#16 Weekend reads – a little bit of hope cracked through

Do you know what I heard this week? Words of love. Of hope, possibility, passion, purpose, unity and light. The power of love over hate. Light over darkness. And of course, those words came through at the DNC.

Many people ask me why I care so much about American politics and that’s easy for me. What happens there affects us all.

I try not to get involved in domestic issues – even if they drive me crazy, and because I know any changes in America – like women’s access to abortion or birth control – do have the ability to filter out to other countries, but it’s domestic, so they can fight those battles.

However I care very deeply about global policies and how that impacts all of us.

I read recently that the re-election of Donald Trump will set our climate ambitions back by a decade, and with global warming going to hit 1.5 degrees within the next five years, and an ecosystem collapse guaranteed by 2030, well, we don’t have a decade, we just don’t. Biden must be voted in.

If November comes and that does not happen, maybe leave me a lone for a couple of months. I was very low in 2016, in 2020, I might slip into deep despair.

Anyhoo, this week, it was just nice to see people smiling, with gentle looks on their faces, getting emotional, and sharing words of care for their fellow humans who are suffering at this time. It was also nice to giggle at silliness.

Too often, across social media channels I’ll see clips of people – who look like me – sneering, and spewing vitriol in micro-video clips going viral. It is always towards someone who is black, brown, Latino or Asian, Muslim, Sikh or just different.

They are always just normal people going about their day – shopping or walking their dog – and yet, they have to endure these horrible interactions.

And when I look at these hateful faces, I want to know how they got to be that way? How did they ever come to think like they do? What’s it like living with so much hatred in their hearts and bodies? And what can we address in our societies to ensure this isn’t the next generation we’re bringing into the world?

I find it heartbreakingly sad, and to me, it’s a fundamental issue – the deep sickness in the human psyche, that is reflected out in many ways – and it is time to start addressing it and fixing it. We can do it. We can overcome.

Because we need to overcome. We need to build a better, more compassionate, more harmonious world. Our very future depends on it.

Just some thoughts for the week, and if you’re feeling flush this week, what charities can you support? The UN Refugee Program and World Food Program are always in need. Another great organization I love is KIVA.org. Go and check them out. Your money can circulate for years, through its micro-loans model. Brilliant.

Friends content

If you are struggling through this time and want to be braver and to live life more courageously, I want to point you to Margie Warrell’s Podcast Live Brave. Margie recently published the book You’ve Got This! – an awesome read – and as a fellow country girl from Victoria, Australia, I’ve got to say: she’s awesome. Inspiring. Amazing. Go and check her out. She has so much goodness she’s sharing with the world and she inspires me, so I hope she inspires you too.

Content to read

And here’s the content I’ve been reading this last week. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read or watch them all. Knowledge is power, and global knowledge is even more powerful.

Climate Crisis / 6^th Mass Extinction

The irony: ConocoPhillips hopes to freeze thawing permafrost to drill more oil tks Sophia Henry, ironic indeed!!!

Grounded carrier off Mauritius breaks apart risking ecological disaster

‘Go topless’: As household waste soars, here’s what you can do

Last decade was Earth’s hottest on record as climate crisis accelerates

Trump Eliminates Major Methane Rule, Even as Leaks are Worsening

Plans to set up recycling association with international experts here by October tks Karen Prager

Turkey’s Erdogan hails huge natural gas find

The Amazon rainforest is being set on fire, with wildfire smoke circulating the hemisphere

Trump finalizes drilling plan for Arctic National Wildlife Refuge tks Denise Chai

‘Highest temperature on Earth’ as Death Valley, US hits 54.4C

An unlikely partnership

Ten times more plastic dumped in Atlantic than previously believed tks John Vincent Gordon

