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If you woke up in <keyword id="19900881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi" source="keywords">Delhi</keyword> recently, you might have noticed more than just the nip in the air – a thick, toxic smog has blanketed the city, turning the air almost unbreathable. On Monday, Delhi’s <keyword id="19920379" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-quality-index" source="keywords">Air Quality Index</keyword> (<keyword id="19916482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aqi" source="keywords">AQI</keyword>) hit 481, placing it in the "severe plus" category. For context, the “severe” category begins at an AQI of 401, and anything above 450 poses serious health risks even for healthy individuals. According to Swiss group IQAir’s live rankings, Delhi is currently the most polluted city in the world, with an air quality score of 1,081 – a “hazardous” level that is 130.9 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit for PM2.5. <h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">Major contributors to Delhi’s smog</h3>The root causes of Delhi’s pollution are manifold: <ul><li>Stubble Burning: On Saturday, crop residue burning contributed 25% of Delhi’s air pollution. By Sunday, this figure had climbed to 40%, according to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research). Satellites recorded 1,334 stubble-burning incidents in six northern states on Sunday alone, the highest number in four days.</li><li>Vehicles: On Sunday, vehicular emissions accounted for 15.8% of the city’s pollution, according to the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management.</li><li>Construction Dust and Industrial Emissions: PM2.5, a deadly pollutant, remains the most prominent factor, capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and leading to severe respiratory and cardiac diseases.</li></ul><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt;"><keyword id="24020184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GRAP-Stage-4" source="keywords">GRAP Stage 4</keyword></h3>To combat the rising pollution levels, authorities have enforced Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Here’s a breakdown of the restrictions: <ul><li>Vehicle Restrictions:</li><ul><li>Diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles (BS-IV and below) registered in Delhi are banned unless carrying essential goods.</li><li>Non-essential light commercial vehicles from outside Delhi can only enter if they use CNG, BS-VI diesel, or are electric.</li><li>Trucks carrying non-essential items are barred unless they use cleaner fuels like LNG, CNG, or BS-VI diesel. </li></ul><li>Workplace and School Adjustments:</li><ul><li>Classes for students in grades 6 to 9 and class 11 have moved online.</li><li>Offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) are advised to work at 50% capacity, with the rest operating remotely. </li></ul><li>Construction Ban: </li><ul><li>Construction and demolition (C&amp;D) activities have been halted, including large projects like highways, flyovers, and pipelines. </li></ul></ul>Out of Delhi’s 40 monitoring stations, 32 reported AQI levels above 400 on Monday. Visibility in parts of the city dropped to just 100 metres due to the thick smog. The health implications of these numbers are alarming. <keyword id="20118319" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM2-5-levels" source="keywords">PM2.5 levels</keyword> in Delhi were recorded at 130.9 times the safe limit set by the WHO. According to experts, long-term exposure to such air quality could lead to an 11% increase in premature mortality rates due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that Delhi residents may lose an average of 10 years of life expectancy if pollution levels persist. Despite the restrictions, life in Delhi continues under a cloud of smog. Iconic landmarks like India Gate have become barely visible through the haze. While flights and trains are operational, some delays have been reported.

GRAP Stage 4 restrictions take effect as air quality in Delhi deteriorates; PM2.5 levels 130 times higher than WHO limits

