Global Scholar's Blog 2022-2023
Following the rise of climate-caused natural disasters across the world, one issue seems to have missed the front page. Amongst soaring temperatures across Europe, the heat has been affecting inmates across the United States. Most prisons lack the adequate resources to address the heat; however, some simply neglect the inmates completely. Michael Saavedra, a 20 year offender in solitary confinement, described his inhumane experience at Corcoran, located in the Central Valley. Saavedra said, “You’re in this little cell, sometimes for 24 hours a day and days at a time, and it would be 115, 120 degrees [Fahrenheit; 46 to 48.8 Celsius]. You get dizzy, you get dehydrated, your body starts to feel weak. Sometimes you just pass out.” According to a recent study analyzing "Heat-related mortality in U.S. state and private prisons," an increase of 10 degrees Fahrenheit over a prison's average summer temperature heightened an inmate's risk of dying by five percent. However, prison populations in general aren't afforded special care or attention because of their status which attributes to the fact that "more than 65 percent of those released from California's prison system return within three years."
Prisoners are looked down upon because of what they commited rather than what they can do to change. The United States Prison system needs to change in order to set up prisoners for success rather than increasing their chance of reincarceration. This long process is deeply rooted in America's history of targeting minority neighborhoods. However, if we can't accumulate the resources to alleviate the extreme heat from which they can't escape, then we certainly will not be able to address the root cause. Unfortunately, it seems our country is already failing. As stated by Aljazeera, "despite years of outcry and a record budget surplus of $32.7bn, the Texas Senate refused to allocate funds for expanding air conditioning in prison. Its House of Representatives had proposed spending approximately $545m on the project." The international community has not commented on this issue because it is weighed down by stereotypes and a general lack of awareness. Many Americans may feel as though imprisoned people deserve these excruciating conditions due to their crimes and therefore isn't an important issue. The "taboo" topic depends on one's moral compass or negative/positive personal experiences with the prison system, offenders, or climate belief. Additionally, one could also observe which US states support capital punishment to sample the majority political belief of the area. Nevertheless, all humans should be entitled to a basic level of precautions despite their criminal history. Sources:
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Courtesy of Popular Mechanics: Why Is the Amazon Important? The Amazon, home to 47 million people, including more than 2 million Indigenous people has steadily been losing land each year. In an attempt to address the deforestation, the eight countries who own a piece of the Amazon met at the summit in Brazil. Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, all failed to reach an agreement for ending deforestation. The 8 countries came together for the first time in over a decade to create an alliance combating forest destruction, with the liberty to pursue individual strategies. The goal of the agreement is to end illegal deforestation by 2030, which environmentalists, Indigenous groups, and climate activists have been demanding. Marcio Astrini, of environmental lobby group Climate Observatory, stated "The planet is melting, we are breaking temperature records every day. It is not possible that, in a scenario like this, eight Amazonian countries are unable to put in a statement - in large letters - that deforestation needs to be zero". Venezuela and Bolivia are the only Amazon countries not to sign a 2021 agreement to work toward halting deforestation by 2030 among more than 100 countries. Unfortunately, tensions between officiators were high prior to the meeting based on differing views on oil development and deforestation.
Currently, cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. In Brazil, this has been the case since at least the 1970s: government figures attributed 38 percent of deforestation from 1966-1975 to large-scale cattle ranching. Today the figure in Brazil is closer to 70 percent. In addition, the extraction of oil releases toxic by-products into local rivers. Oil spillage drastically affects the livelihood of the native species, decreasing the endangered populations. Luxury brands like Coach, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi were all found to be key players in the role of the Amazon's deforestation. With the rise of fast fashion such as Shein, Romwe, and Zaful, the amount of waste dumped into the rainforest is projected to only increase. According to Kleiderly, fabrics from rainforests account for 5% of the total 1.2 trillion dollars in the textile industry globally, with this number growing at a 9% rate annually. Research shows that 48% of fashion's supply chain is linked with deforestation. The demand on cutting trees for fabric production is estimated to double by 2050. As global warming continues to stun the planet with unprecedented natural disasters, questions loom as to how global leaders will protect vital places like the Amazon. Sources:
An aerial image from August 10 shows homes and buildings in Lahaina destroyed by wildfire. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images On August 7th, 2023, fallen power lines sparked fires that ravaged the historical town of Lahaina, Hawaii. Intense winds from Hurricane Dora exacerbated the flames as first responders struggled to control the spread. Overall, three major fires broke out on the island, trapping residents inside their homes who did not receive any warnings or mobile alerts to evacuate. Some residents' situations were so severe that they were forced to jump into the ocean in an attempt to escape the fires and choking ash. Maui resident and retired firefighter, John Singer, recalled his daring escape to ABC news: "I ran with a lot of heat on my back, and I ran to the left of here, we live very close to the ocean, and I ran to the ocean and I just gave in," he said. At least 114 people have died with over 1,000 still missing. Additionally, nearly 3,000 businesses and homes have been destroyed with an estimated $6 billion in losses. Questions have been raised as to where Hawaii's advanced siren system was during the event. After a deadly tsunami struck Hawaii in 1945, the state developed 80 sirens to warn its citizens for natural disasters. However, the people of Lahaina heard not one siren which forced families to make the decision themselves; but tragically, for many it was too late. The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, Herman Andaya, resigned Thursday saying "there was concern that if the sirens were activated that people would have evacuated toward the fire because they are typically used to warn of tsunamis. Instead, warnings were set via text, television and radio". However, due to fallen power grids, residents did not receive the warnings.
While salvaging the remnants of their homes, residents had to face another obstacle. Hawaii's revenue from tourism amounts to over $2 billion, a main factor in profit for the state. Unfortunately, the disparities between how locals and tourists were treated during the fires was abundantly clear. As native Hawaiians fled the ruins of their homes, supplies and resources were directed to hotels across the islands. One survivor, Alex Cabrera, described that he "was covered in dirt, ashes, my eyes, my mouth, everything. I was just so thirsty,” Cabrera, who entered a hotel in search of water, said. “And there were hundreds of tourists drinking, having fun and not even caring.” In addition, many on social media have been quick to condemn real estate agents and companies for taking advantage of Lahaina residents. Reportedly these agencies are calling devastated families in an effort to sell their homes to wealthier clients, who typically are non-locals. The prevalent issue of degentification is not new to Hawaii. By displacing residents, the cost of living in neighborhoods skyrockets making it unaffordable to the average economic class. Big names such as Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bezos, and Matthew McConaughey are among the few of the elite population of celebrities purchasing land in Hawaii. By raising awareness and supporting locals in the fight to keep their houses, Hawaiians hope to reclaim their land. Below is a trusted website that has sub-sections of organizations you can donate to. https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/help-maui-fire-victims-heres-how-you-can-donate/ Sources:
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May 2024
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