Great Barrier Reef suffers 89% collapse in new coral after bleaching events…
April 6, 2019
Study shows dramatic fall in baby coral numbers but also change in type of coral. The results, published in Nature, show not only a dramatic reduction in new coral recruitment compared with historic levels, but also a change in the types of coral species produced.
‘Historic breakthrough’: Norway’s giant oil fund dives into renewables…
April 6, 2019
Norway’s $1tn oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is to plunge billions of dollars into wind and solar power projects. The decision follows Saudi Arabia’s oil fund selling off its last oil and gas assets.
Other national funds built up from oil profits are also thought to be ramping up their investments in renewables. The moves show that countries that got rich on fossil fuels are diversifying their investments and seeking future profits in the clean energy needed to combat climate change. Analysts say the investments are likely to power faster growth of green energy.
Court Ruling Implies That Barr Must Redact Grand-Jury Info from Mueller Report…
April 6, 2019
Attorney General Barr must redact grand-jury material from the Mueller report before disclosing it to Congress. Democrats will complain long and loud about this, but I don’t see how Barr can be reasonably faulted for following the law. Congress, after all, has the power to legislate an amendment to Rule 6(e) that would permit disclosure of grand-jury materials from a special counsel investigation to appropriate congressional committees.
Is This “Orgasmic Meditation” Business Really Just A Prostitution Sex Cult In Disguise?…
April 6, 2019
OneTaste is controversial "business" that focuses on a practice that the company calls "orgasmic meditation" (OM). On its website, the company describes "orgasmic meditation" as "a unique wellness practice that combines mindfulness with the power of the deeply human, deeply felt experience of Orgasm" and which Bloomberg describes as "a trademarked procedure that typically involves a man using a gloved, lubricated fingertip to stroke a woman’s clitoris for 15 minutes"
Or in other words, and despite what it may claim otherwise, the company is selling sex...
New Mexico is the third state to legally require 100% clean electricity,…
April 6, 2019
The southwestern state is the latest to embrace carbon-free electricity, passing a bill that will require all electricity from public utilities to come from carbon-free sources. The bill, which passed 43-22 in New Mexico’s increasingly Democratic legislature, requires the state (now one of the country’s top oil, gas, and coal producers) to get 50% of its energy from renewables by 2030 and 80% by 2040. By 2045, it must go entirely carbon-free.
Gene-hacked bacteria make bullet-proof spider silk…
April 6, 2019
Genetically-altered bacteria churn out high-strength silk faster than spider farms. Pound for pound, spider silk is much stronger than steel... If this research scales up, though, NASA may want to bring the bacteria along on future missions to space, giving crew members a new supply of materials for repairs.
It Begins: Former UN Under-Secretary-General Calls For One World Currency…
April 6, 2019
The International Monetary Fund’s global reserve asset, the Special Drawing Right, is one of the most underused instruments of multilateral cooperation. Turning it into a true global currency would yield several benefits for the global economy and the international monetary system.
The Euro is working so well it must be a good idea. Where did I put my straight jacket?