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☆ This greenhouse keeps crops cool. It could prove valuable as our planet bakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Tom Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —In a world where the climate is increasingly hot and volatile, farmers are having trouble keeping their crops cool. A startup founded in the desert of Saudi Arabia thinks it might have a solution. Heat peaks can desiccate crops, killing them outright if unmitigated, or stressing crops, leaving them more vulnerable to pests and disease. A prototype farm in Bada, Saudi Arabia, uses SecondSky in polyethylene greenhouse covers manufactured by SABIC. Desertification is a pressing issue and will be the focus of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December, as leaders seek to curtail an accelerating problem.

Persons: Derya Baran, John Keppler, ”, Mark Tester, Ryan Lefers, Iyris, Keppler, Armando Alvarez, Vincent Martin, SecondSky, Martin Organizations: CNN, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, United Arab, Innovation, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, National Food Production Initiative, Sea, SABIC, Sea Global, UN Convention, United Nations Locations: Saudi Arabia, Iyris, KAUST, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Latin America, Mexico, Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Spain, Bada, Bada , Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

☆ 9 monkeys who died in Hong Kong zoo had been infected with melioidosis, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG — Nine monkeys who died in Hong Kong’s oldest zoo in two days this week had been infected with an endemic disease, possibly after some digging work near their cages, officials said on Friday. Another possibility is that some infected monkeys had close contact with other monkeys, he said. “The incubation period for melioidosis in primates is about a week and this matched with the period after the soil digging work,” he said. Edwin Tsui, the controller of the center, said the incident only happened in a single zone and its impact on Hong Kong residents would be very low. The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens — the oldest park in the former British colony — fully opened to the public in 1871.

Persons: Kevin Yeung, melioidosis, Yeung, “ We’re, ”, Edwin Tsui Organizations: Culture, Hong Kong Zoological, Botanical Gardens, International Union for Conservation of, Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection, Leisure, Cultural Services Department, Agriculture, Fisheries, Conservation Department, Department of Health Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong’s, Hong, Hong Kong, Central

In 2017, Hurricane Maria damaged three IV fluid manufacturing plants in Puerto Rico, also operated by Baxter, which led to a shortage. “Although this particular shortage on these particular IV fluids is not something we’ve encountered,” DeRienzo said. Along with IV fluids, the North Carolina Baxter facility also made specialty fluids, such as peritoneal dialysis fluid as well as irrigation fluids, used to clean wounds. Ganio said those measures won’t solve the ongoing IV fluid shortage problems long term. “The IV fluids are kind of a good example of the chronic shortages,” he said.

Persons: Helene, Erin Fox, ” Fox, Fox, ‘, ” Michael Ganio, ” Ganio, ”, hasn’t, Baxter, Chris DeRienzo, Hurricane Maria, we’ve, ” DeRienzo, Ganio Organizations: Food, Baxter, FDA, University of Utah Health, American Society of Health, System, Braun, ICU, American Hospital Association, Carolina Baxter, of Health, Human Services, HHS Locations: North Carolina, U.S, Saline, Puerto Rico, Carolina, Canada, China, Ireland

☆ China’s ‘New Great Wall’ Casts a Shadow on Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Hilsa Village NEPAL CHINA Area of detail CHINA Humla District NEPAL Kathmandu INDIA 75 miles NEPAL CHINA Hilsa Village CHINA Area of detail Humla District NEPAL Kathmandu INDIA 75 miles Source: OpenStreetMap, ESRI By Agnes ChangThe Nepalis have other complaints, too. “This is the new Great Wall of China,” said Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, the former provincial chief minister of the area. Without proper roads, it takes goat herders three days to cover the seven miles from Simikot, Nepal, to Humla. CHINA NEPAL CHINA-NEPAL BORDER CHINA NEPAL CHINA-NEPAL BORDER CHINA NEPAL CHINA-NEPAL BORDERThe Chinese side used to be nearly as remote, the seclusion broken only by a flow of pilgrims to Mount Kailash, which is holy to four faiths. Just 20 miles away is the junction of China, Nepal and India.

