Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
Previous studies identified associations between maternal obesity and childhood neurodevelopment, but few examined paternal obesity despite potentially distinct genetic/epigenetic effects related to developmental programming. Original Source
Increasing demand for sustainable energy has led to research and development on the cultivation of diverse plant species for biomass production. To support the research and development required to domesticate and cultivate crops for bioenergy, we developed the Biofuel Ecophysiological Traits and Yields database (BETYdb). BETYdb is a centralized open-access …
Although many time-series studies have established associations of daily pollution variations with daily deaths, there are fewer at low concentrations, or focused on locally generated pollution, which is becoming more important as regulations reduce regional transport. Causal modeling approaches are also lacking. Researchers used causal modeling to estimate the impact …
Most studies on breastfeeding over the past few decades have focused on the advantages of breastfeeding and how to get more women to breastfeed their babies. Relatively few women worldwide meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation that infants breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months of life, with continued breastfeeding …
Metabolism of inorganic arsenic (iAs) is subject to inter-individual variability, which is explained partly by genetic determinants. Researchers investigated the association of genetic variants with arsenic species and principal components of arsenic species in the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). Original Source
Recent cohort studies have used exposure prediction models to estimate the association between long-term residential concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and health. Because these prediction models rely on PM2.5 monitoring data, predictions for times before extensive spatial monitoring present a challenge to understanding long-term exposure effects. The U.S. Environmental …
The United States now produces as much crude oil as ever – over 3.4 billion barrels in 2015, just shy of the 3.5 billion record set in 1970. Indeed, the U.S. has become the world’s No. 1 oil and gas producer. The oil production boom has been aided by tax …
Various organizations have published forecasts of the economic impacts of the Clean Power Plan (CPP), EPA’s regulation that limits carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, with studies arriving at markedly different conclusions about the effect of the policy on electricity affordability and the overall economy. In this working paper, WRI …
This report provides regional sea-level rise scenarios and tools for coastal preparedness planning and risk management in the United States. It refines six global sea level rise scenarios (Low, Intermediate Low, Intermediate, Intermediate High, High, and Extreme) decade by decade. The report provides a range of possible scenarios and the …
This study finds that natural disasters could create extended food supply disruptions in U.S. cities, especially in neighbourhoods with limited food retail options and food insecure populations. The main findings of the report are informed by a comprehensive analysis of food systems in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York …
The modern era of federal farm commodity subsidies began with the New Deal more than 80 years ago. At that time, a large fraction of American poverty was concentrated in rural and agricultural regions. Since then, subsidy programs, international trade measures, and commodity regulations have been repeatedly modified. The current …
The world has witnessed a new era of cooperation on climate change between the United States and China. This cooperation between the world’s two largest economies and carbon emitters played a fundamental role in the international negotiations leading up to the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015. This …
Land degradation is occurring rapidly at a time of growing need for fertile soil and healthy ecosystems. Multi-scale solutions that ensure economic and environmental sustainability are needed. Scientific advances have been driven by UNU-INWEH which between 2012 and 2016 has been responsible for the scientific coordination of the global Initiative …
This report describes a comprehensive, transparent, and flexible tool that cities can use to identify the greatest risks, successes, and priorities for decreasing urban vulnerability and increasing resilience to climate change. Case studies were conducted with Washington, DC and Worcester, MA to provide examples of the tool’s application. Visualizations facilitate …
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a series of aftershocks, struck near Nevada's border with California early on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The initial quake was recorded 29 km (18 miles) west southwest of the town of Hawthorne at 12:18 a.m. followed by an aftershock of …
There has been a lot of speculation since climate change doubter Donald Trump’s election about what the consequences could be for global climate action. Some analysts cite very dire implications, and others suggest that clean energy growth will continue apace. But number-crunching analyses that actually calculate how much of a …
Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, the causal agent of potato late blight, was responsible for the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. Initial disease outbreaks occurred in the US in 1843, two years prior to European outbreaks. We examined the evolutionary relationships and source of the 19th-century outbreaks using herbarium …
The city government of Las Vegas, Nevada, is now running entirely on renewable electricity, city officials have announced. The announcement marks the achievement of a nearly decade-long effort to embrace renewables and achieve the 100% goal. (Note that the achievement isn’t for “100% renewable energy” since transport isn’t included, and …
Scientists have just named an adorable new species of Hawaiian coral reef fish after President Obama. The fish, now formally dubbed Tosanoides obama, was found back in June during an expedition by divers inside Hawaii’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument - a protected area that Obama expanded earlier this year. "We …
The Native American Navajo Nation has accused the Obama administration of failing to clean up the damage from a toxic mine spill caused by one of its own government agencies. In August 2015, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractors assessing a leak at the site of Colorado's long-defunct Gold King …