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They're “the most potent greenhouse gases known to modern science,” as one research paper put it and they're growing fast. With the Environmental Protection Agency required to phase out one family of the chemicals 85% by 2036, the push is on to develop and spread cleaner alternatives. With more than 200 million gasoline cars in the U.S. alone, Groll said that amounts to approximately 100 million pounds of refrigerant leaking out into the atmosphere each year. The need to minimize refrigerant leaks has spurred a reuse and reclamation industry. ___Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations.

Persons: Jennifer Byrne, Byrne, ” Byrne, Eckhard Groll, Groll, Danielle Wright, “, let’s, ” Wright, Mike Armstrong, ”, Anthony Nash, ” Armstrong, Christopher Cappa, Davis, ” Cappa, Wright, Jarad Mason, Mason Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Environmental Protection Agency, Purdue University, Supermarkets, Gas, University of California, Trane Technologies, Harvard University, AP Locations: West Philadelphia, U.S, Dallas , Texas, Toledo , Ohio, Punta Gorda , Florida, Americas, refrigerants

☆ PsiQuantum targets first commercial quantum computer in under six years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Max A. Cherney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - PsiQuantum is aiming to deliver its first commercial quantum computing system in under six years, its CEO said as the startup announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop advanced fridges for its machines. "The first system that's actually capable of solving important problems that people want to know the answer to - that's just a handful of years away," he said in an interview. Estimates for the development of practical quantum computing by other experts in the field typically put it at a decade or even 20 or more years away. The company needs to reach roughly 1 million quantum bits, or qubits, to be of practical use, O'Brien said. Because of the immense computational power in quantum computing, there is a gamut of potential applications from materials science to national security to finance.

Persons: Jeremy O'Brien, GlobalFoundries, O'Brien, Max A, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: U.S . Department of Energy, Accelerator Laboratory, Palo, IBM, Google, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Palo Alto , California, Silicon, San Francisco

Homes were carried away by torrents, vital infrastructure was destroyed and crops in the country's second-largest tract of farmland wiped out. "I don't think we have realised the magnitude of this disaster yet," Professor Efthymios Lekkas, a disaster management expert, told state broadcaster ERT on Friday. "We have been on the mountain," Dimitris, one of the stranded villagers, told Skai television. One of the breadbaskets of Greece, Thessaly represents about 15 percent of the country's annual agricultural output. ($1 = 0.9328 euros)Additional reporting by Michele Kambas; Writing By Michele Kambas; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Efthymios Lekkas, George Tsatrafyllias, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Kostas Agorastos, Dimitris, Lekkas, Michele Kambas, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Greece Storm ebbs, ERT, Thomson Locations: Larissa, Greece, Thessaly, London, Thessaloniki, Vlochos, Karditsa

☆ My miserable, euphoric, muddy escape from Burning Man
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Social media was having a field day turning Burning Man into the epicenter of schadenfreude and misinformation, the few people who managed to connect to the internet reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe reality of Burning Man was not quite so dire. 2023 was my first year at Burning Man. I'd wanted to go to Burning Man for years. Even before the floods, there was an uncomfortable tension to Burning Man.

Persons: Joy, I'd, JULIE JAMMOT, Betty, preemptively, There's, they'd, Twitter, Zeynep Tufekci, Tufekci, I've, Ansel, we'd, Rob Price Organizations: FEMA, National Guard, Social, Getty, New York Times, Rock City, YouTube Locations: Nevada, San Francisco, Silicon, playa, AFP, Somme, Northern Nevada, Rock, American, Ansel Adams, Trail

[1/5] A view of Palestinian goods trucks in front of the commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom after the Israeli ban on Gaza exports deals a blow to the long-suffering economy, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip September 5, 2023. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Israeli decision "would increase the already existing tension because of continued Israeli blockade and aggression against our people". In Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian economy minister Khaled Assaili demanded Israel cancel the ban which stops Gaza exports to Israel and the West Bank. Gaza exports are estimated at $134 million per year, mostly to Israel and the West Bank, according to the enclave's ministry of economy. As well as fish and agricultural produce, Gaza exports significant quantities of textiles and other products.

