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AT#341 - Travel to New Zealand's South Island

The Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith about his month long visit to New Zealand. We focus in this interview about the South Island of New Zealand. Erick started in Christchurch and then visited The Banks Penninsula, Lake Tekapo, the Dunedin, the Otago Peninsula, the Southern Scenic Route including the Catlins, Fiordland National Park (including cruising both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound) Queenstown, the rainy west coast, Abel Tasman National Park, Kaikoura, and Picton.




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AT#344 - Travel to Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island

The Amateur Traveler talks to Lee Abbamonte, the youngest American ever to travel to every country in the world, about 3 islands off the coast of Australia: Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island.




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AT#351 - Travel to the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jim Lutz from Via Adventures about the Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. "The Galapagos has to be one of the most unique and wonderful wildlife destinations in the world."




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AT#353 - Travel to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast

Hear about Queensland's Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane Australia from Annabel Candy. Long white sand beachs, hiking trails, a tropical zoo in the tropics.




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AT#373 Travel to Slovenia

Hear about travel to Slovenia as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Michael Soncina about his visit to the country. The country is independent, beautiful and deserves to see more tourists than it gets.




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AT#381 - Travel to the Isle of Man

Hear about travel to the Isle of Man as the Amateur Traveler talks to writer and film maker Andrew White. The Isle of Man is a small island in between Ireland and England. "It's a fantastic place. It really is. It's often said it's like the British Isles in miniature."




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AT#386 - Travel to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean

Hear about travel to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean as the Amateur Traveler  talks again to Gary Arndt of Everything-Everyhwere.com. Gary just finished an island hopping tour that took him to most of the islands in the Caribbean. We will cover the islands of St. Martin, Anguilla, Saba, St. Barts, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda, and Montserrat on this episode.




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AT#388 - Travel to the Island of Shikoku, Japan

Hear about travel to the Island of Shikoku, Japan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dan from Chicago about his recent trip back to the island. Dan also worked teaching English on Shikoku in the city of Imabari. Shikoku is the 4th largest of the islands in Japan and just across the from Hiroshima. Shikoku is mountainous, more traditional and more rural than the areas of Japan more tourists know.




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AT#402- Travel to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean

Hear about travel to the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean as the Amateur Traveler talks to Gary Arndt about his journey to visit many of the islands in the Caribbean on a single trip. In this episode we talk about Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Trinidad. This episode is a continuation of episode 386 which talked about the Leeward Islands.




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AT#403 - Travel to the Island of Socotra and Yemen

Hear about travel to the Island of Socotra and Yemen as the Amateur Traveler talks to Earl from WanderingEarl.com about a visit to this isolated island best known for its production of frankincense. The island is quite isolated and a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. With trees like the umbrella-shaped dragon’s blood tree it has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth.




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AT#410 - Travel to Indonesia and the Island of Komodo

Hear about travel to Indonesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to repeat guest Chris Willis about his trip to Indonesia. The main objective of Chris’s trip was to photograph Komodo dragons in the wild. Komodo dragons live on 2-3 islands which are not near any airport so getting there is half the experience.




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AT#442 - Travel to Slovakia

Hear about travel to Slovakia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Julie Callahan from TheWorldInBetween.com. When Julie's family moved to Bratislava, Slovakia 3 years ago they didn't have a single friend who knew where this central European country was located. 




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AT#447 - Travel to the Island of Madeira

Hear about travel to the island of Madeira as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jörgen Abrahamsson who is a tour guide from Tue Nordic in this small Portuguese possession.

 




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AT#456 - Hiking the Kings Trail (Kungsleden) in Swedish Lapland

Hear about hiking the Kings Trail (Kungsleden) in Swedish Lapland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Agata from nullnfull.com about this northern and rugged portion of Sweden. Agata says, “Lapland is all about nature and wilderness”.




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AT#457 - Travel to the Island of Cebu in the Philippines

Hear about travel to the region around Island of Cebu as the Amateur Traveler talks to Tommo & Megsy from fivedollartraveller.com about their vacation in Visayas, the central group of islands in the Philippines. They visited the islands of Bohol, Cebu and Negros. 




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AT#458 - Volunteer Travel with Peace Corp Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet

Hear about volunteer travel with the Peace Corps as the Amateur Traveler talks to Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. Director Hessler-Radelet not only served in the Peace Corps herself in Western Samoa but 4 generations of her family have done so. 




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AT#463 - Travel to the Cayman Islands

Hear about travel to the Cayman Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kendra Pierre-Louis from kendrawrites.com about her trip to this island paradise.

