💡 Warp News #262
🧪 Mew methods break down forever chemicals. 🛫 US airlines have flown passengers over two light-years without accidents. 👶 Sharp global decline in neonatal tetanus.
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🧪 Not forever chemicals
No problem is forever.
You’ve probably heard of "forever chemicals." These substances can provide materials with several positive properties, like Teflon in frying pans or water repellency in clothing. However, many of them are also harmful to the environment and very difficult to break down, earning them the nickname forever chemicals.
Now, two research teams have developed methods to break them down much faster and with significantly less energy use than before.
When it comes to human ingenuity, no problem is forever (as long as the solution doesn’t defy the laws of physics).
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Mathias Sundin
The Angry Optimist
💡 Fact-based optimistic news of the week
🧪 Two new methods break down forever chemicals using ordinary light
Scientists have developed two methods using ordinary visible light to break down forever chemicals. The methods work at temperatures as low as 40 degrees Celsius. The new methods could be an important step toward cleaning contaminated soil and water.
🛫 US airlines have flown passengers over two light-years without accidents
US commercial airlines have had no accidents since February 2009, equivalent to 13.3 trillion passenger miles. The total flight distance without accidents equals 535 million trips around Earth or 28 million round trips to the Moon.
⛽ China's declining gasoline consumption exceeds expectations
China's gasoline consumption will decrease by 4-5 percent annually until 2030. The decline in gasoline demand in China is more pronounced than in the US and Europe. PetroChina predicts that the number of gasoline-powered cars will peak already in 2025.
🌏 World progresses in 18 of 24 global development goals
UN development goals from 2015 show improvements in 18 of 24 measurement areas, including marine protected areas and access to water and sanitation. HIV treatment has made significant progress. Child mortality has decreased by over one million deaths per year.
👶 Sharp global decline in neonatal tetanus
The number of reported cases of neonatal tetanus has decreased by 89 percent between 2000 and 2021. 47 of 59 priority countries have achieved WHO's goals to eliminate tetanus in mothers and newborns.
🎗️ Sharp decrease in cervical cancer deaths among young women in USA
Cervical cancer deaths among women under 25 have decreased by 60 percent between 2016-2021 in the USA. A study shows zero cases of cervical cancer among women who were vaccinated against HPV at age 12-13.
🔋 Global energy storage increased by 76% in 2024
Global energy storage installations reach 69 gigawatts and 169 gigawatt-hours in 2024, an increase of 76 percent compared to the previous year. The energy storage market will grow to 228 gigawatts by 2035, ten times larger than today.
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