Have you been harbouring the misimpression that the worst thing that could happen to you while commuting to work is getting stuck in rush hour traffic? As it turns out, being trapped in your car for the duration is even worse because you could be inadvertently breathing in <keyword id="21593992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer-causing-air" source="keywords">cancer-causing air</keyword>. This is a real bummer, considering rolling down your windows would mean inhaling polluted air most of the time. New research has found <keyword id="21589825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flame-retardants" source="keywords">flame retardants</keyword> in nearly all (99%) of the cars tested in the US. These chemicals, including tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP). Why is this a problem? These chemicals are linked to cancer, <keyword id="21593994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="neurological-problems" source="keywords">neurological problems</keyword>, and even lower IQ in children. In fact, even firefighters seem to have been raising concerns about flame retardants potentially contributing to their high cancer rates. And companies have been adding these potentially carcinogenic flame retardants to car seats and other materials, off-gassing harmful chemicals into the air you breathe. “Considering the average driver spends about an hour in the car every day, this is a significant <keyword id="21593993" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-issue" source="keywords">public health issue</keyword>. It’s particularly concerning for drivers with longer commutes as well as child passengers, who breathe more air pound for pound than adults,” explains lead author Rebecca Hoehn, a scientist at <keyword id="20075490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Duke-University" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Duke University" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Duke University">Duke University</keyword>. Here's the kicker: exposure seems to be worse during hot weather. Car interiors can reach scorching temperatures, causing these flame retardants to break down and pollute the air you breathe. The good news? There's a safer way. California, US, for example, updated its flammability standards for furniture and baby products to eliminate flame retardants without compromising safety. This update actually led to a decrease in flame retardant levels in homes, proving there's a better path forward. While opening windows and parking in the shade can help, the real solution lies in urging <keyword id="19996197" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="car-manufacturers" source="keywords">car manufacturers</keyword> and safety regulators to update outdated standards. We shouldn't have to choose between fire safety and our health. “Commuting to work shouldn’t come with a cancer risk, and children shouldn’t breathe in chemicals that can harm their brains on their way to school,” says the study’s co-author Lydia Jahl, a senior scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. The findings of this study have been detailed in Environmental Science &amp; Technology and can be accessed <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c10440">here</a>.

Toxic chemicals in your car seats could be increasing risks of cancer, study warns

