Climate: NEED TO KNOW - Haggard Earth

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Climate: NEED TO KNOW; Hits: 19

CURITIBA IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF BECOMING AN EVEN MORE INNOVATIVE, SMART, AND SUSTAINABLE CITY.
Curitiba, Brazil- the most Intelligent City in the World......In November 2023, Curitiba clinched the prestigious title of ‘Most Intelligent City in the World’ at the World Smart City Awards for the Curitiba Sustainable City’ an initiative for fostering innovation, sustainability, technology, and socio-economic growth. Already recognized as Brazil’s leading smart city and a three-time finalist at the Intelligent Community of the Year (ICFCanada). The Agache Plan......When Curitiba transitioned into the 20th century, it experienced a significant population surging from a modest 20,000 residents to over 150,000 by the mid 20th century. Recognizing the need for forward-thinking urban planning, Mayor Rozaldo de Mello Leitão, in the 1940s, enlisted the expertise of French architect and urban planner Alfredo Agache. Agache, renowned for his work in Rio de Janeiro two decades earlier, was tasked with envisioning Curitiba’s future. The 1943 Agache Plan proposed comprehensive changes, structuring the city into distinct sectors for industrial, commercial, administrative, educational, sports, and residential purposes. This plan aimed to streamline the city’s layout and accommodate its growing population effectively.....this article encompasses all urban issues- urban, infrastructure and transportation https://innovationsoftheworld.com/curitiba-the-most-intelligent-city-in-the-world/

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Climate: NEED TO KNOW; Hits: 35

Are we living in a golden age of stupidity? From brain-rotting videos to AI creep, every technological advance seems to make it harder to work, remember, think and function independently Guardian Sophie McBain 18 Oct 2025From brain-rotting videos to AI creep, every technological advance seems to make it harder to work, remember, think and function independently. Kosmyna spends a lot of her time reading and analysing people’s brain states. Another project she is working on is a wearable device – one prototype looks like a pair of glasses – that can tell when someone is getting confused or losing focus. Around two years ago, she began receiving out-of-the blue emails from strangers who reported that they had started using large language models such as ChatGPT and felt their brain had changed as a result. Their memories didn’t seem as good – was that even possible, they asked her? Kosmyna herself had been struck by how quickly people had already begun to rely on generative AI. She noticed colleagues using ChatGPT at work, and the applications she received from researchers hoping to join her team started to look different. Their emails were longer and more formal and, sometimes, when she interviewed candidates on Zoom, she noticed they kept pausing before responding and looking off to the side – were they getting AI to help them, she wondered, shocked. And if they were using AI, how much did they even understand the answers they were giving?

Step into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab in Cambridge, US, and the future feels a little closer. Glass cabinets display prototypes of weird and wonderful creations, from tiny desktop robots to a surrealist sculpture created by an AI model prompted to design a tea set made from body parts. In the lobby, an AI waste-sorting assistant named Oscar can tell you where to put your used coffee cup. Five floors up, research scientist Nataliya Kosmyna has been working on wearable brain-computer interfaces she hopes will one day enable people who cannot speak, due to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to communicate using their minds. Kosmyna spends a lot of her time reading and analysing people’s brain states. Another project she is working on is a wearable device – one prototype looks like a pair of glasses – that can tell when someone is getting confused or losing focus.

Around two years ago, she began receiving out-of-the-blue emails from strangers who reported that they had started using large language models such as ChatGPT and felt their brain had changed as a result. Their memories didn’t seem as good – was that even possible, they asked her? Kosmyna herself had been struck by how quickly people had already begun to rely on generative AI. She noticed colleagues using ChatGPT at work, and the applications she received from researchers hoping to join her team started to look different. Their emails were longer and more formal and, sometimes, when she interviewed candidates on Zoom, she noticed they kept pausing before responding and looking off to the side – were they getting AI to help them, she wondered, shocked. And if they were using AI, how much did they even understand the answers they were giving? With some MIT colleagues, Kosmyna set up an experiment that used an electroencephalogram to monitor people’s brain activity while they wrote essays, either with no digital assistance, or with the help of an internet search engine, or ChatGPT. She found that the more external help participants had, the lower their level of brain connectivity, so those who used ChatGPT to write showed significantly less activity in the brain networks associated with cognitive processing, attention and creativity.

