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Decade to decade, costly extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and intensity as greenhouse gases build up in our atmosphere. The true cost of extreme heatLois Nigrin grew up on a farm and loved getting outdoors. Her ordeal points to the rising cost of extreme heat, the leading weather-related killer in the US. The true cost of floodingBarb Grant has built her life's work around helping others. The true cost of inactionThere is more to this story than a set of ruinous tragedies.

Persons: Lois Nigrin, —, Yoon, Nigrin, Read, Dale Murden, who's, He's, he's, Murden, Jason Garza, Barb Grant, Grant, Miriam Alarcón Avila, She's Organizations: Center for American, Atlantic Council, The Texas Tribune, Administration, Texas, Citrus Committee, M, Pew Charitable Locations: heatstroke, Texas, Arizona, Nebraska, Harlingen , Texas, Mexico, Southeast Texas, Iowa

As the atmosphere warms, many forests and other natural ecosystems are becoming drier and more prone to catching on fire. “You don’t have to cook the books.”Together, the two studies show how wildfires are a growing health threat. Wildfire smoke can contain a variety of pollutants, including fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, a type of air pollution made up of very small particles that can invade the lungs and bloodstream. Thanks to the Clean Air Act, air pollution in the United States has generally improved since the 1970s. But levels of PM 2.5, which are routinely tracked by the Environmental Protection Agency and had been declining, took a marked turn back up around 2016.

Persons: Childs, “ It’s, something’s, ”, Marshall Burke Organizations: Stanford University, Act, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Canada, United States

☆ Sunak Poised to Weaken U.K. Climate Targets as Election Approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain was preparing on Wednesday to weaken key targets in the country’s efforts to slow climate change in what could be a critical policy shift for a nation that has claimed to lead the world in the fight against global warming. His statement did not deny speculation that he was planning seven new measures for Britain, including delaying a ban on the sale of new gas- and diesel-only cars to 2035 rather than 2030, and weakening targets to phase out gas boilers. He promised to more fully address the matter in a speech later this week, which was later brought forward to Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Sunak must call a general election by January 2025, and his Conservative Party is trailing the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls at a time of sluggish economic growth and high inflation. But in July, the Conservatives won a surprise victory in a parliamentary election in northwest London when they campaigned against moves by the city’s Labour mayor to expand an air-quality initiative that charges drivers of older, more polluting vehicles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak Organizations: BBC News, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservatives, city’s Labour Locations: Britain, London

☆ Five Americans freed from Iran arrive back in the U.S. after prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Patrick Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Family members embrace freed American Emad Shargi after he and four fellow detainees were released in a prisoner swap deal between U.S and Iran, and arrived at Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, U.S., September 19, 2023. Five Americans who were released after being wrongfully imprisoned in Iran for years have arrived back on U.S. soil. A plane carrying the five Americans and two of their relatives touched down at a military airfield near Washington, D.C. early Tuesday. NBC News first reported on the prisoner swap negotiations in February. He was arrested in 2015 on charges of espionage and convicted in a trial that lasted a few hours.

Persons: American Emad, Mahsa, Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz Organizations: Davison Army, Five, NBC News Locations: American, U.S, Iran, Fort Belvoir , Virginia, Washington ,, Gulf, Qatar, Tehran, Iranian

☆ Banks scramble to find leaders equipped for today’s economic realities
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That means most current executives, who came up in the era of easy money, are unfamiliar with the complexities of running a bank under today’s conditions. Some CEOs are deciding that they need to make drastic, expensive and often unpopular institutional changes to help them keep up. Banks currently have strong managers, but not a lot of strong leaders, said David Schiff, senior partner at West Monroe. Prior to the current interest rate hikes, banks had been operating with low-interest, stable rates for nearly two decades, he said. It has not had a strike in its Canadian operations since 1990 and had not had a US strike since 1978.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Fraser, Mike Santomassimo, Truist, Venkatakrishnan, Goldman Sachs, It’s, Roger Hochschild, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Banks, David Schiff, That’s, aren’t, ”, Schiff, “, “ There’s, Chris Isidore, Unifor, ” Ford, Lana Payne, Clorox, Jordan Valinsky Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Citigroup, Citi, Wells, Reuters, Barclays, C.S, CNBC, Discover, Canadian, Ford, Ford Motor Company, United Auto Workers, General Motors, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler Locations: New York, West Monroe, Canada, Clorox

