By, Matthew Taylor and Sandra Laville, The Guardian, 24 February 2017 Tens of thousands of children at more than 800 schools, nurseries and colleges in London are being exposed to illegal levels of air pollution that risk causing lifelong health problems, the Guardian can disclose. A study identifies 802 educational institutions where pupils as young as three are being exposed to levels …
Organizing advice from Drier, Leopold, and Cohen
The big winners in the outsourcing game are the corporations and their top Wall Street investors. (In fact Wall Street is driving the process by endless pressure for stock buybacks. See here.) It’s hard to make the case that the poor in Mexico have been the beneficiaries of NAFTA. Here are 6 steps that are needed now (from Les Leopold: …
Pence took part in crafting post-Katrina “Shock Doctrine” reducing rights and privatizing services
By Naomi Klein in The Intercept, 24 Jan 2017 Here’s a lot of recovery and adaptation work:”After all the layers of subcontractors had taken their cut, there was next to nothing left for the people doing the work. For instance, the author Mike Davis tracked the way FEMA paid Shaw $175 a square foot to install blue tarps on damaged roofs, even though …
New study finds that higher temps in the Southwest since 2000 (1.6 F higher than average) is responsible for 1/6 to half of river flow reductions since 2000
New study found that the higher temperatures in the region since 2000 (1.6° Fahrenheit higher than the average since record-keeping there began) are responsible for between one-sixth to one-half of the river flow reductions seen since 2000. By James Ayre, cross-posted from Clean Technica, 23 Feb 2017 The warming trend that has accompanied anthropogenic climate change to date has reduced …
What are the main reasons people are going electric and staying electric, with their vehicles?
Electric cars have so many strong user benefits, they should catch on quickly once the mass market becomes aware of these benefits. For example, the two charts below illustrate that although environmental benefits spurred early adopters to make the choice, they really love the other benefits: the quiet and smooth drive, the fun/convenience of instant torque, convenience of EV charging, …
Climate change and health care: converging movements
Medical organizations have long made the connection between climate change and public health. (Photo: Joe Brusky/flickr/cc) Originally published on Common Dreams, 26 Jan 2017 Today, more than 100 million Americans depend on healthcare safety-net programs: Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But that safety net could be shredded if Dr. Tom Price—Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and …
Gorbachev: In the modern world, wars must be outlawed, because none of the global problems we are facing can be resolved by war—not poverty, nor the environment, migration, population growth, or shortages of resources
Originally published on Common Dreams, by Andrea Germanos, 27 January 2017 Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that it appears “as if the world is preparing for war.” Writing in an op-ed published Thursday at TIME magazine, Gorbachev, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in ending the Cold War, writes that the most pressing problem facing the …
Jules Lobel: 5 Key ways to build a movement
Core (populist) message: corporate, wealthy greed and the obscene inequality between rich and poor are our main problem Combine electoral and grassroots activist work in local communities – run candidates who represent this Welcome new energy and incorporate new people into the movement – find places for all Core (populist) message: corporate, wealthy greed and the obscene inequality between rich …
Physical differences in 5 regions of the brain with ADHD
From Science Daily, 17 Feb 2017 Largest imaging study of ADHD to date identifies differences in five regions of the brain, with greatest differences seen in children rather than adults. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with the delayed development of five brain regions and should be considered a brain disorder, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. …
The income share of the top 10% increases CO2 emissions
Income Inequality and Carbon Emissions in the United States: A State-level Analysis, 1997–2012, by Andrew Jorgensona, , , Juliet Schorb, Xiaorui Huangb http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.12.016 The relationship between CO2 emissions and income inequality is analyzed longitudinally at the state level in the US The income share of the top 10% increases CO2 emissions. The effect of the Gini coefficient on CO2 emissions is nonsignificant. This study …