Humanity can address climate change without believing it

+ is the media out to get Biden? US Edition - Today's top story: Can humanity address climate change without believing it? Medical history suggests it is possible [View in browser]( US Edition | 10 July 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [The US doesn’t screen for a common parasite that causes birth defects]( - [Reading the tattoos of Olympic athletes]( - [American voters agree on a lot more than you’d think]( Lead story Former Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who died on Tuesday, was infamous for his climate change denial. He once held up a snowball in the U.S. Senate chamber to argue that, because it was snowing in Washington in February, climate change was a “hoax.” The denial that he and others promoted for years persuaded some people to ignore both science and the changes in weather patterns happening around them. As the world faces [record-breaking heat waves]( and extreme storms, Macalester College anthropologist Ron Barrett poses an interesting question: [Can humanity still address climate change without believing it’s true?]( Barrett looks back in history to germ theory, at a time when microscopes were just coming into use, to show how people can still make the right choices, even if they don’t understand a threat they can’t see. [ [Science from the scientists themselves. Sign up for our weekly science email newsletter.]( ] Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor Monster Soup, an 1828 political cartoon by William Health, shows a woman horrified by a magnified drop of Thames River water. Wellcome Images via Wikimedia [Can humanity address climate change without believing it? Medical history suggests it is possible]( Ron Barrett, Macalester College In the 19th century, many doctors might not have believed germ theory, but they switched to using protective methods anyway for a simple reason. Health + Medicine - [Toxoplasma is a common parasite that causes birth defects – but the US doesn’t screen for it during pregnancy]( Bill Sullivan, Indiana University Pregnant people can contract toxoplasmosis, which causes birth defects like blindness and brain defects. The parasite is more common than you might think. - [Stricter monitoring of tween and teen internet use may not always be better]( Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley College; Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, Wellesley College; J. Maya Hernandez, University of California, Irvine Sharply restricting kids’ use of digital media is linked with problematic internet use — but it is still unclear why. Ethics + Religion - [At the Olympics, athletes show guts, glory – and a lot of ink, including tattoos that profess their faith]( Gustavo Morello, Boston College One biblical verse bans tattoos, but the full story of Christianity’s relationship with body modification is more complicated. Politics + Society - [Why are journalists obsessed with Biden’s age? It’s because they’ve finally found an interesting election story]( Jacob L. Nelson, University of Utah Is there a plot among journalists to push President Joe Biden out of the race? Why are so many journalists focusing on Biden’s problems and not Trump’s? A journalism scholar explains what’s going on. - [Surprise: American voters actually largely agree on many issues, including topics like abortion, immigration and wealth inequality]( Dante Chinni, Michigan State University; Ari Pinkus, Michigan State University On issues and policies in which government has a serious role – taxes, immigration, the state of the economy and even abortion – a 2023 survey found a great deal of agreement among Americans. - [Why you should ignore most news articles about who Trump will pick for VP]( Christopher Devine, University of Dayton Media coverage of vice presidential candidates tends to focus on who can help win the election rather than who is qualified to help govern once in office. - [From the ’60s till now, TV news coverage of large-scale university protests doesn’t look so different]( Lisa Fazio, Vanderbilt University While people rely less on TV for their daily news than they used to, it remains influential − and the TV storytelling about student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza and more can shift opinions. Economy + Business - [Market trust at stake: What the Supreme Court’s ruling in SEC v. Jarkesy means for investors]( D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University; Brandy Hadley, Appalachian State University The 6-3 Supreme Court ruling could create new risks for unwary investors – and a new reason for them to invest in index funds. - [Smaller family companies are the unexpected innovation powerhouses in many countries in the world]( Vitaliy Skorodziyevskiy, University of Louisville; Chelsea Sherlock; Clay Dibrell; Emma Su, University of Dayton; Jim Chrisman, Mississippi State University Small and medium-sized family businesses are more innovative than you might realize. Arts + Culture - [4 books by Black Philadelphia women that depict struggle and joy in the City of Sisterly Love]( Louis Parascandola, Long Island University, Brooklyn The author of ‘A Black Philadelphia Reader,’ a new anthology of writing by Philadelphia authors past and present, revisits four riveting works by local women. - [Always Running: Luis J. Rodríguez’s memoir of gang days in LA is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago]( Josephine Metcalf, University of Hull; Ben V. Olguín, University of California, Santa Barbara Many of the book’s themes, including structural racism, inequalities and poverty are as topical now as 30 years ago. International - [Women football players in Africa have overcome enormous barriers – new book tells the story]( Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University Women were banned from playing football in many countries, but that’s just one of many barriers they have overcome. Trending on site - [4 things to watch for as NATO leaders meet in US capital for high-stakes summit]( - [Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president − but Biden can still control his access for now]( - [One memorable speech can turn around a faltering campaign − how Nixon did it with his ‘Checkers’ talk]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. 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