Vertical farming offers a much-needed opportunity to secure food production in the face of climate change, but can it truly deliver a sustainable alternative to field-grown crops? A new study led by the University of Surrey has found that while vertical farms dramatically increase lettuce yields and use far less water, the carbon footprint still exceeds traditional lettuce farming – raising important questions about how the UK can balance food security with environmental responsibility. 

Modern ‘sustainable’ innovations in architecture are failing to slow climate change,  but revisiting ancient knowledge and techniques found in traditional architecture could offer better solutions.

As Europe has been struggling with several heatwaves this summer, a new survey from Summer 2024 reveals how much its citizens are willing to support different kinds of climate policies (n=19,328, 24 June–27 August 2024). As expected, Europeans strongly prefer policies which allocate subsidies for rail transport or home insulation for instance, while they strongly oppose the ones which foresee any kind of tax on polluting behaviours, such as the one on cars and meat.

This new survey highlights interesting trends in Europeans citizens’ preferences and opinions about different possible climate policies currently under discussion. These results are now browsable in an online tool which allows the user to analyse and compare opinions about a set of different climate policies in Europe.

A new study in ECNU Review of Education examines CHATTING, a ChatGPT‑assisted writing system designed for students with dyslexia. Conducted with 101 Hong Kong secondary students, the research found the tool increased motivation and engagement, particularly among learners with dyslexia. However, writing quality declined and plagiarism rates rose. The authors recommend teacher‑guided AI integration to maximize benefits while addressing risks such as over‑reliance, weak question‑asking skills, and ethical concerns in AI‑supported learning.

A new guideline on consent for clinical research that puts participant needs first and will help streamline approvals is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250500.