The World Really Is Getting Better - The Atlantic

Since 1990, poverty and hunger have declined dramatically while life spans have increased on every continent. According to the report, the share of global smokers has declined by about 20 percent; children are roughly 30 percent less likely to be malnourished or stunted; rates of tuberculosis have similarly declined by about one-third; maternal deaths per live births have declined by 40 percent; the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases such as dengue and leprosy has declined by roughly 70 percent; and the share of the global population with access to toilets and safe plumbing has increased by 100 percent. The quality of data collection varies by category and country. But overall, it is hard to argue that human progress is some sort of sales pitch from the pathologically optimistic. Progress is simply a fact...

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/09/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-goalkeepers-report-poverty/671415/

Rodale’s Organic Life: Air Pollution Is Shortening Your Life And Harming Babies In The Womb—Here's What You Can Do

The recent wildfires in California generated a lot of smoke. This is obviously bad news, as breathing in the noxious air close to a raging wildfire can cause serious health problems (or even death) for anyone, especially those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart conditions . But it also got us thinking—what about the increasingly dirty air we all breathe in on a daily basis? What's that doing to us? ....
https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/health-effects-air-pollution

Scary New Evidence Suggests Air Pollution Can Harm Babies in Utero -- Mother Jones

As fires spread across Northern California last week, smoke fouled the air of the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Ash fell from the sky like snow, walkers strapped on face masks before heading outside, and school children throughout the region were kept indoors. ....
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/10/scary-new-evidence-suggests-air-pollution-can-harm-babies-in-utero/