A letter to the Unvaccinated

<p><strong><em>Ontario Civil Libertie</em>s Association researcher Dr. Denis Rancourt and several fellow Canadian academics have penned an open letter to support those who have decided not to accept the Covid-19 injection.</strong></p> <p>The group emphasises the voluntary nature of this medical treatment as well as the need for informed consent and individual risk-benefit assessment. They reject the pressure exerted by public health officials, the news and social media, and fellow citizens.</p> <p>Control over our bodily integrity may well be the ultimate frontier of the fight to protect civil liberties.</p> <p>Read the letter below or as a PDF <a href="https://ocla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-08-02-A-Letter-to-the-Unvaccinated.pdf">here</a>.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p>You are not alone!</p> <p>As of 28 July 2021, 29% of Canadians have not received a COVID-19 vaccine, and an additional 14% have received one shot. In the US and in the European Union, less than half the population is fully vaccinated, and even in Israel, the “world’s lab” according to Pfizer, one third of people remain completely unvaccinated.</p> <p>Politicians and the media have taken a uniform view, scapegoating the unvaccinated for the troubles that have ensued after eighteen months of fearmongering and lockdowns. It’s time to set the record straight. It is entirely reasonable and legitimate to say ‘no’ to insufficiently tested vaccines for which there is no reliable science.</p> <p>You have a right to assert guardianship of your body and to refuse medical treatments if you see fit. You are right to say ‘no’ to a violation of your dignity, your integrity and your bodily autonomy. It is your body, and you have the right to choose. You are right to fight for your children against their mass vaccination in school. You are right to question whether free and informed consent is at all possible under present circumstances.</p> <p>Long-term effects are unknown. Transgenerational effects are unknown. Vaccine-induced deregulation of natural immunity is unknown. Potential harm is unknown as the adverse event reporting is delayed, incomplete and inconsistent between jurisdictions.</p> <p>You are being targeted by mainstream media, government social engineering campaigns, unjust rules and policies, collaborating employers, and the social-media mob. You are being told that you are now the problem, and that the world cannot get back to normal unless you get vaccinated. You are being viciously scapegoated by propaganda and pressured by others around you. Remember; there is nothing wrong with you.</p> <p>You are inaccurately accused of being a factory for new SARS-CoV-2 variants, when in fact, according to leading scientists, your natural immune system generates immunity to multiple components of the virus. This will promote your protection against a vast range of viral variants and abrogates further spread to anyone else.</p> <p>You are justified in demanding independent peer-reviewed studies, not funded by multinational pharmaceutical companies. All the peer-reviewed studies of short-term safety and short-term efficacy have been funded, organised, coordinated, and supported by these for-profit corporations; and none of the study data have been made public or available to researchers who don’t work for these companies.</p> <p>You are right to question the preliminary vaccine trial results. The claimed high values of relative efficacy rely on small numbers of tenuously determined “infections.” The studies were also not blind, where people giving the injections admittedly knew or could deduce whether they were injecting the experimental vaccine or the placebo. This is not acceptable scientific methodology for vaccine trials.</p> <p>You are correct in your calls for a diversity of scientific opinions. Like in nature, we need a polyculture of information and its interpretations. And we don’t have that right now. Choosing not to take the vaccine is holding space for reason, transparency, and accountability to emerge.</p> <p>You are right to ask, ‘What comes next when we give away authority over our own bodies?’ Do not be intimidated. You are showing resilience, integrity and grit. You are coming together in your communities, making plans to help one another, and standing for scientific accountability and free speech, which are required for society to thrive.</p> <p>We are among many who stand with you.</p> <p>Angela Durante, PhD<br /> Denis Rancourt, PhD<br /> Claus Rinner, PhD<br /> Laurent Leduc, PhD<br /> Donald Welsh, PhD<br /> John Zwaagstra, PhD<br /> Jan Vrbik, PhD<br /> Valentina Capurri, PhD</p> <div class="wp-block-group" readability="3.33395696913"> <div class="wp-block-group__inner-container" readability="4.5841908325538"> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p class="has-text-align-center has-custom-font"><strong><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/01/august-fundraising-campaign/"><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">We urgently need your help!</span></a></strong><a href="https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/01/august-fundraising-campaign/"><br /> <strong>Support for our Fundraiser has fallen</strong></a><br /> <a 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revolution A letter to the Unvaccinated

Ontario Civil Libertie s Association researcher Dr. Denis Rancourt and several fellow Canadian academics have penned an open letter to suppo...

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Biden thinks his new eviction moratorium may be doomed. Here’s why he’s trying it anyway.

