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☆ The CEO of a construction-tech startup that reports a 12% drop in injuries on sites using its wearable smart badges says 5G is the future of IoT tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Iona Brannon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company developed wearable smart badges that made COVID-19 contact tracing more efficient. Now it's looking to use 5G tech to reduce construction-site injuries and increase efficiency. The workers' badges beeped and vibrated when they got within 6 feet of each other. Taking things to the next level with 5GKwant's smart badges are part of a category known as the Internet of Things. Recognizing the potential of smart badges across industries, Shrestha's team has built 5G integration into the badges.

Persons: Walbridge, John Jurewicz, Kwant, Niran Shrestha, Shrestha Organizations: Service, General Motors, Bluetooth, 5G, Tech Locations: Wall, Silicon, COVID

Meanwhile, two indoor farming companies that attracted strong startup money — New Jersey's AeroFarms and Kentucky's AppHarvest — filed for bankruptcy reorganization. Advocates say growing indoors uses less water and land and allows food to be grown closer to consumers, saving on transport. Tom Kimmerer, a plant physiologist who taught at the University of Kentucky, has tracked indoor farming alongside his research into the growth of plants both outdoors and inside. He said some companies may be struggling to scale up, with problems that come from launching in spaces that aren't necessarily built specifically for indoor farming. Several of the companies say they're on the right track.

Persons: AppHarvest —, Jacob Portillo, Eden Green, that’s, ”, It's, they’re, Tom Kimmerer, “, Kimmerer, Hannah Burrack, you’re, ” Burrack, Evan Lucas, he's, Lucas, Eden, Eddy Badrina, Arama Kukutai, Matt Ryan, Curt Covington, isn't, “ It's, ” Covington, ___ Walling, Joshua A, Bickel, ___, Melina Walling Organizations: Eden Green Technology, Kroger, University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, Eden Green, Walmart, AgAmerica, Associated Press, AP Locations: CLEBURNE, Texas, Dallas, Eden, Cleburne, California, Detroit, Elmwood, Farm, Lexington , Kentucky, Plenty, Chicago, Georgetown , Kentucky, Georgetown, ___

☆ An FDA advisory group confirmed some popular decongestants are ineffective. Now what do we do?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It is safe to use, but an independent advisory committee to the FDA agreed Tuesday that it is ineffective in pill form. But before then, there are things you can do at home to help relieve your symptoms, he said. Warm compresses, hot showers and hydrationNoses like to be hydrated and warm, Brodner said. But steam from a hot shower or a warm compress placed over your nose can also heat things up nicely. That runny nose will help drain mucus from your sinuses — and hopefully flush out whatever is irritating it, Brodner said.

Persons: ”, David C, “ You’ll, ” Phenylephrine, Brodner, guaifenesin, Richard J, Harvey, Shanna Miko, you’re, ” Brodner, Stephen Rennard, Larson, Rennard, “ Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Macquarie University, Epidemic Intelligence, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center Locations: Boynton Beach , Florida, Omaha

☆ Cocaine is about surpass oil as Colombia's top export as revenues near $20 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cocaine is set to become Colombia's top export this year, edging out oil products, according to a note from Bloomberg Economics. Revenue derived from Colombia's cocaine business is nearing $20 billion, ahead of the country's $19.1 billion in 2022 oil exports. Cocaine production in Colombia is at its highest level since 1991 amid lenient policies from Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Fast forward to 2022, and Colombia's cocaine industry generated an estimated $18.2 billion in export revenues, just behind oil export revenue of $19.1 billion. With the country's oil exports dropping 30% in the first half of this year, and its cocaine industry still growing steadily, Bloomberg estimates that 2023 will be the year when Colombia's cocaine revenues outpace revenues from oil.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Felpi Hernandez, That's, Hernandez Organizations: Bloomberg Economics, Get, Service, Bloomberg Locations: Colombia, Colombian, Wall, Silicon

Spanish farmer Miguel Moreno was an early adopter of so-called cover crops. Spain's drought-hit olive oil production slumped to 663,000 tonnes last year, less than half the average of 1.45 million tons recorded in the previous four harvests, according to the government. In January, it began subsidising farmers who use cover crops as part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She said the company was pushed both by customers such as Walmart in the U.S. and by regulation to buy olive oil from producers using sustainable practices. Ecology professor Manzaneda is also coordinator of EU-funded project SOIL O-LIVE and is testing methods for coaxing Albacete's degraded earth back to health.

