Consumption Week 22
My notes from some of the media I consumed this week.
Contents
How bankruptcy helps the coal industry avoid environmental liability
- The purpose of bankruptcy is to give desperate people and companies time and relief from creditors so they can get back on their feet. But not all creditors are treated equally. Bankruptcy law gives secured creditors such as banks, law firms, the Internal Revenue Service and equipment suppliers — but not environmental costs or fines — priority for payment.
- Knowing that they won’t end up on the hook for reclamation, other coal companies buy mines out of bankruptcy — and then often go bankrupt themselves. The ProPublica analysis identified 2,030 mines in Kentucky and West Virginia that have been through bankruptcy since 2012 — more than a third of all coal mines in those states. Of the bankrupt mines, 491, or 24 percent, have gone through more than one bankruptcy.
Tags: Environment, Coal, Bankruptcy, Scams, Unethical
[Behind the Money] Best Of: Inside Johnson & Johnson’s bankruptcy two-step
https://www.ft.com/content/08388420-cf6d-47e1-bd22-7a2b1504aa89
- Don’t want to pay damages for poisoning people? Split your company into two - one bankrupt one to take the blame (but be unable to pay), one for BAU. Fortunately, the law is fighting back.
Tags: Bankruptcy, Scams, Unethical
Charted: The Number of Democracies Globally
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/number-democracies-globally
Tags: Democracy, Politics
Airships, AI and Alan Cumming: Tim Answers Your Questions | Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
https://youtu.be/JDpzoJzDyL0?t=216
- Wizz Air ruined UK immigration statistics
Tags: Immigration
Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/charted-the-worlds-aging-population-1950-to-2100/
- [People aged 65+ years] is expected to hit 16% in 2050, and eventually 24% by 2100.
Tags: Demographics, Aging
Comparing Population Pyramids Around the World
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/population-pyramids-compared/
Tags: Demographics
Wikipedia had the wrong Vatican City flag for years. Now incorrect flags are everywhere
- The anonymous Wikipedia editor who changed the look of the flag in 2017 wrote that he or she did so for “color correction” purposes, noting that the Vatican’s coat of arms includes the red at the bottom of the tiara. The only problem? The Vatican’s official flag design renders the coat of arms differently, with the circular bottom of the tiara in white.
Tags: Flags, Misinformation
The Flying Train… yes this was a real idea
- Fun idea, shame physics got in the way.
Tags: Air Travel, Innovation
I Learned 167 Skills in 3 Years, Can I Still Do Them?
- Impressive stuff. Some skills are pointless, sure, but still impressive. The key? Not giving up.
Tags: Skills
Geography Now! UNITED KINGDOM
- Almost 50 minutes on our rainy rock. As usual, a good video from GN. Although I didn’t know I’m a Janner.
Tags: Geography, Geopolitics, UK
[Sliced Bread] Reusable Nappies
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001md4l
- Reusables are cheaper and greener.
Tags: Parentings