 




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AT#484 - Travel to Mackinac Island (and Michigan's Upper Peninsula)

Hear about travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (the UP)  as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Schuitema from Grand Rapids Michigan about travel to the northern remote part of the Great Lake State.

 




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AT#493 - Travel to the Aeolian Islands

Hear about travel to the Aeolian Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Rick Zullo from rickzullo.com about these historic but lesser known islands off the coast of Sicily.




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AT#518 - Travel to the Island of Kauai

Hear about travel to the Island of Kauai as the Amateur Traveler talks to Betsy and Pete Wuebker from PassingThru.com about the Garden Island. 




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AT#557 - Travel to the Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina

Hear about travel to the "Sea Islands" off the coats of Georgia and South Carolina as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ruby & Peter from ajourneywelove.com about their travels in this archipelago.




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AT#572 - Travel to the Lofoten Islands of Norway

Hear about travel to the Lofoten Islands of Norway as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Nikel, author of the Moon guide to Norway, about one of his favorite regions in that beautiful country.




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AT#582 - Travel to Providence, Rhode Island

Hear about travel to Providence, Rhode Island as the Amateur Traveler talks to Tamara Gruber from we3travel.com and the Vacation Mavens podcast about travel other home town.




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AT#601 - Travel to the Island of Crete in Greece

Hear about travel to the Island of Crete in Greece as the Amateur Traveler talks to Elizabeth from compassandfork.com about her travels to this special Greek Island.




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AT#616 - Travel to the Island of Sumatra, Indonesia

Hear about travel to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Luke Mackin from wildsumatra.com about this far-flung destination he now calls home.




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AT#620 - Sail the Virgin Islands

Hear about travel to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Captain Shane McClellan about a sailing trip to the area.




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AT#629 - Travel to the Big Island of Hawaii

Hear about travel to the Big Island of Hawaii as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes from justinandcrystal.com about his island home.




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AT#645 - Travel to The Island of Samos, Greece

Hear about travel to The Island of Samos in Greece and the vicinity as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dan from the Zipping Around the World podcast about this part of the Greek Islands. 




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AT#656 - Travel to Slovenia

Hear about travel to Slovenia as Chris Christensen (the Amateur Traveler) talks about his recent solo road trip through western Slovenia as a guest of the Slovenia Tourism board. 




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AT#680 - Travel to the Canary Islands

Hear about travel to the Canary Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Alice Ford from alicesadventuresonearth.com about the best of the Canary Islands.




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Academic Who Infamously Mocked Barron Trump Gets Censorship Gig from Facebook

A powerful player on Facebook’s new content oversight board infamously mocked Barron Trump during last year’s impeachment hearings, sowing doubt in the social media platform’s promises of unbiased moderation. The selection of Pamela Karlan, a professor at Stanford Law School, was announced Wednesday by Facebook, according to CNBC. Karlan will sit alongside 19 other experts…

The post Academic Who Infamously Mocked Barron Trump Gets Censorship Gig from Facebook appeared first on The Western Journal.




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11 of the best pillows for a good night's sleep

BEST PILLOW DEALS:


Achieving a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy. Busy schedules, frequent stress, and bad rest environments can be culprits for sleep troubles. And it’s more common than you think. 

According to the American Sleep Association, 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep disorder. If your sleepless nights are taking a toll on your health, it might be time for you to buy a new pillow. 

More about Sleep, Pillows, Mashable Shopping, Culture, and Work Life
IMAGE: Coop Home Goods

BEST OVERALL

Coop Home Goods Eden Shredded Memory Foam Pillow

Breathability, comfort, and design make the Coop Home Goods’ Eden Shredded Memory Foam Pillow a top pick if you need to improve your quality of sleep.

  • Dimensions: Standard (17.9 x 6.8 x 6.1 inches), Queen (18 x 6 x 6 inches), and King (17.9 x 6.5 x 6.3 inches)
  • Materials: Bamboo-derived viscose rayon and polyester
  • Sleep factor: Good for back, side, and stomach sleepers
$80.99 from Coop Home Goods

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR SIDE SLEEPERS

Brookstone BioSense 2-in-1 Shoulder Pillow

  • Dimensions: 28 x 20 x 6 inches
  • Materials: Better Than Down microfill and BioSense memory foam core
  • Sleep factor: Good for side sleepers
$119.95 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR BACK SLEEPERS

Nature's Guest Cervical Support Pillow

  • Dimensions: 18.5 x 9.5 x 7.2 inches
  • Materials: Cotton fabric cover, microfiber filling, and silk gusset trim
  • Sleep factor: Good for back sleepers
$79.99 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR STOMACH SLEEPERS

TruContour Super Thin Memory Foam Pillow

  • Dimensions: 24 x 16 x 2.5 inches
  • Materials: Medical-grade memory foam and certified organic cotton
  • Sleep factor: Good for stomach sleepers
$39.99 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Triple Cloud Shredded Memory Foam Pillow

The Triple Cloud Shredded Memory Foam Pillow offers comfort perks and adjustable firmness at a fraction of the price.

