We're Toast 50

This post is a collection of links that support my increasingly strong feeling that the human race (or at least our technological civilization) is doomed. It is part of an ongoing series of posts. 

Decrepit shed and flowers

When Hydropower Runs Dry (gift link). "The struggle of the world’s largest source of renewable last year could have important implications for the fight against climate change."

The Plastics We Breathe (gift link). "Every time you take a breath, you could be inhaling microplastics. Scroll to see how tiny and dangerously invasive they can be."

A giant solar flare is inevitable, and humanity is completely unprepared. "For the past 150 years, the big ones have all missed us. But at some point, our good luck will run out."

COVID lulls aren't being earned by policy - they're being bought with infections and deaths. "Celebrating a COVID lull years into the Biden Administration's utter abandonment is woefully out of touch with the science." COVID is NOT over; keep wearing those masks.

Heat Waves Are Increasing and More Dangerous Than We Realize. "The impacts of severe heat are badly underestimated by everyone."

As Insurers Around the U.S. Bleed Cash From Climate Shocks, Homeowners Lose (gift link). "Christopher Flavelle reported from Iowa and spoke with more than 40 insurance experts, officials and homeowners in a dozen states. Mira Rojanasakul analyzed insurance market data for carriers across the country."

H5N1: International failures and uncomfortable truths. "Beyond the proximal drivers of outbreaks and potential interventions though, there is a need to confront an uncomfortable truth that the US H5N1 outbreak once again raises. Spillover of zoonoses into human populations stems ultimately from our ways of life and how they shape the human–animal interface."

Researchers study the global decline of insect populations. "Across the globe, insect populations have seen a steep decline."

Satellite 'megaconstellations' may jeopardize recovery of ozone hole. "When old satellites fall into Earth's atmosphere and burn up, they leave behind tiny particles of aluminum oxide, which eat away at Earth's protective ozone layer. A new study finds that these oxides have increased 8-fold between 2016 and 2022 and will continue to accumulate as the number of low-Earth-orbit satellites skyrockets."