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Fitness classes are beloved by many, and for good reason. Be it the collective nature and sense of belonging in classes, the gratification of learning a new skill, or the physical and mental health benefits, there are countless reasons why we find workout classes so empowering. While I personally prefer the studio of a Rumble class over essentially any other method of fitness, circumstances often arise that find me there less often than I'd like.

Unfortunately, due to growing developments regarding the novel coronavirus, many gyms and studios nationwide have temporarily closed. Social distancing is now more of a priority than ever before, and many find themselves adjusting to a new normal. To manage the anxiety that comes with such an adjustment, The American Psychological Association suggests developing a daily routine and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to the best of your ability.

Thankfully, at-home workouts are more accessible than ever. Programs like ob focus entirely on at-home fitness and studio-centric apps like ClassPass offer videos as a worthy alternative to in-person classes. We've broken down some of our favorite workout apps and video services that help you stay fit while staying inside some may even help replicate that feeling of being in your favorite class.

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Working out while working from home: how to replicate the in-class experience in your living room - Insider - INSIDER

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Rather than heed the warnings, embrace the planning and preserve the structures and budgets that had been bequeathed to him, the president ignored the risk of a pandemic, Rice wrote. (Trumps former national security adviser John Bolton, who oversaw the dissolution of the NSCs global health security and biodefense section, has defended it as necessary streamlining, countering that global health remained a top NSC priority. Trump, when recently asked about the reshuffling, called the question nasty and said, I dont know anything about it.)

Lisa Monaco, Obamas homeland security adviser, explained the thinking behind the January 2017 session in a recent essay for Foreign Affairs. Although the exercise was required, the specific scenarios we chose were not, she wrote. We included a pandemic scenario because I believed then, and I have warned since, that emerging infectious disease was likely to pose one of the gravest risks for the new administration.

None of the sources argued that one meeting three years ago could have dramatically altered events today. But Obama aides say the Trump administrations fumbling of the coronavirus outbreak is partly rooted in how unprepared and in some cases unwilling it was to engage in transition exercises at all in late 2016 and early 2017.

David Shulkin, who was an Obama appointee at the time but had been nominated to be Veterans Affairs secretary in the Trump administration, said in an interview that with the exception of this exercise, which he didnt recall well, he noticed that in his agency, there had been little coordination and very little interest in working with the Obama appointees.

They had said we dont really have a lot of need to talk to the Obama appointees, he said.

That botched handoff sparked weeks of confusion, all the way up to Inauguration Day. There was a frenzy before the transition where I was asked to consider staying because the [preparedness] mission was so important, said Nicole Lurie, who served as Obamas Health and Human Services assistant secretary for preparedness and response, where she worked on crises like the Ebola virus outbreak and attended the pandemic exercise. Then through the HHS secretarys office, the next day, I heard they changed their mind.

The Trump campaign, like the rest of America, was shocked to win the November 2016 election. Soon afterward, Trump cast aside his teams transition prep work that had happened already and started over; some of his aides described tossing carefully collected binders full of possible personnel picks into trash bins. It was days, sometimes weeks, before his nominees and their aides showed up to meet the people they were replacing if they did so at all or to engage in transition meetings. Obama aides said they left detailed memos for their successors, but that quite often it appeared those memos were never read. Many on the Obama side were genuinely surprised that so many actually showed up for the Jan. 13, 2017, exercise, and there were expectations that some would skip it. On the Obama side, several agencies were represented by their second-in-command at the meeting for reasons including a belief that Trumps principals wouldnt show.

The gathering was held to satisfy a requirement in a 2016 law that updated the procedures around presidential transitions to require, among other things, that the outgoing administration prepare and host interagency emergency preparedness and response exercises. Obama also mentioned it in a 2016 executive order laying out his transition goals.

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Before Trumps inauguration, a warning: The worst influenza pandemic since 1918 - POLITICO

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The coronavirus pandemic is affecting people all over the world, and as a result, gyms and workout studios are closing their doors among safety concerns. If you're worried about staying in shape, then building an at home gym can be a terrific solution.

