Book Review: 'Hope Dies Last' visits visionaries fighting global warming
Alan Weisman has found an all-world cast of scientists, engineers and environmentalists who have dreamed big and worked passionately to repair some of the world's wrecked ecosystems and also to develop processes that, for example, use far less energy than we get from oil
Take Azzam Alwash, for example. An engineer, he lamented destruction of thousands of square miles of marshes in Iraq that date to Biblical times and were his birthplace. Birds, fish and other animals flourished in the wetlands until Saddam Hussein drained them to flush out enemies to his regime.
The wetlands in the world's hottest region were thought beyond resurrection.
Weisman writes that to Alwash, however, 'impossible often masks a lack of imagination.' He marshaled the resources to restore much of the wetlands and a miracle followed: wildlife returned..
Some of Weisman's chapters will make readers wish they had paid more attention in high school science and chemistry classes.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have made astonishing progress in developing commercial-scale fusion energy that could produce great quantities of clean energy. Such breakthroughs are critical on a planet now dependent on fossil fuels, which produce carbon dioxide that traps heat in the atmosphere.
To those who scoff at mentions of human-caused environmental catastrophe as a hoax or fake news, consider this: Weisman's bibliography runs 74 pages. And the type is small. He spent several years researching and reporting on this book and visited a dozen countries.
'As long as we let them keep on, there is hope,' writes Weisman, referring to the people he writes about in this book.
News also has overtaken the publication of this book. President Trump's threats to withhold money from Harvard and other universities would have a drastic effect because so many of the world's brightest students come to study at American research universities, contributing to the steady stream of American scientific breakthroughs.
Weisman set out to find inspirational people doing extraordinary work to save the planet.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
CRISPR Is Direct Result of Federal Funding: Doudna
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to divert billions in grant dollars away from Harvard University and give those funds to trade schools across the US, escalating his clash with the elite institution. Jennifer Doudna, a winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry for development of CRISPR gene editing said that federal funding is essential for search like hers to start. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Here are 10 NASA missions that could be grounded under Trump's 2026 budget
Missions across the final frontier could die as a result of the proposed cuts to NASA's budget made by President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported Sunday. In his fiscal year 2026 budget request made on May 30, Trump proposed cutting NASA's science funding by 53%, the newspaper reported. NASA receives over $7 billion a year, but Trump's budget request lowers that to $3.9 billion to '[support] a leaner, more focused science program that reflects the administration's commitment to fiscal responsibility,' according to the budget proposal. Trump submitted the proposal to Congress, where it awaits approval. The request, 'if approved by Congress, would kill many of NASA's plans for robotic exploration of the solar system,' the Post explained. 'Gone, too, would be multiple space-based missions to study Earth, the sun and the rest of the universe.' The Planetary Society, an advocacy group supportive of science education and space exploration, founded by astronomer Carl Sagan and led by Bill Nye 'the Science Guy,' called the budget 'a retreat, a narrowing of ambition.' 'This request represents the smallest NASA budget since FY 1961 — a level enacted before the first American had launched into space,' according to the organization in a statement on May 30. 'Unlike that era of growth, high ambition and bold vision, this budget revels in the opposite: what the nation cannot do." The cuts could impact 41 current and future missions, which make up one-third of NASA's space exploration portfolio, the Post reported. Of these missions, here are 10 that could be affected by Trump's budget proposal: Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy (VERITAS) probe The VERITAS probe is anticipated to be launched no later than 2031 to explore the second planet in the solar system and Earth's 'twin,' Venus, according to NASA. 'Veritas will discover the secrets of a lost habitable world, gathering data to reveal how the paths of Venus and Earth diverged,' the space agency stated. Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging (DAVINCI) spacecraft Like VERITAS, the DAVINCI spacecraft is also set to study Venus following its tentative launch in 2030, NASA stated. It will explore the planet's poisonous clouds and conduct both a flyby observation of the planet and a probe that will land on its surface. Voyager 1 and 2 Two twin spacecraft launched in 1977 to study the outer solar system are expected to see cuts that were already expected to happen, the Post reported. This was inevitable due to the probes' diminished power source: the radioactive decay of plutonium-238. Sagan was also involved in the prep work on the Voyager spacecrafts. Along with a golden disc carrying recordings from Earth in case extraterrestrial life found the probes, Sagan requested that Voyager 1 photograph Earth once it reached the outer solar system. By 1990, the probe photographed Earth — represented by a small pinpoint of light — in the famed photo referred to as the 'Pale Blue Dot.' Trump's proposed cuts would lower Voyager's funding from $7.8 million to $5 million in 2026, eventually until it reaches zero in 2029. Chandra X-ray Observatory Named after astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the Chandra X-ray Observatory's funding would go from $69 million to zero if Trump's cuts are approved. The observatory itself is NASA's most powerful X-ray telescope and 'has eight times greater resolution and is able to detect sources more than 20 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope,' the agency stated. Rosalind Franklin rover's Mars Organic Molecule Analyser (MOMA) A rover that is expected to be launched to the Red Planet, Mars, in 2028. The rover is operated by the European Space Agency through its astrobiology program, but is partnered with NASA. Aboard the rover is the MOMA, which will study organic compounds in the Martian soil, according to the ESA. Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PoLSIR) Rather than study deep space, this mission consists of two small satellites orbiting Earth to 'help humanity better understand Earth's dynamic atmosphere and its impact on climate by studying ice clouds that form at high altitudes throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions.' Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Apophis Explorer (OSIRIS-APEX) The OSIRIS-APEX space mission continues the work of past OSIRIS probes that study asteroids and their passages near Earth, according to NASA. This latest mission aims to study the asteroid Apophis when it passes close to Earth around June 2029 to see how the planet's gravity affects it. 'If funding is terminated, as Trump proposes, the spacecraft will circle the sun indefinitely without yielding any science,' the Post reported. Mars Sample Return Also overseen by NASA and ESA, this 'multi-mission campaign ... would bring carefully selected Martian samples to Earth for the first time,' NASA stated. These samples would 'revolutionize our understanding of Mars, our solar system and prepare for human explorers to the Red Planet,' the American space agency added. The mission has been repeatedly delayed due to cost issues and technical issues, the Post reported. Trump's proposal would provide no funding for it Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Another NASA and ESA partnership, this joint mission is intended to study gravitational waves and ripples in the fabric of space-time emitted by black holes when they collide, according to ESA. The mission is comprised of an observatory that would be launched into space in 2035 and then orbit around Earth. Trump's answer to the mission through the budget request: NASA would no longer be involved in the mission. Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter Since it was launched in 2014, the MAVEN mission also studies Mars by taking a look at how much of the planet's atmosphere has been lost over time, NASA stated. Trump's proposal would cut the mission's funding, leaving the probe to circle the Red Planet and not produce any science, the Post wrote. Eventually, it would crash down on Mars. 'The cancellation of ongoing Mars missions and Mars Sample Return eliminates major efforts to understand the environmental conditions that astronauts will face, to understand Mars as a planet and to prepare the science for human missions,' Bruce Jakosky, a senior scientist at the University of Colorado, told the Post. Selfie on Mars? Here's how NASA caught a new glimpse of the Martian surface New research says our universe only has a quinvigintillion years left, so make 'em good ones Video: Erupting volcanoes cause 'dancing' light show in space Massive solar flare erupts, causing radio blackouts across Earth Where will failed '70s Soviet probe land after it crashes back to Earth? Nobody knows Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Survey: So how do Americans feel about math? The answer — like calculus and algebraic geometry — is complicated
So how to best describe Americans' relationship with math? The answer is, well, a lot like multivariable calculus: It's complicated. A national Gallup study reveals that more than 90% of American adults believe math skills are essential — but almost half say they wish they had left middle or high school with sharper skills in the wide-ranging subject. And more than a third report having nothing but negative feelings about math. 'Americans overwhelmingly believe math is essential in life and work, but many wish they had gained more real-world skills like data science and financial literacy,' said Justin Lall, principal at Gallup in the study report. 