Each week, BIV staff will share with you some of the interesting stories we have found from around the web.
Timothy Renshaw, managing editor:
Yet more evidence that the patriotism-partisan-politics-propaganda variant is the world's most dangerous virus. – Financial Times
Battery power coupled with freewheeling rail cars looming as another option to trucks and truckers. – ARS Technica
Good news if you haven't logged your 10,000 steps yet today. Maybe you don't have to after all. – Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/health-exercise-fitness-walking-study.html
In case you didn't know it already, we are all accidents of asymmetry and imperfection. – BigThink
https://bigthink.com/13-8/chirality-asymmetry-life/
Mark Falkenberg, deputy managing editor:
The Tyee’s Andrew Nikiforuk’s look at the reach of Russian disinformation in Canada, and how it helped propel the recent so-called freedom convoy, is sobering:
“The pandemic provided a huge opportunity for Russia propaganda,” said Marcus Kolga, director of DisinfoWatch, a project of the MacDonald-Laurier Institute. “It is fuelling the movement we are now seeing in downtown Ottawa, and it is scary stuff.” – The Tyee
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/02/21/Convoy-Revved-Foreign-Actors-Spreading-Lies/
After pulling the plug on Ontario’s cap-and-trade program, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives snubbed Koch Industries’ requests for compensation. Now all Canadian taxpayers will pay for that provincial government’s little manoeuvre. – The Narwhal
https://thenarwhal.ca/koch-sues-canada/
Nelson Bennett, reporter:
Why fusion power may be too late for net zero energy. On a regular basis, we are hearing about yet more advances in the development of fusion power, which would solve the world’s need for carbon-free energy – if only it arrived on time. But even if fusion power were to become viable in the next few years, it may be too late to do the heavy lifting needed to get greenhouse gas emissions down along the timelines needed to keep global warming in check, according to this piece in The Conversation. “It will take decades yet to go from these promising experiments to a proven technology powering modern society,” argues Ian Lowe. “That means it simply will not get here in time to make a real contribution to slowing and reversing climate change.” – The Conversation
Why Russia is, unfortunately, well positioned to weather economic sanctions. Russia’s economy will no doubt suffer from economic sanctions being levied against it by Western governments for its invasion of Ukraine. But as this Fortune Magazine piece points out, Russia is an energy giant, and has filled its coffers with recent high energy prices. – Fortune
Emma Crawford, online editor:
Cities are abandoning homes that will be destroyed by climate change: Grand Forks, B.C., was significantly damaged by flooding in 2018, and it is at risk of having similar issues going forward. Instead of repairing damage that has already been done, the city has bought around 90 properties and has started destroying them. – CBC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grand-forks-demolishing-homes-1.6362428
