Throughout more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, you're bound to know someone who refuses to comply with the health and biosecurity standards recommended to prevent the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Royal Spanish Academy -RAE-The term is now accepted to refer to such people.
The world feels the effects that have left millions of infected and dead, and we have all learned terms that, until before the pandemic, we did not know, in addition, people had to create a language around them, so the RAE was not left behind.
With this, the Royal Spanish Academy, one of the most important institutions and linguistic references in the world of the Spanish language, incorporated 715 terms to its dictionary, thus adding 6,325 words, among which those related to COVID-19 stand out.
Among the terms that attract the most attention are:
covidiotan. n. a. n. A person who refuses to comply with the sanitary regulations issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The term was coined in the USA for those who do not respect the rules of confinement and physical distance and put others at risk, while the etymology of the adjective is a structural calque of the English "covidiot" -COVID and Idiot-, which according to the RAE is a voice attested in that language since 2020 in the press, and already consigned in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary -2020-.
Derived from the new word, the RAE also added "covidiotez" and "covidiotismo".
covidic: 1. adj. [Person] Who has covid. 2. adj. Pertaining or relating to covid. 3. n. n. and f. A person who has covid.
covidcide: n. n. Extermination of a multitude of people caused by the covid pandemic.
coronabebénoun describing babies born during the coronavirus pandemic.
coronabodarefers to a wedding held during the coronavirus pandemic.
cohabitation: n. m. Divorce following confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
precovidCovid: adjective meaning preceding the Covid or Covid pandemic. It has several synonyms such as precoronavirus, precoronavirus and precovid.
covidiomanoun referring to the vocabulary created or activated in use during the Covid pandemic. It has some synonyms such as coronalanguage or coronalanguage.
covidictionary: is the compilation of words created or activated in use during the Covid pandemic.
covidianity: n. n. Daily life adapted to the norms and protocols derived from the covid pandemic.
A measure that would have undone a 2018 legislative deal, where soda companies won a ban on California cities and counties creating taxes on sugary drinks, was shelved without a hearing, despite vehement protests from lawmakers.
Despite its tarnished reputation, the U.S. soft drink industry continues to exert political influence in the nation's most populous state, spending millions of dollars on politically connected lobbyists and handing out campaign contributions to nearly every state legislator.
According to Kaiser Health News (KHN), bills long opposed by Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo and other beverage companies continue to fail.
"Big soda is a very powerful lobby," said Eric Batch, vice president of advocacy for the American Heart Association, which has called on lawmakers across the country to crack down on sugar-laden drinks that health advocates say contribute to diabetes, obesity and other costly medical conditions.
"They've spent a lot of money in California to stop groups like ours from passing good policy. And they've been doing it for a long time," Batch told KHN.
He also detailed that in the last four years, soft drink companies spent about $5.9 million lobbying California lawmakers and donating to their campaigns or favorite charities.
According to a California Healthline analysis of campaign finance records from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2020, it found that the American Beverage Association, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have given donations to nearly every statewide officeholder, from Gov. Gavin Newsom to roughly five-sixths of the 120-member Legislature.
KHN explained that in 2018, the industry spent $8.9 million to push a statewide ballot measure sponsored by the California Business Roundtable that would have made it harder for cities and counties to raise taxes - not just those on sugary drinks - by requiring them to be approved by two-thirds of voters instead of a simple majority.
So, fearing that local governments could face a higher voting threshold for taxes and fees that would fund libraries, public safety and other services, lawmakers then said they had no choice but to negotiate with the industry.
In a deal that several lawmakers described as "extortion" and a "Sophie's choice," the legislature agreed to pass a bill banning new local taxes on sugary drinks until Jan. 1, 2031, if industry and other supporters dropped the ballot measure.
Then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who had dined with industry executives several weeks earlier, signed the bill into law.
Thus, legislation that would have imposed a state tax on sugary drinks died a year later, as did a bill that would have required health warning labels on sugary drinks and another that would have banned soft drinks from supermarket checkout aisles.
And despite a fight, this year's bill, which would have restored the ability of cities and counties to submit soda taxes to voters, was all but dead.
"They're gaming the political system," said Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian of the North Hollywood District, the author of AB 1163.