Microsoft’s astonishing climate change goals, explained

Microplastics Found in Human Organs for First Time

COVID19

Coronavirus pandemic could be over within two years – WHO head

FDA clears saliva test for Covid-19, opening door to wider testing

Highly-infectious D614G Covid-19 mutation detected in Malaysia – I have seen no peer-reviewed research or any research links validating this, so review this information with deep scrutiny

Seth Berkley: An effective vaccine against Covid-19 would pay for itself in five or six days tks Francine Varner

Bill Gates: CDC’s COVID-19 Response Was ‘Muzzled’ By White House

When a pandemic hits and the fridge is empty: food in the time of Covid-19 tks Julie Rumbold

Front row seat to COVID-19 reporting reveals uncomfortable truths tks Phillipa Edwards

Over 10,000 people have now died of the coronavirus in Florida tks Angela Frechette

Global Politics

Why the West Needs to Stop its Moralising against China tks Nathan Midler – super worthwhile read

Joe Biden accepts the nomination at DNC, delivers speech on four crises

Belarus protests: ‘We can breathe for the first time in our lives’

Robert Trump: President’s younger brother dies in hospital

Postal Service warns 46 states their votes could be disfranchised by delayed mail-in ballots

Thai protests: Thousands gather in Bangkok to demand reforms

Inside the chaotic, desperate, last-minute Trump 2020 reboot.

USPS: Pelosi to recall the House to ‘save’ the post office

Just as Democrats Need Texas, It Seems Democrats Have Overlooked Texas For This Week’s Convention

Thank you, Donald Trump – in New Zealand we are grateful for any kind of attention tks Mark Jamieson

John Kerry’s full speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention

New Zealand’s Ardern hits back at Trump over COVID-19 ‘big surge’ remark

Trump celebrates women’s rights — and attacks Michelle Obama

Bipartisan Senate Report Offers Strongest Evidence Yet that Trump Lied to Mueller

The king, his lover – and the elephant in the palace

Pakistan will not recognise Israel: PM Khan

Steve Bannon charged with fraud over Mexico wall funds

DNC 2020: Biden vows to end Trump’s ‘season of darkness

My View: Trump abandoned Mankato workers a long time ago

Trump’s Business Partners Allegedly Involved In Human Trafficking, Mafia Matters, Probable Money Laundering tks Cheryl Tan

US couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters ‘to speak at Republican convention’

Michelle Obama’s full speech at the Democratic National Convention

Business and technology

More women at the top means more profits for businesses — and a stronger economy for everyone

Artificial intelligence is a totalitarian’s dream – here’s how to take power back tks Francine Varner

New York Times’ digital revenue tops print for first time in ‘watershed moment,’ CEO says

The return to the office

US stocks hit new high after coronavirus crash

Anderson Cooper to MyPillow CEO: How do you sleep at night? tks Frank Roberts

QAnon: Facebook takes action on conspiracy groups

Salesforce will let its employees work from home until August 2021, with 6 extra weeks of time off for parents tks Susanna Hasenoehrl

Social issues (#BlackLivesMatter) and humanity

Damned If You Do (Cry), Damned If You Don’t

A-Level Results Day Petition: Give us fair grades! tks Jane Franklin

NYC IS DEAD FOREVER… HERE’S WHY tks Elsa Gagnon

Taking Hard Line, Greece Turns Back Migrants by Abandoning Them at Sea tks Barry Graubart

China partygoers cram into Wuhan water park tks Wayne Chan

Ellen DeGeneres: Three producers fired over ‘toxic workplace’ claims

A Letter to a Friend I no Longer Speak to: This is Why I had to Walk Away.

‘My world came crashing down’: how 2020 took me from a six-figure salary to universal credit tks David Lim

Facebook Braces Itself for Trump to Cast Doubt on Election Results

Passion, humour, history

Australia surfer saves wife by punching shark tks Chris Fell

Mesmerizing Photographs of Historical Figures With Their Direct Descendants tks Willie Wahlin

And in the End tks Joyce Ano

Let me know your favorite piece of news this week?

Cheers

Andrea

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