Future Ready Friday News Round Up
Please comment, share and let me know about anything else you find.
Covering mostly the Asia-Pacific region with a global perspective, please take a few minutes to catch up on this week's new across our 4 megatrends shaping the future.
#Climate
Already, such conditions kill around half a million each year. That will inevitably rise as climate change increases the number and intensity of heatwaves around the globe. Cities are on the front line of this unfolding crisis. And China’s vast, densely packed megacities are leading the way. As well as providing a glimpse of what we are in for in a changing climate.?
The country needs to drastically increase its climate efforts so that by 2050 New Zealand is sucking in more carbon dioxide than it produces, the Climate Change Commission says. Things have changed since 2019 when the target was set, with climate impacts getting more severe, faster than expected - and other, similar countries doing more. If the government adopted the recommendations, New Zealand would have a positive impact on the climate in 25 years' time - and the efforts would include international flights and shipping, two big emitters currently excluded from the targets.
Restoring the world’s degraded land and holding back its deserts will require at least US$2.6 trillion (S$3.5 trillion) in investment by the end of the decade, the UN executive overseeing global talks on the issue told Reuters, quantifying the cost for the first time.
? Trusted partner to the Pacific, or giant fossil fuel exporter? This week, Australia chose the latter
Australia has long tried to be two things at once – a trusted friend to Pacific nations in a bid to reduce China’s influence, and a giant exporter of fossil fuels. This diplomatic tightrope has become increasingly hard to walk, as Pacific nations see climate change as an existential threat. This week, Australia’s government was forced to make a choice in a very public forum. It chose fossil fuels.
Scientists, including those from NIWA, buried 19,000 bags of tea in 180 wetlands across 28 countries.? This included three official sites in New Zealand: Pahurehure Inlet (Manukau Harbour), Bayswater (Auckland) and Whangateau Harbour. The project, which is the first long-term study of its kind, found that warmer temperatures reduce the ability of wetlands to store carbon, meaning more is released into the atmosphere.?
Warm air from Australia is pushing into New Zealand, as temperatures rise into the 30s as summer begins. MetService predicts that some areas on the east coast of both islands will be up to 8C warmer than usual for this time of year in the coming week, with hot and humid nights. The hot weather is ‘worrying’ for vulnerable people.
#Society
New evidence has emerged from research in China that the world could be on the brink of another pandemic as cases of bird flu surface across some regions in poultry, cattle and humans. Avian influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on a combination of two proteins found on their surfaces – hemagglutinin and neuraminidase – referred to as HxNy.
A programme being introduced by Auckland Airport and Air New Zealand will make travel easier for people with hidden disabilities. The Hidden Disability Sunflower lanyard is a discrete way people can indicate a hidden disability and the need for some support, or simply a bit more time when moving through the airport.
The modelling finds tariffs will have minimal aggregate effects on New Zealand, but will significantly affect bilateral trade for some goods.?The model projects the tariffs will have little impact on New Zealand’s national income, with gains in some areas offset by losses in others
#Technology
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Google DeepMind has developed the first artificial intelligence (AI) model of its kind to predict the weather more accurately than the best system currently in use. The model generates forecasts up to 15 days in advance ― and it does so in minutes, rather than the hours needed by today’s forecasting programs.
German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a handful of new technologies it hopes to use in its future cars, including a new kind of solar paint which it says could produce enough electricity to deliver 20,000 kilometres of driving range a year – under ideal conditions
Artificial intelligence-powered speech synthesisers can now hold eerily realistic spoken conversations, putting on accents, whispering and even cloning the voices of others. So how can we tell them apart from the human voice? These days it's quite easy to strike up a conversation with AI. Ask a question of some chatbots, and they'll even provide an engaging response verbally. You can chat with them across multiple languages and request a reply in a particular dialect or accent. But there are still some important cues that can help us to tell if we are talking to a human or an AI.
The Hydrogen Electrolyser Manufacturing?report highlighted a significant opportunity in manufacturing devices that generate hydrogen from water using electricity, positioning Australia as a key player in the global transition to renewable hydrogen production. The research underscored Australia's strong starting position, with an emerging cohort of Australian electrolyser manufacturers translating innovations from the country’s research sector, and a significant domestic pipeline of projects seeking to produce renewable hydrogen.?
It may come as a shock that the most innovative visions of a future mobile world aren’t coming from the boardrooms of global tech hubs, but rather from elementary and middle schools throughout Korea and emerging Southeast Asian countries.
The price of Bitcoin has for the first time broken past the $100,000 mark, hitting a new record high. The value of the world's biggest cryptocurrency has been boosted by hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will adopt crypto-friendly policies.
#Resources
This is a human-made calamity with many causes. Some factors are common to many large and fast-growing cities, especially in emerging economies. Delhi has many coal power plants, for instance, and its streets are choked with heavy traffic. Decades of dust, often from the construction industry, have accumulated in and around the city. Waste is often simply burned.
Bioplastics cover a wide range of polymer types and uses, but there is confusion around terminology and how to process bioplastics after use,” Dr Ardevol said. “Australia doesn’t have standardised labelling so it’s hard for consumers to understand the different types of materials and how they integrate into existing waste management systems. “Bioplastics are often a more sustainable alternative. However, if disposed of incorrectly, bioplastics can contaminate recycling and waste streams. “A large portion of bioplastics end up in landfill, where they can decompose and release methane emissions. This negatively contributes to waste and climate change, and does not achieve circularity.”
By now it’s well established that meat and dairy are at least partly to blame for the climate crisis. And without coming off our addiction to animal products, we won’t be able to avoid dangerous levels of global heating. What is less clear is what to replace your burger and cheese with. What’s best for your health and the planet? And what about your wallet? These are the questions I tried to answer in a new study.
Described as the “cancer of the sea” and “a national emergency”, exotic caulerpa is already drastically changing New Zealand’s seafloor habitat, and it appears the problem is only going to get worse. Officials don’t know exactly where or when the toxic, sticky green algae first entered New Zealand waters, but it is believed to have arrived on a vessel travelling from Australia or the Pacific.
? Scientists counted 49 ways Australia is destroying the ecosystems we hold dear – but there is hope
Why? To date, the reasons for declines across all types of ecosystems have not been well summarised. Our new research set out to shed light, providing the first national synthesis of threats to 103 ecological communities listed as threatened under Australian environmental law. Our study exposed a sobering reality. Our ecological communities face 49 diverse threats, ranging from land clearing and grazing to pollution and changed fire patterns. Many ecosystems face multiple serious threats. Recovery will be complex and difficult – but not impossible.
Have a great and safe weekend.
Thanks for sharing, Adam!