In the News
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November 18, 2021
Brian C. Weeks, assistant professor of environment and sustainability, says a recent study on birds in the Amazon and his own research on migratory birds reinforce the idea that birds may be changing shape due to a warming climate — changes that should concern us all: “All around the world, people depend on natural systems. Intact natural systems provide more economic benefits to humanity than the entirety of the world’s GDP, so they matter to you whether or not you know it.”
National Public Radio -
November 18, 2021
“I don’t think people realize that when you contract COVID, even if you are asymptomatic … you’re generating millions of viral particles that are sitting in your respiratory tract that you can then pass on to other people,” said Meilan Han, professor of internal medicine in pulmonary and critical care. “The other general misconception that frustrates the heck out of me is that the general public thinks, ‘If I’m not old and I don’t have a chronic condition, I’ll be OK.'”
Salon -
November 17, 2021
A reversal of Roe v. Wade would require Michiganders seeking abortions to travel further to legally obtain them — about 260 miles compared to the current 13 miles. “We would definitely expect to see the largest impacts on low-income individuals. Someone who is low income may not be able to take time off work to do that, they might not have the income to do that,” said Joelle Abramowitz, assistant research scientist at the Institute for Social Research.
WXYZ/Detroit -
November 17, 2021
A new bipartisan bill would ensure that political donors-turned-ambassadors are qualified for the job. “There were some really embarrassing nominations during the previous administration. The fact remains, however, that it is the right of the president to nominate any person to be an ambassador,” most of whom are rarely rejected by the U.S. Senate as “blatantly unqualified,” said Melvyn Levitsky, professor of international policy and practice.
The Detroit News -
November 17, 2021
“The fact that it is a phasedown, not a phaseout, and that there are qualifying adjectives around coal and fossil fuel subsidies doesn’t take away from the fact that it is … a clear recognition by all the parties of the critical role fossil fuels have played in the problem,” said Jennifer Haverkamp, director of the Graham Sustainability Institute, on the historic mention of fossil fuels — the main driver of climate change — in the Glasgow climate pact.
The Hill -
November 16, 2021
“It is fanciful to think that (political) campaigns will cease to be built, in some significant measure, on lies and appeals to the less rational elements of human cognition, but to the extent that the persuasive value of deceitful messaging can be diminished by alerting people to signs of psychological manipulation and by effective counter-messaging, the country and its voters will be better off,” wrote Richard Lempert, professor emeritus of law and sociology.
The American Prospect -
November 16, 2021
“It’s true that children are generally at a lower risk of severe COVID disease, hospitalization and death compared to adults. However, their risk is certainly not zero,’’ said Elizabeth Lloyd, assistant professor of pediatrics. “We also know the pandemic has affected kids in many other ways so the vaccine may benefit kids from having less disruptions from exposures in their daily activities which we know are very important for normal childhood development.’’
The Oakland Press -
November 16, 2021
The aftermath of the Astroworld Festival incident is raising concerns about how footage and misinformation related to the event is being circulated on social media. “Extremity carries capital. It’s what gets clicks, shares, comments,” said Scott W. Campbell, professor of communication and media. “We’re getting a deeper taste into what kind of trauma can be captured and shared, and this incident is an example of that and how psychologically shattering it can be for some people.”
The Wall Street Journal -
November 15, 2021
Unlike air pollution, it’s easy to overlook the potential harm caused by the sonic landscape of urban environments, says Rick Neitzel, professor of environmental health sciences: “Let your elected officials know that noise is a problem that needs to be dealt with. With enough public demand, programs can be developed to systematically lower noise levels in our country and reduce the need for each of us to take individual action.”
Discover -
November 15, 2021
The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Russia and Eastern Europe is “startling,” says Elizabeth King, associate professor of health behavior and health education and faculty associate at the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. “Misinformation is spreading as fast as the virus,” she said. “The spread of misinformation around vaccines was a concern even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Washington Post
