Blogs and Opinions
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Black communities in the US will be hardest hit by floods caused by climate change, say scientists
Monday 4th of July 2022
Black communities in the United States will see the flood risk in their neighbourhoods climb at least 20% over the next 30 years, experts are predicting.
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Australia battles flooding – and other environment stories you need to read this week
Monday 4th of July 2022
The US Supreme Court on 30 June constrained the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal- and gas-fired power plants under the landmark Clean Air Act anti-pollution law. The ruling may impact a Securities and Exchange Commission bid to force companies to disclose their emissions.
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How can wearable technology increase our lifespans?
Monday 4th of July 2022
Scientists predict that humans can live up to 150 years without significant medical intervention. The key to achieving this long life isn’t a well-kept secret: Eat better and exercise more. But this is easier said than done.
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Countries set to join carbon markets as the world demands a green economic transition
Monday 4th of July 2022
For decades, carbon markets have been seen as part of the solution to climate change. They have mostly been dominated by the private sector, but this will soon change. More than two thirds of countries are planning to use carbon markets to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS) to the Paris Agreement. Countries such as Chile, Ghana, Jordan, Singapore and Vanuatu are already building end-to-end, state-of-the-art digital infrastructure to support their participation in international carbon markets.
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Tapping into the million-year energy source below our feet
Monday 4th of July 2022
There’s an abandoned coal power plant in upstate New York that most people regard as a useless relic. But MIT’s Paul Woskov sees things differently.
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Here’s how the fuel we cook with can affect our mental health
Monday 4th of July 2022
About 2.6 billion people – nearly half of the global population, most of them in Africa, Asia and central and south America – rely on biomass fuels, like wood and charcoal, or kerosene to cook meals, heat and light their homes.
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These developing countries are leading the way on renewable energy
Monday 4th of July 2022
Renewable sources of energy can help countries mitigate climate change, build resilience to volatile prices, and lower energy costs. This is especially critical now as spiking fossil fuel costs, triggered by the war in Ukraine, are debilitating poor energy importing countries.
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Interest rate hikes vs inflation: How are different countries doing it?
Monday 4th of July 2022
Imagine today’s high inflation like a car speeding down a hill. In order to slow it down, you need to hit the brakes. In this case, the “brakes” are interest rate hikes intended to slow spending. However, some central banks are hitting the brakes faster than others.
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Exploring and piloting digital currencies is becoming more popular amongst African central banks, but why?
Monday 4th of July 2022
Several sub-Saharan African central banks are exploring or in the pilot phase of a digital currency, following Nigeria’s October introduction of e-Naira. Nigeria was the second country after the Bahamas to roll out a CBDC.
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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this week
Monday 4th of July 2022
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 549.1 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 6.33 million. More than 12.09 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
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Explained: How engineered crops can fight climate change
Monday 4th of July 2022
Food systems account for over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Any successful strategy for reaching the ambitious — and critical — emissions targets outlined in the Paris Agreement must involve changes to how we grow, process and distribute food.
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Is fungi the most underused resource in the fight against climate change?
Monday 4th of July 2022
Picture a group of “climate change warriors”, massing together in a battle to save the planet. Did you imagine a line of mushrooms? Well, maybe you should have, according to scientists at Boston University in the United States.
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Space: How advances up there can help life down here
Friday 1st of July 2022
What are humans doing in space and why are we talking about bases on the Moon or missions to Mars when there is so much here on Earth that requires our immediate attention?
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How to protect your company from cyber attack – the Global Cybersecurity Outlook at Davos 2022
Friday 1st of July 2022
The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook report indicates that cyberattacks increased 125% globally in 2021, with evidence suggesting a continued uptick through 2022. In this fast-changing landscape it is vital for leaders to take a strategic approach to cyber risks.
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What is NATO and what happened at the NATO summit?
Friday 1st of July 2022
In the end, it took a well-timed coffee break to smooth the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
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G7 commits $5 billion to tackling global food insecurity
Friday 1st of July 2022
The Group of Seven rich democracies will commit up to $5 billion to improve global food security, a senior U.S. official said, as the group responds to worries in developing nations about the threat of hunger triggered by war in Ukraine.
