The link between warming and lobster disease

Suggests earlier springs and hotter summers foster increase in shell infections

By David Malmquist 

This shows the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant's continuous discharge
of heated reactor coolant water directly into Long Island Sound at the
rate of a billion gallons a day.

An earlier spring may sound nice, unless you’re a New England lobster.

New findings reveal that as coastal waters in the northeastern U.S. continue to warm—bottom temperatures in Long Island Sound have increased 0.7°F per decade over the last 40 years—resident lobsters are becoming increasingly susceptible to epizootic shell disease, a condition that has depleted the southern New England population and severely impacted the local lobster fishery. 

The findings stem from a collaboration between the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Dominion Energy’s Millstone Environmental Laboratory. The lab maintains a unique, long-term record of lobster abundance and health in waters near Dominion Energy’s Millstone Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut.

The research, funded by NOAA’s Saltonstall-Kennedy Program and led by then postdoctoral associate Maya Groner of VIMS, suggests that the increased prevalence of shell disease in area lobsters stems from two factors—an earlier onset of warmth-induced spring molting, and hotter summers.

EDITOR'S NOTE: this article makes no mention of the contribution made by one of the sponsor's of this research: the Millstone nuclear power plant just outside of New London. This plant discharges 1 BILLION gallons of heated reactor coolant water directly into Long Island Sound EVERY DAY. It's surprising the researchers didn't find cooked lobsters floating on top of the water. 

While I don't doubt the impact of climate change and the warmer waters it brings to the lobster population, I think the research would be more credible if the impact of Millstone was included in the impact calculations.

Millstone, like many environmentally-destructive businesses, engages in "green-washing," funding nice programs and projects to distract from their polluting practices. For example, Millstone funds programs at the Mystic Aquarium. - Will Collette

The only question is did he say it on purpose or is he just a racist jerk?

Consuming milk at breakfast lowers blood glucose throughout the day

Effects of protein composition and concentration

Elsevier

A change in breakfast routine may provide benefits for the management of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Journal of Dairy Science. 


H. Douglas Goff, PhD, and the team of scientists from the Human Nutraceutical Research Unit at the University of Guelph, in collaboration with the University of Toronto, examined the effects of consuming high-protein milk at breakfast on blood glucose levels and satiety after breakfast and after a second meal. 

Milk consumed with breakfast cereal reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with water, and high dairy protein concentration reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with normal dairy protein concentration. 

The high-protein treatment also reduced appetite after the second meal compared with the low-protein equivalent.

Trying to solve Lyme Disease puzzle

Lyme Disease, Climate Change, and Science (or the Lack of It)
By David Scales

The increasingly bitter debate over Lyme disease is something like the partisan divide in American politics — “characterized less by warring sides than by parallel universes,” as Mary Beth Pfeiffer observes in her new book “Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change.”

In one universe, she writes, are traditional infectious-disease physicians, who see Lyme as a bacterial nuisance but not a crisis — often relatively easy to diagnose and even easier to treat with a few weeks of antibiotics. It is seldom dangerous and very rarely deadly.

In the other universe are patients, many debilitated and suffering, who believe they are afflicted by “chronic Lyme," and their sympathetic doctors, who call themselves "Lyme literate."

These doctors diagnose the disease based on symptoms rather than blood tests, and are willing to treat patients with unorthodox antibiotic courses and other treatments — with little scientific evidence to support their use.

The situation cries out for a good book — an evidence-based deep dive by a serious journalist into this baffling tick-borne disease — and it would be gratifying to report that Pfeiffer had written it.

Annul the Trump presidency

Don’t Just Impeach Trump. Annul His Presidency

By Robert Reich

The only way I see the end of Trump is if there’s overwhelming evidence he rigged the 2016 election. In which case impeachment isn’t an adequate remedy. His presidency should be annulled.

Let me explain. Many people are convinced we’re already witnessing the beginning of the end of Trump.

In their view, bombshell admissions from Trump insiders with immunity from prosecution, combined with whatever evidence Mueller uncovers about Trump’s obstruction of justice and his aide’s collusion with the Russians, will all tip the scales.

Democrats will take back the House and begin an impeachment, and the evidence of impeachable offenses will put enough pressure on Republican senators to send Trump packing.

I don’t believe this for a moment.

Just another typical week in America

For more cartoons by Tom Tomorrow, CLICK HERE.

Throw your wife under the bus

Giving URI's Labor History collection the boot

Scott Molloy’s latest acquisition is boot made by Irish industrialist

By Olivia Ross

Scott Molloy, left, and Mark Dionne each holding Rhode
Island labor memorabilia. URI photo by Mike Salerno.

