Can a Syrian-Israeli Peace Agreement Be Reached?

Joshua Landis, who writes the blog Syria Comment and is regarded as a leading Syria specialist, says a prospective Syria-Israel peace agreement is "very feasible" but is skeptical whether it can be achieved quickly. For there to be a deal, Landis says, Israel would have to return all of the Golan Heights, and Syria would have to rein in Hezbollah and stop aiding Hamas. Landis adds that it will be a "bitter pill" for Syria to stop supporting militant Palestinian groups.

By CFR, USA.

Humanitarian Policy Resource.

Study Shows Human-Caused Climate Change Responsible for Global Impacts

A vast array of physical and biological systems across the earth are being affected by warming temperatures caused by human activity, says a new Columbia study. These impacts include earlier leafing of trees and plants over many regions; movements of species to higher latitudes and altitudes in the Northern Hemisphere; changes in bird migrations in Europe, North America and Australia; and shifting of the oceans’ plankton and fish from cold- to warm-adapted communities. Based on an analysis of aggregated data, this study is the first to link observed global changes in diverse systems to human-caused, or anthropogenic, climate change. The study appears in the May 15 issue of the leading scientific journal Nature.

By Columbia University, USA.

Climate Policy Resource.

Biomedical Engineers at Columbia Develop Living Heart Chambers to Aid Study of Cardiac Function

Researchers at Columbia University have developed tiny functioning heart chambers that exhibit the key characteristics of cardiac pumping action. These modified tissue samples, known as organoids, will enable researchers to far more easily study heart growth and development, as well as provide a novel means for evaluating new treatments for diseased or damaged cardiac tissue.

By Columbia University, USA.

Health Policy Resource.

Coke, Pepsi's New Global Commitment on Advertising to Kids Called Weak

Coke and Pepsi are proving that it's hard to adopt a strong anti-obesity policy when your core products are major causes of obesity. The global commitment announced today by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other soft drink companies to stop targeting advertising to children under 12 is based on a weak policy followed in the United States, which suffers from one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the world.

By CSPI, USA.

Health Policy Resource.