Persons: Nepalis, Agnes Chang, Dalai Lama, ”, Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, Xi’s, Xi, Brian Hart, ” Mr, Hart, Arzu Rana Deuba, —, Saud, Saud’s, “, Mr, Deuba, Pan Yue, China “, Shahi, Lhamu Lama, Hilsa, Pema Wangmu Lama Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Covid, China Power, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Liberation Army, U.S . Department of Defense, The New York Times, Nepali Home Ministry, The Times, Communist, Security, Guard, Times, National Ethnic Affairs, Nepali Locations: Tibet, Nepal, Nepal’s Humla District, China, Hilsa, NEPAL CHINA, CHINA Humla District NEPAL Kathmandu INDIA, NEPAL CHINA Hilsa, CHINA, Humla, NEPAL Kathmandu INDIA, ESRI, Nepali, Nepal’s Humla, Simikot, Beijing, Washington, Philippine, India, Humla District, N.P, Hulma, Kathmandu, Vietnam, People’s Republic of China, CHINA NEPAL CHINA, NEPAL, Mount Kailash, Xinjiang, Purang, ”, Bhutan, District

Hospitals across the U.S. are taking steps to conserve their supplies of IV fluids after Hurricane Helene struck a critical manufacturing plant belonging to the country’s biggest supplier. IV fluids are used to deliver drugs or water with electrolytes directly into a patient’s bloodstream. Follow live updates on the aftermath of Hurricane HeleneThere are four primary manufacturers of IV fluids in the U.S. Baxter is the leader, accounting for about 60% of the market. The company is the main supplier for Mass General Brigham in Boston, which uses more than 100,000 liters of IV fluid from Baxter every month. “Patients are still getting IV fluids when they need them,” Biddinger said.

Persons: Helene, They’re, Baxter, Brigham, Dr, Paul Biddinger, Biddinger, it’s “, ” Biddinger, ” Organizations: Baxter International, Mass, Gatorade Locations: U.S, , North Carolina, Boston

☆ AI helps uncover hundreds of unknown ancient symbols hidden in Peru’s Nazca Desert
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Archaeologists working in Peru, assisted by artificial intelligence, have discovered 303 previously unknown giant symbols carved in the Nazca Desert. A geoglyph of a humanoid with a headdress is one of the newly discovered symbols. Deciphering Nazca symbols’ purposeIt’s not clear why the Nazca people made the symbols. The bigger Nazca symbols were near networks of straight lines, squares and trapezoids etched into the earth. “Our findings suggest that their meaning is formed through their combinations,” he said, referring to the way the Nazca geoglyphs are grouped together.

Persons: headdresses, geoglyphs, “, Masato Sakai, IBM’s Thomas J, ”, ” Sakai, Amina Jambajantsan, Jambajantsan wasn’t, ” Jambajantsan, Sakai Organizations: CNN —, Yamagata University Institute of, Japan’s Yamagata University, Watson Research, Yamagata University Institute of Nasca, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology’s Department of Archaeology Locations: Peru, Peru’s, Yorktown Heights , New York, ”, Jena , Germany, Mongolia

$ 5.34 $ 5.34 Estimated Environmental cost + $ 22.02 Say a pound of beef costs $5.34 at your local supermarket. The Hidden Environmental Costs of Food Damage to the natural world isn’t factored into the price of food. The proponents of true cost accounting don’t propose raising food prices across the board, but they say that increased awareness of the hidden environmental cost of food could change behavior. (True cost accounting also typically includes things like labor rights and dietary health, but here we’re focusing on environmental costs.) Large disparities between the retail price of food and its environmental costs are found in the proteins many of us eat every day.

