Month: August 2017

chavisory:

chavisory:

I feel like I’ve said most of what I can usefully say to/about that mommy blogger’s “of course we should use genetic engineering to prevent disability!” post, but…one of the things that just keeps blowing my mind about it…is just how sure she was that “preventing suffering!” was in any way a new or revolutionary thought about the subject.

To be fair, she didn’t think to wonder about the opinions of disabled people at all, but…as if disabled people or anyone else have never thought or seriously considered “but what about preventing suffering?”

Like, yup, eugenics always starts that way.

urbangeographies:

GRAPHING INEQUALITY IN AMERICA

We know that the USA is becoming more inequitable in socioeconomic terms, but the graph above by a team of inequality researchers — Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman — sums up the trends succinctly. 

The graph shows the change in annual income between 1980 and 2014 for every point on the income distribution, ranging from the lowest to the highest. In 1980, the lower incomes grew the most in percentage terms, while in 2014 only the rich receive significant raises.

The red line on the chart, which represents 2014, resembles a classic hockey-stick graph. It’s mostly flat and close to zero, before spiking upward at the end. That spike shows that income growth is soaring for the super-rich, while stagnating for others.

A reasonable observer would conclude that inequality is out of control, but the President and leaders in Congress promote policies on health care, education, and tax reform that would serve to increase the disparities even more.

Read more:  The New York Times (7 August 2017)

Source: urbangeographies

Support  Piss on Pity: The Story of ADAPT

nicocoer:

Molly the service dog is gone & buried. I ask that people donate to Piss on Pity: The Story of ADAPT in her memory. Molly helped me navigate this world in this disabled body; ADAPT’s work, both past and present, has changed (and is changing) the world to help my and other’s disabled bodies navigate more easily. Even a couple of bucks towards this project helps them make this film, which will bring more attention to and support for National ADAPT​ and their various chapters. And through that, Molly’s impact on our world can continue to do good. Please consider supporting this in her name, or out of your own good will. Thank you.

Support  Piss on Pity: The Story of ADAPT

The Sea Level Did, in Fact, Rise Faster in the Southeast U.S.

rjzimmerman:

Sea levels are rising, but the incursion into land seems to be more pronounced on the shores of the southeast US. Scientists are discovering a correlation between atmospheric patterns over that part of the world, combined with a general global increase in sea level.

Excerpt:

In the paper, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the scientists proposed a mechanism to explain the rapid increase: Two large-scale atmospheric patterns had intersected to push up the water off the Southeast coast, causing a “hot spot” of sea-level rise.

This new mechanism, if it holds up to scientific scrutiny, might ultimately give researchers the ability to predict tidal flooding more accurately and warn communities what to expect months in advance.

William V. Sweet, a sea-level researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was not involved in the new work, pointed out that the long-term trend in sea level was a relentless increase, but that much is unknown about the variations that can occur over short periods. “The more we can understand what’s causing those, the more we can be prepared for the next influx of tidal flooding events,” Dr. Sweet said.

The Sea Level Did, in Fact, Rise Faster in the Southeast U.S.