The American Dream — in Crisis
The Audacious Effort to Reforest the Planet ; Rate of Sepsis Deaths 'Much Higher Than Previously Estimated' ; and More Picks
Inquiry Into London’s Deadly Grenfell Fire Begins Asking Who Was to Blame (Chris)
The author writes, “Witnesses who will give evidence in the phase two public hearings will include representatives from the architects, contractors and sub-contractors who carried out the refurbishment, and from the makers and sellers of the cladding. In a statement … the inquiry’s lead counsel Richard Millett said that out of all the bodies involved in the refurbishment, only the Kensington and Chelsea local authority, which commissioned it, had admitted any failings. In written statements submitted by their lawyers, the companies involved had refused to admit any mistakes or sub-standard work, Millett said, describing their attitude as ‘a merry-go-round of buck-passing.’”
The Audacious Effort to Reforest the Planet (Celia)
The author writes, “Trees are the most efficient carbon-capture machines on the planet. Through photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that traps heat in the environment, and turn it into energy. That energy creates new leaves, longer stems and more mass — locking away carbon.”
Rate of Sepsis Deaths ‘Much Higher Than Previously Estimated’ (Mili)
From Medical News Today: “In many regions, medical professionals lack the resources to prevent and treat sepsis adequately. This results in extensive fatalities, and until now, researchers have not had data reliable enough to assess the global rates of sepsis-related death accurately. This has changed thanks to a new analysis conducted by specialists — many from the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, and the University of Washington, in Seattle. The results of the investigation now appear in the journal The Lancet.”
New and Dangerous Coronaviruses Will Keep Emerging Until We Focus on Preventing Them (Gerry)
The author writes, “If we want to forestall the evolution of ever-newer, and possibly deadlier, human-adapted viruses, live animal markets must be permanently shut down. Until the Chinese government outlaws these markets, until factory farms housing millions of animals are eliminated, until we take the inevitable logic of disease evolution into account, novel, and potentially deadly, human diseases will continue to arise. Again. And again. And again.”
Evangelicals Are Anticipating the End of the World and Trump Is Listening (DonkeyHotey)
From Mother Jones: “Trump has surrounded himself with people who hail from the fringes of the evangelical community that is steeped in the language of biblical prophecy, and his administration regularly reflects that language back to them in its messaging.”
