Extreme weather alerts were the real song of the summer

Bye-bye, Brat summer. Hello, hot planet fall. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, an over-the-top advertisement of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - [Extreme weather alerts]( abound. - [TV drug ads]( aren’t very sound. - [Barred owls]( are gaining ground. - [Green cruise ships]( come round. Undivine Interventions Last Sunday, my cousin told me her church service was rudely interrupted — not by an unruly parishioner, but by a choir of phones going off simultaneously with an ill-timed [flood warning](. While floods are called “acts of God” for [a reason]( I doubt the priest appreciated the push alerts during his prayer. Really, there’s [no escaping]( them these days: “With the planet heating up and nature growing more deadly and destructive, new tools to help people gauge their climate risks are landing faster than [DVD-sized hail]( in Texas,” Mark Gongloff [says]( “Nearly [the entire US population]( — 99% of the country — has been subject to at least one National Weather Service extreme-weather alert since May.” More often than not, these alerts have us [seeking shelter](. A tornado evacuation in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin recently forced [some newlyweds]( into a hotel basement, where they did their [first dance]( in the dark. In Massachusetts, a [mosquito-borne virus]( called [eastern equine encephalitis]( to be confused with the West Nile virus that [hospitalized]( Dr. Anthony Fauci) has authorities encouraging residents to stay inside after 6 p.m. until Sep. 30 — a climate curfew of sorts. And residents of California, Oregon and Washington have spent [much of the summer indoors]( not by choice, but out of necessity: Although wildfire smoke can be deadly, Lisa Jarvis [says]( “more of us experience milder but still serious consequences,” which include everything from [asthma]( and [headaches]( to [pregnancy complications]( and an [increased risk]( of dementia. “Wearing a high quality mask can greatly reduce your exposure outside,” she writes. “But we also need to pay much more attention to air quality where we spend most of our time: indoors. Investing in HEPA filtration for schools, workplaces and homes may be our best chance to give our lungs respite from the smoke.” Bonus Climate Reading: Corporate America’s addiction to low-quality, [cheap carbon offsets]( is killing the planet. — Mark Gongloff 21st Century Snake Oil Speaking of respite from the smoke: I’m sure Big Pharma will want a shot at saving your lungs, too. Although there isn’t currently an over-the-counter medication that treats wildfire smoke inhalation, some genius in a boardroom will eventually dream up a miracle drug. They’ll call it EasyBreeve or Smokaphen or Lungestra. I can picture the TV commercial now: When the world’s on fire, the lungs of your loved ones don’t have to be. With one puff of Lungestra®, you’ll stop feeling as if you’ve chain-smoked a bonfire. Pictured: Disaster Girl smiles in front of a firetruck as her family’s home is engulfed in flames. Don’t let wildfires turn your lungs into a chimney. Use Lungestra®, the everyday inhaler that makes breathing through haze feel like a walk in the park. With Lungestra® in your pocket, everything [really]( [fine](. DISCLAIMER: Lungestra® is not a substitute for common sense. Use as directed. Not intended for long-term use or for individuals with chronic respiratory conditions. Side effects may include dry mouth, mild dizziness or nausea. If symptoms persist or worsen, consult your doctor — or move to a place that’s somewhat less flammable. If that sounds absurd to you, consider the current ads you see on TV, [says]( Elisabeth Rosenthal: “Triumphant music plays as cancer patients go camping, do some gardening and watch fireworks in [ads for Opdivo + Yervoy]( ... [Ads for Skyrizi]( a medicine to treat plaque psoriasis and other illnesses, show patients snorkeling and riding bikes … People with Type 2 diabetes dance and sing around their office carrels [thanks to Jardiance]( Each month, drug manufacturers spend over [$1 billion]( on these over-the-top advertisements. It’d be one thing if these drugs actually worked, but Elisabeth has serious doubts: “A 2021 study found that, among top-selling drugs, those with the [lowest levels of added benefit]( tended to spend more on advertising to patients than doctors.” As [Gerard Anderson]( a professor of health policy at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, told her: “If you see it on TV or on social media, it’s probably not as good as something else.” Or, at the very least, it costs twice as much. Read [the whole thing]( and please don’t trust those ads. Oh, S(hoot) Elsewhere