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10 Things You Need To Know Today (September 26)

Emma Loewe
Author:
September 26, 2016
Emma Loewe
By Emma Loewe
mbg Contributor
Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care." Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.
Photo by Instagram
September 26, 2016

1. Emma Watson's new video about women's empowerment is totally badass.

Days after addressing the U.N. General Assembly about campus safety, she released a new video that speaks to the history of the women's rights movement. Check it out here and prepare to be inspired to tackle this week like a #girlboss. (NY Mag)

2. CITES is in full swing.

Every two to three years, international governments meet to discuss the regulation of wildlife trade for conservation purposes. Thousands of species are on this year's agenda — everything from elephants and rhinos to psychedelic rock geckos and barbary macaque. (WWF)

3. Could we run out of coffee because of climate change?

One more on the list of side effects global warming could cause: a coffee shortage. Warmer climates could cut the amount of land suitable for growing coffee by half. On top of that, higher temps make diseases like coffee rust and pests like the coffee berry borer much more likely to attack a crop. Scariest of all, 100 million people around the world depend on the coffee industry for their livelihood, so it's not just our morning java at stake. (NYT)

4. Awe can be emotionally healthy, but not when it's fear-based.

Research has shown that experiencing awe can "move us from a model of self-interest to really being engaged in the interests of others." But not always. The physical, emotional, and social benefits of awesome experiences like standing by the Grand Canyon don't translate to awe inspired by fear. Threat-based awe is not something we should seek out. (The Atlantic)

5. President Obama just reminded us of the lesser-recognized dangers of climate change.

He used his final address to the U.N. General Assembly to warn policymakers that climate change will add fuel to the global refugee crisis because, as he puts it, higher temperatures mean “cities submerged and nations displaced, food supplies decimated, and conflicts born of despair." (Scientific American)

6. Instead of detention, elementary school kids who act out are given the option to meditate in a "Mindful Moment Room."

Results are in: The Robert W. Coleman elementary school in Baltimore has seen zero (!) suspensions in the last year and a half. (Upworthy)

7. Smoking permanently damages your DNA — even if you quit.

The process of methylation, which is often responsible for heart disease or cancer in smokers, creates changes in DNA that might not ever go away. While some of the shifts in gene expression cause by methylation fade after a few years of not smoking, changes in 19 genes (one of them linked to lymphoma) were still being affected 30 years later. (NBC News)

8. France has banned plastic cups, plates, and cutlery (!)

It will be the first country to phase out the single-use dining ware once the new law goes into effect in 2020. The eco-friendly move was inspired by last year's Paris Climate Treaty. (Quartz)

9. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are projected to kill more people than all cancers globally by 2050.

As if that's not grave enough, the government also speculates that they could cause a financial crisis as bad or worse than the 2008 recession. Yikes. (EWG)

10. Your healthy eating efforts might be totally negated by your stress efforts.

A double blind study examined inflammation in women's blood after eating a meal with high or low levels of saturated fats. While the spectrum of inflammation correlated with the amount of saturated fats consumed, this correlation was thrown off when stress was a major factor. Stress caused women eating lower amount of saturated fat to show higher inflammation. All the more reason to get your om, sweat or meditation on. (NYT)

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