05-02-2022

sAturdAy, FeBruAry 5, 2022
5
Women must be heard on climate
FionA HArvey
Women must be enabled to
play a greater role at the
Cop26 summit, as the needs
of women and girls are
being overlooked amid the
global climate crisis, a
coalition of feminist groups
has said.
The Global Women's
Assembly for Climate
Justice has laid out a call for
action at the UN general
assembly, including
demands that world leaders
meeting at Cop26, in
Glasgow this November,
must end fossil fuel
expansion and move to
100% renewable energy.
More than 120 groups
have signed the call, to be
presented at a six-day
online forum starting on
Saturday, which also
includes demands to
promote women's
leadership and equity,
protect the rights of
indigenous peoples,
improve food security,
recognise a human right to
water, and to protect
forests, oceans and other
ecosystems.
Osprey Orielle Lake, of
the Women's Earth and
Climate Action Network,
and convener of the
assembly, said: "Every day,
we can see for ourselves
forest fires burning, massive
flooding, extreme droughts,
people losing their
livelihoods and lives- - we
are in a global climate
emergency. "As the world
prepares for one of the most
important climate talks
since the Paris agreement,
we know solutions exist,
and that women are leading
the way."
She said Cop26 must
deliver a pathway to
limiting global heating to
1.5C, and help people
around the world -
particularly women and
children, who are often the
worst affected - build
resilience to the impacts of
the climate crisis.
"We need systemic
change," she added. "It's not
going to work if we just
barrel through another Cop
and nothing happens."
As women are responsible
in many countries for
gathering fuel, water and
food, they often suffer the
most when shortages are
caused or made worse by
the climate crisis. As they
are usually lacking land
rights, they are also more
likely to be displaced in
climate disasters. Studies
have also found the climate
crisis exacerbates genderbased
violence against
women.
Neema Namadamu,
founder of the Synergy of
Congolese Women's
Associations, from the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo, said: "I was born in
the forest, my whole being is
from the forest. Women are
on the frontline, working for
climate justice and affected
by climate change. We are
planting trees - without
trees there is no life. We
cook with fires and have
fires for light at night. We
really need to start working
together."
Many of the remedies to
the climate crisis would also
benefit women. For
instance, replacing cooking
fires with solar stoves would
reduce indoor air pollution
that affects women and
children more as they spend
more time at home.
Bringing clean renewable
energy to low-income
countries would enable
more women and girls to
gain access to education, as
without electricity they
often lack the means to
study after nightfall.
Mary Robinson, former
UN high commissioner for
human rights, former
president of Ireland and
chair of the Elders group of
world leaders, has long been
a critic of the lack of
women's representation at
Cops, the "conference of the
parties".
She said: "We need to
centre women and girls in
the climate context - women
need to be included at the
table. The UK promised the
most inclusive Cop, but it is
not. The Covid crisis has
exacerbated and cemented
gender inequality, and we
need to build on the gender
action plan [agreed at the
last Cop, in Madrid, in
2019]."
The Guardian revealed
last year that the UK as host
country was fielding an allmale
top team for Glasgow,
headed by the cabinet
minister and Cop president
Alok Sharma, with 10
ministers, civil servants and
other officials who were all
male. The government
came under heavy criticism
after the revelation, and
appointed Anne-Marie
Trevelyan, now trade
secretary, as a "champion"
to focus on climate
adaptation and resilience.
About 45% of the Cop26
unit are now women, but
almost all of the most senior
public-facing roles are taken
by men.
During the two-week
Cop26 summit, there will be
a day devoted to gender
issues, which will include a
discussion of the gender
action plan.
A Cop26 spokesperson
said: "Women and girls
have a critical role to play in
the fight against the climate
crisis - as decision-makers,
educators and advocates at
all levels. Progress is being
made, with women among
some of the most influential
figures in international
climate diplomacy today,
but there is more to be
done.
"The UK is committed to
championing diversity and
inclusivity throughout our
Cop26 presidency and
advancing gender equality
in climate action and
finance."
Dipti Bhatnagar, of
Friends of the Earth
International, said there
were concerns that women
from low-income countries
would face obstacles
coming to Glasgow, as
arrivals from red list
countries must quarantine
A workshop on gender and the climate crisis at the Bonn climate change conference in 2019.
Photo: Kiara Worth
in the UK.
The UK government is
running a pre-Cop
vaccination programme for
delegates and has pledged
to fund the required
quarantine stays for
registered attenders,
including party delegates,
observers and media from
the global south who would
otherwise find it difficult to
attend the conference.
However, Bhatnagar said:
"Cop26 going ahead in
person is very unsafe and
inequitable now. Many
organisations have
demanded the UK
government postpone."
AdnAAn JAmilee
We are in a transformative
phase of our professional
lives. Things would be
different than before, far from
our expectations. If you can't
evolve, you'll perish. Change
is the only thing we embrace,
except your monetary
increases! So, these words we,
the corporate-ers (mind my
neology) have become just
like our street fritters. Thanks
to the facebook memes for
making us not to "readunderstand-apply"
rather
"laugh-like-share". Boss isn't
a person, it's just a stage or
role in our professional lives.
