I'm quite confused as to why there is no high-speed competition in Germany, when all our neighbours have them.

• France has two operators run by SNCF, and Trenitalia has introduced a route.
• Spain has 4 operators
• Italy has 2 operators.

But in Germany, only DB exists. I'm not counting Flix, as it is neither high-speed,nor even air-conditioned.

In which this ficnapping first-timer tackles An Introduction to Terran Zoology by u/Still_Performance_39. I'm still a newbie author, so imagine my surprise when I'm handed one of the most popular stories on the sub. One that's received the rare honor of being approved by the fifteenth holy knight of space himself. No pressure I guess lol.
I knew what I wanted to write about, at least. I've been waiting for this series to cover the ocean, so this was the perfect opportunity to do it myself! I had to think hard about what to include; the ocean is a big place after all. See if you can guess the secret (really obvious) theme I went with! Fingers crossed I did this story justice! (Shoutout to Wikipedia btw)
Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [standardized human time]: Idk sometime after Cilany’s broadcast
Brahk, brahk, brahk!
I tore across the campus, sprinting for the Terran Zoology lecture hall as fast as my legs could carry me.
I can’t believe I overslept! Of all days, it had to be today.
Dr. Bernard had teased today’s topic last time. “By now we’ve learned about animals from all over Earth, and through our simulation exercises you’ve seen for yourselves how intricate Terran ecosystems can be.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Everybody’s simulated ecosystems had failed catastrophically on their first attempts. It’d taken a herd of paws for everyone to accept how necessary predators were to maintain balance in Earth’s ecosystems.
“With what we’ve learned so far, we are ready to finally tackle one of if not the most complex and vibrant ecosystems on Earth: the coral reef. This lesson even has some direct relevance to us here on Venlil Prime. You might have heard the recent news about those biologists exploring Venlil Prime’s oceans not far from here. Well, the region they’ve been studying shares many things in common with Terran coral reefs. Learning about reefs on Earth could be a useful reference point for uncovering the secrets of your own oceans. I hope to see you all tomorrow!”
I’d been so excited I could barely fall asleep. I’d also completely forgotten that Milam was away visiting family. Why did that matter? Well, without the raucous squawking of her alarm, I’d overslept, and now I was about to be late!
My lungs and legs burned, but I pressed forward. There, the lecture hall’s door was still open! I dashed inside and scrambled to my seat, gasping and wheezing as I tried to still my beating heart. I’d made it.
“Wow, Rysel, you’re right on time. That’s the latest you’ve been yet!”
I glanced to my right and saw Sandi chuckling heartily at my expense.
“I -hrrf- over -hrrf- slept,” I wheezed, “didn’t -huff- want to -huff- miss this -huff- though.”
“Hmph. Rysel, of all Venlil, oversleeping for one of the Doctor’s lessons. Never thought I’d see the day,” Kailo scoffed from my left, snuggled deep into his duvet. I supposed it was technically an insult, but there was no hostility in his tone. I knew what real anger and hostility sounded like from him, and he hadn’t done or said anything like that for some time. No, this was just Kailo being Kailo.
I flicked my tail at him in a friendly greeting. “Good paw to you too, Kailo.”
He huffed and turned away, but I didn’t miss his tail swishing under his seat.
Kailo’s changed so much since our first day. It’s like he’s a different person. Honestly, I sometimes feel like a different person too.
I’d come a long way from being scared of humans and enrolling in the exchange program for money. Now, these classes were the highlight of every paw, and I couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything else.
My reminiscing was cut short by a familiar series of sharp knocks on the doorframe. My tail whirled with glee at the sight of the familiar figure.
“Good morning everyone! How’re we all doing on this very fine paw?” Dr. Bernard greeted us with a beaming smile.
Most of us beeped out a cheery hello in response. I glanced around the room, warm contentment welling in my chest. We were no longer the nervous, skeptical, and borderline hostile class Dr. Bernard had to put up with on the first day. Now, even the shyest participants flicked a friendly greeting in his direction.
“Excellent! I’m always delighted to hear your enthusiasm. Now, just to remind you, today we’ll be taking our first proper look at one of the most beautiful biomes Earth’s oceans have to offer. I always enjoy chatting with you all, but we do have a lot to get through today. Would anyone object if we skipped the banter this time and dive straight into the material?”
Yes, I’m ready! Let’s go!
The rest of the class echoed my sentiment, beeping with varying levels of excitement and curiosity. Bernard smiled as he glanced over everyone, his gaze lingering on me. “I’m happy to see that everyone’s excited for today’s lesson.”
It was at this point that I noticed that in my excitement, I’d jumped out of my seat and lunged onto the table. Sandi was chuckling merrily, and I heard a cough from Kailo underneath his blanket cocoon. Did I say that out loud? I slowly slid back into my seat, my ears blooming hot orange from embarrassment. I knew at this point that Bernard wouldn’t take offense to my outburst, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for a grown man to be jumping up and down like a pup.
“Since everyone seems to be on board,” Bernard said, graciously distracting everyone from my faux pas, “let’s dive right into our ocean lesson, shall we?”
His pun was met with scattered beeps and groans, though most of the class let out merry bleats to express their excitement for the lesson. The classroom’s monitor flickered to life, and gasps echoed throughout the room. The image showed a rocky seabed covered with what looked like strangely shaped rocks in a wide array of bright colors. The fish swimming among the rocks, many of them as colorful as their environment, stood out against the deep blue background of the ocean water. Of all the gorgeous pictures of life on Earth I’d seen, none had ever been this vibrant, this full of color. It almost felt like I was looking at an art exhibit.
Wow… this develops naturally_? It’s so pretty! I wonder how the rocks form those bright colors._
“There’s really only one way to start a lecture about coral reefs, and that’s with the animals that give them their name. Coral!”
Bernard changed the screen to a close-up of the weird rocks.
“Now, at first glance, these may just look like a bunch of weird rocks.” Wait, they’re not? “But they are actually colonies of living creatures.”
Confused beeps and whispers broke out in the audience, as people tried to wrap their heads around how the objects on the screen could possibly be animals. My mind went back to our first day, when we classified a bunch of Earth creatures as prey or predator. There had been quite a few aquatic animals, and several of them hadn’t looked anything like animals. Maybe this was something like that?
It seemed my seat neighbors had come to similar conclusions, as both of them looked relatively unfazed by Bernard’s reveal, Milam instead flicking her ear in thought while Kailo leaned forward with intense focus.
“Each of these colorful formations is made up of hundreds of tiny, genetically identical individuals called polyps.”
The screen changed to a close-up shot of what at first glance looked like a fleshy plant that had grown roots into the rock, but the diagram next to it had labels that read things like “tentacle,” “mouth,” and “stomach.” Animal parts, not plant parts.
“This is an individual polyp. They are very small, typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in height. They anchor themselves in one place by secreting an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate from their base. From their anchored spot, they catch and eat any food that drifts by with the tentacles by their mouth. The exoskeleton they make gets left behind, allowing new generations of the colony to build on top of it. Thus, over many generations, the colony can build a skeleton like the ones you saw in the previous photo, up to several meters in size.”
So that was how it worked! It made sense once he explained it. Colonial organisms were an uncommon but familiar concept in the Federation, though they mostly consisted of various small insects. The idea of invertebrates secreting an exoskeleton was also a known concept. This was the first time I’d seen both traits in a single creature, though.
“These skeletons are the structure upon which the reef ecosystem grows, providing shelter for thousands of different species. Even though they occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean area, they provide a home for at least 25% of all marine species, making them one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.”
With the truly staggering variety of species on Earth, 25% was no small number. My ears tilted back in awe at the pictures of the reefs on screen. They were like… underwater cities! Living cities that built themselves and teemed with all kinds of wonderfully fascinating creatures.
Bernard glanced around the room, wearing his “I’m about to ask a question” smile. The question arrived soon after. “Would anyone like to guess what corals’ diet consists of?”
Let’s see… they grab things with their tentacles, but they don’t move, meaning that they have to subsist on whatever floats by. Hmmm, why does that sound familiar…
The images from our first day still floated around in my mind. Wait! That’s it! I raised my paw.
“Yes, Rysel?”
“Is it like the jellyfish from our first day? Snagging small creatures in their tentacles and pulling them into their mouths?”
Bernard grinned widely. “Excellent conclusion, Rysel. You are right, coral polyps do indeed have similar feeding habits to those of jellyfish. Both coral and jellyfish belong to the phylum Cnidaria, so you were correct to draw parallels between the two. Obviously, due to their size, any prey they catch must also be microscopic.”
My tail wagged proudly at his praise. The feeding behaviors of jellyfish had horrified me back then, but now I could take it in stride. The fact that I could even remotely navigate the humans’ complicated classification system gave me even more satisfaction. I glanced around the room. A few classmates seemed a bit uncomfortable at the mention of coral’s predatory nature, but most remained fascinated and engaged. It’d taken months, but we were finally beginning to appreciate predators as something more than monsters, even if they had to be predators that didn’t even look like animals.
“However, while corals do feed with their tentacles, that isn’t actually where most of their energy comes from. You see, most corals have evolved a symbiotic relationship with certain types of algae that live in their tissues, which they acquire from the surrounding environment. The algae produce energy through photosynthesis, which the coral can then use. Algae also aid the coral in calcification for the coral skeleton and waste removal. The algae, in turn, benefit by having a safe place to live, and by consuming the coral’s carbon dioxide and waste products as nutrients. Truly an excellent example of two species coming together for the mutual benefit of one another.”