<div><img class="ff-og-image-inserted" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_ieFLi6WIyJZU0-DsEpyIeljBnM=/0x118:4768x2614/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22731614/1232585950.jpg" /></div> <p>On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced a new policy that <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/03/remarks-by-president-biden-on-fighting-the-covid-19-pandemic/">even he appears to believe</a> will be struck down by the Supreme Court.</p> <p>Biden spoke at a press conference Tuesday afternoon shortly before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/Signed-CDC-Eviction-Order.pdf">new order imposing a moratorium on certain evictions</a>. The CDC’s new order is substantially similar to a <a href="https://www.vox.com/22605752/eviction-moratorium-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-nancy-pelosi-aoc-housing-congress">previous eviction moratorium</a> that expired at the end of July, but with one exception.</p> <p>Both the old moratorium and the new one apply to people who are experiencing financial hardship and unable to pay their rent, and both orders are intended to prevent people from losing their homes and becoming more likely to spread Covid-19 as a result. But the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/Signed-CDC-Eviction-Order.pdf">new order</a> only applies to individuals who live in a county “experiencing substantial or high rates of community transmission levels” of Covid-19.</p> <p>It’s a risky move. Although the Supreme Court rejected a request to halt the previous version of the eviction moratorium last June, four justices voted to grant this request immediately. And a fifth, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, indicated that he would <a href="https://www.vox.com/22605752/eviction-moratorium-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-nancy-pelosi-aoc-housing-congress">strike down any attempt to extend the moratorium past July 31</a>, unless Congress passed new legislation permitting such a moratorium.</p> <p>The CDC’s new order, in other words, is likely to run into a judicial buzz saw. And, at his Tuesday press conference, Biden didn’t hide this reality.</p> <p>Biden revealed that he’s “sought out constitutional scholars” to advise him on how to craft a new eviction moratorium that is “most likely to pass muster” in the courts, but the majority view among scholars, he said, is that any new moratorium pushed out by the CDC is <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/03/remarks-by-president-biden-on-fighting-the-covid-19-pandemic/">likely to be doomed</a>. The Justice Department’s lawyers will now face the thankless task of defending the CDC’s new order in court, after the sitting president suggested that this order is unlikely to survive contact with the judiciary.</p> <p>But Biden also revealed why he’s willing to risk the ire of a conservative judiciary that’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/22276279/supreme-court-war-joe-biden-agency-regulation-administrative-neil-gorsuch-epa-nondelegation">eager to diminish his ability to govern</a>. The eviction moratorium is not supposed to exist in a vacuum. Congress <a href="https://www.vox.com/22605752/eviction-moratorium-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-nancy-pelosi-aoc-housing-congress">appropriated $45 billion in rent relief</a> that was supposed to help tenants who are struggling financially due to Covid-19. In theory, the moratorium was extended to to keep these people from being evicted until they received relief checks that would allow them to pay the rent — rescuing renters and landlords in the process.</p> <p>In practice, however, identifying the specific individuals who should receive rent relief is a logistical nightmare. Many states have enacted <a href="https://www.vox.com/22429430/renters-rent-relief-eviction-moratorium-housing-market">onerous documentation requirements</a> that can be difficult for struggling renters to meet. For the most part, the state and local governments tasked with distributing these funds <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/4/22606530/eviction-moratorium-rent-relief-rental-registry">don’t know who they should be targeting for aid</a>, because they don’t know who owns rental properties and who lives in them. And they often don’t have the staff to process relief requests quickly. As a result, only about 6.5 percent of the $45 billion has actually been paid out, as of the end of June.</p> <p>And so, Biden conceded in his Tuesday press conference that the courts very well may strike down the new CDC order. But he’s praying they won’t do so quickly. “By the time [the new moratorium] gets litigated,” Biden said, “it will probably give some additional time while we’re getting that $45 billion out to people who are, in fact, behind in the rent and don’t have the money.”</p> <p>It’s a dangerous play that could easily end in a vindictive Supreme Court <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/7/27/22594374/courts-covid-delta-pandemic-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-public-health-destroy">stripping away</a> even more of the federal government’s authority to fight pandemics. As a general rule, it’s a bad idea to take a particular action after five justices have already signaled that they think that action is illegal.</p> <p>But Biden appears to be betting that there’s enough humanity left in an increasingly right-wing judiciary that they will give him more time to save people’s homes.</p> <p>Biden faced both a political problem and a legal problem after the CDC’s previous moratorium expired at the end of July.</p> <p>The political problem is that Congress <a href="https://www.vox.com/22605752/eviction-moratorium-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-nancy-pelosi-aoc-housing-congress">does not appear to have the votes to pass a new moratorium</a>, as Kavanaugh said it must. Yet key members of Congress, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, blamed the Biden administration for allowing the eviction moratorium to expire — even after the Supreme Court warned the administration not to extend it.</p> <p>“Action is needed, and it must come from the Administration,” Pelosi and her fellow Democratic House leaders said in a <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/8121">statement released on Sunday</a>. “That is why House leadership is calling on the Administration to immediately extend the moratorium.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) held a three-day long vigil on the Capitol steps, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/04/cori-bush-eviction-moratorium/">literally sleeping outside in the rain</a>, in order to pressure Congress and the administration into extending the moratorium.</p> <p>Yet, amid all of this pressure, the Biden administration correctly recognized that it had an even tougher legal problem: A new CDC order was unlikely to survive contact with the Supreme Court. “President Biden would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC to further extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters at this moment of heightened vulnerability,” the White House said in a statement last Thursday, but “unfortunately, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/29/statement-by-white-house-press-secretary-jen-psaki-on-biden-harris-administration-eviction-prevention-efforts/">the Supreme Court has made clear that this option is no longer available</a>.”</p> <p>Although the new moratorium differs from the old one in that it only applies in areas with a substantial amount of Covid-19 spread, that distinction is unlikely to convince any of the five justices who believe that the earlier version of the moratorium is illegal. Kavanaugh, least conservative among those five justices, wrote that “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its existing statutory authority by issuing a nationwide eviction moratorium,” and he added that “clear and specific congressional authorization (via new legislation) would be necessary for the CDC to extend the moratorium past July 31.”</p> <p>One extra challenge facing Biden is that he doesn’t just have to convince the Supreme Court to stay its hand for a little while longer. He also has to worry about the lower courts. Landlords and other parties opposing the moratorium brought a raft of lawsuits challenging the CDC’s previous order, and at least some of these cases were heard by Trump judges who <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/2/26/22302149/eviction-moratorium-trump-judge-campbell-barker-terkel-cdc-commerce-clause-constitution">embraced truly bizarre legal attacks on the moratorium</a>.</p> <p>If a landlord brings a challenge to the new CDC order, and if this case is heard by a similarly ideological federal judge, that judge could issue a nationwide order suspending the moratorium. Indeed, a sufficiently aggressive judge might do so as soon as today.</p> <p>Assuming that no judge issues such a nationwide order (or that any order blocking the moratorium is stayed by a higher court), there is some reason to hope that the Supreme Court may sit on its hands before it issues an order blocking the new CDC order. (The Court might also uphold the new order, although that outcome is very unlikely.)</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/alabama-association-of-realtors-v-department-of-health-and-human-services/"><em>Alabama Association of Realtors v. HHS</em></a>, the challenge to the previous CDC order that reached the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs initially asked the justices to block the eviction moratorium on June 3. But the Supreme Court did not resolve the case until June 29. Maybe the Court will delay a similar ruling when it’s faced with a new challenge to the new CDC order.</p> <p>Kavanaugh’s opinion in <em>Alabama Association of Realtors</em>, also suggests that he may have some sympathy for tenants who are waiting for the government to process their rent relief money. Though his opinion was brief, he said that he’d allow the moratorium to continue until the end of July “because the CDC plans to end the moratorium in only a few weeks, on July 31, and because those few weeks will <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20a169_4f15.pdf">allow for additional and more orderly distribution</a> of the congressionally appropriated rental assistance funds.”</p> <p>That said, the Court’s conservative majority tends to be <a href="https://www.vox.com/22276279/supreme-court-war-joe-biden-agency-regulation-administrative-neil-gorsuch-epa-nondelegation">hostile toward federal agencies</a> that impose obligations on businesses — including landlords. And that majority has already <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/7/27/22594374/courts-covid-delta-pandemic-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-public-health-destroy">shrunk much of the government’s power to fight the pandemic</a>, such as by granting expansive exemptions to churches and other places of worship that object to public health orders.</p> <p>The biggest risk arising from the new CDC order, in other words, is that the Court could lash out at Biden for taking an action that the president knew was unlikely to survive contact with the judiciary — and that the justices might punish the president by diminishing his ability to control Covid-19 even more than they already have.</p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/4/22609410/biden-supreme-court-eviction-moratorium-cdc-brett-kavanaugh">https://www.vox.com/2021/8/4/22609410/biden-supreme-court-eviction-moratorium-cdc-brett-kavanaugh</a>

vox Biden thinks his new eviction moratorium may be doomed. Here’s why he’s trying it anyway.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced a new policy that even he appears to believe will be struck down by the Supreme Court. Biden sp...

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Biden’s immigration policy isn’t Trump’s — but it’s still a disappointment

