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January Reinsurance Renewals Were Most Challenging in 2 Decades: MMC's Doyle
The most challenging January reinsurance renewals in nearly two decades saw global property catastrophe rate increases of 25% to 60% with loss-affected clients seeing even higher prices, according to John Doyle, president and chief executive officer of Marsh McLennan Cos. …
https://www.maddoxinsured.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/financial-charts-costs-movement-580x387-1.jpg 387 580 wpmaddoxins https://www.maddoxinsured.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/maddox-insurance-agency.png wpmaddoxins2023-01-27 12:02:572023-01-27 14:08:35January Reinsurance Renewals Were Most Challenging in 2 Decades: MMC's Doyle
When it comes to climate impacts, the frontline of the finance industry is insurance. Last year's payout from damages caused by extreme-weather events totaled $120 billion—about the same as the economic output of Kenya. And that's a 50% increase over …
https://www.maddoxinsured.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/flooding-mobile-homes-Bloomberg-580x387-1.jpg 387 580 wpmaddoxins https://www.maddoxinsured.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/maddox-insurance-agency.png wpmaddoxins2023-01-25 01:25:372023-01-25 14:01:19Climate Is Forcing the Most Risk-Aware Industry to Reinvent Itself
The Scoop: health insurance news – February 24, 2021
In this edition
Idaho is final state to open COVID-related enrollment window
Bills under consideration in California, Maryland would connect unemployment applicants with health coverage
DOJ asks Supreme Court to cancel hearing in Medicaid work requirement case
Virginia lawmakers head to conference committee over reinsurance funding
Iowa, Kentucky Houses approve bills limiting insulin cost-sharing; other states consider similar bills
South Dakota becomes fifth state to allow non-insurance Farm Bureau health plans
Oscar Health to become publicly traded company, with 31 million shares for sale next week
Senate committee hearings focus on HHS Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra
Before we delve into this week's news, a reminder that enrollment is now open for 2021 individual/family health insurance in every state except Idaho – but Idaho's enrollment period will start on Monday. Uninsured people have another opportunity to sign up for coverage, and in most states, people who already have coverage can use this window as an opportunity to switch to a different plan if it would better meet their needs.
The Biden administration and the states that run their own exchanges are also pouring a great deal of money into marketing and outreach during this period, in an effort to reach the millions of uninsured Americans who don't yet know about the coverage and financial assistance available to them via the marketplace or Medicaid. In most states, the enrollment window continues through May 15, but there are several states with different deadlines.
Bills under consideration in Maryland, California would connect unemployment applicants with health coverage
California S.B. 644, introduced last week, would help to connect unemployed California residents with health coverage resources, starting in July 2022. Under the terms of the legislation, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) would provide Covered California (the state-run exchange) with contact information for people who apply for programs administered by the EDD, including unemployment benefits, state disability, paid family leave, etc. Covered California would then reach out to these individuals, determine whether they're eligible for Medi-Cal or premium subsidies, and help them get enrolled in coverage if they choose to do so.
In Maryland, a similar bill (H.B. 1002) would allow people seeking unemployment benefits to consent to having their contact information and other relevant information shared with Maryland Health Connection (the state-run exchange) and the Maryland Department of Health. These agencies could then determine whether the resident would be eligible for financial assistance with their health insurance, and help them enroll in coverage. Maryland already has an "easy enrollment" program that connects residents with the health insurance exchange via their tax returns; H.B.1002 would expand the outreach to include people dealing with the loss of a job.
On Monday, the Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to scrap the oral arguments that are scheduled to be heard next month in a case to determine the legality of Medicaid work requirements. The case focuses on the work requirements in Arkansas and New Hampshire, but it would have ramifications for work requirements that the Trump administration approved in several other states as well.
Work requirements are not currently in effect in any state, and would not be compatible with the current rules that allow states to receive additional COVID-related federal Medicaid funding, on the condition that enrollees' coverage not be terminated during the pandemic emergency period. But some states, including Arkansas, hope to eventually reimpose a Medicaid work requirement.
The Biden administration notified states earlier this month that the Medicaid work requirements that were approved over the last few years are now being reconsidered. Arkansas, which had the previous administration's support in the work requirement lawsuit, filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to ignore the Department of Justice's request and continue with the scheduled oral arguments next month. But Arkansas officials have also said that they will not seek reapproval for the work requirement when the current waiver expires at the end of this year, and are instead considering a work incentive program that would provide private coverage to people who participate in the program, and traditional Medicaid to those who don't.
Virginia lawmakers have been working on a bill to create a reinsurance program in the state. But as has been the case in some other states that have considered reinsurance programs, there's disagreement over how to cover the state's portion of the funding.
The measure passed by Virginia's House of Delegates earlier this month called for an assessment on individual/family and large group health plans in the state (but not small-group plans), set at 1% of the prior year's premium revenue. But the Senate has proposed funding the state's share of the reinsurance program – estimated at $40 to $60 million – from general fund revenues, without the need for an assessment on health insurers.
The two chambers are taking the measure into a conference committee, and have until March 1 to come to an agreement. Assuming they do reach an agreement, the reinsurance program is slated to take effect in 2023 – but it's possible that the conference committee could work out an arrangement that allows it to take effect in 2022 instead. (Most other states that have established reinsurance programs have had them up and running by the plan year immediately following the enactment of legislation to start the program.)
Yesterday, Kentucky's House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass H.B. 95, which would require state-regulated health plans to cap cost-sharing for insulin at $30/month, starting in 2022. The measure now heads to Kentucky's Senate for further consideration. A similar bill – but with a cost-sharing limit of $100/month – passed in Iowa's House of Representatives earlier this month.
A bill that would cap insulin cost-sharing at $50/month was introduced in California's Senate last week. And although Illinois was one of the states that enacted legislation last year to cap insulin cost-sharing at $100/month, a new bill was introduced in the Illinois House last week that would lower that cap to $30/month. West Virginia also enacted a $100/month cap last year, but a new bill was introduced this month in West Virginia's Senate that would lower the cap to $25/month.
In 2019, Colorado became the first state to enact legislation to limit cost-sharing for insulin. Several other states enacted similar legislation last year, and several more had already begun considering bills to limit cost-sharing for insulin earlier this year.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill last week that will allow the South Dakota Farm Bureau to offer health plans that will not be considered health insurance, and that will be specifically exempt from state and federal insurance laws and regulations. Tennessee, Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana already allow this type of plan to be sold.
South Dakota Farm Bureau noted that its plans to partner with a third-party administrator to offer the new plans. SDFB does intend to cover the Affordable Care Act's essential health benefits, but it's expected that that plan will use medical underwriting as a mechanism to keep costs down.
Oscar Health has filed to become a publicly traded company, with stock sales expected to begin next week. Oscar plans to offer 31 million shares, priced at $32 – $34 per share, potentially raising a billion dollars in the initial public offering. Shares will trade on the NY Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OSCR.
Oscar offers health plans in 18 states this year. They have more than half a million members, most of whom are enrolled in individual/family plans obtained via the health insurance marketplaces. Although most insurers in the individual market struggled with losses in the early years of ACA implementation, many of them have since become profitable. But Oscar's losses have continued to mount, despite steady expansion into new states and expansion into the Medicare Advantage market last year.
The Senate Health Committee held a hearing yesterday with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President Biden's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Another hearing takes place today, with the Senate Committee on Finance. The committees will then make a recommendation to the rest of the Senate, and the nomination will be sent to the full Senate for debate and a confirmation vote. If Becerra is confirmed, he would be the first Latino Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Becerra was previously in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017. He voted for the Affordable Care Act in 2009/10 and then voted to protect it numerous times over the ensuing years. Becerra became California's Attorney General in 2017, taking over from Kamala Harris when she was elected to the Senate. He led numerous legal battles against the Trump administration, and some Senate Republicans have expressed opposition to his nomination.
Democrats and the White House have expressed confidence that Becerra will be confirmed. With the 50-50 split in the Senate, Becerra could be confirmed on a party-line vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. But moderate West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin has indicated that he's undecided on Becerra's nomination. There are, however, moderate Republicans who may support Becerra's confirmation.
The post The Scoop: health insurance news – February 24, 2021 appeared first on healthinsurance.org.
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COVID-related enrollment window starts Monday in most states
House committees propose health insurance provisions as part of COVID package
Virginia House bill would implement reinsurance program in 2023
Montana House passes bill to prohibit abortion coverage for exchange plans
South Dakota Senate passes legislation to allow non-insurance Farm Bureau health plans
State lawmakers introduce Medicaid buy-in legislation
Biden administration puts Trump-era association health plan rule appeal on hold
In every state except Connecticut, Idaho, and Vermont, a COVID-related enrollment window will be open by next week. (In a few states, they're already open.) During these enrollment windows, consumers can sign up for ACA-compliant health coverage without a qualifying event.
In most states, the enrollment window applies to anyone eligible to use the marketplace, including people who are already enrolled and want to make a plan change. But some of the state-run exchanges are limiting eligibility to only people who are currently uninsured, or to people who aren't already enrolled through the exchange. And some states are extending the COVID-related enrollment window to off-exchange plans as well, although financial assistance is never available outside the exchange.
If you're uninsured or know someone who is, this is an opportunity to have coverage in place for the rest of 2021, with an effective date as early as March 1. Millions of uninsured Americans are eligible for premium subsidies substantial enough to cover the full cost of at least some plans in the marketplace. And Congress is considering COVID relief measures (described below) that would make coverage even more affordable.
The House Ways and Means Committee unveiled a set of nine COVID relief proposals this week. Subtitle G, related to "promoting economic security," includes several important health insurance provisions:
For 2021 and 2022, the normal rules for the percentage of income a person is expected to pay for on-exchange health insurance would be modified to be much more generous. People with income up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level would pay nothing for the benchmark plan. And nobody would pay more than 8.5 percent of their income, including people who earn over 400 percent of the poverty level (and are currently not eligible for a premium tax credit at all, regardless of how much of their income they have to pay for health coverage).
For 2020 only, excess premium tax credits would not have to be repaid to the IRS. This is something that several insurance commissioners from around the country suggested to President Biden before he took office. Premium subsidy reconciliation can catch people off guard at the best of times — and 2020 was a particularly complicated year.
People receiving unemployment benefits in 2021 would receive a premium tax credit that would fully cover the cost of the benchmark plan.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee also published its proposed COVID relief measures this week, including a provision that would provide additional financial incentives for the states to expand Medicaid eligibility if they haven't already. There are still a dozen states that haven't expanded Medicaid.
Under current rules, if and when they expand eligibility, the federal government will cover 90 percent of the cost for the newly eligible population, and will continue to fund the rest of the state's Medicaid program at the state's normal matching rate (varies from 50 percent to about 76 percent, depending on the state). But under the committee's legislative proposal relating to Medicaid, states that newly expand Medicaid would get an additional 5 percent federal funding match for their whole Medicaid program, for the first two years of Medicaid expansion.
The committees will markup these proposals this week, and a floor vote in the House on the final COVID relief legislation is planned for later this month.
Legislation was introduced in Virginia last month to create a reinsurance program in the state. Last week, the Virginia House of Delegates passed the bill by a wide margin, and a Virginia Senate committee unanimously agreed to consider the bill during a special session that starts today.
If it's passed and signed into law, the legislation calls for the state to submit a 1332 waiver proposal to the federal government by January 2022, and for the reinsurance program to be implemented by January 2023. (This is a fairly long timeline. We've seen several states implement reinsurance programs over the last few years, often with the program in place for the plan year immediately following the passage of the legislation that authorized it.)
Last week, we told you about a bill in Montana's House that would prohibit on-exchange health plans in Montana from covering abortion services. On Friday, the bill passed in the House by a wide margin, and mostly along party lines. (Four Democrats voted yes, while one Republican voted no.) It's now with the Montana Senate's Judiciary Committee for further review. Montana is currently among the minority of states where abortion coverage can be provided under on-exchange plans and at least some plans do offer this coverage.
South Dakota's Senate passed S.B.87 last week, which would allow a nonprofit agricultural organization, domiciled in the state for at least 25 years, to offer non-insurance health benefits to its members. The legislation, which was proposed by South Dakota Farm Bureau, would specifically exempt such health plans from insurance laws or oversight. Tennessee, Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana already allow Farm Bureau health plans to be sold with similar rules. (The plans are not considered health insurance and are thus not subject to insurance laws or regulations.)
The bill is now with the South Dakota House of Representatives, where the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee approved it 11-1 this week, sending it to a vote on the House floor. The American Cancer Society has expressed strong opposition to the bill, noting that the proposed non-insurance health plans "have the potential of segmenting the insurance market, driving up premiums and making it harder for South Dakotans who live with serious or chronic disease to find health insurance."
