Warm white vs cool white

A giant great white shark being tracked by researchers has now entered the Gulf of Mexico, location data from the animal’s tag shows.

The shark’s tracker pinged just west of the Dry Tortugas islands—located at the end of the Florida Keys—on Monday, the Associated Press reported .

The female shark, known as Unama’ki, weighs more than 2,000 pounds and measures 15 feet, 5 inches in length.

It has arrived in the warm waters of the Gulf after a journey of roughly 2,000 miles along the entire length of the U.S. east coast, beginning off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Non-profit OCEARCH tagged the shark with a monitoring device in September this year after catching the animal and hauling her up onto a research vessel. This tag enables scientists to monitor Unama’ki’s movements, casting a light on its behavior.

OCEARCH says that Unama’ki is the second largest shark that it has ever caught and tagged in the northwest Atlantic. Unama’ki,meaning “land of the fog,” is the name that the Mi’kmaq First Nations people give to the Cape Breton region where the shark was first caught.

OCEARCH has tracked Unama’ki’s movements all along the eastern seaboard, and researchers say this could provide fascinating new insights into the lives of these sharks.

“As a big mature female, Unama’ki has the potential to lead us to the site where she gives birth and exposes a new white shark nursery,” the non-profit said.

OCEARCH has been tracking sharks off the North American coast for years, revealing how great whites often migrate thousands of miles from more northerly latitudes to the warmer waters off the coast of Georgia, the Carolinas and Florida during the winter.

Currently, the non-profit’s monitoring data shows that all of the great whites that it tagged in Nova Scotia this year are now spread out across a huge region.

“They’ve got a good chunk of the east coast covered right now,” the non-profit said.

In mid-October, one of the white shark’s OCEARCH is tracking pinged in the Gulf of Mexico. This marked the first time that the non-profit had tracked a great white into the Gulf in October, providing a new understanding of how early these animals arrive in these warm waters.

While there is still much to be learned about great whites in the northwest Atlantic, OCEARCH researchers have now come up with a hypothesis that there are two main sub-populations: one that congregates in the area of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the late summer and early fall, and another that aggregates in Canada.

MANILA, Philippines — With the El Niño phenomenon now under way, the government must lay down a “comprehensive” approach in addressing another possible water shortage in the country, Sen. Nancy Binay said on Monday.

Binay, in a statement, said Republic Act No. 6716 or the Rainwater Collector and Springs Development Act, enacted in 1989, laid down the government’s “accelerated water supply program.”

“We want to find out how many rainwater collection systems have been constructed in the 42,000 barangays in the country, how many are still working, who is in charge of their maintenance, how many are already defective and need to be rehabilitated,” she said.

“The government cannot allow itself to be repeatedly blindsided by [each] water shortage that is otherwise foreseeable,” she said. “We have been beset with the effects of El Niño for decades and every time the dry season comes, we are often caught by surprise by a water shortage.”

“It would be much appreciated if the NWRB (National Water Resources Board) can share its holistic and comprehensive water resource plan, their water allocation and reuse policy down to the [local governments] so that it can be implemented at the community level,” said Binay, who also urged consumers to do their part and be “practical” in conserving water.

“El Niño is here, and the food and water crises are real. We cannot afford to go back to a system of lining up for water rations,” the senator said.

‘Maximum heat’

The “hot” weather is expected to prevail in the next few months, the state weather bureau said on Monday.

Earlier, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) anticipated El Niño to take full effect in the country by July, but it already noted an increase in humidity in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

“It usually gets this hot in the country whenever it’s March, so it’s expected that temperatures go high. The maximum heat will be experienced by April and May,” said Pagasa weather specialist Dan Villemil.

This condition, he said, is caused by the dry season and the warm wind blowing from the Pacific Ocean.

As of last week, the highest heat index recorded by Pagasa was 47°C on Saturday, as felt in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, and in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.

The heat index is the temperature felt by people amid the combined air temperature and humidity.

Pagasa anticipates that indicator to continue its above-normal rise, from the 40°C to 42°C range in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, to 48°C in General Santos City.

Avoid heatstroke

Dagupan experienced its highest heat index of 54.9°C in April last year.

On Monday the heat index in the city peaked at 40°C, said Jose Estrada Jr., head of Pagasa’s Dagupan station.

He said that as a coastal city facing the Lingayen Gulf, Dagupan is enduring both the hot seashore surface temperature and humidity.

Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia, chief of Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan, said his facility had yet to admit any patient suffering from heatstroke.

But he noted that many experienced hypertension. He discouraged residents from staying outdoors between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to avoid heatstroke.

‘Feels like hell’

In the island province of Bohol, the heat index on Sunday was recorded between 31°C and 42°C.

Joel Oguis, 47, a messenger, said he drank more than a gallon of water every day due to the intense heat so he could stay hydrated.

Many residents went to air-conditioned shopping malls and local beaches to find relief from the heat.

“The heat and humidity is really high… It feels like hell,” said Regor Cabalit, a resident of Tagbilaran City, noting that he would drink juice and crunch on ice cubes to cool off.

Pagasa weather specialist Vicente Malano urged the public to take precautionary measures.

“Let us drink a lot of water and avoid going out around afternoon where the sun is high and the heat is severe,” he said.

—WITH REPORTS FROM ABBY BOISER, GERMELINA LACORTE, YOLANDA SOTELO, AND LEO UDTOHAN

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With Earth Day fast approaching, many of us are trying to find ways to use more earth-friendly items to help us, help the planet. Many companies are now doing their part and are offering products that use sustainable manufacturing processes, organic ingredients and recycled packaging. You can now find these green products in unexpected categories, ranging from furniture to socks to gummies. Below are some of my favorites.

Thuma Beds

Thuma has created furniture that is beautifully designed and incredibly easy to assemble. The Thuma bed can be put together in minutes and looks incredibly stylish once assembled. Even better, the Thuma bed is officially GREENGUARD Gold certified, meaning that all of the materials used meet some of the world’s most rigorous third party emissions standards, making the bed both good for the environment and the consumer. These sleek beds are made from upcycled rubberwood with a lifetime warranty and packaged in recycled cardboard. In addition, Thuma donates one tree for every bed sold and to date the company has planted over 150,000 trees.

Grove Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products can be notoriously toxic. Grove has created the ultimate online shopping experience for just about everything you need to clean your home in the most eco-conscious way. The company has its own brand, but also curates over 100 sustainable, high-performing brands that meet its four-point standard: uncompromisingly healthy, beautifully effective, ethically produced, and cruelty-free. Every order is plastic neutral; every shipment is carbon neutral and Grove has committed to being 100% plastic-free by 2025. Favorite products include their essential cleaner set and glass spray bottles and their laundry detergent sheets.

Unbound Merino Clothing

The clothing industry is responsible for a surprisingly large amount of environmental damage. Unbound Merino’s clothing features merino wool pieces that are incredibly practical, comfortable and sustainable. These essential pieces don’t wrinkle, naturally keep you cool, are odor-free and make ideal travel pieces. The company’s garments are made from Woolmark certified Australian Merino, regarded as the world’s finest and softest wool. Inherently natural, biodegradable and renewable, their wool is sustainably farmed on Australia’s grassland terrain. Woolmark® certified Merino, adheres to the highest standards related to fiber content, performance, color fastness and dimensional stability.

Our Place Cookware

Cookware is something we use almost every day. Our Place is known for creating beautifully crafted, colorful kitchen tools that are also highly functional and easy to use. Their products are also manufactured using thoughtful and responsible materials. Glassware is made, in part, from recycled glass and natural sand, and is naturally dyed. The ever-popular “Always Pan” is made from a portion of recycled materials as well. Items are shipped in packaging that is 100% plastic-free and recyclable and biodegradable. In addition, Our Place cookware is manufactured in factories with safe and ethical working conditions that pay above a living wage.

Honest Baby Products

Parents are understandably very concerned about what products they are using with their babies and young children. The Honest Company has curated a group of products for babies that are designed to keep babies safe and happy and to minimize any negative impact on the environment. The company has created a NO List™ — a list of over 3,500 chemicals/materials that it will not include in its products. Favorites, such as the Baby Arrival Gift Set, contains diapers made of chlorine-free wood pulp from sustainably managed forests, wipes made without genetically engineered ingredients and organic, all-purpose balm.