Images of Providence at the dawn of public transportation, personal notes exchanged by Rhode Island labor leaders, and information about any number of labor strikes can be found in the Special Collections room at the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons on the University of Rhode Island Kingston campus.

Scott Molloy, URI professor emeritus and Rhode Island labor and Irish history expert, donated most of his own collection, which contains thousands of documents and resources pertaining to Rhode Island’s labor union and public transportation history, to URI.

One of his quests for historic materials was particularly challenging as it related to his book, “Irish Titan; Irish Toilers: Joseph Banigan and Nineteenth Century New England Labor.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Scott has been a friend for decades. He and Cathy went to Rhode Island College during the turbulent 1960s. - Will Collette

So all the other studies are wrong?

No safe level of alcohol, new study concludes

Three million deaths in 2016 were attributed to alcohol, which carries 'massive health risks,' according to paper

University of Washington School of Medicine

A new scientific study concludes there is no safe level of drinking alcohol.

The study, published today in the international medical journal The Lancet, shows that in 2016, nearly 3 million deaths globally were attributed to alcohol use, including 12 percent of deaths in males between the ages of 15 and 49.

"The health risks associated with alcohol are massive," said Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and the senior author of the study. 

"Our findings are consistent with other recent research, which found clear and convincing correlations between drinking and premature death, cancer, and cardiovascular problems. Zero alcohol consumption minimizes the overall risk of health loss." Gakidou is a professor of health metrics sciences at the UW School of Medicine, and of global health at the UW School of Public Health.

The study does not distinguish between beer, wine, and liquor due to a lack of evidence when estimating the disease burden, Gakidou said. However, researchers used data on all alcohol-related deaths generally and related health outcomes to determine their conclusions.

Weaponized schools

DeVos Condemned for plan to spend Public Funds on Guns for Teachers

By Jessica Corbett, staff writer for Common Dreams

"This may be the most dangerous and irresponsible proposal we've ever seen from the Trump administration."

That's how one critic responded to a New York Times report on Wednesday evening that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering using taxpayer money to arm teachers, a supposed "safety" proposal that President Donald Trump repeatedly praised after 17 people were massacred at a Florida high school in February. 

The "unprecedented" plan was immediately decried as "absurd," "foolish," and "sickening."

Although $50 million in federal funding that Congress allocated to local schools in March cannot be used for the plan, the Times reports that the Education Department is "eyeing a program in federal education law, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, that makes no mention of prohibiting weapons purchases."

VIDEO: Why Regunberg and not McKee? Watch and see.

To watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z-tUoVPwrI&feature=youtu.be

Always classy, Donald

From the RI Community Food Bank

Local Seafood Company
Donates Calamari

Sea Fresh, a Rhode Island based seafood company, has donated 20,000 pounds of locally sourced calamari to the Food Bank this year. Unbreaded calamari is a delicious source of protein as well as essential vitamins and minerals. To help food pantry guests learn how to prepare calamari, our nutrition education staff put together this Mango Calamari Salad recipe.

Giving Thanks By Giving Back

David began visiting the Federal Hill House in Providence to get food assistance after being ill and out of work. He was so appreciative and wanted to give back that he started volunteering and hasn’t stopped since. This experience has helped him prepare for the transition back into the workforce.

© 2018 Rhode Island Community Food Bank

200 Niantic Avenue

Providence, RI 02907

Phone: (401) 942‑MEAL (6325)

Email: [contactus@rifoodbank.org]

First Fiber and Fiction Center workshop a success – sign up for the second

Writers inspired by a day on the pond

Lynne Tashiro, Richmond, RI

Poetry, Prose, and Procrastination was the topic for the day last Saturday, (August 25,) when 14 writer's gathered from Rhode Island, New York, New Hampshire and Connecticut for the Carolina Fiber and Fiction Center's first workshop at the Studio on the Pond. 

High pollen, high heat and high air pollution for Charlestown through Wednesday

Triple whammy from Charlestown's weather
By Will Collette

Through Wednesday, Charlestown and the rest of coastal South County will face unhealthy levels of heat, ozone air pollution (thank you, summer visitors) and pollen, mostly from grasses. 

All three pose serious health risks to vulnerable populations. Combining all three factors and that means most people can be affected. Here are the forecasts for heat, pollution and pollen:

Source: National Weather Service forecast for Charlestown RI

Source: Air quality forecast from DEM

Source: Pollen forecast from Pollen.com