By Gerard Dooly, Assistant Professor in Engineering, University of Limerick
Plastic pollution is one of those problems everyone can see, yet few know how to tackle it effectively. I grew up walking the beaches around Tramore in County Waterford, Ireland, where plastic debris has always been part of the coastline, including bottles, fragments of fishing gear and food packaging.
According to the UN, every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic lands up in lakes, rivers and seas, and it has a huge impact on ecosystems, creating pollution and damaging animal habitats.
Community groups…
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By Roberta Blake, Professor of Animal Performance Science, Anglia Ruskin University
Humans have long believed horses can “smell fear”. Nervous riders are often told to “relax, or the horse will feel it”. Until recently, though, there was little scientific evidence to show whether this was anything more than folklore.
A new study has found that this belief is no myth. Its results show that horses can detect chemical signals linked to human emotions, and that these signals can influence their behaviour and physiology.
Previous research has pointed to
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By Paty Paliokosta, Associate Professor of Special and Inclusive Education, Kingston University
A campaign – backed by celebrities including actress Sally Phillips and broadcaster Chris Packham as well as MPs – is calling on the government not to scrap or reduce education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
These provide legally binding extra support for children with special educational needs. There are fears that this will be a change…
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By Mark Shanahan, Associate Professor of Political Engagement, University of Surrey
The speeches delivered by the Canadian prime minister and the US president presented a stark contrast in style and substance.
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By Lianne M Lefsrud, Professor and Risk, Innovation & Sustainability Chair (RISC), University of Alberta
Psychological safety — the belief that it is safe to speak up with concerns, questions or mistakes — is widely recognized as essential for organizational learning, innovation and workplace safety.
Yet its absence — interpersonal fear — is rarely examined in investigations of serious workplace incidents. My new…
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By Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Scholar, NCAR; Affiliate Faculty, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Understanding what is happening deep beneath the ocean surface is key to understanding the weather patterns we are experiencing on land.
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By Amnesty International
Following repeated rounds of fighting between the Syrian authorities and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the military wing of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), in north-east Syria, and responding to the transfer of control to the Syrian authorities over some detention facilities and camps holding people suspected of affiliation to […] The post Syria: Human rights and international law must guide next steps in north-east Syria appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Josep Bonsoms, Postdoctoral researcher and professor, Universitat de Barcelona
Snow is a defining feature of mountain ranges, and of winter itself for much of the world. But beyond its scenic value, snow plays a vital role in mountain ecosystems, as well as a range of human socioeconomic activity, and it is one of the climatic elements most sensitive to global warming. In recent decades, its quantity, duration and behaviour have all changed significantly.
Snow varies a lot, both in terms of where and when it appears. In the mountains of the Iberia peninsula, winters can be abundantly…
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By Laurel Elder, Professor of Political Science, Hartwick College
Jeff Gulati, Professor of Sociology, Bentley University
Mary-Kate Lizotte, Professor of Political Science, Augusta University
Steven Greene, Professor of Political Science, North Carolina State University
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” generated a cultural whirlwind: chart-topping success, social media saturation and frenzied debate over her artistic evolution.
Nonetheless, despite this warm reception, opinions on Swift are deeply polarized by party. Democrats are far more likely to view her positively; Republicans are more…
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By Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, Associate Professor of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara
While federal immigrant agents need to produce a judicial warrant to enter a classroom, they can freely operate in public spaces at and around schools.
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