Raw Garden Gummies and Joints

Raw Garden has taken a sustainable approach to its THC products. The company’s newest gummies are 100% natural and vegan and come in fun flavors such as white peach and meyer lemon. Last year, Raw Garden expanded into a new product category with its cannabis-infused joints that are grown and rolled in-house with no trim, additives, or artificial flavoring. All THC products are grown in their Santa Barbara-based farm and all crops are grown outdoors, using organic nutrients, beneficial insects, and crop rotation to ensure the soil is not depleted. Raw Garden regularly removes all old cannabis hoops and irrigation equipment to plant native California plants such as mustard, legumes, peas, green beans, and clover species to return vital nutrients back to the soil. Water is reduced by utilizing a film and drip irrigation system and preparing a blend of both dry and liquid fertilizers for each specific field.

Parachute Sheets

Everyone wants to snuggle up in bedding that feels luxurious and is also good for the environment. Parachute has created multiple home goods that are both sustainable and of the highest quality. Their organic sheets are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified. This certification guarantees that the entire supply chain–from cotton production to the finished product–meets stringent ecological and social criteria and that harmful chemicals are never used. Parachute’s down comforters are made from materials sourced from an RDS-certified supplier, meaning that the down comes from humanely treated ducks that are sustainably sourced.

Reel Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is made from paper, which is made from trees, which results in deforestation and global warming. Your current brand may also use plastic packaging. Reel takes an entirely different approach to its paper products. Reel makes its toilet paper and paper towels using bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants on earth. So instead of cutting down 100 year old trees to make paper, the company uses a plant which grows back in 3-5 years. Bamboo also grows back from the same root once harvested, so it causes less damage and erosion to the ecosystem, making sustainable forestry a possibility. Even better, paper products made from bamboo are soft and strong.

Nothing has introduced its third pair of earbuds — the Ear (2), succeeding the Ear (2). While the two earbuds share some similarities in terms of design, there are also some differences between the two. So let us compare the two — Nothing Ear (2) and Ear (1), to find out how same yet different these are.

Nothing Ear (2) vs Ear (1): Design and build
If you look at the two, you will not find anything different. The Ear (2) and Ear (1) look much alike, with some distinctions. In terms of size and weight, Ear (2) is slightly lighter than Ear (1). Moreover, Ear (2) also has a smaller case, which may be more convenient for those who prefer to carry their earbuds in a pocket. However, Nothing Ear (2) ditches the touch controls for the press controls. Also, the Ear (2) comes only in white colour, for now. Meanwhile, Ear (1) has two colours – white and black.

Nothing Ear (2) vs Ear (2): Sound and ANC
Both Ear (2) and Ear (1) have 11.6 mm drivers; Ear (2) offers a personal sound profile that adjusts the equaliser in real time. Then, there is support for hi-res playback, as the Ear (2) comes with support for the LHDC codec, in addition to SBC and AAC codecs.

One of the most notable differences between the two models is the active noise cancellation (ANC) technology. While both models have ANC, Ear (2) has an adaptive feature that adjusts the level of noise cancellation based on your environment, which can provide a more tailored listening experience. Additionally, Ear (2) has improved clear voice technology, which offers 3 decibels higher noise elimination than Ear (1), resulting in clearer and more natural-sounding calls.

Nothing Ear (2) vs Ear (1): Battery life and charging
Battery life is also where Ear (2) edges out Ear (1). While both models have impressive battery life, Ear (2) offers up to 6 hours of listening time on a single charge, compared to 5 hours for Ear (1). Additionally, Ear (2) has a slightly faster charging time. With a 10 min charge, Ear (2) can last 1.25 hours, compared to 50 minutes for Ear (1).

Nothing Ear (2) vs Ear (1): Features
Another area where Ear (2) surpasses Ear (1) is in its water and sweat resistance rating. While Ear (1) has an IPX4 rating, which means it can withstand splashes of water, Ear (2) has an IP54 rating for the buds and an IP55 rating for the case, making it more resistant to water and dust.

The Nothing app is another area where Ear (2) stands out. While both models have the app, Ear (2) has additional features such as personalised sound profiles and a low lag mode with the phone. Ear (2) also has a fit test for ear tips, which helps ensure the best fit for optimal sound quality.

Nothing Ear (2) vs Ear (1): Price
Nothing Ear (2) comes at Rs 9,999. When we last checked, the white colour of Ear (1) was retailing for 7,299, while the black ones were up for sale for Rs 8,499.

Nothing Ear (2) vs Ear (1): Verdict
To sum up, Nothing Ear (1) and Ear (2) are excellent true wireless earbuds that offer high-quality sound, advanced features, and impressive battery life. Ear (2) offers some slight advantages over Ear (1) in areas such as ANC, water resistance, and battery life.

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