WTF Fun Fact 13330 – Kamikatsu Recycling

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Kamikatsu recycling is intense. Citizens are expected to separate their recycling into 45 different categories! Kamikatsu is a small town located in Tokushima prefecture in Japan. It has become a paragon of innovation in waste management and, more specifically, recycling.

How did the strict Kamikatsu recycling program begin?

They began their journey to zero waste began in 2003 when the government mandated a policy to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. The town stepped up in a big way, making its unique zero-waste initiative become a model for sustainability.

Kamikatsu’s strict recycling program requires residents to sort their waste into 45 different categories. The program is designed to maximize the amount of waste that can be recycled or reused and minimize the amount of waste that goes to landfills.

Some of the categories include:

  • Paper (including newspapers, magazines, cardboard, and packaging)
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Aluminum cans and foil
  • Steel cans
  • Plastic containers (sorted by type)
  • PET bottles (sorted by color)
  • Tetra Pak packaging (such as juice boxes)
  • Food waste (to be composted)
  • Textiles (such as clothing and fabric)
  • Appliances and electronics
  • Batteries
  • Fluorescent lights
  • Bulky waste (such as furniture and mattresses)
  • Construction waste

Residents are even required to wash their waste before placing it into the correct bins.

What are the challenges of this type of program?

The town’s recycling facility has separate areas for each category of waste, and staff members carefully sort the materials. Of course, this comes with challenges. One is the cost of transportation – the town is in a remote location.

The second challenge is one all towns and cities face – the need to change the mindset and behavior of residents. The town has implemented a variety of programs to educate residents about the importance of waste reduction and recycling, including workshops, events, and campaigns.

However, changing deeply ingrained habits and attitudes takes time and persistence. As you might imagine, the town’s strict recycling requirements have been met with mixed reactions from residents. Some find the requirements to be burdensome and time-consuming.

Nevertheless, Kamikatsu has become a model for sustainable waste management and has earned international recognition for its sustainability project.

Meeting goals

Originally, the goal was for Kamikatsu to become a zero-waste town by 2020. While the town did not exactly happen, it has made significant progress in reducing its waste output.

By 2020, over 80% of its waste was being recycled, composted, or reused. The town has also taken steps towards becoming carbon-neutral, building a solar power plant and financing a project to turn food waste into biogas.

In 2016, the town opened its Zero Waste Academy to educate visitors about its recycling program.

Kamikatsu’s journey towards zero waste and carbon neutrality is a glimpse into a sustainable future and an inspiration to individuals and communities around the world.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “‘No-waste’ Japanese village is a peek into carbon-neutral future” — The Guardian

WTF Fun Fact 13229 – Wild Spring Weather

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Spring weather is known for its unpredictability. Some days are warm and sunny and make you look forward to summer. Other days are full of chilly rain and even snow. Spring is a transitional period, and understanding the factors that contribute to spring weather’s wackiness can help us prepare for its unpredictable nature.

Why is spring weather so wild?

One of the main factors that contribute to the unpredictability of spring weather is the balance of cold and warm air. The atmosphere is trying to balance the cold air left over from winter with the warm air that starts to move in from the southern hemisphere (which just had its summer). This creates unstable weather patterns that fluctuate wildly from day to day.

Another significant contributor to spring weather’s unpredictability is the jet stream. The jet stream is a high-altitude wind current that flows from west to east, and it’s the most active during the spring season. Its presence can cause disturbances in the atmosphere and lead to changes in air pressure, temperature, and precipitation.

The jet stream can create a wave-like pattern in the atmosphere. This can cause pockets of cold and warm air to mix together, leading to dramatic temperature changes. It also creates a barrier between these warm and cold air masses. This leads to severe weather like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and even blizzards.

The jet stream can also affect the timing and severity of tornadoes and hurricanes.

Here comes the sun

The changing angle of the sun is another factor that impacts spring weather. As the sun gets higher in the sky and the days get longer, the amount of energy the Earth receives increases. This can lead to unstable air masses and subsequent thunderstorms.

If you live near a large lake or an ocean, you’ll probably notice that the weather is even more unpredictable. That’s partly because water takes longer to warm up than land, so the mixture of cold and warm air creates unstable air masses that cause things like thunderstorms.

While spring weather’s unpredictability can make it challenging to forecast accurately, there are some patterns that can help us prepare for what’s to come. For example, in North America, the eastern part of the continent tends to experience more significant temperature swings than the western part. In the western part of the continent, spring tends to be a more stable season. Of course, with global climate change, who knows how predictable anything will be in the long or short term?

