Origins of diabetes may be different in men and women: Development of the disease depends on location and features of fat tissue in each sex
Over the past four decades, global cases of Type 2 diabetes mellitus have skyrocketed. According to the World Health Organization, the number of people estimated to have the disease jumped from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014, with the fastest growth observed in low- and middle-income countries. Although the disease is common, […]
COVID’s Death Toll 3 Times Worse Than Official Counts
The global COVID-19 death toll may be three times higher than official tallies suggest, according to a systematic analysis of excess mortality during the pandemic. From Jan. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021, global deaths directly attributed to COVID-19 reached 5.9 million, yet estimates put excess deaths during this period at a staggering 18.2 million […]
Paris Climate Agreement goal still within reach, suggests new study
The Paris Climate Agreement goal to limit global warming this century to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) over pre-industrial temperatures is still within reach, while apocalyptic, worst-case scenarios are no longer plausible, suggests a new CU Boulder analysis. Out today in Environmental Research Letters, the new study finds that a subset of climate scenarios […]
Study explores how temperate rainforests can aid the fight against climate change
There is global recognition that woodland expansion could be one of the most effective solutions in the fight against climate change. However, new research has shown that the level of growth needed to produce the amount of trees required by UK targets is unlikely to be achieved through natural means alone. Environmental scientists and ecologists […]
Overwhelmed By COVID News? Here’s What To Monitor And What To Skip.
As we push through another year of the global coronavirus crisis, there’s no doubt that the devastating effects of the pandemic have taken a collective toll on our mental health. Staying informed about COVID-19 is critical, but it can also be triggering. Between new variants like omicron cropping up and thousands of people getting sick […]
Genetic strategy reverses insecticide resistance
Insecticides play a central role in efforts to counter global impacts of mosquito-spread malaria and other diseases, which cause an estimated 750,000 deaths each year. These insect-specific chemicals, which cost more than $100 million to develop and bring to market, also are critical to controlling insect-driven crop damage that poses a challenge to food security. […]
Past eight years: Warmest since modern recordkeeping began: 2021 tied for sixth warmest year in continued trend, analysis shows
Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2021 tied with 2018 as the sixth warmest on record, according to independent analyses done by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2021 were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.85 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period, […]
WHO Warns That Omicron Virus Variant Poses ‘Very High’ Risk
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is “very high” based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with “severe consequences.” The assessment from the U.N. health agency, contained in a technical paper issued to member states, amounted to WHO’s […]
Warmer soil stores less carbon
Global warming will cause the world’s soil to release carbon, new research shows. Scientists used data on more than 9,000 soil samples from around the world, and found that carbon storage “declines strongly” as average temperatures increase. This is an example of a “positive feedback,” where global warming causes more carbon to be released into […]
What’s Healthcare’s Role in Combating the Climate Crisis?
Amid the U.N.’s climate summit in Glasgow this week, global leaders have made commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat the climate crisis. Officials have pledged to support a few green initiatives at the COP26 conference, such as ending deforestation by 2030 and phasing out the use of coal power. But […]