Luckily for you, several top retailers like Amazon and Walmart are discounting a selection of workout equipment like treadmills, bikes, weights, yoga mats, and more.

Our top at home gym deals includes discounts on stationary bikes like the Echelon Connect Exercise Bike on sale for $499 and the Schwinn Upright Bike Series on sale for $199.99. Perfect for small spaces, Amazon has the OppsDecor Folding Treadmill on sale for $259.99 and a $49 price cut on the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill. You can also find bargains on workout accessories like a set of dumbells on sale for just $25.18 and the Life Energy yoga mat on sale for $29.98.

Shop more at home exercise equipment below and keep in mind, these discounts are limited-time offers so you should take advantage now before it's too late.

Spri Dumbbells Deluxe Hand Weights: $28.98 $25.18 at AmazonSave 50% on the Spri dumbbells at Amazon. The vinyl-coated hand weights are available in 14 sizes and come in several different color choices.View Deal

BalanceFrom All-Purpose Kettlebells: $49.99 $39.99 at WalmartGet the BalanceFrom Kettlebell on sale for $33.99 at Walmart. The vinyl-coated kettlebell allows you to select resistance training exercises based on their similarity to actual movements that occurs during sports.View Deal

Life Energy EkoSmart Cork Yoga Mat: $49.99 $29.98 at WalmartGet the Life Energy Yoga Mat on sale for $29.98 at Walmart. The 5mm yoga mat is made of thick Cork & TPE material for the perfect amount of cushion and comes with a convenient strap.View Deal

Weider Ultimate Body Works Bench: $199 $149 at WalmartScore a $50 price cut on the Weider Ultimate Body Works Bench. The versatile bench features an inclined platform with wheels that adjust to your desired position to suit your workout goals, body size and existing strength level.View Deal

Nautilus Upright Bike Series: $479.99 $449 at AmazonSave $30 on the Nautilus Upright Bike Series at Amazon. The stationary bike features Bluetooth connectivity so users can set, track and monitor progress with popular app-based tracking tools.View Deal

Schwinn Upright Bike Series: $249 $1999.99 at AmazonYou can save $50 on the Schwinn Upright Bike Series at Amazon. The stationary bike features a backlit DualTrack LCD screen that tracks speed, time, RPM, distance, calories, results, and heart rate and features seven preset programs.View Deal

Echelon Connect Sport Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike: $599 $499 at WalmartTake a cycling class at home with the Echelon indoor cycling bike that's on sale at Walmart for $499. The exercise bike comes with a compatible app that allows you to select from over 1,600 cycling classes of all fitness levels and music genres.View Deal

OppsDecor Folding Treadmill for Home: $279.99 $259.99 at AmazonPerfect for compact spaces, save $20 on the OppsDecor Folding Treadmill when you apply a limited-time coupon. Easy to fold and store, the treadmill includes time, speed, distance, calorie, heart rate, body fat and features an iPad/mobile phone holder.View Deal

XTERRA Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill: $399 $349 at AmazonGet the XTERRA Fitness TR150 treadmill on sale for $349 at Amazon. The folding treadmill features 12 preset programs and the folding deck design is quick and easy to use.View Deal

You can also see our roundup of our top working from home essentials.

Need a movie with your meal? You can see our list of the best Netflix movies: 21 amazing films you should watch in March 2020 and the best Netflix documentaries.

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Build your at home gym with deals on treadmills, bikes, weights and more - TechRadar India

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Gold's Gym to temporarily close corporate-owned US locations, offering digital workout programs through end of March - FOX Carolina

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Social distancing is of paramount importance to everyone in the state and is continuing to be relayed and strongly encouraged by health officials, lawmakers, law enforcement and others.

As a result, Ocean County Parks and Recreation has announced will be keeping its 27 parks and two golf courses open to the public, but closing the visitor and nature centers until further notice.

