Hello, readers – happy Tuesday! Today, we’ll be talking about India’s elections, the global defense budget, Taiwan’s earthquake, a lack of cannibals in Papua New Guinea, the Columbia University protests, and a giant clownfish robot.
Here’s some good news: President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects in low- and middle-income households. Also, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the creation of two new Indigenous territories for Brazil, bringing the total number of new reserves during his current term to 10.
“Wisdom is nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life.” – Hermann Hesse
India’s Election Season Heats Up
(PM Narendra Modi by Abhishek Chinnappa via Getty Images)
India’s elections are already getting tense, and we’re just a few days into the weeks-long process. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of making Islamophobic remarks during a rally over the weekend after he referred to the Indian Muslims as “infiltrators” and called them “those who have more children.”
“When they (the Indian National Congress party) were in power, they said Muslims have first right over resources. They will gather all your wealth and distribute it among those who have more children. They will distribute among infiltrators,” Modi told the crowd. “Do you think your hard-earned money should be given to infiltrators? Would you accept this?” Opposition leaders have already called upon the Election Commission of India to check if the comments violated the agency’s code of conduct.
There’s something in the air this year, and according to the numbers, it’s the smell of war. In a new report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) claims that global military expenditure reached a record high of $2.44 trillion in 2023, a 6.8% increase from 2022. The report also shows that defense spending rose in all five regions of the world, marking the first time a global defense spending increase has occurred in Sipri’s 60-year history.
“The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security,” said a senior researcher at Sipri. “States are prioritizing military strength, but they risk an action-reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape.”
The two biggest military spenders in the world were the U.S. ($916 billion) and China ($296 billion). Their defense spending made up 37% and 12% of the entire world’s total military budget. Notably, U.S. investment in “research, development, test and evaluation” increased by 9.4% compared to 2022 as the Pentagon has shifted to “developing new weapon systems that could be used in a potential conflict with adversaries with advanced military capabilities.” The Kremlin’s military expenditure rose 24% in 2023 compared to 2022.
A Worrying Wave Of Quakes
(Taiwan earthquake aftermath by Zhao Bo via Getty Images)
On Monday night, Taiwan’s east coast was struck by over 80 earthquakes. The strongest of the quakes reached a 6.3 magnitude, with shaking felt even in Taipei on the country’s north shore. Most of the quakes were centered under Hualien, which experienced a 7.2-magnitude quake on April 3.
That quake damaged buildings across the area, and Monday’s tremors made some of the damage even worse. Luckily, most of the damage was mitigated by Taiwan’s rigorous building regulations, which ensure buildings are largely quake-proof. So far, no injuries have been reported.
Another Befuddling Biden Blunder
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden gave a speech at a Pennsylvania war memorial and told the story of his Army Air Corps aviator uncle, whose plane was apparently shot down over Papua New Guinea during World War II. “They never found the body because there used to be — there were a lot of cannibals for real in that part of New Guinea,” Biden said.
James Marape, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, understandably took offense to the story. In a statement on Sunday, Marape said that Biden “appeared to imply his uncle was eaten by cannibals. President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such … World War II was not the doing of my people; however, they were needlessly dragged into a conflict that was not their doing.”
According to official Pentagon documents, Biden’s uncle’s plane was never actually shot down – he was a passenger on a Douglas A-20 Havoc transport plane that crashed into the ocean after both of its engines failed. One crewmember actually survived the crash, so, there were probably no cannibals involved at all. Marape also used the opportunity to call on the U.S. to clean up the “human remains, plane wrecks, ship wrecks, tunnels and bombs” left in Papua New Guinea as part of the Pacific Theater.
Early yesterday, Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik said that classes would be held virtually as school leaders determine how to handle the pro-Palestine protests taking place on campus. Participants are calling for a ceasefire and for Columbia to divest from companies connected to Israel.
The demonstrations have been called “Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous” by the White House. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was one of the most notable names to protest the protests, announcing yesterday that he’ll be pulling his support for Columbia University over the treatment of Jewish students and faculty.
Several lawmakers joined Rep. Elise Stefanik yesterday in calling for Shafik to resign, including all New York Republicans and Senator John Fetterman. More than 100 protesters have been arrested over the last few days. Despite the backlash, the protesters aren’t entirely alone – hundreds of teachers held a mass walk-out yesterday afternoon in defiance of the school having the protesters arrested.
Columbia isn’t even the only Ivy League in trouble. As of writing, at least 60 people were arrested at Yale University yesterday as they demanded that the university disclose investments in military weapons manufacturers and divest from them. Students have refused to leave Beinecke Plaza, having set up an encampment there.
As you’ve probably heard, Earth’s oceans, rivers, and lakes are suffering thanks to man-made pollution and climate change. While that bad news might be old news, scientists need more data on exactly how bad the problem is, and how it’s affecting different aspects of our planet’s waterways. To gather that data, a tech company named Aquaai is deploying 4-foot-long robots dressed in orange, white, and black neoprene to look like giant clownfish.
“Virtually every waterway is polluted to an extent where the ecosystem just can’t balance back anymore,” says co-founder Simeon Pieterkosky. Pieterkosky and his wife co-founded Aquaai – he has a background in horror movie animatronics and was inspired to move into the giant-robot-conservation-technology industry by his daughter’s interest in marine ecology.
The company’s underwater drones, which look and swim around just like fish, are particularly effective at gathering information on aquatic ecosystems because marine wildlife are less likely to avoid them compared to more robot-looking drones. The fish-bots are also very maneuverable, which keeps them from disturbing the ecosystems they’re monitoring. As they swim around, the drones can gather data on things like water quality and fish health, providing a steady stream of data to researchers to inform water policy decisions.
