Most regions on Earth are warmer at present than in past decades and centuries, and many regions are experiencing a drying trend as a result of less rain and snow, more intermittent precipitation (less frequent rain and snow but more intense events) and/or higher rates of evaporation. More climate extremes, including prolonged droughts and heatwaves, have recently occurred across the globe. Moreover, human activity has…
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On an international scale, food waste is a big problem. “The largest contribution to food waste is from the consumption stage, where household food waste represents the largest share.” In a time of growing food insecurity even in so-called richer countries–due to war, the effects of climate change on agriculture, supply chain problems, and more–wasting a large percentage of the food that is produced magnifies…
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Research has shown that the human microbiome can play a large role in a person’s health. But how do “genetics, exposome [environmental factors], lifestyle and diet” affect the microbiome? Featured article: *Gacesa, R., Kurilshikov, A., Vich Vila, A. et al. (2022). Environmental factors shaping the gut microbiome in a Dutch population. Nature. “Alterations in gut microbiota composition and function are associated with a broad range of human health…
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Wildfires in the western United States are becoming more intense and are burning larger areas. At the same time, heavy, extreme rainfall is becoming more frequent and intense. When these happen in the same area within a short period of time, they “can cause dramatically more damage to communities than one of the events alone.” Research indicates that the combination of extreme wildfires and extreme…
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J. Alexander Navarro, University of Michigan (from The Conversation) Picture the United States struggling to deal with a deadly pandemic. State and local officials enact a slate of social-distancing measures, gathering bans, closure orders and mask mandates in an effort to stem the tide of cases and deaths. The public responds with widespread compliance mixed with more than a hint of grumbling, pushback and even…
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Does discrimination happen based on how people talk and sound? Based on accents, word choice, enunciation, emotion, etc.? In the United States, people can be judged harshly because they do not sound “American” or do not speak what a person may consider is “standard English”, or because they (often women) show emotion through voice and actions in a way considered inappropriate (but not when a…
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