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Environmental economics expert Dr Brock on COP26

A number of climate experts from the University of East Anglia will be available for interview during the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Their areas of expertise range from the impact of climate change on biodiversity, climate geoengineering and carbon removal, to the impact of climate change on sovereign credit ratings, carbon uptake by the oceans, and gender and climate change. Among them is Associate Professor in Microeconomics, Dr Mike Brock, from UEA's School of Economics. His research areas and expertise cover environmental and behavioural economics, recycling and environmental valuation. He explores how (and why) people behave in a more sustainable or environmental way. Particular projects include financial incentives to encourage recycling through lottery techniques and the use of competitive rankings on personal use of energy to stimulate energy reduction. Mike has also explored people’s behaviours towards wildlife – for example why people flock to see newly-identified species of birds and the environmental of that behaviour.

Environmental governance expert Prof Heike Schroeder to attend COP26

A number of climate experts from the University of East Anglia will be attending the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Their areas of expertise range from the impact of climate change on biodiversity, climate geoengineering and carbon removal, to the impact of climate change on sovereign credit ratings, carbon uptake by the oceans, and gender and climate change. Prof Heike Schroeder, from UEA's School of International Development, will attend COP in its second week, from November 7, as principle investigator for the INDIS project on Indigenous visions of sustainable development & climate resilience. Prof Schroeder's research and expertise covers global environmental politics, forest governance and REDD+, the international climate negotiations, urban climate governance, indigenous peoples/knowledge and sustainable development. The team will be showing how Indigenous knowledge might contribute towards national and international targets for climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development. The value of Indigenous knowledge is often ignored by policy-makers, and Indigenous Peoples themselves have few opportunities to articulate and share their knowledge in a way that can impact policy making circles and strengthen sustainable futures. The project’s Indigenous partners from three countries (Uganda, Papua New Guinea, and Bolivia) will be presenting their own visions for just and environmentally sensitive futures. Where: Exhibit slot in the green zone on Mon, 8 Nov 1:00-2:30pm. The project will also have a slot in the IASS Pavilion in the Blue Zone in Week 2 covering findings and outputs.

Oceans expert Dr Bakker to attend COP26

A number of climate experts from the University of East Anglia will be attending the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Their areas of expertise range from the impact of climate change on biodiversity, climate geoengineering and carbon removal, to the impact of climate change on sovereign credit ratings, carbon uptake by the oceans, and gender and climate change. Dr Dorothee Bakker will attend the first week of COP26 as part of the Integrated Carbon Observation System European Infrastructure Consortium (ICOS ERIC). Her areas of research and expertise cover processes affecting the air-sea transfer of natural long-lived greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) and the marine carbon cycle in a changing climate. Dr Bakker chairs the SOCAT global group - SOCAT is a Global Ocean Observing System, with more than 100 contributors. Her brief: The ocean takes up a quarter of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This uptake varies over time (between years and decades) for reasons that we do not fully understand. It is unclear how ocean CO2 uptake will respond when we move towards net zero. Measurements of (surface) ocean CO2 and their synthesis are therefore key for determining ocean CO2 uptake, now and in the future. However, funding for these measurements and their synthesis is precarious. Dr Bakker is currently investigating carbon cycling in UK shelf seas and the Southern and Arctic Oceans. She is a co-author of this year’s Global Carbon Budget paper (for SOCAT synthesis of ocean CO2 measurements).

Rochester's David Primo on how the wealth tax proposal will (or won't) work

“The ‘wealth tax’ that’s being proposed in the current budget is really a tax on unrealized capital gains, so the stock that you have not sold yet but which has seen gains would be taxed before it is sold,” says David Primo, the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor and an associate professor of political science and business administration at the University of Rochester. “It applies only to the ‘richest of the rich’ and many questions remain as to how the operational and Constitutional concerns of it will be addressed. This proposal is much different from traditional wealth taxes where the idea has been to assess the wealth of tax payers every year and have the wealthiest individuals pay a tax on their net worth.” Primo is available for interviews and can discuss the precedent that this current wealth tax would establish with regard to taxing stock investments; if this is the best approach to taxing the wealthiest Americans; if it would even generate enough tax dollars to make a difference with the federal government’s current spending obligations; and more.

