This week:
How to be excited about the future, explained.
Plus, the news:
• 🌊 The tipping point for the Atlantic Ocean
• 👶 An RSV shot for babies
• 🥕 Examining the “N” in SNAP
• 🤖 Profiting from AI tools
• And more!
Here's What You Can Do:
• Donate to the Institute for Policy Studies to help turn transformative policy ideas (https://ips-dc.org/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) into action.
• Join a Ride Spot Challenge by committing to replace car trips with bike rides (https://oneride.peopleforbikes.org/join-the-challenge?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things). Biking is an easy way to lower your emissions and be part of the climate solution, even if you just start at one trip a week.
• Get educated about parking reform (https://parkingreform.org/resources/mandates-map/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things), which has the potential to impact climate change, equity, and housing.
• Be heard about climate change by helping Climate Cabinet elect candidates that give a shit (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ccaf?refcode=Email&utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things)about drafting legislation to combat the climate crisis.
• Invest in the world’s natural capital (http://www.regenfutureplanet.com/regenerative-investment/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things)with ReGen.
News Roundup
Health & Medicine
• Yes, heat can be fatal. But it also has a plethora of non-fatal health consequences (https://www.vox.com/climate/2023/7/21/23799004/invisible-consequences-extreme-heat-physical-mental-health?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) on both the body and the mind
• Infants can now get a preventative shot for RSV, (https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23800167/rsv-shot-infants-fda-antibodies-vaccine-flu-health?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) which is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the US
• A new analysis is skeptical that Biden’s Justice40 program (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/20/climate/justice40-pollution-environmental-justice.html?ref=ctvc.co&utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) will fix the racial gap in air quality
• Literally go and touch some grass. It’s scientifically proven (https://environhealthprevmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12199-019-0822-8?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things#) to be good for you.
Climate
• Extreme heat is a key issue (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/23/ups-drivers-extreme-heat-contract-talks?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) in UPS contract deals
• Differing theories of decarbonization could create rifts in climate coalitions (https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2023-07-27/the-u-s-climate-movement-may-be-in-trouble-heres-why-boiling-point?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) and derail progress
• Federal regulatory agencies are starting to (think about) cracking down on dubious carbon offset programs (https://grist.org/regulation/this-little-known-federal-regulator-could-crack-down-on-fraudulent-carbon-offsets/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things)
• Changes in the Atlantic Ocean are definitely not great, but exactly when we hit the tipping point (https://heatmap.news/climate/atlantic-meridional-overturning-circulation-ditlevsen-prediction?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) of totally fucked is hard to predict
Food & Water
• What’s the price of water scarcity? The finance industry doesn’t know (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-20/jefferies-says-banks-are-missing-in-action-in-pricing-water-risk?ref=ctvc.co&sref=eI3T3jUf#xj4y7vzkg)
• The “N” in SNAP is complicated (https://foodfix.co/digging-into-nutrition-in-snap/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things)
• The companies that make ultra-processed food should be held accountable (https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-07-24/big-food-should-be-esg-s-next-target?sref=eI3T3jUf&utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) for the damage they are doing to the health of their customers
• Some states are starting to step up and help families feed their kids (https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/7/27/23806695/child-tax-credit-ctc-poverty-families-refundable?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=shiny-things) with Child Tax Credits
Beep Boop
• No...
