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Editor's note
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Will we invent a way to suck carbon out of the atmosphere? And should we block out the sun to stop global warming in the meantime? For many scientists and climate policy wonks, that literally is the plan. It’s too late to stop warming of 1.5C or more, they argue, so until we come up with a serious form of “negative emissions” technology we’ll need to spray lots of tiny particles in the upper atmosphere to reflect solar radiation and keep temperatures down.
If nothing else, it’s a massive gamble. What if we don’t ever invent a way to remove carbon? Would we be stuck with this “solar geoengineering” forever? In their new research, Mike Hulme and Shinichiro Asayama look at this scenario and compare it to the mortgage markets before the global financial crisis. They fear speculative geoengineering may be as risky as a subprime loan.
We’ve also looked at why it’s a bad idea to ask doctors to become border police, and at the 37-country rogues gallery China has assembled to defend its human rights abuses.
We also explain yesterday’s vote in the UK House of Commons that may have major implications for the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit.
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Will de Freitas
Environment + Energy Editor
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Top stories
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Vladi333 / shutterstock
Shinichiro Asayama, University of Cambridge; Mike Hulme, University of Cambridge
The world economy collapsed when homeowners couldn't repay subprime mortgages. We're now making a similar bet on 'repaying' carbon emissions.
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Not a doctor’s domain.
EQRoy/Shutterstock
Anita Berlin, Queen Mary University of London; Victoria Koski-Karell, University of Michigan
Doctors in the US and UK are being urged to act as immigration officials. But doctors are resisting.
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Uyghur people protest outside the UN headquarters in Genevea in November 2018.
Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA
Abbas Faiz, University of Essex
A group of 37 countries, including North Korea, Russia and Saudia Arabia, signed a letter in support of China's human rights record.
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Determined to stop a no deal Brexit.
Jacob King/PA Wire
Chris Stafford, University of Nottingham
MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit have won a small victory in parliament – but what does it mean?
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Politics + Society
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Barry Ryan, Keele University
After Brexit, the UK will need to decide whether it supports EU diplomacy or US militarism.
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Miguel R Ramos, University of Oxford; Douglas Massey, Princeton University; Matthew Bennett, University of Birmingham; Miles Hewstone, University of Oxford
The ethnic and religious composition of our societies is increasing rapidly. How will these changes impact our quality of life?
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Abdullah Yusuf, University of Dundee
Taking on the state with threats and violent protests was met with a swift crackdown by Imran Khan's new government.
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Environment + Energy
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Oscar Berglund, University of Bristol
The movement claims to practice civil disobedience – but its tactics suggest something else.
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Business + Economy
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Khaled Kesseba, Sheffield Hallam University; Konstantinos Lagos, Sheffield Hallam University
Russia's influential position as Europe's main supplier of natural gas is under threat from new discoveries.
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Education
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Catherine Lee, Anglia Ruskin University
Teaching during the Section 28 era has left a damaging legacy for those LGBT teachers who lived through it.
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Science + Technology
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Eric Olson, University of Sheffield
'Saving the planet doesn’t make compelling TV.' A philosopher gives his take on the legacy of the Apollo 11 moon landings.
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Arts + Culture
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Sara Read, Loughborough University; Catie Gill, Loughborough University
Women have been there in their imaginations.
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Featured events
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King's Manor, York, York, YO1 7EP, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of York
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Meadow Suite, Park House, University of Reading Whiteknights Campus,, Reading, Reading, RG6 6UA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Reading
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The Forum, Streatham Campus, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QJ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Exeter
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University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Essex
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