In other words, whatever the people using ChatGPT felt was going on inside their brains, the scans showed there wasn’t much happening up there.The study’s participants, who were all enrolled at MIT or nearby universities, were asked, right after they had handed in their work, if they could recall what they had written. “Barely anyone in the ChatGPT group could give a quote,” Kosmyna says. “That was concerning, because you just wrote it and you do not remember anything.” If brains need friction but also instinctively avoid it, it’s interesting that the promise of technology has been to create a “frictionless” user experience, to ensure that, provided we slide from app to app or screen to screen, we will meet no resistance. The frictionless user experience is why we unthinkingly offload ever more information and work to our digital devices; it’s why internet rabbit holes are so easy to fall down and so hard to climb out of; it’s why generative AI has already integrated itself so completely into most people’s lives.

We know, from our collective experience, that once you become accustomed to the hyperefficient cybersphere, the friction-filled real world feels harder to deal with. The fundamental issue, Kosmyna says, is that as soon as a technology becomes available that makes our lives easier, we’re evolutionarily primed to use it. “Our brains love shortcuts, it’s in our nature. But your brain needs friction to learn. It needs to have a challenge.” If brains need friction but also instinctively avoid it, it’s interesting that the promise of technology has been to create a “frictionless” user experience, to ensure that, provided we slide from app to app or screen to screen, we will meet no resistance.......read on https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/18/are-we-living-in-a-golden-age-of-stupidity-technology

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Climate: NEED TO KNOW; Hits: 67

Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out? Rising GDP continues to mean more carbon emissions and wider damage to the planet.Guardian Can the two be decoupled? Guardian Alex Clark 9 Feb 2026 During Cop30 negotiations in Brazil last year, delegates heard a familiar argument: rising emissions are unavoidable for countries pursuing growth. Since the first Cop in the 1990s, developing nations have had looser reduction targets to reflect the economic gap between them and richer countries, which emitted millions of tonnes of CO2 as they pulled ahead. The concession comes from the idea that an inevitable cost of prosperity is environmental harm. That pattern seems to be holding. In 2024, global GDP per capita reached a new high as did annual carbon emissions. But as climate targets slip and warnings mount that tipping points may already have been crossed, faith in growth for growth’s sake is starting to fracture.

This week, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, called for economies to “move beyond GDP” as a measure of progress, warning that the world’s “existing accounting systems” were driving the planet towards disaster. His remarks echo an increasingly influential school of economics, known broadly as “post-growth”, that asks what was once unthinkable: will solving the climate crisis mean learning to live without constant expansion? Post-growth economists often reject GDP in favour of new frameworks that account for environmental damage – such as the “doughnut economics” adopted recently by Amsterdam, or New Zealand’s attempt at a “wellbeing budget”.

The field has its disagreements, particularly over the extent to which countries should actively pursue de-growth measures to scale down their economies. But proponents agree that with the planet pushed to the limit, a radical rethink is needed. “Economic growth has a near mythical status in the affections of economists and politicians. But wishful thinking won’t solve the climate crisis,” said Tim Jackson, professor of sustainable development at the University of Surrey and a leading post-growth economist. “Post-growth economics offers us more choice, more realism and more insight into the possibilities for human prosperity. It’s not about returning to the cave but about breaking free from our intellectual prisons.” The roots of post-growth can be traced back to one book, which caused a storm upon its publication in the 1970s. The Limits to Growth was originally published in 1972 and received a major update in the 2000s. It has sold more than 12m copies. It presented a stark analysis using computer modelling: what happens to our economies and societies when we breach the limits of the natural world? While its methodology and conclusions have garnered much academic debate and even controversy, it is viewed by many as a founding environmental text.......open and keep on scrolling https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/feb/09/economic-growth-carbon-emissions-impact-global-heating

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US Recycling in Crisis: Why It’s Failing & How to Fix It. Green Geeks Roland Dacillo / Sustainability The U.S. recycling industry is facing serious challenges. As one of the world’s largest waste producers, the country generates over 260 million metric tons of waste each year. However, its recycling rate of 32% is among the lowest globally. For some cities, recycling has become less efficient and even more expensive, causing doubts about its long-term future. This has caused them to reduce or stop their recycling programs. Despite these setbacks, recycling remains crucial for managing waste, preventing landfills from overflowing, and reducing the environmental damage caused by human activity. The problems stem from a mix of system failures and market shifts. Many recyclable items are contaminated, there aren’t enough local facilities to process the waste, and changes in global trade policies have worsened the situation. In this blog, we’ll look at the main reasons behind these problems and offer practical solutions to make recycling more effective.