You are perhaps thinking how
it might feel like being a boss
or how you should evolve
your boss-ness (again mind
my neology).
The Traditionalist. This
boss has been in your
company for years.
Traditionalists are not that
much receptive and inclined
to change things around
them. If you work with them,
be rather be receptive to
them because their ways are
proven to be in order and may
work pretty well. Be
constructive to them and
show respect whenever you
think that something's need
to change.
The Yeller. They think
shouting or talking down is
necessary to make things
move. The higher the volume,
the higher the commitment.
Particularly, with a lesser
operating team in a clientcentric
environment, it is seen
the bosses to be like the
yellers. If your boss is a yeller,
make sure you're following
the directions. Completing
your work in a timely manner
would save you. Don't take
the yelling personally. The
yellers forgot the next day.
Some hiring managers equate
screaming or yelling with
managerial skill. All in all,
yellers just want to know that
they're being heard, and they
want recognition.
The God Boss. This
megalomaniac personality
are proclaimed by their office
rooms, chairs and other
belongings - hereinafter
called 'gold plates'. They
might even have a separate
washroom in the common
zone. He might ask you to go
and stand in a queue to pay
his child's school fees.
Whatever you ask, they would
refer to the gold plates and
how difficulty they have
achieved. So, how would you
get along with them? Get
some humor, follow his rules
and remember, they never
control your mind.
The Paranoid. The
paranoid boss is outright
suspicious of everyone's
motives. Anything anyone
does could be an attempt to
undermine him. This boss'
feelings of inadequacy will
clearly end up interfering in
what's best for the company
and his employees. What you
can do? Reassure him, and
always be honest and
forthright.
The Eerie. This
intimidating person is
A not to understand
your bosses!
A peek into how to manage the bosses at your office. Photo: Collected
sometimes worse than a
yeller. His lens can't be read.
You would think they would
not last long, this might not
be the case right away. So, you
can confront gently with
proper justifications and if
you fail, look for options
elsewhere.
The Fusspot. Everything
you do has something wrong
with it. It can be the smallest
detail, but this boss will make
changes to your work, simply
because they can. People
mistakenly consider them as
perfectionist. Plan your
conversation, make it short,
be neutral in expression so
you can't be read to argue
your case, while making sure
your boss feels comfortable
and passive. Learn to
compromise.
The Buddy. They want their
character to be well-liked and
accepted to all. They'd have
longer call lists; love to hang
out and would even share
their lunch with you. You can
better your work-life balance,
if you're lucky to have such
bosses. Make sure your
responsibilities are not
slacked off for this
"friendliness". Let them be
friendly to you, appreciate
them, but be professional.
The Underqualified.
Remember, ability has no
school. The term may seem to
be derogative, but might
result in practical wonders.
They might be not that
educated to you, but they
might know the job more
profoundly and people may
remember them for their
skills, not academic
credentials. If they are new to
something you know really
well, help bring them up to
speed. They'll remember you
for it and may end up as your
great boss.
The laid-backs. They are
consistently missing in action.
These bosses prefer works
from home, or go out for
meetings, or stay locked in the
office. It's important to be
self-sufficient if your manager
is the like. If you want
freedom in your work, the
laid-backs are best-suited for
you. Stay positive and be
proactive by asking them for
feedback.
The Authoritarian. They
assume higher position as
higher power to exercise on
the team. They value the
delegation rather than the
responsibilities. They believe
they have supreme authority
because of their title and have
"because I said so" mentality.
If this is your boss, do what is
asked of you, but never
compromise about what is
right. Do not be a go-getter
but not complying the
procedures against
outrageous requests just
because the boss said so.
The Buzzword Boss. They
love to reiterate catchphrases
or buzzwords or clichés he
learnt from management
meetings or conferences.
Don't worry. They are
harmless. Be a good listener
in front of them, and if you get
a chance to meet him alone,
teach him some clichés on a
regular basis.
The Hit-and-Run Boss.
With impulsive minds, they
would cut off your responses
in minutes because they
always don't have time to
discuss and listen. Very
randomly, they would ask you
to write reports, and would
mostly forget what they've
asked you for. They are
always somewhere else,
somewhere that you would
never know. Working with
them would make you learn
to speak and respond
concisely. Do not expect
feedback from them.
The Orchestrator. In other
words, the perfectionists - the
obsessive micro-managers
who constantly try to control
everything you do for
company. They have little
trust in what you are
capable of. Whatever you
do, you would hardly reach
their expectations. Don't lose
hope in them, concentrate on
your work and always ask for
feedback. Tell them you
admire them and also want to
lead the orchestra.
The Bizarre. This type
would have unrealistic
expectations from colleagues.
They have a large gap
between their expectations
and explanations. Going
nowhere is their passion.
They would choose their
types in the working groups
and always expect that you
would read their mind. Deal
with them like the
orchestrators.
