PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
|
Listen To This Story
 |
Instead of Mining the Deep Sea, Maybe People Should Just Fix Stuff: Study (Maria)
The author writes, “A new report by environmental groups lays out a case for banning deep sea mining — and explains why the real solution to humanity’s energy crisis might just be sitting in the trash. Deep sea mining is the pursuit of rare, valuable minerals that lie undisturbed upon the ocean floor — metals like nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements. These so-called critical minerals are instrumental in the manufacture of everything from electric vehicle batteries and MRI machines to laptops. … But deep sea mining has also been roundly criticized by environmentalists and scientists, who caution that the practice (which has not yet kicked off in earnest) could create a uniquely terrible environmental travesty and annihilate one of the most remote and least understood ecosystems on the planet.”
3 Nixon Justices Helped End His Presidency. Will The 3 Trump Appointees Force Him To Stand Trial? (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Fifty years ago, three of the justices Richard Nixon appointed to the Supreme Court joined in an 8-0 decision in the Watergate tapes case that effectively ended his presidency, ruling only 16 days after hearing the case. Nixon resigned from office just over two weeks later. Now, three justices named by then-President Donald Trump sit on the court as it weighs whether and when he must stand trial on criminal charges that he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss, a case they heard seven weeks ago. Two others also named by Republican presidents have brushed off criticism that they should step aside from the case over questions about their impartiality.”
New Sat Images Show Russian Vessels Fleeing Black Sea Ports (Sean)
From Defense One: “Ukrainian drone attacks in the Black Sea are forcing Russian ships to bounce from port to port and the Russian Navy to build harbor defenses, all of which complicates naval operations, according to new satellite imagery and analysis. Real time, space-based intelligence company BlackSky has been collecting images over the Black Sea since January 2022. Making up to 15 passes a day, the company’s imagery and AI-enabled analytics platform has accumulated 70,000 ship detections.”
US Says Cyberattacks Against Water Supplies Are Rising, and Utilities Need To Do More To Stop Them (Laura)
The authors write, “Cyberattacks against water utilities across the country are becoming more frequent and more severe, the Environmental Protection Agency warned Monday as it issued an enforcement alert urging water systems to take immediate actions to protect the nation’s drinking water. About 70% of utilities inspected by federal officials over the last year violated standards meant to prevent breaches or other intrusions, the agency said. Officials urged even small water systems to improve protections against hacks. Recent cyberattacks by groups affiliated with Russia and Iran have targeted smaller communities.”
The One Vegan Food That Tastes Just Like the Real Thing (Gerry)
The author writes, “If you want to eat fake meat, you have a buffet of choices. That was clear as I wandered the halls of the Future Food-Tech conference, a gathering of foodies reinventing what we eat, in March. Scientists and entrepreneurs served up simulacra of beef, bacon, chicken cutlets and even ahi tuna. But it wasn’t until I stumbled across the cheesemakers, tucked away at the edge of the event, that my taste buds snapped to attention.”
Developers Offered a Texas Family Millions for Their Land. They Chose to Make It a Park Instead. (Dana)
From Texas Monthly: “Daniel Kozmetsky wades through a sea of lemon-yellow wildflowers growing along a ridge and looks over a wide valley that stretches in front of him, part of the sprawling RGK Ranch his grandparents founded half a century ago. ‘This is the spot,’ he says. … ‘This is where developers stood and said, “We could put a lot of houses on that hill over there.’”’ Instead of a sea of rooftops, though, this former cattle ranch between Hamilton Pool Road and Highway 71 in western Travis County, about thirty minutes west of downtown Austin, will become a park where hikers can take in Hill Country vistas and explore a tributary of Bee Creek that spills over a series of limestone ledges.”
