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Leroy Ah Ben

2019-09-24 16:10:44

news

middleeast

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/24/middleeast/dubai-first-emirati-in-space-scn/index.html

The first Emirati in space: How Dubai is reaching for the stars - CNN

The first Emirati astronaut blasted off Wednesday on a mission to the International Space Station. We look back at how we got here and what to expect from the voyage.

middleeast, The first Emirati in space: How Dubai is reaching for the stars - CNN

The first Emirati in space: How Dubai is reaching for the stars

CNN's series often carry sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However, CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Our sponsorship policy. (CNN)Major Hazzaa AlMansoori made history Wednesday by becoming the first Emirati in space and the first Arab astronaut to travel to the International Space Station.After months of grueling training, AlMansoori -- a 35-year-old former military pilot -- blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in a Russian Soyuz-MS 15 spacecraft.The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.He will spend eight days on board the ISS carrying out scientific experiments alongside other international astronauts.The launch marks an important milestone in Dubai's burgeoning space industry, led by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).JUST WATCHEDThe first Emirati in spaceReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe first Emirati in space 02:24Fellow Emirati, Sultan AlNeyadi, a 38-year-old doctor of information technology and former engineer for the UAE armed forces, is the back-up astronaut for the mission.Read MoreThe Emirati astronauts have been wished well by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.In April 2017, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, announced that the MBRSC was to prepare an Emirati astronaut corps for scientific space exploration missions.As soon as applications were open, the MBRSC was inundated with more than 4,000 Emiratis wanting to take part in the first space mission. That number was whittled down over several stages until AlMansoori and AlNeyadi, were handpicked from that group.AlMansoori successfully completed his training in Moscow in early September.For AlMansoori, his dream of one day rocketing to space started when he was a child."I used to stand out in the dunes at night and look up at the stars and wondered how to get there," he told a NASA press conference in July."I remember in grade four I saw a book about an Arab astronaut, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, and I thought that's it -- it's possible for me."That's why I applied to join the air force -- it felt a little bit closer to the stars," he said.Grueling trainingAlMansoori and AlNeyadi have spent the better part of a year undergoing intense training to get themselves ready for this launch. Both had to prepare for the space flight even though only one would be going to space. The other still had to be mission-ready just in case his compatriot was unable to make the journey.Hazzaa Almansoori (left) and crewmates Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos (center) and Jessica Meir of NASA (right) prepare for their space mission in Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will launch on the September 25 on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station.As this was a joint mission between the UAE and Russia, the men did most of their training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Moscow. Which meant that they had to learn how to speak Russian.This was essential to operate the controls, communicate with ground control and fellow crew members."Because the Soyuz, all the checklists, all the procedures, normal procedures, even the emergency procedures are in Russian. If you hit the wrong button, you will be screwed up," AlMansoori, told CNN's Becky Anderson back in February."'Klyuchit' (Ключить)" and Vyklyuchit (выключить). That means switch on and off. So if you misunderstand what the commander is saying, you'll be in trouble," added AlNeyadi.Eight days on the ISSThe unique environment of the station allows astronauts to perform important science research.AlMansoori is set to participate in the Station's ongoing scientific missions. He'll observe the effect of microgravity and conduct 15 experiments designed by UAE school students, selected from the MBRSC's "Science in Space" competition.Back on Earth, those students will also conduct those same experiments to compare the results with those done in space.And AlMansoori has plenty of material that he'll be taking with him.JUST WATCHEDThe summer camp where kids explore the cosmosReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe summer camp where kids explore the cosmos 02:05As this is such a landmark event, the MBRSC is providing him with 10kg of cargo including items that are important to the UAE's heritage, culture and history. That includes several UAE flags and coats of arms, which will be later placed in museums once AlMansoori returns home.He'll also have 30 seeds from an Al Ghaf tree, UAE's national tree, which will be planted when he returns to Earth.AlMansoori will also be taking with him flavors of home. He'll take Emirati food that the rest of the astronauts at the ISS will be able to share with him. Three traditional halal dishes have been developed for the space journey: balaleet (a breakfast dish of egg and vermicelli), salona (a stew made up of spicy vegetables with meat or fish) and madrouba (a chicken and rice dish).Finally, he'll have poetry, stories and paintings that are all winning entries of MBRSC's "Send to Space" competition.Ambitious Mars missionThe UAE aims to invest further in the field of space research by building the giant Mars Science City, as seen in this rendering here, in the desert outside Dubai.Wednesday's launch is a major step in an ambitious space program for the MBRSC. The UAE is also preparing its first unmanned mission to Mars, due to launch in 2020.Read more: UAE looks to Mars for STEM inspirationThat mission will put the UAE among a select few parties -- including the US, Russia, India and the European Space Agency -- to have sent a probe into orbit around the Red Planet.Much longer term, the UAE has also said it wants to create a colony on Mars by 2117. In September 2017, it unveiled renderings for its Mars Science City project, a $136 million simulation center designed to replicate a Martian base in the desert outside Dubai.

Patrick Oppmann, Nicole Chavez and Jeffrey York, CNN

2019-06-12 13:55:38

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/12/us/david-ortiz-shooting/index.html

David Ortiz shooting: Police say suspects were offered money to carry out hit - CNN

The alleged gunman in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz has been arrested, according to Jean Alain Rodríguez, attorney general of the Dominican Republic.

us, David Ortiz shooting: Police say suspects were offered money to carry out hit - CNN

Police say suspects were offered money to shoot David Ortiz

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (CNN)The alleged gunman in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz has been arrested, according to Jean Alain Rodríguez, attorney general of the Dominican Republic. Suspect Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, 25, has confessed to shooting Ortiz, police said in a statement. Authorities believe Ferreira Cruz and six other men were involved in the shooting of the MLB all-star. Dominican National Police Director Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte said only one man remained at large on Wednesday."These individuals, each one of them, all of them, have been jailed and will go before a court," Bautista Almonte said.Dominican National Police Director Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte show the gun used in the shooting of former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz on Wednesday.It's unclear what charges the suspects are expected to face, but investigators are treating the case as an attempted murder. Read MoreAuthorities declined to discuss a possible motive for the shooting, but Bautista Almonte said the suspects were offered $400,000 Dominican pesos (about $7,830) to carry out the hit. Investigators recovered the gunman's firearm, which was buried in the home of one of the suspects in the province of Mao, police said.The first suspect, Eddy Vladimir Féliz Garcia, was arrested immediately after the attack and appeared in court late Tuesday, charged with being an accomplice to attempted murder in Sunday's nightclub shooting in Santo Domingo. Why Big Papi is loved beyond baseballEddy Vladimir Féliz Garcia gets transported by police to court Tuesday.Féliz García is accused of driving the shooter to the scene on the back of a motorcycle. Following the shooting, the charging documents say, the shooter fled the scene with his gun in hand. Bautista Almonte said investigators located the other five suspects -- who were in custody Wednesday-- after they spoke with Féliz García at a local hospital. Police were investigating two cars that were parked near the scene of the shooting, and a witness told police he saw Féliz García and the gunman get into one of the cars before the shooting, the documents say.Prosecutors asked that Féliz García be held for a year of pretrial detention, but defense attorney Bunel Ramírez Merán told CNN that he argued against the move and requested the judge postpone the decision so the defense could gather evidence. Merán plans to demonstrate to the court that his client poses no flight risk due to his "family, social and work ties," he said. The judge said he would rule on the request Wednesday.JUST WATCHEDVideo purportedly shows moment David Ortiz was shotReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHVideo purportedly shows moment David Ortiz was shot 01:10The shootingOrtiz, 43, and a friend were shot at Dial Bar and Lounge in the Dominican capital. The bullet went through Ortiz's stomach, said Felix Durán Mejia, a spokesman for the Dominican Republic National Police. Féliz García of Santo Domingo West and a second man tried to drive away after the shooting, but the motorcycle fell to the pavement, police said.A crowd attacked Féliz García and handed him over to police, who transported him to a hospital for treatment. At his Tuesday hearing, he had swelling and deep cuts on his face. Deivi Solano, another of Féliz Garcia's attorneys, said his client is a motorcycle taxi driver and may have unwittingly driven the shooter, but he did not shoot Ortiz.Justina Garcia, the suspect's mother, said her son is innocent and that the two of them are fans of Ortiz. Her son would never do anything to hurt the baseball legend, she told CNN. "My son had nothing to do with this," she said, adding that she fears for his safety and wants police to provide added security. Ortiz is recovering in the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital after being flown to Boston to continue his treatment, his wife, Tiffany, said in a statement. A trauma surgeon is leading the medical team tending to the father of three, she said. JUST WATCHED2016: Big Papi reflects on his career, thanks fansReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH2016: Big Papi reflects on his career, thanks fans 01:00"Yesterday and this morning, David was able to sit up as well as take some steps," Tiffany Ortiz said Wednesday. "His condition is guarded and he will remain in the ICU for the coming days, but he is making good progress towards recovery."Dubbed Big Papi, Ortiz was reared in Santo Domingo and made his Major League Baseball debut in 1997. A first baseman and designated hitter, Ortiz played 20 seasons before retiring in 2016. He is best known for his 14 seasons as the Red Sox's designated hitter, during which he helped the team snap its decades-long title drought in 2004. He won three championships with the Sox and was named MVP of the 2013 World Series. CNN's Patrick Oppmann and Jeffrey York reported from Santo Domingo, and Nicole Chavez reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Tatiana Arias, Jonny Hallam, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Darran Simon and Jill Martin contributed to this report.

Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business

2022-03-18 14:20:52

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/business/dollar-tree-dollar-general-prices/index.html

Dollar stores are battling over $1 prices - CNN

Let the battle over $1 prices begin.

business, Dollar stores are battling over $1 prices - CNN

Dollar stores are battling over $1 prices

New York (CNN Business)Let the battle over $1 prices begin.Last year, Dollar Tree (DLTR) announced it was walking away from $1 prices and raising prices on most products to $1.25. With Dollar Tree abandoning $1 prices, its main rival Dollar General (DG) sees an opportunity to draw away some customers. Dollar General is advertising its $1 prices to customers in stores to push the perception that it's the place to save money as everything gets more expensive. Dollar General is "trying to take Dollar Tree shoppers" and position itself as a trade-down option, said Evercore ISI analyst Michael Montani.With most of its stores in rural areas, Dollar General targets low-income customers and sells food and household essentials. By contrast Dollar Tree, a smaller competitor, operates stores primarily in the suburbs that target middle-income customers hunting for party goods and other knickknacks.The largest dollar store chains in the United States aren't true dollar stores, though. Dollar General, for example, hasn't sold everything for a dollar in decades, and only about 20% of its merchandise is $1 or less.Read MoreBut recently, Dollar General has been putting more of its $1 items in prime positions in stores and adding signs highlighting those prices. It's also considering growing its assortment of $1 items, the company said this week.'Sick to my stomach': Dollar Tree fanatics protest new $1.25 prices"We've actually leaned into our $1 price point," CEO Todd Vasos said on a call with analysts Thursday. Dollar General is "really pushing that [$1] side of the business because I think our customers will need us even more there."Dollar General's main customers, many of whom have fixed incomes, often run out of money at the end of the month, Vasos said. Offering $1 items "bridges that last few days for her" and help "round out her month."Gas prices have increased above $4, and Dollar General expects customers to drive less and shop closer to home. With 18,000 US stores, including some in towns where it's the only store around, Dollar General believes these trends work in its favor and shoppers will bypass higher-priced stores and trade down, especially for $1 products."Tougher times for the consumer normally means that she needs us more," Vasos said.As Dollar General has stepped up its $1 strategy, Dollar Tree has moved away from them — even though $1 prices were Dollar Tree's brand identity for 35 years and its decision to move to $1.25 risked driving away customers. But the highest inflation in 40 years forced Dollar Tree to make changes. It raised prices because its business was pressured by having to keep everything under $1, with surges in labor, transportation, fuel, merchandise and shipping costs squeezing the company's profits. The jury is still out on the impact of the change. Earlier this month, Dollar Tree said that $1.25 prices were helping grow sales, but also noted that shoppers were buying fewer items as a result. Some Dollar Tree loyalists have also protested the price hikes.

Nell Lewis

2020-07-09 19:33:54

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/energy/iea-clean-energy-transition-summit-spc-intl/index.html

'Coal has no place in Covid-19 recovery plans,' says UN chief - CNN

At an International Energy Agency summit, the UN Secretary General urged countries to stop financing the coal industry, to deliver a sustainable future following the pandemic.

energy, 'Coal has no place in Covid-19 recovery plans,' says UN chief - CNN

'Coal has no place in Covid-19 recovery plans,' says UN chief

London (CNN Business)UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged countries to stop financing the coal industry, to deliver a sustainable future following the pandemic. "Coal has no place in Covid-19 recovery plans," he said on Thursday, via video link during an online summit hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA).The summit included 40 government ministers from countries around the world, representing 80% of global energy use and emissions. Its aim was to set out plans to reduce global emissions while also boosting economic recovery after Covid-19. Guterres commended governments that have committed to green recovery plans, citing the EU, South Korea, Nigeria and Canada. But he said many others had missed the point. Read More"Some countries have used stimulus plans to prop up oil and gas companies that were already struggling financially. Others have chosen to jumpstart coal-fired power plants that don't make financial or environmental sense."He added that new research on recovery packages in G20 nations show that twice as much recovery money has been spent on fossil fuels as on clean energy.A blueprint released by the IEA in June called on governments to invest $3 trillion in a green recovery. It said failure to act now would risk a repeat of the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, when governments did not prioritize stimulus spending on climate, allowing CO2 emissions to bounce back with what the IEA describes as the largest increase ever recorded.The pandemic won't fix the climate crisis. This $3 trillion recovery plan couldGuterres said as nations channel "trillions of dollars of taxpayers' money into recovery strategies" they must invest in a more sustainable future."We can invest in fossil fuels whose markets are volatile and whose emissions lead to lethal air pollution, or we can invest in renewable energy which is reliable, clean and economically smart," he said.At the summit, Zhang Jinhua, director of China's National Energy Administration, said the country, which accounts for more than 50% of global coal use today, is committed to developing its clean energy sector.Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, told CNN that he was "heartened" by China's response. He added that the summit, which drew over half a million online viewers, proved there was a widespread desire for change. "There is a global momentum to build a sustainable economic recovery process and momentum for clean energy transition," he said.

Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

2020-03-13 14:46:17

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/business/orkney-hydrogen-power/index.html

Orkney: This small island chain is leading the way on hydrogen power - CNN

Too much clean energy. It's an unusual problem to have, and one that's spurred a group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland to become an unlikely pioneer in hydrogen power.

business, Orkney: This small island chain is leading the way on hydrogen power - CNN

This small island chain is leading the way on hydrogen power

London (CNN Business)Too much clean energy. It's an unusual problem to have, and one that's spurred a group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland to become an unlikely pioneer in hydrogen power.Orkney, better known for its breathtaking coastal scenery and some of Britain's oldest heritage sites than for its cutting edge approach to energy, has been quietly pioneering hydrogen technology. The electric pickup wars are about to beginAbundant rainfall, strong winds and powerful waves mean the island chain's entire electricity demand is already met through renewable resources. But in recent years, Orkney's grid couldn't handle the amount of power being generated from its ever expanding wind farms, Megan McNeill, Orkney projects manager at Community Energy Scotland, told CNN Business. Wind turbines needed to be switched off on a daily basis, as power cables reached capacity, leaving clean energy unused.Rather than waste the excess electricity, the islands decided to harness it. It was here that in 2017 the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), in a world first, used tidal energy to split water and make hydrogen — a process known as electrolysis. Read MoreThat was just the beginning. The success of that project spurred collaboration between EMEC, Community Energy Scotland and others to do the same with excess wind energy. Surf 'n' Turf, a project funded by the Scottish government, combined excess electricity from tidal and wind turbines to create hydrogen, another world first.Hydrogen is viewed as an important part of the transition to a cleaner future because it emits no carbon. It can also be stored and is seen as a potential replacement to natural gas.But traditional hydrogen production relies almost entirely on fossil fuels and is responsible for 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. That is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of the United Kingdom and Indonesia combined, according to the International Energy Agency.Producing hydrogen power remains expensive, but Orkney's success in creating hydrogen using clean energy demonstrates that it can be done at scale. The islands are already using hydrogen to power vehicles, and it will soon be used to heat a local primary school.Now, Orkney is hoping to use hydrogen fuel cells to power a seagoing vessel able to transport both goods and passengers."We're hoping it can be the world first," said hydrogen manager at EMEC, Jon Clipshim, adding, "there is a race on."— Jenny Marc contributed to this report.Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that hydrogen power was being used to power a primary school.

Charles Riley, CNN Business

2020-02-04 13:38:14

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/04/business/petrol-and-diesel-ban-uk/index.html

Petrol and diesel ban: UK gives car industry 15 years to ditch fossil fuels - CNN

Britain will ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035 — five years earlier than planned — heaping pressure on an auto industry that is already struggling to cope with a global sales slump and the fallout from Brexit.

business, Petrol and diesel ban: UK gives car industry 15 years to ditch fossil fuels - CNN

The UK just gave the car industry 15 years to ditch fossil fuels

London (CNN Business)Britain will ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035 — five years earlier than planned — heaping pressure on an auto industry that is already struggling to cope with a global sales slump and the fallout from Brexit. And for the first time, hybrid vehicles will also be covered by the ban. The UK government detailed the more aggressive approach in a statement Tuesday, saying it was necessary to fight the climate crisis and help the United Kingdom cut carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050. "We have a responsibility to our planet to lead," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a speech in London that launched the next UN climate conference, COP26, which is to be held later this year in Scotland.Brexit just happened. Britain and the EU are already arguing about what comes nextThe accelerated timetable drew immediate pushback from automakers, which raised concerns about the lack of clarity on whether the government would continue to subsidize sales of electric vehicles, the lack of charging infrastructure and potential job losses. Read More"It's extremely concerning that government has seemingly moved the goalposts for consumers and industry on such a critical issue," Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said in a statement. "With current demand for this still expensive technology still just a fraction of sales, it's clear that accelerating an already very challenging ambition will take more than industry investment."The new commitment puts the United Kingdom in a group of countries leading the phase out of cars powered by fossil fuels. Norway wants all new passenger cars and vans sold in the country to be zero-emission vehicles by 2025, and India has called for new cars sold there to be powered by electricity by 2030.Prince Charles: We need a new economic model or the planet will burn Rebecca Newsom, Greenpeace UK Head of Politics, said in a statement that phasing out the internal combustion engine in the United Kingdom would have to happen even sooner, by 2030 at the latest, in order to give the country a chance of hitting its climate targets. Even meeting the 2035 goal would require a complete transformation of the UK car market. The number of battery-powered electric vehicles sold last year in Britain grew by 144%, but sales still only made up less than 2% of the total. Hybrids, which would also be banned under the new policy in 2035, made up roughly 8% of total vehicle sales.Hawes called on the government to develop a comprehensive plan to help the industry meet the new goal, suggesting that a haphazard approach could undermine sales of hybrid vehicles that are helping to meet climate goals in the near term. "If the UK is to lead the global zero emissions agenda, we need a competitive marketplace and a competitive business environment to encourage manufacturers to sell and build here. A date without a plan will merely destroy value today," he said.Big carmakers such as Volkswagen (VLKAF) are investing billions of dollars in developing electric cars. But there are questions over whether manufacturers in the United Kingdom will be able to compete, given uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on supply chains and exports.Jaguar Land Rover's CEO to retire. His successor will face many challengesUK car production fell 14% last year, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Trouble in key overseas markets, and a shift away from diesel cars in Europe, played a role in the sector's third consecutive annual decline.Brexit is likely to continue to stoke uncertainty.The global automakers who have built factories in the country fear the year could end without Britain having agreed a new trade deal with the European Union. That would snarl their supply chains, disrupt production and erode profit margins that are already razor thin.

Nell Lewis and John Defterios, CNN

2020-01-23 19:29:33

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/energy/davos-global-energy-challenge-panel/index.html

Davos 2020: Can oil and gas companies help make the transition to clean energy? - CNN

At the Davos 'Global Energy Challenge' panel, the International Energy Agency chief called for a 'grand coalition' to tackle climate change.

energy, Davos 2020: Can oil and gas companies help make the transition to clean energy? - CNN

Can oil and gas companies help the transition to clean energy?

Davos, Switzerland (CNN)The climate crisis has dominated the World Economic Forum's 50th annual conference in Davos, Switzerland.Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swedish climate change activist, took top billing alongside US President Donald Trump, and the WEF asked all companies present to commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Concerns about the environment filled the top five places of World Economic Forum's annual risks report for the first time in its history.At the start of a new decade, a real transition away from fossil fuels is beginning to gather traction. As the energy sector is faced with environmental pressures there is a recognition that "business as usual" will not suffice. Energy providers are having to adapt to this changing landscape. But will there still be a place for fossil fuels in a world that must reduce carbon emissions?Amin Nasser, president and CEO of the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Aramco, believes that even in 20 years, demand for oil will continue at its current level.Read MoreRead: China can go carbon neutral by 2050Citing a growing global population, emerging middle class and the billion people today without access to electricity, he told a panel debate at Davos: "There will be more demand -- the only way you can meet it is to continue to provide affordable, reliable, ample energy to the rest of the world." "It will take a lot of work between traditional energy sources and alternatives, renewables -- you need both together to meet the future demand," he added.No quick switchDespite all the pressure from interest groups and concerns over climate change, carbon emissions rose in 2018 and are expected to have risen again last year.In 2018, coal was the energy sector's biggest carbon emitter, accounting for about 30% of its global emissions. While its use is slowing, according to the Carbon Budget 2019, last year coal emissions from China were projected to have grown by 2.6% and from India by 1.8%.JUST WATCHEDQuitting coal is India's energy challengeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHQuitting coal is India's energy challenge 02:55"Coal in Asia is the problem -- it's not even coal everywhere else," said Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief and founding partner of Global Optimism, an enterprise focused on social and environmental change."Getting coal out of the grids is the number 1, 2 and 3 priority," she told the "Global Energy Challenge" panel, which was developed in partnership with CNN, and moderated by CNN Business Emerging Markets Editor John Defterios.She noted the decline of coal in the United States, and dismissed the long-term impact of President Donald Trump, who described climate activists as "perennial prophets of doom" when addressing the WEF earlier in the week. Investor pressureFor the energy sector, there is a confluence of pressures. There's the concern that demand for oil may be near its peak, and that the world's institutional funds are focusing more on ESG -- environment, social and governance -- to drive their investment decisions.The market-cap on oil and gas companies in the S&P 500 has been cut in half over the last decade, as institutional investors move out of the oil and gas sector due to squeezed margins and the threat to the industry posed by climate change. JUST WATCHEDThe Global Energy Challenge: United KingdomReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe Global Energy Challenge: United Kingdom 24:24Perhaps the best barometer in the energy sector itself is to follow the money trail. Of the nearly $2 trillion spent on overall energy investment in 2018, $355 billion went into solar and wind power generation, battery storage and nuclear power, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency's 2019 world energy investment report. This still failed to match the nearly $800 billion still going into oil and gas exploration and production.But Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said the expertise of oil and gas companies could play a huge role in the transition to clean energy. "Looking at Aramco, Siemens, many companies who are here, they have all the skills, all the engineering knowledge to run large-scale projects. Why don't we get them on board and make them part of the solution?"Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens (GCTAF) -- one of the world's largest industrial groups -- told the audience that he had today agreed a project with Aramco's Nasser to produce synthetic fuel from green hydrogen. "He'll mix and blend synthetic fuel with hydrocarbon (which) brings it down to 40% - 50% emissions," said Kaeser.Ultimately, it will take collaboration to meet the energy challenges of the future. Birol called for "a grand coalition of governments, the energy industry, investors and also citizens" to tackle climate change."We have technologies and the finance capital," he said, "We just need to bring the political will."

Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

2020-01-18 07:55:26

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/business/uk-net-zero-emissions-2050/index.html

Britain has to solve its heating problem to meet its ambitious climate goals - CNN

The United Kingdom made history last year when it became the first major economy to commit to pumping no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than it removes by 2050.

business, Britain has to solve its heating problem to meet its ambitious climate goals - CNN

Gas heating is the biggest threat to Britain's climate goal

London (CNN Business)The United Kingdom made history last year when it became the first major economy to commit to pumping no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than it removes by 2050. Dozens of countries have since followed its lead to achieve "net zero" emissions, and with three decades to go before the deadline, Britain's progress provides a promising blueprint.Its carbon emissions were 44% below 1990 levels in 2018, with renewable energy now accounting for 33% of its energy mix and coal contributing just over 5%. That is thanks in large part to its success with offshore wind and focus on nuclear energy.Britain is undergoing an energy transition as it aims for net zero emissionsBut the Committee on Climate Change, an independent advisory body, warns the country must do more to meet its carbon reduction targets for 2023 to 2027. And climate activists say the government should aim for "net zero" much sooner than 2050.Heating homesRead MoreBy far the biggest threat to the United Kingdom's 2050 ambition comes from the way it heats its homes, schools and hospitals. More than 80% of homes are connected to the gas grid, according to Ian Radley, head of gas operations at National Grid. While natural gas emits less carbon than coal, Britain's heavy dependence on the fossil fuel is deemed unsustainable. Heat is responsible for around half of all UK CO2 emissions, according to HyDeploy, a consortium that is currently piloting hydrogen as an alternative to gas.In other words, the UK government's £1.5 billion ($2 billion) investment into reducing emissions from road transport won't be enough to meet its 2050 target if it doesn't also tackle heating."The heating story is the one that usually just gets neglected. It's in the box called 'too difficult,'" Dieter Helm, professor of energy policy at Oxford University, told CNN Business. "How are you going to heat your house and do your cooking without natural gas? The answer to that question is at considerable expense."A 2018 report commissioned by the National Infrastructure Commission, a government agency, found that decarbonizing Britain's heating infrastructure could cost as much as £450 billion ($586 billion). The total cost of decarbonization could exceed £1 trillion ($1.3 trillion), according to the Committee on Climate Change. Among the proposed solutions to the domestic heating challenge: stop connecting new homes to the gas grid, while encouraging existing homeowners to move to energy efficient alternatives such as hydrogen boilers. Repurposing existing infrastructure will be critical. HyDeploy is conducting experiments at the University of Keele to establish how much hydrogen can be blended into the national grid as a replacement to gas, without people needing to buy new heating or cooking appliances. Hydrogen offers many of the benefits of natural gas, without the carbon emissions.Production versus consumptionFor Helm, even if the United Kingdom achieves its target in terms of power production, consumption is what ultimately matters. "If we reduce carbon emissions in Britain but simply close down our large industries and import the stuff from China instead, then global warming will be worse off," Helm said. "The thing about carbon is it doesn't matter where it's emitted," he added, arguing that a carbon border tax is the only way to encourage all countries to decarbonize and ensure that "the polluter pays wherever the polluter is."The world's largest offshore wind farm is nearly complete. It can power 1 million homesCarbon pricing mechanisms were discussed at December's UN climate summit in Madrid, but no agreement was reached on how to create a global carbon market where, for example, countries could trade greenhouse gas emission credits. The United Kingdom will host this year's summit in Glasgow in November, and the progress made by major economies will be scrutinized, particularly following the disappointing outcome in Madrid.The United Kingdom must have "made credible plans" to meet its 2050 target by then, according to Chris Stark, CEO of the Committee on Climate Change."The next 12 months are likely to be the most important yet in defining the UK's climate credentials," Stark wrote in a recent blog post. — John Defterios contributed reporting.

Rob Picheta, CNN Business

2020-01-06 16:23:32

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/06/tech/lithium-sulfur-battery-scli-intl-scn/index.html

New lithium-sulfur battery could charge your phone for five days - CNN

Australian researchers claim they have developed a battery that can keep a smartphone charged for five days or power an electric car for 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles).

tech, New lithium-sulfur battery could charge your phone for five days - CNN

New lithium-sulfur battery could charge your phone for five days, researchers say

London (CNN Business)Australian researchers claim they have developed a battery that can keep a smartphone charged for five days or power an electric car for 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles).If the technology comes to be used widely, it would represent a significant breakthrough in the hunt for greener, more efficient energy. The team from Monash University in Melbourne says the lithium-sulfur battery it has created is the "world's most efficient," and can outperform traditional batteries by four times.The researchers said they are "on the brink" of commercializing the innovation, and touted its benefits for the fight against climate change.Most commercial batteries are lithium-ion, but lithium-sulfur alternatives have long been attractive because of their higher energy density and ability to power objects for longer.Read MoreThe electric car revolution will require us to build better batteriesHowever, lithium-sulfur batteries tend to have a far shorter lifespan. They are used in some aircraft and cars, but previous attempts to bring them to mass production and phase out lithium-ion batteries have failed.According to battery experts The Faraday Institution, the widespread use of lithium-sulfur batteries faces "major hurdles" stemming from sulfur's "insulating nature," and degradation of the metallic lithium anode. The team in Australia, whose research was published in the journal Science Advances, reconfigured the design of sulfur cathodes so that they are able to withstand higher stress loads without seeing a drop in overall performance.Their work "will revolutionise the Australian vehicle market and provide all Australians with a cleaner and more reliable energy market," lead researcher Professor Mainak Majumder said in a press release.The group, whose work received funding from the Australian government, has patented the new battery and further testing is scheduled for later this year.The rapid rise of electric vehicles could lead to a mountain of battery waste"This approach not only favours high performance metrics and long cycle life, but is also simple and extremely low-cost to manufacture, using water-based processes, and can lead to significant reductions in environmentally hazardous waste," Matthew Hill, who also worked on the team, said.However, the there are some challenges and limitations associated with the technology. CNN's Amy Woodyatt contributed to this report.

Rachel Metz, CNN Business

2019-11-07 17:53:37

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/tech/apple-environment-lisa-jackson-interview/index.html

Why this Apple executive says the US needs a new energy system - CNN

As wildfire season loomed in California last month, the executive who oversees Apple's environmental efforts told CNN Business that fires sparked in the state show the need to update the United States' aging energy infrastructure.

tech, Why this Apple executive says the US needs a new energy system - CNN

Why this Apple executive says the US needs a new energy system

San Francisco (CNN Business)As wildfire season loomed in California last month, the executive who oversees Apple's environmental efforts told CNN Business that fires sparked in the state show the need to update the United States' aging energy infrastructure.Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, said the US's energy system was meant to bring power to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. But wildfires in California highlight the need to invest in technology to improve that system and make it more resilient. "Investing in our energy system is much more forward looking than defending the old systems," Jackson said. "A new energy system is what we need."LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 05: Lisa Jackson, Apple Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, speaks at Web Summit in Altice Arena on November 05, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.Jackson made the remarks during an interview with CNN Business Emerging Markets Editor John Defterios at a San Francisco Apple store on October 11.Equipment from utility company Pacific Gas and Electric has been blamed for starting deadly wildfires in the state in the past and the company has filed reports saying that its equipment may again be linked to at least three of the more than a dozen recent fires. PG&E also faced criticism in October for intentionally cutting many customers' electricity in a bid to avoid lines sparking fires during windy, dry conditions.Read MoreThe interview with Jackson occurred just weeks before the start of the massive Kincade wildfire in Sonoma County on October 23, which as of Wednesday was mostly contained and had consumed nearly 80,000 acres. At the same time, several other wildfires in various states of containment burned throughout California.This aerial photo shows the Los Angeles Skyline surrounded with smoke in Los Angeles, California on November 01, 2019.Jackson also said she believes California in particular can "set the pace" for clean energy in the US. The state has a goal of meeting all of its electrical needs with carbon-free power sources by 2045.Apple, which is based in Cupertino, California, met a company goal to run its offices, retail stores, data centers on 100% clean energy back in 2018. The company has also convinced 44 of its suppliers to commit to doing likewise for the production of Apple products.Tech companies' actions related to climate change have also been a key issue among their workers: Google employees, for instance, published an open letter Monday addressed to the company's chief financial officer, demanding it come up with a climate plan that includes a commitment to being emissions free by 2030. Such a plan would be similar to those asked for by employees at Amazon and Microsoft.

John Defterios, CNN Business

2019-11-07 16:07:57

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/business/america-number-one-oil-producer-now/index.html

America is now the world's top oil producer, but cracks are emerging - CNN

By any measure, America's rapid expansion to a record 12 million barrels of oil output a day has been a global game-changer.

business, America is now the world's top oil producer, but cracks are emerging - CNN

America is now the world's top oil producer, but cracks are emerging

Midland, Texas (CNN Business)By any measure, America's rapid expansion to a record 12 million barrels of oil output a day has been a global game-changer.In less than a decade, a boom in the country's shale patch added a record 8 million barrels day and made the United States the No. 1 oil producer in the world.A large chunk of credit must go to the producers in the Permian Basin, a vast expanse of 86,000 square miles that borders west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. That region is responsible for about a third of America's crude output.At a recent visit to downtown Midland, Texas, often referred to as the capital of shale country, an electronic sign updated the active drilling count to 864, with nearly half of the at work in the Permian.Scott Sheffield, CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, embraced the shale revolution early on. After nearly two decades of running, the company has accumulated 680,000 acres of oil and gas territory.Read MoreA fracking site in the oil town of Midland, Texas."We're at 80 billion barrels recoverable in the Midland basin, and probably the same in the Delaware basin, which is pretty close to what the numbers are in some Middle Eastern countries," said Sheffield, referring to the two biggest fields in the Permian.According to OPEC's World Oil Outlook, released this week, the shale boom will continue, taking US daily production to a whopping 20 million barrels per day in five years. This boom has far-reaching implications. President Donald Trump is blunt about his unwillingness to deploy American troops to protect a free flow of crude, especially coming out of the Persian Gulf, which accounts for about a fifth of daily global demand. He recently declared the US military was "locked and loaded" to strike Iran, but when a brazen attack in mid-September, often blamed on Teheran, against Saudi Aramco's oil facilities did not trigger American military action in the region, many marked that event as a profound shift in US policy.Investors are dumping oil. So why would anyone buy Saudi Aramco? "If you had told me in 2001, 2002 we would have the world's largest oil processing facility hit by a combination of drones and cruise missiles that may have been fired by a sovereign state -- Iran -- and there would be no military response, I would say that is ludicrous," said Helima Croft, managing director and global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.The US still imports about nine million barrels a day of oil, but it is far less dependent on foreign supplies.Not only has the shale expansion allowed for growing US energy independence, it's created jobs in America's oil and gas belt and allowed Trump to tout how lower prices at the gas pump have helped extend the country's economic expansion.While many have focused their attention on America's rise to the world's number one oil producer, unseating traditional heavyweights like Saudi Arabia, the prolific expansion of shale gas has also allowed the US to stand toe-to-toe with energy giants such as Qatar and Russia.At the Sabine Pass on the border of Texas and Louisiana sits Cheniere Energy's shiny new liquid natural gas terminal. The group spent $12 billion to build the facility after legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama lifted a ban on energy exports in 2015.There could be trouble ahead for Saudi Arabia's economy"If you'll recall, not long ago people were talking about peak oil and gas and the U S was going to become a major importer of natural gas," said Robert Fee, vice president of international affairs at Cheniere. "You've heard estimates of a hundred years of natural gas...that number keeps getting higher and higher" because of technological innovation.Cheniere now exports liquid natural gas to more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe and South America.But cracks are beginning to emerge in America's fracking model, as Wall Street enforces financial discipline on the shale patch.There have been nearly 200 bankruptcies of shale producers in the last four years, with small- and medium-sized producers collapsing under more than $100 billion in debt.Pioneer's Sheffield, for example, postponed his retirement plans to return as CEO in order to cut $100 million in overhead and lay off 530 workers, or a quarter of his workforce. And he is pushing an internal target of a 15% return on capital deployed after receiving feedback from Wall Street."Now they are saying 'slow down, you're producing way too much. You've got too much supply in the US. It's affecting world oil prices and start returning capital back to us,'" said Sheffield.The market capitalization of energy companies in the S&P 500 has been cut in half over the last four years, as institutional investors move out of the oil and gas sector due to squeezed margins and the threat to the industry posed by climate change.Although some believe this is a healthy shakeout to extend America's oil and gas boom, three basic options have quickly emerged in shale country: to remain independent by slashing costs and enforcing production discipline, put up the "for sale" sign, or go bankrupt.Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the amount of debt faced by some shale producers.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2019-11-26 17:13:03

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/26/business/renewable-energy-coal/index.html

Coal to get toppled by solar, wind and other renewables in 2021 - CNN

Coal, long the king of America's electric grid, will soon get toppled by renewable energy.

business, Coal to get toppled by solar, wind and other renewables in 2021 - CNN

Solar, wind and hydro power could soon surpass coal

New York (CNN Business)Coal, long the king of America's electric grid, will soon get toppled by renewable energy.Solar and wind power are growing so rapidly that for the first time ever, the United States will likely get more power in 2021 from renewable energy than from coal, according to projections from the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis. This milestone is being driven by the gangbusters growth for solar and wind as well as the stunning collapse of coal. And it comes as the United Nations warned on Tuesday that countries are not doing enough to keep the planet's temperature from rising to near-catastrophic levels.Secretive energy startup backed by Bill Gates achieves solar breakthrough"The next piece of the energy transition is very close at hand," said PJ Deschenes, partner at Greentech Capital Advisors, a boutique investment bank focused on clean energy. "Coal is coming offline as fast or faster than we anticipated."For decades, coal was the cornerstone of the power industry. But a combination of environmental concerns, aging plants and competition have caused a sharp decline in coal usage in the United States.Read MoreCoal provided about half of America's power generation between 2000 and 2010. However, coal usage started to fall sharply late in the last decade because of the abundance of cheap natural gas. Coal was dethroned by natural gas in 2016, according to the US Energy Information Administration. 'Negative feedback loop'Despite President Donald Trump's promise to save coal, the industry's decline has only continued. This was underlined by last month's bankruptcy of Murray Energy, America's largest private coal mining company. US power companies are rapidly retiring old coal plants and replacing them with wind and solar farms. Utility companies like PSEG (PEG) and Xcel Energy (XEL), which long relied on coal, are now pledging to deliver carbon-free electricity. 'Nervous and scared.' Coal workers fear for pensions after Murray Energy bankruptcyNavajo Generation Station, the largest coal-fired power plant in the West, permanently closed last week. The shutdown means that South Nevada's electricity is now coal-free.US power plants are expected to consume less coal next year than at any point since 1978, according to the EIA. That will cause coal's market share to drop below 22%, compared with 28% in 2018. That shrinking market share makes existing coal plants even less profitable. "It's a negative feedback loop," said Greentech's Deschenes. This trend is playing out overseas as well. Global electricity production from coal is on track to fall by a record 3% in 2019, according to CarbonBrief. That drop is being driven by record declines from Germany and South Korea as well as the first dip in India in at least three decades. 2021 is a 'crossover year'Dennis Wamsted, editor and analyst at IEEFA, is predicting that 2021 will be the "crossover year" in the United States, where coal is supplanted by renewables, which include solar, wind, hydropower, biomass and geothermal."Coal and renewables are rapidly heading in opposite directions," Wamsted said in a report."If the crossover doesn't occur in 2021, it will without a doubt do so by 2022." This transition has already played out in Texas, which was long a coal-first state. During the first half of this year, wind power surpassed coal for the first time in Texas history. Wind made up just 0.8% of the Lone Star State's power as of 2003. That figure has climbed to 22%, compared with 21% for coal. Critics of renewable energy correctly note that the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow.That's why Deschenes said he hopes these milestones draw greater attention to the importance of energy storage systems that hold renewable energy for when it's needed.

Chris Isidore, CNN Business

2019-11-06 22:22:46

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/06/business/midland-texas-boomtown/index.html

Midland, Texas: America's ultimate boomtown - CNN

For years, Midland, Texas, was a quiet corner of the oil patch, in the middle of the desert, hours away from the state's population centers. It knew oil booms and oil busts, but little changed year-to-year.

business, Midland, Texas: America's ultimate boomtown - CNN

Midland, Texas: America's ultimate boomtown

Midland, Texas (CNN Business)For years, Midland, Texas, was a quiet corner of the oil patch, in the middle of the desert, hours away from the state's population centers. It knew oil booms and oil busts, but little changed year-to-year.Then came fracking, and Midland, the center of a West Texas region known as the Permian Basin, would never be the same again.The technology of injecting water into the ground to force up oil and gas locked in the shale put huge fossil fuel deposits within reach that had never been economically available before. Production soared, a key to the United States becoming the world's largest oil producer.With increased oil production came an explosion in residents. The population of Midland reached 142,000 last year, up nearly 30% since the start of the decade. That's nearly triple the pace of growth of the previous 10 years. And the new, faster, growth shows no sign of slowing down. A study commissioned by the city forecasts Midland's population will reach 250,000 by 2030.Welcome to Boomtown, USARead MoreFrom the moment you exit the plane at the city's airport, called Midland International Air and Space Port despite its modest size, know you're in an oil town. Virtually every advertisement in the terminal is for businesses providing services to the oil industry, not for any of the consumer products that fill most airport concourses. "Patriot Premium threading services — delivering quality tubular products," reads one sign."Get frack-grade water faster," reads another.The same focus on oil is true throughout the downtown. Outside of a bank on the city's "Wall Street" is an electronic sign that lists not only time and temperature, but also current market prices for oil and gas, as well as oil rig counts both locally and nationwide.Midland's unemployment rate is only 2%, nearly half of the near record-low national unemployment rate of 3.6%. Even when oil prices plunged to $30 a barrel in early 2016 and some drilling of new wells ground to a near halt, the unemployment rate never climbed above 5%.Shortages of labor and resourcesBut even economic good times come with problems. The roads in and around Midland are often clogged with traffic. Talk to the average person in town and that's often what you'll hear complaints about: A cross-town trip that might have taken 15 minutes a decade ago takes more than twice as long now. Midland Mayor Jerry Morales says the number of vehicles on the streets has increased by 33,000 in just the last five years.And it is tough for businesses not in the oil and gas industry to find the workers they need. Restaurants have to leave tables empty because they don't have enough staff to cook and serve their customers. There's a shortage of affordable housing because finding construction workers is difficult. A one-bedroom apartment goes for $1,500, more than rents for similarly-sized housing in Dallas and Houston. Morales has struggled with that shortage of workers, both in his private business, running three restaurants in town, as well as finding workers to fill positions in town government. How Elizabeth Warren could 'vaporize' America's oil boomMorales said he has about 50 employees at his restaurants when he could use 75. As far as city government and schools, "there are still a lot of positions in City Hall we need to fill because it's so expensive to move here. We're short teachers, bus drivers, maintenance. We had to give large pay increase to police and fire to hold on first responders." A new mayor in townAlthough people in Midland are happy about the strong economy, there's a lot of concern about the the pace of growth, the traffic and the teacher shortages and the rising rents and housing prices. Morales said he believes those widespread concerns are the reason he lost his re-election bid this week, although the candidate who beat him wasn't running on any kind of anti-growth platform."I wouldn't say there's a backlash against the growth, but it's a very conservative city," he said. "All the leadership in place today is being held responsible for the growth happening so quickly."This week the school district asked voters for permission to sell $569 million in bonds to build new schools and replace the 134 portable classrooms in use around the district. The money can't be used to pay teachers, but it can free up money now going to rent the classrooms and maintain buildings to make hiring teachers easier. Midland's school district has 144 teacher vacancies, as well as 35 bus driver positions that are unfilled. Some classes, including a chemistry class and an English class at the high school, have 40 students. An AP economics class has 48 students and not enough seats for everyone to sit. Despite the strong support for the bond issue from the local business community, the vote on the bonds passed by the narrowest of margins — only 12 votes out of 23,108 cast according to the initial vote tally. A recount lies ahead, if opponents get their way. And so does additional growing pains for what is the oil patch's ultimate boomtown.

Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

2019-10-24 14:58:45

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/24/business/uk-fracking-energy/index.html

Fracking may never get off the ground in the UK - CNN

The United Kingdom once hoped that fracking would unlock its shale energy reserves, enhancing the country's energy security and creating jobs and new tax revenues in the process. That now looks unlikely to ever happen.

business, Fracking may never get off the ground in the UK - CNN

The UK once hoped for an American-style fracking boom. It's not happening

London (CNN Business)The United Kingdom once hoped that fracking would unlock its shale energy reserves, enhancing the country's energy security and creating jobs and new tax revenues in the process. That now looks unlikely to ever happen.Only three wells have been fracked in the country to date, according to a report this week from the National Audit Office (NAO), which monitors government spending. The UK government had been hoping for 20 wells by the middle of 2020.The NAO cites multiple factors for the slow start: Public support for fracking was weak to begin with and has dropped over time. The size of UK shale reserves remains unknown and the cost effectiveness of extraction has not been studied by the government.Even more dramatic, each of the three wells have caused earthquakes more powerful than the 0.5 magnitude threshold that requires a pause in operations, according to the NAO. The most recent was a 2.9 magnitude quake in August.Fracking, which unlocks natural gas and oil, involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into a well. It has sparked protests and public concern because of the threat it poses to groundwater and wildlife.Read MoreAccording to the NAO, the government still believes fracking could help the economy. But as public pressure builds for more urgent action to tackle the climate crisis, fracking in the United Kingdom looks doomed unless new technologies to capture carbon emissions from burning shale gas can be developed fast. Meanwhile, in AmericaWidespread fracking has in recent years transformed the US energy industry, driving oil production higher while creating high-paying jobs. In 2016, fracking accounted for more than two-thirds of all oil and natural gas wells drilled in the United States, according to the US Energy Information Administration.Even more noteworthy has been the disruption to the balance of power in global oil markets. US oil production has more than doubled over the past decade to about 12 million barrels per day. The United States briefly overtook Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world top oil exporter in June, according to the International Energy Agency. Eclipsed by renewables?The nascent UK fracking industry pales in comparison to that of the United States.Cuadrilla, the only company that has fracked for shale gas in the United Kingdom, was forced to suspend operations at one of its wells in Lancashire, England, following the earthquake in August. But the firm is sticking to its guns and testing another shale gas well. "We are committed to exploring for shale gas with the aim to establish a domestic energy supply that the United Kingdom really needs," CEO Francis Egan said in an emailed statement.Producing natural gas locally from UK shale was preferable to "ever increasing gas imports," he added.The UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy told CNN Business that it would set out its future approach to fracking once it had considered the findings of an imminent industry assessment by the Oil and Gas Authority, a government agency that regulates oil and gas resources.In addition to environmental concerns, the fracking industry faces another big challenge: the cost of renewable energy is falling fast.The UK government wants the country to become a global leader in renewables and plans to derive a third of its electricity from offshore wind by 2030. For fracking, the game may already be up.— CNN Business' Matt Egan contributed to this report.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2019-10-21 18:33:57

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/business/renewable-energy-solar-iea/index.html

Renewables set for 'meteoric' growth. But that's not enough to fight climate change - CNN

Nearly a third of the Earth's electricity will come from renewables by 2024, according to the International Energy Agency.

business, Renewables set for 'meteoric' growth. But that's not enough to fight climate change - CNN

Renewable energy is booming. But it's not growing fast enough to fight climate change

New York (CNN Business)Nearly a third of the Earth's electricity will come from renewables by 2024, according to the International Energy Agency.Renewable power capacity is expected to surge by 50% globally in the next five years, "meteoric" growth that is equivalent to the amount of electricity currently churned out by America's power plants, the energy watchdog said in a report published on Monday. Trump's push to save coal is failing. Coal demand to plunge to 42-year lowThat blockbuster growth, led by solar power, is being driven by plunging costs, smarter policies and rising concern about the climate crisis.However, the IEA warned that the expansion into renewables will still be "well short" of what's required to meet aggressive goals aimed at fighting climate change and curbing air pollution. "They still need to be growing far more strongly in order to achieve long-term sustainable energy goals," Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, wrote in the report. Read MoreThe shift towards clean energy has been significant, including in the United States, where power plants are quickly dumping coal in favor of solar, wind and natural gas. America's power plants are expected to consume less coal next year than at any point since 1978, according to forecasts released earlier this month by the US Energy Information Administration. That's despite President Donald Trump's efforts to revive coal by slashing environmental regulations. Coal used to be the leading fuel source for America's power companies. It has been replaced by natural gas in recent years -- and renewables are not far behind.Globally, however, coal is still king -- and that's not expected to change in the near future. While nations are quickly adopting solar and wind, the IEA said coal is still expected to be the largest source of power globally in 2024. The agency predicted coal will generate about 34% of the planet's electricity in that year, down from nearly 40% in 2018. Offshore wind power to tripleThe global renewable energy boom stalled out in 2018 for the first time in two decades. Hurt by slower solar growth in China, last year marked the first since 2001 when renewable power generation capacity failed to increase.Renewables are back on track this year, with the IEA projecting 12% growth, the fastest in four years. That pace is being driven by solar power, which is being rapidly embraced in the European Union, India and Vietnam. The IEA also pointed to higher onshore wind growth in the United States, the EU and China.Solar power plants are expected to be "economically attractive" in most countries around the world by 2024, according to the IEA.Wind power will play an important role in the next leg of the renewable energy boom. Onshore wind will make up a quarter of the growth in renewables over the next five years. Wind power is at the heart of the green energy revolution in Texas in particular. By 2020, Texas will get more of its power from onshore wind than from coal, according to Rystad Energy. Offshore wind, while tiny compared to other energy sources, is also enjoying explosive growth. The IEA said offshore wind capacity is projected to triple by 2024, driven by auctions in the EU and growth in China and the United States.The enormous potential of offshore wind is on display off the east coast of Britain, where Danish energy company Orsted is working to complete the world's largest offshore wind farm. The project, Hornsea One, will produce enough energy to supply 1 million UK homes with clean power when it's finished in 2020.Solar keeps getting cheaperYet it's solar that will be the bigger driver of the renewables boom in the medium term, accounting for 60% of the expected growth through 2024, the IEA said. That's because solar costs are expected to tumble by another 15% to 35% over that timeframe, making solar power plants "economically attractive in most countries" by 2024.Plunging solar costs have caught the eye of Corporate America, encouraging companies like Facebook (FB) and General Motors (GM) to reach power purchase agreements that pave the way for large-scale renewable energy projects. Earlier this year, Mondelez (MDLZ) agreed to buy enough solar power to produce 10 billion Oreo cookies per year. Solar panels -- known as distributed solar systems -- on homes, commercial buildings and factories are "set to take off," the IEA said. Driven by decreasing costs, the report projected that distributed solar will more than double by 2024, with China accounting for almost half of that growth. China is expected to overtake the EU as early as 2021 as the leader in solar panels. Solar panels on homes are also expected to grow rapidly, with an estimated 100 million solar rooftop systems for homes in operation around the world by 2024. Still, the IEA warned that renewable electricity growth "needs to accelerate significantly" to meet long-term sustainable energy goals. The energy watchdog called on governments to speed up adoption by clearing up policy and regulatory uncertainty, reducing investment risk in developing economies and coming up with solutions for how to integrate wind and solar into the power system."Much greater efforts are required," the IEA said.

Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

2019-09-25 10:59:08

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/25/business/worlds-largest-wind-farm/index.html

The world's largest offshore wind farm is nearly complete - CNN

The world's largest offshore wind farm is taking shape off the east coast of Britain, a landmark project that demonstrates one way to combat climate change at scale.

business, The world's largest offshore wind farm is nearly complete - CNN

The world's largest offshore wind farm is nearly complete. It can power 1 million homes

London (CNN Business)The world's largest offshore wind farm is taking shape off the east coast of Britain, a landmark project that demonstrates one way to combat climate change at scale.Located 120 kilometers (75 miles) off England's Yorkshire coast, Hornsea One will produce enough energy to supply 1 million UK homes with clean electricity when it is completed in 2020. The project spans an area that's bigger than the Maldives or Malta, and is located farther out to sea than any other wind farm. It consists of 174 seven-megawatt wind turbines, with towers that are each nearly 100 meters tall. The blades cover an area bigger than the London Eye observation wheel as they turn. Just a single rotation of one of the turbines can power the average home for an entire day, according to Stefan Hoonings, senior project manager at Orsted (DOGEF), the Danish energy company that built the farm.The project will take the United Kingdom closer to hitting its target of deriving a third of the country's electricity from offshore wind by 2030.Read MoreIt's the kind of project that can help governments achieve environmental targets set out at this week's United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York. Some 77 countries committed at the summit to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, but climate activists including Greta Thunberg say that major emitters must do more to mitigate rising temperatures. The Hornsea One proejct will produce enough energy to power up to 1 million UK homes.Renewable energy will be critical to achieving those climate goals.Despite the commitments made as part of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, global emissions continued to rise in 2018, and global energy demand grew at its fastest pace in a decade, according to the International Energy Agency. Coal use in power generation accounted for a third of total CO2 emissions, the IEA said. First Trump insulted Greta. Then, the worldThe trends demonstrate the need for additional clean energy solutions. In Britain, three more phases of the Hornsea project are planned.The share of renewables in the global energy mix is small but growing. Eventually a tipping point may be reached. After 2035, renewables are projected to make up more than 50% of generation, according to McKinsey. Wind power is a big part of the solution. According to the IEA, electricity generation from wind grew by an estimated 12% in 2018, keeping its position as the largest renewable technology that doesn't involve water.The company behind HornseaOrsted has built 25 offshore wind farms across Europe, the United States and Asia. It changed its name from Danish Oil and Natural Gas in 2017 to reflect its transformation to a green energy company. The company has cut its use of coal by 73% since 2006 and plans to be coal free by 2023. America's top energy regulator agonizes over the downfall of coal countryThe United Kingdom is its biggest market for offshore wind and Orsted will have invested £12 billion ($15 billion) in the sector by 2020.With a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts, Hornsea One will generate nearly twice the power of Orsted's Walney Extension — the current largest offshore wind farm in the world, located in the Irish Sea.Equipment used by Orsted crews at work in the North Sea.Hornsea Two is under construction and has potential to meet the electricity needs of up to 1.6 million homes a year, according to Orsted. Hornsea Three could provide electricity to more than 2 million homes. There are now 37 offshore wind farms operating in the United Kingdom, said Orsted. That makes Britain the biggest offshore wind market in the world.

Anna Bahney CNN Business

2019-06-18 16:05:19

business

success

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/success/passive-house/index.html

Passive house design: Making an old home healthier for you and the environment - CNN

Old homes can be full of charm, but no one will mistake them for being energy efficient. Especially when the heating and cooling bills arrive.

success, Passive house design: Making an old home healthier for you and the environment - CNN

Making an old home healthier for you and the environment

Old homes can be full of charm, but no one will mistake them for being energy efficient. Especially when the heating and cooling bills arrive.More from Success Bentley's new sedan can go 207 miles per hourEven CEOs can suffer from impostor syndromeThis startup brings birth control to your doorstep, with or without insurance"You've got these beautiful old homes, and they really perform horribly," says Michael Ingui, a partner at Baxt Ingui Architects.They leak air, release heat and allow pollutants and allergens in. Many have bulky, noisy radiators that take up a lot of floor space. A historic brownstone in Brooklyn that was renovated into a passive house.Plus, since many old homes have poorly insulated exterior walls, the radiator is putting 40% of its energy into heating the floor and exterior wall before it even heats the interior of the house, Ingui said. But what if you could boost the energy efficiency of a historic home, drastically reduce the cost of heating and cooling, and improve the indoor air quality? Read MoreA passive house renovation involves continuous insulation, sealed walls and triple pane windows.That's where passive design comes in. These design principles emphasize an airtight space inside the home, with continuous insulation and fresh air filters for indoor air quality. Done properly, the techniques can significantly reduce or possibly eliminate the need for a heating system, greatly reducing energy consumption.Ingui, who is currently working on nine passive home renovations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, says that by naturally heating the home and eliminating heating bills, the return on investment typically happens between two and five years.What is 'passive house'?In a passive house, the interior of a home is insulated, the wall seams and window frames are sealed, triple pane windows are installed and, in some buildings, a thick plastic shield is placed under the foundation. These simple techniques seal the home up like a box by creating a protected barrier that prevents conditioned air from leaking out and irritants like dust, pollen, bugs and mice from getting in.A passive home also has one or more units that provide air conditioning and can also provide heat, which is sparingly needed, and a separate air filter that brings fresh air into the home.The fireplace, a notoriously open and leaky system, can also be retrofitted to be outside of the sealed space of the home, with glass doors on the front. Triple pane windows keep heat in and cold out, but open the same as any window.The passive house technique was developed more than 25 years ago in Germany. But the design measures had to be modified to suit varying climates in other parts of the world. In the past few years, the number of projects in the US has grown significantly. "The standard worked perfectly fine in a central European climate, but not so much in Louisiana or Minneapolis," says Mike Knezovich, director of communications at the Passive House Institute US, one of the certification organizations. It's a pretty wild approach to think that you could actually save the environment while having a better home."Michael Ingui, partner at Baxt Ingui Architects.The number of apartments or homes that PHIUS alone has certified, or is in the process of certifying, nearly tripled between 2017 and 2018, from 323 to 1,161, with even more projected in 2019. "Our mission is to get more of these buildings built and retrofitted," says Knezovich. "We're all about reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, but we can't make it complicated or expensive. It has really taken off because it makes building and retrofitting more cost-effective and practical."While other green building standards, like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), take into account many dimensions of a building like site selection, water efficiency and materials used, the passive house certification is more specific, focusing on energy use and building performance. But the two standards are not mutually exclusive -- a home could be a LEED-certified passive house.New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission said in a statement to CNN that owners of historic buildings "can, and should, take measures to improve energy efficiency." The commission streamlined its approval process for certain aspects of passive house projects and it staffs a desk focused on energy retrofit projects. "You gain a better house," Ingui says. "You gain a healthier house. You gain money in your pocket for not paying for heating. It's a pretty wild approach to think that you could actually save the environment while having a better home."But what do you have to give up?Homeowners are often skeptical about the benefits of passive design, says Ingui, who has developed a clearing house of information called the Passive House Accelerator for designers. tradespeople and homeowners. "I find that when you start the conversation by saying that you're going to be able to save 80% of your heating and cooling bills, they don't get excited about it. They wonder: 'What am I losing?' "The rooftop sunroom in a Brooklyn Heights brownstone that was renovated as a passive house.There are some challenges to be aware of in a passive design project. While strategies can be used piecemeal -- buying triple pane windows that open and close just like typical windows when you replace them, for example -- the most powerful effects will be seen with a complete renovation. That makes it a pretty substantial -- and more expensive -- project. A passive house renovation can add about 2% to 4% to a home's overall renovation costs, according to Ingui."You're spending some more money on sealed walls," he says. "You're spending some more money on the insulation and much better windows." And be warned: even without heat it may get a little too warm in the winter. An air-filter provides fresh air inside the passive house, which rarely needs heat."The biggest thing people have to get used to is that they hardly have to heat their house," says Ingui. After his own home was retrofitted as a passive house 2017, Ingui hosted a New Year's Eve party."It was 10 degrees outside and it was so hot in the house we were opening the back door and I had not yet turned my heat on once that winter." he said. "I turned to everyone and said: 'This is passive house!'"

Sherisse Pham, CNN Business

2019-10-11 11:52:56

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/11/business/toyota-mirai-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car/index.html

Toyota Mirai: Company revamps its hydrogen fuel cell car - CNN

Toyota has revamped its hydrogen-powered vehicle, doubling down on its bet that fuel cells will secure its future.

business, Toyota Mirai: Company revamps its hydrogen fuel cell car - CNN

Toyota is pushing ahead with hydrogen-powered cars

Hong Kong (CNN Business)Many of the world's top carmakers may be racing to make plug-in electric vehicles in response to the climate crisis, but Toyota is hedging its bets by backing an alternative source of power for its cars.The Japanese company revealed a new version of its hydrogen-powered vehicle on Friday, doubling down on its bet that fuel cells will help secure Toyota's future as the industry comes under enormous pressure to slash carbon emissions. Toyota (TM) is driving forward with the Mirai, its hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric car, offering a redesigned version that the company said boasts "significantly greater range, improved driving performance, and an elegant, sporty design that offers increased passenger room and comfort."Smaller, slower, sleeker: Is the Toyota iRoad the future of city living?The new hydrogen-powered sedan is built on the same platform as Toyota's luxury Lexus brand's LS sedan and LC coupe. Compressed hydrogen gas is combined in a fuel cell with oxygen from the atmosphere to produce electricity that is then stored in a battery. The only byproduct of that process is water, meaning hydrogen vehicles don't expel harmful emissions.Read MoreToyota has forged ahead with hydrogen power even as it remains bullish on electric cars. In June, Toyota moved forward by five years its goal of having electrified vehicles account for roughly half of sales.But it still lags behind companies like market leader Tesla (TSLA) and global rival Volkswagen (VLKAF) in the battle to dominate electric vehicle production. Toyota sold only 1,000 electric cars last year, according to LMC Automotive, compared to the 220,000 that Tesla shipped. The latest Mirai has a revamped fuel cell stack that can store more hydrogen. That means the car can drive 30% farther than the previous generation, which had a range of 312 miles (502 km) on a full battery. Toyota did not say how long the new Mirai will take to charge, but the previous model took 3-5 minutes. Toyota said the car was scheduled for launch starting in late 2020, initially in Japan, North America and Europe. Full details of its performance will be released at a later date.Since launching in 2014, Toyota has sold about 10,000 Mirai cars globally.

Jack Guy, CNN

2019-08-15 14:56:31

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/15/business/china-solar-electricity-scli-intl/index.html

Solar power in China is now cheaper than the grid in hundreds of cities - CNN

Solar energy in hundreds of Chinese cities is now cheaper than electricity supplied by the national grid, and it can even compete with coal-fired power in 75 of them, a new study has found.

business, Solar power in China is now cheaper than the grid in hundreds of cities - CNN

Solar power is now cheaper than the grid in hundreds of Chinese cities

London (CNN Business)Solar energy in hundreds of Chinese cities is now cheaper than electricity supplied by the national grid, and it can even compete with coal-fired power in 75 of them, a new study has found. Some 344 Chinese cities were found to have solar systems producing energy at lower prices than the grid, without any subsidies, according to the research published in the journal Nature Energy. That could encourage further investment in renewable energy, according to the authors. China has made huge progress in developing solar projects and pledged to invest 2.5 trillion yuan ($367 billion) in renewable power generation — solar, wind, hydro and nuclear — from 2017-2020.China is investing heavily in renewable energy.Morocco in the fast lane with world's largest concentrated solar farmSolar can also compete on price with electricity produced solely from coal in around 22% of these cities, according to the research team led by Jinyue Yan from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.China has long relied on coal to meet its energy needs, but has started to close mines and restrict the construction of new coal power plants in recent years, particularly in heavily polluted regions. Nevertheless, it still accounts for 59% of the country's consumption, according to Reuters.Read MoreThe researchers said that cheaper prices "may encourage a substantial uptake of industrial and commercial solar systems in China in the near future."China is also driving down solar prices around the world thanks to the scale of production and learning curve effects, according to Sam Geall, a China climate and energy expert at Chatham House."For China, this is mainly driven by national self-interest: the government sees that solar power can help the country enhance energy security and resilience, mitigate urban air pollution, and position the country as the world's leading supplier of the clean technologies of the future," Geall told CNN."The economic dynamism of solar in cities in China should provide even more reason to boost deployment, which is a positive sign for China's climate ambitions and therefore the world's."And there are already ambitious plans in the pipeline, including a solar energy plant in space that could one day beam enough power back to Earth to light up an entire city.The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation hopes to be operating a commercially viable solar space station by 2050, according to a recent report in the country's official newspaper Science and Technology Daily.Space power plant and a mission to Mars: China's new plans to conquer the final frontierA Chinese firm also built the world's largest concentrated solar farm, the Noor-Ouarzazate complex in Morocco.More than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) in area — the size of 3,500 football fields — it produces enough electricity to power a city the size of Prague, or twice the size of Marrakesh.However, concerns have been raised over the green credentials of the solar energy industry.While they may produce energy with fewer emissions, the growing amount of panel waste is a concern.China alone is set to produce 20 million tons of solar panel waste by 2050, according to a 2016 estimate from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). And Chinese solar panel manufacturers have faced protests from locals who accuse them of mishandling hazardous waste. In 2011, Jinko Solar Holding Co apologized for dumping toxic waste following violent protests sparked by the death of large numbers of fish in a nearby river, Reuters reported.

Charles Riley, CNN Business

2019-10-25 10:21:40

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/25/business/offshore-wind-energy/index.html

Offshore wind could power the world - CNN

Offshore wind turbines could generate enough electricity to power every home and business on Earth, according to a report published on Friday.

business, Offshore wind could power the world - CNN

Offshore wind could power the world

London (CNN Business)Offshore wind turbines could generate enough electricity to power every home and business on Earth, according to a report published on Friday.The Paris-based International Energy Agency published the results of what it describes as the "most comprehensive global study" of offshore wind ever undertaken, an effort that involved analyzing hundreds of thousands of miles of coastline.The report says $1 trillion could be invested in the industry by 2040 as lower costs and government support encourage the installation of larger turbines and floating foundations that allow for deep water operations. Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said in a statement that offshore wind has the potential to join shale oil and gas and solar power as energy sources that have enjoyed a boom in production following a sharp fall in costs. "Offshore wind currently provides just 0.3% of global power generation, but its potential is vast," Birol said. "More and more of that potential is coming within reach, but much work remains to be done by governments and industry for it to become a mainstay."The UK once hoped for an American-style fracking boom. It's not happening Read MoreIncreased government support and new investment would help unlock new technology, including floating platforms that would allow turbines to be located much further out to sea. The report says that developing just prime wind sites located close to shore would supply more than the total amount of electricity consumed worldwide today. But the maximum potential for offshore wind production is more than 120,000 gigawatts, or 11 times projected global electricity demand in 2040, although that estimate does not factor in difficulties in transmitting and storing the power generated.Wind power will be able to satisfy increased demand for clean power as the world tries to reduce its carbon use, according to the IEA.In the European Union, for example, offshore wind capacity is set to quadruple by 2030 and be the region's largest source of electricity in the 2040s. Its growth is expected to far outpace the increase in electricity demand, allowing surplus wind power to be used to produce hydrogen, which in turn could reduce carbon use in transportation and building.Offshore wind production on anywhere near the scale forecast by the IEA would eliminate the need to source electricity from dirty fuels including coal, slash CO2 emissions and help governments meet the goals laid out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The world's largest offshore wind farm is nearly complete. It can power 1 million homesCountries that encourage the development of wind farms will reap the benefits. According to the IEA, Chinese government policies designed to meet sustainable energy goals will help the country overtake the United Kingdom as having the largest offshore wind fleet by 2025. The push will see China's offshore wind capacity rise from 4 gigawatts in 2019 to 110 gigawatts by 2040.Other countries with a large number of coastal urban centers are also set to benefit, said the IEA. The United States has good offshore potential near big cities along the northeast coast, and floating foundations would unlock new areas for wind farms off the coast of California, Oregon and Washington.

Michelle Toh and John Defterios, CNN Business

2019-08-12 13:41:03

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/12/business/malaysia-climate-change-green-buildings/index.html

Malaysia is fighting the climate crisis with better buildings - CNN

The world is heating up, making us rethink not just how we live but where we live and work too.

business, Malaysia is fighting the climate crisis with better buildings - CNN

Malaysia is fighting the climate crisis with better buildings

Kuala Lumpur (CNN Business)The world is heating up, making us rethink not just how we live but where we live and work too. Buildings account for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and more renewable energy will be needed to meet targets mandated by the Paris climate accord, according to Architecture 2030, a nonprofit group that works with construction companies.Malaysia is tackling the challenge head-on. Architects have to take into account a year-round tropical climate in addition to the effect of carbon emissions from their projects.Air conditioning is central to the debate. In a place like Malaysia it's essential. But it's also powered by huge amounts of energy that significantly heats up the planet. Placing air conditioning vents on the floor rather than higher up can slash the amount of energy used. Dr. Tan Loke Mun, an architect based in Kuala Lumpur, has spent years thinking about how to ensure homes and offices offer comfort without adding to the climate crisis.Read MoreInside his home, an airy tree-lined property, he's come up with simple upgrades to provide all the functions residents expect while saving energy.The first thing to address is what he describes as low-hanging fruit. Instead of installing air conditioning on the wall or ceiling, for example, vents are installed in the floor. Simply placing the system there can save a building about 30% to 50% of energy used, he said.Materials also play an important role. The windows in Tan's home are made from a type of glass that "lets in the light, but not the heat," the architect said. Singapore gets its first 'zero energy' new buildingThe most important feature is the roof, because that's where about 60% to 80% of the heat in a building typically escapes, Tan said. In colder climates, architects and builders focus on insulating the roof to keep heat inside and lower fuel consumption. In Malaysia, they're trying to do the reverse — encourage more heat to flow out through the roof. For his home, Tan designed a large, overhanging roof and placed wind turbines on top to draw more hot air out, and cool air in. Tan, who teaches architecture at a local university, says he has seen students embrace sustainable design."I think the next generation will change the world," he said. "Green is not a style ... [it's] the right thing to do."Dan Tham contributed to this article.

Laura He, CNN Business

2019-11-22 11:35:39

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/22/energy/china-2050-climate-crisis-report/index.html

China can go carbon neutral by 2050 while still growing its economy: ETC report - CNN

China won't have to sacrifice its economic growth to go carbon neutral over the next few decades in its fight against climate change, according to a new report.

energy, China can go carbon neutral by 2050 while still growing its economy: ETC report - CNN

China can go carbon neutral by 2050 while still growing its economy: report

Hong Kong (CNN Business)China won't have to sacrifice economic growth or prosperity to go carbon neutral in the next few decades, according to a new report.The country could triple its economic output per person by 2050 while still reducing its carbon footprint, the Energy Transitions Commission said in the report, published on Friday in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute. "Given China's central role in the global economy, its vast renewable energy resources, and its technological leadership in key industries, China is uniquely positioned to lead the global energy transition and to decarbonize its economy completely by 2050," said Adair Turner, chair of the commission. Turner is the former chairman of the UK Financial Services Authority and UK Climate Committee. The commission is made up of energy producers and consumers, tech experts, finance specialists and NGOs.China is one of the world's biggest polluters and a key signatory of the 2015 Paris Agreement, a pledge by 187 countries to reduce their carbon emissions. And its role has become even more important after the United States began its formal withdrawal from the agreement earlier this month."For the world to deliver the Paris Climate objectives, it is vital that China has a strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century," Turner said. Secretive energy startup backed by Bill Gates achieves solar breakthroughRead MoreReducing net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 could actually make the world's second biggest economy stronger."Far from constraining China's ability to meet its objective of being 'a fully developed rich economy' by 2050, committing to achieve zero emissions by 2050 will spur investment and innovation that could accelerate progress," Turner added.The report recommends that China focus on eliminating carbon from heavy industries like steel, cement and chemicals by using recycled materials. Other measures include total electrification of road and rail services, and using biofuels for long-distance international aviation and shipping. To achieve the net-zero target, China would need to more than double its overall electricity production, the report said. It would also need to double its annual rate of investment in solar energy and increase its investment in wind energy by three or four times.China has already undertaken steps to curb its emissions, dramatically reducing the price of solar power in many parts of the country. In 2017, it announced plans to launch a nationwide carbon market to trade credits for the right to emit carbon dioxide.The commission also calls on China to set clear targets and carry out forceful public policies to achieve the zero-carbon target. "For the whole world and for China itself, it is... vital that China has a strategy to achieve net zero emissions," Turner said.

Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

2019-11-07 14:39:34

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/business/statkraft-virtual-power-plant/index.html

Virtual power plants solve renewable energy's biggest problem - CNN

Virtual power plants could solve one of renewable energy's most vexing challenges: the weather.

business, Virtual power plants solve renewable energy's biggest problem - CNN

No wind? No sun? This power plant solves renewable energy's biggest problem

London (CNN Business)Virtual power plants could solve one of renewable energy's most vexing challenges: the weather. By supplying electricity from renewable sources even when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing, virtual power plant technology could help tackle the climate crisis."If you can't rely on renewable energy and other technologies to provide the energy you need in a controllable way then you are always going to have to carry fossil fuel plants to make up for the unpredictability," Phil Taylor, professor of energy systems at Newcastle University in England, told CNN Business.Conventional power plants can account for fluctuations in demand and supply by, for example, burning more coal, Taylor said. But clean energy sources, such as wind farms and solar plants, are weather dependent and therefore much more difficult to control, he said. Virtual power plants attempt to solve that problem by connecting disparate sources of renewable production, generation and storage. By pooling those resources, engineers can make them behave like a conventional power plant.Read MoreFor example, a virtual power plant might be connected to 10 geographically dispersed wind farms to smooth the variability in output of each one. It could also include an energy storage component, so that if production from the wind farms outstrips demand a fleet of batteries can be charged so they can supply more power later when required. Other features that encourage consumers to optimize their energy use can also be incorporated."By controlling all these things in a coordinated way, [virtual power plants] can begin to look like conventional power plants," said Taylor.Real-time energy managementNorwegian company Statkraft has been running one of Europe's biggest power generation facilities in this way since 2011.The virtual power plant, in Germany, has capacity greater than 12,000 megawatts and could theoretically power 5 million homes. It uses a cloud-based artificial intelligence platform to connect more than 1,500 wind, solar and hydropower plants across Europe with electricity generation and storage facilities, such as batteries.Power generation forecasts and actual electricity production data are continuously fed into the virtual power plant from the connected plants. This is supplemented with market prices for energy, enabling Statkraft to match demand with supply in real time.Investors are dumping oil. So why would anyone buy Saudi Aramco? When there is excess electricity supply, production at plants can be throttled or energy can be stored for use at a later date. This ensures smaller producers always have a market for their power and helps to avoid negative energy prices."We can connect batteries from Spain with wind farms in Germany, and that makes it scalable," Andreas Bader, vice president for sales at Statkraft told CNN Business.Having the right balance of components connected to the virtual power plant is important, said Taylor. "If you have too much wind [power] and not enough storage, [the virtual power plant] is not going to be controllable enough."Virtual power plants could over time make a considerable contribution in the transition to a low carbon future, but they are not without weaknesses, Taylor said.For example, the number of entities involved in a virtual power plant introduces complexity in that separate commercial agreements are needed for each one. They also rely heavily on software systems for data collection and communication, making them vulnerable to cyber attacks.Cyber attacks are "a threat to the energy grid worldwide," a spokesperson for Statkraft said."Similar to hacked conventional power plants, a hacked [virtual power plant] with multi-megawatt power could have serious effects on the power grid," the spokesperson said, noting that the company is investing heavily in cyber security.

Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

2019-10-23 16:50:00

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/23/business/drax-power-station/index.html

Biomass: How the dirtiest power station in western Europe switched to renewable energy - CNN

A power station that used to be the biggest polluter in western Europe has made a near-complete switch to renewable energy.

business, Biomass: How the dirtiest power station in western Europe switched to renewable energy - CNN

How the dirtiest power station in western Europe switched to renewable energy

London (CNN Business)A power station that used to be the biggest polluter in western Europe has made a near-complete switch to renewable energy.The Drax Power Station in Yorkshire, England, used to spew out millions of tons of carbon dioxide a year by burning coal. But over the past eight years, it has overhauled its operations by converting four of its six coal-fired units to biomass. The plant's owners say it now generates 15% of the country's renewable power. The change means that just 6% of the utility's power now comes from coal. The ultimate goal is to stop using coal altogether."We've probably reduced our emissions more than any other utility in the world by transforming the way we generate power," Will Gardner, CEO of the Drax Group, told CNN Business.Subsidies have helped finance the switch to biomass, which consists of plant and agricultural matter and is viewed as a promising substitute for coal. Last year, Drax received £789 million ($1 billion) in government support.Read MoreIs biomass good for the environment?While scientists disagree over the extent to which biomass as a fuel is environmentally friendly, Drax highlights that its supplies come from from sustainably managed and growing forests.Most of the biomass used by Drax consists of low-grade wood, sawmill residue and trees with little commercial value from the United States. The material is compressed into sawdust pellets. Gardner says that by purchasing bits of wood not used for construction or furniture, Drax makes it more financially viable for forests to be replanted. And planting new trees helps offset biomass emissions.Forests "absorb carbon as they're growing, once they reach maturity, they stop absorbing carbon," said Raphael Slade, a senior research fellow at Imperial College London.Renewable energy is booming. But it's not growing fast enough to fight climate changeBut John Sterman, a professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management, says that in the short term burning wood pellets adds more carbon to the atmosphere than burning coal. That carbon can be absorbed by new trees, but Sterman says the process can take decades."If you're looking at five years, [biomass is] not very good ... If you're looking at a century-long time scale, which is the sort of time scale that many foresters plan, then [biomass] can be a lot more beneficial," says Slade.Carbon captureEnter carbon capture and storage technology, which seeks to prevent CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere and has been touted as a possible solution to the climate crisis.Drax, for example, is developing a system to capture the carbon it produces from burning biomass. But that could be 10 years away.The Coal King is racing to avoid bankruptcyThe power station is currently capturing just 1 metric ton of CO2 emissions per day. Gardner says it hopes to increase this to 10,000 metric tons per day by the mid to late 2020s. "The technology works but scaling it up and rolling it out, and financing it, are going to be significant challenges," says Slade.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shares this view. The group said in a 2018 report that while the potential for CO2 capture and storage was considerable, its importance in the fight against climate change would depend on financial incentives for deployment, and whether the risks of storage could be successfully managed. These include a potential CO2 pipeline break. In the United Kingdom, the government believes that carbon capture and storage will be crucial to reaching its goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It has committed to consulting on a market-based industrial carbon capture framework and in June awarded £26 million ($33 million) in funding for nine carbon capture, usage and storage projects. — Milly Chan and John Defterios contributed to this report.

Anna Fletcher, CNN Business

2019-10-14 12:28:11

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/energy/powerhouse-energy-plastic-hydrogen/index.html

Powerhouse Energy is turning plastic into fuel for hydrogen cars - CNN

A UK company is using non-recyclable plastics and other waste to generate electricty and hyrdogen.

energy, Powerhouse Energy is turning plastic into fuel for hydrogen cars - CNN

The UK company turning waste plastic into fuel for hydrogen cars

London (CNN Business)Britain produces about 5 million metric tons of plastic waste every year, but less than a third of that is recycled. Roughly half ends up in landfills.UK company Powerhouse Energy wants to turn this plastic deluge into an opportunity by producing energy from non-recyclable plastics and other waste.Powerhouse Energy has developed a process where it shreds the waste and then heats it to around 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit to produce syngas — a mixture of hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. Syngas can either be burned to produce electricity, or the hydrogen can be separated out to power fuel cells in vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are powered by electric motors, but instead of carrying their energy in a battery pack, they create electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen from the air in a fuel cell. Water vapor and heat are the only byproducts at the tailpipe.The world needs to get serious about combating carbon emissionsHydrogen cars have two big advantages over battery-powered electric vehicles: they can usually drive farther before needing to refuel, and refueling takes only a few minutes, not the hours it can take to charge an electric battery.Read More"For road transport, hydrogen is the perfect fuel," says David Ryan, CEO of Powerhouse Energy. "For large lorries [trucks] and buses it is probably the future of clean fuel, because its emission is water."One downside is that hydrogen fueling stations are few and far between; in the United Kingdom there are fewer than 20. Yet countries are forging ahead with the technology: Japan aims to have 200,000 hydrogen cars on its roads by 2025, served by 320 fueling stations.Reducing emissionsAbout three quarters of the world's hydrogen supplies are made from natural gas, a process that produces carbon emissions. But even cars powered this way can reduce carbon emissions by more than 30% compared with conventional vehicles, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US non-profit.Powerhouse Energy says its own production process emits much less CO2 than using natural gas, giving motorists a significantly greater emissions saving — while using up rubbish that would otherwise go to landfill.Powerhouse Energy's process is still at demonstration level, but it plans to soon expand to 11 sites in the United Kingdom. It ultimately hopes to have a number of small facilities near cities worldwide, using local waste to provide communities with power and hydrogen. Locating a plant at or close to a hydrogen cell refueling point would reduce the carbon emissions created by transporting the hydrogen."The vision is that fuel-cell vehicles can be used in the place of hybrids now — so you might have a fuel-cell car with a battery backup," says Ryan. "But for lorries and buses, the vision is that they could be totally hydrogen fueled. We can provide enough fuel for a day's transportation and then they return to base to refuel for the next day."

Michael Scaturro, CNN Business

2019-07-29 16:19:13

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/29/business/daimler-electric-trucks/index.html

Daimler is building electric trucks to make online shopping greener - CNN

Online shopping makes life easier for consumers but it can harm the environment, especially if you opt for express delivery. German automaker Daimler has found one way to tackle the climate crisis.

business, Daimler is building electric trucks to make online shopping greener - CNN

Daimler is building electric trucks to make online shopping greener

London (CNN Business)Online shopping makes life easier for consumers but it can harm the environment, especially if you opt for express delivery. German automaker Daimler has found one way to tackle the climate crisis.Moving packages from a factory to a warehouse and then your home often requires the use of gas-guzzling vehicles — and they contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. Agora, a think tank, says that 38% of European road emissions come from heavy duty vehicles. Emissions from trucks and buses have risen at a rate of 2.2% annually since 2000, according to the International Energy Agency. Daimler (DDAIF), which owns Mercedes-Benz, says its electric eActros trucks can help on-demand delivery remain timely without polluting the air. Gesa Reimelt, head of e-mobility at the automotive group, told CNN Business that the new eActros took about five years to develop and could be on the road by 2021.Read More"When you ride the truck the CO2 emission is really zero," Reimelt said. "Now if you look at the energy consumption, if the energy is green energy that is charged in to the battery, then it's zero as well. So this is huge." The trucks, which are being tested in Germany and Switzerland, have a range of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles). Batteries power the drive system, as well as braking, power steering and air conditioning.The eActros, produced by Daimler, has a range of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles).Potential customers are already expressing interest, especially as some cities in Europe ban large trucks from city centers. "It's part of our philosophy to keep up with new technologies," Arne Rigterink, CEO of Rigterink Logistics Group, told CNN Business. "As a logistics company we have to think of ways to help nature and the environment."Rigterink's company has some 400 vehicles, many of which ply local roads in order to deliver everything from pet food to fresh goods to supermarkets. The electric car revolution is coming. This is what has to happen firstDaimler's Reimelt acknowledges that the e-truck revolution is only beginning. Trucks will have to travel distances of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles) on a charge before more companies will consider adding them to their fleets. "If society wants e-mobility and if they want it fast, then charging infrastructure is really a topic," Reimelt said. "It's really a challenge ... and it would help if governments would invest in infrastructure."But other companies are already getting in on the act. UPS (UPS) said last year that it was going to develop a fully electric delivery truck with a range of approximately 100 miles.— John Defterios contributed reporting.

Charles Riley, CNN Business

2019-06-20 14:25:36

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/20/business/electric-planes-paris-air-show/index.html

Paris Air Show shows off electric planes as 'third era' of aviation begins - CNN

Airlines ordered tens of billions of dollars worth of new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing at the Paris Air Show this week. But there was also huge interest in the planes of tomorrow.

business, Paris Air Show shows off electric planes as 'third era' of aviation begins - CNN

Electric planes herald new era for aviation at the Paris Air Show

London (CNN Business)Airlines ordered tens of billions of dollars worth of new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing at the Paris Air Show this week. But there was also huge interest in the planes of tomorrow.The rise of hybrid and electric aircraft was on full display at the biannual aviation showcase, where startups competed with industry giants to show off technology that's more efficient and better for the environment than traditional designs.The focus on electrically-propelled aircraft reflects a rush to develop urban flying taxis (coming soon) and longer range fully electric planes (coming later).According to the consultancy Roland Berger, the number of electric aircraft in development increased by roughly 50% over the past year to 170. The number could swell to 200 by the end of 2019.There are two big factors driving increased investment: The global aviation industry produces up to 3% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a share that's projected to increase sharply in coming years; and it spends roughly $180 billion a year on jet fuel. Read More"Increased efficiency has been the name of the game when selling aircraft for decades," said Nikhil Sachdeva, a senior consultant at Roland Berger. "Electric is the next phase."Cape Air goes electric Grabbing most attention in Paris was Israeli planemaker Eviation Aircraft with its announcement that US regional carrier Cape Air would be the first customer for Alice, its electric airplane.Alice can fly nine passengers up to 650 miles on a single charge, and Eviation claims it can cut airline operating costs by 70%. Manufacturing gets underway in the United States this year. The plane uses one main "pusher" propeller at the tail, and two more on the wingtips. They are powered by batteries. The plane cruises at 10,000 feet. A visitor to the Paris Air Show looks at the Alice electric aircraft manufactured by Eviation Aircraft.'Third era of aviation' The air show also saw a major deal by two European industrial heavyweights. UK engineering company Rolls-Royce (RYCEF) purchased the electric and hybrid-electric aerospace propulsion business of Germany's Siemens (GCTAF). The deal is expected to close later this year. The eAircraft business is based in Germany and Hungary, and employs around 180 specialist engineers who are developing electric and hybrid propulsion systems."Electrification is set to have as dramatic an impact on aviation as the replacement of piston engines by gas turbines," said Rob Watson, a director at Rolls-Royce. "We are at the dawn of the third era of aviation."Hybrid aircraft by 2022 United Technologies (UTX) announced plans to merge with defense contractor Raytheon (RTN) just prior to the Paris Auto Show. And the company had some tech to show off to aviation enthusiasts, pulling back the curtain on a hybrid electric project. The goal is to have planes in the air by 2022. The plane is built on a mid-sized regional turboprob, using the existing airframe, systems and propellers. What's new is batteries and a 2-megawatt hybrid-electric propulsion system.A visualization of additions made as part of United Technologies' hybrid project. Airbus (EADSF) is also aiming to test a hybrid aircraft by 2022, and it announced a collaboration this week with European aerospace firms Daher and Safran to get there. Daher will handle components and systems installation, while Safran (SAFRF) will contribute a propulsion system called EcoPulse. Airbus will tackle batteries and aerodynamic design. A visualization of a plane equipped with EcoPulse.The plane will run on a distributed hybrid propulsion system, which includes a turbogenerator that powers electric motors and propellers. Airbus also said this week that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with SAS Scandinavian Airlines to research hybrid and electric aircraft systems.

Nell Lewis and John Defterios

2019-07-11 15:41:44

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/11/business/india-energy-coal/index.html

How India is trying to kick its coal addiction - CNN

India is still heavily dependent on coal, but it has ambitious plans to transition to renewables.

business, How India is trying to kick its coal addiction - CNN

Can India kick its coal addiction?

Singrauli, India (CNN Business)A thick dark haze fills the sky above Singrauli, northeast India. Known as the country's coal capital, the district is home to eight coal-fired power plants, producing enough electricity daily to power 16 million homes. In India, around 75% of electricity comes from coal — meaning Singrauli is crucial to the government's plans of providing power to all. However, coal production is contributing heavily to air pollution. India is home to seven of the world's 10 worst cities for air pollution, according to the 2018 AirVisual report. Singrauli is ranked 22. Diesel exhaust fumes, construction dust, crop burning and even the Diwali festival of lights are also fueling the problem. According to the Health Effects Institute, 1.2 million deaths were caused in India in 2017 due to air pollution. Ruta Kaur lives in Singrauli with her husband and three children. She says coal pollution is creating problems for her family.Read More"We have problems drinking water," she tells CNN Business. "We have stomach complications; children are impacted too because of the coal. The coal dust gets into the house, it gets deposited on our food; there is a lot of difficulty."To mitigate these problems, Singrauli coal mining company Northern Coalfields has introduced measures such as spraying water on coalfields to decrease the spread of dust, phasing out the use of trucks to ferry coal in favor of trains, and decommissioning some power stations and replacing them with newer coal plants, which they claim have lower emissions. Prabhat Kumar Sinha, chairman and managing director of Northern Coalfields, admits India is behind others in the world in moving to a cleaner energy supply. "But we are trying our best to make it up," he says. Seven of the world's top 10 cities with the worst air pollution are in India. New Delhi, the country's capital, suffers from a toxic smog problem. Climate changeThe harmful effects of coal go beyond air pollution. As a major emitter of CO2, it also heavily contributes to global warming. India is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. It's also very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Intense heatwaves have become the norm during the summer, with temperatures reaching over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in some provinces. Last year, there were 484 heatwaves across the country, up from 21 in 2010. Since that year, more than 5,000 people have died as a result. With India's demand for energy set to double over the next decade because of a rapidly growing economy and population, shedding its coal dependency is a monumental challenge.Ambitious plansBut the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced some ambitious targets to tackle climate change and energy consumption. India is investing heavily in renewable energy. It has increased its solar energy capacity from less than four gigawatts in 2015 to nearly 30 gigawatts — about 8% of its total energy capability. The government is aiming for 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022, with 100 GW to come from solar power, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biofuels and 5 GW from hydropower."We are accelerating the pace of renewables in a very, very big way," says Amitabh Kant, CEO of National Institution for Transforming India, a government think tank."India's biggest strength is not in coal but in the sun," he adds. "I think in the next three to four years you will realize that the acceleration towards renewables will be phenomenal."

Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business

2019-09-04 16:14:13

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/tech/ups-hybrid-truck-trnd/index.html

UPS has new hybrid trucks with a neat trick - CNN

UPS is introducing a fleet of custom-built hybrid electric trucks with batteries that can last 300% longer than a typical electric truck battery.

tech, UPS has new hybrid trucks with a neat trick - CNN

UPS has new hybrid trucks with a neat trick

New York (CNN Business)UPS is introducing a fleet of custom-built hybrid electric trucks with batteries that can last 300% longer than a typical electric truck battery. The company's new line of extended-range electric vehicles can automatically switch modes between fully electric and a hybrid of diesel and electric.The Future of Autos 950 miles in two days. Taking an electric road trip in a TeslaThe electric car revolution is coming. This is what has to happen firstDemand for electric cars has grown slowly. But the tsunami is comingUPS said the new trucks can can travel up to 400 kilometers, or roughly 250 miles — an increase from the 100 kilometer, or 62 mile, limit of a typical electric truck. The company, which is rolling out the vehicles in two cities in the United Kingdom, said the range of the former type of electric trucks aren't isn't enough to deliver packages from warehouses in the country."We can serve our customers with lower-emission, alternatively fueled vehicles in places beyond the reach of existing pure electric vehicles at this weight class," said Luke Wake, director of automotive engineering & advanced technology, UPS International in a release. The 15 trucks can automatically switch between hybrid and fully electric modes in city zones, which is important for the two cities where they will initially be used. Birmingham and Southampton are introducing "Clean Air Zones" next year in their downtown areas that will charge polluting vehicles a fee to travel through. Read MoreThe technology can automatically switch to fully electric. A new "Range Extender" option uses a "significantly smaller and efficient diesel engine to recharge the battery" so they can return to UPS depots. UPS (UPS) said it has invested more than $1 billion since 2009 to develop new vehicle technology. It recently announced that it's buying 170 million gallons of renewable natural gas to help the company deliver its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of its ground fleet 12% by 2025.The logistics company has reserved 125 electric semi-trucks from Tesla (TSLA) and is working with Cincinnati-based Workhorse Group (WKHS) to design electric delivery trucks. UPS has more than 10,000 alternative fuel vehicles in its global fleet. Trucks account for 27% of carbon dioxide pollution in Europe. The United Kingdom intends for those vehicles to emit "Net Zero" pollution by 2050.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2019-10-10 11:31:09

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/business/coal-power-trump/index.html

America's coal consumption set to plunge to 42-year low - CNN

President Donald Trump's mission to revive America's coal industry is failing.

business, America's coal consumption set to plunge to 42-year low - CNN

Trump's push to save coal is failing. Coal demand to plunge to 42-year low

New York (CNN Business)President Donald Trump's mission to revive America's coal industry is failing.US power plants are expected to consume less coal next year than at any point since President Jimmy Carter was in office, according to government forecasts released on Tuesday.Although Trump has tried to boost coal by slashing environmental regulations and installing a former coal lobbyist to lead the EPA, coal keeps losing ground to cleaner and cheaper alternatives. Power companies are rapidly retiring coal-fired power plants and replacing them with dirt-cheap natural gas and increasingly affordable renewable energy."It's just simple economics. Coal is not cost competitive," said Frank Nicklaus, a partner at Greentech Capital Advisors, a boutique investment bank focused on sustainable technology.Coal used for US power generation is expected to decline by 14% this year to 545.8 million metric tons, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Read MoreCoal consumed by the electric power sector is projected to plunge below 500 million short tons in 2020 for the first time since 1978, according to the EIA. That would mark a decline of 27% since 2016, President Obama's last full year in office."The US power sector's move away from coal is contributing significantly to decreases in US coal production," Linda Capuano, the EIA's administrator, wrote in the report. The shale boom has left the United States with an abundance of cheap natural gas, which is cleaner burning fossil fuel than coal. That has allowed power plants to switch from coal to natural gas. Coal, once the king of the power industry, is expected to see its market share drop from 27% today to just 22% by 2020, according to the EIA. Texas is turning greenRenewable energy is quickly catching up because costs have dropped sharply lower and US states are pledging to adopt cleaner energy to address the climate crisis. Renewable energy's market share is expected to climb from 17% last year to 19% by 2020."Renewables have become incredibly competitive. The cost of solar and wind has plummeted — and will continue to decline," said Nicklaus.America's two most-populous states are leading the clean energy charge. Texas will account for 22% of the nation's nonhydropower renewable generation by 2020, according to the EIA. California is expected to follow with 14% of the share in this category. America's top energy regulator agonizes over the downfall of coal countryIn fact, Texas, the epicenter of the shale oil boom, is on the verge of becoming a green-first state. By 2020, Texas will get more of its electricity from onshore wind than from coal, according to a recent forecast by Rystad Energy. "Texas is just one of many red states that have recently 'gone green' by harnessing their great wind generation potential," Carlos Torres-Diaz, head of gas market research at Rystad Energy, wrote in the report. The global average cost of power from onshore wind farms tumbled below 6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2018, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Rystad notes that is even cheaper than the lower cost limit of fossil fuel power. "Coal is losing on economics," said Greentech's Nicklaus.Robert Murray's coal company is on the brinkAnd that means more pain for coal country. Many communities in Appalachia have long relied on coal power plants and mines for prosperity. The rapid closures of recent years has dealt a devastating blow to the region. "People are left with no resources. There's not a Walmart or Burger King for 30 miles where they can get alternative employment," Neil Chatterjee, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, told CNN Business in an interview last month. "It is really, really difficult for me to watch."Yet Chatterjee, a Republican from Kentucky, said his hands are tied because FERC must make decisions on the facts, not personal sentiments.About 15% of America's coal fired power plant units has been retired since 2017, the year Trump took office, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. Platts expects another 10% to be shuttered between 2019 and 2020.Even some of the most powerful and well-connected coal companies are in financial trouble.Last week, Murray Energy, the largest private US coal miner, announced it failed to make multiple payments to lenders. The company, run by outspoken Trump supporter Robert Murray, entered into a forbearance agreement with lenders that buys it time to negotiate a restructuring. That grace period is scheduled to expire on October 15.

