South Africa’s Carbon Tax Set to Go Into Effect Next Week
EU Voter Disenfranchisement Alleged ; USC Engineers Create Insect-Sized Drone ; and More Picks
Were EU Citizens Denied a Vote in the European Elections? (Julian)
Anger is growing amid claims that up to one million Europeans living in the UK, as well as British citizens residing the EU countries, were denied a vote in last week’s elections for the European Parliament, skewing the result. The poll once again saw the UK evenly split between those demanding an exit from the European Union and those committed to remaining. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to sue the government over the alleged disenfranchisement.
The US Must Counter the Spreading Threat of Surveillance Technology (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “It should begin with denouncing China’s repressive treatment of 1 million Muslim-minority Uighurs.”
ABC News Spent More Time on Royal Baby in One Week Than on Climate Crisis in One Year (Chris)
From Media Matters: “Imagine if mainstream media covered climate change with anything near the fervor of a royal wedding or a royal birth. Weeks of high-pitched pieces anticipating the release of new climate action plans. Minute-by-minute coverage dissecting every aspect of new scientific reports. Splashy, in-depth profiles of the people leading new climate movements. Homepages and front pages dominated by the climate crisis and climate solutions, day after day. If we can imagine it, can we make it happen?”
San Francisco Looks at Banning Right Turns on Red (Chris)
The author writes, “Fourteen people have died on San Francisco streets this year and ‘more than the lion’s share were pedestrian deaths,’ said Amanda Eaken, a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board member. At a meeting of the SFMTA Board this week, Eaken asked the board to think about whether it’s safe to allow drivers in the city to make right turns against red lights. She brought up the issue in light of the city’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by 2024.”
Tiny Spies: This Insect-Like Flying Robot Is Smaller Than a Penny (Mili)
From Futurism: “A team of engineers from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles built a four-winged flying robot called Bee+, which weighs just 95 grams.”
