An Impossible Burger with fries.
An Impossible Burger with fries. (Image: Flickr/Sarah Stierch)

IT’S ALL GOING REALLY WELL PART ∞

How different parts of the United States have heated in recent decades — and what it’s done to local industries. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in wealthy countries the coverage of climate change is quite different to how it is covered in poorer countries. The rapid melting of Greenland isn’t getting the attention it needs — but handily, here’s a guide to all the vital infrastructure that will be flooded in the United States as sea levels continue to rise.

Greenland ice sheet. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

We’re not going to get global emissions down unless we make major changes to land use, given it accounts for nearly a third of emissions. Or here’s another approach: fire the scientists who reveal unwanted environmental news. And how should we treat former climate deniers? They shouldn’t be permitted to escape accountability, The New Republic argues.

CULTURE AND RELATED CONCERNS

Jürgen Habermas is 90 and still making a major contribution to philosophy. The LA Review of Books has devoted a number of articles to understanding his work and placing it in perspective over the last 70 years. Speaking of influential thinkers, a new account of the life of Charlemagne identifies how deeply weird both the early Middle Ages and the man himself are to modern sensibilities.

Nashville versus Jaws: arriving in the wake of Watergate, two major films reflected the fractured state of mid-’70s America. Cher Tan’s splendid essay on cultural homogeneity and the feedback machines of content production. And the origins of alt-right online culture lie in Japan’s netizens.

CAPITALISM IN ACTION

Did someone say disruption?! Uber is losing a truly staggering amount of money. In other transport news, Austria is trying to cut down on truck traffic. Problem is, the EU…

Brenner Pass, Austria.
Brenner Pass, Austria. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Want a wealth tax targeting the super-rich? Go for closing loopholes and strengthening estate taxes, says the American Enterprise Institute (weird how the Americans are relaxed about so-called “death taxes” when we can only talk about them in the most hysterical terms).

For decades, the music industry has demanded that courts take an aggressive and open-ended approach to enforcing copyright. Now courts are doing it, and the music industry is outraged.

Need help sacking people? Now you can learn how to do it virtually!

A detailed look at how terrorists have learnt to use Bitcoin to fund their attacks. And speaking of technological advancements, artificial meat is going to end real meat because the meat industry sets such appallingly low consumer standards for its own environmentally disastrous product. But meat is so profoundly damaging to the planet that even giving up just half will make a major difference.

‘FOREVER WAR’ TO LAST *CHECKS WATCH* FOREVER

Even as peace talks continue with the Taliban, the US is training up what look a lot like death squads to stay behind them in Afghanistan. And so they should, argues Andrew McCarthy of National Review, lamenting America’s lack of will for a proper effort to defeat the Taliban that will lead to a US surrender. Meanwhile, in Flying Heap of Crap Watch, the F-35 isn’t just terrible for defence budgets but seriously damaging to live near if you’re unfortunate enough to have one based nearby.

The National Interest generously allows that it might not just be Pakistan that is at fault in Kashmir. For another border conflict, however, sorrow and memory are all that are available now: Liel Leibovitz prays mincha at Wounded Knee.

IT’S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN ETC

London Review of Books contributors reflect on how bad things are going to get in the UK (Tory grandee Ferdinand Mount’s savaging of Boris Johnson is a particular highlight).

Oh, you’re surprised Jeffrey Epstein killed himself? Suicide is at epidemic levels in the US correctional “system”. More bad news in the US: a law intended to encourage lending to minority home buyers instead is helping gentrification that drives out minorities, according to The Washington Post.

The most recent nuclear accident in Russia reflects a new and deeply foolish nuclear arms race (also, don’t understand how a nuclear-powered cruise missile actually might work, or why it’s such an awful idea? Wikipedia can help). Plus, the myths and lies of reconstruction in Syria.

FINALLY

An art exhibition about dogs, expertly curated by dogs. Bonus related canine art content: dogs pretending to be statues!