All posts tagged: curb

Global treaty is failing to curb ultra-potent HFC-23 greenhouse gas emissions

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Air-conditioning units, which often use HFC gases, on a building in Shenyang, China Visual China Group via Getty Images Emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas released as a byproduct in the manufacture of refrigerants are much higher than reported by governments, suggesting a global agreement to stamp out such emissions is failing. Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, signed in 2016, more than 160 countries said they would do their best to eradicate emissions of HFC-23, a gas with 14,700 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide. Data provided by governments suggest emissions have fallen by more… [ad_2] Source link

Vaccines could curb antibiotic use by 22%, tackling AMR

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report reveals that increasing vaccine utilisation could lead to a 22% reduction in global antibiotic use, amounting to 2.5 billion fewer defined daily doses each year. The report highlights how both existing and future vaccines could play a vital role in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The WHO report, titled ‘Estimating the Impact of Vaccines in Reducing Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotic Use‘, provides stakeholders with targeted recommendations to amplify vaccines’ impact on AMR. It reviews 44 vaccines targeting 24 pathogens, including 19 bacterial, four viral, and one parasitic infection, offering insights into the varied syndromes and age groups affected. The report also stresses that a comprehensive approach involving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment across healthcare systems is necessary to combat AMR. Vaccination is core to this strategy, particularly when combined with other interventions aimed at managing infections and curbing resistance. Understanding AMR and its global impact Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites no longer respond effectively to antimicrobial medications, leading to tougher-to-treat infections, increased …

Home Office should be split in two to curb migration, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick says | Politics News

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[ad_1] Former Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick has called for the Home Office to be split in two as part of a 30-point plan to curb migration. Mr Jenrick, who is seen as a potential Conservative leadership contender, has been ramping up pressure on Rishi Sunak over the issue after quitting his government post last year. Politics Live: MoD contractor hacked by China ‘has contracts across Whitehall In a report he co-authored for the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), a centre-right think-tank, the MP for Newark said the government must “undo the disastrous post-Brexit liberalisations” that have “betrayed” the public’s wish for lower immigration. He proposed a number of policies that should be implemented ahead of the looming general election, including breaking up the Home Office to create a department more focused on border control. He said voters “deserve a department whose sole mission is controlling immigration and securing our borders”. The proposals also include capping health and care visas at 30,000, scrapping the graduate route for international students, and indexing salary thresholds for visa …

Could meat taxes help to curb over-consumption of beef?

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] From the ancient feasts of kings to the modern-day fast-food frenzy, meat has long been a global dietary centerpiece. As a critical source of protein and nutrients, meat (particularly beef) is a necessary staple of diets worldwide. Yet, how it and other ruminant meats such as mutton and goat are produced and consumed, particularly in relation to the looming environmental crises, begs humanity to reevaluate the actual costs of our carnivorous traditions. While recent decades have witnessed a surge in vegetarianism and plant-based alternatives, some scholars argue that we need more substantial incentives, including meat taxes on consumers, to tackle overconsumption in the West. Research indicates that the uptake of plant-based diets would significantly lower emissions, particularly from the reduction of tropical deforestation (as most of the world’s beef is produced in Brazil, and Amazonian regions are being actively deforested to make room for more grazing land). The vegetarianization of the global diet is projected to have apparent knock-on effects, writes Erick Stokstad, such as the reduced cost of grain and soybeans—essential food staples in some …

X is changing how blocking works to curb abuse

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Did you know that when someone blocks you on X (formerly Twitter), they can still reply to your posts? This opens up the possibility of abuse, with someone blocking you and then slandering, impersonating, or otherwise abusing you on the very same platform without you seeing it. Now, X is changing the way blocking works. On Thursday, the company’s Engineering account explained the changes as follows: “If a user who has blocked you replies to one of your posts, you will now be able to see their reply. This change enables you to identify and report any potential bad content that you previously could not view, safeguarding both your account and the overall integrity of our platform.” Tweet may have been deleted X owner Elon Musk previously said the block functionality on X “makes no sense,” and that it’s going to be “deleted as a ‘feature’ except for DMs.” While that hasn’t happened yet, it appears that X is working towards changing the block feature until it’s more in line with Musk’s idea of …