The concept of Medicaid buy-in as a way of establishing a public option has been debated for several years. Nevada lawmakers passed a Medicaid buy-in bill in 2017, but it was vetoed by the governor. Similar legislation was considered in New Mexico in 2019, but did not pass. (United States of Care has an extensive list of the actions that various states considered in 2019 related to Medicaid buy-in programs.)
This year, lawmakers in several states have introduced various forms of Medicaid buy-in legislation:
Georgia: S.B. 83/H.B. 214 would create a Medicaid buy-in program that would be available to anyone not otherwise eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, or PeachCare for Kids (Georgia's CHIP).
Iowa: S.F. 220 would create a buy-in program for the Hawk-i program (Iowa's CHIP). It would allow families to purchase coverage for their kids (and young adults up to age 26) through the program if their household income is too high to meet the normal eligibility guidelines. (Currently, 302 percent of the federal poverty level.) The plan would be available through Iowa's marketplace and could be used with premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for eligible enrollees.
Oklahoma: H.B. 1808 would create a Medicaid buy-in program in the state. The bill would alter the existing Oklahoma statute that directs the state to create a Medicaid buy-in program for people with disabilities if funds become available. The funding aspect is key; Oklahoma has not yet created a Medicaid buy-in program for people with disabilities. But another bill was introduced in Oklahoma last week, calling for the removal of the "if funds become available" language in the existing statute.
South Carolina: H. 3573 would create a Medicaid buy-in program that would be available to people who are not eligible for premiums tax credits under the ACA, Medicaid, Medicare, or affordable employer-sponsored coverage.
Tennessee: S.B. 418/H.B. 602 would create a Medicaid buy-in program that would be available to people who are not eligible for premium tax credits, affordable employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, or Medicare. (The wording of the Tennessee legislation is very similar to the South Carolina legislation).
In 2018, the Trump administration relaxed the rules for association health plans (AHPS), allowing self-insured people to join AHPs, as well as small groups that share only a common geographical location. The rules would also have allowed for the creation of these associations for the sole purpose of offering health insurance, without any other business purpose. These rules were soon challenged in court, and vacated by a judge in 2019. The Trump administration appealed the decision, and oral arguments in the appeal were heard by the D.C. Circuit Court in November 2019.
But a ruling had not yet been handed down by the time the Biden administration took office, and the new administration soon asked the court to stay the appeal. The court granted that request this week, so the appeal is on hold while the new leadership at the Department of Labor reviews the case, with status reports due every two months.
The Scoop: health insurance news – January 27, 2021
Open enrollment ends Sunday in California, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, DC
Maryland, Massachusetts, New York announce COVID-related SEPs for uninsured residents
Legislation introduced in Arizona and Texas would remove ban on abortion coverage for qualified health plans; similar bill passed in Virginia
Connecticut lawmakers introduce single-payer bill amid push for public option, reinstatement of health insurance tax
Legislation introduced in Hawaii would continue progress toward single-payer system
Virginia lawmakers introduce legislation to create reinsurance program
Legislation introduced in New York would require marketplace plans to cover acupuncture
New Mexico lawmakers again consider Health Care Affordability Fund
Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota voters may see Medicaid expansion ballot initiatives in 2022
Open enrollment for 2021 individual/family health plans ended weeks ago in most of the country, but it's still ongoing in California, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia. In all four areas, however, open enrollment ends this Sunday, January 31. After that, people in those areas will need a qualifying event in order to enroll, although New York's COVID-related special enrollment period (details below) will still allow people who don't have health insurance at all to enroll in coverage for another two months.
Although open enrollment has already ended in Maryland and Massachusetts, and will end in New York on Sunday, all three states have announced COVID-related special enrollment periods for uninsured residents, with the following deadlines:
Maryland: March 15, 2021
Massachusetts: March 23, 2021 (This also applies to people who have COBRA and would prefer to switch to an individual/family plan instead of exhausting their COBRA coverage.)
New York: March 31, 2021
It's widely anticipated that the Biden administration will open a COVID-related special enrollment period via HealthCare.gov, with an executive order that's expected to be signed tomorrow. Other state-run exchanges might then follow suit. In a recent letter to President Biden, several of them indicated they would like to coordinate with the federal government on this so as to create a unified national approach to reaching the remaining uninsured population. As Dave Anderson notes, an enrollment period at this time of the year might be easier for uninsured people to manage than the regular annual open enrollment period in the fall.
State legislators introduced SB1346 in Arizona's Senate this week, calling for the removal of the state's existing ban on abortion coverage for qualified health plans. Similar bills were introduced in Texas (SB448 and HB1362), and the Texas bills would also ensure that the state Medicaid program covers abortion services.
Last week, the Virginia Senate passed a similar bill by a vote of 20-17. Its companion bill, HB1896, passed in the House of Delegates this week, and the measure has now been sent to Gov. Ralph Northam for his consideration.
Hawaii does not prohibit qualified health plans from including abortion coverage, but new legislation introduced in Hawaii's Senate would codify a requirement that individual and group insurers cover a variety of preventive and reproductive health benefits. The list of services that would have to be covered under the legislation includes many that are already required under the ACA (just in case the ACA is overturned by the Supreme Court), but also includes abortion services.
Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut's House of Representatives have introduced legislation that would create a single-payer health coverage system in the state. It would include coverage for medical and prescription services as well as things like dental, vision, and long-term care, would be funded via taxes as opposed to premiums (plus pass-through funding from a 1332 waiver), and would have no cost-sharing (deductibles, copays, coinsurance).
That bill is a long shot; similar efforts in Vermont and Colorado failed over the last several years. But Connecticut is a state to watch this year in terms of health care reform legislation. Lawmakers have been pushing for a public option and are considering reinstating the health insurance tax that used to be assessed by the federal government, with the proceeds used to make health coverage more affordable. New Jersey used that approach and has used the revenue to create state-funded premium subsidies that are making coverage more affordable as of 2021.
More than a decade ago, Hawaii created the Hawaii Health Authority (HHA), tasked with developing a universal health coverage system for everyone on the Hawaiian Islands. But the HHA stalled when the Affordable Care Act came on the scene. With the COVID pandemic highlighting the cracks in the state's current health coverage system (which is robust but highly linked to employment), advocates began pushing to revitalize the HHA and its mission.
Last week, Hawaii Representative Scott Saiki (D, District 26, and House Speaker) introduced legislation (HB192 and HB164) that would authorize and fund the HHA "to continue planning for the adoption of a universal, publicly-administered, healthcare-for-all insurance model with a single payout agency."
Legislation was introduced last week in Virginia's House of Delegates that calls for the state to create a reinsurance program and seek federal pass-through funding via a 1332 waiver. Fourteen states already have reinsurance programs – which tend to have fairly broad bipartisan support – and they are highly effective in terms of bringing down full-price premiums, making it easier for people who don't get premium tax credits to afford individual health insurance. But lawmakers in some states have pushed back against reinsurance programs over the last few years, due to disagreements over how the state's portion of the funding should be raised.
Acupuncture is not currently a state-mandated benefit in New York, nor is it covered under the state's benchmark plan, upon which individual and small group plans must be based (some health plans in New York's marketplace do voluntarily provide acupuncture benefits). A bill was introduced last week in New York's Assembly that would require health insurance plans sold in the New York marketplace/exchange to cover acupuncture. If enacted, it would apply to any health plans issued or renewed on or after 90 days from the date of enactment.
Last year, New Mexico's House passed legislation that would have created a state fee to replace the federal health insurance tax. The proceeds would have been directed to a new Health Care Affordability Fund, which would have been used to provide additional health insurance subsidies to New Mexico residents. The 2020 legislation did not advance in the Senate, so the measure died in last year's legislative session.
But Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced earlier this month that the Health Care Affordability Fund would be a legislative priority in 2021, and the legislation to get the ball rolling on this was introduced in New Mexico's House of Representatives last week.
Over the last few years, voters in six states have approved Medicaid expansion ballot measures. As a result, Medicaid expansion has already taken effect in Maine, Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska, and will take effect this summer in Missouri and Oklahoma.
Of the dozen states that have still refused to expand Medicaid, only Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota have constitutions that will allow Medicaid expansion via a ballot initiative. And advocates in all three states are working to get Medicaid expansion measures on the 2022 ballots.
Signatures were previously gathered for a ballot measure in Florida, but that effort was derailed in 2019. Advocates are hoping to revive the same ballot measure and continue collecting signatures this year. South Dakota's ballot initiative and constitutional amendment were approved for circulation last fall, and signatures must be turned in by early November 2021. Advocates in Mississippi do not yet have their ballot initiative language finalized, but are hoping to begin gathering signatures this spring. Two bills have also been introduced in Mississippi to expand Medicaid legislatively, but they're a long shot given the general opposition in the GOP-led legislature.
The post The Scoop: health insurance news – January 27, 2021 appeared first on healthinsurance.org.
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The rapid loss of Thwaites Glacier, one of Antarctica's most important glaciers, has raised concerns about global climate change.
According to scientists, Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica's Amundsen Sea is one of the fastest changing glaciers in the region.
Thwaites Glacier has always been remarkable for its sheer size, almost as big as the US state of Florida.
Thwaites Glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier", has been melting at an alarming rate over the past few years.
This Thwaites Glacier has added 50 billion tons of ice to the sea over the years. But now this glacier is melting at an alarming rate.
Rapid melting is expected to cause a significant rise in global sea levels, which could submerge many coastal areas.
According to scientists, the Thwaites alone could raise sea levels by about 10 feet, a giant leap in sea level rise.
Researchers from the US, UK, and Sweden used a sophisticated robotic vehicle, nicknamed "Ran", loaded with ....
imaging sensors to collect images and gather supporting geophysical data for studies of the seafloor.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Australia bushfires: new south wales braces for 'catastrophic' day – bbc news, bbc news
Image caption A firefighter works to contain a bushfire near Glen Innes in New South Wales
A vast area of Australia's east coast – including Sydney – is bracing itself for one the nation's worst ever bushfire threats.
More than 60 blazes are burning across the state of New South Wales (NSW) ahead of predicted "catastrophic" conditions on Tuesday.
Authorities warn that fires will spread quickly amid forecasts of hot temperatures and strong winds.
About six million people live in the region.
People in vulnerable communities have been urged to stay away from bushland, and to flee their homes before the fires escalate. More than 600 schools are closed across the state.
State Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who has declared a seven-day state of emergency, said Tuesday would be "about protecting life, protecting property and ensuring everybody is safe as possible".
How bad are the fires?
Three people have died and almost 200 properties have been destroyed since the fire emergency intensified in NSW and Queensland on Friday.
Authorities said they were facing what could be "the most dangerous bushfire week this nation has ever seen".
Experts have compared the conditions to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, when 173 people died.
It's the first time that a "catastrophic" level fire warning is in place across the greater Sydney area and in the regions to the city's north and south. The highest level rating was brought in after the (disaster.
Media captionSarah Keith-Lucas takes a look at the forecast for Australia
What is happening on Tuesday?
Authorities have warned of "extreme, severe and catastrophic" conditions in NSW, with temperatures set to soar to C.
Fire chiefs say they are already battling a front spanning 1, (km) 620 miles) along the north coast of NSW, with several blazes "exceeding 100, 000 hectares alone ".
A predicted pick-up in wind speeds could cast embers up to 30 km from the main front and cause spot fires, they add.
"Under catastrophic conditions, fires that start and take hold will grow and develop extremely quickly and become large fires very, very easily," NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons
He said 3, 000 firefighters were on the front lines, boosted by crews from other states and New Zealand. The Australian Defense Force is also on alert to assist.
The fire danger is currently less severe in Queensland, but conditions are forecast to deteriorate later in the week. South Australia is also facing a dozen bushfires on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said authorities were as prepared as they could be.
Sense of foreboding
Shaimaa Khalil, BBC News Australia correspondent
We woke up to a morning haze here in Sydney as smoke moved in from affected areas – you could smell it in the air. One local, Natasha Davo, tweeted there was a "foreboding feeling" in her neighborhood.
It's already a hot morning on a day promising to be even hotter with dry conditions and strong winds.
People are watching updates closely and bracing themselves for what this catastrophic danger will mean for them.
Is this linked to climate change?
Scientists and experts warn that Australia's fire season has grown longer and more intense due to climate change.
Media captionWhy Australia bushfires are now "hotter and more intense "
Officials have confirmed that and 2017 were Australia's third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively, and last yearthe nation experienced its warmest summer on record.
The Bureau of Meteorology'sState of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat eventsand raised the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought.
Even if global temperatures are contained to a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels – a limit set out in the landmark Paris accord, agreed by 188 nations in 2015 –scientists believe the country is facing a dangerous new normal.
Last year,a UN report said Australia was falling short in efforts to cut its CO2 emissions.
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Australia bushfires: Biggest rainfall in 20 years delivers much-needed relief – Sky News, Sky.com
Australia bushfires: Three Americans dead after water tanker plane crashes while fighting blazes – Sky News, Sky.com
Australia bushfires: Sydney facing 'catastrophic' threat – BBC News, BBC News
Australia bushfires: Two dead in New South Wales blazes – BBC News, BBC News
in Australia, Zealand
New Zealand and Australia consider coronavirus COVID-19 `travel bubble` – Zee News, India.com
Australia's coronavirus disputes with China are growing. So are debates over its deep economic ties to Beijing. – The Washington Post, The Washington Post
First official I'm a Celebrity photos of 2019 line-up – from Caitlyn Jenner to Jacqueline Jossa – Mirror Online, Mirror.co.uk
Labor pledge: we would give six years of free study for adults – The Guardian, Theguardian.com


