Can Desalination Save Us?

California advanced three bills to expand virtual power plants to reduce energy costs, but the most ambitious was stripped of key provisions that potentially would have provided ratepayers with billions in savings (Canary Media)

Instead of opposing AC and falling into another culture war trap, try “heat pump populism” (HEATMAP)

🌍 Reinsurers have reduced their exposure to climate-related catastrophe losses, driving up insurance premiums and creating “insurance deserts” in high risk areas (Bloomberg)

🌎 Ethiopia has inaugurated the biggest hydroelectric dam in Africa, which will double the country’s electricity capacity to support electric vehicle development and end blackouts (AP News)

🌎 Scientists warn that geoengineering techniques aimed at artificially cooling polar regions are dangerous and unlikely to work at scale (Bloomberg)

Climate change is expanding the range of disease-carrying mosquitos, and one Texas town is on the front lines of the public health response (Vox)

In November, New Mexico will become the first state to offer free child care to all residents regardless of income (funded through their oil and gas revenue fund) (the 19th)

The federal government is working with Gilead Sciences and The Global Fund to distribute a HIV prevention drug to 2 million people in low and middle income countries (STAT)

MAHA’s child health strategy omits any mention of gun violence, despite being the leading cause of death for kids age 1-17 since 2022 (LA Times)

Melinda Gates announced a $100 million partnership to accelerate women’s health research (Good Morning America)

🌎 Climate change is coming for bananas, possibly reducing the area suitable for production in Latin America and the Caribbean by 60% (Mongabay)

The EPA has approved four new pesticides that qualify as forever chemicals (Civil Eats)

American consumers lose about $728 annually to food waste (nearly double previous estimates, and not to mention the climate impacts) (Civil Eats)

🌍 Hong Kong has significantly improved its flood response capabilities, with recent record-breaking rainfall causing minimal damage compared to extreme weather two years ago (Bloomberg)

MAHA’s final strategy report removed language about reducing pesticide usage, instead focusing on increasing chemical approvals and building public trust in the pesticide review process (Civil Eats)

Google’s “Nano Banana” AI image editing tool can alter existing photos with such convincing realism even experts can’t detect the changes (Fast Company)

Google also secretly orchestrated opposition to a privacy bill in California by mobilizing small business owners and claiming the legislation would hurt their advertising abilities, while remaining publicly neutral (The Markup)

🌎 Energy companies in Argentina are exploring for lithium on Indigenous lands without proper consultation, raising concerns about water depletion and other environmental impacts (Mongabay)

AI isn’t a simple cure-all for fixing systemic healthcare problems, but it does have some realistic potential to help solve some of them (Ground Truths)

Read this deep dive into the extensive data the US government collects on citizens, both voluntary and involuntary (Tangle)