Presidential plantations – are they leaving out slavery when telling the story of America’s history?

The presidential plantations once belonging to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe are picturesque destinations for tourists who want to learn more about these Founding Fathers from Virginia. But these museums often fail to adequately tell the stories of the enslaved people who lived and toiled there. UMW Professor of Geography Stephen Hanna's research on the topic was recently highlighted in Northern Virginia Magazine. Do plantation museums do justice to the memory of the enslaved? Local professor Stephen Hanna wanted to find out, so in 2014 he joined a team of researchers associated with TourismRESET, a world-wide network of scholars who study and challenge social inequity in tourism. Hanna, who teaches geography at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, received a grant from the National Science Foundation, enabling him to lead undergraduate students through multi-year research on how narratives and exhibits about enslaved populations and slavery were presented or absent at 15 different plantation sites. The goal was to present their findings to museum managers and thus facilitate more historically accurate and meaningful tours. His team is in the final stages of publishing a book summarizing their data and findings, to be released in March 2022. The full article is attached below and is well worth the complete read. If you are a journalist covering this critical topic about American history, then let us help with your questions and stories. Dr. Hanna is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

Covering the death of Colin Powell? UMW's foreign policy expert can help

Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from Covid-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84. "General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19," the Powell family wrote on Facebook, noting he was fully vaccinated. A source familiar with the matter said Powell had multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body's immune response. Even if fully vaccinated against Covid-19, those who are immunocompromised are at greater risk from the virus. "We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the family said. October 18 - CNN If you are covering the life and legacy of Colin Powell - then let our experts help with your questions and coverage. University of Mary Washington Political Science and International Affairs Professor Jason Davidson is an expert in American foreign and security policy, and international security. He is also the author of the commissioned study, "The Costs of War to United States Allies Since 9/11," which focuses extensively on the human and monetary sacrifices made by America's allies in these conflicts. Davidson, and the document, made waves this spring, landing in the likes of Forbes, The Guardian and The Daily Mail. If you’re looking to arrange an interview with Dr. Davidson, simply click on his icon.

All eyes on Virginia – What’s at stake as the race for Governor goes into overdrive

Virginians are already voting to elect a new governor – and as political junkies, pundits and media across America know, this race could paint a picture of what’s to come in next year’s midterm elections and even as far away as 2024. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at University of Mary Washington, said Mr. Biden's ability to sell his agenda will be "significantly deteriorated" if Republicans win the governor's mansion in Virginia. "If a Biden-like message offered by McAuliffe doesn't succeed in purple Virginia, a lot of Democrats around the country will wonder if it makes more sense to chart a more independent course," he said. CBS News – October 07 Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a sought-after political commentator on presidential politics. He has been widely featured in national media, including The Washington Post, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune and MSNBC. If you are a reporter covering Virginia's gubernatorial race, simple click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

Did stomping out the dreaded spotted lanternfly work? UMW’s expert entomologist has the buzz on when we’ll know and what to expect

It’s the bug that been in the news all summer long. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that was first spotted on American soil seven years ago and is now moving at a fever pitch across the country. The petulant pest has the potential to devastate crops and agriculture – and there were hopes that steps to eradicate or at least minimize the insect’s spread would work. That’s why media are looking to experts like Josephine Antwi from the University of Mary Washington for answers. "The key right now, is to keep them from spreading and to keep their numbers down in areas where they currently occur," said Josephine Antwi, an entomologist at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. "By destroying egg masses in the winter, we keep the number of the following generation down." September 30 - NorthJersey.com If you're writing about the Spotted Lanternfly, Dr. Antwi is available to speak with media; simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.

Friends or enemies? Is there any solving the ancient secret that is Chinese diplomacy?