Understanding the Recycling Industry Crisis.......Have you ever wondered where your garbage goes? Once you throw away items like food scraps, clothes, furniture, and appliances, they are now called municipal solid waste. Typically, this waste can either be recycled, sent to a waste-to-energy facility (like an incinerator), or dumped in a landfill. Recycling centers help reduce waste by turning used materials into new products. This prevents items like paper, plastic, and metal from ending up in landfills, which are the third-largest source of methane emissions in the U.S. It also keeps them out of incinerators, which release harmful pollutants into the air. Recycling municipal solid waste involves several steps to recover useful materials. After waste is collected and sorted at recycling centers, recyclable items go through processes like shredding, crushing, or melting to turn them into usable raw materials. These materials are then sent to manufacturers to create new products. However, recycling practices differ by region, and not everything is easily recyclable. Even if you carefully sort your recyclables, a lot of it may still end up in a landfill.

Key Challenges Behind the Recycling Industry Crisis......Let’s explore some of the challenges the U.S. recycling system is facing.

Contamination Issues...... In the recycling industry, contamination occurs when non-recyclable items or improperly prepared materials are mixed with recyclables. These issues often come from a lack of consumer understanding about what can and can’t be recycled. Contamination significantly disrupts the recycling process, making it more difficult and costly to sort and process materials effectively. Improper recycling habits can cause contamination in the recycling industry in several ways.......

Putting Non-Recyclable Items in Recycling Bins: Items like plastic bags, greasy pizza boxes, and certain types of plastics that aren’t accepted locally can contaminate the recycling process. For example, plastic bags can get stuck in sorting machines, causing delays and even damage.

Not Cleaning Recyclables: Food leftovers on containers can ruin entire batches of recyclables. A half-full soda bottle, for instance, can leak onto paper items.

Wishcycling.......happens when people put items in the recycling bin, hoping they’re recyclable, even when they’re not.

China’s National Sword Policy.......Introduced in 2017, China’s National Sword Policy is a set of strict regulations aimed at reducing the import of contaminated recyclable materials. Before this policy, China was the world’s largest importer of waste, processing materials like plastics and paper from countries including the U.S. But, because of environmental concerns and the high contamination levels in imported recyclables, China implemented this policy to ban certain types of waste and enforce stricter contamination standards. Since China stopped accepting many recyclables, U.S. recycling plants ended up with too much material. This caused storage problems and higher costs for managing the excess waste. And with no way to process or sell the extra recyclables, many items that used to be recycled were sent to landfills instead. The policy revealed how much the U.S. depends on other countries to export waste. It showed the urgent need to invest more in local recycling plants so materials can be processed within the country.

Complexities in Modern Waste......The U.S. recycling industry is struggling to keep up with today’s changing waste. Many modern products are made with complex materials, like certain plastics and multi-layered packaging, that can’t be recycled with the current technology. One of the biggest problems with recycling is the lack of communication between manufacturers and recyclers. Companies often create new materials without asking recyclers if they can be processed. This disconnect makes recycling less efficient and more expensive.

Risk To Workers Health and Wellness......In recent years, the waste and recycling industry has faced a growing lack of workers with the technical skills needed to operate and manage machinery effectively. Workers play a crucial role in handling and processing recyclable materials, but their jobs come with several risks. Repetitive movements like bending, lifting, and pulling can strain their muscles and joints, leading to injuries such as sprains, strains, or chronic back pain. Additionally, recycling materials like plastic and metal produces dust and tiny particles that, when inhaled, can cause respiratory problems, including shortness of breath and more serious lung issues. Workers also face exposure to hazardous items such as batteries, oils, and chemicals. If not handled properly, these products can result in burns, poisoning, or long-term health problems.

