The Newsroom

What We Are Reading

Oliver Milman

More unsustainable behavior - Private jets

Kylie Jenner has faced a torrent of criticism for her decision to take her private jet on a flight that lasted just 17 minutes. But the practice of taking brief journeys on luxury aircraft appears to be common among the rich and famous despite mounting concerns over the climate crisis.

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World Health Organization

As for car deaths, WHO stats are 1.35 million road deaths a year (although this link says 1.3 – it’s a bit outdated) and over half are vulnerable road users

Every year the lives of approximately 1.3 million people are cut short as a result of a road traffic crash. Between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury. Road traffic injuries cause considerable economic losses to individuals, their families, and to nations as a whole. These losses arise from the cost of treatment as well as lost productivity for those killed or disabled by their injuries, and for family members who need to take time off work or school to care for the injured. Road traffic crashes cost most countries 3% of their gross domestic product.

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Christopher R. Cherry

Here is the article with 80% of e-scooter deaths being car-involved – it is US based

About 30 people in the United States have been killed riding electric scooters since 2018. Most – 80% – were hit by drivers of cars. Publicly available e-scooters arrived to U.S. cities in 2017 as an energy-efficient and fun new way to get around town. By 2019, e-scooter rides had soared from zero to 88 million trips annually. But putting e-scooter riders on the same roads as cars without good infrastructure or clear rules has been dangerous. Making streets safer will require urban policymakers, not to mention drivers, to understand where and why cars collide with these new vehicles.

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Nafeez Ahmed

UN Warns of ‘Total Societal Collapse’ Due to Breaching of Planetary Boundaries

When the United Nations published its 2022 ‘Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction’ (GAR2022) in May, the world’s attention was on its grim verdict that the world was experiencing an accelerating trend of natural disasters and economic crises. But not a single media outlet picked up the biggest issue: the increasing probability of civilisational collapse.

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John Stanley, Roz Hansen

People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn’t it top of the agenda?

We were heavily involved in the consultation program for Melbourne’s long-term land-use plan, Plan Melbourne. The idea that resonated most with many participants was shaping the city as a series of 20-minute neighbourhoods.

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