Not even going to try to pretend these are related, but all interesting to me!
* China's rapid industrialization and manufacturing boom around the year 2000 is being blamed for economic stagnation in many small and medium-sized communities across the US. As lots of domestic manufacturing jobs were lost, people tied to mortgages in these towns were hung out to dry. More forward-thinking government programs to retrain folks might have made a big difference.
* The toll of air pollution continues to climb as more and more studies show that small particles damage people's lungs, leading to asthma, disability, and 4 million premature deaths a year. Most deaths are in developed countries and near factories.
* Carbon sequestration is one way to combat climate change. If carbon can be trapped underground (or underwater) then it's not in the atmosphere. Cattle ranching can sequester carbon, though I'm not sure that will overcome the bad rap that beef production currently gets as far as climate.
