A lot of us weren’t looking the other way on vaccine skepticism. We were writing books & giving warning since 2000s.

Story is more complex. It involves $, special interests, rise of social media, risk perception, influencers + “wellness” industry. And parents seeking answers.

https://twitter.com/lizlewisphd/status/1473433695554048005

Also, the antivaxx movement was never just a bunch of yoga moms. /2

When I discuss transitioning more plant-based diets, it’s often difficult for ppl to understand how meat production affects land use.

But look at the biomass of livestock on Earth compared to humans, birds & wild mammals combined. Natural systems are out of balance. Now imagine if just some of the livestock weren’t there.

✔️ Land use to graze + grow their food would be less necessary.
✔️ Some forests might return to store carbon.
✔️ Energy & water would be conserved.
✔️ Fewer climate change causing GHGs would be released. /2

Most journalists aren’t scientists & engineers. Most scientists & engineers aren’t journalists. Too often the details, nuances & solutions are lost in popular culture in favor of a click-bait doomsday narrative.

TL;DR Stop headlining climate stories w the phrase “End Times” Consider: For every headline you see about the extreme storms, droughts, fires, floods & famines approaching (they are), how many pieces catch your attention on the ways agriculture is already changing, the impact of limiting food waste or why land use matters here & now? /2

As a former Senate staffer, I can confirm the interactions between scientists & policy folks in this scene are fairly realistic #DontLookUp Also, @michiganstateu does indeed have one of the top-ranked physics & astronomy departments in the country. #GoGreen /2

Perhaps news shouldn’t be entertainment. Perhaps entertainment shouldn’t be news. /2

Gulf waters are warm which worries me watching Ida strengthen as it approaches approach Louisiana.

The storm is headed toward gas & oil platforms, agriculture shipping points, refineries & chemical plants & given its path & timing, I can’t help but think of Katrina. I'm not an alarmist but my expertise lies in marine science.

As a grad student in 2003, the science of hurricanes in LA terrified me. It seemed clear NOLA didn't stand a chance. We knew a Katrina-like storm would come. And we know there will be more. /2

discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/a…

We spend far too much time dreading what our climate future *may* look like instead of collectively envisioning better outcomes & working together w determination to achieve them. How often are climate articles you read hopeful?

Yes, we need to hear about extreme storms, floods, droughts, biodiversity loss & resource conflicts. But we also need to know about the incredible work being done by people around the world to meet these challenges. /2

It’s hubris to imagine we can tinker with our environment + #climate & achieve a specific desired, safe & equitable outcome.

I’ve been opposed to #geoengineering for decades, starting when I was a marine biologist & folks wanted to seed the ocean with iron. 1/ The solutions to address & adapt to #climate change are clear. An ag & energy transition is already underway & we know how to be more efficient, resilient & less wasteful.

Pushing untested geoengineering schemes over the practical solutions available now is lazy & dangerous. 2/

The climate is changing. But We need to change.
To be clear, we don't need to change the planet through geoengineering.

*We* need to change our behavior to be more sustainable, equitable & resilient.

Listen to the people you don’t agree with. Include people you don't agree with.

Your votes overwhelming support a thread about The Science of Kissing. So let's get to it. 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Kissing:

1) Our lips are the body’s most exposed erogenous zone. Unlike in other animals, human lips are uniquely everted, meaning they purse outwardly. 2) Kissing is about more than bacterial exchange or romance. Our 1st experiences w love & security often involve lip pressure & stimulation through nursing or bottle feeding. This lays down neural pathways in a baby’s brain that later associate kissing w positive emotions.

I keep seeing articles bemoaning a "baby bust" due to declining birth rates.

But they all seem to miss a big part of the story. All around the world fertility rates are ⬇️ except in parts the world where health conditions are poor & child mortality is high. 1/ When women have access to family planning, healthcare including antibiotics & vaccines, an education & the ability to have a career, we often opt to have fewer children.

Declining birth rates = more women making our own choices. 2/

We cannot begin to recover from the #COVID19 pandemic unless we enact policies that support women. 1/ nytimes.com/interactive/20… Women are being forced out of the workforce during this pandemic at much higher rates than men. Single mothers have been hurt most. 2/

Anyone else frustrated by the majority of Phil Spector articles being published about his death?

Most writers seem to express that he was a pretty amazing guy, who unfortunately happened to murder a woman & what a shame it marred his legacy. 🤔 Headline @people below. Down the page: “Throughout the marriage, Phil Spector subjected Ronnie to psychological torment before she escaped. "I thought I was going to die”

This, before he killed a woman.

Why are journalists celebrating this guy? “Lousy” isn’t the word I’d use.

Did you know Monopoly was invented by a woman named Elizabeth Magie in 1903? She created board games to express her political beliefs.

Originally called ‘The Landlord’s Game,’ it was designed as a protest against the big monopolists of her time like Carnegie & Rockefeller. 1/ The Landlord’s Game was intended to show that an economy rewarding wealth creation is better than one where monopolists work w few constraints.

It demonstrates how families build wealth & amass fortunes. There were diff versions before Parker Brothers released theirs in 1935. 2/

Many friends & neighbors think I’m overly cautious w #COVID19. But my experience w hospitalization has profoundly shaped how I view this threat.

In 2009 I almost died bc of an anesthesiologist’s error during a straightforward cyst removal in the hospital. 1/ I aspirated during surgery & woke up literally coughing up lung tissue.

I couldn’t breathe.

I was by myself in the recovery area, still hooked up to beeping monitors & scared. And at first no one noticed my 02 levels crashing. 2/