NEWS | IN BRIEF
science.org SCIENCEPHOTOS: TOP TO BOTTOM NASA; OSHKOSH DEFENSEunspectacular, they mark an initial step in
tuning the instrument’s segmented mirror
to observe the earliest galaxies and nearby
exoplanets. One composite image showed
18 blurry dots—all the same star—taken
by each of the mirror’s 18 segments. In the
coming weeks, engineers will adjust theSCIENCE.ORG/NEWS
Read more news from Science online.The Webb telescope’s camera snapped a selfie of its
mirror, with one segment reflecting starlight.society. Federal agencies use that number
to evaluate the costs and benefits of new
regulations, particularly in the energy sec-
tor; the figure is called the social cost of
carbon because it factors in costs, such as
declines in health outcomes and agricul-
tural productivity, that are not reflected
in market prices. The administration
plans to raise the estimate of this cost
from about $7 per ton of carbon dioxide
emissions to $51 per ton. But U.S. District
Judge James Cain of the Western District
of Louisiana sided with Republican
attorneys general in ruling that the higher
cost would harm states that produce fossil
fuels, and that the administration had
overstepped its authority. Environmental
advocates say the ruling, if upheld, would
make it harder to tighten limits on green-
house gas emissions.
Webb space telescope takes selfie
ASTRONOMY | NASA last week released
the first images taken by its flagship
James Webb Space Telescope. Although
alignment and curvature of the segments
to create a single reflecting surface and
focus those scattered dots into a single
pinpoint of light.U.S. steps in to help porpoise
CONSERVATION | The U.S. Trade
Representative’s Office filed a complaint
against Mexico last week for failing
to protect the vaquita, a critically
endangered porpoise. It is the first
complaint under the trade agreement
between the two countries and Canada
that took effect in 2020; the pact includes
stronger environmental regulations
than its predecessor. If the dispute is
not resolved, the United States could
impose trade sanctions. Until July 2021,
the Mexican government had prohibited
fishing in a part of the Gulf of California
that harbors the roughly 10 vaquitas that
are the last survivors of their species. But
that month, Mexico changed its policies
to allow up to 60 boats to fish there at
once. The vaquita population has dropped
drastically because of entanglements
in illegal fishing nets used to catch an
endangered fish, the totoaba, whose swim
bladder is considered a delicacy and is
used medicinally in China.Depression in poor rarely treated
MENTAL HEALTH | Few people worldwide
receive treatment for major depressive dis-
order, particularly in low and lower middle
income countries, a meta-analysis shows.
Only 8% of patients living in poorer coun-
tries were treated, versus 33% in wealthy
countries, researchers report this week in
PLOS Medicine. Their analysis covered
149 studies conducted in 84 countries. Major
depressive disorder is defined as a persis-
tent loss of pleasure or interest in activities
for 2 weeks or longer; symptoms can range
from mild to severe. Globally, about 5% of
adults suffer from it, with an associated
economic loss estimated at $1 trillion per
year, according to a report by The Lancet–
World Psychiatric Association Commission
on Depression published this week. “There
is arguably no other health condition which
is as common, as burdensome, as universal,
or as treatable as depression, yet it receives
little policy attention and resources,” said
commission Co-Chair Christian Kieling of
the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.
The commission’s recommendations include
folding treatment for depression into rou-
tine health care.POLICYU.S. Army takes on climate change
T
he U.S. Army wants to step up its attack on a pervasive, global adversary: climate
change. The military branch’s first ever climate strategy, released last week,
outlines an ambitious plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from one of
the world’s largest energy users, while also preparing to fight on battlefields
transformed by global warming. Goals include starting a large-scale shift to electric
vehicles in 2027, achieving net-zero emissions from Army installations by 2045, and
boosting the number of soldiers and civilian employees with advanced credentials on cli-
mate change topics. The plan also calls for incorporating the latest climate science into
decisions such as where to build bases and position forces. The Army put no price tag on
its plan, but said setting clear goals is a necessary first step toward realizing them.Oshkosh Defense has developed a hybrid
electric version of the Joint Light Tactical
Vehicle, a successor to the U.S. Army’s Humvee.702 18 FEBRUARY 2022 • VOL 375 ISSUE 6582