  • Dimensions: Standard/Queen (15.9 x 5.6 x 5.2 inches), Queen (17 x 6 x 6 inches), and King ( 17.3 x 7.7 x 6.4 inches)
  • Material: Bamboo-shredded memory foam
  • Sleep factor: Good for back, side, and stomach sleepers
$39.95 from Amazon

IMAGE: Avocado Green

BEST FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Avocado Green Pillow

  • Dimensions: Standard (19 x 24 inches), Queen (19 x 28 inches), and King (19 x 35 inches)
  • Materials: Certified organic cotton, kapok fiber, and natural latex
  • Sleep factor: Good for back, side, and stomach sleepers
$79 from Avocado Green

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR HEAD, NECK, AND SHOULDER SUPPORT

UTTU Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow

Keep head, neck, and shoulder pain at bay with UTTU’s Adjustable Memory Foam Pillow.

  • Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 14.2 inches
  • Materials: Bamboo fiber, polyester, and memory foam
  • Sleep factor: Good for back, side, and stomach sleepers
$69.99 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS

Pacific Coast AllerRest Double DownAround Pillow

Reduce congestion, coughing, sneezing, and other pesky allergy symptoms while you sleep.

  • Dimensions: Standard (20 x 26 inches), Queen (20 x 30 inches), and King (20 x 36 inches)
  • Materials: AllerRest fabric, Barrier Weave down and feather proof fabric, cotton
  • Sleep factor: Good for back, side, and stomach sleepers
$62.99 from Amazon

IMAGE: Leesa

BEST HYBRID OPTION

Leesa Hybrid Pillow

Switch back and forth between a soft pillow top and a cooling, memory foam underside for multiple ways to catch some sleep.

  • Dimensions : Standard (16 x 24 inches), Queen (16 x 28 inches)
  • Materials : Polyester microfiber, ventilated gel, Leesa's Tencel fabric, and nylon.
  • Sleep factor: Best for back and side sleepers
$98 from Leesa

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST 2-FOR-1 DEAL

Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow

You'll be getting two pillows with somewhere-in-the-middle support for the price of one.

  • Dimensions : Queen (20 x 28 inches)
  • Materials: Cotton cover and poly-gel fiber filling
  • Sleep factor : Good for back, side, and stomach sleepers
$33.99 from Amazon

IMAGE: Tuft & Needle

BEST FOR DURABILITY

Tuft & Needle Pillow

If you're looking for a durable pillow and tend to sleep on your back or side, the Tuft & Needle Pillow will have you catching z's in no time.

  • Dimensions : 25 x 16 x 5 inches
  • Materials : Micro polyamide, polyester, and Tuft & Needle's proprietary Adaptive Foam
  • Sleep factor: Best for back and side sleepers
$68 from Tuft & Needle




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1 dead after train slams into pickup truck near Brooks, Alta.

RCMP say a 50-year-old man died and a 60-year-old man is in hospital following a crash involving a CP Rail train Friday morning.




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Sport24.co.za | Jordaan admits PSL decision is complicated

Danny Jordaan says it would be massively complicated to ensure the safety of supporters should the PSL return while Covid-19 is still prevalent in South Africa.




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Sport24.co.za | Pitso fears for townships if PSL restarts

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says the premature return of football, even behind closed doors, poses a number of potential problems.




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Signs of Slowing Unemployment; U.S. Jobless Claims Decline for Four Weeks in a Row

Signs of Slowing Unemployment

Although millions of people lost their jobs because of the coronavirus, a surge of companies is hiring additional employees due to increased demands.





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Signs of Slowing Unemployment; More Than Half of States Had Fewer Jobless Claims for Four Weeks in a Row

Signs of Slowing Unemployment

Following an unprecedented surge in jobless claims in March due to the coronavirus, unemployment is continuously slowing in April in 26 states.




