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Most of us havent spent much time thinking about tariffs since learning about the Revolutionary War in grade school. Other than a hazy sense that they somehow lead to dumping tea into the Boston Harbor, these taxes probably seemed unrelated to modern lifeuntil they became one of the current administration’s most beloved buzzwords. But tariffs can have far-reaching economic and political consequences, which King George III learned to his detriment 250 years ago. This is even more true in our current economy, where everyone from giant corporations to solopreneurs rely on foreign goods and manufacturers to bring their products to market. And while companies on the Fortune 500 list may be able to pivot when sourcing materials from foreign countries becomes too expensive, that may be impossible for small businesses. Heres what you need to know about how tariffs might affect your favorite small businesses. Whats a tariff and who pays it? You probably remember the definition that Mrs. Turley taught you in 4th grade: a tariff is a tax placed on foreign goods and materials imported into the United States. You might also recall why the American colonists were so dang angry about the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act back in the 1770s: the tariffs meant higher prices for the colonists. Thats because someone has to pay the extra cost to get the goods into the importing countrys hands. In most cases, the importer or company passes the cost along to the consumer in the form of a higher price tag for the retail product. There are some notable exceptions, such as how Harley-Davidson assumed the cost of the 25% tariff on gas motorcycle imports in the European Union in 2021. But the iconic American company took on that $2,200 cost per bike as a temporary measure while it (unsuccessfully) worked to circumvent the tariff. Considering the recent EU threat of 50% levy on Harley-Davidson imports as of April 1, 2025, its likely the motorcycle company will have to pursue a different strategy to keep selling bikes in Europe. Why tariffs? Governments impose tariffs for a number of reasons, starting with increasing government revenue. King George III imposed tariffs on the American colonies because his royal coffers were pretty bare and he figured the colonists were too far away to effectively kvetch about it. But tariffs can also theoretically offer economic protection to domestic industries. Imposing tariffs on foreign manufacturers can help spur consumers to buy American, which can potentially boost the domestic economy. And tariffs have long been used as a kind of political retaliation, as weve seen in the past several weeks. By imposing high tariffs on goods imported from other countries, the U.S. is basically threatening the economic stability of the home country. The terrifying truth about tariffs The current administration seems convinced that tariffs are the best way to return America to a former level of greatness. The thought process goes something like this: Step 1. Impose tariffs on foreign raw materials and manufactured goods Step 2. American consumers stop purchasing imported goods because they are too expensive Step 3. Minor economic disruptions Step 4. New American businesses emerge to fill the market gap Step 5. Major foreign companies move manufacturing to the U.S. Step 6. Economic unicorns and rainbows Unfortunately, this is an unlikely scenario. While tariffs can potentially give American businesses some breathing room (as the trade restrictions on Japanese cars helped keep American auto manufacturers afloat in the 1980s), most economists agree that tariffs have a poor track record for spurring economic growth. Typically, tariffs cost a lot, dont bring significant levels of manufacturing or business to their home country, can cause supply-chain disruptions, and are less effective than other tools in the economic toolbox. Ignoring the global economy The goal of the current tariffs is to aid any U.S. business that keeps its manufacturing on our shores. Under these tariffs, American goods will cost less than imported goods, which will increase sales and boost business. But our current tariffs will not just be levied on manufactured goods, but also on raw materials and parts. For example, a small business owner that does all of its manufacturing in the United States but sources its raw materials from Canada may still feel the sting of tariffs, even though they are not importing finished consumer products from another country. Even if an American small business is able to source all of its needs domestically, imposing tariffs on other countries often ends with retaliatory tariffs on American goods, which means any business owner selling internationally will also lose business. Surviving and thriving through tariffs Whether you are an entrepreneur or a consumer, you will likely see economic changes as the Trump tariffs go into effect. As with any major economic force outside of your control, there are only so many strategies available to you as an individual. Specifically, its prudent to keep abreast of economic news so you can alter your financial plans as circumstances change. Cutting costs that are less important to you can help free up room in your budget to deal with higher prices on necessities. You may also want to consider putting off major purchases until prices have stabilized. And if youre still looking for potential strategies, remember that heaving caffeinated beverages into major bodies of water has an excellent tariff-busting track record.
