Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Greg Jericho writes that the latest IPCC report confirms that we're running out of time to avert climate breakdown, but still have a narrow window in which to do so. Damian Carrington reminds us that the cost of climate negligence is far higher than that of planning for a just transition while we still have the chance. Simon Lewis discusses how the fossil fuel industry bears responsibility for endangering our future. Bill McKibben highlights the deliberate pollution of our political and social discourse which has only complicated any attempt to set us on a sustainable path. And Elizabeth Leier argues that we need to match the urgency applied to our initial COVID-19 response in addressing the climate crisis. 

- But in case there was any doubt how determined many people are to avoid dealing directly with any matter of public well-being, Max Fawcett points out the glaring gap between widespread public demand for vaccine passports, and a refusal to act by most Canadian political leaders. Jim Harding writes that Saskatchewan (among other jurisdictions) needs to demand better than the short-sighted government which has allowed COVID to run wild. Bruce Anderson examines the composition of Canada's as-of-yet-unvaccinated population, and finds that a substantial number of reluctant people would open up to vaccinations under the right circumstances. And Alexander Wong and Sean Tucker make the case for mandatory vaccinations in workplaces.  

- Kanecia Zimmerman and Danny Benjamin Jr. discuss the success of mandatory masking in limiting the spread of COVID in schools. And Lisa Schick reports on the rising number of cases among Saskatchewan children just as school is set to resume - together with Paul Merriman's complete lack of concern about the likelihood of outbreaks in schools. 

- Guy Quenneville provides a damning timeline of the Extendicare outbreak which killed 39 Saskatchewan residents. 

- Karen Weintraub and Adrianna Rodriguez write about the open question as to whether the Delta variant actually causes more severe symptoms than other forms of COVID-19 (in addition to being far more transmissible). And Ed Yong takes a general look at the current direction of the pandemic - including the certainty of "exit waves" as governments eliminate public health protections, and the eventual prospect of endemicity following whatever human toll we choose to accept in the meantime.  

- Finally, ProPublica exposes how the Republicans' tax cuts for the rich were not only a massive giveaway to the .1% generally, but specifically designed to hand extra goodies to a few closely-connected donors. And Alex Ballingall reports on the NDP's plan to apply a wealth tax to fortunes over $10 million in order to fund a functional set of social and health supports.