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Nature or Nurture? Unraveling the Complexity of People-Pleasing Behavior
Category Archives: environmental
Minnesota Court Upholds Amish Religious Freedom in Gray Water Disposal Case
In a significant victory for religious freedom, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that members of a profoundly conservative Amish community in the state are not required to install septic systems to dispose of “gray water.” The decision comes after a long legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court, highlighting the delicate balance between religious rights and state regulations.
Background:
The Swartzentruber Amish, known for their adherence to traditional practices, reside in southeastern Minnesota. Their religious beliefs emphasize simplicity and a commitment to living separate from the modern world. One aspect of their way of life involves avoiding unnecessary contact with government-imposed systems, such as electricity and modern plumbing.
The Gray Water Disposal Case:
The dispute arose when the Amish families challenged state regulations concerning the disposal of gray water, which includes wastewater from dishwashing, laundry, and bathing but not toilet waste. The government argued that septic systems were necessary for public health and environmental reasons. However, the court ruled that the state failed to demonstrate a “compelling state interest” that justified overriding the Amish families’ religious freedom.
Religious Freedom and the U.S. Supreme Court:
This case gained national attention when it reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 2021 ruling, Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged the Swartzentruber Amish as one of the most traditional Amish groups in the country. The Supreme Court’s decision in a separate religious freedom case involving a Catholic foster care agency in Philadelphia influenced the reconsideration of the Amish case. In the foster care case, the court ruled in favor of the agency, stating that its religious views prevented it from working with same-sex couples.
Some notable religious freedom cases that have reached the U.S. Supreme Court include Employment Division v. Smith (1990), Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores (2014), and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018).
Significance of the Ruling:
The Minnesota Court of Appeals’ ruling marks a significant victory for religious freedom and recognizes the unique cultural and religious practices of the Swartzentruber Amish. By allowing these families to abstain from installing septic systems, the court acknowledges their religious beliefs and the need to balance them against state regulations.
Impact on Religious Freedom:
This case sets an important precedent by highlighting the importance of accommodating religious beliefs while considering the state’s interests. It reaffirms the constitutional protection of religious freedom and demonstrates that compelling state interests must be demonstrated to justify potential infringements on religious practices.
Conclusion:
The Minnesota Court of Appeals’ decision in the Swartzentruber Amish gray water disposal case represents a victory for religious freedom. By recognizing the deeply conservative Amish community’s religious beliefs and exempting them from installing septic systems, the court strikes a delicate balance between religious rights and public health concerns. This ruling emphasizes the importance of upholding the First Amendment and respecting the diverse religious practices within our society while considering compelling state interests.
Cited Works
Recovered Memory Project » 2011 » June. https://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/2011/06/
Uber Banned in Colombia: What Happened & Alternative Rideshare Apps. https://medellinliving.com/uber-banned-colombia-alternative-rideshare-apps/
Kentucky’s Contract With Baptist-Affiliated Children’s Agency Remains in Limbo | Christian News Now. https://christiannewsnow.com/kentuckys-contract-with-baptist-affiliated-childrens-agency-remains-in-limbo/
Did you know that15 minutes of mental health hygiene can change your whole day?
Incorporating a daily stress-relief exercise into your routine not only helps you feel better now, but research suggests that it may also enhance your overall well-being in the future.
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The cleanliness is seen in the reduction of cortisol levels, which is the primary stress hormone. When you begin with a clear, peaceful mind, you have a calm reference point to which you may look back when things become tough. The goal, according to mental health consultant David Sawyer, is to establish a baseline sensation that will help you feel better while you go about your daily activities. In his words, it is only a matter of learning to handle and nourish that inner space with awareness.
Daily writing and trying various hobbies might assist you in identifying what activities make you feel the most tranquil and stress-relieved in the long run. According to psychologist Tom Sawyer, you may begin to seek to check in with your mental state at increasingly frequent intervals during the day. Sawyer recommends including some kind of low-impact physical exercise into your schedule at least three days a week, such as walking, riding, or yoga. If you can, schedule some time at the end of the day to wind down and relax, he recommends. Step away from screens and decompress, he advises.
Do you know that contaminated raw oysters was connected to the norovirus?
Restaurants and shops are being warned not to serve or sell possibly contaminated raw oysters connected to a norovirus epidemic that has affected at least 91 people in more than a dozen states in the United States and 279 more in Canada.