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E-Commerce
When we think of climate change, we may consider extreme weather events record-breaking heatwaves, heavy downpours and devastating floods. But have you considered that these changes could also increase your risk of exposure to certain viruses? We now live in world where extreme weather events are common. With the increasing frequency of prolonged rainstorms and heatwaves, climate change may raise the likelihood of being exposed to sewage-associated viruses in rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Intense rainstorms can also result in rainwater overloading urban sewer systems. As a result, raw untreated sewage is released into rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Newly published research I have collaborated on shows that sewage-associated viruses can persist for days in certain weather conditions, raising health risks for people exposed to untreated outfall. Raw sewage contains human urine and excrement, and carries with it a rich load of dead cells, food waste, pharmaceuticals, bacteria and viruses. Although most viruses shed by humans are relatively harmless, people infected with disease-causing viruses such as enterovirus and norovirus can shed billions of viral particles each time they go to the toilet. Even after the disease symptoms have passed, people can still shed the viruses in large amounts when they use the lavatory. These are then released into the sewer system, flowing through the network until they reach the sewage treatment plant. Typical wastewater treatment practices used in the UK are more than 99% effective at removing viruses. But despite this efficiency, treated wastewater discharged into the environment still poses some risk. Consequently, every day of the year, our rivers, lakes and seas receive potentially harmful viruses. However, the release of raw untreated sewage represents a much more severe risk. Health risks from extreme weather While the UK is prolonged periods of rain, climate projections also predict more heatwaves like those in 2022, where temperatures reached record highs. Its important for scientists to understand how these extreme weather events will influence the sewage-associated viruses discharged into the environment. We already know that recreational water users are exposed to harmful pathogens as a direct result of sewage discharge and agricultural runoff entering bodies of water. What remains unclear is how weather conditions affect a viruss ability to infect people and whether climate change could make these risks worse. Understanding this is crucial to tackling the growing health challenges posed by extreme weather and sewage contamination. To explore these questions, scientists need reliable ways to detect potentially infectious viruses in the environment. This isnt easy. Environmental samples often contain contaminants including various chemicals and bacteria, which can interfere with standard laboratory testing methods. These challenges make it difficult to accurately assess the presence and potential risk of harmful viruses in water sources. To address these challenges, my colleagues and I developed methods that filter out viruses too damaged to cause infection. This approach ensured our data focused solely on the potentially infectious viruses in each sample. Our methods also allowed us to identify multiple types of virus simultaneously, making the process more efficient and comprehensive. We conducted a series of experiments to investigate how climate change affects sewage-associated viruses, and the risks they pose to human health. These experiments were designed to simulate both short-term weather events, such as storms, and long-term changes including rising temperatures. We introduced sewage-associated viruses, such as adenovirus and norovirus, into samples of river, estuary and seawater, and tracked how they degraded over two weeks. In one experiment, we exposed the samples to different temperatures, while in another, we simulated sunlight exposure. At various intervals, we measured the levels of intact, potentially infectious viruses to monitor their decline. From this data, we calculated T90 decay rates, which is the time it takes for viral loads to drop by 90%. These rates were measured separately for viruses still capable of causing infections, and for those in all stages of decay. Interestingly, we found that the type of water river, estuarine or sea had little effect on how long viruses remained infectious or detectable in our analyses. Enteric viruses those that cause stomach upsets stayed infectious in seawater for up to three days at temperatures as high as 30C. At cooler temperatures, they lasted even longer, persisting for up to a week. When exposed to sunlight, viruses in water survived less than 24 hours on a sunny day. But on cloudy days, they remained viable for around 2.5 days. These findings demonstrate the significant health risks posed by sewage-associated viruses in wastewater. Advice To reduce the risk of infection, our research suggests people should avoid recreational activities in waters affected by sewage discharge for at least 2.5 days during cloudy weather, and at least 24 hours after sunny days. And climate change could worsen the problem: some summers may see an increase in sewage contamination, especially following heavy rain after droughts. This issue isnt limited to the UK, of course. Many countries continue to release untreated or partially treated sewage into natural waters, making it a global health concern. Our research highlights the urgent need for better sewage treatment practices worldwide. It also demonstrates the need for governments and health agencies to develop targeted risk management strategies which address the growing threats posed by climate change. Jessica Kevill is a post-doctoral research associate at the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
The skies over London could soon get a lot more exciting. Joby Aviation, the California-based electric air taxi company, announced an exclusive partnership with Virgin Atlantic on Saturday that it says will pave the way to launching its vehicles across the United Kingdom. The partnership will see Jobys services integrated into Virgins app and website, and connect passengers at Heathrow and Manchester airports. Passengers will be able to reserve a seat on a Joby air taxi using Virgins app, the companies say. The announcement did not say when service is expected to begin. We are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flights to airports and cities throughout the United Kingdom,” said Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantics CEO, in a statement. “Our strategic partnership combines Jobys expertise in design, engineering, and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantics brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Jobys service to the U.K. and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers. [Photo courtesy of Joby Aviation] Up in the air Jobys air taxis, which have been shown off during exhibition flights in New York and other cities, are catching a lot of lift recently, with the company having inked deals with Uber, Delta Air Lines, and Toyota, along with raising hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. While waiting for the green light to start operating in full in the United States and the U.K., Joby is expected to start carrying passengers in the UAE as early as this year. Joby’s aircraft, known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, can carry four passengers plus a pilot, and travel at up to 200 miles per hour. That means rapid transit around the U.K. with absolutely no emissions. While there is plenty of electricity in the air about these types of vehicles, they remain part of a speculative industry with regulatory hurdles and a ways to go before their path to the skies become clear. Joby Aviation stock (NYSE: Joby) has reflected this cycle of hype versus uncertainty over the last few months, rising significantly in the weeks following the 2024 presidential election only to fall again this year. Shares are down 22% since the beginning of January. Still, the company’s string of recent deals suggests it could very well defy gravity soon enough. Virgin Atlantics commitment to delighting its customers is unparalleled and we couldnt imagine a better partner to work with in the U.K., said JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s founder and CEO. Together, we are committed to delivering faster options for mobility across the country, including for Virgin Atlantic customers to get to the airport and move between U.K. towns and cities.
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