(This email is a little long so you may want to click to read on a browser; I promise it’s worth it!)

Also, the below header is paraphrasing a lyric from my girl Avril in case you didn’t know.

I Don’t Like Your Girlfriend, But Not Because She Has Lyme Disease

One of the first conspiracy theories I remember hearing about - though it was not called that at the time - was that Avril Lavigne was cloned, the original Avril had died, and Melissa, the clone, was who we were seeing in public. As with any conspiracy, all kinds of proof and analyses were drawn up. The situation even has its own Wikipedia page.

Often ignored in the conversation, though certainly relevant, is that the singer contracted a fairly severe case of Lyme Disease. Thus, when she took a step back from the spotlight and did not produce music for some time, the theory was only given more oxygen. For the record, I love Avril and her music and was hesitant to write this piece, but I think Lyme does not get the attention it warrants and this is a lens many have resonated with to discuss it.

Contrary to popular belief, not all Lyme cases will appear with a bullseye rash. In fact, at least 20% will not and anytime you have a tick bite, you should consult a doctor immediately. You also need to proactively discuss your activities with your doctor and even if you do not hike or have pets, you can get Lyme or any other number of vector-borne illnesses. I am no doctor and none of this newsletter constitutes medical advice. When in doubt, get tested!

Vector-Borne Diseases

Mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas are the primary carriers of certain pathogens that can cause disease which is why they are called vectors. Nearly 17% of all infectious diseases are spread by vectors leading to at least 700,000 annual deaths worldwide.

While we know of malaria and understand that it especially impacts children, there are nearly a dozen major vector-borne diseases and many are not limited to a particular geography.

While the prevalence of Lyme Disease is increasing the number of people who get checked for it annually in some states, many people are still unaware of the fact that nearly 500,000 people every year are diagnosed with Lyme.

For some, symptoms may be fleeting, but for others they can last a lifetime. They can include being permanently immunocompromised and more susceptible to complications from COVID, the flu, and more.

While unproven, some also theorize Lyme played a role in the hysteria around the Salem Witch Trials, discussed among multiple other theories in a documentary produced by one of my relatives!

Many also are unaware of the fact that Lyme is named after the small town of Lyme, CT, where it was first officially identified.

Its spread has been from just a few parts of New England westward. In the early 2010s, Rochester, NY only saw a handful of cases on the east side of the city, mostly in parks around the eastern suburbs. Now, there are dozens of occurrences on the west side in parks and backyards as it becomes a regular occurrence in greater parts of the US.

While testing and diagnosis have improved, partially leading to the increase in documented cases, there has also been increased spread in a very short time frame.

While our pets get flea and tick prevention as a routine aspect of ownership, as well as treatment, humans do not. A friend of mine in Vermont recently shared that he spends so much time outdoors and cases have become so prevalent in his community that his primary care doctor now tests him at his annual appointment along with other bloodwork. That is a great development from a prevention and detection standpoint!

What becomes infuriating, though, is that multiple vaccines to prevent Lyme in humans were developed in the 90s with one on the market in 2002, but essentially were not deemed profitable enough to keep on the market. While lack of demand was relevant and the current environment for vaccines is shaky at best, intellectual property protections and a for-profit pharmaceutical industry are relevant factors as well. (New ones are supposedly coming though.)

Society is often highlighted as having a short attention span so consider this an information scream to anyone who may listen: Lyme is a problem, a growing one, and we have tools to address it. Full stop.

I have yet to even dive into the climate change aspects of this issue. Deforestation from increased development in the northeast and our addiction to grass lawns are part of the problem of tick spread, but warmer weather, a shorter freeze season, and other climate factors are also contributing.

Besides ticks, many of us have forgotten the relatively recent emergence of the Zika virus. Remember the one that led to significant pregnancy complications and affected the 2016 Rio Olympics? The EEE virus is also becoming more prevalent in Massachusetts in particular.

At this point I am hoping you forgot last week when I said I would avoid fear-mongering, but this story is one that I think needs to be told and that, thankfully, solutions exist for.

The pharmaceutical and medical industries truly need to take mosquito- and tick-borne diseases more seriously and, perhaps painfully obvious, need to view their treatment and prevention as something other than profit centers.

Cities, states, and the federal government, as well as private citizens can also play a significant role in prevention. Draining standing water and other measures around your home can be critical to preventing mosquito breeding. Report tick sightings and complications. Support and engage with local health agencies. Protect yourself and others by wearing light-colored clothing and do regular and thorough checks of yourself, those with you, and pets.

We need to be talking about this as a public health emergency, an emerging and present threat to be prevented and addressed by government, researchers, our health systems, and us. As with the larger issue of climate change, it is never too late to mitigate damage and stop things from getting worse. The best day to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the next best day is today. The same applies to solving this issue within and separate from climate.

