Edition 35: This little piggy went to the market

(This newsletter was sent to email subscribers on July 17, 2020.)

Happy Friday, muggles. Apparently, there’s a whole world out there that only hummingbirds can see. Scientists found these birds can see ultraviolet light in colors us muggles could only imagine. Luckily, you won’t need bird-like vision to uncover these important stories you might’ve missed.

CLIMATE

The U.S. is under a deadly heat dome

Fri Jul 10

Feeling hotter than usual lately? You’re not alone. 80% of the U.S. could be experiencing temperatures above 90 degrees for the next few weeks due to a “heat dome.”

What’s a heat dome?

It’s a relatively new term (coined in 2016) used to describe the extreme heat and humidity caused by hot ocean air getting trapped over an area by other air currents — also the same conditions that bring us extremely cold temperatures in the winter.

Why is this one so deadly?

It’s a combination of a lot of things:

• Extreme heat itself is deadly
• There are no monsoons forecasted to bring major rain, despite being common this time of year
• The coronavirus pandemic is fueling the issue as…
• Cooling centers are closed and out of business
• Pools, malls, and other places with air conditioning are likely also closed or have restricted access
• Loss of jobs for millions means people might not be able to pay for air conditioning/utility bills
• Loss of jobs also means more people might be without a home entirely
• Low-income neighborhoods are known to be hotter than high-income ones

What can we do to stay cool without using too much electricity?

There are a bunch of tips and tricks online to try to beat the heat.

• The Takeout is featuring recipes for “Turn Off The Oven Week”
• Lifehack shared “15 Ways to Reduce Heat Inside Your Home Without Using Electricity”

SOURCES: Wired, Smithsonian Magazine, Washington Post, Grist

WORLD HISTORY

25 years since Srebrenica genocide killed thousands

Sat Jul 11

In 1995 about 8,000 Muslims men and boys were massacred in Srebrenica, Bosnia. The mass killings are recognized as the only European genocide since World War Two.

This year, on the 25th anniversary of the massacre, nine newly identified victims were buried with 6,643 other victims.

What led to the killings?

The genocide took place took during the Bosnian war, which began in 1992 and was an ethnic war between Serbs and Muslim Bosniaks and Croats that ultimately killed about 100,000 people. Muslims caught up in the war fled to Eastern towns, including Srebrenica that were designated as “safe zones” by the United Nations. But on July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces stormed Srebrenica, sent women and children away, and then captured and killed the men and boys.

SOURCES: Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC

AGRICULTURE

Bill aims to phase out factory farms by 2040

Wed Jul 8

The Farm System Reform Act, co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, is bringing together farmers and animal rights activists against big factory farms.

The bill would:

• Aid farmers running factory farms with the transition into other agriculture operations
• Halt construction of new confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and phase out large CAFOs by 2040
• Hold agriculture conglomerates responsible for pollution, accidents, and disasters
• Strengthen the current Packers and Stockyards Act to protect smaller farmers through a range of contracts and structures

Why are smaller farmers and animal rights activists on the same side?

Because they have the same enemy: big farms. The agriculture industry is controlled by a few megaproducers, and the smaller family farms are forced to play by their rules, prices, etc.

Previously on Below the Fold: We covered a new study linking cattle farms to E.coli outbreaks. We also talked about how Bayer controls farmers’ crop pipeline by supplying not just the herbicides, but the seeds needed to work with the herbicides. It’s led to a lack of diversified crops and also loss of crops for farmers who haven’t bought in, which has also led to some fights.

SOURCES: Vox, Newsweek, One Green Planet, Senate.gov

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That’s all for today. Have a magical weekend.✨