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If left unchecked, bitcoin miners in China could consume as much energy as the UK by 2024. The recent Chinese government crackdown, which banned crypto mining in coal-rich Inner Mongolia, can only help rein in the sector’s voracious appetite for cheap energy, which often has a hefty carbon cost.
But bitcoin’s energy demand isn’t just a Chinese problem – it’s a global one. In attics, shipping containers and vans all over the world, stacks of mining computers worth millions of dollars are running 24/7 to generate bitcoins, causing power outages and forcing up fossil fuel consumption, pushing climate goals further out of reach. The answer, according to international development expert Peter Howson, is global cooperation to outlaw mining
equipment and end cryptocurrency price speculation.
Another problem crying out for global action is the proliferation of tax havens, which could still pose a difficulty even after the agreement of a historic deal for a global minimum corporation tax rate in advance of this week’s G7 summit. Elsewhere, we learn about the Hekking Mona Lisa – and why fakes of masterpieces can still net a fortune.
Tomorrow is World Oceans Day. Join us at 4pm BST for a live webinar where I’ll be talking to experts about the history of life in the ocean and why so much rests on how the next decade unfolds.
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Jack Marley
Environment + Energy Editor
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Anucha Cheechang/Shutterstock
Peter Howson, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Chinese bitcoin mining could consume as much energy as the whole of the UK by 2024.
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US and UK finance ministers Janet Yellen and Rishi Sunak at G7 meeting in London.
EPA
Atul K. Shah, City, University of London
UK will come under pressure to bring about change in its overseas territories, but only up to a point.
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The Hekking Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece.
Christie's Images Ltd
Gabriele Neher, University of Nottingham
The reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's work is set to fetch a lot at auction. But why would a fake cost so much?
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Health + Medicine
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Arif R. Sarwari, West Virginia University
Vaccinated people can still get infected with the coronavirus. So if you have symptoms of COVID-19, getting tested can protect others and help health officials keep an eye on the virus.
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Dominic Wilkinson, University of Oxford; Jonathan Pugh, University of Oxford; Julian Savulescu, University of Oxford
Many developed countries have approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children as young as 12, even though they are a low-risk group.
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Chrystalina Antoniades, University of Oxford; Bastiaan Bloem, Radboud University; Salil Patel, University of Oxford
Parkinson’s results from the deterioration of neurons in part of the brain called the basal ganglia.
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Andrea Scott-Bell, Northumbria University, Newcastle; Isobelle Kennedy, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Loosening press obligations might be one way to protect the mental health of athletes.
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Environment + Energy
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Tim Kruger, University of Oxford
Emissions linger in the atmosphere for far longer than human or corporate lifespans.
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Tijana Blanusa, University of Reading
Planting a hedge can boost biodiversity, tackle noise, air and soil pollution and help towards meeting carbon emissions targets.
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Ran Boydell, Heriot-Watt University
District heating can recycle waste heat and pump it where it's needed.
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Science + Technology
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Saheli Datta Burton, UCL; Madeline Carr, UCL
We believe fitness trackers keep us healthy, and connected toys keep children safe – but such devices are easily abused.
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Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University
Nasa's sending its first missions to Earth's twin since 1990.
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Business + Economy
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Patrick Aust, University of Oxford; Daniel Natusch, Macquarie University; Rick Shine, Macquarie University
Snakeskins, alligator skins and lizard skins are at the centre of a battle between researchers over sustainability.
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Arts + Culture
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Matthew Barac, London Metropolitan University
The winners of the prestigious architecture commission are from Johannesburg's Counterspace studio and offer a fresh view on creating buildings.
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Politics + Society
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Alice Ella Finden, SOAS, University of London
As the government cracks down on the right to protest, we should remind ourselves of similarities between new legislation and older legacies of imperialism.
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Featured events
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Online, Birmingham, Warwickshire, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Birmingham
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Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Cardiff [Caerdydd GB-CRD], CF10 3BA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Cardiff University
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Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Aston University
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Online, Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Birmingham
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