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- Written by: Lake County News reports
California is launching a first-in-the-nation meal delivery program, a partnership to make wellness check-in calls, and the expansion of Friendship Line California to help combat social isolation.
These actions will support the approximately 1.2 million Californians over the age of 65 who live alone.
“The most important way for older Californians to stay safe is to stay at home,” said Gov. Newsom. “These programs will provide older, vulnerable Californians with access to nutritious meals in the safety of their homes and the opportunity to connect with someone who can listen to their concerns and make sure their needs are met. We are all in this together and we will continue to support older Californians who are more at risk during this public health emergency.”
“Older adults are heroes for being the first Californians to stay at home and save lives. However, they may be struggling to access food and with the mental health implications of isolation. These programs will make sure our older friends, family, and neighbors have access to the food and friendship they need," said Director of the California Department of Aging Kim McCoy Wade.
Restaurants Deliver: Home Meals for Seniors
This first-in-the-nation program will ensure vulnerable older Californians have consistent access to nutritious meals while staying safe at home.
The Restaurants Deliver: Home Meals for Seniors program will enlist community restaurants to prepare meals that will be delivered to older Californians who are isolating at home during California's stay at home order.
The program will also support local restaurant workers and owners who have lost business during the pandemic.
The program will be administered by local authorities and will serve older Californians who are ineligible for other nutrition programs.
The administration will keep updated information on the COVID-19 website on which localities are participating.
Social Bridging Project
The Social Bridging Project will mobilize more than 1,000 callers to proactively reach out to older Californians who are isolating at home.
The project will combat social isolation through direct, one-on-one communication with older Californians, many living alone and isolated.
Listos California is partnering with the California Department of Aging, United Airlines, Community Emergency Response Teams, or CERT, and Sacramento State University to make calls to older Californians.
Callers will check on the individual's well-being, connect them to resources, and connect with them on a personal level.
Friendship Line California: 1-888-670-1360
California is expanding Friendship Line California to support lonely and isolated older Californians across the state. Friendship Line California is toll-free and available to provide emotional support to older Californians facing loneliness, isolation and anxiety.
The California Department of Aging is partnering with the Institute on Aging to support this effort.
Friday’s announcements build on previous actions to support older Californians isolating at home.
Gov. Newsom previously announced the “Stay Home. Save Lives. Check In.” campaign to help combat social isolation among older Californians. The campaign urges all Californians to check in on their older neighbors with a call, text or physically-distanced door knock.
Californians are also encouraged to join the #CaliforniansForAll initiative by signing up at CalifornainsForAll.ca.gov. #CaliforniansForAll unites organizations in desperate need of volunteers with Californians looking to serve and share their commitment to their neighbors, while ensuring stay-at-home and physical distancing protocols are met.
The initiative will focus on recruiting younger Californians to help the most vulnerable throughout the state, including older Californians who are at higher risk of serious illness due to COVID-19.
Visit www.covid19.ca.gov for critical steps Californians can take to stay healthy, and resources available to those impacted by the outbreak.
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- Written by: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
NASA is celebrating the Hubble Space Telescope's 30 years of unlocking the beauty and mystery of space by unveiling a stunning new portrait of a firestorm of starbirth in a neighboring galaxy.
In this Hubble portrait, the giant red nebula (NGC 2014) and its smaller blue neighbor (NGC 2020) are part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located 163,000 light-years away. The image is nicknamed the "Cosmic Reef," because it resembles an undersea world.
Thirty years ago, on April 24, 1990, Hubble was carried aloft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the space shuttle Discovery, along with a five-astronaut crew. Deployed into Earth orbit a day later, the telescope opened a new eye onto the cosmos that has been transformative for our civilization.
Hubble is revolutionizing modern astronomy, not only for scientists, but also by taking the public on a wondrous journey of exploration and discovery. Hubble's never-ending, breathtaking celestial snapshots provide a visual shorthand for Hubble's top scientific achievements.
