Musical interlude

Blu DeTiger - Vintage (Flight Facilities Remix)

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Steve Hanley discusses how a climate breakdown would result in the destruction of any other social and political goals which might otherwise be achieved. Scott Forbes writes that the foreseeable consequences of the climate crisis make it impossible to shrug off denialism in theory or practice. And Laura Paddison highlights how the rapid melting of the Thwaites Glacier could cause it to collapse - and produce a massive sea level rise - far sooner than previously anticipated. 

- James Norman points out the environmental dangers of soft plastics - but also the availability of alternatives if we can be bothered to pursue them. And Umair Irfan discusses how solar power - both on its own and in combination with battery storage - is spreading faster and more effectively than projected, making continued reliance on fossil fuel energy a waste in terms of short-term costs even leaving aside the need to preserve a habitable environment.  

- Brandon Vigliarolo reports on FTC Chair Lina Khan's recognition that people deserve protection from corporate data harvesting. Cory Doctorow writes about the reality that few if any mass-produced consumer goods meet such basic standards as not engaging in gratuitious surveillance or not being subject to remote termination in the name of increased profits. And Jason Koebler notes that one project seeking to analyze human language usage has shut down due to the reality that online content is now irreparably polluted by AI spam. 

- Jake Johnson reports on new research showing that the U.S.' profit-driven health care system continues to be more expensive and less effective than any alternatives. And Christina Frangou notes that Pierre Poilievre refuses to talk about the health care privatization favoured by his party and its corporate backers - making it clear that he doesn't want to be held to the slightest commitment to preserve a public health care system. 

- Finally, Kaelyn Lynch points out how the symptoms of severe long COVID may make it impossible for people to access care. Jamie Ducharme writes about the growing evidence that COVID-19 has done widespread cognitive damage. And Rieza Soelaeman et al. find that a strong majority of U.S. adults want to be updated on COVID levels and are prepared to take protective steps when they know there's a high risk - making it all the more inexcusable that the basic information needed to give effect to that desire to help has mostly been scrapped. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Bob Berwyn discusses new research showing that existing climate models may underestimate the tendency toward extremes in water levels - including both floods and droughts. Moina Spooner highlights how Africa is facing particularly severe climate impacts (while having played little role in causing the crisis), while Bruno Kalouaz examines the rapid melting of glaciers in central Asia. And Naomi Oreskes writes about the Arctic Seed Vault as an example of adaptation which is failing due to its reliance on conditions which are now a thing of the past. 

- Judi Rever discusses how Canadian forestry policy favouring corporate interests and monocultural replanting has exacerbated the danger of wildfires. And Matt Price notes that Canada's banks and high-wealth individuals are doing nothing but obstructing climate action even when presented with proposals to incorporate the reality of climate change into organizational planning. 

- Sharon Lerner reports on the Trump administration's suppression of research showing the harms caused by industrial chemicals and systematic reprisals against the scientists who dared to report accurate information. And Leah Borts-Kuperman and Urbi Khan report on Ontario's choice to allow a company with a history of exposing residential areas to ethylene oxide to treat itself as "lower-risk" and self-report its environmental impact. 

- Max Fawcett discusses how unmanageable housing costs (particularly for renters) are at the root of voter discontent with the Libs, while James Hardwick offers a reminder that inescapable consumer debt is an integral part of the financial sector's business model. And Jessica Corbett reports on the bill being proposed by Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez and Tina Smith to develop a solution on the scale of the U.S.' housing crisis by establishing a national social housing authority with a mandate to ensure everybody has an affordable home. 

- Robert Reich highlights how the U.S.' economy is set up to serve only the narrow interests of CEOs and especially-wealthy shareholders over the general population. The Canadian Health Coalition points out that Canadian voters are placing a high value on pharmacare and investment in health workers. And Jim Stanford discusses the importance of valuing public-sector work - rather than treating it solely as a cost as corporate mouthpieces tend to do. 

- Finally, Timothy Caulfield offers an alarming look into Pierre Poilievre's conspiracy vortex. And Stephen Magusiak discusses the latest example of every right-wing accusation being a confession, as Poilievre and other prominent Con-connected politicians are actively seeking to indoctrinate students with Ted Byfield's legacy of bigotry, oppression and manufactured grievance. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jeremy Hsu discusses how people massively underestimate the disproportionate climate damage done by the uber-wealthy. Mark Fawcett-Atkinson notes that the dirty energy industry is targeting women for a new round of disinformation and greenwashing. And Rebecca Hersher points out the consequences that flow from the climate breakdown - including severe mental health challenges caused as people lose their homes and valuables to extreme weather. 