The visitor and nature centers at Jakes Branch County Park in Beachwood, Cattus Island County Park in Toms River, Wells Mills County Park in Ocean Township, and Cloverdale Farms County Park and Cedar Bridge Tavern in Barnegat Township have been closed to the public, but bathroom facilities will remain open.

Childrens programs, exercise, yoga and wellness programs, nature and outdoor events, weekend drop-in walks and feedings, van trips and hikes have been canceled until further notice.

In addition, the Ocean County Golf Courses at Forge Pond and Atlantis will beclosed until further notice.

Ocean County Parks and Recreation has also closed the county dog parks at the Ocean County Airpark in Berkeley Township and Ocean County Park, Lakewood.

Playgrounds, tennis courts and basketball courts also will be closed at all Ocean County Parks.

As the weather warms up, residents may want to get out of their homes for a bit and visiting one of our parks can be an option, Ocean County Freeholder Virginia Haines, who serves as Chairwoman of Ocean County Parks and Recreation, said. While our events and programs are canceled and nature centers are closed, we encourage families to take advantage of our parks and golf courses to get fresh air and exercise as we work together to get through this.

Our county parks are second to none and they are a great escape. You can visit a park and still be away from large crowds, Ocean County Freeholder Director Joe Vicari said. Luckily for us, nature allows us to have a break from everything that is happening right now.

For questions or information on program refunds, you can call 732-506-9090.

Information can also be found on oceancountyparks.com or on the Parks Facebook page @OceanCountyParks.

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Ocean County closing nature centers and certain but not all parks - wobm.com

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Cataraqui Conservation has announced steps it has taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while also reminding the community that its own properties and access to the Cataraqui Trail remain open for physical and mental health benefits of being out in nature.

In addition to the 104-km rails-to-trails Cataraqui Trail, its own areas include Little Cataraqui Creek, Mac Johnson Wildlife Area, Lyn Valley, Marshlands, Lemoine Point, Parrotts Bay, and Gould Lake. Do a search for TRAILS on the CRCA website for more information about individual areas.

Also related to COVID-19, the agency listed pro-active steps it has taken to help mitigate the spread of the virus, in addition to cancelling Maple Madness and all public activities:

Note: Be sure to continue social distancing by ensuring you keep two metres / six feet between you and other visitors.

Community members are asked to phone or e-mail if they need to contact or correspond with staff. Permits or other hard copy documents can be dropped in the mail slot at the Administration Office, emailed to the appropriate staff member, and payments can be taken over the phone at 613-546-4228 ext. 0.

Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority will continue its important responsibilities in the area of water level and water quality monitoring, and this work along with other core business requirements will continue.

Visit http://www.crca.ca for updates and links to social media accounts

Photo: Pexels (cc)

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Get Exercise and Fresh Air at Local Conservation Areas - Kingston Herald

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AUGUSTA It was just after noon Monday at the A-Copi Tennis and Sports Center, and on the back court there was one pickleball game going, with one player waiting his or her turn to play.

Usually, at mid-day on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, there would be dozens either lined up or on the court. But not now. Not with the coronavirus pandemic dominating the news.

Normally, thered be 20 to 25 people here, Augusta resident Wayne Saucier said. And here its just the five of us.

Still, it was something, which has been hard to find since sports on all levels started screeching to a halt last Wednesday in response to the spread of the coronavirus. While five players played pickleball Monday afternoon, the remaining A-Copi courts were occupied with tennis players, providing one example of sports continuing to shoulder on.

I do think its important, because we do our best job to try to make this place a safe environment that people can come to, and people love coming here and getting some exercise, A-Copi manager Alex Stern said. Being active, I think, is still a huge part of staying healthy.

That said, Stern knows the situation, and while its business as usual at the club, its done with safety in mind and an eye on the news in case anything changes.

