World News Daily(2024-08-27) : Marine Scientist Leads UN Body on Deep-Sea Mining Governance
Marine Scientist Leads UN Body on Deep-Sea Mining Governance
Leticia Carvalho, a Brazilian marine scientist, will lead the International Seabed Authority (ISA) starting in 2025. She is the first woman, oceanographer, and Latin American to hold this role. The ISA, a UN body, manages deep-sea mining, covering 54% of the world's oceans.
Deep-sea mining involves extracting minerals like cobalt and nickel from seabed nodules. These minerals are crucial for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. However, environmentalists warn of irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.
Carvalho emphasizes the need for a clear mining code before any extraction begins. She aims to rebuild trust and ensure transparency within the ISA. Her focus is on governance and environmental protection.
Recent studies, such as the discovery of "dark oxygen" production deep in the ocean, highlight the unknown impacts of mining. Over 30 countries now support a moratorium on deep-sea mining, urging caution.
Carvalho welcomes the debate, seeing it as essential for the ISA's future. She believes environmental safeguards must be part of the mining code, ensuring protection of the deep ocean.
ScoresPolitics
UN Chief Urges Global Action on Climate Crisis in Pacific Visit
UN chief Guterres warns Pacific islands face grave danger from rising seas. He urges global action before it's too late.
Sea-surface temps in the south-west Pacific have risen three times faster than the global average since 1980. Marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency and intensified.
Last year, 34 hydrometeorological hazard events in the region led to over 200 deaths and affected 25 million people.
The climate crisis and sea-level rise are no longer distant threats, especially for small island developing states. Sea-level rise is caused by melting land ice and seawater expansion due to warming.
Guterres calls for a drastic slash in global emissions and a fast, fair phase-out of fossil fuels. He demands a massive increase in finance and support for vulnerable countries.
Civil-society groups urge Australia to step up and support Pacific neighbors. Australia's climate finance contributions are falling short of need.
Pacific communities endure severe climate impacts despite contributing the least to the crisis. The climate emergency deepens debt and gender inequality in the region.
ScoresBrazil Declares 'War' on Fires Amid Smoke Crisis
Brazil's Environment Minister, Marina Silva, has declared a "war" on fire. A surge in blazes across the country, from the Amazon to São Paulo, has blanketed cities in smoke, grounded flights, and closed schools. Federal police are investigating the spike in wildfires, which some fear mirrors the 2019 "Day of Fire" under Bolsonaro's presidency.
Silva described the simultaneous burning of multiple municipalities as unprecedented. She visited the environment protection agency Ibama with President Lula, emphasizing the fight against both fire and crime.
The Amazon and the Pantanal wetland have faced severe fires this year, attributed to drought and El Niño. São Paulo, Brazil's economic powerhouse, has seen rural areas ravaged by flames, with social media flooded by images of smoky skies.
In Brasília, the capital, and nearby Goiânia, smoke disrupted daily life and air travel. Ibama's director, Rodrigo Agostinho, noted that while drought made areas vulnerable, fires are typically man-made, either for land clearance or malicious intent.
Firefighters struggle to contain the blazes, with fears of worsening conditions through October. Agostinho highlighted the challenge of extinguishing fires only to see them reignited nearby. The cycle must end.
ScoresSociety
Incheon EV Fire Raises Safety Concerns in South Korea
Incheon's EV fire spooks South Korea.
A Mercedes-Benz EV blaze in Incheon's underground parking lot scared buyers. Used EV prices dropped. Cho, a dealer, saw demand halve.
Government eyes stricter EV regulations. Plans include forcing automakers to reveal battery details. Mercedes' EQE 350+ fire-starter used Farasis Energy batteries.
Hyundai and LG Energy Solution act fast. Hyundai discloses battery sources; LG pushes safety software.
Analysts call for safer EV infrastructure. Han Byung-hwa notes lithium batteries' inherent fire risk. Suggests embracing risk and investing in safety systems.
Immersion cooling tech, proven in data centers, could boost EV safety. Some makers already use it.
EV fires aren't unique to South Korea. Recent incidents in Portugal, California, and China underline global concerns.
ScoresEconomy
EU Carbon Emission Standards: Geely and Tesla Meet Requirements, Volkswagen and Ford Face Fines
The European Union has set strict carbon emission standards for new cars by 2025. Ford and Volkswagen may face hefty fines for failing to meet these standards. Currently, only Geely and Tesla are compliant. Tesla sells purely electric vehicles, while Geely sells a significant number of electric vehicles under the Volvo brand. Toyota has high sales of hybrid vehicles but lower sales of purely electric vehicles. Automakers that fail to meet the standards will face fines of 95 euros per vehicle for each gram of excess emissions.