Unlike any space telescope before it, Hubble made astronomy relevant, engaging and accessible for people of all ages. The space telescope's iconic imagery has redefined our view of the universe and our place in time and space.
"Hubble has given us stunning insights about the universe, from nearby planets to the farthest galaxies we have seen so far," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. "It was revolutionary to launch such a large telescope 30 years ago, and this astronomy powerhouse is still delivering revolutionary science today. Its spectacular images have captured the imagination for decades, and will continue to inspire humanity for years to come."
Unencumbered by Earth's blurring atmosphere, the space observatory unveils the universe in unprecedented crystal-clear sharpness across a broad range of wavelengths, from ultraviolet to near-infrared light.
Download this video in HD formats from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio
Hubble's top accomplishments include measuring the expansion and acceleration rate of the universe; finding that black holes are common among galaxies; characterizing the atmospheres of planets around other stars; monitoring weather changes on planets across our solar system; and looking back in time across 97% of the universe to chronicle the birth and evolution of stars and galaxies.
Hubble has yielded to date 1.4 million observations and provided data that astronomers around the world have used to write more than 17,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications, making it the most prolific space observatory in history. Its archival data alone will fuel future astronomy research for generations to come.
Hubble's longevity can be attributed to five space shuttle servicing missions, from 1993 to 2009, in which astronauts upgraded the telescope with advanced instruments, new electronics and on-orbit repairs. The venerable observatory, with its suite of cameras and other instruments, is expected to stay operational through the 2020s, in synergy with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The American Lung Association released its 21st annual “State of the Air” report this week.
“The report finds the air quality in some communities has improved, but the ‘State of the Air’ finds that far too many people are still breathing unhealthy air,” said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer.
“This year’s report shows that climate change continues to degrade air quality and increase the risk of air pollution harming health. To protect the advances in air quality we fought for 50 years ago through the Clean Air Act, we must again act today, implementing effective policies to protect our air quality and lung health against the threat of climate change,” Wimmer said.
Wimmer added that air pollution is linked to a greater risk of lung infection. “Protecting everyone from COVID-19 and other lung infections is an urgent reminder of the importance of clean air.”
In creating the report, the association analyzed data from 2016, 2017 and 2018, the three years with the most recent quality-assured air pollution data.
The report found that nearly half of the nation’s population – 150 million people – lived with and breathed polluted air, placing their health and lives at risk.
The association said climate change continues to make air pollution worse, with many western communities again experiencing record-breaking spikes in particle pollution due to wildfires.
Lake County is one of the areas that has been heavily impacted by wildland fires over the past several years.
In 2016, the Clayton fire ravaged Lower Lake, the Sulphur fire hit Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks in 2017, and in 2018, the Mendocino Complex – a combination of the Ranch and River fires – became the largest wildland fire since California began keeping records.
In past years, Lake County has been among the top-ranked areas in the nation. However, because of the wildland fire impacts – particularly in 2017 and 2018 – this year’s report is the first since 2007 that doesn’t rank Lake County, according to Lake County Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart.
“We didn’t miss it by much even with the fires, there were only 4 days in 3 years (during the fires) that made our average high enough to miss the top 25,” Gearhart said.
Gearhart said that, because the report relies on three years of data, he believes it will take at least two years for Lake County to get back to the top 25, especially since 2017 had the highest particulate matter levels from the fires.
“Additionally, with the shelter in place orders all around the US right now, there are a number of counties that are in the top 25 that will see even better numbers in 2020 due to the reduced activity in their area, so it will be a challenge to get there in the next two years,” said Gearhart, who is working to develop a picture of the shelter in place’s impacts on Lake County’s air quality.
How the rankings work
Each year, the State of the Air reports on the two most widespread outdoor air pollutants, ozone pollution and particle pollution. Each is dangerous to public health and can be lethal, the association reported.
Particle pollution comes from sources like wildfires, wood-burning stoves, coal-fired power plants, diesel engines and other sources. Technically known as PM2.5, these microscopic particles lodge deep in the lungs and can even enter the bloodstream.