Nazarian said he hopes to revive the measure before April 30, the deadline for political committees to hear legislation for the year.
"It's one thing for us to make a bad policy decision once, it's another thing to give a signal to all the industries that will then use this loophole against us. How many more times are we going to do this?" he said.
Public health advocates point to such taxes as a way to reduce consumption of soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit juices and other sweet beverages, citing studies showing that the more they cost, the fewer people buy them.
On average, a can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, almost the entire recommended daily amount for someone who eats 2,000 calories a day; however, some energy drinks contain twice as much.
Four California cities - Albany, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco- had soda taxes before the 2018 legislative deal that allowed them to remain. Boulder, Colorado; Philadelphia; Seattle; and the Navajo Nation also have soda taxes, with proposals under consideration in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.
Last year, San Francisco earmarked $1.6 million of soda tax revenue for local programs that feed residents affected by school closings and job losses due to COVID-19, while Seattle leveraged soda tax revenue to give shopping vouchers to hard-hit residents.
Nazarian said he expected his attempt to undo the soda tax moratorium to be an uphill battle, but he's frustrated that the bill was denied even a hearing.
While countries such as the United Kingdom, Mexico, Portugal and South Africa have imposed national taxes on sugary drinks, U.S. efforts have stalled on this point.
Political power in the soft drink industry
According to KHN, in California, soft drink companies spent $4.4 million over the past four years to lobby lawmakers and state officials by inviting them to dinners and sporting events. "They hired veteran political firms staffed by former government employees who know the workings of the Capitol and often already have relationships with lawmakers and their aides."
In that regard, he noted that until earlier this year, the American Beverage Association had Fredericka McGee on its payroll as its chief lobbyist in California. She had worked for five Assembly speakers. Now, McGee is chief of staff for Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, a former state lawmaker who in 2018 was the chairman of the powerful Senate Budget Committee, which oversaw the deal banning new local soda taxes.
In addition to lobbying, the industry spent just over $1.5 million on contributions to legislators, including large checks written to charities on their behalf.
The largest contributions went to the most influential legislators.
Pepsi and Coca-Cola gave a total of $25,000 to charities on behalf of Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, according to the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which tracks the donations, known as "pay-to-play." That's on top of the $35,900 Rendon raised in his industry campaign account over the past four years.
Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins cashed $26,000 in campaign checks from Coca-Cola and Pepsi and accepted a $5,000 donation to one of her charities from the Coca-Cola bottling plant in her San Diego district, the media outlet said.
Public health groups are not willing to admit defeat and are mobilizing a grassroots effort to get a hearing for Nazarian's bill. They say California must address the disproportionate health effects of sugary drinks on African American and Latino communities, which COVID-19 only exacerbates.
U.S. The U.S. will "immediately" send material for the manufacture of vaccines, as well as therapies, tests, ventilators and protective equipment to India, so that the country can cope with the deadly second wave of COVID-19 that lives, said Sunday the administration of President Joseph Biden.
"Just as India sent aid to the United States because our hospitals were overburdened at the beginning of the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.
She said the US is working round the clock to deploy available resources and supplies and has identified specific sources of raw materials that are urgently required for the Indian manufacture of the Covishield vaccine to be made available to India immediately.
He further explained that to help treat COVID-19 patients and protect frontline health care workers in India, the American union has identified supplies of therapeutic products, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators and personal protective equipment - PPE - that will be available immediately.
He also said that options are being pursued to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis.
"The U.S. Development Finance Corporation -DFC- is funding a substantial expansion of the manufacturing capacity of BioE, the vaccine manufacturer in India, enabling BioE to ramp up to produce at least one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022," he added.
Horne said the United States also is deploying an expert team of public health advisers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and USAID to work closely with the U.S. Embassy, Indian health ministries and Indian Epidemic Intelligence Service personnel.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will also work quickly with CDC to support and accelerate the mobilization of emergency resources available to India through the Global Fund.
Britain, France and Germany have also pledged to send aid to the Asian country, in order to contain the crisis caused by COVID-19.
So, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Sunday that he will send emergency medical equipment, such as ventilators and oxygen concentrators.
"Vital medical equipment, including hundreds of oxygen concentrators and ventilators, are now travelling from the UK to India," he said.