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Nixon Love Letters
Love letters between Pat and Richard Nixon will be unveiled on Friday at the Nixon Presidential Library. These letters reflect a new side of Nixon:
"These letters are fabulous. It's a totally different person from the Watergate tapes that people know. President Nixon started out as an idealistic young man ready to conquer the world and with Pat Ryan he knew he could do it. There's a lot of hope, there's a lot of tenderness and it's very poetic," said Olivia Anastasiadis, supervisory museum curator.
"He loved her, he was absolutely enthralled by her and that's all he thought about."
The letters stand in stark contrast to the grim-faced leader forced to resign in 1974, disgraced.
Instead, Nixon comes across as an ardent and persistent suitor in the letters, which date from 1938 to just before the couple's marriage in June 1940.
The article showcases a few letters:
In Nixon's letters, he recalls their first meeting in flowery prose, daydreams about their future together and waxes poetic about the first time his "dearest heart" agreed to take a drive with him.
"Every day and every night I want to see you and be with you. Yet I have no feeling of selfish ownership or jealousy," he writes in one undated letter. "Let's go for a long ride Sunday; let's go to the mountains weekends; let's read books in front of fires; most of all, let's really grow together and find the happiness we know is ours."
Pat was much more practical and slow to gush:
A much more practical — and somewhat less impulsive — Pat Ryan replies in one short note: "In case I don't see you before why don't you come early Wednesday (6) — and I'll see if I can burn a hamburger for you." The object of Nixon's affection was slower to come around, but eventually was just as smitten with Nixon as he was with her, said Ed Nixon, Nixon's youngest brother, in a phone interview from his Seattle home.
"She was quite an independent young lady and she was very cautious about anyone she met and if they couldn't smile, she wouldn't want to do too much unless she could make them smile. That captured Dick's imagination," the younger Nixon said. "She was challenging. She challenged me and I think she challenged Dick."
Labels: Presidential Libraries, Richard Nixon