Persons: Kerem Shalom, Abu Mustafa, Bahar, Mohammad Al, Hajj, Hazem Qassem, Khaled Assaili, Assaili, Osama Nofal, Wadhah Bseisso, Nidal, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Palestinian Industries Union, Thomson Locations: Kerem, Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Ramallah, Hamas

☆ 4 key types of landmines, how they work, and their impact on the Russia-Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here are the four main types of mines, how they work, and how they've impacted the war. Insider has looked at the four key types of landmines — broken down into two major groups — being used in the war, how they work, and the impact they've had on the conflict in Ukraine. In July, HRW said it had unearthed more evidence that Ukraine used the banned mines and has informed the Ukrainian government. Fragmentation minesFragmentation mines can be either bounding mines or ground mines. The Russia-Ukraine war has seen a variety of anti-tank mines used, including the PTM-1 and the TM-62M.

Persons: deminers, Vitaly V, HRW, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Velyka Novosilka, Diego Herrera Carcedo, bobby, Bradley, Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny Organizations: Service, The Times, German Army Combat Training, Blast, Rights Watch, Wikimedia, Getty, Anadolu Agency, HRW, DEL POZO, Washington Post Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, PMN, Ukrainian, Brovary, Kyiv, AFP, Mine

☆ Custom art, air purifiers and TikTok: College spending boom could booster retailers' sales this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Eros Hoagland | Getty ImagesOver the past few years, Alicia Browne has noticed a change in what college students haul out of cars on move-in days at the University of Alabama. A growing pie — and market share up for grabsAs college spending is poised to grow, retailers have another reason to vie for students' dollars. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIt is difficult to estimate how much college market share Bed Bath had in total. Shipt, the Target-owned delivery service, and Walmart have both tried to attract more college students to their membership programs by offering a special discounted price. She said the company's growth has been fueled by college students who want uniquely decorated rooms that reflect their personalities.

Persons: Eros Hoagland, Alicia Browne, Keurig coffeemakers, decorators, Browne, Prosper, Browne chalks, " Browne, Marshal Cohen, Jakub Porzycki, Harmon, Cristina Fernandez, Sonoma, TikTok, Dormify, Amanda Zuckerman, Zuckerman, Kate Reppeto, Callie Weathers Kate Reppeto, Repetto, she's, Anna Emblom Organizations: University of North, Hill, University of Alabama, College, National Retail Federation, IRI, NPD, Target, Walmart, Consulting, Deloitte, Nurphoto, Goods, Ikea, Telsey Advisory, Williams, Hamptons, Madison, University of Mississippi, Eagle Locations: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Kohl's, Bath, Bed, Williston , Vermont, New York City, Madison Ave, Oxford, Miss, Southlake, Dallas, Fort Worth in Texas, Birmingham, Ala

☆ Beyond Meat, the poster child of plant-based meat, saw sales tank as cash-strapped shoppers turn away from expensive alternative proteins
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Beyond Meat's sales tanked by nearly a third in Q2, which the company attributed to weak demand. Consumers are financially squeezed and they're skeptical of the health benefits of plant-based meat, execs said. Brown said that the "number one issue" with the plant-based meat category was that it ultimately wasn't bringing in enough new consumers. International markets saw a much smaller drop in revenues year-over-year. While environmental concerns are a major motivator for people buying plant-based meat in Europe, "here in the US, it's more driven by health," Brown said.

Persons: execs, Ethan Brown, Brown, Lubi Kutua, Kutua Organizations: Service Locations: Europe, Wall, Silicon

☆ Russia's planting mines everywhere, even cruelly hiding explosives in everyday items like fridges, toys, and children's books, Ukrainian military engineers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russian soldiers who previously occupied Ukrainian territory left it littered with land mines. Moscow's troops hid explosives in every items like toys, fridges, and even children's books. For instance, they cruelly hide explosives in everyday household items like refrigerators, toys, and even children's books. Military sappers inspect an area for mines and non-exploded shells left after Russia's invasion in Kyiv Region, Ukraine April 21, 2022. REUTERS/Mykola TymchenkoUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in April 2022 that Russian soldiers retreating in the north at the time had left mines everywhere, creating a "complete disaster."

