2/12/21 Recommended Issues: Climate, Trans Youth Sports, Problems

Good day!

Each week we handpick newsletter issues by independent writers you may have missed that provide new or unique perspectives. 

If you read last week's and would like to subscribe or leave a review of any of the highlighted newsletters, you can do that here: Wordloaf, Riyadh Bureau, and Exponential View. The narrowSCALE community really appreciates it!

Also, if someone forwarded you this and you'd like to subscribe, you can do that here -- thanks!)

Here's what's worth reading this week...enjoy!

UNFAIRNESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon removal is how we make climate change fair in Noahpinion by Noah Smith on Feb 8

If you’re a climate change expert, skip this one…but, for anyone whose general knowledge of carbon emissions is along the lines of “yep, they’re bad”, this issue will help bring you up to speed on historical emissions, current trends in emissions, why so much of the carbon reduction burden is falling on developing countries (hence the “unfairness”), and how wealthy countries (who produce less *now*) could help reduce that burden. The data and argument are clearly articulated and easy to follow-- and it’s worth a read to better understand the global carbon emissions history, challenges, and pathways forward. (1119 words; 4 minutes) Read it… 

TRANS YOUTH SPORTS

Putting trans participation in youth sports in perspective in Power Plays by Lindsay Gibbs on Feb 8

This issue was an eye-opening read about transgender youth-- most specifically, their mental health challenges and the positive impact of joining a sports team. Lindsay does a fantastic job of distilling a recent report from the Center for American Progress on this topic into digestible chunks of data and she also explains the research on whether transgendered participation in sports negatively affects cisgender participation (spoiler alert -- and perhaps surprisingly?-- it does not). You’ll walk away much better informed and perhaps (depending on your prior beliefs or knowledge) even with some different perspectives. (2304 words; 8.5 minutes). Read it...

DON’T MAKE YOUR PROBLEMS WORSE

Don't Let 1 Problem Become 3 in The Daily Coach by George Raveling and Michael Lombardi on Feb 8

This issue reminds us that if you let problems from one part of life flow into other parts, more problems get created. It’s a bit obvious, and most of us know it, even if we don’t practice its prevention all that well. But, the reason this issue is highlighted is that the example -- the real life story from Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban-- is just so perfect and so vivid that it’ll be nearly impossible to forget. You’ll find yourself wanting to tell it again to someone else and in doing so, hopefully also remembering to try even harder not to create trickle down troubles for yourself... (340 words; 1.25 minutes) It’s super short; read it...


Some facts for the week:

• There's an AI Incident Database (similar to the FAA's  airplane accident database) which is cataloging "incidents" -- and is meant to help "future researchers and developers avoid repeated bad outcomes". (It's starting out with 93.) Seems like a smart plan... (Dynamically Typed 1/31)
   
• The US, by far, has the most CUMULATIVE (1751-2017) carbon dioxide emissions of any country at 25% - ugh. Asia as a whole only recently caught up with North America; they're tied at 29%. (Noahpinion 2/8)

• "Elon Musk is offering $100 million to be divided between up to three inventors who can create the cheapest possible carbon removal technology" (Noahpinion 2/8)

• Microsoft has been granted a patent that would allow the company to make a chatbot using the personal information of deceased people... hrmm... chatting with your deceased granny over a medium she never used seems a bit creepy… (futuribile / curating futures 2/4)

• It's a bit surprising that major newspapers/magazines (like NYT) sometimes talk about research results as if it applies to all genders, even though the specific research had only been conducted on men... my takeaway: double check who was actually studied if the article doesn't mention it. (Invisible Women 2/1)

• Over half of the new cars bought in Norway (54% to be exact) are electric. (Yes, the superbowl ad may have mentioned they were beating the US, but this newsletter has an actual chart of sales :)) (Heated 2/8)

I hope you learned something interesting!

And if you're looking for any specific newsletters to read, feel free to email me or explore narrowSCALE.

Also, if you're not subscribed to THIS newsletter yet, please subscribe here :)!

Best,
~Jessica