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SpaceX workers got stuck on a barge with a spaceship full of toxic fuel in 2010, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-grimes-baby-name-new-book-character-limit-2024">a new book reports</a>.</li><li>After the Dragon spaceship's first flight, a SpaceX crew retrieved it from the ocean.</li></ul>If you think your job is exciting, try <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-spacex-engineer-crawled-inside-imploding-rocket-liftoff-book-2021-3">working at SpaceX</a> in its early days.As author Eric Berger puts it, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-for-elon-musk-spacex-workplace-culture-twitter-jim-cantrell-2022-11">SpaceX was not a job; it was a lifestyle</a>."In his first book, for example, one engineer told him about crawling inside an imploding rocket, while others talked about<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-engineers-island-without-food-mutiny-liftoff-book-2021-3"> running out of food on a small Pacific island</a>.For his latest, "Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age," published in September, Berger spoke with about 100 current and former SpaceX employees.In the new book, Berger recounts the night SpaceX engineers got stuck on a barge and slept near a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-discovers-urine-leak-on-crew-dragon-spaceships-2021-10">spaceship</a> full of potentially explosive gases.The team was helping SpaceX secure much-needed cash flow from NASA. CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spouse-married">Elon Musk</a> had been "weeks away from personal bankruptcy" just two years earlier, Berger, who is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, writes.Here's what happened, according to Berger's book.SpaceX did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.<h2 id="4fe7f3df-1143-41c3-8d2f-4549d8db431a">Dragon's first flight</h2>Musk wanted SpaceX's flagship Dragon spaceship — designed to shuttle cargo and NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station — to be reusable.Reusability is the company's signature, making its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-setback-mishap-with-nasa-astronaut-rescue-mission-2024-10">Falcon 9 rocket</a> launches significantly cheaper than NASA's Space Shuttles.<div type="image" title="crew dragon endeavour crew 2 spacex iss arrival" height="1280" width="1920" msid="114825661" hostid="261" sizebytes="86124"></div>That meant SpaceX engineers had to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-spacex-nasa-crew2-astronaut-mission-splashdown-landing-ocean-2021-4">retrieve Dragon from the Pacific Ocean</a> after its first flight in December 2010.It didn't go exactly as planned.<h2 id="f71787eb-f77e-4e05-bfb0-2bad68072bcd">The danger of Dragon's explosive fuel</h2>The fuel inside Dragon is hypergolic, meaning its components spontaneously combust when they meet. That makes it simple to ignite the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-thruster-tests-may-take-weeks-before-astronauts-come-home-2024-7">thrusters</a> — just open the valves between the fuel components.It also put the ship's first recovery crew at risk.SpaceX had never flown Dragon before, so nobody knew how much damage it would sustain during reentry. It could have fuel leaks, which would pose an explosion risk.That's why SpaceX workers immediately <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-robot-dog-wreckage-exploded-starship-rocket-2021-3">checked for leaks</a>, according to the book. An engineer named Kevin Mock extended a 20-foot pole with a "sniffer" tool, which can detect propellant gases in the air, toward the spaceship bobbing in the water.<div type="image" title="person in a hardhat works on equipment on the outside of a towering, dirty-looking white spaceship" height="1536" width="1920" msid="114825573" hostid="261" sizebytes="412400"></div>With no leaks detected, the team hauled Dragon onto the barge with a crane. Then, two engineers and three technicians donned protective gear and independent air supplies, boarded the barge, and began the hazardous task of emptying the spaceship's fuel tanks.That went off without a hitch, and the team returned to the crew boat to sleep. The next day brought trouble.<h2 id="a643d234-ad9f-43c1-b27f-18b991659a1a">Stuck sleeping in a shipping container</h2>On day two, Mock's five-person team spent about eight hours draining fuel from the spaceship's system and storing it in containers.The ocean became rough, buffeting the barge with large waves by nightfall. When the workers were ready to return to the crew boat, the captain decided conditions were too dangerous for them to cross over.Mock and his crew were stuck on a barge full of toxic, highly reactive fuel and had no beds for the night.The SpaceX employees on the crew boat filled a trash bag with snacks and a thermos of coffee, shoved sleeping bags into another trash bag, and threw both onto the barge. Mock's crew laid their sleeping bags inside a 20-foot-long shipping container on board the barge."We got the best night's sleep we could," Mock told Berger. "We were exhausted, so I can't say that I slept terribly that night."The next day, they finished emptying the spaceship's propellant."It's the hardest work I've ever seen at SpaceX or anywhere," Roger Carlson, a physicist who was watching from the crew boat, told Berger.Berger's new book said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-workers-took-adderall-slept-bathroom-iv-treatments-deadlines-report-2023-11">working at SpaceX</a> in those days was tough, but the gig had a strong appeal."You're going to work super hard, but you're also going to get to work on cutting-edge stuff," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-autocratic-style-success-politics-harm-2024-9">Berger told BI when promoting the book</a>. "After a few years there with that on your résumé, you can basically write your ticket anywhere in the industry you want to go."Berger wrote that after that first flight, SpaceX got authorization to ship Dragon back to its facilities on land after depressurizing the propellant system.Future crews did not have to spend days offloading hypergolic fuel at sea. These days, retrieving a Dragon only takes a few hours and hasn't caused deadly explosions.The Dragon spaceship went on to become a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-spacex-administrator-bill-nelson-boeing-starliner-rocket-elon-musk-2022-9">staple of NASA's programming</a>, transporting supplies and astronaut crews to and from the International Space Station. It's also flown five <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-polaris-dawn-splashdown-mission-advanced-elon-musk-mars-plan-2024-9">private crew missions</a>.

Early SpaceX workers got stuck overnight on an ocean barge with a toxic spaceship, new book reports

