Science News-Gut Bacteria Could Protect Cancer Patients

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Medical News Gut Bacteria Could Protect Cancer Patients and Pregnant Women From Listeria, Study Suggests Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have discovered that bacteria living in the gut provide a first line of defense against severe Listeria infections. The study, which will be published June 6 in The Journal of Experime... – The Rockefeller University Press Journal of Experimental Medicine, July 2017; K23 AI095398-01; RO1 AI42135; U01 AI124275-01; P30 CA008748 Embargo expired on 06-Jun-2017 at 09:00 ET New Surgical Techniques Help Save Patients from Life-Threatening Heart Condition Cardiac surgeons are successfully performing more extensive surgical repairs of type A aortic dissection—one of the highest risk operations in cardiothoracic surgery. These new surgical techniques, along with improved postoperative care, are result... – The Society of Thoracic Surgeons The Annals of Thoracic Surgery Embargo expired on 06-Jun-2017 at 00:00 ET 1 in 6 Taking Blood-Thinning Drugs May Not Be Getting Right Dose Almost 1 in 6 of the millions of Americans on the new blood-thinning medications for atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition characterized by an irregular and often rapid heart rate, may not be receiving the recommended dose, new Mayo Clinic re... – Mayo Clinic Journal of the American College of Cardiology Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 14:00 ET Genetic Cross-Talk Key to Cell Balance In a study published in the June 5, 2017, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stowers scientists Bony De Kumar, Ph.D., and Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D., provide evidence of direct cross-regulatory feedback, or cross-talk, between Na... – Stowers Institute for Medical Research ProceedingsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 15:00 ET SWOG Clinical Trials Added More Than 3M Years of Life for Cancer Patients, Fred Hutch Researcher Reports For an investment of $125 for each year of life gained since the 1950s, the National Cancer Institute-funded SWOG clinical trials program has added 3.34 million years of life for cancer patients in the United States because of successful therapies th... – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 17:45 ET Study Finds Rate of Mastectomies Decreases with Adoption of Breast Tumor Margin Guidelines: What This Means in the Overtreatment Debate for Breast Cancer In a dramatic shift since the publication of margin guidelines for breast cancer surgery, lumpectomy rates have substantially increased and more-aggressive surgical options have been used less often, according to research findings from a new study be... – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center JAMA Oncology; ASCO Annual Meeting Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 10:45 ET Penn’s Ilene Rosen Elected President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Ilene Rosen, MD, MSCE, an associate professor of Clinical Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and program director of the Penn Sleep Fellowship, has been elected the 32nd president of the American Academy of ... – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 17:00 ET Higher Gut Bacteria Diversity Tied to Slower Metastatic Melanoma Progression The blend of bacteria in the digestive tract of metastatic melanoma patients is associated with disease progression or delay in patients treated with immunotherapy, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report at the 2017 a... – University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 14:15 ET Officers on Afternoon Shift Report Being More Fatigued Officers who work afternoons are twice as likely to be fatigued, which puts them at greater risk for accidents, errors and stress, according to results of UB-led study that won first place in national conference poster competition. – University at Buffalo American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Annual Conference, April-2017 Waist-to-Height Ratio More Accurate Than BMI in Identifying Obesity, New Study Shows Calculating a person’s waist-to-height ratio is the most accurate and efficient way of identifying whether or not they are at risk of obesity in clinical practice, a new study by Leeds Beckett University shows. – Leeds Beckett University PLOS ONE Journal Science for Dairy Farmers, A Use for Avocado Pits, Soybean Nodule Development, and More in the Food Science News Source Click here to go to the Food Science News Source – Newswise Mom and Baby Sleeping in Same Room Associated with Less Sleep, Unsafe Sleep Habits Room sharing between babies and mothers beyond the first four months is associated with less sleep for babies and unsafe sleeping practices, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. – Penn State College of Medicine Is Fertility Preservation Right for Children with Differences of Sex Development? Children with differences of sex development (DSD) are born with reproductive organs that are not typically male or female. They may face infertility from abnormal development of testes or ovaries, and in some patients these organs are surgically rem... – Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Journal of the Endocrine Society, June-2017 Penn Study Finds Pictorial Warning Labels on Tobacco Products Could Help Improve Communication of Risks to Smokers In a new study published recently in Tobacco Control, Penn researchers found that health warning labels that include images or Pictorial Warning Labels (PWLs) are more effective in gaining and holding the attention of smokers when the image and the t... – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Tobacco Control; P20CA095856; P50CA179546; R01CA180929 Study Digs Into Decadelong Controversy of Optimal Revascularization Strategy for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease Author says empowering patients with individualized information, and involving them in shared decision-making, is how one makes the best decisions in cases of significant LMD. – University of Alabama at Birmingham Phase I Study Advances New Option for Urothelial Cancers A recent study by Yale Cancer Center researchers revealed a 41% response to the antibody drug, enfortumab vedotin, by metastatic urothelial (mUC) tumors in a phase I clinical trial – Yale Cancer Center Recipe for Success -Mail-order liver helps researchers identify elusive protein linked to cancer, neurodegeneration – Harvard Medical School includes video Black, White Men View Impacts of Prostate Cancer Treatment Differently, Study