He added that more than 600 units of medical supplies will leave London to fight the virus at India's request.
The United Kingdom will do "all it can to support the international community in the global fight against the pandemic," Johnson said.
In that regard, the British Foreign Office said the first shipment, of nine air containers, should arrive in New Delhi early Tuesday.
The French government will not be left behind, so France plans to offer "significant" oxygen capacity in the coming days. According to AFP news agency, the aid will include oxygen ventilators.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said her government is preparing to send emergency aid to India.
"I want to express my condolences to the people of India for the terrible suffering that COVID-19 has once again brought to their communities. The fight against the pandemic is our common struggle. Germany stands in solidarity with India and is urgently preparing a support mission," she said on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country is suffering from a "tsunami" of coronaviruses.
This, after this Sunday, India recorded a new world record of infected daily, accumulating nearly 353 thousand positive cases in a single day, so the Indian president urged all citizens to be vaccinated and act with caution.
"We were confident, our spirits were high after successfully facing the first wave, but this storm has shaken the nation," Modi said in a radio address.
Several hospitals and doctors have issued urgent notices saying they cannot cope with the flood of patients, while various media report that people are dying in the streets while crematoriums are already bursting at the seams despite being open 24 hours a day.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended for a week a lockdown in the capital that was due to end today, Monday, as one person dies every four minutes in the city due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
San Mateo County will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to all eligible residents who wish to be immunized, after Bay Area Health Officials agreed with the findings of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -ACIP- along with the Western States Scientific Safety Review -WSSSR- that the vaccine is safe.
On Friday, April 23, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they would accept ACIP's recommendations to lift the pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for all adults.
Thus, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Solano counties and the City of Berkeley will resume administering the Janssen vaccine to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community to avoid serious illness and more deaths.
In a statement, health officials in the region agree that the risk of developing the rare clotting disorder is extremely low.
According to the CDC, to date there have been only 15 confirmed cases of the rare clotting event among nearly 8 million total doses administered in the United States, all in women, which translates to a risk of less than two cases per million doses overall, and seven cases per million doses in women aged 18 to 49.
Meanwhile, for those with a confirmed case of COVID-19, the risk of dying from it in the United States is 1 in 56, officials said.
The region's Health Officials also support the addition of a warning label and the WSSSR recommendation that culturally and linguistically appropriate informational materials be made available at an accessible reading level so that members of the public can make an informed decision.
However, they strongly urged the public to get vaccinated as soon as possibleall vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization or death from COVID-19.
They also noted that people who are fully vaccinated are also much less likely to be contagious or transmit the virus to someone else. "The longer you wait to get vaccinated, the greater the risk of contracting COVID-19 and infecting a friend, loved one or co-worker," they said.
People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should contact their primary care provider if they have concerns or if they develop severe symptoms of headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination.
The safety of the COVID-19 vaccine is a top priority for Bay Area Health Officials, so they will continue to monitor the situation and look to CDC for any additional guidance in the future, they said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections linked to the consumption of Jule's Cashew Brie, a plant-based vegan cheese alternative.
In response, Jule's Foods of Carlsbad, California, is recalling all varieties of Jule's Foods products.
CDC identified an outbreak of five illnesses from S. Duisburg, which is considered a rare serotype of the bacteria
In a statement, officials said all samples taken from the sick patients are highly correlated based on whole genome sequencing analysis, or DNA fingerprinting of the pathogen, while of the five people interviewed, three -- 60 percent -- said they had eaten Jule's Truffle Cashew Brie, the only common product identified.
Researchers from the California Department of Public Health and the Tennessee Department of Health collected samples of Jule's Cashew Brie, including the classic version, Truffle Cashew Brie and Black Garlic Cashew Brie, at various retail outlets.
Preliminary results indicated that Jule's Cashew Brie products collected and tested in California may be contaminated with salmonella.
Subsequently, additional testing confirmed the presence of Salmonella and further testing is underway to determine if the type of Salmonella found in the products matches the outbreak strain.
The tested products were sold on the company's website and at select retail locations. In addition, as a precaution, the company is also recalling its plant-based dairy alternative Jule's Spinach Artichoke Dip and Jule's Vegan Ranch Dressing, products that were sold directly to customers over the Internet.
In light of the evidence, FDA investigators and state inspectors from the California Department of Public Health arrived at the company on April 21, 2021 to conduct an inspection and collect more product and environmental samples.
Currently, the FDA investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the contamination, and additional information will be provided as it becomes available, officials said in a statement.
They also advised consumers, restaurants and retailers not to eat, sell or serve the recalled Jule's Foods products. "Consumers should discard the recalled Jule's Foods products or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
FDA recommends that anyone who has received or suspects that they have received recalled Jule's brand products pay special attention to cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with the products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
This, he said, includes cutting boards, slicers, countertops, refrigerators and storage containers.
The state of California has positioned itself as a U.S. pioneer in climate change mitigation, with Californians using 31 percent less energy than the average American, while energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings have resulted in $100 billion in savings for consumers over the past 40 years.
California Governor Gavin Newsom applauded President Joseph Biden's announcement the day before that the U.S. would become a zero-greenhouse-gas-emitting country by 2050.
"We know that while climate change poses an existential threat, we must respond to this threat in a way that strengthens America's working communities, protects public health and promotes environmental justice," he said in a statement.
The governor detailed that, in California, climate policies and programs have reduced carbon emissions, created jobs, catalyzed innovation, and spurred partnerships in the U.S. and around the world, while prioritizing public health and equity.
He also recalled that the state has surpassed its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, four years ahead of schedule, while the economy grew by 26 percent.
He also noted that California was the first state in the nation to implement a phase-out plan to end sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, while partnering with early automakers to achieve the ambitious goals.
Finally, Newsom said the goal outlined by President Biden at the Climate Summit puts the U.S. on a path to create and retain high-quality jobs, ensure U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
More than a year ago, severe confinement began after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and people were told to stay home, forcing many to adapt their lifestyles to the comfort of their homes.
Increased subscriptions to streaming platforms -streaming-home meal delivery service, the purchase of electronics such as tabletsThe need for entertainment, smartphones and video game consoles to satiate the need for entertainment also moved into homes.
Among the new devices, which could be categorized as accessories, there has been an increase in the production and sale of "dry leaf vaporizers" as an alternative to the combustion of a marijuana cigarette.
Unlike the mouthpieces with extracts obtained from cannabis for 510 threaded batteries, the "dry leaf vaporizers" work directly with the traditional dehydrated herb previously ground in a grinder to bake them in these devices that have small ceramic chambers that reach high temperatures not only to release the essences of the same, but to heat the air that serves as a vehicle to make vaporizations and extract, in a progressive way, the same properties of marijuana without paying the high costs of the nozzles with extracts.
Casual cannabis users had as an easy option the use of pipes or papers -sheets- to smoke and thus subject the dried marijuana to a combustion process, like the traditional tobacco cigarette, which causes carbon monoxide consumption in both cases due to the burning of the dried herb and, in its case, the paper in which it was wrapped.
Smoke from marijuana combustion can cause illnesses such as chronic and acute bronchitis - according to the WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse; however, the WHO has been able to conclude that smoking cannabis does not cause COPD.
Cannabis use had been on the WHO's Schedule IV since 1961, believing the plant "contained harmful substances" similar to those produced by cocaine or heroin; however, this changed in 2019 when the international body declared that medical marijuana and CBD pose no health concerns.
To minimise any health impact, cannabis users transferred their habit to these devices - many times smaller than smartphones - that raise the temperature of the cannabis inside a ceramic chamber, obtaining, in most cases, better results than if it is burned in the traditional way with a pipe or smoking paper.
This is largely because the active ingredients of marijuana do not disintegrate as quickly in the baking process, since the user can choose the temperature at which to heat the cannabis that previously underwent a combustion process in which the plant's active substances were instantly burned. In addition, these devices eliminate one hundred percent of the adverse effects of combustion and, therefore, the unintentional consumption of carbon monoxide than with the traditional cigarette.