All Indian <keyword id="19926225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="salt" source="keywords">salt</keyword> and <keyword id="20109149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sugar" source="keywords">sugar</keyword> brands, whether big or small, packaged or unpackaged, contain <keyword id="19970180" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="microplastics" source="keywords">microplastics</keyword>, according to a study published on Tuesday. The study, titled "Microplastics in Salt and Sugar" and conducted by the <keyword id="22774411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-research-organisation" source="keywords">environmental research organisation</keyword> <keyword id="21593811" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Toxics-Link" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Toxics Link" meta.hostid="281" meta.entityid="Toxics Link">Toxics Link</keyword>, tested 10 types of salt -- including table salt, rock salt, <keyword id="158885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sea-salt" source="Orion">sea salt</keyword> and local raw salt -- and five types of sugar purchased from both online and local markets. The study revealed the presence of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples, in various forms, including fibre, pellets, films and fragments. The size of these microplastics ranged from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The highest levels of microplastics were found in <keyword id="630077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iodised-salt" source="Orion">iodised salt</keyword>, in the form of multi-coloured thin fibre and films. Toxics Link founder-director Ravi Agarwal said, "The objective of our study was to contribute to the existing scientific database on microplastics, so that the global plastic treaty can address this issue in a concrete and focused manner." "We also aim to trigger policy action and attract researchers' attention to potential technological interventions that could reduce exposure risks to microplastics." Toxics Link associate director Satish Sinha added, "Our study's finding of substantial amounts of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples is concerning and calls for urgent, comprehensive research into the long-term health impacts of microplastics on human health." The concentration of microplastics in the salt samples ranged from 6.71 to 89.15 pieces per kilogramme of dry weight, the report said. Iodised salt had the highest concentration of microplastics (89.15 pieces per kilogramme) while organic rock salt had the lowest (6.70 pieces per kilogramme), according to the study. In sugar samples, the concentration of microplastics ranged from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogramme, with the highest concentration found in non-organic sugar. Microplastics are a growing global concern because they can harm both health and the environment. These tiny plastic particles can enter the human body through food, water and air. Recent research has found microplastics in human organs such as the lungs, heart, and even in breast milk and unborn babies. Previous studies found that the average Indian consumes 10.98 grams of salt and around 10 spoons of sugar every day -- much higher than the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword>'s recommended limits.

All Indian salt and sugar brands have microplastics, notes a recent study

As <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword> rises in the national capital, experts have advocated the use of <keyword id="23378997" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="activated-charcoal" source="keywords">activated charcoal</keyword> as a <keyword id="20677308" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="natural-remedy" source="keywords">natural remedy</keyword> for preventing clogging of skin pores and keep out toxins. The experts said activated charcoal masks are effective in reducing sebum (oily substance) from the face skin, thus helping treat acne as they have good absorbing properties. Dr R P Parasher, the national president of the Integrated Medical Association (Ayush), said that activated charcoal, dubbed as '<keyword id="23640477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-diamond" source="keywords">Black Diamond</keyword>', has good sebum absorbing properties. As pollution levels escalate, it causes concern for the skin as particulate matter ranging from PM2.5 to PM10 may lead to the blockage of the skin pores and lead to breakouts, Dr Parasher said. Further, chemicals like lead and nitrogen which increase in the atmosphere during the pollution surge, may damage the skin and may even enter the blood stream through the skin pores which may further damage organs in the body in the long term, he said. "Activated charcoal is not absorbed in the skin but absorbs the toxic elements as well as microbes present in the acne and in this way it saves the skin from getting damaged," he said. Activated charcoal can help balance and control <keyword id="22273531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sebum-production" source="keywords">sebum production</keyword> which can otherwise lead to breakout and acne. A study "Review of Green Synthesis: Activated Charcoal to Reduce Sebum Levels in Oily Facial Skin" by researchers from Indonesia stated that the porous texture of activated charcoal positively captures and attracts negatively charged molecules. Since activated charcoal is not absorbed by the body, it carries its surface-bound toxins out of the body. Director of Ayouthveda, a skincare brand, Dr Sanchit Sharma, said that the process of creating activated charcoal involves carbonising harvested bamboo at very high temperatures, enhancing its surface area to weight ratio of about 1200:1. This method not only maximises its effectiveness in absorbing toxins but also makes it a powerful ally in the fight against acne, he said. As awareness grows, several varieties of charcoal products are gaining popularity in Asian and European markets, promising a natural solution to many skin issues exacerbated by pollution, Sharma said. Talking about his facewash product, he said, "Ayouthveda <keyword id="23640475" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="charcoal-face-wash" source="keywords">charcoal face wash</keyword> prepared from activated bamboo charcoal effectively cleanses the skin by removing dirt and impurities. "It protects the skin from pollution and absorbs excess oil, making it easy to remove makeup. It also eliminates sweat and toxins accumulated, for instance, during workouts or after a long day." Though charcoal face wash are generally safe, overuse can cause some skin dryness, Dr Parasher pointed out.