Were making sure that we sanitize everything that people touch. Lockers, for example, were spraying down, sanitizing. Were wiping down tables, benches, he said. Thats been the mind frame. Open, but cautious. If we need to close down, I have no problem closing down. Its a day-by-day thing.

Its a similar approach taken by other facilities across the state. Maine Pines Racquet and Fitness in Brunswick was open Monday, a staffer said, but only to adults, while kids and exercise programs have been suspended. Apex Racket and Fitness in Portland postponed group activities, but had planned to open for individuals looking to use the courts.

Late Monday afternoon, however, came a recommendation from the city that fitness centers close for five days, and Apex owner and general manager Stephan Woods said his club was obliging.

We had been in contact with pretty much all the other tennis clubs throughout the state, and we were all sharing information, he said. What we were hearing was that a lot of tennis clubs in Maine were going to be staying open, so we were adhering to that.

The health and safety of our clients are of utmost importance. Its certainly going to create a severe hardship, for not only the employees but the business itself.

For the centers that remain open however long the players who use them are happy to still have the resource.

Its great to have this facility open at this time, Saucier, 69, said. Probably wishful thinking that it will remain open. It was good to hear (they were open) because we get to stay active. We dont have to stay locked up in the house.

Its excellent, said Augustas Joy Lanzilotta, 74. Because I do think its important at our age that we do stay physically fit. I think if youre taking 10 to 14 days off, that your body will feel that and notice it, and it wont be healthy.

Some players were skeptical about going to the courts, given the news from the past several days.

I had serious doubts about even coming today, Gardiners Greg Kaloust, 69, said. Im not sure its a good idea, but I figured thered be a handful of people here, so Id volunteer for it. But I had concerns.

Others werent worried.

I dont think people should be in panic mode, Winthrops Dianne Pinto, 50, said. If youre not sick, I dont see why you cant go out and continue to live your life and be careful. Just like you would if you had the common cold. Wash your hands. If youre sick, stay home. This is nice, that they actually came out and they played.

None whatsoever, Lanzilotta answered when asked if she had reservations about playing. And as I said to one of my friends who is staying home, you will probably go to the grocery store. You will touch something. How do you know (its clean)?

Like their clubs, some players are taking their participation day by day. Kaloust, for instance, said he felt better Monday about being with players he knew and with whom he had already been in contact.

Its a calculation, he said. Its good to get out. If on Wednesday I come and there are 60 people here waiting to play, Ill probably go home.

Its anyones guess how long that option will be there.

For right now, were going to stay open, but we may end up closing as well, Stern said. Were keeping a very close eye on whats going on.

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State's tennis facilities begin week open, but proceeding with caution - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

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My name is Lacey Renee Fithian (@lacey.fithian), and I'm 34. I live in California and I'm a mother and wellness coach. After struggling with binge eating for years and reaching 285 pounds, I decided to start tracking my food intake and working out with an at-home fitness streaming service. I feel younger now than I did in my 20s.

My weight issues began very early on. As early as elementary school, I struggled with eating disorders. I would hide food in my closet and under my bed. I regularly binge ate in secret. I was much heavier than all of my classmates, and I was bullied terribly for being overweight throughout my school years and into my early adult years. I had trouble finding clothing in my size.

My mother tried so hard to help me to lose the weight and get healthy by signing me up for numerous diet plans. Plans worked short term, but I didnt maintain the results. I had the mindset that I would never change and food would always have power over me. Thinking this way pushed me even deeper into my illness.

Before work, I would go through the drive-thru and order as much food as possible. Then, I would pull over in the parking lot or somewhere unseen and eat it all. This horrible cycle affected my ability to work and live a decent quality of life. I was literally living just to eat.

I began avoiding the doctor because I was always lectured on good food habits and exercise. I was warned that my weight was becoming dangerous for my stature, and I would do some irreversible damage to my body if I didnt make a change. But that didnt stop me.

