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Russia threatened to close a major gas pipeline to Europe this week, in retaliation for fuel import bans imposed by EU countries. The European Commission announced a plan to totally wean the EU off Russian gas before 2030, but in the short term, national leaders within the bloc are worried that escalating hostility could squeeze supplies and leave millions of households paying extortionate sums for heating and power.
But those households could help ease the energy crisis, the International Energy Agency has suggested, by turning their thermostats down by 1°C. It might sound silly, but Aurore Julien, a senior lecturer in environmental design at the University of East London, says the effect could be profound. In previous research, she demonstrated that collective action to lower the heating, turn off lights, draw curtains and deactivate radiators in unused rooms in London
could rapidly cut household energy use by 23%.
The two-year anniversary of the beginning of the pandemic is approaching. Here are the COVID habits you probably picked up – plus the ones which are likely to stick. And if you’re considering donating to aid people caught in the Ukraine conflict, ensure you read this first.
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Jack Marley
Environment + Energy Editor
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EPA/Andy Rain
Aurore Julien, University of East London
People can act collectively to lower their energy use in an emergency.
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Andy Rain/EPA-EFE
Simon Nicholas Williams, Swansea University
COVID has disrupted how we work, socialise and shop, but there are some signs we’re returning to doing things like we used to.
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A volunteer sorting donations to be sent to Ukraine.
Stéphanie Lecocq / EPA-EFE
David Comerford, University of Stirling
Many well-intentioned people are supporting counterproductive efforts to help Ukraine. Behavioural science can explain why.
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Ukraine invasion
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Jonathan Este, The Conversation
The Convereation’s weekly round-up of some of the best articles about the war in Ukraine.
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Siobhan Talbott, Keele University
Warring countries have ben imposing sanctions on their enemies for hundreds of years. They have met with mixed success.
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Mark Hilborne, King's College London
From harming satellites to crashing the ISS, the Ukraine war could soon extend to space.
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Lewis Blackburn, University of Sheffield
The level of danger posed by the Chernobyl power cut depends on how long it lasts.
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Gabriella Legrenzi, Keele University; Reinhold Heinlein, University of the West of England; Scott Mahadeo, University of Portsmouth
Two weeks into the invasion, here’s what’s been happening so far.
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Holger Nehring, University of Stirling
European integration is often touted as contributing to peace – but Moscow has other ideas.
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Politics + Society
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Christoph Bluth, University of Bradford
The conservative winner faces a housing crisis and the task of restarting dialogue with North Korea.
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Justin Bergman, The Conversation
Plus, Russia’s history of using refugees from Ukraine as geopolitical tools. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.
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Business + Economy
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Paul Dylan-Ennis, University College Dublin
The digital collectors items have become a multi-billion dollar industry in a matter of months.
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Irina Surdu, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
The mud rarely sticks.
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Science + Technology
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Jamie Torrance, University of South Wales
Many sports betting platforms now offer the opportunity for punters to place multiple bets in quick succession during the course of a match.
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Giulia Poerio, University of Essex
It’s intriguing how some people experience ASMR while others don’t - our latest research suggests that many ASMR responders are highly sensitive “orchids”.
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Health
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Saima Rajasingam, Anglia Ruskin University
There’s still a lot we don’t know about motion sickness – but the balance system seems to play a big role.
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Featured events
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— Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, London, London, City of, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — SOAS, University of London
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— online, Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Leeds
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— The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M139PL, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Manchester
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— The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, Manchester, M139PL, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Manchester
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