☆ Australia: Surfing snake lands pet owner in trouble with wildlife officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

She’s just cruising waiting for a wave … for the perfect wave,” he said. “The man was brought to our attention when he appeared in local media taking his python into the surf,” said senior wildlife officer Jonathan McDonald. “Snakes are obviously cold-blooded animals, and while they can swim, reptiles generally avoid water,” he said. The non-venomous species lives almost everywhere in Australia except Tasmania and mostly eats smaller animals such as rats, possums, birds and lizards. Fuiza previously told Nine News he believed Shiva enjoyed the water, saying she never hissed while surfing – something she does when annoyed.

Persons: Higor Fiuza, Shiva, Fiuza, “, ”, Jonathan McDonald, Fuiza Organizations: CNN, Nine, Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science, Nine News Locations: Queensland, Australia, Tasmania

BOSTON (AP) — When it comes to hurricanes, New England can't compete with Florida or the Caribbean. Lee remained a Category 1 hurricane late Friday night with sustained winds of 80 mph (128 kph). One recent study found climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach more often into mid-latitude regions, which include New York, Boston and even Beijing. While hurricanes and tropical storms are uncommon in New England, the region has been seen its share of violent weather events. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts’ Blue Hill Observatory.

Persons: Lee, ”, Joshua Studholme, they’re, Andra Garner, Garner, Kerry Emanuel, Emanuel, “, ” Garner, Hurricanes Carol, Edna, Hurricane Bob, Superstorm Sandy, Storm Irene, Michael Casey Organizations: BOSTON, Yale University, U.S ., Rowan University, New, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hurricanes, Hurricane, AP Locations: New England, Florida, of Maine, England, Canadian, of Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Boston, Beijing, Boston , New York, Norfolk , Virginia, New Englanders, U.S, U.S . East Coast, New Jersey, New York City, Gulf, Atlantic City , New Jersey, Vermont

But scientists said Friday that the arrival of storms like Hurricane Lee this weekend could become more common in the region as the planet warms, including in places such as the Gulf of Maine. One recent study found climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach more often into mid-latitude regions, which includes New York, Boston and even Beijing. Lee remained a hurricane with 80 mph (128 kph) winds at 2 p.m. EDT Friday as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells, strong winds and rain. While hurricanes and tropical storms are uncommon in New England, the region has been seen its share of violent weather events. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts’ Blue Hill Observatory.

Persons: Lee, Joshua Studholme, they’re, ”, Andra Garner, Kerry Emanuel, Emanuel, “, ” Garner, Hurricanes Carol, Edna, Bob, Superstorm Sandy, Storm Irene, Garner, Michael Casey Organizations: BOSTON, Yale University, U.S ., Rowan University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hurricanes, AP Locations: New England, Florida, of Maine, New York, Boston, Beijing, Boston , New York, Norfolk, Virginia, New Englanders, U.S, U.S . East Coast, New York City, Maine, Gulf, Canada, England, Massachusetts, —, Atlantic City , New Jersey, Vermont

☆ Singapore is the world's 6th Blue Zone — and a look at its urban planning helps explain why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Singapore is the world's sixth Blue Zone, according to Dan Buettner, a journalist who popularized the term. In the Netflix series "Live to 100," Buettner shows how the country is designed to encourage its residents to live healthier. Policies on housing, transportation, and hawker centers come together to create what he calls a "Blue Zone 2.0." The original five Blue Zone regions include Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, as well as Loma Linda in California. "You share tables and you're interacting with the stall user, interacting with the person next to you," Buettner told Fortune.