I had a long list of health issues, many of which I thought stemmed from being overweight. The most notable issues were severe depression, anxiety, chronic hives, fatty liver disease, and endocrine issues. Most of my conditions required strong medications like hormone medications, steroids, and antidepressants. My weight also caused debilitating back pain and fluid in my knees. My entire system was overloaded from the level of neglect I had subjected it to. I was constantly in pain and uncomfortable.

Instead of changing my ways, though, I used food to console myself. At 32 years old, I was at my heaviest weight of 285 pounds.

I was 32 years old, and I woke up in the morning groggy and in pain. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I had finally hit rock bottom. I had eaten myself into a black hole over the holidays and felt absolutely run down. Everyone around me was setting New Year's resolutions and talking about the changes they hoped to make in the new year. I hadnt thought twice about my future until that moment.

I depended on a heap of medications to keep myself semi-functional. I couldnt keep up with my kids and had withdrawn from society. I wasnt exercising and I was on my way to a heart attack. Metabolic syndrome was kicking in on top of everything else. To be honest, I'd just had enough.

I had tried just about every restrictive diet out there and it never worked. The more I restricted myself, the more I wanted to binge eat. I needed something that wasnt just a diet; I needed a mindset and lifestyle change.

It came down to me becoming my own food detective. I focused on portioning my plate evenly and making sure that all the foods I chose were nutrient-dense and not empty calories. I wanted my calories to be worth it and work for me, not against me.

I also started tracking everything. I used to dread tracking my meals and weighing myself because I didnt want to admit I had a serious problem. But once I began tracking my weight, my water intake, my mood, and everything I ate (down to the condiments, dressings, and seasonings!), I was able to get a clear picture of what was working and what wasnt.

I began with walking and swimming at my heaviest weight and gradually worked my way up to more strenuous work, like yoga and cross training.

Now I work out at home using an on-demand fitness streaming service, where I can pick and choose a program that works for me. I typically do a structured program that is a certain length, like eight weeks or so, and each day the workouts focus on a different area, with at least one day of all cardio. I work out in the mornings at least five days a week, and my workouts range anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

I like that there's no guessworkyou just follow the videos. I have lost most of my weight this way, and the convenience of it has helped me stay on track. I dont have to pack up myself and my three kids to go work out.

By committing to myself, Ive been able to reverse the damage that was done to my body and eradicate the illnesses that plagued me for so long. I am virtually pain-free and I no longer depend on a plethora of medications to get me through the day. I take vitaminsand thats it!

Gone are the days of binge eating and trying to fill a void with food. I have learned how to properly eat to fuel my body and exercise to improve my overall health and well-being. Im 34 years old, and I feel better and younger now than I did in my 20s. My journey isnt over, its just beginning. This isnt a short-term goal for weight lossits a lifestyle change.

Read the rest here:
'I Overcame Binge Eating By Practicing Portion Control And At-Home WorkoutsAnd I Lost 150 Lbs.' - Women's Health

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Malnourished people tend to be more prone to disease (Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission)

In light of the ongoing global health concerns, wellness is top of mind for people around the world.

While one should never disregard their health, it is now more critical than ever to ensure we take care of ourselves and our loved ones.

Our bodies are naturally equipped to fight off disease, and while no one is invincible, we can significantly lower our risk of infection by strengthening our immune system.

At times like these - when our travel is impacted, major events are canceled, and the news fails to offer any glimmer of hope = it can seem like we dont have any control. But we do.

We can choose what goes into our bodies, and we have the power to protect ourselves in this way. Keep reading to learn how you can take control, strengthen your immune system, and remain strong and healthy through these uncertain times.

Humans are not defenseless. Our bodies are naturally equipped with a complex and powerful immune system to fend off disease.

Both to its credit and detriment, our immune system can be compromised depending on ones lifestyle. Treat your body right, and you can give your cells a fighting chance of fending off infections. Here are five basic steps to strengthen your system:

We get it - all of these are common sense practices that should be incorporated into any healthy lifestyle, but thats the key: a healthy lifestyle.

