In this post: the large versions of the Environment and Humanities & Social Science channel photos, comments from readers, and the best posts of the week.
Environment. From Flickr, by chaosinjune
Humanities & Social Science. From Flickr, by (nutmeg)
Reader comments of the week:
In Is it all over for corals?, Peter Etnoyer of Deep Sea News reports a disheartening statistic: One in three species of coral faces extinction. Human activities like overfishing and agriculture, in addition to global warming, are largely to blame for the corals' decline. Is it already too late, Peter asks, or do corals still have a chance at recovery?
Reader y wonders the same thing:
I always wonder if its possible my children will never know of a reef except as an expanse of skeleton or in an aquarium. Some of these problems have gone on too long, like trawling and fishing for aquarium use.
On the Humanities & Social Science channel, GrrlScientist shares a few Thoughts on Poverty. The federal poverty line, she argues, is an oudated standard based on data collected in the 1950s, which the government has failed to modify as circumstances change; it does not take into account costs such as health care, child care, transportation, rent or mortgage, among others.
Reader John agrees that the system needs to be reworked:
I think the federal poverty line should be pegged as a percentage of the local standard of living. There would still be problems with such a definition, but it would be more accurate than the current one.
The exorbitant cost of health care and medication is probably the biggest difference between now and the 1950s, from a poor person's perspective. Getting even a non-chronic illness can be crippling for someone on a low income.
Some other Environment posts we thought were cool this week were:
In the Future, We Live on Glorified Lilypads
The End of Food? When a Complex Policy Debate Falls Between News Beats
And from the Humanities & Social Science channel:
"I Love Science, I Love it Not," Quoth the Raven
Scientists heart journalists? Plus a quick guide for dealing with the media
Crackers, Cartoons, and Teddy Bears—OH MY!
Look for highlights from other channels coming up!
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