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Devastating Drought in Amazon Result of Climate Crisis, Study Finds (Maria)
The author writes, “The climate crisis turned the drought that struck the Amazon rainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study has found. … The climate crisis is supercharging extreme weather across the planet, but the extreme Amazon drought is a stark and worrying example because the rainforest is already thought to be close to a tipping point into a drier state. This would result in a mass die-off of trees in the world’s most important store of carbon on land, releasing large amounts of CO2 and driving global temperatures even higher.”
A Group of Trolling Gen-Z Voters Is Buying Up GOP Domains (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “A liberal Gen-Z-led group has purchased a handful of domain names related to the top Republican primary candidates in an effort to extinguish support from young voters. … Voters for Tomorrow has bought up new domain names — GenZforTrump.org and GenZforHaley.org — in an effort to sway young voters in battleground states from backing Republicans in the 2024 election. The websites will redirect to another site, GenZvsFarRight.org, which the group says will outline how ‘out-of-touch’ the GOP’s platform is with the needs of young voters.”
Florida’s Tax System Most Unfair on Poor in US, Study Shows (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The Florida tax system is the most unfair on the poor in the entire country, according to a new study, with the lowest-income 20 percent in the state paying much more of their income in taxes than the wealthiest 1 percent. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C., released its latest report analyzing tax distribution in all 50 states. It ranked Florida as the most regressive tax system in the United States, with low-income families paying nearly five times as much as the wealthy in taxes.”
New York City Sea Levels Could Rise a Foot in Next Decade (Sean)
The author writes, “New York City sea levels could rise more than a foot by the 2030s, according to projections presented by a city climate panel. The nation’s largest city will see as much as 10 percent more precipitation and temperature increases of 2 degrees to 4.7 degrees, the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) said at a presentation at the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast. … On the other end of the spectrum, he said, higher temperatures also could mean an increased risk of drought due to faster rates of evaporation.”
US Buildings Kill Up to a Billion Birds a Year. These Architects Want to Save Them (Laura)
From The Guardian: “Chicago’s 82-story Aqua Tower appears to flutter with the wind. Its unusual, undulating facade has made it one of the most unique features of Chicago’s skyline, distinct from the many right-angled glass towers that surround it. In designing it, the architect Jeanne Gang thought not only about how humans would see it, dancing against the sky, but also how it would look to the birds who fly past. The irregularity of the building’s face allows birds to see it more clearly and avoid fatal collisions. ‘It’s kind of designed to work for both humans and birds,’ she said.”
Sperm Donor Makes Shocking Discovery: ‘I’m the Biological Father of 97 Kids’ — and Likely More (Dana)
From People: “Back in 2020, just minutes into his new job at a software engineering firm in Atlanta, Dylan Stone-Miller read a direct message on Instagram that left him stunned. A woman who had conceived a daughter with the sperm he first donated to a sperm bank nine years earlier while attending college had managed to track him down — and wanted to thank him. … Stone-Miller began hearing from dozens of parents — all of whom welcomed children with his sperm. Using his donor number, they had found their way to one another online and formed a Facebook group to stay in touch. At last count Stone-Miller estimates that he has at least 97 biological children in six countries — but says the true number could be more than 250. The revelation altered the trajectory of his life and eventually inspired him to become a passionate advocate for donors and families.”