The report said particle pollution can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes and cause lung cancer. New research also links air pollution to the development of serious diseases, such as asthma and dementia.
The report has two grades for particle pollution: one for “short-term” particle pollution, or daily spikes, and one for the annual average, “year-round” level that represents the concentration of particles day-in and day-out in each location.
Lake County registered a “D” grade for particle pollution.
Neighboring Yolo county received a “C,” and other counties around the region registered even worse grades, with Colusa, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma all receiving an “F.” No monitoring was collected for Glenn County.
Lake County got an “A” for ozone pollution, also known as smog, as did Colusa, Glenn and Mendocino counties. Napa and Sonoma counties received a “B” and Yolo County a “D.”
The report said ozone pollution is a powerful respiratory irritant whose effects have been likened to a sunburn of the lung. Inhaling ozone can cause shortness of breath, trigger coughing and asthma attacks, and may shorten life.
Additional findings
The report also made the following findings:
– More than 20.8 million people lived in counties that had unhealthy levels of air pollution in all categories from 2016 to 2018.
– More cities experienced more days with spikes in particle pollution, with nine western cities reaching their most days ever reported. Those notable spikes were driven in large part by smoke from major wildfires in 2018, especially in California, and some locations also saw spikes from woodsmoke from heating homes.
– Twenty-four of the 25 most polluted cities were located in the western region of the U.S.
– Nationwide, more than 53.3 million people experienced these unhealthy spikes in particle pollution.
– More than 21.2 million people lived in counties with unhealthy levels of year-round particle pollution, which is more than in the last three “State of the Air” reports.
– Thirteen of the 26 most polluted cities faced worse levels of year-round particle pollution. Some cities had so many days of short-term particle pollution spikes that the sheer number led to them having higher annual averages as well.
– Many cities experienced their cleanest ever annual average, yet remained on the nation’s most polluted list. Despite making the top 10 most polluted list, both Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California and Pittsburgh metro area tied with their previous record of cleanest air in the 21-year history of the report. And while Chicago, Cincinnati and Indianapolis made the top 25 most polluted list, each hit their cleanest ever annual average.
– Significantly more people suffered unhealthy ozone pollution in the 2020 report than in the last three “State of the Air” reports.
– More than 137 million people lived in an area earning a failing grade for ozone pollution. This shows the changing climate’s impact on air quality, as ozone pollution worsened during the global record-breaking heat years tracked in the 2020 report. However, despite making the top ten list of most ozone-polluted cities, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California experienced its best-ever air quality for ozone.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The most recent response information available from the bureau said that, so far, 51.8 percent of households nationwide have responded, while the response rate in California is 53.2 percent.
The national Internet response is 44.8 percent as of the latest available data on April 22, with 47.6 percent of Californians filling out the questionnaire online.
The Census Bureau said Lake County’s response rate is below the state and national averages.
Lake’s total response rate is 34 percent, while its online response rate is 23.6 percent, the Census Bureau reported.
Within the county, the city of Clearlake’s total response rate is 30.5 percent, while 17.6 percent of Clearlake residents have responded online.
The city of Lakeport has a 55.2 percent overall response rate, with an Internet response rate of 22 percent.
To take the 2020 Census, visit https://2020census.gov/ .
Much of the bureau’s work has gone online over the past month.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Census Bureau adjusted its 2020 Census operations to temporarily suspend field data collection activities in March.
However, earlier this month it announced that it is taking steps to reactivate field offices beginning June 1, in preparation for the resumption of field data collection operations as quickly as possible following that date.
The agency is seeking statutory relief from Congress of 120 additional calendar days to deliver final apportionment counts.
The bureau’s plan calls for extending the window for field data collection and self-response to Oct. 31.
Once the 2020 Census data collection is complete, the Census Bureau said it begins “a lengthy, thorough and scientifically rigorous process” to produce the apportionment counts, redistricting information and other statistical data products that help guide hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private sector spending per year.
The extended deadline will allow the Census Bureau to deliver apportionment counts to President Donald Trump by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than July 31, 2021.
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