Consequences of a Failing Recycling System...... The struggling recycling industry is causing serious problems. More waste is ending up in landfills, and this increases greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. with the technical skills needed to operate and manage machinery effectively. Workers play a crucial role in handling and processing recyclable materials, but their jobs come with several risks. Repetitive movements like bending, lifting, and pulling can strain their muscles and joints, leading to injuries such as sprains, strains, or chronic back pain. Additionally, recycling materials like plastic and metal produces dust and tiny particles that, when inhaled, can cause respiratory problems, including shortness of breath and more serious lung issues. Workers also face exposure to hazardous items such as batteries, oils, and chemicals. If not handled properly, these products can result in burns, poisoning, or long-term health problems......read on.........https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/recycling-in-crisis-why-its-failing-how-to-fix-it/

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Climate: NEED TO KNOW; Hits: 40

Unpacking three decades of restoration in the Western Himalayas.Mongabay Nikhil Sreekandan16 May 2025 Himalayas Among the various restoration efforts in the Western Himalayas, government-run afforestation initiatives led the way in Himachal Pradesh, while Uttarakhand had a lot more collaborative initiatives, involving local communities and NGOs with government, finds a review of initiatives over three decades. One of the concerning findings from the study was how almost half of the species planted in the region were non-native species. The lack of consistent monitoring practices also raised concerns about long-term outcomes and rendered restoration interventions less replicable.

A review of restoration interventions in the Western Himalayas over the last three decades outlines the unique challenges of restoring this landscape. “We tried to pull in as much content as we could on anybody doing any kind of restoration work in the Western Himalayas, to analyse the trends and gaps in the restoration ecology of the region,” Aashra Iype, lead author of the paper, said. Iype, a research assistant with the Nature Conservation Foundation, has worked in Himachal Pradesh for multiple years and is keenly aware of the restoration efforts in the region.In this systematic review, Iype and her colleagues from the Nature Conservation Foundation analysed 100 peer-reviewed and grey literature articles on restoration in the Western Himalayas from January 1990 to February 2024.

The Western Himalayas is defined in the study as the Himalayan region west of Nepal, spanning two Indian states and two union territories: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. According to the review, Uttarakhand had the most interventions, with more than 93% of forest restoration initiatives (restoration of deforested or degraded forest landscapes) in the region being reported from the state. In contrast, Himachal Pradesh showed a strong focus on afforestation activities (tree planting in historically non-forested areas). Most of them were government-managed, meaning there was minimal participation from the local communities. Conifers in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh. In a recent review of restoration in the Western Himalayas, the state showed a strong focus on tree planting in historically non-forested areas that were largely government-managed, with minimal participation from the communities. Image by Aashra Iype.

Conversely, Ladakh’s afforestation interventions were led by private or community collectives. There was a clear motivation from the community to introduce more green spaces, but a lack of peer-reviewed literature raised concerns about long-term ecological and socio-economic impacts. Jammu and Kashmir, with the fewest documented interventions, exhibited a wide range of efforts including afforestation, forest restoration and the only case of natural regeneration (allowing for natural recovery by halting drivers of degradation, usually through fencing) among all the states.

What works for the Western Himalayan context?......The study aimed to understand research themes and trends in the objectives of restoration interventions in the region. While restoration initiatives in the larger Indian Himalayan region have been reviewed before, the Western Himalayas have lacked focus, the researcher shared. “Let’s take a step back, re-evaluate and course-correct a little so that we’re not doing more bad than good,” Iype said. The primary research themes among publications were “restoration techniques”, followed by “stakeholder engagement” and “monitoring and evaluation.”.....read on https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#drafts?compose=GTvVlcSBncMcfsRtnkxvfrvBBRxrTWCmVFphTGJFfzbkqqrPcBhTTvKgTqnHVJDtzqlHxGLsjdGCR

CURITIBA BRAZIL IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF BECOMING AN EVEN MORE INNOVATIVE, SMART, AND SUSTAINABLE CITY.

Are we living in a Golden Age of Stupidity? Every Technological Advance seems to make it Harder to Work, Remember, Think and Function Independently

Economic Growth is still Heating the Planet. Is there Any Way Out? Rising GDP Continues to mean More Carbon Emissions

US Recycling in Crisis: Why It’s Failing & After China said No to US garbage China Doing?

Unpacking Three Decades of Restoration in the Western Himalayas.

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