Thursday, April 20, 2023

April 20

 We had quite a light show yesterday evening as thunderstorms rolled through.

Robert Reich writes about "retirement"--specifically his from teaching full time and more generally. I can sympathize from a slightly different viewpoint. I spent my working life trying to find the work I wouldn't want to retire from and never really found it. Now that I am retired I can do what I really like to do. I do my needlework when I really want to do it and read what I really want to read--a mystery today, history tomorrow etc. I am a lot happier.

India is about to overtake China in population. China posted its first drop in population since records have been kept and the first drop in birth rate. India is still growing and is younger. Another report claimed that the world population had a 50% chance of reaching almost 10 billion by 2050.

The Hill reports that more than 60 million Americans live in states where they will be exposed to spikes in particulate pollution.

Taiwan where industry vies with agriculture for water. After two scant typhoon seasons the reservoirs are at a fraction of their once normal capacity.

More on air pollution as the annual Mongolian sandstorms spread yellow dust on China, the Koreas, and Japan. Wild fires in Thailand are causing more pollution there. People in Beijing wore masks before COVID and are wearing them after COVID.

Le Monde covers another drug shortage story. After shortages of amoxicillin and paracetamol last winter, they say mifepristone is now in short supply. Unlike the U.S., where the fear is that some activists in robes will decide that scientists and doctors can't make decisions on which drugs to approve and patients with their doctors can't be trusted to make the decision of whether to use a drug, the French problem is a supply chain issue.

The Clarion Ledger claims that the major tornado (wind speeds in excess of 200mph) which went through the Mississippi delta flattening Rolling Fork and Silver City, has caused more than $100million in insured damages. The uninsured losses might be higher yet. Luckily we haven't had any Billion dollar events as of April 13. 

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