The Lone Ranger. They
prefer to be solitary, less
contact with team and mostly
delegates
their
responsibilities. They might
have high technical skills and
shifted his area of interest.
They would leave you on your
own. Always record your
performance track and
impact on the company in
detail within yourselves
which might help you when
the ranger leaves.
The Non-stickers. You
would not expect straight
answers from them. He
would slide any blames right
off him. Unlike the lone
ranger, they might seem
engaged in everything in
office, you would barely find
their contributions. While
working with them, keep their
instructions in records.
The Machiavellian. They
can be characterized as highly
focused, motivated,
intelligent as well as
dangerous because they
always have a secret plan to
achieve. Just watch your back
and be loyal to them as long
as they don't find alternative
openings. The great boss.
That is what you're waiting
for. Well, there is no such
type. You would be one or
combination of more. But, as
a "boss", it depends on the
team, stage of the company,
peer practices and a lot more.
But if you think, you are not
one of the mentioned types,
then go and meet your team
and ask for feedback. Maybe,
it would bring good to both
you and your team.
All the best, Bosses!
The writer can be reached
through
naan.jml@gmail.com
dAmiAn CArrington
Microbes in oceans and soils across the
globe are evolving to eat plastic,
according to a new study. The research
scanned more than 200 million genes
found in DNA samples taken from the
environment and found 30,000 different
enzymes that could degrade 10 different
types of plastic.
The study is the first large-scale global
assessment of the plastic-degrading
potential of bacteria and found that one
in four of the organisms analysed carried
a suitable enzyme. The researchers found
that the number and type of enzymes
they discovered matched the amount and
type of plastic pollution in different
locations.
The results "provide evidence of a
measurable effect of plastic pollution on
the global microbial ecology", the
scientists said.
Millions of tonnes of plastic are
dumped in the environment every year,
and the pollution now pervades the
planet, from the summit of Mount
Everest to the deepest oceans. Reducing
the amount of plastic used is vital, as is
the proper collection and treatment of
waste.
But many plastics are currently hard to
degrade and recycle. Using enzymes to
rapidly break down plastics into their
building blocks would enable new
products to be made from old ones,
cutting the need for virgin plastic
production. The new research provides
Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic
many new enzymes to be investigated
and adapted for industrial use.
"We found multiple lines of evidence
supporting the fact that the global
microbiome's plastic-degrading potential
correlates strongly with measurements of
environmental plastic pollution - a
significant demonstration of how the
environment is responding to the
pressures we are placing on it," said Prof
Aleksej Zelezniak, at Chalmers University
of Technology in Sweden.
Jan Zrimec, also at Chalmers
University, said: "We did not expect to
find such a large number of enzymes
across so many different microbes and
environmental habitats. This is a
surprising discovery that really illustrates
the scale of the issue."
The explosion of plastic production in
the past 70 years, from 2m tonnes to
380m tonnes a year, has given microbes
time to evolve to deal with plastic, the
researchers said. The study, published in
the journal Microbial Ecology, started by
compiling a dataset of 95 microbial
enzymes already known to degrade
plastic, often found in bacteria in rubbish
dumps and similar places rife with
plastic.
The team then looked for similar
enzymes in environmental DNA samples
taken by other researchers from 236
different locations around the world.
Importantly, the researchers ruled out
potential false positives by comparing the
enzymes initially identified with enzymes
from the human gut, which is not known
to have any plastic-degrading enzymes.
About 12,000 of the new enzymes were
found in ocean samples, taken at 67
locations and at three different depths.
The results showed consistently higher
levels of degrading enzymes at deeper
levels, matching the higher levels of
Plastic washed ashore on Berawa Beach, Bali, indonesia.
plastic pollution known to exist at lower
depths.
The soil samples were taken from 169
locations in 38 countries and 11 different
habitats and contained 18,000 plasticdegrading
enzymes. Soils are known to
Photo: Anadolu Agency
contain more plastics with phthalate
additives than the oceans and the
researchers found more enzymes that
attack these chemicals in the land
samples.
Nearly 60% of the new enzymes did not
fit into any known enzyme classes, the
scientists said, suggesting these
molecules degrade plastics in ways that
were previously unknown.
"The next step would be to test the most
promising enzyme candidates in the lab
to closely investigate their properties and
the rate of plastic degradation they can
achieve," said Zelezniak. "From there you
could engineer microbial communities
with targeted degrading functions for
specific polymer types."
The first bug that eats plastic was
discovered in a Japanese waste dump in
2016. Scientists then tweaked it in 2018
to try to learn more about how it evolved,
but inadvertently created an enzyme that
was even better at breaking down plastic
bottles. Further tweaks in 2020 increased
the speed of degradation sixfold.
Another mutant enzyme was created in
2020 by the company Carbios that breaks
down plastic bottles for recycling in
hours. German scientists have also
discovered a bacterium that feeds on the
toxic plastic polyurethane, which is
usually dumped in landfills.
Last week, scientists revealed that the
levels of microplastics known to be eaten
by people via their food cause damage to
human cells in the laboratory.