<div><img class="ff-og-image-inserted" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/N3QFkE_FJCROOM-gm7RylxNgsyw=/0x0:4000x2094/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760671/1233872035.jpg" /></div> <p>When President Joe Biden took office, many immigrant advocates were cautiously optimistic that the tide would be changing for their cause.</p> <p>Unlike their predecessors, Biden and his officials don’t use language demonizing and dehumanizing migrants. They have vowed to address the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22404000/foreign-aid-biden-central-america-migration-root-causes">root causes</a> of migration in Central America, acknowledging that the problem doesn’t begin at the US-Mexico border.</p> <p>They have undone some of the Trump administration’s most anti-immigrant policies, from his <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/1/20/22235986/biden-trump-travel-muslim-ban">travel ban</a> on several Muslim-majority countries to the so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy that required asylum seekers to <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/2/22/22295451/mpp-remain-in-mexico-asylum-biden">stay in Mexico</a> while awaiting their immigration court dates in the US.</p> <p>And they have pushed <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22289746/biden-immigration-reform-bill-congress">legislation</a> (albeit so far unsuccessfully) to legalize large swaths of the population of undocumented immigrants living in the US and reinvent a broken immigration system.</p> <p>But there is mounting frustration among immigrant advocates that too little has changed well into Biden’s first year in office.</p> <p>The administration has clung to <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22398712/biden-title-42-migrant-border-expel">pandemic-related border restrictions</a> implemented by the Trump administration last year. And Biden has persisted in telling migrants “<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/4/1/22359917/biden-border-mixed-messaging-crisis">don’t come</a>,” even though many of them are fleeing unlivable conditions ranging from gang violence to climate-related devastation.</p> <p>The latest blows have been the administration’s recent announcements that it will resume <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/biden-deportation-flights-covid/2021/07/30/fcead208-f154-11eb-ab6f-b41a066381df_story.html">rapidly deporting families</a> at the US-Mexico border and that it intends to indefinitely maintain the pandemic-related border restrictions under Title 42, a section of the Public Health Service Act that allows the US government to temporarily block noncitizens from entering the US “when doing so is required in the interest of public health.”</p> <p>Some advocates are now finding themselves in a more adversarial position than they had hoped to be.</p> <p>The American Civil Liberties Union has been in closed-door negotiations with the Biden administration for months over Title 42, temporarily putting its lawsuit challenging the policy in federal court on hold. While it has secured the entry of thousands of vulnerable migrants to the US as a result of those negotiations, the ACLU <a href="https://t.co/7wGar1MTTB?amp=1">announced</a> Monday that they had reached an impasse and that the lawsuit seeking to end the policy would continue.</p> <p>It was a signal that, to whatever extent advocates had given the Biden administration a grace period on immigration, it might be coming to an end.</p> <p>“The Biden administration is not the Trump administration,” said Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney on the ACLU case. “It would be wrong to say that the Biden administration has been equally bad. But ultimately, because Title 42 has not been repealed, it means that families and other asylum seekers are still being expelled. And so the danger is that, whatever good the Biden administration has done, it is overshadowed by all the harm being done by Title 42.”</p> <p>The US continues to turn away the majority of migrants arriving at the southern border under Title 42, though there are exceptions for unaccompanied minors, some families from Central America with young children, and people who were sent back to Mexico to wait for their court hearings in the US.</p> <p>The policy, implemented by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020, has allowed US immigration officials at the southern border to rapidly expel <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/title-8-and-title-42-statistics">nearly 1 million</a> migrants since the onset of the pandemic. Though scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opposed the policy initially, arguing there was no legitimate public health rationale behind it, then-Vice President Mike Pence <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-public-health-new-york-health-4ef0c6c5263815a26f8aa17f6ea490ae">ordered</a> the agency to follow through with it anyway.</p> <p>Immigrant advocates and humanitarian groups say that the policy prevents migrants from exercising their right under US and international law to seek asylum. What’s more, public health experts have <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/program-forced-migration-and-health/letter-acting-hhs-secretary-cochran-and-cdc-director-walensky">repeatedly</a> <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/program-forced-migration-and-health/july-2021-letter-hhs-secretary-becerra-and-cdc-director-walensky-title-42-order">said</a> that migrants can be processed and admitted to the US safely. Indeed, this is <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22398712/biden-title-42-migrant-border-expel">already occurring on a small scale</a> as some migrants are being tested for Covid-19 with private funds before they are allowed to cross the border.</p> <p>“We are not cavalier about Covid or the new variants,” Gelernt said. “But it does not mean that with all the US government’s resources, it cannot safely process asylum seekers, as public health officials have been saying consistently for months. We allow many people to cross the border every day. But we are telling asylum seekers they cannot cross even with precautions.”</p> <p>Yet the CDC nevertheless issued an <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s080221-southern-northen-land-borders-order-extended.html">updated order</a> on Monday saying that the policy would remain in effect until the agency’s director determines that migrants no longer pose a “serious danger to the public health” in terms of spreading Covid-19.</p> <p>Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, have continued to insist that they are merely deferring to public health experts at the CDC in opting to continue enforcing the policy. “Title 42 is not an immigration authority, but a public health authority, and its continued use is dictated by CDC and governed by the CDC’s analysis of public health factors,” DHS said in a statement Monday.</p> <p>But keeping the order in place has serious humanitarian consequences for migrants trapped in Mexico.</p> <p>As of June 2021, the advocacy group Human Rights First had <a href="https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/sites/default/files/AttacksonAsylumSeekersStrandedinMexicoDuringBidenAdministration.6.17.21.pdf">tracked over 3,250 cases</a> of asylum seekers and migrants kidnapped, raped, or attacked after being blocked or expelled to Mexico since Biden took office.