Raw oysters collected in British Columbia, Canada, were distributed in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, according to a report published Wednesday by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Raw oysters have been connected to a multi-state norovirus epidemic. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 91 norovirus cases have been recorded from those 13 states. The CDC stated that several of the ill persons admitted to eating raw oysters during interviews with state and local public health authorities. 29 Minnesota residents were sick after eating raw oysters at Travail Kitchen on March 20. Since then, the restaurant has discontinued selling Stellar Bay Gold oysters. Officials in Washington state stated Tuesday that 26 persons have reported norovirus-like symptoms after eating British Columbia oysters since March 7. The FDA notes that if these oysters were shipped to other states, they may have been transmitted to other states as well. Officials at the federal and state levels are attempting to eradicate them from the food supply. According to Canadian public health experts, 279 instances of norovirus and gastrointestinal disease have been connected to British Columbia oysters, as well as those from Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Between mid-January and late January, those affected fell ill, with no fatalities recorded. Oysters eaten raw may induce disease, particularly in persons with weakened immune systems. Norovirus-contaminated food may seem, smell, and taste normal. Norovirus infects and sickens humans 12 to 48 hours after infection, with symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach discomfort, fever, headache, and body pains. While the majority of individuals recover without treatment, norovirus infection may cause severe dehydration and even death in certain people—the very young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Norovirus is the most common cause of food-borne disease in the United States, accounting for over 2,500 outbreaks each year. Apart from ingesting contaminated food or drink, individuals may get the norovirus through coming into contact with other sick individuals, touching contaminated surfaces, or putting unwashed hands in their mouths. The stomach flu is sometimes referred to as the stomach norovirus, despite the fact that the sickness has nothing to do with the flu, which is caused by the influenza virus.
Di you know that study finds microplastics in blood?
It is possible that microplastics are present in food. We have all heard about how micro-plastics are becoming more prevalent in the food that we consume. Those microscopic particles have now made their way into our bloodstreams.
The bloodstream of an individual may include microplastics. Scientists from the Netherlands claim to have discovered microplastics in the blood, and they believe that they are on their way to human organs as well.
Several studies have been conducted on various types of drinking bottles. According to the findings of the study, which was published in the Journal Environmental International, the researchers discovered the plastics in 80 percent of the participants who participated in the study. Approximately half of them had polymers used in beverage bottles and a third contained polystyrene, which is used in Styrofoam.
According to them, this is the first time this has ever occurred during their testing. These plastic particles, according to the researchers, might enter our systems via food, air, water, toothpaste, or even lip gloss products.
Coronavirus infections are rising in North America
“If you’re not going to assist, get out of the way of folks trying to do the right thing,” Biden added. The Pan American Health Organization has issued a warning that coronavirus infections are rising in North America. Because of the outbreak of illnesses, Obama’s staff had to postpone his 60th birthday celebration. COVID-19 has infected at least 617,000 Indigenous people, with almost 15,000 of them dying.
References
Zika Virus: Pregnant Women Advised to Avoid Rio Olympics …. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/impacting-travel/zika-virus-pregnant-women-advised-to-avoid-rio-olympics.html
US vaccination rates increase alongside spread of Delta variant,https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/8/4/us-vaccination-rates-increase-alongside-spread-delta-variant
Working in public health
Those working in public health are concerned that state and federal policies fail to protect the most vulnerable. According to public health authorities, the overwhelming majority of Americans now dying from Covid-19 are not vaccinated. People who do not wish to get vaccinated remain vulnerable in California, even though the state has one of the world’s highest per capita immunization rates. Additionally, when society returns to pre-pandemic levels of activity, public health authorities report an increase in the number of fatalities caused by coronaviruses. Unvaccinated individuals in the United States are now less likely to contact infected people as the number of cases declines.
However, their chances of contracting Covid-19 if they come into contact with someone infected with the Delta virus or another very infectious version have increased compared to last year. The government has said that it has no intentions to remove all prohibitions on public venues, including grocery shops and pharmacies, at this time. “We have strike balance between our desire to return to a normal condition and compassion for those who have been left behind or injured,” she added. ” Public health authorities in the county of Los Angeles have issued a recommendation that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should wear face masks when inside. Making masks is very simple – and it is extremely successful,” Fielding-Miller said.
