• Cutting down the Amazon rain forest could significantly reduce the amount of electricity produced from hydropower. A serious problem for Brazil because 29% of its electricity is generated by hydropower (in 2010). Researchers found that if forests continue to be destroyed, the energy produced by one of the world's biggest dams could be cut by a third.

• Another effect of deforestation in the amazon is the decrease of agricultural yields. Climate feedbacks, usually ignored in studies, impose a reduction in precipitation that would lead agricultural expansion in Amazonia to become self-defeating: the more agriculture expands, the less productive it becomes.

• China wins observer status in the Arctic Council. Rising temperatures have boosted international interest in the polar region, as melting ice causes transport routes to open up. Also, it makes inaccessible mineral resources easier to exploit. Many countries want to get access to these and through their observer status they can exert influence on decisions made about the Artic. Other countries given permanent observer status were India, Italy, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

• Poor nations are deprived of billions in taxes, because half of all foreign investments are chanelled through tax havens. This according to an influential report by the international organisation ActionAid. ActionAid claims that among them are single transactions that could have provided every Indian primary school child with a subsidised meal for a year if it been taxed fully.

• Swedish ninth-graders designed a science experiment to test the effect of cellphone radiation on plants. Their findings suggest a negative effect of this radiation on the growth of garden cress. Is it remarkable that these students found this effect or is it just a great example of bad science? 

• A Russian spacecraft returned to Earth with most of its furry crew dead. "Unfortunately, because of equipment failure, we lost all the gerbils."

• Lego employees built a life-sized, five-million-brick model of a Rebel X-Wing fighter. 32 people spent 17,000 hours building the 13 meter long (43 ft), 20.856 kg replica — the largest Lego model in the world.
• Want to try something new? Experiment with these alternative sleep cycles. The result? A much more efficient sleep cycle while experiencing “the most vigorous and alert condition I have ever enjoyed.” 
• Uberman Cycle: taking 20 to 30 minute naps every 4 hours, resulting in 6 naps each day. 
• Everyman Cycle: One longer “core” nap that is supplemented with several 20-30 minute naps.
• Dymaxion Cycle: Sleep for 30 minutes every 6 hours. That’s 2 hours a day of sleep.

 

This bi-weekly digest is made by assembling items from all of Except’s people. Have questions, comments, or news items to suggest? E-mail merel.segers@except.nl. Read past Wormfood global news reports here.