In east Asian countries, past disease outbreaks have made face masks part of everyday life – but the social context supporting such behaviour isn’t present in the UK.
COVID will be with the world for the foreseeable future. The challenge is to learn to live with the virus effectively, protecting public health while reconnecting with each other.
My new research shows Australia has spent more subsidising fossil fuel research indirectly via research and development tax credits than directly via grants.
The sketchy history of international efforts to control bioweapons suggests that nations will resist cooperative monitoring of gene hacking for medical research.
The British government has opted to press on with reopening and not wait for the number of fully vaccinated people to rise, while Japan introduces new restrictions ahead of the Olympics.
Complex questions over environmental protection and resource extraction require the signatories to give the future of the treaty much more serious attention.