Threatens of climate change

A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers discovered a type of clay commonly used in cat litter is effective at removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Professor Desirée Plata and her team were inspired by methanotroph, a seafloor-dwelling bacteria that metabolize methane without dangerously high temperatures or expensive materials, according to the Wall Street Journal. The team found that the porous structure of the clay material zeolite made it ideal for absorbing methane and turning it into carbon dioxide, a less potent greenhouse gas, the Wall Street Journal continued. They also found that, when treated with small amounts of copper, zeolite was able to effectively remove methane from the air even in areas with very low concentrations, making the compound ideal for targeting widely dispersed sources of methane emissions, reported MIT News. Unlike most current methane capturing techniques, which … [Read more...] about Scientists Think They’ve Found A New Remedy For Climate Change: Cat Litter

The Arctic town of Salla has earned the title of ‘In the Middle of Nowhere’ – famed for its wilderness made up of snowy forests which spread for miles. Here temperatures have dropped as low as -50C in the past, often breaking records for the coldest Finnish winters. But recently the weather in Salla, where the world’s oldest ski was found, dating back over 5,000 years, has become far more unpredictable. The 3,400 residents – who are greatly outnumbered by the reindeer in the area – are so worried about their future they made a fake bid to host the summer Olympics in 2032. Nada with Erkki Parkkinen, Mayor of Salla ( Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror) While other cities might have the infrastructure, Salla is living on the frontline of the climate crisis. I travelled to the town in Lapland, which is experiencing some of the most radical variations in climate – warming nearly three times faster than the rest of the planet. The town’s mayor, Erkki Parkkinen, … [Read more...] about Tiny Arctic town in Lapland warming nearly three times faster than rest of the planet

Six months after the signing of President Joe Biden 's $1 trillion infrastructure package, the government said Monday there are 4,300 projects underway with more than $110 billion in funding announced — milestones the administration is publicly heralding as midterm politics intensify. White House senior adviser Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, said the roads, bridges and other projects are laying “a foundation for tremendous growth into the future.” Landrieu said Biden and members of his administration have made more than 125 trips to highlight the bipartisan investments in infrastructure. He declined to predict how much the storytelling will resonate with voters as construction starts. “I think that if Americans step back, we will all have to admit that for the last 50 years we’ve had the need to do this and we haven’t found the will or the way to get it done,” Landrieu told reporters. He added that this is a “wonderful down payment” on … [Read more...] about Six months in, Biden’s infrastructure plan has 4,300 projects underway

Wheat prices surged to a new record high in European trading on Monday after India decided to ban exports of the commodity as a heatwave hit production. The price jumped to 435 euros (Rs 35,260) per tonne as the Euronext market opened, up from the previous record of 422 euros (Rs 34,180) reached on Friday. On the Chicago Board of Trade, just before trading opened the price of the SRW wheat futures contract hit $12.35 (Rs 961) a bushel, an increase of 4.9 per cent. Global wheat prices have soared 40 per cent on supply fears since Russia’s February invasion of agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, which previously accounted for 12 per cent of global exports. The spike, exacerbated by fertiliser shortages and poor harvests, has fuelled inflation globally and raised fears of famine and social unrest in poorer countries. India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, said on Saturday that it was banning exports after its hottest March on record, with traders needing express government … [Read more...] about Wheat Prices Hit Record High in European Trading After India Bans Export Due to Scorching Heatwave

A brush fire spurred by high winds broke out early Thursday in the Nuevo community of Riverside County, forcing residents to evacuate, authorities said. Dubbed the Cerritos fire, the blaze has singed 200 acres and was 25% contained Thursday evening, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Calling it a “particularly dangerous situation,” the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning indicating critical fire weather conditions through 10 p.m. Saturday in Riverside County. Winds were gusting up to 35 mph early Thursday in the region. Amid the blustery winds and bone-dry conditions, Southern California Edison shut off power to more than 50,000 customers Wednesday night, including 24,000 customers in Riverside County. Nearly 250,000 additional customers across eight counties are under consideration for a shutoff as well, Edison spokesman Ron Gales said Thursday. Advertisement California Bond fire … [Read more...] about Blustery winds aggravate Cerritos and Airport fires in Riverside County