The immune system is based on the constant creation and death of cells. When we keep these cells in a steady state of health, we can take charge and defend our bodies to the best of our ability.

Those who can should exercise regularly(Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission)

Professors at Harvard School of Public Health have noted that those who are malnourished - even micronutrient malnourished - tend to be more prone to disease.

Those in developing countries and the elderly tend to be most at risk, as these two populations either dont get enough food or decrease the variety in their diets, but young, affluent, and seemingly healthy people can also experience micronutrient malnourishment.

To function at full capacity, cells need the essential nutrients - not just carbs, proteins, and fats, but vitamins A-K, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, boron, and more.

The Standard American Diet - along with popular diet trends such as Keto and Paleo - relies on foods such as meat and dairy that are severely lacking in these micronutrients. Plant-based foods, on the other hand, tend to be extremely high in these essential nutrients that support healthy cell function. Think of it this way: when one consumes a dairy product, such as cows milk, they are likely opting out of a more nutrient-dense option, such as pea milk.

While its true dairy does contain some nutrients - mainly calcium, protein, potassium, and fortified vitamin D -it also contains harmful trans and saturated fats, artery-constricting cholesterol, natural bovine hormones that may stimulate unregulated cell growth (increasing the risk for hormone-dependent cancers), and inflammatory properties. When there are ample amounts of foods that offer the same nutrients without the side harmful side effects, there is no reason to consume dairy for the sake of meeting nutrition needs.

Dairy containsharmful trans and saturated fats, artery-constricting cholesterol, natural bovine hormones and inflammatory properties(Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission)

In addition to micronutrients, antioxidants are key. These compounds are mostly found in plant foods and help fight inflammationthe nexus for disease. In fact, a whole foods, plant-based diet contains 64-times the amount of immunity-boosting antioxidants compared to a diet that includes meat and dairy. Cut out the antioxidant-depleted animal foods and incorporate these nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich plant foods into your diet.

Need help transforming these foods into meals? Start with this Chocolate Beet Magic Soup, Anti-Inflammation Recovery Smoothie, or this Mediterranean GoodBowl.

Inflammation is part of our immune systems toolkit. When we scrape our knee, break down our muscles via exercise, or become infected with a pathogen, the immune system triggers an inflammatory response to help the body heal.

Cells rush to the injury or infection site and work to destroy the pathogen or heal the wound. Temporary, or acute inflammation, is perfectly natural. You might experience some site-specific swelling, soreness, or redness, but it will go away within a few days.

Long-term, or chronic inflammation, however, can compromise your immune system.

Essentially, the immune system goes into overdrive, and over time it simply cannot keep up. Because chronic inflammation overtaxes the immune system, researchers have definitively stated that chronic inflammation is malignant and sets the stage for disease.

Certain foods are known to cause inflammation, and when one consumes these foods regularly, they can lead to chronic inflammation. Food should not be a stress to the body - it should be purely supportive and healing.

Dairy - from plain cows' milk to yogurt - is a highly inflammatory food. Researchers believe a number of its compounds trigger an inflammatory response, including its unbalanced ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s, high levels of trans and saturated fats, the sugar molecule D-galactose, and foreign compounds the human body doesn't recognize such as Neu5gc (a simple sugar molecule the human body does not make or need - thus mounting an immune response to fight this 'foreign invader').

Nuts like walnuts are inflamation-fighting and immunity-boosting

Excerpt from:
Ways To Boost Your Immunity On A Plant-Based Diet - Plant Based News

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Competing Designs?

The river-cleaning project is part of The Ocean Cleanup's overall goal to reduce the amount of trash in the ocean. CEO Boyan Slat founded the organization in 2013 to create an open-ocean device that would remove all plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years. After many iterations and much media attention and criticism from scientists, a 160-meter (525-foot) test design collected and retained ocean plastic for the first time in October last year.

