What We Read Today 16 June 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

• El Niño Could Make U.S. Weather More Extreme during 2014 (Kevin Schultz, Scientific American) Scientists are reporting a rising probability of El Nino conditions impacting North American weather by late summer and even higher probability next fall and winter. Weather patterns that exist at other times are sometimes reversed during El Nino with normally wet areas becoming dry and vice versa. El Nino is associated with warming of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador. Weather economist Sig Silber follows global weather patterns and reports on them every Monday at GEI News. In recent weeks he has given much attention to the El Nino outlook which has been fluctuating significantly week to week.

• A superbug resistant to “last-resort” antibiotics has made its way into the food supply (Lindsay Abrams, Salon) A strain of bacteria resistant to the antibiotic of last resort (carbapenums) has been found on squid imported from Korea. The strain of bacteria has been found elsewhere in the environment but this is the first time on actual human food.

• Yes, Theoclassical “Economists [are] Basically Immoral” (William K. Black, New Economic Perspectives) William K. Black contributes to GEI. This is a dissection of “theoclassical” economics by examination of false premises asserted as facts. Economics is in such a sad state at least partially because assumptions made at one point in history come to be treated as laws at a later time.

• The Trillion Dollar Market: Fuel in Space from Asteroids (Planetary Resources) Asteroids are virtually limitless sources of water as well as large amounts of molecular hydrogen and oxygen. Learn why that is important.

Today there are 11 articles discussed ‘behind the wall’.

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