Persons: Dan Buettner, Buettner, Amanda Goh, Chan Heng Chee, Chan Organizations: Netflix, Service, World Bank, Housing Development Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Transportation, Singapore, Hawker Locations: Singapore, Wall, Silicon, Okinawa, Japan, Ikaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, Nicoya, Costa Rica, California

☆ After Birkenstock's 'Barbie' bump, iconic footwear brand seeks a big part in IPO market
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Natalie Rose Goldberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Footwear companies have found recent success going public market, but not all by any means over the longer-term. In more recent history, the brand has collaborated with Rick Owens, Dior, and Manolo Blahnik, among many other big names in fashion. The current IPO market landscape The IPO market has been all but frozen since the pandemic stock offering boom crashed, and successful IPOs have included iconic brands, such as the Johnson & Johnson spinoff of its consumer health business which includes Tylenol and band-Aids in the Kenvue IPO. Still, while Kenvue was the biggest deal of the year, it's barely holding onto its IPO price today, according to CNBC and Renaissance Capital data, and the IPO market overall hasn't performed great after listing. The two potential paths of a footwear IPO can be tracked by the histories of Crocs and Allbirds.

Persons: Nordstrom, Jeff Greenberg, what's, Johann Adam Birkenstock, Birkenstock, Angelo Bochanis, Oliver Reichert, outsized, Reichert, Konrad Birkenstock, Johann, Karl, Konrad, Margo Fraser, Kim Knott, Kate Moss, Corinne Day, Rick Owens, Dior, Manolo Blahnik, Jeremy Moeller, Barbie, Margot Robbie, Johnson, Kenvue, it's, hasn't, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Bochanis, " Cohen Organizations: Universal, Getty, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Holding, Renaissance, Consumers, British Elle, Brand, CNBC, Columbia Business School, Facebook, Wall, JPMorgan, Company Locations: Merrick, , Miami, Germany, America, California, British, Arizona, It's, U.S

☆ Why Floods Can Turn So Deadly, So Fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A powerful storm hit Libya’s northeast coast on Sunday. Two dams burst upstream from the port city of Derna, causing a torrential flood that has killed more than 5,000 people, according to local officials. The flooding in Derna is a harrowing example of how built infrastructure can collide with the climate and geography to turn a storm into a disaster. “Floods are the most damaging natural hazard when it comes to destruction of property and lives lost,” said Katharine Mach, a professor of environmental science and policy at the University of Miami. But the danger and damage can vary widely, and a whole “recipe” of factors determines a given location’s flood effects, she said.

Persons: ”, Katharine Mach Organizations: University of Miami Locations: Derna

CNN —A famed Russian conductor allowed climate protesters who disrupted a performance at a classical music festival in Switzerland to address the crowd, despite grumbling from some members of the audience. Following their brief intervention the two activists then left the stage, according to a press release from Renovate Switzerland. Renovate Switzerland later thanked Jurowski for his support in a post on X, and festival director Michael Haefliger also released a statement on social media. “We very much regret that yesterday’s concert was unexpectedly interrupted by two climate activists from Renovate Switzerland. Climate protesters are increasingly targeting high-profile events in order to raise awareness of environmental issues.

Persons: Vladimir Jurowski, “, Jurowski, ” Jurowski, ”, Anthony, I’ll, Michael Haefliger, Coco Gauff, Karolína, Gauff, couldn’t “, I’m Organizations: CNN, Bavarian State Opera, Bavarian, Opera Locations: Russian, Switzerland, Lucerne

The roads to the U.S. Open final have been different for Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka won her first five matches without dropping a set. Sabalenka’s 2023 U.S. Open campaign was nearly over when Keys then went up 4-2 in the second set. But Sabalenka fought back, forcing and winning a tiebreaker, then winning the third set also in a tiebreaker. The rest of the second set was close after play resumed, but Gauff went on to win it by 7-5, advancing to the final.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Gauff, Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Keys, ” Sabalenka, Laura Siegemund, Elise Mertens, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Ostapenko, Karolina Muchova, Arthur Ashe, ” Gauff, I’m, ” Organizations: U.S, Madison Locations: Czech Republic

