2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #26

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week.

Editor's Pick

A city in Oman just posted the world’s hottest low temperature ever recorded: 109 degrees 

Oman June 26, 2018 

Above: MODIS satellite image from June 26, 2018 shows clear weather over Oman on the day the 24-hour world high-minimum temperature record was set at Quriyat, Oman. Image credit: NASA.

Over a period of 24 hours, the temperature in the coastal city of Quriyat, Oman, never dropped below 108.7 degrees (42.6 Celsius) Tuesday, most likely the highest minimum temperature ever observed on Earth.

For a location to remain no lower than 109 degrees around the clock is mind-boggling. In many locations, a temperature of 109 degrees even during the heat of the afternoon would be unprecedented. For example, in nearly  150 years of weather records, Washington, D.C.’s high temperature has never exceeded 106 degrees.

Quriyat’s suffocating low temperature, first reported by Jeff Masters at Weather Underground, breaks the world’s previous hottest minimum temperature of 107.4 degrees (41.9 Celsius), also set in Oman, on June 27, 2011.

Masters received word of the exceptional temperature from weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera. Incredibly, the temperature in Quriyat, Masters said, remained above 107.4 degrees (41.9 Celsius) for 51 straight hours. Its blistering afternoon high temperature of 121.6 degrees (49.8 Celsius) Tuesday was just about two degrees shy of Oman’s all-time heat record and its highest June temperature, Masters reported.

A city in Oman just posted the world’s hottest low temperature ever recorded: 109 degrees by Jason Samenow, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post, June 7, 2018 

Links posted on Facebook

Sun June 24, 2018

Mon June 25, 2018

Tue June 26, 2018

Wed June 27, 2018

Thu June 28, 2018

Fri June 29, 2018

Sat June 30, 2018



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2KkJzyi
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week.

Editor's Pick

A city in Oman just posted the world’s hottest low temperature ever recorded: 109 degrees 

Oman June 26, 2018 

Above: MODIS satellite image from June 26, 2018 shows clear weather over Oman on the day the 24-hour world high-minimum temperature record was set at Quriyat, Oman. Image credit: NASA.

Over a period of 24 hours, the temperature in the coastal city of Quriyat, Oman, never dropped below 108.7 degrees (42.6 Celsius) Tuesday, most likely the highest minimum temperature ever observed on Earth.

For a location to remain no lower than 109 degrees around the clock is mind-boggling. In many locations, a temperature of 109 degrees even during the heat of the afternoon would be unprecedented. For example, in nearly  150 years of weather records, Washington, D.C.’s high temperature has never exceeded 106 degrees.

Quriyat’s suffocating low temperature, first reported by Jeff Masters at Weather Underground, breaks the world’s previous hottest minimum temperature of 107.4 degrees (41.9 Celsius), also set in Oman, on June 27, 2011.

Masters received word of the exceptional temperature from weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera. Incredibly, the temperature in Quriyat, Masters said, remained above 107.4 degrees (41.9 Celsius) for 51 straight hours. Its blistering afternoon high temperature of 121.6 degrees (49.8 Celsius) Tuesday was just about two degrees shy of Oman’s all-time heat record and its highest June temperature, Masters reported.

A city in Oman just posted the world’s hottest low temperature ever recorded: 109 degrees by Jason Samenow, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post, June 7, 2018 

Links posted on Facebook

Sun June 24, 2018

Mon June 25, 2018

Tue June 26, 2018

Wed June 27, 2018

Thu June 28, 2018

Fri June 29, 2018

Sat June 30, 2018



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News digest – obesity plan, more doctors needed, cancer waiting times, and HPV vaccine

Childhood obesity plan updated

Plans to stop shops from offering certain deals on unhealthy foods as well as restrictions on television advertising have been proposed by the Government. The Guardian reports on the plans that update the childhood obesity plan, which was widely criticised for not being strong enough when it was introduced in 2016. We think the new measures need implementing urgently.

Calls to double the number of medical students

The NHS needs to double the number of medical students in training to avoid collapse, reports The Telegraph. The Royal College of Physicians said rising obesity levels, new genetic technologies and other factors mean the number of new students entering medical school each year should rise to 15,000. We recently welcomed new NHS funding but said it needs to be spent wisely, most urgently on a boost in staff numbers.

NHS ‘below-average’ for treating common deadly illnesses

The NHS is lagging many other countries when it comes to treating some common, life-threatening illnesses, reports BBC News. The BBC commissioned a study that found the UK is ‘below average’ on preventing deaths from many diseases, including cancer.

HPV vaccine should be offered to boys, say doctors

A group of doctors has called for boys to be given the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab while at primary school, reports The Telegraph. The vaccine protects against a virus that causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer, as well as increasing the risk of cancers of other genital areas, the mouth and throat. Only girls are offered the vaccination from the age of 12, but doctors at the British Medical Association’s annual conference called for the jabs to be given to children as young as 10.

Hospitals should do more to help smokers quit

All smokers should be given help to quit when they’re treated in hospital, according to a report by the Royal College of Physicians. The Times (£) reports on their calls for stop-smoking services to be an automatic part of all hospital care, that could double the rate of quitting.

Latest cancer treatment waiting times are ‘worst ever’

Scotland’s cancer treatment waiting times are at their worst level in six years, reports BBC News. The latest figures show that the target of 95% of patients being treated within 62 days of a cancer diagnosis is being missed by more than two thirds of the country’s 14 health. In the first three months of 2018 only 85% of patients began treatment within target time, a fall from 2017. There’s a similar picture in Northern Ireland where all health trusts missed the 95% target according to the Belfast Telegraph. 

Non-smokers and lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cancer globally, and it’s often associated with smokers. But the BBC looks at why rates of the disease are rising among non-smokers, as well as women.

Technology driving personalised treatment

Our scientists in Cambridge are sequencing the tumour DNA of breast cancer patients to help choose the right treatment and predict whether they’ll experience side effects, reports BBC News. They’ve done this for 275 patients so far and they aim to enrol 2,000 patients over the next four years.

And finally

In a 6-part series we’re exploring the major challenges that are holding back progress in the field of brain tumour research. Part one focuses on how brain tumours develop, and what makes them different to other cancer types.



from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2tRB5DX

Childhood obesity plan updated

Plans to stop shops from offering certain deals on unhealthy foods as well as restrictions on television advertising have been proposed by the Government. The Guardian reports on the plans that update the childhood obesity plan, which was widely criticised for not being strong enough when it was introduced in 2016. We think the new measures need implementing urgently.

Calls to double the number of medical students

The NHS needs to double the number of medical students in training to avoid collapse, reports The Telegraph. The Royal College of Physicians said rising obesity levels, new genetic technologies and other factors mean the number of new students entering medical school each year should rise to 15,000. We recently welcomed new NHS funding but said it needs to be spent wisely, most urgently on a boost in staff numbers.

NHS ‘below-average’ for treating common deadly illnesses

The NHS is lagging many other countries when it comes to treating some common, life-threatening illnesses, reports BBC News. The BBC commissioned a study that found the UK is ‘below average’ on preventing deaths from many diseases, including cancer.

HPV vaccine should be offered to boys, say doctors

A group of doctors has called for boys to be given the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab while at primary school, reports The Telegraph. The vaccine protects against a virus that causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer, as well as increasing the risk of cancers of other genital areas, the mouth and throat. Only girls are offered the vaccination from the age of 12, but doctors at the British Medical Association’s annual conference called for the jabs to be given to children as young as 10.

Hospitals should do more to help smokers quit

All smokers should be given help to quit when they’re treated in hospital, according to a report by the Royal College of Physicians. The Times (£) reports on their calls for stop-smoking services to be an automatic part of all hospital care, that could double the rate of quitting.

Latest cancer treatment waiting times are ‘worst ever’

Scotland’s cancer treatment waiting times are at their worst level in six years, reports BBC News. The latest figures show that the target of 95% of patients being treated within 62 days of a cancer diagnosis is being missed by more than two thirds of the country’s 14 health. In the first three months of 2018 only 85% of patients began treatment within target time, a fall from 2017. There’s a similar picture in Northern Ireland where all health trusts missed the 95% target according to the Belfast Telegraph. 

