Indigenous Communities Science and Culture

New study provides a blueprint for engaging indigenous peoples in REDD+ forest monitoring

By Mike Gaworecki Accurately evaluating forest carbon stocks is difficult to do in remote rainforests where researchers are afforded limited access. It is widely believed that only experts can properly measure forest biomass, but a new study found that well-trained indigenous technicians are just as effective at collecting the necessary data to monitor forest carbon variability. […]

Modern Science Science and Culture

What dung beetles are teaching us about the genetics of sex differences

Cris Ledón-Rettig, Indiana University, Bloomington Picture a lion: The male has a luxuriant mane, the female doesn’t. This is a classic example of what biologists call sexual dimorphism – the two sexes of the same species exhibit differences in form or behavior. Male and female lions pretty much share the same genetic information, but look […]

Environment Global Health

Here’s how air pollution kills 3,450,000 people a year

Top image: Pollution is a global problem. Pexels Coal is costly Pexels Pollution is a global problem. Air Pollution kills. A study released yesterday in the journal Nature found that in 2007, air pollution lead to the premature deaths of 3.45 million people worldwide—a number equivalent to the population of the state of Connecticut. And […]

Human Rights Science and Culture

Current Regulations Unable to Control Trade in Products from Slave Labor, Expert Says

By Ana Aranha and João Diaz – Repórter Brasil Leading expert on modern-day slavery Kevin Bales talks about the lack of tools available to stop the flow of money from consumers to networks facilitating human rights abuse and environmental destruction. Kevin Bales is co-founder of the advocacy group Free the Slaves and professor of Contemporary Slavery […]

Modern Science

For scientists, research cuts proposed by Trump are alarming – and deeply personal

The Trump administration’s call on Thursday to slash almost 20 percent of the National Institutes of Health’s budget led scientists to warn that such cuts would sap biomedical research in the United States. But it also left many of them with more personal feelings: Anxiety. Fear. Sadness. The NIH has bipartisan defenders in Congress who […]

Deforestation Human Rights

Suppliers of Lowe’s in the U.S. and Walmart in Brazil Linked to Slave Labor in the Amazon

By André Campos – Repórter Brasil An investigation has revealed U.S.-based companies bought timber from Brazilian traders that sourced forest products from several sawmills in the Amazon where loggers worked under slave labor conditions. HIGHLIGHTS: Slave labor-analogous conditions were revealed by investigation of logging camps in Pará, Brazil. A supply chain investigation of the timber harvested […]

Science and Culture

Actual Living Scientists Dress Like Women

Two Twitter hashtags signal new era for science outreach By Ben Lybarger Two events last month generated an incredible response on social media. One was triggered by Donald Trump’s reported pressuring of female staff members to “to dress like women.” This spurred the hashtag #dresslikeawoman, which has managed to deconstruct antiquated gender norms related to fashion […]