EurekAlert! News by Subject: Policy & Ethics - News by Subject: Policy & Ethics

Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Jan-2026 18:11 ET (20-Jan-2026 23:11 GMT/UTC)

20-Jan-2026

Full value added tax on meat: a first step towards pricing the environmental damages caused by diets

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Nature Food analyses the ecological “footprint” from diets – and policy options to counteract through price signals. EU-wide, 23 percent of greenhouse gas emissions generated directly and indirectly by private households arise in this sector. When it comes to nitrogen and phosphorus compounds entering the environment, water and land consumption, and threats to biodiversity, the share of diets in the overall impacts is as high as 56 to 71 percent. Full value added tax on meat can quickly reduce the environmental impacts from diet by 3 to 6 percent depending on category, at an extra annual cost of 26 euros per household on average.

Journal: Nature Food

20-Jan-2026

A new way to decipher quantum systems

Université de Genève
Peer-Reviewed Publication

What is the state of a quantum system? Answering this question is essential for exploiting quantum properties and developing new technologies. In practice, this characterisation generally relies on direct measurements, which require extremely well-controlled systems, as their sensitivity to external disturbances can distort the results. This constraint limits their applicability to specific experimental contexts. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) presents an alternative approach, tailored to open quantum systems, in which the interaction with the environment is turned into an advantage rather than an obstacle. Published in Physical Review Letters – with the ‘Editor's Suggestion’ label – this work brings quantum technologies a step closer to real-world conditions.

Journal: Physical Review Letters

20-Jan-2026

Global scripts, local classrooms: Education’s tightrope in the Middle East

ECNU Review of Education
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This feature examines how Middle Eastern education systems navigate tensions between global models and local cultures. Drawing on studies across the Gulf, Turkey, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and Iran, it explores shadow education markets, policy borrowing, teacher learning communities, culturally grounded early education, and classroom critiques of test-driven systems. Together, these perspectives show education as an ongoing negotiation, not simple adoption, shaping identity, equity, and future readiness across the region.

Journal: ECNU Review of Education

19-Jan-2026

Research spotlight: Preventive HIV drugs under prescribed to young women at increased risk

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Anne Neilan, MD, MPH, of the Medical Practice Evaluation Center (MPEC) and Department of Medicine at Mass General Brigham, and Kevin Ard, MD, MPH, also of the Department of Medicine, are the lead and senior authors of a paper published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases, “Differences in Sexual Health Clinic Services by Age and Gender in Metropolitan Boston.”

Journal: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Funder: Morton N. Swartz Transformative Scholar Award in Infectious Diseases, Claflin Distinguished Scholars Award, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

19-Jan-2026

Farmers’ voices in European protests

University of Göttingen
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Farmers’ protests that swept across Europe in 2024 were driven by a wide range of concerns that differ markedly between countries, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Göttingen. Based on survey responses from more than 2,200 farmers in Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the study finds that farmers’ motivations go far beyond commonly cited issues such as environmental regulations. Instead, complaints range from bureaucracy and low incomes to political dissatisfaction and uncertainty about the future of farming. The findings also suggest that policy responses at national and EU level only partly reflect farmers’ actual priorities. The results were published in the journal Food Policy.

Journal: Food Policy

19-Jan-2026

IEEE study investigates the effects of pointing error on quantum key distribution systems

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Quantum key distribution (QKD) uses quantum mechanics to ensure secure communication between two parties. Despite being one of the most performance degrading factors, pointing error has not been comprehensively investigated in previous studies. Now, researchers present a new framework for understanding the effects of pointing error on key QKD performance metrics, offering valuable insights for practical deployment.

Journal: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics

19-Jan-2026

Journal of Environmental Sciences Review explores micro(nano)plastic distribution and transport in hyporheic zones and groundwater

Editorial Office of Journal of Environmental Sciences

Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) pose a global concern as an emerging environmental pollutant. However, their transport properties currently lack complete theoretical interpretation. In a recent review, researchers from China now provide a comprehensive summary of the present pollution status of MNPs in hyporheic zones and groundwater systems, explaining their transport process and proposing future research directions on MNPs.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences