Supercharged

The Lincoln Project:
CPAC Day 3 in 2 minutes  (1:57 mins)
CPAC Day 2 in 83 seconds (1:25 mins)
Alike  (0:55 mins)
Wrong side  (0:27 mins)
Randy Rainbow: Thoughts and prayers (3:46 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Scientists have long known and warned that climate breakdown is supercharging infectious diseases, making them more frequent and dangerous. But the new paper quantifies the extent of that growing threat, concluding that a stunning 58% of all documented infectious diseases — 218 of the total 375 — have been aggravated in some way by one or more climate hazards associated with greenhouse gas emissions, including warming temperatures, drought, wildfires, sea-level rise and extreme precipitation.
[Camilo Mora, a climate scientist at UH Manoa and the paper’s lead author,] stressed that that estimate, as alarming as it is, is conservative. The findings exclusively draw on cases with evidence linking climate hazards to infectious disease, he said.
…
…researchers break down the ways one crisis has helped fuel another. Climate change has brought people and pathogens in closer proximity. Warming temperatures and precipitation changes have allowed for mosquitoes, ticks, birds and other disease vectors to expand their range, while human displacement and migration from sea-level rise and extreme weather has resulted in new contacts with dangerous pathogens…. Hotter land temperatures are driving a surge in mosquito-borne viruses like dengue fever, while warming oceans have been linked to major increases in vibriosis, bacterial infections caused by eating contaminated seafood or swimming in tainted water. Additionally, climate impacts have allowed for pathogens to more successfully reproduce and become more virulent, while simultaneously blunting our own ability to avoid and fight off disease.

Read “Climate Change Is Supercharging Most Infectious Diseases…”  >>

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Meso Mary is in the back-and-forth stage of post-surgery recovery. One day she feels as if she can cut down on her meds – specifically, oxycodone - she’s afraid of becoming addicted - next day she feels she’s already addicted as she’s unable to cut back. The docs tell her to relax, take the drugs, after all it’s only 3 weeks since her invasive surgery, no need to cut back so soon. She listens, takes their advice, and still tries to cut back, and explains, “I’m cutting back just a little bit, an hour here and there, not much.” Except an hour is much when one is discomforted by pain.
Isn’t it?
It’s easy to have an opinion. Much harder to maintain that opinion after one has been through the wringer of diagnosis, surgery, pain, recovery, pain, slow healing, pain….
Mary’s anxiety about addiction indicates the power of the media playing up the unprecedented numbers of Americans addicted to oxy. Yes, opioids are addictive. No, Mary is not a candidate for addiction. For one thing, addiction is unlikely if the drug is taken to address “real” pain. Apparently, it is after pain abates and the patient continues taking the pain killer that addiction arises.
Other than that, Mary appears to be - and insists that she's recovering well. She and I walk several times per day, talk, eat well, take naps as needed.
She’s on a trajectory to heal.

I'm on a trajectory to help her heal.  
Thank the gods.