@marcia@spore.social
@marcia@spore.social avatar

marcia

@marcia@spore.social

geneticist, biotech nerd, alewife, open science and co-op community enthusiast, equity and #AntiRacistSTEM, #DecolonizeSTEM, she/elle, Tiohtià:ke/#Montréal

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marcia, (edited ) to climate
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Do you want to actively support the fight for #climate and environmental justice in Canada?

#Research for the Front Lines is expanding our network and we’re particularly looking for people with backgrounds in applied science or analytical testing of environmental pollutants who can volunteer some labour to enhance the support we provide to #Indigenous Land Defenders and other frontline folks.

https://researchforthefrontlines.ca

#EnvironmentalScience #chemistry #pollutants #engineering #environment

marcia, to Futurology
@marcia@spore.social avatar

We're so excited to announce this upcoming event!
Research for the Front Lines coordinator Jaimie Vincent will be moderating this conversation with Tiffany Traverse and Waba Moko (Shannon Chief). They will be discussing the role of community-led research in working towards Indigenous Food Sovereignty. Join us in person in Montreal or online.

Date: March 20th, 2024
Time: 6-7:30 pm EDT

For more information:
https://researchforthefrontlines.ca/resources-2/

marcia, to Futurology
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Do you want to know what types of are released and transferred in and near your community?

On Feb.7 at 12pm MST (2pm EST) Keepers of the Water is hosting a webinar with Canadian Environmental Law Association on Exploring Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) - Promoting the Community “Right To Know”.

The NPRI is increasingly relevant to research requests that we receive at Research for the Front Lines, so we're encouraging our network to attend.

Want to know what types of pollutants are released and transferred in and near your community? Join us for a free webinar, Wed Feb 7 2024, 12pm MT Brought to you by Keepers of the Water and the Canadian Environmental Law Association, members of the NPRI's Multi-Stakeholder NGO Working Group For more information contact Crystal: projects@keepersofthewater.ca

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Registration link:
https://keepersofthewater.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e0f44ab9062d2fea913422800&id=5fd2140d62&e=f6d1fafa29

auscandoc, to random
@auscandoc@med-mastodon.com avatar

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/alberta-oilsands-research-emissions-1.7093626

“Alberta's #oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful #AirPollutants than are officially reported, with the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles..

measured concentrations of organic carbon emissions in the air by flying overhead and taking samples.

The researchers found levels that were between 20 and 64 times higher than those reported by industry”

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@auscandoc
Here's the link to the original research to save others time looking.

He M, Ditto JC, Gardner L, Machesky J, Hass-Mitchell TN, Chen C, et al. Total organic carbon measurements reveal major gaps in petrochemical emissions reporting. Science 2024;383:426–32. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adj6233.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@auscandoc
Me too! It was very irritating...

afewbugs, to random
@afewbugs@social.coop avatar

European cars are getting 1cm wider every 2 years

"Crash data from Belgium from 2017 to 2021 shows that a 10cm increase in the height of vehicle fronts raises the risk of death by 30% when a car hits a pedestrian or cyclist, according to a study by the Vias Institute, previously the Belgian Institute for Road Safety."

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/22/cars-growing-wider-europe-report

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@afewbugs
We're doing something similar in my neighbourhood of Montreal.

https://montreal.ca/actualites/nouveau-mode-de-tarification-des-vignettes-de-stationnement-sur-le-plateau-62065

Plaque d’immatriculation bleue
1 249 kg ou moins : 241,45 $*
1 250 kg à 1 424 kg : 298,94 $
1 425 kg à 1 599 kg : 356,42 $
1 600 kg à 1 799 kg : 413,91 $
1 800 kg et plus : 482,90 $
Toute vignette supplémentaire délivrée pour la même adresse : 666,86 $

minouette, to Toronto
@minouette@spore.social avatar

Happy ! Despite the opinion of some people in my home there's a colony of white squirrels in Toronto's Trinity-Bellwood Park! I know. I've seen them. It's sort of become a running joke to question the reality of the white squirrels of Trinity-Bellwoods, but they are well documented. You can google it. They even have a street, White Squirrel Way, and a café named after them.
🧵1

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@minouette
Thanks for this! I'd been meaning to look into a white-ish squirrel (normal eyes) I saw in Parc Lafontaine in this year. Apparently they're leucistic squirrels (sometimes called champagne coloured) and have been seen for decades in this park and other parts of the city.

Here's a page that is collecting reports of white squirrels in North America:
https://untamedscience.com/biodiversity/white-squirrel/

yabellini, to random
@yabellini@fosstodon.org avatar

My last few years being part of international non-profit organizations and communities of practice have made me reflect on the types of governance and business models that are mostly used and our different successful models in these latitudes.

This article is about the cooperative model—a way of doing things that has been present in my life since I was a child.

Day 5

https://yabellini.netlify.app/blog/2024-01-05-cooperative/

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@sennoma
@yabellini
I've been thinking for years about how science/biotech could adopt a co-op model in Canada and would love to make an attempt with like-minded folks. I wonder what we could learn from research co-ops in Spain or other countries. I'm not so sure that funding would be more challenging than other startups.

I'm currently working at a 3-person grassroots org that has some characteristics in common with a co-op and it's been amazing working within a non-hierarchical structure.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@sennoma
I hope you find another way to fund that product idea!

