Weekly News Roundup - October 28th-November 3rd

Climate Change

• “As people who care about climate change become more frustrated at the failure of the administration and Congress to act, they increasingly turn to the courts for relief."
• As temperatures rise, so does the need for AC. Currently, around 10% of global energy use comes from air conditioning. This figure is expected to triple by 2050. Luckily, there is a new low-cost and low-energy cooling system in the works, and so far the results are promising.
• Next week, Washington state will vote on a carbon fee initiative. If passed, fees will start at $15 for each ton of gases produced in fossil-fuel combustion. Other climate related initiatives will be voted on in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado.
• The election of Jair Bolsonaro is expected to make Brazil lose its leadership on the global climate agenda.
• Oceans are soaking up more heat than previously thought. 
• It is easy to get discouraged by the inaction of our government in regards to climate change, but many cities, states, companies, and startups are taking initiative and making progress - with or without the White House. This article chronicles some important startups working to remove carbon from the air, track the locations of emissions, and more. 
• Good news! Spain is closing most of its coalmines by the end of the year. A transition deal for workers which includes early retirement and retraining schemes is part of the deal.

Education

• The OECD released a report titled "Equity in Education: Breaking Down Barriers to Social Mobility". The U.S. has some work to do. For example, 51% of disadvantaged students attend disadvantaged schools and receive significantly worse test scores than disadvantaged students who attend advantaged schools. The U.S. country notes can be found here, while the entire report can be found here. 
• The teachers' protest movement in Arizona has transformed the political battleground, especially in the race for governor: both the Republican and Democrat candidates claim they are the education champion. 
• If we want to improve education, teachers should be asking students "What can I do to help you?". Policymakers should be asking teachers the same thing.

Elderly and Aging

• In a new study, people who said they often felt sleepy during the day were nearly three times more likely to have deposits of beta-amyloid, the protein that clumps in the brain as part of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. 
• Currently, it is difficult to detect Alzheimer's disease before it has progressed, but a new eye scan may be able to detect the disease before symptoms appear. 

Human Rights

• Uganda is an excellent example of how to welcome and integrate refugees. Australia, with its offshore refugee detention centers, is not. 
• Freedom of religion is a basic human right, therefore anti-Semitic acts must be treated as serious violations of international human rights. 
• LGBT campaigners are using FOIAs to uncover the history and detail about who and what lie behind the formation of the Religious Liberty Task Force and anti-transgender policy.
• Meanwhile, a Tanzania governor has vowed to arrest people suspected of being gay.
• Forty years ago, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed, making it illegal to discriminate against pregnant women at work. This article features real photos of pregnant women at work - something we rarely see documented or talked about. 
• The United States and 15 other members of the organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are triggering an investigation into human rights abuses in Chechnya.

Mental Illness

• People can have depression and still appear happy and content on the outside. Learn more about the signs of "walking and smiling" depression here.
• Denmark has seen a gradual increase in mortality rates for people with bipolar disorder.
• Next week, San Francisco will vote on a measure which would expand mental health services, and strengthen the partnerships between doctors, law enforcement, and mental health and homeless service providers. We hope it passes.