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Welcome to the week.
And we’re back after taking last week off!
We have a lot of changes coming your way that we can’t wait to share with you (soon), but until then there’s lot’s to catch up on, so let’s get to it.
This week:
🏫Heat in schools
🧠6 types of depression
💧Pulling water out of the air
🫧An AI bubble
And more
Have a great week,
— Willow
This is science for people who give a shit.
Every week, we help {{active_subscriber_count}}+ humans understand and unfuck the rapidly changing world around us. It feels great, and we’d love for you to join us.
🙋♀️ Vote!
How likely are you to support a candidate who prioritizes climate action?
Last week, we asked: How do you usually dispose of your old electronics (e-waste)?
You said:
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Take them to an electronics recycling center (39%)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Drop them at a retail store's recycling program (15%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Donate to charity/give away to others (13%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Throw them in the regular trash (6%)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Store them at home indefinitely (21%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Sell them myself (2%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Other (write in!) (3%)
“Ridwell!!”
“Wait for an electronics recycling "drive" (usually sponsored by a local politician) where you can drive through and drop your old electronics off.”
“It depends! We're usually looking to balance the most effective with the most convenient solution. There is a phone sitting in our foyer that we STILL haven't figured out, but we may take them to an electronics recycling center, a bottle recycling center that offers a limited small appliance program, a retail store's recycling program, a box asking for donations of specific types of outdated devices, or unload them on a friend.”
New Shit Giver Paolo is here because “I'm concerned about the earth's climate. I have an interest in social justice. I'm queer. I'm middle aged. And I want to live in, and leave behind, a world that is more inclusive and open to everyone.“
So happy you’re here!
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⚡️ Climate change:
🌎 Extreme heat is (currently) responsible for 175,000 deaths annually across Europe (which is warming at twice the global rate)
Heat is also impacting learning in schools that aren’t equipped to deal with hotter days (no A/C, for example)
Planting more trees to deal with heat in cities is great (we love trees) but the thing about trees is they take a long time to grow, and it’s hot af right now, meaning other infrastructure alternatives to provide shade are necessary
Want more clean energy and affordable housing in your community? Local policy plays a huge role in getting infrastructure built — get yourself to a community meeting!
🌎 While the legal battle to hold fossil fuels accountable for climate change wages on, the industry continues to fuel mis and disinformation campaigns globally against the transition to a green economy
🦠 Health & Bio:
Epidemiologists are studying the link between our physical and social spaces and our biology, specifically how where we live has a relationship with our odds of getting — and surviving — cancer
🌍 A summer Covid wave is washing over at least 84 countries, and Sanders has introduced a $10 billion Long Covid Moonshot
It’s still tick season, and the distribution of ticks is continuing to spread in the US, along with tick-borne diseases, like Lyme. Here’s the latest data on where ticks are, and how to avoid getting bit
🌎 The remarkable success of lenacapavir, an antiviral for the treatment and prevention of HIV, is a major advancement in HIV prevention and also raises questions about the future of HIV vaccine development
A study has identified 6 types of depression via brain imaging that could make finding the right treatment for an individual patient much easier
💦 Food & Water:
This entire “How Factory Farming Ends” series by Vox is a must read to understand all the ways we can benefit from a more sustainable, just food system
Government initiatives to address food deserts face challenges in achieving long-term sustainability due to difficulties competing with large chains and other complex socioeconomic factors
The last 25 years in the West have been the driest in 1200 years, even despite the last 2 wet winters — and some startups are hoping to address the global water crisis by pulling water out of the air
🌏 The Great Barrier Reef is facing its demise as the surrounding ocean heats up, with temperatures at their highest in at least 400 years
Ok all of that is pretty bleak, so here’s a roundup of solutions across the food and agriculture system to address climate change
👩💻 Beep Boop:
A judge has ruled that Google has a monopoly in the search and advertising markets
In other Big Tech lawsuits, Meta has settled a $1.4 billion lawsuit in Texas over privacy allegations that the company had collected facial identification information
A new project aims to fix cybersecurity weaknesses across critical infrastructure
🌍 Nvidia employees asked to scrape video data from YouTube, Netflix and beyond were told they had clearance to use that content despite concerns raised about copyright law
As the ROI for AI remains unclear, questions about an AI bubble are forming, but that isn’t stopping companies from fearing being left behind in a potential technological revolution
🌎 = Global news
Watch this TED Talk by one of our all time favorite pod guests, Nathaniel Stinnett of the Environmental Voter Project 👇
Last week’s most popular Action Step was donating to Human I-T to provide equitable access to devices, the internet, and training and support.
Donate to the Parking Reform Network because parking policies are climate policies!
Volunteer with your local YIMBY chapter to advocate for affordable housing in your community.
Get educated about harm reduction with resources from the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
Be heard about maternal health and ask your representative to support the Mamas First Act.
Invest in a climate-friendly 401(k) with Sphere.
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The best sustainable products you can buy
From cleaning supplies to clothes, we’ve put together a list of our favorite sustainable products — and shit you actually need, like toilet paper and underwear, that aren’t contributing to deforestation, climate change, or human rights violations.
Check out the list, and let us know what’s missing 👇
This could unlock the benefits of psychedelic treatments 👇
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