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Stop Losing Sleep: 7 Steps for Stress-free Decision-making

Decision-making can be tough especially when the best choice isn’t glaringly obvious. We’re faced with this process every minute of the day. When do I wake up? What’s for lunch? Do I want to go out on a date with this person? What do I want to do with my life? Can I stay in […]

The post Stop Losing Sleep: 7 Steps for Stress-free Decision-making appeared first on Dumb Little Man.





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Local health unit credits public with slowing COVID spread, encourages cottagers to stay home

While infection rates remain steady across the region, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting more than half of all 360 cases have now recovered.




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Donald Trump Jr. Offers To Walk Bride-to-Be Down The Aisle After Liberal Parents Refuse To Attend Her Wedding Because Fiance Is A Conservative

The following article, Donald Trump Jr. Offers To Walk Bride-to-Be Down The Aisle After Liberal Parents Refuse To Attend Her Wedding Because Fiance Is A Conservative, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com.

TDS or Trump Derangement Syndrome brings out the worst in a lot of people. One young Texan girl’s story of her intolerant parents who refuse to attend her wedding because she’s marrying a conservative, however, is a new low. Lawyer and conservative civil rights activist, Rogan O’Handley tweeted a Tik Tok video of a Texan […]

Continue reading: Donald Trump Jr. Offers To Walk Bride-to-Be Down The Aisle After Liberal Parents Refuse To Attend Her Wedding Because Fiance Is A Conservative ...




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Attorney for Jailed Dallas Salon Owner Shelley Luther Slams Obama Loyalist Judge as a “Tiny Tyrant”

The following article, Attorney for Jailed Dallas Salon Owner Shelley Luther Slams Obama Loyalist Judge as a “Tiny Tyrant”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com.

Warren Norred, attorney for Shelley Luther, joined Tucker Carlson to discuss the decision by an Obama loyalist Texas judge to jail his client for reopening her salon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Norred said the judge has exposed himself for the “tiny tyrant” that he is. The judge jailed Luther and even fined her $7,000. Texas […]

Continue reading: Attorney for Jailed Dallas Salon Owner Shelley Luther Slams Obama Loyalist Judge as a “Tiny Tyrant” ...




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N{alpha}-Acetylation of the virulence factor EsxA is required for mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence [Molecular Bases of Disease]

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence factor EsxA and its chaperone EsxB are secreted as a heterodimer (EsxA:B) and are crucial for mycobacterial escape from phagosomes and cytosolic translocation. Current findings support the idea that for EsxA to interact with host membranes, EsxA must dissociate from EsxB at low pH. However, the molecular mechanism by which the EsxA:B heterodimer separates is not clear. In the present study, using liposome-leakage and cytotoxicity assays, LC-MS/MS–based proteomics, and CCF-4 FRET analysis, we obtained evidence that the Nα-acetylation of the Thr-2 residue on EsxA, a post-translational modification that is present in mycobacteria but absent in Escherichia coli, is required for the EsxA:B separation. Substitutions at Thr-2 that precluded Nα-acetylation inhibited the heterodimer separation and hence prevented EsxA from interacting with the host membrane, resulting in attenuated mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that at low pH, the Nα-acetylated Thr-2 makes direct and frequent “bind-and-release” contacts with EsxB, which generates a force that pulls EsxB away from EsxA. In summary, our findings provide evidence that the Nα-acetylation at Thr-2 of EsxA facilitates dissociation of the EsxA:B heterodimer required for EsxA membrane permeabilization and mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence.




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Progress in tackling illegal logging slows as new trends offset effective reforms

15 July 2015

Lire en français >

阅读中国 >

Efforts to address illegal logging and reduce the trade in illegal timber have borne fruit and prompted some positive reforms in producer countries, a new report from Chatham House has found. However, changes in the sector mean overall trade in illegal timber has not fallen in the last decade. 
  
EU and US policies designed to reduce demand for illegal timber have helped cut illegal imports to those markets. These reforms and the EU’s partnership agreements with producer countries have prompted improvements in forest governance and a fall in large-scale illegal timber production.

But growth of demand in emerging markets means that the progressive policies of so-called ‘sensitive markets’ are now less influential. China is now the world’s largest importer and consumer of wood-based products, as well as a key processing hub. India, South Korea, and Vietnam are also growing markets. The increasing role of small-scale producers, whose activities often fall outside legal frameworks, and a rapid increase in illegal forest conversion, also present new challenges. 
  