Persons: it's, Mark Milley, sapper, Gleb Garanich, Oleksandr, Mykola Tymchenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Maksym Trykur, Trykur, That's, Europe's Organizations: Service, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Ukraine's, Transport Service, State Emergency Service, Special Transport Service, Mining, Mines Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Izium, Kharkiv region, Kyiv, Kyiv Region, Udy, Kharkiv, Africa

Paris/London CNN —France is to introduce a scheme that will subsidize repairs to clothing and shoes in order to cut waste and planet-heating pollution from the textile industry. “What I hope is that the French will become aware of what we can see, that is the impact of the textile industry across the world today,” she said. Tailors, clothes brands and repair shops can join the initiative for free via Refashion, which will collect a small “eco-contribution” on sales to cover the subsidy. Refashion will then arrange for the companies signed up to the scheme to be refunded within 15 days. The scheme follows a similar French initiative for white goods such as fridges and washing machines.

Persons: ” Couillard, ”, Refashion Organizations: London CNN — Locations: Paris, London, London CNN — France, France

☆ Bud Light is trying to meme its way back into your fridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bud Light posted a meme on Sunday that seemed to poke fun at the brand's handling of backlash it's faced. The backlash began in April, after Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. A video clip posted on Sunday to Bud Light's Twitter and Instagram shows a woman eating a watermelon, a Bud Light can on a picnic table behind her while severe wind whips trash and sends people scurrying. Conservatives are calling for Bud Light boycotts, while advocates are asking the brand to support the transgender community. The recent post from Bud Light, though, seemed to meme-ify Bud Light's own handling of the backlash — silently waiting out the storm of outcry.

Persons: Bud Light, it's, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light's, Bud, Brendan Whitworth, Larry Kopp, they're, Busch, Mulvaney, Kopp, Drew Kerr, we've, Kerr Organizations: Service, Bud Light's Twitter, Anheuser, Busch, Bud Light, Mulvaney, TASC Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ At Glastonbury, a giant spider powered by renewable energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Sachin Ravikumar | Thomson Reuters | Sachin Ravikumar Is A Correspondent For Reuters In London Covering General News Across The Uk. Over Nine Years At Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GLASTONBURY, England, June 24 (Reuters) - A giant spider breathes fire into the cloudy night sky over Glastonbury's Arcadia stage as thumping beats from electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers excite hundreds of fans. The colossal metal arachnid, made from recycled military hardware, has been a fixture at England's world-famous music festival for years, but this time Arcadia and all the other stages at Glastonbury are being powered entirely by renewable energy sources, organisers say. This year, all its generators, including those that power its main Pyramid stage will run on hydrotreated vegetable oil, a renewable substitute for diesel made from waste cooking oil, organisers said. But for their part, organisers are trying to mitigate the overall impact as much as possible. This year, a temporary, 20-metre wind turbine - another source of renewable power - towers over a section of Worthy Farm, powering food stalls with enough energy to run 300 fridges a day.

Persons: Bertie Cole, It's, Glastonbury, imploring, revellers, Sachin Ravikumar, Giles Elgood Organizations: Arcadia, Thomson Locations: GLASTONBURY, England, Arcadia, Glastonbury, Worthy

☆ You'll be able to have a conversation with your Mercedes thanks to built-in ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

ChatGPT will help Benz's voice assistant respond to more complex commands, the firm said. Starting Friday, some 900,000 Mercedes drivers in the US will be able to opt into a beta program and add ChatGPT capability to their cars through a software update. The German automaker says ChatGPT will augment its existing "Hey Mercedes" voice assistant, allowing it to respond to a wider variety of prompts and even conduct full-on conversations. I've had positive experiences with Mercedes-Benz's software in the past, and maybe ChatGPT will make it even better and more helpful. General Motors is also working on a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant for its cars, Semafor first reported.

Persons: ChatGPT, Smart, Mercedes, I've, Semafor Organizations: Benz, Morning, Mercedes, Motors

☆ Bear destroys 60 cupcakes after breaking into Connecticut bakery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Taste by Spellbound, a bakery in Avon, encountered the furry guest on May 24, according to a Facebook post. The bakery explained that a staff member was placing items in the shop’s loading garage when she saw a bear in the garage. “The bear then MOVED one of our fridges in front of the door.”One staff member called 911 while another got in her car and beeped its horn until the bear left. Police responded and the bakery’s landlord has been working with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, according to the Facebook post. The bear chows down on the sweets before the car comes around, triggering the bear to retreat towards the nearby dumpsters.