I knew what symbiosis was, of course. Traditional Federation classes loved to highlight how different prey species united together to benefit one another. It was considered a major part of the innate empathy in prey species that predators lacked. Not only was Bernard showing us a symbiotic relationship involving what would traditionally be considered a predator, but said predator was allied with a plant, of all things!
Was this phenomenon unique to Earth, or was this yet another thing the Federation hid from all of us?
“The coral reef is filled with mutually beneficial relationships like this. Take, for example, one of the most iconic reef creatures, the sea anemone.”
With the push of a button, the screen changed to show a creature that loosely resembled a coral polyp, only bigger, more colorful, and with longer tentacles.
“Now, sea anemones are close relatives of coral, and they share many similarities. They feed in much the same way as coral, snaring prey with their stinging tentacles and drawing it into the mouth. Their diet mainly consists of small fish, crustaceans, and other appropriately sized organisms. Despite its predatory nature, the sea anemone is often considered the poster child of mutualism in the ocean.”
Bernard’s words prompted hushed murmuring throughout the classroom. I was a bit unsettled by the anemone’s predator status, but those feelings were overwhelmed by my sensation of curiosity. What was it about anemones that made their relationships so notable? I just had to know!
I turned my ears to the conversations around me. Some classmates were saying that any mutualistic relationships an anemone could have must be predatory in nature: a union with other predators to hunt and kill more efficiently. Others argued it could be something else, like the coral and algae from before. Someone suggested that the humans were wrong about them, but that notion was quickly shot down.
Everyone’s reactions made me realize just how desensitized we’d all become to “predatory” things. While the term was still uncomfortable, Bernard had, through his lessons, patiently instilled in us the idea that predators were more than wanton bloodlust and violence. There existed predators like that, of course, but with such a broad and diverse class of animals, one would expect some horrible ones due to sheer statistics. Likewise, there would be plenty of good ones.
Sea anemones are predators, yet they’re famous for their mutually beneficial relationships with other lifeforms. If someone said something like that to me months ago, I’d never have believed them. I was so certain that I knew the fundamental mechanisms of ecosystems like the back of my paw. I chuckled to myself. Stars, so much has changed since then.
“First of all, many sea anemones form symbiotic relationships with algae in the same way corals do, benefiting from their photosynthesis while offering shelter and protection in return. But that’s hardly the only relationship they’re known for.”
Bernard changed the screen to a video of an anemone. Bright orange fish with white stripes swam around its tentacles. My heart skipped a beat as one brushed up against the tentacles, but the fish seemed unaffected by the anemone’s venom, much to my relief.
“This right here is one of the most famous symbiotic relationships on Earth: the sea anemone and the clownfish. These small, colorful fish have adapted to the anemone’s stinging tentacles, allowing them to nestle among them. The anemone protects the clownfish from predators, functions as a safe nesting site, and provides food from the leftover scraps of the anemone’s meals. The clownfish, in turn, defend the anemone from its predators, provide nutrients through their excrement, and circulate the water around the anemone, improving its respiration.”
As Bernard talked, the fish on the screen frolicked around their tentacled friend, the adorable sight eliciting pleased mewls from several audience members.
They protect each other, they feed each other, and they play together too! Who knew that two wildly different species could have such a beautiful friendship, even when one of them doesn’t have a brain!
Vlek spoke up, his voice skeptical. “Excuse me Doctor. You said that clownfish feed off of anemones’ meals. They are predators as well, then?”
“One could make that argument,” Bernard replied, “clownfish are omnivorous, and primarily feed on ambient zooplankton, with their diets supplemented by their anemone’s scraps and algae. The microscopic organisms they eat are so abundant that they don’t really need to hunt; they can just munch on whatever happens to drift by.”
“Like their anemone friends!”
“Yes, Rova, like their anemone friends!”
The class seemed to have mixed feelings about the clownfish’s diet. Zooplankton being tiny, simple creatures made it easier, but some still squirmed at the thought. Personally, I didn’t think it took away from how fascinating this duo was. As I’d come to learn with most predators, their diets weren’t what defined them; they were just one of many facets of their nature.
Bernard changed the slide to a photo of a different fish. “While clownfish are the most famous species to form mutualistic relationships with sea anemones, they are hardly the only ones. Take this cardinalfish, for example…”
Bernard went on to highlight several more species with special relationships with sea anemones, each one fascinating in its own way. Fish that laid their eggs among their tentacles. Snails that used them as shelter from predators. Crabs that mounted them on their shells for defense. One type of crab even attached anemones to its claws, using them as living weapons!
Such a simplistic creature, yet it’s evolved a rich network of relationships with so many different species. No wonder Bernard called them iconic.
Kailo fidgeted next to me. Something was obviously bugging him, but he seemed hesitant to speak up.
“Before we move on, does anybody have questions?” Bernard asked smoothly. He probably noticed Kailo’s uncertainty too. He had a teacher’s eye for that sort of thing.
Kailo huffed with determination and raised his paw. “Yes, Kailo?”
“Um, all the animals you’ve talked about so far have been pred– carnivores and omnivores. Where are all the pre– herbivorous fish?”
Bernard grinned. “That’s an excellent question, Kailo. There are herbivorous fish that graze on the algae of the coral, such as the parrotfish and the rabbitfish. That said, true herbivores are relatively uncommon in the ocean. After all, there aren’t many plants around besides algae and seaweed, and a lot of the algae that is there is integrated into the bodies of coral polyps. Thus, thanks to natural selection, most underwater species consume flesh in some form.”
A few months ago Kailo would’ve exploded in anger and denial at that response, but now his ears just tilted in confusion. “But… how can that work?? How can an ecosystem with so many pred– meat eaters sustain any sort of population, let alone the vast numbers you told us?”
Several sets of ears flicked in agreement at Kailo’s question.
“Of course, given what we know about land ecosystems, it makes sense to assume that the base of the food chain would be mostly herbivores. Under the sea, however, plants are much less abundant, so that role is filled by other animals. Some creatures derive nutrition by filtering food from the water or sand, much like a plant would pull sustenance from the air and ground. Many species, especially smaller ones, reproduce frequently and in large quantities, allowing them to sustain significant populations even when predators regularly hunt them. Finally, and this is a good transition into our next section, not all carnivores are predators.”
Wait. Huh? How does that even work? Isn’t that an oxymoron?
“Well, technically they are predators to the microscopic organisms they feed on, but they certainly aren’t predators in the traditional sense.”
A new set of images appeared on the monitor, showing off a handful of small fish and crustaceans.
“Now, as I’m sure you all have noticed, most fish don’t have hands or paws.” My brain conjured an image of a fish with furry Venlil arms. I stifled a whistle at the silly thought.
“This means that they can’t groom themselves. Dead skin, infected tissue, and nasty parasites can just accumulate on their bodies, and there’s nothing they can do about it. What’s a poor fish to do? Well, that’s where these guys come in. These are cleaner fish and cleaner shrimp. They are carnivores whose diet consists of dead or infected skin and parasites from the bodies of bigger fish, like so.”
He switched the screen to two photos: the left showed a fish (the parrotfish he mentioned just now?) floating by some coral with two cleaner fish picking at it. One was nipping at its scales, the other nestled all up in its gills. On the right, a cleaner shrimp mounted the back of a different fish, presumably using its claws to pluck things off its skin.
“These cleaners congregate in areas called cleaning stations, and animals from all over the reef swim to them to get cleaned. The cleaners remove parasites and dead skin from all the hard-to-reach places, like their gills and even inside their mouths!”
The monitor now showed a video, the contents of which elicited several gasps from the audience. The spotty fish in the video had its mouth open, revealing rows of sharp, mean-looking teeth. Side-facing eyes notwithstanding, this was definitely a predator. And a cleaner fish was swimming into its mouth. On purpose. And the predator just let it. We watched for a tense moment, waiting for those jaws to clamp down, but the cleaner swam out of the mouth with no issue, and the predator fish just… left, revealing a surprisingly long body to the camera as it did.
“That was a moray eel, considered an apex predator of the coral reef. Despite that, it allowed that cleaner wrasse to clean its mouth safely, and the wrasse clearly wasn’t concerned about being eaten. Would anyone care to guess why?”
Silence filled the room as everyone thought, until Sandi raised her paw. “Well, the eel wanted to be cleaned, and it couldn’t be cleaned if it ate the cleaner, so it resisted the temptation.”
As usual, Bernard paused to allow us to digest the answer before replying. “You pretty much got it! Even predators like the moray need cleaning, and eating the cleaners is a good way to get refused service from the rest of their kin. One minor correction, though. The average customer is not tempted to eat the cleaners, even when it’s a predator. There are exceptions, of course, but customers generally aren’t hungry when they show up for cleaning, or else they’d be out hunting instead. Moreover, the cleaner’s size makes for a poor meal; hardly worth the cost of being refused service at the cleaning station in the future.”
A chatter of discussion erupted after Bernard finished his explanation. It made sense, but it was still so… odd, to think about. I listened to the scattered conversations around me.
“How could a predator ever not be hungry? Sure, humans aren’t like that, but they’re sapient! An animal couldn’t possibly control…”
“...such a beautiful relationship. To think these cleaners get their food by helping others…”
“...wonder if there are others like them?”
The chatter hadn’t yet died down when the break bell rang.
“Ah, looks like we’ll have to end our conversation here for now,” Bernard chuckled. “Not to worry, though! Part 2 of this presentation will be after lunch, in which I will talk about humanity’s relationship with reefs and highlight some more of the amazing features of reef creatures. See you in a claw!”
Aw come on, you can’t just tease us like that! I have so many questions!
Coral reefs were so cool! I’d always thought the ocean was a dark, scary place where incomprehensible terrors lurked in the depths. Who knew the seas could be so lively, colorful, and fascinating?
I can’t wait to learn more!

