Infrastructure ProtectionUrbanites Face Heightened Flood Risk as a Result of Forest Loss Published 21 October 2021 The devastating impact of flooding in Queensland’s north, exacerbated by forest loss, is badly affecting urban areas. Researchers found that deforestation near urban areas exposes these areas to much larger amounts of water flowing on the soil surface soon

Climate ChallengesCanals Can Help the U.K. Cope with the Climate Problems Published 21 October 2021 The presence of canal water can cool urban areas by up to 1.6°C during heatwaves in a 100-metre-wide corridor along the waterway. Research shows that the U.K.’s 200-year-old canals offer huge ‘blue’ opportunities to help Britain tackle the climate change

PandemicsTargeted Interventions: Containing Pandemics, Minimizing Societal Disruption Published 19 October 2021 COVID has so far infected 21 million people, with more than 4.5 of them dying. Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as case isolation, quarantining contacts, and the complete lockdown of entire countries, often come at the expense of economic disruption, harm to social and mental

MisinformationMisinformation on Stem Cell Treatments for COVID-19 Linked to Overhyped Science: Researchers Published 19 October 2021 Researchers call for stronger regulations to deter the sale of unproven cell-based products, and more responsible and accurate science communication. The global race to develop new stem cell-based COVID-19 treatments during the pandemic was filled with violations of government regulations,

Disaster PreparednessCost-Effective Disaster Preparedness Published 19 October 2021 With hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic and more, the world has seen a multitude of disasters recently. Research on disaster preparedness aims to offer cost-effective solutions, reduce suffering. With hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic and more, the world has seen a multitude of natural

Food SecurityNuclear War’s Smoke Would Cause Climate Change, Threatening Global Food Supplies Published 19 October 2021 Nuclear war would cause many immediate fatalities, but smoke and soot from the resulting fires would also cause climate change lasting up to fifteen years, threatening worldwide food production and human health, according to a new study. Nuclear war would

ExtremismBritain’s Security Officials Fear More Lone Wolf Attacks in Wake of MP’s Murder By Jamie Dettmer Published 18 October 2021 The man held for the fatal stabbing last week of a British lawmaker had been referred to the British government’s anti-extremism program, called Prevent, because of his radical Islamist views, but the country’s security services,

ExtremismInstitutions May Be Key to Countering Extremism in the Military By Marek N. Posard Published 18 October 2021 My colleagues and I outlined a plan to combat extremism in the military. It focuses on prevention over law enforcement by leveraging existing support programs for those at risk of joining extremist groups. Now might be a great

Golden Dawn is Down, but Far Right Rises Again in Greece By Kaki Bali Published 18 October 2021 A year after the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn was banned, other nationalist groups are cropping up across Greece. Extremist attacks have become more frequent in the past month. The images from a vocational school in Stavroupoli, a suburb

Coastal ChallengesHow Marsh Grass Protects Shorelines By David L. Chandler Published 18 October 2021 As climate change brings greater threats to coastal ecosystems, new research can help planners leverage the wave-damping benefits of marsh plants. Marsh plants, which are ubiquitous along the world’s shorelines, can play a major role in mitigating the damage to coastlines as