Alison Hoare: 'The EU and US have spearheaded some progressive and effective reforms. However, the changing scale and nature of the problem demands more coordinated international action. To stop further deforestation and associated carbon emissions, and to help achieve global objectives for sustainable development, the EU and US need to maintain their leadership while other countries - especially China, Japan, India and South Korea - need to step up their efforts to tackle illegal logging.'

The Chatham House report, which is based on the studies of 19 countries, which include key producers, consumers, or processors of timber, and is an update of a 2010 study found: 

Timber production

  • More than 80 million m3 of timber was illegally produced in 2013 in the nine producer countries assessed, accounting for about one-third of their combined total production.
  • An estimated 60% of this illegal timber is destined for these countries’ domestic markets.
  • Small-scale producers are increasingly important – for example, in Cameroon, the DRC and Ghana, they account for an estimated 50, 90 and 70% respectively of annual timber production. The majority of this is illegal.
  • For the nine producer countries, the area of forest under voluntary legality verification or sustainability certification schemes increased by nearly 80% between 2000 and 2013. 

Imports of illegal wood-based products 

  • In most of the consumer and producer countries assessed, the volume of illegal imports of wood-based products fell during the period 2000–13. 
  • The exceptions were China, and India and Vietnam where the volume of illegal imports more than doubled. 
  • As a proportion of the whole, illegal imports declined for nearly all countries. 
  • However, at the global level, the proportion of illegal timber imports remained steady at 10% - a result of the growth of the Chinese market. 

The EU and US 

  • The volumes of illegal imports into the UK, France and the Netherlands nearly halved over the period 2000-13, from just under 4 million m3 to 2 million m3. 
  • The volume of illegal imports into the US increased between 2000 and 2006, from around 5 to 9 million m3, and then declined to just under 6 million m3 in 2013. 
  • In 2013, more than 60% of illegal imports of wood-based products to the UK and US came from China.

China

  • The volume of illegal imports into China doubled between 2000 and 2013 from 17 to 33 million m3; but as a proportion of the whole illegal imports fell, from 26 to 17%.
  •  The volume of exports of wood-based products (legal and illegal) from the nine producer countries to China nearly tripled, from 12 million m3 in 2000 to 34 million m3 in 2013.

The Chatham House report makes the following recommendations:

  • The EU and US need to maintain and reinforce current efforts 
  • Other countries need to take stronger action – China in particular, but also India, Japan and South Korea
  • Strong international cooperation is needed to maintain & reinforce current efforts – the G20 could provide a forum to galvanise international action
  • Producer countries need to focus on strengthening efforts to tackle corruption, improving legality within the small-scale sector, and reforming land-use governance 

     
Alison Hoare: 'Developing countries are losing significant amounts of potential revenue from illegal logging, which is also causing the loss and degradation of forests, depleting livelihoods, and contributing to social conflict and corruption. Tackling illegal logging and strengthening forest governance are essential for achieving critical climate and development goals. Having seen the progress that can be made, it’s imperative that governments agree to work together to rise to new challenges and promote a more sustainable forest sector for the benefit of all.'   

Read the report >>

Editor's notes

For more information or to arrange interviews please contact:
 
Alison Hoare, report author, Chatham House, +44 (0) 2073143651

Amy Barry, Di:ga Communications, +44 (0) 7980 664397

The report and associated infographics will be available to download from the project website and the Chatham House website from 15 July 2015. 

These findings are part of Chatham House’s Indicators of Illegal Logging and Related Trade project, which looks at consumer, producer and processing countries. 

Follow us on Twitter: @CH_logging    


External expert spokespeople available for comment: 
 
Téodyl Nkuintchua, Programmes Coordinator, Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement, Cameroon, (+237) 674 37 96 43, Skype: teodyl
 
Rod Taylor, Director, Forests, WWF International via Huma Khan, +1 202-203-8432  
Approved quote: 'The report shows the progress made in keeping illegally-sourced wood out of Western markets, but also highlights the urgent need to focus more on emerging countries and informal markets. It also highlights the global problem of illegal forest clearing, and the need for new policy measures to help sound forest stewardship compete with the conversion of forests to other land-uses.'
 
Ben Cashore, Professor of Environmental Governance and Political Science, Yale University, +1 203 432-3009
 
Mauricio Volvodic, Executive Director, Imaflora, Brazil, +55 19 3429 0810, +55 19 98157 2129
 
Chris Davies MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry and Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, via Simon Francis, 020 7061 6252 
Approved quote: 'While it is encouraging that illegal timber imports to the UK have halved, it is vital that we remove the market for illegally logged timber in the UK altogether. One way is to ensure we have a sustainable forestry and wood processing sector that can supply more of our timber needs. Government can aid this by enabling the sector to plant more trees now and in the future.'




