Negative stories:

• There may be a link between air pollution and diabetes. Air pollution has gotten really bad in China.
• One estimate says that climate change may reduce global economic growth by 3% in 2050 and 7-8% by 2100. Climate change may also double the frequency of El Nino. The DICE model is available to look at climate-economy linkages. Dennis Meadows and Jorgen Randers describe what a coming long, slow decline might look like. Rising temperatures in the Arctic are drying things out, leading to more fires, which burns more carbon, which raises temperatures, in an accelerating feedback loop.
• Middle East Repiratory Syndrome hit South Korea.
• According to Paul Romer, academic economics has lost its way and is bogged down in “mathiness”. This was my #1 all time most popular post!
• A new book says there are serious doubts about whether we can meet long term food demand.
• There really aren’t many healthy, sustainable seafood choices left out there.
• Some think there is a significant risk of a China-U.S. war.
• The extinction rate is now estimated to be 100 to 1000 times background. Maybe the species that is causing it is not 100% immune from it.

Positive stories:

• Robots have evolved to the equivalent of a 2 year old human, in logic at least, if not in the appreciation of fart humor. But they still can’t consistently stand up and perform simple tasks like opening a door.
• Green roofs seem to be effective at reducing flooding.
• Can’t decide between bushes and trees? Plant both! They can be friends. And give them some compost.
• There is a large body of research on how innovation spreads in networks.
• Stock values of U.S. coal companies have collapsed.
• A journal article says we have a shot at meeting long term food demand.
• Technology is challenging entrenched car-dependent development patterns. This trend is so obvious that even the New York Times has noticed.
• Cradle to Cradle. Read it. One of the greatest books ever.