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Q: Excel to PowerPoint VBA - Table Conditional Formatting I'm relatively new to VBA.
I'm helping an internal team to improve workflow by reducing errors when copying and pasting data from Excel to PowerPoint.
How do I configure conditional formatting in the PowerPoint table based on two rules?

*

*2-Color Scale:

*Icon Set:

My current code is as follows. This has allowed for data to be copied from a single Excel cell to a single PowerPoint table cell.
Sub TableData()
    Dim oPPApp As Object, oPPrsn As Object, oPPSlide As Object
    Dim oPPShape As Object
    Dim FlName As String

    FlName = "FILE PATH"

    On Error Resume Next
    Set oPPApp = GetObject(, "PowerPoint.Application")

    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
        Set oPPApp = CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application")
    End If
    Err.Clear
    On Error GoTo 0

    oPPApp.Visible = True

    Set oPPrsn = oPPApp.Presentations.Open(FlName)

    Set oPPSlide = oPPrsn.Slides(1)

        Set oPPShape = oPPSlide.Shapes(2)
        ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1").Activate
        oPPShape.Table.Cell(2, 3).Shape.TextFrame.TextRange.Text = Range("C1").Value

End Sub

A: For the table creation, the code is based on this answer I received, so you may have to adjust the code to your liking (it creates a slide for each row), the dimensions of the source and target table are based on my needs, since your code works only for one cell I wanted to test with more data.
The relevant part for your request is anyway this one:
Dim RGB_Val As String

RGB_Val = rng(i).DisplayFormat.Interior.Color
newTable.cell(i, 2).Shape.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB_Val

that takes the background color of Conditionally Formatted cells (so you would have to apply conditional formatting to the Excel table, first) (information gathered from this answer and this one  taking care of the comment Jun 9, 2018 at 13:08).
In each slide created following the row, each Excel column cell will then become a row in PPT, on the second column, while on the first there will be the circles, whose size can be defined by FlowRatio's value.
Their colors will have to be defined as per below (values and colors taken from your screenshot):
If rng(i).Value >= 12 Then
ElseIf rng(i).Value < 12 And rng(i).Value >= -12 Then
ElseIf rng(i).Value < -12 Then
So, from this:

you will get this:

but as per above, you may have to adjust sizes of the ranges to avoid errors.
Ah, it runs from Excel to PPT.
Sub CopyConditionalFormattingAddChecks()

Dim DataRange As Range, DataRow As Range, rng As Range, i As Long, col As Long
Dim ppApp As PowerPoint.Application, pres As PowerPoint.Presentation
Dim sld As PowerPoint.slide, newTable As PowerPoint.Table, Sldss As Slides

Dim CellLeft As Single
Dim CellTop As Single
Dim CellWidth As Single
Dim CellHeight As Single
Dim CellWidth_2 As Single

Dim Shp_Cntr As Single
Dim Shp_Mid As Single

Dim CircleCheck As PowerPoint.Shape
Dim IconNavigator As Object

Dim RGB_Val As String

Dim SlideCounter As Integer
Dim FlowCounter As Integer
Dim IconCounter As Integer

Dim TestCounter As Integer

FlowRatio = 0.6

    On Error Resume Next
    Set ppApp = GetObject(, "PowerPoint.Application")
    Set pres = ppApp.ActivePresentation
    On Error GoTo 0

    If pres Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "Destination presentation must be open in PowerPoint", vbCritical
        Exit Sub
    End If

SlideCounter = 0
CircleCheckCounter = 0

  Set DataRange = Selection
    For Each DataRow In DataRange.Rows
        Set sld = pres.Slides.AddSlide(pres.Slides.Count + 1, pres.SlideMaster.CustomLayouts(2))