Hi, Long time lurker on the group. I've booked through Walt Disney Travel Company to fly from London to DLP with Air France and having trouble confirming the amount of baggage that's included in our ticket. WDTC confirm they have hold baggage on all flights (except EasyJet) but Air France confirmed that we only have cabin baggage included. Has anyone else had this issue? Has anyone resolved something similar?

Salut tlm,
Planning on arriving at 6AM on a Sunday and catching a (booked) TGV to Marseilles around noon. I'll need to pick up checked luggage and buy a SIM card at Relay (phone doesn't support eSIM) hence the 5-6hr gap to accommodate for any delays.
It'll be my first time at CDG so I have no idea what to expect, and the interactive airport map is surprisingly difficult to understand.
Would appreciate it if anyone could share some recommendations on places to pass time (cafe/lounge/mcdo, etc) after arrivals at terminal 2E (Air France/Delta).
Merci d'avance!

I have an international flight (Air France) out of CDG at 5:30 pm on Friday. How early would you recommend we arrive at CDG?

Frankrijk staat bekend om zijn uitgebreide netwerk van tolwegen (péages), die een belangrijk onderdeel vormen van het nationale snelwegsysteem.
TL;DR

• Het tolwegsysteem in Frankrijk is goed georganiseerd en biedt diverse betaalmogelijkheden en faciliteiten om de reis zo comfortabel mogelijk te maken.
• U kunt kiezen voor traditionele contante betaling, moderne creditcards, of de handige tolbadge; het systeem is ontworpen om efficiëntie en gemak te bieden.
• De tarieven voor tolwegen in Frankrijk variëren aanzienlijk; het is raadzaam om vooraf de exacte kosten te controleren via de websites van tolwegbedrijven of tolcalculators.
• De 30 km/u poortjes bieden een moderne en efficiënte manier van tolbetaling, waardoor de reiservaring voor automobilisten aanzienlijk wordt verbeterd.
• Péages zonder poortjes bieden een moderne, efficiënte en milieuvriendelijke manier om tol te heffen, verbeteren de doorstroming van het verkeer en verminderen reistijden.
• De hulpdiensten op de Franse tolwegen zijn goed georganiseerd en efficiënt, met diverse voorzieningen om reizigers te ondersteunen bij pech, ongevallen of andere noodgevallen.
• Tolwegbedrijven spelen een cruciale rol in het onderhouden en exploiteren van de Franse snelwegen, zorgen voor een efficiënte en veilige reiservaring voor alle weggebruikers, en blijven innoveren om aan de veranderende behoeften van de maatschappij te voldoen.
• Zorg voor een goede voorbereiding voordat u op reis gaat, zodat u zonder problemen van de prachtige Franse wegen kunt genieten.

Het Franse tolwegennetwerk beslaat duizenden kilometers en verbindt de belangrijkste steden en regio’s van het land. Deze tolwegen zijn vaak sneller en beter onderhouden dan niet-tolwegen, wat ze aantrekkelijk maakt voor zowel nationale als internationale reizigers. Het beheer van de tolwegen wordt uitgevoerd door verschillende concessiehouders, zoals Vinci Autoroutes, APRR, en Sanef.
https://preview.redd.it/f9hz45ie164d1.jpg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c7d6c05bf1cb72903ce9fdd1b35dea71b768353
Deze tolwegen zijn:

• A1, A2, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A11,
• A13, A14, A16, A19, A20, A26, A28, A29, A31,
• A36, A39, A40, A41, A42, A43, A46, A48, A49,
• A50, A51, A52, A54, A61, A62, A63, A64, A65,
• A66, A68, A71, A72, A75, A77, A79, A81, A83,
• A85, A86, A87, A88, A89, A150, A391, A404,
• A410, A430, A432, A466, A500, A520, A719,
• A813, A837

Betaalsystemen
Er zijn verschillende manieren om tol te betalen op de Franse snelwegen:

1. Contant Geld: Veel tolstations accepteren contant geld, hoewel dit minder gebruikelijk wordt. Contante betaling kan bij speciaal aangegeven poortjes.
2. Creditcards: De meeste tolstations accepteren internationale creditcards zoals Visa en MasterCard. Dit is een van de meest gebruikte betaalmethoden.
3. Tolbadges (Télépéage): Dit is een elektronisch betaalsysteem dat gebruik maakt van een tolbadge die aan de voorruit van de auto wordt bevestigd. Voertuigen met een tolbadge kunnen gebruik maken van speciale snelpoorten, wat wachttijd vermindert. De kosten worden automatisch van de bankrekening afgeschreven.
4. Prepaid Credit Kaarten: Sommige wegbeheerders bieden betaling met prepaid credit kaarten aan, die kunnen worden opgeladen met een bepaald bedrag.

Gemiddelde Tarieven van Tolwegen in Frankrijk
De tarieven voor tolwegen in Frankrijk variëren afhankelijk van de afstand, het voertuigtype, en de specifieke tolweg. Hieronder vindt u een overzicht van de gemiddelde tarieven voor enkele veelgebruikte routes en voertuigcategorieën:
Voertuigcategorieën

• Categorie 1: Personenauto's en lichte voertuigen.
• Categorie 2: Voertuigen met een hoogte tussen 2 en 3 meter.
• Categorie 3: Zware voertuigen met twee assen.
• Categorie 4: Zware voertuigen met drie of meer assen.
• Categorie 5: Motorfietsen.

Gemiddelde Tarieven per Route (Categorie 1)

• Parijs naar Lyon (A6): Ongeveer €35 - €40
• Parijs naar Lille (A1): Ongeveer €15 - €20
• Parijs naar Bordeaux (A10): Ongeveer €50 - €55
• Nice naar Marseille (A8): Ongeveer €20 - €25

*Korte Routes

• Lille naar Calais (A16): Ongeveer €8 - €10
• Lyon naar Grenoble (A41/A48): Ongeveer €10 - €12

Langere Afstanden

• Parijs naar Marseille (A6/A7): Ongeveer €55 - €60
• Parijs naar Montpellier (A10/A71/A75): Ongeveer €45 - €50

Tolpoortjes

Tolstations in Frankrijk zijn uitgerust met verschillende soorten poortjes om verschillende betaalmethoden te accommoderen:

1. Automatische Poortjes: Deze poortjes zijn uitgerust met machines die betalingen in contant geld en met creditcards accepteren.
2. Manuele Poortjes: Hier staat een kassier die betalingen in contant geld of met een creditcard accepteert en wisselgeld teruggeeft.
3. Télépéage Poortjes: Deze zijn gereserveerd voor voertuigen die zijn uitgerust met een tolbadge. Deze poortjes zijn vaak gemarkeerd met een oranje "T" en kunnen meestal zonder te stoppen worden gepasseerd.
4. Gemengde Poortjes: Deze poortjes accepteren zowel creditcards als tolbadges, wat extra flexibiliteit biedt voor reizigers.

Faciliteiten
Langs de tolwegen in Frankrijk zijn er tal van faciliteiten beschikbaar voor reizigers:

1. Service Stations (Aires de Service): Deze rustplaatsen zijn uitgerust met tankstations, restaurants, speeltuinen, en soms zelfs hotels. Ze bieden een breed scala aan diensten, van tanken tot boodschappen doen.
2. Rustplaatsen (Aires de Repos): Dit zijn eenvoudigere rustplaatsen met basisvoorzieningen zoals toiletten, picknicktafels en parkeerplaatsen. Ze zijn ideaal voor korte pauzes.
3. Laadstations voor Elektrische Voertuigen: Steeds meer service stations bieden laadpalen voor elektrische voertuigen, wat het makkelijker maakt voor EV-bestuurders om lange afstanden af te leggen.

De 30 km/u poortjes op Franse tolwegen

Op de Franse tolwegen zijn speciale 30 km/u poortjes geïntroduceerd, vooral voor gebruikers van de Télépéage-tolbadge. Deze poortjes, aangeduid met een oranje "T", stellen bestuurders in staat om de tol zonder te stoppen te betalen door langzaam door te rijden. Het systeem leest de tolbadge automatisch af, wat zorgt voor een vlotte doorstroming van het verkeer. Dit verhoogt de efficiëntie en vermindert wachttijden aanzienlijk, vooral tijdens drukke reisperioden.
Voordelen van de 30 km/u Poortjes

1. Efficiëntie: Voertuigen hoeven niet te stoppen, wat de doorstroming bevordert.
2. Gebruiksgemak: Automatische tolbetaling zonder handmatige handelingen.
3. Veiligheid: Minder kans op ongevallen door het ontbreken van stops en starts.

Hoe Werkt het?

1. Tolbadge: Een elektronische tolbadge wordt aan de voorruit van het voertuig bevestigd.
2. Automatische Lezing: Het systeem leest de badge als het voertuig door het poortje rijdt.
3. Automatische Betaling: De tol wordt automatisch van de gekoppelde bankrekening afgeschreven.

Péages zonder poortjes in Frankrijk

• Naast de traditionele tolstations met poortjes, heeft Frankrijk ook tolwegen zonder fysieke poortjes, bekend als "flux-libre" tolheffing. Dit systeem maakt gebruik van elektronische tolheffing waarbij voertuigen worden geregistreerd via kentekenscanners of tolbadges, zonder dat ze hoeven te stoppen.

Werking van Free-Flow Tolheffing

1. Kentekenregistratie: Camera's registreren het kenteken van het voertuig bij het inrijden van de tolweg.
2. Tolbadge: Voertuigen met een tolbadge worden automatisch geregistreerd.
3. Betaling: De tol wordt automatisch van de gekoppelde rekening afgeschreven. Voor voertuigen zonder badge ontvangen de eigenaren een rekening op basis van hun kentekenregistratie.

Voordelen

1. Tijdsbesparing: Geen stops nodig, wat de reistijd verkort.
2. Vlotte Doorstroming: Minder verkeersopstoppingen bij tolstations.
3. Milieuvriendelijk: Minder uitstoot door het vermijden van stoppen en starten.

Voorbeelden
Een prominent voorbeeld van dit systeem is de A79 in Frankrijk. Hier kunnen gebruikers genieten van een naadloze reiservaring zonder de noodzaak om te stoppen bij tolpoorten.

Hulpdiensten op Franse tolwegen

De Franse tolwegen zijn uitgerust met uitgebreide hulpdiensten om de veiligheid en het welzijn van de reizigers te waarborgen. Deze diensten zijn toegankelijk via verschillende kanalen en zijn ontworpen om snel en efficiënt te reageren op noodsituaties.
Beschikbare Hulpdiensten

1. Peage Telefoons: Langs de tolwegen zijn noodtelefoons geplaatst met een directe verbinding naar de hulpdiensten. Deze telefoons zijn goed zichtbaar en gemakkelijk bereikbaar.
2. Patrouilles: Regelmatige patrouilles van tolwegmedewerkers en politie zorgen voor toezicht en assistentie bij ongelukken of andere incidenten.
3. Sleepdiensten: Voor voertuigen die pech hebben, zijn er sleepdiensten beschikbaar die snel ter plaatse kunnen komen om hulp te bieden en voertuigen naar de dichtstbijzijnde veilige locatie of garage te slepen.
4. Medische Hulp: In geval van medische noodgevallen kunnen hulpdiensten snel worden opgeroepen via de noodtelefoons of door contact op te nemen met de nationale noodnummers (112 of 17).

Faciliteiten en Ondersteuning

1. Service Stations: Deze stations bieden niet alleen brandstof en voedsel, maar ook EHBO-kits en soms zelfs medische assistentie.
2. Signalisatie: Geavanceerde signaleringssystemen waarschuwen reizigers voor ongevallen, verkeersopstoppingen en andere noodsituaties, waardoor ze tijdig kunnen reageren.
3. Tolk Kantoor: Voor buitenlanders is er vaak de mogelijkheid om in meerdere talen hulp te ontvangen, wat de communicatie in noodsituaties vergemakkelijkt.

