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Welcome to Carbon Brief’s Cropped. We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Brazil agri investigations BOATLOAD OF BEEF: Major shipping firms transported more than half […]
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The Congressional Review Act’s Threat to Recent Climate Action
As climate advocates prepare for a second Trump administration, the potential threat of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) looms large. The CRA, which allows Congress to void certain rules issued recently by executive agencies, saw unprecedented activity during the first Trump administration and is expected to be similarly invoked in the incoming Republican-controlled Congress. Although […]
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Blinded by the light: the effects of urban lighting on beach bugs
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A new method for examining the effects of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) seemingly reveals severe and lasting damage to small coastal creatures. An international group of scientists – including two from Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and the University of Plymouth – have developed the approach, which was used to examine the effects of ALAN […]
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New paper examines the elusive nature of liquid brines on Mars
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Vincent Chevrier of the University of Arkansas (image credit: Russell Cothren). Determining the conditions in which brines are stable could be key to better understanding the climate and potential habitability of Mars (words: University of Arkansas). More than a hundred years ago, astronomer Percival Lowell made the case for the existence of canals on Mars […]
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Plastic packaging collection survey fleshes out “monumental” challenge
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A monumental challenge lies ahead when it comes to collecting plastic packaging from UK households, says plastic resource efficiency and recycling charity, RECOUP, releasing the results of its annual survey in this area. Whilst there have been incremental improvements across the board for kerbside service provision for plastic packaging, the scale to include other formats […]
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When MIT’s interdisciplinary NEET program is a perfect fit
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At an early age, Katie Spivakovsky learned to study the world from different angles. Dinner-table conversations at her family’s home in Menlo Park, California, often leaned toward topics like the Maillard reaction — the chemistry behind food browning — or the fascinating mysteries of prime numbers. Spivakovsky’s parents, one of whom studied physical chemistry and […]
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How AI Will Keep People Fed Amid Agriculture’s Turmoil
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Before the tractor was invented, farmers worked their land tirelessly alongside beasts of burden such as horses and mules that required six acres of land for feed, per animal, each year. Fearing change, job replacement, or cost, farm owners didn’t exactly rejoice and were generally skeptical of the tractor. Still, its use eventually became standard […]
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How Neurosymbolic AI Can Fix Generative AI’s Reliability Issues
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Generative AI has made impressive strides in recent years. It can write essays, create art, and even compose music. But when it comes to getting facts right, it often falls short. It might confidently tell you that zebras live underwater or that the Eiffel Tower is in Rome. While these mistakes might seem harmless, they […]
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We’re For a Better Future
I sit here, laptop in lap, breathing into the anxiety that this moment of uncertainty and mild terror at what might be coming all balled into one, trying to hold on to every spark of hope from the last few months. Trying to be grounded in reality and lead from a place of imagination, joy, […]
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IPBES nexus report: Five takeaways for biodiversity, food, water, health and climate
“Fragmented governance” between biodiversity, climate change, food, water and health is putting all of those systems at risk, according to a major new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The report, known as the “nexus assessment”, explores the interlinkages between climate change, biodiversity, food, water and human health. It […]
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Scottish Water overflow map goes live
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The Water of Leith in Edinburgh: One of many water bodies where there are overflows and where a monitor will supply relevant data. Scottish Water’s first online overflow map, showing near real-time data from wastewater overflows across the country, is now live and available for public use. The interactive map provides information on when an […]
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Ground investigation supports development of major European CO2 highway
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Geo-data specialist Fugro said it is carrying out a comprehensive ground investigation for a ground-breaking new CO2 highway, off the coast of Belgium. The contract is part of a 1,000-kilometre-long planned pipeline by Equinor to transport CO2 between mainland Europe and Norway. Bringing large scale CO2 storage to European industry, this project could be a […]
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Government watchdog identifies failure of regulators to comply with environmental law
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The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has issued separate decision notices to Defra, the EA, and Ofwat for failures to comply with environmental law in respect of untreated sewage discharges, warning that court action could follow if corrective steps are not taken within two months. Announced on 16 December, the action follows an investigation into […]
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MIT researchers introduce Boltz-1, a fully open-source model for predicting biomolecular structures
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MIT scientists have released a powerful, open-source AI model, called Boltz-1, that could significantly accelerate biomedical research and drug development. Developed by a team of researchers in the MIT Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health, Boltz-1 is the first fully open-source model that achieves state-of-the-art performance at the level of AlphaFold3, the model from Google […]
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Study reveals AI chatbots can detect race, but racial bias reduces response empathy
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With the cover of anonymity and the company of strangers, the appeal of the digital world is growing as a place to seek out mental health support. This phenomenon is buoyed by the fact that over 150 million people in the United States live in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas. “I really need your […]
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The Dangerous Impact AI Washing Can Have on the Industry
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Generative AI has revolutionized how businesses operate and innovate. From automating processes and reducing operational costs to accelerating product innovation and creating personalized customer experiences, the benefits of generative AI are manifold. Organizations across industries are taking note of the competitive advantages generative AI can provide and are eager to claim a piece of the […]
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Forrest Zeisler, CTO and Co-Founder of Jobber – Interview Series
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Forrest Zeisler is the CTO and Co-Founder of Jobber, a software platform designed to help small businesses streamline their operations and adapt to modern challenges. The platform addresses common pain points such as managing scheduling, invoicing, and customer expectations by providing an easy-to-use system that automates daily administrative tasks. Forrest is Jobber’s in-house tech junkie. After […]
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The Elusive Definition of ‘Deepfake’
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A compelling new study from Germany critiques the EU AI Act’s definition of the term ‘deepfake’ as overly vague, particularly in the context of digital image manipulation. The authors argue that the Act’s emphasis on content resembling real people or events – yet potentially appearing fake – lacks clarity. They also highlight that the Act’s […]
Carbon Neutral Regulation in AI Training