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Previous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades have been much colder than tomorrow’s event is shaping up to be, but watching all the city-goers with their winter coats and hats on might still send a sympathetic chill down your spine — or, at the very least, make you add some hand warmers to your shopping list STAT. Fortunately, Amazon has a major 50% off deal on orastone portable hand warmers that’s sure to come in handy as the temperatures continue to drop. For a limited time, you can shop five different colors of the diamond-shaped heating dongle, starting from $15 and up to $18 for the more “premium” Knit and Watercolor options. If you’re a Prime member, you may even be eligible for free same-day shipping — which can’t be beaten, especially if you’ll be heading to a Turkey Trot fun run early in the morning or starting to put your holiday decorations up outside and haven’t broken out your winter wardrobe yet. These sleek and compact double-sided rechargeable hand warmers heat up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit — a toasty temperature that’s neither too hot nor too cold — in under two minutes, and feature comfortable rubber coatings that the company and customers say makes them easy to hold and carry. Plus, with built-in LED torches, you don’t have to go rooting around in your bag to find things (poopy bags, for instance, if you’re out walking your dog or keys if you’re hurrying to your car in a parking garage or parking lot). You can even use the light for reading at night. Grab some for holiday gifts, stocking stuffers or “just in case” provisions for outdoor adventures — starting from $15 at Amazon . Keep these other fall and winter warmup deals in mind while they’re hot, too. Crock-Pot Electric Lunch Box for $30, instead of $45 Headlightz by Roq Innovation Light-Up Beanie for $30, instead of $38 Bedsure Heated Blanket Electric Throw for $30, instead of $37 Dreo Space Heater for $34, instead of $40 Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2 for $110, instead of $150 The Best Black Friday Deals in 2024 Walmart and Target have all the Xbox Black Friday deals up to $100 — but they won’t last long Amazon has the BLACK+DECKER bev cocktail maker on sale for its lowest price of the year Black Friday 2024 mall hours: What N.J. malls are open and closed on Friday? HOKA’s Black Friday sale has Bondi 8, Clifton 9 sneaker deals and more top styles for up to $72 off — but they’re selling fast Walmart has the Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker on sale for $50 off — and it’s cheaper than Amazon’s Black Friday price Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips .Raptors welcome the imminent return of Cowboy Bruce Brown. But first, some fashion advice for Scottie BarnesGiuliani Rants About Trump-Appointed Judge, Calls Him 'Activist Democrat'
The Philippines, a biodiversity hotspot, has grappled with an ecological deficit for over six decades, worsening the country’s environmental and sustainability challenges, according to National Scientist Lourdes Cruz. Cruz linked the rising ecological deficit to increasing problems, such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, which have profound implications for sustainable development. In her keynote lecture at the recent 2024 Philippine Textile Congress at a Makati City hotel that had the theme “Fostering Transdisciplinary Textile Knowledge Generation and Translation,” the National Scientist highlighting the importance of integrating sustainable practices into various industries, especially in the textile sector. She noted that the Philippine textile industry, which has faced significant challenges in the past, is now experiencing a resurgence with a focus on natural fibers and sustainable materials. She further pointed out the potential of local industries, such as those producing fabrics from natural fibers like “kapok,” to contribute to both economic growth and environmental preservation. “I am happy to see the rise in the philippine textile industry. With this focus on natural fibers and the trend in looking for more sustainable materials,” she said. The ecological deficit, Cruz explained, occurs when a country’s demand for ecological resources exceeds the environment’s ability to regenerate those resources, leading to a depletion of natural capital. “Our biocapacity is still going down. The data is up to 2016 and the ecological footprint is rising. It was last balanced in the year 1963 and then the deficit has been continuously growing,” Cruz said. PHL struggling in SDG In the global Sustainable Development Goals, the Philippines ranked 92nd out of 166 nations, with many of the SDGs in a stagnating state. The country only excels in SDG 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production. But in other areas, such as biodiversity and poverty alleviation, the nation is struggling to make sufficient progress. According to the World Population Review, the Philippines faces a severe ecological deficit of negative 210 percent, with its ecological footprint at 142 million global hectares—more than triple its total biocapacity of 45.9 million hectares. This indicates that each person uses an average of 1.3 hectares while only 0.4 hectares per capita is available. From knowledge to action Cruz pointed out the importance of bridging the gap between academic research and real-world solutions, particularly in the field of sustainability. “Many of the works done in universities are just inbound theses filed in libraries and never used again,” she said. “We want to ensure that this knowledge is put into action for the benefit of the people.” As part of her commitment to sustainability, Cruz co-founded the Future Earth Philippines Program, launched in 2018, and is an affiliate of the Future Earth Global Program, which brings together scientists and researchers to address issues related to environmental sustainability and resilience. The initiative aims to engage all sectors of society in a collective effort to reverse the ecological deficit and build a more sustainable and resilient future for the Philippines. “Our urgent mission is to advocate and work for the participation of all sectors in a national effort to balance the ecological deficit of the Philippines. The vision is a progressive and resilient Philippines sustained by inclusive science and technology innovation and culture of integrity, equity, and Filipino values,” she explained. Sust(AI)nability Cruz also highlighted the role of new technologies in advancing sustainability efforts, particularly the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in optimizing resource management and production processes. However, she cautioned that AI’s potential benefits must be carefully balanced with ethical considerations and the risk of reinforcing existing inequalities. “There’s a risk of reinforcing existing inequalities with respect to AI because of lack of or very limited use of AI in developing countries and there are environmental concerns and then ethical concerns particularly surrounding privacy and surveillance that arise with respect to AI,” Cruz warned. To address these challenges, Cruz called for a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, emphasizing the need for both natural scientists and social scientists to work together. “So from the productions to the end, to the consumption of materials that we need to be concerned with,” she said. “We have all the SDGs around us but we cannot attain this if we don’t collaborate or we don’t partner for the goals.”