Persons: True Price, ”, Claire van den Broek, “ They’re, Alexander Müller, True, “, Scott Swinton, Roger Cryan, Mario Herrero, chickpeas Organizations: United Nations, Rockefeller Foundation, True, Sustainability, Michigan State University, American Farm Bureau Federation, New, Cornell University, Price, Beef, Oxford University, “, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Mountain, United Nations Food, Agriculture Organization Locations: Dutch, United States, Berlin, New York State, Denmark, Walmart.com, U.S, North America, Europe, Brazil, India, Netherlands, Germany

☆ We spent $900,000 to build a glass house. Airbnb guests love it, and it's a dream to live at one with the outdoors.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

This New Zealand home inspired Hawthorne to build a glass house in San Diego and another one in North Carolina. The design for the glass house had been on my mindHawthorne took some inspiration from Phillip Johnson's Glass House in Connecticut. It is somewhat based off Philip Johnson's Glass House, which has been one of my favorite architectural projects of all time. I planted a maple tree on our dock, which has become a destinationThe maple tree is watered by a Wi-Fi-operated irrigation system. We're renting out the glass house, but I dream of growing old thereWe drove the Airstream back to San Diego and came back here full-time in early August.

Persons: —, Andrew Hawthorne, Maya, Hawthorne, Andrew Hawthorne I'm, Andrew, Maya Hawthorne, let's, Phillip Johnson's, Philip Johnson's, Gaston, That's, I'm, I'd, it's, Lake Gaston, It's, We've, Andrew Hawthorne . Organizations: Service, Business, San, Lake Gaston, YouTube Locations: North Carolina, New Zealand, Hawke's, Zealand, San Diego, Park City , Utah, Lake Gaston, Raleigh, Connecticut, Zillow, Lake, NICU

☆ Water shortages are likely brewing future wars — with several flashpoints across the globe
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), a non-profit with expertise in water governance, has said that even amid a possible rise in social conflicts and violence, "water can be a bridge to peaceful negotiations rather than a trigger or weapon of war." The severity of the global water crisis has been further underlined by an alarming rise in the number of security incidents. Egypt-Ethiopia tensionsVillanova University's Galgano identified nine international river basins as flashpoints in which conflict is either already taking place or the potential for armed conflict is high. These included the Nile Basin in Africa, the Tigris-Euphrates River Basins of southwestern Asia and the Helmand and Harirud Rivers along the border of Afghanistan and Iran. Major international river basins in conflict.

Persons: Hamed, Francis Galgano, You've, you've, Galgano, Idrees Mohammed, Villanova University's Galgano, Harirud Rivers, GERD, They've, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hussein Faleh Organizations: Afp, Getty, Villanova University in, CNBC, Department, Environment, Villanova University, Stockholm International Water Institute, World Resources Institute, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Control, Villanova Locations: Lake Urmia, Iran, Villanova University in Pennsylvania, transboundary, Stockholm, Bengaluru, Mexico's, Tehran, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Africa, Asia, Helmand, Harirud, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iraq's, Basra

☆ Drinking Water Is at Risk in Parts of Long Island, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The supply of drinking water for parts of Long Island is under threat, according to a new federal report. The report found that the groundwater in some coastal areas of Nassau County, a major suburb of New York City, is increasingly turning salty. That shift, called saltwater intrusion, is the result of decades of pumping fresh water out of wells for homes and irrigation, creating space for saltwater from the ocean to seep into the underground aquifers once filled with freshwater. The change could take generations to reverse, even if pumping stopped altogether, according to the report. And it could force coastal areas — including Long Beach, Great Neck and Oyster Bay — to look for new supplies of drinking water, possibly by digging wells further inland, which could put new pressure on those places as well.

Persons: ”, Frederick Stumm, “ Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey Locations: Long, Nassau County, New York City

☆ ‘Sponge’ cities combat urban flooding by letting nature do the work
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Turenscape/Courtesy The Cultural Landscape FoundationYu’s proposal is this: Create areas with porous earth where local plants can thrive with little or no maintenance. But whether this latest flooding crisis demonstrates the limitations of China’s sponge cities, or supports the case to expand them, is a matter of debate. Turenscape/Courtesy The Cultural Landscape FoundationTurenscape planted 5,600 seedlings of 360 local species, including rare trees indigenous to Thailand’s central river basin. Turenscape/Courtesy The Cultural Landscape FoundationThis may be another reason Yu’s services have been sought outside China. Last year, The Cultural Landscape Foundation awarded Yu the $100,000 Oberlander Prize in recognition of his pioneering work.