</p> <p>The Biden administration’s decision also plays into a damaging right-wing portrayal of migrants as carriers of disease. A recent <a href="https://immigrationforum.lt.acemlnb.com/Prod/link-tracker?redirectUrl=aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tJTJGYXhpb3MtaXBzb3MtcG9sbC1ibGFtZS1nYW1lLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLTQ3ZGZhMDYyLWMyYzUtNGU2Ni1iNzBiLTMwY2M5NDM2MWQ5Mi5odG1sJTNGdXRtX3NvdXJjZSUzRG5ld3NsZXR0ZXIlMjZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtJTNEZW1haWwlMjZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ24lM0RuZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zYW0lMjZzdHJlYW0lM0R0b3A=&a=26236480&account=immigrationforum.activehosted.com&email=hu6B9F%2F5%2BMqDdHMocBLWR%2BLxSsT2%2BS3NdHXUV2aLA0U%3D&s=66a4b25f8b3106061c6bdbd1ec8cb296&i=788A955A24A20131">Axios</a> poll found that nearly 37 percent of unvaccinated Americans blame “foreign travelers in the US” for the rise in Covid-19 cases.</p> <p>But data hasn’t previously shown migrants on the border to be any more likely to test positive for Covid-19. In March, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Congress that <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-immigration-migrants-mexico-border/">less than 6 percent</a> of migrants at the border had tested positive for Covid-19, a lower percentage than the Texas positivity rate at that time.</p> <p>“The Biden administration and the CDC should be standing up for the truth, not helping to fuel that false, dangerous, and racist narrative,” Eleanor Acer, Human Rights First’s senior director for refugee protection, said in a statement.</p> <p>In addition to keeping Title 42 in place, the Biden administration also <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/07/30/dhs-statement-expedited-removal-flights-certain-families">announced</a> last week that it is reviving the use of what’s called “expedited removal” against certain Central American families “who recently arrived at the southern border, cannot be expelled under Title 42, and do not have a legal basis to stay in the United States.”</p> <p>Affected families can now be returned to their home countries in a matter of weeks, rather than the typical years it can take to resolve a full deportation case — and they don’t get a hearing before an immigration judge or the opportunity to consult a lawyer.</p> <p>In a statement on Friday, DHS defended the decision to use expedited removal against families as a means to “securely manage our border” and as a step “toward our broader aim to realize safe and orderly immigration processing.”</p> <p>“By placing into expedited removal families who cannot be expelled under Title 42, we are making clear that those who do not qualify to remain in the United States will be promptly removed,” it said.</p> <p>But <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/primer-expedited-removal">most immigration attorneys say</a> expedited removal doesn’t give migrants the chance to fully articulate why they might be entitled to humanitarian protection, leading them to be unfairly turned away, sent back to danger in their home countries and barred from reentering the US for five years or more.</p> <p>Here’s how it works: When a migrant shows up at the border without papers, a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer will screen them to determine whether they might be eligible for humanitarian protection. They are looking for two things: 1) whether a migrant expresses an intention to apply for asylum, or 2) whether they fear potential persecution or torture if they return to their home country.</p> <p>If they meet either one of those criteria, then the migrant will be referred to an asylum officer for another interview before they are allowed to present their case in immigration court. They will be informed about their rights and what the process entails and are typically given time to retain a lawyer and prepare their case, which includes gathering documents attesting to experiences that might make them eligible to remain in the US. An immigration judge will ultimately decide their fate, often years later.</p> <p>But if a migrant doesn’t pass that initial screening by CBP, they will be detained and rapidly deported under expedited removal without any recourse. That means that if CBP fails to identify every migrant who might be eligible for humanitarian protection, some are bound to fall through the cracks and wrongfully be sent back home.</p> <p>“Anytime you are imposing an expedited process, you run the risk that people’s due process rights will be infringed upon,” said Nicole Ramos, who works with asylum seekers in Tijuana, Mexico, as part of the legal aid group Al Otro Lado’s Border Rights Project.</p> <p>Biden’s border policies have led at times to strained relations with the immigrant advocacy community. Gelernt said that the ACLU has had a constructive relationship with the Biden administration in reuniting migrant families who were separated by the Trump administration and in ending the Remain in Mexico policy, among other issues. But on Title 42, they have clashed.</p> <p>“I’m not going to say that it’s completely adversarial,” he said. “I believe that the Biden administration is acting in good faith. But we don’t see eye to eye with them on all issues, and it will be adversarial on certain issues.”</p> <p>But others in the advocacy community feel that Biden has outright failed them. Ramos, for example, said she hasn’t seen any meaningful shift in rhetoric.</p> <p>“Maybe Joe Biden is not saying that Mexicans are drug dealers and rapists,” she said. “But the primary message to all migrants who are fleeing for their lives, are fleeing because of economic conditions that we largely created to make their homes uninhabitable, is ‘don’t come.’”</p> <p>What’s more, she says that the administration <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/08/1004205868/bidens-task-force-has-reunited-36-migrant-families-with-hundreds-to-go">dragged their feet</a> on helping separated families return to the US, even though her organization had been asking the administration to allow them to enter the US immediately after Biden was inaugurated.</p> <p>“Those families were ready to come into the US on day one, including someone who was in hiding in Mexico in active danger and another woman that had not seen her child in three years,” Ramos said.</p> <p>The news on Title 42 and expedited removal are the latest disappointments. But Ramos said she never expected the Biden administration to be a partner to organizations like hers.</p> <p>“I never believed the Biden administration on the campaign trail to begin with, though some of my colleagues did,” she said. “I think the Biden administration is a continuation of the Trump administration, is a continuation of the Obama administration. The only thing that changes on the Titanic is they’re just moving the chairs around on the deck. The whole system is based upon white supremacy.”</p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/8/4/22605595/biden-immigration-border-title-42-deportation-mexico">https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/8/4/22605595/biden-immigration-border-title-42-deportation-mexico</a>

