I live in the middle of nowhere so I’d be pretty stranded without my little electric car. But the green transport transition isn’t as simple as switching every petrol and diesel car to an electric one.

The boom in sports utility vehicles, or SUVs, is a case in point. Total SUV emissions are now so large that if they were a country, they would be one of the world’s five biggest CO₂ emitters. And while electric SUVs may reduce tailpipe emissions, they still need larger batteries, more raw materials, more energy and more road space.

Researchers at the University of Southampton explain why this SUV boom doesn’t support climate goals.

Have you ever wondered when pigeons were first domesticated? Will Smith from the University of Nottingham takes us back in time to the Bronze Age to explain what a new analysis of pigeon bones collected at a site in Cyprus reveals.

And in a fascinating new episode of The Conversation Weekly, Gemma Ware speaks to two scientists from the University of Oxford who are racing to develop a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus that is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Do you enjoy our Daily Newsletter? If you do, please consider supporting us with a regular donation, if you haven’t already. The Conversation is a registered charity, and the support of our readers is crucial. We're looking for 524 more donors to reach our target – if you can, please donate today.

Donate

Anna Turns

Senior Environment Editor

Fahroni/Shutterstock

Why the electric SUV boom is a problem for climate, health and equity

Keyvan Hosseini, University of Southampton; Dawn-Marie Walker, University of Southampton

If SUVs were a country, they would be one of the world’s five biggest CO₂ emitters.

A limestone pigeon sculpture from Cyprus dating to 600-480 BCE. Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art/New York Metropolitan Museum of Art

The pigeon fanciers of the Bronze Age

Will Smith, University of Nottingham

Why pigeons deserve more respect.

An Ebola victim is prepared for burial in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo during the ongoing outbreak. EPA

Two scientists on their race to make a new Ebola vaccine

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola causing the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo currently has no vaccine. The Conversation Weekly podcast speaks to two researchers working to develop one.

World

Armenia’s ties with Russia continue to deteriorate as election day approaches

Intigam Mamedov, Leiden University

Armenia’s westward pivot has angered Russia.
Where peace talks between the US and Iran currently stand

Christian Emery, UCL

It seems highly doubtful that a comprehensive deal can be reached that adheres to Trump’s proclaimed red lines.
Ukraine war: air campaign intensifies as Russia and Ukraine trade massive drone and missile attacks

Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham; Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy

Russia has launched its biggest drone and missile strikes of the war to date. But Ukraine has hit back effectively.
Europe is caught in a squeeze between the US and China

Kerry Brown, King's College London

It is becoming more difficult for Europe to balance its relationships with Washington and Beijing.

Politics + Society

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?

Nicola McEwen, University of Glasgow

The Scottish parliament has its biggest ever pro-independence majority.
Who can carry a kirpan in the UK? Religion, law and the question of risk

Jasjit Singh, University of Leeds

There is a widespread misunderstanding that all Sikhs are required to wear a kirpan.
Reaction to Henry Nowak murder shows why the government needs to channel a real ‘common sense’

George Newth, University of Bath

Trying to outflank Reform UK won’t work – and could just make tensions worse.

Arts + Culture

British Landscapes: A Sense of Place shows how ideas of scenery have evolved across 300 years of art

Pippa Catterall, University of Westminster

This exhibition is not about British, or even English landscapes, but about how a broad range of British artists responded to the landscapes they chose to depict.
We watched the first Enhanced Games live in Las Vegas – this is what we learned

Alex Thurston, Loughborough University; Mathew Dowling, Loughborough University

After the headlines and the hype, only one world record was broken in Las Vegas, though many athletes set personal bests.

Health

Dopamine menus: can small pleasures help us get unstuck?

Rebecca Ellis, Swansea University

For some neurodivergent people, motivation isn’t just about willpower. A growing trend known as ‘dopamine menus’ offers a way to access rewarding activities.
Irregular heartbeat risk much lower in super-fit people than previously thought

Axel Carl Carlsson, Karolinska Institutet; Marcel Ballin, Uppsala University; Peter Nordström, Uppsala University

Being fit is also associated with many cardiovascular benefits – including lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.

More newsletters from The Conversation for you:

World Affairs Briefing • Imagine climate action • Global Economy & Business • Europe newsletter • Something Good • Politics Weekly • Education Focus

About The Conversation

We're a nonprofit news organisation dedicated to helping academic experts share ideas with the public. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of universities and readers like you.