

Key Points:

Rich Men North of Richmond by Oliver Anthony, which appeared on YouTube just a few weeks ago, is the No.
Sociologically speaking, although its content is essentially libertarian, the song muddies the waters between the American populist left and the right.
His hit is clearly on the right of the political spectrum and lauded by Republicans.
As researchers working in the field of political sociology, we are interested in representations of those within nationalist and populist movements.

Two visions of the “people”

Each sees the political field as divided between the people (seen as organic, authentic and moral) and elites (which are considered disconnected, strategic, inauthentic and above all, immoral).
In their view it is characterized by its high capital of autochthony, of “local people,” as opposed to immigrants or elites.

Work valued, work despised

From this perspective, Anthony’s evocation of the situation of miners activates solidarity among the people who do this kind of work.
In this way, they reconfigure their identity by responding to the contempt in which their occupation is held.
Finally, assiduous religious practice is often associated with adherence to a populist conception of politics.

A class discourse with a libertarian dimension

However, what sets Anthony’s song apart from the usual populist right-wing discourse is that it formulates a class opposition based on socioeconomic income.
This goes further than the vague evocation of an opposition between common people and elites.
This type of occupational retraining will attenuate the anxiety generated by the “New World” Anthony evokes in his song.

Inflation and ‘peripheral regions’

Firstly, there’s the widespread perception that the left has abandoned the blue-collar workers to whom Rich Men is de facto addressed.
Part of this segment of the population feels scorned by “elites” who monopolize symbolic, educational and cultural capital.
Inhabitants of the rural areas tend not to feel represented by elected representatives and the media.

Polarization benefits populists

But there are some sociological lessons to be learned about polarization.
To defuse the polarization that feeds the populist right, its opponents must stop appealing to them as a “basket of deplorables,” to cite Hilary Clinton’s elitist phrase.
Opponents of the populist right must also stop pathologizing them, as is often the case in psychological approaches to political radicalization.
Rather than defusing the framing and polarization that benefit populist politicians, these approaches reinforce them.

Birth trauma is a growing problem — experiencing it myself revealed how few people understand it

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Infection, Night, Depression, Awareness, Anxiety, Trauma, Fear, DSM-IV codes, Woman, Anger, Research, Attention, Risk, History, Birth trauma, Mother, Pain, Trauma center, Man, Association, Pleasure, Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Income, Infant, Health, Mental health, Perspiration, PTSD, Safety, Nursing, Meat, Birth control, Hospital

Many people are now aware of conditions such as postnatal depression, which affects one in seven mothers.

Key Points:

Many people are now aware of conditions such as postnatal depression, which affects one in seven mothers.
But less is known about postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also known as birth trauma – a severe mental health condition caused by the birth experience.
By sharing my story, I hope to bring greater awareness to postnatal PTSD and help more women get the care they need.

Traumatic birth

Birth trauma is typically triggered by the fear that you or your baby are going to die.
Many factors increase the risk of experiencing birth trauma – including long and painful deliveries requiring medical intervention (such as induced labour, an unplanned caesarean and deliveries using forceps).
Birth trauma can also happen after delivery.
Needing treatment for heavy bleeding, your baby needing medical treatment and, understandably, experiencing a stillbirth, all increase risk of birth trauma.

Postnatal PTSD

In the months after giving birth, I had all the symptoms of postnatal PTSD.
Not all women who experience a traumatic birth will develop PTSD.
I had night terrors, where I would “wake” screaming, frantically searching for my son – convinced he was trapped in the duvet.
My husband would try to reassure me – but even showing me our son didn’t help.
But sadly only 7% of women with maternal mental health symptoms get referred for specialist support in the UK.

Making improvements

Improving the quality of maternal care is essential as not being listened to or treated with compassion are direct contributors to birth trauma.
Addressing issues of underfunding, staff shortages, burnt-out staff and poor accountability in health systems will also help improve maternal care.
Income, disability, mental illness as well as race and ethnicity also impact the quality of maternity care women receive.

Governors may make good presidents − unless they become 'imperial governors' like DeSantis

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

In fact, a 2016 Gallup Poll found that almost 74% of people say that governing a state provides excellent or good preparation for someone to be an effective president.

Key Points:

In fact, a 2016 Gallup Poll found that almost 74% of people say that governing a state provides excellent or good preparation for someone to be an effective president.
But as the former executive director of the National Governors Association for 27 years, I have worked with well over 300 governors.
During that time I have been part of many conversations with governors regarding other governors running for president.

A dominant position

That experience often creates a false impression that what they did in their states they can do for the nation.
These are not exactly issues important to citizens of most other states and thus not useful as a foundation for a presidential campaign.
This is clearly reflected in a recent New York Times poll of Republicans, where only 17% supported an anti-woke campaign, while 65% supported a law-and-order campaign.

Significant power

Governors traditionally have more constitutional and legal powers than do presidents, particularly in terms of budgets and in cases of emergency.
Often, I heard these comments during discussions with governors at National Governors Association meetings.
Similarly, many governors can cut previously enacted state budgets by up to 5% without consent from the legislature.
Governors also typically have more power than presidents during emergencies.

Political prominence

Governors often are the dominant political force in their states.
They particularly tend to overshadow the legislative and judicial branches – which significantly limit the power of the president at the federal level.
Governors dominate the legislature, in part, because state lawmakers tend to have very few staff to help them – if any at all.
In addition, most state legislators are part time and may only be in session a few weeks per year.

A matter of timing

The last governor that I remember who reached imperial status was Scott Walker, Wisconsin’s governor from 2011 to 2019.
He ran for president in 2016 but withdrew after only two months because of his poor showing in the polls.
This year, in addition to DeSantis, five other former or current governors have declared they are running for president.
But most of them are not imperial governors nor at risk of becoming one.
In addition, many in his party believe he would have had difficulty in his bid for reelection.