things we thought were of more than passing significance
Carbon capture is complicated UK soil is now capturing carbon dioxide 7% more efficiently than it did 300 years ago. So that’s a good thing right? Well, the real situation is more complex and nuanced, as this article for the Conversation by Victoria Janes-Bassett and Jess Davis makes clear. But what we really like about this: it’s a prime example of the tangled, complicated nature of most issues that require serious thought. Beware the fools who think in simple soundbites-they’re always wrong
with thanks to Mr P Seymour
Rebuild, don’t buy Maybe the environmental cost of that new car could be avoided by simple surgery on the old one. Rob Hull for the Mail
Sleep soundly? One thing about the real genius go getters we’ve come across-they seem to need less sleep than us mere mortals. So how much do you need to stay healthy and still buy that Superyacht at Antibes? Here’s a whole clutch of sleep experts for The Conversation
Global warming-what’s the beef? According Nature Briefings, just cutting 25% of our beef consumption might do a lot to cut down carbon emissions. Today we are trying to link to one of their excellent podcasts, which we haven’t really done before. Let us know how you got on
Replacing just one-fifth of global beef consumption with a meat substitute within the next 30 years could halve deforestation and the carbon emissions associated with it. Researchers modelled the effects of swapping beef with a fungus-based meat substitute called mycoprotein — familiar to many as Quorn. Replacing 80% of beef with mycoprotein would eliminate about 90% of forest loss.Nature Podcast | 25 min listen
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| eplacing just one-fifth of global beef consumption with a meat substitute within the next 30 years could halve deforestation and the carbon emissions associated with it. Researchers modelled the effects of swapping beef with a fungus-based meat substitute called mycoprotein — familiar to many as Quorn. Replacing 80% of beef with mycoprotein would eliminate about 90% of forest loss. “It should not be seen as a silver bullet,” says sustainability scientist and co-author Florian Humpenöder — but it could be a part of the solution.Nature | 4 min read Reference: Nature paper |
Remember -we the ask is to cut down, not cut out. We are regular patrons of our excellent local Toby Carvery, a habit we have no intention of changing (it’s Whig cult food) But we are just going to be sensible and measured from now on. Are these bad qualities? See you next week
Learning, Science and Society 