Signals

Weight loss drugs appear to be having an effect at the population level

New research documents accelerating plant growth on the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands.

Artificial intelligence used to help researchers plan experiments and better predict outcomes

The technology, which marries Meta’s smart Ray Ban glasses with the facial recognition service Pimeyes and some other tools, lets someone automatically go from face, to name, to phone number, and home address.

The impact of climate change on human societies is now well recognised. However, little is known about how climate change alters health conditions over time. National level data around climate shocks and subsequent rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) could have relevance for resilience policy and programming. We hypothesise that climate shocks are associated with a higher national prevalence of IPV two years following a shock, and that this relationship persists for countries with different levels of economic development. We compiled national data for the prevalence of IPV from 363 nationally representative surveys from 1993 to 2019. These representative data from ever-partnered women defined IPV incidence as any past-year act of physical and/or sexual violence. We also compiled data from the Emergency Events Database (EM DAT) on the national frequency of eight climate shocks from 1920 to 2022 within 190 countries. Using exploratory factor analysis, we fit a three-factor latent variable composed of climate shock variables. We then fit a structural equation model from climate shocks (lagged by two years) and IPV incidence, controlling for (log) national gross domestic product (GDP). National data representing 156 countries suggest a significant relationship between IPV and a climate factor (Hydro-meteorological) composed of storms, landslides and floods (standardised estimate = 0·32; SE = 0·128; p = 0·012). GDP has a moderately large cross-sectional association with IPV (estimate = -0·529; SE = 0·047; p = 0·0001). Other climate shocks (Geological: earthquakes/volcanos; Atmospheric: wildfire/droughts/extreme temperature) had no measurable association with IPV. Model fit overall was satisfactory (RMSEA = 0·064 (95%CI: 0·044–0·084); CFI = 0·91; SRMR = 0·063). Climate shocks have a longitudinal association with IPV incidence in global population-based data. This suggests an urgent need to address the higher prevalence of IPV likely to come about through climate shocks due to climate change. Our analysis offers one way policy makers could track national progress using existing data.

New York design studio Oxman has devised a system called "ecological programming" to optimise green architecture, demonstrated through a conceptual skyscraper with multiple planted platforms.

Code analysis firm sees no major benefits from AI dev tool when measuring key programming metrics, though others report incremental gains from coding copilots with emphasis on code review.

Ancient traditions meet modern technology.

US researchers working with SHoP Architects have created a potential alternative to steel and concrete as a structural floor material.

Samsung has unveiled a new solid-state battery with 20-year lifespan, 600-mile range, and 9-minute charging time.

Will the price of coffee, a crop hurt by rising temperatures and drought, jolt American politicians and voters into paying attention to global warming?

From Dhaka to São Paulo, already crowded cities are unprepared to absorb people fleeing the effects of climate change.

With electricity scarce, Africa’s most populated country struggles to provide lifesaving cooling without worsening the very crisis causing the heat.

But will anyone pay for it?

Barcelona is using the regenerative braking of its subways to power trains, stations, and neighborhood EV chargers. Could New York do it too?

A year-and-a-half-long study on Chartwatch, an artificial intelligence system in use at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, shows the tool led to a striking 26 per cent drop in the number of unexpected deaths.

If the FarView radio telescope is built, it would double as a demonstration of two unprecedented activities: mining and manufacturing in space.

The best of blogging meets the best of social media.

AI training costs are growing exponentially year after year.

This is why you need to narrow your AI's scope before deploying it.

Opponents mobilize against a California bill to regulate police use of face recognition technology, saying it won't stop wrongful arrests.

The harm to babies and mothers is one of the warnings being sent to Cop29 decision-makers by leading scientists

Create quality copy faster with Magic Write, an AI writer & text generator tool. Your co-author for a fast first draft.

In this report, GIC and S&P Global Sustainable1 analyses the escalating risk that physical climate hazards will bring, and explores investment opportunities in climate adaptation.