Motez Bishara, CNN Business

2019-10-08 10:20:14

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/08/business/german-beer-renewable-energy/index.html

How a 500-year-old German brewing company started an eco-friendly beer trend - CNN

Founded in 1492, the Hofmühl Brewery uses solar power and recycled energy, with plans to be 100% sustainable.

business, How a 500-year-old German brewing company started an eco-friendly beer trend - CNN

How a 500-year-old German brewery started an eco-friendly beer trend

London (CNN Business)A 500-year-old brewery in Bavaria, Germany has become an unlikely leader in the eco-friendly beer making movement.The Hofmühl Brewery, founded by Catholic bishops in 1492, has reduced its carbon footprint by 40% over the past two decades through solar panels and efficient water filtration, while making use of excess grains. Championed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany's "Energiewende," or renewable energy transition, encourages businesses to go green by offering tax credits, subsidies and favorable loans — benefits that an increasing number of the country's 1,300 breweries are taking up."Most of the breweries are small or middle sized, and most of the decisions come from the owners," Johannes Jung, Hofmühl's plant manager and brewmaster told CNN Business. "They have a view of belonging to the future."Many German breweries have taken the environmental initiative because they don't have the pressures of publicly listed companies and are able to plan for the long term, he added.Read MoreThey include the relatively young Felsenbräu Brewery (built in 1928), which is located just 16 miles from Hofmühl Brewery and boasts 98% renewable energy sourcing."If you are in a big company, and you have to think about shareholders, then of course it's a little bit difficult," Jung said, explaining that eco-friendly investments often take a while to pay off. Hofmühl's solar panels cover a surface area of nearly 9,300 square feet. Complete sustainabilityFamily-run since 1876, Hofmühl Brewery's owner Benno Emslander took over in 1993, growing annual production from 15,000 hectoliters to 80,000, while offering 12 varieties of beer. (To compare, Sam Adams producer Boston Beer Company brews 5 million hectoliters per year.)In 2012, Emslander invested €190,000 ($213,000) in a heat and power unit that produces electricity from a mix of natural gas and thermal energy from solar panels. The engine paid for itself in four years and now meets half the brewery's electricity needs.AB InBev sells Australian business after ditching huge Asian IPOPlans are being drawn up for further investments to boost efficiency — including installing photovoltaic panels to produce electricity directly from the sun, and sourcing natural gas from the fermentation of organic waste, including spent grains leftover from the brewing process.After fermentation, 98% of Hofmühl's beer is packaged in recyclable kegs or bottles, while excess grains and yeast from the brewing process are sold to farms as livestock feed or fertilizer — an increasingly common practice for craft beer makers.None of these developments, however, should get in the way of the customer's experience, Jung stressed."Of course, we don't want to change the taste or flavor because of our production process," he said. "I don't think that they buy the beer because of the eco-friendly production."Hofmühl has reduced the energy consumption in its brew house by 50%. Outside of Germany, some major beer producers have quietly caught on to the eco-friendly model. The world's second-largest beer maker, Heineken (HEINY), says 34% of its agriculture is now sourced sustainably, and it has installed thousands of solar panels in its breweries in Europe, the United States and Singapore. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the largest independently-owned brewery in the United States, operates with a zero-waste policy by reusing nearly all of its byproduct. The craft beer maker uses water recycling technology and solar panels, and has started growing some of its hops and barley in house — something rare for breweries, even in Germany. 'It makes a massive difference'In Britain, Bedlam Brewery has recently seen a shift in customer appreciation for its eco-focused craft beer.Since launching in 2015 with the help of a German brewmaster, Bedlam relocated to a solar-powered farm outside of Brighton, marketing eight varieties including a vegan option.Bedlam Brewery, based near the south coast of England, has seen greater customer awareness of its sustainable beer values."They are caring more now than they did in 2015," said Sally O'Connor, Bedlam's communication manager, citing better public understanding of environmental wastage. "I would shout about the fact that we've got solar panels, but now it makes a massive difference."As one of the first eco-friendly UK beer makers, Bedlam has used crowdfunding to grow its business. It recently sold nearly 15% of the company online while pushing its sustainable values, raising over £562,000 ($702,000)."The trend has changed in the last three years, and people are far more interested in it than they were before," O'Connor said.

Story by Isabelle Gerretsen, CNN Business Video by Lidz-Ama Appiah and Bronte Lord Graphics by Natalie Croker

2019-10-03 08:42:20

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/business/global-shipping-climate-crisis-intl/index.html

Climate change and global shipping: One of the dirtiest industries is trying to clean up its act - CNN

Many of the world's largest shipping companies have made ambitious pledges to slash their emissions over the next three decades.

business, Climate change and global shipping: One of the dirtiest industries is trying to clean up its act - CNN

Shipping is one of the dirtiest industries. Now it's trying to clean up its act

London (CNN Business)In the port of Antwerp in Belgium, a small boat whizzes around, shuttling 16 passengers back and forth. The "Hydroville" is fast, silent and, most strikingly, it produces zero pollution. Built by Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB), it's the world's first sea-faring vessel to burn hydrogen in a diesel engine. No carbon dioxide or sulfur oxides are released during the process. The ship produces some nitrogen oxide, but that's converted into harmless nitrogen and water by a catalyst. In one of the dirtiest industries in the world, it's a tantalizing glimpse of a cleaner future. Owned by one of Belgium's oldest shipping families, CMB and its small boat are leading the way as the shipping industry tries to tackle its contribution to the climate crisis. "Green hydrogen-based fuels are the only zero-emission solution in the long run," CMB CEO Alexander Saverys told CNN Business. The Hydroville sailing on the Scheldt river in Belgium, with employees of Compagnie Belge Maritime on board. As bad as aviation The United Nations warned in 2018 that the world had 12 years to stem catastrophic levels of global warming, piling the pressure on international shipping to clean up its act. Ships are incredibly polluting, belching out millions of tons of greenhouse gases every year. They emit sulfur dioxide, a pollutant linked to respiratory illnesses, as well as carbon dioxide and methane, gases which cause global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Read MoreMaritime emissions account for around 3% of global carbon dioxide output, roughly the same as aviation. According to the World Economic Forum, if shipping was a country, it would be the sixth-largest polluter in the world. And if unchecked, the problem is only going to get much worse. Ships transport over 90% of goods that are traded and the industry has been growing rapidly. By the middle of this century, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) projects that emissions will grow by between 50% and 250% if vessels continue to burn fossil fuels. That would leave shipping producing as much as 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2050. While the industry was excluded from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement because its emissions are hard to allocate to individual countries, the international community has started to act. Under pressure from island states threatened by rising sea levels, the IMO — a UN body that regulates shipping — set a target last year of slashing emissions by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008. But achieving this ambitious goal requires ship owners to move away from fossil fuels and invest in cleaner technology, much of which has never been used on large vessels before. The challenge is particularly acute because the choices shipping companies make now will play out over the next 30 years. "We're building the ships today which will be in operation over the next three decades," Dr. Tristan Smith, an expert in shipping and energy at University College London's (UCL) Energy Institute, said in an interview with CNN Business. To stand any chance of meeting the IMO target, zero emissions vessels need to enter the fleet by 2030 at the latest, he added. Little headway Since the IMO set its target, many of the world's largest shipping companies have made ambitious pledges to slash their emissions over the next three decades. For some, the first step was simple — reduce the speed at which their fleets ply the oceans. That has already resulted in emissions being cut by as much as 30%, according to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which ranks the sustainability efforts of the world's largest operators. But sailing more slowly is only a short-term fix that won't do enough to hit the IMO target, according to CDP. Success requires new ships, new engines and new fuels. Major financial, regulatory and technical barriers have to be overcome, and so far much of the shipping industry is dragging its feet when it comes to innovation. "Shipping companies are failing to push for the critical technologies required to reduce their carbon footprint," according to CDP. Just three of the 18 companies CDP ranked have a committee at board level responsible for tackling the climate emergency. One of the frontrunners is Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company with $39 billion in revenue last year. It has pledged to become fully carbon neutral by 2050 and has invested $1 billion since 2014 in energy efficient technodoelogy. The company's head of sustainability, John Kornerup, told CNN Business that by 2030 Maersk intends to reduce emissions by 60%. "If we want to be ready in 10 years, we need to get started now," he said. Maersk is running trials with different fuels and also developing electric batteries. Decarbonizing shipping requires "a completely new propulsion technology," Kornerup added. But even Maersk, with its financial firepower, says it cannot make zero-carbon ships a reality without industry collaboration. The Mette Maersk, powered by an oil and biofuel blend, arrives in Hong Kong — Credit: MaerskIt's an approach CMB has already adopted. The company, which has won multiple sustainability awards since it was bought by the Saverys family in 2015, recently announced a partnership with Japan's Tsuneishi Facilities and Craft to build the world's first ferry that can run on hydrogen and diesel by 2021. CMB's strategy is about testing low-carbon technologies on smaller ships, such as the Hydroville, and then scaling them up. "The Hydroville is a small project which aims 10 years ahead of its time," Roy Campe, CMB's research and development manager, told CNN Business. If we want to be ready in 10 years, we need to get started now. John Kornerup, head of sustainability at MaerskThe Hydroville is "a splendid example of how a commercially-driven project can offer high sustainability gains," Antwerp Port Authority CEO Jacques Vandermeiren said last year. CMB plans to launch a hydrogen engine next year that can power larger vessels such as tugboats and barges. And it's hoping to launch the world's first hydrogen-powered container ships in the next decade. As a family-run business which was taken private in 2015, CMB is less constrained by shareholders than public companies such as Maersk. "Coming up with new technologies involves risks and that is why there is almost no innovation," Campe said. Cleaner cruising?Norwegian cruise liner Hurtigruten is pursuing different technology. It has just launched the world's first hybrid cruise ship. Powered by a combination of batteries and marine gas oil, the Roald Amundsen sailed from Tromso to Hamburg in July, producing 20% fewer emissions than other ships of the same size, according to Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten's CEO."To operate sustainably, you have to invest in new technology. This is a new green revolution that's coming," said Skjeldam, adding that the cruise sector has been lagging other industries when it comes to cutting emissions. The MS Roald Amundsen, the first hybrid cruise ship in Hurtigruten's fleet, arrives in Tromso, northern Norway on July 3, 2019.The cruise industry grew by almost 50% between 2010-2018 and the number of passengers increases by 4-6% each year, according to Cruise Lines International Association.An undercover investigation by Johns Hopkins University this year found that cruise ships generate dangerous levels of air pollution. And the world's largest cruise operator, Carnival (CCL), emitted almost 10 times more sulfur oxide — a highly toxic gas — than all 260 million cars in Europe in 2017, according to a review by non-profit Transport and Environment in June. A Carnival spokesperson told CNN the report was based on "outdated numbers and differs dramatically from fuel data and emissions tracked on Carnival Corporation's vessels." Despite the trials of new technology by companies such as Maersk, Hurtigruten and CMB, industry-wide progress is too slow. Big companies are hesitant to invest billions of dollars in new technology and there are few financial incentives and regulations in place to push them to do so. But experts say it is crucial that the industry does not wait to be forced to act. "The cruise industry should be front runners in introducing new technology and reducing emissions. We simply cannot wait for regulations," Skjeldam said. Burning dead fish The biggest challenge for the shipping industry is moving away from heavy fuel oil, a type of diesel used by most of the world's tankers and cargo ships. Battery technology is powering the clean vehicle revolution on land. But fully electric ships are unlikely to be sailing the seas by 2050. Electric batteries cannot store enough energy to propel deep sea vessels traveling long distances, experts say. Low carbon fuel may be the answer, UCL's Smith said. Many companies are focusing on liquified natural gas (LNG) and biofuels as alternatives. By 2021, Hurtigruten aims to operate a fully hybrid fleet, retrofitting all its 16 ships with a combination of LNG, batteries and biogas. "Almost half our fleet will be literally powered by nature, as we will replace engines with batteries, natural gas and biogas — made from organic waste such as dead fish," Skjeldam said. The batteries on board the Roald Amundsen kick in whenever there is a surge in energy demand, Skjeldam explained. "We use the batteries to take care of these peaks. When the engines produce excess energy, this is transferred into the batteries. This secures smooth and optimal running of the engines at all time, significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions," he said. "LNG is substantially less polluting than conventional diesel fuel and utilizing LNG as a component in different hybrid set-ups is a major step towards achieving Hurtigruten's ultimate ambition of sailing emission free," he added.Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) already operates one of the largest LNG fleets in the world, managing over 40 carriers powered by the natural gas. But LNG has significant drawbacks and experts say it is not a viable long-term solution. It may be less toxic than diesel, but its primary component is methane — a gas that is roughly 30 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.Biofuel is a better alternative as far as Maersk is concerned. The company recently used a blend of fuels produced from plant waste to help power a container ship traveling from Rotterdam to Shanghai. By using the fuel mix — 20% biofuels and 80% fuel oil — Maersk reduced the vessel's CO2 emissions by 85% or 1,500 tons, the equivalent of what 200 households produce each year. "It's the only option for now," Kornerup told CNN Business. The Mette Maersk ran on a blend of fuel oil and biofuels during a three-month round trip from Rotterdam to Shanghai. Still, even that has its problems. Using biofuels for shipping is "a wasted opportunity to store CO2 and is only viable in very limited quantities," according to Smith at UCL. Using land to generate solar power is about eight times more efficient than biofuel production, he noted. According to a report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), mass adoption of biofuels is not the answer. Scientists say that ramping up their production would lead to a huge spike in global food prices as agricultural land is diverted. "The biggest pitfalls are biofuels, which can't be scaled or enforced sustainably, especially in shipping. LNG and synthetic methane are other dead ends due to methane leakage and enforcement problems," Transport and Environment concluded in its 2018 report, 'Roadmap to Decarbonising European Shipping.' The challenge of hydrogenHydrogen is one of the most promising solutions for companies looking to meet the IMO target as it is clean and suitable for all ship sizes. But this fuel also presents challenges. "The storage of hydrogen is probably the biggest stumbling block. Compressed hydrogen takes 15 times more space compared to diesel for the same amount of energy," CMB CEO Saverys said. Experts say companies should make the huge leap towards decarbonization by investing in dual combustion systems, which use a combination of diesel and low-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen, or batteries. "At the moment the cheapest way to operate is to continue using an internal combustion engine [which runs on diesel] and liquid fuel like hydrogen or ammonia that you have produced using renewable energy," according to Smith. Blending fuel is at the heart of CMB's strategy. "Our diesel-hydrogen engines are a natural transition towards hydrogen. Diesel can still be burnt as principal fuel (in case no hydrogen is available), which gives users peace of mind to adopt this new technology," Saverys said. One of Hydroville's two hydrogen-diesel combustion engines.More companies should adopt transitional solutions, according to CDP. In its report, Carole Ferguson, head of investment research, said companies should focus on "step change innovations." "There are no zero carbon technologies that you can apply on ships today that are viable," said Kornerup. "But we simply need to speed up [innovation] because we only have 11 years." The biggest barrier to achieving low-carbon shipping is cost. Hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels are much more expensive than diesel. A hydrogen-powered ship costs around $10-$15 million more to build than a diesel vessel, and the investment is hard to justify given the lack of incentives or regulation, according to Saverys. "The technology is already here," said Smith. "What's lacking is the impetus."

Allen Kim, CNN

2019-09-27 12:34:56

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/27/us/maryland-electric-vehicle-charging-trnd/index.html

The US has its first gas station that is fully electric - CNN

The first fully converted gas-to-electric refueling station for electric vehicles opened today at 7224 Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland.

business, The US has its first gas station that is fully electric - CNN

The US has its first gas station that is fully electric

(CNN)The first fully converted gas-to-electric refueling station for electric vehicles opened today at 7224 Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland.Like any new business, as the first of its kind in the US, owner Depeswar Doley is fully aware that it's a gamble that may not pay off.However, it was his daughter that convinced him to take the plunge.Doley, who owns RS Automotives, received a call from a public city official last year who first suggested the idea to him. He had already been upset with how oil and gas companies structure contracts, which is one of the reasons he didn't immediately dismiss the radical idea.These jobs are the future of auto making — and a sticking point in the GM strikeWanting to give it more thought, he went home to speak to his family.Read MoreHis daughter, who was in high school, lectured him about what was happening with the environment, and that was enough to convince him that it was the right decision to make."It's good for the environment," Doley tells CNN. "I'm not doing this just to nickel and dime, thinking about how much money I'm going to make -- no. I know this is a good cause, and this is something new. What I'm doing, maybe it will encourage other businesses owners and encourage the electric car business."Maryland currently has 20,700 registered electric vehicles.A grant of $786,000 provided by the Electric Vehicle Institute and Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) helped make the conversion possible.A game changer is coming for electric car owners "Maryland is proud to be a national leader when it comes to clean and renewable energy, climate change, and the promotion of electric infrastructure and vehicles," said Governor Larry Hogan. "This fully-converted, gas-to-electric charging station is a prime example of our administration's commitment to the environment and transportation."The refueling station has a high-powered 200 kilowatt, four dispenser system. This allows four electric vehicles to charge simultaneously within 20 to 30 minutes.It is also a certified repair facility that can handle any service needs, including disposing of and replacing battery packs."This thing is so new, we don't know what's going to happen," Doley said. "It might flop, or it might work out -- we have no clue at all. We're just crossing our fingers, and in the back of my mind, I know this is something good for the environment."

James Griffiths, CNN

2019-09-14 00:26:26

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/13/business/china-nuclear-climate-intl-hnk/index.html

China's gambling on a nuclear future, but is it destined to lose? - CNN

Panicked shoppers thronged supermarket aisles, grabbing bags of salt by the armful. They queued six deep outside wholesalers. Most went home with only one or two bags; the lucky ones managed to snag a five-year supply before stocks ran out.

business, China's gambling on a nuclear future, but is it destined to lose? - CNN

China's gambling on a nuclear future, but is it destined to lose?

Hong Kong (CNN Business)Panicked shoppers thronged supermarket aisles, grabbing bags of salt by the armful. They queued six deep outside wholesalers. Most went home with only one or two bags; the lucky ones managed to snag a five-year supply before stocks ran out. This was China in the days after Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, when people in cities up and down the country's highly populated east coast bought huge quantities of iodized salt in the misguided belief it would protect them from radiation. The 2011 disaster — the worst nuclear accident in 25 years — threw a major wrench into China's ambitious nuclear plans. It sent authorities scrambling to reassure people that they were not at risk of a similar catastrophe and sparked an immediate moratorium on new power plants.That ban was lifted this year. Now, China is gradually ramping up construction again. With around a dozen nuclear power plants in the works, China will overtake France as the number two producer of atomic energy worldwide within two years. If it continues with its aggressive plan, it will surpass the United States to become number one by 2030. Read MoreChina is the world's largest consumer of energy, thanks mainly to industrial activity. This is only going to increase, with households expected to use nearly twice as much energy by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency. At present, some 60% of that energy consumption is powered by coal. But China is spending heavily on natural gas and nuclear power, as well as renewables — the country accounted for almost half of all investments in the latter globally in 2017.Beijing's outward enthusiasm for nuclear energy masks a multitude of challenges facing China's atomic plans. Surveys and protests against proposed nuclear plants suggest ordinary Chinese are a lot less enthusiastic about nuclear power than their leaders are. The potential ramifications of a nuclear disaster in the world's most populated country are stark, to say nothing of economic or environmental fallout. And while China's nuclear industry has a strong safety record — and domestic regulations have tightened since Fukushima — some fear corruption and supply line issues could undercut these efforts. Nuclear is also not the attractive clean energy solution it once was. In the years following the Fukushima disaster, renewable energy such as solar and wind have plummeted in price thanks in part to heavy Chinese investment, while new safety standards have driven up the cost of nuclear power. "For a long time, China was basically subsidizing the (nuclear) industry, and now they're trying to put it on a market footing," said Miles Pomper, a Washington-based expert in nuclear energy at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "When you do that, oftentimes it doesn't meet the market test, especially competing with wind and other kinds of power." China's National Energy Administration and Atomic Energy Authority did not respond to requests for comment for this report. Nuclear panicThe Fukushima disaster was a shocking wake-up call to all countries with coastal nuclear plants. It raised concerns that other plants could be vulnerable to tsunamis and other extreme weather. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan. It permanently moved the country's main island, destroyed buildings, and raised a tsunami up to 40 meters (131 feet) high, which crashed into the country's east coast. Within 50 minutes of the initial earthquake, the first wave crested the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant's 10-meter (33 foot) sea wall. The plant's emergency power generators were soon flooded, knocking vital cooling systems offline and causing reactor fuel rods to begin to meltdown and leak deadly radiation into the surrounding area.It was the worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown. More than 300,000 people were evacuated from the area around the Fukushima plant, and many will never be able to go home. Clean up operations, estimated to cost upwards of $50 billion, are still ongoing. The disaster broke Japan's longstanding commitment to nuclear power and prompted a four-year moratorium on the country's atomic energy production. The sudden aversion to nuclear energy reached China, where the State Council immediately suspended approval of nuclear power projects and ordered a comprehensive safety inspection of all existing facilities. New regulations were passed, including the 2020 Vision for Nuclear Safety and Radioactive Pollution Prevention, which set safety standards and inspection goals, as well as a Nuclear Safety Act that went into effect last year.In particular, according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), new power supplies and water pumps were issued to all Chinese nuclear plants to protect against the flooding and power loss suffered at Fukushima. New emergency response protocols were introduced, including the need for emergency response drills.The effect of the disaster on China's domestic nuclear industry has been profound. Some semi-official projections that China might have more than 400 nuclear plants by 2050 "have been cut in half," according to Mark Hibbs, an analyst with the Carnegie Endowment and co-author of "Why Fukushima Was Preventable."The failure of Japan, "one of the world's most technologically equipped and experienced" countries as regards nuclear power, raised serious questions as to whether China too was vulnerable to a serious accident, Hibbs wrote in a report on the country's nuclear industry last year.JUST WATCHEDJapan: Fukushima's ghost towns 5 years after disasterReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHJapan: Fukushima's ghost towns 5 years after disaster 01:56Safety fearsDespite China's efforts to alleviate public concern after Fukushima with a moratorium and new safety checks, support for nuclear energy remains tepid at best and outright hostile at worst. A government-supported survey in August 2017 found that "only 40% of the public supports the development of nuclear power in China," according to the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The Fukushima accident "has had the consequence that the public has become more sensitive to the possible development of nuclear energy projects, and is opposing such projects, especially near their homes."Plans to build a nuclear waste processing plant in the eastern province of Jiangsu resulted in violent protests from locals and the project eventually being scrapped in August 2016, according to Chinese media.The nuclear industry has long struggled to combat fears about safety, which many proponents of atomic energy say are overblown. They argue that famous incidents — Fukushima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island — are outliers which do not reflect the overall situation. The World Nuclear Association (WNA) argues that "in over 17,000 cumulative reactor-years of commercial nuclear power operation in 33 countries," only three major accidents have occurred. "The evidence over six decades shows that nuclear power is a safe means of generating electricity," according to the WNA. "The risk of accidents in nuclear power plants is low and declining." The WNA estimates that around 11% of the world's electricity is generated by about 450 nuclear power reactors. Some 60 more reactors are under construction around the world. China, in particular, can boast that in three decades of operating nuclear plants, it has never experienced a major accident. According to Xue Xiaogang, president of the China Institute of Atomic Energy, a government-backed research agency, safety levels in the country's nuclear power plants are now among the highest in the world. "It is almost impossible that a Fukushima-style accident will happen in China," Xue told state-run broadcaster CGTN in May. Workers cycle past power stations in Guangan, in southwest China's Sichuan province.But as the success of the recent TV show "Chernobyl" demonstrated, people remain fascinated — and horrified — by the risks of nuclear disasters and their continuing effect on the world decades later, even if these risks are minimal. While both Chernobyl and Fukushima were level 7 on the international scale of nuclear accidents, the amount of radiation emitted by the earlier disaster was far greater because the Chernobyl plant exploded, releasing a huge amount of debris and smoke which spread radioactive contamination across Europe."So far, knock on wood, there hasn't been any significant, major accident (in China)," said Pomper, the nuclear expert. "But there's certainly a lot of skepticism and concern there, given China's performance in other sectors in terms of safety."China's industrial safety record has improved substantially in recent years, but "accident rates, death tolls and the incidence of occupational disease are all still comparatively high," said China Labor Bulletin, a workers' rights organization. There were 134 work-related accidents each day on average in 2018, according to official figures. In his report, Hibbs noted that "China faces numerous challenges from its historically weak industrial safety culture and the strain on regulatory capacity that has been exacerbated by nuclear growth." "Barring measures to effectively generalize safety culture, more nuclear power reactors in China means greater risk," he said. Legacy of disasterNuclear is, perhaps, the only industry where accidents in one plant or one country have a major knock-on effect worldwide. This is despite the fact that more deaths are caused every year by fossil fuels, particularly coal, which is a major contributor to air pollution. Air pollution causes more than 4 million deaths per year, according to the WHO, but it is only recently that we have finally begun to move away from our reliance on these materials. It is the long shadow of nuclear disasters that makes the risks too great to bear for many. Parts of the Chernobyl exclusion zone will remain contaminated for at least 300 years, and it will take decades before the Fukushima plant is fully decommissioned, with tens of thousands of residents still displaced. Some areas around the site may never be totally safe. The IAEA does not specify sizes for exclusion zones following accidents, just that "it is required that there is only a minor radiological impact outside the site boundary or the exclusion area." Following the Fukushima disaster, an initial exclusion zone extending 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) around the stricken plant was established, which was later extended to 30 km (18.6 miles), though some experts said at least 80 km (50 miles) should have been considered.In the densely populated parts of eastern and southern China where many of the country's nuclear reactors are located, such an exclusion zone could impact huge numbers of people. A 20 km exclusion zone around the Daya Bay nuclear plant in southern China, for example, would include much of the nearby areas of Pingshan and Huiyang, affecting around 1 million people. Any larger exclusion zone could effect the nearby metropolises of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, which between them are home to almost 20 million people. "You're also dealing with prevailing winds," said Pomper. "Does this blow off into the rest of China, or Korea or Japan?" Chinese boys look at their smartphone in front of their house next to a coal fired power plant on the outskirts of Beijing, China.Climate crisis solution?Nuclear power proponents — both inside and outside China — argue that such concerns are overblown, if not downright fearmongering. They point to China's solid safety record on nuclear power, and the expansion of safety protocols and inspections in the years since Fukushima. They also highlight what they say will be the major loser in a pullback from nuclear expansion: the climate. By 2030, according to China's 13th Five Year Plan, at least 20% of the country's energy consumption should be from non-fossil fuel sources. Nuclear capacity is expected to grow from around 2% to closer to 10%. The big loser in this shift will be coal. China's main energy source, the fuel has helped power the country's rapid economic growth in recent decades, but it has been a disaster for the environment and people's health.China has overtaken the United States as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, and many of the country's cities experience horrific levels of smog due in large part to their reliance on old coal-fired plants. Coal is also a logistics headache, with around half of China's rail capacity used in transporting the fuel, according to the WNA, from the central and northern areas where it is mined to the wealthy cities on the east and southern coasts where energy demands are greatest. JUST WATCHEDThis solar farm floats atop a flooded coal mineReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThis solar farm floats atop a flooded coal mine 00:58By comparison, nuclear power plants produce virtually no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. Because the amount of uranium or other fuel is vastly smaller than the thousands of tons of coal needed for traditional power plants, transport costs are lower, and nuclear generators can be built close to where they are needed most, meaning savings on electricity transmission, too. Of course, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar possess many of these benefits as well. China is investing heavily in both, and they are on track to become significant sources of power by 2030 as the country reduces its reliance of fossil fuels. Nuclear power proponents argue that atomic energy is more reliable, as it is not subject to any disruption caused by weather patterns.However, in the years after Fukushima, as the nuclear industry saw its projects stalled and stringent new safety regulations introduced, renewables have continued to leap ahead, becoming cheaper and more reliable. In the United States, renewable energy, led by solar and wind, is projected to be the fastest-growing source of electricity generation for at least the next two years.Meanwhile, new regulations and more frequent safety inspections are driving up already the high costs of building new nuclear plants."A complaint of the (nuclear) industry is that regulation is costing them all this money and that's why they're not competitive," Pomper said. "But some of it is just basic economics: Nuclear plants are very expensive to build ... and it takes a huge (amount of) time to build them." He added that while "regulations don't help, a lot of them are necessary, and (nuclear plants) were not very competitive beforehand."Nuclear energy remains a key part of China's current five-year plan. Whether it is still a priority when that economic blueprint expires next year remains to be seen.Beijing may decide that far from being a climate panacea, the economics of nuclear energy — along with the risks — no longer make sense in a world that is leaning toward cheaper, more reliable renewable energy.

John Defterios, CNN Business

2019-09-13 12:48:16

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/13/business/world-energy-congress-renewables/index.html

Why switching to renewables is proving a slow burn - CNN

At the World Energy Congress, enthusiasm for renewables is tempered by ever-growing demands for energy.

business, Why switching to renewables is proving a slow burn - CNN

Why switching to renewables is proving a slow burn

Abu Dhabi (CNN Business)The biggest player in oil is embarking on its own transition to cleaner sources of energy. As part of Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision plan to diversify its economy, the kingdom is aiming to have around 30% of its energy generated by renewable sources just over a decade from now -- up from less than 5% today -- with a heavy emphasis on solar power."The lowest-cost oil producer in the world has now recognized that compelling proposition of renewables," said Paddy Padmanathan, CEO of Saudi-based ACWA Power, a developer and operator of power plants in the Middle East and North Africa. Padmanathan said ACWA's experience in what he calls the "sunbelt of the Middle East" has shown that Saudi Arabia could even surpass that target by a wide margin, due to the price of solar and wind power falling by 85% and 50% respectively over the past five years."By the time we are done in 2030, my prediction is that Saudi Arabia will be somewhere at 55%-60% [powered by renewables]," he added.Read MoreSaudi Arabia is in a rush to boost oil prices as it gears up for Aramco IPO 'very soon' Padmanathan was speaking during a panel debate at the World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, exploring the transition from oil and gas to renewable energy in the face of rising concerns about the climate crisis. Other participants were less optimistic than Padmanathan about the prospects for a rapid move away from oil. OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the former head of Nigeria's state oil company, described an intense dual challenge — the struggle to limit global warming while finding a way to secure daily access to power that nearly one billion people still lack. "Energy poverty and the scourge of climate change are two sides of the same coin in our regions," said Barkindo. "The lack of access to electricity sentences them literally to premature death. "To focus on one issue and not the other for these groups of people ... in our opinion would be unrealistic," he said.Hydrocarbons still dominateThe numbers suggest the world is making slow progress in reducing the use of hydrocarbons, which still hovers around 80% of total energy supplies, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Low-cost coal makes up half that total, with demand still strong in the world's two largest emerging markets, China and India.Solar power is now cheaper than the grid in hundreds of Chinese citiesThe energy industry is betting heavily on renewables. The IEA says investment in the power sector, mainly in renewable energy projects, surpassed oil and gas for three years running from 2016, amounting to $2 trillion over that period. But the bottom line, according to the panel of experts, is that renewables are still not displacing hydrocarbons, as developing countries grow wealthier and demand more energy."If you look at total energy use, everything is higher today," said Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. "We never use less of anything. Despite the rapid growth of renewables last year, oil went up, gas use went up, coal use went up and carbon emissions went up." The panel offered a couple of key remedies, from a more consistent use of carbon taxes to accelerate investment into renewable technologies, to altering the mandate of regional and international lenders to support developing countries in making the energy transition.Bennet Tucker, secretary of the board of the World Energy Council's "Future Energy Leaders," suggested the focus of efforts to tackle climate change cannot be limited to the countries who are earlier adopters of renewable energy but must include those who will be hurt by those efforts. "It's about finding out who is going to lose — the rig workers, the beef farmers, those types of people," he said. "Once we find out how we support them, then they will join the cause and get on board."

Stephanie Bailey and Lidz-Ama Appiah, CNN

2019-08-26 09:09:47

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/26/business/amsterdam-zero-emissions-vehicles/index.html

How Amsterdam plans to remove polluting cars from its streets - CNN

Amsterdam wants to ban all gasoline and diesel vehicles from the city by 2030. But it has only a decade to build the infrastructure to power a city of electric cars.

business, How Amsterdam plans to remove polluting cars from its streets - CNN

How Amsterdam plans to power a city of electric cars

Amsterdam (CNN Business)Amsterdam has bold plans to ban all gasoline and diesel vehicles from the city by 2030. But if it is to meet that target, it has only a decade to build the infrastructure to power a city of electric cars.As part of the plan, from next year certain diesel vehicles will be banned from Amsterdam's city center. From 2022, buses and coaches will only be allowed in the city center if they have electric or hydrogen-powered engines, and by 2030, all transportation in the city must be emissions free.Cleaner transport, cleaner air "For Amsterdam, it is a health issue, with climate goals as a direct counterpart," explained Sharon Dijksma, the city's deputy mayor. "We are pursuing clean air for everyone in Amsterdam by making traffic emissions-free and reducing emissions from other sources." The city hopes that cleaning up its air will increase its residents' average life expectancy by three months and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 9%.Vattenfall, a European energy company, is providing Amsterdam with an infrastructure of charging points for electric cars.Read MoreOther cities have also started to cut back on polluting vehicles. Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City pledged in 2016 to ban diesel vehicles by 2025. London this year started imposing steep charges on vehicles in its city center that don't meet strict emissions standards, and several cities in Germany have already imposed restrictions on diesel vehicles.Amsterdam currently has five low emission zones, where vehicles that cause the most pollution are banned. These zones will be expanded, and the regulations tightened. Residents are being encouraged to switch to electric vehicles through car-share programs and subsidies. But the city anticipates that powering so many new electric vehicles may require as many as 23,000 charging points by 2025.Amsterdam already has around 3,000 charging points at public parking spaces. Up to 1,000 new charging points are being installed on its streets and anyone who buys an electric car will be able to apply for a charging point in their neighborhood. Smart charging and flexible powerVattenfall, a European energy company that provides energy from wind and solar farms, as well as some gas-powered plants, is providing Amsterdam with charging points for homes, businesses and public places. "We are the first in the world to be rolling out this on a large scale," said Pieter van Ommeren, Vattenfall's head of e-mobility. Vattenfall provides energy to Amsterdam from wind and solar farms, as well as some gas-fired plants.But that scale brings its own challenges. If the whole city wanted to charge its vehicles at the same time, the system would break down, says Ommeren. So Vattenfall is building in flexibility to cope with changes in demand. The electric car revolution is coming. This is what has to happen first"If there is high demand of electricity in a certain area, we slow down the charging of electric cars in that area," he explained. There are currently are about 17,000 electric cars in Amsterdam but that could quadruple in the next three years, according to Vattenfall. Many taxi and chauffeur services have already gone electric, but not all private car owners can afford to make the switch.Dijksma acknowledges the challenge."We need cheap zero emission cars and also a second-hand market by the year 2025," she says. "We need a lot of things at the same time, but I am optimistic because I think there is the political will to succeed and there is also a societal will to succeed."

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2022-01-06 01:15:48

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/business/india-sea6-energy-seaweed-harvester-spc-intl/index.html

An Indian startup could revolutionize ocean farming with its 'sea combine harvester' - CNN

Seaweed is an increasingly attractive crop, but current farming methods make it expensive. This startup wants to bring down the costs with its automated "Sea Combine."

business, An Indian startup could revolutionize ocean farming with its 'sea combine harvester' - CNN

An Indian startup could revolutionize ocean farming with its 'sea combine harvester'

(CNN)Often used to wrap sushi and flavor soups, seaweed has much greater potential -- both as a food and for use in a wide range of products from cosmetics and textiles to biodegradable packaging and even biofuel. Usually, seaweed is grown on ropes or nets suspended in the ocean, but current techniques make large-scale cultivation near impossible. Ocean farming is in the "stone ages," according to Shrikumar Suryanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Bangalore-based Sea6 Energy and former head of research and development at Biocon, an Indian pharmaceutical company specializing in biologically-sourced medicines. "It's like using a trowel and a pick to farm land." Founded in 2010, Sea6 Energy wants to mechanize ocean farming, just as tractors did for agriculture, with its "Sea Combine," an automated catamaran that simultaneously harvests and replants seaweed in the ocean. The machine travels back and forth between lines of seaweed, harvesting the fully-grown plants and replacing them with freshly-seeded lines. A prototype is currently deployed at the company's seaweed farm off the coast of Indonesia. The Southeast Asian nation has a tradition of seaweed farming that involves villagers tying pieces of seaweed to ropes and hauling them out to sea, before manually harvesting the lines, and there is a strong appetite for the crop there, according to Suryanarayan. As the technology develops and the market widens, the company intends to deploy more Sea Combines, including in its home country, India. The Sea Combine has a rotary cutter on board that chops off fresh growth from the harvested crop. Credit: Sea6 Energy Read MoreWhile the global seaweed industry doubled in size between 2005 and 2015, and produced 33 million metric tons in 2018, labor-intensive and costly production is expected to impede market growth, according to market research firm Fortune Business Insights.The price of seaweed restricts its potential uses, says Suryanarayan, and in the current market, it's often only economically viable to use seaweed for high-priced food applications.Suryanarayan hopes the Sea Combine will cut costs and make seaweed cheaper, so it can be more widely used. Doing this won't hurt local livelihoods, he believes, as village cooperatives could lease the machinery, allowing them to farm a larger area. Tubes of netting are refilled with seaweed on deck and fed back into the water for regrowth. Credit: Sea6 Energy Food and fuelThe Sea Combine is just "a tool" in Sea6 Energy's wider operation, says Suryanarayan. The company, which has raised $20 million in funding, currently uses the seaweed harvested by the machine to manufacture products such as animal feed and agricultural fertilizer on a small scale, he says. While Suryanarayan admits it's been a slow journey for the company, mainly due to a lack of investment in its early years, he believes it is now at an "inflexion point," as the foundations have been laid, technology developed, and there's considerable interest worldwide in the potential of seaweed to mitigate climate change. The company's next step is to expand its range of seaweed-based products, starting with bioplastics, which it aims to begin producing in the next three years. Seaweed has long been floated as a biodegradable alternative to plastic, with the EU funding research into it over the last decade. London-based startup Notpla has already used seaweed to create sustainable packaging for drinks and sauces. Sea6 Energy is in the early stages of developing its own biodegradable film to replace plastic and paper bags.But the company's boldest ambition is to convert seaweed to biofuel, helping to reduce India's dependence on crude oil. Scientific research carried out by the company shows it would be technically feasible, but Suryanarayan admits there's still a long way to go before it becomes commercially viable.A traditional seaweed farm on a reef off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. Vincent Doumeizel, director for the Food Programme at the Lloyd's Register Foundation, a charity that supports research and innovation, and senior advisor at United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the UN's corporate sustainability initiative, is skeptical. "We would need hectares and hectares [of seaweed] to produce a few gallons of oil," he tells CNN Business. "To me, producing seaweed for biofuel is like using gold for gravel."Instead, Doumeizel believes Sea6 Energy should focus on areas where seaweed can make an immediate difference. Seaweed-enriched cattle feed has the potential to reduce bovine methane emissions because it contains compounds that stop microbes in a cow's gut producing the gas; bioplastics could contribute to decarbonization; and the nutritious plants could help feed the world's growing population, he says.But first, industry investment needs to accelerate, says Doumeizel, adding that he welcomes the efforts of companies developing technology for industrial-scale cultivation. Sea6 Energy is not alone in this. Norwegian company Seaweed Solutions designed the "Seaweed Carrier," a sheet-like structure that can grow large amounts of kelp in deep water, and Belgium-based AtSeaNova has developed a floating seeding and harvesting machine. "Sea agriculture is one of the ways ... to improve the sustainability of the planet," says Suryanarayan. "Our job and journey will be well achieved if we can show that it is economically viable."

Rachel Trent, CNN

2021-06-26 17:28:06

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/26/us/lego-bricks-recycled-plastic-trnd/index.html

Lego unveils brick prototype made from recycled plastic - CNN

The Lego Group is one step closer to reaching its goal of making all its products from sustainable material by 2030.

business, Lego unveils brick prototype made from recycled plastic - CNN

Lego unveils brick prototype made from recycled plastic

(CNN)The Lego Group is one step closer to reaching its goal of making all its products from sustainable material by 2030.The Danish toymaker unveiled a prototype brick made from recycled plastic. In a news release, Lego said the PET plastic from discarded bottles makes up the first brick to meet the company's "strict quality and safety requirements." One way the company ensures safety is by sourcing materials from suppliers that use processes approved by the US Food & Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority.A one-liter plastic PET bottle provides enough raw material for 10 2 x 4 LEGO bricks, the company said."The biggest challenge on our sustainability journey is rethinking and innovating new materials that are as durable, strong and high quality as our existing bricks -- and fit with LEGO elements made over the past 60 years," Lego Group Vice President of Environmental Responsibility Tim Brooks said. "With this prototype we're able to showcase the progress we're making."Drones are helping to clean up the world's plastic pollutionIt will be "some time" before bricks made from recycled material can be purchased, Lego said. The company will continue to test and develop the PET formulation and decide whether to move to the pilot production phase, which is expected to take at least a year. One factor the company is testing is how the material can be colored.Read More"Experimentation and failing is an important part of learning and innovation. Just as kids build, unbuild and rebuild with LEGO bricks at home, we're doing the same in our lab," Brooks said.The move follows last year's announcement that the company was making a $400 million investment over three years into sustainability initiatives. Those initiatives included phasing out the single-use plastic bags from its boxes and instead using recyclable paper for its packaging.In that announcement, CEO Niels B. Christiansen cited "the millions of kids who have called for more urgent action on climate change."

Sandy Thin, CNN Business

2021-03-05 11:48:23

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/05/tech/statsports-performance-tracking-spt-spc-intl/index.html

Wearables helped elite athletes through the pandemic - CNN

From the English Premier League to the NFL, sport is a multibillion-dollar industry, and top teams are increasingly turning to technology to give them the edge.

tech, Wearables helped elite athletes through the pandemic - CNN

How wearable tech helped elite athletes through the pandemic

London (CNN Business)From the English Premier League to the NFL, sport is a multibillion-dollar industry, and top teams are increasingly turning to technology to give them the edge.Until recently, gathering athletes' performance data was a laborious process. Coaches and sports scientists would spend hours compiling information from games and training sessions, pulling out the information relevant to their players' development. But technology-based performance analytics has changed all that.These days, athletes can wear devices or vests with GPS-tracking capabilities that record the speed and distance they run, as well as the impacts on their body. The information helps coaches develop training plans to avoid athlete fatigue and maximize performance for match days. STATSports, a company based in Northern Ireland, is a leader in the performance analytics industry. Most teams in the English Premier League (EPL) use its technology, as do top rugby and American football teams. In 2018, the firm secured a five-year deal with the US Soccer Federation, reported to be worth £1 billion ($1.2 billion) which STATSports said would see millions of US players at all levels using its devices.Read More"When we started the company 12 years ago, this technology was in its infancy," STATSports co-founder Sean O'Connor told CNN Business. "Now, it's common throughout most sports at all levels and it's now about being able to get the maximum from it."The company's Sonra 3.0 software released in 2020 lets teams view data almost instantly from an iPad or Apple (AAPL) Watch, so that even during competition, players and coaches can get feedback and adjust tactics mid-game. STATSports analytics can be accessed on mobile devices.Player performanceTom Allen has been Arsenal Football Club's lead sport scientist since 2017. He says players, as well as coaches, are now showing an interest in performance data."When I first started, no one [player] was really too bothered about these statistics," he said. "Now, everyone is used to seeing information sent to the phones and they take a key interest in how they're improving.Wearable electronic skin could monitor your health"The elite athletes, they're always very competitive. They want to know, 'why is someone doing more than me? I should be doing more than that,' and they're pushing each other."Over the past year, the technology has also been used to track performance away from the training ground. As the United Kingdom went into lockdown in March 2020, and the English Premier League was temporarily suspended, clubs used STATSports devices to keep track of their players as they trained remotely. "We went through a very tough regime to try and get them ready for what was going to come along the line post-Covid," Allen explained. "We had a leader board within the group and we teamed everyone up together and you saw the competition go through the roof."While the league was suspended, STATSports compiled a "player proximity report" that showed how much time during training sessions players spent within two meters of each other — the minimum distance recommended by the government's social distancing policy. The EPL presented the data to the government as part of its efforts to restart the league.Filtering downThe sports analytics industry could be worth $4.6 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research, with the technology starting to filter down to the amateur level. Companies such as Australia's Catapult — which also works with EPL teams — and STATSports have developed systems targeted at the amateur market, letting users compare their performance to their peers and to professionals."You can create a league with your friends, you can compare yourself to the elite pros as well, and gauge where you are in relation to that," says O'Connor. "There's a huge appetite for that and it's growing."That underbelly of kids and youth football players is where the next wave of technology advances will come."