Non-smokers and lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cancer globally, and it’s often associated with smokers. But the BBC looks at why rates of the disease are rising among non-smokers, as well as women.

Technology driving personalised treatment

Our scientists in Cambridge are sequencing the tumour DNA of breast cancer patients to help choose the right treatment and predict whether they’ll experience side effects, reports BBC News. They’ve done this for 275 patients so far and they aim to enrol 2,000 patients over the next four years.

And finally

In a 6-part series we’re exploring the major challenges that are holding back progress in the field of brain tumour research. Part one focuses on how brain tumours develop, and what makes them different to other cancer types.



from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2tRB5DX
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New research, June 18-24, 2018

A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below.

Climate change

On the Time of Emergence of Tropical Width Change

Modeling the climate and carbon systems to estimate the social cost of carbon

Temperature, precipitation, wind

On the linearity of local and regional temperature changes from 1.5°C to 2°C of global warming

Changes in climate extremes over West and Central Africa at 1.5 °C and 2 °C global warming (open access)

How have daily climate extremes changed in the recent past over northeastern Argentina?

Ensemble-based CMIP5 simulations of West African summer monsoon rainfall: current climate and future changes

Secular variation of rainfall regime in the central region of Argentina

On the determination of global ocean wind and wave climate from satellite observations

Future Changes of Wind Speed and Wind Energy Potentials in EURO‐CORDEX Ensemble Simulations

Seasonal contrast of the dominant factors for spatial distribution of land surface temperature in urban areas

Extreme events

Projected changes in tropical cyclones over the South West Indian Ocean under different extents of global warming (open access)

Characterizing the exceptional 2014 drought event in São Paulo by drought period length

Multi-model extreme event attribution of the weather conducive to the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire

The Impact of Drought on Native Southern California Vegetation: Remote Sensing Analysis Using MODIS‐Derived Time Series

Forcings and feedbacks

Reconciling Atmospheric and Oceanic Views of the Transient Climate Response to Emissions (open access)

Effective Radiative Forcing and Climate Response to Short‐Lived Climate Pollutants Under Different Scenarios (open access)

Aerosol Optical Depth variability over the Arabian Peninsula as inferred from satellite measurements

Impact of aerosol and water vapour on SW radiation at the surface: Sensitivity study and applications

Trend differences in lower stratospheric water vapour between Boulder and the zonal mean and their role in understanding fundamental observational discrepancies (open access)

Sensitivities of modelled water vapour in the lower stratosphere: temperature uncertainty, effects of horizontal transport and small-scale mixing (open access)

Spatial distribution, temporal variation, and transport characteristics of atmospheric water vapor over Central Asia and the arid region of China

Local Radiative Feedbacks Over the Arctic Based on Observed Short‐Term Climate Variations

Upper Ocean Cooling in a Coupled Climate Model Due to Light Attenuation by Yellowing Materials

Evaluation of Radiative Transfer Models With Clouds

The urban growth of the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo and its impact on the climate (open access)

Cryosphere

The land ice contribution to sea level during the satellite era (open access)

Glacier Energy and Mass Balance in the Inland Tibetan Plateau: Seasonal and Interannual Variability in Relation to Atmospheric Changes (open access)

Linkages of the dynamics of glaciers and lakes with the climate elements over the Tibetan Plateau

The Impact of Stratospheric Circulation Extremes on Minimum Arctic Sea Ice Extent

Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier (open access)

Ice velocity of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Petermann Glacier, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, and Zachariæ Isstrøm, 2015–2017, from Sentinel 1-a/b SAR imagery (open access)

Hydrosphere 

Continued warming, salinification and oxygenation of the Greenland Sea gyre

The sensitivity of estuarine aragonite saturation state and pH to the carbonate chemistry of a freshet-dominated river (open access)

Insights into the zonal-mean response of the hydrologic cycle to global warming from a diffusive energy balance model

Spatiotemporal changes in aridity index and reference evapotranspiration over semi-arid and humid regions of Iran: trend, cause, and sensitivity analyses

Atmospheric and oceanic circulation

Multicentury Instability of the Atlantic Meridional Circulation in Rapid Warming Simulations With GISS ModelE2

"In the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) climate model, when global warming due to higher CO2 levels was sufficiently advanced, and the effect of aerosols on cloud cover included, the North Atlantic overturning ocean circulation shuts down. It stayed off for about 1,000 years and then suddenly resumed."

Climatic Effect of Antarctic Meltwater Overwhelmed by Concurrent Northern Hemispheric Melt (open access)

Changes in atmospheric blocking circulations linked with winter Arctic warming: A new perspective

Evaluating ENSO teleconnections using observations and CMIP5 models (open access)

Nearly synchronous multidecadal oscillations of surface air temperature in Punta Arenas and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index

Carbon cycle

Field-warmed soil carbon changes imply high 21st-century modeling uncertainty (open access)

Decelerating Autumn CO2 Release With Warming Induced by Attenuated Temperature Dependence of Respiration in Northern Ecosystems

Biotic responses buffer warming‐induced soil organic carbon loss in Arctic tundra

Factors regulating carbon sinks in mangrove ecosystems

Upside-down fluxes Down Under: CO2 net sink in winter and net source in summer in a temperate evergreen broadleaf forest (open access)

Response of soil respiration and its components to experimental warming and water addition in a temperate Sitka spruce forest ecosystem

The carbon balance of a Scots pine forest following severe windthrow: Comparison of reforestation techniques

Changes to the Air‐Sea Flux and Distribution of Radiocarbon in the Ocean Over the 21st Century

Climate change impacts

Mankind

Analysis of the Economic Ripple Effect of the United States on the World due to Future Climate Change (open access)

An integrated assessment approach for estimating the economic impacts of climate change on River systems: An application to hydropower and fisheries in a Himalayan River, Trishuli

Weather Variations and International Trade

Weather, Climate and Total Factor Productivity

Vulnerability to climate change of smallholder farmers in the Hamadan province, Iran (open access)

Biosphere

Geographical CO2 sensitivity of phytoplankton correlates with ocean buffer capacity

Vulnerability of the global terrestrial ecosystems to climate change

Non‐linear shift from grassland to shrubland in temperate barrier islands

Changes in urban plant phenology in the Pacific Northwest from 1959 to 2016: anthropogenic warming and natural oscillation

The phenology of the subnivium (open access)

Photosynthetic capacity and leaf nitrogen decline along a controlled climate gradient in provenances of two widely distributed Eucalyptus species

Cambial phenology and xylogenesis of Juniperus przewalskii over a climatic gradient is influenced by both temperature and drought

Successional change in species composition alters climate sensitivity of grassland productivity

The devil is in the detail: Nonadditive and context‐dependent plant population responses to increasing temperature and precipitation

Divergent response of seasonally dry tropical vegetation to climatic variations in dry and wet seasons

Climate change mitigation

Climate change communication

Economic, environmental, and social performance indicators of sustainability reporting: Evidence from the Russian oil and gas industry

"The findings suggest that companies with a share of foreign ownership disclose more transparent sustainability information than companies owned only by local investors. Additionally, companies that prepare sustainability reports only in Russian provide more valuable sustainability information than companies that publish reports in both English and Russian."