Noodtelefoons en radiostations op de Franse tolwegen

Noodtelefoons
Langs de Franse tolwegen zijn noodtelefoons (bornes d'appel d'urgence) geplaatst, meestal om de twee kilometer. Deze telefoons verbinden direct met de verkeerscentrale, die 24/7 bereikbaar is. U kunt deze telefoons gebruiken om pech, ongevallen of andere noodgevallen te melden. De locatie van de telefoon wordt automatisch doorgegeven, waardoor hulpdiensten snel ter plaatse kunnen zijn.
Radiostations
Voor actuele informatie over verkeersomstandigheden, ongevallen en weersomstandigheden kunnen automobilisten afstemmen op speciale radiostations:

• Autoroute Info (107.7 FM): Dit radiostation biedt real-time verkeersinformatie en nuttige updates over de tolwegen in Frankrijk.

Handige Tips

• Noodnummers: Bel 112 voor algemene noodgevallen en 17 voor de politie.
• Apparatuur: Zorg ervoor dat uw voertuig is uitgerust met een gevarendriehoek en een veiligheidsvest, zoals wettelijk verplicht.

Dienst	Telefoonnummer
Europees noodnummer	112
SAMU (Medische noodhulp)	15
Politie (Noodgeval)	17
Brandweer	18
Vergiftigingscentrum	01 40 05 48 48
SOS Dokters	36 24
Medische Nooddienst Parijs	01 53 94 94 94
Gevonden voorwerpen	08 21 00 25 25
Verlies of diefstal van creditcards	0 892 70 57 05
Takeldienst / Voertuigverwijdering	08 91 01 22 22

Deze voorzieningen zorgen ervoor dat reizigers op de Franse tolwegen goed geïnformeerd en veilig kunnen blijven tijdens hun reis.

Tolwegbedrijven in Frankrijk

Frankrijk heeft een uitgebreid netwerk van tolwegen, beheerd door verschillende concessiehouders. Deze bedrijven zijn verantwoordelijk voor het onderhoud, de exploitatie en de ontwikkeling van de tolwegen. Enkele van de belangrijkste tolwegbedrijven zijn:

1. Vinci Autoroutes: Dit is het grootste tolwegbedrijf in Frankrijk, dat ongeveer 4.443 km aan snelwegen beheert. Vinci is verantwoordelijk voor enkele van de drukste snelwegen, zoals de A10 en de A7.
2. APRR (Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône): Deze concessiehouder beheert een netwerk van ongeveer 2.323 km aan snelwegen in Oost- en Midden-Frankrijk. Enkele belangrijke wegen onder hun beheer zijn de A6 en A5.
3. Sanef (Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France): Dit bedrijf beheert ongeveer 1.743 km aan snelwegen in Noord- en Oost-Frankrijk, waaronder de belangrijke routes A1 en A4.
4. AREA (Société des Autoroutes Rhône-Alpes): AREA beheert een netwerk van snelwegen in de regio Rhône-Alpes, waaronder de A41 en A43.

Rol van Tolwegbedrijven
Tolwegbedrijven in Frankrijk zijn verantwoordelijk voor:

• Onderhoud: Zorg dragen voor het onderhoud en de veiligheid van de wegen.
• Tolheffing: Beheer en inning van tolgelden via tolstations en elektronische betaalsystemen.
• Innovatie: Investeren in nieuwe technologieën en infrastructuur om de verkeersdoorstroming en veiligheid te verbeteren.
• Diensten: Bieden van faciliteiten zoals service stations, rustplaatsen, en hulpdiensten voor reizigers.

Toekomstige Ontwikkelingen
Tolwegbedrijven investeren voortdurend in de verbetering van hun diensten, met een focus op duurzaamheid en technologische innovatie. Dit omvat de implementatie van "free-flow" tolheffingssystemen, het verbeteren van laadfaciliteiten voor elektrische voertuigen en het gebruik van slimme technologieën om verkeersstromen te optimaliseren.

Tot slot

Het tolwegsysteem in Frankrijk is goed georganiseerd en biedt diverse betaalmogelijkheden en faciliteiten om de reis zo comfortabel mogelijk te maken. Of u nu kiest voor de traditionele contante betaling, moderne creditcards, of de handige tolbadge, het systeem is ontworpen om efficiëntie en gemak te bieden.
De tarieven voor tolwegen in Frankrijk kunnen aanzienlijk variëren. Het is altijd raadzaam om vooraf de exacte kosten te controleren via de websites van de tolwegbedrijven of tolcalculators om verrassingen te voorkomen en uw reis goed te plannen.
De 30 km/u poortjes bieden een moderne en efficiënte manier van tolbetaling op Franse snelwegen, waardoor de reiservaring voor automobilisten aanzienlijk wordt verbeterd. Zorg ervoor dat u een geldige tolbadge heeft om optimaal te profiteren van deze service. Péages zonder poortjes bieden een moderne, efficiënte en milieuvriendelijke manier om tol te heffen. Ze verbeteren de doorstroming van het verkeer en verminderen reistijden, waardoor ze een aantrekkelijke optie zijn voor zowel lokale als internationale reizigers. Voor meer informatie en specifieke tolheffingen kunt u terecht op de officiële tolwebsite van Frankrijk.
De hulpdiensten op de Franse tolwegen zijn goed georganiseerd en efficiënt, met diverse voorzieningen om reizigers te ondersteunen bij pech, ongevallen of andere noodgevallen. Reizigers kunnen vertrouwen op de beschikbaarheid van deze diensten voor een veilige reiservaring.
De tolwegbedrijven spelen een cruciale rol in het onderhouden en exploiteren van de Franse snelwegen. Ze zorgen voor een efficiënte en veilige reiservaring voor alle weggebruikers, terwijl ze blijven innoveren om aan de veranderende behoeften van de maatschappij te voldoen.
Zorg ervoor dat u zich goed voorbereidt voordat u op reis gaat, zodat u zonder problemen van de prachtige Franse wegen kunt genieten.

Ingénieur informatique fraîchement sortie d’école, j’ai trouvé un CDI à Paris après plusieurs mois de recherche (marché saturé), mais me voilà désormais heurté au marché de l’immobilier. Il semble impossible de louer quoi que ce soit en dessous de 850/900 euros pour un 23m2 hors Paris, le tout en se battant avec 50 autres candidats ayant des garants gagnant 4x le loyer.
Les loyers semblent être de pire en pire, même en banlieue sur des villes sur le RER c’est compliqué. Je ne sais pas si c’est les JO ou juste l’économie actuellement mais je commence à saturer de la région parisienne, et je cherche un milieu de vie pouvant offrir une qualité de vie descente sans avoir à vendre son rein ou avoir un dossier de location directement sortie de la CIA.
De plus les entreprises ont l’air de faire de moins en moins de télétravail.
Quelles villes en France offrent un marché de l’emploi correct en informatique, avec des logements abordable et une qualité de vie correcte ?

Ingénieur informatique fraîchement sortie d’école, j’ai trouvé un CDI à Paris après plusieurs mois de recherche (marché saturé), mais me voilà désormais heurté au marché de l’immobilier. Il semble impossible de louer quoi que ce soit en dessous de 850/900 euros pour un 23m2 hors Paris, le tout en se battant avec 50 autres candidats ayant des garants gagnant 4x le loyer.
Les loyers semblent être de pire en pire, même en banlieue sur des villes sur le RER c’est compliqué. Je ne sais pas si c’est les JO ou juste l’économie actuellement mais je commence à saturer de la région parisienne, et je cherche un milieu de vie pouvant offrir une qualité de vie descente sans avoir à vendre son rein ou avoir un dossier de location directement sortie de la CIA.
De plus les entreprises ont l’air de faire de moins en moins de télétravail.
Quelles villes en France offrent un marché de l’emploi correct en informatique, avec des logements abordable et une qualité de vie correcte ?

Hello, I need some advice from people that are a little bit more experienced in booking flights and maybe had the same issue once. My situation is the following:
I need a flight from Düsseldorf to Lima in October 2024, to be exact anywhere from 10th to the 13th would probably be okay. I will be traveling for 2,5 weeks in Peru, including spending 4 weeks in Chile for an internship + 1-2 weeks traveling in Chile. If my internship takes place, I would then leave again to Düsseldorf in mid December, 14th to 18th or so.
The problem is that I will only know the exact dates around beginning of September, since I will get an acceptance letter for the internship only around 8 weeks prior to the start (4th of November). The internship is 30 days, which means that I will either leave Chile in mid of November (if the internship gets cancelled) or mid of December (if the internship starts).
I was now looking for flights and I am already certain that I will fly with Iberia since this is basically the only, affordable airline which leaves from Germany to Madrid where I can catch a flight to Lima. AirFrance and KLM are even more expensive. I also want to book via the airlines webpage to be on the safe side if something does not work out or so.
My question is whether it is generally better to book two individual flights in this case (DUS-LIM now and SCL-DUS in September) or if I should use the Flexible option from Iberia for the second flight, so that I could change this as soon as I know the exact date. I found out that this would save me the fee for rescheduling and I would only have to pay the difference.
Thank you very much!

Hello, I need some advice from people that are a little bit more experienced in booking flights and maybe had the same issue once. My situation is the following:
I need a flight from Düsseldorf to Lima in October 2024, to be exact anywhere from 10th to the 13th would probably be okay. I will be solo traveling for 2,5 weeks in Peru, including spending 4 weeks in Chile for an internship + 1-2 weeks traveling in Chile. If my internship takes place, I would then leave again to Düsseldorf in mid December, 14th to 18th or so.
The problem is that I will only know the exact dates around beginning of September, since I will get an acceptance letter for the internship only around 8 weeks prior to the start (4th of November). The internship is 30 days, which means that I will either leave Chile in mid of November (if the internship gets cancelled) or mid of December (if the internship starts).
I was now looking for flights and I am already certain that I will fly with Iberia since this is basically the only, affordable airline which leaves from Germany to Madrid where I can catch a flight to Lima. AirFrance and KLM are even more expensive. I also want to book via the airlines webpage to be on the safe side if something does not work out or so.
My question is whether it is generally better to book two individual flights in this case (DUS-LIM now and SCL-DUS in September) or if I should use the Flexible option from Iberia for the second flight, so that I could change this as soon as I know the exact date. I found out that this would save me the fee for rescheduling and I would only have to pay the difference.
Thank you very much!

