Keystone pipeline blocked, statistics prize and horse cull

EVENTS

Huge oil-pipeline project blocked A federal judge in Montana has blocked construction of the Keystone XL pipeline – which would enable the transportation of oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. The administration of US President Donald Trump had "simply discarded" the project's potential impacts on greenhouse-gas emissions, rather than justifying its decision to issue a permit for the pipeline, the judge said in an 8 November ruling. Former president Barack Obama had rejected the project in 2015 after an badysis suggested that it would increase greenhouse gas emissions. The state department issued in March 2017 after Trump took office, but environmentalists and Indigenous-rights groups – some of whom had protested against the controversial project (pictured) – challenged the move in federal court.

Koreas TB deal North Korea and South Korea will establish a joint response for the fight against tuberculosis (TB), a major public-health threat in North Korea. A pilot program, set to begin by the end of the year, will see the two nations exchange information on contagious diseases through a liaison office in Kaesong, on the northern side of the border. The agreement is part of a pledge to expansive public-health collaboration, a statement that South Korean President Jae-in Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-a signed in Pyongyang on September 19. The agreement is a necessary first step in planning for the Koreas, or for eventual reunification, says Shin Hee Young, a pediatric oncologist and director of the Institute for Health and Unification Studies at Seoul National University. Bacterial diseases, such as TB, rheumatoid fever and scarlet fever, that are rampant in North Korea are much less common in South Korea, says Shin. "When these people cross the border with any restrictions, there will be an epidemic of tuberculosis in the South," he says. More than 107,000 cases of TB were reported in North Korea in 2017, resulting in an estimated 16,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

POLICY

Red-tape reduction The European Commission has reduced the amount of funding for its flagship research-funding program, according to a report released on 6 November by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The committee has sought to cut bureaucracy in the latest iteration of the € 76.4-billion (US $ 86-billion) Horizon 2020 framework program. Measures included centralizing support services and developing a single rule book for participation. These changes in the administrative burden of grant applicants, the ECA found, and cut the time between applying for and receiving a grant. But the report also notes areas that need improvement; For example, it says that the commission could do more to help researchers who submit high-quality, but unsuccessful, applications to obtain funding from other sources.

Chemical strategy The European Commission adopted on 7 November a strategy to crack down on the use of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The chemicals unbalance hormone systems, and the evidence suggests that they damage human health and affect wildlife. The 28 European commissioners – one from each member country – approved a long-awaited plan for regulating EDCs, which are found in all types of pesticides and biocides, and are linked to cancer-related disorders, obesity and lowered fertility. The plan includes further research, a check on current EDC legislation to pinpoint weaknesses, and the development of improved testing methods. But critics, including Brussels-based EDC-Free Europe, a coalition of more than 70 environmental, health, women's and consumer groups, said the plan lacked concrete measures to reduce harmful exposures.

AWARDS

Stats 'rock star' US statistician Bradley Efron at Stanford University in California has won the 2018 International Prize in Statistics for Pioneering the 'bootstrap' method for measuring the reliability of small data samples. His work, which dates back to 1977, has given rise to techniques now commonly used in many scientific disciplines. The American Statistical Association – which administers the prize together with four other scientific societies – announced the winner on 12 November. The US $ 80,000 prize is awarded in 2016 and is given out every two years; British statistician David Cox was his first winner. Efron, who is 80, says that he was "thrilled" to receive the prize. Scientists often have to wait a long time for their "round of applause", he says. "It turns out that's okay – it feels great!" Sally Morton, a statistician at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, says that Efron is "a statistical rock star". "He has inspired generations of statisticians and scientists," she says.

CONSERVATION

Horse culls Ninety Australian scientists are calling for the repeal of a June 2018 law that protects free-roaming horses in the country's alpine regions. The Kosciuszko Science Accord demands that the New South Wales government acknowledge the "potentially irreparable damage" that the horses, which are technically feral, are causing the iconic Kosciuszko National Park in the state's southeast. The statement was signed at a conference on the impact of the horses – which are harming plants and fragile ecosystems – held at the Australian Academy of Science Shine Dome in Canberra. It also requires that New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, whose jurisdictions cover the Australian Alps, cooperate with each other in the export market, which is banned in New South Wales, or other effective means. Scientists estimate that there are 7,000-8,000 free-roaming horses in the Australian Alps.

POLITICS

Call for Brexit vote The parliament of Scotland has become the first UK legislative body to support a public vote on the final terms of any Brexit deal. The United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019 and the government is seeking to finalize a withdrawal agreement, which must be approved by the UK parliament and EU member states. On 7 November, Scottish members of parliament voted on the subject of Brexit poses to Scotland's science and research, which included an amendment calling for a 'people's vote'. Withdrawal negotiations have been criticized by many as chaotic, and calls for a second public vote. Scientists have repeatedly warned that this disease has a catastrophic effect on science and collaboration. Two days later, UK transport minister and former minister of science Jo Johnson resigned from the government over the negotiations, and also called for a referendum on the terms of any deal – which he said should include an explicit option for the United Kingdom to remain in the US.

Nuclear power vote Hundreds of researchers in Taiwan have signed up to vote on the future of nuclear power in an upcoming referendum. Last year, Taiwanese legislators added a clause to the island's electricity act to shut down all nuclear power plants by 2025. But many people disagree with the plan. This October, more than 1.5% of the electorate in Taiwan – to force a referendum that will ask the public to agree to remove the phase-out clause from the act. The vote will be held on 24 November, along with multiple other referendums and local elections. The researchers warn that Taiwan is at high risk of earthquakes and tsunamis – events that can damage nuclear-power stations with devastating effects – and does not yet have a viable long-term solution for dealing with radioactive waste. The waste is currently stored at the power stations or on the Orchid Island off the east coast.

TREND WATCH

More than two-thirds of researchers find it difficult to prepare manuscripts and respond to peer reviews, finds a survey of nearly 7,000 researchers in 100 countries, released on 9 October. The issues may stem from the language barriers, suggests the report. Some 70% of respondents are based in emerging scientific powerhouses: Brazil, China, India, Japan and South Korea. Only 11% had English as a first language, and 45% said that they found it difficult to write in English. The poll was conducted between December 2016 and January 2018 by Editing, a company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which offers language-editing and publication support. Two-thirds of those who had written papers were generally unclear, incomplete or both, and three of the most difficult to prepare manuscripts. The report industry needs to consider how to eliminate the burden of debt. Otherwise, journals risk missing out on research by authors might choose to submit to regional-language publications.