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November 20, 2020 5:54:33 pm

Written byN Dayasindhu

In one of the most unforgettable scenes of the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, released in 2005, surgical robots dramatically transform Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, one of most identifiable characters in Hollywood movies. Robotic surgery has been around since the mid-1980s, when Arthrobot helped surgeons perform orthopaedic surgical procedures. The space connection is not all imagination. The AESOP robot was funded by NASA to work as a robotic arm in space but soon became a pioneer as a camera for laparoscopic procedures in the mid-1990s. ZEUS, another robotic surgical aid, was used in a beating heart coronary artery bypass graft in the late 1990s. Today, robotic surgical aids are used across the world.

General-purpose robots are making their mark in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has stretched our healthcare sector to its limits. Mitra, a friendly Indian robot, helps COVID-19 patients make video calls with their families using its camera and a video screen on its torso. Mitra can move on its own from the bedside of one patient to another. Another robot from Milagrow, a Gurgaon-based firm, is cleaning and disinfecting hospitals. These robots are doing their part in assisting our healthcare heroes and reducing their exposure to COVID-positive patients. Both patients and healthcare heroes appear to have formed a bond with the machines. Many patients who have seen these robots in action dont leave the hospital without a selfie.

This brings us to the important question: Will robots replace Indians at work? The answer lies in how we plan to use robots. One approach that Indian policymakers should consider is to encourage use of robots that assist us in making our jobs more productive, rather than focus on robots that are likely to entirely replace us at work. The real possibility of robots replacing humans has been highlighted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as well. In a 2016 report, it indicated that while robots threaten up to two-thirds of jobs developing countries, robots will also open up new opportunities for work. Let us also not forget the externalities in play. Sometime in the near future, robots can reduce the labour costs in manufacturing to such an extent that factories are likely to be re-shored from their current offshore low-labour cost locations.

However, there are application domains where we will want robots to entirely replace us as soon as possible. One of them is manual scavenging. A team from IIT Madras has developed a Sepoy Septic Tank Robot, which uses high-velocity cutters to cut through the sludge in septic tanks and a vacuum pump to suck it out. This Indian robot comes at fraction of the price of a similar imported robot. A couple of years ago, Bandicoot, a scavenging robot, was piloted to clean the sewers in Thiruvananthapuram. According to a 2018 report by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, one life is lost in about every five days while cleaning sewers and septic tanks across the country. Manual scavenging has to end in India and robots can play an important role in rooting this practice out. Like India, other countries are also making their assessments of robots and their use.

Labour-rich countries like China have been working on a policy for robots for almost a decade. Their Ministry of Industry and Information Technology came up with a report Guidance on the Promotion and Development of the Robot Industry. The Made in China 2025 programme set a goal of producing 1,00,000 industrial robots per year and achieving a density of 150 robots per 10,000 workers by 2020 from about 97 in 2017. There is also a definite possibility of inducting robots in the military. Earlier this year, the head of Russias Advanced Research Foundation indicated that humans in the military will be gradually replaced by robots who can act faster, more accurately and more selectively than humans. These international developments provide yet another context for India to fine-tune its policy on robots.

We need to assess the benefits and risks of robots in different sectors of the economy. India has been proactive in identifying priority sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, and smart mobility where artificial intelligence, including robotics, will make a positive difference to India. Multiple government organisations like NITI Aayog, office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the government of India, the Prime Ministers Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Science and Technology are working on refining the Indian policy on artificial intelligence and robotics. The economic potential of using artificial intelligence seems impressive, with NITI Aayog forecasting that artificial intelligence is likely to add about $1 trillion to the Indian economy by 2035. While Indian policymakers have been at work, the Indian robotics startup ecosystem has also been busy.

All the Indian robots mentioned so far are from startups or translational research initiatives in our universities. Cruchbase indicates suggest that there are close to about 400 robot startups in India. The top robotics startups have raised about $200 million in venture funding. It is impressive that our robot companies are solving problems that are common for India and many other parts of the world. Plansys, an IIT Madras alumni and faculty startup, provides submersible robotic inspection and survey solutions using remotely operated vehicles. Apart from underwater inspection of marine structures, Plansyss services also impact the largest sector of the Indian economy agriculture. Proper functioning of dams is critical to the livelihoods of many Indian farmers. Plansys provides underwater assessment of dam gates. This is critical for early assessment of preventive work to ensure the proper functioning of dams. Inspection by submersible robots is sometimes the only effective solution since reservoirs can be too turbid for effective human diver inspection. Many a time, human diver inspection is dangerous since the reservoirs are home to crocodiles. While the Indian robotics startup ecosystem has made a good start, we still have a long journey ahead of us.