Persons: ” Organizations: CNN, New Bedford Police Department, Police, Connecticut Department of Energy, Environmental, Facebook, Department of Energy Locations: Avon, Connecticut

☆ Out-of-control tip culture meets summer travel: Are you ready for a $19 daily charge for staff tips and $50 'check-in fee'?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On top of a nightly charge of as much as £918, or about $1142, the hotel charges guests a daily £15, or $19, service fee. The Dreamcatcher DW in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is another hotel that charges an undisclosed $15 a night "hotel fee." "We do have a $50 check-in fee that started at the beginning of this year," a spokesperson for Hanalei Bay Resort told Insider. More general resort fees that are tacked onto customer bills are not new. Hrubant says that resort fees started to become standard in major cities in 2018, functioning as an ancillary fee that can "gouge clients."

Persons: —, Alexa Moore, I've, Eric Hrubant, Hrubant, aren't, Henrik Helgesen, bellman, gratuity —, costumers Organizations: Service, Resort, New, CIRE, Street Journal Locations: Montague, London, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Kauai, Hawaii, New York, California, Arizona

☆ Costco customers are bypassing the beef aisle to shop for chicken and pork as a recession looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Costco shoppers are ditching pricey meat products for cheaper alternatives. CFO Richard Galanti said that some of its customers are ditching pricier beef products for cheaper meats such as pork and chicken. Others are bypassing the fresh meat aisle entirely and opting for canned meat and fish products. These products cost less than national brands and are a quick way for customers to save money on their weekly shop. As food prices have stayed high, some higher-income shoppers have chosen to switch up their weekly shopping routine entirely.

☆ Russia's scramble to find microchips for its weapons hints at struggles the US and China could face in a future war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's scramble to find microchips for its weapons hints at struggles the US and China could face in a future war. Russian strikes and microchipsA Ukrainian military official with electronics from a destroyed Russian T-90M tank in Kyiv in March. Oleksii Chumachenko/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesWestern-made microchips and processors power many of Russia's weapon systems, even its most advanced missiles and aircraft. ASML is the only firm that produces extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography machines, which are needed to make advanced microchips. A US-Chinese clash over Taiwan, or some other disruption, like a Chinese blockade, that halts exports of advanced semiconductors would affect numerous other industries.

☆ Why You Really Should Clean Your Trash Can
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jancee Dunn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I, like many others, clean around this time each year. But when I told Dr. Kathleen May, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, that one of my favorite pastimes is thoroughly washing all of my bedding, she said something that will haunt me forever. “If your blanket has been sitting on a bed all winter, it may be loaded with dust mites,” Dr. May said. “If you shake it, the dust mites are going to be airborne for one to two hours.”She added that airborne dust mites, while gross, are a problem only for people who are allergic to them. Dr. May’s tidbit made me think beyond the usual spring-cleaning tasks.

☆ We Tested Cold-Brew Coffee Makers—Here Are Our 3 Favorites
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Nick Guy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +11 min

And many, including our top pick, the Oxo Brew Cold Brew Coffee Maker, make a brew that easily rivals a barista’s best. Best overallBest for saving spaceBest for coffee on tapOthers you should know aboutHow we pickedBest overallbuy side top pick OXO Brew Cold Brew Coffee Maker $41 at Amazon $ 52 Save $ 11 $52 at OXO Making delicious cold brew does not get much easier than with this OXO coffee maker. Best for saving spaceOXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker $27 at Amazon $ 34 Save $ 7 $35 at Bloomingdales This is the best cold brew maker if space is at a premium and you don’t drink tons of coffee. GrowlerWerks’ uKeg Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Maker is a different kind of cold brew maker, pumping out a brew that has the consistency of a Guinness. Cold Brew Championships–winning baristas to better understand what it takes to make great cold brew coffee.

