Fossil fuel combustion endangers children's health in two significant ways: A scientist reviews the evidence
Children are vulnerable to toxic air pollution and the stressors of climate change
Writing in a commentary in Environmental Health Perspectives, Frederica Perera, director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH), identifies fossil fuel combustion and associated air pollution and carbon dioxide (CO2) as the root cause of much of the ill health of children today. Because of their inherent biological vulnerability, children now bear a disproportionate burden of disease from both pollution and climate change.
"The single most important action we can take for our children and their future is to cure our addiction to fossil fuel," said Perera, a professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School.
Policy of Undeclared War Against Russia
Washington’s NATO buildup on Russia’s borders, its refusal to cooperate with Moscow in Syria and Ukraine, and its anti-Putin propaganda form an ominous pattern. Does the recent escalation of anti-Russian behavior by Washington, from its growing NATO military buildup on Russia’s western borders and refusal to cooperate with Moscow against the Islamic State in Syria to the Obama administration’s refusal to compel its government in Kiev to implement a negotiated settlement of the Ukrainian civil war, reflect an undeclared US war against Russia already underway? Given that many US allies are unhappy with these developments, has Washington gone “rogue”? And does the recent spate of warfare media “information” reflect these new realities?
Putin: International Situation Today Like at Start of World War II
Russia will take adequate measures to counter NATO's increasingly “aggressive rhetoric," President Vladimir Putin told MPs at the closing session of the State Duma. He called to create an international security system open to all countries. It’s necessary to create a collective security system void of "bloc-like thinking" and open to all countries
Scottish leader threatens to veto Brexit
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says her government may use legal means to block Britain's exit from the EU
Yes Minister — Why Britain Joined the European Union
Weekend Reading: Central Banks Save The World
You have to admit it is really quite amazing. Two weeks ago, Central Bankers and leading politicians were exclaiming that if Britain left the E.U. it would be a catastrophic economic event on the magnitude of a “Lehman” moment. However, despite all of the “hand-wringing,” if you had been asleep over the last month, as shown in the chart below, you wouldn’t know something had happened.
Of course, it was the “rapid response” team of the Federal Reserve, Bank of England and ECB that provided “bulls”the fuel to push asset prices back to recent levels as I discussed last weekend.
For now, Central Banks have seemingly accomplished the rescue of the entire global financial system by one again lofting asset prices higher. The problem, however, remains the underlying fundamental issues of weak earnings, slowing economic growth and a collapsing Chinese economy.
There is a point, unknown to anyone currently, where the failure of monetary policy will occur. The resulting impact will likely be one of the worst financial disasters in human and financial history. But that is a topic for later.
For now, here is your reading list for the weekend.
