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9 great reads from CNET this week: COP26, Star Wars, Mars moon and more

We go all out on covering the COP26 summit and the climate crisis, plus some thoughts on how the early Star Wars movies are aging and the search for signs of ancient life beyond Earth.

CNET News staff
2 min read

There's been a lot of talk about the climate crisis this week, pegged to the UN's COP26 summit of world leaders in Glasgow, Scotland. It's brought together a who's who of luminaries, from Jeff Bezos to Joe Biden to David Attenborough, all emphasizing the need to act now and act smartly to steer us away from worst-case scenarios.

CNET's Katie Collins has been in Glasgow reporting from COP26, and we've also published a range of articles about efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond that, the CNET Money team has mustered up some practical guidelines about how each of us can navigate the world with climate change in mind.

Those stories are among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don't want to miss.

How scientists are tackling methane emissions with killer viruses and seaweed diets

Researchers look to formidable new allies to rein in methane emissions from agriculture. 

Cows lined up at a feeding trough
Getty/Bloomberg

Eco-anxiety: What is it and how can you keep it from spiraling out of control?

Here's how to channel those negative feelings into something good.  

Eco-anxiety, depicted as a woman with a box on her head holding a flower
Westend61/Getty

Should we dim the sun? Why we need to talk about solar geoengineering  

Injecting reflective particles into the atmosphere could turn down the heat on Earth, but research has been controversial.

Sunrise over Earth as seen from space
Getty

Climate justice: What it is and how it's playing a crucial role at COP26

Activists are fighting for it, world leaders agree we need it, but climate justice is still being made to sit on the sidelines at the UN climate summit.

A protester outside the COP26 blue zone.
Katie Collins/CNET

The one thing my 8-year-old son taught me about Star Wars   

Commentary: "She said stop, and he didn't stop."

Princess Leia and Han Solo
Disney/Lucasfilm

The mission to find alien life on Phobos, Mars' mystifying moon

Japan's space agency plans to find out if the potato-shaped curiosity holds remnants of long-dead microbes.

Martian moons exploration illustration
Realizm

You shop, it ships: Maersk's bid to challenge Amazon

The company is one of many competing to ease your supply chain woes. 

Maersk cargo ship loaded with shipping containers
Getty Images

Venmo, PayPal and CashApp simplify cryptocurrency for beginners

Some of the apps are limited to buying and selling and don't let you move cryptocurrency to a wallet. But they might entice beginners to try crypto.

A woman's hand holds a phone that displays a bitcoin on the screen.
Getty Images

Putting the Tesla Model Y to the test: Utility trailer towing time  

EVs are great for many things -- but towing? Let's see how our long-term Tesla managed with its tow hitch occupied.  

Tesla Model Y towing
Tim Stevens/Roadshow
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