'Aligning math education with these practical applications could not only boost engagement, but better prepare future generations for success.' Titled 'Math Matters Study: The Value of Math in Work & Life,' the Gallup research found that almost all Americans agree that math is important in their lives. With support from the Gates Foundation, the Gallup study surveyed a diverse group of 5,136 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, last December. Gallup also surveyed 2,831 managers. Ninety-five percent say math skills are 'very' or 'somewhat' important in their work life — and 96% say such skills are important in their personal lives. But disparities are found among generations. Sixty-five percent of adults aged 65 and older say math skills are 'very important' for work life, compared with 56% of 35- to 44-year-olds. Meanwhile, less than 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds consider math skills 'very important' in the workplace. Older Americans, according to the survey, are also more likely than younger adults to say math skills are important in their personal life. 'This single point in time survey cannot determine whether the oldest generations have valued math throughout their lives or whether the appreciation has grown as they have gotten older,' the survey noted. Across educational attainment, race and ethnicity, and household income, Americans' views of the importance of math skills are largely similar, the survey noted. A slight majority of study participants — 6 in 10 — believe math should be prioritized more highly than other school subjects. About a third feel math should be treated similarly to other subjects — while only 2% believe math should receive lower priority than other subjects. Meanwhile, a sizable number of Americans would likely be open to a math education 'do over.' More than 40% of U.S. adults responding to the Gallup study say they wish they had picked-up more math skills — a sentiment similar among Americans with a range of educational backgrounds. Desire to have learned more math in middle or high school is higher among Hispanic adults (51%) relative to Black (44%) and white adults (41%) — and higher among men compared with women (46% vs. 40%), according to the survey. And what specific math skills do many American adults wish they had learned more about as K-12 students? Financial math skills such as personal finances, budgeting and accounting top the wish list — followed by data science skills (such as managing spreadsheets), software, programming and statistics. No surprise, adults in the United States report a wide range of emotions regarding math. There's ambivalence about, say, algebra, geometry, calculus and other math subjects. The Gallup survey asked participants to select three words from a list of 10 to describe their math feelings. The selected word list included positive feelings such as 'happy' or 'interested' — and negative feelings such as 'bored' or 'confused.' The most frequently selected word was 'challenged,' suggesting a mixture of feelings toward math. Summarizing across the various math-related emotions, almost half of Americans (47%) have exclusively positive feelings about math — while 37% have exclusively negative feelings. Age is an important predictor of Americans' feelings toward math, the survey revealed. About half as many younger U.S. adults (32% of those aged 18 to 24) as older adults (61% of those ages 65 and older) have exclusively positive feelings toward math. While surveyed individuals report a personal mix of 'math feels,' there's apparently no such ambiguity in the workplace. The Gallup survey revealed the vast majority of managers value 'increased or enhanced math skills among their employees,' according to the survey. Eighty-five percent of managers wish their direct reports had more of at least one math skill — with the most desired skills being financial math, foundational math and data science. And students take note: More than half of managers surveyed say they will likely need to hire more individuals with data science skills such as managing spreadsheets or large amounts of information. Nearly 6 in 10 managers, according to the survey, say in the next five years it's 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' that they will need to hire more individuals with data science skills than they currently have. The mixed sentiments reflected in the Gallup study are likely of keen interest to both parents and educators of Utah's junior high and high school students — particularly at a moment of historic disruptions in America's K-12 educational institutions. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress — aka 'The Nation's Report Card' — indicates Beehive State students are outperforming their nationwide counterparts in math. The 'National Report Card' math assessments measured students' knowledge and skills in mathematics — and their ability to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts. In 2024, the average math score of fourth grade students in Utah was 242 — higher than the average score for students in the nation. Utah's eighth graders scored, on average, scored 282 on the assessment, 10 points higher than the average score for students nationwide. Meanwhile, Utah tops national rankings in high school financial literacy. Every high school student in the state is required to pass a general financial literacy course that covers financial planning, career preparation, money management, savings and investing and other personal finance topics.