Finds UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center surveyed 1,171 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in North Carolina, finding that while both white and black men were concerned about curing their cancer and the quality-of-life impacts of treatment, more bl... – University of North Carolina Health Care System Study: Collateral Damage from Cosmic Rays Increases Cancer Risks for Mars Astronauts The cancer risk for a human mission to Mars has effectively doubled following a UNLV study predicting a dramatic increase in the disease for astronauts traveling to the red planet or on long-term missions outside the protection of Earth's magnetic fi... – University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Scientific Reports, May 2017 Memory Loss and Other Cognitive Decline Linked to Blood Vessel Disease in the Brain Memory loss, language problems and other symptoms of cognitive decline are strongly associated with diseases of the small blood vessels in the brain, according to a study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. – Loyola University Health System International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry Copaiba: Silver Bullet or Snake Oil? Sales of the essential oil copaiba [koh-pey-buh] are increasing, at least in part, because more than 54 million Americans suffer from arthritis. The traditional way to treat arthritis is using NSAIDs and COXIBs, which are not without adverse events. ... – Florida Atlantic University Journal Integrative Medicine Men’s Experiences of Infertility Sought for New Study Researchers at Leeds Beckett University, together with national charity, Fertility Network UK, are seeking men’s experiences of infertility as part of a new study. – Leeds Beckett University A 360-Degree Lifesaving View: Professor Brings Actual Health Care Situations to Virtual Reality Petra Williams, a professor of physical therapy, is part of a team that uses immersive virtual reality to provide teaching experiences to students in health professions. – Northern Arizona University Could Your Car Predict a Cardiac Event? U-M Explores Heart Monitoring in Vehicles Medical emergencies cause a high number of vehicle crashes. University of Michigan researchers have teamed up with Toyota to examine whether new vehicle technology could predict — and potentially prevent — such scenarios. – Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan AED Celebrates the Work of the Eating Disorders Coalition in Obtaining Eligibility for Research Funding for Eating Disorders to Help Military Service Members and Families After months of negotiations and two Continuing Resolutions, Congress reached an agreement to fund the federal government's FY 2017 budget on May 5th. This budget package represents the first time that Congress permitted federal research funding to ... – Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) ISPOR Announces 2017-2018 Board of Directors ISPOR announced the election of the Society’s 2017-2018 Board of Directors. The new Board will assume office on July 1, 2017. – International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) UVA Expanding Its Worldwide Diabetes Research and Care Model Building on its pioneering work to better control type 1 diabetes, the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology is using new UVA investment and four new team members to seek better treatments. – University of Virginia Health System Multidisciplinary Research Team Receives Seed Grant to Predict Red Blood Cell Deformability A multidisciplinary team of researchers has received a $25,000 seed grant from the Penn State Institute for CyberScience to develop a modeling platform to predict the deformability and morphological changes of diseased and aged red blood cells. – Penn State College of Engineering Science News How the Famous Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Bone Bed Came to Be The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is the densest collection of Jurassic dinosaur fossils. Since its discovery in the 1920s, numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of the quarry. Were the dinosaurs poisoned? Did they die due to... – PeerJ Embargo expired on 06-Jun-2017 at 07:00 ET Extreme Exoplanet: Astronomers Discover Alien World Hotter Than Most Stars An international team of astronomers has discovered a planet like Jupiter zipping around its host star every day and a half, boiling at temperatures hotter than most stars and sporting a giant, glowing gas tail like a comet. – Vanderbilt University Nature (05Jun2017) Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 11:00 ET Newly Identified Gene Helps Time Spring Flowering in Vital Grass Crops Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have identified a gene that keeps grasses from entering their flowering cycle until the season is right, a discovery that may help plant breeders and engineers get more from food and energy crops. ... – University of Wisconsin-Madison Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 5, 2017 Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 15:00 ET Hubble's Tale of Two Exoplanets: Nature vs. Nurture Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to study two "hot Jupiter" exoplanets--having virtually the same size and temperature, and orbiting around nearly identical stars at the same distance--hypothesized that the planets' atmospheres should b... – Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) American Astronomical Society, Jun-2017 Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 15:15 ET A Planet Hotter Than Most Stars A newly discovered Jupiter-like world is so hot that it’s stretching the definition of the word “planet.” – Ohio State University Nature; 230th American Astronomical Society meeting Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 11:00 ET includes video Study Reveals Small Group of Cells Within a Plant Embryo Operate in Similar Way to the Human Brain A new study by scientists at the University of Birmingham has revealed a group of cells that function as a ‘brain’ for plant embryos capable of assessing environmental conditions and dictating when seeds will germinate. – University of Birmingham Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 2017 Embargo expired on 05-Jun-2017 at 15:00 ET Seeing the Forest and the Trees to Find Parasitic Reactions in Batteries Detailed view of the atomic scale and mesoscale changes in a troubling layer offers insights for a better battery – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Chemistry of Materials. Article ASAP. