Can Putin freeze Europe this winter?

+ how solar panels with batteries can help in power outages US Edition - Today's top story: Why is Russia sending oil and gas workers to fight in Ukraine? It may signal more energy cutoffs ahead [View in browser]( US Edition | 29 September 2022 [The Conversation]( Mysterious pipeline leaks, clandestine oil transfers from ship to ship, dire threats – Russia’s energy war with Europe has the makings of a thriller movie. But reducing Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels is serious business, as the war in Ukraine grinds on and winter approaches. Tufts University energy scholar Amy Myers Jaffe believes more energy shocks may be coming, whether they’re driven by sabotage, Russian manipulation or manpower shortages. In this complex and unstable arena, she writes, Putin has leverage [as long as European countries rely on Russia for any fossil fuels](. Also today: - [Iranian women have been rebelling since 1979]( - [50 million people are enslaved today]( - [Indigenous communities are last line of defense for the Amazon]( Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor The new Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline connects Norwegian natural gas fields in the North Sea with Denmark and Poland, offering an alternative to Russian gas. Sean Gallup/Getty Images [Why is Russia sending oil and gas workers to fight in Ukraine? It may signal more energy cutoffs ahead]( Amy Myers Jaffe, Tufts University Russian President Vladimir Putin has not hesitated to use energy as a weapon. An expert on global energy markets analyzes what could come next. Environment + Energy - [What is hurricane storm surge, and why can it be so catastrophic?]( Anthony C. Didlake Jr., Penn State Hurricane Ian brought a devastating storm surge measured at over 7 feet into Fort Myers, Florida, and was forecast to be even higher just up the coast. - [Hurricane Ian: When the power grid goes out, could solar and batteries power your home?]( Will Gorman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Bentham Paulos, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Galen Barbose, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory A study of real-world disasters shows home solar and storage could keep the lights on and the air conditioner running during many outages, but not all. - [Indigenous defenders stand between illegal roads and survival of the Amazon rainforest – elections in Brazil and Peru could be a turning point]( David S. Salisbury, University of Richmond Illegal roads have brought deforestation, fire and other environmental damage to the Amazon. Indigenous territory in many areas has blocked them. Arts + Culture - [Ada Limón is a poet laureate for the 21st century, exploring ‘what it looks like to have America in the room’]( Amy Cannon, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Ada Limón is the first woman of Mexican ancestry to be named U.S. poet laureate. Through her understanding of social media and the power of connection, she strives to make poetry accessible to everyone. Economy + Business - [Butter, garage doors and SUVs: Why shortages remain common 2½ years into the pandemic]( Michael Okrent, Colorado State University Global The bullwhip effect describes small changes in demand that become amplified as they move down the supply chain, resulting in shortages. The pandemic put that phenomenon on steroids. Politics + Society - [UN slavery estimate raises question: Are 50 million people really enslaved today?]( Monti Datta, University of Richmond Global estimates of modern-day slavery by the United Nations reveal improving methods for calculating the data. - [Russia plans to annex parts of Eastern Ukraine – an Eastern European expert explains 3 key things to know about the regions at stake]( Tatsiana Kulakevich, University of South Florida While some parts of eastern Ukraine have been under partial Russian control since 2014, other sections continue to fight back. Most residents overall have said they don’t want to be part of Russia. Ethics + Religion - [Iranian women have been rebelling against restrictions since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 – with renewed hope that protests this time will end differently]( Pardis Mahdavi, The University of Montana A scholar of Iranian politics explains how Iranians have organized resistance movements for the past several decades while risking arrest and public flogging. Podcast 🎙️ - [Psychedelics researchers balance trippyness with scientific rigor after history of legal and cultural controversy]( Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation Today’s psychedelics researchers still have to deal with the fallout of the decadeslong freeze on research. Listen to ‘The Conversation Weekly’ podcast. 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