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New EU climate change deals: Banning fossil fuel cars by 2035, and what else?
Friday 1st of July 2022
EU countries have clinched deals on proposed laws to combat climate change, backing a 2035 phase-out of new fossil fuel car sales and a multibillion-euro fund to shield poorer citizens from CO2 costs.
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The 7 ways to successfully communicate sustainability
Friday 1st of July 2022
In order to communicate sustainability, you must do sustainability first. It sounds obvious but in these greenwashing times, it needs to be said. Wondering how to talk about environmental or social sustainability should only come after you have done something about it – and it’s okay if that something is in progress. Anybody who has been trying to make or do things right knows that to “do” sustainability is a process and a long one at that.
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Why some nations are wealthier than others – and what it means for future prosperity
Friday 1st of July 2022
Why are some nations rich and others poor? Can the governments of poor nations do something to ensure that their nations become rich? These sorts of questions have long fascinated public officials and economists, at least since Adam Smith, the prominent Scottish economist whose famous 1776 book was titled “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.”
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Here’s how passive cooling can help us to survive extreme indoor heat
Friday 1st of July 2022
Passive cooling strategies can reduce the load on air conditioning by as much as 80%, report researchers.
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Human activity is disrupting the freshwater cycle, here’s how to change that
Friday 1st of July 2022
Green water – the rainwater available to plants in the soil – is indispensable for life on and below the land. But in a new study, we found that widespread pressure on this resource has crossed a critical limit.
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How autonomous mobile clinics can transform healthcare in least developed countries
Friday 1st of July 2022
The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 3, or SDG 3, declared a universal health goal to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” by 2030. The way to its realization is through “universal health coverage (UHC) and access to quality health care, (and ensure) no one must be left behind”.
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4 award-winning young inventors who are changing the world
Friday 1st of July 2022
Inventors and their inventions have constantly changed the way we live. An inventor in China gave us the compass for navigation, another in Germany invented the printing press and several creative minds were involved in coming up with the electric light bulb. The course of history is shaped by such inventions and the future will continue to be shaped by them, too.
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Going green could save Europe €1 trillion in fossil fuel costs
Friday 1st of July 2022
By upgrading its power system and quadrupling growth in wind and solar capacity, Europe could save an estimated €1 trillion by 2035.
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How to make clean, affordable energy available to everyone
Friday 1st of July 2022
Hot on the heels of COVID-19, the world faces more turmoil. This year, Davos 2022 aptly focused on the tragic war in Ukraine and its ripple effect on global finance, food, and energy systems. The current state of the world reminds us to what degree energy underpins our aspirations for a more sustainable future for all – and how broken the global energy system is.
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Online learning: What next for higher education after COVID-19?
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Prior to the pandemic, very few students had the chance to study online. As a digital dreamer for Education 4.0, my dream for the future of higher education had long involved a shift from the university being a physical location to a digital one – meaning you can study whenever and wherever you were.
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Is climate inaction a human rights violation?
Thursday 30th of June 2022
The UN Human Rights Office clearly states that climate change threatens the enjoyment of life, food, and health.
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Green transport and cleaner mobility are key to meeting climate goals
Thursday 30th of June 2022
No scenario for containing global warming is possible without urgent and distinct action in the transport sector. This is a sector that is often overlooked in the climate equation, but it shouldn’t be. Currently responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and rapidly increasing, transport is something that impacts everyone, everywhere.
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Here are 5 things to look forward to in the future – according to 1,000 experts
Thursday 30th of June 2022
What might the world look like in 2025? In autumn 2020 the World Economic Forum convened expert-led Global Future Councils, time-bound think tanks, to explore that very question.
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Sand mining: the environmental challenge you’ve probably never heard of
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Cities are, quite literally, built on sand. As global urbanization continues apace, the demand for concrete, glass and construction materials that use sand increases.
