You might want to buckle up for this one. We're used to hearing air travel woes related to flight delays, lost luggage, poor customer service, and that kid who won't stop kicking your seat. We're not used to feedback like this: "I saw people from across the aisle just going completely horizontal, hitting the ceiling and landing back down in really awkward positions." There's a reason that the Singapore Airlines flight that hit massive turbulence is making news. Passengers don't often die because of a turbulent flight (as one did in this case) or get seriously injured (several travelers are still in the ICU). And turbulence, while often stressful, doesn't often include a plane losing 6,000 feet of altitude. So, yes, Singapore Air's flight SQ321 was unusual in many unfortunate ways. But extreme turbulence—which "can be invisible both to the eye and weather radar"—is becoming less and less unusual. "Recent research indicates that turbulence is rising and that this change is sparked by climate change, specifically elevated carbon dioxide emissions affecting air currents. Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in England, has studied turbulence for more than a decade. Dr. Williams's research has found that clear air turbulence, which occurs most frequently at high altitudes and in winter, could triple by the end of the century. He said that this type of turbulence, of all categories, is increasing around the world at all flight altitudes." NYT (Gift Article): Fasten Your Seatbelts: What You Need to Know About Turbulence. Maybe there's a reason the safety videos always remind us how to operate a seat belt. + If you missed it yesterday, there’s a new NextDraft site with the latest content right on the homepage. You can basically get ND however you want it (Blog, Email, App, RSS, Smoke Signal). And please take a second to spread the word. Now when you share, your friends and followers can go straight to the latest content. Give me, I need, I need. 2Sh-t Doesn't Just HappenTo further examine the effects of climate change that we're already feeling, let's plunge from the skies to the sludgy ground that used to be a reasonable distance above septic systems. Until the sea started to rise. "For all the obvious challenges facing South Florida as sea levels surge, one serious threat to public health and the environment remains largely out of sight, but everywhere: Septic tanks. Millions of them dot the American South, a region grappling with some of the planet’s fastest-rising seas, according to a Washington Post analysis. At more than a dozen tide gauges from Texas to North Carolina, sea levels have risen at least 6 inches since 2010 — a change similar to what occurred over the previous five decades." A Hidden Threat. 3Ceci N'est Pas Une BongIt's not surprising that marijuana has become a lot more popular with expanded legalization. But has it become a more common daily activity than drinking? "At the nadir of modern marijuana use, in 1992, just 0.9 million Americans reported using marijuana daily or near daily. That number had grown twenty-fold to 17.7 million by the most recent survey in 2022. For the first time, more Americans report using marijuana daily or near daily than they do drinking that often (17.7 million vs. 14.7 million)." Washington Monthly: This Isn’t Your Father’s Marijuana Use. 4You Veep What You Sow"In recent weeks, Ms. Shanahan has largely scrubbed her social media feeds, two people familiar with her and the Kennedy campaign said. Her social accounts are now populated with shots of herself without makeup at a farmers’ market as well as wearing Western gear and posing with rifles... In the past, her feeds showed her dressed up for high-end events and posing for selfies." Participants in our political process have become so cynical and ridiculous. RFK Jr tried to get Aaron Rodgers to be his running mate, but he was too busy playing quarterback and peddling conspiracy theories. So he ended up with Nicole Shanahan who ended up with a very unflattering profile in the NYT (Gift Article): ‘Silicon Valley Princess’: Inside the Life of Nicole Shanahan, R.F.K. Jr.’s Running Mate. 5Extra, ExtraSnake Oil From a Fish? "As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay. About 20% of adults older than age 60 in the United States frequently use these products with the aim of supporting heart health." So why does this headline feel so predictable? Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests. 6Bottom of the News"In the US, according to Phillip Fry, host of the All About Pigeons Podcast, which covers Europe, Australia and the US, 80% of the new intake of his pigeon racing clubs are aged 20 or below, a demographic matched in Europe." I knew I was generally out of touch with the young crowd. But I had no idea that pigeon racing was currently in vogue.
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