Some research suggests that as the planet warms, we may start to see even more extreme weather events in the spring, including more severe storms and rainfall.

—WTF fun facts

Source: 5 Reasons Spring Is the Most Dynamic Weather Season — The Weather Channel

WTF Fun Fact 13328 – Juice Jacking

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Have you ever been out and about, only to find that your smartphone’s battery is running dangerously low? You might have felt relieved to spot a public USB charging station, ready to juice up your device. But did you know that these seemingly innocent charging points could put your personal data at risk? Juice jacking is a cyberattack that uses public charging stations to steal data and install malware on devices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning about this growing threat, which you can read more about in this Snopes article.

What is juice jacking?

Juice jacking is a type of cyberattack where criminals modify public USB charging stations, allowing them to access and steal data from devices that are connected to these stations. The attackers can also install malware on your device, which could allow them to remotely control your phone or access your sensitive information.

USB charging ports carry both power and data. When you plug your device into a charging port, you may unknowingly create a connection that allows for the transfer of data. Cybercriminals exploit this connection by installing hardware or software in the charging port that can intercept the data transfer between your device and the charger. This could include personal information such as photos, passwords, or banking information.

The risks associated with juice jacking

The risks associated with juice jacking can be severe, especially if your device contains sensitive information. Some potential consequences of a juice jacking attack include:

  1. Identity Theft: Cybercriminals may steal personal information such as your name, address, Social Security number, or banking details. This data can be used to open accounts in your name or commit other fraudulent activities.
  2. Financial Loss: If your banking or credit card information is compromised, criminals can make unauthorized transactions, emptying your accounts or racking up charges on your credit cards.
  3. Data Loss: Attackers can wipe your device, resulting in the loss of important data such as contacts, messages, and photos.
  4. Malware Infection: Malware installed on your device during a juice jacking attack could give criminals remote access to your device, allowing them to track your movements, eavesdrop on your conversations, or access sensitive information.

How to protect yourself

To reduce the risk of falling victim to a juice jacking attack, consider the following safety tips:

  1. Carry a Portable Charger: Invest in a portable charger or power bank that you can carry with you, ensuring that you always have a reliable and safe source of power for your device.
  2. Use AC Power Outlets: When possible, opt for traditional AC power outlets instead of USB charging stations. By using your own charger, you minimize the risk of connecting your device to a compromised port.
  3. Use a USB Data Blocker: Also known as a “USB condom,” a data blocker is a small device that you can plug into a USB port before connecting your charging cable. It allows power to pass through while blocking data transfer, protecting your device from potential attacks.
  4. Keep Your Devices Updated: Regularly update your devices with the latest security patches and software updates to minimize the risk of malware infections.

While public USB charging stations can be a convenient solution when your device is running low on power, they may also pose a significant risk to your personal data. By being aware of the threat of juice jacking and following the tips outlined above, you can protect yourself and your devices from this growing cybersecurity menace.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “How Serious Is the Security Threat of ‘Juice-Jacking’?” — Snopes

WTF Fun Fact 13327 – Lachanophobia

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Lachanophobia is a relatively unknown phobia that affects a small portion of the population. It refers to an irrational fear of vegetables. People who suffer from this phobia experience extreme anxiety and distress at the mere sight, thought, or taste of certain vegetables This can lead to a range of physical and emotional symptoms.

What causes lachanophobia?

We don’t yet fully understand the causes of lachanophobia. But some experts suggest that this phobia may develop as a result of negative experiences with vegetables. This can include something like choking or gagging on them in the past. But others believe it’s linked to a general fear of contamination or illness.

Lachanophobia can have a significant impact on a person’s daily life. People with this phobia may even avoid restaurants or social events that they believe will serve vegetables. This can lead to isolation and social withdrawal. They may also struggle to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, which can lead to a range of physical health problems over time.

Clearly, this is about a lot more than just disliking your veggies.

Can we treat the fear of vegetables?

Treatment for lachanophobia typically involves a combination of therapy and medication. Cognitive-behavioral therapy gradually exposes a person to their fear in a safe and controlled environment. Psychiatrists may also prescribe antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications to help manage symptoms and reduce anxiety.

Lachanophobia is not a modern phenomenon. People have recorded cases of the fear of vegetables throughout history, with many ancient cultures associating certain vegetables with negative or evil spirits. In some cases, these fears have been linked to religious beliefs, such as the belief that certain vegetables are unclean or forbidden.

The fear of vegetables doesn’t have to be all-encompassing. It can involve just one vegetable. You may remember, for example, a 1993 episode of Seinfeld in which the character Kramer has a fear of cucumbers.

—WTF fun facts

Source:

WTF Fun Fact 13326 – Sloth Poop

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How much do you know about sloth poop? Did you know that sloths only defecate once a week?

What’s interesting about sloth poop?

Because they only poop once a week, sloths can lose up to one-third of their body weight in a single bowel movement.

While most animals poop once or a few times a day, sloths are infrequent poopers. That’s because sloths have a unique digestive system that processes food very slowly. In fact, it can take up to a month for a sloth to digest a single meal. That’s why they don’t need to eat as often as other animals.

The sloth’s digestive tract is designed to extract as many nutrients as possible from food. That means there’s relatively very little leftover to produce waste. Waste is stored in a special sac in the lower part of the sloth’s large intestine. This builds up over time until the sloth is finally ready to poop.

When a sloth has the urge to go, it makes a trip down from the trees to the ground. Because they’re slow-moving, this is a dangerous trip that makes them vulnerable to predators on the ground. But the urge to go is so strong that sloths take the risk.

Once they reach the ground, sloths dig a small hole to “make their deposit.” The feces of a sloth is a valuable source of nutrients for the ecosystem. It’s important to other animals like moths and beetles that feed on it.

Other infrequent poopers

Armadillos are primarily insectivores, meaning they mostly eat insects such as beetles, termites, and ants. And because insects are high in protein and nutrients, armadillos don’t need to eat as frequently as other animals, so their digestive systems have adapted accordingly.

The slow metabolism of the armadillo and its unique digestive system also give the animal the ability to conserve water. This is an important adaptation for living in hot and dry environments. By holding onto their waste for longer periods of time, the animals are able to absorb more water from their food. This reduces the amount of water they need to drink.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Sloths Only Poop Once a Week — But They Make It a Good One” — How Stuff Works

WTF Fun Fact 13325 – Spring Daylight

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In spring daylight increases each day by 2-3 minutes. This helps the world awakens from its winter slumber. As the days get longer and the sun begins to shine brighter, it’s a reminder that winter is behind us and summer is just around the corner.

How does spring daylight increase?

The increase in daylight during the spring season is a result of the Earth’s axial tilt and position in its orbit around the sun. During the spring equinox, the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in equal amounts of light and darkness. After the spring equinox, the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt more toward the sun. This is what leads to longer days and shorter nights.

Gaining light

Throughout the spring season, the amount of daylight increases by approximately 2-3 minutes each day. This adds up to a significant increase in total daylight hours by the end of the season. By the time the summer solstice rolls around in late June, some places in the Northern Hemisphere can experience as much as 17 hours of daylight.

This increase in daylight has an impact on both the natural world and human behavior. For plants, the longer days provide more opportunities for photosynthesis. For humans, they provide more opportunities for outdoor activities and recreation. This increase in activity can have a positive impact on physical and mental health. Exposure to sunlight has been shown to boost mood and energy levels.

Despite the many benefits of longer daylight hours in the spring, one notable challenge is the loss of sleep that can occur when the clocks “spring forward” for daylight saving time. But in the end, most people agree that springtime gives them a feeling of renewal.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “How Much Daylight Do We Gain After the Winter Solstice?” — Old Farmer’s Almanac

WTF Fun Fact 13324 – History of Peonies

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PeonieshavealonghistorythatcanbetracedbacktoancientChinaandJapan,wheretheywerefirstgrownfortheirmedicalbenefitsbeforebeingprizedfortheirbeauty.

Early peony history

The peony was first cultivated in China more than 2,000 years ago, and because of its beauty and scarcity, it swiftly came to represent riches and grandeur. 

In fact, the peony used to be cherished so highly that it was regarded as more valuable than gold. As a result, it was occasionally used as money.

TheChineseemployedthepeonyasaremedyforanumberofillnesses,includingepilepsy,headaches, anddigestiveissues.

Because they believed the flower had a relaxing effect on the body and psyche, it was also used in religious festivals.

The peony eventually received its own “Peony Festival” in China because of its increasing popularity. In Luoyang, China, this continues to be a holiday today. Thousands of peonies are on exhibit during the event in full bloom.

The history of peonies in Japan

The peony was also prized for its therapeutic benefits and for its purported ability to fend off evil spirits in Japan.

The flower was also admired by the Japanese for its grace and beauty, and it quickly became popular with the aristocracy. It was so revered in Japan that it was frequently depicted as a motif in literature and appeared on Japanese banknotes.