Resource
Threat to vulnerable Americans rises as Delta variant spreads. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/01/delta-variant-us-coronavirus-us-vulnerable
Lesson plan: The history of vaccination – and opposition …. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons-plans/lesson-plan-the-history-of-vaccination-and-opposition-to-it/
Mental fatigue
“The collective way many people in the United States may feel now probably indicates mental fatigue,” said Stephen O’Connor, a clinical psychologist and head of the National Mental Health Suicide Prevention Research Program. “There’s a difference between being alone and feeling alone,” said John Draper, executive director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Here are some ways experts say you can be here for your loved ones, even if you can’t be there. It is possible to notice signs that someone is going through a difficult period, even if you do not interact in person, experts said.
Regular video calls can give you “eyes on the spot,” said Dan Reidenberg, CEO of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. Reidenberg recommended asking targeted questions about the person’s behavior and home life if you feel that you cannot observe enough. It’s also important to pay attention to the “absence of things,” said Nadine Kaslow, a psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. If people ignore your phone calls and text messages and don’t post on social media as often as they used to, or refuse invitations to virtual holidays, Kaslow said it’s potentially a sign.
Standardize mental health conversations
Although one of the “silver linings” makes it more acceptable to talk about mental health, some people still find it challenging to open up, Kaslow said. “Everyone is kind of stressed out and burned out, so they don’t have the kind of mental resources to get involved,” said Kaslow, a former president of the American Psychological Association. Talking about mental health should be similar to asking people about their physical health, said Doreen Marshall, vice president of missionary involvement at the American Suicide Prevention Foundation. “We have to do the same thing about mental health conversations and say, ‘Hey, I’m watching you.’
Don’t be afraid to ask about self-harm or suicide.
Many people are reluctant to ask someone directly if they have been thinking about self-harm, Draper said. They may be afraid that he will cause insult or that he will put the idea in that person’s head.
Stay connected and watch
“A physical feeling, such as comfort, safety, and security, when someone is anxious and happy: ‘Oh, this is the person who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that I am safe. And they’re literally across the table, “Singer said. Even if you can’t be physical with someone who is having a hard time, there are many ways to remind them that they still have strong ties to the people who care for them, Draper said.
Reference:
How to talk to loved ones when you’re worried about their mental health. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/mental-health-suicide-help-covid/2020/11/30/af45a7a6-2e88-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html
Indoor behaviors do not all bear the same degree of risk, health experts say
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these indoor behaviors are far more dangerous indoors during the pandemic. More than 60 positive coronavirus cases were connected to one spin studio last month in Hamilton, Ontario. Indoor behaviors do not all bear the same degree of risk, health experts say. The airflow, which can be controlled by air quality expert Richard Corsi, is a critical indoor variable. Some gyms and indoor sports facilities have upgraded air filtration systems and security cleaning plans. In the U.S., 8 out of 10 deaths associated with coronavirus were among people 65 and older. Vast indoor fields are less dangerous than big indoor gymnasiums or tennis courts with a few people playing far apart. Especially when sweating and heavy breathing are risky, exercise without social distance is risky. While the chances are small, the virus could be transmitted by handling equipment or picking up a ball. Spend less time running if you go to a gym or an indoor court.
Reference
Trump Has An Elevated Risk Of Severe COVID-19. But It …. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-has-an-elevated-risk-of-severe-covid-19-but-it-helps-to-be-the-president/
Vanuatu ‘s representative to the European Union made a political proposal
In December 2019, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Vanuatu’s representative to the European Union made a political proposal: to make environmental degradation a crime.
Vanuatu is a tiny island country in the South Pacific, a nation endangered by increasing sea levels. Global warming is an immediate and catastrophic problem in the region, and activities that triggered rising temperatures – such as the combustion of fossil fuels – has almost totally taken place abroad to satisfy other nations, with the blessing of state governments.
Small island states like Vanuatu have long sought to convince big, strong nations to voluntarily curb their pollution, but progress has been sluggish – Ambassador John Licht indicated that it might be time to change the legislation itself.
An enhancement to the Treaty, also known as the Rome Statute, developed by the International Criminal Court could criminalize ecocide-related actions, he said, adding that “this radical concept deserves serious debate.”
Reference
Ecocide: Should killing nature be a crime? – BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201105-what-is-ecocide
The Dantzler Report! 