Persons: Chiclana de Segura, Jon Nazca, Andrea Ronca, Miguel Moreno, Angel, Dcoop, Gonzalo Delacamara, Emilio Gonzalez, Antonio Manzaneda, Manzaneda, Olive, Syngenta, Luis Miranda, Domingo, Marco Trevisan, Dean, Simone Rech, Catalonia's Cava, Sebastiano Conti, Charlie Devereux, Antonella, Corina Pons, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Southern, VILLANUEVA DEL ARZOBISPO, Farmers, European Union, of Nutrition, Plant Science, IE, Water, University of Cordoba, University of Jaen, European, Walmart, Swiss, Syngenta, EU, TECH, Smart, Milan Polytechnic, University of Brescia, of Agricultural Sciences, Catholic University of Piacenza, Thomson Locations: Olive, Chiclana, Jaen, Spain, ROME, Italy, Madrid, European, France, Germany, Mantua, Andalusia, European Union, U.S, ITALY, Treviso, Venice, Sicily

[1/5] FILE PHOTO-A drone picture shows where the former water line was more than one KM from the present line in Pretor, at Prespa Lake, North Macedonia September 6, 2023. The decline has continued over decades - the water at Lake Prespa, which is situated high in the mountains and is 5-million-years-old, is now more than 8 metres (8.74 yards) lower than the late 1970s. With a surface area of around 260 square kilometres, more than twice the size of Paris, more than two thirds of the lake belongs to North Macedonia and the rest to Greece and Albania. Any drop in water level can affect Lake Ohrid, a much larger lake just 10 km from Prespa and which draws around one third of its water from Prespa. "All (pesticides) go in the underground waters, in the lake, they go everywhere and are very dangerous for Prespa," said Mende Pandevski, harvesting plums close to the lake.

Persons: Vasilevski, Dragan Arsovski, Mende, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: NASA, The United Nations Development Program, Macedonian Geological Society, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Pretor, Prespa, North Macedonia, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Lake, Paris, Ohrid, Skopje

☆ The US has pumped so much groundwater that it's literally splitting the ground open across the American Southwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Maiya Focht | Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The United States has been pumping so much groundwater it's splitting the ground open. Brian Conway/AZGSBut humans are pumping groundwater faster than Earth can naturally replenish it. A giant fissure in the Mojave Desert in California from groundwater pumping near Lucerne Lake. And four out of every 10 sites hit "all-time lows" in the past decade as American groundwater pumping outpaces water replenishment, per the Times. As a result, the severity of excessive groundwater pumping nationwide is not as easy to recognize and may help explain why regulation on pumping is so limited.

Persons: Brian Conway, Joseph Cook, Cook, Brian Gootee, Joesph Cook, it's, Warigia Bowman, RJ Sangosti Organizations: Service, Arizona Geological Survey, New York Times, Times, University of Tulsa, Queens, MediaNews, Denver, Getty, National Audubon Society Locations: States, Wall, Silicon, Arizona , Utah, California, Arizona, Lucerne Lake, Sulphur Hills, AZGS Arizona, Basin , Arizona, Colorado, Eads , Colorado, Picacho Basin

☆ Opinion: Here are the jobs AI will impact most
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Bethany Cianciolo | Jessica Chia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +42 min

Dan’s research and teaching focus is on using AI for legal services and the regulation of AI in society. For instance, we can develop AI tools to help individuals understand their responsibilities and rights, and preserve and enforce those rights. People in businesses, large and small, are already using chatbots, AI assistants and other AI tools to help them comply with laws, regulations and internal policies. Additionally, new roles are emerging in the legal industry, such as legal engineers who build systems, legal data scientists and legal operations professionals. AI tools will then quickly re-optimize decisions associated with inventory shipments, staffing and promotions.

Persons: ” That’s, Dropbox, Goldman Sachs, isn’t, Erich S, Huang, ” Erich S, Huang I’ve, Regina Barzilay, Barzilay, Geoffrey Hinton, radiologists, —, ’, Daniel W, Linna, Dan, …, ” Daniel W, Refik, Anadol, ”, Adam Elmachtoub, Nisreen, Theodore Kim, don’t, ” Theodore Kim Moreover, Janis Joplin, Jackie Jormp, We’re, Baz Luhrmann’s “, Gatsby, That’s, Leonardo DiCaprio, mockbusters, Eirini, GitHub Copilot, Ashok Goel, Jill Watson, ” Ashok Goel, Kristen DiCerbo, Alireza, Davis Organizations: CNN, CNET, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, Informatics, Verily, Duke Health, Biomedical Informatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Adobe, Apple, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science Department, MIT, Jameel Clinic, Machine Learning, MacArthur, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University’s CS, Center, Better Housing, UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts, The Museum, Modern Art, Centre Pompidou, Walt Disney Concert, Department of Industrial Engineering, Research, Columbia University, NBA, Spice, Digital Organisation and Society, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK Academy of Information Systems, Yale, Pixar, Technical, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Hollywood, YouTube, Tech, Developers, Georgia Institute of Technology, National AI, Adult, Education, US National Science Foundation, Georgia Tech, Khan Academy, Systems, Studies, Agricultural Engineering, University of California, university’s, Agriculture, Labor Locations: outplacement, Iceland

☆ Big Farms and Flawless Fries Are Gulping Water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Dionne Searcey | Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

UNCHARTED WATERS Big Farms and Flawless Fries Are Gulping Water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes When Minnesota farmers cranked up their wells in a drought, they blew through state limits. The location of the White Earth Reservation is also shown, in the upper left portion of the map. Cloud St. Paul Minneapolis Rochester Sandy Soils WHITE EARTH RESERVATION Duluth Irrigation Wells St. Cloud St. Paul Minneapolis Rochester Sandy Soils WHITE EARTH RESERVATION Duluth Irrigation Wells St. “There’s a lot of water in this area.”His farm is awaiting approval for two new state permits for irrigation wells.

Persons: Warren, Mike Tauber, they’ve, ”, Trevor Milbrett, Warren Warmbold, “, Mr, Warmbold, Offutt, Ellen Considine, don’t, Carlos Gonzalez, It’s, farming’s, Robert Glennon, John Nieber, Paul Minneapolis, Nieber, White, Jamie Konopacky, Allan Armstrong, Armstrong, Armstrong’s, Austin Tersteeg, Erskine, Tersteeg Organizations: R.D, Offutt, Minnesota Department of Natural, New York Times, Irrigation, Farmers, state’s Department of Natural Resources, United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Star Tribune, Getty, Park Rapids ., University of Minnesota, Twin, Paul Minneapolis Rochester Sandy, Paul Minneapolis, White, Department of Natural Locations: Lakes, Minnesota, R.D, Warren, Minn, Backus, Eagle Bend, United States, Midwest, Park Rapids, In Minnesota, North Dakota, America, Offutt, Twin Cities, Sandy, Duluth, Wells St, Cloud, Paul, Paul Minneapolis Rochester, Austin, Red Lake County

☆ Southeast Asia's first high-speed train – a boon or bust for Indonesia's economy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

While it could improve overall economic and business productivity, those benefits may be overrun by Jakarta's soaring debt burden as project costs continue to mount. The 142-kilometre train linking Indonesia's capital to Bandung is expected to move at 350 kilometers per hour, driven by electricity with no direct carbon emissions expected during operations. However, escalating costs of the project could push up Indonesia's government debt and overshadow any short-term economic gains. Initially, the train was to be financed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China — a consortium of companies from China and Indonesia tasked with building the rail project. In that scenario, money spent on the train would have been better spent on alternative investments like irrigation projects, he said.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Arief Anshory Yusuf, Jokowi, Sri Lanka's, Mao Ning, Mao, Yusuf Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Initiative, Indonesian, Bandung's Padjadjaran University, Australian National University, PT Kereta, Indonesia China —, KCIC, China Development Bank, Reuters, of Economic, Law Studies, Nurphoto, CNBC Locations: Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, Southeast Asia, Indonesian, Surabaya, Japan, Indonesia China, China, Entebbe, Beijing, IDR

☆ North Korea to convene rubber-stamp parliament in Sept
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un addresses the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's parliament, which passed a law officially enshrining its nuclear weapons policies, in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 8, 2022 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, will convene on Sept. 26 to discuss organisational matters and other issues, state media said on Thursday, as the country slowly reopens after years of pandemic lockdowns. The North has suffered serious food shortages in recent decades, including famine in the 1990s, often as a result of natural disasters. The decision was made at a Plenary Meeting of the parliament's Standing Committee on Wednesday, where members also discussed a law for "revitalizing domestic tourism and expanding international tourism simultaneously." North Korea has recently approved the return of its citizens who were abroad after years of strict border restrictions, state media reported on Sunday as the isolated country cracks open its border to passenger travel.

