Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Children can study the secrets of the Universe, learn the secrets of Leo Tolstoy’s novels and comprehend the basics of the exact sciences not only in schools, but also in city playgrounds, for example inMuseum city VDNKh. Here you can get acquainted with the achievements in the field of physics and cosmonautics, learn about the history of writing and modern art. And five thematic routes: “Technologies”, “Society”, “Art”, “Ecology”, “National Cultures”.
We tell you about the venues where the most interesting excursions for teenagers take place, where chemists organize movie parties, and what surprises schoolchildren will find at the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center.
Who creates vaccines and how does a bioreactor work?
Exploring the world of the smallest living organisms and uncovering the secrets of genetics can be difficult, but VDNKh turns even the most difficult activities into an exciting game. The country’s main exhibition grounds feature Center for Modern Biotechnology “Museum “Biotech”” (Pavilion No. 30 “Microbiological Industry”). Schoolchildren from six to nine years old will be treated to a quiz excursion “A Journey with the Little Prince through the Biotech Museum”The fairytale hero will tell how he used biotechnology to save the planet from pollution, heal people and grow unusual flowers.
Children aged 10 and over can take part in the master class. “Isolation of DNA from plant fruits”. They will not only learn about the structure and selection of plants, but also conduct a scientific experiment and isolate DNA on their own. You can come to such an exciting activity with your classmates.
During the sightseeing tour, middle and high school students will learn what happens in a bioreactor, how a city farm works, who creates vaccines, and the difference between plastic and bioplastic. They can also see the glow of bioluminescent plants.
Amazing Microworld and Chemists’ Movie Party
Those who want to feel like a real biologist and study the microworld are also welcome in Pavilion No. 31 “Geology”. Here in 2022, the site of the State Biological Museum named after K.A. Timiryazev opened. Young researchers will appreciate the classes “Let’s say you have a microscope.”, “Living – non-living” And“Microsecrets of rocks”.
You can study botany and ecology not only alone, but also with classmates. The pavilion has a program for schools “Island of Discoveries”. Museum staff conduct both theoretical classes, where they explain complex topics, and interactive classes, where schoolchildren learn to use a microscope. Details can be found on the museum website and by phone: 7 499 252-36-81.
Schoolchildren interested in chemistry will also appreciate the educational and exhibition space – the pavilion “House of Polymers” “Sibur” (Pavilion No. 12), which introduces the complex world of petrochemicals. Daily excursions here tell about the polymer composition of everyday household items, clothing, housing, cars and even medical supplies. Every weekend at 13:00 the pavilion hosts chemical shows for the little ones, and at 16:00 – movie nights for high school and middle school students. All events are free.
Quantum Physics and the Nuclear Industry
You can conduct spectacular, yet simple experiments in a real laboratory at the Atom Museum (Pavilion No. 19). There are places for chemical and physical experiments, modern microscopes and a high-tech equipment area. Master classes are organized here for middle and high school students.
For children aged six to nine, the museum offers classes called “Science at Your Fingertips”. At the “X-Rays” master class, children study quantum physics and create applique postcards. Classes are held in groups of up to 15 people.
Every Saturday, the museum organizes meetings of the Family Day project. At these, children from six to 16 years old, together with their parents, can learn more about the nuclear industry, make a wind generator with their own hands, and learn how to convert chemical energy into thermal energy.
The pavilion also hosts the “Atom Children’s Academy” project, where 10–12 year olds take classes in physics and chemistry, instilling an interest in the world around them through scientific experiments.
It is important not only to learn about the world around us, but also to preserve it. Pavilion No. 29 will tell you how you can take care of the environment even at a very young age. “Floriculture and landscaping”. For example, on the excursion “Fluttering Flowers” guests will be able to study butterflies, learn about their role and careful attitude to nature. And participants of the quest “What does a seed dream about?” will figure out how butterflies are connected with other insects and what seeds are for.
During the “Immersion in Nature” and “Flower Stories” sightseeing tours, young visitors will learn about the pavilion’s exhibition spaces, the theory of plant origins, and the most unusual representatives of flora. Participants in the “Incredible Insects” tour will learn how ants live. You can sign up for these events by calling: 7 495 966-09-27.
Pavilion No. 28 is dedicated to the hard-working insects without which life on our planet would be impossible. “Beekeeping”. In it you can learn how an apiary is arranged, what types of hives there are and how bees differ from each other. Participants of the excursion “About bees and not only” will be told how people managed to tame these insects and how they live in an apiary. You can visit the pavilion with an entrance ticket, and to sign up for a tour, call: 7 499 252-36-81.
