 |
 |
Just was thinking of another unexpected side effect of all this, one that I at least had not considered until the other day - the knock-on effect of a lack of humans on wild or feral animals. Pigeons in cities are apparently lacking our crumbs (and apparently rampaging mobs of seagulls have been sighted too): https://www.dw.com/en/pigeons-at-risk-of-starvation-over-coronavirus-empty-streets/a-52965011 Obviously this raises issues of the ethics of feeding pigeons when millions of people go hungry (and wider debates about humans vs. non-humans ethics). However it is interesting that those in the story lay the blame for the pigeons starvation on their 'domestication' by humans hundreds of years previously. Guess wider knock-on effects might be things like less bird strikes at airports, less roadkill, and likely less sport hunting in some places but more subsistence in others. I also wonder what the air pollution drop will do long term to say insect levels and songbird numbers (e.g. if seagulls end up taking more baby birds from nests than usual if not as much human food to be eaten). Covid 19 lockdown has also been blamed for stopping Iceland's 2020 whaling season: https://www.indy100.com/article/iceland-whaling-2020-summer-season-cancelled-2020-whales-9496331 All potential arcaheological 'traces' I guess. Makes me think about the article (which Matt Edeworth co-authored) on chicken bones as a marker of the anthropocene too: Carys E. Bennett, Richard Thomas, Mark Williams, Jan Zalasiewicz, Matt Edgeworth, Holly Miller, Ben Coles, Alison Foster, Emily J. Burton and Upenyu Marume 2018. The broiler chicken as a signal of a human reconfigured biosphere. Royal Society Open Science. 5:12 http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180325 Take care Jonny Dr Jonathan Gardner, FHEA Independent Researcher https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan_Gardner4 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ________________________________ From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Emma Dwyer <[log in to unmask]> Sent: 04 May 2020 12:10 To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Subject: A second Virtual Pub CHAT, Tuesday 12 May, 6-8pm UK time Dear all Following the success of last week's Virtual Pub CHAT, we're holding another one next Tuesday, 12 May at 6-8pm UK time, in the same place: https://meet.jit.si/VirtualCHAT<https://deref-mail.com/mail/client/0ELVrD-Ltpo/dereferrer/?redirectUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmeet.jit.si%2FVirtualCHAT> Jitsi Meet is free; open-source, meaning outside parties can check its security; and encrypted. You don't need to download anything or sign up - just click on the url for the Virtual CHAT room. The room has capacity for 75 although the experience will be more satisfactory if there are rather fewer! So just drop by whenever you can, and squeeze your chair in at the table. Jitsi Meet works best on Chrome and Firefox. Online meeting etiquette is evolving, so keep your microphone on mute if you're not speaking, and we'll have a 'hands up' monitor if it gets very busy. We're keen for the meeting space to be used for other Pub CHATs at other times, in different time zones, and for focused events such as reading and discussion groups - so do get in touch if that's something you'd like to do. All best wishes Emma -- Emma Dwyer [log in to unmask] -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates: http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk -------------------------- -------------------------- contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events in contemporary and historical archaeology, and for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group. ------- For email subscription options see: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html ------- Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates: http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk --------------------------