Experts advocate using activated charcoal for skin benefits amid rising pollution in Delhi!

The battle against climate change encompasses various strategies, with scientists continually devising fresh methods to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Among these strategies is the deliberate injection of aerosols into our <keyword id="42628" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stratosphere" source="Orion">stratosphere</keyword> to enhance its ability to reflect more of the Sun's rays, essentially transforming it into a sort of disco-ball. Nevertheless, the uncertainties surrounding this technique are making scientists cautious about its practical implementation. Ironically, the recent surge in <keyword id="41531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword> exploration is inadvertently contributing to a similar issue, albeit in a perilously uncontrolled manner. Advancements in technology and growing private interest have resulted in a surge in space missions, with many of these rockets being returned to <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> for reuse. Projections indicate that by 2030, we might introduce up to 50,000 additional satellites into our orbit. This not only augments the amount of space debris orbiting Earth, which carries its own set of problems, but the frequent launches and reentries could be introducing copious amounts of toxic metals shaved off <keyword id="6375764" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spacecraft" source="Orion">spacecraft</keyword> into the stratosphere. Meteorites regularly traverse Earth's atmosphere, incinerating and leaving a trail of material in our skies. However, the composition of these "meteoritic particles" in the atmosphere has started to change, prompting concerns among scientists. A recent study identified a notable quantity of metals lingering in the stratosphere, including lithium, aluminium, copper, and lead. Since their ratios resemble those found in spacecraft alloys, researchers suspect that these rockets are the primary contributors to this troubling trend. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Unforeseen Impact on Weather Patterns and the Ozone Layer" comment="subhead" text="Unforeseen Impact on Weather Patterns and the Ozone Layer">Unforeseen Impact on <keyword id="182003" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="weather-patterns" source="Orion">Weather Patterns</keyword> and the <keyword id="6533840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ozone-layer" source="Orion">Ozone Layer</keyword></cmsannotation> The stratosphere, situated between 10 kilometres above Earth's surface and extending to around 50 kilometres, houses the renowned ozone layer, which shields us from cancer- and cataract-inducing UV radiation. Chemical interactions within the stratosphere ensure that the ozone layer absorbs UV rays and transforms them into heat, playing a crucial role in regulating global <keyword id="6359992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weather" source="Orion">weather</keyword> patterns. Consequently, substantial alterations in the ozone layer can influence weather patterns worldwide, even affecting the behavior of jet streams — swift air currents that direct weather phenomena like monsoon seasons. Many are familiar with the ozone hole predicament, brought about by an increase in chlorofluorocarbon emissions since the 1980s. Although the hole has been mitigated in several regions, the growing presence of these metals in the stratosphere has rekindled concerns about the layer's integrity. The study has revealed that nearly 10% of the significant sulphuric acid particles responsible for sustaining the ozone layer are now tainted by these spacecraft metals, posing a presently unknown threat to the layer. This threat could escalate to as much as 50% as space exploration gains popularity in the coming decades. It is imperative that we investigate these stratospheric interactions and implement measures to safeguard the layer, similar to what was done for the ozone layer. This action is essential for the safety of both humans and all life forms on our planet.

