What I’m Reading
March 16, 2022
What I’m Reading returns to some topics that have been overshadowed by more current world events. Climate Change is the “defining issue of our lifetime,” as The Guardian admits in the opening statement of their climate pledge initiative from 2019. A recently published report should remind us all that, no matter what else is happening on this planet, we need to confront this crisis.
Another issue we haven’t heard much about lately is Syria. I found a powerful visual story that documents the ongoing conflict for us to see and think about.
Finally, I have a fascinating read on the future of journalism.
Climate Change — Humanity Is Not Ready
Time Is Running Out to Avert a Harrowing Future, Climate Panel Warns is a short piece I found in The New York Times. It’s a piece on the release of a new report on climate change. The writers — Brad Plumer, Raymond Zhong, and Lisa Friedman — bring us a first, quick look at the report and reactions to it.
Furthermore, you’ll learn of the measures the world has agreed on so far and how it falls short.
Lastly, there’s also a look at the difference between rich and poorer countries when it comes to dealing with the impact that the rise in temperatures has on this planet.
The bottom line of the report is that the consequences of climate change set in faster than expected. The authors forecast irreversible damage to the planet; natural disasters will increase and intensify and cause the displacement of millions of people.
I’m glad the article includes a link to the report itself. Despite the fact that scientists around the globe have repeatedly made it clear that the facts are settled and any denial is nothing but dangerous political games, the facts show humanity is not doing enough to counteract the effects we are already experiencing, not to mention what the future holds.
As a reminder, you might want to check the last paragraph for a quote by one of the report’s authors, Edward R. Carr, on the choices we face and how time factors into those.
Connected to the report is a second article I found. The New York Times’s Raymond Zhong lists five takeaways from the new report.
I highly recommend you spend some time with the article. I know a report that is 3,675 pages thick is almost impossible to fit into anyone’s reading list. And even the two summaries the IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) provides, weigh almost 40 or almost 100 pages respectively.
But that’s what journalism is there for, providing you with the most important aspects so you can make sense of the world.
If you head over, you’ll read about how the last 10 years have seen a strong increase in climate catastrophes, that natural disasters will intensify if nothing changes and that humanity is not ready to safely live in such a world. In addition, Zhong writes about our readiness to cope and how poorer regions have even more difficulties waiting.
In one of the next posts, I’ll share stories that show climate change, its consequences, human stories connected to it, and what is being done to slow global warming.
A Bitter But Warm Look At Syria
I thought immediately about Syria when I outlined today’s post on issues that haven’t seen much of the news spotlight lately. I found an important visual story, an emotional record of a war that has had its sorrow grip around the Syrian people for 11 years.
Syria’s Forever War: Forgotten and Ignored is wonderfully photographed and reported by Anas Alkharboutli for ZUMA Press Wire. In 28 pictures, you’ll gain emotional access to life in Syria.
You’ll see and begin to feel the consequences of a war that has displaced half the population of a country and cost almost half a million lives. The pictures show the bitter consequences of war with some graphic pictures, the refugee camps and living conditions, and the human aspect.
The pictures beautifully capture raw emotions. They make you think.
And while seeing the violence, the sorrow, the shattered country, you’ll also notice warmth. People that move ahead with life. There’s a good use of details to move the story along (the pomegranate picture, for example).
Another example that makes you focus on the warmth of life that we can find even in a war-torn country is the picture of the cheering children at a marathon for orphans event.
It’s a sad and heavy story, naturally. Look, for example, at the picture of the two girls searching for scrap metal. In an ideal world, a story like this wasn’t needed.
But the pictures also make clear that we must see them. And the warmer pictures break up the heaviness. Please see for yourself.
The Future of Journalism
For today’s final recommendation, I have a piece on the media industry for you. Nieman Lab’s Predictions for Journalism 2022 offers fascinating predictions from “some of the smartest people in journalism and media” about how journalism is changing.
The brief quotes listed in this piece mention a wide variety of topics. From the difficulties in keeping journalism alive in times of mass information to how the newsroom changes to reflect the changes in society. And from how technology, which has always been a driving force for journalistic changes, from the printing press to the internet, changes the way journalism is done to how journalism can have an impact and be in touch with the communities it wants to serve.
Before I let you go, here’s one quote I love, as an example: “In the face of climate collapse, it’s time for the North to start looking South — and learn from its people and journalists.” — Natalia Viana
With that, I’ll leave you to your readings and hope you’ve found something of value today. I have fresh posts on journalism and photography coming soon. Until then, happy reading and viewing.
