As hurricanes hit, more people are in harm's way

+ studying plant-pollinator interactions – for decades US Edition - Today's top story: Coastal cities' growing hurricane vulnerability is fed by both climate change and unbridled population growth [View in browser]( US Edition | 11 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( As I write this, communities along the Gulf Coast are bracing for Hurricane Francine to make landfall, most actively in southern Louisiana. The link between climate change and increased risks of flooding and storm surge is familiar to many people, but geographer Wanyun Shao reminds us how [significant urban development is to the damage hurricanes cause](. “In many of these cities (along the Gulf Coast), patterns of land development and political decisions have elevated the potential for harm,” Shao writes. The area around Houston, for instance, has seen more than a million people move to the region since 2000 and a huge expansion of urban sprawl, which turned many wetlands into concrete infrastructure that has made communities more vulnerable to flooding. To adapt, policymakers and citizens need to rethink urban development, focusing on infrastructure that can better withstand flooding, and zoning rules that limit development in flood-prone areas, she writes. Also in this week’s science news: - [How much does aging affect mental acuity?]( - [New FDA guidelines on mammogram screening]( - [Eastern equine encephalitis spreading in U.S.]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Martin LaMonica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters Many hurricane-prone Gulf Coast communities, like Fort Myers, Fla., have grown quickly in recent years. AP Photo/Steve Helber [Coastal cities’ growing hurricane vulnerability is fed by both climate change and unbridled population growth]( Wanyun Shao, University of Alabama Fast population growth has left more people in flood-prone areas of Gulf Coast communities, including Houston and New Orleans. Often, those residents at most risk are the most socially vulnerable. Two foods may have the same number of calories, but other food factors and your microbes influence which calories your body uses more of. Martin Barraud/OJO Images via Getty Images [Is weight loss as simple as calories in, calories out? In the end, it’s your gut microbes and leftovers that make your calories count]( Christopher Damman, University of Washington Your gut microbes have a lot to say about how many calories you consume and how effectively your body metabolizes them. The Boeing Starliner, shown as it approached the International Space Station. NASA via AP [The Boeing Starliner has returned to Earth without its crew – a former astronaut details what that means for NASA, Boeing and the astronauts still up in space]( Michael E. Fossum, Texas A&M University NASA’s decision to send Starliner’s crew home on a SpaceX capsule will have implications for Boeing, the agency itself and the astronauts still on the space station. [I’ve visited the same Rocky Mountain subalpine meadow weekly for a decade of summers looking at plant-pollinator interactions – here’s what I learned]( Julian Resasco, University of Colorado Boulder Decades-long environmental studies can reveal trends caused by climate change better than projects that last only a year or two. [Utilities rely on dirty ‘peaker’ plants when power demand surges, but there are alternatives]( Akshaya Jha, Carnegie Mellon University As renewables account for a growing share of electricity supply, fossil fuel plants are increasingly used to balance fluctuations in renewable generation – emitting health-threatening pollutants. [Found dead in the snow − how microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions]( Noemi Procopio, University of Central Lancashire; Lavinia Iancu, University of North Dakota An accurate estimate of when someone died is a critical part of forensic investigations. In extremely cold conditions, molecular biology can provide critical information where the naked eye cannot. [Yellow food dye can make living tissue transparent − these methods could one day improve cancer treatment, blood draws and even tattoo removal]( Guosong Hong, Stanford University New research demonstrates that the dye that gives nacho cheese its yellow-orange color can also make mouse skin see-through. [Making fuels from plastics in Newaygo, Michigan, would be controversial – here’s why]( Anne McNeil, University of Michigan; Aleksandr V. Zhukhovitskiy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Yutan Getzler, Kenyon College A proposed chemical recycling plant in western Michigan may provide a handful of jobs but little environmental benefit. [Under both Trump and Biden-Harris, US oil and gas production surged to record highs, despite very different energy goals]( Valerie Thomas, Georgia Institute of Technology Trump aggressively supported fossil fuels. The Biden-Harris administration focused on replacing them with clean energy. Yet, data show the US oil and gas industries still thrived under both. - [Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source]( Matthew Savoca, Stanford University The Southern Ocean’s krill-rich waters attract multiple species of filter-feeding whales – and, increasingly, fishing boats. - [Tiny, compact galaxies are masters of disguise in the distant universe − searching for the secrets behind the Little Red Dots]( Fabio Pacucci, Smithsonian Institution These small galaxies are either crammed with stars or they host gigantic black holes. The data astronomers have collected continues to puzzle them. - [How we discovered that people who are colorblind are less likely to be picky eaters]( Isabel Gauthier, Vanderbilt University Seeing the world with a restricted color palate seems to tone down an emotion-based resistance to new foods. - [‘Difficult’ children are only slightly more likely to have insecure attachments with parents]( Or Dagan, Long Island University Post; Carlo Schuengel, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam The quality of a child’s attachments to caregivers influences healthy development. And most kids with difficult temperaments do form secure attachments with their parents. - [How much does aging affect mental acuity? It’s debatable]( - [As eastern equine encephalitis spreads, a neurologist explains how to stay safe during this latest outbreak of the ‘triple E’ virus]( - [Breast density and mammograms: New FDA rule will ensure all women have more information after cancer screenings]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Politics Weekly]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get one daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you [facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away all our articles without any ads or paywalls thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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