Increasing space exploration missions are posing a silent threat to Earth by dispersing toxic metals in the stratosphere

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Floods in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul have sparked a number of online conspiracy theories. </li><li>Some say the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program has caused the extreme weather.</li></ul>The state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil has been facing heavy rains since last week, with 143 people confirmed to have lost their lives in the resulting floods so far, the <a target="_blank" href="https://estado.rs.gov.br/defesa-civil-atualiza-balanco-das-enchentes-no-rs-12-5-12h">local civil defense agency has said</a>.Eduardo Leite, the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, described the weather on X as "unprecedented" in the state's history, adding that it would need "a kind of 'Marshall Plan' to be rebuilt."The state is prone to periods of severe rain and droughts due to its position at a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/death-toll-rains-brazils-south-reaches-143-govt-announces-emergency-spending-2024-05-12/">meeting point of tropical and polar climates</a>.Brazil's <a target="_blank" href="https://portal.inmet.gov.br/noticias/chuva-acima-de-100-mil%C3%ADmetros-atinge-o-norte-do-rio-grande-do-sul">National Institute of Meteorology</a> has said the current extreme conditions have likely been influenced by El Niño — the warming of sea surface temperature.Nevertheless, a number of bizarre online conspiracy theories have cropped up over what's behind it.<div type="image" title="PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL - MAY 11: A car floats in the middle of Parque Marinha do Brasil affected by floods as rains continue to pour on May 11, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. According to the Meteorological Service, a cold front is causing new heavy rains that can exceed the 150 mm causing more damage to the city and increase in the water levels. (Photo by Jefferson Bernardes/Getty Images)" height="683" width="1024" msid="110061017" hostid="261"></div>"What's happening in Rio Grande do Sul is definitely not natural," one user <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/clari__oliveira/status/1786288686692225225">wrote on X</a>. "Let's open our eyes!"The user said they believed that the cause of the heavy rains was HAARP, the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, a North American scientific project that uses antennas to study a part of the Earth's upper atmosphere known as the ionosphere.The program has long faced unfounded rumors that it was designed to control the weather, with former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.livescience.com/8071-chavez-tectonic-weapon-caused-haiti-quake.html">claiming</a> it caused the 2010 Haiti earthquake.Some now claim that the rains in Brazil have been caused by toxic jet vapor trails, or "<a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-62240071">chemtrails</a>," spread by the government and then activated by HAARP antennas in Alaska to alter the weather, AFP reported.Vapor trails are <a target="_blank" href="https://azdeq.gov/contrails">condensation trails</a> that occur when water vapor produced by jet fuel combustion turns into ice crystals at high altitudes where the air is cooler. The trails pose no risk to public health, per the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.Carlos Nobre, who heads Brazil's National Institute of Science and Technology for Climate Change (INCT), told AFP that scientists believed climate change had certainly played a key role in Rio Grande do Sul's weather crisis."The warmer atmosphere can store much more water vapor, fueling more frequent and intense episodes of rainfall that lead to disasters like this," he said, while also dismissing the HAARP theory."There's no way an instrument in the ionosphere could make weather events more extreme," he said.It comes after recent heavy flooding in Dubai.Dubai's media office said in April that the city experienced the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/torrential-rain-flash-floods-wreaked-havoc-dubai-airport-travel-chaos-2024-4">heaviest downpour</a> in the United Arab Emirates since records began.Once again, social media was abuzz with claims about geoengineering — the idea that technologies could be used to alter the weather — with some suggesting that cloud seeding, where clouds are manipulated to produce more rain, had led to the heavy rainfall in the city.But scientists <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68897443">said</a> the storms behind the floods in the city were likely made worse by the climate crisis, adding that the El Niño pattern also helped intensify the weather.