vox Biden’s immigration policy isn’t Trump’s — but it’s still a disappointment

When President Joe Biden took office, many immigrant advocates were cautiously optimistic that the tide would be changing for their cause. ...

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Why so many dead fish are washing up on Florida’s beaches

<p><em>This story is part of</em> <a href="https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth"><strong>Down to Earth</strong></a><em>, a Vox reporting initiative on the science, politics, and economics of the biodiversity crisis.</em></p> <p>The scenes from western Florida are hard to stomach: fish carcasses dotting beaches for miles, a backhoe lifting a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/goliath-groupers-wash-ashore-in-florida-during-massive-fish-kill">400-pound goliath grouper</a> out of the water, hundreds of sharks swimming through neighborhoods, and hordes of <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/maggots-fill-sand-along-lido-beach-after-red-tide-fish-kill">maggots</a> wriggling along the shore.</p> <p>In the past three weeks, <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2021/07/30/red-tide-expected-to-stay-around-pinellas-coast-this-weekend/">more than 1,700 tons</a> of dead fish and other marine organisms and debris have washed ashore along beaches near Tampa Bay. They were killed by an overgrowth of toxic algae, known as red tide, that came inland earlier this summer.</p> <p>While algal blooms are a natural phenomenon in southwest Florida — and across much of the world — they’re typically not this severe. The algae have not only killed untold thousands of fish and more than a dozen manatees but also <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2021/07/29/red-tide-isnt-just-bad-for-fish-a-st-petersburg-man-learned-that-in-the-er/?utm_source=pocket_mylist">sickened some beachgoers</a>, who can experience respiratory issues when the toxins become airborne.</p> <p>Now scientists are racing to determine what makes a year particularly bad for red tides — and whether they’re becoming more common. The last major red tide was just three years ago, when then-Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, as Vox’s Brian Resnick <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/8/30/17795892/red-tide-2018-florida-gulf-sarasota-sanibel-okeechobee">previously reported</a>. The state’s current governor, Ron DeSantis, has rebuffed calls from environmental groups to declare a state of emergency for this year’s red tide.</p> <p>Red tides in Florida result from a complicated set of variables, from ocean currents to weather patterns, researchers have learned. And while these events are not necessarily becoming more common, as you might expect, climate change is making them much harder to forecast — and Florida’s booming population is making them far more visible.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_8738_21701" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22760508,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iLIJ6dV1dMVVU7hYbJd3UA5jsU8=/0x0:3000x2000/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PBtyNKAKg5Ybq0InZHeZsfN5OHQ=/0x0:3000x2000/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zeLTm9WSefDqvlE0jA-OqHUXU2Y=/0x0:3000x2000/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/79fR0jSbZBwaY92dSEVfoxXrj10=/0x0:3000x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FJ9lB5MIjlIbaeA-Mp4aWVGzjPc=/0x0:3000x2000/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6NjvXw1vZmutokMWKLliLcM8TqU=/0x0:3000x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bsfujhfMeaOf_aNFRlvmLMuHY7A=/0x0:3000x2000/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3uQAdkDqJpqEIMs0t0IJ4RxY1Js=/0x0:3000x2000/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/28--QXVdQcU3_5m4I1232f7zSrw=/0x0:3000x2000/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="3000" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2uN27z_rtcef7T8fHwssPl1F4r4=/0x0:3000x2000/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7xt_jWjALgVwQ04Bua920l7XCnM=/0x0:3000x2000/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ym2Coo8mDU0Zhp-atwV0RQ3FrWg=/0x0:3000x2000/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5OvY8MCKmlSEPvuxOQll4HK-Lnk=/0x0:3000x2000/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JDGyMOj1WQPMSB2JBsnnXU95tLM=/0x0:3000x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6xor5zk84xMGqN1MUa87veqE3X0=/0x0:3000x2000/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qrZG_7In22y9sLWuzrIk5zhruIo=/0x0:3000x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4T7vgzoE18kxQYNHA16r3rLsPp0=/0x0:3000x2000/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SAxuAkD1ELWwe0UFpb7JYj3aF3w=/0x0:3000x2000/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2lE0wbkoaYNXYP0pXPSt73Ifjpc=/0x0:3000x2000/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760508/GettyImages_1234097981.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Thousands of dead fish killed by red tide in Boca Ciega Bay in Madeira Beach, Florida.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Octavio Jones/Getty Images</cite></span></figure> <p>Dead fish, ruined vacations, and other consequences of Florida’s red tide can be tied to just one tiny species: Karenia brevis. It’s a type of marine algae, or phytoplankton, native to the Gulf of Mexico.</p> <p>While they don’t always make national news, blooms of K. brevis typically occur every year. Starting in late summer, a deep-water current in the Gulf tends to move east toward Florida, causing an upwelling of nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen that feed the algae and push them toward the coast, where they find other sources of nutrients.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_4818_21702" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22760500,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m_4nFo8FF2UcrnnmAlcLBo7z1MU=/0x0:1800x1873/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BK0EKKi58Mg9IqYAG8eTWH-a0zc=/0x0:1800x1873/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZSFTzxRT-DMiq4BVIe7S5tj5r7Y=/0x0:1800x1873/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/On1OimRgCUmqwNu7oBwzI1VoZy4=/0x0:1800x1873/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/G5nlwkYAsRC3-ZcbZ6blIMJGxWQ=/0x0:1800x1873/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g6jMEhsfj6Pn2gNmzp8p2-kdDes=/0x0:1800x1873/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zcUoc49p8MAyB1s3u-cSRrzUJG0=/0x0:1800x1873/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0UoRT9s6456iAfYpTNkkNKMfvoE=/0x0:1800x1873/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0PuFgp6NFCpa3J_IUm-M0A7leP4=/0x0:1800x1873/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="1800" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1FAdHg2azmWo0sXLyJJll3TU1PY=/0x0:1800x1873/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xL6UPkDv_p86Mb216EcRvIQJklU=/0x0:1800x1873/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EV5yYujO3Ufh1zZXK0zRQPZb1PM=/0x0:1800x1873/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3xHB1LTH_DbXSFpFRNZ44FGbcWY=/0x0:1800x1873/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Kw4l5HLhUQWHx3NSAgfqWT1N-5g=/0x0:1800x1873/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-wsBgvcw4vzvnOVldKY6fvLIoYE=/0x0:1800x1873/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ImD-zt5AAl73WD5fYzyZON4ePRc=/0x0:1800x1873/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d6SrfHVDstp8iuhEOQajlNPqfKE=/0x0:1800x1873/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Fe7MpqIhsUe0glmlLAaI4WlaSz4=/0x0:1800x1873/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Q_sHiGSmGWlzC26QPSQ5vqp00mY=/0x0:1800x1873/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1800x1873):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760500/5807660623_328c28305c_o.png 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Karenia brevis, a type of marine algae responsible for Florida red tides.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</cite></span></figure> <p>Normally, the blooms — which can be a rusty red in hue — last for only a few months and impact a relatively small area. But on occasion, they grow uncontrollably and start wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. That’s because K. brevis produces brevetoxin, an odorless neurotoxin that can be fatal to fish and other marine animals.</p> <p>While scientists aren’t sure why the algae make toxins, one interesting theory is that it’s to kill fish by design. Rotting fish essentially fertilize the water, which in turn creates more algae. “The toxins have to have a purpose, and it might be killing fish to get the nutrients,” said Cynthia Heil, director of the Red Tide Institute at Florida’s Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. “This little one-cell plant may actually be farming.”</p> <p>In large numbers, these microscopic organisms also pose a threat to human health. Waves can break open the algae cells and release the toxin into the air. Inhaling it can cause respiratory issues and feel like “you’re starting to get a cold,” Heil said. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24727069/">Studies</a> have linked severe red tides with a rise in hospital visits, especially among older adults.