What I Read This Week...

Kids are hitting puberty sooner, massive amounts of microplastics found in bottled water, and corporate culture wars identified as a big business risk

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Caught my eye…

• Puberty is starting earlier than it used to. A series of studies conducted since the 1970s show that the age of puberty in girls has dropped by about three months per decade since the 1970s, with a similar pattern (though less extreme) occurring in boys too. Early puberty may have harmful impacts, ranging from higher risk of depression to other psychological problems. While nobody knows what exactly is driving the age decline, several factors including obesity, stress, and chemicals found in certain plastics are all thought to play a role.

• Researchers from Columbia University and Rutgers University have discovered massive amounts of tiny plastics in bottled drinking water. The study, published earlier this week, revealed an average of 240,000 plastic fragments in a standard liter of bottled water - each smaller than one micrometer in size. While the scientific data has so far been inconclusive, many are concerned about the longer-term potential health risks of microplastics.

• Corporate culture wars have been identified as one of the biggest business risks in 2024. Over the past year, many elected officials and activists have attempted to oppose corporate initiatives they disagree with, ranging from Ron DeSantis’ attacks on Disney to Gavin Newsom’s attempts to ban Walgreens.

Other reading…

• Is It Dangerous to Keep Getting COVID-19? (Time)

• U.S. and UK carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen (CNN)

• On the Morning of Potential Spot Bitcoin ETF Approval, Here’s How We Got Here (Blockworks)

• Container Rates Soar on Concerns of Prolonged Red Sea Disruption (Reuters)

• Elon Musk vs. the Administrative State (WSJ)

• Massive Expansion of Renewable Power Opens Door to Achieving Global Tripling Goal Set at COP28 (IEA)

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