Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Emily Henderson discusses new research showing the harm COVID-19 does to the central nervous system. And Stuart Layt reports on a new study suggesting that it damages the DNA in people's hearts (rather than merely causing inflammation as an ordinary flu virus would).

- Andrew Lodge writes that a climate breakdown deserves to be treated as a public health emergency to be met with every resource possible - though of course the precedent of operating in denial of COVID seems aimed at ensuring we don't set a pattern of responding to social crises with appropriate urgency. Michael Mann and Susan Joy Hassol highlight how climate change is exacerbating extreme weather and its effect on our living environment. Aaron Wherry points out how the Lib/Con climate debate is limited (out of the interests of both parties) to performative outrage over grossly insufficient policy when there's a glaring need to do far more. And Phoebe Weston writes that the world can't afford another decade of talk as a means of delaying profound action to curb carbon pollution.

- Meanwhile, Esme Stallard, Owen Pinnell and Jess Kelly report on the immense and undeclared emissions caused by natural gas flaring - even as the fossil fuel sector attempts to claim that gas production is somehow a cleaner alternative to other harmful fuels. And Blair Fix examines how the oil and gas sector would already be bankrupt if it was required to account for its damage to our planet.

- Robert Reich makes the case for price controls to rein in inflation that's based on corporate price gouging rather than any gains for workers. And George Hewison highlights how Canada's response to inflation has been dedicated to locking in corporate gains rather than keeping anything affordable for workers or people on fixed incomes.

- Finally, David Moscrop comments on the need for the NDP to respond to Pierre Poilievre's false populism with consistent class-based action. And Max Fawcett offers a reminder that the electoral reform promised by the Libs to put Justin Trudeau in power would work wonders in ensuring that the Cons can't implement their toxic agenda with a minority of support.