Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Alcohol pricing
A new report on the effects of setting a minimum price for alcohol in Scotland in 2018 suggests that the heaviest drinkers didn’t cut their alcohol intake and the poorest of them reduced their spending on food and heating to pay for the higher drink prices. Other studies have found more positive effects, but after alcohol-related deaths rose during the pandemic, the Scottish government is coming under pressure to rethink its approach.
#JordanToo
A physics professor at one of Jordan’s leading universities has been suspended after being accused of sexual harassment by several female students. The case has prompted an outpouring of support for the women on Twitter and widespread media coverage, an unusual development in Jordan, a country in which women still play a relatively small role in public life.
Coastal erosion
Sir James Bevan, the chief executive of the Environment Agency, said this week that Britain must face up to the fact that many coastal towns and villages cannot be defended from coastal erosion. Instead, he said, local and national government – as well as individuals – will have to prepare for a future in which some homes are abandoned to the sea, or proactively demolished. Is this a sensible way to prepare for an uncertain future – or a defeatist approach to a solvable problem?
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The ‘menopause gold rush’Under the Radar Women vulnerable to misinformation and marketing of ‘unregulated’ products
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Voting Rights Act: SCOTUS’s pivotal decisionFeature A Supreme Court ruling against the Voting Rights Act could allow Republicans to redraw districts and solidify control of the House
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No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
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How climate change poses a national security threatThe explainer A global problem causing more global problems
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The Earth is getting darkerUnder the radar The planet’s reflectivity is out of whack
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Scientists want to use enhanced rock weathering to cool the EarthUnder the radar Rock dust could trap atmospheric carbon
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Icarus programme – the ‘internet of animals’The Explainer Researchers aim to monitor 100,000 animals worldwide with GPS trackers, using data to understand climate change and help predict disasters and pandemics
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China vows first emissions cut, sidelining USSpeed Read The US, the world’s No. 2 emitter, did not attend the New York summit
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How clean-air efforts may have exacerbated global warmingUnder the Radar Air pollution artificially cooled the Earth, ‘masking’ extent of temperature increase
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Earth's seasons are out of whackUnder the radar The seasons' unfixed nature in different regions of the planet may have impacted biodiversity and evolution
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When does autumn begin?The Explainer The UK is experiencing a 'false autumn', as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns
