'There's something terribly wrong': Americans are dying young at alarming rates

mean opiates, that's in a category all it's own.

More pollution than ever.
Babies being born with pollutants in them has been known for years now. I think people's carrying capacity for pollution and chemicals has been overridden to the point it's killing people now.
You can only take so much poison until it harms or kills you.

When republicans loosen restrictions on polluters they commit murder by proxy.

Americans as a whole eat the least healthy food in the world. From the preservatives to the sugar, our food is killing us. That's a huge part of the problem.

drug overdose. It is a horrible epidemic and I blame those drug companies that pushed all those opiates for their own financial gain. They should go to damn jail for murder.

-having- insurance, doesn't default to having -access- to healthcare

Co-pays, pharmacy formularies that don't include your meds, time off from work, etc.

Insurance is not access and access is not healthcare if you can't afford to access it.

It's a shame people can't seem to grasp that concept.

"Recently, I was in Homer, Alaska, to talk about my book The End of Ice. Seconds after I had thanked those who brought me to the small University of Alaska campus there, overwhelmed with some mix of sadness, love, and grief about my adopted state—and the planet generally—I wept."


Thanks, appalachiablue. 🙏

vividly, and the deep sorrow. I wish his observations and thoughts could be captured in a documentary in addition to his book. Maybe..

> I passed several areas where, in the mid-1990s, I would already have been ice-climbing atop frozen waterfalls at this time of year. Now, they were visibly bone dry with temperatures too warm for ice to form.

After arriving at my trailhead, I hiked alone toward a nearby peak. Out of habit, I began with a heavy jacket on, but soon removed it, along with my gloves, in temperatures well above freezing. I wasn’t used to this and it felt abidingly strange to alter my old habits as I climbed.

But unfortunately the only people who would listen to the documentary would be people who already know about the problem. Others will continue with their heads in the sand.

I empathize with the despair - had long months of sobbing/ deep depression when, yrs ago, I first realized the full extent of what global warming will do to the planet, to ALL living things. Strangely, I despaired more for innocent critters than for we humans who have selfishly caused this.

As climate scientists have said about the current offerings of fixes, with the exception of cutting carbon emissions to the bone (which will not be done): they're inadequate. 😢

that lower incomes will contribute premiums but take nothing away because lower incomes can’t afford premiums, deductibles and co-pays. Not only do they know lower incomes are a bonus, they count on it. There should only be one plan and premiums should be means proportional. No deductibles and no copays. People go to jail when they raise prices in disasters. Can’t afford deductibles and copays and medicine so people die!!! That is a disaster and the violators should go to jail.

Public and private debt are out of sight, still.

Where are the visionary policies that create hope and opportunity for the youngest among us?

Even among Democrats, the ideas of college access, universal health care, and divesting of military spending for domestic initiatives are disputed, not to mention a climate emergency with no signature legislation in sight.

Older folks and younger folks alike have work to do to turn these trends around.