News Interior Chinatown Interior Chinatown Gets Release Date, Cast Teases Potential for More Seasons One of the decade’s best books comes to the screen… By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 10, 2024 Credit: Hulu Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Hulu The Hulu series Interior Chinatown—created and showrun by Charles Yu, who wrote the eponymous award-winning book—is coming to us this fall. Hulu shared the news as well as some first-look images during the show’s panel at the Summer TCA Press Tour, where Yu and stars of the show, Jimmy O. Yang, Chloe Bennet, and Ronny Chieng, took to the stage to talk about the series, including how the adaptation differs from the novel. “It took some time to get used to the idea that this isn’t the book,” Yu said when asked how difficult it was to adapt a book that, if you’ve read it, seems to defy adaptation. The solution, according to Yu, was to approach the series as being inspired by the book and “stay true to what made you want to tell this story […] and to make a new story that ultimately is surprising for people, whether or not they read the book.” Yu and the cast were tight-lipped about what those changes may be, but when I asked whether the ten episodes we’ll see this November cover the entirety of the novel, Yu was hesitant to give a direct answer because spoilers, but said that he hopes people watch the show recognizing themes in the book but also be surprised by what they see. Chieng, who plays Fatty Choi on the show, was more straightforward. “The DNA is the same, but if you read the book, there’s no way to adapt it one-for-one. You have to rethink the whole concept,” later adding that “the show ends in a way where there’s multiple seasons possible.” All ten episodes of Interior Chinatown (with a pilot directed by Taika Waititi!) will be available on Hulu on November 19, 2024. Check out additional first-look photos below. [end-mark] Credit: Hulu Credit: Hulu Credit: Hulu The post <i>Interior Chinatown</i> Gets Release Date, Cast Teases Potential for More Seasons appeared first on Reactor.

As Europeans generate greenhouse gas emissions by driving or flying off on their long summer holidays, Denmark is trying to lower those emissions by taxing cow burps and flatulence to combat climate change. The Danish government believes that taxing methane produced by animals will improve the lives of citizens by lowering global temperatures. Therefore, beginning in 2030, livestock farmers will be taxed $17 per ton of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2) emitted by their livestock. That tax will increase to $43 by 2035. The average cow emits the CO2 equivalent of about three tons per year in methane, so each cow will cost farmers $50 in 2030, reaching about $125 by 2035. Other livestock such as sheep and pigs are also subject to the methane tax, but they emit less methane because of differences in the chemistry of their digestive systems. But two professors—William A. van Wijngaarden of York University in Canada and William Happer of Princeton University—argue that restrictions on methane emissions are “not justified by facts.” CO2 currently makes up about 420 ppm (parts per million), which is 0.042% of the atmosphere. Methane is a much lower 1.9 ppm, or about 0.0002% of the atmosphere. Methane is increasing in the atmosphere at a rate of about 0.0076 ppm per year, while CO2 is increasing at a rate 300 times faster, or 2.3 ppm a year. The methane molecule (CH4) is about 30 times better at trapping heat than the carbon dioxide molecule (CO2). Therefore, methane contributes about one-tenth the warming of CO2. Effect on the Economy Denmark’s new animal tax will raise food prices. Prices for beef and milk will go up, percolating throughout the nation’s economy. Denmark’s economy contracted 1.8% last quarter and the inflation rate is 2.1%, but expect to see inflation increase with the new animal tax. The tax will disproportionately affect middle-income earners and the poor. At the same time, farmers will see smaller profit margins. Some farmers will reduce their numbers of cows and shift to other animals or grain. Others might sell their farms and change occupations.   In America, the majority of beef farms are run by small operations. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 54% of farms with beef cattle had fewer than 20 cows. On such a farm, raising a cow costs about $900 per year. A U.S. methane tax identical to Denmark’s would be the same as an additional 15% tax on cattle. This would be devastating to small ranchers who are already pinched by increased overhead costs. The Danish policy taxes carbon at $43 per ton. This so-called social cost of carbon is priced even higher here in America, and is an easily manipulated price tag that the government puts on carbon emissions. Last fall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed $190 per ton as the social cost of carbon to make its policies seem worth the regulatory burden. If taxed at this price level, a 20-cow operation would owe Uncle Sam an additional $11,000 per year. Effect on Carbon Emissions All 1.5 million cows in Denmark account for about 0.1% of the European Union’s annual 3.6 billion tons of greenhouse emissions. The chart below compares greenhouse gas emissions by Danish cattle to emissions in all of Denmark and in the entire European Union. When it comes to the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, CO2 emitted in Denmark is no different than CO2 emitted anywhere else in the world. If Danish lawmakers are concerned about CO2-caused climate change, the