Emission savings

Drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States: revisiting STIRPAT model

Carbon footprints of 13 000 cities (open access)

Can community energy initiatives motivate sustainable energy behaviours? The role of initiative involvement and personal pro-environmental motivation

Evaluation and mitigation of cement CO2 emissions: projection of emission scenarios toward 2030 in China and proposal of the roadmap to a low-carbon world by 2050

Energy production

The threat to climate change mitigation posed by the abundance of fossil fuels (open access)

The slow expansion of renewable energy in Russia: Competitiveness and regulation issues

Ecohydrological changes after tropical forest conversion to oil palm (open access)

From decentralization to re-nationalization: Energy policy networks and energy agenda setting in Thailand (1987–2017)

Climate Policy

Are European decision-makers preparing for high-end climate change? (open access)

Targeted policies can compensate most of the increased sustainability risks in 1.5 °C mitigation scenarios (open access)

The impact of climate change policy on the risk of water stress in southern and eastern Asia (open access)

Citizen preferences for possible energy policies at the national and state levels

Other papers

Palaeoclimatology

On the mechanisms of warming the mid-Pliocene and the inference of a hierarchy of climate sensitivities with relevance to the understanding of climate futures (open access)

"We find that two-thirds of the warming pervasive during the mid-Pliocene, compared to the preindustrial, could be attributed to the reduction in the planetary emissivity owing to the higher concentrations of the greenhouse gases CO2 and water vapor, and the remaining one-third to the reduction in planetary albedo. We also find that changes to the orography and the pCO2 are the leading causes of the warming with each contributing in roughly equal parts to a total of 87 % of the warming and changes to the polar ice sheets responsible for the remaining warming." ... "on the short timescale, owing to the influence of fast feedback processes, the climate sensitivity is 3.25 °C per doubling of CO2; sensitivity increases to 4.16 °C per doubling of CO2 on an intermediate timescale as the ice–albedo feedback becomes active, and then sensitivity further increases to 7.0 °C per doubling of CO2 on long timescales due to the feedback from the glacial isostatic adjustment of the Earth's surface in response to the melting of the polar ice sheets. Finally, once the slow feedbacks have stabilized, the sensitivity of the system drops to 3.35 °C per doubling of CO2."

Large-scale, millennial-length temperature reconstructions from tree-rings

"Whereas the reconstructions agree on several important features, such as warmth during medieval times and cooler temperatures in the 17th and 19th centuries, they still exhibit substantial differences during 13th and 14th centuries. We caution users who might consider combining the reconstructions through simple averaging that all reconstructions share some of the same underlying tree-ring data, and provide four recommendations to guide future efforts to better understand past millennium temperature variability."

Arctic warming induced by the Laurentide Ice Sheet topography (open access)



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2tF6w55

A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below.

Climate change

On the Time of Emergence of Tropical Width Change

Modeling the climate and carbon systems to estimate the social cost of carbon

Temperature, precipitation, wind

On the linearity of local and regional temperature changes from 1.5°C to 2°C of global warming

Changes in climate extremes over West and Central Africa at 1.5 °C and 2 °C global warming (open access)

How have daily climate extremes changed in the recent past over northeastern Argentina?

Ensemble-based CMIP5 simulations of West African summer monsoon rainfall: current climate and future changes

Secular variation of rainfall regime in the central region of Argentina

On the determination of global ocean wind and wave climate from satellite observations

Future Changes of Wind Speed and Wind Energy Potentials in EURO‐CORDEX Ensemble Simulations

Seasonal contrast of the dominant factors for spatial distribution of land surface temperature in urban areas

Extreme events

Projected changes in tropical cyclones over the South West Indian Ocean under different extents of global warming (open access)

Characterizing the exceptional 2014 drought event in São Paulo by drought period length

Multi-model extreme event attribution of the weather conducive to the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire

The Impact of Drought on Native Southern California Vegetation: Remote Sensing Analysis Using MODIS‐Derived Time Series

Forcings and feedbacks

Reconciling Atmospheric and Oceanic Views of the Transient Climate Response to Emissions (open access)

Effective Radiative Forcing and Climate Response to Short‐Lived Climate Pollutants Under Different Scenarios (open access)

Aerosol Optical Depth variability over the Arabian Peninsula as inferred from satellite measurements

Impact of aerosol and water vapour on SW radiation at the surface: Sensitivity study and applications

Trend differences in lower stratospheric water vapour between Boulder and the zonal mean and their role in understanding fundamental observational discrepancies (open access)

Sensitivities of modelled water vapour in the lower stratosphere: temperature uncertainty, effects of horizontal transport and small-scale mixing (open access)

Spatial distribution, temporal variation, and transport characteristics of atmospheric water vapor over Central Asia and the arid region of China

Local Radiative Feedbacks Over the Arctic Based on Observed Short‐Term Climate Variations

Upper Ocean Cooling in a Coupled Climate Model Due to Light Attenuation by Yellowing Materials

Evaluation of Radiative Transfer Models With Clouds

The urban growth of the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo and its impact on the climate (open access)

Cryosphere

The land ice contribution to sea level during the satellite era (open access)

Glacier Energy and Mass Balance in the Inland Tibetan Plateau: Seasonal and Interannual Variability in Relation to Atmospheric Changes (open access)

Linkages of the dynamics of glaciers and lakes with the climate elements over the Tibetan Plateau

The Impact of Stratospheric Circulation Extremes on Minimum Arctic Sea Ice Extent

Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier (open access)

Ice velocity of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Petermann Glacier, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, and Zachariæ Isstrøm, 2015–2017, from Sentinel 1-a/b SAR imagery (open access)

Hydrosphere 

Continued warming, salinification and oxygenation of the Greenland Sea gyre

The sensitivity of estuarine aragonite saturation state and pH to the carbonate chemistry of a freshet-dominated river (open access)

Insights into the zonal-mean response of the hydrologic cycle to global warming from a diffusive energy balance model

Spatiotemporal changes in aridity index and reference evapotranspiration over semi-arid and humid regions of Iran: trend, cause, and sensitivity analyses

Atmospheric and oceanic circulation

Multicentury Instability of the Atlantic Meridional Circulation in Rapid Warming Simulations With GISS ModelE2

"In the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) climate model, when global warming due to higher CO2 levels was sufficiently advanced, and the effect of aerosols on cloud cover included, the North Atlantic overturning ocean circulation shuts down. It stayed off for about 1,000 years and then suddenly resumed."

Climatic Effect of Antarctic Meltwater Overwhelmed by Concurrent Northern Hemispheric Melt (open access)

Changes in atmospheric blocking circulations linked with winter Arctic warming: A new perspective

Evaluating ENSO teleconnections using observations and CMIP5 models (open access)

Nearly synchronous multidecadal oscillations of surface air temperature in Punta Arenas and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index

Carbon cycle

Field-warmed soil carbon changes imply high 21st-century modeling uncertainty (open access)

Decelerating Autumn CO2 Release With Warming Induced by Attenuated Temperature Dependence of Respiration in Northern Ecosystems

Biotic responses buffer warming‐induced soil organic carbon loss in Arctic tundra

Factors regulating carbon sinks in mangrove ecosystems

Upside-down fluxes Down Under: CO2 net sink in winter and net source in summer in a temperate evergreen broadleaf forest (open access)

Response of soil respiration and its components to experimental warming and water addition in a temperate Sitka spruce forest ecosystem

The carbon balance of a Scots pine forest following severe windthrow: Comparison of reforestation techniques

Changes to the Air‐Sea Flux and Distribution of Radiocarbon in the Ocean Over the 21st Century

Climate change impacts

Mankind

Analysis of the Economic Ripple Effect of the United States on the World due to Future Climate Change (open access)

An integrated assessment approach for estimating the economic impacts of climate change on River systems: An application to hydropower and fisheries in a Himalayan River, Trishuli

Weather Variations and International Trade

Weather, Climate and Total Factor Productivity

Vulnerability to climate change of smallholder farmers in the Hamadan province, Iran (open access)

Biosphere

Geographical CO2 sensitivity of phytoplankton correlates with ocean buffer capacity

Vulnerability of the global terrestrial ecosystems to climate change

Non‐linear shift from grassland to shrubland in temperate barrier islands

Changes in urban plant phenology in the Pacific Northwest from 1959 to 2016: anthropogenic warming and natural oscillation

The phenology of the subnivium (open access)

Photosynthetic capacity and leaf nitrogen decline along a controlled climate gradient in provenances of two widely distributed Eucalyptus species

Cambial phenology and xylogenesis of Juniperus przewalskii over a climatic gradient is influenced by both temperature and drought

Successional change in species composition alters climate sensitivity of grassland productivity

The devil is in the detail: Nonadditive and context‐dependent plant population responses to increasing temperature and precipitation

Divergent response of seasonally dry tropical vegetation to climatic variations in dry and wet seasons

Climate change mitigation

Climate change communication

Economic, environmental, and social performance indicators of sustainability reporting: Evidence from the Russian oil and gas industry

"The findings suggest that companies with a share of foreign ownership disclose more transparent sustainability information than companies owned only by local investors. Additionally, companies that prepare sustainability reports only in Russian provide more valuable sustainability information than companies that publish reports in both English and Russian."