There is optimism about the future of robots in India and Im waiting for the day where job postings will include the phrase should be comfortable working with our friendly robots. We need to refine and implement an Indian policy on robots as well as to nurture a larger and more vibrant startup ecosystem to build indigenous robots. If robots still feel alien for some of us, let me leave you with a quote from Richard Dawkins The Selfish Gene, We are survival machines robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.

The writer is co-founder and CEO of Itihaasa Research and Digital. Views are personal

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The friendly robot and the future of work - The Indian Express

As the UN observed World Toilet Day on Thursday, Amnesty International, WaterAid and the International Dalit Solidarity Network called on the authorities in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to take immediate action to protect the sanitation workers who hae been risking their lives as Covid-19 frontliners.

According to a joint statement released by these organisations, across South Asia, workers cleaning toilets and streets, emptying latrine pits and maintaining sewers are faced with acute health and safety risks. However, they lack adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), training support to cope with risks, job security, social security, health insurance and access to handwashing facilities.

The three organisations have appealed to the national governments and local authorities in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to urgently provide immediate support and implement protective measures to help sanitation and waste workers cope with the heightened risks of the pandemic.

The caste dimension of sanitation work in these countries also means that workers are highly stigmatised and discriminated against when accessing services or seeking other occupations, the statement said.

A new research by WaterAid in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh showed that the Covid-19 pandemic worsened the situation for the vast majority of these workers. Some have even been redeployed to service Covid-19 quarantine centres with limited training on Covid-19 related risks or how to use PPE, the study found.

The WaterAid study further found that these workers' financial security has also been affected either due to increased but non-compensated working hours in some cases, and reduced demand for their services in others. Likewise, their transportation costs increased due to lockdowns and many had to buy face masks and other equipment that their employers did not regularly provide.

Sanitation workers are the hidden workforce keeping towns and cities in South Asia functioning throughout the pandemic, but they work in very poor and too often life-threatening conditions and are subject to stigma and discrimination based on caste and religion, Vanita Suneja, South Asia Regional Advocacy Manager at WaterAid, said. Covid-19 and related lockdowns have exacerbated these risks, especially among the many sanitation workers informally employed. Most female sanitation workers are informal workers risking their lives every day. The safety and dignity of these workers have been disproportionately affected.

The International Dalit Solidarity Network has campaigned to raise the plight of low caste sanitation workers, being lowered into sewers or cleaning dry latrines with no protective equipment. Many of these workers inherit these occupations due to their designated status in the caste system. This status has travelled with them to countries like Bangladesh, where many street sweepers are Dalits and live in segregation in sweepers colonies.

These workers are not asking for a medal. They are asking for their rights and dignity to be respected and that the same concern authorities are showing for the health and safety of other segments of the population is also extended to them, said Meena Varma, Executive Director of the International Dalit Solidarity Network.

Issues of stigma and discrimination against sanitation workers are reported across South Asia. Amnesty International has appealed for action in India urging the government to ensure dignity and protection of sanitation workers.

An estimated five million sanitation workers, mostly belonging to Dalit communities, are forced to work as manual scavengers to clean faecal sludge in sewers, septic tanks, etc.

Many of the sanitation workers are Dalits, the so-called lowest caste in South Asia. Because of their descent, they are historically subjected to extreme forms of indignity, oppression, exclusion, and discrimination. Their already marginalised position is even further compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, said David Griffiths, Director of the Office of the Secretary-General at Amnesty International. It beggars belief that anyone should be forced into the practice of manually cleaning and carrying human excrement, often simply because of their birth. Governments must take urgent action to protect the rights of these workers and immediately stop anybody from being subject to this illegal, degrading, and inhumane treatment.

Read more:
Authorities must urgently protect sanitation workers risking their lives on the Covid-19 frontlines - The Kathmandu Post

In rural India, castes still rule the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Those we used to call the Untouchables, the Dalits, are in charge of cleaning sewers and septic tanks; in exchange, they receive a little bread. A deeply rooted mentality, even among the first concerned. Its my fault, I was born into an untouchable family, considers a young woman. His village is divided into two: the untouchables live in a separate neighborhood. Daily discrimination affects all levels.