SlideCounter = SlideCounter + 1

    Set newTable = sld.Shapes.AddTable(14, 4).Table ' different here
    With newTable.Columns(1): .Width = 5: End With
    With newTable.Columns(2): .Width = 60: End With
    With newTable.Columns(3): .Width = 5: End With
    With newTable.Columns(4): .Width = 50: End With
    With sld.Shapes.Placeholders(2): .Width = 550: End With

    Set rng = DataRow.Cells(1).Resize(1, 10)

    For i = 1 To newTable.Rows.Count

    newTable.cell(i, 2).Shape.TextFrame2.TextRange.Text = rng.Cells(i).Value

    RGB_Val = rng(i).DisplayFormat.Interior.Color

    newTable.cell(i, 2).Shape.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB_Val

    If rng(i).Value >= 12 Then

        CellTop = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Top
        CellLeft = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Left
        CellWidth = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Width
        CellHeight = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Height

        Shp_Cntr = CellLeft + CellWidth / 2
        Shp_Mid = CellTop + CellHeight / 2

        Set CircleCheck = sld.Shapes.AddShape(Type:=msoShapeOval, Left:=Shp_Cntr - (CellHeight * FlowRatio / 2), Top:=Shp_Mid - (CellHeight * FlowRatio / 2), Width:=CellHeight * FlowRatio, Height:=CellHeight * FlowRatio)

        CircleCheck.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(214, 85, 50)
        CircleCheck.Line.Weight = 0.75
        CircleCheck.Line.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)
        CircleCheck.Line.Visible = msoTrue
        CircleCheck.LockAspectRatio = msoTrue
        CircleCheck.Name = "CircleCheck " & CircleCheckCounter
        CircleCheck.ZOrder msoBringToFront

    ElseIf rng(i).Value < 12 And rng(i).Value >= -12 Then

        CellTop = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Top:
        CellLeft = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Left
        CellWidth = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Width
        CellHeight = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Height

        Shp_Cntr = CellLeft + CellWidth / 2
        Shp_Mid = CellTop + CellHeight / 2
'
    Set CircleCheck = sld.Shapes.AddShape(Type:=msoShapeOval, Left:=Shp_Cntr - (CellHeight * FlowRatio / 2), Top:=Shp_Mid - (CellHeight * FlowRatio / 2), Width:=CellHeight * FlowRatio, Height:=CellHeight * FlowRatio)

        CircleCheck.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(234, 194, 130)
        CircleCheck.Line.Weight = 0.75
        CircleCheck.Line.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)
        CircleCheck.Line.Visible = msoTrue
        CircleCheck.LockAspectRatio = msoTrue
        CircleCheck.Name = "CircleCheck " & CircleCheckCounter
        CircleCheck.ZOrder msoBringToFront

    ElseIf rng(i).Value < -12 Then

        CellTop = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Top:
        CellLeft = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Left
        CellWidth = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Width
        CellHeight = newTable.cell(i, 1).Shape.Height

        Shp_Cntr = CellLeft + CellWidth / 2
        Shp_Mid = CellTop + CellHeight / 2

        Set CircleCheck = sld.Shapes.AddShape(Type:=msoShapeOval, Left:=Shp_Cntr - (CellHeight * FlowRatio / 2), Top:=Shp_Mid - (CellHeight * FlowRatio / 2), Width:=CellHeight * FlowRatio, Height:=CellHeight * FlowRatio)

        CircleCheck.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(104, 164, 144)
        CircleCheck.Line.Weight = 0.75
        CircleCheck.Line.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)
        CircleCheck.Line.Visible = msoTrue
        CircleCheck.LockAspectRatio = msoTrue
        CircleCheck.Name = "CircleCheck " & CircleCheckCounter
        CircleCheck.ZOrder msoBringToFront

            End If

        Next i

    Next DataRow

End Sub

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: "Conical Closure" of an Ideal? Let $\mathbb{F}$ be an algebraically closed field and let $I\subsetneq\mathbb{F}[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ be a radical ideal. We can send $I$ to a homogeneous radical ideal in three steps:
$$I \mapsto V(I) \mapsto \mathrm{Cone}(V(I)) \mapsto I(\mathrm{Cone}(V(I))).$$
Here $V(I)\subseteq\mathbf{F}^n$ is the zero set of the ideal $I$, $\mathrm{Cone}(V(I))\subseteq\mathbf{F}^n$ is the cone over this set, i.e., $$\mathrm{Cone}(V(I))=\{\lambda\mathbf{p}: \mathbf{p}\in V(I), \lambda\in\mathbb{F}\},$$ and $I(\mathrm{Cone}(V(I)))$ is the ideal of polynomials that vanish on this cone. (This final ideal is homogeneous since it is the ideal of a conical set and it is radical by the Nullstellensatz.) Let us define $\mathrm{Cone}(I):=I(\mathrm{Cone}(V(I)))$.
Question: How is $\mathrm{Cone}(I)$ described in terms of $I$? If $I=(f_1,\ldots,f_m)$ then is it true that $\mathrm{Cone}(I)$ is generated by the homogeneous parts of the polynomials $f_i$?

A: The correspondence between ideals and closed subsets reverses inclusion. Therefore, the expected ideal should not be the ideal $I^+$ generated by homogeneous parts of generators of $I$, as such ideal would contain $I$, but rather
$$\mathrm{Cone}(I)=I^{-}:=(\{f \in I\; |\;f \text{ is homogeneous}\}) \subseteq I.$$
Indeed, as $I^-$ is the biggest homogeneous ideal contained in $I$, $V(I^-)$ is the smallest conical subset containing $V(I)$, which is $\mathrm{Cone}(V(I))$.
(If you prefer to talk strictly about varieties, i.e. $I$ is assumed to be a radical ideal, note that then $I^-$ is radical too, so it works out.)


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Tom Lee, managing partner and head of research for Fundstrat Global Advisors, has revealed in an interview with CNBC on October 4 that institution seems to be more overly optimistic about Bitcoin (BTC) than the members of the cryptocurrency community on. This information doubles as the findings of the recent survey by the company.
According to the result of a private survey which featured 25 institutions as well as 9,500 responses to a Twitter poll on September 30, Tom Lee was forced to conclude that the Wall Street is calling a bottom in Bitcoin. The survey shows that 54 percent of participants in the survey of institutions are keen about digital currencies, stating that Bitcoin has already experienced its lowest point this year.
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Reportedly, institutional investors have earned a mark by replacing high-profile investor as the biggest payers in cryptocurrency trading as far as transactions over $100,000 are concerned. Notably, conventional investors like hedge funds are gradually becoming more interested in the virtual currency market through over-the-counter deals.
Tom Lee doesn't seem to be backing down on his earlier speculation that Bitcoin will trade around $22,000 and $25,000 before this year runs out, he made a new prediction about a major altcoin Ethereum (ETH). Tom Lee stated that Ethereum is going to witness a "trend reversal and rally strongly," up to $1,900 per token before this year runs out.
Also, Mike Novogratz, the CEO of crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital Capital Management voided his previous bullish prediction that Bitcoin will reach $45,000 by November 2018 saying that he does not expect Bitcoin to go beyond $9,000 this year.