I’ll be raw with y’all but our airport is DOGSHIT I don’t think I’ve ever seen an airport this bad in my life.Just terrible.I remember in 2021 then T-3 building smelling like urine and that’s peak embarrassment.You have people from all over the world waiting in a place which smells like urine doesn’t give a good image on us does it.I remember being so happy about the new T-2 building but boy…that terminal is a disappointment.Its not even a year old and yet feels like it’s been there for half a decade.The airport feels dim too and the food court situation is disastrous where you legit have like 10 tables for 4 restaurants.Things get worse when it comes to boarding apparently there’s some malfunction when it come to using two doors to board wide body aircrafts such as the 777,787,350 and etc.Which means business class/First Class passengers along with economy passengers board through one door which makes the aero bridges wayy too crowded.Speaking about gates it’s also embarrassing over the fact that there are not many gates available making airlines wait for long minutes after landing.This issue has lead some airlines to leave Chennai or reduce its frequency such as Air France which has suspended even though the planes were filled and Lufthansa to cut its frequency to 5x per week from 7x/week.In the beginning of May we had 1481 flights/week and today 02.06.2024 we have 1400/week. What will be done to combat this absolute screw up?
My sincere apologies for typos and grammatical errors

Hey all!
I'm potentially going to have to fly directly from Colombia to Paris in a few months rather than returning to the US in between. I'm curious what languages will be spoken aboard such a flight? I'm sure Spanish and French, but would they also speak English and translate announcements to English?
I've flown AF plenty of times and most of their FAs have pretty good English, but I've never flown AF besides into or out of an English speaking country. I speak enough Spanish to get by, so it won't be the worst thing if there's no English, but I'm much slower in both understanding and speaking. I unfortunately only know a handful of phrases in French.

Nature of Humanity Ch 69 A NoP fic
Under Pressure Part 12
A Fanfic of u/SpacePaladin15’s work “The Nature of Predators.” Thank you for the story!
___
Memory transcription subject: Silvera, Factory 13 Manager
Date [standardized human time]: November 4th, 2136
I helped John to his feet and had to admit, he was moving around without the aid of pain medications like someone who wasn’t really hurt. He stretched, and I could finally see hundreds of scars under the pelt of fur he sported on his chest. My paws found their way to his torso and began to trace the trauma lines. His own hand found its way to the top of my back as he stood still and allowed me to actually look at his body.
My curiosity sated, I took a step back and tried to hide my embarrassment, “I apologize. When you told me about the fights where- Well… I didn’t realize just how bad it was. If it wasn’t for how fresh they are I wouldn’t be able to see where those purist fucks hurt you.”
A shameful smile spread across John’s face, “Yeah… I’ve not lived a good life. I’ve just tried to- oh hello there.”
A Venlil I didn’t recognize stood next to John. Her voice seemed off as she teetered back and forth. Before either of us could ask if she needed help, she held a small gooey orange mess up to John, “You have a soft voice. Please take care of her.”
It was only when what, I thought, was a tentacle drooped down from the orange goo did it click what I was looking at. Her lower side was caked in orange blood and the small mass she just handed John was a newborn, umbilical and placenta still attached. John quickly clutched the newborn to his chest the second he realized what was in his hands. The mother began to uneasily run off with little readable emotion on her face.
John desperately looked around as he cradled the newborn in his arms, “Stop her! HEY! SOMEONE STOP HER!”
I was torn between trying to help John and tearing after the new mother. For the first time in my life, I was glad to see exterminators. The trio John had intimidated were still close by and quickly rushed to stop her.
I rushed back to John's side and called an ambulance for both of them. John seemed to be in a fog. Concern and fear laced every feature of his face as he held the child. He looked to me for some sort of answer. I could only shake my head as I leaned in to get a better view of the infant.
It was difficult to judge on their wool color, but they seemed to have their mother’s steel-gray wool. John was shaking slightly as the trio brought the mother back over, “We caught her. What’s going on?”
John held the wriggling mess in his arms, “She- she just handed me her newborn! I- we have an ambulance on the way for both of them. I just- why?”
We studied the neutral-sick look on her face as she slowly bobbed back and forth. She didn't seem capable of responding. One of the exterminators took off his hood to reveal his Venlilian features, “She's definitely been through a PD facility… it looks like they… well… she's certainly on a cocktail of something.”
John happily took a clean rag from one of the other exterminators and wrapped the placenta and umbilical cord in it, while trying to use a free edge to clean the child, “Thank you. … She needs help. They both need help. I think this little one is addicted as well.”
The meekest of the trio took off their hood revealing their chameleon scales, “Addicted? The baby was just born, how can it be addicted to anything?”
Tears were welling in his eyes, “The drugs get into the mother's bloodstream and are carried right into the baby. It can be lethal if you aren't careful. It was really only blind luck that I was able to do this before.”
The boldest one took off his hood. The Brown colored Venlil looked sad, “You've done this before? … I guess that little one is luckier than they know. Star’s guide you. I don't know what I'd do if someone herd swapped that pup with me.”
I had repressed the memories of my old herds doing the same to me. John looked up confused as I explained, “Herd Swapping is when a group decides that one of its members isn't worth keeping around but feel bad about just abandoning them. So they find another group, and quickly dump off the unwanted before they have a chance to reject them. It's not a fun practice to be on the receiving end of.”
He gently pressed a finger to the tip of the pup's snout. Slowly his gaze drifted to the barely conscious mother, “Mam… I'll take care of them. Do you have a name for them? Would you like to hold them.”
Her head bobbed for a moment before a flicker of some consciousness crossed through her eyes, “Aaaaaa. Aaaaalaaa… Aalvi. Heeer name iiiis Alvi.”
She was barely able to hold her arms up as John gently placed that small pup into them. He supported her arms as she held Alvi to her chest. The Harchen helped her sit on the ground as she gently groomed her pup.
As the sounds of sirens started to penetrate the indoor park she pressed her pup once more into my boyfriend's arms as paramedics rushed in. John stood to his full height and the medics halted to a stop before the bold Exterminator let out a loud sigh, “Get over here and do your damn jobs! We are placing a hold on her. Once she's stable, she is to be transferred to our care under Dr. Audefen.”
It felt terrible watching her get arrested once more for Predator Disease, but there wasn’t anything I could do. John, however, could and chose to intervene, “Our care? She needs rehab! Rehab and a good Counselor most likely.”
The boldest one and the Harchen both asked simultaneously,
“What's Rehab?”
“What's a Counselor?”
He looked aghast for a moment, “Rehab… is a place dedicated to helping people get off addictive drugs. A Counselor is a trained professional that helps people that are neurodivergent live in society.”
The meekest looked confused, “Neurodivergent?”
He let out a long depressed sigh, “People that… I guess don't fit the norm.”
The paramedics strapped the mother down to the gurney. We watched as they administered an IV packet and began to haul the mother away. John took a half step after them, “Wait! The baby! Are you not going to-”
The older one angrily flicked her tail, “Are they breathing?”
Rage flicked in John's eyes, “What?! Yes!”
The medic stomped her foot, “Then you can take them to the hospital if you have any concerns.”
John raised his voice and took a step forward, “The child might be addicted-”
She spat back with vitriol, “I’ve seen PD babies before. That one doesn’t have any of the signs of infant addiction. The mother overdosed, likely moments after giving birth. Take the child to a pediatrician and explain the situation. We are done here.”
John stood there speechless as they left Bio-dome. The meekest exterminator pushed his wheelchair up behind him, and I finally noticed John's legs were extremely wobbly. The other two helped him sit down just in time.
The boldest one patted John on the shoulder, “Well, uhm, congratulations on becoming a Father?”
His chin quivered as he looked at the small person in his arms, “I- … at least until I can get them properly adopted.”
The Harchen looked ashamed as they shook their head, “Yeah, good luck with that.”
John looked hurt and confused. I placed my paw on his arm, “No one would adopt me because I was different and all I needed was a back brace. They are the child of a P.D. patient. If it's not you- if it's not us, then they have no one.”
He looked to be on the verge of hyperventilating, “I! You! Are you serious? This- I wasn't trying to volunteer you, for this.”
I gave him a kind smile and gently squeezed his arm, “I'm in it for the long haul. But we can talk about this later. We need to get Alvi here to a doctor.”
The bold one replaced their hood, “Dr. Audefen should be more than qualified to do a check-up. He has one of the best clinics outside Zurulian space. Do you guys need a lift?”
I signalled no, “I can take them to your guild.”
John stammered out, “Wait! I don't have a baby seat! Its- oh for fuck's sake. Right… not a thing outside of Earth.”
I squeezed his arm again and he began to calm down, “I'll take it slow John. While this, uhm, Audefen is doing a check-up I'll call some friends and see if they can get or make this ‘baby seat’ you want.”
John cradled little Alvi a bit closer and nodded his head. He slowly looked to the trio of exterminators he once butted heads with, “Can you guys go tell Da- Chief Loke about the situation? I came here with him and I don't want him worrying. Oh, and uh… Chodri?”
The boldest one looked at him curiously, “Yeah?”
John looked a little ashamed, “Well two things, first sorry for how I treated you guys earlier. That wasn't right.”
The trio looked a little uncomfortable as that memory was dragged back up. Chodri looked everywhere but at John, “Uh… thanks I guess?”
I can't describe the look on John's face as he ordered, “Also give me your shirt.”
They took a half step back, “What?!”
“I uh, gave mine to my girlfriend and uh…” He nodded towards the pup and then outside, “wait… I can just use my jacket as insulated swaddling. Never mind.”
“Wait.” Chodri pulled his jacket off and helped John swaddle the infant in it, “I have wool to keep me warm. I'll be warmer than you with that sparse pelt… I thought you humans didn't have fur…”
“Yeah, it's not fur. Some of us are just hairier than others. I'm not a good example of the norm.”
Chodri let out a small chuckles, “Well, I figured that much out. Go on now. Get the kid to Audefen. Make sure they are ok.” He turned on the other two, “I am going to appraise the chief of the fact that he's now technically a grandfather. You two go find out who that nurse is and pull her in for a PD test after her shift. She was all too quick to abandon a member of the herd.”
The Harchen started to protest, “But it's a-”
Chodri puffed out their chest, “No! She went through a PD facility and got released. That means she's rehabilitated. I won't have anyone treat someone who isn't a predator, like one.”
The meekest one flicked his tail at John, “What about John? He's a-”
Chodri threw his paws into the air and stomped, “STOP LOLLYGAGGING AND BY THE VOID GET TO WORK!”
The meek one and the Harchen sprinted for the exit as Chodri flicked his tail farewell. John remained fairly quiet on the ride to his guild hall. It wasn't until we stepped through the side entrance of the guild did he finally start talking, “Thank you Silv. I- god, I hoped I'd never do this again.”
Despite being a bit afraid of jumping into raising a child, I doubled down, “We got this. You've already raised one kid. How is an alien going to be more difficult?”
As if on cue the pup began to let loose an ear-splitting cry. We hurried through the side door and gathered a lot of odd looks speedwalking down the hall. A Gojid and Tilfish I didn't recognize rushed to catch up with us, “What’s going on? John! Why do you have a Venlil pup!”
I felt like being a bit of a wise ass, “Oh! That's our pup! We just had them. It is funny how a Sivkit/Human cross looks just like a Venlil!”
The Tilfish threw his paws in the air, “I KNEW IT! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU ALL THE REASON THE SIVKITS LEFT WAS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT US LEARNING THEY ONCE CONSORTED WITH TERRAN PREDATORS!”
“OH!” The Tilfish jumped at my exclamation, “I know you! You're the conspiracy theory nut job!”
The Tilfish stomped his foot and came to a stop, “They are not theories! They are the truth!”
The Gojid came to a stop next with a look of equal parts disgust and disbelief on his face as he addressed the Tilfish, “Really? That's the part you debate? Really?”
We quickly left the two of them in the dust as we entered their Medical ward. A rather small Mazic stood up, “What is that- John? You should be in a wheelchair! What’s-”
“No time to explain! Got ‘herd swapped’ and mother was ODing on drugs! Possible addict baby! Need food, maybe for it! Freaking out and in pain! Need to sit!”
Dr. Audefen ushered John to place the infant on a small medical table as he brought the medical equipment to life. John collapsed onto a nearby bed and held his side. I rushed to him, but he pointed to Alvi with a pained expression on his face.
I nodded and returned to Audefren’s side. He brought over a machine with a dozen robotic arms with a myriad of attachments and masterfully worked the soft robotics to unswaddle the baby and remove the towel from their umbilical cord. Faster than I could really track with my vision, he had an elastic band around the base of the cord and the machine cut and whisked the cord away, all while drawing blood for a battery of tests.
He hrmmmed and hummed to himself as examined the wailing infant. He appeared to have a eureka moment as he activated an arm that began to gently sponge bathe Alvi, who calmed down almost immediately.
He gave one last glance at the screen before addressing the pair of us, “Well for starters the patient is fine and healthy without a drop of anything unexpected in her blood nor any abnormalities. I must say, John, you apparently did have time to explain! The reason for the crying was simply discomfort as the birthing fluids began to dry and irritate the sensitive skin.”
He pulled a new machine over, and it began to hum, “Judging from the CAT scan, she can’t be more than a few hours old… everything looks… perfectly normal. This is one healthy baby. Actually, it's probably not too long before she is going to want her first meal… hang on, I should have some newborn formula… around here somewhere… Ah! Here we are! You'll only need this one, and then you can switch to the [two weeks] to [six month] formula. Young Paws is an excellent brand.”
John collapsed backwards on the bed, “Th-thank you, Dr. Audefen. I- I was starting to freak out.”
Audefen waved it off with a flick of his tail, “Don't. If you have any, and I do mean any, concerns about her health or your own, call me at any time… partially because this is covered under your insurance as an Exterminator and also, I pride myself on my medical care.”
John scrunched his face up, “I have insurance?”
The Mazic rolled his eyes before looking at John like he was an idiot, “I- … YES, YOU HAVE INSURANCE. HOW- How has no-one gone over your care package? You, your spouse, and any children you have can walk in at any time or schedule an appointment.”
John lifted his head from the bed, “Can my girlfriend count as my spouse? She's decided to be the mother of my kid… that I wasn't expecting to have…”
Dr. Audefen let out a sigh before he began to signal no. Then he finally looked at me and his eyes widened, “Yes. I will make it work. Now seeing as I have all three of you here, let's get you up to date on all of your medical charts and vaccinations.”
___/\___
GOOD GRIEF IT TOOK FOREVER TO GET TO THIS! John is a dad now! I have had this planned since I saw this on the discord. Also, Silvera decides, in for a penny in for a pound. It wasn’t like she was going to have kids with any of the plethora of Sivkits that live outside the grand fleet. (that was a joke. There is not a plethora of Sivkits living outside the fleet as far as I am aware, and any she would meet would not be interested because she can walk on two legs and can be rather intimidating if she wishes)
Special thanks to u/JulianSkies and u/callmefishy11 for proofreading! Seriously it felt like my eyes were melting out of my skull and your feedback was everything I needed!
___/\___
Directory
Library of BiasMushroom contains every link for everything I have written! Check it out as some stuff related to Nature of Humanity may not appear on HFY! As well as my little side stories and Fanfics of other NoP fanfics!
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This is a list of pit bull attacks and fatalities documented by the media and on social media for the month of May 2024. This list will be edited throughout the month and after as new incidents are reported.
Due to the high volume of attacks and Reddit's character limit, social media attacks will now be documented separately below but will still be included in the overall monthly totals.

