Edition 84: population problems in Asia

(This newsletter was sent to email subscribers on January 6, 2021.)

Happy Wednesday, Below the Folders. While it’s no surprise that 2020 was a tough year, researchers using Twitter data have found that the year’s onslaught of trauma has led to record low happiness levels with more time needed for people to bounce back. Keeping up with the news in such a time can be a burden, and as we start a new year, we’re emphasizing our commitment to news wellness. We look forward to a year full of keeping you informed, expanding your knowledge of the world, and helping make sense of it all together.

POPULATION

South Korea is offering monthly cash payments to boost low birth rates

Mon Jan 4

The population is dropping in South Korea for the first time. Not only is the country quickly aging, but fertility rates have been steadily declining for years. Now that birth rate is the lowest in the world, at just 1.1 children per woman. For reference, the global average is ~2.5.

Increased industrialization and financial growth have also led to:

• A rapidly aging population, with 32% of the population in their 40s and 50s (compared to 20% in the U.S.)
• A trend of delaying or avoiding marriage, often due to time, money, or emotional capacity

Why does this matter?

We’ve heard before how countries (such as China) have been trying to slow down their population growth. But in the case of South Korea, the declining population could affect the country’s economic future. As a result, the government there has been working on new policies to address this issue for the last few years. In 2018, they lowered the maximum work week hours from 68 hours a week to 52 hours.

This past December, they announced a new plan that offers monthly payments for an infant’s first year, includes perks for working parents, and helps cover prenatal costs for pregnant women. The latest efforts could result in about three million won (~$2,700 USD) a month for parents, but critics say even more needs to be done. They claim these payments don’t account for other financial burdens that come with starting or growing a family, such as education and housing.

SOURCES / READ MORE: The Guardian, BBC News, CNN, The Korea Times

URBAN PLANNING

A zoning initiative in Boston would require net-zero emissions for new buildings

Tue Jan 5

Boston is on a mission to be carbon neutral by 2050. One step in that journey is reducing the carbon footprint of its buildings, which are responsible for 70% of the city’s carbon emissions.

To make that happen, the city is implementing its most aggressive strategy yet: Changing the zoning process. Previously, Boston used building codes, which is determined through the state, and therefore wouldn’t allow for stricter codes at a municipality level. Until state-level efforts to adopt stricter building codes become a reality, the city is leaning into the zoning process and requiring all new construction be net zero carbon emissions. This means developers may have to rethink construction and even architecture to optimize for energy efficiency and clean energy procurement.

How much will this zoning initiative change?

These new requirements would apply to projects larger than 50,000 square feet, which is roughly two-thirds of all new buildings. The hope is that the size threshold lowers to include more buildings over time.

SOURCES / READ MORE: Energy News Network, North End Waterfront, WGBH

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Alaska struggles with sex crime investigations despite millions invested

Tue Dec 15

Alaska has the highest rate of sexual assault in the U.S. And even though the state has launched a number of initiatives and dedicated millions into fixing the problem… it’s only amounted to one arrest.

And some of the cases in question date as far back as the 1980s. You see, when a new sex crime is investigated, Alaskan state troopers collect evidence and store it in “rape kits.” But over the past 20 years, many of these kits have sat collecting dust. So, Alaska allocated $1.5 million to test 568 kits and review the results, ultimately resulting in one new criminal charge.

Why weren’t more arrests made?

Well, a few different reasons.

• In some cases, the suspect was already known, so DNA instead made the investigation question consent
• In others, rape kits didn’t have usable suspect DNA
• Other times, the victim or the suspect had died
• And, sometimes, victims simply didn’t want to pursue criminal trials after so much time had passed

Now, as funding runs out, an extra $2.75 million will be devoted to test thousands of additional rape kits for DNA evidence. And this problem isn’t unique to Alaska, either. Overall, the federal government has spent over $223 million on the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative program over the past six years, testing around 71,000 kits and yielding 1,521 new criminal charges.

• In Wisconsin, testing more than 4,000 kits led to just four convictions.
• In Washington, testing roughly 5,000 kits led to an estimated two convictions, though three cases are awaiting trials.

SOURCES / READ MORE: ProPublica, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Public Media

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