SELLOFF, SELLOUT

Want to Avoid the Next Pandemic? Fight Climate Change
I know you don’t need more stuff to worry about right now, but consider this: The same experts who warned us about the chances of this pandemic occurring are now alerting us that more — and worse — could be on the way, thanks in large part to climate change. Wild animals are being forced out of their habitats by deforestation and migrating to the poles to avoid global increases in temperature. This means they’re crossing paths with species they’ve never before encountered, letting a host of new diseases jump from remote populations to domestic ones to us. Animal populations account for one billion cases of human illness and millions of deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. We all think of COVID-19 as The Big One, but it could be just a tiny sneak preview of what’s coming up next.
And every time I read articles such as Air Pollution Linked with COVID-19 Death Rates, I wonder how I’ll be affected by spending this summer in California, breathing smoke from runaway wildfires fueled by climate change.
What can we do to fight for a healthier planet?

• Vote for leaders who are ready to tackle the problem. (Yes, starting with Biden, who has put together an impressive Climate Task Force.)
• Keep putting pressure on your elected officials (find their contact info here). Don’t let up after the election, no matter what happens.
• Cultivate good habits at home. That’s what this weekly column is all about. (See past articles here.)
• Learn more from responsible online sources. Some of my favorites include the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, NASA, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.​

—Karen McCann

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​Selloff, Sellout
The fate of many of America’s national forests and wildlife refuges may rest on the outcome of the November election. Public Trust (Film, 98 min) has now been released online after screening at film festivals this year. This project, from Robert Redford and Patagonia Films, exposes the rush to privatize America’s public lands.
Read about it here.
—Kathy Sherretts
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Snopes: The Election Collection: Mail-in Voting

NPR: Federal Judge Ousts Trump's Top Public Lands Chief by Kirk Siegler.
Prior to his appointment as head of the Bureau of Land Management, William Perry Pendley spent much of his career as an attorney fighting the agency.

The Hill: March For Our Lives activists paint mural outside McConnell's home, calling for SCOTUS selection post-election by Kaelan Deese.
"Hey Mitch. We Call BS. Let The People Decide."

New York Times: How to Debate Someone Who Lies by Richard A. Friedman.
Joe Biden will have to figure out how to grapple with an opponent who doesn’t play by the rules. Some advice: Don’t waste your time trying to counter every falsehood or distortion that Mr. Trump serves up; you will paradoxically strengthen the misinformation rather than undermine it.
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Learn More About Candidates and Issues with
PAGE (Progressive Action, Global Exchange)
Americans of Conscience Checklist • ClimateRecovery.org
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