MONTHLY TOTALS
CHILD FATALITIES	1
ADULT FATALITIES:	4
ANIMAL FATALITIES:	54
TOTAL ATTACKS:	204

May 1

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Florianópolis, Brazil: Family with 10 month old baby attacked, family dog killed.
• Macerata, Italy: Dog attacked at park by pit bull (whose owner fled) - Article
• Tartagal, Argentina: 26 y/o woman attacked by loose pit - Article
• Washington, D.C: 3 people bitten by 4 pit bulls - Article
• Philadelphia, PA: 53 y/o man attacked by 3 pit bulls - Article
• Ottumwa, IA: 9 y/o girl severely injured after attack by family friend's pit bull mix - Article

May 2

• San Rafael, Argentina: 62 y/o woman attacked by neighbor's pit - Article
• Chihuahua, Mexico: Elderly couple attacked and nearly killed by their pit bull - Article

May 3

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Campo Grande, Brazil: Small dog killed by 2 pit bulls (same dogs killed a cat on 5/5/24).
• Milan, Italy: 10 y/o child attacked by family pit bull - Article
• Lincoln, NE: 18 y/o woman attacked while walking her dog - Article
• Papillion, NE: Mail carrier attacked by 3 American Bulldogs - Article

May 4

• Capurso, Italy: Dog attacked by loose pit - Article
• Cascavel, Brazil: 35 y/o man bitten by pit bull - Article
• Guaíra, Brazil: Woman and her dog attacked - Article

May 5

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Campo Grande, Brazil: 2 pit bulls broke into home and killed a cat.
• Cascavel, Brazil: 4 y/o boy attacked - Article
• Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil: Man and his dog attacked - Article
• San Andrés Cholula, Mexico: Small dog seriously injured by loose pit - Article
• Bromwich, England: 10 y/o girl was riding a horse when it was attacked by a loose pit - Article
• Glasgow, Scotland: Elderly dog seriously injured after being mauled - Article
• Rho, Italy: Dog and owner attacked - Article
• Saint-Michel, France: Man and his friend attacked by his pit bull - Article
• Kansas City, KS: Dog attacked and owner injured - Article

May 6

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Grand Rapids Charter Township, MI: Shih Tzu killed by neighbor's pit mix.
• Pawtucket, RI: Man attacked by loose pit while walking his dogs - Article
• União da Vitória, Brazil: Dog attacked by loose pit bulls - Article
• Tupã, Brazil: Working horse attacked - Article
• Itajaí, Brazil: Elderly woman attacked by loose pit - Article
• Santa María Colotepec, Mexico: Woman attacked by loose pit - Article

May 7

• Nueva Palmira, Uruguay: Cat mauled by pit bull - Article
• Ibitinga, Brazil: Woman attacked by neighbor's loose pit - Article
• Ringwood, England: Out of control pit bull was loose attacking other dogs - Article

May 8

• Votorantim, Brazil: Dog attacked - Article
• Juiz de Fora, Brazil: 5 y/o girl attacked and caretaker injured -Article
• Córdoba, Argentina: 13 y/o girl attacked on her way home from school - Article
• Folkestone, England: Pit bull type dog injured a man after fighting with 2 English Bulldogs - Article
• San Giorgio a Cremano, Italy: Small dog in critical condition and elderly owner injured after attack by 2 loose pits - Article

May 9

• Basavilbaso, Argentina: 26 y/o man injured after protecting his dog from a pit bull attack - Article
• Maricá, Brazil: 34 y/o woman's face mauled by her pit bull - Article
• Isbergues, France: 4 y/o girl's cheek torn off during attack - Article
• Edmonton, Alberta: 5 people attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article
• Sheffield, England: 7 y/o girl hospitalized with severe injuries - Article
• Maltby, England: Young child repeatedly bitten by family dog - Article

May 10

• Baraut, India: 45 y/o man in ICU - Article
• Jacarepaguá, Brazil: 50 y/o woman attacked by neighbor's pit bull - Article

May 11

• ADULT FATALITY - Itaperuna, Brazil: 77 y/o man killed by pit bull.
• Santa Helena, Brazil: 70 y/o woman attacked - Article
• Arezzo, Italy: Dog attacked and owner injured - Article
• Serracapriola, Italy: 15 y/o girl and 7 y/o girl attacked while playing - Article

May 12

• Camocim, Brazil: 5 y/o girl attacked - Article
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 7 y/o girl attacked - Article
• Cascavel, Brazil: Man and woman attacked by their pit bull, along with another man who was injured - Article
• Juliaca, Peru: 19 y/o man attacked - Article
• Oleśnica, Poland: 26 y/o woman in critical condition after attack by 3 pit bulls - Article
• Milan, Italy: Paramedics attacked by pit bull - Article
• Portland, OR: Three people injured after a pit owner ordered his pit bull to attack - Article

May 13

• ADULT FATALITY - Buenos Aires, Argentina: 77 y/o woman doing yardwork killed by five pit bulls, passed away 5/17/24.
• Saint-Omer, France: 16 y/o girl and 35 y/o woman attacked - Article
• Sesto San Giovanni, Italy: 2 y/o girl flown to hospital and her aunt injured - Article

May 14

• Franca, Brazil: Dog attacked by pit bull, then a woman and her dog attacked by same dog - Article
• Sherman, TX: 17 y/o girl attacked by 4 pit bulls - Article
• Philadelphia, PA: 52 y/o woman attacked by 3 pit bulls - Article
• Noida, India: 8 y/o boy attacked by landlord's pit bull while visiting aunt - Article