Tesla was once fined $31,000 for failing to meet environmental standards. Volkswagen, Ford, and other automakers may face substantial fines due to their difficulty in achieving the new emission standards. Volkswagen may also face claims in any purchase location due to the "Dieselgate" scandal. Additionally, Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler have faced antitrust investigations by the European Union.
ScoresPalico Pioneers Online LP-Led Secondaries Deals with FINRA Approval
Palico, a Paris-based firm, recently gained approval from FINRA to conduct LP-led secondaries deals online. This marks a first in the industry.
LP secondaries involve limited partners selling their stakes in venture capital funds to other LPs. Traditionally, these deals were offline, opaque, and costly. Palico aims to streamline this process through an online marketplace.
Sellers upload details about their stakes. Buyers can then review and bid. The platform resembles eBay in its simplicity. Palico plans to enable direct buying on the site soon.
The venture secondaries market is booming, driven by the need for liquidity as companies stay private longer. Smaller LPs, often overlooked by traditional brokers, find Palico particularly beneficial.
Palico's approval could reshape the LP-led secondaries market, making transactions more accessible and cost-effective.
ScoresChina's Kindergarten Closures Reflect Economic Impact of Declining Births
China's kindergartens are closing as birth rates decline, with 20,000 schools shutting down in two years. Enrollment dropped by 5 million in 2023 to 40.92 million, the lowest since 2014. Private schools have been hit the hardest.
Parents like Li in Jiangsu are grappling with the costs. She is torn between enrolling her 2-year-old in a public or private school, weighing the quality against the high expenses.
The economic impact is looming, with fewer children leading to a smaller workforce. The government is seeking solutions, aiming to reduce child-rearing costs and encourage births.
Japan's experience serves as a warning against neglecting childcare. China plans to expand public schools and offer subsidies to private ones, with the goal of encouraging more schools to accept toddlers.
The government's urgency is reflected in President Xi Jinping's directives, emphasizing the need to build a birth-friendly society. Concrete actions are being taken, though their effects remain uncertain.
ScoresTechnology
"Remote Magnetic Endoscopy Successfully Performed on Live Pig"
Researchers in Zurich, utilizing magnets, conducted an endoscopy on a live pig in Hong Kong. This remote procedure represents a significant advancement in medical technology, enabling doctors to examine internal organs from a distance.
Endoscopy usually necessitates a direct approach, involving the insertion of a flexible tube equipped with a light and camera into the body. The Zurich team replaced this with magnetic control, guiding the endoscope through the pig's digestive tract remotely.
This innovation has the potential to revolutionize surgery by reducing risks and invasiveness. It could allow doctors to perform operations in locations where physical presence is either impossible or impractical.
The implications are extensive. Remote surgeries could be carried out in war zones, during natural disasters, or even in space. This technology not only expands the frontiers of medical practice but also challenges our conventional ideas about proximity and intervention in healthcare.
ScoresVideo Game
PS5 Pro Announced with Enhanced Performance and Ray Tracing
PS5 Pro, a step up from the standard PS5, boasts significant performance boosts. Developers at the 2024 Gamescom revealed its specs: a faster GPU and memory. This upgrade promises a 45% leap in rendering speed and up to four times faster ray tracing, enhancing visual realism.
A custom machine learning setup, capable of 300TOPS at 8-bit operations, supports Sony's PSSR technology. Sony plans to unveil PS5 Pro details at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, aiming for a November launch, mirroring the PS4 Pro's release strategy.
ScoresWorld of Warcraft Introduces Streamlined Warband System
The new Warband System in World of Warcraft's "The War Within" simplifies sharing items and gold among characters on the same account. This system integrates all characters, regardless of realm, within a single region.
Key features include:
- A refreshed character selection screen with a "Favorites" list.
- Seamless trading of materials, currencies, and gear.
- Account-wide Renown and Standard reputation gains.
- A Warband Bank accessible at any banker, with costly additional tabs.
- A Warband Bank Distance Inhibitor for remote access, with a two-hour cooldown.
This system aims to streamline character management and gear distribution, making gameplay more efficient. Future expansions may include more items and reputations for seamless swapping.
ScoresEntertainment
Countries Enforcing 'Right to Disconnect' for Work-Life Balance
Australia now allows workers to ignore work calls and emails after hours, unless it's urgent. This "right to disconnect" is spreading, with France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Italy already on board. These laws aim to protect work-life balance and prevent overwork.