Persons: Kim Jong, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Lincoln Organizations: Assembly, North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Supreme, Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: Korea's, Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea

A new accounting shows that at least 523 institutions were part of the sprawling network of boarding schools for Native American children. ‘War Against the Children’ The Native American boarding school system — a decades-long effort to assimilate Indigenous people before they ever reached adulthood — robbed children of their culture, family bonds and sometimes their lives. “The government was not done with war, so the next phase involved war against the children,” said Mr. Sherman, 83, a former aerospace engineer. Now 76, his voice grows shaky when he recounts the punishments children received — and how children were turned into punishers. Library of Congress, Chronicling AmericaA precise accounting of how many children died at Native American boarding schools remains elusive.

☆ India on track for lowest monsoon rains in 8 years -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"El Niño dampened rainfall in August, and it will also have a negative impact on September rainfall," said a senior official at the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The weather department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India is heading for its driest August in more than a century, weather department officials said earlier this month. The current monsoon has been uneven, with June rains 9% below average but July rains rebounding to 13% above average. The last four Septembers have seen above-average rains due to delayed withdrawal of the monsoon, he said.

Persons: Sivaram, El, El Niño, Rajendra Jadhav, Tony Munroe, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, El, Reuters, India Meteorological Department, IMD, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Vembanad, Kochi, India, El, New Delhi, Mumbai

Ruined rice crops in India's Haryana state. More than three billion people worldwide rely on rice as a staple food and India contributed to about 40% of global rice exports. India's rice stock is piling up as a result of the ban. Vijay Bedi/CNNAt one of New Delhi’s largest rice trading hubs, there are fears among traders that the export ban will cause catastrophic consequences. “The export ban has left traders with huge amounts of stock,” said rice trader Roopkaran Singh.

Persons: India CNN — Satish Kumar, “ I’ve, ”, Kumar, Vijay Bedi, Niño, ” Kumar, ” Satish Kumar, Ukraine —, ” Arif Husain, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, ” Husain, “, CNN Surjit Singh, Harayana, …, El Niño, Roopkaran Singh, Husain Organizations: India CNN, CNN, United Nations Food, Agriculture Organization, India wasn’t, United Nations, Food Programme, ” Workers, Thai Rice, Association, India’s Ministry of Agriculture, Monetary Fund, Farmers, Reuters, Meteorological Organization Locations: Harayana, India, India’s Haryana, “, India's Haryana, Ukraine, Global South, United States, Russia, Rice, New Delhi, CNN Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Thai, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, El, India’s, West Africa

AQUIFERS AQUIFERS AQUIFERS WASH. MAINE MONT. MONITORING WELLS MONITORING WELLS MONITORING WELLS WASH. MAINE MONT. FLA. DECLINING WELLS DECLINING WELLS DECLINING WELLS WASH. MAINE MONT. FLA. UNCHARTED WATERS America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow Overuse is draining and damaging aquifers nationwide, a New York Times data investigation revealed. Groundwater level trends Rising Declining Groundwater level trends Rising Declining Groundwater level trends Rising Declining Groundwater level trends Rising Declining Note: Colors depict the median trend for each site over the previous 20 years.

☆ Exclusive: India faces record low August rains, threatening summer crops
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

August rainfall, expected to be the lowest since records began in 1901, could dent yields of summer-sown crops, from rice to soybeans, boosting prices and overall food inflation, which jumped in July to the highest since January 2020. India received just 90.7 mm (3.6 inches) in the first 17 days of August, nearly 40% lower than the normal. "Normally, we experience a dry spell of five to seven days in August," said the official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "However, this year the dry spell has been unusually prolonged in southern India. This monsoon has been uneven, with June rains 10% below average but July rains rebounding to 13% above average.

Persons: Amit Dave, El, Harish Galipelli, Rajendra Jadhav, Tony Munroe, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, India Meteorological Department, IMD, El Nino, Commodities India, Ltd, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, El, Pacific, Kerala

☆ Climate change: Extreme water stress affects a quarter of humanity and it's poised to get worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The biggest change in water demand will occur in sub-Saharan Africa according to the report, which projects a 163% increase in water demand by 2050. In North America and Europe, water demand has plateaued, helped by investment in water use efficiency measures. In the US, six states experience extremely high water stress, according to the report. People collect drinking water from in Cape Town on January 19, 2018, during a water crisis which saw the city nearly run dry. The report suggests various measures to prevent water stress spilling into a water crisis.