For future astronauts
Those who are attracted by the mysterious expanses of the Universe are awaited in the center “Cosmonautics and Aviation” (Pavilion No. 34). Here, guests travel through the solar system, learn about the history of space exploration, and even learn how to operate aircraft.
The pavilion also features interactive exhibits such as flight simulators, the 5D cinema “Space Sphere”, and many others, optical binoculars and a star room, and guests are greeted by the robot Fedor. In addition, the center collaborates with Moscow schools and conducts group excursions for its exhibitions for students starting from the fifth grade.
From the first alphabet to the epic novel
Schoolchildren who are particularly interested in studying history and literature are invited to attend classes to the Museum of Slavic Literature “Word” (Pavilion No. 58). Here you will learn about the development of writing in Rus’, the first alphabets and the most ancient works.
Children from eight to 14 years old can take part in a quest excursion “Cyril and Methodius: Mission Possible” and take a trip around Russian cities. And on excursions “Missing Letters” The children will learn what language our ancestors spoke, who invented the alphabet, what a printing press was for, and which letters Peter I abolished.
In addition, the museum holds classes for school groups. For example, on an excursion “Cyrillic in Space and Time: From the Moment of Creation to the Present Day” Participants are told about the first alphabets and ancient works. Interactive exhibits such as a monastery cell, a zemstvo school and a printing workshop will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the distant past.
You can learn interesting facts about writers and immerse yourself in the world of Russian literature of the early 19th century in Pavilion No. 61 “Tsentrosoyuz”. Here the L. N. Tolstoy State Museum opened an exhibition “Leo Tolstoy. “War and Peace”. Living Pages”. It is dedicated to the life of the classic and his work on the novel of the same name. The exhibition features unique exhibits, including cannonballs from the Borodino field, the Masonic ring of the Tolstoy family, and drawings by participants in the military campaign of 1812.
For young creators and artists
Children who are interested in creativity will find it interesting to visit workshops “Cascade digital” (Pavilion No. 49). This is a school of contemporary art for teenagers aged 13 to 18. Here, high school students, together with professional artists, develop projects in the fields of journalism, design and architecture, and also come up with ideas for exhibitions and city festivals.
Last year, nine areas were opened in the “Cascade Digital” workshops. For example, in the “Art is Dead, but We Are Not Yet” section, teenagers learned to notice unusual phenomena around them and analyzed significant works of art, while participants in the “Oscillations Laboratory” explored the nature of sound and the peculiarities of its perception.
This academic year, which will run from October to May, will feature the “Cascade of Regions” section. Its participants will focus on the work of local artists and their impact on the urban environment. In addition, the “Performance as an Algorithm (Please Don’t Dance)” and “Textiles, Costume, and Fashion” sections will open, dedicated to the professions of performer and designer. Classes will be held both in person and online. Applications are open on the project website will end on October 24.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144376073/
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.
Headline: ‘A cloud over Bukidnon forest’ – the Lumad indigenous rights struggle in Mindanao – Analysis published with permission of PMC
THE MOOD in the chapel on the outskirts of Malaybalay, capital of Bukidnon province was somber. Six datu (chiefs) and several delegates of the indigenous tribal Lumad people of the region were airing their concerns about a controversial New Zealand-backed $5.7 million forestry aid project for the Philippines. Ironically, less than 100 metres away, in a derelict building nestling amid a plantation of benguet pines on land earmarked for the project, were living about 80 “squatters” who in a sense symbolised the problem at the root of the scheme. Squatters would be the term used by some New Zealand officials and their technical advisers. But it was hardly appropriate, and reflected the insensitivity to many of the social and economic problems in the province. The homeless people belonged to the Bukidnon Free Farmers and Agricultural Labourers’ Organisation, or Buffalo, as it was generally known. Their story was one of injustice, victimisation and harassment, only too common in the Philippines.
The opening two paragraphs of Chapter 14 in David Robie’s 2014 book Don’t Spoil My Beautiful Face: Media, Mayhem and Human Rights in the Pacific (Auckland: Little Island Press) summarising his investigation in 1989/1990 into the the controversial $6 million New Zealand forestry aid programme in Bukidnon province, Mindanao, Philippines with a series of articles published in The Dominion and the NZ Listener and other publications.