France, known for its strict labor laws, requires companies with 50+ employees to negotiate contact times. Belgium extends this right to private sector workers in larger companies. Portugal and Spain also protect post-work hours, with Portugal emphasizing a right to rest and Spain promoting a healthy digital workplace.
Ireland has a Code of Practice, ensuring workers can ignore work outside normal hours. Italy focuses on remote work, specifying rest periods in telework agreements.
The UK might follow, with a union survey showing strong employee support for the right to disconnect. Currently, the UK limits the average workweek to 48 hours over 17 weeks.
These laws reflect a global shift towards valuing personal time over constant work connectivity.
ScoresTidal Introduces Royalty Tracking Tools for Artists
Tidal, the music streaming service, has rolled out new tools for artists to track royalties and manage their songwriting credits. Music royalties are complex, involving various rights like mechanical reproduction and performance. Artists typically need to register with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) and get an Interested Party Information (IPI) number to identify them as rights holders.
Tidal's dashboard helps artists verify their IPI, PRO, and publisher info, showing which recordings are fully registered and which are not. For newcomers, Tidal offers options to sign up with AllTrack, a digital PRO, or join the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), a non-profit handling royalties for streams and downloads in the U.S.
Artists can also check and propose changes to track or album metadata to ensure accurate royalty splits. These tools are free, utilizing Tidal's catalog and third-party data.
Agustina Sacerdote, Tidal's global head of product, emphasized the need for modern tools for songwriters, recognizing their critical role in the music ecosystem. Tidal, owned by Block, appears more artist-focused than competitors like Spotify, which offers a broader range of consumer-oriented services.
Tidal's recent initiatives, including Collabs for artist collaborations and potential new features leveraging Square and Cash App for faster artist payments, signal a continued commitment to supporting artists directly.
ScoresHealth
Revolutionizing Bone Surgery with 3D Printing Technology
Building new bones with help from 3D printing.
3D printing crafts bones. It's like making a model from plastic, but for bones. This technology helps people who need new bones, possibly due to an accident or illness.
The process is precise. Doctors use a patient's own cells to create the bone, which reduces the risk of the body rejecting it. The bone is printed layer by layer, similar to how a cake is made. Each layer is thin, about the width of a hair.
This method could revolutionize surgery. It offers a new way to repair broken bones or replace missing ones. The bones made by 3D printing are strong and can grow with the patient.
In short, 3D printing brings hope. It's a tool that could make surgeries safer and more effective. The future looks bright for those needing bone replacements.
ScoresSports
ANTA Sports plans to repurchase shares, demonstrating market confidence.
Anta Sports, a Chinese sports brand, plans to repurchase shares within 18 months with a cap of HK$100 billion. This move will use existing cash, and the repurchased shares will be canceled. The first half of the year saw revenues of 33.74 billion yuan, an increase of 13.8%.
Repurchase of shares: The company buys back its own stocks from the open market, typically boosting the stock price and showing confidence in the company's future.
Cancellation of shares: The repurchased stocks are permanently removed, reducing the total number of shares and theoretically increasing the value per share.
Anta has been active recently, including investing in Amer Sports, changing the company logo, and seeing continuous revenue growth.
ScoresFood
Genetic Factors Influence Coffee Consumption and Health Impact
Coffee's impact on health hinges on your genes. Sandra Sanchez-Roige, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego, led a study comparing coffee habits in the U.S. and the U.K. using genetic data from 23andMe and the UK Biobank.
The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, found genetic links to coffee consumption. Specific gene mutations inherited from parents influence how much coffee one drinks.
However, the health effects of coffee remain unclear. The research showed mixed results: positive genetic associations with harmful outcomes like obesity and drug use, but also potential protective traits.
Differences in data collection methods and cultural preferences complicate the findings. For instance, the type of coffee consumed—instant in the U.K. versus ground in the U.S.—and the inclusion of sugar in American coffee affect results.
The study underscores the interplay between genetics and environment. A person's genetic makeup can lead to different behaviors and choices depending on their surroundings.
More research is needed to fully understand these interactions and their implications for health.
ScoresMicrogravity Enhances Yeast Fermentation for Better Beer
In a study by Florida University, beer yeast thrived in simulated microgravity. The team, led by Andrew MacIntosh, found faster fermentation with less ester production. Esters, compounds affecting beer flavor, were fewer in microgravity.
The experiment used a device called a clinostat to mimic weightlessness. Yeast suspended in this environment absorbed nutrients better, speeding up fermentation. A key gene, known to regulate ester production, showed lower activity in microgravity.
MacIntosh sees this as a starting point. The implications for space-based brewing and other fermentation processes are promising. This research could refine beer quality and expand our capabilities in space.
Scores