But we already knew that, didn’t we?

Happening in the World: A new UN report found that the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere hit nearly 413.2 parts per million last year. This would result in a global temperature rise far higher than the 1.5°C limit that was agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The report also showed that carbon dioxide levels rose to 413.2 parts per million last year—which is a faster rise than average despite the brief dip in emissions during COVID lockdowns. At the COP26 conference, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization called for a “need to revisit our industrial, energy and transport system sand whole way of life.” The COP26 conference began on Sunday and goes on till the 12th of November (Reuters).

Happening in the US: Stand-Up comedian and political satirist Mort Sahl, died yesterday in his home near San Francisco at the age of 94. Sahl used standup as a means of social commentary, and his Cold War material is often referred to as pioneering work in political comedy. Despite his deteriorating health, he had been performing one night a week in performances until the onset of the pandemic (NYT).

Happening in NYC: The final debate in the New York City mayoral race was on Tuesday. The debate between Democratic nominee Eric Adams, and Republican candidate Curtis Silwa quickly dissolved into a series of personal attacks and name-calling with Mr. Adams suggesting that Mr. Silwa was making “clown-like actions” and Mr. SIlwa suggesting that Mr. Adams consorted with murderers. Overall, Mr. Adams cast himself as someone who had already won the election and was waiting to begin governing the city—while Mr. Silwa was unable to have the ground-breaking moment that would swing the odds of this election in his favor (NYT).

Happening in Our Community: Today at 12 pm, the Center for Spatial Research and the University History Department is launching a new interdisciplinary project titled ‘Mapping Historical New York: A Digital Atlas.’ The project aims to find census data from 1850, 1880, and 1910 that would help visualize patterns in migration, residence, and occupation that have shaped the city. You can find more information about how to register for the event here.

Air Pollution in Action via Bwarchives