News That Matters

Day: July 13, 2021

Three alarming facts you need to know about the Pacific Northwest heatwave
Loyola Marymount University, Science

Three alarming facts you need to know about the Pacific Northwest heatwave

2021 has been defined by catastrophic events related to climate change. The heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has broken several heat records and been defined by triple-digit temperatures. Graphic by Cristobal Spielmann. By Cristobal Spielmann 2021 has proven to be a year of noteworthy climate change-related events, none more evident than the recent heatwave sweeping over the northwest U.S. and parts of Canada. Here are some of the reasons why this heatwave should worry you.  These heat records are indicative of an important measurement of climate change.  One misunderstanding of climate change is that, because of increasing average temperatures, cold temperatures and record colds won’t happen or that the existence of colder days somehow ...
Opinion: Why you can’t blame the Pemex oil fire on capitalism
Loyola Marymount University, Opinion

Opinion: Why you can’t blame the Pemex oil fire on capitalism

The fire in the Ku-Maloob-Zaap field in the Gulf of Mexico spurred tons of memes and comments about the failures of capitalism. The pipeline belonged to a nationalized state monopoly. Graphic by Cristobal Spielmann.  By Cristobal Spielmann If you’ve been on social media lately, you’ve likely seen the striking image of a massive, hellish oil fire burning on the surface of the ocean. The fire began on July 2 as the result of a pipeline leak in the Ku-Maloob-Zaap (KMZ) offshore oil field in the Gulf of Mexico before being extinguished over 17 hours later. The KMZ field has been the major producer of Mexico’s crude oil since 2009, contributing to 46% of its national production, according to a column in the online Mexican news magazine&nbs...