Scientific news in small doses

A few milligrams of all the scientific news of the week

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

Pollution harms pollinating insects

While the impact of pesticides on pollinating insects is well known, it appears that other factors, such as pollution, also affect bees, among other insects. In a ground-breaking experiment, researchers at the University of Reading in the UK have found that air pollution caused by car traffic drastically reduces their ability to spot plants to feed on. After installing a machine that released nitrogen oxide and ozone into a field of mustard plants, scientists saw a 70% reduction in the number of bees and butterflies. The study was published in the journal Environmental Pollution.

Quiz

How much will it take to decarbonize our societies by 2050?

According to the McKinsey group, governments will have to invest much more than they are doing at the moment to achieve the goal of decarbonizing our societies by 2050. How much? Much more than the 3500 billion US per year currently forecast. According to this specialized firm, these expenses should be increased to 275,000 billion US (or 9,200 billion US annually) to achieve our objectives on a global scale. According to calculations by McKinsey, this sum represents half of the profits recorded in 2020 by companies on the planet. While the investments required seem staggering, the company points out that the costs of inaction in the face of the climate emergency will be much higher.

The number

419.80

On January 24, the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere was 419.80 parts per million (ppm). A year earlier, on the same date, the measurement indicated 416.78 ppm. However, according to scientists, the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere should not exceed 400 ppm in order to limit warming below 2 ^ohC. To achieve this goal, global GHG emissions would need to increase by at least 45% by 2030. According to the UN, these should instead increase by 14% by the end of the decade.

Poverty and brain activity

Could a family’s annual income affect an infant’s brain activity? This is what American researchers wanted to verify in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For their experiment, scientists from Columbia University recruited 1,000 newborns from families with household incomes of no more than $20,000. Half of these families received a monthly allowance of $333 while the other half received only $20. Around their first birthday in the summer of 2020, the babies had an electroencephalogram, which revealed higher brain activity in those whose families had received a monthly allowance of $333. One of the hypotheses put forward is that an improvement in the financial situation of families provides a more stimulating environment for children.

Young people affected by heat waves

A study that has just been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has established that young people aged 18 and under are generally more affected by heat waves, and at the same time more likely to end up in the emergency room in such conditions. American researchers analyzed data from 47 pediatric hospitals in the United States between 2016 and 2018. They were able to determine that almost a third of emergency room visits resulted from heat stroke. According to scientists, the body of children and adolescents reacts differently to that of adults when faced with intense heat. Remember that heat waves are likely to be more intense and more frequent due to climate change.