Patriarchy continues to remain deeply embedded within Indian society even though there has been some evolution. People have always fought their own battles to get rid of it. But could you imagine living a life in disguise for as long as 30 years? A 57-year-old Tamil Nadu woman named S Petchiammal, disguised herself as a man for a time period of 30 years. Hailing from Katunayakkanpatti village, the woman was only 20 years old when she lost her husband to a heart attack. This happened just 15 days after the wedding. The village had a dominant patriarchal society and to raise her daughter, she disguised herself as a man. This is because being employed was seen as a problem for women in the patriarchal society of Kattunayakanpatti. While speaking to The Indian Express, she explained how she had to become ‘Muthu’ after her husband passed away. She further explained how she was facing harassment and hardships while working at construction sites and tea shops. As a solution to this, she … [Read more...] about Tamil Nadu Woman Disguised Herself as Man for Years to Raise Daughter after Husband’s Death

Less than a year after a white teenager in upstate New York was investigated for making a threatening statement at school, he legally purchased a firearm, which he is accused of using to gun down 10 Black people in a racist rampage , authorities said. The massacre at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo on Saturday should have been thwarted by New York’s red flag law , which aims to stop people from buying or possessing firearms when they show they’re threats to themselves or others, gun policy experts said. “It was designed exactly for this circumstance,” said David Pucino, the deputy chief counsel at Giffords Law Center, a gun-safety group. Instead, after Payton Gendron appeared on the radar of New York State Police in June over a chilling comment about a murder-suicide he made in the classroom while he was still a minor, he was evaluated and cleared, paving the way for him to legally buy the semi-automatic rifle he is accused of using in the shooting 11 months later, … [Read more...] about New York’s red flag law should have helped thwart the Buffalo mass shooting. What went wrong?

I’ve thought about Jim Obergefell often since we first spoke nine years ago, after his historic marriage to his husband on an airport tarmac outside Baltimore. He’s come to mind mostly during big moments in my own life as a gay man in America. I thought of Jim and his late husband, John Arthur, when I first considered proposing to my husband, Aaron, and the promises — in sickness and in health, till death do us part — that I’d be making. I thought of Jim and John again when Aaron and I exchanged vows in San Francisco City Hall in 2018, with our families around us and the bust of Harvey Milk nearby . We chose City Hall for its beauty and ease, but could have been anywhere in the country — a right Jim and John won us by overcoming a mountain of obstacles just to reach that tarmac. Advertisement I thought of Jim again last week, around the time I was emailing our lawyers about the next set of paperwork to file in our pursuit of U.S. citizenship for Aaron, who is … [Read more...] about Hearing threat to Roe vs. Wade, I thought of my gay marriage — and Jim Obergefell’s fight

After a full two years of idling rooms, dwindling guests, and shrinking services, hotels across Asia are turning on the fairy lights once again. Returning guests gratefully collapsing at the altar of this renewed five-star devotion would do well to examine the miracles of 2022 with a healthily jaundiced eye. As with the nouvelle cuisine trap, the art of the restart revolves around the promise rather than any proffered tangibles. That one buttered pea rolling around your expensive bone china plate in an orgy of solitary ecstasy and the boast of a brand marquee that excites smartphone shutters, is considered enough to silence any dissenting murmurs. But we do recall that 500-thread count linen in finest Egyptian cotton, the Bose surround sound, the Carrara marble that moans, “prego” every time you step on it with calloused feet, and the butler service (to turn on your taps): “I know naathing... I’m from Barthelona.” Well, perhaps we might do the flamenco as someone explains to me … [Read more...] about The disappearing hotel: Where has all the service – and the butter – gone?