Neat News - Neat things do happen

The European Commission proposes to the member states of the EU and the European Parliament to reduce the energy consumption of the EU by 30% by 2030 through measures of increased energy efficiency, e.g. through better house insulation and smart metering.

In Antarctica new drills are carried through kilometres of ice in order to find the Earth's oldest ice samples to be assumed 1.5 million years old. The findings are expexted to help us understanding how the climate has shaped Earth's past and how we can predict future climate changes.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) uses night vision cameras to find poachers who threaten wildlife in Africa. The "forward-looking infrared" (FLIR) technology has been supported by a 5 million dollar grant from Google. They also started to test drones to monitor wildlife.

A new type of turbine driven by tidal waves produces electricity in Canada for the first time. The turbine is to produce up to 2 MW and replace 1000 tons of coal per year. It is taken into operation off the coast of Nova Scotia.

In the extreme cold of the Northern Russian town of Nowyj Urengoj there is a light phenomenon of multicoloured light pillars in the sky, created by ice particles in the air. Photographies can be found from the article.

There is a proposal to ban neonicotinoid pesticides in Canada. The pesticide is generally assumed to contribute to the decline in the size of bee populations and may also cause other harm. Also other beneficial insects may be affected by the pesticide.

It has been known that for humans people higher in a social raning order are in general healthier and can look forward to longer lives. In a new study with rhesus macaques it has been found that their immune system depends on their social status and changes when their social status changes.

The Huaorani of Bameno, a people in Ecuador, fight for their future in the Amazon rain forest against oil exploitation, which threatens to destroy their homeland. In order to fight off the economic interests they want to develop tourism

From 2000 to 2012 the rate of people over 65 who suffer from dementia (incl. Alzheimer's disease) has fallen from 11.6 to 8.8 percent. The reasons are not clear yet, but it is speculated that on average a better education and resulting cognitive stimulation may at least in part contribute to the good news.

The Ginkgo tree has a huge genome (with more than three times as many DNA letters than the human genome). Ginkgoes have also almost not changed in many million years, they are so-called living fossils. 270 million year old Ginkgo specimens are preserved in a rock and are investigated to understand the development and resilience of Ginkgoes.

The Scientific American presents ten ideas which have the potential to change our world. They include the development of novel antibiotics, quantum encrypted communication via satellites, and micro-surgery by tiny ingestible robots.

47 countries - many countries of them relatively poor - have pledged to go to 100% renewable by 2050 and develop plans for this by 2020. Delegates at the Marrakech climate conference have called the move "inspirational".

A new gene therapy is under development for the treatment of cancer patients for whom currently no therapy options are available. Essentially cells are taken from the patient, genetically modified with an approach called CRISPR/Cas9 and then re-injected so that they can attack the cancer cells. Side effects and effectivity are currently studied.

In 1989 there were only 118 pairs of cirl buntings left in Devon, their main breeding place in the UK. Following work of conservationists with farmers, this number has risen to 1078 pairs in 2016, which is a remarkable recovery.

When planting trees in cities often the choice comes typically down to 15-20 species. A new database has been created that suggests 400 different species in order to provide a higher biodiversity in cities. The database lists advantages/disadvantages of particular trees so that city planners and others can come to informed decisions what to plant.

Many have their own way to make their perfect cup of coffee. New mathematical models have been developed how to get the more than 1800 components in coffee from the powder into the water. The work could result in a new design for coffee machines.

The CO₂ emission from burning fossil fuel did grow last year only very little and may peak in the near future due to China's decreasing reliance on coal.

The WWF presents beautiful picture of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania's largest protected area - and argues why its protection from poaching and development is very important.

In Southern China the skeleton of a 72 Million year old dinosaur was found on a building site. It was almost destroyed. It is a new species named "dragon on the road to heaven".

Many insects are edible and contain valuable nutrients such as iron. Although iron is widely available it is difficult for the body to make use of it if it is not digested with some meat. Some larvae contain as much iron as beef and hence offer an alternative to beef, in particular, since the absorption of the iron when eaten is higher.

For the first time it has been achieved to restore movement in a primate by implanting an electrical device that stimulates nerves bypassing the damaged spinal cord. This way the device can be used to transform brain waves into movement in rhesus monkeys.

The increase of CO₂ in the atmosphere is slower than expected since plants absorb a lot of the greenhouse gas that is released into the atmosphere. In consequence they slow down the rate of climate change.

There are experimental results in antibody therapy, a therapy which is built on blood cells from persons who have successfully fought off zika. Experiments in mice are promising in that they seem to suggest that this way it is possible to drastically reduce the number of viruses that can reach the unborn baby. This may result in a supplement to vaccinations which are under development as well.

The gut contains a great number of bacteria and many of them are beneficial. In some cases they may support the immune system in fighting cancer in changing the way in which cancer drugs work.

The tropical island of Tetepare, part of the Solomon Islands, is a 118 km² big island in the Pacific Ocean. It is uninhabited and since 1995 it is a nature reserve, surrounded by a marine reserve in which fishing is prohibited.

The US has a huge potential to build on off-shore electricity generation, the potential is estimated to be 2,000 gigawatts. The first installation will produce only some meagre 30 megawatts of electricity, but in the right conditions it may be the starting point of a rapid development.

End of last year in Paris almost all countries - and in particular the main polluters - agreed to limit greenhouse gases in order to limit the rise of the global temperature to well under 2 degrees Celsius. In less than a year's time sufficiently many states - among them again the main polluters - have ratified the agreement so that it is in force now.

It is reported that in preliminary tests it has been found that a newly developed drug can be effective in reducing plaque that is made responsible for the Alzheimer disease. The drug seems also not to have serious side effects.

Well preserved remains in a cave 550km North of Adelaide show that the first inhabitants of Australia moved quickly across the continent around 50,000 years ago. The objects found in the cave give also clues to the diet of the people.

You may have guessed but now it has been measured. Trees have a positive effect on the air quality by reducing the number of microscopic particles in the air by 7% to 24%. These particles are potentially harmful since they are breathed in with polluted air by people and may become trapped in their lungs.