Borba protiv kampanja dezinformiranja i pogrešnog informiranja koje provode norm enterpreneurs, a usmjerene su na LGBTI+ zajednicu u Europi

With ample evidence that foreign state actors and non-state norm entrepreneurs are engaged in misinformation and disinformation campaigns challenging the European Union’s human rights framework on LGBT+, this study analyses the narratives that these actors disseminate. Based on two methods – a standard literature review of academic and “grey” literature, as well as complementary analysis of entries in the EUvsDisinfo database – the study identifies four main narratives that can be attributed to or are actively sponsored by non-European actors: 1) Opposing gender ideology and protecting God’s order, 2) Heteroactivism and the protection of the rights of the “natural” family, 3) LGBT+ rights as Western colonialism, and 4) LGBT+ rights as a threat to the rights of children. Even though EU’s strong protection of freedom of speech makes it challenging to address misinformation and disinformation that falls outside hate-speech legislation, this paper argues that exploring the following counter measures could be worthwhile: 1) harmonization of European legal frameworks, 2) financial scrutiny and 3) strengthened automatic detection, editorial policies, and community flagging, as well as the capacity to systematically deal with misinformation and disinformation campaign targeting LGBT+ across digital spaces in Europe.Uz niz dokaza da su strani akteri i nedržavni borci za norme uključeni u širenje netočnih informacija i dezinformacija koje narušavaju okvir ljudskih prava Europske unije za LGBT+ osobe, ova studija analizira narative koje ti akteri zagovaraju. Na temelju dviju metoda – standardnog pregleda akademske i sive literature te komplementarne analize unosa u bazi podataka EUvsDisinfo – studija identificira četiri glavna narativa koji se mogu pripisati neeuropskim akterima ili koje isti aktivno promoviraju: 1) suprotstavljanje rodnoj ideologiji i zaštita Božanskog poretka, 2) heteroaktivizam i zaštita prava „prirodne“ obitelji, 3) LGBT+ prava kao zapadni kolonijalizam i 4) LGBT+ prava kao prijetnja pravima djece. Iako snažna zaštita slobode govora u EU-u predstavlja izazov kad je u pitanju suzbijanje netočnih informacija i dezinformacija koje ne spadaju u okvire zakonodavstva o govoru mržnje, ovaj rad tvrdi da bi istraživanje sljedećih protumjera moglo biti vrijedno truda: 1) harmonizacija europskih pravnih okvira, 2) poman financijski nadzor i 3) pojačano automatsko otkrivanje, uređivačke politike i označavanje zajednice, kao i sposobnost za sustavno otklanjanje netočnih informacija i dezinformacija usmjerenih na LGBT+ osobe u digitalnim prostorima Europe

Plastic characterization in northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)

Northern fulmars are pelagic seabirds known to ingest plastic, but so far most of the knowledge is on the physical characteristics of the plastic. However, plastic is a catch-all for many different types of polymers and we wanted to investigate what kinds of polymers the northern fulmars are ingesting. We did this by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and found that both northern fulmars from the Faroe Islands and north-east Greenland had ingested mostly plastic made of polyethylene, followed by polypropylene and polystyrene. There were differences in the physical type of plastic ingested; fulmars from the Faroe Islands had ingested significantly more pellets compared to fulmars from NE Greenland. Thus, the physical, not polymer, composition of plastics appears to be most relevant in assessing regional differences of ingested plastic by fulmars

Anthropogenic microlitter in wastewater and marine samples from Ny-Ålesund, Barentsburg and Signehamna, Svalbard