Persons: Nick Guy, it’s, You’ll, both.We, that’s, There’s, you’re, Takeya’s, there’s, Brew Kit, It’s Organizations: Amazon, System, Brew, Guinness, Cold Locations: Bloomingdales

The rules would apply to fridges, vacuum cleaners, televisions, washing machines and other goods that are deemed "repairable" under EU law. The EU is negotiating rules that would extend the requirement to smartphones and tablets. Under the EU rules, companies would have to repair a defective product for free within the two-year legal guarantee period, if the cost of repair is cheaper or equal to replacing the product. After that date, companies must still offer repairs, either for free or for a charge. A second law, proposed by Brussels on Wednesday, would force companies to verify claims that their products are "green" or "eco-friendly".

☆ Welcome to Swift City: When Taylor Swift comes to town, businesses build new bars, prepare thousands of cookies, and welcome over 150,000 Swifties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Glendale, Arizona, which hosts the first two dates, has renamed itself Swift City in her honor. Usually, it's known as Glendale, Arizona, but the city hosting the kick-off show for Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" has fully embraced Swiftsanity, renaming itself Swift City for Friday and Saturday. The Swift City logo. The Swift City proclamation. "Now, Glendale is Swift City, so we welcome them with open arms," he added.

"Until now, the ministry has taken the defence companies for granted," said Masahisa Sato, an influential ruling party lawmaker and former deputy defence minister. Three of them, Mitsubishi Heavy, Mitsubishi Electric and IHI Corp (7013.T), which makes jet engines, bridges and heavy machinery, confirmed they had also taken part in other lower-level discussions. Reuters asked 10 of Japan's military suppliers, including Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin and Subaru, for interviews with their defence unit managers. Despite diplomatic tensions, China is Japan's top trade partner and a major manufacturing base for many Japanese companies. Even so, Japanese companies often refer to their military products as "special equipment," the government official said.

☆ Taiwan says 'Fab 4' chip group held first senior officials meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationTAIPEI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The U.S.-led "Fab 4" semiconductor alliance of Taiwan, the United States, Japan and South Korea held its first video meeting of senior officials last week focused on supply chain resilience, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The United States last September convened the first meeting of the working group, colloquially called "Fab 4" or "Chip 4", to discuss how to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain, after a global chip crunch caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The semiconductor shortage, which forced some carmakers to halt production, thrust chip powerhouse Taiwan into the spotlight and has made supply chain management a bigger priority for governments around the world. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said the "U.S.-East Asia Semiconductor Supply Chain Resilience Working Group", or "Fab 4", had after many months of coordination held the first video meeting of senior officials from its working group on Feb. 16. The group's members are home to the world's largest contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW), South Korean memory chip giants Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS), and key Japanese suppliers of semiconductor materials and equipment.

☆ Seeking a Studio in Downtown Brooklyn for Less Than $400,000: She Was Surprised by the Options
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The first time Jenn Leyva moved to New York, it was to start college at Columbia University. She took Zoom calls in a corner of the communal living room and made sure to always wash her dishes. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]She was pleasantly surprised by the options she found online: a handful of studios for less than $400,000, just south of the Brooklyn Bridge, in the corner of the borough where leafy Brooklyn Heights meets Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn. “Studios were cheap, because everyone was still working from home and wanted a one-bedroom with a separate sleeping space and work space,” Ms. Leyva said. “But my work space is in Manhattan.”She teamed up with Leora Blumberg Rubinstein, a realtor with Douglas Elliman, who approved of her strategy.

☆ Turkish company to send ships to house 3,000 in earthquake zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Turkey's Karadeniz Holding said on Saturday it would send two humanitarian aid ships that can each house 1,500 people to help the relief effort in the southern province of Hatay, hit by a major earthquake that has claimed more than 20,000 lives. "The company is working with the authorities to send lifeships Suheyla Sultan and Rauf Bey to Iskenderun-Hatay, the company said, adding this would be its first humanitarian mission. The so-called lifeships, built for humanitarian aid missions, have accommodation, fridges, TVs and heating, as well as facilities for education, healthcare and food, the company said. "We focused all our energy to this project to serve people in the area impacted by the earthquake. Reporting by Can Sezer Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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