Emission savings

Drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States: revisiting STIRPAT model

Carbon footprints of 13 000 cities (open access)

Can community energy initiatives motivate sustainable energy behaviours? The role of initiative involvement and personal pro-environmental motivation

Evaluation and mitigation of cement CO2 emissions: projection of emission scenarios toward 2030 in China and proposal of the roadmap to a low-carbon world by 2050

Energy production

The threat to climate change mitigation posed by the abundance of fossil fuels (open access)

The slow expansion of renewable energy in Russia: Competitiveness and regulation issues

Ecohydrological changes after tropical forest conversion to oil palm (open access)

From decentralization to re-nationalization: Energy policy networks and energy agenda setting in Thailand (1987–2017)

Climate Policy

Are European decision-makers preparing for high-end climate change? (open access)

Targeted policies can compensate most of the increased sustainability risks in 1.5 °C mitigation scenarios (open access)

The impact of climate change policy on the risk of water stress in southern and eastern Asia (open access)

Citizen preferences for possible energy policies at the national and state levels

Other papers

Palaeoclimatology

On the mechanisms of warming the mid-Pliocene and the inference of a hierarchy of climate sensitivities with relevance to the understanding of climate futures (open access)

"We find that two-thirds of the warming pervasive during the mid-Pliocene, compared to the preindustrial, could be attributed to the reduction in the planetary emissivity owing to the higher concentrations of the greenhouse gases CO2 and water vapor, and the remaining one-third to the reduction in planetary albedo. We also find that changes to the orography and the pCO2 are the leading causes of the warming with each contributing in roughly equal parts to a total of 87 % of the warming and changes to the polar ice sheets responsible for the remaining warming." ... "on the short timescale, owing to the influence of fast feedback processes, the climate sensitivity is 3.25 °C per doubling of CO2; sensitivity increases to 4.16 °C per doubling of CO2 on an intermediate timescale as the ice–albedo feedback becomes active, and then sensitivity further increases to 7.0 °C per doubling of CO2 on long timescales due to the feedback from the glacial isostatic adjustment of the Earth's surface in response to the melting of the polar ice sheets. Finally, once the slow feedbacks have stabilized, the sensitivity of the system drops to 3.35 °C per doubling of CO2."

Large-scale, millennial-length temperature reconstructions from tree-rings

"Whereas the reconstructions agree on several important features, such as warmth during medieval times and cooler temperatures in the 17th and 19th centuries, they still exhibit substantial differences during 13th and 14th centuries. We caution users who might consider combining the reconstructions through simple averaging that all reconstructions share some of the same underlying tree-ring data, and provide four recommendations to guide future efforts to better understand past millennium temperature variability."

Arctic warming induced by the Laurentide Ice Sheet topography (open access)



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2tF6w55
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Unlocking new insight into brain tumours using neuroscience

Brain tumour research illustration

In a 6-part series, we’re exploring the major challenges that are holding back progress in the field of brain tumour research. This first part focuses on how brain tumours develop.

The brain is the most complex organ in our bodies, controlling almost everything we do. Our ability to breathe, our earliest memories and deepest thoughts and emotions are all housed in an organ the size of a large grapefruit.

Add to this that the entire organ grows from just a tiny bundle of microscopic cells, and the process becomes even more awe-inspiring.

Piecing together this process is perhaps one of the most complicated puzzles known to humankind, and one that scientists have been trying to solve for decades.

But it’s not just the growth of healthy brain tissue that scientists are still puzzling over. It’s also the growth of brain tumours. The exact way these diseases develop in the brain remains somewhat of a mystery, and it’s only through today’s sophisticated imaging and genetic techniques that we’re starting to unravel what’s going on inside patients’ heads.

To try and solve this puzzle, Cancer Research UK has set it as one of the challenges for the new Brain Tumour Awards. And our hope is that by unlocking clues on how brain tumours grow and develop we will reveal important features of their biology, opening up new ways to tackle these diseases in the future.

Brain tumours are different to other cancers

Every type of cancer is different. Even in the same part of the body, one person’s cancer can look and behave very differently to another. And when it comes to the brain, there are about 130 types of brain tumour, including those that affect adults and children.

Dr Luis F. Parada

Most brain tumour doctors are not neuroscientists – Dr Luis F. Parada

Dr Luis F. Parada, Director of the Brain Tumor Center at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, says that the brain is a unique organ with very unique properties. And he thinks that scientists’ approach to understanding brain tumours hasn’t been quite right until now.

“Most brain tumour doctors are not neuroscientists,” he says, “so adapting techniques and treatments that we designed for other types of cancer and testing them on the brain might not be the smartest strategy.” Instead, Parada is excited by the new wave of cancer doctors whose research is rooted in a greater understanding of the biology of the brain.

Some of the difficulties researchers face come down to seemingly simple things. First, the brain is hidden behind the skull. This makes it much harder to see what’s going on as tumours grow, so doctors and researchers need to use advanced techniques to try and image the brain. Studying animals, such as zebrafish and flies, can also help see into the brain as it grows and understand the earliest events in tumour formation.

Another big issue is that scientists can’t just take out pieces of the brain to see what’s going on. The brain is a delicate organ and if certain parts are removed, this can cause irreversible damage to the person, from changes in personality to physical disabilities.

Parada says that for many years, researchers’ views on brain development have likely been wrong.

“I was taught that the brain is hardwired as we grow, and that the cells in the brain are static. But what we know now is that the brain contains stem cells that persist throughout a person’s life.”

These specialised stem cells are one of the most controversial topics in brain tumour growth.

What are brain stem cells and cancer stem cells?

Stem cells are an essential part of development, as they carry shape-shifting properties that mean they turn into different cell types that help grow whole organs as we develop from embryos or replace adult cells as they die. Brain stem cells are the specialised building blocks of the brain, and can divide and grow to become all the different types of neural cell.

In the past, researchers thought that fully-grown adult brains may no longer contain these stem cells. But we now know that many of them continue to exist throughout our lives.

When it comes to cancer, the traditional school of thought has been that brain tumours can develop from a range of different cell types in the adult brain. But recent research is suggesting that tumours may only grow from specific ‘cancer stem cells’.

Slow-growing stem cells can exist within the brain that have the potential to develop into cancers. These cells would be like the other stem cells that already exist in the brain, but contain genetic changes that make them more likely to grow out of control and develop into cancer.

Parada believes that this is likely the case, and while he says this hasn’t yet been proven for all types of brain tumours, “every new piece of evidence tends to support that theory.”

As support grows, the need to uncover the properties of these cancer stem cells in the brain builds. Armed with that information, we would have a much better chance of developing ways to destroy the cells and the cancers they cause.

Waking up sleeping stem cells to knock them back down

Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes, a Cancer Research UK-funded scientist at King’s College London, is among those who haven’t ruled out that other types of brain cell can become cancer stem cells before seeding a tumour.

Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes

It’s no use only killing the rapidly-growing cells if the quiet ones remain – Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes

“I don’t think there’s one single answer” she says, “it’s possible there’s a particular cocktail of mutations in a mouse or human that could lead to a tumour, however improbable. And maybe that’s why these events are reasonably rare.”

Sousa-Nunes’ work on how brain tumours develop in flies highlights other mechanisms that may influence their growth, along with how scientists might stop these cells in their tracks.

One of the things that makes some cancers so hard to cure is that cancer cells can become resistant to treatment. Cancer stem cells can resist treatments through a unique process called quiescence, that helps them hide from drugs trying to kill them. Much like hibernating animals, quiescent cells shut down some of their systems so that they use much less energy and aren’t subject to the same wear and tear of active cells.

This means that quiescent cancer stem cells can evade cancer treatments like chemotherapy that are designed to attack very busy, energetic cancer cells. So, although some treatments can kill most of the cells that make up a tumour, a group of cells remain that may eventually wake up and regrow another cancer after treatment.

Researchers like Parada and Sousa-Nunes are exploring how we can find ways to stop this.

Sousa-Nunes’ team has discovered new features of quiescence in the brain. And that we may be able to use this against cancer stem cells. “Counterintuitively, you might want to get cells out of quiescence, to hit them with the current therapies,” she speculates.

