More about the Nipah virus from one of my favourite podcasts. 

 https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/2024/05/21/episode-140-nipah-virus-of-fruit-and-bats/

 

Weird reflective post from me this morning. I think I'm coming down with a little cold. Imagine that. Feeling sick, but being relieved at the same time. We are living in strange times. Meanwhile, my son is turning 16 next month. He's almost half way through his first year of electrician school. He comes home and he tells me about concepts I've taught him about physics related to practical application he's learning at school. I can see how excited he gets with connecting the dots. 3 phase motors was yesterday's talk, that evolved into 'how would we convert the house to be powered by wind and solar if there was a zombie apocalypse and then silliness.' I love that he is able to take his understanding of the basics of magnetism and electricity and not only see and understand the wonder of the physical world around him, but get excited about it, learning about some of the basic practical applications. I think I created an anomaly; a dissident, a subversive insurgent of the most dangerous kind. I think my son is a scientist.

 OK, a science post from me. Let's talk about pathogens. Specifically, let's talk about zoonotic pathogens. These are bacteria, parasites, worms, fungus, and viruses that are hosted by animals or infect animals and can be passed to humans. Because our immune system is different from animals, an animal can host these pathogens and not ever die or suffer from them. Something that might give a pig the sniffles and cough, could cause deadly encephalitis in a human and kill them in three days. Sources of zoonotic pathogens are different from vectors of these pathogens. Example: The white footed mouse in the Americas and some coastal bird species in Europe are the source of Lyme disease (a bacteria). It's spread by ticks. Ticks are not the starting point of the infection, they are a vector.

I want to talk about a virus that has been forgotten in the recent months, but I think will help show how these viruses jump species because I'm reading far too many people on social media claim that this novel covid virus HAD to have been made in a lab and how it's come as such a surprise. Both of those claims are false but I can see how it may seem that way to some folks. Unless you're reading science articles or you're in the field of public health, this new virus has come as a shock. For those of us who live, eat, and breathe science publications or those whose job it is to look after the public health in times of outbreaks, including finding sources and vectors of what appear to be new pathogens, this was predictable and predicted. The virus I'm referring to continues to erupt in places like India, Malaysia and The Philippines. It's called Nipah (named after the place where it was first officially identified in 1998) and its source is from bats and it infected pigs, who became mildly ill and then jumped to humans and became deadly. It is a Henipavirus and its highly contagious, has a long incubation period and kills 50 to 80% of humans it infects. Humans contract it from infected pigs as well as human-to-human. These pathogens jump species because humans are farming in areas they've not farmed before. Industrial sized pig farms in Malaysia lead to the discovery of this virus in 1998. They were farming introduced livestock where bats live, defecate and die. It did not take a mad scientist in a lab to create it. Nature was perfectly capable, all on her own. As developing countries become more affluent, their appetite for meat products grow and it is stressing the natural, biologically-diverse environments. Any veterinarian can tell you, perhaps especially those in New Zealand, India, Australia, and other more tropical countries, that domesticated livestock are at risk and pose a risk to human health.

Twain joked that pathogens are God's favourite. They are invisible to us, but can kill us more cruelly than any devil. They adapt quicker than we can come up with anti-biotics or vaccines. Even the bunnies aren't safe from them. A new type of rabbit hemorrhagic fever has erupted, RHDV2. I guess Twain would conclude that God doesn't favour the bunnies, either.