- But Patrick Greenfield reports on a new analysis showing that governments are continuing to increase their handouts to the cause of environmental destruction. And David Climenhaga notes that after failing to distribute one federal handout that it demanded to put the public on the hook for the oil industry's messes, the UCP is now trying to seize Canadians' pensions to be funneled to its fossil fuel donors. 

- Cory Doctorow points out that the principle of "shareholder supremacy" is both meaningless on its face, and promulgated solely as a matter of self-serving supposition by those seeking to prioritize capital over well-being. 

- Jacky Wong interviews andrea bennett about how food can be made healthier both in terms of nutrition and lifestyle. And Nina Massey discusses how the replacement of ultra-processed foods can help reduce the risk of diabetes and other illnesses, while Sandee LaMotte reports on research showing how toxic chemicals in food preparation can cause substantial harm. 

- Finally, Abraham Fuks, John Bergeron and Stanley Kutcher lament the stagnation of funding for health research in Canada.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

 Surfaced cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Stelios Giogiades and Ryan Voisin discuss how political choices are a crucial determinant of health for children. Danny Dorling laments that children in the UK are shorter and hungrier now than just a decade ago due to their uncaring Con government, while Buttle UK examines the realities of childhood poverty. And Oshan Jarow reports on research showing that unconditional child benefits produce massive returns on investment with time. 

- Meanwhile, Kiran Stacy discusses a new survey showing that the vast majority of UK voters are favourable toward housing construction as long as it doesn't result overburden local services - signaling that the housing crisis is just another problem which can't be solved without also ensuring people have access to basic services generally.

- Marc Lee makes the case for free public transit, while Luke Bornheimer writes about the harmful effects of making driving children to school the default mode of transportation. Byard Duncan, Ryan Gabrielson and Lucas Waldron report on the use of car loan deferments as just another way financial predators wring money out of consumers. And Andrew Hawkins reports that the US National Highway Safety Administration is only now getting around to setting safety standards for the effects of vehicles on pedestrians. 

- Colin Newlyn asks why so many employers are determined to follow the orthodoxy of dehumanizing employees even when it demonstrably produces worse outcomes. And Heather Stewart examines how workers are getting stuck in precarious work as the unpredictable and excessive demands of a current employer preclude any opportunity to find more stable jobs. 

- Finally, Josh Cohen discusses how to respond to the age of rage on a personal level. A.R. Moxon notes that the proper response to conservative division is to build a generous, caring society that won't sustain irrational anger. And Jason Sattler points out that the only way to put an end to high-stakes battles for democracy every election cycle is to build it up consistently whether or not an election is looming. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ajit Niranjan reports on the extreme flooding in numerous cities in central Europe as a harbinger of the effect of a climate breakdown in progress. Shannon Sims reports on the similar example of Lake Charles, Louisiana, which has been battered by increasingly severe storms over the past two decades. And Chris Hatch discusses how another summer of extreme weather hasn't resulted in public engagement on the importance of climate change as an issue. 

- Syed Shams and Sudipta Bose discuss how business investment in climate policy produces superior economic performance and reduced risk. But Justin Villamil reports on BlackRock's cynical choice (in common with much of the financial sector) to feign climate concern while planning to keep shoveling funding toward dirty energy.  

- Xiaoli Li reports on the recognition by environmental groups that a narrow focus on consumer carbon pricing falls far short of the mark in developing a meaningful climate change policy - particularly when it's paired with approvals or even subsidies for fossil fuel expansion. Thomas Pedersen discusses how the Libs have undermined public support for a rebated carbon tax on a national scale, while Shannon Waters notes that what was once a multi-party consensus in B.C. has been caught in the federal crossfire. And Carl Meyer reports on the Moe government's methane policy which continues to be based on wishful thinking and non-reporting rather than actual measurements. 

- Isabel O'Brien reports on the immense gap between the carbon pollution reported by large AI data centres, and the 662% higher amount actually emitted. And Sean Patrick Cooper reports on the additional harms frequently inflicted by data centres on surrounding communities. 

- Adam King discusses how the Libs are finding new ways to undermine the right to strike - using administrative powers rather than legislation to avoid having to answer for a back-to-work bill. 

- Finally, Rose LeMay observes that "sanewashing" is as much an element of Canada's political media as the U.S.' - and that the public is ill-served when journalists try to make the likes of Pierre Poilievre sound more reasonable than they are.