Texas confronts a chilly blast of climate change reality

+ how the National Guard became America's go-to military force US Edition - Today's top story: Power outages across the Plains: 4 questions answered about weather-driven blackouts [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 February 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair An Arctic air mass and a severe winter storm have left millions of people in the central U.S. without power. Most are in energy-rich Texas, where utilities have imposed rolling blackouts to ration electricity and avoid mass power failures. What’s going on? While utilities plan for weather extremes and work to storm-proof their networks, this event is more severe than anything in the “normal” range for Texas, energy expert Michael Webber explains. But as the climate continues to change, utilities [will have to rethink what they consider normal]( – and prepare for more temperature swings that bring big chills to warmer states and intense heat waves to colder climes, he writes. Also today: - [‘Long COVID’: Who’s most at risk]( - [Fruteros, arabbers and other food vendors see pandemic boom]( - [Atheism has a gender gap too]( Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor Icicles on a bush in downtown Houston, Feb. 15, 2021. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images [Power outages across the Plains: 4 questions answered about weather-driven blackouts]( Michael E. Webber, University of Texas at Austin Heat waves, droughts and deep freezes can all strain the electric grid, leading utilities to impose rolling blackouts. Climate change is likely to make these events more common. Politics + Society - [How the National Guard became the go-to military force for riots and civil disturbances]( Shannon M. Smith, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University Some 5,000 National Guardsmen will stay in Washington to protect the Capitol into March, according to the Pentagon. The Guard is seen as a reliable peacekeeping force – but it wasn't always that way. Economy + Business - [Taking it to the street: Food vending during and after COVID-19]( Catherine Brinkley, University of California, Davis Cities have long resisted the public demand for street food vendors, but the pandemic may reverse those restrictions for good. Ethics + Religion - [Why Indian farmers’ protests are being called a ‘satyagraha’ – which means ‘embracing the truth’]( Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University The term was first used in 1917 for a political agitation that Mahatma Gandhi launched against the British, on behalf of farmers. - [Faith in numbers: Behind the gender difference of nonreligious Americans]( Ryan Burge, Eastern Illinois University Younger and older American men tend to identify more with being religious 'nones' than women of the same age, but between 35 and 45 the rates merge. A data and religion expert probes why. Education - [5 ways for teachers to build a good rapport with their students online]( Meredith Aquila, Northern Virginia Community College Just because learning is remote in many places doesn't mean teachers can't build more meaningful relationships with their students, a researcher who has examined the issue suggests. Health - [How many people get 'long COVID' – and who is most at risk?]( Stephanie LaVergne, Colorado State University 'Long COVID' – in which people have symptoms lasting more than a few weeks – is turning out to be very common. People hospitalized for COVID-19 are at highest risk, but they aren't alone. - [How the media may be making the COVID-19 mental health epidemic worse]( J. Brian Houston, University of Missouri-Columbia; Jennifer M. First, University of Tennessee Too much COVID-19 news could be harmful to your health, experts suggest. So how do you stay informed but not get depressed? Trending on Site - [Private planes, mansions and superyachts: What gives billionaires like Musk and Abramovich such a massive carbon footprint]( Richard Wilk, Indiana University; Beatriz Barros, Indiana University Billionaires have carbon footprints hundreds of times higher than the average American. Two scholars tried to put a number on it. - [A healthy microbiome builds a strong immune system that could help defeat COVID-19]( Ana Maldonado-Contreras, University of Massachusetts Medical School The microbes in your gut influence how your immune system reacts to bacteria and viruses. A severe immune reaction is deadly; a small one lets the virus win. The right balance may depend on your diet. - [The search for dark matter gets a speed boost from quantum technology]( Benjamin Brubaker, University of Colorado Boulder Researchers have found a way to speed up the search for dark matter using technology from quantum computing. By squeezing quantum noise, detectors can now look for axions twice as fast. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Religious nones by gender]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451