Plastic pollution is recognized as a serious threat to the marine environment by the UN, the EU through the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Arctic council, the Nordic council, and national governments worldwide. Marine litter may reach the Arctic with ocean currents from global and regional sources, but may also originate from local emissions related to shipping and fishing activities, runoff from land based industries, dumping sites and wastewater outlets. Wastewater outlets are identified as important sources of microplastics to the marine environment in temperate areas but have received less attention in the Arctic. Wastewater treatment is generally lacking in the Arctic, and in smaller settlements, handling of wastewater (including sewage water) and garbage is comparable to conditions observed in developing countries. In Svalbard, wastewater treatment is absent aside from a small treatment plant in Hornsund and the recently installed treatment plant in Ny-Ålesund. The aim of this investigation was to quantify and characterize anthropogenic microparticles (AMPs: particles <5 mm of manmade or modified materials, e.g. plastics, paints, rubber and textile fibers) in wastewater from the recently installed treatment plant in Ny-Ålesund (Kongsfjorden), in the marine environment close to the Russian settlement Barentsburg (Grønnfjorden), and in Signehamna (Krossfjorden) far from permanent land-based human impact. Samples of seawater, marine sediments and beach sediments were collected and analyzed for AMPs using optical and spectroscopic techniques. AMPs were found at all sites and in all matrices investigated in this study. AMPs identified in wastewater and seawater were dominated by fibres (both non-synthetic and synthetic) while AMPs identified in sediment samples were dominated by fragments. Higher concentrations of AMPs and higher polymeric diversity was observed closer to human activities; in sediments close to Ny-Ålesund wastewater outlet and in seawater close to both Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund, as compared to the remote site at Signehamna. Based on this investigation, as much as 99 % of the incoming AMPs may be retained by the wastewater treatment plant in Ny-Ålesund. It is thus clear that installation of appropriate wastewater treatment systems can substantially reduce the release of anthropogenic microlitter and potential associated contaminants to the marine environment. However, this investigation is based on a limited number of samples and a comprehensive investigation should be conducted to determine the true efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant in Ny-Ålesund, covering both temporal and spatial variation. The present report should be used as a first step towards resolving the issue of lacking wastewater treatment in Svalbard and in the Arctic as a whole

SNP genotyping reveals substructuring in weakly differentiated populations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from diverse environments in the Baltic Sea

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is one of the most important fish species in northern Europe for several reasons including its predator status in marine ecosystems, its historical role in fisheries, its potential in aquaculture and its strong public profile. However, due to over-exploitation in the North Atlantic and changes in the ecosystem, many cod populations have been reduced in size and genetic diversity. Cod populations in the Baltic Proper, Kattegat and North Sea have been analyzed using a species specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Using a subset of 8,706 SNPs, moderate genetic differences were found between subdivisions in three traditionally delineated cod management stocks: Kattegat, western and eastern Baltic. However, an FST measure of population differentiation based on allele frequencies from 588 outlier loci for 2 population groups, one including 5 western and the other 4 eastern Baltic populations, indicated high genetic differentiation. In this paper, differentiation has been demonstrated not only between, but also within western and eastern Baltic cod stocks for the first time, with salinity appearing to be the most important environmental factor influencing the maintenance of cod population divergence between the western and eastern Baltic Sea

Microlitter in Arctic marine benthic food chains and potential effects on sediment dwelling fauna

This report provides both field and impact data on microlitter pollution in the arctic marine environment of Svalbard and Greenland. Microlitter concentrations and characteristics were determined in marine sediments and biota in relation to local sources. Higher concentrations and diversities were found closer to human settlements and sites where lost/dumped fishing gear accumulated. Thus, local microlitter sources were found to be present in the Arctic. The experimental studies on effects of microlitter on feeding rate, microplastic ingestion, respiration and locomotion activity in an arctic amphipod, confirmed previous studies showing effects only at very high concentrations, not yet relevant in the arctic environment. The relatively low field concentrations of microlitter found in this study should be regarded as a ‘window of opportunity’ to act to at least reduce local pollution

Monitoring of microplastic pollution in the Arctic: Recent developments in polymer identification, quality assurance and control (QA/QC), and data reporting

The pollution of the environment with plastics is of growing concern worldwide, including the Arctic region. While larger plastic pieces are a visible pollution issue, smaller microplastics are not visible with the naked eye. These particles are available for interaction by Arctic biota and have become a concern for animal and human health. The determination of microplastic properties includes several methodological steps, i.e. sampling, extraction, quantification and chemical identification. This review discusses suitable analytical tools for the identification, quantification and characterization of microplastics in the context of monitoring in the Arctic. It further addresses quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) which is particularly important for the determination of microplastic in the Arctic, as both contamination and analyte losses can occur. It presents specific QA/QC measures for sampling procedures and for the handling of samples in the laboratory, either on land or on ship, and considering the small size of microplastics as well as the high risk of contamination. The review depicts which data should be mandatory to report, thereby supporting a framework for harmonized data reporting.publishedVersio