May 15

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Avezzano, Italy: Cat killed by 2 pit bulls.
• Wirral, England: Pit bull attacked by another pit bull, both owners injured - Article
• Grimsby, England: 8 y/o boy attacked and had to be flown to the hospital - Article
• Wixom, MI: 1 y/o girl and her grandma attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article
• Tamandaré, Brazil: 4 y/o child attacked by loose pit bull - Article

May 16

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Nancy, France: Chihuahua killed.
• Edinburgh, Scotland: 26 y/o woman attacked by her 2 pit bulls - Article

May 17

• CHILD FATALITY - Vercelli, Italy: 5 month old boy killed by family's pit bull.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Salvador, Brazil: Cat killed by pit bulls.
• Ubatuba, Brazil: Dog attacked - Article
• Sabará, Brazil: 4 y/o girl attacked - Article
• Holt Heath, England: 8 y/o girl attacked - Article

May 18

• ADULT FATALITY - Farmington Hills, MI: 40 y/o man killed by his dog.
• Ivaiporã, Brazil: Dog attacked and owner injured - Article
• Blumenau, Brazil: 42 y/o man attacked by neighbor's pit bull - Article
• Alessandria, Italy: 88 y/o man bitten after trying to separate a pit bull attacking Lagotto dog - Article

May 19

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Distrito Federal, Brazil: Shih Tzu killed and 17 y/o girl attacked.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - São Pedro da Aldeia, Brazil: Yorkie killed.
• Sanremo, Italy: Golden Retriever attacked and owner injured by 2 pit bulls - Article
• Istanbul, Turkey: Street cat attacked - Article

May 20

• ADULT FATALITY - Hornchurch, England: Woman in her 50s killed by her 2 dogs.
• Chatham County, NC: 3 people attacked by 4 pits (breed confirmed in article video) - Article
• Nettuno, Italy: Trainer at animal shelter attacked - Article

May 21

• Sarandi, Brazil: 2 people attacked - Article
• Boston, MA: 4 people hospitalized after attack - Article

May 22

• Boa Vista, Brazil: 7 y/o girl attacked - Article
• Minneapolis, MN: Mom and 2 children attacked. Mom in serious condition - Article

May 23

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Gela, Italy: Loose pit bull killed 3 cats.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Philadelphia, PA: Small dog killed.
• Rio do Sul, Brazil: 56 y/o woman attacked - Article

May 24

• Sulmona, Italy: Jack Russell and owner injured - Article

May 25

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Petrolina, Brazil: Pit bull attacked 1 dog and later that day killed a puppy.

May 26

• ANIMAL FATALITY - São Mateus do Sul, Brazil: German Shepherd killed and another family dog injured by 3 pit bulls.
• Domusnovas, Italy: 2 10 y/o children attacked - Article
• Andria, Italy: Man in his 50s in serious condition after attack by his pit bull - Article
• Milwaukee, WI: At least 7 people attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article
• Youngstown, OH: Man and his girlfriend attacked by his pit bull after having an argument - Article
• Valley, AL: 2 attacks by same dogs (pit bull and Rottweiler): Woman attacked in the early AM, and later that morning a man was also attacked - Article

May 27

• Hull, England: 5 y/o boy's scalp partially ripped off - Article
• Massapê, Brazil: Elderly woman's face disfigured by grandson's pit bull - Article

May 28

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Zumaglia, Italy: Boxer puppy killed.
• Caserta, Italy: Dog attacked by pit bull that broke free from leash - Article
• Pontlottyn, Wales: 15 y/o boy hospitalized after dog attack - Article
• Airdrie, Scotland: 40 y/o man hospitalized for bite injuries - Article

May 29

• Jaru, Brazil: 2 pit bulls shot after attacking a smaller dog - Article
• Salvitelle, Italy: 70 y/o man hospitalized for attack - Article
• Bourges, France: Pit bull attacked 4 people, including owner - Article

May 30

• Marina di Massa, Italy: Man attacked by 2 pit bulls who were trying to get to his dog - Article
• Montepllier, France: Police officer severely bitten by pit bull who was attacking his K9 dog - Article

May 31

• Saronno, Italy: 20 y/o man attacked by neighbor's pit bull - Article

Unconfirmed Dates

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Rio Bonito, Brazil: Cat killed by 2 pit bulls.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia: Dog killed by pit bull (responsible for killing 5 other dogs).
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Arpino, Italy: 8 cats killed by loose pits.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Genoa, Italy: Little dog killed on walk with owner.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Massarosa, Italy: Poodle killed and owner injured.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Montegiorgio, Italy: Small dog killed and owner attacked.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Terni, Italy: Small dog killed in front of owner.
• Monserrato, Italy: Beagle attacked - Article
• Leonforte, Italy: 8 y/o girl attacked - Article
• Pompeii, Italy: 8 y/o girl attacked - Article
• Carbonia, Italy: Small dog attacked and owner injured by 2 pit bulls - Article
• Catanzaro, Italy: Small dog attacked - Article
• Misilmeri, Italy: 49 y/o woman in serious condition after being attacked by her pit bull - Article
• Jaraguá, Brazil: Dog attacked by problematic pit bull - Article
• Greene County, MO: 8 y/o girl attacked while walking home from bus stop - Article

SOCIAL MEDIA ATTACKS

May 1

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Ijuí, Brazil: Mother dog and 4 of her puppies killed.
• Woodland, CA: Golden Doodle puppy mauled and owner injured by neighbor's pit - Post # May 2
• Cruz Alta, Brazil: 2 dogs attacked - Post
• North Spokane, WA: Cat severely injured after attack by pit bull - Post
• Americana, Brazil: Woman mauled by 2 pit bulls - Post
• San Diego, CA: 26 y/o man bitten by pit bull - Post # May 3
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Indiana, USA: Loose pit killed 2 chickens.
• Los Angeles, CA: Loose pit bull attacked another dog - Post
• Pompano Beach, FL: Shih Tzu/Maltese mauled by loose pit - Post
• Frankfort, KY: 9 y/o girl mauled by family pit bull - Post
• Toledo, OH: Young girl attacked by loose pit - Post # May 4
• Bella Vista, AR: Dog attacked by neighbor's pit - Post
• South Bend, IN: Lab attacked by 2 pit bulls in its own yard - Post
• New York, USA: Pit bull attacked another pit bull, biting her owner when they tried to intervene - Post
• Vancouver, WA: Shih Tzu violently attacked - Post # May 5
• West New York, NJ - Corgi attacked - Post
• Rio Grande, Brazil: Dog attacked by neighbor's pit who has already killed 6 dogs - Post
• Forreston, IL: Woman attacked at a park - Post # May 6
• Bellevue, WA: 2 Golden Retrievers attacked by loose pit bull - Post
• Omaha, NE: Dog and owner attacked by neighbor's pit - Post
• São José, Brazil: Owner threw his small dog out after it was attacked and injured by his pit bull - Post # May 7
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Franca, Brazil: Loose pit bull killed 2 dogs and injured another.
• Greensboro, NC: Woman attacked after protecting her 2 dogs from a pit bull - Post # May 8
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Cleveland, TX - Bull Terrier killed by group of pits.
• Detroit, MI: Woman attacked by neighbor's pit bull - Post
• São Miguel Arcanjo, Brazil: Community dog attacked - Post # May 10
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Cat killed.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Anápolis, Brazil: Shih Tzu killed by neighbor's pit.
• Schenectady, NY: Woman attacked and disfigured by pit mix - Post # May 11
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Pitangueiras, Brazil: Dog killed by loose pit.
• Sarajevo, Bosnia: 4-month-old puppy gravely injured by 2 pit bulls - Post # May 12
• Pitangueiras, Brazil: 2 dogs and 1 person attacked by pit bull that killed a dog the day before - Post
• Birmingham, AL: Small dog attacked on own porch - Post # May 13
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Goiânia, Brazil: Dog killed by loose pit.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Lucas do Rio Verde, Brazil: Small dog killed.
• Planaltina, Brazil: Dog attacked in its own yard -Post
• Duluth, GA: Dog attacked by unleashed pit - Post
• Tacoma, WA: Man and his dog attacked - Post # May 14
• Sydney, Australia: Border Collie attacked at dog park - Post # May 16
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Troy, NC: 4 dogs invaded property, attacking multiple animals and killing a pony.
• Los Angeles, CA: 2 elderly dogs in critical condition after being mauled by pit bull and Cane Corso - Post
• Los Angeles, CA: Dog attacked and owner injured - Post
• Cruz Alta, Brazil: Dog previously attacked on 5/2 attacked again by same pit bull - Post # May 18
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Ironton, OH: Yorkie killed by 2 pit bulls.
• Pasadena, TX: Basset mix bitten and owner attacked - Post # May 19
• Columbus, OH: Pit bull attempted to attack Italian Mastiff at dog park and bit the owner - Post # May 20
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Varginha, Brazil: Kitten killed by 2 pit bulls.
• Cypress, TX: Papillon attacked by family friend's pit bull - Post
• Tampa, FL: Puppy attacked - Post # May 22
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Maryland, USA: Cat killed by family pits.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Carambeí, Brazil: Dog killed by loose pit. # May 23
• New Jersey, USA: Dog attacked and owner bitten - Post # May 24
• Berkeley, CA: Jack Russell mix attacked - Post # May 25
• Oudsbergen, Belgium: Dog critically injured after attack by loose pit bull - Post
• Tulsa, OK: DoorDasher attacked while making a delivery - Post # May 27
• Franklin, TN: Dalmatian attacked - Post
• Midwest USA: Dog out on a walk attacked by loose pit - Post
• Baltimore, MD: Golden Retriever attacked by fake service dog - Post
• Missouri, USA: Pregnant woman and partner attacked by pit bull - Post # May 28
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Newcastle, England: Westie killed by unmuzzled and off-leash pit bull. # May 29
• Brooklyn, NY: Woman attacked and bitten several times after walking past a pit bull - Post
• Virginia Beach, VA: Dogs out on a walk attacked by pit bull, one in serious condition - Post # May 30
• Charlotte, NC: Horse attacked by 2 pit bulls - Post # May 31
• Hawaii, USA: 2 attacks: Young boy attacked by neighbor's pit on his way home from school. Woman bit by same dog a few days prior - Post # Unconfirmed Dates
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Itaborai, Brazil: Shih Tzu killed by pit bulls.
• Lapa, Brazil: Mutt attacked - Post
• Dayton, OH: Small dog suffering from many injuries after attack - Post