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2021-05-18 09:24:55

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/business/cow-burps-methane-feed-supplement-mootral-spc-intl/index.html

This supplement can reduce methane in cows and make farmers money - CNN

Startup Mootral says its garlic-based feed supplement helps to reduce a cow's methane emissions. These reductions are being converted into carbon credits.

business, This supplement can reduce methane in cows and make farmers money - CNN

This supplement can reduce methane in cows and make farmers money

London (CNN Business)With more than 1.4 billion cows in the world, cattle farming accounts for nearly 10% of all greenhouse gases generated by human activity.A big chunk comes from the methane cows emit, but a new feed supplement could reduce those emissions by an average of 30%, according to its makers. If all the world's cows ate the supplement, the reduction in emissions could be equivalent to taking more than 300 million cars off Europe's roads. Developed by Swiss-British startup Mootral, the supplement, based on garlic and citrus extracts, is mixed with regular cattle feed, reducing methane emissions by the equivalent of around one ton of carbon dioxide per cow per year.The supplement comes in the form of pellets that are mixed into the cow's feed twice a day.The company is now converting these savings into carbon credits — approved by Verra, a global program for voluntary carbon offsets — that are sold to businesses that want to offset their emissions. Proceeds from the sale of the carbon credits go back to the farmers, subsidizing the initial cost of the feed and encouraging them to buy more, Mootral CEO Thomas Hafner tells CNN Business.Read More"Carbon credits are an important stimulus tool to drive the adoption of climate-friendly technologies," Hafner says.Farmers market Brades Farm in Lancashire, northwest England, is the first commercial farm to take advantage of Mootral's carbon credit program. Its herd of 440 dairy cows are fed the supplement twice a day. The feed additives help to inhibit the microbes in a cow's stomach from making methane, which is usually produced as a byproduct of digesting fibrous plant material like grass. Brades Farm brands itself as climate-friendly, with "less cow burps" emblazoned on its cartons. "It's difficult to make a living from dairy farming, there's bills to pay all of the time," says Joe Towers, who runs the farm with his brother Ed. "The carbon credits are a real opportunity ... to offset that cost for farmers," he says. The feed supplement has an added commercial benefit for the farm. By marketing their cows as low methane, the brothers have found a niche selling premium milk to London coffee shops. Mootral's so-called "CowCredits" don't come cheap. They entered the market in April costing around $80 each, with one credit offsetting one ton of CO2.Forestry offset schemes, by comparison, cost an average of $4 per ton of CO2, according to research firm Ecosystem Marketplace. But Hafner believes there's demand for credits that offer an "immediate verified reduction" in emissions, rather than those that promise future savings they may not deliver. With businesses under increasing pressure to reduce their climate impact, the demand for offsets is growing. Ecosystem Marketplace estimates that the global voluntary offset market was worth $320 million in 2019, more than double its value two years before. The Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets — a private sector initiative — estimates it could grow to more than $50 billion by 2030. So far Mootral has generated more than 300 CowCredits. It wants to create 10,000 in the next year, and is looking to raise $2.5 million from investors to scale up the rollout. Scaling up But there are challenges. How much methane is reduced by the feed supplement depends on a cow's breed and environment. So far, Mootral has only performed extensive tests on the two breeds at Brades Farm, but Hafner says it plans to conduct further studies in different parts of the world. Different feeding routines for beef cattle and dairy cows add another layer of complexity. Dairy cows typically come home every day for milking, making it easier to put them on a strict diet. Still, Hafner is confident Mootral will find a solution, and the company will soon begin testing at a ranch in Texas with 12,000 beef cattle. Liam Sinclair, a professor of animal science at Harper Adams University, in the United Kingdom, says it will be necessary to monitor the effects of Mootral's product over time, as there is a risk that changing the diet could affect a cow's digestion, potentially reducing its growth rate or milk yield. "It is also very important that the product is available and cost-effective in developing countries if there is to be a meaningful reduction in methane production," he adds.

Hazel Pfeifer, CNN Business

2021-04-22 09:15:34

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/tech/wearable-e-skin-health-someya-spc-intl/index.html

Wearable electronic skin could monitor your health - CNN

Takao Someya, a professor at the University of Tokyo, has developed an e-skin designed to track your vital signs.

tech, Wearable electronic skin could monitor your health - CNN

Wearable electronic skin could monitor your health

Hong Kong (CNN Business)Doctors may be just a few years away from tracking your vital signs via electronic skin worn on the body. Researchers in Japan say they have developed an ultra-thin, lightweight e-skin that is stuck to the chest area using water spray and can be worn for a week at a time.The technology was developed by Takao Someya, a professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering. It has yet to undergo clinical trials, but Someya says he has started working with partners to develop manufacturing processes.Made from a flexible material — polyvinyl alcohol — with a layer of gold, the e-skin is a wearable sensor that can pick up signals such as heartbeat and electrical impulses from muscle movement.This new artificial heart responds to the patientA small wireless transmitter strapped to the chest will send heartbeat data to a nearby smartphone or laptop, or to the cloud, allowing a doctor to monitor it remotely.Read More"E-skin is the next generation of wearables," Someya tells CNN Business. "Today's mainstream wearables are in the form of smart watches and glasses, which are bulky. In contrast, e-skin is thin, lightweight, stretchable and durable." Designed for older peopleHis latest e-skin was designed with Japan's rapidly aging population in mind. For remote health care to be most effective, Someya says it is important to monitor older people's health for long periods with high precision. Because of its durability, he says the e-skin is a powerful tool for monitoring chronic diseases like diabetes, as well as heart failure. It may also help detect early signs of illness.Someya is also developing an LED display, in partnership with Dai Nippon Printing (DNPCF), to be worn on the back of the user's hand. Designed for older people or those with who have difficulty using a smartphone, it will show heartbeat data transmitted by the e-skin in the form of large and easily understood graphics. It can also display simple emojis — including a heart and a rainbow — sent by friends and relatives from a smartphone, to help older people feel connected to their loved ones. The LED display developed by the Takao Someya Group at the University of Tokyo.The e-skin market was worth an estimated $4.5 billion in 2019, according to a report by Grand View Research. Because e-skin is highly flexible, sometimes with the ability to repair itself, it has the potential for use in robotics, prosthetics and health care.Someya and his team started developing e-skin for robots in the early 2000s. And other research from their lab is being developed for the marketplace through two spin-off companies — Signtle, for medical applications, and Xenoma, for smart clothing.E-skin for athletesXenoma has integrated e-skin into pajamas that can monitor temperature in bed, and sportswear for fitness monitoring.The startup has partnered with Taekwondo practitioner Mana Umehara to see how e-skin can benefit high-performance athletes. Its technology tracks her body movements and sends the information to a laptop, where software translates it into data visualizations. This kind of movement tracking normally requires multiple cameras, Someya says. An app that measures pain could help people with dementiaDuring the pandemic, Umehara was unable to train with her coach but she could send data from the e-skin clothing, so her performance could be monitored remotely."Now I can get more precise instructions with numbers for how many centimeters to extend [my movement] or how powerful it should be," she tells CNN Business. Someya says 5G will have a "tremendous impact" on wearable technologies, including e-skin, by increasing the amount of data that can be transmitted wirelessly at high speed, giving users access to their health information in real-time. "The ultimate goal of e-skin is to monitor all the different types of human information easily, anywhere and anytime, without disturbing daily activities," he says.

Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN Business

2021-04-08 12:35:31

business

success

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/08/success/small-electric-cars/index.html

Forget SUVs. These auto makers think tiny electric cars are the next big thing - CNN

Americans have long had a love affair with big SUVs that can carry more people and stuff than they usually need to transport and go much further than most of us drive in a day. But now there's a number of start ups that are betting they can sell car shoppers on vehicles that offer the exact opposite.

success, Forget SUVs. These auto makers think tiny electric cars are the next big thing - CNN

Forget SUVs. These auto makers think tiny electric cars are the next big thing

(CNN)Americans have long had a love affair with big SUVs that can carry more people and stuff than they usually need to transport and go much further than most of us drive in a day. But now there's a number of start ups that are betting they can sell car shoppers on vehicles that offer the exact opposite. These companies are unveiling tiny electric cars that will carry just one or two people and, in many cases, go relatively short distances on a single charge. It's a trend-bucking idea that's been tried — and failed — before. But better technology, allowing ranges of more than 100 miles with small battery packs, is making it possible. One hurdle, though, might be the price tag: These car companies are asking consumers to consider their small size and cute designs to be benefits worth paying nearly as much as a larger car. Sometimes it has worked, as with the Mini Cooper, but it's a tough trick to pull off."It's like buying a [Porsche] 911. It's going to make you stand out. It's kind of cool," said Eric Ibarra of Kelley Blue Book. "I can see that people would be attracted to these, but in very special circumstances."Read MoreStill, it will be a tough sell, he said. Car shoppers tend to have a fairly simple way of assessing a car's value: When we pay more, we expect to get more. Here are just a few of the tiny electric cars these start ups are offering.Nobe's GT100Nobe was founded in Estonia, a small country near Finland, in 2017. "It's a tough little country," said founder Roman Muljar.But Muljar wanted to find an even tougher market to start selling his tiny three-wheeled car, the GT100. So he's planning to start manufacturing with a not-yet-announced partner in the United States, one of the most competitive vehicle markets in the world. He said he hopes to begin production early next year. The small and light Nobe GT100 will mark a return to the "Golden Age of motoring," the company's founder said.The charmingly retro GT100 looks like a cross between a sporty post-World War II Italian sedan and a steam iron. There's a hint of Alfa Romeo in the three-part grille and a bit of Black+Decker Classic around the taillights. The little whitewall tires fit the mid-20th-century theme. The interior features a thin-rimmed steering wheel with a chrome horn button.The GT100 seats two people, with room for luggage, according to the company, and is expected to have a driving range of 180 miles and a top speed of 80 miles an hour. Muljar boasts that the simple and lightweight car is fun to drive."You are back in the Golden Age of motoring," he said.The cars will sell for $24,000 for the hard-top version, Muljar said, and $29,000 for a planned convertible. And while a Tesla Model 3 might seat five and go more than a 100 miles more on a charge, it also sells for over $10,000 more than the Nobe. Nobe, which is pronounced like "no bay," is already planning its next product, a small four-wheeled pickup truck. That truck, which looks like a miniature 1950s American pickup, doesn't have a name yet.MicrolinoThe Microlino is most clearly inspired by the classic BMW Isetta and similar "bubble cars" that were produced in Europe in the years following World War II. Those tiny gas-powered cars were designed for countries with wrecked economies and little access to gasoline,Like the classic Isetta, the Microlino is entered through the front. The whole face of the vehicle is its door. Seating just two, the Microlino is small enough to park nose-to-curb across a parallel parking space. Weighing just 513 kilograms, or 1,131 pounds, the Mircolino weighs less than just the batteries of a Tesla Model S, company founder Oliver Ouboter boasts.The Microlino is modeled on post-World War II European "bubble cars."There are currently no plans to sell the Mircolino in the United States where, as a four-wheeled car, it would have to meet the US's strict automobile safety standards. Three-wheeled cars, which are considered motorcycles in most parts of the US, have less stringent standards to deal with. (All these companies claim their cars are safe, though.)Back in the 1950s, BMW made a three-wheeled Isetta to get around that sort of problem. Mircolino is, instead, considering a low-speed version that would also get around the more stringent regulations, Ouboter said.For now, this tiny car will only be offered in Europe for about €10,000, the equivalent of $12,000, excluding taxes.ElectraMeccanica SoloThe ElectraMeccanica Solo's name derives from the simple fact that you will be in it alone. It's a single seat car intended as the ultimate minimalist transportation for that daily trip to the train station or supermarket by yourselfThe company has bigger plans than just selling to individuals interested in minimal-impact driving, though. "We think that the fleet side of the business can be huge for us," said Paul Rivera, CEO of the Vancouver-based company. "We think that it may actually be bigger than the direct-to-consumer approach."The ElectraMeccanica Solo will be offered in versions designed for delivery work.Future versions of the Solo with a cargo box in back could be ideal mini-trucks for urban deliveries, he said. ElectraMeccanica is already creating a fleet sales department."When you think about grocery stores, market, fresh pizza delivery, fast food franchise, security companies that go around a shopping mall at night, the tech companies that come out and service small businesses and copier companies," Rivera said, "there are so many fleets that are in that realm."That's a plan that Ibara thinks will succeed because businesses will pay for a vehicle specifically suited to their needs.But for now, the company is starting out small. It will sell its cars only on the West coast before offering them in other parts of the US and other countries. ElectraMeccannica recently started producing the cars, which start at $18,500, in China. The company is opening a factory in Arizona later this year.

Stephanie Bailey, for CNN Business

2021-03-25 08:36:57

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/25/business/carmat-artificial-heart-spc-intl/index.html

This new artificial heart responds to the patient - CNN

French company Carmat has developed a total artificial heart -- a device to replace the whole heart until a donor can be found.

business, This new artificial heart responds to the patient - CNN

This new artificial heart responds to the patient

London (CNN Business)Heart disease is the world's biggest killer, and around one in five people in developed countries will suffer heart failure in their lifetime. In the worst cases, the only treatment is a transplant. But with more hearts failing than being donated, patients can spend years on a waiting list.To help people awaiting a transplant, French company Carmat has developed a "total artificial heart" -- a device to replace the whole heart until a donor can be found. Similar in shape to a human heart and weighing 4 kilograms, it is powered by two battery packs that provide around four hours of charge before the device needs to be connected to a mains power supply. This 'snake robot' can fix pipelines on the ocean floorSensors detect blood pressure and in response, an algorithm controls the blood flow in real time. "It works like a human heart so if the patient walks, the blood flow increases and if the patient is at rest, the blood flow is stable and low," Carmat CEO Stéphane Piat tells CNN Business.Read MoreThe parts in contact with the patient's blood are made from material that's compatible with the human body, to reduce the risk of adverse reactions. Once surgically implanted, the device requires no maintenance, says Piat. Ready for marketNineteen patients have so far received the device in trials and in December, the company received a CE marking, allowing Carmat to sell the product in the European Union. Last month, it received authorization to start a feasibility study to gain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.Carmat hopes to start selling its artificial heart in Germany by the end of June. By the end of the year, Piat aims for Carmat to have made 20 hearts, which will be sold to hospitals for over €160,000 each ($190,000). While its suitable for most men, the current design is too big for most women.An app that measures pain could help people with dementiaCarmat was established in 2008 but French surgeon Alain Carpentier started developing its artificial heart 25 years ago. The company now has around 190 employees and has received more than €250 million ($300 million) in funding.Martin Cowie, a professor of cardiology at Imperial College London, says researchers have been trying for decades to create a mechanical pump that can completely replace a heart. He says past attempts frequently caused strokes, blood clots, and infections, but the materials used by Carmat are a step in the right direction. He adds that the design is an interesting concept. "Time will tell ... but I like their ideas," he tells CNN Business. Other devicesThe cardiovascular disease technology market will be worth more than $40 billion by 2030, according to market research company IDTechEx.Other total artificial hearts are in development, but the only one currently on the market is produced by Arizona-based SynCardia. It has a fixed beat rate, rather than autonomously adjusting to the patient's physical activity. Another French company -- CorWave -- is developing a device for people with less severe heart failure. It helps pump blood from one of the heart's four chambers, rather than replacing the whole heart.CorWave's "left ventricular assist device."CEO Louis de Lillers says CorWave has secured about €80 million ($96 million) in funding, including €15 million ($17.9 million) from the European Commission, and is preparing for clinical trials in the United States and Europe. A number of devices that help pump blood from one chamber already exist, but de Lillers says CorWave uses new technology that makes it more responsive to a patient's activity."We're able to track the activity of the patient and are able to adapt the flow to the patient's needs," he says.A device for life Although Carmat and CorWave will initially market their devices as temporary measures for patients awaiting a transplant, the long-term goal for both companies is to make devices that can be used permanently."The vision is (for it) to be used as ... a device for life," says Piat. "But that means collecting longer term data, so it takes more time." Cowie is pleased to see companies trying new approaches, and believes many people could benefit."I think we could get to the stage where we could honestly say to patients that you're as likely to do well with a mechanical pump as you are with a transplantation," he says.

Michelle Cohan, CNN Business

2021-03-15 08:38:38

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/tech/ai-water-meter-wint-spc-intl/index.html

This AI-powered meter can detect water leaks before they cause damage - CNN

WINT's intelligent water-saving device could reduce the expensive risk of water damage to buildings and cut down on water waste.

tech, This AI-powered meter can detect water leaks before they cause damage - CNN

This water meter can shut off leaks before they cause damage

(CNN Business)Israeli engineer Moshe Ravid came home one day to find his house flooded by a burst water pipe. Once he'd finished mopping up, he immediately went to work on a solution to prevent it from happening again. Ravid created an artificial intelligence-powered water meter called WINT. The unit integrates into existing pipe systems, where it can learn the normal water flow, detect when things go wrong, and shut off malfunctioning parts before any damage is done, according to Yaron Dycian, chief product and strategy officer at WINT Water Intelligence, a startup based in Tel Aviv.WINT communicates with the cloud over a cellular network to deliver real-time analytics and alerts through its app.Launched in 2012, the company's technology was originally designed for homes but has since started targeting companies that are looking not only to prevent damage but also to waste less water.Nine years and many algorithms later, WINT is gaining recognition for its water saving tech. In 2019, the company expanded into the United States and Europe -- where the technology has already been adopted by companies such as Microsoft, HP and Mastercard.Read MoreThe huge cost of water damageAccording to the Association of British Insurers, water damage is one of the most common household property claims in the United Kingdom. On average, a burst pipe claim can cost nearly £9,000 ($13,000). Other water-saving tech on the market include home monitors Flo by Moen and Belkin's Phyn Plus system. But Dycian says what makes WINT stand out is its ability to deal with large-scale office buildings, factories and construction sites. The damage caused by burst water pipes can cost businesses millions of dollars."It's quite amazing the amount of damage that water can cause in a building," he tells CNN Business. "A pipe breaks on the 20th floor, water trickles down and anything in its wake is really destroyed. We have customers who have lost tens of millions of dollars in a single event like this."This problem was all too familiar for UK-based construction company Mace, which built London icons like The Shard and the London Eye."We've had a number of issues around leaking pipes in the final throes of construction that caused millions of pounds' worth of damage," says Paul Connolly, technical director for Mace.This AI reads children's emotions as they learn Beyond the financial cost, Connolly says damage to reputation and rising insurance premiums forced the company to look for solutions. Today, WINT is incorporated into each new Mace construction site, which Connolly says has helped their bottom line and their sustainability goals.WINT typically saves users 20 to 25% in water consumption, according to Dycian.Saving waterWith water supplies under pressure globally, it's more important than ever to cut down on consumption and wastage. Even a small or slow leak can waste a lot of water; a 3-millimeter crack in a pipe can waste about 946 liters (250 gallons) of water per day, according to American Water Resources.This 'snake robot' can fix pipelines on the ocean floorDycian says 25% of water that enters any building is wasted through small things like a running toilet or a dripping faucet. In US households alone, those average leaks account for nearly 1 trillion gallons wasted each year."Here's water scarcity (and) here's a huge business problem that's causing massive damages -- and a solution that manages to solve both," he says. "That's exciting to me."Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the founder of WINT.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2021-02-25 01:23:48

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/24/business/e-scooter-safety-tech-ai-voi-spc-intl/index.html

E-scooters embrace AI to cut down on pedestrian collisions - CNN

The rise of e-scooters has sparked safety fears, but technology that detects people and sidewalks is here to help.

business, E-scooters embrace AI to cut down on pedestrian collisions - CNN

E-scooters embrace AI to cut down on pedestrian collisions

London (CNN Business)Electric scooter companies are turning to technology to try to reduce accidents and injuries among riders and pedestrians. The problem has become so severe that countries including Singapore, France and Spain have banned e-scooters on pedestrian walkways. A study of more than 100 riders surveyed at an emergency room in Washington, DC, found that nearly three in five were injured while riding on a sidewalk, even in places where it was prohibited. Swedish operator Voi — which has more than 6 million registered scooter riders across 50 European cities — has partnered with Dublin startup Luna to develop a system of cameras and sensors that can detect what surface a scooter is riding on, as well as the presence of nearby pedestrians. Detection and reactionThe technology works in real time. A small camera mounted to the e-scooter's vertical bar films the path ahead, while an algorithm — trained on thousands of images and videos — classifies the surrounding environment.Read MoreWith this data, the scooter can be programmed to react in a number of ways. "It could slow down its speed as the rider goes up on a sidewalk; it could reduce the speed if it detects pedestrians in the pathway ... It could give audible warnings to both the rider and the surroundings if the technology detects behavior that we feel is unsafe," says Shahin Ghazinouri, vice president of hardware engineering at Voi.Exactly how Voi's scooters will react is yet to be decided, he adds, and will depend on results from a year-long trial of the technology that began last November in Northampton, England.Footage from a camera on a Voi e-scooter.During the first phase of the trial, e-scooters fitted with Luna's technology were ridden by Voi employees. The system was able to recognize road surfaces and pedestrians with more than 90% accuracy, Luna CEO Andrew Fleury tells CNN Business. He expects the second phase to begin in March and April, when the scooters will be rolled out across Northampton for public use. Although the trial is centered on one town, Fleury says the technology could easily be adjusted to any city; the algorithms would just need to be fed new images showing how cycle lanes and sidewalks are marked in the area. City infrastructureSimilar technology has already been deployed in cars. It can tell a driver which lane they're in on the highway or alert them to nearby obstacles when reversing. But introducing this tech to e-scooters has been a challenge. "Micromobility is ideally a light and low-cost form of transport. We have to be conscious of the cost of the technology that we produce," says Fleury. How airbag jeans and high-tech vests could make motorbikes saferOther e-scooter firms are deploying similar systems. Spin, Ford's (F) micromobility unit, recently announced it would be adding computer vision and machine learning technology to its next fleet of e-scooters. Last year, Lime debuted a technology that uses speed and vibration patterns to identify sidewalk riding. If a trip is completed where more than half of the ride occurs on a sidewalk, users are cautioned via a push notification.Cities are also being urged to introduce new safety measures as e-scooter use continues to skyrocket. Berg Insight, a market research firm, predicts that there will be 4.6 million shared e-scooters in operation worldwide by 2024, up from 774,000 at the end of 2019.Cities should make roads safer for e-scooters, deterring riders from using the sidewalk, says the International Transport Forum. Alexandre Santacreu, author of the International Transport Forum's 2020 report on micromobility, says that while the technology developed by e-scooter firms is promising, addressing city infrastructure and motor vehicle speed limits should be the priority. Pedestrian collisions often "occur in places where scooter riders do not feel safe on the streets and they go onto the pavements," he says. This 'snake robot' can fix pipelines on the ocean floorTo tackle this, cities must introduce more cycle lanes and work on slowing down cars, says Santacreu. The ITF also urges micromobility operators to provide city authorities with accident data. The Luna/Voi partnership intends to do just that. "As a micromobility provider, we have large-scale (data) insights to provide to cities on how they can improve their infrastructure," says Ghazinouri. He hopes the deployment of computer vision technology will help to build cities that are safer, not just for scooters but for pedestrians and bike riders. "We want to make cities made for living and not for cars," he says.

Milly Chan, CNN Business

2021-02-17 02:01:37

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/tech/emotion-recognition-ai-education-spc-intl-hnk/index.html

In Hong Kong, this AI reads children's emotions as they learn - CNN

A Hong Kong company has developed facial expression-reading AI that monitors students' emotions as they study. With many children currently learning from home, they say the technology could make the virtual classroom even better than the real thing.

tech, In Hong Kong, this AI reads children's emotions as they learn - CNN

This AI reads children's emotions as they learn

Hong Kong (CNN Business)Before the pandemic, Ka Tim Chu, teacher and vice principal of Hong Kong's True Light College, looked at his students' faces to gauge how they were responding to classwork. Now, with most of his lessons online, technology is helping Chu to read the room. An AI-powered learning platform monitors his students' emotions as they study at home. The software, 4 Little Trees, was created by Hong Kong-based startup Find Solution AI. While the use of emotion recognition AI in schools and other settings has caused concern, founder Viola Lam says it can make the virtual classroom as good as — or better than — the real thing. Students work on tests and homework on the platform as part of the school curriculum. While they study, the AI measures muscle points on their faces via the camera on their computer or tablet, and identifies emotions including happiness, sadness, anger, surprise and fear. Facial expression recognition AI can identify emotions with human-level accuracy.The system also monitors how long students take to answer questions; records their marks and performance history; generates reports on their strengths, weaknesses and motivation levels; and forecasts their grades. The program can adapt to each student, targeting knowledge gaps and offering game-style tests designed to make learning fun. Students perform 10% better in exams if they have learned using 4 Little Trees, says Lam.Read MoreLam, a former teacher, recalls finding out that certain students were struggling only when they got their exam results — by which time "it's too late." She launched 4 Little Trees in 2017 — with $5 million in funding — to give teachers a chance for "earlier intervention." The number of schools using 4 Little Trees in Hong Kong has grown from 34 to 83, over the last year. Prices range from $10 to $49 per student per course. Lam says the technology has been especially useful to teachers during the pandemic because it allows them to remotely monitor their students' emotions as they learn.4 Little Trees lets students earn coins for learning on the platform, which motivates them to keep studying.Chu believes the technology's benefits will outlast the pandemic, because it reduces his admin load by creating and marking personalized classwork and tests. And, unlike teachers, the expression-reading AI can pay close attention to the emotions of every student, even in a large class.An app that measures pain could help people with dementiaBut technology that monitors children's faces raises concerns about privacy.In China, AI that analyzes biometric data for surveillance purposes in schools and other places has sparked controversy.Lam says 4 Little Trees records facial muscle data, which is how the AI interprets emotional expressions, but it does not video students' faces. The AI tracks the movement of muscles on a student's face to assess emotion. For example, if the corners of their mouth are raised, the machine detects happiness.Pascale Fung, director of the Center for AI Research at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, says "transparency" is key to maintaining students' privacy. She says developers must get consent from parents to collect students' data, and then "explain where the data is going to go." Racial bias is also a serious issue for AI. Research shows that some emotional analysis technology has trouble identifying the emotions of darker skinned faces, in part because the algorithm is shaped by human bias and learns how to identify emotions from mostly White faces.Lam says she trains the AI with facial data that matches the demographics of the students. So far, it has worked well in Hong Kong's predominantly Chinese society, but she is aware that more ethnically-mixed communities could be a bigger challenge for the software. Experts say emotional expression can vary between cultures and ethnicities.Lam says Find Solution AI's emotion recognition works with 85% accuracy in Hong Kong. Fung says algorithms with "very good settings" can correctly identify primary emotions, such as happiness and sadness, up to 90% of the time.However, more complex emotions, like irritation, enthusiasm or anxiety, can be harder to read. Smart sensors could track social distancing in the office"We can hope for 60% [or] 70% accuracy," says Fung, adding that most people can't identify complex emotions with a greater level of accuracy. "Human beings are not good at reading facial expressions" she says. "We would like to train machines to be ... better than the average human." As the AI improves, Lam hopes to develop applications for businesses, as well as schools, to better understand participants' needs and increase engagement in online meetings and webinars. Where human communication is concerned, AI "can help to facilitate a better interaction," she says.

Stephanie Bailey, CNN Business

2021-02-09 08:41:58

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/tech/painchek-pain-ai-spc-intl/index.html

App from Australian startup PainChek measures pain and could help people with dementia - CNN

PainChek is an app that assess pain levels in people who have difficulty communicating, because of conditions like dementia.

tech, App from Australian startup PainChek measures pain and could help people with dementia - CNN

An app that measures pain could help people with dementia

London (CNN Business)When you're in pain, you can usually tell someone about it. But for people with communication difficulties, that isn't always an option, meaning pain often goes undetected, misinterpreted or wrongly treated. To give a voice to those who can't report their suffering, such as people with dementia, PainChek, an Australian startup, has developed an app that uses facial analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) to assess and score pain levels. A carer records a short video of the subject's face using a smartphone and answers questions about their behavior, movements and speech. The app's AI recognizes facial muscle movements that are associated with pain and combines this with the carer's observations to calculate an overall pain score. According to the company, PainChek can detect pain with over 90% accuracy and more than 180,000 pain assessments have been completed worldwide on over 66,000 people. The app was designed for use with elderly people needing care.Determining pain levelsRead MoreTypically, assessing pain in dementia patients with severe communication impairment involves carers and healthcare professionals observing their facial expressions and behavior, and interpreting the results according to a standardized scale, such as the Abbey Pain Scale. A team of scientists from the school of pharmacy at Curtin University in Western Australia started developing PainChek in 2012. They wanted to find a better alternative to subjective paper-based assessments."It's very difficult for humans to decode the emotions of the person's face," explains Peter Shergill, PainChek's business development director. "So the tool applies artificial intelligence and algorithms to decode the face based on decades of research."PainChek says its app can score pain with over 90% accuracy.A 2017 validation study by PainChek's inventors, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, found the app provided reliable evidence of the presence of pain. The technology is classified as a medical device in Europe, Australia, and Canada and is offered to care homes as a monthly subscription for about $4 per resident.The World Health Organization estimates around 50 million people globally have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. A 2012 study estimated up to 80% of people living in nursing homes with dementia regularly experience pain. How airbag jeans and high-tech vests could make motorbikes safer"Globally, the assessment of pain in people living with dementia is not strong," says Shergill. "Where pain goes undetected or untreated in people living with dementia, it can manifest in difficult-to-control behaviors, which subsequently people try to control with antipsychotic medication, which brings further risks."In 2019, the Australian government allocated up to 5 million Australian dollars ($3.8 million) for care homes in the country to adopt PainChek as part of a two-year trial. "It aims to improve the diagnosis and management of pain, quality of life and health outcomes for people living in residential care," says Richard Colbeck, the Federal Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services. Interpreting feelingsPainChek says its technology is currently being used in over 722 care homes globally. Last August, it launched in the United Kingdom, where it has been used by around 1,000 patients so far. To use PainChek, carers record a short video of the subject's face and answer questions about their behavior.Paul Rowley owns a 24-bed residential home in the United Kingdom and has been using PainChek for almost a year. He says 20 of his residents have diagnosed dementia."[People with dementia] have difficulty communicating and they can't necessarily articulate what they are feeling, so that often leaves the carer having to interpret their feelings," says Rowley. He says the app is helping carers quickly determine whether somebody is in pain. This 'snake robot' can fix pipelines on the ocean floorFor Rowley, PainChek is also an important tool to show the absence of pain. He gives an example where he and his staff were able to use the app to prevent a woman from being unnecessarily medicated. "We have one lady who is very advanced in her dementia and was manifesting signs that would be interpreted by most people as physical pain," he says. "But we knew the lady very well and were convinced that in fact what she was manifesting was not pain but frustration and anxiety, and we used PainChek to demonstrate that." There are a growing number of technologies that aim to help all kinds of people communicate their pain. In the United States, MoxyTech has developed an app called GeoPain that lets users draw exactly where they are experiencing pain on a 3D image of the body. AlgometRx is a handheld device that scans a patient's pupils to measure pain.PainChek is also looking to develop products targeting other groups. It has been carrying out research at a pediatric hospital in Melbourne to help develop an app to identify pain in children under three. "We are looking at learning disability, delirium and end of life, as well as further additions," Shergill says. "We have a unique solution that is transferable across ethnicities and backgrounds ... users can see the impact they are having."

Katy Scott, CNN Business

2021-01-22 01:27:33

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/tech/motorcycle-airbags-spc-intl/index.html

How airbag jeans and high-tech vests could make motorbikes safer - CNN

Balanced on two wheels without a protective shell, riding a motorbike is far more dangerous than driving a car -- but innovations in airbags could help keep motorcyclists safe.

tech, How airbag jeans and high-tech vests could make motorbikes safer - CNN

How airbag jeans and high-tech vests could make motorbikes safer

Orleans, France (CNN Business)Balanced on two wheels without a protective shell, riding a motorbike is far more dangerous than driving a car. In the United States, for example, motorcyclists are about 28 times as likely as car occupants to die in a crash.But innovations in airbags could help keep motorcyclists safe. Moses Shahrivar designed his first pair of motorcycle jeans in collaboration with Harley-Davidson Sweden 16 years ago — featuring a protective leather lining. Now he is taking the idea one step further. His company Airbag Inside Sweden AB has designed a prototype pair of super-strong jeans that have concealed airbags inside the legs. The wearer tethers the jeans to their bike and if they fall from the motorcycle, the airbags are triggered, filling with compressed air and lessening the impact on the lower body. The airbag can then be deflated, refilled with gas and reassembled into the jeans to use again, explains Shahrivar. A filter made for astronaut urine could soon be providing drinking water on EarthAirbag Inside Sweden AB is in the process of getting the jeans certified to European health and safety standards and is putting them through a series of crash tests. Read MoreThe company has raised €150,000 ($180,000) from the European Union to develop the idea and is hoping to bring the jeans to market in 2022. French company CX Air Dynamics has launched a crowdfunding campaign to develop a similar idea.Airbag vestsShahrivar says it's the first time this kind of protection will be available for the lower body. Equivalent technology for the upper body has been around for more than 20 years. Motorcycle airbag vests can be fitted under a jacket, and protect the chest, neck and sometimes the back. Early versions were tethered to the bike, like Shahrivar's jeans, but more recently, autonomous electronic airbags have been developed, which instead use high-tech sensors to detect when the rider is about to fall. Among the autonomous airbags on the market is a system created by French firm In&motion. The company started designing wearable airbags for professional skiers in 2011 and has since adapted the technology for motorcyclists. Rather than using a tether to trigger airbags, it has created a "brain" consisting of a GPS, gyroscope and accelerometer. A bit bigger than a smartphone, this box is placed in the back of any compatible vest. "The sensors measure movements in real time and the algorithm is able to detect a fall or an accident to inflate the airbag just before a crash," In&motion communication manager Anne-Laure Hoegeli tells CNN Business.The box measures the position of the rider 1,000 times per second. As soon as an "unrecoverable imbalance" is detected the airbag triggers and fully inflates to protect the user's thorax, abdomen, neck and spine, explains Hoegeli. This takes just 60 milliseconds.In&motion makes high-tech airbag vests.In&motion recently raised €10 million ($12 million) in funding to expand in Europe and the United States.While the basic operation is similar to other electronic airbags on the market, In&motion has an affordable subscription service, explains Emma Franklin, deputy editor of Motorcycle News. "Their system has in many ways made airbags more attainable for everyday people," Franklin tells CNN Business. Riders can either buy the box outright for $400 or rent it from In&motion for about $120 a year. Users in France also have access to a setting that calls emergency services in the event of a crash. Forget silicon. This material could be a game-changer for solar power While airbag protection is now mandatory in MotoGP and at this year's Dakar Rally, airbags aren't a legal requirement for road motorcyclists — but Franklin believes they are an important safety innovation. Richard Frampton, a senior lecturer in vehicle safety at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, says there hasn't been much academic research into the effectiveness of motorcycle airbag vests, as they are still fairly new for road riders. But he pointed to research from the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks, which found airbag vests offered good protection at impact speeds lower than around 30 to 40 kilometers per hour (18 to 25 miles per hour). "From the few papers, case studies and articles I've seen, they look to be a very useful device," says Frampton."I'm in favor of them — the chest, neck and spine are all areas where you can get life-threatening injuries."

Adrian Lydon, CNN Business

2021-01-20 17:45:37

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/tech/eelume-undersea-snake-robot-spc-intl/index.html

This 'snake robot' will fix pipelines on the ocean floor - CNN

Eelume is a six-meter-long, snake-like robot that will maintain oil and gas pipelines deep beneath the sea.

tech, This 'snake robot' will fix pipelines on the ocean floor - CNN

This 'snake robot' can fix pipelines on the ocean floor

Trondheim, Norway (CNN Business)The deep-sea oil and gas industry has a vast and costly infrastructure to maintain. Wells, other equipment, and thousands of kilometers of pipeline must be installed, inspected and repaired.Now, cutting-edge underwater drones and robots are being developed that could make the work safer, cheaper and less polluting. Among them is Eelume, a six-meter-long, snake-like robot kitted out with sensors and a camera at each end. It can be kept at a docking station at depths up to 500 meters (547 yards) for six months, without being brought back to the surface.The self-propelling robot can travel up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) before needing to return to its station to recharge. It can also swap out parts for different tasks, including tools to operate subsea valves, and cleaning brushes to remove marine growth and sediments. Maintenance work at many deep-water wells and pipeline systems is already carried out by unmanned vehicles. But these vehicles typically need to be transported to the offshore site on a fully crewed ship and then remotely operated from onboard the surface vessel. That can cost up to $100,000 per day, according to Pål Liljebäck, chief technology officer with Eelume Subsea Intervention, which developed the robot.A filter made for astronaut urine could soon be providing drinking water on EarthRead MoreBased in Trondheim, Norway, the company was spun off from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Liljebäck says that by "enabling the robot to become a subsea resident living in a docking station, it can be mobilized at any time to do inspections and intervention tasks, and thereby reducing the need for costly surface vessels." Eelume can work autonomously on tasks assigned from a control room onshore, and send back video and data. Its snake-like design allows it to work in confined spaces and wriggle its body to stay in place in strong currents. By docking under the sea, it can be deployed whatever the conditions on the surface of the ocean.Eelume's modular design means various parts can be swapped out.Undersea revolutionThe global underwater robotics market is expected to be worth around $7 billion in 2025, according to analysts, and other companies are in the process of commercializing novel deep-sea drone and robot technology.Saipem (SAPMY), an Italian company providing services for the oil, energy and infrastructure sectors, has created the Hydrone-R underwater drone, which can dive to 3,000 meters for construction and maintenance work. US startup Houston Mechatronics has developed the Aquanaut, a subsea robot vehicle that can be remotely operated or work autonomously, while Sweden's Saab Seaeye Falcon vehicle is already being used to carry out inspections in Chile's fish farms.How smart nets and scanners could keep more fish in the seaNorwegian oil company Equinor was an early investor in Eelume. "It will reduce our costs by using a cheaper method to do maintenance and repair. Instead of our employees working in dangerous conditions offshore, we can put them in an onshore control room," Pål Atle Solheimsnes, lead engineer with Equinor, tells CNN Business.The oil and gas industries are major contributors to climate change, and deep water exploration can damage the marine environment. But Atle says Eelume can have environmental benefits. "The diesel burning surface vessels emit a lot of CO2 but robots, like Eelume, emit almost nothing."Eelume Subsea Intervention and Equinor will carry out final testing on the seabed later this year at the Åsgard oil and gas field. Eelume says it expects to deploy its first snake robots next year and hopes to have up to 50 in oceans around the world by 2027.

Ana Moreno, CNN Business

2020-12-15 09:28:24

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/15/tech/space-tech-aquaporin-filter-spc-intl/index.html

A filter made for astronaut urine could soon be providing drinking water on Earth - CNN

A Danish company that designed a water-purification system for the ISS is developing spin-off technologies that could provide clean drinking water where it's needed most.

tech, A filter made for astronaut urine could soon be providing drinking water on Earth - CNN

A filter made for astronaut urine could soon be providing drinking water on Earth

Copenhagen, Denmark (CNN Business)Last month marked 20 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station (ISS). Scientific research to improve life aboard the ISS has led to countless developments in space technology, but it has also brought benefits to people on Earth.LED lighting technology developed to help astronauts avoid sleep deprivation has been adapted for domestic use; a weight-lifting system to keep astronauts fit in zero gravity is being used in home workouts. Now a company that designed a water-purification system for the ISS is developing spin-off technologies with the potential to provide clean drinking water in the places that need it most.Nature's filterOn the ISS, every drop of moisture, from humidity to urine, has to be filtered and reused. But the current system is very heavy, has to be replaced every 90 days, and fails to filter out certain contaminants, according to NASA.Read MoreDanish company Aquaporin A/S has developed a new system that uses proteins called aquaporins. "It is essentially the mechanism that allows water to cross the cell membrane of living cells," says Peter Holme Jensen, CEO of Aquaporin A/S. In nature, these proteins allow plant roots to absorb water from soil, and let the two human kidneys together filter about 45 gallons of fluid per day. They are also very selective, preventing contaminants from passing through. Having tested it in space, NASA is considering replacing its current system with Aquaporin's, but the technology is also finding uses closer to home. Photos: Space research may seem far removed from daily life, but a surprising amount of NASA technology has found more earthly uses. Today's wireless headsets are an updated version of technology developed for astronauts in the 1960s. Before then, headsets used by airplane pilots were bulky and uncomfortable, but NASA commissioned a headset that could be implanted in an astronaut's helmet. It was used to transmit Neil Armstrong's words when he landed on the moon. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: In the 1970s, former NASA engineer Frank Rudy developed shock-absorbing, gas-filled membranes fitted into the soles of running shoes. The idea drew on a process called "blow rubber molding," used by NASA to create lightweight space helmets. It was the basis of the "Nike Air" system, and was adapted by other shoe companies, helping protect runners' joints from impact injuries. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: In the 1990s, NASA was looking into ways to create smaller cameras for spacecraft. It came up with the "complementary metal oxide semiconductor" (CMOS) image sensor, which produced high-quality digital photographs. As the technology developed it was licensed by the likes of Sony and Samsung, according to NASA, and CMOS is now a standard in digital cameras and phones. But camera phones aren't just for fun. The "Eyephone" app, for example, scans eyes to detect diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma, and is aimed at people living in rural areas in developing countries.Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: CT scans and radiology can help diagnose and monitor medical conditions by producing detailed images of our internal organs, blood vessels and bones. The technology was made possible by NASA research in the 1960s, when the space program was developing ways to computer-enhance images of the moon. This CT-scan room is part of a new hospital built for Covid-19 patients in Milan, Italy. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: This indoor vertical farm in Belgium grows lettuce using LED light rather than sunlight. Vertical farms do not require soil and use little water, controlling light, air, humidity and temperature to optimize growth. NASA first developed this technology in the 1990s with the aim of growing plants in space.Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: Back in the 1960s NASA worked on creating a device to purify drinking water for astronauts. It used silver ions to kill off bacteria without affecting the taste. The technology has since been used across the world for drinking water and in swimming pools. The PentaPure brand system was used to purify water on Space Shuttle missions and is now used in homes and disaster relief efforts. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: This ear thermometer is being used at a medical center in Paris. Thermometers that measure the infrared energy emitted from the eardrum were developed in the early 1990s by Diatek Corporation, which was a part of a Technology Affiliates Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The ear thermometers were based on technology JPL created for its Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), which remotely monitored the temperature of stars and planets from the infrared radiation they emit. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: Superinsulators used in cold weather gear such as winter coats, boots and sleeping bags stem from a technology that was first used to combat extreme temperatures in space. A material called "Radiant Barrier," developed by NASA in the 1960s, is now used in home insulation.Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: Cochlear implants can give a sense of sound to deaf people, by using electrodes to stimulate the auditory nerve. A rudimentary version was trialled in the 1950s, and the idea was further developed by Adam Kissiah, a hard-of-hearing engineer at Kennedy Space Center. He had worked on sound and vibration sensor systems for NASA in the 1970s and used his knowledge to develop the life-changing implant.Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: Tasked with feeding astronauts on long space missions while also minimizing the weight of food, NASA turned to freeze drying. It refined existing techniques to the point where it says it can now retain 98% of the nutrients at 20% of the original weight. NASA also developed freeze-dried ice cream. These days, freeze-dried food is used in everything from emergency survival kits to disaster relief.Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: Foil blankets are used by paramedics to retain a person's body heat, and they're widely used to keep runners warm after a marathon. These metallic sheets originated from NASA research in the 1960s, when it was looking to insulate spacecraft and protect astronauts and equipment from the extreme temperature changes of space.Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: In the 1960s, NASA commissioned the Stanford Research Institute to find ways to make computers more interactive and useful. The research led to an early version of the mouse. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: NASA research on the use of algae as a food for extended space travel led to the development of a nutritional ingredient known as Formulaid. It contains two fatty acids found in human milk and is now widely added to baby formula.Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: In the 1960s NASA developed Temper foam as a shock-absorbing filling to improve the comfort of its pilots' airplane seats. It has since been used to pad the helmets of football players, protect bedridden patients from bedsores, as molded seating for people with severe disabilities, and in memory foam mattresses.Hide Caption 14 of 14Over 2 billion people worldwide don't have access to clean drinking water, and in developed countries, many people don't trust the safety of tap water. More than half of households in the United States are concerned about the quality of their water supply, and only 55% of Europeans drink water directly from the tap. Aquaporin's technology could help. The company is working with wastewater companies — including BIOFOS, Denmark's largest state-owned wastewater utility, and UTB Envirotec in Hungary — to remove micropollutants and microplastics from wastewater, preventing them from flowing into the sea. A study conducted at BIOFOS showed that aquaporins remove over 95% of microplastics and micropollutants in wastewater, using much less energy than traditional systems. "It has an enormous potential," says BIOFOS innovation manager Dines Thornberg, who led the study. "I think the Aquaporin system could lead the way in actually creating clean, affordable drinking water from wastewater in the future. I am really optimistic that we can meet the challenges of water scarcity in many parts of the world with technologies like this."Joerg Hess, COO of Aquaporin A/S, checks water that has been filtered using the aquaporin membrane.Clean water at homeJensen has also spotted an opportunity to enter the domestic water purification market — a sector that could be worth $24 billion by 2025, by one estimate. Last month, Aquaporin A/S launched an under-the-sink household filtration system that works without electricity. The system costs €650 and the company is currently targeting the European market. It plans to expand to the United States, and then India and China in the next two years.As production increases, its long-term goal is to offer an affordable product for water-stressed regions. "I really believe that we can make a difference," says Jensen.

