Digital • Envi • Mobility & Energy • Agri & Food • Health • Scipol & Comm • EU initiatives • Curious news
In the spotlight
What is COP26 and why does it matter? A guide to Glasgow climate talks 2021
business-standard, 25.10.2021
COP climate talks were always going to be difficult: 200 countries in search of a plan to prevent catastrophic warming of the planet with time running out fast. The backdrop of terrifying weather events had brought a renewed sense of urgency to the matter.
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UN report warns of record greenhouse gas concentrations ahead of COP26
euronews-en, 25.10.2021
The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record last year, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Monday, just days before the start of the crucial COP26 climate conference.
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Rich should pay for greater carbon footprint – study
timesofmalta, 21.10.2021
As rich people have a greater carbon footprint than the poor they should pay more tax to compensate, says a study by the World Inequality Lab (WIL) published ahead of the upcoming COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
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How venture capital investment in deep tech can tackle climate change. #COP26 https://t.co/D4O55s8WhF @zackbogue @DCVC @YGLvoices pic.twitter.com/34KpPJy7MZ
— World Economic Forum (@wef) October 21, 2021
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C isn't only the right thing to do but also a shared responsibility to protect our health.
WHO #COP26 Special Report explains why 👉https://t.co/WXMdMgPSWv
WHO #ClimateAction prescriptions ⬇️https://t.co/LdUAtEudFf
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 16, 2021
Ahead of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, the EU made its long-term climate goals, including climate neutrality by 2050, legally binding. Read more → https://t.co/JbF0bp5DOW pic.twitter.com/w2ShSPeQpB
— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) October 21, 2021
Digital transition
The world in 2030: the challenge of reality versus unreality
europesworld, 21.10.2021
Imagine being an 82-year-old grandmother confined to a wheelchair and being able to experience climbing to the summit of Mont Blanc. Or picture sitting in a meeting with people you’ve never met before but remembering all of their names and backgrounds because you can read a summary of their CV, visible just above their heads through the glasses you are wearing.
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AI regulation and the future of work – What are the opportunities and concerns?
euractiv-en, 21.10.2021
Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the digital transformation and can significantly bolster the European economy. Automation of processes will reshape workplaces across industries, increasing efficiency and productivity and creating new opportunities for innovation and professional development.
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“Non-fungible tokens” (NFTs) are a new type of digital content that rely on DeFi. Their market is booming: some $23bn-worth of them now exist. We explain what they are https://t.co/8tHbDC7DgW
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 21, 2021
Environmental sustainability
Putting a price on nature may help save it
politico-eu, 21.10.2021
Subsidies potentially harmful to biodiversity, account for an estimated $500 billion annually, the OECD says. As with almost everything in life, saving the natural world turns out to be largely about money.
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UNESCO ‘eDNA’ initiative to ‘unlock’ knowledge for biodiversity protection
un-org, 21.10.2021
To understand the richness of biodiversity across World Heritage marine sites, the UN scientific organisation launched on Monday a project to protect and preserve biodiversity, based on the study of environmental DNA – cellular material released from living things into their surroundings.
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Saying farewell to a throwaway fashion industry
horizon-magazine, 21.10.2021
Fast fashion is a lucrative business model offering trendy, mass-produced replica catwalk trends and haute couture designs at bargain prices. While enticing consumers to spend, it has paved the way for a throwaway culture in the clothing industry characterised by overconsumption and single-use purchases.
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Mobility & Energy
EU summit: Leaders fail to deliver major breakthroughs to tackle energy crunch and Polish legal row
euronews-en, 22.10.2021
After a two-day summit in Brussels, EU leaders shunned sweeping action and opted instead for moderation to tackle two of the bloc’s most pressing crises: the ongoing energy crunch and the Polish challenge to EU law primacy.
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Battery-powered future: How can the EU ensure electric vehicles drive the green transport revolution?
euractiv-en, 21.10.2021
Batteries are key to the EU’s transition to a climate neutral economy, given the role they play in the green transport revolution and the storage of renewable energy. A carbon neutral economy, as outlined in the European Green Deal, would require scaling up global battery production by a factor of 19, according to the World Economic Forum.
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Agriculture & Food
For every degree that temperatures rise, maize yields will fall by 7.4%, wheat yields will fall by 6% and rice yields will fall by 3.2%. Those crops supply around two-thirds of all the calories humans consume https://t.co/QKfJVDE6Qy
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 21, 2021
Farmers are the real custodians of the rural environment and this must be recognised by the new rural development programme. At a time of supply chain interruptions, we must take care that the food supply chain from #Farm2Fork is secured.
🗣️@smsboland #EESCplenary #RuralAreas pic.twitter.com/YbE69H2bkk— EESC Diversity Europe Group (@DiversEESC) October 21, 2021
Lab-grown coffee would cut back on deforestation, pesticides and shipping emissions ☕
Want to find out which country produces the most coffee? Take a look here: https://t.co/uLSgzHw6s8 pic.twitter.com/rkynCXUgjY
— World Economic Forum (@wef) October 19, 2021
Health
Warning of ‘tsunami’ of mental health issues among children due to pandemic
thejournal, 20.10.2021
The pandemic will lead to a “tsunami” of mental health issues among children and young people, campaigners have warned.
