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Lead story
If NBA, NHL or other pro sports tickets are on your holiday shopping list, there’s something you should know about carbon offsets.
Offsets are presented as a way for teams and fans to pay extra to make up for their greenhouse gas emissions, often by supporting tree-planting somewhere in the world. University of Michigan sports management researchers Brian McCullough and Edward Carrington studied these agreements and were troubled by what they found: “We see lots of good intentions but also a disturbing amount of failures and outright fraud,” they write.
They explain some of the carbon offset deals that have gone wrong for teams and tournaments, from basketball’s Los Angeles Clippers to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But it’s not all bad news on the sustainability front. They also describe some of the exciting efforts teams are making in their arenas and stadiums to lower their emissions and live up to their sustainability claims.
One last thing: If you’re interested in news and analysis about immigration, we’d like to recommend the Early Arrival newsletter from our friends at the nonprofit Documented. It will bring an insightful and accessible rundown of immigration news to your inbox, for free.
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Under team owner Steve Ballmer, in the checkered shirt, the LA Clippers have cut their greenhouse gas emissions, but their carbon offsets raise questions.
Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Brian P. McCullough, University of Michigan; Edward Carrington, University of Michigan
There are better ways for teams to cut their climate impact.
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Science + Technology
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Peter Müllner, Boise State University
The mass adoption of new technologies drives demand for rare and complex materials used in their manufacture.
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Lacey W. Heinsberg, University of Pittsburgh; Amery Treble-Barna, University of Pittsburgh
Some children recover better after traumatic brain injury than others, despite appearing similarly to doctors. Looking at the genetic and cellular level, however, reveal key differences.
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Ethics + Religion
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Samira Mehta, University of Colorado Boulder
What do you do on Dec. 25 if you don’t celebrate Christmas? For Jewish Americans, the answers range from takeout to filling a shift for Christian colleagues.
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Health + Medicine
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Adetola F. Louis-Jacques, University of Florida; Seun Mauton Ajoseh, University of Florida
Doulas bring a holistic, person-centered approach that can improve birth outcomes and lower overall costs.
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Politics + Society
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Cassandra Burke Robertson, Case Western Reserve University
District courts have dismissed the administration’s efforts to detain virtually all undocumented immigrants without a bond hearing while they await deportation proceedings.
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Rachel Rebouché, The University of Texas at Austin
Judges and federal regulators will make significant decisions over Americans’ reproductive rights.
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Anna Maria Santiago, Michigan State University; Iris Margetis, Michigan State University
Girls are at an even greater risk of early substance use than boys.
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Environment + Energy
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Suvrat Dhanorkar, Georgia Institute of Technology
Seeing more refurbished electronic devices on the market? Thank tech innovation – and the government regulation that sparked it.
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International
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Michelle Lynn Kahn, University of Richmond
Some 1 million Syrians were welcomed in Germany after fleeing civil war. They are increasingly unwelcome in a country where politics have swung sharply right.
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Lisa M. Given, RMIT University
Only time will tell whether Australia’s bold, world-first experiment will succeed. Despite this, it has set off a global reaction.
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