#5SmartReads - July 6, 2022

Hitha on the news, coral reefs, and what you should watch this summer

July 06, 2022

Call me old-school, but one of my favorite things about traveling constantly for work back in the day was to drink my coffee and read the local paper to see what was happening in different places in the country.

It’s a ritual I still treasure, though the paper is increasingly USA Today or the NYT or the WSJ instead of a local paper, and it’s a loss for the local communities who are increasingly losing their local papers and becoming news deserts - and thus being pushed to cable news and other outlets that tend to sensationalize the news to grab viewers rather than focus on informing people about what’s happening locally.

I was later to the ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ game, but I watched the series in a single sitting last week and I’m not exaggerating when I say it is the highlight of my summer.

Also, has my Zillow stalking switched from Bucks County to Bellport and the North Fork? Absolutely. But I digress…

I got caught up in the fantasy of Cousins Beach, of the Belly-Jeremiah-Conrad love triangle, of the enduring beauty of friendships, and the incredible soundtrack that I will be listening to for the foreseeable future.

I’m not alone in this new fandom - Lizzo’s reviews are as good as the show. But if you still need convincing to watch this show, read this review.

Coral is one of the most efficient carbon capturers in nature, and healthy coral reefs can help capture both carbon AND provide an efficient buffer to protect our coastlines from waves and storms. But coral bleaching has left these reefs working overtime, capturing less carbon and being less effective at protecting the coastline.

“Coral bleaching occurs when extreme temperatures and sun glare simultaneously trigger corals to flush out algae, causing them to turn white. Corals can survive bleaching events, but are under greater stress and can’t effectively support marine life, threatening the populations that depend on them.”

That’s where reef nurseries come in, and Kenya is leading the way to help protect these ecosystems, which have done so much to protect us. I’m heartened to see reef protection and investments on the table at the United Nation’s Ocean Conference, but I hope we see more coral reef protection and regeneration efforts happening as part of our infrastructure work (because that’s exactly what it is).

I loved Halftime, Jennifer Lopez’s documentary on Netflix that focused mostly on her halftime performance with Shakira at the Super Bowl in 2020 (which is my favorite halftime show ever).

I also appreciate the commentary provided by Holly Thomas in this piece, as the documentary walked the tightrope of vulnerability and carefully telling a sliver of Lopez’s story - the one only she wanted to share.

“As someone who's embraced every opportunity the establishment has to offer her but has also been regularly reminded along the way how rare her position is, you can see why Lopez might be reluctant to deviate from ideas she's confident will score mass appeal.”

The same can and has been said about other pop star documentaries (which I also love and have my own reservations about), but I would lift a mirror to the media that reviews these documentaries and ask them to acknowledge that they are a major reason that these artists can be cagey and selective when creating documentaries.

I can rattle off the names of the Mercury 6 (and even more facts about their wives). But I’m ashamed that I didn’t know who Ed Dwight was, nor the incredible challenges he faced to try to become the first Black astronaut. Challenges that were unfortunately normal for Black Americans during that time, especially those who dared to be the first.

This is the history we’re never taught in schools (and would be the first to be erased in curriculum even if it were), so I encourage you to read or listen to this important piece about an American hero.

Wishing you and this goat a very happy Wednesday

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