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Global heating ‘may lead to epidemic of kidney disease’
guardian, 21.10.2021
Chronic kidney disease linked to heat stress could become a major health epidemic for millions of workers around the world as global temperatures increase over the coming decades, doctors have warned.
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Studies showed that receiving a vaccine after recovering from #COVID19:
➡️increased people's ability to fight future infections ➡️better protected people from any new infection with coronavirus. #EMAPresser— EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) October 21, 2021
Globally, 4 women are diagnosed with #breastcancer every minute ⏲️ It is now the world’s most common cancer.
It’s anticipated that the number of breast #cancer cases will double over the next 20 years in less developed countries. pic.twitter.com/NR1VR9QR7s
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 21, 2021
Scientists have dreamed of xenotransplantation, in which organs from animals are put into humans, for decades https://t.co/ikNuGbWZVy
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 21, 2021
Will we ever reach #HerdImmunity for COVID-19?
A major outbreak in #Delhi earlier this year due to the Delta variant shows how challenging this could be, as the virus can infect individuals previously infected by a different variant: https://t.co/ogtJ8pb6h1#COVID19 @GuptaR_lab
— Cambridge University (@Cambridge_Uni) October 21, 2021
Science policy & Communication
Brussels, Paris split with press publishers over exemptions in online content rules
politico-eu, 21.10.2021
The European Commission and France have thrown their weight against press publishers in an ongoing debate over whether media content should be exempt from the EU’s upcoming online content rules. The moves come as factions in the European Parliament are battling over the fine print in the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
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What exactly is ‘the metaverse’?
deutschewelle-en, 20.10.2021
Facebook has announced major investments in “the metaverse”, a virtual reality that could one day coexist alongside the physical world. DW breaks down what it is – and how you might already be in it.
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New investigation by @pnhoward @m_schliebs @OxDemTech @oiioxford @oxsocsci @UniofOxford in collaboration with @NBCNews @TODAYshow @KeirSimmons finds at least 500 in authentic accounts pushing false narrative about origins of #COVID19 #misinformation https://t.co/FKEXybzNc0
— Oxford Internet Institute (@oiioxford) October 21, 2021
VIDEO: Images of 'TRUTH Social', a social network the former US president Donald Trump says he plans to launch.
It's the latest push to reclaim his online influence after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the violent Capitol insurrection. pic.twitter.com/UxsSgbHxfU— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 21, 2021
"We find that large majorities of those who are generally untrusting towards news say they need to be very careful in dealing with other people. This contrasts with lower % among the generally trusting. Differences are bigger in 🇬🇧🇺🇸"
📱 Read our report https://t.co/eDTHeBL4z1
— Reuters Institute (@risj_oxford) October 21, 2021
EU initiatives
Study: Cities in a globalised world: Exploring trends and the effect on urban resilience
europarl, 07.10.2021
Cities are inevitably affected by shocks and disruptions, the coronavirus pandemic being a case in point. The extent of the impact however depends on cities’ preparedness and capacity to adapt. Forward thinking is needed to explore emerging or plausible developments so that they can be anticipated and their disruptive nature contained.
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At a Glance: What if new drug delivery methods revolutionised medicine?
europarl, 13.10.2021
Nanoparticles lie at the heart of a new method for delivering medicines inside the body – and they were crucial to the success of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. This new drug delivery method and others could transform the way we treat disease, potentially boosting the treatment of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and HIV, among others. Insulin and Covid-19 vaccines might even become available as pills. Can the European Union stay on top of this trend? And what challenges lie ahead?
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EU Missions: It’s time to be bold
euractiv-en, 05.10.2021
By Mariya Gabriel – We are all becoming increasingly aware of the urgency to act and find solutions to extreme weather events that are becoming all the more frequent. This summer, the floods, and forest fires that devastated several regions of Europe served as a painful reminder that climate change is real and will affect us all.
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Curious news
These sensors can also be built into clothing and even send results to your smartphone.
The mask of the future? Learn more here: https://t.co/GxhfMaoyWm pic.twitter.com/mWaFBzZBBl
— World Economic Forum (@wef) October 21, 2021
Scientists attempting to bring back the near-extinct northern white rhinoceros have announced they will stop harvesting eggs from one of two remaining live specimens involved in an unprecedented breeding programmehttps://t.co/rAggKWEWwE
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 21, 2021
A mathematician in Australia recently discovered that a 3,700-year-old clay tablet known as Si.427 was used for measuring the land https://t.co/dU47RY1RA6
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 21, 2021
The Music of the Spheres tour will be powered by solar panels, waste cooking oil – and fans’ feet.
Discover more about Coldplay's one-of-a-kind tour: https://t.co/EfkSHPqZ7b pic.twitter.com/Da9tXDNNZ4
— World Economic Forum (@wef) October 20, 2021