Floods in Brazil spark conspiracy theories over the cause, including toxic jet vapor trails and antennas in Alaska

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa appeared on Monday's episode of "The Skinny Confidential Him &amp; Her Podcast."</li><li>During the episode, she discussed her experience on "Selling Sunset," saying it was "toxic."</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-and-heather-rae-el-moussa-hgtv-interview-2023-3">Heather Rae El Moussa</a> got candid about her experience on "Selling Sunset."Heather and her husband, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-el-moussa-says-wife-heather-brought-him-back-to-life-2023-10">Tarek El Moussa,</a> appeared on "The Skinny Confidential Him &amp; Her Podcast" with Lauryn Evarts and Michael Bosstick on Monday.During the episode, Evarts and Bosstick asked both about their experience being reality stars. The pair appeared on reality shows separately, with Tarek starring on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-and-christina-el-moussa-flip-or-flop-divorce-2018-1">HGTV's "Flip or Flop"</a> and "Flipping 101 With Tarek El Moussa" and Heather on Netflix's "Selling Sunset," before starring on their HGTV series <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-heather-rae-el-moussa-sold-flipped-house-in-under-a-week-2024-1">"The Flipping El Moussas" together.</a>Tarek looked back at his career in reality TV as a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-el-moussa-new-book-divorce-hgtv-show-interview-2024-2">positive business venture</a>, while Heather said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/selling-sunset-los-angeles-mansion-tax-millionaires-housing-crisis-2023-11">"Selling Sunset"</a> became "toxic" as time went on.<h2>Heather said 'Selling Sunset' became more stressful the longer she starred in the series</h2>"It's very toxic," Heather said of the environment on "Selling Sunset" on the podcast. "You're around a bunch of women. Everyone wants to be stars on the show, you know, number one. And they'll kind of do anything."But Heather said the show wasn't always stressful."In the beginning, it was just all fun," she said. "We were all friends. Any drama, it was just, you know, simple. And then it just got worse and worse and worse."<div type="image" title="selling sunset" height="900" width="1200" msid="109043594" hostid="261" sizebytes="126376"></div>"There would be days I came home to him, like, crying from the stress of filming," Heather said. She said her filming hours were unpredictable, which made working stressful, particularly because she had to commute from her home with Tarek in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-el-moussa-says-he-cant-make-money-on-california-starter-homes-2024-2">Orange County, California,</a> to Los Angeles for the series."With 'Selling Sunset,' I never knew when I was going to be filming," she said. "It was last minute. It took over my life. It was hard to do my real job, real estate. It was hard to do anything else."Heather also told Evarts and Bosstick that dealing with the reactions from fans once the show aired added to her stress levels."You film it, you go through it," she said. "It's your real life. And then the show comes out, you have to watch it and deal with all the stress again. And then you have to hear from all the fans, and you get attacked for almost everything you do."<h2>Transitioning to a career at HGTV has been a 'blessing' for Heather</h2>Heather went on maternity leave at the beginning of filming for season seven of "Selling Sunset," as she <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-and-heather-rae-el-moussa-welcomed-first-son-together-2023-2">gave birth</a> to her and Tarek's son Tristan in January 2023. Tarek also has two children, Taylor, 13, and Brayden, 8, with his ex and former "Flip or Flop" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tarek-and-christina-el-moussa-flip-or-flop-divorce-2018-1">costar Christina Hall.</a>Netflix didn't ask Heather to return to "Selling Sunset" after her maternity leave ended. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1369840/why-heather-rae-el-moussa-calls-her-future-with-selling-sunset-frustrating?query=heather%20rae">Heather told E! News</a> in February 2023 that it was "frustrating" she hadn't heard from Netflix, but on "The Skinny Confidential," she said it was a "blessing" she wasn't asked to keep filming the show.<div type="image" title="Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa attend the 2022 People's Choice Awards on December 6, 2022." height="1333" width="2000" msid="109043596" hostid="261" sizebytes="243968"></div>"I'm so much happier filming my show with Tarek," she said, particularly because they have more creative control over it. "We're coproducers on our show, so we get to pick the hours."Heather also said she's been thrilled to find she loves designing homes on "The Flipping El Moussas" more than she imagined."I'm thriving," she said. "I'm obsessed with what I do. I'm now designing homes. I'm flipping homes with him. I have a whole new craft, and I'm so much more passionate about this."Season two of "The Flipping El Moussas" is set to air sometime in 2024.

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