cost of the tax policy needs to be weighed against the global effect on emissions. In 2022, India emitted 189 million metric tons more than it did in 2021. This is more than four times the entire carbon footprint of Denmark. The chart below shows India’s growth in carbon emissions wiping out the reduction in emissions provided by eliminating all Danish cattle. Effect on Global Climate Economics aside, this policy will have no effect on global temperatures. Even if the entire European Union halted all emissions (including livestock) the global temperatures would be reduced by only 0.12 degrees Celsius by the year 2100, assuming the highest climate sensitivity to carbon. These numbers are calculated using The Heritage Foundation’s climate calculator, which uses a government climate model. (You can use the calculator for yourself here.) From Denmark to California Although such policies may seem unlikely to take hold in freedom-loving America, similarly intrusive regulations already have been implemented across multiple sectors. These regulations affect everything in the U.S. from large-scale power plants and the automotive industry to everyday household items such as gas stoves, water heaters, and lawn equipment. In some states, including New York and California, building codes now prohibit gas hookups in many new construction projects, denying residents the right to decide for themselves what energy sources to use. As of Jan. 1, it became illegal to buy gas-powered lawn equipment such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, or chainsaws in California. This law will cost landscaping businesses over $1 billion and raise the price of landscaping services, causing some to lose their jobs and business closures. It is time to stop perpetuating the fairy tale that taxing cow burps will reduce global temperatures. Such regulations only increase food costs and inflation in general, making poverty even worse. The post While Europeans Vacation, Denmark Attacks Livestock Farmers With Cow Tax appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO is not just timely, but also transformative. Sweden and Finland have set the standard for what it means to be a NATO member by investing in their own military capabilities and by taking responsibility for security in Europe.  The United States should be grateful to have two new members of NATO who pull their own weight—in contrast to some legacy NATO members who have failed to meet defense spending goals or to contribute substantial military aid to Ukraine. The U.S. must also urge other NATO members to do better, allowing the U.S. to focus its resources on the Indo-Pacific region and prioritize countering China’s growing threats and capabilities. Sweden has capabilities and strengths from an extensive domestic defense industry and armed forces, which fill a critical gap in NATO capabilities with their ability to operate in the Baltic Sea. Finland has capabilities and strength from its manpower and armed forces, which are especially trained and equipped for cold-weather fighting. Some European countries expect the U.S. to take the lead in providing aid to Ukraine, even though Ukraine is primarily a European security matter. To their credit, Sweden and Finland have shown initiative there, too, and are among the top contributors of military aid to Ukraine. The Kiel Institute reported that between Jan. 24, 2022, and April 30 of this year, Sweden allocated $2.89 billion in military aid to Ukraine, with Finland not far behind, having allocated $2.18 billion. As part of this aid, both countries have provided Ukraine with weapons, including but not limited to air defense systems, tanks, and munitions. Critically, Sweden and Finland both meet NATO’s 2% of GDP spending guideline for defense spending. This year, both Sweden and Finland were active participants in operation Steadfast Defender, an exercise that tested NATO’s defense plan and ability to deploy forces.  Within Steadfast Defender, Sweden and Finland hosted the Nordic Response exercise, with Finland contributing nearly 4,000 troops and Sweden contributing 4,500 troops. And most notably, in June, Sweden and Finland participated in Baltic Operations 2024, the largest recurring NATO naval exercise practicing amphibious operations, gunnery, anti-submarine warfare operations, and air defense. While that was Sweden’s first time participating as a NATO member, it hosted the exercise on the island of Gotland just two years prior in Baltic Operations 2022, sending a “clear deterrence message” to Russia, according to U.S. Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee. These actions are more than a display of military commitment and signal a deeper strategic pivot toward enhanced regional cooperation. As Sweden and Finland cement their positions in NATO, they are already shaping the future of military collaboration within the Baltic nations, Europe, and NATO. Since joining NATO, Sweden and Finland have demonstrated what it means to be a good member, demonstrating both the will and capacity to contribute to the defense fabric of Europe. By investing in their military capabilities and even going beyond NATO’s 2% defense spending guideline, both countries enhance the alliance in ways that legacy member countries should emulate. Sweden’s and Finland’s memberships add another layer of deterrence against any temptation by Russia to attempt aggression against a NATO member state. The post Sweden, Finland Are NATO Role Models for Rest of Europe appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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