Persons: ”, Samantha Kuzma, “ I’ve, ” Kuzma, Will Lanzoni, Kuzma, “, Charles, Rodger Bosch, Dieter Gerten, – Organizations: CNN, Ocean Program, UN, Getty, Potsdam Institute, Climate Impact Research Locations: Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Lake Mead, Boulder City , Nevada, East, North Africa, Africa, Saharan Africa, North America, Europe, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Charles Iceland, Cape Town, AFP, Vegas, Singapore

France has used an anti-terrorism unit to question some climate activists, the police confirmed to Reuters. Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment and its interior ministry did not comment. Germany does not have a national policy targeting climate activists, who the government considers mainly non-extremist, a spokesperson for the country’s interior ministry said. "Climate protesters can perhaps be locked away, but the climate catastrophe will come anyway," Lachner said after being convicted in Berlin in July for glueing incidents last year and fined 2,700 euros. In the January newspaper interview, the local office of the interior ministry confirmed both devices had been installed.

Persons: Yves Herman, Simon Lachner, he'd, “ radicalisation ”, Lachner’s, Lachner, Regensberg, Lafarge Holcim, SLT, Julien Le Guet, Le Guet, Pascale Leglise, Riham Alkousaa, Juliette Jabkhiro, Andrew MacAskill, William James, Katy Daigle, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, GPS, Bavaria, Reuters, Britain’s National Police Chiefs ’, Los, Prosecutors, Bavarian, Berlin, Military, National Commission, Control, Thomson Locations: France, Sainte, Soline, BERLIN, Lachner, Britain, Germany, Berlin, Europe, Los Angeles, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Bavarian, Regensberg, French, Deux, Sevres, Nouvelle Aquitaine, SLT, Paris, London

☆ Drought in Spain empties reservoirs, forces limits on water use
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Horaci Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Residents enjoy Boadella reservoir, which is 20% of its capacity, as Spain braces for the third heatwave of the summer near the Spanish-French border, in Darnius, Spain, August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho DoceAGULLANA, Spain, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Artur Duran holds his hand out by his waist to show the level of water he remembers two years ago at the Darnius Boadella reservoir in northeastern Spain. Catalonia's authorities last week imposed new water usage restrictions on 22 villages around the reservoir, near the French border, as the aquifer supplying them is also emptying. Several heatwaves recorded in Spain and wider Europe this summer have worsened the drought, lowering reservoirs' levels as water evaporation and consumption increased, said Ruben del Campo, spokesperson for Spain's meteorological agency AEMET. The village of Agullana with 900 residents has been keeping its water usage below the 200-litre cap for several months, but its mayor said further steps will be implemented.

Persons: Doce, Artur Duran, sunbathed, Ruben del Campo, Josep Jovell, Horaci Garcia, Joan Faus, Andrei Khalip, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Authorities, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Spain, Spanish, Darnius, Catalonia, Spain's Andalusia, Europe, Agullana

On a quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted basis, GDP expanded 3.86%, compared with the poll's prediction of 3.72% growth. Meanwhile, exports contracted 2.75% in the second quarter on a yearly basis, in stark contrast to last quarter's growth of more than 10%. Myrdal Gunarto, economist with Maybank Indonesia, said he might raise his bank's full-year 2023 GDP growth outlook of 5.05%, but described the second quarter data as "a sign that economic activities had peaked". The better-than-expected data may spur monetary policymakers to shift their focus from growth to the current account, as strong domestic demand typically leads to rising imports, said Fakhrul Fulvian, economist with Trimegah Securities, who maintained his full-year 2023 GDP growth outlook at 5%. The government is targeting the same growth rate for 2023.

Persons: Eid, Joko Widodo's, Myrdal Gunarto, Myrdal, Fakhrul Fulvian, Radhika Rao, Stefanno Sulaiman, Fransiska Nangoy, Gayatri Suroyo, Martin Petty, Sonali Paul Organizations: Asia's, Statistics, Reuters, Maybank, Trimegah Securities, U.S ., Bank, DBS Bank, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Statistics Indonesia, Maybank Indonesia, Indonesia, Bank Indonesia

☆ Robust rains accelerate rice planting in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Mayank Bhardwaj | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Higher rice planting in India, the world's second-biggest producer of the grain, will ease concerns about lower output of the staple. Farmers typically start planting rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, sugarcane and peanuts, among other crops, from June 1, when monsoon rains are expected to begin drenching India. For June and July together, India's monsoon rains were 5% above average, falling 10% below normal in June but rebounding to 13% above average in July. Farmers planted 17.9 million hectares (44.2 million acres) with oilseeds, including soybeans, 2.2% more than a year earlier. Corn was planted on 7.6 million hectares (18.8 million acres), up from 7.5 million hectares a year earlier.

Persons: Amit Dave, Mayank Bhardwaj, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Farmers, Thomson Locations: Indian, Ahmedabad, India, Farmers, drenching India, Punjab, Haryana

☆ How a 1,000-year-old system of irrigation channels could help protect Spain from extreme heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Elias Chavez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

As generational knowledge dwindles, the number of people who know how these channels operate continues to decline. Experts believe that the ancient solution will help spread water throughout the arid region of Spain and maintain agrarian practices. As Spain moved toward an agricultural model that emphasized reservoirs and many in rural communities in Spain moved to cities, knowledge of the acequias system dwindled. Only a handful of people in these communities know how to restore the acequias. Historians and conservationists are working together to restore these systems and build back the generational knowledge required to operate them.

Organizations: Service Locations: Spain, acequias

[1/3] A general view of a grain terminal at the port of Odesa, Ukraine, April 10, 2023. Drone attacks wrecked buildings in the port of Izmail and prevented ships on the Danube River from loading grain for export. WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL LAW SAY? The Geneva Conventions and additional protocols say that parties involved in military conflict must distinguish between “civilian objects and military objectives”, and that attacks on civilian objects are forbidden. This prohibition is also codified in the Rome Statute of the ICC, which opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine soon after the invasion.

Persons: Ritzau Scanpix, Bo Amstrup, Russia's, Yousuf Syed Khan, RIA, Katharine Fortin, Michael Schmitt, Marko Milanovic, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Criminal, Global Rights, ICC, Utrecht University, Lieber, U.S, West, International, University of Reading, Nova, Thomson Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Izmail, The Hague, Kherson, Geneva, Rome, Russian, Nova, Russia

☆ Epic OneWater Brew: The beer made from recycled shower water
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

More states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Washington, are in the process of updating their water reuse regulations. In 2017, two California-based brewers produced limited-edition beers made from recycled water, to serve at local events. “When I got into the water industry, there was a lot of often-repeated tropes that the general public was just not ready for recycled water,” he says. There’s a mental perception that recycled water is not as clean as other sources of water. “You’re going to start hearing a lot more about a lot of different industries using recycled water for their products.

Persons: ”, Aaron Tartakovsky, Germany —, it’s, ” Tartakovsky, “, Cleantec, Tartakovsky, David Sedlak, Sedlak, Daniel McCurry, McCurry, “ You’re Organizations: CNN, Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Civil, Environmental Engineering, University of Southern Locations: San Francisco, Germany, California, Texas, Arizona , Colorado , Florida, New Mexico, Washington, Southern California, Singapore, Australia, Berkeley, University of Southern California, San Diego

☆ Colorado River Basin has lost 10 trillion gallons -- enough water to fill Lake Mead, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Rising temperatures have sucked more than 10 trillion gallons of water out of the Colorado River Basin between 2000 and 2021 – a volume about the size of Lake Mead – according to a recent study. The Tier 1 shortage took effect in January 2022; a Tier 2 shortage – due to even lower water levels at Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir – was implemented in January 2023. Last summer in particular set off alarm bells when the water level in Lake Mead dropped an astonishing 20 feet over the course of four months. Mead, fed by the Colorado River, fell to its lowest level to-date in July 2022, with lake elevation of 1040 feet. “Even though there’s been a wet winter, there’s still going to be that 10% reduction in runoff.”The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai reservation.

Persons: Lake Mead –, ” Benjamin Bass, “, John Locher, Lake Mead, Mead, ” Bass, Bass, there’s, Ethan Gutmann, ”, ” Gutmann Organizations: CNN, UCLA, Water Resources Research, AP State, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Colorado, Lake, American, Lake Mead, snowier

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