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text:
AFCON Tables
Blues without Barrett until April, could debut against Hurricanes
Super Rugby / 20 December 2019, 8:30pm /
Auckland Blues have said they will be without new signing Beauden Barrett for the first few months of the new Super Rugby season after the All Blacks flyhalf exercised a clause in his contract allowing him an extended break from the game. Photo: Mark Baker/AP Photo
WELLINGTON – The Auckland Blues have said they will be without new signing Beauden Barrett for the first few months of the new Super Rugby season after the All Blacks flyhalf exercised a clause in his contract allowing him an extended break from the game.
Coach Leon MacDonald told reporters in Auckland on Friday that Barrett had attended some training sessions with his new team mates but was not expected "on the grass" until mid-April.
Barrett signed a four-year contract with the Blues in July, ending an eight-year association with the Wellington Hurricanes. The contract allowed him the extended break ahead of the 2020 season and also the option to pursue a short-term deal in Japan.
He could make his debut for the Blues in Week 11 of the competition, when they face the Hurricanes on April 11.
MacDonald said Barrett's late arrival was no cause for concern.
"We're happy, he's happy, and it's no different to guys coming back late through injury or whatever the cause," he added. "So you adapt with players coming and going all the time."
Barrett's move to Auckland was something of a coup for the three-times Super Rugby champions, who have been looking for a flyhalf to drive the team around the field since Carlos Spencer left in 2005.
They have not won the title since 2003, nor made the playoffs since 2011, and have consistently been the worst-performing New Zealand franchise over the last eight years.
MacDonald added that All Blacks winger Rieko Ioane would be given every opportunity to cement a switch to the midfield this season, a move the 22-year-old has been calling for over the last two years.
"We're committed to giving Rico a good crack at centre," added MacDonald. "It will be up to him whether he becomes the starting centre.
"Nobody is assured of any position, so he understands that. He made it clear he'll do whatever is best for the team. But I've seen him play centre and he's pretty outstanding there as well."
Ioane struggled last season for both the Blues and All Blacks and was replaced by George Bridge as the starting left winger at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The Blues host the Waikato Chiefs at Eden Park in the first match of the 2020 season on Jan. 31.