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What next for travel and tourism? Here’s what the experts say
Thursday 30th of June 2022
The Travel & Tourism sector was one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving not only companies but also tourism-driven economies severely affected by shutdowns, travel restrictions and the disappearance of international travel.
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Energy: Which electricity source uses the most land?
Thursday 30th of June 2022
No energy source comes without any environmental impact. Whether it’s coal, gas, nuclear or renewables, every energy source takes up land; uses water; and needs some natural resources for fuel or manufacturing.
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This is how the US can make EV charging sites more accessible
Thursday 30th of June 2022
The electric vehicle charger had shown up at the park only a month earlier, but already Lonte was envisioning himself using it.
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What can be done about this harmful molecule found in hard plastics?
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a chemical widely used to make hard, clear plastics. It is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to many negative health effects, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In 2013, the U.S. government banned its use in baby products that come into contact with food, like bottles or the packaging of infant formula.
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The pandemic could have a lasting impact on city centres. Here’s how
Thursday 30th of June 2022
If companies allowed more of their employees to permanently work from home, businesses would gravitate toward city centers, while people would primarily live in the periphery, resulting in less traffic congestion and falling real estate prices downtown.
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More African central banks are exploring digital currencies. Here’s why
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Several sub-Saharan African central banks are exploring or in the pilot phase of a digital currency, following Nigeria’s October introduction of e-Naira. Nigeria was the second country after the Bahamas to roll out a CBDC.
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Cosmic dust from Venus is inspiring new air pollution-busting technology
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Reducing carbon emissions from roads, railways and shipping require implementing a range of solutions simultaneously. As far as cars are concerned, cutting the number of journeys altogether (by making it easier for people to walk and cycle and improving public transport), changing the fuel in vehicles and making the most of those vehicles already on the road must all play a part. None of these solutions are sufficient on their own.
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International travel levels tipped to soar again in 2022
Thursday 30th of June 2022
While few industries have been spared by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years, even fewer have been hit as hard as the tourism sector. After “the worst year in tourism history”, international tourist arrivals increased by just 5 percent in 2021, as travel restrictions remained in place for protracted periods in many parts of the world. International tourist arrivals once again fell more than one billion short of pre-pandemic levels, keeping the industry at levels last seen in the late 1980s.
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Can the world avoid a recession? Top economics stories to read this week
Thursday 30th of June 2022
The Bank of Japan will maintain its loose monetary policy, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda says, citing the smaller impact of global inflationary trends in the country.
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These are the world’s most liveable cities
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Vienna is once again the world’s most liveable city, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) annual rankings.
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How aligning cybersecurity with strategic objectives can protect your business
Thursday 30th of June 2022
Board members and C-suite executives routinely face the challenge of managing business objectives while keeping investors and shareholders happy. Their priorities are focused on business goals, such as increasing the company’s profitability, staying ahead of the competition, looking for the next innovative idea, encouraging employee engagement, and being able to pay dividends to shareholders in a harsh and challenging business climate. Their brains are wired to look at things through a business lens.
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The war in Ukraine is triggering a re-evaluation of global systemic risk
Thursday 30th of June 2022
The world is confronting multiple intersecting geopolitical events with highly unpredictable consequences. Coming in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war is disrupting global financial markets, food security and real economies. Escalating tensions between the US and China are compelling decision-makers to recalculate everything from their strategic alliances to the vulnerability of their supply chains. Making matters even more complicated, looming threats ranging from cyberattacks to climate change and the mounting possibility of nuclear war, including the erosion of norms and rules around acquiring nuclear weapons, are forcing governments, businesses and international organizations to re-evaluate risk in fundamentally new ways.
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To save the ocean, Web3 needs more scientists
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
The world of web3, from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to decentralized finance and a whole variety of blockchain-related activities, is expanding from mainstream finance into other sectors. Farmers can securely share data with each other via blockchain. Decentralized autonomous organizations or DAOs, such as KlimaDAO and Toucan have created cryptocurrencies backed not by dollars or euros but by climate assets. Projects like The Regen Network seek out and support activities with biodiversity and ecological co-benefits.
