Climate change concerns have largely ignored role of access to effective contraception

Climate change concerns have largely ignored the importance of universal access to effective contraception, despite the impact of population growth on greenhouse gas emissions, argue experts.

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Increased risk of tularemia as the climate changes

Researchers have developed a method for statistically predicting impacts of climate change on outbreaks of tularemia in humans. New results show that tularemia may become increasingly common in the future in high-latitude regions.

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Targeting deeply held values crucial for inspiring pro-environmental behavior

Given the alarming pace of climate change, it is increasingly important to understand what factors motivate people to take action – or not – on environmental issues. A recent study shows that deeply held values, which align closely with political leanings, can predict whether someone takes action to protect the environment.

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Study on climate protection: More forest — less meat

Forests help protect the climate. Reforestation can decisively contribute to mitigating global warming according to the Paris Agreement. Based on simulations, researchers have studied the conditions that should be fulfilled in Europe for this. According to the study, sufficient increase in forest areas requires a transformation of the food system and in particular, the reduction of meat consumption.

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Synthetic cells make long-distance calls

Synthetic biologists design transcriptional circuits that allow single-cell microbes to form networks that spur collective action, even in large communities. The work could lead to engineered microbes that treat conditions in gut microbiomes or communicate with bioelectronics.

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Lakes worldwide are experiencing more severe algal blooms

The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global survey of dozens of large, freshwater lakes. Researchers used 30 years of data from the Landsat 5 near-Earth satellite and created a partnership with Google Earth Engine to reveal long-term trends in summer algal blooms in 71 large lakes in 33 countries on six continents.

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