How Do We Sustain With Age From Here?

I know dozens of people who have contracted Lyme and other vector-borne illnesses – from avid hikers to those who have no clue how they got it (likely just from sitting in their own backyard).

Many are under 30 and knowing this could be with you for life and further the spread should be reasons enough to talk about this and take basic precautions and responses. We’ll do deeper future dives on xeriscaping, but for now, think about how you can address standing water in your community or backyard, plant more native plants and reduce your grass covered area, and, again, talk about the issue!

New discoveries are being made every day, but we also have solutions now. Further, there is an evolution in our understanding and discussion of what an invasive species even is. I am reading 5 different books on Lyme disease and invasive species right now so expect follow up and potential recommended reading in the future! I already have half of a part 2 on this piece written up!

Music and Climate

While music is not necessarily the focus of this newsletter, I would be remiss if I did not mention more concrete aspects of its intersection with climate. Any industry, product, service, and process has relevance to sustainability. Healthcare is often recognized as both responding to climate change, but also acting as a cause/driver, and a major producer of waste.

The events industry is increasingly tackling waste with the Green Sports Alliance serving such venues, which often also host concerts and other events, and Protect Our Winters which specifically addresses winter and snow sports. Universities further sit at this intersection with venues for sports and more, housing, labs, commercial kitchens and dining areas, and many other mixed-use facilities all on one campus.

Coldplay has integrated stationary bikes into its concerts that actually generate zero emission energy for their performances. While a bit gimmicky, such action should not be discounted out of hand and further highlights the intersection of zero emissions energy, physical activity, transportation, music, and fun experiences. I had my own experience of the “blender bike” at the annual Imagine RIT event over a decade ago, enjoying a delicious fruit blend powered by a college student.

The oldest of the three brothers that make up AJR (one of my fav bands and yes I discovered them before you) partially earned his PhD while on tour and serves as a UN Development Program Sustainability Advocate. He also just came out with a book and the band promotes climate action in various ways at its events.

The Dave Matthews Band also hosted a zero-waste concert and having lived in Chicago I must of course mention the band’s 2004 bus incident, itself an environmental disaster, but also one some have found quite funny. My old office sat feet away from this site.

Big 10 No Longer 10 Nor Only About Sports (Was It Ever?)

Speaking of sports (Avril+Lyme=Climate+Music Industry, Events Industry=Music+Sports, Sports+Climate=This Section. See how I got there?), they have never been apolitical and the professionalization of college sports coupled with their ever-increasing cultural engagement only add to that narrative.

NBA Coach Steve Kerr recently spoke out regarding Harvard’s issues with the federal government. In 2020’s “racial reckoning,” many college football programs and the NFL and NBA engaged. The NHL is still grappling with rainbow tape on sticks. And Colin Kaepernick should not be too far away in our memories.

All that to say, the Big 10’s recent moves regarding anticipated federal actions should not be shocking. NATO’s Article 5 is the oft-cited aspect of the pact known as mutual defense where an attack on one member country is considered an attack on all, requiring all members to contribute to a/the response. Various groups within the Big 10 are essentially calling for all schools to join in defending each other against perceived litigious attacks whether related to federal funding or otherwise.

While approaching this issue as an athletic conference may seem somewhat arbitrary - versus within a given state or other affiliations - it is not surprising to me nor unprecedented.

The fossil fuel divestment movement - getting university endowments to stop investing directly in fossil fuel companies and projects - recognized the power of sport, particularly conferences, as student governments from every Big 10, ACC, and Ivy League school passed joint resolutions on the topic (I was a part of these efforts in the ACC). Collectively, these schools represent more than $60 billion in endowment funds, nearly 300,000 undergraduate students, thousands of faculty, and more than 2 million alumni. Disruption of the Harvard-Yale football game in 2019 was also part of such efforts.

And there is much more to say on sports from Saudi Arabia’s DC lobbying and merger with the PGA (learn the term sportswashing), Russia’s increasing involvement in the international fencing and boxing organizations which is not being viewed well in the context of the war in Ukraine, Qatar’s sketchy awarding of the 2022 World Cup, the college admissions scandal that leveraged sports, the military paying teams and leagues to honor veterans and military members during games, to pro athletes grifting public funds. It’s not all negative though, with incredible stories in the media outlet Outsports I encourage you to check out.

We just need to note that sports have always been affected and leveraged by other social, cultural, political, and economic forces - for better or worse. Ignoring that fact does no one any good. Pro athletes (including college athletes), leagues, and teams have massive amounts of power from recognition to money. How they use that including feigned ignorance that they need not engage with the struggles of society is important. The sustainable operations of their venues is possible and the institutions they are a part of - whether a university or a city - can benefit from their speaking out and up.

Peace,

Kyle