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_7036_21703" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22759279,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/e5WaSXbPNxDqnnTos2YEH4M9Pds=/0x0:1500x675/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y0CLMUp10eNK-cQyb8KXkM8tu4g=/0x0:1500x675/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FehrZyX2k_51coDrwVPliZl4Omg=/0x0:1500x675/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U7UTPjKKl4QTQ6dOPYLSEZlDlUg=/0x0:1500x675/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3BwwXIzP6A1ED4UimJLcDSGZkMc=/0x0:1500x675/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zJ3xsPVCEBenmmhjo-Z6ufg2dGg=/0x0:1500x675/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_z5et6f2B8PHezGPXrhiguHKXk0=/0x0:1500x675/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XFjS5_-I-dYAv5re5FJUQXQL3Rk=/0x0:1500x675/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HPV97f7vg5DTPYBLZfr8WmSUaaY=/0x0:1500x675/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wNWcr5l3qcZ2lzmi9Vhku9vNbbE=/0x0:1500x675/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/99RSUk0eyvdgHPAyFK9J9EjUgZQ=/0x0:1500x675/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Lj0IPsO0AjSjOa_k9Nsqj1wd91E=/0x0:1500x675/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FItN_VVIiGb2qiM_Yu1FD7lPRJg=/0x0:1500x675/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hEfF4bYvn2GzyIe4VUTDPMBTaNw=/0x0:1500x675/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sHxgALue0xhmD2sQrcQaCug8hWo=/0x0:1500x675/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fmCWJY9IAlRQI5Db05o3NefjE8g=/0x0:1500x675/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LqnSwfhFhKS93vUUzfsRnhxvUPQ=/0x0:1500x675/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s-CoNXkYFiCRWq8mrfKST-rXs9A=/0x0:1500x675/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tvM2P8_dktIjiNBwvhZqISvDYvY=/0x0:1500x675/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x675):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22759279/statewide_combo0730.png 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Where red tide is found in Florida, as of late July. The red dots show areas with high concentrations of Karenia brevis, the algae that cause red tide.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission</cite></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_2959_21704" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22760455,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eqUrE9DFPNdwn74vxvcRIUvswzY=/0x0:2048x1365/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C8uZGab8IUe26t84U_e_n593fxI=/0x0:2048x1365/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fPV6P1TkCIF2jnEOaUgtZa1vM4U=/0x0:2048x1365/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vgc0OrljhDYVoxf-FXM9ISRZM5o=/0x0:2048x1365/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rik7L6kUSpJJU44VtQKpZ47YpQY=/0x0:2048x1365/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8vSNhUb6KZoSo3dZnUeIwV6R-CI=/0x0:2048x1365/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H50tR7cLuui64QOzU2A8KW8sfCU=/0x0:2048x1365/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BYIkZXk9JyAxESokiKIlbjad7js=/0x0:2048x1365/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KrVZaQjzMcJhoZyuSHQNfgO1cNA=/0x0:2048x1365/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="2048" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hGkuH9cR5Hb54oiAgA4o4fRzC8Q=/0x0:2048x1365/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gb4QYQ27-jnFXElxsHwxR1138-Q=/0x0:2048x1365/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AHeD0CcrrfwKW15Wv0UbJZkiLUI=/0x0:2048x1365/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dgJZLC_jgqi4LIXAFTFTJTaWRiY=/0x0:2048x1365/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-WjXr7v-yfDOIkewWof9_hyerGg=/0x0:2048x1365/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Qx4wa89VNTXWgYv92_9xdQMfNzY=/0x0:2048x1365/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hjAKCXU8ZuOBUge41foulKcb8VE=/0x0:2048x1365/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dDQAs7n2BNn5ewRDAAXShJJFQls=/0x0:2048x1365/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6Du1eaJId-JD3iceE5U0qV-bWdo=/0x0:2048x1365/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QBsouOmZWlscydeuF5jdHO4SiyM=/0x0:2048x1365/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760455/51328378513_dd53a93289_k.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">The red tide bloom off the coast of northern Pinellas County, Florida.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</cite></span></figure> <p>Although K. brevis is well-studied, it’s still not clear why it explodes in some years. Each major red tide event seems to have its own unique equation, experts say.</p> <p>This year, southerly winds helped keep the bloom close to shore, where it could feed off pollution spilling into the water. Meanwhile, months of drought ahead of Hurricane Elsa likely made estuaries around Tampa Bay saltier, allowing the marine algae to move farther inshore. Plus, more than <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/manatee-county/conservation-groups-sue-gov-desantis-state-regulators-for-mismanaging-toxic-waste-at-piney-point/">200 million gallons</a> of wastewater from an <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/a-rundown-of-the-piney-point-wastewater-leak/">abandoned</a> phosphate mine known as Piney Point was pumped into Tampa Bay last spring.</p> <p>“There was this huge pulse of nutrients into the bay,” Heil said. While it didn’t outright cause the bloom, it may have made it worse, she added. “It’s been a very odd year.”</p> <p>Ultimately, the red tide killed more than 1,700 tons of sea life in Pinellas County, which hugs Tampa Bay, and that number could continue to grow. The bloom is also implicated in the death of <a href="https://myfwc.com/media/25649/2021preliminaryredtide.pdf">17 manatees</a> in June and July, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).</p> <p>Floridians also reported seeing hundreds of live sharks evading the red tide by swimming into human-made canals and waterways in the Tampa region. “You literally could have walked across the canal on the backs of sharks — that’s how many there were,” Janelle Branower, a resident of Longboat Key, <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/sharks-seen-in-longboat-key-canals-are-trying-to-avoid-red-tide-experts-say/">told Allyson Henning, a reporter with a local NBC news channel</a>.</p> <p>The toxic bloom is now beginning to dissipate, and hundreds of government workers have been working to clean up mountains of dead fish. (In Pinellas County, dead fish can be burned along with other trash to produce electricity, a county official told Vox.) But it’s only a matter of time before the next severe bloom strikes, experts say.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_6074_21705" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22760461,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZrI496taSDzp3cXoODzIpWdQ6pM=/0x0:2048x1365/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1IyK8GjaAnWl4o6_ScZa5rq1jAo=/0x0:2048x1365/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/flvgCRKZE70XYK7g8-qyQlbter4=/0x0:2048x1365/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6oYwkOIRAiNr_hnUViVMbTMRg5Q=/0x0:2048x1365/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-o9gpivEA9Zg-ZWKTBdUB-OKZng=/0x0:2048x1365/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A1UGLK_y8HwXnppcB_mwaqKKtbk=/0x0:2048x1365/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/703F7aPPp4zSlxero82OFAr9epU=/0x0:2048x1365/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rmd88L3hP14AT4uspGwAeAaIoS8=/0x0:2048x1365/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qHxBmr_FjUzAo1JIXncDFbQQ1fM=/0x0:2048x1365/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="2048" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/daYyFM3pxbVBU7K7nKc2JtvaL2E=/0x0:2048x1365/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1LzCYa2DOQVemnFx8LKSsGCeFzs=/0x0:2048x1365/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rPzl_XjFplP_9VzatCKBTzP1FWo=/0x0:2048x1365/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C8QkABgNCjq3qdG0TYJAM8aTSVQ=/0x0:2048x1365/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NyOsSxu9rxW2OISItdbH1WuhND8=/0x0:2048x1365/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y_4UgRq8WG699CgNmqDqFvMkMMs=/0x0:2048x1365/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lbNwpuXi7ghIi0LXIBovTnDL_WM=/0x0:2048x1365/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HaBd7y8Hk-4S1kDoZKCT-6ZTcq8=/0x0:2048x1365/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SUS0-fSjJF0M_Ae-UJZFcuEIjuY=/0x0:2048x1365/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R9Z3naKf-_Hkxh1JBicNxQZS78g=/0x0:2048x1365/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1365):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760461/51345153117_09152555f5_k.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Researchers measure a dead goliath grouper that washed ashore at St. Pete Beach, Florida.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</cite></span></figure> <p>A cursory glance at state <a href="https://myfwc.com/media/21885/bloom-historic-database.pdf">data</a> showing the number of red tides over time suggests that these events are becoming more common in Florida. That’s in line with a handful of <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9792707/Red-tide-fueled-climate-change-litters-Floridas-coastal-beaches-600-tons-dead-fish.html">media reports</a> that indicate climate change is fueling harmful algal blooms.