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b00374 Announcement: A New Publication from the American Institute of Physics -- Bioengineering Today The American Institute of Physics (AIP) and AIP Publishing are pleased to announce the launch of a new online magazine, Bioengineering Today. Bioengineering Today offers news and information about the intersection of biology, chemistry and physics wi... – American Institute of Physics (AIP) Evaluating Research Ethics Five years after the implementation of a congressional mandate, West Virginia University researchers found that the majority of top U.S. research universities have not complied with the National Science Foundation’s policy on instruction in the res... – West Virginia University - Eberly College of Arts and Sciences ALMA Returns to Boomerang Nebula A companion star crashing into a red giant star may explain the chilling power to the Boomerang Nebula, according to new ALMA observations. – National Radio Astronomy Observatory Astrophysical Journal, May 2017 Linguistic Style Is Key to Crowdfunding Success In one of the first crowdfunding studies focusing on social enterprises, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have found that how a pitch is voiced and worded is much more important for social entrepreneurs than for their commercial c... – University of Illinois at Chicago Journal of Business Venturing, March 2017 App Uses Smartphone Compass to Stop Voice Hacking A University at Buffalo-led team of engineers is creating an app to stop voice hacking. The app uses existing smartphone components, including the magnetometer for the phone’s compass, to detect when someone's voice is being broadcast on a speaker.... – University at Buffalo 37th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems New Study: Could Acidifying Oceans Slow Down Coral Disease? A controlled lab study led by Mote Marine Laboratory and published June 1 in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE revealed that black band disease was less deadly to mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata) as water acidified, or decreased in pH. – Mote Marine Laboratory PLOS ONE First-of-Its-Kind Test for HDL Cholesterol Function Could Transform the Way Healthcare Providers Predict Your Risk for Heart Disease A groundbreaking study published today in AACC’s Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine shows that a new test could improve diagnosis and treatment of heart disease by measuring how effectively a patient’s high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HD... – American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, Jun-2017 Advanced quantum dots shed bright light on biological processes Precise fluorescent imaging at the molecular level has not been possible because of non-specific fluorescence by surrounding tissues. Now researchers have resolved many of these problems by using SWIR quantum dots in live mice to image working orga... – National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Nat Biomed Eng, Apr-2017; EB015871 includes video Shining Light on Antimatter Researchers perform first spectroscopic measurements on antihydrogen in pursuit of one of our biggest scientific mysteries: why is there so little antimatter in the universe? – Department of Energy, Office of Science Nature 541, 506-510 (2016). [DOI: 10.1038/nature21040] Discovery Reveals Planet Almost as Hot as the Sun An international team of scientists, including Justin R. Crepp, Freimann Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Notre Dame, say the planet is 2.8 times bigger than Jupiter and reaches temperatures over 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit (4,600 Kel... – University of Notre Dame Dan Linzer Named President of Research Corporation for Science Advancement Dan Linzer, provost and professor of molecular biosciences, will leave Northwestern University this summer to become president of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA). His appointment is effective Oct. 1 – Northwestern University Lifestyle & Social Sciences Are Friends Better for us Than Family The power of friendship gets stronger with age and may even be more important than family relationships, indicates new research by a Michigan State University scholar. – Michigan State University Personal Relationships Is There a Link Between Infertility and Child Educational Outcomes? Findings from a University of Illinois at Chicago sociologist's co-authored study suggest that involuntary childlessness prior to either a first or a second birth is associated with lower academic achievement— both test scores and grade point avera... – University of Illinois at Chicago Demography NUS Researchers Pilot ‘Home-but-Not Alone’ App to Help New Parents Make a Smoother Transition research team led by Assistant Professor Shefaly Shorey from the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has developed a novel mobile application to deliver postnatal education... – National University of Singapore Journal of Advanced Nursing UTEP Researchers Study Racial Bias in Police Stops When a 2015 newspaper analysis of traffic-stop data by the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) in San Jose, California, revealed that African-Americans and Latinos were more likely to be stopped, searched or temporarily detained than the rest of the ci... – University of Texas at El Paso Smithsonian Snapshot: I Wanna Rock! Inspired by a rock concert, artist Debra Baxter created her “Devil Horns Crystal Brass Knuckles” series. The hand gesture known as devil horns, or rock horns, gained popularity at 1970s heavy-metal concerts as a staple of audience appreciation. – Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Folklife Festival Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Stories of the American Experience To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival will host a series of programs exploring American identity and creativity. “Circus Arts” will take visitors behind the scenes to explore the cultural and artistic expressions of... – Smithsonian Institution First-Generation Students Make Up More Than Half of UCI’s Class of 2017 More than 7,500 students and their families will attend University of California, Irvine commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, June 16, through Monday, June 19, in the Bren Events Center. – University of California, Irvine Business News Houston Methodist, Automobili Lamborghini Join Forces to Study Implantable Medical Devices Researchers from Houston Methodist and Italian super sports car maker Automobili Lamborghini are working together on new carbon fiber materials for implantable devices used in therapeutic drug delivery and orthopedics. – Houston Methodist

ENERGY NEWS-Tillerson: Paris not an isolationist move

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Tillerson: Paris not an isolationist move

President Trump acted in the people's best interest with his decision on the Paris climate treaty and is not an isolationist, his secretary of state said.

Some bearish trends setting in for crude oil

June 6 (UPI) -- U.S. crude oil exports, refining activity and the fallout for the geopolitical row over Qatar left a slight bruise on oil prices in early Tuesday trading.

More offshore oil openings from Trump draw criticism

June 6 (UPI) -- The White House took another step to opening up offshore oil and gas reserves using a method that an industry critic said poses a real ecological threat.

Revenue from petroleum up for Norway

June 6 (UPI) -- The Norwegian government reported a gain in cash from first quarter petroleum activities as oil prices rebounded in response to OPEC-led balancing efforts.

Gas-rich Russia next to ponder impact of Qatari dust-up

June 6 (UPI) -- The regional dust-up over ties to Qatar could lead to bearish market sentiments, especially for natural gas, Russian energy company Gazprom said.

Supply and demand factors leave U.S. gas prices stable

June 6 (UPI) -- U.S. consumer demand isn't strong enough to match refinery output, leaving gas prices relatively stable as summer travel season kicks in, AAA reported.

Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico shows resilience

June 6 (UPI) -- With crude oil prices in May holding above the $50 mark, analysis finds the U.S. Gulf of Mexico saw gains in exploration and production activity.

U.S. policy uncertainty, Qatar row, drags oil prices lower

June 5 (UPI) -- The ripple effects of an unclear economic policy and division among parties to an OPEC-led effort to balance the market sent oil prices lower early Monday.

BP pumps more capital into North Sea programs

June 5 (UPI) -- British energy company BP is putting more capital into its North Sea program with nearly $200 million in contracts, an energy services company said.

ADB: Asia-Pacific growth tied to renewables

June 5 (UPI) -- The largest regional investor in renewable energy, the Asian Development Bank said Monday it was pegging clean energy to development in Pacific economies.