Now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Interior Department should work together to ease the damage, the GAO said. A Customs and Border Protection spokesman said Wednesday that the agency is working on a response to the report. An Interior Department spokeswoman said the agency would have no comment. “The wall saved lives and disrupted the cartel’s ability to improve their operational control of our country’s borders.”Environmental groups said the GAO report confirmed their earlier complaints. They said future repair work could benefit from more involvement by the Interior Department, a lead manager of the federal land where much of the damage occurred.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Raul Grijalva, Grijalva, Trump, Mark Morgan, Morgan, Laiken, Michael Dax, Emily Burns, Joe Biden, Damage Organizations: PHOENIX, Government, Office, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Interior Department, GAO, Customs, U.S, Arizona Democrat, Homeland Security, Forest Service, Border, Heritage Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity, Department of, Wildlands, Sky Islands Alliance, Department of Defense, Kumeyaay Locations: U.S, Mexico, cactuses, Arizona, Texas, Washington, Southwest, California , Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, California, Rio Grande Valley, Arizona's Sonora, Quitobaquito, Rio Grande

☆ The CEO of Spora Health on fighting bias as a startup founder and his inspirations to improve healthcare for people of color
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Dan Miller founded Spora Health in 2019 to deliver better healthcare to people of color. AdvertisementAdvertisementDan Miller founded the startup Spora Health in 2019 to provide better medical care to people of color. Most of Spora's healthcare providers are people of color, and all its clinicians are trained in health equity and cultural competence. How has your experience as a Black patient in the US healthcare system informed what you built at Spora? But I knew there was a lot of demand and interest from Black folks that I would meet in the community.

Persons: Dan Miller, Miller, I'd, He's, Spora, I've, they're, who's, you've Organizations: Spora Health, San Francisco Bay Area, Fortune, Bay Area Locations: San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, America, Bay, New York, Silicon, United States

☆ Vivek Ramaswamy's 'anti-woke' investment firm now manages assets worth more than $1 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is the cofounder of an "anti-woke" ETF firm. The company was set up last year and now manages assets worth more than $1 billion. Ramaswamy's firm is a riposte to the ESG-centric policies of some big investment firms. Last month he said the "big three" investment firms – BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard – represented "arguably the most powerful cartel in human history." Ramaswamy is vying with Florida governor Ron DeSantis for second place in opinion polls, but both lag some distance behind former President Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Eric Balchunas, Anson Frericks, It's, Vanguard –, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, GOP, Bloomberg Intelligence, US Energy ETF, Energy ETF, Bloomberg, – BlackRock, Vanguard, Republican Locations: Wall, Silicon, BlackRock, ESG, Florida

☆ Unreasonable? Israel's Judicial Overhaul Dismays Environmentalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Under the changes passed so far, the government and ministers are now exempt from judicial oversight based on the so-called "reasonableness clause". The prime minister's office and ministries involved in the inquiry said they were not responsible. The 15-judge Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Sept. 12 against this amendment. It was launched before the judicial overhaul and sought a ruling based on the application of the reasonableness clause. The prime minister's office and environmental protection minister's office declined to comment for this article.

Persons: Ari Rabinovitch JERUSALEM, Amit Bracha, Adam Teva V'Din, Benjamin Netanyahu, Barry Levenfeld, Arnon Tadmor Levy, ATD, Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri, Silman, Netanyahu's, Lahav, Ari Rabinovitch, Edmund Blair Organizations: Tel, Israel Union, Environmental Defense, Supreme, Likud Locations: Tel Aviv, Herzliya

Interior Department on Wednesday said it would cancel oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state development agency in the final days of former President Donald Trump's administration. Environmentalists and an Alaska indigenous group praised the move while a Republican Senator from Alaska slammed it. A Republican-passed tax bill in 2017 opened the area to oil and gas leasing and directed Interior to hold two lease sales by December 2024. The oil and gas industry largely failed to embrace the 2021 lease sale, which generated just $14 million in high bids, mostly from AIDEA. “We commend Secretary Haaland for canceling unlawfully issued oil-and-gas leases in the Arctic Refuge,” Abigail Dillen, president of environmental group Earthjustice, said in a statement.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Biden, Deb Haaland, AIDEA, “, ” Abigail Dillen, Dan Sullivan, Interior's, Jarrett Renshaw, Nichola Groom, Chizu Nomiyama, David Gregorio, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Library, Fish, REUTERS, Conocophillips, U.S . Interior Department, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Wildlife, Democrat, National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska Natives, Trump, ConocoPhillips, United Nations, ALASKA Trump's Interior Department, Republican, Biden, Thomson Locations: Beaufort, Wildlife Service Alaska, U.S, Alaska, United States, ALASKA Trump's, ANWR, Washington, Los Angeles