For example, an eight-year-old girl no longer goes to school, although it is compulsory. In question : his teachers, who told him not to come. For adults too, the humiliations are incessant; the untouchables arent even allowed in a barbershop, among other things. These discriminations are prohibited; there are dozens of laws supposed to protect Dalits, but they are seldom applied. 15% of the Indian population are always considered as untouchable.

The JT

The other subjects of the news

See original here:
India: the Untouchables, still victims of the caste system - Pledge Times

The world is alarmingly off-track on delivering universal access to safe sanitation. For billions of people, toilets and sewage systems are still out of reach. Those living in poor and rural communities are at most risk of being left behind.

Over 700 children die every day from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water, sanitation, and poor hygiene. Over half the worlds population uses sanitation services that leave human waste untreated, threatening human health. Meanwhile, 673 million people still practice open defecation and an estimated 367 million children attend a school with no sanitation facility at all.

Everyone is entitled to sanitation services that are affordable and accessible, and provide privacy, dignity and safety.This not only improves societys health but also leads to better economic and social development.

Sanitation is a human right.

Talking about toilets may be awkward, but we need to act now and double ourefforts if we are to eliminate open defecation. While the challenges are significant, meeting the goal of universal sanitation by 2030 is possible with greater investment, sustained effort and increased rates of sanitation coverage.

Many countries have made rapid progress in access to sanitation, transforming lives, the environment, and their economies, all within one generation.

Above: Aumelina helps her child in using the family latrine outside their home in Tablanusu, a 100 per cent Open Defecation Free (ODF)village in Papua Province, Indonesia.

See the original post here:
The state of the world's sanitation | UNICEF - UNICEF

In order to provide fresh and pure water, Chandigarh is all set to apply for SBM Water Plus certification this year. SBM Water Plus is the next level of certification beyond ODF ++ and is also a precondition for a city to compete for a 7-star garbage-free city rating so as to rank amongst the top cleanest cities in Swacch Survekshan 2021.

In order to provide fresh and pure water, Chandigarh is all set to apply for SBM Water Plus certification this year. SBM Water Plus is the next level of certification beyond ODF ++ and is also a precondition for a city to compete for 7-star garbage-free city rating so as to rank amongst top cleanest cities in Swacch Survekshan 2021.

A city or ward can be declared as Water Plus provided all wastewater released from households, commercial establishments drain, nallah are treated to a satisfactory level (as per CPCB norms), before releasing the treated wastewater into the environment. Further, the adequate capacity of wastewater and sewage treatment facilities is to be ensured. The infrastructure should be maintained properly and cost recovery is ensured through reuse/recycling of treated wastewater to ensure sustainability.

Chief Engineer Shailender Anand said that the documentation has been done for water plus. Also, on World Toilet Day, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will be launching Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge 2020 starting from November 19 onwards. It will be a challenge for Chandigarh.

The programme will end on August 15, 2021.

This programme will have a special focus on training for sanitary workers on the cleaning of sewers and septic tanks throughout urban local bodies of the country.

The World Toilet Day is a United Nations Observance day on November 19 that celebrates toilets and raises awareness of more than 400 crore people living without access to safely managed sanitation. It is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban is undertaking a Swachh Survekshan 2021 campaign to drive the message of safe sanitation throughout the month of November to commemorate the World Toilet Day.

SBM Toilets have been linked toGoogleMaps which lets users locate the nearest public toilet on Google Maps through mobile apps.

Chandigarh was accorded ODF status first on September 27, 2016. Subsequently, the city was certified ODF++ on September 19, 2019. ODF Certification is valid for a period of one year and re-certification is based upon third party assessment involving independent inspection for open defecation and toilets at minimum 45 locations over four zones of the city.

Vinod Vashisht, convener, CFORWO (City Forum of Residents Welfare Organizations), said that a city can be notified/ declared as SBM ODF++ city if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/ or urinating in the open, all community and public toilets are functional and well- maintained and entire faecal sludge/septage and sewage is safely managed and treated, with no discharging and/or dumping of untreated faecal sludge/septage and sewage in drains, water bodies or open areas.

Read more from the original source:
Chandigarh will apply for Water Plus certification | Chandigarh NYOOOZ - NYOOOZ

Wilton Simpson was sworn in Tuesday as president of the Florida Senate and that means Citrus County residents now have a powerful force in the highest levels of state government going to bat for them.

