Frequent flyer rewards programs are a climate nightmare, as they incentivize people to fly as much as possible and even take unnecessary flights to enter the next reward tier. Implementing a taxation system to reverse this and instead charge people a fee that grows each time they fly in a year could generate $120 billion to fuel renewable transition, but political resistance makes any such policy a pipe dream. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
