Microplastics in the Ocean are More Abundant than Previously Thought

A new study from the Plymouth Marine Institute in the U.K. has found that the amount of microplastics in our oceans is much higher than previously thought. Scientists trawled off the coast of Maine in the U.S. and the coast of Plymouth in the U.K. and used mesh nets in sizes of 100 microns (0.1mm), 333 microns and 500 microns. Scientists found 2.5 times more particles in the smallest 100-micron net than in the 333-micron nets usually used in microplastic studies. Both U.S. and U.K. coasts had similar results, which suggests that other, populated coasts would have similar results.

The estimate of marine microplastic concentration could currently be vastly underestimated…Using an extrapolation, we suggest microplastic concentrations could exceed 3,700 particles per cubic meter – that’s far more than the number of zooplankton you would find…”

Professor Pennie Lindeque, Plymouth Marine Institute

Related: How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

The majority of microplastics found in this study were textiles fibers from ropes, nets, synthetic clothing, and other plastic laden fibers. It’s unclear how many microplastics are in the ocean (scientists estimated there were from 15 and 51 trillion individual pieces in the oceans in 2014), but it’s clear that we haven’t even begun to truly measure those numbers.

FDA Stops Bill Gates COVID-19 Testing Program

The FDA halted coronavirus testing started by Bill Gates and Seattle health officials pending further review. Gates’ program was sending testing kits to people’s homes in an attempt to achieve the level of testing the government says is necessary to safely begin reopening the country. Seattle health officials say the FDA asked them to halt testing to receive additional authorizations, but Seattle health officials say their testing procedures are safe.

Image: Bill Gates during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

Related: How Plumbing (Not Vaccines) Eradicated Disease

The FDA has said they are concerned about the accuracy of at-home tests, whereas Bill Gates has said at-home testing “could help improve the understanding of the outbreak.” The Hill reported on this saying:

The pause is emblematic of the fractured national response to the coronavirus, with federal officials proposing guidelines but leaving much of the implementation and administration of tests to states and localities.

FDA halts Bill Gates coronavirus testing program -The Hill

A Coronavirus Vaccine Won’t Save Us

William Hasteline, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and human genome projects researcher has said that we “should not count” on a vaccine to save the population from COVID-19. Due to the nature of the coronavirus, it is unlikely that a vaccine will help. Sars-COV2 is a virus like the common cold that can mutate, and for this reason it is difficult to create an effective vaccine. Hasteline is not the first to point out that a vaccine is likely not a solution to the pandemic.

William Haseltine, a groundbreaking researcher of cancer, HIV/AIDS and human genome projects, said the better approach now is to manage the disease through careful tracing of infections and strict isolation measures whenever it starts spreading.

Top HIV scientist says he wouldn’t count on a vaccine for coronavirus soon– Reuters

Hasteline has said that those who have been exposed to the virus should be social distancing and isolating. China and other Asian countries have done the best at flattening the curve, and the US, Russia, and Brazil have been among the worst.

Johnson and Johnson Discontinue the Sale of Talc-Based Baby Powder in U.S. and Canada

Johnson and Johnson announced on Tuesday that they would no longer be selling its talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada. In an official statement, the company cited decreasing sales due to misinformation as the reason for the discontinuation.

Demand for talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in North America has been declining due in large part to changes in consumer habits and fueled by misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising.”

Johnson and Johnson

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

The company’s talc-based baby powder has been the subject of more than 19,000 lawsuits and intense scrutiny after investigative reports, trial testimonies, internal company records, and other evidence found that Johnson and Johnson knew the product contained asbestos. The evidence found tests proving small amounts of asbestos were in the company’s baby powder from 1971 to as recently as the early 2000s. There is also a federal criminal investigation into Johnson and Johnson’s lack of transparency in regard to the asbestos issue.

Johnson and Johnson’s decision to drop talc-based baby powder from its North American profile has also been influenced by COVID-19 concerns. The company is choosing to focus on more high-demand in an effort to make social distancing easier, although they are still planning to sell the talc-based baby powder in other markets internationally.

New Study Shows the Importance of Gut Health for Fighting COVID-19

Typically, patients with coronavirus exhibit symptoms such as fevers, coughs, difficulty breathing, and other similar respiratory problems. However, a new study has shown that your gut health plays a larger role in determining how COVID-19 effects you than previously thought. The molecule in our body that the virus targets is present both in our lungs and our gastrointestinal tract, this explains why many patients show gastrointestinal symptoms as opposed to respiratory systems.

Why do symptoms in your gut mean you might get a worse case of COVID-19? It’s likely that the composition of your microbiome – the millions of bacteria and other organisms that usually live in our gastrointestinal tract – is a critical part of how an individual responds to COVID-19.

WHY YOUR MICROBIOME MATTERS

Related: How to Eliminate IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut

Previous studies have shown that less than 4% of COVID-19 cases showed gastrointestinal symptoms but this study indicates that it could be closer to 11% of patients, while some studies have shown that the rate of gastrointestinal symptoms could be as high as 60%. The study also showed that those with gastrointestinal problems often have a more difficult time recovering from the virus.

Having a healthy gut is the best thing you can do to avoid getting sick. Read this article to learn how to heal the gut naturally.

New Plant-Based Plastic Bottles Are Biodegradeable And Supported by Coca-Cola

Dutch company Avantium is in the process of developing a biodegradable plastic bottle made from plant sugars, rather than fossil fuels. Several major beverage companies like Carlsberg, Coca-cola, and Danone have already expressed support for the project, and Avantium’s chief executive, Tom van Aken, will reveal other partnerships during the summer. The plastic bottles could potentially reach shelves in 2023.

This plastic has very attractive sustainability credentials because it uses no fossil fuels, and can be recycled – but would also degrade in nature much faster than normal plastics do,”

Tom van Aken, Chief executive of Avantium

Avantium uses polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), a bio-based plastic derived corn, wheat, or beet sugars and plans to source materials from biowaste in the future. The bottles are recyclable and may be compostable under certain conditions. Trials found the plant plastic would decompose in a composter in one year, and in a few years longer in normal outdoor conditions.

Sources:

Tesla Reopens Almeda County Plant

Tesla is set to restart full production in California this week after telling employees that they have the county’s full approval to start working again.

This is after Tesla founder Elon Musk reportedly sued Alameda county for claiming that they did not have the criteria to reopen. Musk threatened to move his Tesla base to Texas or Nevada where they would be allowed to work. The county has since approved Tesla’s work plan and safety measures.

Tesla’s vice president for environmental, health, and safety, Laurie Shelby, told employees that, following a visit by local authorities, “we have local support to get back to full production at the factory starting this upcoming week.”

Tesla Tells Employees It Has County Approval to Reopen Plant

Elon Musk tweeted out that he would be on the line with workers when production starts back up. Musk has also been very vocal about his disagreements with the virus restrictions through twitter.