Citrus County has been very good to me as a person and very supportive of me as their local senator, Simpson said. What I will do in the next two years is do the best I can to continue to fund our priorities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cut deeply into state budget reserves and some priorities might be harder to get through going forward. He expects a state budget of $88-90 billion heading into next year, about $3-5 billion less than originally envisioned all due to the economic upheaval from the pandemic.

Goal one is to right-size our government to continue to have a booming economy and we have to do that with a balanced budget and replenish our reserves, he said.

Simpson, 54, was elected to the Senate in 2012 and served as majority leader in 2016 and 2017. He succeeds President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and takes on the coveted position of president for the next two years.

The Chronicle interviewed Simpson just days before he took the helm of the Senate. Heres what he had to say:

What are your goals as Senate president?

Simpson said he will continue to fight for the environment, and that includes continued cleanup efforts of Kings Bay and Homosassa waterways. It also means advancing the septic-to-sewer initiative.

To cut back on cost, Simpson said the state needs to explore incentives to local government for replacing outdated, pollution-causing septic systems.

Streamline the states foster-care system and make it easier for people to adopt children. Being adopted, this issue is personal to the senator.

You can eliminate a lot of future education and mental health problems by bringing permanency to a child, he said.

Simpson said fixing the problem will cost money and plans to partner with First Lady Casey DeSantis, who is one of the top advisers to her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis. This year, she has worked on a number of initiatives aimed at helping Florida children.

Promote better mental health options. He supports efforts to build a LifeStream Baker Act facility in Lecanto. He will work with State Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto also a project supporter to make sure that happens.

I fully intend to make sure thats funded, he said.

Continue to fund road infrastructure improvements.

Business can only thrive in Citrus County if you have clean water and good connector roads, he said.

Continue to attract top teachers which, he said, should be easier now that the starting pay for beginning teachers is $47,500 a year.

Could the pandemic affect these goals?

The pandemic, he said, has changed this state in ways that will affect it long into his tenure.

Anything that costs money is going to be tougher to get things done, he said.

For example, reports sent last week to state lawmakers advocate putting the brakes on three toll-road projects.

The projects would extend the Suncoast Parkway from Citrus County to Jefferson County near the Georgia border, extend Floridas Turnpike from Wildwood to connect with the Suncoast Parkway and create a new road linking Polk and Collier counties.

Simpson said road infrastructure is the lifeblood of industry and small-business in Citrus County and makes it easier for employers to transport goods.

There are a lot of roads in Citrus County that need widening and upgrading so thats a priority, Simpson said.

Weve got to get beyond this pandemic first and get our state back up to 100%, he said. Thats my focus right now.

One positive in navigating the rough waters: Simpson said his counterpart in the House, Palm Harbor Republican Chris Sprowls, should be easy to work with.

Were good friends, he said. We have a very good trust factor between the two of us.

Simpson also heaped praise on Gov. DeSantis who, he said, has done a masterful job guiding us through this pandemic.

Will a Joe Biden presidency affect your goals in the Senate?

I think it might make my job harder, he said. It will slow the national economy down, which will slow the Florida economy down over time. What happens at the federal level from an economic and regulatory and financial standpoint will affect Florida greatly. I know nothing that will be positive from a Biden administration.

For example, if Biden raises taxes and regulations again, the state is probably looking at a 1% growth as opposed to the projected 4%, he said.

If you raise capital gains taxes, everyone with a 401K or IRA would have their taxes raised, he added.

How do you want to be remembered and what are your plans when you term-out in two years?

Simpson called his tenure in the Florida Senate the last eight years the honor of a lifetime and a humbling experience.

What I hope is that folks who live and work here will look at the record of my accomplishments and say, It might not have been perfect but he did the best he could to represent Citrus County and he worked hard.

What will he do after he leaves the Senate?

I just might come back home and count (chicken) eggs, joked Simpson, referring to his Trilby agricultural operation.

But more seriously, Simpson said he will likely stay involved in various community organizations. Through the years, hes been involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Pasco County Fair, Habitat for Humanity and PACE Center for Girls.

Ill get back involved somehow, he said. I love to serve in my community and see things get better. Well see. Stay tuned.

Simpson, in his opening remarks on becoming Senate president Tuesday, had this to say:

This pandemic has been a strain on so many families and on our businesses. Some wonder if it is ever going to end. Senators, I believe it will. In the last few days we heard promising news about a new vaccine, and there is more good news on trials and therapeutics every day.

