Surface and chemical properties of tea leaves may help explain the correlation between tea consumption and lower incidences of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
culture & policy
Trump Administration Moves to Weaken PFAS Rules
President Donald Trump’s EPA is considering a rule that would weaken regulations limiting chemicals harmful to human health in consumer goods, The Guardian reports.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of chemicals added to consumer products, oftentimes for their water- and stain-resistant properties. Exposure to PFAS is known to raise the risk of certain cancers, kidney and liver disease, and complications surrounding reproductive health. The chemicals are omnipresent in everyday life and contaminate drinking water across the United States.
FEMA to Dismantle Popular Disaster Preparedness Program
The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle a program responsible for funding billions of dollars’ worth of projects meant to help communities prepare for disasters such as flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires, according to reporting from Grist.
Beyond Majesty and Myths: Facing the Realities of Mountainside Development
Expansive construction in fragile mountain environments is often pursued without adequate consideration of heightened hazards and local concerns, putting people and infrastructure at greater risk.
1,900 Scientists Warn of “Real Danger” in Open Letter
In an open letter to the American people, more than 1,900 scientists sent an “SOS” that the Trump administration’s actions have “decimated” the nation’s scientific enterprise and censored scientific work. “We see real danger in this moment,” the scientists wrote.
Climate Scientists Unite to Nominate U.S. Experts for IPCC Report
A new academic alliance provides a pathway for U.S. climate scientists to participate in a critical international climate report.
Majority of Polled Scientists Considering Leaving United States, Signaling “Brain Drain”
After an onslaught of funding cuts, firings, and cancelled programs as a result of Trump administration actions, scientists in the United States are feeling targeted. That’s according to the results of a poll of 1,200 U.S. scientists, published by Nature.
Cómo pueden los vulcanólogos mejorar la resiliencia urbana al cambio climático
Las estrategias pensadas para ciudades enteras para hacer frente al cambio climático pueden beneficiarse de los conocimientos de los vulcanólogos, que llevan mucho tiempo adaptando la información y la comunicación sobre riesgos a las comunidades locales.
NIH Cancels Climate and Health Research Grants
The Trump administration’s intentions toward addressing climate change are clear: Federal agencies purged mentions of the climate crisis from their websites and slashed funding for mitigation tools such as the Future Risk Index. Now, those intentions are extending to health research: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has begun to cancel funding for investigations into the health effects of climate change, and will not financially support new research on the subject, according to ProPublica and Nature.
NASA Abandons Pledge to Put Women, Astronauts of Color on the Moon
NASA has dropped its commitment to land the first woman, the first person of color, and the first non-American astronaut on the Moon through the Artemis program.
