Carbon in soil is carbon that can’t contribute to global warming. Because there’s rising interest in sequestering carbon in the soil, soil sampling methods have been further developed to make carbon accounting cheaper, faster, and non-disruptive for farmers. One of these new sampling methods is from a startup called Yard Stick which aims to make a hand-held probe that takes instant digital soil measurements. Old soil sampling methods had farmers ship out multiple soil samples to faraway labs and the process would take weeks or months before the reports arrived. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
