Category Archives: Environment

Space Analogies

Alexander Gerst’s Horizon Blog: Cave Life for Space. “When you ignore some details, it is amazing how similar cave exploration is to going to space. After my experience with CAVES, I can say that, so far, this is the best analogue that I know for astronauts to mentally prepare for space.”

See also ESA: Caves 2019. (YouTube, 5:50min)

“In September 2019 in Slovenia, astronauts from five space agencies around the world took part in ESA’s CAVES training course – Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behaviour and performance Skills.

The six ‘cavenauts’ were ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA astronauts Joe Acaba and Jeanette Epps, Roscosmos cosmonaut Nikolai Chub, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Japan’s space agency JAXA’s Takuya Onishi.

The three-week course prepares astronauts to work effectively in multicultural teams in an environment where safety is critical.

As they explored the caves, they encountered caverns, underground lakes and strange microscopic life. They tested new technology and conducted science – much like life on the International Space Station.

Inhospitable and hard to access, caves are untouched worlds and hold many scientific secrets. The astronauts performed a dozen experiments and were on the lookout for signs of life that has adapted to the extremes. They paid special attention to their environment, monitoring air and water quality, and looking for signs of pollution.”

Every damn myth debunked in one.

Vice: The Most Overhyped Wellness Promises, Debunked. “Here’s some healthy skepticism about Keto, colonics, charcoal, and more.”

“Behold our ever-growing list of today’s most pervasive wellness lies (or are they misunderstandings? Misguided hopes and dreams?). Click through on each one for a clear, deeply researched, as-definitive-as-possible explanation, gathered from experts and years of scientific research. You won’t find any thin claims based on small studies or experiments on cells or mice, unless we’re using them to point out how insufficient the research is on a given subject.”

The list includes 44 myths and links to extensive articles about each one.

Link via MetaFilter.

“The time to act is NOW, before it’s too late.”

Deutsche Welle: Klimastreik – “Der Planet brennt”. “Tanz, Trommeln und Blockaden: Für einen entschiedeneren Kampf gegen den Klimawandel sind in Deutschland und rund um den Globus Hunderttausende auf die Straße gegangen. Dazu aufgerufen hatte “Fridays for Future”.”

Deutsche Welle: Kabinettsbeschluss: 54 Milliarden Euro für Klimaschutz in Deutschland. “Die Bundesregierung beschließt ihr Programm zur Reduktion des CO2-Ausstoßes. Kritikern geht es nicht weit genug. Hunderttausende gehen für den Klimaschutz auf die Straße.”
Merkel’s Cabinet agrees ‘climate packet,’ environmentalists say it’s paltry. “Germany’s Cabinet has agreed a climate packet, including carbon dioxide pricing via emission certificates, costlier fuels, cheaper rail, and a ban on oil heaters from 2026. A leading Green was “bitterly disappointed.””

Kritik von Umweltverbänden reißt nicht ab

Deutsche Welle: Hamburg Cruise Days: Muss das sein? “Hamburg feiert die Kreuzfahrt – und wird hunderttausenden Besuchern ein wahres Spektakel bescheren. Umweltverbände kritisieren die Hamburg Cruise Days als falsches Signal in der Klimadebatte.”

“Umweltverbände kritisieren die Cruise Days seit Jahren. Malte Siegert, Leiter des Ressorts Natur- und Umweltpolitik beim NABU Hamburg, hält sie für eine “Spaßveranstaltung, die Hamburgs Luft unnötig belastet.” Im Gespräch mit der DW kritisiert er, dass die Veranstalter die Menschen nicht über die gesundheitlichen Risiken der Veranstaltung aufklären würden – obwohl sie sich derer bewusst seien. “Das ist ein Totalversagen von Politik und Verwaltung”, findet Siegert.”