Katy Scott, CNN Business

2020-11-27 09:01:30

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/27/business/food-climate-label-carbon-footprint-spc-intl/index.html

Why some food brands want you to know their climate impact - CNN

Food labels already indicate how good or bad a product is for you. Now a growing number of food brands are labeling their products to show their climate impact.

business, Why some food brands want you to know their climate impact - CNN

Why some food brands want you to know their climate impact

Orleans, France (CNN Business)Food labels already indicate how good or bad a product is for you. But good or bad for the planet? That's often much less clear. Now a growing number of brands are labeling their products to show their climate impact.Swedish food company Felix is one of them. For two days in October, Felix opened a pop-up store in Stockholm, where all items were priced based on their carbon footprint. The bigger their emissions, the higher the price.The idea was to demonstrate how easy it is for shoppers to make climate-friendly choices when products are clearly labeled. Each customer was given a budget in "carbon dioxide equivalents" to shop for a week's worth of groceries. While the pop-up was a short initiative to raise awareness, Felix already lists on its website the greenhouse gas emissions associated with all its foods — from the cultivation of the ingredients to the finished product. Products are given a "low climate footprint" label if their emissions are no more than half of the average for food in Sweden. Felix's marketing manager Thomas Sjöberg says it's important that the labeling can be easily understood. Read More"We know that the numbers alone don't make sense to consumers," says Sjöberg. "To give the figures meaning, we have created a climate scale that clearly shows the current average and which climate footprint is low."Shoppers at the Felix pop-up store paid for food using "carbon dioxide equivalents."A poll commissioned by the Carbon Trust, which certifies the carbon footprints of various products, found that two-thirds of consumers in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States support carbon labeling on products. No government has yet made labeling a legal requirement, according to the Carbon Trust.However, climate labels are starting to take off. Meat-substitute brand Quorn introduced climate labels for 60% of its product volume earlier this year, and Unilever (UL) recently set out a plan to communicate the carbon footprint of every product it sells. Complex formulaEvaluating a food's true carbon footprint isn't easy and brands are teaming up with specialist platforms that crunch data using complex calculation tools to work out emissions across the whole production chain.Oatly calculates the footprint of its oat-based drinks, from the agricultural processes all the way to the grocery store, with the help of CarbonCloud, a startup spun out of research at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden. How smart nets and scanners could keep more fish in the sea"We have developed a web platform that allows the food producers to perform detailed climate assessments without them needing to understand any of the science or the mathematics behind it," explains CarbonCloud CEO David Bryngelsson.Companies like Oatly input information including their ingredients, energy use, waste production and how products are shipped, and CarbonCloud's web tool does the rest.As well as using the information to label their products, businesses can see how their climate impact would change if they switched suppliers or to renewable energy, for example.CarbonCloud has done assessments for hundreds of products and brands including Estrella, Nude and Naturli', and says interest is increasing rapidly."The industry is screaming for this — to get reliable, high detailed information with as little work as possible," says Bryngelsson.At the moment the food industry doesn't have a standardized approach to calculating carbon figures, but Sjöberg says the most important thing is to give consumers the information that's currently available."In the future, hopefully we will see a common ground for how we calculate and how we label products," he says. "But as for right now, the climate can't wait."

Giovanni Prati, CNN Business

2020-11-20 01:36:13

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/19/business/smart-tech-fishing-spc-intl/index.html

How smart nets and scanners could keep more fish in the sea - CNN

Commercial fishing is draining our oceans of life, with trawlers catching fish faster than stocks can replenish. The European Union is hoping that smart technology can help fix the problem.

business, How smart nets and scanners could keep more fish in the sea - CNN

How smart nets and scanners could keep more fish in the sea

Trondheim, Norway (CNN Business)Commercial fishing is draining our oceans of life. Trawlers are catching fish faster than stocks can replenish, while dolphins and turtles are also snared in their huge nets. More than a third of global fish stocks were classified as overfished in 2017, and while the problem is most acute in developing countries, the European Union is hoping that investing in technology can help fix a problem in its waters. It is funding a project called SmartFish H2020, led by Norwegian company SINTEF Ocean, which partners with fishing companies, tech suppliers and universities to design equipment to reduce the industry's impact on marine life. Among the innovations it is testing is a new kind of trawling net called SmartGear. It emits sounds and uses LED lights of different colors and intensities to attract only target species to the net, encouraging other fish to swim away.How smart tech could help save the world's honey bees"We want to make life easier for the fishers," Rachel Tiller, senior research scientist at SINTEF Ocean, tells CNN Business. "The problem is that we don't have data. We don't know how much fish is in the ocean and we need to find this information."Read MoreSINTEF is trying to plug that gap by using lasers to scan the fish being pulled aboard a vessel. Another technology being trialed is CatchScanner. It produces a 3D color image of the fish, which is analyzed using AI to estimate the weight and identifying the species.CatchScanner could also help tackle rule-breaking; some fishing vessels catch more fish than EU quotas allow, as well as fish of the wrong size and species. CatchScanner could prevent this by automatically collecting catch information in a database and making it available to authorities such as national coastguard agencies.CatchScanner, being demonstrated on a model fish in the lab.In Europe, the fishing industry employs around 75,000 people. With demand for seafood increasing and growing pressure on sea life, the 2014-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund set aside €6.4 billion ($7.6 billion) for projects like SmartFish, to modernize fisheries, monitor quotas, collect data around commercial species, and create sustainable jobs.Forget silicon. This material could be a game-changer for solar power "Our idea is to fully digitalize along the supply chain," says Vivian Loonela, the European Commission spokesperson for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. She says developments like SmartFish could help. "We need smart technologies and we are tapping into the potential of AI and machine learning." The European Union cannot oblige member states to adopt the SmartFish innovations, and their success will depend on market demand. However, Tiller says that many fishing companies across Europe have shown interest. "Some of these technologies can be very expensive to put onboard fishing vessels," she says. "So in order for the fishers to want to have them onboard, they need to see the benefit."Fisherman Aitor Larrañaga will soon test the SmartGear trawl net off the coast of Spain, with his company Larrasmendi Bi.He's enthusiastic about smart tech and believes the fishing industry needs to innovate to become more sustainable. "The world moves on," he says. "We can't work like we did 200 years ago."

Katy Scott, CNN Business

2020-10-23 07:50:37

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/23/tech/pointgrab-sensors-social-distancing-office-spc-intl/index.html

Smart sensors could track social distancing in the office - CNN

Finding ways to maintain social distancing will be key to getting workers back into the office. An Israeli company thinks it can help, using smart sensors mounted on workplace ceilings.

tech, Smart sensors could track social distancing in the office - CNN

Smart sensors could track social distancing in the office

Paris (CNN Business)If businesses are to get reluctant workers back into the office, finding ways to maintain social distancing will be key. An Israeli company thinks it can help, using smart sensors mounted on workplace ceilings.PointGrab developed its technology before the pandemic to help workspace managers optimize how employees use office space. About the size of a smoke alarm, the sensors can record the exact number and location of people in buildings including offices, hotels and restaurants.One of the company's first clients was Deloitte, which installed the system at its flagship London office last year. PointGrab's sensors were connected to screens in the building to show the availability of desks and shared areas in real time. PointGrab CEO Doron Shachar says it was one of a range of innovations that helped Deloitte fit 30% more people into 3% less space. A PointGrab sensor, around the size of a smoke alarm.Now PointGrab has adapted the technology so the sensors can also monitor social distancing by keeping track of how far apart people are, and whether they're traveling in one direction around a building.Workspace managers can set up alerts for when two people are closer than two meters for more than 30 seconds, for example. "An organization will choose what to do with that alert," Shachar tells CNN Business. "I don't think that they should blow an alarm."Read MoreThe sensors have been included in the "six feet office" concept created by real estate services company Cushman & Wakefield to encourage employees to practice social distancing. They are currently being used in this way at a university in the Netherlands, and at an innovation hub in Belgium. Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workThe pandemic is changing how we work, and causing businesses to rethink the workplace. "Work gyms" such as Caveday are becoming increasingly popular. Users join a group Zoom call, leave their cameras on and work alongside other members for a specified time period. The concept is based on the theory of "social accountability" -- with someone watching, you're under more pressure to focus.Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workIf a standard Zoom call doesn't work for you, you could try the Virtual Reality version developed by US-based company Spatial. Users create an avatar by uploading a photo of their face and -- while wearing a VR headset -- they are able to interact with the life-like avatars of friends or coworkers. Users can move between different virtual rooms and collaborate as if they were meeting in person.Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workOffice space is being re-imagined. Rather than featuring open floor plans and shared workspaces, new designs are facilitating social distancing. Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate firm, has designed a "6 feet office" concept to help its clients prepare for the return of employees. It includes clear one-way traffic flows and individual workstations centered in 6-foot bubbles.Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workOr perhaps offices will be full of people working in air-tight pods. Egyptian architect Mohamed Radwan designed the "Qwork-Pod," hexagonal cubicles that can be arranged in a hive-like layout, complete with automatic doors controlled by facial recognition, and ventilation fans with built-in air purifiers. The whole structure is made of non-porous materials that can be easily disinfected. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workWorkplace lunches could also look very different. Instead of cafeterias or buffets, we may see socially distanced lunches like those provided by Relish, an app launched by online catering service ezCater. It lets employees order from a selection of local restaurants, then delivers individually boxed meals all at once at a designated place and time, to minimize traffic in and out of the office.Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workChowbotics -- a California-based tech startup that sells robot vending machines -- says it has seen an uptick in demand for its fresh food robot "Sally," which serves custom-made salads, grain bowls and a variety of yogurts. Pre-pandemic, Sally was used most regularly in hospitals, but now it's replacing the salad bars in some office cafeterias. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workA safe return to the office could involve AI technology that tracks employees' movements to help enforce social distancing and contact tracing. Tech company Camio has built image-detecting software for existing surveillance cameras -- it can track both how close employees get to each other and if they're wearing a mask. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: How Covid-19 is changing the way we workIsraeli company PointGrab has designed ceiling-mounted sensors that can tell the exact location and number of people within a given space. The smart sensors are able to monitor social distancing and if people are traveling in one direction around the building.Hide Caption 8 of 8Other companies have developed different approaches to the problem. US tech company Camio, for example, uses image-detecting software that works with surveillance cameras to track how close together employees are and whether they're wearing a mask. Maintaining privacyWhile the social distancing innovation is new, PointGrab has deployed more than 10,000 sensors for workspace optimization, including in the offices of Coca-Cola, Facebook and Dell.Workers might not like the idea of being monitored, but PointGrab says no images or identifying features are recorded. Instead, each employee is represented as an anonymous dot on a dashboard.South Africa has the world's worst youth unemployment. This job-matching site wants to change that"The sensor does not violate people's privacy," Shachar says. "This is extremely important in the workspace."Privacy is a key consideration for many of the facility management services and software providers that PointGrab partners with. Spacewell, a building management software provider, chose to incorporate PointGrab's technology into its smart building platform partly because of its ability to anonymize data."We do a lot of business with health care companies and financial service providers, so it's very important to make sure that you don't have any images or any data leaving the device," Spacewell managing director Adrian Weygandt tells CNN Business. While smart sensors alone may not be enough to get workers back to the office, Shachar believes they could help companies take the first step."What you need in order to actually comply with social distancing rules is exactly what we provide," says Shachar. "That is understanding, in real time, where people are located."

Adrian Lydon, CNN Business

2020-10-14 08:09:15

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/14/energy/solar-energy-perovskites-spc-intl/index.html

Perovskites could transform solar power - CNN

A group of materials called perovskites are being used to create the next generation of solar panels, which promise improved efficiency and versatility.

energy, Perovskites could transform solar power - CNN

Forget silicon. This material could be a game-changer for solar power

Oxford, UK (CNN Business)Solar energy is poised for what could be its biggest transformation in over half a century. A group of materials called perovskites are being used to create the next generation of solar panels, which could eventually be twice as efficient as current models, and flexible enough to wrap around entire buildings.The first solar cell capable of powering everyday electrical equipment was made in the 1950s at Bell Labs in New Jersey. Back then the silicon-based panels were hugely expensive and converted just 6% of sunlight into electricity. Since then, costs have come down dramatically and today's silicon solar cells can turn up to 22% of sunlight into power. But they're nearly maxed out in terms of efficiency. Now, perovskites offer the potential for dramatic increases in power output, and they could ultimately replace silicon altogether. Solar power could be 'the new king' as global electricity demand growsResearchers at Oxford PV, a company spun out of the University of Oxford, made a major breakthrough in 2018. By coating silicon with perovskite they achieved 28% efficiency. The company believes it can eventually reach 40%, or higher.Read MoreImproved solar cell efficiency will enable installations to pump out more power with fewer panels, reducing costs, and the amount of land, labor and equipment needed to operate them. "If we want to make it that all new power generation is solar photovoltaics, then we need to keep driving the price down," Henry Snaith, professor of physics at the University of Oxford and co-founder of Oxford PV, tells CNN Business. "One way to do that is to keep pushing the efficiency or the power output of the module up, and this is where perovskites really come into play."Solar potentialPerovskite was discovered in 1839. Oxford PV uses a synthetic version, made from inexpensive materials that are abundant in the Earth's crust, while other companies use variations of the original mineral, collectively called perovskites.As well as improved solar efficiency, they work better than silicon in the shade, on cloudy days or even indoors. Perovskites can be printed using an inkjet printer and can be as thin as wallpaper. Photos: Henry Snaith, left, and Christopher Case, of UK company Oxford PV, which is working with perovskite to generate solar energy. Case says the material is "the most significant development in solar photovoltaics in 65 years."Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: A tube of Oxford PV's perovskite material, which is synthesized from materials that are abundant in the Earth's crust. Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: Because perovskite solar cells work better than silicon in low light, Poland-based Saule Technologies says semi-transparent cells could be clad on buildings in built up areas, as in this rendering. Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: The team at Saule Technologies with their highly flexible perovskite material. Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: As the technology develops, perovskite could be printed onto flexible rolls, and wrapped around buildings. Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: Saule predicts that perovskite solar cells could eventually be integrated into street furniture, where they could power street lights and charge electronic devices. Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: Saule Technologies uses an inkjet printer to make its perovskite solar cells. Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: Their light weight means they have the potential to be installed on rooftops more easily than silicon panels. Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: California-based Swift Solar is working on incorporating its perovskite material into asphalt shingles, as in this rendering, which are used for roofing. Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: It says perovskite technology could eventually be incorporated into cars and planes. Hide Caption 10 of 10Oxford PV hopes perovskite will eventually replace silicon entirely. "In the coming decades, all-perovskite solar coatings promise to raise efficiencies even further, reduce the weight and shipping cost of solar equipment," says Varun Sivaram, energy expert and author of "Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet," who worked with Snaith while studying at Oxford.He says that as the technology develops, perovskite could be sprayed or rolled onto flexible surfaces. Semitransparent solar coatings could even be wrapped around whole buildings. How cities are using technology to solve their trash problemsOxford PV aims to begin producing cells made from perovskite on silicon early next year at a new purpose-built factory in Brandenburg, Germany. It estimates that panels made from the cells could save homeowners up to $1,000 on the purchase and installation of the average solar system. Other companies working with perovskite include Warsaw-based Saule Technologies, which has secured funding of €10 million ($11.7 million) from Polish photovoltaics company Columbus Energy.Last month, Saule Technologies' new factory in Warsaw began printing perovskite solar cells using inkjet printers. Early next year, it will start supplying Swedish construction company Skanska Group, which says it wants to be the first developer to attach printed solar cells to the façade of a building on a commercial scale."It is set to be a game-changer in the energy sector, because it works in every lighting condition," says Saule Technologies co-founder Olga Malinkiewicz. "You can make it flexible. It's a wonderful material. Architects will love it."

Katy Scott, CNN Business

2020-09-25 09:41:10

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/tech/giraffe-south-africa-unemployment-spc-intl/index.html

South African mobile recruitment platform Giraffe wants to get young people back to work - CNN

South Africa was already struggling with record-high unemployment before the pandemic. Mobile recruitment platform Giraffe wants to help.

tech, South African mobile recruitment platform Giraffe wants to get young people back to work - CNN

South Africa has the world's worst youth unemployment. This job-matching site wants to change that

Paris (CNN Business)"I really count myself blessed to have a job right now," says Akhona Zondani.After months of being ignored by recruiters in her home country of South Africa, the economics graduate began using a recruitment website called Giraffe. Compared to the experience of being "ghosted" by other recruiters, Zondani says getting guidance every step of the way was like "a breath of fresh air," and she eventually landed a job with an insurance company.Zondani knows she is one of the lucky ones in the current economic climate. South Africa was already in recession and struggling with record-high unemployment before the pandemic. In 2019, it had the world's highest youth unemployment rate, at 56%, and Covid-19 has led to even more job losses.But Giraffe believes it can help those hit the hardest: unskilled and less educated workers. Founded in 2015 by Anish Shivdasani and Shafin Anwarsha, Giraffe has automated the recruitment process, from sourcing candidates to screening them. Where jobseekers would usually apply for positions on paper or in person, they can now upload their résumé to the online platform, and an algorithm will match them with relevant jobs.Read MoreHow virtual reality is making the workplace more diverse Giraffe was built for mobile devices, which is how most South Africans primarily access the internet, explains Shivdasani. Smartphone penetration in the country has doubled from 2016 to 91% in 2019. Of those with internet access, around 60% use a mobile device.While other job portals and recruitment agencies often target high-skilled jobseekers, Shivdasani says Giraffe's focus is primarily on entry to mid-level jobs."We really target the mass segment of the market," Shivdasani tells CNN Business. "We define it as salaries between 3,000 and 25,000 rand ($177 to $1,470) a month."This income range represents about two-thirds of the total South African workforce, he adds.Shivdasani and Anwarsha met while working as strategy consultants in the telecoms industry. Shivdasani says he had always dreamed of building a platform to solve social problems in South Africa. In brainstorming where to start, he realized that unemployment was at the core of many of them. "We felt that unemployment is probably the biggest problem in South Africa," he says.Left, Giraffe co-founder Shafin Anwarsha.Giraffe is completely free for jobseekers, explains Shivdasani, and instead charges businesses to post jobs on its platform.It has worked with about 3,000 businesses and currently has one million jobseekers registered on its platform. Shivdasani estimates Giraffe reaches approximately 10 million jobseekers through partnerships with Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOG).Seven-foot robots are stacking shelves in Tokyo convenience storesGiraffe has even developed a voice note function that lets companies listen to applicants answering questions before inviting them to interview. "It's a combination of matching, screening and voice clips, which sets us apart from other platforms," Shivdasani says. This year the company received a grant from UNICEF, which it will use to build a content portal to arm jobseekers with career advice. Giraffe declined to disclose the amount of funding it received.South Africa's structural challenges As South Africa slowly opens up from one of the world's strictest lockdowns, unemployment is spiking and inequality is widening. A recent UNDP report estimates it will take at least five years to recover to pre-coronavirus levels of economic growth and employment.Vimal Ranchhod, an economics professor at the University of Cape Town, says skills development with the help of platforms like Giraffe is one way to assist young people.However, he cautions that it will be hard to address structural challenges in the labor market or education, many of which are tied to the country's apartheid past. "Given the scale and nature of the problem, it requires a large-scale and long-term intervention from the government," he says. "This does not mean that individual groups should not help if and when they can, because every little bit can help."

Adrian Lydon, CNN Business

2020-09-18 07:46:17

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/business/honey-bee-technology-sensors-spc-intl/index.html

How smart tech could help save the world's honey bees - CNN

Technology startups are developing smart devices to improve the health of honey bees.

business, How smart tech could help save the world's honey bees - CNN

How smart tech could help save the world's honey bees

Cork, Ireland (CNN Business)Global honey bee populations are in decline, putting the world's food supply under pressure. But new technologies could help beekeepers counter the threat.You might think of beekeepers as mere honey producers, but they are part of a growing trade where they lease their hives to farmers who need bees to pollinate their crops.The commercial bee industry provides pollination services worth tens of billions of dollars, and is key to the production of a huge range of crops, including almonds, broccoli and apples. California, for example, produces 80% of the world's almonds, and for that to happen, pollen needs to be transferred between trees. Each year, more than 2 million bee hives are required to do the job. Climate change, intensive agriculture, and the use of pesticides and fungicides in farming is ravaging the world's bees. Commercial beekeepers in the United States lost 44% of their managed colonies in 2019, according to research from the University of Maryland.What's fueling the boom in food technology?Now, technology startups are developing smart devices that give beekeepers access to detailed information about the state of their hives, aiming to reduce losses and improve bee health.Read MoreAmong them is Ireland's ApisProtect, which has just launched a sensor that alerts beekeepers if there is a problem in their hives. The small internet-connected sensor is placed under the roof of the beehive and measures a number of metrics including temperature, humidity, sound and movement. Data from the sensor is sent via the cloud to ApisProtect's HQ in Cork, Ireland, where the data is processed, analyzed and then sent back to the beekeeper. "Using our device, beekeepers are going to be able to keep many, many more hives for the same amount of workers, and the same amount of spend on things like feed and treatments," says the company's founder and CEO, Fiona Edwards Murphy. "They're going to be able to dramatically increase the amount of pollination and honey output that they've got in their operation."Beekeeper Simon Lynch uses a smart sensor device made by ApisProtect in his hives.Since receiving $1.8 million in funding from international investors in 2018, the company has been working with 20 beekeepers across the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa to monitor the activity of up to 20 million honey bees.The information collected from the 400 smart sensor units is creating a database of global bee health, powering the algorithms that analyze its data.Bee techWith bees in demand for a booming pollination industry, there are a number of other startups promoting new technologies, including Pollenity in Bulgaria, Arnia in the United Kingdom and BeeHero in Israel.Pollenity was founded in 2015 by Sergey Petrov and has raised $1.2 million in funding. Its Beebot smart sensor device is aimed at small and hobbyist beekeepers, and it is also working with six universities from across Europe on an EU-funded research project called HIVEOPOLIS. The project aims to improve the welfare of bees by reinventing hives using a number of technologies, including a robot bee capable of "dancing" to direct the hive's swarm. "The robot bee will tell the other bees where to go to find nectar and pollen," Petrov says. "Not only will this direct them to certain fields for pollination but also navigate the bees away from dangerous areas, like where pesticides are being used."Petrov says there are also plans to build technology to detect whether a bee has been poisoned by coming into contact with pesticides. For him, securing the future of the honey bee is one of the world's greatest challenges. "If we don't harvest the technology to work in our favor, we might as well just give up," he says, "and I'm not giving up."

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2020-08-17 07:46:47

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/business/virtual-reality-diversity-workplace-spc-intl/index.html

How virtual reality is tackling racism in the workplace - CNN

Technology is allowing employees to step into the shoes of a victim of workplace discrimination.

business, How virtual reality is tackling racism in the workplace - CNN

How virtual reality is tackling racism in the workplace

London (CNN Business)If you were at work and one of your colleagues made a racist remark, would you challenge it or let it pass?This scenario is one of the many that US startup Vantage Point provides in its training program to tackle racial discrimination in the workplace.Founded in Los Angeles in 2017, the company offers courses on diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias. Using virtual reality (VR) headsets, employees are immersed in scenarios based on real events, where they watch a scene of discrimination unfold and are asked how they would respond. Morgan Mercer, the company's founder, is a biracial woman who has been subjected to both racism and sexism in the workplace. She wants people who haven't had these experiences to understand how it feels, and she believes VR technology is invaluable in getting the message across."I realized how effective it is in truly putting you in a person's shoes," she tells CNN Business. "Giving you a first person experience of what it's like for somebody to flinch every time you walk by them, or what it's like for somebody to yell words at you on the street, or what it's like for somebody to stand a little bit too close." Read MoreMorgan Mercer founded Vantage Point in 2017.On average, nearly a third of adults surveyed in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany have experienced or witnessed racism in the workplace, according to research from job and recruitment website Glassdoor. That kind of environment can make it harder to retain staff from ethnic minorities.What's more, diversity is good for the bottom line. According to a 2020 McKinsey report, companies with a more diverse workforce are likely to be more successful. Surveying 1,000 companies in 15 countries, it found businesses in the top quartile for ethnic diversity were 36% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile. Companies with more than 30% women executives tended to outperform those with fewer.In someone else's shoesInitially, Vantage Point focused on providing anti-sexual harassment training for companies, but now it covers all kinds of bias, from gender inequality to bullying based on sexual orientation or race. This summer, it launched a course covering systemic racism and the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement. The startup has raised almost $4 million in funding, and has worked with companies across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and France. Clients include US telecommunications giant Comcast, international law firm Latham and Watkins, and data analytics firm Looker, which was acquired by Google in February for $2.6 billion. Now a diversity business partner for Google Cloud, Cornell Verdeja-Woodson was Looker's global head of diversity, equity and inclusion in 2019, when the company enrolled roughly 200 employees globally in Vantage Point's training.Virtual reality is helping scientists discover new drugs"Like most organizations, we were focusing on how to diversify our workforce," he tells CNN Business. Verdeja-Woodson wanted to go beyond traditional training methods to educate employees about unconscious bias in the recruiting process. "We can sit in training and have slide decks and talk about it, but people want to see it," he says. "It's not until they are in the experience that they go 'Whoa, this makes more sense to me now.'"While he admits it's difficult to quantify the training's direct impact, Verdeja-Woodson says feedback from employees was overwhelmingly positive. There was increased awareness around the topic of unconscious bias and increased confidence in tackling the problem.Mercer says companies measure success in different ways, including looking at improvements in staff retention. "It's incredibly important to be bringing varied perspectives to the table, because that's where you're truly going to have the mixture," she says. "The vibrant perspectives and ideas that will truly create the learning, the education, the innovation, and the inspiration that companies strive so hard to foster internally."

Matt McFarland, CNN Business

2020-06-22 19:48:35

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/tech/apple-car-key/index.html

Apple's newest iPhone feature aims to replace the car key - CNN

Apple wants the iPhone to replace your car keys. On Monday, the tech company announced at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, a new feature that uses the smartphone to unlock and start a car.

tech, Apple's newest iPhone feature aims to replace the car key - CNN

Apple's newest iPhone feature aims to replace the car key

Washington, DC (CNN Business)Apple wants the iPhone to replace your car keys. On Monday, the tech company announced at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, a new feature that uses the smartphone to unlock and start a car. While Apple's years-long ambition to build its own vehicle hasn't materialized, its CarPlay infotainment system is available in 97% of new cars, according to the company.Apple is overhauling the iPhone homescreen and upgrading AirPodsAnd it thinks that the humble car key, which on new cars can take the shape of your vehicle, or even feature a screen of its own, can still be improved further. "They've been around for over 100 years but they've become big, bulky and ripe for reimagining," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering.Apple (AAPL) will first roll out the feature on the 2021 BMW 5 Series, but wants to expand it to other car models.Read MoreEmily Schubert, Apple senior manager of car experience engineering, demonstrated how a driver can tap the door handle with their iPhone to unlock the sedan. Then drivers place the iPhone on the car's charging pad and push the ignition button to start the car. The Apple technology relies on what's known as Near Field Communication, which allows devices within a few centimeters of each other to exchange data wirelessly. Apple plans to transition to using a different technology, ultra wideband, which will allow for unlocking from greater distances. An iPhone could remain in a driver's pocket or bag.Apple's new digital car key will work with the 2021 BMW 5 Series.BMW owners will also be able to share the virtual car key with friends through iMessage. Volvo offers a similar service in which keys can be shared with smartphones.Apple is working with standards groups to pave the way for expanding the technology to more cars. Federighi said it expects to see support for the new ultra wideband standard in new vehicles next year.In May, an industry group, the Car Connectivity Consortium, announced a standardized way to store digital keys. Its members include major automakers and tech companies such as Apple, BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Samsung and Volkswagen.

Rishi Iyengar and Cristina Alesci, CNN Business

2020-07-24 20:48:43

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/tech/zoom-india-hiring-china/index.html

Zoom is backing away from China — and doubling down on India - CNN

The US tech industry's biggest names have made a beeline for India in recent months, and current darling Zoom is following suit.

tech, Zoom is backing away from China — and doubling down on India - CNN

Zoom is backing away from China — and doubling down on India

San Francisco (CNN Business)The US tech industry's biggest names have made a beeline for India in recent months, and current darling Zoom is following suit.The videoconferencing company announced this week that it will triple its existing workforce in India's financial capital, Mumbai, while also establishing new data centers in the tech hubs of Bangalore and Hyderabad. The company declined to share exactly how many employees it currently has in India and how many more it plans to hire."It's very much the culture of Zoom to be curious, to look for ... opportunities for growth wherever they may present themselves and not to close us off to any option," the company's chief operating officer, Aparna Bawa, told CNN Business in an interview the day after the announcement. India's 700 million-plus internet users — with roughly 500 million more yet to come online — increasingly present a must-have prize for Silicon Valley. Facebook (FB), Google (GOOGL), Intel (INTC) and Qualcomm (QCOM) have collectively poured more than $16 billion into India this year. Zoom (ZM)'s expansion is a response to a spike in usage, with the company saying free user signups in India rocketed 6700% between January and April this year. Read MoreWhy Silicon Valley's biggest companies are investing billions in IndiaZoom has arguably been the breakout star of the coronavirus pandemic, with a meteoric rise in demand for its video calling services as people around the world were forced to work and socialize at home. Daily meeting participants, the metric Zoom uses to track usage, soared from 10 million at the end of December to 300 million in April.The company now appears to be at an inflection point following its pandemic bump and a three-month period to fix its security and privacy issues, and will be looking to sustain that momentum while also charting a path for future growth.But it comes as the company faces pressure to dial back ties with another big market and employee base. Zoom's longstanding ties to China have caused a series of issues — a controversy over some data being routed through Chinese servers forced it to start allowing users more control over their data, and the company sparked outrage by temporarily shutting down accounts of some human rights groups at the request of the Chinese government. The company also has a sizable workforce in China, including its R&D department of over 700 employees, which the company warned in its annual report "could expose us to market scrutiny regarding the integrity of our solution or data security features." Those ties could become more of a liability as tensions between the US and China increase, particularly when it comes to tech. The Trump administration has led a campaign against Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei, and says it is "looking at" banning short-form video app TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, a company based in China. And while Zoom is a US company based in San Jose, California, its ties to China — both real and perceived — mean it risks getting caught in the crossfire."Given the fact that their network is fairly ingrained in some of the Chinese data centers and overall infrastructure, it's an ongoing risk factor to keep in mind," said Matt VanVliet, vice president of equity research at investment firm BTIG. Zoom in May announced new R&D centers in Phoenix and Pittsburgh, with a plan to hire at least 500 new engineers across the two cities. VanVliet said that move appears to be an attempt at "future proofing" in case of a "more exact line in the sand" from the US as tensions with China escalate.Zoom CEO Eric Yuan acknowledged as much in an interview with CNN Business earlier this year, suggesting a number of locations in the US where the company could move its R&D operations. "If things get worse, we do have a plan," he said.Zoom responds to privacy backlash by giving all its users end-to-end encryptionBawa said the expansion into Bangalore, often referred to as India's Silicon Valley, aims to tap into the country's engineering talent to further shore up its R&D teams."I think it's undebatable that India is a great hub for tech talent," she said. "It's an obvious choice for Zoom as it looks to expand its engineering talent all over the world."India is also rethinking its technological ties with China. A recent border clash between the two countries left 20 Indian soldiers dead, and has ratcheted up tensions that are spilling over into the tech industry. The Indian government last month banned dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, after widespread calls to boycott products with roots in China.India and China have both been challenging markets for US tech companies. Silicon Valley giants are largely shut out of China because of its massive censorship apparatus known as the Great Firewall. And while they have made more progress in India's comparatively open digital economy, they have had to deal with numerous regulatory roadblocks as India leans toward protectionism. And with technology becoming more of a proxy for security and economic issues between countries, tech firms are having to tread more carefully when it comes to overseas expansion.Meanwhile, as India and the US increasingly align on their distrust of Chinese tech, Zoom has had to deal with perception issues in both countries. "Some of the misconceptions are disheartening, especially those about Zoom and China," Velchamy Sankarlingam, Zoom's head of product, wrote in a lengthy blog post just days after India's ban on Chinese apps. "Like many global technology companies, Zoom has offices in China operated by subsidiaries of the US parent company."It's a clarification Yuan, who was born in China but moved to the US in 1997 and became a US citizen in 2007, has had to make on multiple occasions, including after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi erroneously referred to Zoom as a "Chinese entity." "It is our job to continue to talk about ourselves in the way that is true," Bawa said. "We're a US company, we're listed on the Nasdaq, headquartered here in San Jose, probably very similar to other technology companies that look for talent globally across the world, and want to put forward the best service that we can put for our customers to use."

Alexis Benveniste, CNN Business

2020-02-28 17:01:49

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/28/business/musk-vertical-farm/index.html

Elon Musk's brother wants to pioneer the future of farming - CNN

Plant-based foods are all the rage right now, and vertical farms are capitalizing on the trend.

business, Elon Musk's brother wants to pioneer the future of farming - CNN

Elon Musk's brother wants to transform farming

New York (CNN Business)Plant-based foods are all the rage right now, and vertical farms are capitalizing on the trend.Vertical farming is an indoor farming method in which crops are grown in stacked layers, often without soil. The practice is becoming more popular and important as urban populations grow dramatically and available farmland decreases.While vertical farming isn't a new concept, these eco-friendly indoor farms are now rapidly expanding.Elon Musk's younger brother, Kimbal Musk, who was named "Global Social Entrepreneur" of the year by the World Economic Forum in 2017, started Square Roots, an indoor urban farming company based in Brooklyn, in 2016. Square Roots' mission is to bring fresh, local food to cities around the world by empowering younger generations to participate in urban farming."When I was a kid, the only way I could get my family to sit down and connect was by cooking the meal," Musk, co-founder and executive chairman of Square Roots, told CNN Business in an email.Read MoreKimbal Musk teaches students how to plant a vegetable garden in California."Getting involved with the internet, especially in the late 90's, was very exciting and I wouldn't change anything about those experiences, but my passion has always been food," Musk said. "The moment Elon and I sold Zip2, our first internet company, I knew I wanted to pursue food and become a trained chef." He moved to New York and enrolled at the International Culinary Center.Musk said the company plans to open a Square Roots "Super Farm" — with 25 climate-controlled shipping containers, cold storage, biosecurity infrastructure and everything else needed to run a vertical farm at scale — in less than three months.Since its inception, Square Roots has grown more than 120 varieties of crops, including greens, vegetables and strawberries.The company isn't the first of its kind. Startups like Silicon Valley's Plenty, which was founded in 2013 and is backed by Jeff Bezos, are also beginning to dominate the space."Environmentalists, urban farmers, architects, agronomists, and public health experts, among others, have been joining this mini revolution as they partner to work out a way to salvage a food-scarce, ultra-urbanized future," Kheir Al-Kodmany, a professor of sustainable urban design at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a report.It involves various techniques, such as hydroponics, which uses mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent; aquaponics, which uses aquatic creatures -- such as fish and snails -- and cultivates plants in water; and aeroponics, which grows plants in the air. As for job creation, rapid climate change will put millions of traditional farmers out of business, but vertical farmers won't be affected, according to microbiologist Dickson Despommier, an emeritus professor of public and environmental health at Columbia University.Although vertical farming was first introduced in the early 1900s, it was recently popularized by Despommier. More than 20 years ago, he began teaching a class at Columbia called Medical Ecology. Despommier spent a decade growing crops indoors with his students. "Ten years ago, there were no vertical farms," he said, noting that LED grow lights have vastly improved farming efficiency over the last five years, making indoor growing cheaper and more reliable.Basil growing at the Square Roots farm in Brooklyn."People want local food because they've lost trust in the industrial food system that ships in high calorie, low nutrient food from thousands of miles away with little transparency as to who grew the food and how," said Peggs, the Square Roots CEO. At the same time, the world population is growing and urbanizing rapidly. Peggs said climate change is threatening existing supplies of food, forcing the industry to figure out new ways to grow food quickly.Peggs is optimistic about raising money for vertical farming. "A lot of smart money and capital is entering the space," he said. "The quality of food that can now be produced in these indoor systems is at least on par with the best organic field grown food you can buy."Despommier said that cities will eventually be able to grow "all they can eat" from indoor farms located within city limits. "If an outdoor farm fails, the farmer has to wait until next year to start again, he said. "Indoor farms fail too, but the indoor farmer can start again within weeks."

Nathan Sing, CNN

2020-02-27 10:33:28

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/27/tech/vr-live-music-intl/index.html

How virtual reality is changing the live music experience - CNN

With the help of virtual reality, missing out on seeing a sold-out concert may be a thing of the past.

tech, How virtual reality is changing the live music experience - CNN

How virtual reality is changing the live music experience

London (CNN Business)Just because your favorite band's live show sold out in minutes, it doesn't mean you have to miss out.In the last few years, musicians have been able to stream concerts to virtual reality headsets, allowing fans to enjoy the virtual spectacle from the comfort of their homes. Now some VR platforms are going beyond just recreating the live experience, by offering viewpoints and interactions that users could never get if they were at the venue. Launched in 2018, MelodyVR has built a library of live shows, recorded for streaming to Oculus VR headsets or iPhone and Android devices through its app at a later date. It says it has worked with more than 850 musicians, including Kelly Clarkson, Wiz Khalifa and Lewis Capaldi.Singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi filmed an exclusive session for MelodyVR. As well as being able to watch from a position in the audience, users can view the concerts as if they were backstage, behind the sound booth, or even on stage with the band. The company has also created more novel experiences; a VR performance by British singer Emeli Sandé displays two images of her simultaneously, one playing the piano and the other singing. This year, MelodyVR plans to begin offering live streaming via a paid-for virtual ticket, and has designed its own cameras for the task.Read More"We needed to create [VR cameras] that wouldn't get in the way of the production, but can also survive the variety of elements that could come with a musical performance, whether that is artists jumping around right next to the camera, champagne [being sprayed on them], or fireworks right in front of them," Steven Hancock, co-founder of MelodyVR, told CNN Business. The company, owned by EVR Holdings, says it holds global VR distribution licenses with major labels Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, as well as Beggars Group. MelodyVR wouldn't disclose how many users it has, or how many people have watched shows through the platform, but EVR Holdings was valued at around £220 million ($285 million) as recently as January. It currently operates a pay-per-view model — from $1.99 for one song to around $10 for a whole concert — on Oculus headsets and via its mobile app. This year it will offer a monthly subscription that gives unlimited access to concerts and exclusive sessions. It wouldn't disclose the cost of the subscription.Browsing MelodyVR content on a headset. MelodyVR isn't the only company to deliver VR music performances. Facebook's (FB) Oculus Venues offers live VR experiences of sporting events and comedy shows, and last year, it live streamed a Billie Eilish concert in Madrid. As well as sporting events, NextVR offers "immersive music experiences" filmed in nightclubs and studios. Last year, DJ Marshmello reportedly drew millions of attendees to his virtual show in the online game Fortnite.The future for VROne challenge for companies streaming concerts is that the market for dedicated VR headsets remains relatively small. Tech market researcher ABI Research predicts the VR market will surpass $24.5 billion in revenues by 2024, while acknowledging that "VR has yet to live up to its early expectations." For comparison, the global games market was worth around $149 billion in 2019, according to market intelligence firm Newzoo.But some analysts see a brighter future. Scott Buchholz, Deloitte's emerging tech research director, told CNN Business that "[The VR market] is likely to continue to grow, particularly as we see an increasing convergence of AR and VR gear, as well as prices continuing to drop and capabilities continuing to rise," MelodyVR says it will release its own VR headset this year, for use with its phone app. Priced at around $20, as with other smartphone headsets on the market, the user's phone will act as the screen and speaker. Hancock dismissed suggestions that live VR concerts could mean fans will no longer travel to actual performances."If (someone can) go to a show (they) always will," he said. "But for all of the limiting factors as to why people can't get to live shows, be it geographical restrictions, age restrictions, or cost ... we realized there might be an opportunity to smash all those barriers and truly globalize music."

Matt McFarland, CNN Business

2020-02-06 23:43:16

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/06/tech/nuro-self-driving-vehicle-houston-dot/index.html

US clears the way for this self-driving vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals - CNN

The federal government has cleared the way for a Silicon Valley startup to deploy thousands of its self-driving delivery vehicles on US streets.

tech, US clears the way for this self-driving vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals - CNN

US clears the way for this self-driving vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals

Washington, DC (CNN)The federal government has cleared the way for a Silicon Valley startup to deploy thousands of its self-driving delivery vehicles on US streets. Nuro, based in Mountain View, California, is now able to launch up to 5,000 of its R2 autonomous vehicles over the next two years, according to the US Department of Transportation.The R2 has no steering wheel, pedals or side mirrors as it's designed to be unmanned and carry cargo. Large compartments on its side open up to reveal deliveries, such as groceries or pizza.Nuro said the R2 will begin delivering pizza and groceries in Houston this year.Nuro said it will initially deploy the R2 in six zip codes in Houston, covering 160,000 residents. It plans to start delivering Domino's pizza in Houston soon, although it didn't specify an exact date. In December, the company announced a partnership with Walmart to test autonomous grocery delivery in Houston sometime this year.The federal government has told self-driving companies to apply for exemptions to its vehicle standards in order to more quickly get innovative technologies onto roadways. Nuro is the first company to receive an exemption from the Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which requires cars to have a long list of safety features including airbags and seat belts.Read More"Since this is a low-speed self-driving delivery vehicle, certain features that the department traditionally required -- such as mirrors and windshield for vehicles carrying drivers -- no longer make sense," said Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in a statement.The R2 is also classified as a low-speed vehicle so it doesn't have to meet the same safety requirements as cars and SUVs. Low-speed vehicles can only go as fast as 25 miles per hour and must not weigh more than 2,500 pounds.Nuro is required to report any crash-related information to the federal government and to periodically report general information about the R2's operation. A spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation declined to offer additional details on what other data must be provided.UPS teams up with Waymo to test self-driving delivery vans"One will need to look at the fine print of the reporting requirements to fully assess if NHTSA will be requiring robust enough information on adverse events to fully quantify the risks and benefits of the deployments," said Bryan Reimer, a research scientist in the MIT AgeLab and the associate director of the New England University Transportation Center at MIT. "I'm glad to see that this is only for low speed deployments as one needs to walk before anyone is allowed to run."Initially, the R2 will be followed by a vehicle with a human driver who will monitor it and intervene remotely if needed. The R2 is already being tested on private land.Nuro plans to build only a few hundred R2s in its first year and will remain focused on Houston for the time being. It expects to produce thousands more vehicles once it releases its next-generation R3. The company did not say when it plans to release the R3. Unlike most self-driving companies, Nuro is focused on carrying goods rather than people. There are fewer safety and ethical questions when an autonomous vehicle is carrying groceries than a human being. Such questions as to whether a pedestrian or a passenger should be prioritized in a crash can be avoided.Most self-driving companies have not applied for government exemptions as they continue to develop and alter their vehicles. Companies offering self-driving rides today, such as Alphabet's Waymo, are relying on vehicles that include traditional car components, including steering wheel, pedals and mirrors, which have given them a quicker path to deployment.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2020-01-29 09:33:21

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/tech/virtual-reality-firefighter-training/index.html

Fighting wildfires with virtual reality - CNN

As wildfires across the world become more frequent and intense, firefighters are turning to technology to prepare for them.

tech, Fighting wildfires with virtual reality - CNN

No smoke, no water, no waste. VR could train the next generation of firefighters

London (CNN Business)Australia has been devastated by its worst bushfires in decades. More than 2.3 million hectares have been burned, and around half a billion animals may have been affected. Scientists say climate change made them more intense, and a similar effect has been observed in California. As these disasters become more frequent, firefighters are turning to new technology to help tackle them. Some fire departments in Australia and the United States have started using virtual reality (VR) to train firefighters.Australia-based FLAIM Systems has built a VR training simulator for firefighters. Wearing a headset, trainees are immersed in real-life scenarios that can be too dangerous to reproduce in the real world."The whole point of VR is that we can put people in a traditionally dangerous situation, let people make decisions, and let people make mistakes," James Mullins, founder and CEO of FLAIM Systems, told CNN Business.The VR technology produces realistic renders of smoke, fire, water and fire-extinguishing foam in several different scenarios, such as a house fire, an aircraft fire or wildfire.The FLAIM Systems simulator recreates the whole experience, from the visual scenario to the likely temperature.Read MoreTrainees wear a heat suit that replicates the likely temperature in each scenario, controlled by software that determines the proximity and orientation to the fire and how that would affect the individual."We can heat a firefighter up to 100 degrees Celsius or so, roughly," says Mullin, but only for short timeframes. He adds that they can also replicate the force felt from the hose, and simultaneously measure the heart and respiration rate of the trainee.The company was launched in 2017 by Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, where Mullins is an associate professor. In the two years since then, it has grown from a two-man team to 18 people and now distributes to firefighting training providers in 16 countries worldwide — including Australia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and the United States.In 2019, FLAIM Systems was named startup of the year by the Australian Information Industry Association, a body representing the country's technology industry.Last year, Australia's Country Fire Authority (CFA) piloted the training system, and though it has yet to be approved for wider use, Greg Paterson, CFA's deputy chief officer, told CNN Business that it could be valuable in remote areas of the country.It could be particularly useful in a bushfire context, he adds. "The ability to provide exposure to dangerous bushfire conditions allows volunteers to immerse themselves in realistic scenarios they would not normally be exposed to during training," says Paterson.California trialsIn October 2019, the Cosumnes Fire Department in California, teamed up with VR developers RiVR and Pico Interactive, to create its own training system for 20 new recruits. The trial was successful, and the department will continue to use VR in its training program.Firefighter trainees from the Cosumnes Fire Department are taught how to handle specific scenarios while wearing VR headsets."It allows them to experience first hand the unique challenges with communication, limited visibility and come face to face with the flames in fire situations that they most certainly will encounter during their firefighting career," said fire department captain Julie Rider.An experienced firefighter herself, Rider said that she was impressed by how lifelike the VR scenario was."I could feel my heart rate climb as I looked around the room, seeing where the fire started, watching the rapid rate of fire spread," she said. "It was amazing to experience the inherent risk, extreme danger and fire intensity without feeling any of the dangerous effects from the fire."Environmental impactUsing VR technology also reduces the environmental impact of firefighter training. Traditional training releases smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere from burning substances, affecting the surrounding air quality.It also requires a lot of water, which can be problematic in a country like Australia, where many areas suffer from severe drought conditions.A grassfire scenario in virtual reality, created by FLAIM Systems.Chemicals from the foam typically used by firefighters can have health side effects, with the runoff contaminating surrounding soil and water. This has led some states in Australia to ban the use of this foam except in essential circumstances."Our technology enables people to train without discharging foam into the environment, without creating smoke, or using water," said Mullins. Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the temperature that FLAIM's firefighting suits can be heated to.