Although this may sound strange, taking slow-growing cancer cells and making them grow faster might be necessary to kill them. “It’s no use only killing the rapidly-growing cells if the quiet ones remain.”

And Parada agrees. In addition to blocking the growth of cells that make up most of the tumour, he says we also need to “identify strategies to kill the quiescent cells”. If we can do this, we might be able to give the entire tumour a knockout blow.

But it’s not just stem cells’ ability to regrow tumours that’s important for cancer development. In some organisms, brain stem cells have an internal clock that can influence the likelihood of a tumour growing. Whether this is the case for humans is unknown.

There may be a clock in the brain controlling cancer growth

Sousa-Nunes’ work in flies has shown that potentially cancer-causing changes in a gene called Prospero (PROX1 in humans) in the brain don’t always lead to a tumour. Her work and that of others shows that this is down to how strongly the gene is expressed and also timing.

“These brain cells in flies have an internal timer and change their properties over time,” she says. “If you trigger a genetic change in these cells at one point, it can lead to cancer, but if you do it later, the cell’s properties have changed and instead you just get increased cell growth and no cancer.”

Sousa-Nunes is particularly excited to see if the same is true in human tumours. “The genetic changes found in flies have also been found to be linked to cancer growth in humans. But we’re yet to work out if timing plays a role in our cells too. It’s not been seen yet, but the possibility is tantalising.”

It’s a distant goal, but if this is found to be the case, it points to potential new ways to intervene before a cancer develops. If scientists can work out the timings of these changes that cause a cell to become either a cancer or a non-cancerous growth, then they might be able to encourage them down the potentially less harmful route.

Brain tumour research illustration

Unlocking the biology that could lead to new treatments

Parada and Sousa-Nunes’ work is rooted in the lab. So it’s some way from being turned into new treatments. But it’s the knowledge we gain from their studies that brings us closer to that possibility.

By figuring out the mechanisms that cause brain tumours to grow, scientists can find new targets and ideas for treatments. Without this sort of work, and the collaborations and debates this research inspires, many of today’s cancer therapies wouldn’t exist.

But, just like with a jigsaw, where finding the corner pieces first helps you to complete the whole picture, these early discoveries help us find the way to eventually improve the outcomes for people with cancer.

We still have a long way to go before we can say exactly how brain tumours start and grow, but that’s one of the goals of the Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Awards.

Sousa-Nunes believes it will “lure more neuroscientists in” to focusing on cancer. If this is the case, we can use their knowledge of the brain and translate it into beating cancer.

Parada also feels optimistic. “It’s really exciting to see that Cancer Research UK have focused on brain tumours. It’s those kinds of moments of focus that tend to create great leaps forward in research.”

A leap is exactly what we’re looking for.

Carl



from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2Ku7hUI
Brain tumour research illustration

In a 6-part series, we’re exploring the major challenges that are holding back progress in the field of brain tumour research. This first part focuses on how brain tumours develop.

The brain is the most complex organ in our bodies, controlling almost everything we do. Our ability to breathe, our earliest memories and deepest thoughts and emotions are all housed in an organ the size of a large grapefruit.

Add to this that the entire organ grows from just a tiny bundle of microscopic cells, and the process becomes even more awe-inspiring.

Piecing together this process is perhaps one of the most complicated puzzles known to humankind, and one that scientists have been trying to solve for decades.

But it’s not just the growth of healthy brain tissue that scientists are still puzzling over. It’s also the growth of brain tumours. The exact way these diseases develop in the brain remains somewhat of a mystery, and it’s only through today’s sophisticated imaging and genetic techniques that we’re starting to unravel what’s going on inside patients’ heads.

To try and solve this puzzle, Cancer Research UK has set it as one of the challenges for the new Brain Tumour Awards. And our hope is that by unlocking clues on how brain tumours grow and develop we will reveal important features of their biology, opening up new ways to tackle these diseases in the future.

Brain tumours are different to other cancers

Every type of cancer is different. Even in the same part of the body, one person’s cancer can look and behave very differently to another. And when it comes to the brain, there are about 130 types of brain tumour, including those that affect adults and children.

Dr Luis F. Parada

Most brain tumour doctors are not neuroscientists – Dr Luis F. Parada

Dr Luis F. Parada, Director of the Brain Tumor Center at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, says that the brain is a unique organ with very unique properties. And he thinks that scientists’ approach to understanding brain tumours hasn’t been quite right until now.

“Most brain tumour doctors are not neuroscientists,” he says, “so adapting techniques and treatments that we designed for other types of cancer and testing them on the brain might not be the smartest strategy.” Instead, Parada is excited by the new wave of cancer doctors whose research is rooted in a greater understanding of the biology of the brain.

Some of the difficulties researchers face come down to seemingly simple things. First, the brain is hidden behind the skull. This makes it much harder to see what’s going on as tumours grow, so doctors and researchers need to use advanced techniques to try and image the brain. Studying animals, such as zebrafish and flies, can also help see into the brain as it grows and understand the earliest events in tumour formation.

Another big issue is that scientists can’t just take out pieces of the brain to see what’s going on. The brain is a delicate organ and if certain parts are removed, this can cause irreversible damage to the person, from changes in personality to physical disabilities.

Parada says that for many years, researchers’ views on brain development have likely been wrong.

“I was taught that the brain is hardwired as we grow, and that the cells in the brain are static. But what we know now is that the brain contains stem cells that persist throughout a person’s life.”

These specialised stem cells are one of the most controversial topics in brain tumour growth.

What are brain stem cells and cancer stem cells?

Stem cells are an essential part of development, as they carry shape-shifting properties that mean they turn into different cell types that help grow whole organs as we develop from embryos or replace adult cells as they die. Brain stem cells are the specialised building blocks of the brain, and can divide and grow to become all the different types of neural cell.

In the past, researchers thought that fully-grown adult brains may no longer contain these stem cells. But we now know that many of them continue to exist throughout our lives.

When it comes to cancer, the traditional school of thought has been that brain tumours can develop from a range of different cell types in the adult brain. But recent research is suggesting that tumours may only grow from specific ‘cancer stem cells’.

Slow-growing stem cells can exist within the brain that have the potential to develop into cancers. These cells would be like the other stem cells that already exist in the brain, but contain genetic changes that make them more likely to grow out of control and develop into cancer.

Parada believes that this is likely the case, and while he says this hasn’t yet been proven for all types of brain tumours, “every new piece of evidence tends to support that theory.”

As support grows, the need to uncover the properties of these cancer stem cells in the brain builds. Armed with that information, we would have a much better chance of developing ways to destroy the cells and the cancers they cause.

Waking up sleeping stem cells to knock them back down

Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes, a Cancer Research UK-funded scientist at King’s College London, is among those who haven’t ruled out that other types of brain cell can become cancer stem cells before seeding a tumour.

Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes

It’s no use only killing the rapidly-growing cells if the quiet ones remain – Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes

“I don’t think there’s one single answer” she says, “it’s possible there’s a particular cocktail of mutations in a mouse or human that could lead to a tumour, however improbable. And maybe that’s why these events are reasonably rare.”

Sousa-Nunes’ work on how brain tumours develop in flies highlights other mechanisms that may influence their growth, along with how scientists might stop these cells in their tracks.

One of the things that makes some cancers so hard to cure is that cancer cells can become resistant to treatment. Cancer stem cells can resist treatments through a unique process called quiescence, that helps them hide from drugs trying to kill them. Much like hibernating animals, quiescent cells shut down some of their systems so that they use much less energy and aren’t subject to the same wear and tear of active cells.

This means that quiescent cancer stem cells can evade cancer treatments like chemotherapy that are designed to attack very busy, energetic cancer cells. So, although some treatments can kill most of the cells that make up a tumour, a group of cells remain that may eventually wake up and regrow another cancer after treatment.

Researchers like Parada and Sousa-Nunes are exploring how we can find ways to stop this.

Sousa-Nunes’ team has discovered new features of quiescence in the brain. And that we may be able to use this against cancer stem cells. “Counterintuitively, you might want to get cells out of quiescence, to hit them with the current therapies,” she speculates.

Although this may sound strange, taking slow-growing cancer cells and making them grow faster might be necessary to kill them. “It’s no use only killing the rapidly-growing cells if the quiet ones remain.”

