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JEFF McMAHON: Last week a panel of social scientists convened at the behest of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to talk about accelerating decarbonization. Being social scientists, their discussion ventured into the social... The panel was associated with a National Academies report on decarbonizing the energy sector. Energy and transportation have long been seen as the low-hanging fruit of greenhouse-gas mitigation, though they have remained nonetheless out of reach of most governments. But individuals might be able to reduce their carbon emissions even more by…

MAYO CLINIC: Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. But estimates suggest that as many as a third of cases could be prevented with diet and nutrition alone. The recipe? Many experts recommend filling your plate with foods that grow from the ground. Decades of research suggests that the best diet for cancer prevention is all about plants. That means lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes, and little to no meat or other animal products... For many Americans, meals center around the meat. After all the Department of Agriculture reports that 222 pounds of meat are sold per…

LINDSEY STOWALL: Past research has shown that media coverage of new technologies tends to be overly optimistic. Similarly, recent studies suggest that the media is making promises about the potential benefits of cultured meat that have yet to be proven through scientific research. Because there are still many unknowns about the future of cultured meat, people need to be exposed to an accurate portrayal of the production process. Premature promises surrounding the benefits of cultured meat products prevent people from understanding all aspects of the technology and may be counterproductive in…

SIMONA SHEMER: “Did you know the world is running out of honey?” asks vlogger Nusseir Yassin — also known as Nas Daily — in one of his latest one-minute viral video clips on Instagram, “Only seven bees out of 20,000 types of bees make honey. And they’re dying because we’re abusing them.” He’s not wrong. “We as humans want to use those seven species to pollinate but also to get the honey that they’re making and sell it because it’s so expensive. So we choose these seven over and over again from the other 20,000 different species. What happened — and we see it now in articles in science…

BRIAN KATEMAN: If you’ve had your fill of Impossible Whoppers and Beyond Tacos for now, there’s a new meatless fast food option at your local drive-through. KFC, in case you haven’t heard, recently debuted its new Beyond Fried Chicken – a bucket full of crispy, plant-based chick’n nuggets that are said to give actual poultry a (chicken) run for its money. But while fast food is catching up with the times, food science and technology leaders are on to the next challenge: whole cuts of meat, like steaks and filets, made from plants. Your local freezer aisle and, chances are, your favorite…

ADAM CAILLER: Tech billionaire Elon Musk's Space X is set to perform an experiment this week which could change the way we think about meat. An all-private crew will be launched onto the International Space Station, where the tests with Israel's Aleph Farms will take place looking to create "fake steaks". The meat-growing company is working on artificial alternatives to meat products normally made from cows. A spokesman said: “Prolonged exploration in space, such as getting to Mars, is limited by the ability to provide quality nutrition to astronauts". “Aleph Farms is developing a…

FIONA BRIGGS: Veganuary, the global organisation encouraging people to try vegan in January and beyond, has this year welcomed participants from nearly every country in the world with only Tajikistan and North Korea (where the internet is banned) missing from the official list of sign-ups. More than 629,000 people from 228 countries and territories officially signed up to try vegan for 31 days, making this the biggest Veganuary ever. Founded in the UK in 2014, Veganuary has been increasing its global reach for several years; opening offices in the US, Germany and Chile in 2019; Argentina…

HAPPY COW: Are you curious about going vegan for the coming Veganuary 2022, but often feel bombarded with conflicting nutritional advice from others around you? Do you feel overwhelmed with the various streams of information available online, each one with contrasting facts? We understand that navigating this can be tricky, and that you are looking for honesty and credibility in your search. In recent years, many more doctors, dieticians, and other health professionals are starting to advocate for a plant-based diet. This is largely because of the potential health risks associated with the…

SALLY HO: Three new scientific studies are connecting a healthy plant-based diet to better men’s health outcomes. Presented at the recent American Urological Association (AUA) virtual conference, the new studies show a link between plant-based food intake and better urological health in men, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. The AUA has presented three new scientific studies highlighting the benefits of plant-based diets for men’s health—specifically urological health in men. At the virtual annual conference hosted by the organisation, researchers…