From the WHO website: 'It is estimated that, globally, about one billion cases of illness and millions of deaths occur every year from zoonoses. Some 60% of emerging infectious diseases that are reported globally are zoonoses. Over 30 new human pathogens have been detected in the last three decades, 75% of which have originated in animals.' So, if any of your kids are at school and interested in science, animals, medicine, microbiology, ecology... point them in this direction please. We need more clever folks working on this problem, as it is only getting worse. I will put some links below to more information if anyone wants to read, or hear, more about zoonoses.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/02/25/515258818/a-taste-for-pork-helped-a-deadly-virus-jump-to-humans?fbclid=IwAR2myk_0CiNKEXvBVap7twHlzLG2-Cx0spLZKAhzlb7WMgK7ZuxYxBOggzo

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0049475520928217?fbclid=IwAR2rR8qGp_icWAXc7C27e5aW0UOjLiU2-1KStPTAXweNuC2ihxkNzGeOHWM

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/deadly-virus-killing-wild-rabbits-north-america?fbclid=IwAR31w7e9WWyEP7C2j3D3ymzPoElzYBP-kwUav10C35Z1XxaM78o1uvBYCak

Keeping busy at home....

These are strange times.  I'm trying to keep busy, so I'm creating and finding interesting things to share online and it's about time I get back to my blog.

For your consideration, please find below some graphic art.  Some of these I've created myself.  Some I've discovered as free access art. If you have problems downloading them from this page, shoot me a message and I'll send it to you as an attachment.  Check back later because I will post more as the days pass.  A Good Crafting Day to you all!

Need is the Mother of Invention. If what you need are better resources, you get very creative with what you have on-hand.

The 'Number 8 wire' culture of New Zealand and how it inspires

http://michaeljeans.co.nz/2008/07/08/no-8-wire-attitude/

To get an idea of what I am talking about, if you have never heard this term before, please read the short wiki entry here:  Number 8 wire meme in New Zealand

My time in New Zealand had a very profound effect on me and one of the cultural memes that struck a chord, and amplified it, was the very inventive ways to solve problems with limited resources.  Every crafter deals with this, especially when we are broke or don't live in an area of the world with handy shopping malls.  We can't find that brand of glue or that type of fastener.  What do we do?  We improvise.  

I will let you in on a little secret regarding my own soap making.  Nidelva soap doesn't use fancy soap moulds bought online.  My goat milk soap is poured into wooden boxes that were originally meant to be used as gift boxes for wine.  I found these wooden forms at local thrift shops and tried them out by lining them with baking paper.  They work perfectly for about one-tenth the cost of the fancy ones and they create the best sized bars with my cutter.  One of my favourite sources for inspiration is the Op-shop.

Kiwis made due with what they had because they were a remote island nation and had to solve their problems with what they had.  

Improvisation and creative solutions can sometimes result in unexpected successes that turn out even better.     

In an interview between Neil de Grasse Tyson and David Byrne they discussed the similarities between doing science and doing art.  It is most definitely a creative process but what makes that process most creative is when there are parameters set, time constraints, material limits.  The borders between where the work needs to happen will drive the creative, with both art and science.  You can listen to the whole interview here:  Startalk-David Byrne

The elephant in the room.... or more specifically, the orangutan in the jungle.

Palm oil and the dilemma.