US Pull-out from Paris Deal: What it Means

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Trump indicated the US is open to re-negotiating the Paris agreement. But European leaders quickly responded there is no such possibility. Credit: Diego Arguedas Ortiz/IPS

PENANG, Malaysia, Jun 5 2017 (IPS) - By withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, President Donald Trump abdicated not only leadership but membership of the community of nations cooperating to tackle climate change, the most serious crisis facing humanity.

Trump’s announcement was shocking, even though it was not unexpected.

It was shocking for showing the extreme lengths to which the President would go to deny scientific opinion on climate change and defy the position of almost all other countries, on an issue that may well determine the fate of the Earth and human civilisation.

The decision was against the advice of most members of his inner-most circle of advisors, many corporate leaders, and the other G7 leaders who spent an entire frustrating day in Sicily trying to explain to him the critical importance of the Paris deal.

Just as disturbing as the withdrawal was Trump’s speech justifying it.  He never acknowledged the seriousness or even the existence of the climate change crisis, which poses the gravest threat to human survival.   He lamented that Paris would hinder US jobs, mentioning coal in particular while ignoring the jobs in renewable energy that would increase manifold if the US adopted an energy policy to counter global warming.

Martin Khor

His main grouse was that the Paris agreement was “unfair” to the US vis-à-vis all other countries, as if it had been designed specifically to cheat the US.  And he grumbled that the US would have to pay billions of dollars to developing countries through the Green Climate Fund.

The speech was riddled with many misconceptions and factual errors, which many scientists, politicians and NGOs are now busy refuting.

Condemnation came fast and furious from within the US and around the world.  A notable comment came from John Kerry, former Secretary of State under Obama:  “He’s made us an environmental pariah in the world….It may be the most self-defeating action in American history.”

Trump indicated the US is open to re-negotiating the Paris agreement.   But European leaders quickly responded there is no such possibility.  The UNFCCC secretariat correctly pointed out that a single country cannot decide on a re-negotiation.

Indeed, it would require a consensus of its 195 members to make amendments to the Paris Agreement or even agree to a re-negotiation.

That will not happen, as the agreement is a delicately balanced outcome which took many years of long and complicated negotiations to achieve.  To re-negotiate it would in effect be kill it.

The best response to the Trump decision is for others to resolve to do even more to combat climate change.  In the US itself, many states and cities have announced they will form an alliance and continue with their climate actions.

Condemnation came fast and furious from within the US and around the world. A notable comment came from John Kerry, former Secretary of State under Obama: “He’s made us an environmental pariah in the world….It may be the most self-defeating action in American history.”

An increasing number of countries including China, India, Germany, France, Italy and Canada as well as the European Union leadership have announced they will honour their Paris commitments despite the US pull-out.   There are no signs, so far at least, that any other country intends to follow the US out of Paris.

Indeed the Trump decision to leave Paris will be a milestone marking a huge loss of international prestige, influence and power to the US.   In a world so divided by ideology, inequality and economic competition, the Paris agreement was one rare area of global consensus and cooperation, on climate change.

For the US to pull out of that hard-won consensus is a shocking abdication not only of leadership but of its membership of the community of nations in its joint effort to face up to perhaps its gravest challenge of survival.

The lack of appreciation of this great crisis facing humanity and the narrow-mindedness of his concerns was embarrassingly evident when Trump made his withdrawal speech.  He was more interested to revive the sunset coal sector than in the promise of the fast developing renewable energy industries.

He was convinced reducing emissions would cost millions of jobs, ignoring the record of many countries like Germany that have de-coupled emissions growth from economic growth.  He was miserly towards poor countries which are receiving only a fraction of what they were promised and what they need for climate mitigation and adaptation, while celebrating hundreds of billions of dollars worth of new deals for his armaments industry.

He complained that the US is asked to do more than others in the Paris agreement when in fact the US has the highest emissions per capita of any major country and its pledged rates of emissions reduction are significantly lower than Europe’s.   He saw the speck in everyone else’s eyes while totally oblivious to the beam in his own.