New American Climate Corps partnership between AmeriCorps and EPA will advance environmental justice while preparing young people for good-paying environmental justice careers.WASHINGTON, D.C. - AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, today joined the Environmental Protection Agency in announcing Environmental Justice Climate Corps – a new partnership to engage hundreds of young Americans in helping communities across the country develop and carry out pollution reduction and climate resilience projects as they gain skills and experience for good paying clean energy and climate careers.This new American Climate Corps program – the largest environmental partnership in AmeriCorps’ history and EPA’s first nationwide service effort – represents the Biden-Harris Administration’s latest commitment to taking historic action to address climate change and advance environmental justice. Announced one year ago and launched in June, the American Climate Corps has already engaged more than 15,000 young people – putting the program on a path to meet President Biden’s goal of engaging 20,000 members in the first year, several months ahead of schedule. The Environmental Justice Climate Corps will engage more than 250 AmeriCorps members serving with VISTA over the next three years in full-time, yearlong service terms supporting EPA’s goals to cut pollution, create jobs, and lower energy costs. Members will serve across the country, helping organizations in disadvantaged and other low-income communities access federal resources to carry out locally driven projects to reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, improve public health and safety, and build community capacity to address environmental justice and climate challenges. Projects will include providing technical assistance to organizations seeking federal funding, as well as helping communities invest new funds into community-based projects.“Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the most severe harms of climate change – whether that’s air pollution, extreme temperatures, or flooding,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. “Through this groundbreaking partnership with EPA, we will target resources to underserved communities where they are needed most, while putting hundreds of young people from those communities on a path to environmental justice careers.”“Our partnership is a first-of-its-kind effort within the federal government to expand pathways into environmental justice careers,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This program will create opportunities for young people through President Biden’s American Climate Corps that will help folks in overburdened communities access and benefit from historic funding secured under the President’s Investing in America agenda.”This new program is the latest and largest partnership developed under the American Climate Corps - a groundbreaking initiative to put a new, diverse generation of young Americans to work fighting the impacts of climate change today while gaining the skills they need to join the growing clean energy and climate-resilience workforce of tomorrow. 15,000 American Climate Corps members are serving across the country - conserving and restoring public lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, advancing environmental justice and more. Recognizing that environmental justice and poverty reduction are closely intertwined and that low-income communities are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, this partnership advances the mission and statutory purpose of the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Established in 1964 as Volunteers in Service to America and now part of AmeriCorps, the VISTA program builds capacity in nonprofit organizations and public agencies to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty. Consistent with the Administration’s goal of ensuring American Climate Corps opportunities are accessible to people of any socio-economic background, members will receive an enhanced living allowance, alongside a comprehensive set of benefits including: health care, childcare, student loan forbearance and interest repayment, relocation expenses, training and professional development, non-competitive eligibility for federal service, and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award currently valued at $7,395 that can be used to pay down student loans or tuition for higher education, or a cash award after service. In total, this living allowance is equivalent to receiving more than $25 per hour throughout the term of service. This initiative builds on the success of three other AmeriCorps partnerships developed over the past year as part of the American Climate Corps: the AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the Working Lands Climate Corps partnership with the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service, and Energy Communities AmeriCorps partnership funded by the Department of Interior, the Department of Commerce, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and private philanthropy. Altogether these initiatives represent a $33 million investment that will support more than 500 new ACC positions over the coming years in addition to the Environmental Justice Climate Corps. AmeriCorps serves as the coordinating hub of the American Climate Corps – partnering with other federal agencies; tribal, state, and local governments, and nonprofits around the country to engage Americans to mitigate the impacts of climate change, build climate resilience in communities across the country, while building the clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience workforce of tomorrow. Applications for the Environmental Justice Climate Corps will open in early 2025, with the first cohort of members starting later that year. This program will aim to recruit members from communities overburdened impacts of climate change. To sign up for updates on the program, visit EPA’s website. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA, or to view other service opportunities, visit the VISTA website.EDITORS NOTE: AmeriCorps CEO Smith and EPA Administrator Regan will share more information about the Environmental Justice Climate Corps during NYC Climate Week at the Solutions House “Answers Only” session on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. ET. Refer to the White House Fact Sheet for more information.