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Iceland mourns its lost glacier
The government and people of Iceland have commemorated the death of Okjökull, a 700-year-old glacier that once rested atop the ancient Ok shield volcano (BBC News). It's been a long time coming: the glacier ceased accumulating snow in 2003 and was declared dead by meteorologists in 2014, but it's taken time for people to grasp the event's significance.
Atop Ok, a new plaque bearing a dedication by writer Andri Snaer Magnason reads: “Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as glacier. In the next 200 years all our main glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it.”
Accenture and Facebook staff pressured counsellors to share moderation staff therapy sessions
Trauma counsellors employed to help Facebook moderators cope with the distressing images they're confronted with every shift were routinely pressured by managers to share details of confidential staff therapy sessions according to The Intercept's sources (Gizmodo).
At a US moderation facility outsourced to global service giant Accenture, whistleblowers say that managers have repeatedly demanded to review supposedly private counselling sessions, prompting the resignation of at least one therapist. Both Accenture and Facebook deny that any breach of privacy occurred.
Why on Earth would Donald Trump want to buy Greenland?
Donald Trump, the real estate tycoon, loved to buy stuff: brownfield lots; skyscrapers; casinos. Donald Trump, the US president, apparently loves to buy countries (WIRED). A Wall Street Journal report revealing rumours about Trump’s alleged willingness to purchase Greenland – the world’s largest island and an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark – triggered immediate rebuffs from both Copenhagen and the Greenlandic government.
But his interest in establishing a stronger American presence in Greenland is likely genuine. The melting of ice sheets in Greenland and across the Arctic is a global tragedy, but for policymakers in Washington it is also an opportunity.
Free malware scanning sites are not the place for your confidential files
Popular public malware scanning services on the web – which allow you to upload a suspicious file for immediate analysis – are an open sandbox that effectively allow anyone to view the files you've uploaded (The Register). Security research firm Cyjax monitored submissions to three analysis sites for three days and was able to access personal documents including passport scans, invoices, legal documents and even details of military aircraft travel plans.
The practical ways to reduce your carbon footprint (that actually work)
When it comes to saving our environment, tweaks at the individual level can only go so far and the onus should be on vast, powerful industries to curb pollution, as well as governments to take urgent and radical action on cutting our reliance on fossil fuels (WIRED).
This means joining an activist group or petitioning your local politician are among the best ways you can take action on climate. But on a smaller scale, do the most hyped environmentally-friendly lifestyle changes really make an impact – and to what degree? We've picked apart some of the most common recommendations.
DeepMind's plan to solve science's trickiest problem
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
