The report, which the World Economic Forum is issuing a week ahead of its virtual Davos Agenda gathering, notes that environmental issues, such as extreme weather and natural resources crises, will continue to pose significant challenges to business and society in the short and long term. … [Read more...] about Climate change, the digital divide, infectious disease, and unemployment are the top global risks
Coronavirus crisis
You can’t use bleach to sterilize the White House. Here’s what experts recommend instead
The challenge goes beyond mere mask-wearing. It’s a challenge of staff management and carefully coordinated quarantining, which would have needed to have started weeks ago. Especially given the heightened security details in D.C. following the insurrection at the Capitol, it seems unlikely that White House staff will be able to social distance from thousands of additional troops, just as a more virulent strain is taking over the U.S. The good news, at least, is that Joe Biden has already received his second vaccination shot, and Kamala Harris has received her first. … [Read more...] about You can’t use bleach to sterilize the White House. Here’s what experts recommend instead
In the face of divisive politics, paid family leave should remain a bipartisan priority
But a state-based patchwork isn’t a plan. Each state’s rules vary in inclusivity. Some parts of the workforce, such as those working in executive roles at large companies benefit from corporate leave policies, whereas low wage working people and communities of color statistically find themselves working in sectors such as healthcare, education, and retail—the jobs we have learned to call “essential”—do not. Your zip code or your job type shouldn’t determine whether you can provide appropriate care for a loved one recovering from COVID or to a newborn child. … [Read more...] about In the face of divisive politics, paid family leave should remain a bipartisan priority
This startup is going to put one of the world’s largest sustainable greenhouses in coal country
The greenhouse can also meet supply better than urban farming, he argues. “I’m a huge fan of hyperlocal, urban farming,” he says. “But the reality is the average American meal travels 1,500 miles by the time it gets to our plate. And we’re not going to go from 1,500 miles to a mile. It’s just unrealistic–you will not feed America that way.” To begin to replace produce imports from Mexico–4 billion pounds in 2018–he thinks production has to happen at a larger scale. … [Read more...] about This startup is going to put one of the world’s largest sustainable greenhouses in coal country
Three shockingly obvious ways to make flying less miserable
We would expect to see anxiety levels rising during COVID-19, but in fact we first made this observation before the pandemic. Passengers reported that they experience anxiety about getting to the airport on time. They’re anxious about spending time in close proximity with strangers, TSA staff, and the airline crew. There’s anxiety about suitcases being over the weight limit, and about properly emptying their pockets before going through the TSA line. Even after clearing Security, there’s anxiety about boarding the flight and whether there will be room for a carry-on. COVID-19 compounds all these worries, as passengers shuffle through a seemingly motionless queue, struggling to keep a proper social distance. … [Read more...] about Three shockingly obvious ways to make flying less miserable