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text:
What is plastic soup?
Types of plastic
What to do with plastic waste?
What can you do ?
Clean rivers
Plastic Soupermarket
Sustainable horticulture
Balloons campaign
Work at
Gezondheidseffecten, News
Plastic in your body: emphasis on size rather than weight
Amsterdam, 13 June 2019 – It is well known that we drink, eat and breathe plastic particles. But how many are there and how harmful it is for our health? This week the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published a study and comes up with new information. The main conclusion in the publication No plastic in nature: assessing plastic ingestion from nature to people is that we may ingest 5 grams of plastic per week, as much as the weight of a credit card. The researchers base their conclusions on existing studies and rightly express many reservations.
New WWF campaign
The report, which calls on Governments to take drastic action to fight the plastic soup and also advocates that much more research needs to be done, is accompanied by a new campaign launched by the WWF. The campaign has the shocking weekly amount of 5 grams of plastic that a person ingests as its theme. This is compared to daily objects such as a pen, a credit card or a dice, to get the message across how much plastic you ingest. Although this campaign will reach a wide audience, some nuance is called for.
Emphasis on weight says little
The research was carried out by the University of Newcastle in Australia. For their calculation researchers estimated the weight of the plastic particles. They take as their starting point an estimated weekly ingestion of 2000 plastic particles, a total weight of 5 grams. We are assumed to ingest about 90% through drinking water, through tap water and in particular through bottles of water. A study that was published last year (and to which the researchers also refer), found microplastics in 93% of the 259 bottles of mineral water that were studied, an average of 325 particles per litre. However, the vast majority— 315 particles — are ultra-small particles. So small that their weight cannot be determined. Earlier this week, also a Canadian study on Human Consumption or Microplastics was published. According to this research the annual ingestion is 50,000 particles. These too are ultra-small particles that weigh virtually nothing.
Emphasis should be on size
Precisely those ultra-small particles, called nanoplastics, are most relevant for human health. More accurately: the particles that are almost insignificant in weight, are probably the most harmful. These can penetrate cell membranes and make their way into the organs. Larger particles, of which the weight can be determined, are usually defecated. It must be noted that there are still no standard methods to assess the risks of micro- and nanoplastics in the body.
To find out how dangerous micro- and nanoplastics really are, the Plastic Soup Foundation has initiated a partnership in which scientists and environmental organisations work together: The Plastic Health Coalition. Earlier this year, ZonMW, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, started fifteen studies into the effects of micro-and nanoplastics in this framework. On 3 October 2019, during the Plastic Health Summit, the first results are to be presented.
ZonMw starts pioneering research into the health risks associated with plastic
13 June 2019 /by Carina van Uffelen
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/wwf-eat-plastic.png 782 888 Carina van Uffelen https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PSFlogo_nieuw-PNG-300x142.png Carina van Uffelen2019-06-13 13:55:362019-06-13 13:56:08Plastic in your body: emphasis on size rather than weight
Mopping up with the plastic-soup tap left open….
Recycling. A word that makes me happy. Like the swoosh-swoosh-swoosh of the skipping rope as pretty young girls in their light summer frocks jump up and down on a glorious sunny day. The effortless movement that seems able to go on for ever, Leonardo da Vinci's perpetual motion machine. Recycling sounds like healthy, economical and sensible. Something which everybody would support and to which nobody could object.
If I think of recycling, I think of pumpkin peel, broccoli stumps and all the other vegetable scraps that are left over in my kitchen: I drop it in the recycling bin and later on I buy it back as compost to pamper my garden. I think of my cupboards, too small to offer sanctuary to everything which I wanted to save. It's all languishing in the second-hand shop now, waiting to start a new life in a new collection tomorrow. Nothing but praise for recycling.
Initially, recycling plastic also sounded like music to my ears. It sounded to me like a happy solution for the devilish problem of the plastic that has been taking a continually stronger grasp on our world: the plastic bottles, bags, chairs – what isn't made of plastic these days? – that ends up as litter on our streets and in our rivers, flowing to the sea where it – disintegrating to ever-smaller pieces – chokes the stomachs of unfortunate birds and fish. Or the plastic microfibers that float through the air and threaten our health. Recycling seemed a decisive step in the battle against that kind of misery.
Until I started looking at the figures.
The amount of newly-produced, un-recycled plastic in the world is growing at a tremendous rate. An additional 380 billion tons in 2018, within 10 years that means 530 billion tons of plastic per year. Exactly how much ends up as litter – in the fields, in the water or in the air – is not known, at least 16 billion kilos per year, maybe a lot more. Large multinational companies argue that all their plastic packaging will use recycled raw materials by 2025. That sounds impossible to achieve, but apart from that: it's still plastic packaging. And a percentage of that will still end up in the ocean, the "lungs" of the word. Or in our own lungs.
Now, if I think of plastic recycling, I no longer think of girls having fun with their skipping rope, but of poor wretches mopping up the mess while the plastic soup continues to gush from the open tap. A PET bottle made of recycled plastic may use less petroleum to produce than a bottle made of new plastic – and that's good – but we will not solve The Big Plastic Problem by migrating to recycled plastic.
The only real solution has the simplicity of a light summer frock: bring less plastic products to market. As a start: no more single-use plastics, like PET bottles and plastic bags. And the plastic that does still reach the shelves: collect it efficiently, for example with a deposit scheme.
Surrounded as we are by so many clever people in this world, surely we can start this movement without too much trouble?
Swoosh…….Swoosh……..Swoosh……..
24 May 2019 /by Carina van Uffelen
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Foto-bij-blog-Dweilen-met-de-plastickraan-open.jpg 1173 2000 Carina van Uffelen https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PSFlogo_nieuw-PNG-300x142.png Carina van Uffelen2019-05-24 10:17:382019-05-24 12:03:23Mopping up with the plastic-soup tap left open….
Blogs, Gezondheidseffecten
My plastic diary
Seven o'clock, and there's an icy storm blowing outside. My warm fleece jumper is covered in cat's hairs, so I give it a good shake. Plastic microfibers fly all over the place. They get in to my lungs, and for all I know they settle in to the lung tissue. With dirt and all, as the jumper was not too clean. I'm glad I don't have asthma.
It's time to get blown away in the park on my morning walk. There's an empty plastic chips tray floating in the pond. I fish it out and throw it in the rubbish bin. Some viruses and bacteria feel very much at home on plastic, more so than in the wild. I bet they have now hitched a lift on the tiny scraps of plastic that have stayed behind on my fingertips.
A little later, I'm struggling through a complicated report. I can't seem to concentrate. Is that lack of caffeine, or is my brain full of plastic as well? I wash that last thought away with a big sip of cappuccino.
My tummy begins to rumble. Biological multigrain crackers, cheese and humus on the menu: all hygienically packed in plastic. My lunch has been surreptitiously seasoned with tiny pieces of nanoplastic. They end up in my intestines and who knows, maybe they pass through my intestinal wall in to my blood and lymphatic system. That doesn't seem healthy: but maybe I will be well-preserved…..
I have a productive afternoon, typing away on my plastic keys, using my mobile in its nice plastic protective cover, making notes with my plastic pen. And then it's time to clear my head with a run. My comfy synthetic sports clothes leave minute plastic particles on my skin, so small that they might be able to worm their way in to my cells. I make way for a brand-new mother with a pram. Did her baby already feed on plastic in the womb, via the placenta and the umbilical cord? He looks quite normal….
The running clothes go straight in to the washing machine and the dryer, so that they are nice and fresh for tomorrow. As soon as I open the door of the dryer, another cloud of microfibers makes a beeline for my lungs.
Hubby is in the kitchen, stirring mussels and fish through the paella. They, of course, have been eating from the plastic soup in the ocean. The plastic has been accumulating in their fishy bodies, and will now move in to mine. When I go to bed later for a well-earned sleep, illegal micro- and nanoplastics may be pioneering their way through my body. If that is indeed the case, then I hope that my immune system will arrest them and throw them out, just as it would with other foreign bodies: although it's not known whether that actually works with plastic.
Tomorrow, seven o'clock, a new plastic day begins. A new round of breathing, eating and drinking plastic. Fifteen researchers are going to investigate what that has been doing to my health. That's both good and bad news. I'm feeling as fit as a fiddle, but for certainty's sake I should maybe start a plastic diet…….
Renske Postma
Photo by Jeroen Gosse
23 March 2019 /by Carina van Uffelen
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Mijn-Plasticdagboek-foto-Jeroen-Gosse.jpg 1337 2000 Carina van Uffelen https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PSFlogo_nieuw-PNG-300x142.png Carina van Uffelen2019-03-23 10:00:552019-03-20 18:06:14My plastic diary
Gezondheidseffecten, Health Files, News, Plastic Health Coalition, Press releases
Amsterdam, 7 March 2019– Every day we inhale and ingest microplastics through the air that we breathe and the food that we eat. Do these microplastics then find their way to our brains or into the amniotic fluid of our unborn children? Do the particles affect our intestinal bacteria and lung cells? Or affect our immunity system? Countless questions about the possible health risks of plastic have not yet been answered. But this may change this year.
ZonMw, the Dutch organisation for health research, made known today that it is subsidising fifteen short research projects into the most burning questions. In total, with additional contributions by the NWO, the Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, it will make an amount of 1.6 million euros available for this purpose.
As the communications partner, the Plastic Soup Foundation will publish the results on its new Plastic Health Platform.
Maria signs collaboration agreementmst met ZonMW
Scientific research into potentially dangerous consequences of microplastics and nanoplastics on the level of the cells in organs is still in the starting blocks. Because ever more alarm bells are ringing about the health risks of plastic, this new scientific research is more urgent than ever. With the ZonMw research, the Netherlands is positioning itself as one of the worldwide leaders.
Frank Pierik, Programme Manager ZonMw says "We are happy that the first projects in the Microplastics & Health programme can start. There is still very little known. This series of short projects will shed light and pave the way for more structured research into the health effects of microplastics."
Maria Westerbos, Director of the Plastic Soup Foundation, adds to this. "We are proud that we have reached this stage. While we do not know for certain, plastic, and in particular microplastics and nanoplastics, are very likely to pose a health risk. Over the last few years we have worked behind the scenes to create The Plastic Health Coalition to continually communicate and share the results of new research. We will make the findings of the ZonMw research known to the world and produce mini documentaries about them. These videos can eventually be viewed on our website and on the ZonMw's website. Another part of The Plastic Health Coalition is the Plastic Test Lab. In addition to the ZonMw research, we will work with the Free University of Amsterdam to test if various products release microplastics and nanoplastics – just think about plastic teabags in hot water – and hormone disrupting additives such as plasticisers and flame retardants."
Photo: Karl Taylor Photography
Also read: Important new report plastic health
7 March 2019 /by Carina van Uffelen
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Karl_Taylor_PlasticPollution1.jpg 8700 11600 Carina van Uffelen https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PSFlogo_nieuw-PNG-300x142.png Carina van Uffelen2019-03-07 12:55:272019-03-12 14:29:19ZonMw starts pioneering research into the health risks associated with plastic
Scientific research into health risks of microplastics: Does plastic make us sick?
Start of scientific research into the health risks of microplastics: Does plastic make us sick?
Nieuwspoort, 22 March 2019 – Today, ZonMw, the Dutch organisation for health research and healthcare innovation, will launch fifteen unique research projects into the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on our health. This is the first scientific program in the world on this subject. A total of 1.6 million euros is being invested in the research projects.
Professor Dick Vethaak of Deltares, involved in four of the fifteen research projects, explains: "Microplastics spread easily via water and wind, resulting in a worldwide problem; they are present everywhere in our environment like a kind of grey mist.
We are constantly exposed to small plastic particles via our food, drink or through breathing. What this means for our health, however, cannot yet be properly estimated. There are strong indications of possible health risks, but there are also many uncertainties and knowledge gaps."
