<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Bodoni 72"; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="" style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/01/12/australia-air-poses-threat-people-are-rushing-hospitals-cities-choked-by-smoke/" class=""><b class="">In Australia, smoke from wildfires poses a threat to those not in immediate danger from flames</b></a></span></div><div class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="" style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">A key question lingers as the blazes that began last year continue to burn: What are the long-term health implications for people exposed to thick smoke for so long?</span></div><ul class="" style="list-style-type: none;"><li class="" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="" style="color: rgb(90, 90, 90);"></span><span class="" style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: rgb(90, 90, 90); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(90, 90, 90);">By <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/darryl-fears/" class=""><span class="" style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(42, 42, 42);">Darryl Fears</span></a> and <span class="" style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(42, 42, 42);"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/brady-dennis/" class="">Brady Dennis</a></span></span></li></ul><div class="">
<div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div>—————————————————————————————————————--------------------------------</div><div>“Consumer expectations of ever-higher living standards were fuelled by more lenient and readily available bank lending …. </div><div>Social status and identity became closely associated with consumption, in particular with the concept of luxury. </div><div><br class=""></div><div>"Identifying oneself with the good life meant being able to live beyond traditional understandings of basic needs. Debt was the price </div><div>one paid for the joys of being part of a hedonistic consumer culture.”</div><div><br class="">Kenneth Dyson. The Morality of Debt. Foreign Affairs. May 3, 2015<br class=""><br class=""><a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2015-05-03/morality-debt" class="">https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2015-05-03/morality-debt</a></div><div><br class=""></div><div><div>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</div><div>Despite recognizing the downsides of debt, the lure of spending remains strong. After covering off on necessities, Americans said 40% </div><div>of their monthly income goes toward discretionary spending on entertainment, leisure travel, hobbies, etc. In fact, when asked what </div><div>financial pitfalls they are prone to, one quarter of Americans flagged “excessive/frivolous” spending.<br class=""><br class=""><div class=""><a href="https://www.northwesternmutual.com/about-us/studies/planning-and-progress-study-2017" class="">https://www.northwesternmutual.com/about-us/studies/planning-and-progress-study-2017</a><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"> </div></div></div>
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