🔥 11M Hectare Wildfire. 45% Asian Inactivity. Nursing Homes.

Xin chào 👋

The Texas Panhandle wildfires scorched almost 1.3 million acres in a week. Out of the five active wildfires in the region, the Smokehouse Creek Fire alone burned 1.1 million acres, making it the largest wildfire ever recorded in the state, and it is still ongoing. Canada warns that this year’s wildfire season will be worse than the record-breaking season of 2023, as "Zombie Fires" still smolder.

Today's Topics

• 🎓 Education. 45% of women in Asia not in education or employment
• 🧯 Wildfires. 11M hectares of Canadian land ablaze in 2023
• 🧑‍⚕️ Nursing homes. Alaskan nursing homes 3x more expensive than US average

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🎓 45% of Women in Asia Not in Education or Employment

Globally, Central and Southern Asia have the highest proportion of females who are not in education or employed, at over 45%. Traditional gender roles are more significant in these regions, which results in women often being assigned primary responsibility for childcare and household chores, limiting their opportunities for education and employment. Early marriage and childbearing can also pull young women out of school and prevent them from entering the workforce.

There is a clear divide between low and high-income regions, with the latter showing a narrow gap between men and women. Many lower-income countries struggle with access to high-quality education. For instance, in the Middle East, political instability social unrest, cultural norms, a lack of familial support for girls, and inadequate access to safe and affordable transportation for women in rural areas can disproportionately impact women's access to education and employment. Moreover, in Africa, beyond cultural barriers, the grip of poverty also prevents women from attaining education and employment.

🧯 11M Hectares of Canadian Land Ablaze in 2023

In 2023, wildfires in Canada burned over 11 million hectares of land. This figure accounted for around 18% of the total land area burned by wildfires in the country over the past two decades. The year also marked the hottest year on record, with global temperatures rising 1.5°C higher than the 1850-1900 average. Temperatures have increased more in northern Canada than in southern Canada, where the annual mean temperature over northern Canada increased by around 3x the global mean warming rate.

El Niño played a pivotal role, causing warmer winters and reduced precipitation, thereby amplifying natural climatic patterns and triggering wildfires. Lightning strikes and human activities have also contributed to this surge in wildfires, which broke records for total areas burned, the number of people forced to evacuate their homes, and the cost of fighting the blazes. However, the strong effects of El Niño have led to a 58% chance of La Niña starting again between July and September this year, which could reduce the chances of wildfires due to its chillier and wetter effect.

👩‍⚕️ Alaskan Nursing Homes 3x More Expensive Than US Average

In Alaska, the average annual cost of a private room in a nursing home facility was $378K, more than three times the national average. This disparity is primarily attributed to Alaska's unique challenges. The state's vast and remote location, housing a sparse population of around 730,000 inhabitants, coupled with limited infrastructure, makes it challenging and expensive to provide comprehensive healthcare/nursing home services.

Transporting supplies and personnel to remote locations incurs notably higher costs compared to more densely populated areas, as there is not enough volume to generate economies of scale. Additionally, with fewer healthcare providers in Alaska, there might be less competition in the nursing home landscape, potentially leading to higher prices.

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