Fewer deaths thanks to less polluting vehicles
Over the years, the arrival of new car models has significantly reduced deaths from air pollution. Researchers at Harvard University have estimated that 7,900 deaths were prevented between 2008 and 2017, thanks to a reduction in fine particles emanating from vehicles. Otherwise, without these changes, the death toll would have increased from 27,700 in 2008 to 48,200 in 2017. The study was published in the journal PNAS.
Quiz
How many words can your dog understand?
PHOTO DON CAMPBELL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alison Russell and her dog Charlotte joined in a Christmas parade in St. Joseph, Michigan on December 4th.
On average, 89 words or phrases, according to researchers at Dalhousie University, who published their work in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science. Some dogs are able to understand up to 215 words and phrases, such as obviously “lying down”, “standing” or “rest”, but also “who is this?” ” and I love you “. The data was collected from 165 owners of dogs of various breeds.
Microbes that love plastic
DRAGAN KARADAREVIC PHOTO, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
The millions of tons of plastic scattered around are starting to serve as food for some microbes.
When faced with a threat, species generally find a solution to adapt and survive. It seems that we are witnessing a similar response from nature to the growing phenomenon of plastic pollution. In a study published in the journal Microbial Ecology, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have found that microbes in the oceans and soils have evolved to “digest” the plastic increasingly present in the environment. Remember that each year, millions of tonnes of plastic are found in the environment.
The number
10 years
PHOTO STÉPHANIE MORIN, PRESS ARCHIVES
Glaciers in Antarctica are suffering from global warming.
Due to warming waters, the Thwaites Glacier, as large as the United Kingdom, could repair itself from the Antarctic continent within 10 years, believe scientists present this week at the congress of the American Geophysical Union. This event could lead to a series of catastrophic consequences on the rise of the oceans. This is because the glacier serves as a kind of support for a good part of Antarctica, which has the potential to raise the level of the oceans by 3 m.
Mental health and COVID-19
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, PRESS ARCHIVES
Adolescent mental health concerns specialists in the United States.
In early December, U.S. Public Health Administrator Vivek Murthy released a 53-page report focusing on adolescent mental health. The document noted the “devastating” effects of the pandemic on the mental health of young people. For example, emergency room visits after a suicide attempt jumped 51% for teenage girls at the start of 2021, compared to the same period in 2019. The Dr Murthy urged authorities to pay more attention to the mental health of young Americans.