And Parada agrees. In addition to blocking the growth of cells that make up most of the tumour, he says we also need to “identify strategies to kill the quiescent cells”. If we can do this, we might be able to give the entire tumour a knockout blow.

But it’s not just stem cells’ ability to regrow tumours that’s important for cancer development. In some organisms, brain stem cells have an internal clock that can influence the likelihood of a tumour growing. Whether this is the case for humans is unknown.

There may be a clock in the brain controlling cancer growth

Sousa-Nunes’ work in flies has shown that potentially cancer-causing changes in a gene called Prospero (PROX1 in humans) in the brain don’t always lead to a tumour. Her work and that of others shows that this is down to how strongly the gene is expressed and also timing.

“These brain cells in flies have an internal timer and change their properties over time,” she says. “If you trigger a genetic change in these cells at one point, it can lead to cancer, but if you do it later, the cell’s properties have changed and instead you just get increased cell growth and no cancer.”

Sousa-Nunes is particularly excited to see if the same is true in human tumours. “The genetic changes found in flies have also been found to be linked to cancer growth in humans. But we’re yet to work out if timing plays a role in our cells too. It’s not been seen yet, but the possibility is tantalising.”

It’s a distant goal, but if this is found to be the case, it points to potential new ways to intervene before a cancer develops. If scientists can work out the timings of these changes that cause a cell to become either a cancer or a non-cancerous growth, then they might be able to encourage them down the potentially less harmful route.

Brain tumour research illustration

Unlocking the biology that could lead to new treatments

Parada and Sousa-Nunes’ work is rooted in the lab. So it’s some way from being turned into new treatments. But it’s the knowledge we gain from their studies that brings us closer to that possibility.

By figuring out the mechanisms that cause brain tumours to grow, scientists can find new targets and ideas for treatments. Without this sort of work, and the collaborations and debates this research inspires, many of today’s cancer therapies wouldn’t exist.

But, just like with a jigsaw, where finding the corner pieces first helps you to complete the whole picture, these early discoveries help us find the way to eventually improve the outcomes for people with cancer.

We still have a long way to go before we can say exactly how brain tumours start and grow, but that’s one of the goals of the Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Awards.

Sousa-Nunes believes it will “lure more neuroscientists in” to focusing on cancer. If this is the case, we can use their knowledge of the brain and translate it into beating cancer.

Parada also feels optimistic. “It’s really exciting to see that Cancer Research UK have focused on brain tumours. It’s those kinds of moments of focus that tend to create great leaps forward in research.”

A leap is exactly what we’re looking for.

Carl



from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2Ku7hUI
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Trump should inspire us all, but not in the way you might guess

Scientists like me – and really, everyone – can learn from President Donald Trump’s mastery of viral messaging.

True, he has turned the United States into a pariah nation, one reviled for ripping immigrant children from their parents and from withdrawing from our only real chance at stabilizing the climate, the Paris Accord. 

But Trump’s success at creating and maintaining a political base is not because of his incoherent policies. It is solely because he is able to communicate with people in ways that that evoke emotion, go viral, and make people think he understands them.

The way super-communicators like Jesus, Shakespeare, Oprah, or even Trump work their magic was unpacked by Dr. Joe Romm in a must-read book, How To Go Viral and Reach Millions.

The cover of ‘How to Go Viral and Reach Millions’ 

The cover of ‘How to Go Viral and Reach Millions’

The job for scientists, for all of us, is to learn the techniques that make our messages clicky and sticky, but use the techniques in a way that keeps the science true and the facts straight. Be a Jedi, not a Sith Lord.

Yet it’s more than just that. Many of us – scientists included – downplay the importance of catchy writing, memorable phrases, and captivating metaphors. Using purposefully compelling language is somehow ‘dirty.’ I am a scientist for crying out loud. Can’t I just stick to facts, show my graphs, and let the data speak?

No, you can’t; not if you want anyone to hear you or listen to you.

And if no one is listening to you, why are you here? 

Let me be clear to my colleagues, all so-called pointed-headed, ivory-tower intellectuals who think they have something important to say. Listen up. Are you listening?

There is nothing special about you and your message.

Audiences are fire-hosed with information from all sides. We have very little time to really dig deeply into issues. Communicators are competing with many other voices, and most more interesting than you. So, if you are not going to learn techniques to communicate quickly and compellingly, you might as well just stay home.

So how does Dr. Romm’s book teach effective communication? I won’t spoil it too much – you need to read the book. But I will tell you that he has five basic rules that he leads with. I will also tell you that he teaches everything from word choice to how to recast your scientific stories in ways that connect with people emotionally. He tells the importance of long-successful tools such as repetition, use of irony, metaphor, and foreshadowing.

But perhaps the most important chapter is the one devoted headlines. How the first few words a reader sees or hears are all-important in determining whether they will devote any mental energy to your message. Whether they will click on your headline, read any part of your article, keep the channel tuned to your station, or just tune out and turn off. 

Throughout the book, Dr. Romm weaves in evolutionary biology, art, and history to reinforce his message. He discusses how the human brain evolved to be able to process huge amounts of data. The processing amounts to quickly assessing whether a situation warrants our attention; think of these as “mental shortcuts” that we use, subconsciously, to determine whether and how we digest a message. He shows how the world’s greatest artists and communicators have used the very same strategies throughout history to go viral, to get their message to spread and endure.

In a nutshell, Dr. Romm teaches techniques to become a force of good in this world using time-tested techniques. We can be Luke Skywalker, not Darth Vader.

I asked Dr. Romm why he wrote this book and he told me:

Click here to read the rest



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2Kwqdpr

Scientists like me – and really, everyone – can learn from President Donald Trump’s mastery of viral messaging.

True, he has turned the United States into a pariah nation, one reviled for ripping immigrant children from their parents and from withdrawing from our only real chance at stabilizing the climate, the Paris Accord. 

But Trump’s success at creating and maintaining a political base is not because of his incoherent policies. It is solely because he is able to communicate with people in ways that that evoke emotion, go viral, and make people think he understands them.

The way super-communicators like Jesus, Shakespeare, Oprah, or even Trump work their magic was unpacked by Dr. Joe Romm in a must-read book, How To Go Viral and Reach Millions.

The cover of ‘How to Go Viral and Reach Millions’ 

The cover of ‘How to Go Viral and Reach Millions’

The job for scientists, for all of us, is to learn the techniques that make our messages clicky and sticky, but use the techniques in a way that keeps the science true and the facts straight. Be a Jedi, not a Sith Lord.

Yet it’s more than just that. Many of us – scientists included – downplay the importance of catchy writing, memorable phrases, and captivating metaphors. Using purposefully compelling language is somehow ‘dirty.’ I am a scientist for crying out loud. Can’t I just stick to facts, show my graphs, and let the data speak?

No, you can’t; not if you want anyone to hear you or listen to you.

And if no one is listening to you, why are you here? 

Let me be clear to my colleagues, all so-called pointed-headed, ivory-tower intellectuals who think they have something important to say. Listen up. Are you listening?

There is nothing special about you and your message.

Audiences are fire-hosed with information from all sides. We have very little time to really dig deeply into issues. Communicators are competing with many other voices, and most more interesting than you. So, if you are not going to learn techniques to communicate quickly and compellingly, you might as well just stay home.

So how does Dr. Romm’s book teach effective communication? I won’t spoil it too much – you need to read the book. But I will tell you that he has five basic rules that he leads with. I will also tell you that he teaches everything from word choice to how to recast your scientific stories in ways that connect with people emotionally. He tells the importance of long-successful tools such as repetition, use of irony, metaphor, and foreshadowing.

But perhaps the most important chapter is the one devoted headlines. How the first few words a reader sees or hears are all-important in determining whether they will devote any mental energy to your message. Whether they will click on your headline, read any part of your article, keep the channel tuned to your station, or just tune out and turn off. 

Throughout the book, Dr. Romm weaves in evolutionary biology, art, and history to reinforce his message. He discusses how the human brain evolved to be able to process huge amounts of data. The processing amounts to quickly assessing whether a situation warrants our attention; think of these as “mental shortcuts” that we use, subconsciously, to determine whether and how we digest a message. He shows how the world’s greatest artists and communicators have used the very same strategies throughout history to go viral, to get their message to spread and endure.

