Thursday Evening Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Bill Weir writes a poignant letter of apology to his son about the state of the planet being left to future generations. 

- Cory Doctorow is optimistic that we have the means to avert the worst dangers of the climate crisis - subject to the immense "if" that capitalist avarice can't be allowed to get in the way. And Mitchell Beer and Christopher Bonasia report on the Canadian Climate Institute's warning that expanded fossil gas infrastructure will be stranded under any scenario that involves meeting even our existing emission targets.

- Meanwhile, new research from the University of Bristol shows how the global effort to protect and rebuild the ozone layer has succeeded.

- Jennifer Collins examines how return-to-office mandates drive away employees. And Manuela Vega reports on new Statistics Canada data showing that remote work produces immense benefits for personal well-being.

- Keldon Bester examines how Canada's big banks are using their privileged position to extract billions of dollars out of Canadians every year.

- Finally, Linda McQuaig offers a reminder that Pierre Poilievre's plans for systematic cruelty and austerity bear no relationship to what Canadian voters (including those who are justifiably dissatisfied with the Libs) actually want.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Al Shaw, Irena Hwang and Caroline Chen discuss how forest loss and changing interactions between people and wildlife could be the trigger for a future pandemic. Christian Elliott points out that thawing permafrost is likely to release neurotoxic methylmercury in addition to a carbon bomb. And Dyani Lewis reports on research showing that wildfires in Australia caused a breakdown in the ozone layer - indicating that even our greatest environmental successes are in danger of being lost due to other forms of damage. 

- Howard Lee offers a helpful list of the many ways in which any attempt to treat climate change as a natural phenomenon is indefensible. Andrew MacLeod fact-checks the fossil fuel sector's attempt to brand fossil gas as "green". And Nicola Jones notes that the environmental fallout from microplastics may include direct contribution to a climate breakdown, while Tom Perkins reports on the EPA's steps to set limits on PFAs in drinking water. 

- Sharon Lerner reports on the rightful outrage that the only testing for aftereffects of the East Palestine toxic explosion and burnoff has been done in the service of Norfolk Southern. 

- Finally, Whizy Kim discusses how in the U.S. as in Canada, food conglomerates have used inflation as an opportunity to goose their own profits while falsely pointing the finger at outside forces.