Over the course of the project, many scientists encouraged the organization to focus its efforts on rivers, where they said a cleanup device would be more effective. TOC took heed in 2015, when it began developing the Interceptor.

The Interceptor is powered by solar panels atop its white exterior shell. Each device's unique number is painted on one of its long sleek sides, facing to the banks of the river. At water level, a long waste barrier protrudes upstream, allowing the force of the current to push trash toward the device's mouth. There, a conveyor belt lifts debris out of the water and deposits it onto a platform inside the device that shuttles trash to one of six dumpsters. Once the containers are full, a local team takes them to shore to be emptied.

The latest Interceptor design can extract 50,000 kilograms (110,000 pounds) of plastic per day double that under "optimal conditions" and can hold 50 cubic meters (1,770 cubic feet) of garbage, according to TOC's website. The prototype in Jakarta has about one-fourth to one-fifth that capacity, and holds the trash in small crates instead of dumpsters. As a result, it needs to be maintained and emptied more frequently.

During the Interceptor's splashy unveiling event last October in Rotterdam, Slat called it the first "integrated system that you can bring anywhere in the world and install within days."

That's just not so, according to John Kellett, founder and president of Clearwater Mills LLC. In 2014, Kellett installed a device called the Waterwheel Powered Trash Interceptor in the Jones River in Baltimore, Maryland. This device, dubbed "Mr. Trash Wheel," uses booms to funnel trash to its mouth and a conveyor belt to lift trash out of the water. A key difference from TOC's Interceptor is that a water wheel powers the conveyor belt and solar-powered water pumps keep the wheel going when the current is weak. Due to its success, Baltimore now has three trash wheels, and Clearwater Mills is working in California, Texas and Panama to bring its design worldwide.

"They were aware of our efforts, experience and success when they developed their river device in secret and publicly dismissed it while borrowing heavily from our technology," Kellett told Mongabay of TOC.

In an email addressing these claims that Kellett shared with Mongabay, he informed TOC that Clearwater Mills had patented its device's design more than a decade ago. Kellett also told TOC that he thought their changes "make it more expensive, less effective and harder to maintain."

"We would love to see that the resources and efforts allocated to this global crisis are used effectively and that we are not duplicating efforts or working at cross purposes," he told Mongabay.

Worp acknowledged that the two devices share similar elements, but said TOC started its design from scratch. "It would be like saying one car is the same as all the others," he said. "We obviously know about the other systems that are out there, but we've really taken this from a different angle to find a scalable, high capacity, high efficiency solution."

According to Kellett, TOC has approached some of the organizations that Clearwater Mills is working with outside Baltimore to offer them an Interceptor instead. Worp denied this, and told Mongabay that his team doesn't see any other solutions as competitive.

Getting the Public Involved in Trash

For both organizations, finding a solution to river pollution goes beyond the cleanup devices.

"They're providing an opportunity to educate the public and inspire people to become part of the solution," Kellett said of the three devices his company deployed in Baltimore, which have spurred countless local environmental activities and educational programs.

According to Worp, several school groups have visited the Interceptor prototype in Jakarta. Community engagement is important to The Ocean Cleanup because it ultimately relies on local organizations to operate and maintain the devices.

Some scientists are skeptical about TOC's goal of targeting so many rivers in vastly different parts of the world. Andrew Gray, a hydrologist at the University of California, Riverside, studies small mountainous watersheds that expel a large amount of sediment to the ocean during strong storms. These storms can be destructive to any man-made device, he said.

"[These storms] that are probably discharging most of the plastics, are the kinds of events that you're not going to have a trash boom up because the hydrodynamics are far too aggressive," he said.

Gray also said the Interceptor would need to be incredibly versatile to accommodate a variety of river sizes.

Win Cowger, a graduate student in Gray's lab, pointed out the unpredictability of natural systems.

"Whenever you apply one solution one device to a broad range of ecosystems and a broad range of circumstances, it tends to have some implications that you might not have expected," he said.