Just as alarming as withdrawing from Paris is Trump’s comprehensive dismantling of Obama’s climate change policies and measures.   This will make the US unable to meet the target it chose under the Paris agreement:  a cut in emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2025 compared to the 2005  level.   The gap between the US target (which is already unambitious compared to what the science requires and compared to the European Union) and the expected higher emissions levels influenced by Trump’s policies, will worsen the global shortfall in emission reduction.

What will now happen in the UN climate convention, home to the Paris agreement?   The negotiations to establish the guidelines for countries to implement of the agreement will continue in the years ahead.

A complication is that the US has to wait three years from November 2016 (when the agreement came into effect) before withdrawing from Paris and then wait another year for this to come into effect.

The US will thus still be a member of the Paris agreement for the rest of Trump’s present term, although he announced he will not implement the Paris target that Obama had committed to. This defiance will likely have a depressing impact on other countries.

By also being still a member, the US could play a non-cooperative or disruptive role during the negotiations on many topics.  We can anticipate that the US will challenge principles or actions that have already been accepted or that are to be transformed into actions,  such as common but differentiated responsibilities to be operationalized in all areas;  equal and balanced treatment for mitigation and adaptation;  providing adequate financial resources for developing countries;  transparency of actions and of finance; and technology transfer.

Since the Trump has already made clear the US wants to leave Paris, and no longer subscribes to its emissions pledges (nationally determined contributions) nor will it meet its US$3 billion pledge on the Green Climate Fund, it would be strange to enable the country to still behave in the negotiations with the same status as other members that remain committed to their pledges.   How to deal with this issue is important so that the UNFCCC negotiations are not disrupted in the four years ahead.

Finally, the Trump portrayal of developing countries like India and China as profiting from the US membership of the Paris Agreement is truly unfair.

China is the number one emitter of carbon dioxide in absolute terms, with the US second and India third.   But this is only because the two developing countries have huge populations of over a billion each.

In per capita terms, carbon dioxide emissions in 2015 were 16.1 tonnes for the US, 7.7 tonnes for China and 1.9 tonnes for India, according to one authoritative estimate.  It would be unfair to ask China and India to have the same mitigation target as the US, especially since the US has had the benefit of using or over-using more than their fair share of cheap fossil-fuel energy for over a century more than the other two countries.

A recent New York Times editorial (22 May 2017) compared the recent performance of India and China with the recent actions of the US under President Trump.  It states:  “Until recently, China and India have been cast as obstacles…in the battle against climate change.   That reputation looks very much out of date now that both countries have greatly accelerated their investments in cost-effective renewable energy sources — and reduced their reliance on fossil fuels.  It’s America – Donald Trump’s America – that now looks like the laggard.”

It cites recent research that China and India should easily exceed their Paris agreement targets, with China’s emissions appearing to have peaked more than 10 years sooner (than pledged) and India expected to obtain 40% of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2022, eight years ahead of schedule.   It criticises the Trump administration for destroying Obama’s initiatives based on his Paris pledge to reduce America’s greenhouse gases.

“China and India are finding that doing right by the planet need not carry a big economic cost and can actually be beneficial,” said the editorial.   “By investing heavily in solar and wind, they and other countries like Germany have helped drive down the cost of those technologies where in many places renewable energy can generate electricity more cheaply than dirtier sources like coal.

“China has reduced coal use for three years in a row and recently scrapped plans to build more than 100 coal power plants.  Indian officials have estimated that country might no longer need to build new coal plants beyond those already under construction….There are of course formidable challenges….Still, Beijing and New Delhi – not embarrassingly enough, Washington – are showing the way forward.”

By withdrawing from the Paris agreement and through his reversal of Obama’s climate change policies, President Trump has taken the US and the world many big steps backwards in the global fight against global warming.  It will take some time for the rest of the world to figure out how to carry on the race without or despite the US.  Hopefully the absence of the US will only be for a few years.

First Developmental Flight of India's GSLV MkIII Successfully launches GSAT-19 Satellite

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The first developmental flight (GSLV MkIII-D1) of India's heavy lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III was successfully conducted today (June 05, 2017) evening from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota with the launch of GSAT-19 satellite. This was the first orbital mission of GSLV MkIII which was mainly intended to evaluate the vehicle performance including that of its fully indigenous cryogenic upper stage during the flight.  Weighing 3136 kg at lift-off, GSAT-19 is the heaviest satellite launched from the Indian soil.