Over the past few years, I have been able to transfer my cannabis experience from the pipe to the vaporizer with consistently favourable results. Most importantly, the adverse effects I used to experience during the aggressive combustion process have completely disappeared, the most noticeable being throat irritation, tachycardia and, in extreme cases, cardiac arrhythmia - suddenly varying heart rate from 50 to 160 beats per minute. Which, on many occasions, led me to discuss the impact on my health with my cardiologist and my psychiatrist, who ended up advising me to stop taking it until rigorous medical tests were completed.
While a bad experience with marijuana use in any form is not indicative of future experiences, a repetition of bad experiences can discourage the consumer and leave them with a wrong opinion that affects the reputation of the plant and stigmatizes marijuana use.
Depending on the portability of the device, you'll be able to heat dried marijuana herb; however, temperatures range from 140°C to 225°C - 284°F to 437°F - but even though higher temperatures produce more vapor, that may not be the right experience.
For reference, combustion begins at 232 °C or 450 °F, a common temperature when a cigarette is consumed by fire; that is, lighting a marijuana cigarette or lighting the herb from a pipe burns the components of marijuana faster.
Sites like https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ indicate that THC begins to evaporate at a temperature of 157 °C or 314 °F. THC is where the psychotropic effects of marijuana are found, the euphoria begins, the happy part of the herb that makes its users laugh and it is also the cannabinoid responsible for increasing appetite, alertness is heightened. Marijuana users should make sure that in order to get a good amount of this cannabinoid, the variation of weed should be high in THC; however, you can try any variation of the plant and get good results.
Staying within 180°C - 356°F - would ensure the full experience of the marijuana baking process through a vaporizer and the ideal temperature for a THC-rich, CBD-rich vapor.
CBD volatilizes at 160 °C and 180 °C - 320 °F and 356 °F -. This cannabinoid produces no psychoactive effects; instead, it provides relaxing and calming effects that control the effects of THC; its concentrate contains analgesic properties; it also has antioxidant effects and, as it blocks CB1 receptors, it has benefits that slow down the degenerative process of neurons. Vapour at this temperature should not irritate the throat.
Sites like https://vaping360.com/ suggest that, for first-time marijuana users, you can gradually increase the temperature to 177°C and 204°C - 350°F and 400°F - an average of 190°C - 374°F - if you want to go straight to the maximum effects of cannabis - both THC and CBD. While the vapor is denser, it is also hotter, which causes a slight throat hit.
Site humidity is also a factor to consider especially in these portable devices; in dry climates there may not be enough moisture in the air to transport the cannabinoids that are released from the weed - whether baked or smoked. Humid climates - such as those near the sea or during the rainy season - suggest a higher concentration of water in the air that serves as an easy vehicle for THC and CBD molecules; this is why water-based tabletop pipes -bongs- are preferred for fixed site consumption without the negative effects of combustion; however, the humidity of an enclosed site can be quickly raised with an ultrasonic humidifier.
While dry herb vaporizers are not a new concept, they have become portable to the point of becoming an accessory that, depending on its rechargeable battery - as any mobile device does - can offer two to four sessions below 200°C (392°F).
Some vaporizers can be found online under the name "herbal aromatherapy" in unregulated markets. Some contain metal capsules that can be reused for more than one session instead of filling the ceramic chamber directly, making them very discreet, as you can reserve the capsules with marijuana and leave the vaporizer empty; others have interchangeable plastic mouthpieces for a glass one for a cleaner taste of marijuana; the more sophisticated ones may have bubblers to cool the steam with water in sessions where the temperature can be very hot.
Newer vaporizers can feature wireless charging, touch buttons and OLED displays to be precise with the desired temperature. For the most part, they prevent the device from overheating, and if the trip gets too deep, the vaporizer can automatically shut off after a few minutes of non-use.
All have safety mechanisms so that they cannot be activated by accident; in addition, their ceramic construction, refillable metal capsules and glass nozzles make these devices hygienic and very easy to clean and, to make sure they are completely germ-free, place them in a UV-C or ultraviolet light disinfectant box.
U.S. President Joseph Biden is betting on the planet and its sustainability. During the opening of the Climate Summit that takes place virtually, the president announced an ambitious plan that seeks to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52 percent by 2030.
At the summit, which includes 40 world leaders, Biden pledged that the United States would reduce its emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade.
However, it is still unclear how the goal will be achieved, since the U.S. is the second country that generates more greenhouse gases in the world, only behind China.