Better days are ahead, but we must continue to do what we can to personally prevent the spread. I want to thank all of you for taking our new protocols seriously. We will get through this together.

Material from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.

Read more:
Simpson takes the reins of Florida Senate - Citrus County Chronicle

Outdoor seating has provided some much-needed help for restaurants during the pandemic. Social distancing guidelines have forced businesses to find ways to seat customers outside of the building so they can be more spread out. Now, the challenge is the colder weather. The Porch Kitchen and Cantina in Winston-Salem recently rolled out their new dining bubbles to provide an enclosed area for guests to eat. I saw in other cities and in Northern Europe they use these bubbles and it will be snowing outside youll be cozy in your bubble! The Porch owner, Claire Calvin, said. The dining bubbles are now open to guests at the porch and Calvin said some people werent sure about the idea at first. Some people were like, that just seems as dangerous as anything else, she said. Calvin explained her thought process, that you can be in the bubble with your own group of people and not be exposed to others.Theres two sides that open so you can kind of air it out and then we obviously sanitize in between, she said. Calvin said the health department doesnt have an issue with the bubbles and more customers are now requesting them specifically when they come to the restaurant. A lot of people really like them, she said. She said its been a tough road for her business and thinks it could get harder during winter, but shes hopeful things will get back to normal eventually.I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if we shut down, theres a light at the end of the tunnel, she said. The bubbles arent the only modification to The Porch, they also opened a separate part of the building that allows for more space while customers are eating.

Outdoor seating has provided some much-needed help for restaurants during the pandemic. Social distancing guidelines have forced businesses to find ways to seat customers outside of the building so they can be more spread out.

Now, the challenge is the colder weather.

The Porch Kitchen and Cantina in Winston-Salem recently rolled out their new dining bubbles to provide an enclosed area for guests to eat.

I saw in other cities and in Northern Europe they use these bubbles and it will be snowing outside youll be cozy in your bubble! The Porch owner, Claire Calvin, said.

The dining bubbles are now open to guests at the porch and Calvin said some people werent sure about the idea at first.

Some people were like, that just seems as dangerous as anything else, she said.

Calvin explained her thought process, that you can be in the bubble with your own group of people and not be exposed to others.

Theres two sides that open so you can kind of air it out and then we obviously sanitize in between, she said.

Calvin said the health department doesnt have an issue with the bubbles and more customers are now requesting them specifically when they come to the restaurant.

A lot of people really like them, she said.

She said its been a tough road for her business and thinks it could get harder during winter, but shes hopeful things will get back to normal eventually.

I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if we shut down, theres a light at the end of the tunnel, she said.

The bubbles arent the only modification to The Porch, they also opened a separate part of the building that allows for more space while customers are eating.

Original post:
The Porch Kitchen and Cantina in Winston-Salem introduces dining bubbles - WXII12 Winston-Salem

About 12 years ago, Jesusa Palacios and her adopted son Jonathan were at a turning point.

Jonathan was 13 and preparing for middle school when he was asked to write a transition plan for his post-high school goals. The Palacios family started doing research with loved ones to find what would be best for him.

HOLIDAY DONATIONS: Toys for Tots continues accepting donations despite COVID-19 challenges

After deciding he probably was not going to college and determining that he has multiple challenges that prevent him from working independently, they noticed that he could enjoy working in an ice cream truck. Jonathan spent four years driving with a friend in an ice cream truck every summer, and he loves it, she said. While its not his own yet, they know that he will do customized self employment under the name "Bubba Jon's Ice Cream Delights."

Palacios is now the director of Solomons Porch Light, which helps her son and other families like theirs connect to businesses and ideas for their own childrens futures. She decided to start the Humble nonprofit after parents of individuals with disabilities started asking how they found something that was right for Jonathan.

So thats how Solomons Porch Light was born, Palacios said. Out of the need for my son and to help others... Well be the advocate for those individuals that never get noticed, never get publicized, nobody really knows about them theyre out there.

Due to the coronavirus, they started the program virtually this July. They have promoted individuals in the arts, footwear, shredding services and a pet rescue businesses. Their mission is to raise awareness and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to become business owners.

They have about 68 businesses that have connected with them. They promote them through their website to provide families with ideas as to how their children, who may not be able to be placed in jobs traditionally, could follow a career path and own a business that they enjoy, essentially serving as a middle man between families and businesses.

