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1. America's Rat Renaissance
This is quite a case study in how news is reported with liberal filters. First, notice the above title I lifted from Axios. Makes you feel like it is something to be celebrated, doesn't it?
This is quite a case study in how news is reported with liberal filters. First, notice the above title I lifted from Axios. Makes you feel like it is something to be celebrated, doesn't it?
2. National Geographic helpfully explains:
"A litter of nine pups 10 weeks into the year would grow to 270 pups by the 30th week and wrap up with a whopping 11,907 rats by year’s end."
"Rats usually reach sexual maturity by 12 weeks, and litters can vary from two to 14 pups."
"A litter of nine pups 10 weeks into the year would grow to 270 pups by the 30th week and wrap up with a whopping 11,907 rats by year’s end."
"Rats usually reach sexual maturity by 12 weeks, and litters can vary from two to 14 pups."
3. More clinical perspective:
Cities are trying lots of things to fix their rat problems, and they're mostly failing.
Poisoning and suffocation (via dry ice) has mostly failed. Survivors can rapidly repopulate an area. D.C. has even tried sterilizing the little devils.
Cities are trying lots of things to fix their rat problems, and they're mostly failing.
Poisoning and suffocation (via dry ice) has mostly failed. Survivors can rapidly repopulate an area. D.C. has even tried sterilizing the little devils.
4. Liberal cognoscenti intone (while stroking chins):
One not-fun consequence of booming cities is the scourge of rats, well fed by trash, warmed by climate change, and bringing new health threats and general grossness with them.
'Warmed by climate change' is a nice touch.
One not-fun consequence of booming cities is the scourge of rats, well fed by trash, warmed by climate change, and bringing new health threats and general grossness with them.
'Warmed by climate change' is a nice touch.
5. Now that you have been properly marinated in euphemisms, romanticisms, clinical details, and erudite chin-wagging about an increase in rat populations, guess the cities where all this is happening?
6. Guess no more.
“Everywhere I go, rat populations are up,” scientist Robert Corrigan tells the NYT.
He estimates that rat numbers may be up 15–25% in some municipalities, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C.
“Everywhere I go, rat populations are up,” scientist Robert Corrigan tells the NYT.
He estimates that rat numbers may be up 15–25% in some municipalities, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C.
7. NBC in LA elaborates:
"Rat-infested piles of rotting garbage left uncollected by the city of Los Angeles, even after promises to clean it up, are fueling concerns about a new epidemic after last year's record number of flea-borne typhus cases."
"Rat-infested piles of rotting garbage left uncollected by the city of Los Angeles, even after promises to clean it up, are fueling concerns about a new epidemic after last year's record number of flea-borne typhus cases."
8. Notice something about all these cities. Apparently, climate change only hits the cities endemically governed by entrenched Democratic apparatchiks for decades. This also explains why the explanations and hand-wringing is so anodyne.
9. Can you imagine the media coverage if rat infestations were on the rise in red cities and states? After all, which is warmer: Phoenix or LA? Biased media is incapable of shining a spotlight on the failure of a most basic function in blue cities -- trash collection.
The End
The End