Persons: Kongjian Yu, Yu, ” Yu, Turenscape, Xi Jinping, Faith Chan, ”, Chan, Elizabeth Mossop, ” Mossop, “ Organizations: CNN, redwoods, UK’s University of Leeds, Research, Global Times, University of Nottingham, Thai, Arsomsilp, Environmental, Landscape Foundation, University of Technology Sydney’s School of Design Locations: Nanchang, China's Jiangxi, China, Qinghuandao, China's Hebei province, Wuhan, Hainan, Sanya, China's, Guangdong, Turenscape, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, ”, Bangkok

☆ We Might Have to Pump the Great Lakes to California to Feed America - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Jay Famiglietti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This essay is part of What to Eat on a Burning Planet, a series exploring bold ideas to secure our food supply. Rows of almond, pistachio and citrus trees stretch as far as the eye can see, dotted by fields of grapes. Truckloads of produce zoom by, heading for markets around the country. The Central Valley of California supplies a quarter of the food on the nation’s dinner tables. But beneath this image of plenty and abundance, a crisis is brewing — an invisible one, under our feet — and it is not limited to California.

Persons: Eliza Barclay Locations: California’s Tejon, Valley, California, Coast, Plains

☆ Egypt’s first pyramid constructed using a hydraulic lift, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Now, a team of engineers and geologists brings a new theory to the table — a hydraulic lift device that would have floated the heavy stones up through the middle of Egypt’s oldest pyramid using stored water. Water from ancient streams flowed into a system of trenches and tunnels that surrounded the Step Pyramid, according to the study team. The shaft within the Step Pyramid is connected to a 200-meter-long (656-foot-long) underground tunnel that connects to another vertical shaft outside the pyramid. Conversely, a moderate-sized hydraulic lift can raise 50 to 100 tons. “It doesn’t mean (the hydraulic lift device) wasn’t used,” she added.

Persons: Pharaoh Djoser, ”, Dr, Xavier Landreau, aren’t, David Jeffreys, Paleotechnic, Guillaume Piton, Judith Bunbury, rainier, Jeffreys, Fabian Welc, Stefan Wyszynski, Welc, ” Welc, King Djoser, Landreau, University of Cambridge geoarchaeologist, ” Bunbury Organizations: CNN, University College London, France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, Institute of Environmental Geosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, University of Cambridge, of Archaeology, Stefan Wyszynski University Locations: Egypt, Paris, London, Old, Old Kingdom, Kingdom, Moat, Warsaw, Poland, Saqqāra, Giza, University of Cambridge geoarchaeologist Bunbury

☆ Record heat is set to drive the cost of fruits and vegetables higher
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But US consumers aren’t only taking a financial hit from this summer’s extreme heat by way of their electricity bills. Shoppers could soon have to pay much higher prices for fruit and vegetables as farmers shoulder higher growing costs from the heat, a reversal of a trend seen over the past year with the cost of fruits and vegetables dropping by 1%, according to June Consumer Price Index data. For the rest of this summer, consumers aren’t likely to see markedly higher prices for seasonal fruits like blueberries because contracts with distributors and retailers tend to be worked out in advance, he said. Climate change, he said, is causing his business to suffer financially with reduced crop yields. However, the steep costs to make that switch could also contribute to higher prices consumers pay for produce.

Persons: It’s, Tom Avinelis, ”, Avinelis, Tom Avinelis “, Mohamed bin, Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam, Ponnambalam, coauthors, Henry Gordon, Smith, it’s, Gordon Organizations: New, New York CNN, Foods, Costco, Safeway, CNN, Atlantic Council, University of Waterloo, University of Artificial Intelligence, “, Smart Agriculture, Columbia University Locations: New York, Fresno , California, Willamette, Oregon, California, Ontario, Canada, University, Abu Dhabi, Santa Maria , California

☆ These 10 U.S. states are America's best-prepared for climate change and extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Some states are particularly vulnerable to climate risks, but these ten states are most ready for what Mother Nature has in store. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 276 out of 425 points (Top States Grade: A+) Climate Extremes Index: 14.9% Properties at risk: 96% Renewable energy: 24% 8. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 189 out of 425 points (Top States Grade: C-) Climate Extremes Index: 22.12% Properties at risk: 34% Renewable Energy: 77% 2. While a large percentage of Idaho properties are susceptible to climate risk, the danger of flooding is relatively minimal. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 195 out of 425 points (Top States Grade: C) Climate Extremes Index: 16.54% Properties at Risk: 90% Renewable Energy: 78% 1.