Jenny Marc and Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2020-01-23 17:36:04

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/23/business/bmw-regensburg-smart-factory/index.html

How BMW is modernizing manufacturing - CNN

BMW's plant in Regensburg, Germany, is one of the world's most futuristic factories. What can others learn from it?

business, How BMW is modernizing manufacturing - CNN

How BMW is trying to modernize manufacturing

Regensburg, Germany (CNN)On the outskirts of one of Europe's best preserved medieval cities is one of the world's most modern factories. The BMW group plant in Regensburg, Germany, manufactured approximately 320,000 vehicles in 2018. BMW says its use of technologies -- from robotics to 3D printing to smart data analytics -- meant it was able to cut the time needed to deploy new applications by 80% and reduce quality issues by 5%. The plant -- which was described as a "factory of the future" by the World Economic Forum -- is at the forefront of what's being called "Industry 4.0" -- a new phase in the industrial revolution that focuses heavily on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data. Around 9,000 people and more than 3,000 machines, robots and autonomous transport systems work in BMW's Regensburg plant. Smart factories like this one could add at least $1.5 trillion to the global economy in the next three years, according to Capgemini. And many more are coming: the consulting firm found that the manufacturers it surveyed in 2019 planned to create 40% more of these plants over the next five years.High-tech car makingRead More"A smart factory is characterized by a smart way of using new technologies, (and) new ideas to get innovations on a next level," says Frank Bachmann, BMW's Regensburg plant manager.There are more than 3,000 connected machines, robots and autonomous transport systems at the plant. A custom-made Internet of Things platform links these tools with materials and parts, which are given laser-printed labels at the outset -- allowing information to be analyzed and tracked every step of the way.That means any problems in the supply line can be alerted. For instance, if the system detects strange noises, mechanics are notified, and the problem can be fixed immediately. Autonomous vehicles deliver parts around the factory."We try to predict things, try to understand things in a reactive way, to make the future safer, easier and make even better cars," says Bachmann. Bachmann believes the factory's success is not down to one single technology, but how it integrates technologies with human workers."A smart factory is driven by smart people," he says. Driving the industrial revolutionIt is not the first time cars have been the driving force in modernizing manufacturing. Henry Ford created the first moving assembly line in 1913, which drastically cut the man-hours required to assemble a Model T car -- from 12-and-a-half-hours down to six. But the next generation of manufacturing won't just take place on the plant floor. It will happen on computers and in the cloud. This brings some additional challenges. Capgemini's report found that despite the overriding positive outlook, manufacturers are struggling to scale up their smart initiatives, with just 14% characterizing their existing initiatives as "successful."Smart factories could add $1.5 trillion to the global economy in the next five years.Enno de Boer, of consultants McKinsey & Company, also sees some hurdles to overcome. "Two of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers are around employee capability and scale," he says. "There is a big skills gap to be addressed -- 42% of industrial companies are reporting they are already experiencing a shortage of labor with 4IR [Industry 4.0] capabilities," he adds. To reskill and upskill the workforce at scale, de Boer suggests manufacturers develop effective technological learning methods, such as gamification and VR or AR learning.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-12-27 09:21:04

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/27/business/technology-detects-drowsy-drivers/index.html

Car camera system could help keep drivers awake at the wheel - CNN

From 2022, some cars will be kitted out with a new technology that detects if a driver is distracted or drowsy.

business, Car camera system could help keep drivers awake at the wheel - CNN

Car camera system could help keep drivers awake at the wheel

London (CNN Business)When you're driving a car, losing focus can be a killer.Distraction — be it a smartphone, a cigarette, music or eating — factors in up to 30% of road crashes, while fatigue is involved in up to 20%, according to the European Commission. This is why, as of 2022, new safety technologies will become mandatory in new European vehicles, including "a warning of driver drowsiness and distraction."Bosch, the German engineering and technology company, is positioning itself to be one of the main providers of this technology, announcing in December that it has developed an interior monitoring system that detects drowsy and distracted drivers. The technology, which will be built into new cars from 2022, uses cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect when a driver's eyelids are getting heavy, or when they are distracted from looking at a phone or turning towards another passenger. Read MoreThe algorithm — trained using recordings of real driving situations — makes a judgment on the driver's fatigue depending on their eyelid position and eye-blink rate. "Based on all this information, it can recognize if you're getting tired because the frequency of your eyelids opening and closing gets much slower," Annett Fischer, spokesperson for the Bosch interior monitor system, tells CNN Business.The system can then alert drivers, recommending a break if they are tired, or even reacting by reducing the speed of the vehicle. The form of the alert — whether it's sound, light, slowing down or even a vibrating steering wheel — will depend on the automaker's wishes, as they will adapt the system according to their brand and their consumers, Fischer explains.The system also monitors passengers with a front and rear camera, ensuring seatbelts are fastened and airbags are appropriately positioned.Saving livesOver a million people die globally each year from road traffic accidents, according to the World Health Organization's 2018 global status report on road safety. Using a telephone while driving — whether hand-held or hands-free — increases the risk of a crash by four times, while texting increases the risk by around 23 times, it estimates.Fatigue is a particular issue for those who drive professionally, Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at the UK road safety charity Brake, tells CNN Business. "These drivers are often behind the wheel for long periods of time and can be in charge of heavy vehicles, which can cause huge destruction in the event of a crash. "Technology has a huge role to play in achieving a world without death or serious injury on the road and we welcome new advances which improve safety, such as drowsiness detection systems," he says.Bosch is not the first developer in the field. Australia-based company Seeing Machines debuted its driver monitoring technology in the 2018 Cadillac CT6, and the Swedish company Smart Eye Automotive Solutions has developed a system for Geely, one of China's biggest carmakers. Dudley Curtis, communications manager at the European Transport Safety Council, agrees that in the long term these systems will help prevent collisions."But it will take a long time before all vehicles have the technology," he warns. "In the meantime we need to tackle the problem from other angles as well." For instance, while there are restrictions on driving hours in Europe — a maximum nine hours a day — he recommends stricter enforcement and regulation of these limits.The danger is that a driver may "over-rely" on these systems. "Drivers still need to take responsibility for being fully alert and concentrating on driving, even with these systems are installed in their vehicles," says Curtis.Privacy problemsAnother concern is privacy, as the camera-based driver monitoring systems collect large amounts of personal data on the driver and passengers. According to Bosch, data collected by its system would only be evaluated by software in the car itself, and will neither be saved nor passed onto Bosch or third parties. Fischer adds that if the automaker wanted to store any kind of data from the driver, they would have to receive consent from them first. Curtis believes that transparency is essential to consumer trust. He encourages automakers to explain clearly how the technology works, how the data is used and how long it is stored for."If it can save your life and the lives of others, it should be welcomed," he adds.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-12-16 10:29:21

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/16/business/digital-banking-for-children/index.html

Forget piggy banks, kids are using mobile apps for pocket money - CNN

Revolut is making a bank card for kids. This could help financial literacy.

business, Forget piggy banks, kids are using mobile apps for pocket money - CNN

Forget piggy banks. Kids are using mobile apps for pocket money

London (CNN Business)Children may not be stashing coins in piggy banks for much longer; with the move towards a cashless society, pocket money is moving digital. To reflect this trend, a flurry of mobile budgeting apps for children has sprung up worldwide: GoHenry, Osper and Gimi to name a few. These apps offer a simple money management service for children, often for a monthly subscription fee paid by the parents. Parents can add money to children's accounts, set limits and monitor transactions, while children can choose to save their money or spend it using a prepaid card that works like a debit card. The apps suggest minimum ages ranging from six to nine for the prepaid card. Set to join the pocket money market is the digital bank Revolut, with its upcoming launch of Revolut Youth for seven to 18-year-olds. Parents who are already Revolut customers will be able to add their children to their account as secondary users, each with their own personal debit card. Parents can monitor the child's account through their existing app, while kids can download their own child-friendly version. Initial testing has begun, with the dedicated app for kids expected to become available in the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 2020. Spend responsibly Read MoreThe companies behind the apps argue that in an increasingly cashless society, they can be a valuable way of teaching young children about money.Two thirds of adults globally are financially illiterate, according to Standard & Poor's Global Financial Literacy Survey, and one in four teenagers are unable to make even simple decisions on everyday spending.These apps aim to overcome this, claiming to teach children financial concepts, such as budgeting, interest rates and income.For instance, the Swedish app Gimi -— with 1.2 million users globally — has virtual savings jars where children can deposit money; parents can pay children interest as they save; and there is a chores feature, where parents can pay children for completing household tasks. The account is attached to a prepaid card that is currently available in Sweden only, but expected to launch elsewhere in Europe in 2020. Gimi, a pocket money app for kids, helps children to grasp complicated financial concepts such as interest rates"Cash was the best way to teach financial literacy because it's so tangible and so easy to grasp," Philip Haglund, CEO of Gimi, tells CNN Business. "Now money is being transferred through some kind of cyberspace, which is really abstract and hard for anyone to understand."Haglund believes the app can teach responsible spending habits, whereas schools tend to focus more on economic theory. "You don't become better at money management just because you have a degree in economics. It's more about the attitude and the relationship you have with parents' money when you're six to 12 years old," he says.But Catherine Winter, managing director of financial capability at The London Institute of Banking and Finance, warns that while digital tools can help there needs to be a more structured approach to financial education. The area should "have regular, dedicated, classroom time and ideally should be taught as a standalone subject," she said. "Children would then have the right context and foundation to get the most out of both the apps and their money."A lucrative generation The growth of digital banking has affected how parents doll out pocket money, with one in three parents in the United Kingdom doing it digitally, according to a recent report by the financial comparison website Money.co.uk. As a whole, kids aged 13-19, are estimated to contribute £1.7 billion ($2.2 billion) into the UK economy each year, according to the Teenage Finance Report from financial services providers OneFamily."There's a big opportunity," Aurélien Guichard, the product owner for Revolut Youth, tells CNN Business. "We have an app for adults ... so we will be able to build a transition from being a Revolut Youth user to becoming a normal user."This could translate to customers for life, as according to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority only 3% of personal customers switch to a different bank in any year. Encouraging spending or debt?One concern is that introducing digital money apps to young children could help to encourage irresponsible spending habits. "If children don't have a good foundation in financial capability, there's a risk that money apps could be seen as just another game," says Winter. "There's a risk that they won't learn about the real value of money and might develop bad money habits."However, Haglund says children are protected from this as parents can monitor their spending habits and none of the services offer an overdraft so children cannot go into debt. Plus, it is important for kids to learn and make mistakes, says Guichard. "We want to help kids and teenagers gain financial skills for life, and the earlier you do that the better, because if you're going to make a mistake of £10 at eight, it's better than making a mistake of £1,000 when you're when you're 28," he says.

Nell Lewis

2019-11-04 09:51:41

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/04/business/israel-food-technology/index.html

What's fueling the boom in food technology? - CNN

Israel has become a leading force in food technology, with pioneering start-ups finding ways to create a sustainable food future.

business, What's fueling the boom in food technology? - CNN

What's fueling the boom in food technology?

London (CNN Business)While many flock to Israel for falafel and shakshuka, it is less famous for its food technology. Yet the country — home to more than 350 agriculture and food technology companies — punches above its weight. In 2018, annual investment in Israel's food tech sector rose to $100 million, according to a recent report by Start-Up Nation Central. This makes it a strong player within a booming market: BIS Research predicts the global food tech market to be worth more than $250 billion by 2022."So much is happening in such a small place," says Tamar Weiss, development manager for the agri-food tech sector of Start-Up Nation Central.Weiss believes this is down to Israel's ambition to tackle the environmental and ethical challenges around agriculture. "People are aware of it in their own personal life, this has really pushed the sector forward," she adds.Read MoreSustainable food In 2017, Didier Toubia set up Aleph Farms, an Israeli food company that engineers cultured beef — meat grown in a laboratory from cow cells. "The objective was to bring balance back to nature, and to use the natural resources on earth in a wiser way," he tells CNN Business. The company has raised $14 million to date and made headlines around the world last year for developing the first slaughter-free beef steak. In October, it successfully grew meat in space for the first time. A rocket takes off with cows cells onboard, which were successfully grown into small-scale muscle tissue at the International Space StationThis experiment proved that cultivated meat could be a way of producing high quality protein using less resources, says Toubia. Barclays predicts the alternative meat sector could reach about $140 billion in sales over the next decade, with companies like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat leading the charge. Though not yet commercially available, the cultured meat market is also expanding, with the number of startups in the field increasing from four at the end of 2016 to more than two dozen last year, according to The Good Food Institute. Israel's thriving scene is in part thanks to its government's Innovation Authority, which provides company grants and has financed a $28 million food tech incubator. But it is also about the culture. "In Israel, there is a lot of awareness of animal welfare ... I think it is encoded into the Jewish tradition," says Toubia. Weiss adds to this stating that the kosher culture "brings in a lot of awareness around food: it being clean, or made in a specific way, or linking values with food."Animal welfare Yehuda Elram, CEO of Jerusalem-based start-up eggXYt agrees that the Jewish religion values compassion towards animals. "These are conscientious consumers who demand that companies abide by certain rules, among them is ending animal cruelty," he says. eggXYt has developed a technology that can detect the gender of chicks before hatching, in order to prevent the practice of male chick culling in poultry farming where female chicks are required for egg production.Each year, roughly seven billion male chicks are killed after hatching, according to industry estimates.Sorting males from females before the chicks hatch would avoid this, while also helping financially: factories would no longer waste space and energy incubating male eggs, and the eggs could be repurposed for the food or cosmetics industry.eggXYt is one of a number of startups working on this issue, but is unique in its non-invasive, pre-incubation method. Using CRISPR, a gene editing tool, they insert a detectable biomarker into the laying chicken's DNA which marks the gender of the eggs without any side effects. The laid eggs are then sent through a scanner that identifies the male eggs because of their light fluorescent glow. Professor Dani Offen, eggXYt's co-founder, uses gene-editing technology to identify an egg's gender before it hatches. Male eggs emit a light fluorescent grow."Its accuracy rate is very high and it has no effect on the hatchability of the female eggs. And it leaves the industry with the seven billion male unincubated eggs as a product rather than waste," says Elram.While eggXYt would not disclose its value, the company was granted $4 million in grants from the Israeli Innovation Authority, EU Horizon 2020 and other awards, says Elram. Its technology is currently undergoing regulatory approval. Personal healthAnother major trend dominating Israel's food tech arena is health, with firms like Amai Proteins and DouxMatok developing sugar alternatives.Or MyFavorEats, a Tel Aviv-based startup, which has developed an algorithm that customizes online recipes, suggesting alternatives when ingredients are unavailable or tailoring it to a user's dietary requirements. "For example, a diabetic, who needs to keep a certain amount of carbohydrates per dish, or a professional sports person, who is counting proteins," says Orly Rapaport, the company's CEO. The algorithm, trained on 1 million recipes, has learned to recognize the role of each ingredient and its taste and texture parameters. Though not yet on the market, the technology will be available through wellness and health apps or recipe publishers. Not only does this cater to the growing trend of veganism and vegetarianism, but also to the rising prevalence of food allergies. The World Allergy Organization estimates that between 240 and 550 million people suffer from food allergies worldwide.

Ed Scott-Clarke and Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-10-31 11:02:12

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/31/business/data-south-africa-taxibuses/index.html

How data is taming South Africa's infamous taxibuses - CNN

Tech start-up GoMetro is using Big Data to formalize informal transport in South Africa. It's an approach that can help public transport networks around the world.

business, How data is taming South Africa's infamous taxibuses - CNN

How data is taming South Africa's infamous taxibuses

London (CNN Business)In South Africa, unofficial and informal public transport services are a staple. Minibus taxis, which run without a specified route or schedule, accounted for nearly 70% of all public transport trips in the country in 2013, according to the most recent National Household Travel Survey.But their casual nature means safety and labor standards are unregulated.This is why Justin Coetzee set up GoMetro, a startup using big data to help authorities begin to monitor informal public transport in South Africa. Taxibuses are the most common form of public transport in South Africa Read MoreGoMetro mapped the transportation network in Cape Town by profiling each taxi route in the city, tracking things like route distance, number of stops and when passengers get on and off. The company collated this data and created a model of the network, looking at how to manage and optimize the network more efficiently. Then they deployed monitoring devices to make sure network operators stuck to the new plan. "There's an enormous amount of inefficiencies as to how these routes have sprung up," Coetzee tells CNN Business. "Our data is able to consolidate them into a much more rational plan for the entire city to work better."He says their analysis improves service efficiency by between 30% and 50%, prompting changes in time schedules or the introduction of bigger vehicles on busy routes.The operation has also improved safety, says taxibus manager Nazeem Abdurahman. The tracker systems make drivers behave more professionally, and he believes they will help prevent robberies on board. GoMetro is monitoring this informal method of transport, and using data to improve the serviceGlobal attractionBut the benefits of GoMetro go beyond improving informal transport in developing countries. It has caught the attention of public transport services globally, with the startup now mapping in the United Kingdom, United States, Argentina, India, Kenya and Mexico. Coetzee says the company was valued at $15 million in a 2018 fundraising round. In the United Kingdom, public transport firm Ascendal Group partnered with GoMetro to improve the efficiency of their subsidiary Whippet Coaches, which runs rural bus services in Cambridgeshire, England. "What GoMetro did was build a really sophisticated suite of tools and methodologies to go and collect the data," Tom Williams, director of technology and innovation for Ascendal Group, tells CNN Business. This data can be leveraged in real time to ensure optimum schedules, fleet sizes and routes. "It's not a high margin industry," he adds. "You don't make much money running buses, so you have to be more intelligent with how you plan your systems." Transport for London uses passenger data to help the underground service run more efficiently The bigger impactTao Cheng, professor of Geoinformatics at University College London, believes that optimizing public transport is vital for urban development. "Transport has a tremendous impact on city life and on the whole city's development," she says, citing how, in London, the price of property changes depending on the underground lines.According to Nationwide's House Price Index, Londoners pay a £42,900 ($55,232) premium to live within 500 meters from a station. Cheng has worked closely with Transport for London using Wi-Fi and Oyster card data (London's contactless payment cards) to analyze how they could improve the layout or the connection of the underground network. For instance, by using Oyster card data they were able to see which demographic groups were benefiting from the 24-hour weekend service on some underground lines, while Wi-Fi data enabled them to understand how people transfer between routes. This helped to inform their decision on which line to open next. "You know your demand and you know the movement. Based on that you can design your system much more efficiently and effectively," Cheng says.When Transport for London first tested their Wi-Fi data collection system in 2016, it was met with concerns over whether data could be kept confidential. For the 2019 rollout, Transport for London said that all data collected is automatically depersonalized and that it would not match Wi-Fi connection data to other data held about individuals, such as contactless data. It added that passengers are able to opt out by turning off their Wi-Fi when traveling. Similarly, GoMetro follows strict privacy protocols and anonymizes all personal data, says Coetzee. Advocates tout the benefits of the data collection. More efficient networks will use less fuel, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. Coetzee believes it will also help to bring down the number of cars on the road. "We're running out of space. We cannot continue in the car-dominated way that we have built cities since the 1950s," he says. "We need to invest in public transport as a society, we need good public transport to have strong cities."

Matt McFarland, CNN Business

2019-10-21 20:07:21

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/tech/cvs-ups-drone/index.html

CVS to test drone delivery for your prescriptions with UPS - CNN

The drones are coming — and they're bringing your aspirin.

tech, CVS to test drone delivery for your prescriptions with UPS - CNN

CVS to test drone delivery for your medications

Washington, DC (CNN Business)The drones are coming — and they're bringing your aspirin.CVS is the latest drug store to explore delivering to you via a drone. The pharmacy chain is partnering with UPS, which received a Federal Aviation Administration certificate earlier this month to make limited drone deliveries.CVS (CVS) said in a brief statement Monday that it believes customers will value fast delivery, especially in rural areas. Focusing their businesses on health care gives drone companies a way to win public support. There are significant regulatory hurdles before drone delivery becomes mainstream. The FAA is developing important rules, such as giving authorities a way to remotely identify drones. UPS broke into drone deliveries shuttling medical samples. Now it's ready to take offCVS and UPS (UPS) have not said when or where deliveries will begin, or how many will be made. CVS's announcement follows a similar one from its rival Walgreens, which launched a small drone delivery service in Christiansburg, Virginia, on Friday. Walgreens is relying on Wing, the drone delivery company operated by Google's parent company Alphabet. Read MoreThe drones making CVS deliveries will be automated, flying on pre-planned routes. They will carry packages up to five pounds and leave them on a household's front or back yard. A human will supervise the flights and take over if needed for safety's sake. Deliveries will be made as quickly as five or 10 minutes, according to Bala Ganesh, who leads the UPS advanced technology group."This is a quantum leap in terms of what's possible," Ganesh told CNN Business. "Speed can make the difference between life and death." UPS is focused on health care in its drone delivery program and approached CVS about working together. UPS has said it has already made 1,100 medical sample deliveries at a Raleigh, North Carolina, hospital as part of a government pilot program. It's also expanding to a Utah hospital in the coming weeks, in partnership with the drone company Matternet.Using drones for health care has become popular overseas, too. Zipline, a Silicon Valley startup, has said it's made more than 20,000 deliveries of medical supplies in Rwanda and Ghana.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-09-04 08:56:50

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/business/robot-farmers/index.html

Why robots will soon be picking soft fruits and salad - CNN

New technologies are changing the way fruits and vegetables are harvested. This could make farming much more sustainable.

business, Why robots will soon be picking soft fruits and salad - CNN

Why robots will soon be picking soft fruits and salad

London (CNN Business)It takes a certain nimbleness to pick a strawberry or a salad. While crops like wheat and potatoes have been harvested mechanically for decades, many fruits and vegetables have proved resistant to automation. They are too easily bruised, or too hard for heavy farm machinery to locate. But recently, technological developments and advances in machine learning have led to successful trials of more sensitive and dexterous robots, which use cameras and artificial intelligence to locate ripe fruit and handle it with care and precision.Developed by engineers at the University of Cambridge, the Vegebot is the first robot that can identify and harvest iceberg lettuce — bringing hope to farmers that one of the most demanding crops for human pickers could finally be automated. First, a camera scans the lettuce and, with the help of a machine learning algorithm trained on more than a thousand lettuce images, decides if it is ready for harvest. Then a second camera guides the picking cage on top of the plant without crushing it. Sensors feel when it is in the right position, and compressed air drives a blade through the stalk at a high force to get a clean cut. The Vegebot uses machine learning to identify ripe, immature and diseased lettuce headsIts success rate is high, with 91% of the crop accurately classified, according to a study published in July. But the robot is still much slower than humans, taking 31 seconds on average to pick one lettuce. Researchers say this could easily be sped up by using lighter materials. Read MoreSuch adjustments would need to be made if the robot was used commercially. "Our goal was to prove you can do it, and we've done it," Simon Birrell, co-author of the study, tells CNN Business. "Now it depends on somebody taking the baton and running forward," he says.More mouths to feed, but less manual laborWith the world's population expected to climb to 9.7 billion in 2050 from 7.7 billion today — meaning roughly 80 million more mouths to feed each year — agriculture is under pressure to meet rising demand for food production. Added pressures from climate change, such as extreme weather, shrinking agricultural lands and the depletion of natural resources, make innovation and efficiency all the more urgent.This is one reason behind the industry's drive to develop robotics. The global market for agricultural drones and robots is projected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2018 to $23 billion in 2028, according to a report from market intelligence firm BIS Research. "Agriculture robots are expected to have a higher operating speed and accuracy than traditional agriculture machinery, which shall lead to significant improvements in production efficiency," Rakhi Tanwar, principal analyst of BIS Research, tells CNN Business. Fruit picking robots like this one, developed by Fieldwork Robotics, operate for more than 20 hours a dayOn top of this, growers are facing a long-term labor shortage. According to the World Bank, the share of total employment in agriculture in the world has declined from 43% in 1991 to 28% in 2018. Tanwar says this is partly due to a lack of interest from younger generations. "The development of robotics in agriculture could lead to a massive relief to the growers who suffer from economic losses due to labor shortage," she says.Robots can work all day and night, without stopping for breaks, and could be particularly useful during intense harvest periods."The main benefit is durability," says Martin Stoelen, a lecturer in robotics at the University of Plymouth and founder of Fieldwork Robotics, which has developed a raspberry-picking robot in partnership with Hall Hunter, one of the UK's major berry growers. Their robots, expected to go into production next year, will operate more than 20 hours a day and seven days a week during busy periods, "which human pickers obviously can't do," says Stoelen. Octinion's robot picks one strawberry every five secondsSustainable farming and food wasteRobots could also lead to more sustainable farming practices. They could enable growers to use less water, less fuel, and fewer pesticides, as well as producing less waste, says Tanwar. At the moment, a field is typically harvested once, and any unripe fruits or vegetables are left to rot. Whereas, a robot could be trained to pick only ripe vegetables and, working around the clock, it could come back to the same field multiple times to pick any stragglers. Birrell says that this will be the most important impact of robot pickers. "Right now, between a quarter and a third of food just rots in the field, and this is often because you don't have humans ready at the right time to pick them," he says. A successful example of this is the strawberry-picking robot developed by Octinion, a Belgium-based engineering startup. The robot — which launched this year and is being used by growers in the UK and the Netherlands — is mounted on a self-driving trolley to serve table top strawberry production. It uses 3D vision to locate the ripe berry, softly grips it with a pair of plastic pincers, and — just like a human — turns it 90 degrees to snap it from the stalk, before dropping it gently into a punnet. "Robotics have the potential to convert the market from (being) supply-driven to demand-driven," says Tom Coen, CEO and founder of Octinion. "That will then help to reduce food waste and increase prices," he adds.Harsh conditionsOne major challenge with agricultural robots is adapting them for all-weather conditions. Farm machinery tends to be heavy-duty so that it can withstand rain, snow, mud, dust and heat."Building robots for agriculture is very different to building it for factories," says Birrell. "Until you're out in the field, you don't realize how robust it needs to be — it gets banged and crashed, you go over uneven surfaces, you get rained on, you get dust, you get lightning bolts."California-based Abundant Robotics has built an apple robot to endure the full range of farm conditions. It consists of an apple-sucking tube on a tractor-like contraption, which drives itself down an orchard row, while using computer vision to locate ripe fruit. This spells the start of automation for orchard crops, says Dan Steere, CEO of Abundant Robotics. "Automation has steadily improved agricultural productivity for centuries," he says. "[We] have missed out on much of those benefits until now."

Nell Lewis and Max Burnell, CNN Business

2019-09-27 12:29:37

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/27/business/technology-fashion-sustainability/index.html

The technology making fashion more sustainable - CNN

The fashion industry is a bigger polluter than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. How can technology help brands reduce their environmental footprint?

business, The technology making fashion more sustainable - CNN

Look and feel good: How tech could save the fashion industry

London (CNN Business)The fashion industry contributes more to climate change than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. It generates 20% of wastewater and 10% of carbon emissions globally, according to the UN. Also, each year, the industry is responsible for releasing half a million tons of synthetic microfibers into the ocean. Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental cost of producing huge amounts of cheap clothes, and some are forming more sustainable habits including buying used clothing. Fashion giants are responding, too. By 2025, Zara pledges to only use organic, sustainable or recycled cotton, linen and polyester to make its clothing. H&M (HMRZF) promises to do similar by 2030. Nike (NKE) will power its plants with 100% renewable energy by 2025, and Adidas (ADDDF) will double the number of shoes made from recycled plastic waste this year. Wrangler has developed a new denim process that eliminates water waste. Read MoreThe improvements are being driven by new technologies that could transform the way clothes are designed, produced and sold. Sustainable t-shirt manufacturer Teemill uses AI and robotics in its factory to reduce wasteWaste reduction"Fashion is a high volume, low value, waste stream. There's a lot of it and it's worth nothing," says Mart Drake-Knight, co-founder of Teemill, a UK startup that manufactures and recycles t-shirts using renewable energy and technology to minimize waste. He claims that three out of every five t-shirts bought today will be trashed within a year. Many won't even be worn before heading to the landfill. The cost is not just environmental: the industry, valued at around $2.4 trillion, loses about $500 billion each year due to the lack of recycling and clothes that are thrown away before ever being sold, according to the UN.To overcome this, Teemill items are produced in real time and on demand in their factory on the Isle of Wight, in southern England, with the help of dozens of robotic devices and artificial intelligence. Anyone with an internet connection can design and sell shirts through Teemill's website — its clients include charities like Save the Children and Greenpeace and designers such as Katherine Hamnett and Bella Freud."We've designed out the concept of unsold stock," says Drake-Knight. British model Kate Moss wears a Teemill t-shirtEven so, these t-shirts will ultimately come to the end of their life and more often than not head towards the trash. To solve this, Teemill incentivizes customers to return these items, offering free postage and store credit. Because Teemill's products are made from natural materials, the fibers can be used again and again. This contributes to the company's goal of creating a circular economy, and by doing this, they retain some of the original t-shirt's value. "If you throw a garment into the bin, all of that value is lost forever," says Mark Sumner, a lecturer in sustainability, retail and fashion at the University of Leeds. "Even if you do the old-fashioned thing like donating it to charity, you're retaining some of the value of that garment."TransparencySamantha Dover, a senior retail analyst at market research company Mintel, explains that consumers have not only become more conscious of where their clothes end up, but also factory working conditions and where the garment comes from. Some 53% of UK clothes shoppers think retailers should provide more information on where clothes are made, according to Mintel. "There is an underlying demand for retailers to not only be more transparent but to also make the information they are providing as accessible as possible for the average consumer," Dover tells CNN Business.This has led to some brands using blockchain technology to track their supply chains. The online public ledger creates a permanent and unchangeable record of transactions: each one is time-stamped and linked to the last, so that it can't later be altered. Designer Martine Jarlgaard uses blockchain to track her supply chain"Blockchain-powered transparency in supply chains empowers the involved partners by giving them a voice as well as holding everyone accountable," says London-based designer Martine Jarlgaard.In partnership with technology company Provenance, Jarlgaard embedded blockchain technology into her garments, so that consumers can track the journey of the item, from the production of the raw material to the shop floor, simply by scanning the item's QR code on an app. "We urgently need to understand brands' actual commitment to sustainability ... and only factual transparency will enable consumers and collaborators to navigate and to make the right decisions," says Jarlgaard. Big dataIn a global market like fashion, with multiple suppliers and traders around the world, it can be difficult for a brand to fully understand their own supply chain and measure their environmental impact. That's why, in May, Google Cloud partnered with designer Stella McCartney to build a tool that uses data analytics and machine learning to help brands estimate the environmental impact of their production process. Looking primarily at cotton and viscose, the tool — expected to launch next year — will analyze data from a number of sources and measure key points such as soil quality, water run-off, wastage and greenhouse gas emissions.Access to valuable data would make brands more aware of their impact and drive them to be more sustainable, says Google's Ian Pattinson"The data that's out there is really fragmented," Ian Pattinson, head of customer engineering, retail and manufacturing at Google Cloud UK and Ireland, tells CNN Business. "But we feel we can bring it together and present it to fashion brands and retailers and give them a picture of their sustainability footprint."Currently, retailers are working off old data, he says, whereas this would give them real-time insight.But Sumner, from the University of Leeds, warns that there is a danger of too much data. His research has found that overloading the consumer with information on carbon footprint, working conditions or toxicological impacts does not always change their habits. "We end up overloading the consumer so much ... [that] they just turn off and go, 'You know what, I'm going to buy some clothes that make me look good,' " he says.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-10-15 13:05:21

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/15/tech/tech-africa-healthcare/index.html

How technology is improving Africa's access to healthcare - CNN

Access to medical care is not always easy in sub-Saharan Africa. But new technologies are helping to breakdown the barriers preventing medicines from reaching remote populations.

tech, How technology is improving Africa's access to healthcare - CNN

Drones, apps and smart lockers: The technology transforming healthcare in Africa

London (CNN Business)Sub-Saharan Africa has, on average, the worst healthcare in the world, according to the World Bank. It accounts for nearly a quarter of all disability and death caused by disease worldwide, yet has only 1% of global health expenditure and 3% of the world's health workers.Infrastructure is poor, making access to even the most basic medical care difficult. But new technologies — from drones to apps and computer-controlled vending machines — are helping to break down these barriers and provide access to vital medicines for many more people. Flying medical aidIn May, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) announced that it would begin using drones to transport blood to tackle the high mortality rate among women during childbirth across the continent, says Amit Singh, head of drone operations. Read MoreAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 295,000 women died globally from mostly preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2017, with roughly two-thirds of these deaths taking place in sub-Saharan Africa. "This was [in part] due to the fact that blood could not get to the patient fast enough, as traditional transport means take far too long due to poor road infrastructure and the distance that needed to be covered," Singh tells CNN Business. The drone services — which are still undergoing tests with the Civil Aviation Authority — could overcome these problems. They can endure most weather conditions and only need five square meters (54 square feet) of flat surface to land — considerably less than a helicopter. A Zipline drone launches from a distribution center. It will deliver blood or vaccines to its destination within 30 minutes. The SANBS plan follows the success of Zipline, a Californian startup that started delivering blood and vaccines in remote parts of Rwanda in 2016. In April, it expanded operations to Ghana, and now claims to serve 13 million people globally. Doctors place orders through an app. Once they have been processed, medical products — which are stored centrally at Zipline's distribution centers — are packaged and flown by drone within 30 minutes to any destination, then dropped from the sky with a parachute."Our just-in-time, instant drone delivery service cuts delivery times down from hours or days to just minutes," says Naa Adorkor Yawson, an executive at Zipline in Ghana.The startup says it has raised $225 million since it was founded, and plans to expand further across Africa, south and southeast Asia and the Americas, with the aim of reaching 700 million people in the next five years. Remote careWhile infrastructure can be poor, the number of mobile internet users in sub-Saharan Africa is growing rapidly. According to GSMA, the mobile industry's trade body, smartphone connections in the region reached 302 million in 2018. GSMA expects this to rise to nearly 700 million by 2025. As a result, apps that enable remote access to medical advice and diagnosis are popping up across the continent. Hello Doctor, a South African app, provides essential healthcare information, access to advice and a call back from a doctor for 55 rand ($3) a month. A drone performs a test flight for the South African National Blood Service.Omomi helps pregnant women and mothers in Nigeria monitor their children's health and chat with doctors on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis. A one-off consultation costs 200 naira ($0.55), while a monthly subscription to the online platform costs 2,000 naira ($5.50).In Uganda, clinical trials are testing an app and device for diagnosing malaria. Matibabu has developed a tool that diagnoses malaria without a blood sample. It clips on a finger, and by shining a red beam of light on the skin it can detect Plasmodium — a malaria-causing parasite — in red blood cells. The results can then be viewed via an app. Brian Gitta, one of the app's founders, explains that blood testing for malaria is time consuming and usually requires access to a health clinic. "We do a diagnosis in two minutes versus 15 to 30 minutes for a blood test," he tells CNN Business, adding that Matibabu has an 80% accuracy rate. Smart lockersLong waiting times are often a problem for public clinics. In 2014, following a tuberculosis diagnosis, Neo Hutiri had to spend three hours in a line every other Friday to collect prescription medicine from a clinic. This experience inspired him to develop Pelebox, a smart locker system that dispenses medicine to patients with chronic illnesses. When the medication is ready, patients receive an SMS message with a unique code that opens the locker."Pelebox enables patients to collect their repeat chronic medication in under 22 seconds instead of waiting for hours in queues at public clinics," Hutiri tells CNN Business. He hopes it will reduce the workload for hospital staff and allow them to focus on patients with critical needs. So far, 13 machines are operating in Gauteng, a province in South Africa. Hutiri hopes to scale this up to 50, to reach 1,000 communities over the next five years.

Rishi Iyengar, CNN Business Video by John General, CNN Business

2020-07-08 16:43:06

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/08/tech/ultrasound-machine-handheld-coronavirus/index.html

Ultrasound machines that connect to iPads are helping doctors safely scan coronavirus patients - CNN

When Butterfly Network first began rolling out its handheld ultrasound scanners in 2018, much of the focus was on providing tools to parts of Africa and Latin America, where access to large and more traditional ultrasound machines was far more restricted. But two years later, a technology that was positioned to help the developing world may find a new use in the United States as hospitals adapt to the new challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

tech, Ultrasound machines that connect to iPads are helping doctors safely scan coronavirus patients - CNN

Ultrasound machines that connect to smartphones are helping doctors safely scan coronavirus patients

San Francisco (CNN Business)When Butterfly Network first began rolling out its handheld ultrasound scanners in 2018, much of the focus was on providing tools to parts of Africa and Latin America, where access to large and more traditional ultrasound machines was far more restricted. But two years later, a technology that was positioned to help the developing world may find a new use in the United States as hospitals adapt to the new challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Getting an ultrasound examination can be a long process that usually entails a visit to the hospital and the use of equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. And while ultrasounds can help in the treatment of the coronavirus by scanning a patient's lungs, getting patients to an exam room risks exposing others to the virus and further straining an already overstressed healthcare system. That's where Butterfly Network's device and others like it could help. The Butterfly iQ consists of a handheld probe similar to the one attached to traditional ultrasound machines, but instead is attached to a cable that connects to a smartphone or tablet through its charging port. Doctors can then view the images on the screen through Butterfly's app."I don't need to transport that patient to another area of the hospital for additional imaging and exposure to additional staff and potentially patients along the way," said Mike Stone, a Portland-based emergency physician and Butterfly Network's director of education. "The fact that I can bring a handheld ultrasound system that plugs into a phone into a room, do the exam I need, get the information I need, walk out and disinfect a phone and a probe — compared to wheeling in a cart with three different probes on it, doing that same exam, getting that same information ... it's really night and day," he added.Read MoreThe Butterfly iQ is one of several products trying to streamline the process. Companies such as GE and Philips, as well as some smaller firms, are also building tools that allow doctors to carry ultrasound devices in their pockets. While there may be limitations and some tradeoffs in quality, some doctors believe the benefits are clear. "The image quality may not be great, but the image quality is there, it can communicate the message that I'm trying to see," said Jagat Narula, director of the cardiovascular imaging program at New York's Mount Sinai hospital system. "And if I'm going to do a point of care ultrasound on the bedside of a patient, it would give me almost everything that I require."Narula is not affiliated with Butterfly Network and has only done a brief demo of the Buttefly iQ, though he said he regularly uses similar products from Philips and GE. The coronavirus has opened up a new front in the technology's use, allowing doctors to conduct lung scans much faster and with minimal exposure to the virus. Butterfly Network has previously attracted high-profile investors including financial services firm Fidelity and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which took part in a $250 million fundraising round in 2018 that valued the company at $1.25 billion. Butterfly says its handheld devices are used by thousands of hospitals around the world, and earlier this year it signed a deal with North Carolina-based hospital network Atrium Health to deploy them at dozens of hospitals in the US.The coronavirus pandemic could push telemedicine into the mainstreamIt's another example of hospitals turning to newer technologies as they deal with the coronavirus, from virtual reality training for doctors to two-way video calling devices for providers to check in with patients and even drones to deliver personal protective equipment. Portable ultrasound treatment, despite some limitations on the kinds of tests it can do, is "relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and portable [and] compares favorably to the physical exam," according to an analysis last year published by the American College of Cardiology.Handheld devices also cost much less than traditional ultrasound machines. The ones sold by Butterfly, GE and Philips range in price from around $2,000 to $5,000, whereas traditional devices can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Narula. There are some limitations to the kind of functions the smaller devices can perform. The Butterfly iQ is currently equipped for 19 different types of scans and tests, which don't include some of the more complex tests a traditional ultrasound machine can do. A "major" limitation, according to Narula and the ACC analysis, is the inability to perform the spectral Doppler test used to identify some more acute heart conditions. Stone says Butterfly Network does not aim to replace traditional ultrasound machines altogether. "We're not trying to make the Butterfly iQ compare with a $200,000 ultrasound system," Stone said.He also stressed that the device is not capable of diagnosing the coronavirus on its own — patients would still need a nasal swab test for that. What ultrasound can do is identify signs of stress in the lungs that can ensure more targeted and faster treatment. Can 3D printing plug the coronavirus equipment gap?Despite their limitations, handheld ultrasound machines can be an effective substitute for many common scans, ensuring that larger machines can be used to treat only the most critical cases, Narula says. He estimates that handheld machines can help rule out the need for 70% of patients to get a test done in the lab. "So I'll be able to optimize my testing," he said. While the pandemic may help with wider adoption of the devices, Stone says the technology's applications both precede coronavirus and will continue after the pandemic is over."You can scan close to the entire body," he said. "We were using lung sonography to look at patients with shortness of breath and chest pain far before Covid and we'll be using it to look at them long after Covid has hopefully been handled."

Parija Kavilanz, CNN Business

2020-02-19 21:45:02

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/19/business/mcdonalds-oil-3d-printing/index.html

A new use for McDonald's used cooking oil: 3D printing - CNN

Professor Andre Simpson had a problem. The University of Toronto's Scarborough campus was paying through the nose for a crucial material for its 3D printer. Few would have guessed McDonald's would come to the rescue.

business, A new use for McDonald's used cooking oil: 3D printing - CNN

A new use for McDonald's used cooking oil: 3D printing

New York (CNN Business)Professor Andre Simpson had a problem. The University of Toronto's Scarborough campus was paying through the nose for a crucial material for its 3D printer. Few would have guessed McDonald's would come to the rescue.Simpson is director of the school's Environmental NMR Center dedicated to environmental research. Central to this research is an analytical tool called the NMR spectrometer. NMR stands for nuclear magnetic resonance and is technically similar to how an MRI works for medical diagnostics.Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough collected waste cooking oil from a McDonald's restaurant and turned it into resin for 3D printing."We use the NMR spectrometers to look inside tiny living organisms and understand their biochemical response to their changing environment," said Simpson. The overarching aim is to "help bridge the gap between medical research and the environment."Simpson had bought a 3D printer for the lab in 2017. He hoped to use it to build custom parts that kept organisms alive inside of the NMR spectrometer for his research.But the commercial resin he needed for high-quality light projection 3D printing (where light is used to form a solid) of those parts was expensive. Read MoreThis could be America's smallest restaurantThe dominant material for light projection printing is liquid plastic, which can cost upward of $500 a liter, according to Simpson.Simpson closely analyzed the resin and spotted a connection. The molecules making up the commercial plastic resin were similar to fats found in ordinary cooking oil. "The thought came to us. Could we use cooking oil and turn it into resin for 3D printing?" Simpson said.Only one restaurant responded -- McDonald'sWhat came next was the hardest part of the two-year experiment for Simpson and his team of 10 students -- getting a large sample batch of used cooking oil."We reached out to all of the fast-food restaurants around us. They all said no," said Simpson. Except for McDonald's (MCD).In the summer of 2017, the students went to a McDonald's location near the campus in Toronto, Ontario, that had agreed to give them 10 liters of waste oil. PhD student Rajshree Ghosh BiswasBack in the lab, the oil was filtered to take out chunks of food particles.Rajshree Ghosh Biswas is a second year PhD student working in Simpson's lab. She joined the team that was experimenting on McDonald's cooking oil in the summer of 2018. She was tasked with synthesizing small batches of the oil to try to convert it into high-quality resin. Each time the resin was produced it was used to 3D print a butterfly. The breakthrough came in September. The team successfully printed a high-quality butterfly with details as minute as 100 micrometers in size.A 3D printed butterbly made from McDonald's waste cooking oil."We did analysis on the butterfly. It felt rubbery to touch, with a waxy surface that repelled water," said Simpson. He described the butterfly as "structurally stable." It didn't break apart and held up at room temperature. "We thought you could possibly 3D print anything you like with the oil," he said.The experiment yielded a commercially viable resin that Simpson estimates could be sourced as cheaply as 30 cents a liter of waste oil.Simpson was equally excited about another benefit of the butterfly the team had created."The butterfly is essentially made from fat, which means it is biodegradable," he said. To test this, he buried a sample butterfly in soil and found that 20% of it disappeared in a two-week period."The concept of sustainability has been underplayed in 3D printing," said Tim Greene, a research director for global research firm IDC who specializes in the 3D printing market. "The melted plastic currently being used as resin is not so great for the environment."Move over, kale: Mushrooms are the new grocery aisle celebrities"This is also a great way to reuse and recycle waste cooking oil," said Ghosh Biswas. Terri Toms, the McDonald's franchisee who gave the oil to the students, agreed."I was impressed by the research initiative and happy to contribute to something that could possibly be helpful to future generations," said Toms. Simpson's team is no longer getting oil from McDonald's, but it hopes the research gets noticed by the industry.Simpson and his team published their research in December 2019 in industry publication ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. In it, they wrote that "every year, it costs millions of dollars for fast food restaurants to process waste, including waste cooking oil."Most recycled waste cooking oil is currently used in the production of soap and biodiesel. It may be transformative for recycling programs if high-value commodities [such as resin]can be manufactured directly from it," the paper said.McDonald's has taken note. Leanna Rizzi, a spokeswoman for McDonald's Canada, said the company learned about the outcome of the experiment, which it called "a great initiative, when the research was published last month.Rizzi said the world's largest fast-food chain has a global sustainability program called "Scale for Good," which includes initiatives to tackle plastic pollution and its used cooking oil.In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Portugal, McDonald's converts its waste cooking oil into biofuel for use in its own delivery trucks.

Rob Picheta, CNN Business

2019-08-02 16:32:02

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/02/business/bar-facial-recognition-scli-gbr-intl/index.html

AI technology will decide who's next in line at the bar - CNN

The battle to elbow rivals away and get to the front of the bar is a proud weekend tradition stretching back generations — but it causes headaches for bar staff trying to work out who has been waiting the longest.

business, AI technology will decide who's next in line at the bar - CNN

AI technology will decide who's next in line at the bar

London (CNN Business)The battle to elbow rivals away and get to the front of the bar is a proud weekend tradition stretching back generations — but it causes headaches for bar staff trying to work out who has been waiting the longest. Now, British developers behind a new "AI bar" are promising to consign shouts of "who's next" to history, with the help of facial recognition.The new system will use a webcam to film arrivals at the bar, feeding back the order of a virtual line to bartenders via a display screen behind the counter.It means that, in theory, customers may never have to stare down a line-jumper who gets their order as soon as they've muscled their way to the front. It also means bar staff won't have to navigate a frustrated crowd. The AI bar will help bartenders sort out who's next for a pint.The technology was tested in June at a bar in central London, and will be trialed at more establishments starting in September.Read MoreIt will alert customers to their place in the line, and will also scan their faces to analyze their age, with the aim of reducing the time it takes to ask for identification.DataSparQ, the company behind the system, says it carried out research that revealed British people spend about two months of their life waiting at bars. "Queuing is a part of British life that we all have to endure — but we wanted to do something to improve the experience," John Wyllie, managing director at DataSparQ, said in a statement.WeWork to limit free beer all-day perk to four glasses"It's the uncertainty of waiting times alongside queue jumpers that's adversely affecting consumer behaviours in bars and pubs," he added. The company is in talks with pubs around the United Kingdom with a view to rolling out the software. The software will cost pub landlords £199 ($240) per month.The company also hopes the technology can serve a wider purpose — slowing down the punishing decline of pubs across Britain. Fourteen pubs close each week in the country, according to the Campaign for Real Ale.DataSparQ said its technology will provide landlords with data about when a pub is getting more orders, allowing them to adjust staffing and other costs accordingly.

Rishi Iyengar, CNN Business Video by John General and Bronte Lord, CNN Business Graphics by Natalie Croker, CNN

2019-12-03 23:00:25

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/03/tech/india-pollution-crisis-tech-cities/index.html

India pollution: The tech cities of Bangalore and Gurgaon are choking on their own success - CNN

Like thousands of others, Megha Mathur moved to the Indian city of Gurgaon for a coveted job in tech. She soon realized she wouldn't be able to live there very long. The pollution was so bad she had to check an air quality app on her phone several times a day to see whether it was safe to go outside without a mask.

tech, India pollution: The tech cities of Bangalore and Gurgaon are choking on their own success - CNN

Toxic air and gridlock: India's tech cities are choking on their success

Like thousands of others, Megha Mathur moved to the Indian city of Gurgaon for a coveted job in tech. She soon realized she wouldn't be able to live there very long. The pollution was so bad she had to check an air quality app on her phone several times a day to see whether it was safe to go outside without a mask. "Having to live like that can cause a lot of anxiety and stress in knowing that's constantly your life," Mathur, 27, told CNN Business. "Even though there are exciting opportunities in terms of companies and jobs, it just wasn't a place that I could see myself living long term and I think a lot of people share that opinion."Gurgaon, around 25 miles from India's capital New Delhi, is one of the country's newest tech hubs — home to global players such as Google (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT) as well as some of India's biggest startups like food delivery firm Zomato and India's biggest hotel chain OYO. Mathur, who worked for Zomato, stayed there only nine months before moving with her fiancée Harshvardhan Singh to the southern city of Bangalore. "If you want to work in tech then Bangalore is your number one choice," says Singh, who left OYO for Flipkart, India's top online retailer that was bought by Walmart (WMT) last year. Often described as India's Silicon Valley, the city is also the main India base for Amazon (AMZN), Flipkart's main rival, the birthplace of ride-hailing firm Ola and home to leading outsourcing companies such as Infosys (INFY) and Wipro (WIT). Gurgaon and Bangalore have exploded in the past two decades as the main centers of India's tech boom, with millions like Mathur and Singh taking up the highly prized and well paid jobs that come with it. The cities underscore one of the main dilemmas the country faces: The rapid growth needed to drive its $3 trillion economy and sustain 1.3 billion people has spawned an environmental emergency. Read MoreIndia's energy needs are rising as it tries to extend the manufacturing and tech boom to lift millions more out of poverty. That means more factories, more offices, more residences and vehicles. The country has set itself ambitious targets since signing the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming to source 40% of its energy from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2030. There has been significant progress — renewable energy now accounts for nearly 23% — but India is still one of the world's largest oil importers, and more than half of its electricity still comes from burning coal. A perfect stormWhen Sanjay Gupta and his family first moved to Gurgaon in 1999, there was hardly anything around. "It was sparse, desolate, and for most requirements we would have to go to Delhi," he said. "It was a distance away from everything that we needed." Gupta, who worked for American Express, soon moved overseas for stints in New York and Singapore, before returning to Gurgaon as the company's India head in 2006. By then the tech frenzy was firmly underway. "You always felt that you were in a construction war zone," says Gupta, now the CEO of AI education startup EnglishHelper. Today, the drive into Gurgaon — now officially known as Gurugram — is a blur of glass buildings and company logos. It's now one of India's fastest-growing cities but mostly makes headlines for having the world's most toxic air, based on an index compiled by Greenpeace and AirVisual that measures the level of fine particulates.As recently as the first week of November, Gurgaon and neighboring New Delhi were blanketed by a layer of smog so thick that officials declared a "public health emergency," dozens of flights were canceled and schools were closed. Traffic pollution and construction dust are partly to blame, but the annual burning of crop waste by local farmers makes the situation worse at this time of year. It's a public health crisis that resurfaces every winter, thanks to what experts refer to as a "perfect storm" of pollution. And it only seems to be getting worse. People wearing pollution masks have become an increasingly common sight in Gurgaon. (Ruhani Kaur/Bloomberg/Getty Images)"Gurgaon had an opportunity to make this a world class city and we are nowhere close to it," says Latika Thukral. A former Citibank executive, Thukral quit her job in 2004 and co-founded I Am Gurgaon, a citizen's group that has been working to increase the city's green cover, clean up its water supply and create more open spaces."I think the exodus is happening," Thukral says. "There will be no water, pollution is at its peak. Why would people not move out?"Bangalore's tech boom preceded Gurgaon's and its transformation was even more dramatic. The city, now officially called Bengaluru, used to be dubbed "Garden City" or "Pensioner's Paradise." Not any more. Where Gurgaon has poisonous air, Bangalore has gridlock — the number of vehicles in the city has gone from around 1.4 million in 2000 to more than 8 million this year. Singh's four-mile commute in Gurgaon used to take him around 15 minutes. In Bangalore, his five-and-a-half mile journey to work usually takes close to an hour. The longest he can recall is two and a half hours.He also says it's not uncommon at Flipkart for people to email colleagues in the morning saying they're working from home because there's just too much traffic, or there were no ride-hailing cabs available. "The biggest worrying factor seems to be that there seems to be no immediate solution," he says. "The city seems like it was built for 10 people and we've put in 10,000." According to estimates last year from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is helping build a system to ease Bangalore's traffic woes, the average speed on the city's roads during the morning rush is just 8 miles per hour. "The biggest challenge which Bangalore is facing now is that of unbridled growth," the city's municipal commissioner B.H. Anilkumar told CNN Business. City authorities are thinking about introducing bus lanes and even a London-style congestion tax to ease the pressure on roads, he said. But those will take time to put in place. Bangalore's higher elevation and moderate climate mean it doesn't get blanketed by smog like Gurgaon and Delhi. However, multiple independent studies from recent years have said transportation is the biggest source of harmful emissions in the city — contributing about 40%. Running out of water Both cities have another huge problem in common — they're using up water faster than it can be replenished. Their populations are projected to more than double over the next decade after rapid expansion in recent years, further straining already maxed-out infrastructure. Gurgaon and Bangalore (and 19 more Indian cities) will run out of groundwater next year, according to estimates by government-run think tank NITI Aayog. "Industrial growth in and around cities will be severely compromised as companies will move their operations to more water-secure locations," the think tank said in a recent report."There will be no water, pollution is at its peak. Why would people not move out?" Latika Thukral, co-founder, I Am GurgaonMillions already rely on private water tankers because government supplies are often inadequate. Bangalore's groundwater usage is running at 143%, according to the latest government data, meaning it's consuming more every year than comes from rain and runoff. For Gurgaon that number is 220%. "If you look at the map of Gurgaon in the 1970s and trace out the rivulets... it's like a web," says M.D. Sinha, a senior official at the city's metropolitan development authority, the GMDA. "Now you trace it and you'll see that a lot of these have become roads."Millions in India's big tech cities depend on private water tankers because government supplies are inadequate. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images)Set up in 2017, the GMDA is focusing on recycling water and setting up sewage treatment plants. "Water... can be viewed as both a waste and a resource," says Sinha, who heads the city's conservation efforts. "It is now being viewed as a resource, and that is the shift we need for all our resources. We need to understand that we must save it or it will destroy us."Getting involvedCompanies that rode India's tech boom know they have to pitch in because the future of their business may depend on it."If some things are not done or a lot of things are not done, can it get worse? Yes, it can absolutely can get rapidly worse so it is important that everybody gets with it," says Aditya Ghosh, a member of OYO's board. (Ghosh was OYO's India and South Asia chief until Dec. 2 when he was succeeded in that role by Rohit Kapoor.)OYO, which operates over 20,000 hotels across 80 countries, is in the process of moving to a bigger headquarters in Gurgaon. Ghosh says the company has tried to make its new office sustainable, ensuring proximity to public transportation, creating larger open spaces to reduce the need for air conditioning and lighting, and cutting down paper and plastic use. It is making similar efforts in its hotels to promote recycling, waste management and rain water harvesting.OYO's current office has 3,000 employees across eight floors. The new office will accommodate those employees across five floors. "Every time you add that next floor you're actually leaving behind a bigger footprint," Ghosh says. "You can be despondent that this is never going to be enough but you have got to take those small steps and believe that can make a difference." Aditya Ghosh, OYO board memberMore than 1,300 miles south in Bangalore, Flipkart and Amazon are locked in a race to reduce their impact on the environment, even as they fight for top spot in India's online retail market. Flipkart announced in late August that it would eliminate single-use plastic packaging from its supply chain by March 2021. Amazon said a week later that it would do so by June 2020. The companies are testing out alternatives made of paper, cardboard and other recyclable materials. Flipkart has also started collecting plastic packaging material from customers so it doesn't end up in landfills.Both companies also say they're trying to reduce the amount of packaging each delivery requires and the carbon footprint of their vehicles. "If I was to compare last year versus this year, we have doubled the number of customers who have received more than one item in one box," says Akhil Saxena, Amazon India's vice president of operations. India's top online retailers are on a mission to increase the amount of recycled material in their packaging. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images)The US company has installed solar power and rainwater harvesting technology at several of its warehouses, as well as motion sensing lights that switch off as soon as workers exit. Flipkart says it has over two dozen warehouses with an ISO 14001 certification, a global standard that rates companies on how well they manage energy consumption, water usage and waste management. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos pledged in September that the company would become carbon neutral by 2040. India poses a particularly large challenge. "I think if we do get off to a good start in a sustainable manner then the scale up becomes much easier," says Saxena. As part of its September pledge, Amazon said it would have 100,000 electric delivery vehicles in operation worldwide by 2023. But the company hasn't yet revealed how many of those will be deployed in India. Walmart-owned Flipkart has already begun using electric delivery vehicles and says 40% of its fleet will be electric by March next year. Amazon India uses recycled water at its Bangalore headquarters and at its new campus in Hyderabad — Amazon's largest office building in the world. The company also partnered with a local NGO, city authorities and several other tech firms to help fund and construct a sewage treatment plant at one of Bangalore's dozens of lakes.Flipkart says it has eliminated single-use plastic inside its Bangalore headquarters, which currently accommodates around 8,500 employees, by using alternative materials like stainless steel and glass. The e-commerce firm says the amount of waste it produces has gone down despite its rapid growth. Flipkart executive Mahesh Pratap Singh, who became the company's first head of sustainability earlier this year, says raising awareness among its thousands of employees has had a wider impact on the community."When you do something at this scale... it goes back to their homes," Singh told CNN Business.No time to loseWhile some of the biggest names in tech and finance are committed to solving India's environmental crisis, there's much more to be done. When it comes to fighting India's pollution, congestion and water shortages, the country's lack of infrastructure can be a challenge. Amazon's Saxena says it's harder to procure plastic substitutes like wood and paper in India in large enough quantities than in more mature economies, and the fact that most deliveries take place on motorcycles rather than vans or trucks means the packaging has to be a lot more flexible and adaptable."It's not like a cut paste copy because the contexts are different, the environment is different, the infrastructure is different," Saxena adds. Simply put, it's tough for companies in India to keep pace with its growth and drastically reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. "We are at a stage where we're figuring out mass scale alternatives we can actually take to people," says Singh, Flipkart's sustainability head. Flipkart is having to design custom electric vehicles from scratch with a local startup because there aren't viable options locally. Ghosh at OYO says companies only really start changing the way they behave when two things happen: "When consumers demand it more — and consumers have started demanding it more — and secondly when the cost of technology needed to make it happen also starts coming down."Gurgaon is consistently ranked among the world's most polluted cities, and the crisis appears to be getting worse. (Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images)The companies all acknowledge the sense of urgency and the enormity of the problem. Time is running out."While leadership companies have begun to factor sustainability thinking (including climate change) into their business strategies ... the process clearly needs to be deeper, wider, and faster," Shankar Venkateswaran and Mukund Rajan, former heads of sustainability efforts at Indian conglomerate Tata, wrote in "India and a Warming World" published earlier this month.Mathur, who now works at Indian e-commerce startup Meesho, says she prefers Bangalore to Gurgaon. But that hasn't stopped her from worrying completely, and she says she feels "exceptionally" lucky that her building has a reliable water supply, at least for now."For a lot of people that live in Bangalore ... there are massive water outages. That is becoming more and more real and I imagine over the next couple of years that will become a big part of our lives as well," she adds.As the water runs out, plastic waste piles up and the air gets ever more toxic, everyone has to do what they can. "You can be despondent that this is never going to be enough but you have got to take those small steps and believe that can make a difference," Ghosh says. — Esha Mitra contributed to this report

Temujin Doran and Nell Lewis

2019-07-30 10:47:12

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/30/business/future-education-technology/index.html

How to train children for the jobs of the future - CNN

To prepare future generations for the digital workplace, teachers are introducing advanced technology to the classroom

business, How to train children for the jobs of the future - CNN

How to prepare children for the jobs of the future

London (CNN Business)Today's classroom is a far cry from the traditional image of locker desks, chalkboards and pencils. With education expected to prepare children for a fast-changing digital workplace, technology-led learning is becoming the norm and kids may be coding before they can read and write. As a result, global spending on educational technology is booming. It's expected to double to $341 billion between 2018 and 2025, according to data and research firm HolonIq. "We're asking young people what they want to be when they grow up, when maybe more than half of the job's tasks and industries they may work in have not been invented yet," says Heather McGowan, a future work strategist who helps to prepare people and organizations for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will see the world reshaped by artificial intelligence, robotics and other technological breakthroughs.A report by the World Economic Forum notes that 65% of the children entering primary school in 2017 will have jobs that do not yet exist and for which their education will fail to prepare them. Education must adapt accordingly. McGowan thinks this means less focus on transferring knowledge, and more on the ability to learn for yourself. Read More"The foundational knowledge of the future is your own ability to learn and adapt, because if you don't your career will come to a screeching halt after a couple of years," she says. Tools for the futureThis new era of education also demands a fresh set of tools. Take Cubetto, a small wooden robot that moves on a board when a child inserts blocks with commands such as left, right or forward into a connected base. The Cubetto kit, costing $225, is being used by schools and parents to teach children as young as three to code. "It's a skill that you can apply to anything: you basically learn to think in a very logical and rational manner," says Filippo Yacob, founder and CEO of Primo, the toy maker that developed Cubetto."For us, it's about making children future proof," he adds.The Cubetto kit is helping to teach 3-year-olds to codeHowever, the effectiveness of such tools depends on maintaining the attention span of a young child. "It needs to be something fun and adventurous, not just homework," says Alex Klein, CEO and founder of Kano, an educational technology company. Kano's signature product — the Kano computer kit — is a build-your-own computer or tablet. Students follow a step-by-step guide to connect the parts, and once it's up and running they can play on several apps, from learning to code to creating music and games. "Kano offers paradigm game-changing opportunities for teaching computer science," says Allen Tsui, a teacher at a school in London that uses the device. "(It) also enables project based learning opportunities to extend collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking skills." In the United Kingdom, educators are welcoming the use of technology. According to a survey by Promethean, 54% of teachers are using educational technology this year, and 94% acknowledge that it can improve engagement among students. In October, the Kano PC -- a build-your-own Windows computer -- will be available to purchase for $299Not just for teachingTechnology is not only helping to teach kids, it's also creating a better learning environment. Danish companies Velux and Leapcraft have been working together to introduce sensors into the classroom. They developed the Ambinode — a small white box that monitors noise, temperature, air particles and CO2 levels. Data is then fed to a smartphone app, so that a teacher or facility manager can monitor the environment and make sure it is as comfortable and productive an environment as possible. One report by the University of Salford found that physical factors such as natural light, temperature and air quality can increase the learning progress of primary school pupils by as much as 16% in a year. "The danger is, if you don't get these things right, that children are really being hampered in their learning and it's undermining their efforts to progress academically," says professor Peter Barrett who led the study.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2019-12-11 21:00:17

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/11/business/citrix-machine-learning/index.html

Using machine learning to make work 'suck a little less' - CNN

Technology is a blessing and a curse for the modern office worker. Lightning-fast computers make the impossible possible. But constant distraction and friction slows work down.

business, Using machine learning to make work 'suck a little less' - CNN

Using machine learning to make work 'suck a little less'

New York (CNN Business)Technology is a blessing and a curse for the modern office worker. Lightning-fast computers make the impossible possible. But constant distraction and friction slows work down.Workers are bombarded with a steady stream of emails, instant messages and requirements to log onto different systems to do such basic tasks as requesting vacation and filing expense reports.Citrix Systems (CTXS), which makes workplace platforms used by about 100 million people every day, is trying to improve the office technology experience by bringing a Facebook-like newsfeed to your work computer and smartphone.Citrix told CNN Business it will soon launch an Intelligent Digital Workspace that uses machine learning to aggregate information from dozens of outside apps into a single place. The product is getting rolled out as an update to the existing Citrix Workspace. "There are just too many applications. We're constantly getting notifications that are interrupting our work." said Alysia Eve, senior manager of product marketing at Citrix. "We've designed a space that is aimed at cutting out that digital noise and those distractions -- and make work suck a little less,""Read MoreBy integrating with dozens of Microsoft (MSFT), SAP (SAP), Google and Salesforce (CRM) apps, the workspace will allow workers to complete such routine tasks as approving contracts, registering for training courses and submitting purchase orders directly from their newsfeeds. They won't need to log onto (or even and remember the passwords to) those outside systems. Citrix said its machine learning technology will help automate certain tasks and anticipate others. The newsfeed will include meeting reminders, pop-up notifications about new hires and information about vacation requests. Managers can dive into expense reports and accept or reject them without leaving the system. "The newsfeed is how we are used to consuming information in our personal lives," Eve said. Morgan Stanley is cutting about 1,500 jobsThe company plans to begin releasing the new version of Workspace this month to some of its hundreds of thousands of medium and large enterprise customers. Most of those companies won't get charged more for the changes."Our strategy is to bring together the right information and unlock human potential by removing the complexity that comes with technology," Citrix CEO David Henshall told CNN Business in an exclusive interview.Of course, there is no guarantee the new digital workspace will be a hit with customers and worth the investment by Citrix. It also will face competition from other systems in this space, such as those sold by Amazon (AMZN), Salesforce (CRM) and VMware (VMW), although Citrix said its product stands out because of the ability to deeply integrate dozens of apps and link them all in one place. Henshall said he will measure success by how many new active users the company draws. The Intelligent Digital Workspace is a key part of Citrix's pivot towards a subscription-based business model that focuses more on recurring revenue. Subscription revenue soared 43% during the third quarter, although total revenue was flat. Despite surveys showing that CEO confidence is down, Citrix said Corporate America continues to invest heavily in technology. "There is a lot of money being spent still, it's just being allocated to the most strategic products," Henshall said. "We're fortunate enough that we're aligned with areas like security and mobility that are high on the priority list."

Nell Lewis and Jenny Marc

2019-11-28 09:42:57

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/28/business/robot-artificial-skin-scn/index.html

The artificial skin that allows robots to feel - CNN

Robots are one step closer to gaining a human sense that has so far eluded them: Touch.

business, The artificial skin that allows robots to feel - CNN

The artificial skin that allows robots to feel

London (CNN Business)Robots are one step closer to gaining a human sense that has so far eluded them: Touch. Scientists last month unveiled an artificial skin that enables robots to feel and respond to physical contact, a skill that will be needed as they come in increasingly close contact with people.In 2017, manufacturers worldwide used roughly 85 industrial robots per 10,000 employees, according to a report by the International Federation of Robotics. The same report predicts the global supply of industrial robots to grow 14% per year until 2021. But if robots end up working more closely with their fleshy colleagues, one concern is how they will interact safely."Currently, robots do not have any sense of touch," Professor Gordon Cheng, who developed the special skin with his team at the Technical University of Munich, tells CNN Business. Professor Gordon Cheng with the H-1 robot, covered in 13,000 sensors that enable tactile sensationRead MoreRobots are able to exert forces that could seriously injure a human being, so employers need to ensure they are aware of their surroundings and able to navigate around people. "Touch enables safe robot operation, by detecting contact with unseen obstacles and giving the possibility to apply the correct force for achieving a task, without damaging objects, people and the robot itself," Chiara Bartolozzi, a robotics expert at the Italian Institute of Technology, independent of the research, tells CNN Business. Not only could this special skin make collaboration between humans and robots safer, it could also enable the future of robots as caregivers, health workers and companions. Mimicking human skinTo develop the synthetic skin, the researchers began by studying humans.Each person has about 5 million skin receptors that register what's happening on the body's surface and send signals to the brain. But the brain can't digest information from each one at the same time. Instead, the nervous system prioritizes new sensations. Mimicking this, the team covered a human-size autonomous robot (known as H-1) with more than 13,000 sensors from shoulder to toe, that are able to detect temperature, acceleration, proximity and pressure."These [factors] are fundamental to sense in humans... [they] are what make interactions between human and human very safe," says Cheng.The team is currently working on creating smaller sensor cells that could be produced in bulk.Some scientists are skeptical of its scalability. The high cost of each sensor and its fragility is a major barrier for mass production, Etienne Burdet, a professor of human robotics at Imperial College London, tells CNN Business.With a sense of touch robots would be able to respond to physical contact, and could work more closely with humansFor years, scientists have been scrambling to develop technology that enables tactile sensation — both for robots and humans. Last week, a team at Northwestern University unveiled a wireless and battery-free smart skin that could add touch to virtual experiences, such as a Skype call. Cheng has already overcome one challenge that has hindered previous attempts at creating a robotic sense of touch. Most have relied on vast computing power to process signals from all the artificial skin cells, while his creation only sends signals when individual cells are activated. This means the system is not overloaded with data, and, in that way, it acts just like the human nervous system. For instance, we feel gloves when we first put them on, but eventually our bodies learn to ignore them.Future colleagues or carersThese traits could enable robots to perceive their surroundings with more sensitivity, and give them the ability to interact with humans and anticipate and avoid accidents. "Technology like this could open opportunities where robots could work much more closely with humans, such as caregiving professions," Bob Doyle, vice president of the Robotic Industries Association, tells CNN Business. "They could help someone get out of bed, or help them around the house," he adds. However, Doyle acknowledges that these technologies are still a long way from actual application in the field, and that ensuring the safety of humans will come first.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-11-27 09:43:42

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/27/business/technology-and-trash-intl/index.html

How cities are using technology to solve their trash problems - CNN

The world produces two billion tons of solid waste a year. Technology may be the best way to deal with it.

business, How cities are using technology to solve their trash problems - CNN

How cities are using technology to solve their trash problems

London (CNN Business)The world has a gargantuan waste problem. Two billion tons of municipal solid waste is generated globally per year, according to the World Bank — equivalent to the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza, in trash, every single day. As urban populations continue to grow, some cities are struggling to cope. Many are turning to new technologies for cost-effective solutions to clean up waste.The global waste management market is booming as a result, expected to reach $530 billion by 2025 from $331 billion in 2017, according to a report by Allied Market Research.Cities that address waste problems immediately have the best chance to avoid severe long-term consequences, says Ricardo Cepeda-Márquez, solid waste director for C40 Cities, a global network of cities committed to tackling climate change.Waste that goes uncollected can lead to blocked drains, flooding and the spread of waterborne diseases. Organic matter dumped in landfills — where it lacks the air to decompose quickly — generates methane gas, accelerating climate change.Trash being separated at an optical sorting plant in Oslo, Norway.Read MoreGenerating energy from wasteCopenhagen, Denmark, recently opened its innovative waste-to-energy power plant, known as Copenhill or Amager Bakke, which is topped with an artificial ski slope. The plant, which burns waste instead of fossil fuels, is capable of converting 450,000 tons of trash into energy annually, delivering electricity to 30,000 households and heating to 72,000. Though it still produces CO2 emissions from burning, the city plans to install a system to capture the carbon released by the incineration process, and then store the carbon or find a commercial use for it. By tapping an otherwise unused resource, it will also help the city move away from its dependence on fossil fuels. "Instead of placing waste outside in a big landfill, we use the waste to produce energy for heating and electricity in the most efficient way currently available," the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen told CNN Business in an email. "Efficient waste incineration supplies district heating for 99% of the buildings in Copenhagen, so we will eliminate the pollution from coal, oil and petroleum," he adds, helping the capital meet its goal to become the world's first carbon-neutral city by 2025. The plant, located a couple of miles from the city center, will be a city landmark as well as an energy supply.Cities such as Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Shenzhen in China, and Hanoi in Vietnam are experimenting with similar waste-to-energy plants.But Cepeda-Márquez warns that this technology has its limits. A city needs solid infrastructure and a strong waste collection system already in place before it can reap the benefits of one of these plants. "Many global south cities, with badly managed waste management systems, expect that with the ideal incinerator or waste-to-energy facility all of their problems will go away," he says. "But if you have a broken system, there is no technology that is going to fix it." Smarter systems Other cities are starting on a street level, using artificial intelligence and automation to sort recyclables, or sensors to reduce the amount thrown away. For instance, Singapore and Seoul, South Korea, have installed smart, solar-powered trash cans on their streets. Each is equipped with a compactor, enabling it to hold more trash. Once the bin is full, its sensors alert the waste collectors. By 2050, 68% of the world's population will live in urban areas, according to the UN, putting a strain on existing city infrastructure. Typically, cities send out different trucks to collect different types of waste - one truck collecting plastic for recycling, another collecting food waste, for example. But that requires a lot of trucks, which means added costs and more traffic."In many cities in Europe, the streets are very narrow, and there isn't a lot of open space for multiple waste collection trucks to be doing the rounds," says Cepeda-Márquez.Norway's capital Oslo has designed a clever model to avoid this. Since 2012, city residents have been required to use different colored bags for different types of waste, and instead of collecting them separately, trucks gather all the bags at once and take them to an optical sorting plant. The green bags containing food waste and blue bags with plastic waste are separated from other residual waste by sophisticated optical reading technology, which detects the color of the bags with approximately 98% precision. The city claims that increased waste segregation and public awareness campaigns have had a positive effect, reducing the amount thrown away by each household and increasing the amount that is reused and recycled. In 2018, 37% of household waste was recycled, up from 10% in 2004.

Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business

2019-07-27 14:23:07

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/27/business/nordstrom-local-walmart-pickup-point/index.html

Walmart and Nordstrom are building stores that don't sell anything - CNN

Traditional brick-and-mortar stores alone are not enough to stay ahead in the digital era. America's shoppers want convenient, hassle-free experiences.

business, Walmart and Nordstrom are building stores that don't sell anything - CNN

Walmart and Nordstrom are building stores that don't sell anything

New York (CNN Business)Traditional brick-and-mortar stores alone are not enough to stay ahead in the digital era. America's shoppers want convenient, hassle-free experiences.So Walmart and Nordstrom are building physical stores that don't actually sell anything. The two retailers are creating small hubs in big cities and dense suburban areas for shoppers to retrieve their online grocery and clothing orders. These new locations give them access to shoppers who want their stuff in a hurry without schlepping out to regular big-box stores or waiting around for home delivery.Retail's Amazon antidote: Buy online, pickup in store Earlier this month, Walmart opened Walmart Pickup Point, a 40,000 square-foot prototype store outside of Chicago in Lincolnwood, Illinois, to cater to customers' online pickups and deliveries. Customers drive up to the site to designated parking spots, and a Walmart worker will load up their trunk with their order.The inside of the Lincolnwood locations looks like a Walmart with groceries and everyday items such as diapers, household cleaners and pet supplies. Unlike a traditional Walmart supercenter, however, customers won't be able go inside. It is also testing a similar model near its Arkansas headquarters.The new location "gives busy customers the ability to shop how, when and where they want," store manager Nicole Olson said in a release. Read MoreThe new Walmart locations share similarities with Nordstrom Local, a concept Nordstrom (JWN) first introduced in Los Angeles in 2017. Nordstrom Local hubs are smaller than its traditional department stores. They give customers a place to make pickups and returns and take advantage of Nordstrom's alteration and tailoring services. Nordstrom has three Local stores in Los Angeles and is slated to open its first two in New York City in September. Walmart and Nordstrom's innovations are the latest examples of how retailers are attempting to create distinctive services to fight off Amazon (AMZN).Nordstrom Local in Melrose doesn't carry inventory. Nordstrom has three Local stores in Los Angeles and is slated to open its first two in New York City in September. Buy online, pickup in store growsRetailers have been successfully expanding online pickup options in their stores in recent years. Nordstrom offers pickup at all its more than 100 full-priced locations around the United States, while Walmart is on track to offer pickup at more than 3,000 of its stores by the end of 2019.Walmart Pickup Point and Nordstrom Local are another way these retailers are trying to capitalize on the growth of pickup, especially among younger and wealthier shoppers.More than 15% of US shoppers have already tried online pickup, and sales will hit $35 billion annually by next year, Cowen analysts estimated in a report. Curbside pickup is the "natural evolution of the traditional in-store shopping experience," Cowen analysts said in the report.Pickup appeals to shoppers who want to grab their stuff and go without waiting in checkout lines or interacting with sales workers on the floor, analysts say. Picking up orders from stores can also be faster than home delivery.Walmart's online grocery pickup location in Bentonville, Arkansas.For retailers, pickup is a better economic model for them than delivery because they can avoid paying expensive shipping fees. Many retailers' profit margins have dipped in recent years due to investments in their e-commerce supply chains.Creating customer loyaltyWalmart points out that its Lincolnwood hub broadens its ability to attract shoppers in an area where it can't fit one of its 178,000 square-foot jumbo stores. For Nordstrom, customers who visit Local stores spend two and a half times more on average than regular customers, according to the company. Customers also tend to be younger and more frequent Nordstrom shoppers than those who don't shop at Local."The expansion of our local market strategy in New York City is a cornerstone of how we will improve service to our customers," Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores, said in May.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-07-15 09:03:45

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/business/artificial-intelligence-healthcare/index.html

Would you trust an algorithm to diagnose an illness? - CNN

We put a lot of trust in our doctors — we listen to their diagnoses, take out their prescriptions, follow their dietary suggestions. Would we do the same for a computer?

business, Would you trust an algorithm to diagnose an illness? - CNN

Would you trust an algorithm to diagnose an illness?

London (CNN Business)We put a lot of trust in our doctors — we listen to their diagnoses, take out their prescriptions, follow their dietary suggestions. Would we do the same for a computer?As the global market for artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare surges — expected to rise from $1.3 billion in 2019 to $10 billion by 2024, according to Morgan Stanley — it seems we may have to. Deep learning is an AI approach modeled on the neural networks of the brain. It can analyze complex layers of information and identify abnormalities or trends in medical images.AI and eyesThe algorithm can detect diseases such as glaucoma from a simple scanPearse Keane, a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, embraced the potential of deep learning five years ago.Read More"We're drowning in the numbers of patients that we have to see, and because of that, there are some people who are losing sight irreversibly as they can't get seen and treated quickly enough," he tells CNN Business. By applying the technology to OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) scans, he thought it would help prioritize patients with sight-threatening diseases. Keane approached DeepMind, a UK-based AI research center owned by Google (GOOGL), and with them developed an algorithm, trained on 14,884 retinal scans, that can return a detailed diagnosis in roughly 30 seconds. It can detect 50 different eye diseases including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, provide a score and recommend how urgently patients should be referred for care.Early results for the system, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that it has the same level of accuracy as leading specialists, correctly identifying types of eye disease 94.5% of the time. However, before the technique can be implemented in Moorfields Eye Hospital and beyond it must pass through the lengthy process of regulatory approval and clinical trials. "We're tremendously excited about AI," says Keane, "but also, we're kind of cautious. We know that it has huge potential, but there are some ways that it might not work."Improving IVFThis technology could help improve the success rate of IVFScientists at Weill Cornell Medicine are also deploying deep learning algorithms as a time-saving device, identifying which embryos have the best chance of developing into a healthy pregnancy during in vitro fertilization (IVF).The algorithm, dubbed Stork, analyzes time-lapse images of early-stage embryos and is able to discriminate between poor and good embryo quality. According to the research paper published in NPJ Digital Medicine, it performed with 97% accuracy. Usually this is a manual process, by which an embryologist sorts through multiple images, assigning a quality score that helps them decide which ones to implant first. "Grading of the embryo by a human is very subjective," Nikica Zaninovic, an embryologist at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, tells CNN Business. "Using AI to grade the embryos means we can do some standardization."The tool would also have a positive impact on the process of IVF as a whole. It could improve the success rate, minimize the risk of multiple pregnancies, and help to reduce the cost of the procedure, says Zev Rosenwaks, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.Currently, the tool is only available to embryologists at Weill Cornell Medicine in an experimental setting. Expect it to be in practice more widely "within the next year or two," says Zaninovic.Predicting cancer riskAn algorithm, developed by MIT researchers, could identify a woman's risk of breast cancer and help to catch it earlyOne initiative by MIT's Computer Science and AI Lab can predict from a mammogram if a patient is likely to develop breast cancer in the future. The model, trained on breast scans from 60,000 women, learned patterns in breast tissue that were precursors to cancer and too subtle for the human eye to detect. It outperformed existing approaches, placing 31% of all cancer patients in its highest-risk category compared to 18% for traditional models. "I was interested in creating a model which can identify your future risk of cancer," says Regina Barzilay, MIT professor and senior author of the study published in Radiology about the project.As a breast cancer survivor herself, she subsequently applied the technology to her own mammograms. "I discovered that my cancer was in the breast two years before I was diagnosed," she says.Aged 43 at the time and with no history of breast cancer in the family, she had never considered herself at risk. But guidelines like these are unreliable, she says — only 15% to 20% of breast cancer cases are familial, according to a study from the Journal of Medical Genetics.Using AI could identify women at risk and help them take preventative steps. "In the early stages cancer is a treatable disease ... If we can identify many more women early enough, and either prevent their disease or treat them at the earliest stages, this will make a huge difference," says Barzilay. The model has been implemented in Massachusetts General Hospital, and they are in talks with other hospitals across the country and internationally, says Barzilay.

Edward Kiernan and Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-06-25 09:58:21

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/25/business/virtual-reality-scientist-drug-discovery/index.html

Virtual reality is helping scientists discover new drugs - CNN

A new VR tool, powered by the same technology as the Fortnite video game, helps chemists visualize the structure of complex molecules and develop new drugs to treat diseases.

business, Virtual reality is helping scientists discover new drugs - CNN

Virtual reality is helping scientists discover new drugs

London (CNN Business)The same technology that's revolutionizing video games is being used to develop new drugs and fight some of the world's deadliest diseases.Chemists at C4X Discovery are using the virtual reality technology behind popular game Fortnite to visualize the structure of complex molecules. The tool, called 4Sight, has already been used to create a drug that is now in development to treat addiction.Biochemists are also using the technology to develop drugs to tackle other diseases, such as cancer and Parkinson's.Scientists will be able to reach out and touch the molecules virtually Visualizing moleculesScientists traditionally used physical models to visualize drugs. But 4Sight allows drug developers to grab hold of virtual molecules and see how they move and respond to stimuli. Read MoreThe key to drug design is finding the right shape for the molecule to fit inside the targeted protein pocket. If you get the wrong shape, the molecule could fail to attach or even lodge in a different pocket, causing side effects."Moving molecules around that are very complicated is so much easier by grabbing them than by trying to use a mouse on a keyboard," says Craig Fox, chief scientific officer at C4X Discovery.The company claims that the technology could help to reduce the margin of error during the drug discovery process and enable scientists in different locations to work on drug models in the same virtual room."It takes about 10 to 12 years to take a drug from the concept to the market," says Fox. "It's often described as trying to find a needle in a haystack."It's also exceedingly expensive. It costs $2.6 billion on average to develop a new prescription medicine that gains market approval, according to the Tufts Center for Study of Drug Development.4Sight is more sophisticated than the typical ball-and-stick modelGamificationAnything that helps speed up the development process and make it less laborious for scientists is welcome. That's why C4X Discovery hired former video game developer Phil Muwanga for the job of lead coder."The software is the same as a game," says Muwanga, "we have a user base, we're trying to get them to do tasks over and over again. And we're trying to do it in a fun and intuitive fashion."4Sight enables scientists to visualize the unique 4-D data (measuring space and time as well as length, width and depth) that C4X Discovery has accumulated on small drug molecules. "We are making a scientific tool that scientists will use to improve their daily lives," says Muwanga. "That being said I am from the games industry and I do treat this as a game — people interact with it in the same way." The VR tool could be used by scientists in different locations at the same timeOther applicationsVirtual reality has shown its potential in other areas of health care. It's been used as a tool for medical training, with students learning about the human anatomy through simulation. Surgeons can use it to prepare for complicated surgeries, and it's even been used as a tool for pain relief.The global market for artificial and virtual reality in health care is projected to reach $5.1 billion by 2025, according to a 2017 report by Grand View Research.The biggest pharma companies recognize potential of virtual reality tools. Novartis is using them in the drug design process, and Pfizer has experimented with applications from clinical trial design to manufacturing."We believe immersive technologies can in the future provide cognitive behavioral assistance and even telehealth," says Jim Mangione, Pfizer's director of emerging technologies.

Sara Ashley O'Brien, CNN Business

2019-06-21 12:49:52

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/tech/alma-mental-health/index.html

The WeWork for the Soul - CNN

With growing mental health concerns in the United States, the tech industry continues to search for a solution to get more people in front of therapists and modernize the experience.

tech, The WeWork for the Soul - CNN

Alma, the WeWork for therapists, gets $8 million to draw 'soulfulness into the world'

New York (CNN Business)With growing mental health concerns in the United States, the tech industry continues to search for a solution to get more people in front of therapists and modernize the experience.Some investors are betting on a new mental health startup called Alma, a membership-based group for mental health professionals.Alma launched in October 2018 with a brick and mortar location on New York's Madison Avenue. Local mental health providers can apply for membership to use the space to treat patients, as well as form relationships with other therapists. Providers — which include psychiatrists, psychologists and clinical social workers, as well as an acupuncturists — pay $165 per month, plus an hourly rate for booking private rooms, which are outfitted with precisely the same furniture and modern decor so patients benefit from the familiarity, no matter which room they meet in.In exchange, Alma provides members with a suite of services, such as billing, scheduling, and tools for treating patients over video chat. The idea is to make it easier, and possibly more affordable, for them to perform tasks associated with running their own business. There's also a communal kitchen and frequent events held in the space.Read MoreAlma has a "matchmaker" on staff who specializes in mental health counseling, and is devoted to pairing patients with professionals that suit their specific needs.This week, founder and CEO Harry Ritter told CNN Business that Alma has raised $8 million in new funding towards its expansion. The round was led by venture capital firm Tusk Venture Partners, bringing Alma's total funding to $12.5 million to date. Other investors include Sound Ventures, First Round Capital, Primary Ventures, and Box Group.People are sick of drinking. Investors are betting on the 'sober curious'Alma is rolling out a community membership option for those who aren't interested in using the physical space but want in on its other services. For now, it's available to those in New York who may have their own offices but want access to Alma's network, referrals, client matching, events and billing services. The cost for community membership is $145 per month.Alma has "meditation stations" in its lobby so patients can take guided meditation from the Headspace app before or after sessions.In other words, Alma aims to build a "community" for providers both online and offline — a term that's become something of a buzzword in the tech space, with companies like The Wing and WeWork raising millions to form "communities" for their members."Alma" in Aramaic and Latin means "world" and "soul," according to Ritter, who said the company aims to draw "soulfulness down into the world." Ritter, who has law and medical degrees, previously served as Oscar Health's vice president of care delivery, where he helped open the healthcare startup's brick and mortar location in Brooklyn in 2016. Ritter said he created Alma to serve a need he saw in the mental health space: supporting mental health professionals -- who are often running their own private practices -- with community, and the tools needed to help them run their businesses. Why these companies are giving employees a mental health break"Our customer is the client-provider relationship," Ritter said. "We respect the sanctity of two people needing to sit in a room and talk."While access to affordable mental health care is a significant barrier for many considering seeking help, Ritter said providers set their own fees, and can decide for themselves whether they accept insurance. The hope is that they'll pass on any savings as a result of belonging to Alma to patients, Ritter added.According to Jasmin Terrany, a therapist based in New York City who is not affiliated with Alma, a pain point facing young therapists is that "you've done all this training and you have all these skills, but getting clients is a whole other animal. You didn't go and get your Master's in business." (Ritter said that most of the therapists currently part of Alma's network have between six and 15 years of experience.)Terrany added that while she's been practicing for more than a decade, anything that can make mental health professionals feel less alone and supported would be a good thing. "I think burnout is real." Former WeWork VP sues the company alleging age discriminationThere's a growing need to address mental health issues in the US. The most common mental illness in the US are anxiety disorders, which affect 40 million adults, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. They're highly treatable, but only about 37% of those suffering get treatment. Technology is also making people more anxious, according to one recent study. It found that psychological well-being was higher when adolescents spent more time doing real-world activities, and lower when they were on their screens. That can make the issue feel more personal to the tech world, which often touts its abilities to solve societal problems.Tech investors have poured money into the space before, including in telemedicine startups devoted to mental health.

Brittany Gibson, CNN Business

2019-06-10 13:43:10

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/10/business/ocado-vertical-farming/index.html

Ocado: This online grocer is backing Europe's biggest vertical farm - CNN

A leading online grocer is getting into the vertical farming business.

business, Ocado: This online grocer is backing Europe's biggest vertical farm - CNN

This online grocer is backing Europe's biggest vertical farm

London (CNN Business)A leading online grocer is getting into the vertical farming business. Ocado, which sells groceries online and licenses its tech to supermarket chains, said Monday that it has invested £17 million ($21.5 million) in the nascent industry. Vertical farming refers to produce that's grown indoors, often in stacks that resemble a bookcase. It requires less space and water than traditional cultivation methods. The UK company said it has formed a joint venture called Infinite Acres with vertical farming company 80 Acres Farms, and Priva Holdings, which sells industrial horticultural systems.Ocado (OCDDY) has also taken a majority stake in Jones Food Company, which it describes as the largest operating vertical farm in Europe. Read MoreWhile Ocado touted the sustainability of vertical farming, it also said that consumers would benefit from the "extreme density" of indoor farming, which allows food to be grown next to supermarkets and fulfillment centers. Ocado is getting into the vertical farm business.Just-in-time harvesting"We foresee a day where customers' vegetables are harvested hours before they are packed, meters from where they are shipped," Ocado (OCDDY) said in a statement.Critics of vertical farming say the technique uses too much energy and is more expensive than traditional farming. The move marks another push by Ocado into the food tech business. It's already well known for building warehouses where thousands of robots zoom around the premises to pack groceries."The fusion of technology, sustainability and innovation is relatively new, but is a growing trend in the industry," said Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at Nielsen UK.Vertical farms can help reduce water use. But critics say they use too much energy.The company is increasingly focused on licensing its robotic warehouse tech to other retailers, and already has deals with Kroger (KR) in the United States and Casino (CGUSY) in France.It is also developing a robot called "SecondHands" that can pick and package produce without damaging it.Ocado's stock jumped 3% in London, pushing its gains so far this year to 45%. Yet the company faces tough competition from retail giants including Amazon (AMZN), which is also expanding in grocery deliveries.

Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business

2019-08-03 14:04:30

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/03/business/instagram-shopping-checkout/index.html

Instagram is changing the way people buy things - CNN

Instagram is great for sharing photos, interacting with celebrities and discovering trendy looks — everything even Amazon has struggled to perfect. Fashion houses, retailers and big brands see an opportunity.

business, Instagram is changing the way people buy things - CNN

Instagram is changing the way people buy things

New York (CNN Business)Instagram is great for sharing photos, interacting with celebrities and discovering trendy looks — everything even Amazon has struggled to perfect. Fashion houses, retailers and big brands see an opportunity.Until recently, brands have used Instagram mostly as an advertising tool to reach consumers. But Instagram has made a series of moves to become a shopping hub, forcing companies to adapt their digital strategies.Although Instagram remains a very small player in retail, if the platform disrupts shopping one day, retailers who got blindsided by Amazon years ago want to be ahead of the curve this time. Instagram Checkout.In March, Instagram introduced a new checkout option that allows customers to purchase products directly off a handful of companies' pages within its app. Previously, shoppers had to leave Instagram when they found a product on the app and buy it off retailers' websites. That was an irritation for customers, analysts say. Instagram has also added tools that allow customers to shop items on its Stories and Explore pages. And shoppers can buy looks that Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian West and other celebrities wear on their Instagram feeds directly through their posts.Read MoreInstagram is a useful tool for shoppers to easily discover a curated mix of clothing from brands and celebrities, experts say. This type of hunt can often be frustrating for customers online. That's because browsing to find clothing is challenging on Amazon or retailers' websites and apps, where shoppers often have to scroll through dozens of pages and hundreds of products. "What the internet hasn't been particularly good at is solving for discovery and window shopping," said Andrew Lipsman, analyst at eMarketer. "Instagram is starting to help fill that need for shoppers." Instagram launched long-form video last year. Is anyone watching?Instagram's efforts to transform into a shopping hub have enticed some brands. These companies see an untapped market to sell their merchandise directly to their large Instagram followings. Companies like Adidas say they are taking advantage of the new tool by launching new sneakers and clothes on Instagram."Our consumer spends a ton of time on Instagram," said Emily Maxey, vice president of marketing at Adidas. "The consumer is using Instagram to research our products, connect with friends to get recommendations about our products, and ultimately buy."Instagram's strategy resembles the popular social media app WeChat in China, said Lipsman. WeChat, the dominant messaging platform in China, has been successful getting shoppers to purchase off the app.A growing opportunity Shopping off Instagram could be a $10 billion market by 2021, according to Deutsche Bank, and the platform allows brands to woo shoppers beyond their own websites, brick-and-mortar stores and Amazon (AMZN). Instagram says that 80% of the app's users follow a business. More than 130 million users every month tap Instagram posts to see shopping product tags."It's early days for shopping on Instagram, but we're excited about this over the long run," Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said on an analyst call last month. Facebook (FB) owns Instagram. Social influencers see stardom potential on LinkedIn and PinterestMore than 20 brands, including Nike (NKE), Adidas, Uniqlo, Warby Parker, Outdoor Voices, Prada, Dior and Kylie Cosmetics, are testing an updated checkout feature with Instagram. These companies hope the option will make it easier for customers to purchase through Instagram and boost their sales off the platform. Companies like Adidas (ADDDF) and Burberry (BURBY) also say they are teaming up with Instagram to gain a larger stake in the future of shopping through social media. "We can be a first mover," said Maria Culp, spokesperson for the sportswear company.Warning signs for retailersInstagram does not disclose the fee it takes when shoppers buy a product off its app and brands have stayed mum about their financial arrangements.Despite Instagram and its partner brands' optimism, analysts say there are challenges for retailers selling through the platform and embracing Instagram too closely.It's hard for companies to make a profit on Instagram, said Jason Goldberg, chief commerce officer at advertising firm Publics. On Instagram, retailers sell one item at a time to customers, instead of trying to get them to buy a basket of items like they do on their e-commerce sites. "You can't say 'Oh, would you like socks with those shoes?' If someone wants to buy two things, they have to go through checkout twice," he said.Sucharita Kodali, analyst at Forrester Research, argued that brands should be wary of becoming too dependent on Instagram for sales. That's because brands don't have as much control over their customers on Instagram as they do at their own physical stores or e-commerce sites."You're basically handing over some of your most important proprietary information to companies that have no commitment to your privacy and have no respect for the delineation between their customers and yours," she said.— CNN Business' Kaya Yurieff contributed to this article.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-06-05 14:33:43

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/05/business/blockchain-traceability/index.html

How blockchain can tell you where your food comes from - CNN

The online public ledger is becoming a popular tool for transparency, as retailers feel pressure from consumers to prove their products come from a sustainable source

business, How blockchain can tell you where your food comes from - CNN

Could blockchain help you become a more ethical shopper?

