Essay: Gradually, and then all at once

This week:

Things feel pretty out of control. Get used to it.

Plus: The Canadian West is burning, Oregon bans PFAS, ChatGPT plugins for everyone, the All We Can Save project is hiring, and more

Here's What You Can Do:

• ⚡️Wildfire smoke exposure is directly linked to myriad health impacts due to poor air quality. Know your daily risk by using this Purple Air outdoor air monitor.
• ⚡️We need to heal ourselves to heal the planet. Find resources and community to help with your climate anxiety through the Climate Mental Health Network.
• ⚡️Act locally. Use ReFED to find current food waste policies and programs you can learn from and implement in your town.
• ⚡️Work in local government? Biobot Analytics provides wastewater testing tools so we can better estimate the number of COVID-19 (and other diseases) infections in the community

News Roundup

Health & Medicine

• These are the cities with most bike deaths per capita (I share news like this to illustrate where we can make drastic improvements)
• Not to be outdone, the South Carolina House passed a six-week abortion ban
• UnitedHealthcare wants doctors to get prior authorization for colonoscopies. People are very pissed off.
• Where American air pollution is improving, and getting worse

Climate

• Our friends at the All We Can Save project are hiring a Programs & Community Manager — details here!
• Could enormous robots dramatically speed up solar farm construction? Sure!
• How can we restore oyster reefs without oyster shells?
• Octopus Energy continues to be a model for…everyone else