Vethaak continues: "I am therefore delighted with this initiative from ZonMw and the involvement of the Plastic Soup Foundation. This is an initial exploratory study in which experts from various disciplines and sectors will work together. In particular, the collaboration between environmental scientists and medical specialists will be strong and unique. The Netherlands is taking the lead worldwide. I therefore have high expectations!"
The projects, which run for one year, address important questions such as:
How can microplastics enter our bodies?
What role does size, shape and composition play in this?
Could plastic in the environment be a source of diseases and infections since certain bacteria seem to thrive on plastic?
Can our immune system cope with plastic, or are we more likely to suffer inflammation and infections because of it?
How deep does microplastic penetrate into our bodies? Does it affect our brains? Is it harmful to unborn children?
Dr. Heather Leslie of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and involved in three of the projects, says: "If plastic particles can lead to chronic inflammation, that could mean the first step towards a whole series of chronic diseases. That is why we urgently need to investigate how many plastic particles from our consumer society penetrate the human body."
The first interim results will be presented on 3 October, during a Plastic & Health conference in Amsterdam.
ZonMw emphasises that the funding of these fifteen projects is only the beginning. One year is not long enough to obtain all the answers. Henk Smid, director of ZonMw, sees great potential in these studies and so also hopes that further long-term investigations will be possible. "The Netherlands has a leading position worldwide in scientific research into microplastics and this should be further expanded as quickly as possible."
Communication on the various pilot projects and possible (interim) results will be done by The Plastic Health Coalition – an initiative of the Plastic Soup Foundation. Working together in this coalition are various national and international environmental and research organisations which are concerned about or concerned with the effects of (micro) plastic on our health.
Plastic Test Lab
In addition to the 15 research projects, the first results of the Plastic Test Lab are also being presented today, a collaboration between the Plastic Soup Foundation and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
Maria Westerbos, director of the Plastic Soup Foundation: "We have had three cosmetics products tested for the presence of plastic particles and the results are alarming. The absolute disillusion is the anti-wrinkle day cream from Olaz. In one 50 ml jar the VU found no less than 1.5 million plastic particles. Every time I use this product, I therefore close the wrinkles on my face with 90,000 particles. In addition, HEMA lipstick No.06 is made of plastic, and so is the Essie glitter nail polish from L'Oréal."
Westerbos continues: "Tests such as these fit seamlessly with the fifteen research projects of ZonMw. This gives us more insight into how microplastics can enter our body unimpeded and unintentionally."
Microplastics & Health program page
Overview of the 15 research projects
The Plastic Test Lab results, with product photos
22 February 2019 /by Carina van Uffelen
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/baby-vierkant.png 1000 1333 Carina van Uffelen https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PSFlogo_nieuw-PNG-300x142.png Carina van Uffelen2019-02-22 13:45:442019-03-22 14:05:24Scientific research into health risks of microplastics: Does plastic make us sick?
Plasticizers in plastic slow down baby's language development
Amsterdam, 9 November 2018 – In order to make hard plastic products, firming substances such as Bisphenol A (BPA) are used. To make plastic soft and pliable, on the other hand, plasticizers such as phthalates are used. Both groups of chemicals are suspected to disrupt our endocrine system. Everyone, young and old, is constantly exposed to these chemicals and not just because of plastic products. Exposure to endocrine disruptors is associated with approximately eighty diseases, including testicular cancer, obesity and reproductive disorders.
One more study can be added to the series of studies that highlight the harmfulness of these substances. Swedish and American researchers have examined urine of pregnant women for the presence of phthalates. The results were related to the vocabulary of their children when they were 30 months old. A vocabulary of less than 50 words was considered a delay in language development. On both sides of the Atlantic a significant association was found between the presence of two specific phthalates and language deficiency. CNN reported on this research.
The fact that especially pregnant women are at risk, is known for much longer. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands concluded in a report that the exposure standards for BPA should be strengthened. Exposure to BPA should be brought down, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Instead of tougher legislation, in March 2016 the then Minister of Public Health Edith Schippers (VVD) made with the commitment to the House of Parliament that the information given to pregnant women and young mothers who are breastfeeding would be extended. This was to be done in collaboration with RIVM, the Nutrition Centre and VeiligheidNL.
The Swedish and American researchers also make some recommendations to avoid risks: "Buy less processed meat, use alternatives to plastic when possible, and avoid microwaving food or beverages in plastic when possible". The results of their study emphasise the importance of information. Has the public information indeed improved in the Netherlands after the commitment made by the Minister?
The VeiligheidNL website does not offer any information. Nutrition Centre says that "it is important that the exposure to BPA is as low as possible for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, new-borns and young children ". But also: "if you look at all the products (containing BPA) together, the amount you ingest as a consumer is far below the current health limit." RIVM has extended their information in 2017, but the advice to prevent high intake of possible endocrine disruptors, are extremely poor and general. They read as an open door: "eat varied, use products according to the instructions and avoid situations in which you ingest the same substances for a long time."
Pregnant women need to make do with this information. A number of questions over the telephone teach us that Child health care centres provide no specific information about avoiding exposure to BPA or phthalates. Denmark shows us that better information can be provided. How things are handled there, is summarized in a Wemos report.
In 2016, Minister of Public Health Schippers chose for better information instead of stricter legislation. The conclusion can be no other than that this information did not get off the ground. It is all the more important that the recommendations in the National Plan Endocrine Disruptors in a Circular Economy. This plan, drawn up by Wemos and supported by, among others, the Plastic Soup Foundation and Stichting Tegengif was presented to Dutch Parliament September last.
Also read: Hospitals must become BPA-free.
9 November 2018 /by Plastic Soup Foundation
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Schermafbeelding-2018-11-08-om-17.26.21.png 326 412 Plastic Soup Foundation https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PSFlogo_nieuw-PNG-300x142.png Plastic Soup Foundation2018-11-09 12:14:512018-11-09 12:14:51Plasticizers in plastic slow down baby's language development
Acties, actions frontpage, Plastic Health Coalition
The Plastic Health Coalition
Plastic is not only a serious threat to the environment, but perhaps also to our health. We eat, drink and breathe plastic, allowing tiny particles of plastic to penetrate our body. We already know that the chemicals added to plastic can be slightly to very harmful to our body. There seems to be a connection with fertility problems, language development disorders, cancer, obesity and ADHD. But we cannot say this for sure. Therefore: how dangerous is plastic? What are the possible consequences for our health?
We are seriously concerned.
For this reason, the Plastic Soup Foundation, together with leading scientists, frontrunners and changemakers, has taken the initiative to create a new alliance: The Plastic Health Coalition. In this coalition various national and international environmental and research organisations have joined forces, all dealing with the effects of (micro)plastics on our health. This way we want to achieve that more scientific research into the effects of plastic on our health is initiated as soon as possible. We also want to see what we can actually do to prevent plastic ending up in our bodies and to find possible solutions.
Fifteen studies
One of the first projects is to stimulate scientific research. ZonMw, the organisation for health research in the Netherlands, has given researchers the opportunity to submit research proposals. On the 22th of March 2019, scientists working on 15 ground-breaking projects have been given the green light. Thanks to funding by NWO, the Netherlands organisation for scientific research, the Gieskes-Strijbis Fund and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, they can start important research into the effects of micro-and nanoplastics on our health. Worldwide, this has not been done before.
All research projects focus on a number of important questions:
– how can plastic particles penetrate the body?
– what is the role of size, shape and composition?
– do (harmful) microorganisms that attach themselves to plastics have an effect, and if so, where in the body could health effects occur?
On the website of the Plastic Health Coalition, the Plastic Soup Foundation will report everything that occurs in relation with plastic and health. So look here for the latest news!
The international committee that has reviewed the research proposals, stresses that these 15 projects are only the beginning. A year is not long enough to find all the answers. The committee sees great potential in these projects and hopes that long-term follow-up studies will be made possible. Worldwide, the Netherlands has a leading position in scientific research into microplastics and, according to the committee, this should be further developed.
In addition, over the next three years the Plastic Soup Foundation, in collaboration with the Free University of Amsterdam (VU), will test everyday products for the presence of plastic and harmful substances that are added to plastic. Examples are: anti-wrinkle cream, lipstick, nail polish, bottled mineral water, microwave meals, and plastic tea bags. The results will be published in the Plastic Test Lab on the website of the Plastic Health Coalition.
Would you like to take action yourself, for example by reducing your own plastic footprint and making sure you ingest as little plastic as possible? Then start the Plastic Diet today!
For more information visit www.plastichealthcoalition.org. This website will soon also be available in Dutch.
28 January 2019 /by Plastic Soup Foundation
Extensive loss of pellets at sea remains without sanctions
17 January 2019 /by Laura Díaz Sánchez
The ultimate plastic diet to reduce your plastic footprint
1 November 2018 /by Carina van Uffelen
"ViS Detachering" will be a new Silver Business Angel of the Plastic Soup Foundation
All/Animal cruelty/What is plastic soup?/What to do with plastic waste?
2 June 2017 /by Alex Ditvoorst
30 December 2014 /by Alex Ditvoorst
22 March 2019 /by Eric Seleky
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Our NPV rule says that if a project has a positive NPV, it is financially viable. The NPV rule does not say that the project needs to be undertaken immediately. As many creative professionals have shown before, the NPV of a project can be magnified just by waiting for sometime before you execute it.
Consider the case of a building construction. You have conducted your analysis and it shows that given the cash inflows and outflows listed on your schedule, the project is a good bet. Does that mean you should execute it immediately? Well, this wouldn't be the case if you found out additional information.
What if you found out that the government was about to declare an area near your proposed building site to be a "tax-free zone" for corporations. You would obviously expect a lot of companies to set up their shop there and this would increase the property prices, isn't it?
So, a positive NPV does not mean that the project should be executed immediately. Any project always has two implicit options. One is to execute it right away and the other is to execute it at a later date. Many times projects with negative NPV turn around positive in a few years. The real task of the financial manager therefore is to be aware of this information that could affect their project and look into the future. What is in the present can be easily seen and discounted even by a computer!
Many times companies are faced with this decision regarding whether or not they must re-engineer the way in which they operate. This may include shutting down for a few days and then re-opening with completely different equipment, processes etc. These projects are usually viewed by financial managers as an all or nothing game. They will calculate the NPV for the entire project as a whole before they make a decision.
Now, creative financial managers on the other hand realize that it doesn't have to be an all or nothing game. They pick and choose parts of the project and work out with combinations. They will try and find out if it is in the best interest to execute the entire project now or would executing 25% at a time for the next 4 years lead to a higher NPV.
The real point here is that the goal is to maximize the NPV. There will be given scenarios which are known to everyone. The trick is to think about the project in terms of time, partial implementation etc which are not the scenarios people would commonly think of. Like in all other professions, a good financial manager is a creative financial manager. He/she will find ways and means of maximizing the NPV.


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Patronyme
Classement par ordre alphabétique du prénom
 Jean Moutschen, (1907-1965), est un architecte belge ;
 Joseph Moutschen, (1895-1977), est un architecte et urbaniste moderniste belge ;

Homonymie
Homonymie de patronyme

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia