DINNER PARTY INTEL...

The topics you have to be able to discuss this week

1. More green lungs

With Brazil’s new president,

Jair Bolsonaro, vowing to exploit the Amazon — popularly known as the earth’s lungs because it absorbs 25% of the planet’s carbon dioxide emissions — some good news has emerged. US space agency Nasa says satellite data shows there are now more trees in the world than 20 years ago, thanks to efforts by China and India. Africa might soon help out with its plans to plant an 8,000km long, 15km wide “great green wall” across 13 countries to restore 100-million hectares of land. The UN says this could sequester 250Mt of carbon by 2030 and provide food security for 20-million people.

2. Catholic crisis

Nearly 20 years since the first reports of widespread sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, 100 leading bishops will meet in Rome this week to address the issue. Many hope they will finally come clean and seriously tackle the problem, which has undermined the Vatican’s authority and the reforms of Pope Francis. The pontiff will close the four-day conference, which will hear victims’ testimonies. One church historian told The Guardian the issue is being used to “radically delegitimise” Francis’s papacy and that it represents “the most serious crisis in the Catholic church since the Protestant Reformation”.

3. Tinder for cows

Online matchmaking has met animal husbandry with the launch of Tudder, an app that allows farmers to find breeding partners for their cattle. According to Reuters, Tudder works much like human singles site Tinder: farmers “swipe right” if they like the look of a potential suitor for their cattle. They are then directed to a website that includes information such as milk yield, protein content or calving potential. The app, thought to be the first of its kind for livestock, launched just before Valentine’s Day.