Next year, they plan to begin training sessions either online or in-person.

So thats part of the resources, right, Palacios said. Whatever I have learned as a parent and how to do these resources Im going to pass on to other people or other individuals that need help.

CORONAVIRUS: Active positives in Humble ISD reach 167 as cases grow at elementaries

One of those businesses helping to serve Solomons Porch Light is located in northwest Houston. Shredding on the Go offers secure business and residential document shredding services and recycling. The company hires individuals who face unique challenges shredding barriers one page at a time as their website states.

They have eight individuals in addition to owner James Parker working for Shredding on the Go who would have challenges finding work in the traditional job market according to Renee Parker, James mother.

Parker said they discovered her sons interest in shredding during a conversation with their family about what he could do for work.

I personally have a lot of experience with customized self-employment, which is what we did for my son and I think is what (Palacios is) doing for her son, Parker said. ... Customized self-employment creates a job opportunity based solely on individual skills and what they would enjoy doing.

For more information about Solomons Porch Light, visit their website at http://www.solomonsporchlight.org. For more information on Shredding on the Go, visit http://www.shreddingonthego.com.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com

See the original post here:
Humble nonprofit Solomons Porch Light helps differently-abled adults find fulfilling work - Houston Chronicle

The holiday season is here, a time for giving thanks and sending love to friends and family, but for many the holiday season is a golden opportunity for theft.

This year, more than ever, many are taking their shopping online to stay safe from coronavirus which means thieves can expect a plethora of packages at residents doorsteps.

To keep gifts safe from porch pirates this year the Gulfport Police Department has a few tips. Gulfport PIO Sgt. Jason Ducre said, With the coronavirus going on, with everybody shopping online, packages are going to be delivered to houses more frequently. And theyre just crimes of opportunity, is what they are, and its our job to limit the opportunities. So if you can, have your packages delivered to your job, or a neighbors house, or a relative, or get a signature on delivery.

Ducre also recommends buying a porch camera. While they wont prevent theft, they can help police find a suspect faster.

Original post:
Beware of porch pirates ahead of the holidays - WXXV News 25

Twitter has some mixed feelings about a man who has been seen on video feeding "at least 30" raccoons on his porch. A video emerged on Twitter on Monday night of a man treating several chubby raccoons to what appeared to be hot dogs (sans the bun).

"[T]his guy goes out every night and feeds the raccoons living near his house and it's adorable chaos," a Twitter user wrote alongside the clip.

In the video, the man sits on a snow-covered bench while several heavyset raccoons crawl all over him, trying to grab some off the food from a container. Some climb on his lap, begging for food. Others perch on his shoulder, waiting for him to hand off a hot dog.

It's safe to say that the video has caught the attention of many people online. While some called the man's mealtime ritual for the raccoons adorable, others didn't find it as cute. "No- not adorable. We in CO know that you don't feed wildlife. Also, raccoons carry diseases that are especially dangerous for kids," one person wrote.

"It's not adorable if you are his neighbor. Ever had a neighbor who feeds feral cats? Same stupid behavior," another chimed in.

"When I see raccoons, the first thing I think of is rabies," someone else said. "The second thing I think about is the damage they do to homes. So, it's not as warm and cuddly for me."

One user pointed out that feeding raccoons could have an effect on an entire neighborhood, not just the folks feeding them. "Very dangerous too. Wild animals should not be fed by humans. They can carry diseases. Congregating unnaturally draws predators. Dangerous for entire neighborhood."

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"Pretty dangerous. They're going to look for that food in the neighborhood every night...whether he shows up or not," another agreed.

Some folks were also concerned about the effect the food would actually have on the raccoons. "This guy is single-handedly causing an ecological disaster of diabetic raccoons, but free internet pass because he's a lonely old man and fat raccoons are cute," one person chided.

"I just wish he'd be a bit more considerate of their diet, if he's going to keep inviting them," another noted. "I know he means well, and just may not understand, for example, their size is not normal."

"How many times is he feeding them?" a third asked. "They are freaking huge!! Lmao."

As per Pest World, raccoons typically eat plants and other animals such as: "fruits, berries, nuts, fish, frogs, mussels, crayfish, insects, turtles, mice, rabbits, muskrats and bird eggs." So, basically, not hot dogs.

Read more:
This Man Feeds Raccoons on His Porch Every Night, and Twitter Has Some Thoughts - Newsweek