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Agility, resilience and impact: How fintech charted a positive course through the global pandemic
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
When the Global COVID-19 Fintech Market Rapid Assessment Study provided a snapshot of the fintech market’s performance during the first six months of the global pandemic, the indications were that it had fared pretty well.
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Why we need a code of conduct for ocean-based carbon dioxide removal
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
It is becoming clearer with every passing day and with every new high-level report that we need to take immediate and increasingly drastic action to blunt our current climate crisis.
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What’s the environmental impact of blockchain gaming – and what can be done about it today
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
This essay was written collaboratively between Naavik with BITKRAFT Ventures and originally published here.
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Here’s how companies and capital can work together to do good
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Jean Case is a businesswoman, investor, philanthropist, and impact investing pioneer who believes in the power of business to do good. Chair of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the Case Impact Network, Case spent nearly two decades in the private sector, including as a senior executive at AOL, before co-founding the Case Foundation in 1997. She launched For What It’s Worth (FWIW) in 2021 to create a source for new investors looking to confidently invest for both profit and purpose. She is also author of the national bestseller Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose.
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Why this city in Zambia has been nicknamed ‘Amsterdam’
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Thousands of human-powered bicycles crisscross Chipata traffic lights daily, ferrying groceries, passengers, civil servants, and—even a diplomat!
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Women in science less likely to be credited for their work, study shows
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Women in science are less likely than their male counterparts to receive authorship credit for their work, a study shows.
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What is a heat dome, and how are they formed? An atmospheric scientist explains
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area. The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven.
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How are video games inspiring a new wave of climate action?
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Sometime before the COVID-19 pandemic, Cassie Flynn was heading to work on a rush-hour packed New York City subway train.
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On the brink of catastrophe, Somalia is calling out for humanitarian aid
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Somalia is on the brink of catastrophe. A recent assessment suggests that 7.7 million Somalis need emergency aid right now, a similar number to those affected by the Ethiopian famine in 1984, one of the worst humanitarian disasters in history. About one million people died then.
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US economic snapshot: 3 key insights from the Federal Reserve
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Each month, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York publishes monthly economic snapshots.
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This AI has learned a new trick: how to do chemistry
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Artificial intelligence has changed the way science is done by allowing researchers to analyze the massive amounts of data modern scientific instruments generate. It can find a needle in a million haystacks of information and, using deep learning, it can learn from the data itself. AI is accelerating advances in gene hunting, medicine, drug design and the creation of organic compounds.
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The ‘crypto winter’ is here. But what is it and what does it mean for the wider economy?
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Cryptocurrency prices have been crashing this year, with the digital currency market proving vulnerable to the global economy’s wider problems. This has led some in the industry to declare the arrival of a “crypto winter”.
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Women are more likely to live past 90 if they’re optimistic, according to a new study
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Women are more likely to live past 90 if they’re optimistic, according to researchers at Harvard University in the United States, who analysed 26 years’ worth of data from almost 160,000 women aged between 50 and 79.
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7 habits to cut your risk of dementia: The latest health and wellbeing news
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
The World Health Organization said on 25 June that monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency. However, Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned” about the outbreak. It comes as more than 3,000 cases have been confirmed globally as part of the current outbreak.
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What progress is the EU making on ending its reliance on Russian energy?
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine over 100 days ago led to EU demands to dramatically cut the bloc’s use of Russian energy. But what has the European Union actually done since then?
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Microplastics in the food chain: How harmful are they?
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
There’s a growing body of evidence about how widespread microplastics have become, across land, sea and air.
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The roots of sustainability: 5 reasons why cities need trees
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
As most cities and countries continue to report hotter summer days that are breaking 100-year records, indoor cooling can offer only little respite and to the privileged few. The majority outdoors – humans and other beings – continue to struggle in the heat, finding shelter in the shade of trees. And yet these very same trees are being displaced by physical urban infrastructure: buildings, roads, bridges, flyovers. For sustainable, inclusive development, urban trees need to be protected.