Here's How Scientists Want Biden to Take on Climate Change

November 12, 2020

Here's How Scientists Want Biden to Take on Climate Change

View all Scientific American publications.

November 12, 2020

Dear Reader,

This week, pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced that their experimental vaccine against the novel coronavirus is more than 90 percent effective. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said that if all goes well, the company plans to apply for an emergency authorization later this month. Next, hurricane season is drawing to a close, but not before setting a record. Tropical Storm Theta became the 29th named Atlantic storm this week, making 2020 the busiest season on record. And lastly, for today's lead story, we asked climate scientists was specific actions they want to see the Biden administration take to address climate change.

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement
@sunyaaa

Climate

Here's How Scientists Want Biden to Take on Climate Change

Ambitions include promoting electric vehicles and incorporating environmental justice

By Andrea Thompson

Public Health

Pfizer's Early Results Bode Well for a COVID Vaccine Approval This Year

The data are preliminary, however, and it is not yet clear whether the vaccine protects against severe disease

By Charles Schmidt

Space

Do NASA's Lunar Exploration Rules Violate Space Law?

The Artemis Accords—NASA guidelines supposedly designed to regulate global cooperation on the moon—may serve to circumvent preexisting international treaties

By Alexander Stirn

Natural Disasters

As the Oceans Warm, Hurricanes Stay Stronger Longer

Storms may not weaken as quickly once they make landfall, allowing them to do more damage

By Chelsea Harvey,E&E News

Public Health

Fast Coronavirus Tests: What They Can and Can't Do

Rapid antigen tests are designed to tell in a few minutes whether someone is infectious. Will they be game changers?

By Giorgia Guglielmi,Nature magazine

Public Health

An Emerging Tool for COVID Times: The Portable MRI

Bedside imaging holds vast potential as a diagnostic tool, especially during the pandemic

By Carolyn Barber

Public Health

Cutting Diesel Exhaust Could Lessen COVID Spread in Cities

Fewer particulates in the air would carry less virus to unsuspecting residents

By Sajni Gudka,Bruce Armstrong,Peter Newman

Medicine

The Antibiotic Gamble

Paratek Pharmaceuticals made a life-saving drug and got it approved. So why is the company's long-term survival still in question?

By Maryn McKenna,Nature magazine

Aerospace

Electric Aviation Could Be Closer Than You Think

Enabling air travel to decarbonize

By Katherine Hamilton,Tammy Ma

Engineering

Low-Carbon Cement Can Help Combat Climate Change

Microbes will help decarbonize the construction industry

By Mariette DiChristina

Computing

Quantum Sensors Could Let Autonomous Cars 'See' around Corners

High-precision metrology based on the peculiarities of the subatomic world

By Carlo Ratti

Space

A Cosmic Video Miniseries to Ponder Gravity, the Universe and Everything

Earthly matters got you stressed? Here is an opportunity to elevate your mind above the terrestrial din with three cosmic questions

By Emily V. Driscoll,Jared Kaplan

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Ultimately, climate change connects us all but in extremely uneven and unequal ways. So the U.S. needs to step up to do the right thing in working with peoples, institutions and policies across the world to enact better climate justice."

Farhana Sultana, research director for Environmental Collaboration and Conflicts at the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration, Syracuse University

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