Utah state officials didn't immediately return a request for comment Wednesday. Spencer Cox earlier this year created a position and chose the first-ever commissioner of the Great Salt Lake in an effort to find solutions. The risks of a diminished Great Salt Lake aren't merely beached sailboats and wider beaches. It threatens species extinction and toxic dust clouds ballooning over nearby communities, the lawsuit says. Already, a pelican colony on a Great Salt Lake island has floundered after their island became a peninsula, letting in coyotes, Seed said.

Persons: ”, Brian Moench, didn't, Spencer Cox, Moench, “, Stu Gillespie, Gillespie, ____ Jesse Bedayn Organizations: Utah's Republican, Utah Rivers Council, Utah Physicians, Environment, Republican Gov, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Utah, Mississippi, Environment . Utah, Salt, Earthjustice, Chile, Alaska, North America

☆ The Great Salt Lake has lost half its water, and a new lawsuit says it's Utah state lawmakers' fault
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jesse Bedayn | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Great Salt Lake has shrunk in half since 1847 due to freshwater demand and climate change. Spencer Cox earlier this year created a position and chose the first-ever commissioner of the Great Salt Lake in an effort to find solutions. AP Photo/Rick BowmerThe risks of a diminished Great Salt Lake aren't merely beached sailboats and wider beaches. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs the lake shrinks, it becomes saltierThe sun sets on the Great Salt Lake on June 15, 2023, near Magna, Utah. AdvertisementAdvertisementAlready, a pelican colony on a Great Salt Lake island has floundered after their island became a peninsula, letting in coyotes, Seed said.

Persons: Brian Moench, didn't, Rick Bowmer, Spencer Cox, Moench, Rick Bowmer Stu Gillespie, Gillespie, ____ Jesse Bedayn Organizations: Service, Utah's Republican, Utah Rivers Council, Utah Physicians, Environment, AP, Republican Gov, Chemicals, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Utah, Mississippi, Salt Lake, Magna , Utah, Salt, Marina, Lake, Earthjustice, Chile, Alaska, North America

☆ The US and Chinese air forces are rethinking whether it's possible to control the air
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US and Chinese air forces are both thinking about how they'd try to control the air in a war. "It will be a struggle back and forth for air superiority," added Hinote, whose last position was as the Air Force's chief futurist. The most comprehensive is air supremacy, which the US Air Force defines as when "the opposing force is incapable of effective interference within the operational area using air and missile threats." The next level is air superiority, which the Air Force defines as "control of the air by one force that permits the conduct of its operations at a given time and place without prohibitive interference from air and missile threats." AdvertisementAdvertisementUS Army Air Force B-17s bomb an aircraft factory in eastern Germany during World War II.

Persons: they'd, Clinton Hinote, Carlin Leslie, Giulio Douhet, Douhet, Zhou Guoqiang, Derek Solen, Solen, Yu Hongchun, Hinote, haven't, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Aviation, Air, Air Force KC, Atlantic, Staff, American, Air Force, North, Army Air Force, Getty, Zhuhai Air Show Center, China's Air Force Command, military's, PLA, US Air, China Aerospace Studies, Jamestown Foundation, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Normandy, Vietnam, Germany, Japan, North Vietnam, Ukraine, Soviet, Taiwan, Guangdong, Xinhua, America, Forbes

Demand for carbon credits is on track to fall in 2023, according to two of the top data providers. Nestle, which has also not disclosed its spending on offsets, said it would stop using carbon offsets and was seeking other routes to net zero. Until this year, the voluntary carbon market had grown as more companies came under shareholder pressure to adopt net zero policies. SECOND THOUGHTSFor the carbon markets, another issue is that regulators and carbon market advisory bodies are limiting the scope of their use by companies. "You need to reduce emissions and that's how you will be judged in the market when you're disclosing your carbon emissions."

