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☆ Climate crisis: You don’t have to admit there’s one to be fighting climate change
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The climate crisis ends up touching on all of those issues, as CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir told me. Removing politics from climate changeWOLF: It’s interesting to hear you say that about Texas, because the governor and the Republican-dominated legislature there would seemingly be opposed to doing anything specifically because of climate change. Joe Biden has tried to make the argument that addressing climate change should be an economic boom. It seems clear that we’re going to burst through the 2-degree tipping point that had been previously suggested as the tipping point for climate change. What that means for marine ecosystems and coral reefs, which are the cradles of life in the oceans, and what it means for the power of storms as we head into hurricane season has scientists really, really worried.

Persons: Bill Weir, ”, Weir, You’re, WEIR, don’t, Syd Kitson, It’s, Hurricane Ian, CNN WEIR, Hurricane Maria, they’ve, it’s, It’ll, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Matt Yglesias, WOLF, I’ve, we’ve, We’ve, Kena Betancur, they’re, There’s Organizations: CNN, NFL, Hurricane, Babcock, Buffalo, UN, Republican, Act, Citi Bikes, Getty, Greyhound Locations: Hope, Massachusetts, Salisbury , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, America, , Florida, Puerto Rico, Buffalo, Puerto Rican, Niagara Falls, Texas, Alaska, United States, Portland , Maine, Portland , Oregon, Central America, Charleston, South Carolina, New York City, Dallas, Chicago, New York, AFP

☆ Frank Kitson, 97, Dies; Helped Shape the Conflict in Northern Ireland
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Clay Risen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gen. Frank Kitson arrived in Northern Ireland in September 1970, charged with leading a brigade of British paratroopers in Belfast. The 30-year struggle known as the Troubles, pitting loyalists, who wanted to stay part of Britain, against Republicans, who wanted to separate, was just beginning — and over the next two years, General Kitson would do much to shape the course of the conflict. By then, General Kitson was considered one of Britain’s leading warrior-intellectuals. General Kitson was short and stocky, with a ramrod posture and a high, nasal voice. He detested small talk and spoke rarely, but he had a martial charisma that won him widespread admiration among his ranks.

Persons: Frank Kitson, Kitson, General Kitson, Mike Jackson, Kitson’s Organizations: British, Republicans, Oxford, Subversion, Peacekeeping Locations: Northern Ireland, Belfast, Britain, Africa, Asia

NEW YORK (AP) — The head of Hachette Book Group, Michael Pietsch, is retiring as CEO and will be succeeded by Hachette UK CEO David Shelley. Pietsch, who has worked with authors ranging from Keith Richards to Donna Tartt, will serve as chairman of the U.S. publisher starting Jan. 1 of next year. “I’m proud of everything that all of us at Hachette Book Group have accomplished in the past decade, in close partnership with our authors — thriving, growing, and reinventing ourselves through complex and challenging times," Pietsch, 67, said in a statement Tuesday. Shelley, who will also remain as UK CEO, said in a statement that “Hachette Book Group publishes some of my favorite authors of all time and it’s hugely exciting to be able to get to know them and work on their books with the talented team in the U.S. I’d like to pay special tribute to Michael as he has been a key figure for me over the years.”Richard Kitson, deputy CEO of Hachette UK, will also take on the same role for Hachette Book Group. Along with publishing Richards' “Life,” Tartt's “The Goldfinch” and James Patterson's many blockbusters, Pietsch also was involved with a book Hachette didn't release.

Persons: Michael Pietsch, David Shelley, Pietsch, Keith Richards, Donna Tartt, “ I’m, Shelley, Michael, ” Richard Kitson, Brown, Richards, ”, James Patterson's, Woody Allen's, Ronan Farrow, Allen's, Allen, Dylan Farrow Organizations: Hachette Book, Hachette UK, Hachette, Hachette Livre, Little, Company, Workman Publishing, Hyperion Books, Skyhorse Publishing Locations: U.S

Some developers are building homes like Paulson's with an eye toward making them more resilient to the extreme weather that's increasing with climate change, and friendlier to the environment at the same time. Solar panels, for example, installed so snugly that high winds can't get underneath them, mean clean power that can survive a storm. Recycled or advanced construction materials that reduce energy use as well as the need to make new material. Pearl Homes' Mirabella community in Bradenton, Florida, consists of 160 houses that are all LEED-certified platinum, the highest level of one of the most-used green building rating systems. “We’re building the same old stuff that got blown away.”Babcock Ranch is another sustainable, hurricane-resilient community in South Florida.

Persons: Hurricane Michael, Bonny Paulson's, ” Paulson, Steve Linton, “, Marshall Gobuty, ” Gobuty, Paulson, she's, ”, ” Babcock, Syd Kitson, Ian, Kitson, you’re, Nature, Natalia Padalino, Alan Klingler, ” Klingler, ” Padalino, Laura Bargfeld, Gerald Herbert Organizations: Hurricane, Florida Panhandle, Homes, Pearl Homes, University of Central, Babcock, Florida Keys, Associated Press, AP Locations: Mexico Beach , Florida, Bradenton , Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida, Mexico Beach, South Florida, U.S, New Orleans

"There's been very little marking down of (private) assets," said Con Keating, head of research at Brighton Rock Group, an insurance company for pension schemes. "No-one knows where the next big blow-up for pensions will come from," said Henry Tapper, founder of pension market analysis group AgeWage. He said heavy selling of commercial property and private equity stakes by pension schemes is raising questions over private capital valuations. "It's the right approach to obviously put some scrutiny on private market valuations." But in deals where private equity firms and investors buy and sell portfolios of investments, assets are being valued at less.

Persons: Yann Tessier, Con Keating, Henry Tapper, EY's, Paul Kitson, Burgiss, Ben Leach, Willis Towers Watson, IOSCO, Wilfred Small, Sinead Cruise, John O'Donnell, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: City of, REUTERS, Britain's, Authority, Brighton Rock Group, Reuters, Numis Securities, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Canary, London, Britain, Germany, Sweden

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