Persons: Jeremy Porter, Pete Buttigieg, Maria Lehman, Nature, Marli Miller, Justin Sullivan, Wolfgang Kaehler, Matt McClain, Randy Olson, Forester John Erixson, Kirby Lee, Jared Polis, Mario Tama, Rushmore, Idaho Neil Lincoln, Brownlee, Robert Gauthier, William, Marcia Lee, David Becker Organizations: First Street Foundation, Infrastructure Law, Transportation, CNBC, American Society of Civil Engineers, First, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, Oregon Solar, UCG, Getty, Oregon Department of Energy, Washington, Cedar, Bio Energy Washington, Lightrocket, Washington Department of Commerce, Clean Energy Fund, New, Washington Post, Energy, Nebraska, Nebraska Forest, Colorado, University of Colorado, California, Energy Department, Dakota, Idaho Power, Los Angeles Times, Idaho Locations: Louisiana, States, Oregon, Valley , Oregon, Arizona, Phoenix , Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix, King, King County , Washington, United States, New Mexico, Mora , NM, Nebraska, Loup, Taylor , Nebraska, Boulder , Colorado, Palm Springs , California, California, Texas, South Dakota, Cavan, Iowa, Idaho, Nevada, Las Vegas

☆ The Greek islands are grappling with a water crisis as tourist season kicks into gear
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Laura Paddison | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Greek Islands, known for their idyllic towns, rugged landscapes and sun-baked beaches, are in the grip of a serious crisis. “They combine lack of water resources — shallow aquifers, rare rivers or dams — with a tremendous rise in water demand during summer,” he told CNN. Kottakis blamed the crisis on Leros on a failure to maintain the island’s two desalination units, which are both in disrepair. Tourism is “unsustainable and zero-planned,” which is leading to a tremendous rise in water demand, said Mylopoulos, the university professor. Multiple wildfires raged and at least six tourists, including British TV presenter and doctor Michael Moseley and an American tourist, died as high temperatures scorched the Greek islands.

Persons: ”, Dimitris Lianos, Lianos, what’s, Stelios Misinas, Nikitas Mylopoulos, Kostas Lagouvardos, Panagiotis, Krontiras, ” Kottakis, Timotheos Kottakis, Kottakis, Mylopoulos, Michael Moseley, Vassilis Psomas, ” Krontiras, ” CNN’s Allison Chinchar, Brandon Miller, Sara Tonks Organizations: CNN, Reuters, University of Thessaly, National Observatory of, Farmers, Greek Navy Locations: Crete, Kefalonia, Naxos, Prokopios, Greece, Cycaldes, “, National Observatory of Athens, Panagiotis Krontiras, Tinos, —, Lagouvardos, British, American, Sofiko, Corinth, Greece's Peloponnese

☆ Droughts are threatening California's water supply. The state is racing to save what's left.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Leila Jordan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

In 2012, San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission began developing the Onsite Water Reuse Program to investigate whether water reuse, also known as water recycling, in buildings could be a solution to California's water problem. The adoption of on-site water reuse can also be a sensible decision for developers. Water reuse to overcome hurdlesWhile large plants and on-site water systems in major buildings have been California's more established methods of water reuse, the state's biggest hurdle is retrofitting systems for existing buildings. During times of drought, the state has encouraged water conservation and water recycling, such as the use of recycled water for plants. In 2023, California made progress toward establishing recycled water for direct potable reuse and allowing recycled water to be used in the state's drinking-water supply.

Persons: —, Paula Kehoe, Kehoe, Aaron Tartakovsky, Tartakovsky, Cleantec, They're, Phoenix's Aquacell, Cleantec Erik Porse, Porse, It's Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California Institute for Water Resources, Brewing, Texas Locations: California, Silicon, San Francisco, San Francisco's, Beverly Hills, San, Iowa, States, Virginia, Texas, Florida, Hawaii, East Coast, Southern California, In Texas

☆ Futuristic designs unveiled for ‘world’s greenest highway’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Not content with Dubai having the tallest building, the deepest pool or the highest hotel, urban design firm URB hopes to add one more superlative feather to the city’s cap: the world’s “greenest” highway. The green highway, pictured in this render, would also include a network of footpaths and green community spaces. URB‘A unique set of challenges’Creating the world’s “greenest” highway in a desert city isn’t easy, though. Pictured in this rendering, designs for the Nexgen Sustainable City, which URB has designed for Cairo. URB A Dubai developer is creating green designs for the city Prev NextAn urban utopiaThis isn’t URB’s first foray into utopian future city design.

Persons: URB, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Baharash, ” Bagherian, ”, Baharash Bagherian, ’, Bagherian, — Organizations: CNN, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, European Union, “, Hub, Agri Locations: Dubai, ”, “ Dubai, URB “ Dubai, UAE, Hong Kong, URB, Yiti, Oman, Yas, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, City

☆ This Italian vacation hotspot is turning tourists away as it runs out of water
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Set atop a hill on the Italian island of Sicily, Agrigento is a heritage tourist’s paradise. Sicily began enforcing water restrictions in February when the region declared a state of emergency amid a relentless drought. Tourists at the Temple of Concordia, an ancient Greek archeological site outside of Agrigento in southern Sicily, Italy. Sicily’s regional president, Renato Schifani, said the island’s losses — between crops, empty reservoirs and dying livestock — have already topped €1 billion. “The consortium used to guarantee water rotation every five or six days,” he said, referring to a farmers representative group.

Persons: Leisa Tyler, LightRocket, “, ” Giovanni Lopez, Diana Santanchè, Summers, Marco Maccarrone, ”, Maccarrone, Fabrizio Villa, Nicola Farruggio, Francesco Picarella, ” Picarella, Luca Cammarata, He’s, Alberto Pizzoli, ANBI, Renato Schifani, CNN’s Antonia Mortensen Organizations: CNN, of, Sicilian, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection, Research, Getty, Sicily’s Hotel Federation, Agrigento’s Hotel Federation, of Culture, Water Resources Locations: Sicily, Agrigento, Italy, Rome, Syracuse, Pergusa, Italian, Caltanissetta, Mount Etna, AFP

☆ Opinion | Chocolate Prices Have Spiked. Why Are Cocoa Farmers Still So Poor?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I’m willing to do the job.” His literacy and English skills help him serve as a liaison between his fellow farmers and the government, which is the primary price-setter for cocoa beans in Ghana. The exorbitant prices paid for cocoa beans and chocolate products in the United States and other nations barely touch the lives of Frimpong and those around him. The poverty of cocoa farmers is sometimes seen as a moral failing of chocolate buyers or sellers, but above all it’s a market failure. In a healthy market, price spikes are self-correcting: When the price rises, production increases to take advantage of the extra profit opportunity. They don’t have the funds for long-term investment in new cacao trees, which are the source of cocoa beans, or for adequate fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and labor-intensive pruning.

Persons: Emmanuel Frimpong, couldn’t, “ I’m, ” Locations: Ghana, United States, Frimpong, Ivory Coast

☆ The fashion industry needs better sourcing and waste practices — fast. Cloud computing could be a long-term fix.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Jake Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cloud computing is gaining tractionCloud computing offers on-demand services, from storage to software, over the internet. And the fashion industry has gradually been waking up to the potential of cloud computing. In her report, "Fashion Transformation 4.0: Beyond Digitalization & Marketing in Fashion Industry," she said that the fashion industry must embrace new technologies in order to survive. "Fashion is a terribly old-fashioned industry," Alies ter Kuile, the cofounder of Fashion Cloud, said. With cloud computing, retailers can avoid overbuying stock — a key driver of fashion's textile-waste problem.