Why a bill to curb ‘foreign influence’ in Georgia has triggered mass protests

Why a bill to curb ‘foreign influence’ in Georgia has triggered mass protests

Published by Sam

[ad_1] Georgia has been engulfed by huge protests triggered by a proposed law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the country’s aspirations to join the European Union. Issued on: 03/05/2024 – 08:27 2 min Here is a look at the bill and the protests it has ignited: The bill would require media and non-governmental organisations and other non-profits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of funding from abroad. The legislature approved a second reading of the bill Wednesday, and the third and final reading is expected later this month. The proposed legislation is nearly identical to the one that the governing Georgian Dream party was pressured to withdraw last year after street protests. The governing party says the bill is necessary to stem what it deems as harmful foreign influence over the country’s political scene and to prevent unidentified foreign actors from trying to destabilise the country’s political scene. The opposition denounces the bill as “the Russian law” because Moscow uses …

Jerry Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm Finale's Connection to Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm Finale’s Connection to Seinfeld

Published by Sam

[ad_1] Jerry Seinfeld was delighted to join his friend Larry David for Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s finale, the comedian said this week, adding that the series’ Seinfeld tie-in helped elevate his own show’s conclusion. “I think connecting the two finales [was the way to go],” Seinfeld told Vanity Fair. When Curb Your Enthusiasm concluded earlier this month, its series finale mirrored many of the details from Seinfeld‘s 1998 finale, with both shows featuring their main characters on trial for breaking a recondite local law. Seinfeld‘s final episode was written by David, and Seinfeld returned to play himself for the final installment of Curb. Seinfeld said this week he told David yes right away upon being approached with the idea. “That just seemed like nothing but fun,” he said. “And I just love hanging out with Larry. We always just laugh all day long.” Plus, Seinfeld said he felt the connection between their two shows strengthened the finale of Seinfeld, which landed controversially upon its release 25 years ago and had divided audiences ever since. “We were …

Zelenskyy restricts online casinos to curb troop gambling addictions – POLITICO

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[ad_1] In 2023 the number of people on the state’s register of gambling addicts, which forbids them access to online casinos, grew from 450 to 3,700 according to the Ukraine Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries. The list likely under-represents the real figure, however, as it includes only those who voluntarily add their names or are ordered to do so by a court. Ukraine Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskiy will be charged with banning gambling by military personnel during the country’s current war with invading Russian troops. However, Maksym Skubenko, CEO of the VoxUkraine NGO and a junior sergeant in the 5th Separate Assault Brigade of Kyiv, now fighting near Bakhmut, told POLITICO that a ban won’t work. “The ban may even worsen the situation,” he said, highlighting that illegal casinos already exist. A better solution, he argued, would be to increase the financial literacy of military personnel. While Skubenko himself never took an interest in online casinos, he recalled that when he served in the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv region, several people in …

Teaching children gun safety to curb gun violence

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[ad_1] A father helps his son steady a firearm at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention on May 28, 2022, in Houston, Texas. Exposing children to guns comes with risks, but some firearms enthusiasts say they’d prefer to train kids to use guns responsibly. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Brandon Bell/Getty Images A father helps his son steady a firearm at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention on May 28, 2022, in Houston, Texas. Exposing children to guns comes with risks, but some firearms enthusiasts say they’d prefer to train kids to use guns responsibly. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Guns now kill more kids than car wrecks, a trend highlighting the growing concern about increased gun suicides and shootings among youth. What to do about it? Keeping guns out of children’s hands is one way. Some people take a different approach: train kids to handle guns responsibly. Jackson Beard, director of training at Securité Gun Club in Woodinville, Wash., teaches introductory classes for kids as young as eight. The class includes the …

India scrambles to curb PhonePe and Google’s dominance in mobile payments

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[ad_1] The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the governing body overseeing the country’s widely used Unified Payments Interface (UPI) mobile payment system, is set to engage with various fintech startups this month to develop a strategy to address the growing market dominance of PhonePe and Google Pay in the UPI ecosystem. NPCI executives plan to meet with representatives from CRED, Flipkart, Fampay and Amazon among other players to discuss their key initiatives aimed at boosting UPI transactions on their respective apps and to understand the assistance they require, people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. UPI, built by a coalition of Indian banks, has become the most popular way Indians transact online, processing over 10 billion transactions monthly. The new meetings are part of an increasing effort to address concerns raised by lawmakers and industry players regarding the market share concentration of Google Pay and PhonePe, which together account for nearly 86% of UPI transactions by volume, up from 82.5% at the end of December. Walmart owns more than three-fourths of PhonePe. Paytm, the …