Rainy Days in Jakarta

Early this year, Jakarta experienced one of its worst flooding disasters in recent years. Torrential rain, with a record-breaking intensity, showered Greater Jakarta for almost 16 hours through New Year's Eve and into New Year's Day. Most of the city's rivers flooded their surroundings. The Interceptor was found damaged after its waste barrier broke loose.

The water volume in the Cengkareng drain increased significantly, but never overflowed its banks, according to Muhammad Khusen, the leader of a waste-collecting worker group in the subdistrict where the Interceptor is located. He said it was the river's strong current that damaged the device's waste barrier, but TOC engineers were able to repair it the following day.

When Mongabay visited the device a few weeks later, in February, the rains were constant, albeit less intense than at the start of the year. While the Interceptor was undamaged, waste had piled up on the barrier and clogged up the device's opening.

Workers were using long poles to try to break up the clog, which included a lot of large organic material like branches, bamboo and banana tree trunks, and feed the debris bit by bit into the Interceptor.

A team of three workers has been assigned to collect the trash and maintain the device every day, Khusen said. But on the day of Mongabay's visit, he had to call in reinforcements. As many as 10 workers were on hand throughout the afternoon to help clean up the collected debris after an earlier attempt failed to get much done. When the workers went home at 3 p.m., only about 20 percent of the trapped debris had been taken out.

Workers and officials told Mongabay it was impractical to collect all of the trapped debris, largely because of the configuration of the device. For instance, Khusen said the waste-trapping barrier was so thin that his crew couldn't stand on it to push or pull the debris into the device's mouth. He said he preferred pontoon-style barriers they can stand on.

Another challenge is the 2-meter (6.6-foot) opening of the processor, which Khusen said is too small for large waste to freely pass. Sometimes, he said, he has to call in additional human resources to handle big items, like a sofa, spring bed, and even a dead cow that turned up.

"I thought this device was sophisticated," Khusen told Mongabay. "Apparently, there's still so much manual work needed. I'd say it still has a lot of shortfalls."

Lambas Sigalingging, head of operations at the North Jakarta water department, shared similar sentiments. Lambas said the device's lack of movement made it unsuitable for rivers in Jakarta that rarely have much current unless it rains.

"So, if we don't [actively] catch the debris, how is it going to clean itself? Meanwhile, the Interceptor is standing still," he told Mongabay in a phone interview. "This device would be effective, I think, if the current was strong."

Lambas said Jakarta's environment agency owns three waste-trapping barriers installed upstream from the Interceptor in the Cengkareng drain. His own team operates other devices in the city's rivers, including garbage-collecting boats made by the German company BERKY, excavators, and floating polyethylene barriers. Some of these needed less labor to operate than the Interceptor, he said.

Lambas said he has shared the challenges his team faces operating the Interceptor with The Ocean Cleanup team at meetings. But he said he hasn't seen much improvement to the device yet. According to Lambas, the device's trial run has been extended twice first until December and then until this April.

"But I must stress this with you: I'm not the one to say whether the Interceptor is effective or efficient," Lambas said. "I can't answer that because there's the [TOC] research team that assesses its efficiency and effectiveness."

Worp said the Interceptor is effective in the Cengkareng drain and has removed a large amount of trash that the booms upstream could not. He also told Mongabay that TOC is talking with operators in Jakarta to assess what happened during the heavy rains earlier this year, and that his team does respond to feedback from workers. For example, he said, TOC replaced labor-intensive collection bags with crates last year.

He also reiterated that the device in Jakarta is a prototype, and the lessons learned from it have led to adjustments to the second generation of Interceptors, such as the ability to accommodate larger debris loads.

However, he admitted the Interceptor will not suit every river. "It is definitely not the solution for all, and we will be looking at further solutions as we tackle more and more rivers going forward," he said.

According to TOC's website, the group is now coordinating with governments around the world to begin deploying Interceptors on a large scale.

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