The Post-Partisan Emporium

Were the unprecedented excess deaths curves in Northern Italy in spring 2020 caused by the spread of a novel deadly virus? A reassessment of the available evidence suggests another factor was involved. Jonathan Engler I have learned so many new things during the past few years — one of the few, possibly the only, redeeming features of the “pandemic”. These lessons span many disciplines: technology, immunology, virology, epidemiology, statistics, philosophy, political theory and public law to name but a few.  However, one discipline which I never thought would be relevant to my digging into recent events was geography. This was a subject I detested at school, though in retrospect I am probably not alone in concluding that one’s penchant for any particular subject tended to stem from whether or not you liked the teacher, rather than any personal aptitude for it. Anyway, it turns out that geography is now a lot more mathematical than it was when I was taught it over four decades ago. ...

Toyota's Green Image Isn't What You Think. For One, Where Are The Electric Vehicles? By Katherine García  August 31, 2022 ( Katherine García is the director of the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign) In 2000, Toyota was at the cutting edge of automobile technology with its brand new hybrid Prius. Now, over 20 years later, Toyota – once the leader in climate friendly vehicles – is at the back of the pack and hiding behind the green vision they once led.  The fact is: a hybrid today is not green technology. The Prius hybrid runs on a pollution-emitting combustion engine found in any gas-powered car. Ironically, Toyota misleads about its existing Prius technology by borrowing electric vehicle descriptions: Toyota touts that the Prius is self-charging and that there is "no need to plug in." But plugging in is essential for improving air quality and slashing climate pollution. As the transportation industry is the single largest source of greenhouse ga...