How the U.S. Could Slash Climate Pollution by 2030
By Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic
One part of the Paris Agreement to reduce climate change, which the U.S. officially rejoined in February, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, as compared to the levels emitted in 2005. The U.S. hasn't officially declared just how it's going to make that reduction, but this story from The Atlantic describes some of the measures that could be used to meet the goal.
Eunice Newton Foote's nearly forgotten discovery
By Maura Shapiro, Physics Today
And how did people learn that greenhouse gases can warm the planet? Irish physicist John Tyndall was credited with making the connection in 1859. But, in 2011 a geologist named Raymond Sorenson spotted a description of a presentation that described Eunice Newton Foote's research from 1856. It's unclear what Tyndall knew about Foote's research, although, the story claims that it's certainly possible that he was aware of it.
Should You Get a Booster Shot? Here's What We Know
By Tanya Lewis, Scientific American
Earlier this week the FDA fully approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine. The Biden administration has also announced that booster shots will be available in September to bolster immunity among those who received the full two-dose treatment of both mRNA-based vaccines (Moderna being the other one). The perspective of the two experts interviewed here helps explain how to understand and balance the value of providing boosters, as well as addressing the value of getting the vaccine to unvaccinated people in the U.S. and around the world.