In a nutshell, Dr. Romm teaches techniques to become a force of good in this world using time-tested techniques. We can be Luke Skywalker, not Darth Vader.

I asked Dr. Romm why he wrote this book and he told me:

Click here to read the rest



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2Kwqdpr
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Government’s updated childhood obesity plan has bold ambitions. Now it needs urgent implementation

Children TV

After months of speculation, the Government has launched its updated childhood obesity plan.

We were critical of the first attempt, which was launched 2 years ago. But Steve Brine, the Public Health Minister, has said that the first part was meant to be the “start of the conversation, not the final word”.

So, how’s the conversation going?

The updated plan includes a bold ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030. Around 60 cancers a day are diagnosed in the UK due to excess weight in adulthood. And overweight children are 5 times more likely to be overweight as adults. So, cutting childhood obesity could have a big impact on cancer rates in the future.

The Government says it will do this in many ways, most importantly through tackling how junk food is marketed at children and families.

We congratulate the Government on putting forward this bold plan, demonstrating its commitment to address one of the most significant health challenges of our time. Once implemented following the consultation, the proposed restrictions on junk food advertising will make an enormous impact on childhood obesity rates

– Sir Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive

Tackling unhealthy food marketing

Proposed measures include a potential ban on junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed with similar protections online and a ban on promotions for foods high in fat, salt or sugar in stores.

These are issues we’ve been campaigning on for a long time across the UK, and their inclusion shows that Government has been listening.

There’s already a ban on junk food ads on TV programmes made specifically for children. But almost three-quarters of children’s viewing time doesn’t fall under those rules, including peak-time family entertainment shows such as Britain’s Got Talent.

The same is true of popular websites and social media platforms. The new plan shows that Government recognises this, and we think it’s vital that changes in children’s media habits are being accounted for.

It’s also encouraging that the strength of ‘pester power’ is being acknowledged through a commitment to remove buy one, get one free and other offers on junk food in supermarkets. Displays of sweets and other junk food at checkouts are also proposed to be banned, again protecting kids from eye-level marketing.

What has happened in the last 2 years?

In 2016, we launched our campaign to tackle childhood obesity through a ban on junk food adverts on TV before the 9pm watershed.

Back then David Cameron was Prime Minister, and his team showed interest in reducing childhood obesity, so we were confident there would be a Government strategy shortly.

But in July 2016 Cameron resigned and Theresa May became Prime Minister. Then during August when many people (including the Government) were on holiday, the first Childhood Obesity Plan was published.

We were very disappointed.

The plan wasn’t as bold as promised and many called it a missed opportunity to tackle the country’s biggest public health challenge after smoking.

Since then, we’ve been maintaining the pressure on the Government, with the support of almost 4000 members of the public.

Fast forward 2 years and the updated plan is much stronger.

The battle isn’t over just yet

The 9pm watershed isn’t a done deal. Government will gather opinions from the public, health bodies, food and drinks and advertising industries, and on what the ban should look like, before the end of the year. So now is our chance to tell the Government exactly what we would like to see.

We know there will be a big push back from industry, but the evidence is strong. Reducing the number of adverts and discounts children see for unhealthy foods will give parents and families greater control of their diets.

We need to maintain public and parliamentary pressure for the foreseeable future to make sure these measures don’t get watered down or forgotten.

So, while we welcome the intention to introduce a bold set of measures to address the obesity epidemic, it must be followed up with action.

Alex Kenney is a public affairs officer at Cancer Research UK

  • Find out how to get involved in our campaigning on junk food marketing on our website.


from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2yTe9Kj
Children TV

After months of speculation, the Government has launched its updated childhood obesity plan.

We were critical of the first attempt, which was launched 2 years ago. But Steve Brine, the Public Health Minister, has said that the first part was meant to be the “start of the conversation, not the final word”.

So, how’s the conversation going?

The updated plan includes a bold ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030. Around 60 cancers a day are diagnosed in the UK due to excess weight in adulthood. And overweight children are 5 times more likely to be overweight as adults. So, cutting childhood obesity could have a big impact on cancer rates in the future.

The Government says it will do this in many ways, most importantly through tackling how junk food is marketed at children and families.

We congratulate the Government on putting forward this bold plan, demonstrating its commitment to address one of the most significant health challenges of our time. Once implemented following the consultation, the proposed restrictions on junk food advertising will make an enormous impact on childhood obesity rates

– Sir Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive

Tackling unhealthy food marketing

Proposed measures include a potential ban on junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed with similar protections online and a ban on promotions for foods high in fat, salt or sugar in stores.

These are issues we’ve been campaigning on for a long time across the UK, and their inclusion shows that Government has been listening.

There’s already a ban on junk food ads on TV programmes made specifically for children. But almost three-quarters of children’s viewing time doesn’t fall under those rules, including peak-time family entertainment shows such as Britain’s Got Talent.

The same is true of popular websites and social media platforms. The new plan shows that Government recognises this, and we think it’s vital that changes in children’s media habits are being accounted for.

It’s also encouraging that the strength of ‘pester power’ is being acknowledged through a commitment to remove buy one, get one free and other offers on junk food in supermarkets. Displays of sweets and other junk food at checkouts are also proposed to be banned, again protecting kids from eye-level marketing.

What has happened in the last 2 years?

In 2016, we launched our campaign to tackle childhood obesity through a ban on junk food adverts on TV before the 9pm watershed.

Back then David Cameron was Prime Minister, and his team showed interest in reducing childhood obesity, so we were confident there would be a Government strategy shortly.

But in July 2016 Cameron resigned and Theresa May became Prime Minister. Then during August when many people (including the Government) were on holiday, the first Childhood Obesity Plan was published.

We were very disappointed.

The plan wasn’t as bold as promised and many called it a missed opportunity to tackle the country’s biggest public health challenge after smoking.

Since then, we’ve been maintaining the pressure on the Government, with the support of almost 4000 members of the public.

Fast forward 2 years and the updated plan is much stronger.

The battle isn’t over just yet

The 9pm watershed isn’t a done deal. Government will gather opinions from the public, health bodies, food and drinks and advertising industries, and on what the ban should look like, before the end of the year. So now is our chance to tell the Government exactly what we would like to see.

We know there will be a big push back from industry, but the evidence is strong. Reducing the number of adverts and discounts children see for unhealthy foods will give parents and families greater control of their diets.

We need to maintain public and parliamentary pressure for the foreseeable future to make sure these measures don’t get watered down or forgotten.

So, while we welcome the intention to introduce a bold set of measures to address the obesity epidemic, it must be followed up with action.

Alex Kenney is a public affairs officer at Cancer Research UK

  • Find out how to get involved in our campaigning on junk food marketing on our website.


from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2yTe9Kj
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International Space University looks to the sustainable future of space

An aerial view of ESTEC from this year. Note the Erasmus building to the front right, the T building – home to ESA's Galileo team – in the foreground, the restaurant at the top of the car park and the main building beside the dunes. Credit: ESA

An aerial view of ESTEC from this year. Credit: ESA

The International Space University’s Space Studies Program will officially open today at ESA in the Netherlands. The nine-week programme will see more than 130 participants representing 37 nationalities take part in lectures, workshops and team projects to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of all aspects of the space industry.

This year’s ISU programme is co-hosted by the Technical University Delft and the Netherlands Space Office, in close cooperation with ESA and Leiden University.

Two groups of participants will focus in particular on issues of space safety and sustainability as they prepare project reports on the role space should play in human adaptation to global climate change and on new ideas for the removal of space debris from Earth orbit using ecologically sound technology.

Looking ahead to sustainable innovation

Omar Hatamleh Credit: ISU/NitzanZohar

Omar Hatamleh Credit: ISU/NitzanZohar

“Working with young professionals reminds us all of the need to keep space sustainable for the generations to come,” says Omar Hatamleh, ISU’s Director of the Space Studies Program. “We look ahead to a future of great innovation and technology, but we also realise the importance of making those great advances available to everyone and to make them sustainable over the long term.”

The space debris project will examine some of the proposals by space agencies and commercial companies that include the deorbiting of defunct satellites, moving them to safer orbits or salvaging them for reuse on other satellites or spacecraft, before composing a plan for an original mission. The participants at ISU come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and will be encouraged to bring new approaches to the problem.

