The demand for battery-grade lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and platinum will climb steeply as vehicle electrification speeds up and nations work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through mid-century. This surge in demand will also create a variety of economic and supply-chain problems, according to new Cornell University research published in Nature Communications. In the new paper, senior […]
Cornell University
Posted inUS
U.S. labor strikes up 52% in 2022 as worker activism rises
February 21, 2023 – Strike numbers rose in 2022, reflecting a trend of more U.S. work stoppages in recent years by workers and activists in the labor movement, according to a report published Feb. 21 by the ILR School. According to the Cornell-ILR Labor Action Tracker, a comprehensive database of work stoppages, there were 424 work stoppages in 2022, […]
Posted inEnviro
To prevent the next pandemic, restore wildlife habitats
Preserving and restoring natural habitats could prevent pathogens that originate in wildlife from spilling over into domesticated animals and humans, according to two new companion studies. The research, based in Australia, found that when bats experience loss of winter habitat and food shortages in their natural settings, their populations splinter and they excrete more virus. […]
Posted inEnviro
Climate-driven disease compromises seagrass health in the Pacific Northwest
In an oceanic omen for climate change’s intensifying effects, new research shows that seagrass suffers from a lesion-filled wasting disease through large swaths of intertidal meadows in the Pacific Northwest. The grasses’ once-vibrant plant root systems are deteriorating, too. The research was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. “Not only are we seeing more seagrass wasting […]
Posted inLife
Darkened Windows Save Migrating Birds
Building lights are a deadly lure for the billions of birds that migrate at night, disrupting their natural navigation cues and leading to deadly collisions. But even if you can’t turn out all the lights in a building, darkening even some windows at night during bird migration periods could be a major lifesaver for birds. Research […]
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Water crisis took toll on Flint adults’ physical, mental health
ITHACA, N.Y. April 16, 2021 – Since state austerity policies initiated a potable water crisis seven years ago in Flint, Michigan, public health monitoring has focused on potential developmental deficits associated with lead exposure in adolescents or fetuses exposed in utero. New research from Cornell and the University of Michigan offers the first comprehensive evidence […]
Posted inUS
Union-friendly states enjoy higher economic growth, individual earnings
ITHACA, N.Y. March 23, 2021 – New research from Mildred Warner, professor of city and regional planning at Cornell University, shows that state laws designed to hinder union activity and indulge corporate entities do not enhance economic productivity. “We find that where state policy is captured by corporate interests, this undermines inclusive growth,” Warner said. […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Women veterinarians earn $100K less than men annually
March 15, 2021 – Women veterinarians make less than their male counterparts, new research from the College of Veterinary Medicine has found – with an annual difference of around $100,000 among the top quarter of earners. The disparity predominantly affects recent graduates and the top half of earners, according to the research, the first overarching […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Frank Lomax: Here’s why Texas gas pipelines can’t handle the cold
February 23, 2021 – Fossil fuel infrastructure in Texas had to go dark during the unusual deep freeze in the state last week, contributing to a public health and safety crisis affecting millions of Texans and requiring flaring and other processes that will result in high levels of pollution into the atmosphere. Frank Lomax, an […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Astronomers agree: Universe is nearly 14 billion years old
January 5, 2021 – From an observatory high above Chile’s Atacama Desert, astronomers have taken a new look at the oldest light in the universe. Their observations, plus a bit of cosmic geometry, suggest that the universe is 13.77 billion years old – give or take 40 million years. A Cornell researcher co-authored one of […]
Posted inEnviro
Birds risk starvation trying to “keep pace” with climate change
October 6, 2020 – Surviving on a warming planet can be a matter of timing—but simply shifting lifecycle stages to match the tempo of climate change has hidden dangers for some animals, according to new research from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour and Cornell University. The study, published in PNAS, has uncovered drastic consequences […]
Posted inLife
New book explores four major threats to US democracy
ITHACA, N.Y. August 11, 2020 – In their new book, “Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy,” Suzanne Mettler, professor of government at Cornell University, and Robert Lieberman, professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, not only assert that history repeats itself – they also identify the underlying causes of democracy destabilization. American democracy […]
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New U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule undermines mission to protect birds
July 16, 2020 – The U.S. Department of the Interior is in the final stages of codifying a new rule that excludes so-called “incidental take” from Migratory Bird Treaty Act protections. This new rule reverses longstanding federal policy that has held industry liable for negligent actions that resulted in preventable bird deaths, such as the 1 […]
Posted inSci/Tech
New Apple iOS supports contact tracing — but is meaningless without government adoption
May 21, 2020 – Apple released a new operating system on Wednesday, iOS 13.5, which makes adjustments meant to ease use during the current pandemic — facilitating face ID unlocking while wearing a mask and fixing glitches on Facetime. It also enables support for Exposure Notification, also known as digital contact tracing, which if adopted […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Les Adler: Keep schools closed. They’re ‘dangerous breeding grounds’ for coronavirus
April 29, 2020 – In a call with governors this week, President Trump suggested states should seriously consider reopening their public schools before the end of the academic year, even though many have already said it would be unsafe for students to return to school before next fall. Lee Adler, an expert on education and academic […]
Posted inUS
For rural communities, COVID-19 exacerbates inequities
April 10, 2020 – The coronavirus pandemic has already hit U.S. farmers hard, after it further drove down crop and livestock prices and raised concerns about labor shortages on farms. As we look ahead at the weeks to come, experts warn about impact the virus could have on the country’s food supply and rural communities […]
Posted inUS
COVID-19 exposes weak link for hospitals: outsourced cleaners
March 23, 2020 – Health care facilities have been at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The challenges that hospitals are facing include a scarcity of supplies, exponential increase in patients, and broader need to keep health care workers safe by ensuring that they are working in sterile environments. Adam Seth […]
Posted inLife
What do we do with our germ-harboring smartphones in the midst of pandemic?
March 13, 2020 – As the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, people are focused on stopping the spread of germs through largescale quarantines and everyday best practices such as hand washing. But limiting the spread of infectious diseases might also require a rethinking of the tech we use — and touch — […]
Posted inWorld
Fracking prompts global spike in atmospheric methane
ITHACA, N.Y. Aug. 14, 2019 – As methane concentrations increase in the Earth’s atmosphere, chemical fingerprints point to a probable source: shale oil and gas, according to new Cornell University research published in Biogeosciences, a journal of the European Geosciences Union. The research suggests that this methane has less carbon-13 relative to carbon-12 (denoting the […]
Posted inUS
White House boost to Pentagon could shift money to controversial fund to finance wars
March 12, 2019 – The Trump administration released its proposed 2020 budget on Monday, outlining funding cuts for many federal agencies but also increasing funding for defense. As part of the boost in funding for the Pentagon, the budget proposes shifting money into the Overseas Contingency Fund – a controversial account used to finance the […]