Persons: —, It's, Porter, Eon, there's, Bharati Rathore, Rathore, ter, ter Kuile, they're, Ter Kuile, Alan Holcroft, Steven Gonzalez Monserrate Organizations: Service, Green, Google, University of South, Marketing, Fashion Industry, Brands, Cegid Locations: University of South Wales, Dutch, ter Kuile

☆ An ex-California official quietly stole over $1.5 million of water in a heist that lasted decades, but mysteries remain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former California official pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal more than $1.5 million of water, but the decadeslong water heist case still has more questions than answers. The US attorney said Falaschi was responsible for stealing somewhere between $1.5 million and $3.5 million worth of water. Falaschi's plea agreement claims he's responsible for stealing only a fraction of the original $25 million prosecutors accused him of taking in the original indictment. The plea agreement also said Falaschi was one of several people involved in the misconduct and that he was unaware of the full extent of the misconduct. Of the water Falaschi took, the plea agreement said almost all of it was taken to "blend down and reuse drainage water, which helped protect farmland and improve water quality in the San Joaquin River."

Persons: Dennis Falaschi, Falaschi, should've, Robin Hood, he's Organizations: Service, US, Eastern, Eastern District of, Business, Prosecutors, Los Angeles Times, Times Locations: California, Fresno, Merced Counties, Eastern District, Eastern District of California, San Joaquin

☆ A boomer moved from Texas to Missouri for her retirement thinking everything would be cheaper. She was 'so wrong.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She said nearly everything is more expensive in St. Louis compared to Dallas, from groceries to gas to various taxes. Census data shows that between 2021 and 2022, about 494,000 people moved out of Texas, while over 668,300 people moved in. Nearly 9,200 people moved from Texas to Missouri during this period. AdvertisementTheir son attended the University of Missouri, where her husband went, and he settled in St. Louis. AdvertisementThey looked around St. Louis for two years but couldn't find much on the market.

Persons: Donna, Louis, Missouri Donna, St . Louis, It's, didn't, she's, She's, it'll Organizations: Service, Texans, Lone Star State, University of Minnesota's, Texas, Air Force, University of Missouri Locations: Dallas, Fort Worth, St, Texas, Missouri, Europe, St .

CNN —Three bewildered children sit on the roof of a mosque in Baghlan province, northern Afghanistan, their eyes blinking away mud that covers their entire bodies. Afghan relatives offer prayers during a burial ceremony for victims of flooding in Baghlan province, May 11, 2024. In the next days, teams will start distributing food to feed families for a month – what happens next is unclear. Workers repair a road destroyed by floods in Nahrin district of Baghlan province on May 12, 2024. The world is seeing the impacts of much larger, more severe events, whether that’s drought, rainfalls cyclones,” Anderson said.

Persons: let’s, “, Barakatullah, Haji Wakil Besmillah, ”, ” Barakatullah, –, Timothy Anderson, it’s, Anderson, that’s, They’re, it’ll, ” Anderson, Richard Bennett, Teresa Anderson Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Food Programme, “, WFP, Workers, Getty, Global, ActionAid Locations: Baghlan province, Afghanistan, Folo, Bulka, Baghlan, AFP, Nahrin district

☆ Hundreds of thousands of fish died in a single reservoir in Vietnam, another sign of how climate change is strangling the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A prolonged drought in southeast Asia contributed to massive fish deaths in southern Vietnam. The climate crisis and human development threaten the Mekong Delta, a key global agricultural center. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In Vietnam, the maze of wetlands that comprise the Mekong Delta is called the country's "rice bowl" because of the vast agriculture it supports. Related storiesMeanwhile, in southern Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of fish died in a reservoir last month as temperatures peaked over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and no rain fell for weeks, the AFP reported.

Persons: —, El Niño, they're, Ksor Phung, VnExpress Organizations: Service, Mekong Delta, country's Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, World Bank, AFP, Residents, Business, Getty, Commission Locations: Asia, Vietnam, Delta, El, Mekong

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