</p> <p>But that frightening conclusion isn’t quite right, experts say. “I don’t think we’re in a position to say with any certainty that the frequency of the events has been increasing,” said Thomas Frazer, a professor in the college of marine science at the University of South Florida. A recently published <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988321000020">review of the evidence</a> came to the same conclusion for Florida’s red tides: “no significant trend over time is evident,” the review reads.</p> <p>So why do harmful blooms <em>appear</em> to be increasing?</p> <p>For one, scientists have ramped up sampling efforts over time, Frazer said. The more you sample, the more likely you’ll be able to detect a toxic algae bloom. Florida has also seen a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-growth-jobs-economy-population-new-york-pandemic-employment-miami-2021-4">massive influx of residents</a> in the past decade, so there are simply more people affected by red tides. “Each new bloom is undoubtedly the worst for many residents, regardless of trends,” Heil said. Plus, social media platforms like TikTok have brought a new level of attention to algal blooms. (Several top recent red tide videos on TikTok have tens of thousands of views.)</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_4815_21706" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22760468,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NQQ7hpcv0mj06jycZ6tn4NoJB7M=/0x0:3000x2000/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-Jd8M9Do4uGaLcbX-NoT8b3rfrI=/0x0:3000x2000/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/izvU22xhi5_RvgLHH9ZX1rFELqM=/0x0:3000x2000/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E_-lQu_eELZgxNnlHD9DQ27sbVc=/0x0:3000x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3xSGV6Ei8lSiFm_h0EGVzI07Pk0=/0x0:3000x2000/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fHE6eWzwNiUtHh6mbt7dgEdhRoY=/0x0:3000x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-sHq23x4Ez4UxgGqwBdxARXWhzY=/0x0:3000x2000/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BaC7picAqE45aIhE1Ro2JYzgl8I=/0x0:3000x2000/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1Alj_FuWzh-HkT4FKXYnoMprrLc=/0x0:3000x2000/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="3000" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0oODuBgm8kr61hdVUMUCCVwSFs0=/0x0:3000x2000/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/M08B-PTa_Tvr_rdRKRFWIGXYEpM=/0x0:3000x2000/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wQAjDUqyU0pzDd9GqaImr4wLXrg=/0x0:3000x2000/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WTMOLjzyknVLfyZFPjmrT_RvtmA=/0x0:3000x2000/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vNpHfLubl-Gc9AoxVFdmb4SvIig=/0x0:3000x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YP2vxPUlAnEW-jlDtqHt4zGIciU=/0x0:3000x2000/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XvhEoWkir5uFxaInljJHkiheA9o=/0x0:3000x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MaIAvLZDCLnWrb0u9PRn9f9YcGo=/0x0:3000x2000/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0avoh2X08V-e30SRg_dmwU3ShpY=/0x0:3000x2000/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O2sqgmJnN2-4Jc2qz6kFw4yl9Js=/0x0:3000x2000/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760468/GettyImages_1234099397.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">A dumpster for sea life killed by the red tide in St. Petersburg, Florida.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Octavio Jones/Getty Images</cite></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1628116042_2549_21707" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22760443,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/StASpfTjwJHl7iK1mw0O79J413E=/0x0:3000x2000/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z-oEq41OprfZsDYw7oQTMftMDcY=/0x0:3000x2000/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rxbhQAeBBmTDqBgWbi_RbyD3MFI=/0x0:3000x2000/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Hox7bcXrCN0PEIdSDNO7hc7_Cz4=/0x0:3000x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gIoydFfgcYrw-p4xaKZowDQICEM=/0x0:3000x2000/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lhR38oLIH4i8R4Wy_z8diLWhPIk=/0x0:3000x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F3AeJ6XtDU_yph5bK-8k0M8oQT8=/0x0:3000x2000/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FtRZTlmIWKu4_Nx558PVyL2snVw=/0x0:3000x2000/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TkNqS0bL2VG6rxR4YBS-M7_SjeA=/0x0:3000x2000/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="3000" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s8ahL3pP0QklYMNOWHfXaH7tedc=/0x0:3000x2000/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gTvaDn0rHUoze7SALv3XA_kzAyo=/0x0:3000x2000/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XMtHrLmC84U-F79qq3ZijKPg9Y8=/0x0:3000x2000/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RJlRebrO5scfs7zhzolzYF6Oxag=/0x0:3000x2000/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ctVruvgLbkZwp3bO8j3BXkj1E9A=/0x0:3000x2000/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mgMOOTls8iBE_G2b4fcqIBUK-Mw=/0x0:3000x2000/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2dYYN2qzVcdHNK8MualeJ6k7Q44=/0x0:3000x2000/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gXbR026V49IJYBS-6tFh-TC5osE=/0x0:3000x2000/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g0rKgXBlJx9MQSrFy_vZ_-pNNRA=/0x0:3000x2000/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JT8Xww-EjI1lR1AGXAxrKAMSD_I=/0x0:3000x2000/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22760443/GettyImages_1234098725.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Dead fish killed by red tide piled up on beaches in the Tampa Bay region.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Octavio Jones/Getty Images</cite></span></figure> <p>“You should not underestimate that there is a very strong human behavior factor involved,” said Gustaaf Hallegraeff, a professor emeritus at the University of Tasmania who’s been studying harmful algal blooms for decades. “The more people there are on the coast, the more blooms they see.”</p> <p>Hallegraeff points out that records of red tides date back hundreds of years, and fish kills have been documented since <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568988321000020">at least the mid-1800s</a>. The worst bloom in history — which spread from Sarasota down to the Florida Keys — was likely in 1947 and killed an <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2307/1948575">estimated half a billion fish</a>.</p> <p>There’s some reassuring news in this history, Hallegraeff says. For one thing, “it’s not a new phenomenon. It’s always been there.” Other parts of the world are dealing with new outbreaks of harmful invasive species, he said, and this isn’t one of those.</p> <p>Still, red tides could get more severe or longer-lasting, he said, as coastal houses and factories contribute to algae-fueling pollution. (There’s not great data showing whether the severity or duration of blooms is increasing, and it’s still a matter of debate among scientists.)</p> <p>“Red tides are naturally occurring, but we have the capacity to make them worse,” Frazer said. “Increased nutrient delivery is a global problem and arguably the largest problem affecting water quality around the globe.” Nutrient-rich runoff is also fueling a <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/larger-than-average-gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-measured">massive “dead zone”</a> farther east in the Gulf of Mexico, which is also caused by algal growth.</p> <p>Climate change is certain to have some effect, experts say. Rising temperatures can alter ocean currents, raise sea levels, heat the water, and increase the frequency and intensity of droughts and hurricanes. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide affects the acidity of water and the growth rate of photosynthetic organisms like algae. All these variables will likely impact red tide. “Climate change makes algal blooms less predictable,” Hallegraeff said. “That’s the real impact.”</p> <p>It’s a good thing, then, that researchers are getting better at forecasting blooms. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can process hundreds of water samples a week, with the help of a sampling robot that measures levels of K. brevis and whether they’re growing.</p> <p>“The more we know about the ecology of the organism, the better we are able to model it under different conditions,” said Kate Hubbard, director of the Center for Red Tide Research at FWC. Researchers are also <a href="https://mote.org/research/program/Florida-Red-Tide-Mitigation-and-Technology-Development-Initiative">experimenting with tools</a> that can fight the blooms directly, from clay (which is used to fight blooms in China) to brewer’s spent grain (a common byproduct in making beer).</p> <p>In the meantime, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science runs a <a href="https://habforecast.gcoos.org/">respiratory forecast</a> for red tide in beaches in western Florida, which is updated every three hours. “It’s really helpful to have these new forecasting tools and models that try to predict where it’s good to go, given that there’s an ongoing bloom,” Hubbard said. “It can change over the course of the day, or over the course of a few days — it’s a dynamic organism.”</p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/4/22606025/florida-red-tide-dead-fish-beach-algae-bloom">https://www.vox.com/2021/8/4/22606025/florida-red-tide-dead-fish-beach-algae-bloom</a>