In his opening speech at the summit, which will end Friday, Biden explained the vision he has for the United States, with a direction towards a green economy, where climate change will be a key issue in all sectors, and even the generation of jobs for the working class will be in renewable sectors.
"That's where we're headed as a nation, and that's what we can do if we take steps to build an economy that is not only more prosperous, but also healthier, fairer and cleaner for the entire planet," Biden said.
He added that the goal for 2050 is for the United States to have zero net greenhouse gas emissions. The most ambitious goal that has ever been given in environmental matters.
"These steps will bring the U.S. economy to net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest," the U.S. president said.
Undoubtedly, the measures and actions are part of Biden's commitment since his election campaign, where he said he wanted to work with other countries to find joint solutions to global problems.
To commit the country to achieving those figures, the president said they were arrived at after lengthy consultations with government agencies, scientists, industry representatives, governors, mayors and environmental researchers.
In the past, during Barack Obama's administration, the then president pledged to reduce emissions between 26 and 28 percent by 2025, so the figure of 50 to 52 percent is a very significant advance, an action that other countries see with good eyes, while for others, it will be a high bar to reach.
Undoubtedly, the declaration will encourage other countries to join such ambitious plans, as several industries are already betting and moving towards new products with the "label" of sustainability ahead.
In his Earth Day speech, Biden said no nation can solve the climate change crisis alone and that major economies in particular must step up to the plate.
The Redwood City Pride and Beautification Committee will host its annual spring cleanup event during Earth Week 2021, which runs April 19-24, where people are encouraged to beautify an area of their choice by picking up trash individually, or in groups living in a single household.
Logistical support and supplies, including gloves, bags and litter pickers, will be available for this purpose from Public Works Services.
Officials encourage event participants to post their cleanup photos on social media throughout the week using #EarthWeekRWC.
Photos will be posted on the Pride and Beautification website, and as an added incentive, participants will be offered a reusable grocery bag or a set of reusable straws - while supplies last.
How to participate
People can choose one day - or all - during Earth Week to clean up trash in their neighborhood with their household or social "bubble".
You are allowed to bring your own buckets, bags, gloves or dustpans, reusable water bottles and sunscreen to pick up trash.
"If you need gloves, bags or trash pickups for your team, contact Public Works at (650) 780-7464 to schedule a pickup time," the city says in a statement.
She also suggests designating bags for recycling and bags for trash, recording how many bags your team collects and taking a group photo, then emailing the number of bags, the photo and the most unusual items the group collected to vsherman@redwoodcity.org.
"Post your photos on social media using #EarthWeekRWC so we can share them!".
In conjunction with spring cleanup, there will be a free compost giveaway available to all Redwood City residents on Saturday, April 24 at Public Works Services.
Borrowed supplies may be returned to Public Works on Saturday during the compost draw.
Earth Day -officially International Mother Earth Day-, is a celebration held on April 22nd and this year marks 50 years since its first commemoration, initiated in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson to raise awareness around the world on issues such as overpopulation of planet Earth, rising levels of pollution, preservation of the biosphere, and what can be done to reverse global warming.
It was not until 1972, in Stockholm, where the Earth Summit was held for the first time, where world leaders were urged to foresee actions to preserve natural resources such as water, as well as guidelines to help preserve the Earth's flora and fauna.
And, since 2009, the United Nations (UN) officially established April 22 as International Mother Earth Day, which aims to raise awareness about human interaction with nature in order to preserve the planet Earth from the threat of global warming and climate change.
It is an effort made by different organizations and institutions around the world to point out the importance and responsibility of human beings to live in harmony with the rest of the species -animals and plants- and, with this, to avoid their extinction.
This year, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human behavior will be discussed and how traffic habits have changed in different parts of the world that, thanks to the confinement, gave a momentary respite to planet Earth in terms of air quality, pollution -including auditory pollution-, the reproduction of endangered species and the preservation of habitats due to the absence of tourism.
The UN points out that, since the 1970s, there had not been a decrease in the alteration of ecosystems; however, it stressed that, since 50 years ago, the planet Earth has been degraded by more than 30 percent.
"Let us all make a commitment to work hard to restore our planet and make peace with nature."
