Critical Climate Tools Going Dark

Grid-scale energy storage tech has overcome a critical challenge for renewable energy, enabling energy to be stored and used later, allowing for the more efficient use of solar and wind (Vox)

🌍 Climate change could accelerate the spread of drug-resistant infections, with developing nations facing up to 4% more cases by 2050 under high-emissions scenarios (Bloomberg)

After all authors and staff working on the National Climate Assessment were dismissed, the American Meteorological Society and American Geophysical Union have united to create a first-of-its-kind special collection to continue critical climate change research in the US (Forbes)

Speaking of dismissals, the National Weather Service is facing a staffing crisis going into hurricane season which could lead to potentially life threatening gaps in severe weather warnings (CNN)

🌎 2% of amphibians worldwide are already experiencing temperatures beyond their physiological limits (Mongabay)

Immunotherapy drugs alone can effectively treat some gastrointestinal tumors, potentially eliminating the need for surgery, chemo, or radiation (The Washington Post)

Proposed cuts to affordable housing programs will disproportionately impact and displace Black renters (Capital B)

Revlimid, a life-saving multiple myeloma drug, costs $1000 per pill despite costing only 25 cents to manufacture, which has generated over $100 billion in sales for the pharmaceutical company Celgene through exploited patents, safety regulations, and continuous price increases (ProPublica)

🌍 A non-profit in Guatemala is using a simple, low-cost screening method using vinegar and halogen lights to identify abnormal cervical cells, allowing for immediate treatment and potentially saving hundreds of lives in remote communities where cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women (Yes Magazine)

Texas has introduced a bill to monitor wastewater for the abortion medication mifepristone and birth control ingredients — it’s being framed as environmental monitoring, but abortion rights advocates view it as an attempt to stigmatize abortion and restrict access (The Dallas Morning News)

Despite calls to fast track deep sea mining, we know virtually nothing about the deep sea floor, having only observed about 0.001% of it (Gizmodo)

🌍 Coffee agroforests in the Western Ghats mountains can serve as valuable sources of native tree seeds and seedlings, which farmers typically clear but could instead be used in forest restoration projects (Mongabay)

Choosing smaller fish like sardines, anchovies and farmed bivalves is better both for nutritional benefits and environmental sustainability, as opposed to farmed shrimp and larger predatory fish that accumulate contaminants (The New York Times)

California’s climate-smart agriculture programs help farmers adapt to climate change to build a more climate-resilient food system, but face uncertainty due to inconsistent funding (Civil Eats)

🌎 The wombo combo of climate change and biodiversity loss are resulting in increased pest damage and global crop yield losses as agricultural pests increase and expand their ranges (Mongabay)

By now you’ve probably heard about how much water AI uses. So why are two-thirds of new data centers built or in development since 2022 being located in places that already have high levels of water stress? (Bloomberg)

🌎 Tensions between India and Pakistan have resulted in new rules that satellite internet providers must follow to operate in India, making it harder for Starlink to enter the market (Rest of World)

The Israeli electronic surveillance company NSO Group has been ordered to pay WhatsApp $167 million after WhatsApp alleged the company used Pegasus to hack its users, including journalists and government officials (Platformer)

AI chatbots on Instagram lie to users about being licensed therapists, going so far as to make up license numbers and education (404 Media)

While AI threatens traditional humanities education, it paradoxically creates an opportunity to refocus on the essential human questions that machines cannot answer — not what we know, but how to live and who we are (The New Yorker)