As a soap maker, I think about my ingredients and where they come from because there is controversy about animal testing, animal fat or even certain plant fats and organic vs things grown and pressed with chemicals. I try to be as eco-friendly as I can. Trying to make an economical bar of soap, especially here in Norway where we are taxed on the importation of products and have to pay crazy amounts in freight, is difficult.  I want to have enough profit to at least buy my next lot of ingredients.  There are also certain limitations of the ingredients themselves.  
Soap makers have historically used what I refer to as the 'holy trinity' of soap making oils; olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil.  Using just these three oils in soap make it easy to adjust the hardness, lather and skin conditioning properties.  
If you aren't aware, there has recently been some serious controversy over the production of palm oil and the destruction of rain forests in Indonesia and Malaysia.  The world wide increase in demand for palm oil has created a boom in the industry, often with disregard for both the environment and workers rights. The destruction of the rainforest in South East Asia and resulting loss of habitat for orang utans has meant even more peril for this already endangered, wonderful primate.  
It is a complicated issue.  I have asked my past supplier of palm oil where it comes from but they couldn't even tell me.  It is purchased as a commodity from a trader and processed and packaged in the UK.  The industry seems reluctant to police itself.  It does have a central body that is meant to police producers and hold them accountable, but it seems too little too late. If you want to read about this rather toothless lion, here is the website  http://www.rspo.org/.  This does little to help the end consumer make an informed decision.  There are sources of palm oil grown not in the territory of orangutans.  It is native to Western Africa.  The plantations there are indigenous and pose no threat to the environment there.  There are also plantations in Colombia that are very holistic and organic.  The issue still exists that the world wide demand for palm oil is increasing and it is driving expansion in some countries that seem to have less than adequate protection of their endangered and valuable resources.
There are organisations keeping an eye on the corporations, besides their industry-run 'Roundtable'.  International human rights organisations keep an eye on them due to their poor history of worker exploitation and land grabbing. You can read more on this website  Institute for Human Rights and Business.  Just search 'Palm oil' on this site and you can read for yourself.
Wilmer, the agribusiness giant, is responsible for a whopping 80% of palm oil production*.  Their website is full of corporate brew-ha-ha, but it still makes for interesting reading, because a lot of it is on the defensive.  This giant multi-corp shows up on a few watch-dog websites.  
My current supplier of palm oil gets it from company that has earned a 'from sustainable resources' stamp on their products from RSPO.  But after doing research on that, I don't think I'm happy. It is given to many producers and they have to be charged with multiple infractions before they can officially lose the designation and the cynic in me believes that it is no more than an industry-run rubber stamp.  I do make soap with out palm oil and I will probably be looking for a better source of palm oil or I'll be reformulating.  I don't think punishing all palm producers and their workers is the way to go, but putting pressure on the corporations that exploit this resource in developing countries is the only way change will occur.   
We're the consumers of these products, but only informed and engaged consumers can make the best changes for themselves and what they believe in.   

Sources:  http://www.ihrb.org/commentary/organisations-seek-stronger-labour-protections-in-palm-oil-industry.html
http://www.rspo.org/

Rwwaaarrrr! A dinosaur at my table.

A DIY from Three Little Monkeys

T-Rex might want to eat some cookies, but he can't reach them with his tiny little arms.  If plain white isn't your style, try paint in a neon or metallic.  The paint may not be food-safe, so put some paper down first.  I haven't tried this tutorial myself, but I can imagine finding the balancing point would be the only tricky part. There are some really cute, crafty ideas of what to do with plastic dinosaurs and other animals.  Fridge magnets, pots for small plants, book ends, toothbrush holders....but first, here is one from a cute blog called Three Little Monkeys:

Materials:

• Hard plastic dinosaur toy (it needs to be sturdy and balanced).
• Small melamine plate
• Sand paper
• Adhesive 
• Spray paint 
• Hand held saw

Directions

1. Use the handsaw to cut off your dinosaur’s head just above the shoulders. Use firm but steady strokes to keep your cut level. Use the sandpaper to smooth the edges of your cut.
2. Use the sandpaper to lightly sand the surface on the bottom and top of the plate where you will be adhering the dinosaur. No need to sand the entire surface.
3. Apply your adhesive to the body and plate. My adhesive recommends applying to both items you want to glue together, and allow them to set for 5-10 minutes BEFORE adhering. When ready, attach the plate to the body. Touch ups can be done around the glue site with a damp paper towel. Allow to cure for 24 hours.
4. Once the body and plate have dried and cured, prep the dinosaur’s head and attach to the plate. You will need to eyeball it from the side and front before attaching to make sure it is in the right spot. Perform any touch ups and allow to cure for 24 hours.
5. Once completely dried, you can start painting. Spray paint from all angles and underneath. I like to spray one coat at a time every 20 minutes or so to avoid drips and get the best coverage.

I swallowed a bug.....

Insects glued onto a headband and sprayed gold.
I found this photo at www.trendhunter.com

Do you like this shiny planter?

A DIY planter from
www.thethrillzofhillz.blogspot.no