EurekAlert! News by Subject: Policy & Ethics - News by Subject: Policy & Ethics

Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 17-Jan-2026 04:11 ET (17-Jan-2026 09:11 GMT/UTC)

16-Jan-2026

Hidden pollutants in shale gas development raise environmental concerns, new review finds

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Shale gas has become a cornerstone of the global energy transition, supplying large amounts of natural gas through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. But a new scientific review warns that the extraction process also generates vast quantities of waste that carry a complex mixture of emerging contaminants, many of which pose potential risks to ecosystems and human health.

16-Jan-2026

Canada losing track of salmon health as climate and industrial threats mount

Simon Fraser University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Canada is failing in a decades-old pledge to monitor the health of Pacific salmon, according to new research from Simon Fraser University.

At a time when government policy is geared towards accelerating industrial development across sensitive B.C. watersheds, an SFU study published today in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences reports that monitoring of salmon spawning populations has dropped 32 per cent since Canada adopted its Wild Salmon Policy 20 years ago.

Journal: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

16-Jan-2026

Illinois researchers untangle drivers of nitrogen loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists can now differentiate between human-derived and hydrological contributions of riverine nitrogen pollution in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The advancement sets the stage for more nuanced policy and management of nitrate and nitrite, the nutrients that degrade drinking water quality and cause oxygen-starved “dead zones” in the Gulf each year.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology

16-Jan-2026

Americans view opioid overdose as a crisis that needs to be addressed

Weill Cornell Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Approximately 88% of adults view opioid overdose deaths as a very serious problem with high agreement across political groups, according to a national survey conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. However, political differences over who is responsible will shape the country’s next phase of drug policy.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

16-Jan-2026

Health impacts of nursing home staffing

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: This case-control study found that a Medicaid policy that incentivized high nursing home staffing levels was associated with modest improvement in some dimensions of patient health. However, even modest effects are extremely meaningful at scale: these estimates suggest that if a similar reform were adopted nationally, there would be 6,142 fewer hospitalizations each year.

Journal: JAMA Health Forum

16-Jan-2026

Multifaceted effects of inward foreign direct investment on new venture creation

Waseda University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Existing studies have examined the impact of inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) on venture creation mainly at the country level. Now, an international team, including a researcher from Waseda University, has explored the multifaceted effects of IFDI on new venture creation at the industry-regional level, proposing an inverted U-shaped effect driven by learning opportunities and competitive threats. These insights can help local governments calibrate IFDI inflows to maintain a productivity-enhancing balance.

Journal: Journal of Business Venturing

16-Jan-2026

Co-hosted by CO-OP4CBD and Biodiversa+: Side event at SBSTTA-27 highlighted the role of the knowledge-holders in UN CBD

Pensoft Publishers
Meeting Announcement

On 24 October 2025 at SBSTTA-27 in Panama City, CO-OP4CBD together with Biodiversa+ co-hosted a side event highlighting the vital role of knowledge holders in strengthening the science–policy interface for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The session showcased capacity-building initiatives and presented a preview of a jointly developed UN CBD Guide.

Funder: Horizon Europe