vox Why so many dead fish are washing up on Florida’s beaches

This story is part of Down to Earth , a Vox reporting initiative on the science, politics, and economics of the biodiversity crisis. The s...

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Delta is surging. Your boss wants you in the office. Is it safe?

<div><img class="ff-og-image-inserted" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MYnNJO7C7dkfIDL6l5bdKYBeCv8=/0x528:5434x3373/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22748982/removing_mask_GettyImages_1292963449.jpg" /></div> <p>If you’ve spent most of the Covid-19 pandemic working from home, the idea of going back to the office might make you nervous — especially amid a surge in cases in some areas driven by the <a href="https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19/22576904/us-new-covid-cases-rising-again-delta-variant">delta variant</a>, which is highly contagious and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/29/cdc-mask-guidance/">may cause more severe illness</a>.</p> <p>Anecdotal reports of breakthrough cases among vaccinated people — which can obscure the key fact that vaccines available in the US are <a href="https://www.vox.com/22602039/breakthrough-cases-covid-19-delta-variant-masks-vaccines">really effective against the delta variant</a> — are fueling anxiety. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/8/3/22607777/cdc-mask-guidance-covid-19-delta-variant">recommendation</a> that vaccinated people go back to wearing masks indoors in areas with substantial or high transmission may add to uncertainty. Some employers that had planned to return to in-person work at the end of the summer, like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/business/return-to-office-vaccine-mandates-delta-variant.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share">Apple</a>, are now delaying their reopenings at least until October because of the variant.</p> <p>Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist at George Mason University, told me she believes companies such as Apple are right to delay reopening. (Some <a href="https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-delta-office-reopening-788aa0ae-da89-4eac-a337-ef6b59d38267.html">modeling</a> suggests that infections due to delta will be decreasing by October.) “I really respect that they are doing that,” Popescu said. “Delta is more transmissible and only 50 percent of the US is fully vaccinated. And we know that people can work remotely and do it efficiently and effectively. I appreciate that they are prioritizing employee safety over this push to go back to the office.”</p> <p>But some bosses are calling their US employees back to the office anyway. If you’re one of these employees, you may be wondering: How do I know if it’s safe to go back?</p> <p>Before we dive in, there is one thing we all should be crystal clear about: The best way out of this pandemic is to put the vaccines in as many arms as possible. It’s safe to say that being vaccinated yourself and being in an environment where others are also vaccinated is the best way to lower your risk in a world where offices are opening back up and delta is raging.</p> <p>Beyond that, you may have other questions: If people in the office are vaccinated, do they also need masks? What if there’s good ventilation? What exactly <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/22436152/covid-19-airborne-air-quality-ventilation">counts as good ventilation</a>? How important is spraying down surfaces? Evaluating the relative importance of different risk mitigation strategies is no easy task.</p> <p>Complicating matters is that we all calculate risk differently. Some see the excellent data on how much the vaccines protect against severe disease and hospitalization and are reassured enough after vaccination. Others, perhaps living with unvaccinated children or immunocompromised people, might lean toward the more cautious side.</p> <p>Wherever you are on that spectrum, what follows should help you organize your thoughts and figure out the best course of action based on your own risk calculations.</p> <p>Vaccines are, simply put, the most effective way to keep the Covid-19 pandemic under control. No, they’re not perfect — but the ones in wide distribution in the US are highly effective, including against delta (though J&J’s one-dose vaccine may be <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/health/coronavirus-johnson-vaccine-delta.html">less effective against that variant</a> than the mRNA vaccines are).</p> <p>According to the data scientists have so far, breakthrough infections are happening with greater frequency with delta than with the previous Covid-19 variants, though they are still uncommon (even if anecdotal reports might make them loom larger in the public consciousness). And when breakthroughs happen, they typically lead to no or mild symptoms. Severe disease and hospitalization among the vaccinated are exceedingly rare.</p> <p>Given all that, it makes sense for employers to require proof of vaccination — and for the most part, they are <a href="https://www.vox.com/22599791/covid-vaccine-mandate-legal-joe-biden-supreme-court-jacobson-massachusetts-boss-employer">legally allowed</a> to do that.</p> <p>“I think it’s very important. I think that’s the number one way to stay safe,” said Monica Gandhi, a physician and medical professor at the University of California San Francisco. “I’d encourage employers to do what we did in the state of California, which is to say we are requiring vaccination of our employees ... or if not, then you have to be tested.”</p> <p>New York followed suit, saying that city and state government employees <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/nyregion/covid-vaccine-ny-ca-mandatory.html">must get vaccinated or face weekly testing</a>. And the Biden administration <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/politics/joe-biden-vaccination-requirement-announcement/index.html">announced</a> on July 29 that every federal government employee will have to get vaccinated or will have to mask up on the job, physically distance from others, and get tested weekly or twice weekly.</p> <p>Popescu said a vaccination requirement is crucial to ensure office safety. Muge Cevik, a virologist and physician at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, agreed that it’s very important, but stopped short of saying it should be absolutely required. “Some people say, ‘No jab, no job.’ I don’t think that’s fair,” she said. “I think people should be able to show a negative test result or immunity certificate” (that is, proof that you’ve already had Covid-19 and are no longer infectious).</p> <p>If you and everyone else in your office are vaccinated, that’s already the biggest, most important battle won.</p> <p>That said, if you’re looking to minimize risk further, look to your office’s ventilation. Gandhi emphasized that “in light of the delta variant, it is very important to have good ventilation even if your office requires vaccines,” adding that ventilation is that much more important if your office does not require vaccines.</p> <p>Covid-19 travels through the air, so your office should have a plan in place for how it’s going to ventilate (which means regularly replacing indoor air with fresh outdoor air) or filter (which means cleaning the indoor air).</p> <p>The most obvious way to ventilate, especially during the summer and early fall, is to keep windows open and keep doors open to outside hallways. Most office buildings have central HVAC systems, and a really good one will provide <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2779062">four to six air exchanges per hour</a> — meaning that every 10 or 15 minutes, the indoor air is being replaced by fresh air from outside.</p> <p>Not every building will be able to provide this. But there’s another alternative: filtering. If your office doesn’t have an adequate ventilation system in place, it should consider investing in a filter that can catch tiny particles in the air — ideally one with a MERV-13 designation or higher (the higher the MERV number, the better).</p> <p>Don’t be shy about asking your employer about their ventilation and filtration systems. “I recommend asking how many air exchanges occur per hour and if they’re using any additional filtration like a MERV-13 or if they’ve put HEPA filters in place,” Popescu said.</p> <p>Depending on the vaccination requirements in your office and your own risk assessment, you may also be considering getting a portable HEPA filter to place on or near your desk. Don’t bother with the filters that claim to kill viruses with ultraviolet or ionization; they’re unnecessary and sometimes ineffective, <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/8/19/21364031/coronavirus-air-purifiers-filter-hepa-merv-ventilation">experts say</a>. And bear in mind that although a HEPA can filter at least 99.97 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns in size, it’ll probably do a better job in a small conference room than in a big, open office space. In the latter case, Popescu said, “you having a small HEPA filter is helpful, but it’s not a risk eliminator.”</p> <p>If your office doesn’t require vaccinations, then some people there may be unvaccinated. According to the CDC and the experts I consulted, that means everybody should be wearing a mask in regions with substantial or high transmission (which includes most US counties at this point).</p> <p>“In a situation where an entire office is fully vaccinated, that’s a much safer situation to remove masks,” Popescu told me. But she added that with delta raging, there’s still a small chance of breakthrough infections. So she said we should be respectful of the fact that different people will make different personal decisions about masking based on their unique circumstances.</p> <p>“I would encourage people to be mindful of community transmission and risk tolerance, so if they have vulnerable people at home and they want to wear a mask in that space, they feel comfortable doing so,” she said.</p> <p>In terms of the community transmission part of that calculation, you may be wondering: How do I know what counts as a low community transmission rate, versus what counts as substantial enough to warrant more precautions? A recent <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7030e2.htm?s_cid=mm7030e2_w#T1_down">CDC report</a> spells this out: A substantial transmission rate is anything above 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days. (Note that 50 here is the cumulative total of new cases over seven days; it’s not the average daily number of cases.)</p> <p>“What that means is, say over the last seven days you had 10 cases per 100,000 people a day — then you’ve got 70, so you are at that substantial rate,” Gandhi explained.</p> <p>Another (potentially easier) metric to look at is your region’s test positivity rate: A rate of 8 percent or higher indicates substantial transmission, according to the CDC.</p> <p>You can easily check your county’s transmission and test positivity rates on the <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view">CDC’s data tracker</a>. Note that if one metric is high and the other is low, the CDC says “the higher of the two should be used for decision-making.”</p> <p>One more thing to consider is spacing. Distancing from each other has been so drilled into our heads during the pandemic. But it’s somewhat less important in the office context than you think.</p> <p>To be clear, the number of people in a room (as well as the size of the room) does affect the level of risk; fewer people near you means fewer people who could potentially be infected and pass on the infection to you.</p> <p>“I think it’s somewhat important because we know from contact tracing studies that the closer you are to the infected person, the more likely you are to be infected,” Cevik said. However, she added that if employees are spending hours together in a workplace, proximity doesn’t matter as much. That’s because the virus travels, not just as large droplets, but also as tiny aerosols that can remain suspended in the air.</p> <p>As a result of that finding, “distancing now seems like it’s the least important of the three Covid-19 mitigation strategies of masking, ventilation, and distancing,” Gandhi said, citing a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab230/6167856?searchresult=1">study</a> that found it didn’t make much difference when schools spaced out students by 6 feet versus 3 feet.</p> <p>Let’s be clear: Nobody’s saying that we shouldn’t bother to wash our hands or that offices shouldn’t bother to disinfect shared surfaces. But the experts I spoke to told me that this is about as important now as it was in a pre-Covid-19 world — when offices should have been disinfecting to prevent the spread of things like norovirus and the common cold.</p> <p>“That’s a helpful intervention strategy, but it’s not the main one. I view that as a regular office practice,” Popescu said.</p> <p>We’ve learned that surface transmission is not a primary way that Covid-19 spreads, so we shouldn’t obsess over <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/scourge-hygiene-theater/614599/">“hygiene theater”</a> — especially if it distracts us from paying attention to the more important mitigation strategies listed above.</p> <p>The same applies to physical barriers between workers. The experts were resoundingly clear on this one: Don’t bother. The virus’s ability to travel in aerosolized form means there’s pretty much no point.</p> <p>“If you’re spending a long time in an office space, you will be breathing in and out the air,” Cevik said. A barrier is, obviously, “not going to stop that.”</p> <p>Popescu added that the only time plexiglass barriers might be helpful is in scenarios when two people are briefly talking without masks on — when you’re buying something from a vendor, say — and the barrier provides a visual reminder to stay distant. But if you’re sitting amid your colleagues for hours at a stretch, is it worth putting up barriers? “I wouldn’t do that,” she said.</p> <p>She’d rather offices consider requiring vaccines, invest resources in improving ventilation, and create a process for notifying employees if there’s been an exposure at work and encouraging people to stay home if ever they test positive or have symptoms.</p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22598130/delta-variant-office-work-from-home-covid">https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22598130/delta-variant-office-work-from-home-covid</a>

vox Delta is surging. Your boss wants you in the office. Is it safe?

If you’ve spent most of the Covid-19 pandemic working from home, the idea of going back to the office might make you nervous — especially a...

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