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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici

New Scientist – US Supreme Court air pollution ruling will save lives

Lisa Grossman: “Citizens of the US, breathe easier. The Supreme Court has ruled that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can regulate air pollution that drifts across state lines. The ruling means about 1000 power plants will be forced to reduce their emissions. The states hit hardest by the rules include Texas and Ohio, where coal-fired power plants are… Continue Reading

New Report Details Basics of Cybersecurity for Decision Makers

“At the Nexus of Cybersecurity and Public Policy offers a wealth of information on practical measures, technical and nontechnical challenges, and potential policy responses. According to this report, cybersecurity is a never-ending battle; threats will evolve as adversaries adopt new tools and techniques to compromise security. Cybersecurity is therefore an ongoing process that needs to evolve… Continue Reading

Substantial Improvements Made in EPA’s IRIS Program, Report Says

“A new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council says that changes EPA has proposed and implemented into its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) process are “substantial improvements.”  While acknowledging the progress made to date, the report offers further guidance and recommendations to improve the overall scientific and technical performance of the program, which is used… Continue Reading

Life in College Matters for Life After College

New Gallup-Purdue study looks at links among college, work, and well-being by Julie Ray and Stephanie Kafka “When it comes to being engaged at work and experiencing high well-being after graduation, a new Gallup-Purdue University study of college graduates shows that the type of institution they attended matters less than what they experienced there. Yet, just… Continue Reading

Fueled by Aging Baby Boomers, Nation’s Older Population to Nearly Double in the Next 20 Years

Census: “The nation’s 65-and-older population is projected to reach 83.7 million in the year 2050, almost double in size from the 2012 level of 43.1 million, according to two reports released today from the U.S. Census Bureau. A large part of this growth is due to the aging of baby boomers (individuals born in the… Continue Reading

U.S. National Climate Assessment

“The National Climate Assessment summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future. A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the report, which was extensively reviewed by the public and experts, including federal agencies and a panel of the National Academy of… Continue Reading

Defense Planning for National Security: Navigation Aids for the Mystery Tour

The United States Army War College, Colin S. Grey, 2014: “The purpose of this monograph is to explore and examine the challenge to America’s defense planners of needing to make purposeful and prudent choices in military preparation for the future. The problem for defense planning that is beyond resolution is the scientifically certain fact that we… Continue Reading

Essay – A World Digital Library Is Coming True!

Robert Darnton is Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor and University Librarian at Harvard – via New York Review of Books – [Snipped] “The entire system of communicating research could be made less expensive and more beneficial for the public by a process known as “flipping.” Instead of subsisting on subscriptions, a flipped journal covers its costs… Continue Reading

WHO Emergency Committee concerning the international spread of wild poliovirus

News release: “At the end-2013, 60% of polio cases were the result of international spread of wild poliovirus, and there was increasing evidence that adult travellers contributed to this spread. During the 2014 low transmission season there has already been international spread of wild poliovirus from 3 of the 10 States that are currently infected:… Continue Reading

WSJ – Law School Job Data Shows Wide Gulf Between Elite and the Rest

“In an unforgiving job market, graduates of top-ranked law schools have had a far easier time landing full-time employment than their peers from the lower ranks. That much is obvious. But how much easier? A Law Blog analysis of the latest American Bar Association employment data paired with the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings… Continue Reading

OCED 2014 Better Life Index

“Japanese users of the Better Life Index (BLI) worry most about safety, Australians seek work-life balance, Latin Americans strive for better education, and Danes want to be happy – user feedback shows as the Index marks its third birthday. More than 3.6 million people in 184 countries have used the wellbeing barometer to measure and compare… Continue Reading