In Canada we have several mechanisms for small science orgs to access non-dilutive funding (I've worked for 2 of them!), but I can understand why you're concerned about loss of some control with VC funding. This concern is probably not too different from what many early-stage orgs face, and somehow other private biotech companies have made it work. There are even some large non-profit pharmas like Servier.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@sennoma
I imagine that a co-op model would work best for biotech orgs that can offer a service/product that generates revenue relatively rapidly, or maybe for workers to take over a profitable biotech company when the owners retire. I'm not sure how the ownership works at StemCell Technologies now, but it would be super interesting if it became a worker co-op when Allen Eaves retires. It already claims to be about scientists helping scientists!

marcia, (edited ) to Israel
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Please sign Parliamentary Petition e-4745, and demand that Canada impose an arms embargo on Israel! Let's show the federal government how many people in Canada want 's carnage in to end.
https://www.cjpme.org/arms_embargo_israel

amanjeev, to ethelcain

fellow #Canadians - spread the word! a unified #indie #bookstore #search interface is now live - https://www.indiebookstores.ca

You can search books and see the page and click on the "SHOP LOCAL" button e.g. https://www.indiebookstores.ca/book/9780593230275/

Ask your favorite bookstore to join. It is still a soft launch so be gentle please. The backend is powered by something that already existed, called Bookmanager. This has been in works for a while courtesy the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association - cibabooks.ca.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@amanjeev
This is so needed! I use leslibraires.ca a lot and was so disappointed that I couldn't find something similar in BC recently.

dan613, to random
@dan613@mstdn.ca avatar

Friday COVID update Day 7. Laura-Lee and I are mostly over the worst of it. I tested positive on Tuesday, and I think I peaked yesterday. Lots of naps, coughing and sneezing and runny noses. We both had brief bouts of tinnitus, and achy skin. Like touch was uncomfortable on some parts. But it doesn't seem like anything long term. The youngest is still miserable.

This was just 2 weeks after my 6th vaccination. I can't imagine fighting this virus without. We'll be more cautious in the future.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@dan613
Good to hear you and Laura-Lee are over the worst of it. I thought I felt something coming on yesterday morning, so I tested (weak +) and managed to avoid transmitting to people in an all-day in-person meeting. Symptoms worse today but no fever or bad fatigue.

marcia, to Matrix
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Does anyone have any experiences to share about implementing a community space on the .org server using the client, to facilitate secure E2EE team communications on a free server (not self-hosted) and rooms/groups for collaboration?

I’m looking for any comments on on-boarding, usability, etc, particularly in comparison with something like Framateam (from ) using , and more well-known options like Discord and Slack. Other suggestions welcome!

marcia, to random
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Everyone should be calling and emailing their MPs to demand a . These calls are easy to do and are getting heard!

Today an intern in Steven Guilbeault’s office called me back and told me he can’t call for a ceasefire because he’s part of the government (!?). I tried to ask whether there’s some party rule that allows back-benchers but not cabinet ministers to sign an open letter, but she was unable to explain further.

https://act.leadnow.ca/call-ceasefire/
https://www.cjpme.org/phone_for_ceasefire

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@dbattistella
Thank you for doing that!

marcia, to random
@marcia@spore.social avatar

This excellent episode from 2021 is highly relevant this week and has very thoughtful contributions on the ethics and responsibility of storytelling from Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Steven Lonsdale (with Ryan McMahon and Jesse Brown).

https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/359-the-convenient-pretendian/

KimTallBear, to random
@KimTallBear@mastodon.social avatar

. More news coming throughout the day.
https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/buffy-sainte-marie

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@KimTallBear
Seeing that Sesame Street clip really shifted my perspective. She would need to do a serious apology to start to earn back my respect.

grantsfacilitat, to random

@marcia the concept of there being a core framework or set of rules or “keys” for something exists in many topic areas.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@grantsfacilitat
Yes, that makes sense. And the words in the description you use seem perfectly adequate without having to call it DNA! Like what does the acronym even stand for in this context?

marcia, to science
@marcia@spore.social avatar

What do other people with training in or think of the use of as a metaphor? I've always found it super irritating, but maybe other scientists love it?

For example, I'm now seeing it used in the context of social movement organizing and find this kind of usage very distracting, even though the concept they're trying to describe probably makes a lot of sense.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@MolemanPeter, this post has the example I was thinking of.
https://spore.social/@marcia/111301800274472400

From an event described here https://climatechallenge.ca/events-campaign/movement-update-call/

I think this usage in organizing comes from the US and has recently expanded to Canada.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@MolemanPeter
No I haven't read that. Does it use DNA as a metaphor?

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@JensJot Is it a recent fad since the CRISPR discovery? I think I've probably been hearing "in our [organization's] DNA" for 20+ years, but maybe it's becoming more common now.

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

@dan613 recipe would probably work as a better metaphor in the example above; however, I don't think of a recipe as a very good analogy for DNA (at least not the way I cook). It leaves too much room for the information not be perfectly copied during cell division or to make RNA.

But probably different analogies would be needed for most of the different DNA properties (e.g., inheritance, replication, transcription, structure, bases, etc.)

marcia,
@marcia@spore.social avatar

Maybe I could adapt better if I could work out what the non-biological meaning of DNA usually is. I think it's something like

"Intangible factors or written instructions that (1) determine the development and functioning of an organization, and/or, (2) are relatively hard to change, and/or (3) can be copied to influence others. Usually used to describe factors that bring about a desirable result."

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