Last year was the hottest year on record. The blistering temperatures experienced in 2023 were accurately forecasted by Numerical Weather Prediction Models. The same computer models are predicting that 2024 is going to be hotter than 2023. Based on the temperatures experienced in the Eastern Caribbean over the last 3-4 weeks, 2024 seems well on its way to being a long, hot year. The WHO opines that global warming is.
Since the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year, I’ve seen a few school children between the ages of 7 and 16 for back, neck, and shoulder pain that was caused by wearing backpacks that were either too heavy or incorrectly worn. When walking along a flat surface, a backpack that weighs 10 pounds, translates into a force of 72 pounds on a child’s spine. If that child climbs an incline.