The peony remains a prominent motif in contemporary Japanese art. It is often used to symbolize good fortune, prosperity, and beauty.

In addition to its medicinal benefits, the peony has a special place in Chinese and Japanese mythology. According to legend, it sprung from the blood of a beautiful nymph killed by the gods out of jealousy. The peony was said to have been the nymph’s favorite flower and was believed to be imbued with her beauty.

Today, the peony is still a popular flower for Mother’s Day and other special events, such as weddings. Peonies come in a variety of colors, including pink, red, white, and yellow. They are easy to care for since they can be grown in a variety of climates.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “The History Of The Peony Flower” — Appleyard London

WTF Fun Fact 13323 – Helicopter Tree Trimming

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Helicopter tree trimming involves the use of a helicopter equipped with a circular saw to trim tree branches. Skilled pilots and experienced arborists execute the carefully planned process of helicopter tree trimming, which can be dangerous and risky.

The wild world of helicopter tree trimming

The use of helicopters for tree trimming has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its efficiency and effectiveness. And it’s not just for giant trees. In fact, traditional methods of tree trimming, such as using cherry pickers or bucket trucks, can sometimes be too time-consuming or require crews to shut down roads and neighborhoods. With helicopter tree trimming, a team of arborists can trim several trees in a single day while minimizing disruption to the community.

Still sounds dangerous, right?

How does this process work?

Before the trimming process begins, arborists carefully examine trees and render a thorough assessment of the surrounding environment. The team obviously needs to take into consideration any obstacles or hazards, such as power lines or buildings (or people!) in the area.

Arborists identify the trees to be trimmed, then the helicopter takes off, and the pilot hovers over the target tree. An arborist then lowers from the helicopter on a line carrying a chainsaw or the pilot lowers a specially designed trimming saw to get the job done. These saws are equipped with a circular blade that can quickly and cleanly cut through thick branches.

Obviously, the arborists are highly skilled and experienced in using the saw. They need to be able to make precise cuts, avoid hitting power lines, and make sure there are no unfortunate accidents. They also need to be able to move quickly move from one branch to another as the helicopter hovers and maneuvers around the tree.

Helicopter tree trimming allows arborists to trim trees in areas that are otherwise difficult or impossible to reach. This includes steep slopes, remote areas, and densely forested regions.

It should come as no surprise that this is a risky business. The arborists work at great heights and in challenging weather conditions. They must be constantly aware of the rotor blades and other potential hazards. But with proper safety protocols in place, it is a safe and effective technique.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “Aerial Saw Is Boon to Line Trimming” — T&D World

WTF Fun Fact 13322 – Canadian Love of Macaroni and Cheese

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Sure, Americans love their mac and cheese. But not as much as Canadians. In fact, Canadians love macaroni and cheese, and they love it more than anyone else in the world and consume the most macaroni and cheese per capita!

Why do Canadians love macaroni and cheese so much?

One theory about this is that it has to do with the cold weather. Most of Canada has long, harsh winters, so comfort foods like mac and cheese are a way to warm up and feel cozy. Fair enough – but no one really needs a cold day to enjoy cheesy pasta, do they?

Of course, the dish is also easy to make, affordable, and easily customizable. But that’s why it’s popular in many countries.

The popularity of mac and cheese in Canada is not a recent phenomenon. In fact, Canadians have been eating mac and cheese since the early 1800s, back when it was known as macaroni pudding.

The dish became more widely available in the 1930s with the introduction of Kraft Dinner. But Kraft became a staple in Canadian AND American households. So it’s unclear why Canadians are eating so much more of it.

The rise of Kraft

Kraft Dinner, also known as KD in Canada, is extra popular in Canada. It’s estimated that Canadians consume 55% more KD per capita than Americans consume Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (same product, two different names).

We might not be quite as surprised if this was just about Kraft Dinner. But Canadians also love to make homemade macaroni and cheese. In fact, many Canadian restaurants offer mac and cheese on their menus, with creative twists like lobster mac and cheese or mac and cheese with pulled pork.

Again, Americans do too, but apparently, the country is losing the battle for mac and cheese dominance.

The popularity of mac and cheese in Canada has not gone unnoticed by food companies. As a result, there has been a surge in the number of gourmet mac and cheese products available in Canada.

Of course, this all comes with concerns about the high sodium and fat content of some pre-packaged products. But that never stopped any of us from occassionally indulging.

—WTF fun facts

Source: “This Country Eats Way More Kraft Mac & Cheese Than The US” — Mashed