When it comes to trade, investment and trillions of dollars of opportunity for American companies – it would appear that China and the United States should be close-knit allies. However when it comes to military escalation, an emerging global bull and national security – China is also a country that the U.S. government is very concerned about. NPR recently got in touch with UMW Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus to lend her expertise when it comes to the politics of China. Elizabeth Larus, who teaches Chinese studies at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, says any economic "de-coupling" between the U.S. and China will be very difficult. "You can't just say you're going to pick up your factory and move all your resources and have a consistent, reliable energy source and the shipping port to get your stuff out at a decent price, and the logistics. China has nailed that down," said Larus, the author of Politics and Society in Contemporary China. China's President Xi Jinping uses this as leverage, she noted. "One of the goals of this Xi Jinping regime is to make the world really reliant on China for its supply chain, but not to have China reliant on the rest of the world," she added. "So that makes it difficult for the businesses." Is there a way out of this downward spiral? "I do not see a de-escalation anytime soon," she said. October 08 - NPR There will be no easy or immediate solution to the hot-and-cold relationship between the United States and China. But if you are covering this ongoing story – then let our experts help with your questions and coverage. Dr. Elizabeth Larus is an expert in the politics of China. She is available to speak to media, simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.

Could Vitamin-A bring back your sense of smell after Covid?

Researchers at the University of East Anglia and James Paget University Hospital are launching a new project to see whether Vitamin A could help people regain their sense of smell after viral infections including Covid-19. Smell loss is a common symptom of Covid-19, but even before Covid, many viruses had been causing smell loss and distortion and while most people naturally regain their sense of smell within a couple of weeks, many have been left with on-going smell disorders. Previous research from Germany has shown the potential benefit of Vitamin-A, and the UEA team will explore how this treatment works to help repair tissues in the nose damaged by viruses. They hope that the study, which has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), could one-day help improve the lives of millions around the world who suffer from smell loss, by returning their fifth sense. Smell loss expert Prof Carl Philpott from UEA’s Norwich Medical School and James Paget University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The huge rise in smell loss caused by Covid-19 has created an unprecedented worldwide demand for treatment. “Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, smell loss was thought to affect an estimated five per cent of people, with viruses accounting for 1 in 10 of those. “And around one in ten people who experience smell loss as a result of Covid-19 report that their sense of smell has not returned to normal four weeks after falling ill. “It’s a big problem, and our previous research has shown the impact of smell loss – including depression, anxiety and isolation, as well as risk of danger from hazards such as gas and spoiled food, and changes in weight due to reduced appetite. “A key problem for patients and their clinicians is the lack of proven effective treatments. “A recent study from Germany showed that people treated with vitamin A nasal drops improved twice as much as those in the untreated group. “We want to find out whether there is an increase in the size and activity of damaged smell pathways in patients’ brains when they are treated with vitamin A nasal drops. “This would show recovery of the damage caused by common viral infections, including Covid-19, in the nose.” The research team will work with patients who have lost their sense of smell due to a viral infection. They will either receive a 12-week course of nasal vitamin A drops or inactive equivalent drops, and have their brains scanned before and after the treatment. The scans will be compared to those of a control group who have not been treated with vitamin A drops. Prof Philpott said: “The patients will be smelling distinctive odours - roses and rotten eggs - while special MRI brain scans are taken. “We will look for changes in the size of the olfactory bulb - an area above the nose where the smell nerves join together and connect to the brain. “We will also look at activity in areas of the brain linked to recognising smells,” he added. Duncan Boak, Founder and Chair of Fifth Sense, said: “At Fifth Sense we have engaged with thousands of people who have experienced changes in their ability to smell or taste as a result of the Covid 19 virus. They join an already large community of people with a smell disorder that pre-dates the pandemic. “The question we are most often asked is about available treatments to support recovery. Not being able to smell is not only physically distressing but can affect the enjoyment of social occasions and present hazards and risks that might never have been previously considered such as not being able to detect gas leaks or spoiled food. “Research into potentially successful interventions is vital to help people feeling the impact of smell disorders that affects the quality and enjoyment of their life.” To take part in this trial, patients need to be referred to The Smell and Taste Clinic at the James Paget University Hospital by their GP. Recruitment is expected to begin in December 2021. To find out more visit https://rhinology-group.uea.ac.uk/apollo-trial or contact apollo.trial@uea.ac.uk. The NIHR is the largest funder of research in the country, and is the research partner of the NHS and social care. To find out more about other NIHR research happening near you, visit www.bepartofresearch.uk.