XPost: alt.global-warming   
      
   Biden's climate task force has first meeting   
   Rachel Franzin, The Hill via Carbon Brief   
   The White House's new National Climate Task Force held its first   
   meeting yesterday, reports the Hill, as it seeks a return to   
   "credibility" on climate change. The task force was created by an   
   executive order from new US president Joe Biden last month, the outlet   
   explains, and gathered virtually and discussed matters including   
   "early actions, near-term priorities and key milestones", according to   
   the White House. The New York Times adds: "Gina McCarthy, who heads   
   the White House office of climate policy, said Thu's meeting   
   focused on job-creation as well as ensuring that agency leaders   
   understood their role in helping to set an aggressive new target for   
   cutting the US's share of global emissions. The Biden administration   
   wants to announce those goals on April 22." And in an interview with   
   E&E News, McCarthy said that Biden is likely to issue more executive   
   orders on global warming. She said: "You might see a few here and   
   there#The climate one was certainly one of the most robust that really   
   showed the direction we're going to take, but there is more to come in   
   terms of opportunities to tell the American people about the actions   
   that we're taking and that we plan to take and you'll see those   
   rolling out over time."   
   Meanwhile, the Hill reports that the Biden administration is delaying   
   a Trump administration rule that was expected to result in the oil and   
   gas industry paying less money for drilling on public lands and   
   waters. The administration announced yesterday that the rule, which   
   was slated to go into effect next Tue, will now not become   
   effective until 16 April, the outlet says. It adds that there will   
   also be a 30-day comment period to allow for "additional engagement"   
   on the rule. Axios reports on the International Energy Agency's latest   
   monthly report, which suggests the "effects of President Biden's   
   restrictions on oil-and-gas leasing and permitting on federal lands   
   and waters will be limited in the near term". Finally, Reuters reports   
   that Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held their first   
   telephone call as leaders, in which climate change was identified as   
   an area for potential cooperation.   
      
   --   
   Fruit juice will now have a lower health star rating than diet cola in shift   
   to sugar-based grading   
   ABC/Vic Country Hour, 12 Feb 2021 03:49Z   
   Today's decision by state and territory ministers infuriates fruit producers   
   but aligns with a campaign against high-sugar products in family shopping   
   trolleys.   
      
   'Groundhog Day': business leaders anxious and dismayed by Victoria's snap   
   lockdown   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 06:48Z   
   Business lobby says even a short lockdown in Victoria will have "monumental   
   social and economic costs" and call for a national plan to manage COVID-19   
   outbreaks.   
      
     Australian Open to be closed to crowds as Victoria announces COVID lockdown   
     ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 03:50Z   
     The Victorian Government's decision to instate a five-day statewide COVID-19   
     lockdown from midnight means the Australian Open will proceed without fans.   
      
   Scientist proposes a new timeline for Mars terrains   
   Phys.org, 11 Feb 2021 22:02Z   
   A Southwest Research Institute scientist has updated Mars chronology models   
   to find that terrains shaped by ancient water activity on the planet's   
   surface may ...   
      
   Portrait of young galaxy throws theory of galaxy formation on its head   
   Phys.org, 11 Feb 2021 20:02Z   
   Scientists have challenged our current understanding of how galaxies form by   
   unveiling pictures of a young galaxy in the early life of the Universe   
   which ...   
      
   'The vehicles are just mangled': Six dead in 130-vehicle crash on icy TX   
   interstate in US   
   ABC News, 11 Feb 2021 at 11:52pm   
   At least 6 people are dead and dozens are injured in a massive crash on an   
   icy TX interstate, as a winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet and   
   snow on parts of the US.   
      
   Microsoft calls on other countries to follow Australia's lead on media   
   bargaining code   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 0:45Z   
   Microsoft's Brad Smith says the United States Government should not object   
   to Australia's media bargaining code, urging govts such as the US,   
   Canada and the European Union to follow Australia's lead in forcing tech   
   giants to pay for news content.   
      
   New Zealand plans to start COVID-19 vaccinations next week   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 01:44Z   
   Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country's COVID-19 inoculation   
   program will begin on Feb 20, brought forward by taking receipt of the   
   Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier than anticipated.   
      
   Victoria to enter snap five-day coronavirus lockdown from midnight tonight   
   ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 02:16Z   
   All of Victoria will enter a snap five-day lockdown to respond to a growing   
   coronavirus outbreak linked to the Holiday Inn hotel at Melbourne Airport.   
      
     NT declares Greater Melbourne a COVID hotspot   
     ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 01:43Z   
     Anyone arriving into the NT from Greater Melbourne will be required to enter   
     mandatory quarantine at Howard Springs.   
      
     NSW health authorities rush to track down 7,000 travellers possibly exposed   
     to COVID-19   
     ABC News, 12 Feb 2021 02:17Z   
     NSW Health is urgently contacting 7,000 people who entered NSW from Victoria   
     after attending COVID-19 exposure sites throughout Melbourne Airport, as   
     Victoria plunges into a snap lockdown.   
      
   BREAKING (12 Feb): Prem Dan Andrews has announced a 5 day "circuit   
   breaker" from midnight. He says there is no evidence that cases have   
   escaped metro Melbourne but the whole state would see the same   
   restrictions because there was no way to erect the Ring Of Steel in 24   
   hrs. At present 905 people have been found to be contacts of infected   
   people and must remain in isolation for 2 wks. Mr Andrews confirmed   
   all cases in the current outbreak involve the new infectious UK   
   strain. He said the new strain is not the 2020 covid, and it's "moving   
   at light speed".   
      
   Lancet report faults Trump for 'avoidable' coronavirus deaths   
   The Hill, 11 Feb 2021 15:34Z   
   A report in the British medical journal The Lancet blames former President   
   Trump for an error-filled response to the coronavirus pandemic that it says   
   contributed ...   
   [40% of deaths were preventable says report].   
      
   [Minibrains!]   
   Tiny Blobs of Brain Cells Could Reveal How Your Mind Differs from a   
   Neanderthal's   
   The New York Times, 11 Feb 2021 19:54Z   
   Researchers grew clusters of brain cells in the lab with a gene carried by   
   our ancient ancestors.   
      
   [China v World:]   
   China Bans BBC World Service, Following UK Ban Of Chinese Network   
   NPR, 11 Feb 2021 18:53Z   
   The Chinese state news agency said the BBC had "undermined China's national   
   interests and ethnic solidarity." Britain stripped the license for CGTN, the   
   ...   
      
   Whales' Long, Loud Calls Reveal Structure beneath Ocean Floor   
   Scientific American, 11 Feb 2021 19:52Z   
   Scientists investigating a seismic fault off the US West Coast have an   
   unlikely new ally in their quest to create images of the Earth's crust deep   
   beneath the ...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)