EV sales growth points to oil demand peaking by 2030 − so why is the oil industry doubling down on production?

Tesla brought EVs into the mainstream. Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images Electric vehicle sales are growing faster than expected around the world, and sales of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles have been falling. Yet, the U.S. government still forecasts an increasing demand for oil, and the oil industry is doubling down on production plans. Why… Continue reading EV sales growth points to oil demand peaking by 2030 − so why is the oil industry doubling down on production?

Africa’s most notorious insects – the bugs that hit agriculture the hardest

Whiteflies – Africa’s main cassava pest causes damage to crops. Maurice/Flickr The dreaded crop-eating fall armyworm continues to spread across Africa like wildfire. This invasive insect pest, first reported in Africa in early 2016, is in more than 20 African countries including South Sudan and South Africa. It has destroyed many staple crops like maize.… Continue reading Africa’s most notorious insects – the bugs that hit agriculture the hardest

Africa’s most notorious insects – the bugs that hit agriculture the hardest

Whiteflies – Africa’s main cassava pest causes damage to crops. Maurice/Flickr The dreaded crop-eating fall armyworm continues to spread across Africa like wildfire. This invasive insect pest, first reported in Africa in early 2016, is in more than 20 African countries including South Sudan and South Africa. It has destroyed many staple crops like maize.… Continue reading Africa’s most notorious insects – the bugs that hit agriculture the hardest

Supreme Court supermajority will clarify its constitutional revolution this year, deciding cases on guns and regulations

The Supreme Court begins its new term on Oct. 2, 2023. Douglas Rissing/ iStock / Getty Images Plus The first Monday in October, the traditional date for the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term, is almost here: On Oct. 2, 2023, the court will meet after the summer recess, with the biggest case of… Continue reading Supreme Court supermajority will clarify its constitutional revolution this year, deciding cases on guns and regulations

Wildland firefighters face a huge pay cut without action by Congress – here’s how physically demanding this lifesaving job is

A Wyoming Hotshot crew conducts night operations on the Pine Gulch fire in Colorado in August 2020. Kyle Miller, Wyoming Hotshots, USFS Radios crackle with chatter from a wildfire incident command post. Up the fireline, firefighters in yellow jerseys are swinging Pulaskis, axlike hand tools, to carve a fuel break into the land. By 10… Continue reading Wildland firefighters face a huge pay cut without action by Congress – here’s how physically demanding this lifesaving job is

South African hominin fossils were sent into space and scientists are enraged

When a Virgin Galactic commercial flight soared into space on 8 September 2023, there were two Virgin Galactic pilots, an instructor and three passengers on board – as well as two fossils of ancient prehuman relatives from South Africa. Timothy Nash, a businessman, carried a clavicle belonging to Australopithecus sediba and the thumb bone of… Continue reading South African hominin fossils were sent into space and scientists are enraged

On Sukkot, the Jewish ‘Festival of booths,’ each sukkah is as unique as the person who builds it

Natural materials like palm fronds, tree branches or reeds typically create the top of the sukkah. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Sukkot is a Jewish festival that follows right on the heels of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Judaism’s High Holy Days. The harvest holiday, which begins on Sept. 29, 2023, lasts for seven days when celebrated… Continue reading On Sukkot, the Jewish ‘Festival of booths,’ each sukkah is as unique as the person who builds it

Fossil fuel workers have the skills to succeed in green jobs, but location is a major barrier to a just transition

Renewable energy jobs often aren’t close to fossil fuel workers’ homes. Prapass Pulsub/Moment via Getty Images As the U.S. shifts away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, thousands of people working in the coal, oil and gas industries will be looking for new jobs. Many will have the skills to step into clean energy… Continue reading Fossil fuel workers have the skills to succeed in green jobs, but location is a major barrier to a just transition

Why separating fact from fiction is critical in teaching US slavery

A Black actor in 1974 impersonating an enslaved man in Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. George Bryant/Toronto Star via Getty Images Of all the debate over teaching U.S. slavery, it is one sentence of Florida’s revised academic standards that has provoked particular ire: “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied… Continue reading Why separating fact from fiction is critical in teaching US slavery

Loud sounds at movies and concerts can cause hearing loss, but there are ways to protect your ears

Many movies reach sound levels of 85 decibels and beyond. GoodLifeStudio/E+ via Getty Images Ever go to the movies or a rock concert and been blasted by the sound? You may not realize it while it’s happening, but ongoing exposure to loud sounds at these venues can damage your hearing. Our ears are highly sensitive… Continue reading Loud sounds at movies and concerts can cause hearing loss, but there are ways to protect your ears