National Drought Mitigation Center: “Drought is a significant threat to Canada’s agriculture, water resources and ecosystems. A recent study by the University of Ottawa and Laval University uses Artificial Intelligence to map drought-prone regions in the country. By using deep-learning techniques and data from the Canadian Drought Monitor and ERA5-Land, the study provides an analysis of historical drought patterns and trends up to 2100. Researchers found that climate change may cause droughts to worsen in many areas in Canada by the end of the century. Northern regions were found to be among the most vulnerable to drought, while coastal and eastern provinces may also experience changes. Published in Climate Journal on August 10, the study provides insights for Canadian policymakers, resource managers and stakeholders.”
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Category Archives: Food and Nutrition
New Axios/Ipsos American Health Index
“As a summer COVID surge continues, the latest Axios/Ipsos American Health Index finds that concern about COVID is ticking up, even as mask use hasn’t changed. However, concern about COVID remains relatively low and in line with other respiratory illnesses, like the flu. When it comes to the top public health worries for the country,… Continue Reading
How Close Are the Planet’s Climate Tipping Points?
The New York Times – article and visualizations [unpaywalled]: “Earth’s warming could trigger sweeping changes in the natural world that would be hard, if not impossible, to reverse. Right now, every moment of every day, we humans are reconfiguring Earth’s climate bit by bit. Hotter summers and wetter storms. Higher seas and fiercer wildfires. The… Continue Reading
Greedflation Report
“U.S. Sen. Bob Casey released his latest “greedflation” report on Wednesday, and this time it takes aim at popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more. This time, Casey is highlighting what he calls “streamflation,” which happens when streaming platforms hike their profits by charging higher prices, despite offering less content and… Continue Reading
The olive oil wars
EDJNet – The European Data Journalism Network: “Italy convinced the world that it was the king of liquid gold by selling Spanish oil, but now Spain has appropriated ‘Made in Italy’. With 283 million olive trees, Spain dominates the global olive oil market: in the 2021/22 season, the last one before drought destroyed its harvest,… Continue Reading
Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission
“The 2024 update of the Lancet Commission on dementia provides new hopeful evidence about dementia prevention, intervention, and care. As people live longer, the number of people who live with dementia continues to rise, even as the age-specific incidence decreases in high-income countries, emphasising the need to identify and implement prevention approaches. We have summarised… Continue Reading
Why, Exactly, are Ultraprocessed Foods so Hard to Resist?
The New York Times [unpaywalled] – “This Study is Trying to Find Out….Ultraprocessed foods encompass a large range of foods and drinks that are made using methods and ingredients you wouldn’t typically use or find in a home kitchen. Sodas, processed meats and flavored yogurts are part of this category, as are most breakfast cereals,… Continue Reading
Here’s how extreme climate is driving inflation
“TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In today’s Climate Classroom, we will be speaking to William S. Becker, a writer for The Hill, a Nexstar-owned property on climate inflation, better known by its new name “climateflation.” No doubt it’s a new term to most, but it’s very real and it’s already hitting us in the wallet— think… Continue Reading
FDA Pulls Food Additive in Citrus Sodas Over Health Risks
Gizmodo: “A problematic ingredient in some soft drinks is now officially being taken off the market. The Food and Drug Administration has revoked its authorization that allows brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to be used in food, following recent research suggesting that it could potentially harm people’s thyroid health. BVO is vegetable oil that’s been modified… Continue Reading
Going plastic-free is nearly impossible. These people are trying anyway.
Washington Post: The global trend of Plastic Free July offers ideas on how to cut back on plastic use at home. “…According to the Plastic Free Foundation, the nonprofit that Prince-Ruiz founded, 89 million people in 190 countries pledged to reduce their plastic use during July last year. The countries with the most participants are… Continue Reading
Global warming and heat extremes to enhance inflationary pressures
Kotz, M., Kuik, F., Lis, E. et al. Global warming and heat extremes to enhance inflationary pressures. Commun Earth Environ 5, 116 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01173-x – “Climate impacts on economic productivity indicate that climate change may threaten price stability. Here we apply fixed-effects regressions to over 27,000 observations of monthly consumer price indices worldwide to quantify the… Continue Reading
10 Times as Much of This Toxic Pesticide Could End Up on Your Tomatoes and Celery Under a New EPA Proposal
ProPublica: “When you bite into a piece of celery, there’s a fair chance that it will be coated with a thin film of a toxic pesticide called acephate. The bug killer — also used on tomatoes, cranberries, Brussels sprouts and other fruits and vegetables — belongs to a class of compounds linked to autism, hyperactivity… Continue Reading