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September issue newsletter

1 September 2016 , Volume 92, Number 5

Professor Andrew Dorman

Commissioning Editor, International Affairs
Our September issue marks a return to IA’s typical range and breadth of coverage, after the July special issue on China and May’s section on Brexit. In the featured article for this issue, Sara E. Davies and Belinda Bennett examine the gender differential in health outcomes for victims of the Ebola and Zika crises. They highlight the disproportionate impact that such crises have on women, not only from a health perspective but also in terms of economic andsocial factors. In particular, they analyse the ‘women-specific advice’ which was distributed during the Ebola and Zika emergencies, revealing the incorrect assumption of gender equality in the regions affected. Their article reasserts the importance of gender-sensitive policy-making on the part of the governments and NGOs which respond to global health emergencies. Elsewhere in the issue Robert Falkner provides an initial reflection on the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, while Michele Acuto and Steve Rayner demonstrate the growingrole of global ‘city networks’ in international diplomacy. African countries are the focus of three articles: the use of Information Communications Technology by government authorities in Somaliland is assessed by Alice Hills; Kristof Titeca and Daniel Fahey look at differing representations of rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Alex Vines contributes a review article on Angolan politics. These are just a selection of the many fascinating pieces of research in our new issue. Several of the authors have contributed supplementary commentaries related to their articles, which will be published over the next month on our Medium blogsite. Follow our profile by clickinghere, and keep up with the latest International Affairs news, content and editorials.




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Lysine Propionylation and Butyrylation Are Novel Post-translational Modifications in Histones

Yue Chen
May 1, 2007; 6:812-819
Research




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Impact of 1,N6-ethenoadenosine, a damaged ribonucleotide in DNA, on translesion synthesis and repair [Enzymology]

Incorporation of ribonucleotides into DNA can severely diminish genome integrity. However, how ribonucleotides instigate DNA damage is poorly understood. In DNA, they can promote replication stress and genomic instability and have been implicated in several diseases. We report here the impact of the ribonucleotide rATP and of its naturally occurring damaged analog 1,N6-ethenoadenosine (1,N6-ϵrA) on translesion synthesis (TLS), mediated by human DNA polymerase η (hpol η), and on RNase H2–mediated incision. Mass spectral analysis revealed that 1,N6-ϵrA in DNA generates extensive frameshifts during TLS, which can lead to genomic instability. Moreover, steady-state kinetic analysis of the TLS process indicated that deoxypurines (i.e. dATP and dGTP) are inserted predominantly opposite 1,N6-ϵrA. We also show that hpol η acts as a reverse transcriptase in the presence of damaged ribonucleotide 1,N6-ϵrA but has poor RNA primer extension activities. Steady-state kinetic analysis of reverse transcription and RNA primer extension showed that hpol η favors the addition of dATP and dGTP opposite 1,N6-ϵrA. We also found that RNase H2 recognizes 1,N6-ϵrA but has limited incision activity across from this lesion, which can lead to the persistence of this detrimental DNA adduct. We conclude that the damaged and unrepaired ribonucleotide 1,N6-ϵrA in DNA exhibits mutagenic potential and can also alter the reading frame in an mRNA transcript because 1,N6-ϵrA is incompletely incised by RNase H2.




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It's a man's world: carnal spectatorship and dissonant masculinities in Islamic State videos

7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3

Manni Crone

Islamic State videos have often been associated with savage violence and beheadings. An in-depth scrutiny however reveals another striking feature: that female bodies are absent, blurred or mute. Examining a few Islamic State videos in depth, the article suggests that the invisibility of women in tandem with the ostentatious visibility of male bodies enable gendered and embodied spectators to indulge in homoerotic as well as heterosexual imaginaries. In contrast to studies on visual security and online radicalization which assert that images affect an audience, this article focuses on the interaction between video and audience and argues that spectators are not only rational and emotional but embodied and gendered as well. Islamic State videos do not only attract western foreign fighters through religious–ideological rhetoric or emotional impact but also through gendered forms of pleasure and desire that enable carnal imagination and identification. The article probes the analytical purchase of carnal aesthetics and spectatorship.




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Reviews: Crime writing in translation

3 June 2013 , Volume 69, Number 3

Dark creations of European authors tell us much about our own world

Barry Forshaw, author

Forshaw.jpg

After the Breivik killings Jo Nesbø was the pundit called in to discuss the Far Right. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images