After a twenty five and a half hour smooth countdown, the mission began with the launch of the 640 ton GSLV Mk-III at 5:28 pm IST from the Second Launch Pad as scheduled with the ignition of its two S200 solid strap-on boosters.Following this, the major phases of the flight occurred as scheduled.  The upper stage of GSLV MkIII vehicle is a new cryogenic stage (C25) indigenously configured, designed and realised by ISRO. The cryogenic stage used liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen as propellants with a total loading of 28 tons. The stage is powered by a 20 ton thrust cryogenic engine (CE20) operating on ‘gas generator cycle’. The performance of the engine and stage during the mission was as predicted.  About sixteen minutes after lift-off, GSAT-19 satellite was successfully placed in orbit.

Soon after its separation from GSLV, the Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka assumed control of the satellite.   GSAT-19 is a high throughput communication satellite.                                                     

In the coming days, GSAT-19 orbit will be raised from its present Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) to the final circular Geostationary Orbit (GSO) by firing the satellite's Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) in stages.  During the final phase of this operation, the solar panels and antenna reflectors of the satellite will be deployed. The satellite will be commissioned into service after its positioning in the designated slot in the GSO following in-orbit testing of its payloads.

Archive of Updates from ISRO

Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1 Successfully launches GSAT-19
Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission: GSAT-19 separated and injected into orbit successfully.
Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission: Cryogenic Stage Performance is Normal
Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission: L110 Separated Successfully. C25 Ignition confirmed.
Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission: L110 Ignited. Vehicle Peformance is Normal
Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission Lift off Normal
Jun 05, 2017	Mission Director has authorised Vehicle Director for launch. Automatic Launch Sequence (ALS) program initiation authorised by Vehicle Director and ALS started for launch of GSLV Mk III D1 / GSAT-19 mission at 17:17 Hrs IST
Jun 05, 2017	GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19: Propellant filling operations of cryo stage are completed
Jun 05, 2017	Propellant filling operations of L110 (Second Stage) of GSLV Mk III D1 are completed
Jun 04, 2017	Propellant filling operations of L110 (Second Stage) of GSLV Mk III D1 are under progress. Countdown is progressing

U.S. NEWS -Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial begins in Pennsylvania

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Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial begins in Pennsylvania

Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial began in Pennsylvania where he faces charges that he drugged and assaulted former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

Google parent Alphabet's stock passes $1,000 for first time

June 5 (UPI) -- The stock price of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, surpassed the $1,000 per share milestone Monday morning.

Watch live: Sarah Sanders gives daily press briefing

June 5 (UPI) -- Deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders on is likely hear questions about President Trump's morning tweets about his order banning travel from some countries.

U.S. Supreme Court limits SEC's power to seize illegal profits

June 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously to limit the Securities and Exchange Commission's power to seize illegal profits.

Father, son die in California small plane crash

June 5 (UPI) -- A father and son died in the crash of a small plane near Thousand Oaks, Calif., fire officials said.

Five dead in Orlando, Fla., workplace shooting

June 5 (UPI) -- Five people, including the shooter, died in gunfire Monday morning at a business in an Orlando, Fla., industrial area, police said.

Bucks County, Pa., schools closed in search for escaped prisoner

June 5 (UPI) -- The Central Bucks County, Pa., School District announced facility closures Monday as authorities search for an escaped prisoner.

Trump wants 'expedited hearing' on 'watered down travel ban'

June 5 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Monday denounced the Justice Department's "watered down travel ban" and called for an "expedited hearing" before the Supreme Court.

14 arrested in Portland, Ore., as pro-Trump supporters, opposition clash

June 5 (UPI) -- Demonstrators supporting President Donald Trump and counterprotesters clashed in Portland, Ore., leading to 14 arrests, police said.

Apple to reveal iOS11, macOS 10.13 details during conference

June 5 (UPI) -- Apple is expected to unveil details on the company's upcoming iOS 11 and macOS 10.13 operating systems during its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.

Watch live: Trump announces plan to privatize air traffic control

June 5 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Monday is expected to announce his proposal to privatize the nation's air traffic control system.

Demonstrators protest President Trump at March for Truth rally in Los Angeles

Protesters across the United States called for an independent probe into President Donald Trump's alleged ties with Russia during several March for Truth rallies on June 3.