Record temperatures, starvation, zombie fires, Ukraine’s exhaustion, and bird flu mutations. ‘Tis the season—of Doom.
Last Week in Collapse: May 26-June 1, 2024
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter compiling some of the most important, timely, useful, soul-crushing, ironic, stunning, exhausting, or otherwise must-see/can’t-look-away moments in Collapse.
This is the 127th newsletter. You can find the May 19-25 edition here if you missed it last week. You can also receive these posts (with images) every Sunday in your email inbox with Substack.
——————————
Cyclone Remal, which has killed 50+ people between India & Bangladesh, was one of the longest-lasting cyclones (36+ hours) to lash Bangladesh. 20M+ people were also left without electricity. Delhi broke its all-time temperature record last week, with 50.5 °C (123 °F). A state of emergency was declared, and 14+ people died in India from the heat so far.
A series of freak lightning strikes in Colorado killed one human and 34 cattle. Meteorologists were already looking at a few potential hurricanes days before the record season was expected to begin (1 June to 30 November).
Brazil’s savannah has suffered deforestation worse than much of the Amazon—and most of the clearing was done illegally. About 11,000 km2 of the Brazilian savannah was deforested last year (equivalent to the size of Jamaica), an increase of 68% compared to 2022.
A study in Science Direct looked into permafrost melt in Tibet, and concluded that alpine meadows are the most sensitive region to changing temperature patterns. Melting permafrost is more responsive to annual temperatures & wind speeds, while the upper soil levels respond more to month-to-month changes in temperature and precipitation. Another study from Biogeosciences examined the terrible effects of bottom-trawling stirring up carbon from the seafloor.
A small village in central Papua New Guinea was covered by a landslide, reportedly burying over 2,000 inhabitants. Estimates of the dead range from 100 to 670. Data from the U.S. say 2023 was the highest heat mortality year since records began, with 2,300+ Americans perishing. One heat expert said the encroaching heat “seems like it's coming faster….{and} more severe than we expected." The UN claims women are 14x more likely to die in a climate disaster, compared with men—and are affected by other negative effects are a far greater rate.
Record nighttime temperatures across Central America, around 29 °C (84 °F). Hundreds of cities in the American Deep South broke temperature records for spring with temperatures in the 80s °F (27-29 °C). Radical changes to our consumption patterns would be necessary to avert a large-scale catastrophe for our species. And a heat wave in Pakistan brought temperatures of 52 °C (126 °F).
Temperatures in northern Finland surged beyond 27 °C. A number of Saharan nations set new May records for day & night. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe (pop: 17M) is asking for emergency food aid for 9M people through March 2025 after El Niño ruined about 70% of their expected corn harvests. In nearby Zambia, a devastating Drought has resulted in severe hunger for millions of locals, as well as impacting its electrical production (95% of its electricity being hydropower). Scientists are reassessing the baseline temperature used for 1850-1900, and some believe that the pre-industrial temperatures may have actually been a quarter of a degree Celsius cooler than previously believed—meaning that our current global temperatures represent an even larger gain in the past ~150 years.
The COP29 slogan has been revealed ahead of the Azerbaijan climate conference: “In solidarity for a Green World.” The United States is delaying the retirement of coal plants in order to power the massive electrical demand fuelled by AI processing.
A paywalled study from the American Meteorological Study postulates that the January 2022 eruption of a Tonga volcano may have affected the climate of the entire decade, worsening local ozone problems and contributing to a wetter-than-average summer later this year. Another paywalled study from Science reports that human development has resulted in accelerating decomposition rates for organic matter in waterways—releasing carbon into the waters and atmosphere faster than expected.
A new theory has been developed to explain zombie fires and their fearsome spread—spontaneous combustion, triggered by atmospheric warming. Scientists believe that microbes may generate heat up to 80 °C (176 °F), and/or that rapid shifts into heat waves may also activate a heating process that soon combusts.
Mexico City is nearing its doomsday for water. Some 40% of water is allegedly lost through theft and leaky pipes before it even gets to households. Observers believe the “day zero” could come by June 26, and what will happen to the almost 22M people living in the metro area is anyone’s guess. About 60% of its water comes from underground aquifers which have been increasingly exploited and depleted. The rainy season starts at the end of June…but what if it isn’t enough? Meanwhile, South Korea’s groundwater is expected to run out by 2080.
——————————
Brazil’s historic flooding has resulted in a dangerous side effect: the spread of disease, with 54 confirmed cases of leptospirosis and hundreds of others suspected. 169 people were confirmed killed by the flooding, many schools completely flooded,
The American Lung Association released its 2024 State of the Air in late April, and its 161 pages assess the safety of air across the United States. California remains particularly hard hit by ozone & particle pollution. People with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, as well as pregnant women, are at especially high risk from air pollution.

“39% of Americans—131.2 million people—still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. This is 11.7 million more people breathing unhealthy air compared to last year’s report….Extreme heat, drought and wildfires are contributing to a steady increase in deadly {particulate matter} pollution, especially in the western U.S….Bakersfield {California} also continued as the metropolitan area with the worst level of year-round particle pollution for the 5th year in a row. Los Angeles remains the city with the worst ozone pollution in the nation….

Bird flu has recently spread across dairy farms, but experts say this is only “the tip of the iceberg.” Seals, sea lions, pigs, and other creatures are worryingly infected, too. Now alpacas at an American farm have tested positive for H5N1, in addition to feral cats in New Mexico. An experiment done by feeding infected raw milk to mice found that they exhibited the signs of avian flu and tested positive for high levels of the virus. An egg farm in Iowa is culling 4.2M hens after a number of birds tested positive. The strain of bird flu in a recent case of a Michigan man found slight mutations “associated with viral adaptation to mammalian hosts.” At least scientists are optimistic regarding new mRNA vaccines under development & testing.
A study from China about microplastics found the tiny particles in blood clots in human hearts and brains, elevating the risk of stroke or heart attacks. Chile’s Atacama Desert has become a dumping ground for clothes of the world. And about a third of Americans know someone who died from a drug overdose.
A look into major corporate carbon offsets found that a great deal of their offsets are worthless junk offsets. A 36-page report on Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) in 2024 claims that the overall market actually declined for two years in a row, and the sum paid for each ton of CO2 was down from 2022.
A study on Long COVID effects over the course of three years found that some effects fade over time—and others may persist. Airways and the nervous system appear particularly impacted. “Altogether, our findings show reduction of risks over time, but the burden of mortality and health loss remains in the third year among hospitalized individuals,” the study concludes. Meanwhile, forecasters predict AI will impact the job market as much as COVID did.
——————————
Myanmar’s border with Thailand is becoming a more active warzone, as rebels, and junta forces, contend for territory. Thousands of people have fled across the Thai border.
A 69-page annual report on violence to local officials across the world came out two weeks ago, pointing to Myanmar, India, and Mexico as particularly dangerous sites for political violence. France saw a particularly high spike from 2022 (1,170%, according to the report), though Latin America & the Caribbean was the only region where overall attacks increased.
Sudan’s government made a deal with Russia: Sudanese soldiers receive weapons in exchange for allowing Russia to build a “military fueling station” on the Red Sea. The “noose of War” is tightening around El Fasher, in Darfur, where humanitarian facilities have been attacked and militants are trying to block exiting humans. If the RSF take full control of the embattled city, observers fear large-scale ethnic reprisals unto civilians. Egypt is trying to broker a peace but many armed groups currently prefer the contest of arms.
Across the world, particularly in Europe, spying is surging. Observers warn about the theft of secrets, particularly from Russia & China—and all countries are trying to crack down. A number of Russian sleeper cells are also allegedly coming online, part of a wider effort to add political, economic, and psychological friction to Western nations.
Ukraine is reaching a crisis point in its War. Russia is outproducing weapons, and sourcing others from its allies, and leveraging its greater manpower to grind Ukraine’s army down. Another 300,000 soldiers are expected to take the field for Russia during their coming summer offensive. Russia even raised income taxes on its wealthier population to fund the War. It is not economically viable for the West to shoot down every Russian missile, and a serious manpower shortage has left the front lines stretched, demoralized, and exhausted.
A staredown between Putin and European/American leaders is emerging after a number of leaders have granted Ukraine permission to strike targets within Russia. Putin’s forces launched another strike in Kharkiv, killing three; Ukraine reported large numbers of Russian soldiers taken out in the same day, if you believe it.
Thousands protested in Armenia, demanding the resignation of the PM who conceded territory to Azerbaijan. Thousands protested on Spanish islands over opposition to unsustainable mass tourism. North Korea’s latest attempt to launch a military satellite failed when it exploded in the air. Burkina Faso extended its junta rule by 5 years, against earlier declarations to hold elections this July.
Though Israel’s population still demands the total destruction of Hamas, a majority also believe the War has become unwinnable. Divisions within the country have become bolder over controversies about the warwaging. A strike on a tent camp killed at least 37 people, but did not impact the resolve of PM Netanyahu to continue the War.
Shooting between Israel and Egypt killed one Egyptian soldier. Houthi attacks in the Red Sea continue, even against ships bringing cargo to Iran; US/UK retaliations continue. Aid being brought to Gaza’s new floating pier will be delayed after the pier was damaged as a result of extreme weather. People are beginning to die of starvation in Gaza. One of Israel’s presidential aides claimed that the War could last through the end of the year.
——————————
Things to watch for next week include:
↠ EU member states vote for the EU Parliament starting on 6 June, and polls indicate fairly small gains for conservatives across the continent. The most important issues appear to be the Ukraine War, the economy, migration/asylum, and climate change. Voting ends on 9 June.
↠ Mexico votes today for its new President, who will take office in September. At least 20 candidates have been killed this election season, Mexico’s deadliest. Hundreds of others were subjected to threats. Meanwhile, India’s PM is expected to win another term as President; results will be announced on Tuesday.
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-It’s gonna get really, really bad, if this thread, a cross-post of a thread in climatechange is to be believed. This resourced comment lays out a beginner’s guide to our carbon emissions catastrophe.
-The Thwaites is toast—judging by this temperature anomaly comment by u/FYATWB on an article about the rapidly melting Antarctic glacier. “When it collapses, it could raise oceans worldwide by 65 centimeters, or just over 2 feet.”
-Central Germany is suffering from inflation, stronger storms, a Collapsing animal population, and a desperate surge in elder care, according to this weekly observation. And the insects are vanishing, leaving behind a quiet, dying land.
-Tough times have come to China if this rare weekly observation from inside China is to believed. Economic difficulties, discrimination, rumors of WWIII, heat waves, rising police activity, and increasing food prices.
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