London, UK (CNN Business)Do you ever think about where your food comes from? Or whether your coffee was harvested by someone who was paid a fair wage? These are questions that blockchain can help answer.Consumers are becoming more interested in where their food comes from, and how it is packaged. Many people are even changing their shopping habits based on that information.Blockchain can help track the production of consumer staples across complicated supply chains, giving consumers the data they need to make informed choices. The online public ledger creates a permanent and unchangeable record of transactions. Each transaction is time-stamped and linked to the last, so that it can't later be altered. Read MoreCreating a fair supply chainA yellowfin tuna is tagged with a QR code on board fishing vessel in FijiThe traceability offered by blockchain is invaluable when trying to untangle supply chains that are associated with illegal practices and human rights abuses.Take fishing, for example. Illegal fishing accounts for up to 31% of catches worldwide, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation. World Wildlife Fund is trying to address the issue with a blockchain traceability project focused on tuna in the Pacific. In January, the group launched a tracking platform called OpenSc.An electronic tag is affixed to each fish as it comes on board a vessel, which automatically registers at the dock and processing facility. As the fish is prepared for sale and packaged, it receives a specific QR code.The consumer can then scan the code to see where the fish was caught, manufactured, processed and how it was transported to the shop.World Wildlife Fund uses the data to focus on human rights abuses in the industry such as forced labor and modern slavery. It can learn about staff in the supply chain and their working conditions. "It's no magic bullet," says Dermot O'Gorman, CEO of World Wildlife Fund Australia, "but it's a tool that helps to stamp out slave trade."O'Gorman says the World Wildlife Fund hopes to extend these practices to other commodities, such as paper, beef, palm oil and dairy."Unless we're able to address, for example, the illegal aspects in fisheries or human rights abuses in the palm oil industry, we're not going to be able to deliver a sustainable planet," he says.Streamlining the supply chainWalmart introduced blockchain technology for food safety purposesComplex supply chains can be hard to digitize. The challenge is convincing fishermen or farmers to apply technology at the source.O'Gorman says it helps to offer a financial incentive. He says that many smaller producers are interested in OpenSC because it helps to optimize operations and reduce costs, through eliminating bottlenecks and enabling more accurate forecasts of supply and demand.Ramesh Gopinath, one of the leaders of the IBM Food Trust, a global network of suppliers and retailers including Walmart and Carrefour, says that blockchain can also have a huge impact on efficiency. "If along the supply chain there is a sharing of information, that will have significant benefits in terms of improved freshness to the end consumer and reducing waste overall," he says.Access to data allows suppliers to predict market conditions more accurately and to localize the sourcing of ingredients -— ultimately shortening the supply chain, Gopinath explains. The adoption of digital supply chain tools could reduce food loss and waste by up to $120 billion annually, according to a 2018 report by the Boston Consulting Group.Trustworthy supply chainsBellucci olive oil prides itself on being able to prove its provenance to consumers through blockchainTraceability also means accountability, because blockchain can give a tamper-proof guarantee of a product's origin. This is crucial for products where food fraud is common, such as olive oil, which the European Commission has marked as a major target for fraudulent activity. "You can have an Italian name, but not necessarily have Italian oil in the bottle," says Susan Testa, director of culinary innovation at the olive oil producer Bellucci. To prove their provenance, both to consumers and retailers, Bellucci is deploying blockchain technology developed by Oracle along their supply chain. "They want to know how close the product is to the source," says Testa. "That way, they feel good about the brand and what they're buying."

Ed Scott-Clarke and Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-05-29 08:42:50

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/29/business/disability-technology-transport/index.html

The tech empowering disabled people in cities - CNN

From a smart walking stick to a stair-climbing wheelchair, these innovations are changing lives and urban landscapes.

business, The tech empowering disabled people in cities - CNN

The tech empowering disabled people in cities

London (CNN Business)Cities are difficult to navigate at the best of times, but for people with disabilities they can be like an obstacle course and a maze wrapped into one.A UK national travel survey found that adults with mobility difficulties took 39% fewer trips than those with no disability in 2017. Yet that could change as devices and cities grow smarter. Assistive tech is playing a big role in the transformation. The global value of the industry is expected to increase from $14 billion in 2015 to $30.8 billion in 2024, according to Zion Market Research and Coherent Market Insights.Here are three high-tech solutions making cities easier for people with disabilities.A wheelchair that can climb stairsThe Scewo wheelchair has rubber tracks that can climb stairsRead MoreJose Di Felice, from Switzerland, was paralyzed in both legs and one arm after a high-speed motorcycle accident three years ago. While adjusting to life in a wheelchair, he realized that stairs were his biggest hurdle. He took to YouTube to look for alternatives and discovered Scewo. The startup has built a wheelchair that can be controlled through a smartphone. It can tackle a range of terrains, and has special rubber tracks for climbing stairs.Di Felice requested a test drive and soon after he was climbing the steps of the local town hall in a wheelchair. "It was really emotional to go up these stairs, and look down there and say that it's possible," he says.The wheelchair is expected to be distributed to users by the end of 2019, and Di Felice will be one of the first to receive the product."We cannot wait on having all these ramps built," Bernhard Winter, the CEO and founder of Scewo, says of urban mobility. "This is why we developed this product, so it gives you back mobility and freedom."A robotic exomuscle suitMichael Hagmann, who suffers from a degenerative muscle disease, completed a 7km leg of the Zurich marathonWearable tech is also becoming more sophisticated. Zurich-based start-up MyoSwiss has developed an exomuscle suit with a combination of robotics and textiles.The robotic garment, weighing less than 5 kilograms (11 pounds), adds a layer of muscle that supports movements and provides stability to people with mobility impairments. It uses sensors at the knee and hip to detect movements the user wants to make and helps accordingly."It assists people that need extra force or extra assistance in their daily life," says Jaime Duarte, CEO of MyoSwiss. "[It's] for people that can still walk to some extent but maybe struggle to stand out from a chair or struggle to go upstairs."This year the MyoSuit enabled two people with mobility limitations to take part in a relay version of the Zurich marathon. Smart walking stick Kursat Ceylan (right) uses the WeWalk smart stick on his way to workAnother technology that could transform lives is a smart walking stick designed by engineers from Young Guru Academy (YGA) in Turkey. The WeWalk stick has an ultrasonic sensor that detects obstacles above chest level and uses vibrations to warn the user. It can be paired with a smartphone to help navigation, and is integrated with a voice assistant and Google Maps.According to the World Health Organization, 39 million people worldwide are blind and another quarter of a billion are visually impaired. "In these days we are talking about flying cars," says Kursat Ceylan, CEO and founder of WeWalk, "but these people have been using just a plain stick."Ceylan, who has been blind since birth, says that connecting the stick to the Internet of Things and smart city solutions makes it user-friendly. "As a blind person, when I am at the Metro station I don't know which is my exit ... I don't know which bus is approaching ... [or] which stores are around me. That kind of information can be provided with the WeWalk," he says.But will these high-tech solutions be accessible?"These are all really exciting initiatives that will make a huge difference to some people," says Anna Lawson, the director of the Center for Disability Studies at Leeds University in the United Kingdom. "But they are very expensive ... they're not going to be available to the vast majority of disabled people," she added.Bryan Matthews, a lecturer at the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, shares the concerns about cost. He says there should also be a focus on inclusive design. But anything that helps people navigate their environment is positive. "By making disabled people more visible and more mainstream then you foster more potential for understanding and empathy," says Matthews.

Matt McFarland, CNN Business

2019-04-23 19:00:10

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/23/tech/wing-faa-drone-delivery/index.html

Wing gets FAA approval in step toward drone delivery - CNN

A subsidiary of Google's parent company has become the first drone-delivery company to receive a critical Federal Aviation Administration certification.

tech, Wing gets FAA approval in step toward drone delivery - CNN

Wing gets FAA approval in step toward drone delivery

Washington, DC (CNN Business)A subsidiary of Google's parent company has become the first drone-delivery company to receive a critical Federal Aviation Administration certification.Wing was granted an air carrier certification, which clears it to make commercial deliveries in the United States. The company said in a Medium post Tuesday that it's aiming to launch a delivery trial later this year. A Wing spokeswoman declined to say how many people would be served by the trial, how many drones will be involved, or what kind of goods would be delivered. The drones can fly autonomously, but Wing will have certified pilots on the ground who can take control of the drones as a precaution.Wing, a part of Alphabet (GOOG) that began as a Google X project, said it has flown 70,000 test flights, and made more than 3,000 deliveries in Australia. Earlier this month, Wing announced it was delivering food and other items to a limited number of homes in the suburbs of Canberra, Australia's capital. Read MoreThis Alphabet-owned company is delivering espresso via drone in AustraliaSo far, drone delivery has been limited in the United States, with larger programs occurring overseas in countries such as Rwanda. Drone delivery advocates say it could lead to faster delivery times and smaller environmental impacts than other forms of delivery. In its tests in Australia, the average Wing delivery was completed in 7 minutes 36 seconds, according to a spokeswoman. Merchants spent about four minutes preparing the packages, and the drone flights were roughly three minutes.Flying drones in the US airspace is more complicated, as drones must safely navigate dense, complex environments that include airports, low-flying helicopters, and pedestrians below.Wing plans to launch a delivery trial later this year.Wing's trial will launch in parts of Virginia that generally aren't densely populated, namely Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Wing previously trialed burrito delivery on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg. The new delivery service will be part of the US Department of Transportation's drone pilot program, which was announced in October 2017. The three-year program designated areas, including Virginia, as places to test drones and spur developments. Participants have been given more leeway to experiment with innovations such as nighttime flights and flying over people. Amazon has planes, drones and now...satellites?"This is an important step forward for the safe testing and integration of drones in our economy," US Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said in a statement. Many hurdles remain to making drone delivery a common part of Americans' lives.Drones will need to be identified remotely, so local law enforcement can determine if a nearby drone has a legitimate reason to be flying or could be problematic. Those regulations are currently being developed. Drones will also need to fly over people, at night, and to be connected to an unmanned air traffic management system, just as larger aircrafts are.

Ivana Kottasová, CNN Business

2019-05-15 16:24:50

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/15/tech/einride-self-driving-trucks/index.html

Einride's self-driving trucks launch in Sweden - CNN

A truck without a cab or driver is now being tested on a public road in Sweden, mixing with other traffic as it moves goods around an industrial zone.

tech, Einride's self-driving trucks launch in Sweden - CNN

A truck without a cab and driver takes to the road in Sweden

London (CNN Business)A truck without a cab or driver is now being tested on a public road in Sweden, mixing with other traffic as it moves goods around an industrial zone.Swedish startup Einride began operating the electric truck on a short stretch of road in Jönköping, a transport hub in the heart of Scandinavia, on Wednesday. Einride said the trial, which is due to run until the end of 2020, is the first time a fully self-driving truck without a backup driver has been allowed on a public road. This self-driving electric truck is now being tested in an industrial zone in Sweden.The "T-Pod" truck is supervised remotely by an operator who can take control if necessary. Other companies have completed test runs on public roads with a driver inside the vehicle ready to take over.The 26-ton truck is equipped with cameras, radars and 3D sensors, which give it 360-degree awareness of its surroundings. Built by Einride, it uses an autonomous driving platform made by NVIDIA (NVDA), and its systems are connected via a 5G network. It has a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles). Read MoreThe route it takes from a warehouse to a freight terminal building is just 300 meters long, but it includes five right-angle turns and a 100-meter stretch of road used by other trucks and vehicles.Germany is opening its first electric highway for trucksAn Einride spokesperson said the T-Pod will be making the trip several times a day during the trial. The truck can reach speeds of up to 85 kilometers per hour (53 miles per hour), but is only allowed to drive at 5 kilometers per hour (3 miles per hour) during the trial. The speed limit was set by the Swedish Transport Agency.While the road can get busy, traffic speeds are generally low, the spokesperson added.The truck is only allowed to go slowly during the test runs. Businesses around the world are getting excited about the prospect of driverless trucks given the growing shortage of drivers. The American Trucking Associations said transport companies need roughly 60,000 extra drivers. In Europe, there are 150,000 unfilled truck driver positions, according to Transport Intelligence, a logistics research company.

Nell Lewis, CNN Business

2019-04-18 10:35:00

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/business/ai-vaak-shoplifting/index.html

Should AI be used to catch shoplifters? - CNN

Facial recognition technology is being used more and more by retailers for crime prevention. But is this at the expense of consumer privacy?

business, Should AI be used to catch shoplifters? - CNN

Should AI be used to catch shoplifters?

London (CNN Business)New artificial intelligence software is being used in Japan to monitor the body language of shoppers and look for signs that they are planning to shoplift.The software, which is made by a Tokyo startup called Vaak, differs from similar products that work by matching faces to criminal records. Instead, VaakEye uses behavior to predict criminal action.Company founder Ryo Tanaka said his team fed the algorithm 100,000 hours worth of surveillance data to train it to monitor everything from the facial expressions of shoppers to their movements and clothing.Since VaakEye launched last month, it has been rolled out in 50 stores across Japan.Vaak claims that shoplifting losses dropped by 77% during a test period in local convenience stores. That could help reduce global retail costs from shoplifting, which hit $34 billion in 2017 according to the Global Shrink Index.Read MoreMoral questionsUsing AI to catch thieves raises all kinds of ethical questions. "While the incentive is to prevent theft, is it legal or even moral to prevent someone from entering a store based on this software?" said Euromonitor retail analyst Michelle Grant. This should not be up to the software developer, says Tanaka. "What we provide is the information of the suspicious, detected image. We don't decide who is criminal, the shop decides who's criminal," he said.Europe is making AI rules now to avoid a new tech crisisYet that is precisely what concerns the human rights charity Liberty, which is campaigning to ban facial recognition technology in the United Kingdom."A retail environment — a private body — is starting to perform something akin to a police function," said Hannah Couchman, Liberty's advocacy and policy officer. Liberty is also worried about the potential of AI to fuel discrimination. A 2018 study by MIT and Stanford University found that various commercial facial-analysis programs demonstrated skin-type and gender biases. Tanaka explains that since the Vaak software is based on behavior rather than race or gender, this should not be a problem. But Couchman remains skeptical. "With technologies that rely on algorithms — particularly in regards to human behavior — the potential for discrimination is always there," she said. "Humans have to teach the algorithm what to treat suspiciously." Customer consentThen there is the issue of transparency. "Are people aware of what's happening?" asked Couchman. "Do they consent? Is it meaningful consent? What happens to the data? How is it protected? Might it be shared?"Google scraps its controversial AI ethics council days after it was announcedGrant said consumers are willing to sacrifice some privacy for convenience — such as using face recognition for payment authentication — but only when they're aware the technology is being used.Tanaka does not dispute this. "There should be notice before they [customers] enter the store so that they can opt out," he said. "Governments should operate rules that make stores disclose information — where and what they analyze, how they use it, how long they use it," he said. Christopher Eastham, a specialist in AI at the law firm Fieldfisher, said the framework for regulating the technology is not yet in place."There is a need for clarity from lawmakers and guidance from regulators, who will ultimately need to decide in what circumstances the use of this technology will be appropriate or desirable as a matter of public policy," he said.

Ivana Kottasová, CNN Business

2019-04-08 16:13:14

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/08/tech/ai-guidelines-eu/index.html

AI guidelines: EU is making AI rules now to avoid a new tech crisis - CNN

Europe is making rules for artificial intelligence to prevent the technology going off the rails.

tech, AI guidelines: EU is making AI rules now to avoid a new tech crisis - CNN

Europe is making AI rules now to avoid a new tech crisis

London (CNN Business)Social media faces a crisis of trust. Europe wants to make sure artificial intelligence doesn't go the same way. The European Commission on Monday unveiled ethics guidelines that are designed to influence the development of AI systems before they become deeply embedded in society.The intervention could help break the pattern of regulators being forced to play catch up with emerging technologies that lead to unanticipated negative consequences. The importance of doing so was underscored Monday when Britain proposed new rules that would make internet companies legally responsible for ridding their platforms of harmful content."It's like putting the foundations in before you build a house ... now is the time to do it," said Liam Benham, the vice president for regulatory affairs in Europe at IBM (IBM), which was involved in drafting the AI guidelines.People need to be informed when they are in contact with an algorithm and not another human being."EU Commissioner Mariya GabrielRead MoreThe European Union has taken the global lead on tech regulation, introducing a landmark data privacy law last year while going after big tech companies for anti-competitive behavior and unpaid taxes. AI, which has captured the public's imagination and produced dire warnings on the potential for misuse, is the latest regulatory front for the bloc. It's not an easy topic.Google (GOOGL), for example, shuttered its new artificial intelligence ethics council last week after a swarm of employees demanded the removal of the president of a conservative think tank from the group.Google scraps its controversial AI ethics council days after it was announcedThe European Commission has crafted seven principles for guiding AI development and building trust. While the guidelines are not binding, they could form the basis of further action in coming years.Transparency is key Mariya Gabriel, Europe's top official on the digital economy, said companies using AI systems should be transparent with the public."People need to be informed when they are in contact with an algorithm and not another human being," said Gabriel. "Any decision made by an algorithm must be verifiable and explained." An insurance company that rejects a claim based on an algorithm, for example, should ensure the customer knows how and why the decision was made. A human should be able to step in and reverse the decision.Amazon must let shareholders vote on limiting facial recognition sales, SEC saysThe European Commission said that future AI systems need to be safe and reliable for their entire life cycle. It also said that data protection must be a priority, with users in control of their own information.The guidelines put responsibility squarely on those who build and deploy the AI systems. "If a company puts in an AI system, that company is responsible for it ... this is very important if there is any accident," said Gabriel. Avoiding discriminationGabriel also said companies need to ensure their AI systems are fair. She said, for example, that an algorithm used in the hiring process that was produced using data from a company that employed only men would likely reject women candidates."If you have biased input data, that really can be a problem," said Gabriel.Who should get the credit for AI art?AlgorithmWatch, a non-profit group, said that while it's a good idea to put guidelines in place, there are problems with Europe's approach. "The guidelines center around the idea of 'trustworthy AI' and that is problematic because it's not a well-defined term," said Matthias Spielkamp, the group's co-founder. "Who is to trust and who is to be trusted?," he added. He also said that it is not yet clear how future oversight will be handled. Thomas Metzinger, a philosopher and professor at the University of Mainz, helped draft the guidelines but criticized them for not prohibiting the use of AI to develop weapons. New Zealand's privacy commissioner calls Facebook 'morally bankrupt'Others are worried about the impact the guidelines will have on innovation. "We are concerned that the granularity of the guidelines, would make it difficult for many companies particularly [small and medium sized businesses], to implement," said Antony Walker, deputy CEO of TechUK, an industry group.The European Union will now try to work through these questions and others in a pilot program with Big Tech companies.

Nell Lewis, Max Burnell and Angelica Pursley, CNN Business

2019-04-01 10:53:56

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/01/business/5g-farming/index.html

How 5G will change the future of farming - CNN

Farmers are testing 5G drones and sensors in the hope of increasing yields and improving animal health.

business, How 5G will change the future of farming - CNN

How 5G will change the future of farming

London (CNN Business)5G has the potential to disrupt a huge number of industries, including one of the world's oldest: Farming. Next-generation 5G networks can be 100 times faster than 4G, making communication between devices and servers much quicker. 5G can also carry much more data than other networks.That makes the technology ideal for transmitting information from remote sensors and drones, key tools that are being tested by farmers. 5G is also helping to automate farming processes.Drones that use 5G are helping to improve potato production in the Netherlands. And in Japan, 5G sensors are used to monitor the water temperature and salt concentration of oyster farms. 5G collarsRead MoreUK initiative 5G RuralFirst launched a smartphone app in March called Me+Moo, which lets farmers track a "connected" cow and receive daily updates on the animal's health and behavior.The system, which is being tested on cows at the Agri-Epi Center in Somerset, England, is funded in part by a UK government grant and supported by the tech company Cisco (CSCO).Cows are equipped with 5G-connected collars that monitor their health and habitsThe cows wear 5G-connected collars that send data to the app on everything from what they're eating to how they're sleeping. Farmers can see the info instantly, and pass it on to veterinarians or nutritionists."This provides peace of mind that the cows are happy, healthy and behaving normally, as well as early warning if they are getting sick, are pregnant or need to be checked," said project manager Duncan Forbes.How 5G will make daily life better 5G evangelists argue that because farms cover large areas that are difficult to monitor, the agriculture sector is well placed to benefit from remote data collection.The technology could help irrigation systems to turn on at the optimal time of day, or cattle to be grazed on areas that provide the best nutrition. By improving efficiency, it will be possible to produce more food. Yet to make a difference, 5G will first need to be installed in rural areas.Automation mattersThe UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that in order to provide for the world's rapidly rising population, the planet will need to grow 70% more food in 2050 than it did in 2009. "To respond to those demands, farmers will need new technologies to produce more from less land, with fewer hands," reads one report from the organization. That's where automation comes in. In 2017, another 5G RuralFirst project became the first in the world to successfully plant, tend and harvest a crop without a single human stepping foot in the field. How do you insure a driverless car? Autonomous tractors sowed the seeds, drones with sensors monitored the crops, and smaller machines took samples to assess what fertilizers and pesticides to apply and where. The project, called Hands-Free Hectare, reported another successful harvest in 2018. It's now going even further by using 5G technology to increase precision and efficiency in crop spraying. "This will help not only sustain farming, but also make it easier and less demanding for those doing it," Jonathan Gill, a researcher at Harper Adams University, said of the innovations.

Emma Kennedy, CNN Business

2019-03-21 10:23:59

business

cars

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/21/cars/driverless-cars-insurance-liability-explained/index.html

Who pays out if a driverless car crashes? - CNN

Technology giants and automakers are investing billions of dollars to develop driverless cars that promise to make roads safer. But who will pay when a crash does happen?

cars, Who pays out if a driverless car crashes? - CNN

How do you insure a driverless car?

London (CNN Business)Technology giants and automakers are investing billions of dollars to develop driverless cars that promise to make roads safer. But who will pay when a crash does happen?The transportation revolution raises big questions for insurers around liability, data and future revenues. With driverless car trials ongoing in a number of markets, policymakers are already preparing for the new landscape. In the United Kingdom, work is underway to ensure a regulatory framework is in place when automated vehicles hit roads. Last year, lawmakers approved the Automated and Electric Vehicles (AEV) Act, bringing greater clarity on insurance policies and liability for road accidents involving driverless vehicles.In other markets -- such as the United States, for example -- the state of play is less certain.What about liability?Read MoreDavid Williams, technical director at AXA Insurance UK, explained that British rules set out a clear structure for liability, with car owners still required to purchase an insurance policy that complies with road traffic rules.Read: How 5G will make daily life betterMany automated cars will be able to switch modes, from automated to driver-controlled, but having two distinct insurance policies to cover each scenario is "too complicated," according to Williams. Instead, car owners will buy one insurance policy that covers both driving modes. Insurers will continue to pay out for claims, but could recoup some costs from carmakers when their technology causes an accident.Williams expects the number of road accidents to decline, which means insurers will likely face fewer motor claims. "And a proportion of these claims will be passed on to the manufacturers," he said.Insurers want to see similar rules put in place throughout Europe. "We take the view that compulsory third-party liability insurance works well in protecting road users and that this will continue to be the case with ongoing technological developments, such as connected and autonomous vehicles," said Nicolas Jeanmart, head of personal insurance, general insurance and macroeconomics at Insurance Europe.JUST WATCHEDInside look at driverless carsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHInside look at driverless cars 01:50Safer roadsAccording to figures from the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, human error is a factor in 94% of car crashes.Automated cars could remove this human error factor and lead to safer roads -- and lower insurance premiums -- for car owners. "If, in time, 50% of cars are safer and have less accidents, that means the remaining manual cars will have less accidents too," Williams said. Read: Can technology make these cities smartest?Claims costs for accidents involving automated cars might initially be high due to the cost of replacing damaged technology, such as sensors. But Williams thinks costs will decline as production of autonomous vehicles ramps up.When accidents do happen, new technology will mean greater insights on what happened and who is at fault. "For claims to be handled as swiftly and smoothly as possible, it will be vital that insurers and other parties with a legitimate interest have access to the relevant in-vehicle data that establishes the facts of an accident, so that liability can be correctly apportioned," said Jeanmart.A changing marketInsurers expect that a shift towards driverless vehicles will ultimately lead to lower car insurance premiums and new types of products.Read: How VR is transforming HRFor example, Williams said that insurers might offer insurance products that encourage car owners to use autonomous mode more frequently, offering a premium incentive to reflect the reduced risk.In the future, automated vehicles could allow for shared car ownership, which would mean new types of insurance policies. "Even in the case of shared vehicles, the vehicle itself still needs to be insured, regardless of whether the insurance is shared between the owners or otherwise," Jeanmart said.

Nell Lewis, Carla Howe and Jenny Marc

2019-02-25 09:52:47

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/25/business/smart-cities-business-evolved/index.html

Are small cities the smartest? - CNN

Urban development has become less about infrastructure and more about technology. These are the smart cities paving the way.

business, Are small cities the smartest? - CNN

Are small cities the smartest?

(CNN)When you hear of urban transformations, you tend to think of high-rise mega-cities like Shanghai, Dubai or Hong Kong. Or if it's technological advances, San Francisco and Silicon Valley might come to mind. But, the cities at the forefront of this growing urban revolution are often the unexpected. Take Kalasatama, a city being built from scratch on the outskirts of Helsinki, Finland. Developers say that by its completion in 2030, residents will get an average hour of their day back by living there.Finland's smart city Kalasatama is custom-built to make daily life more efficientCity residents will never again be stuck behind a rubbish lorry on their commute. Engineers have outfitted the whole city with a vacuum waste system, where people simply take their trash to a port and it gets sucked to an underground disposal center. Another time-saving design is the city layout itself. Public services, such as schools, hospitals and transportation are close to one another and easily accessible. Read More"Five more minutes walking in the park, five more minutes with the kids before I have to leave for work, five more minutes earlier at home when I don't have to spend on logistics," Kerkko Vanhanen, the program director for Smart Kalasatama, tells CNN. "Your life is easier because of living in the most functional city in the world," he adds. However, only 3,500 people currently live in Kalasatama. By 2030, developers hope to have housed 25,000 people and created 10,000 jobs. UrbanizationWith 68% of humanity expected to live in urban areas by 2050, according to a 2018 UN report, urban expansion and innovation are vital.This is not a new phenomenon: such transformations have been going on for centuries, from city planning in Mesopotamia to 17th-Century canal systems in Amsterdam installed for defense and water management. Amsterdam is contributing to smart city development with its innovative open data programBut now development is less about infrastructure and more about an interconnected system of devices, known as the Internet of Things (IoT). Cisco defines the IoT as the point in time when more "things or objects" were connected to the Internet than people. It estimates that by 2020 there will be 50 billion "things" talking to each other.With the shift to 5G and superfast bandwidth speeds, IoT has the potential to make cities more convenient -- enabling technology such as traffic sensors or autonomous drones. New meets oldCities don't have to be custom-built to be able to unlock this potential. The ancient cliffside city of Matera in southern Italy is working to become one of the first 5G-enabled cities in Europe. It believes 5G can help it become a center of digital tourism, using technology such as Virtual Reality to show off the cultural and artistic heritage of the city that was named European Capital of Culture in 2019. "There's been a real focus to rejuvenate this area. And to make it a center first of all of tourism but also to take efforts to make it a place for investment in an industry," says Jonathan Reichental, an expert on emerging technology trends in urban environments.The ancient Italian city of Matera aims to become one of the first 5G-enabled cities in EuropeCitizen dataHigh-tech conveniences come at the cost of sharing personal data. "Data about you is used for delivering all sorts of both public and private services. And people are concerned about what that means to their privacy," says Reichental.As smart cities evolve, governments need to gain the trust of citizens to use their private data responsibly, says Udo Kock, deputy mayor of Amsterdam, where an open data program is helping to make it one of Europe's most innovative environments."Don't think of Smart Cities as just a technology solution, think of it as collaboration. Involve communities, involve citizens and it's very important for governments to work together with businesses and private citizens," says Kock.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2019-02-17 15:39:15

business

investing

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/17/investing/artificial-intelligence-investors-machine-learning/index.html

How elite investors use artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain an edge - CNN

Artificial intelligence and machine learning might sound like the stuff of sci-fi movies. But hedge funds, major banks and private equity firms are already deploying next-generation technologies to gain an edge.

investing, How elite investors use artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain an edge - CNN

How elite investors use artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain an edge

New York (CNN Business)Artificial intelligence and machine learning might sound like the stuff of sci-fi movies. But hedge funds, major banks and private equity firms are already deploying next-generation technologies to gain an edge.Citigroup (C) uses machine learning to make portfolio recommendations to clients. High-frequency trading firms rely on machine learning tools to rapidly read and react to financial markets. And quant shops like PanAgora Asset Management have developed complex algorithms to test sophisticated investment ideas."It takes emotion out of it. Everything is rational," Mike Chen, an equity portfolio manager at Boston-based PanAgora, told CNN Business from the sidelines of the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit in Grand Cayman."We're not crazy pointed-hair scientists," said Chen, whose quantitative investment firm manages about $43 billion in assets.It's a human plus machine world. It's not a machine-only model. Nor do I see it becoming a machine-only model for a long, long time."Philip Watson, chief innovation officer at Citi Private BankMuch of the technology that elite investors use isn't really new. Financial firms are just better able to harness the power of AI and machine learning because today's computers can process information much faster. And there now exists vastly more data than there did years ago.Read MoreThe rise of machine learningStill, technology is rapidly disrupting the financial industry -- and will continue to do so."The rise of machine learning will really make our industry unrecognizable in the future," said Anthony Cowell, head of asset management for KPMG in the Cayman Islands. His clients include some of the world's largest asset managers, hedge funds and private-equity firms.IBM's fast-talking AI machine just lost to a human champion in a live debateFor instance, Citi Private Bank has deployed machine learning to help financial advisors answer a question they're frequently asked: What are other investors doing with their money? By using technology, the bank can anonymously share portfolio moves being made by clients all over the planet. "Traditionally that kind of information was sourced from your network. You might have had a few coffees or heard about it over a cocktail," Philip Watson, head of the global investment lab at Citi and chief innovation officer at Citi Private Bank, told CNN Business. "Now, we can share insight that is very valuable."Citi also built a recommender engine that uses machine learning tools to advise clients. The platform recommends tailored research reports, solutions and even alerts clients of major events such as the maturity of a bond in their portfolio. Machines assist high-speed tradersDomeyard, a Boston hedge fund that focuses on high-frequency trading, depends on machine learning to decipher 300 million data points in the New York Stock Exchange's opening hour of trading alone."We rely on the help of machines to make easier and faster predictions of what will happen in the next second or minute," said Christine Qi, Domeyard's co-founder and partner. We do believe that 100% of all roles and jobs could be impacted."IBM's Mark FosterBut Qi cautioned that machines are "only as smart as the data you're feeding it."Earlier this year, PanAgora, the Boston quant shop, expanded its exposure to China by launching a "self-learning" algorithm that deciphers Chinese "cyber slang" used by investors on social media to get around government censorship, Chen said. The findings give portfolio managers at PanAgora a valuable window into sentiment among retail investors, who dominate the market in China. Man vs. machine?Technology executives warn not to believe all the hype about artificial intelligence and machine learning -- especially about robots taking over. "Some of the effects can be wildly exaggerated," said Citi's Watson. "It's a human plus machine world. It's not a machine-only model. Nor do I see it becoming a machine-only model for a long, long time."PanAgora's Chen agreed. "It's not man versus machine. It's man plus machine."At PanAgora, humans have the final say on investment decisions and at times override what the computer models tell them to do."Machines are not sentient. Terminators are not going to rise up and kill us all in the next 10 years," Chen said. "I hope."Most jobs will be impactedBut that doesn't mean humans won't be disrupted. "We do believe that 100% of all roles and jobs could be impacted," said Mark Foster, senior vice president of IBM (IBM) Global Business Services.Foster said that the most optimistic outcome is that businesses, governments and education systems get ahead of this disruption by re-skilling workers. Trump to sign executive order launching artificial intelligence initiative "Probably the world is moving more slowly than that. There is a risk that people will be left behind," Foster said. "It's incumbent upon us in business that we're helping our workforces get ahead of the curve."Rather than getting outright displaced, Citi's Watson thinks many workers doing menial back-office jobs could be moved to more rewarding positions.What's next?In the future, the financial industry will be further disrupted by the rise of emerging technologies -- like quantum computing."It will be able to solve problems we could never touch before," said Mark Jackson, scientific lead at UK-based Cambridge Quantum Computing. IBM (IBM), Google, Intel (INTC) and other major companies have spent heavily to develop quantum technologies, but experts aren't exactly sure what these super computers will be used for. "We actually don't know yet," Jackson said when asked for specific use cases. "We're just beginning to understand the power of this."He said it's already clear that quantum computers will excel in several areas: encryption, security, chemistry and machine learning. "It will live up to the hype," Jackson said. There are still many things that computers can't do in the financial realm.For instance, sophisticated investors often use game theory to map out how other market players will react to a given situation. Game theory allows firms to cash in by positioning themselves -- before sharp market swings occur. PanAgora's Chen said that machines can't do that -- yet. "I hope to see it in the next five to 15 years," he said.

Matt McFarland, CNN Business

2018-10-12 16:58:56

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/12/tech/magic-leap-ai-assistant/index.html

Magic Leap's new AI assistant looks alarmingly human - CNN

The tech world's latest virtual assistant is hyper-realistic.

tech, Magic Leap's new AI assistant looks alarmingly human - CNN

Magic Leap's new AI assistant looks alarmingly human

(CNN Business)The tech world's latest virtual assistant looks so realistic, you might mistake her for an actual human.Apple has Siri, and Amazon has Alexa. But the lifelikeness of both are dwarfed by Mica: a prototype that Magic Leap, a highly regarded augmented-reality startup, unveiled at its conference Wednesday. Mica isn't just a voice assistant. She's something you can actually see if you wear the company's augmented-reality glasses, called Magic Leap One. Mica looks and acts like a human — she makes eye contact and offers a warm smile, along with other human-like expressions. Experts say Mica is a breakthrough in realistic avatars and could have far-reaching implications for society, impacting everything from human connections to education and our health.For starters, she could be used to turn on or off your smart home devices, including TVs, stereo systems and lights. Magic Leap also demonstrated how Mica can answer detailed questions, such as recalling a person's favorite song from a concert attended a year ago (the company did not explain how Mica learns such information).Read MoreIn fact, Mica seems so real that she startled Magic Leap's test subjects."When people came close to Mica they'd instinctively back up, as if they were invading her personal space," John Monos, Magic Leap's vice president of human-centered AI, said at the conference. "These incredibly visceral reactions to Mica completely realigned our priorities. Our goal is nothing short of the most realistic human experience in spatial computing." Magic Leap announced Mica, a realistic virtual assistant, at its conference this week.According to Monos, when Mica smiled, people smiled back. And when Mica yawned — a contagious social behavior — the subjects would yawn too.Magic Leap hopes Mica is just the beginning. The company is encouraging computer developers to build similar assistants on its platform. "We will create a new universe," Monos said. "Together we will populate that world. We can't wait to some day meet your Mica." This is all possible because of Magic Leap's breakthroughs in augmented reality, according to Amitabh Varshney, a University of Maryland professor who researches augmented and virtual reality. He pointed to the way light reflects off Mica's skin, a subtle detail that's critical to making Mica seem human.Varshney says the visual realism is closer than ever to leaping over the uncanny valley, a phenomenon in which humans feel discomfort and revulsion looking at something that appears almost human but isn't. Mica's facial expressions are highly realistic.Magic Leap hasn't said when it expects people to experience Mica, or an equivalent assistant. But according to Aditya Sankar, director of research and education at the University of Washington Reality Lab, in a couple decades it could be common for people to wake up in the morning, put on their augmented reality glasses and see their very own Mica."If you told someone 15 or 20 years ago [they would have] something in your pocket that finds any information you seek at your fingertips, people would probably not have believed you," Sankar said of smartphones. Powerful implications for education -- and ethicsThe new technology could also potentially impact how we learn.As Varshney put it: "Wouldn't it be nice if you walked into the National Gallery and had Van Gogh explain his art?" Companies might make avatars of historical figures such as Van Gogh, Einstein or Martin Luther King, Jr. Students could sit across a table from a famous figure and get personally tutored on relativity from the person who discovered it. Plus, realistic AI assistants could be able to earn our trust, which could be useful for fields like telemedicine.This breakthrough raises ethical questions, too. Avatars introduce the possibility of even more powerful fake news. What if a respected historical figure were used to incite violence? Regulations may be needed to govern the likeness of a person in a virtual world, Varshney said.But realistic avatars could be used to encourage tolerance. Through augmented reality, a person biased against a minority group could receive a favor from an avatar who looks like a member of that group. In the real world, they would be more likely to reciprocate in a positive fashion toward a member of the minority group, Varshney said.But critics caution about the hazards of increasingly human-like technologies. We're hardwired to believe that machines with an avatar or a human sounding voice have empathy, and care for us as a human would. "Why do we want to attribute personality, empathy, being to an avatar that has none?" said Sherry Turkle, founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. "We talk to Siri, Echo, Alexa. We are starting to ask for their advice not just on where to order a pizza but about how we feel about our boyfriends, children, our parents."Magic Leap did not respond to a request for comment on that point. Turkle cautions that we're at an inflection point, similar to when the iPhone was introduced. It was a remarkable innovation and incredibly popular with users -- but smartphones can also be addictive and distracting in social situation."Tim Cook apologizes and says, 'Sorry! Here are tools to walk it back,'" Turkle said. "What do we forget when we talk to machines? We forget what it is to be human -- what is special about talking to a human. That is the danger."

Ed Scott-Clarke and Bianca Britton, CNN

2018-02-19 00:33:16

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/18/health/biometrics-simprints-fingerprints/index.html

How biometrics is giving identities to 'invisible citizens' - CNN

More than 1 billion people have no official ID. But fingerprint scanning could give them life-changing digital identities.

business, How biometrics is giving identities to 'invisible citizens' - CNN

How biometrics is giving identities to 'invisible citizens'

Story highlightsBiometric technology is revolutionizing how we liveTechnology start-up Simprints uses biometrics to give people in developing countries access to healthcare (CNN)Around the globe an estimated 1.1 billion people are unable to prove their identity. They have no official ID -- no passport, no birth certificate, no bank card -- and as a result they're unable to access basic services, such as healthcare.Most of these "invisible citizens" live in Africa and Asia, and a third are children, according to the World Bank. But UK-based startup Simprints is trying to help them. Simprints makes portable fingerprint readers for charities around the world. It's working with charities in Kenya to provide digital healthcare records for people in poorer communities, who don't have any official documents.READ: Dad designs and 3D prints a prosthetic arm for his sonFor each person who has their fingerprint scanned, an algorithm creates a unique ID, which can be linked to their health records. Health workers can access the information and update health records using an app on a cell phone or tablet.Read More"The biometric technology is enabling a lot of charities and organizations to leapfrog a computer-based system and go straight from a paper-based system to a mobile system," Simprints co-founder Alexandra Grigore told CNN. Scanners providing a new hopeNicholas Mwaura is head of technology at the Kenyan community health charity COHESU. He is working with a team of doctors and volunteers, using Simprints' technology to scan prints and create one of the country's first biometric identification databases."Biometrics as a technology has completely changed our way of thinking," Mwaura told CNN. He says Simprints is giving citizens without identities hope and access to a better synced healthcare system."Without it they'd probably stay at home and accept their fate."READ: Darkest building on Earth unveiled at Winter OlympicsOnce someone is successfully enrolled they can easily visit a doctor -- who can then access their entire medical history digitally.Although it's revolutionizing healthcare in developing countries, fingerprint scanning isn't the newest or most technologically advanced biometric tool.Today, technology firms are racing to find a new, universal identifier that will replace the need for passwords and change our digital lives. Soon your face, iris, or even your heartbeat could be used to make payments, unlock your front door or to access your emails.Watch CNN's mini-documentary, above, for more on incredible innovations in biometrics.

Nell Lewis and Samuel Burke, CNN Business

2019-02-28 12:09:28

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/28/tech/5g-benefits-mobile-world-congress/index.html

How daily life will benefit from 5G - CNN

5G is more than super-fast broadband, it has the potential to change everything from transport to agriculture.

tech, How daily life will benefit from 5G - CNN

How 5G will make daily life better

Barcelona (CNN Business)In Barcelona, everyone's talking about 5G. As 100,000 people gathered in the Spanish city this week for the Mobile World Congress, the industry's annual conference, the next generation mobile network took center stage.This is not just to do with its super-fast speeds, it's because 5G will create a ripple of developments that will change daily life. "5G is going to have a massive impact on people lives," says Laila Worrell, CEO of Altran North America, a high-tech engineering company. "We are going to see a big advance in quality of life that 5G can deliver for individuals."5G and driverless carsThe BMW iNEXT model is due to hit the market in 2021Read MoreFor starters, there's the part it can play in your commute. Self-driving cars have been on the radar for a while, but with a 5G network they could become reality. Industry players claim 5G can be 100 times faster than 4G and that a huge number of devices will be able to connect to the network simultaneously. This will enable vehicles to talk to each other in real time: they'll know when another car is changing lanes or braking and can adjust to manage traffic accordingly. The BMW iNEXT, an electric SUV expected to come onto the market in 2021, is fitted with sensors that collect and process data from the car's surroundings. "This car is permanently surveying the road around it and sending relevant bits of information up to the cloud, generating a true real-time map that in turn is pushed down to all the other cars," Christoph Grote, senior vice-president of electronics at BMW, tells CNN's Samuel Burke. 5G and beesEven bees will benefit from 5G The benefits of 5G do not stop there. The network could also have environmental impacts when used in smart agriculture.5G is revolutionary but will anybody pay for it?David Houghton, general manager of Asset Tracking Solutions at NimbeLink, tells CNN how 5G and the Internet of Things can help protect honeybees, and in turn the world's food supply."Beehives are valuable and as such they are in demand, so hive keepers need to protect them. So, they use asset trackers to essentially monitor the health of the hive," he says. NimbeLink, in partnership with The Bee Corp, has developed a hive tracking and management system by which essential data such as temperature, humidity, movement and location is collected by sensors and can then be transmitted back for analysis. The futureAt the Mobile World Congress people are already talking about the next big development, 6GOf course, just as we get our heads around what 5G can do, scientists are already working on the next big thing.It's all about Huawei. World's biggest mobile tech show gets started"5G is good but 6G is better," says Ari Pouttu, a science professor at the University of Oulu, Finland. Expected to roll out in 2030, 6G will be a development beyond the smartphone. "Let's throw the smartphones away and think about how humans interact with infrastructure," says Poutto. "You can have smart surfaces with electronics in them, smart glasses so you can have devices everywhere."So, stay tuned

Emma Kennedy, CNN Business

2019-02-26 17:31:45

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/26/tech/vr-transforming-hr-intl-biz-evolved/index.html

How VR is transforming HR - CNN

A growing number of companies are using virtual reality to recruit and train staff, with immersive experiences giving employers new ways to deliver training and foster empathy at work.

tech, How VR is transforming HR - CNN

How VR is transforming HR

London (CNN Business)A growing number of companies are using virtual reality to recruit and train staff, with immersive experiences giving employers new ways to deliver training and foster empathy at work.German railway company Deutsche Bahn began using VR four years ago to attract new staff. Potential hires can wear a VR headset and "within a matter of seconds can experience a job in a very real-life atmosphere," according to Kerstin Wagner, Deutsche Bahn's head of talent acquisition.VR can also help companies to pick the best people for their team. Israeli technology company Actiview has developed a recruitment platform that uses a VR interface to assess candidates. Its technology also allows employers to offer new recruits a virtual tour of their offices or a chance to virtually meet the chief executive.Using Actiview's platform, candidates participate in a puzzle-based test. "The VR simulation allows us to control what the user sees, hears, feels. We see their behavior, and we can collect that data," explained Roy Elishkov, Actiview's vice president of strategy and business development. "We can monitor their approach. Do they explore the space first, strategize? Are they mission-oriented, do they solve the puzzles in a linear order?"Transforming the way companies trainRead MoreVR is transforming the way training is delivered. For example, the British Army recently unveiled a pilot program that will use VR to train soldiers and, since 2017, fast-food chain KFC has been using a VR game to teach staff how to cook fried chicken.VR experiences are being developed to give staff a sense of the day-to-day reality of their jobs. While the use of VR for staff training and recruitment is not yet mainstream, experts believe it will be in the future."VR allows the user to feel immersed in an experience, which is really useful from a skills perspective. There's a cost argument too, as it can be logistically challenging to create these training scenarios in the real world," said Jeremy Dalton, head of VR at consulting firm PwC UK. "VR allows you to explore workplace scenarios and understand the impact of your choices and actions. It is also an effective tool for hands-on training, letting people perform the actions with their own hands," he added.According to Arturo Schwartzberg, co-founder of e-learning company SweetRush, putting on a headset and being immersed in a VR experience can help build empathy. "You can experience what is it like to be in a wheelchair, or be the minority in the room, or to do someone else's difficult job that you never really thought about," he said.SweetRush worked with Hilton to develop a VR experience to give office staff a taste of the reality of running a hotel, from the front desk to housekeeping. After a successful pilot, the VR experience has been rolled out to six of Hilton's corporate offices globally."During the immersion, team members can walk through the hotel and participate in unique operational tasks, like setting up a room service tray," said Gretchen Stroud, vice president of talent, learning and engagement at Hilton. "They are guided through the process by 'Vic' our Virtual Concierge."The hotel chain Hilton has adopted VR in their training. Tackling the gender pay gap? A new wave of technology companies are now looking at innovative ways to further utilize VR in the workplace. For example, Vantage Point has developed a VR-based training platform to deliver immersive anti-sexual harassment training for companies. Its training walks users through a number of situations, such as an office party where the lines between the personal and the professional are blurred, with the user choosing how to react to specific comments and actions."VR allows the employee to see the body language, hear the tone, experience the context of the situation," said Vantage Point founder Morgan Mercer said. "Is John leaning into Sally's space when he makes a specific comment? What's his tone? Does she appear uncomfortable? Those are things you have to see, hear, feel."Mercer is now working on a VR program aimed at helping women develop negotiation skills in a bid to address the gender pay gap."It will allow you to sit across the table from your boss in a virtual negotiation, to say the words you will say, to practice and then to get a sense of your outcome versus your peers," she said. "It could be incredibly impactful for gender parity."