When where you live decides how long you live — inner city racial minorities are still at disproportionate risk for COVID-19
Healthcare is more than simply what happens at the doctor’s office, clinic or emergency room. In fact, that is only a small part of what determines the health of a patient compared to a wide variety of other factors. Most of these are in some way connected to a single number — zip code, which can often determine air pollution, water quality, sanitation and even access to grocery stores as opposed to fast food chains. This has all taken on an even greater importance in the era of COVID-19, as healthcare is faced with one of the worst pandemics in…
Friendship with apex predators is not a thing. So why do we keep thinking it is?
As we endlessly searched for new material to watch during the shutdown, one show made a splash. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, an American true crime miniseries about the life of Joe Exotic was released on March 20, 2020 and became one of Netflix’s biggest shows to date and has been the subject of intense debate among fans on social media.
My fascination is not with the show (full confession: I have never watched it) but the idea of why humans are so intrigued with dangerous big cats and what might be the source of the feelings that draw…
LED lights are the most similar to natural light — and the worst contributors to light pollution
Ever since Edison and Tesla first clashed over who really invented the light bulb, the goal behind artificial light has been to make it as close to sunlight as possible. It follows that this would be for the better — after all, sunlight is good for you, isn’t it?
As it happens, there is such a thing as too close to the sun as far as light bulbs are concerned and it can have consequences for both your health and the environment. …
Examples of how small businesses cope when the economy has ground to a halt — as work dries up, companies struggle to keep all their employees working and avoid layoffs
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an economic crisis as much as a public health one, rippling out to affect businesses no matter the industry. Local businesses are no exception and owners have had to decide how they will respond. It is heartening how in these uncertain times, small local businesses are taking care of their customers as well as their employees.
This series will examine different businesses in my area and how they’re dealing with the pandemic’s economic fallout. …
Examples of how small businesses cope when the economy has ground to a halt —yet landscaper finds an unexpected silver lining
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an economic crisis as much as a public health one, rippling out to affect businesses no matter the industry. Local businesses are no exception and owners have had to decide how they will respond. It is heartening how in these uncertain times, small local businesses are taking care of their customers as well as their employees.
This series will examine different businesses in my area and how they’re dealing with the pandemic’s economic fallout. …
Examples of how small businesses cope when the economy has ground to a halt — from coffee shop to grocery delivery service
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an economic crisis as much as a public health one, rippling out to affect businesses no matter the industry. Local businesses are no exception and owners have had to decide how they will respond. It is heartening how in these uncertain times, small local businesses are taking care of their customers as well as their employees.
This series will examine different businesses in my area and how they’re dealing with the pandemic’s economic fallout. …
Examples of how small businesses cope when the economy has ground to a halt — Part 1
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an economic crisis as much as a public health one, rippling out to affect businesses no matter the industry. Local businesses are no exception and owners have had to decide how they will respond. It is heartening how in these uncertain times, small local businesses are taking care of their customers as well as their employees.
This series will examine different businesses in my area and how they’re dealing with the pandemic’s economic fallout. …
What can the current crisis teach us about helping our planet on an unusual Earth Day?
It’s almost fitting that for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, there are clear skies and one can see for miles into the distance. From Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Africa’s gateway in and out of East and Central Africa, you can actually see both Mount Kenya and even the tallest mountain on the African continent Mount Kilimanjaro. You can spy the Himalayas from a 100 miles away in New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital city for the second straight year in 2019. Earth orbiting satellites everywhere observe significantly reduced emissions, seismologists are noticing less vibration in the…
We’re all stocking up on toilet paper — how many trees are in each roll?
Coming up to Earth Day on April 22, it may be helpful to examine what we have learned from the last few weeks in lock down due to a pandemic. Can we translate some of these temporary behavior modifications to lasting ones that will save the planet? For instance, can we drive less by making fewer trips to the supermarket? Can we use all the food we buy and can we use less resources? And last but not the least, can we use less of the ultimate single use product, toilet paper?
At the same time that retailers in the…
It seems surreal that a virus could bring life to a virtual standstill in this day and age. Even with modern science and medicine, what is allowing this disease to spread like wildfire?
Anatomy of a pandemic:
No question about it, the virus is alarmingly contagious. While most seasonal flu viruses bind only to the upper respiratory tract, this virus also binds to the lower respiratory tract which makes it far more deadly since it can result in pneumonia. Upper respiratory tract viruses spread easily due to coughs and sneezes but the chances of a patient developing pneumonia are lower. COVID-19 does both — it can be widespread quickly and cause pneumonia.
Most pandemics (labeled either during or after the fact) in history have originated through the “zoonotic” transmission of pathogens from animals…
Veer Mudambi
Magazine reporter with an interest in climate change, sustainability and resiliency. Masters in Media Innovation.
