Empowering people, saving the planet: A case for direct democracy
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2025 11:08 ET (1-May-2025 15:08 GMT/UTC)
A new study explores the relationship between democratic attributes and greenhouse gas emissions, using data from over 150 countries over the recent three decades. The findings reveal that Direct Popular Voting is the most effective democratic feature in reducing emissions, while Civil Society Participation also plays a significant role. The research highlights the complex interplay between democracy, economic development, and environmental outcomes, offering insights for designing climate policies that balance democratic principles and sustainability goals.
Chemical Reviews published a comprehensive review on electron density-based methods, authored by an international team led by researchers from Japan, Canada, China, and the USA. This review highlights method based on the analysis of electron density topology, a theoretical chemistry concept with practical applications in understanding chemical bonds, reactions, and developing advanced computational materials science methods. The article emphasizes the role of these methods in advancing technology, particularly in electrochemical power sources like batteries. Recent advancements in methods combining electron density topology and machine learning are expected to revolutionize large-scale ab initio simulations.
NJIT biologist Eric Fortune and a team of scientists called “Limelight Rainforest” have won the five-year XPRIZE Rainforest Competition, securing half of the competition's $10 million prize purse. The team's dramatic victory was announced Nov. 15 at the G20 Social Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the culmination of a global competition that began in 2019 when the nonprofit XPRIZE Foundation challenged innovators around the world to “develop technology to capture the true biological diversity of rainforests…and show the value of protecting the natural resources within them.”