Rüdiger Jehn Crfedit: ESA/Euronews

Rüdiger Jehn Credit: ESA/Euronews

“I’m looking forward to seeing exciting new ideas from the participants in the project,” says team project co-chair Rüdiger Jehn, who is also Co-Manager for Near-Earth Objects within ESA’s Space Situational Awareness Programme.

“We need to guarantee the long-term safety and security of space operations, so that all of the generations to come can benefit from knowledge we gain from space data. Developing awareness of the issue and good ideas for addressing it is really important for everyone with an interest in space.”

Looking at key risks of climate change

The host nation of the Netherlands has a particular interest in another of the team projects, as it looks at two key risks of climate change – flooding and diminished air quality. Lying at or below sea level, the Dutch interest in flood mitigation is clear, while scientists from the Netherlands were also key in developing the Tropomi instrument measuring air quality on board the Sentinel 5P satellite launched last year.

“We welcome participants from many countries to their summer of space in the Netherlands this year,” says Erik Laan, co-chair of the team project on adaptation from space for climate change. “We are interested in understanding how climate change affects different environments and ecosystems, and how our knowledge from space can help us all to minimise the impacts of a changing climate for people on the ground. This international group will allow us to explore new ideas for what will be our common future.”

The opening ceremony of the Space Studies Program will be attended by HM the King of the Netherlands and addressed by ESA Director General Jan Wörner. The ceremony is available to view on ISU’s YouTube channel.

Today’s post contributed by Ruth McAvinia. Ruth is an ATG-Europe editor for ESA and a member of the global faculty of ISU.

More info

ISU SSP in Facebook



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An aerial view of ESTEC from this year. Note the Erasmus building to the front right, the T building – home to ESA's Galileo team – in the foreground, the restaurant at the top of the car park and the main building beside the dunes. Credit: ESA

An aerial view of ESTEC from this year. Credit: ESA

The International Space University’s Space Studies Program will officially open today at ESA in the Netherlands. The nine-week programme will see more than 130 participants representing 37 nationalities take part in lectures, workshops and team projects to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of all aspects of the space industry.

This year’s ISU programme is co-hosted by the Technical University Delft and the Netherlands Space Office, in close cooperation with ESA and Leiden University.

Two groups of participants will focus in particular on issues of space safety and sustainability as they prepare project reports on the role space should play in human adaptation to global climate change and on new ideas for the removal of space debris from Earth orbit using ecologically sound technology.

Looking ahead to sustainable innovation

Omar Hatamleh Credit: ISU/NitzanZohar

Omar Hatamleh Credit: ISU/NitzanZohar

“Working with young professionals reminds us all of the need to keep space sustainable for the generations to come,” says Omar Hatamleh, ISU’s Director of the Space Studies Program. “We look ahead to a future of great innovation and technology, but we also realise the importance of making those great advances available to everyone and to make them sustainable over the long term.”

The space debris project will examine some of the proposals by space agencies and commercial companies that include the deorbiting of defunct satellites, moving them to safer orbits or salvaging them for reuse on other satellites or spacecraft, before composing a plan for an original mission. The participants at ISU come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and will be encouraged to bring new approaches to the problem.

Rüdiger Jehn Crfedit: ESA/Euronews

Rüdiger Jehn Credit: ESA/Euronews

“I’m looking forward to seeing exciting new ideas from the participants in the project,” says team project co-chair Rüdiger Jehn, who is also Co-Manager for Near-Earth Objects within ESA’s Space Situational Awareness Programme.

“We need to guarantee the long-term safety and security of space operations, so that all of the generations to come can benefit from knowledge we gain from space data. Developing awareness of the issue and good ideas for addressing it is really important for everyone with an interest in space.”

Looking at key risks of climate change

The host nation of the Netherlands has a particular interest in another of the team projects, as it looks at two key risks of climate change – flooding and diminished air quality. Lying at or below sea level, the Dutch interest in flood mitigation is clear, while scientists from the Netherlands were also key in developing the Tropomi instrument measuring air quality on board the Sentinel 5P satellite launched last year.

“We welcome participants from many countries to their summer of space in the Netherlands this year,” says Erik Laan, co-chair of the team project on adaptation from space for climate change. “We are interested in understanding how climate change affects different environments and ecosystems, and how our knowledge from space can help us all to minimise the impacts of a changing climate for people on the ground. This international group will allow us to explore new ideas for what will be our common future.”

The opening ceremony of the Space Studies Program will be attended by HM the King of the Netherlands and addressed by ESA Director General Jan Wörner. The ceremony is available to view on ISU’s YouTube channel.

Today’s post contributed by Ruth McAvinia. Ruth is an ATG-Europe editor for ESA and a member of the global faculty of ISU.

More info

ISU SSP in Facebook



from Rocket Science https://ift.tt/2tpv0za
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2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week.

Editor's Pick

2018 Arctic sea ice melt season just got a big headstart

 Arctic sea ice in East Greenland

Pack ice after sunset in East Greenland near Kulusuk. Predicting the Arctic September minimum in advance remains beyond science’s predictive capabilities. However, signs so far this year indicate the possibility for a new record low ice extent, beating 2012. Image by Markus Trienke, Flickr. 

Close, but no cigar. That assessment, though unscientific, well describes May 2018 sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean – a month some polar experts thought could be one for the record books.

At the month’s mid-point, freakishly warm weather brewed above the northern ocean. But in the end, May 2018 staggered over the finish line in second place, and far from a photo finish at 12.2 million square kilometers (4.7 million square miles). That’s 310,000 square kilometers (120,000 square miles) greater than the all time May record set in 2016.

Yet the fact that so much debate swirled around May this year is news enough, as it’s often a month overlooked by the sea ice community and by the media, with May falling between March’s winter maximum sea ice extent and September’s summer minimum. But attention is shifting as global warming escalates.

“Now, what’s happening in winter and spring is starting to become very, very interesting,” says Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center which tracks and analyzes sea ice. September, he says, is no longer the only hot topic: “We’re seeing these big heatwaves over the North Pole in the middle of winter. Wow. That’s not supposed to happen and yet [it has] the last four winters.” 

2018 Arctic sea ice melt season just got a big headstart by Gloria Dickey, Mongabay, June 19, 2018

Links posted on Facebook

Sun June 17, 2018

Mon June 18, 2018

Tue June 19, 2018

Wed June 20, 2018

Thu June 21, 2018

Fri June 22, 2018

Sat June 23, 2018



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2KdxuGW
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week.

Editor's Pick

2018 Arctic sea ice melt season just got a big headstart

 Arctic sea ice in East Greenland

Pack ice after sunset in East Greenland near Kulusuk. Predicting the Arctic September minimum in advance remains beyond science’s predictive capabilities. However, signs so far this year indicate the possibility for a new record low ice extent, beating 2012. Image by Markus Trienke, Flickr. 

Close, but no cigar. That assessment, though unscientific, well describes May 2018 sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean – a month some polar experts thought could be one for the record books.

At the month’s mid-point, freakishly warm weather brewed above the northern ocean. But in the end, May 2018 staggered over the finish line in second place, and far from a photo finish at 12.2 million square kilometers (4.7 million square miles). That’s 310,000 square kilometers (120,000 square miles) greater than the all time May record set in 2016.

Yet the fact that so much debate swirled around May this year is news enough, as it’s often a month overlooked by the sea ice community and by the media, with May falling between March’s winter maximum sea ice extent and September’s summer minimum. But attention is shifting as global warming escalates.

“Now, what’s happening in winter and spring is starting to become very, very interesting,” says Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center which tracks and analyzes sea ice. September, he says, is no longer the only hot topic: “We’re seeing these big heatwaves over the North Pole in the middle of winter. Wow. That’s not supposed to happen and yet [it has] the last four winters.” 

2018 Arctic sea ice melt season just got a big headstart by Gloria Dickey, Mongabay, June 19, 2018

Links posted on Facebook

Sun June 17, 2018

Mon June 18, 2018

Tue June 19, 2018

Wed June 20, 2018

Thu June 21, 2018

Fri June 22, 2018

Sat June 23, 2018



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