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Mar 3 9 tweets 4 min read
Global warming is threatening biodiversity and ecosystems — and five statistics reveal how grave the risk is.

That's according to new report released earlier this week by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). trib.al/hTqLb7f
In the next few decades, some plants and animals will likely experience temperatures "beyond their historical experience."

Even 1.2°C of warming — just above current levels — puts many ecosystems at risk from heatwaves, drought, and other climate extremes. Image
Global warming has already extinguished local populations of many creatures.

For example, the American pika seen here has disappeared from a large swath of its former habitat, likely due to climate change, according to a 2017 study. Image
Climate change is also reorganizing entire ecosystems.

To escape deadly temperatures, plants and animals are moving to (once) colder climates — that is, toward the poles, up mountainsides, or into deeper water. Image
Climate scientists have an especially grim prognosis for coral reefs:

Just 1.5°C of warming could destroy up to 90% of tropical coral reefs, which are home to an incredible diversity of organisms and form the basis of many fisheries. Image
The impact of climate change on food production is equally troubling.

Just 1.6°C of warming this century will make 8% of today’s farmland "climatically unsuitable," according to the report. Image
The IPCC report is a big deal.

It's considered the gold standard for climate science — and it has never before revealed in such stark detail how climate change is leading to a staggering loss of plants and animals. trib.al/hTqLb7f
This is key because humans are inextricably reliant on many at-risk species — from the animals that pollinate crops and filter rivers and streams to those that feed us.

Just in the US, 150+ crops rely on pollinators, including nearly all fruits and grains trib.al/hTqLb7f
Humans have warmed the planet by an average of 1.1°C (2°F) since the 19th century.

The Paris climate agreement aims to limit warming to 1.5 to 2°C by 2100, but global temperatures are on track to increase 2 to 3°C by the end of the century. Learn more: trib.al/hTqLb7f

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More from @voxdotcom

Mar 4
Russia's invasion of Ukraine could raise food prices and increase world hunger.

That's because Russia and Ukraine are top global suppliers of agricultural products, especially wheat. Image
Conflict has historically been a driver of food price hikes.

Studies have found a feedback loop: Conflict causes higher food prices, and higher food prices can cause conflict, even in places that aren't directly affected by the original event. trib.al/yKnOmuf
Disruptions to Russian/Ukrainian exports will likely have damaging affects, especially in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa.

Countries in those regions rely on Russian/Ukrainian imports for their wheat supply. Many of them already experience widespread hunger. Image
Read 6 tweets
Mar 4
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last week:

• 1M+ people have been displaced
• Major cities have faced violent attacks, with civilian deaths
• Medical supplies and basic needs are in short supply

If you want to help, here is where you should give. trib.al/Rl6CSHu Image
Right now, with help from the international community, Europe is handling an influx of refugees.

To continue to do it successfully, It will need more supplies and money — and fast. Image
Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 have been banned from leaving the country and urged to fight Russian troops.

That means those fleeing are mostly women, children, and elderly. You can support them. Image
Read 9 tweets
Sep 1, 2021
The stakes of a SCOTUS case concerning Texas's new anti-abortion law are enormous.

By refusing to stop a law that violates decades-old precedent protecting the constitutional right to an abortion, SCOTUS has effectively changed that precedent.

Thread. vox.com/2021/8/31/2265…
The law, SB 8, is huge loss for abortion rights in Texas. It effectively bans most abortions; at six weeks, many people don't even know they're pregnant.

Abortion providers warned of the dangers of the law in an emergency request to SCOTUS, which it declined to take up:
Crucially, no court has actually reached the core question at the heart of this case: whether the law is unconstitutional.

If the justices remain silent, they will bless a tactic that could be used to undermine virtually any constitutional right.
vox.com/2021/8/31/2265…
Read 7 tweets
Jul 22, 2021
1/ Olympic athletes spend years training to break world records and compete against the best of the best.

Have you ever wondered how — or if — those athletes get paid? vox.com/the-goods/2258…
2/ Some 11,000 athletes are competing in the Tokyo #Olympics.

The vast majority of those athletes are not rich, or even close to being wealthy.

According to one survey of elite athletes from 48 countries, more than half are financially unstable.
3/ If you're an Olympian, there are really only two routes to getting paid:

1. Prize money for medals — if that's something your country does.

2. Sponsorships — but an IOC rule severely limits what these endorsements look like for brands that aren’t official Olympic partners.)
Read 5 tweets
Jul 20, 2021
1/ Did I do something wrong?” @SenDuckworth remembers thinking after her miscarriage. “Was it because I’m working too hard?”

It's common to think a miscarriage is the pregnant person's fault, but the reality is often the opposite.
vox.com/22577338/misca…
2/ Duckworth's doctor assured her that wasn’t the case — after all, miscarriages are extremely common, happening in 10-20% of all known pregnancies.

But that didn’t necessarily assuage what she was feeling. Image
3/ Miscarriages are physically and emotionally painful experiences that although common, are rarely talked about openly.

Here's why experts say we need to change the stigma: vox.com/22577338/misca… Image
Read 4 tweets
Jul 9, 2021
1/ For decades, Black patients were believed to have fundamentally different bodies than white ones — so doctors would often mistreat or undertreat their medical conditions.

But this dangerous "race norming" remains widely pervasive in US medicine today:
vox.com/22528334/race-…
2/ Race norming rests on a framework of white supremacy that we accept as “normal” science, and it affects major medical processes including:

—Diagnosing sickle cell anemia
—Deciding who gets kidney transplants fastest (white people)
—Gauging the risk of a vaginal birth
3/ And until last month, the NFL used race norming in a dementia test to determine payouts in brain injury settlements.

The test assumed Black players have lower cognitive function than white ones — meaning Black athletes needed to show steeper cognitive decline to get paid out. “Is it really likely that the average person of African an
Read 6 tweets

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