Month: April 2024

Manifestations of Anti-Asian Xenophobia in the COVID-19 Era: On a Scale From Avoidance to Discrimination

Latest Results

Abstract

This study delves into the escalation of xenophobia amid the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing data obtained from an online survey conducted with Asians and Asian Americans (n = 333) in Western New York, United States. The findings illustrate that people of Chinese or Asian descent encountered diverse manifestations of xenophobic attitudes during the pandemic and implemented individual and/or collective coping mechanisms. The study introduces a severity scale to understand and classify various xenophobic manifestations and experiences, ranging from subtly biased conduct to more harmful overt actions. The initial phases of xenophobic expressions involve deliberate avoidance of racialized individuals, such as changing seats on the bus, and verbal antagonism, such as making inappropriate jokes. These experiences were prevalent, particularly among Asians within the sample. Subsequent phases of the scale outline progressively severe manifestations of xenophobia, culminating in the denial of fundamental rights like housing and employment, along with instances of physical harassment. Ultimately, the study underscores how these xenophobic encounters may contribute to a diminished sense of belonging within American society for individuals who were subjected to xenophobic expressions. By shedding light on the various forms and intensities of xenophobia experienced by people who are perceived as Asians and attacked during the pandemic, this research enhances our understanding of diverse forms of xenophobic behavior and the implications of such incidents on individuals’ perceptions of their belonging and social inclusion.

Grey Zone Healers and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chechnya, Russia

Latest Results

Abstract

The Chechen authorities’ focus upon population health is enacted both through the principles of Islamic medicine and approved biomedical practices. Any healing practices beyond these domains are met with deep suspicion. Practitioners of unofficial complementary and alternative medicine healers may abruptly find themselves regarded as enemies of the state. In light of this precarious circumstance, it becomes pertinent to inquire: How do these healers employ their daily tactics to negotiate the intricate power dynamics between the formidable state apparatus and the established biomedical order? Drawing from our meticulous fieldwork conducted in the year 2021, we investigated the intricate tactics employed by unofficial healers in the Chechen medical landscape during COVID-19. Our research centred on discerning the nuanced tactics aimed at mitigating potential risks. We conclude that healers, having embodied tactics to creatively manoeuvre within the confines of the authoritarian state, perceived the challenges posed by COVID-19 as merely another, often inconsequential, obstacle in their enduring struggle.

Worldwide divergence of values

Latest Results

Abstract

Social scientists have long debated the nature of cultural change in a modernizing and globalizing world. Some scholars predicted that national cultures would converge by adopting social values typical of Western democracies. Others predicted that cultural differences in values would persist or even increase over time. We test these competing predictions by analyzing survey data from 1981 to 2022 (n = 406,185) from 76 national cultures. We find evidence of global value divergence. Values emphasizing tolerance and self-expression have diverged most sharply, especially between high-income Western countries and the rest of the world. We also find that countries with similar per-capita GDP levels have held similar values over the last 40 years. Over time, however, geographic proximity has emerged as an increasingly strong correlate of value similarity, indicating that values have diverged globally but converged regionally.

Toward a critical theory of social–ecological resilience: Maize and cattle in Southern Province, Zambia

Latest Results

Abstract

Climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers throughout the global South. In order to address the challenges these farmers face, researchers and practitioners need reasonable theoretical models of how humans and the environment interact within social–ecological systems (SES). Social–ecological resilience theory has proved to be a popular model for understanding human environment relationships within SES; however, the theory lacks a sophisticated understanding of power, relying instead on outdated functionalist sociological approaches. We reconstruct social–ecological resilience theory through a case study of smallholder climate change adaptation in Southern Province, Zambia. Farmers in the region focus on cattle and maize production. Though the changing environment would seem to favor different crops and livestock, institutional (power) dynamics determine whether or not individuals have the capacity (or desire) to adapt. Our critical reconstruction provides researchers and practitioners with an improved social–ecological lens for understanding the causes and consequences of vulnerability and adaptation.

Risk assessment of agricultural green water security in Northeast China under climate change

Latest Results

Abstract

Northeast China is an important base for grain production, dominated by rain-fed agriculture that relies on green water. However, in the context of global climate change, rising regional temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increasing drought frequency pose threats and challenges to agricultural green water security. This study provides a detailed assessment of the spatiotemporal characteristics and development trends of green water security risks in the Northeast region under the base period (2001–2020) and the future (2031–2090) climate change scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) using the green water scarcity (GWS) index based on raster-scale crop spatial distribution data, Delta downscaling bias-corrected ERA5 data, and CMIP6 multimodal data. During the base period, the green water risk-free zone for dry crops is mainly distributed in the center and east of the Northeast region (72.4% of the total area), the low-risk zone is primarily located in the center (14.0%), and the medium-risk (8.3%) and high-risk (5.3%) zones are mostly in the west. Under SSP245 and SSP585 future climate change scenarios, the green water security risk shows an overall expansion from the west to the center and east, with the low-risk zone increasing to 21.6% and 23.8%, the medium-risk zone increasing to 16.0% and 17.9%, and the high-risk zone increasing to 6.9% and 6.8%, respectively. Considering dry crops with GWS greater than 0.1 as in need of irrigation, the irrigated area increases from 27.6% (base period) to 44.5% (SSP245) and 48.6% (SSP585), with corresponding increases in irrigation water requirement (IWR) of 4.64 and 5.92 billion m3, respectively, which further exacerbates conflicts between supply and demand of agricultural water resources. In response to agricultural green water security risks, coping strategies such as evapotranspiration (ET)-based water resource management for dry crops and deficit irrigation are proposed. The results of this study can provide scientific basis and decision support for the development of Northeast irrigated agriculture and the construction planning of the national water network.

Gigantopithecus blacki extinction and human threats to Tapanuli orangutans: lessons from past and present challenges

Latest Results

Abstract

Background

This letter explores the historical challenges faced by Gigantopithecus blacki, a colossal ape, during the Pleistocene period in southern China, emphasizing its extinction approximately 300,000 years ago due to climate change. Main body: Drawing parallels, the research sheds light on the imminent threat to Tapanuli orangutans in Southeast Asia, underscoring the role of human intervention. The paradox emerges as Homo sapiens, despite claiming wisdom, becomes a significant threat through climate change and deforestation, exacerbated by the dissemination of scientific misinformation. Conclusion: The text urges humanity to reorient its development, emphasizing the need for responsible environmental stewardship to ensure a sustainable and balanced future for both Earth and its primate inhabitants.

High-resolution meteorology with climate change impacts from global climate model data using generative machine learning

Latest Results

Abstract

As renewable energy generation increases, the impacts of weather and climate on energy generation and demand become critical to the reliability of the energy system. However, these impacts are often overlooked. Global climate models (GCMs) can be used to understand possible changes to our climate, but their coarse resolution makes them difficult to use in energy system modelling. Here we present open-source generative machine learning methods that produce meteorological data at a nominal spatial resolution of 4 km at an hourly frequency based on inputs from 100 km daily-average GCM data. These methods run 40 times faster than traditional downscaling methods and produce data that have high-resolution spatial and temporal attributes similar to historical datasets. We demonstrate that these methods can be used to downscale projected changes in wind, solar and temperature variables across multiple GCMs including projections for more frequent low-wind and high-temperature events in the Eastern United States.