Italy can do without Russian gas, says energy minister – POLITICO

This G7 will need to look for innovative models to accelerate investments, including private-public partnerships, Pichetto Fratin said. “We certainly need to revise the financial system, to find mechanisms that overcome the current voluntary system,” he said.   While Italy, which currently holds the rotating G7 presidency, is in a leadership position at this weekend’s … Read more

Climate change could become main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century: Study

NEW DELHI: Climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by the mid-century, a new research has found. Studying changes in land-use patterns and their impacts on biodiversity, an international team of researchers found that biodiversity around the world could have declined by 2-11 per cent. “By including all world regions in our … Read more

Opinion | Alcohol is bad for you in any quantity, new study says. How are we to know what health advice to believe any more?

It is impossible to know what’s healthy and unhealthy any more. Foods are so often vilified and then redeemed, suddenly going from zero to hero and back again. Eggs, milk, butter and pork all used to be deemed ingredients too high in fat or excessive cholesterol and we were told we should limit our intake. … Read more

Tesla’s Q1 net income down 55% year over year

Tesla’s first-quarter net income plummeted 55 per cent, but its stock price surged in after-hours trading Tuesday as the company said it would accelerate the production of new, more affordable vehicles. The Austin-based company said it made $1.13 billion US from January through March compared with $2.51 billion US in the same period a year ago. … Read more

Caribou herds in B.C., Alberta, growing due to wolf culls: study

Fresh research suggests Western Canada’s once-dwindling caribou numbers are finally growing. But the same paper concludes the biggest reason for the rebound is the slaughter of hundreds of wolves, a policy that will likely have to continue for decades. “If we don’t shoot wolves, given the state of the habitat that industry and government have … Read more

UBC prof Suzanne Simard named in Time’s ‘most influential’ list

When Suzanne Simard heard she was going to be named one of the 100 “most influential people” in the world on Wednesday, she had a hard time believing it at first. The Finding the Mother Tree author, who was included in Time magazine’s annual list alongside a handful of fellow Canadians, said she wondered whether her … Read more

An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet

Quirks and Quarks19:12An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet Indigenous ecologist Jennifer Grenz has spent decades working to protect ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest through restoration and invasive species management. But recently, frustrated by the limitations of her work, she set out on a mission to incorporate … Read more

IISc to pioneer ageing research with ‘Longevity India’ initiative |

BENGALURU: In a large-scale study that aims to tackle ageing-related challenges, extend healthy life expectancy — ‘healthspan’ — and promote longevity through innovative research and technology development, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Thursday announced the launch of the ‘Longevity India’ initiative.“The initiative has also started a large-scale clinical study that will involve researchers from … Read more

Colorado lawmakers plan return of criminal justice commission

Colorado legislators are working to launch two commissions that will help shape criminal justice policy statewide into the near future, an effort that’s drawn the praise of policymakers while reigniting the same simmering tensions that helped sink a predecessor last year. Under recommendations issued last month by a working group convened by Gov. Jared Polis, … Read more

Canada-China relations committee questions witnesses on Winnipeg lab intelligence breach

Federal Health Minister Mark Holland suggested on Monday that there are gaps in the early stages of screening scientists at secret-level facilities such as the National Microbiology Lab (NML) in Winnipeg.  Holland told the House of Commons special committee on Canada-China relations there is a “responsibility of those individuals to disclose their engagements and affiliations.”  He … Read more