in human-induced climate horrors, you have the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which [plans to murder]( up to half a million owls over the next 30 years. Light reading for a Monday, I know: F.D. Flam [says]( barred owls are on the chopping block because they’re increasingly driving the rare spotted owl to extinction. “This isn’t just natural selection in action,” she writes. “All over the world, human activity has changed landscapes so fast that the diversity of plants and animals is collapsing — with a few hardy species taking over. In an attempt to stop this, authorities around the world are protecting coral reefs by [killing starfish]( [protecting salmon by killing sea lions]( and protecting [red squirrels by killing grey ones]( But the spotted owl is a bit different because on the outside, at least, it’s [pretty much twins]( with the barred owl: Source: American Loggers Council Although the two species don’t share similar diets or live in the same locales — [spotted owls]( are far pickier — occasionally they mate and produce hybrid spotted-barred babies (sparred? botted?). “That’s forced a reconsideration of big ethical questions: Is it moral to kill in the name of ecological balance and diversity?” F.D. says “[field experiments]( show that shooting barred owls can stave off the decline of the spotted owl, but there’s no end point. The current plan under the Fish and Wildlife Service would go on for 30 years and kill up to half a million owls — but it’s understood that the shooting would have to go on forever to save the spotted owl.” Seems like a waste of bullets if you ask me. But then again, biodiversity scientist John Dumbacher told F.D. that if we don’t kill off invasive animals, “it’s all going to be dandelions and raccoons and black rats — and a few other species that can adapt to human-degraded environments.” Telltale Charts One of the biggest human-degraded environments on this planet is, of course, [the ocean](. You’d be forgiven for thinking [mega cruise ships]( — those “enormous floating holiday parks laden with lukewarm buffet food, bored families, and gastroenteritis” in David Fickling’s words — do a big portion of that degrading. But surprisingly, that’s not the case! Although we live in a cursed age of “cruisezillas,” they’re far more efficient than, say, the Titanic. “They’re also a cleaner way of taking a holiday than a long-haul flight,” he writes. I imagine a Chinese coast guard ship is nothing like cruise ship, save for the [water features](. But that’s an important overlap! On Sunday in the South China Sea, Chinese ships [blasted water cannons]( and blocked a Philippine fishing vessel — evidence of mounting tensions between Beijing and Manila. While Minxin Pei [says]( China continues to recklessly bully its smaller neighbors in maritime disputes, Hal Brands [says]( the US risks losing the trust of Asian allies if it abandons Ukraine and ignores the Middle East. “If war does come, because China attacks Taiwan or tangles with Japan or the Philippines, the effects could be mind-bogglingly bad,” Hal warns. Further Reading Memes, pundits and headlines that [gushed over Gus Walz]( veered on “inspiration porn.” — Sarah Gundle Kamala Harris courts [a post-Obama electorate]( that recognizes racial and gender inequities. — Erika D. Smith Rules on [campus protests]( are clear as mud. That’s gotta change before the fall semester. — Noah Feldman Mark Zuckerberg may have a history of copying ideas, but he’s forging [a new path]( on AI. — Parmy Olson Fed skeptics are everywhere, but the bank has overseen [a historic period]( of stable prices. — Nir Kaissar The breakout star of the DNC [was YIMBY](. Too bad feds don’t control zoning codes. — Matthew Yglesias The US has to [stop school shootings]( but sending parents to jail won’t help. — Stephen L. Carter ICYMI Harris and Trump disagree about having [hot mics]( at the debate. Long Covid knocked [a million people]( off their career paths. Some [flight attendants]( are facing homelessness and hunger. The NFL is [expected to allow]( private equity ownership. Kickers New York City has many [dance spots]( for tiny tots. Charli XCX says [the kids get to decide]( when Brat’s over. Hong Kong tells [horny teenagers]( to play badminton. Babe Ruth’s [“called shot” jersey]( sold for over $24 million. Notes: Please send lukewarm buffet food and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Threads]( [TikTok]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. Follow Us Stay updated by saving our new email address Our email address is changing, which means you’ll be receiving this newsletter from noreply@news.bloomberg.com. 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