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz, Gucci, Renat Heuberger, Stephen Donofrio, certifier Verra, EasyJet, Jane Ashton, Ashton, Naomi Swickard, Verra, Zimbabwe's, Steve Wentzel, Wentzel, Kristian Rönn, Rob Hayward, Susanna Twidale, Sarah McFarlane, Barbara Lewis Organizations: New England Forestry Foundation, REUTERS, Nestle, Reuters, Marketplace, Shell, Boston Consulting, Offset, GEO, Verra, Carbon, Investments, United Nations, Voluntary, Initiative, EU, KLM, Companies, Thomson Locations: Hersey, New Hampton , New Hampshire, U.S, Kenya, Pole, Stockholm, Ghana

☆ Rich, poor countries split over costs of pandemic prevention
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/StringerSince early in the COVID-19 pandemic, global health officials have sought to create a “pandemic treaty” to better prepare for future outbreaks. The governing body of the World Health Organization, or WHO, chose delegates from each of its six administrative regions worldwide to lead the negotiations. Ahead of next week’s meeting, according to officials interviewed by Reuters, the biggest sticking point remains financing for poor countries. The United States and the European Union have both said they support the inclusion of “One Health” provisions in a pandemic treaty. But as a far-reaching and sometimes abstract concept, “One Health” measures could be costly to put into practice.

Persons: ”, Chadia Wannous, zoonotic spillover, Bruno Kelly, Stringer, Lawrence Gostin, ” Gostin, –, Maria Van Kerkhove, “, Deborah J, Nelson, Ryan McNeill, Helen Reid, Sam Hart, Simon Newman, Edgar Su, Paulo Prada, Janet Roberts, Feilding Organizations: LONDON Health, World Health Organization, Organisation for Animal Health, Reuters, REUTERS, WHO, European Union, Center, National, Global Health Law, “, Pacific, Brazilian, South Locations: Geneva, France, United States, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Americas, Southeast Asia, Brazil

☆ Marijuana users have more heavy metals in their bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Users of marijuana had statistically higher levels of lead and cadmium in their blood and urine than people who do not use weed, a new study found. Marijuana users also had 22% higher cadmium levels in their blood than non-users, and 18% higher levels in their urine, Sanchez said. “Our study wasn’t able to tease apart whether or not self-reported cannabis users were using medical or recreational cannabis, so we can’t say definitively if medical cannabis users specifically had higher metal levels,” she said. Heavy metals aren’t just in marijuana — tobacco smokers are exposed to even more types of toxins. While that’s good news for the environment, it’s worrisome for marijuana users.

Persons: ”, Tiffany Sanchez, Sanchez, Beth Cohen, ” Sanchez, can’t, Dr, Leonardo Trasande, NYU Langone, I’m Organizations: CNN, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, US Environmental Protection Agency . Marijuana, University of California, Environmental, National Health, Cleveland Clinic, NYU, US Department of Agriculture, District of Columbia Locations: New York City, San Francisco, Italy

☆ Racist housing practices left Minneapolis with an extreme heat problem. Now, the city is rushing to reverse the lasting effects of environmental racism.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Dearbea Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The city hopes to rectify its history of environmental racism with a new Climate Equity Plan. It was also the only place Black people were allowed to purchase housing in the city. For all these reasons, previously redlined neighborhoods suffer from extreme heat. After years of outcry from activists, the city council submitted a new draft of a 10-year plan, titled the Minneapolis Climate Equity Plan, soliciting public comments. Earlier this year, Portland passed its 43-Step Climate Action Plan, which has similar objectives to the Minneapolis plan.

Persons: redlining, George Floyd, Kerem Yucel, CAPA, Tee McClenty, John Vachon, Franklin D, Anthony Potter, there's, Ulla Nilsen, it's, Darlene Pfister, Nilsen, Jacob Frey, MN350, " Nilsen, Jerry Holt, McClenty Organizations: Minneapolis, Equity, Service, George Floyd Memorial, Getty, Loan Corporation, District, Roosevelt's, City Hall, Star Tribune, Minneapolis Climate Equity Locations: Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kerem, AFP, homeownership, Negro, Portland , Oregon, Portland

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