RESEARCH: David Robie: THE MOOD in the chapel on the outskirts of Malaybalay, capital of Bukidnon province was somber. Six datu (chiefs) and several delegates of the indigenous tribal Lumad people of the region were airing their concerns about a controversial New Zealand-backed $5.7 million forestry aid project for the Philippines.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
“Squatters” on their ancestral tribal land in 1989. Conrado Dumindin (second from right rear) and other Lumads in Bukidnon Forest, Mindanao, Philippines.
(16) A cloud over Bukidnon [forest]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324273184_A_cloud_over_Bukidnon_forest [accessed Apr 07 2018]. Image: David Robie
Secretary Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi reviews institute research and development in drone application for fisheries management in ICAR-CIFRI, Kolkata today Drone based application should reach to the fish farmers for wider utilisation: Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi
Secretary Dr. Likhi witnesses demonstration of Drone Technology in Fisheries Application at ICAR – Central lnland Fisheries Research Institute
Posted On: 24 SEP 2024 3:24PM by PIB Delhi
Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi visited ICAR- Central lnland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Kolkata today for reviewing the institute research and development in drone application for fisheries management. Scientists, State fisheries official, Fishermen and fisherwomen attended the event. During presentation senior officers from fisheries department from states, ministry of civil aviation, NAFED, NCDC, NERMARC, SFAC, retailers, start-ups, fisheries subordinate offices, State Government officials, FFPOs, cooperatives etc. are invited to join through virtual conference.
During the drone demonstration, Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi actively interacted with the fish farmers and fishers, listening to their experiences, success stories and the challenges they face in their daily operations. This interaction provided valuable insights into how modern technology, like drones, can address their needs, improve efficiency, and enhance productivity in the fisheries sector, while also offering a platform for them to voice their aspirations and concerns.
Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary said that pilot project undertaken by ICAR-CIFRI will open new horizon in fisheries section by providing an effective and promising alternative for transporting fresh fish with less time and minimum human involvement while minimizing stress to the fish. The research and development on fish transportation using drone technology with private partnership would also enable consumers and farmers to have better hygienic fresh fish in the supply chain system, he added.
Dr. Likhi said that Pradhan Mantri Matsya Samridhi Sah Yojana (PM-MKSSY) with an outlay of Rs 6000 crore was approved in February 2024 which aims to support formalization of the unorganized fisheries sector by creating a National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) for providing work-based identifies, fish farmers, fish vendors including the fisheries sector microenterprises and small enterprises by 2025. PM-MKSSY, through NFDP, will also facilitate access and incentivize uptake of institutional credit, purchase of aquaculture insurance, strengthen co-operatives to become FFPOs, adoption of traceability, performance grant for adoption of practices that will bring in value-chain efficiencies and safety and quality assurance and job creation, the Secretary added.
The Secretary urged the ICAR-CIFRI and other stakeholders to take step for making these drone based applications reach to the fish farmers and ensure that all can have access to it. He also asked the Fisheries Department to document all these valuable demonstrations and send to the the Ministry so that they can be utilized for creating awareness among the fish farmers across the country.
In the review meeting, Director, ICAR-CIFRI Dr. B. K. Das elaborately presented the institute achievements and progress made in drone-based technologies. Presentation on application of Drone Technology in fisheries was also made by a start-up.
Different drone-based technologies viz. sprayer drone, feed broadcast drone and cargo delivery drone were demonstrated by ICAR-CIFRI and star-up companies among more than 100 fishermen and fisherwomen. The pilot project undertaken by ICAR-CIFRI will open new horizon in fisheries section by providing an effective and promising alternative for transporting fresh fish with less time and minimum human involvement while minimizing stress to the fish. The research and development on fish transportation using drone technology with private partnership would also enable consumers and farmers to have better hygienic fresh fish in the supply chain system.
In Indian fisheries sector, the monitoring and management of aquatic resources faces numerous challenges that hinder effective and sustainable planning for the conservation of aquatic resources. Though the farming system is reforming every day to keep pace with the ever-increasing evolution of modern technologies, the systematic fish transportation for economical utilization of the landed fish lacks the proper scientific methodology, time efficiency and cost-effective means since it is an essential prerequisite for the appropriate development of our fishing and fish processing industries. The long time required for transportation over long distances from remote catch areas and the lack of handling and preservation can cause irreparable damage to the fish and even death, which incurs low market prices and huge losses to farmers.
In recent times, modern technology such as drone has tremendous potential to deliver vital goods to remote locations, overcoming access barriers and enabling faster delivery. To explore the potential of drone technology in the fishery sector, the Department of Fisheries, Govt. of India assigned a pilot project on “Developing drone technology for live fish transport” to ICAR-CIFRI. The project will be carried out by ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Kolkata aiming to design and develop a 100 kg payload drone carrying live fish up to 10 km.
MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability
Date：2024-09-20 Data Source：Department of North American Affairs
September 20, 2024
The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific” on September 18. In response to a question concerning the fact that Taiwan’s status was not mentioned in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed, pointing out that China was using the resolution as a diplomatic tool to falsely portray Taiwan’s status as illegitimate and that China was conflating its interpretation with its “one China principle” in order to suppress Taiwan. Deputy Secretary Campbell reaffirmed the unwavering US commitment to Taiwan and the long-standing US efforts to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that this was a bipartisan consensus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates that yet another high-level US diplomat has publicly pointed out China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and reiterated bipartisan US support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The comments follow remarks made earlier by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink.
MOFA is pleased that in addition to the United States, like-minded nations including Australia and the Netherlands have adopted friendly resolutions or motions stating that UNGA Resolution 2758 made no reference to Taiwan. MOFA calls on the international community to jointly take concrete actions to refute China’s misrepresentation of the resolution and oppose its spurious claims of there being an international consensus on its “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the United States and other like-minded countries and together preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Posted on Sep 23, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI
JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR
KIAʻĀINA
SHARON HURD CHAIRPERSON
HAWAI`I BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NR24-28
September 21, 2024
COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE FOUND IN WAIKOLOA TRAP
HONOLULU – A single coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) has been found in a trap this week by the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) during routine monitoring in Waikoloa on Hawai‘i Island. This is the first detection of CRB on the island since October 2023 when a Waikoloa resident reported finding a total of six grubs (larvae) in a decaying palm tree stump. The trap that the CRB was found in this week is located about 200 yards from the earlier detection.
HDOA set 30 traps around Waikoloa and has been conducting routine monitoring with the assistance of volunteer area residents. The Big Island Invasive Species Committee has set additional traps, as has the University of Hawai‘i, whose traps have cameras that allow real-time monitoring.
The pheromone traps are used for early detection of infestations. The traps do not attract all CRB in the area and are not effective as an eradication method. Surveillance for CRB has been ongoing on all islands, including traps at airports, harbors and other strategic locations.
HDOA and CRB Response teams are now focusing on eradication efforts in the area where the beetle was found. Initial surveys in the immediate area did not detect obvious signs of CRB damage in palm trees.
“CRB surveillance on Hawai‘i Island has been ongoing and early detection is key to prevent the establishment of breeding populations,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “We ask everyone to keep an eye out for CRB, especially in their compost and mulch piles which are major breeding grounds of the beetle.”
Residents on all islands are asked to be vigilant when purchasing mulch, compost and soil products, and to inspect bags for evidence of entry holes. An adult beetle is about 2-inches long, all black and has a single horn on its head. CRB grubs live in decomposing plant and animal waste. Adult CRB prefer to feed on coconut and other larger palms and are a major threat to the health of these plants.
Residents may go to the CRB Response website at: https://www.crbhawaii.org/ to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage and how to identify CRB life stages. Reports of possible CRB infestation may also be made to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at (808) 643-PEST (7378).
The CRB is a large scarab beetle that was first detected on O‘ahu in 2013. The beetle has since been detected in many neighborhoods on O‘ahu and was detected on Kaua‘i in May 2023, where collaborative eradication efforts continue. CRB grubs were found in Kīhei, Maui, in November 2023, but have not been detected on the island since.
CRB is a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, as the adult beetles bore into the crowns of the palms to feed on the trees’ sap. New unopened fronds are damaged in this way and when fully opened, may break and fall unexpectedly. If CRB kill or damage the growing point of the palm, the tree may die. Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens may also attack the wounds caused by CRB, thereby killing the tree as well. Tree mortality after CRB attack has been reported to be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. Dead trees then become a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after the trunk rots, potentially resulting in bodily injury or property damage.
CRB is a major pest of palms in India, the Philippines, Palau, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Nukunono, American and Western Samoa and Guam. It is still not known exactly how the beetles arrived in Hawai‘i.
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Media Contact: Janelle Saneishi, Public Information Officer Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Phone: 808-973-9560 Cell: 808-341-5528 [email protected] http://hdoa.hawaii.gov
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is the latest business to join the growing lineup of private sector companies backing AgriZeroNZ, alongside government, to get emissions reduction tools into Kiwi farmers’ hands sooner.
Announcing the new shareholder today, Hon Todd McClay, Minister for Agriculture & Trade, confirmed the government would match BNZ’s $4 million investment, boosting AgriZeroNZ’s funds by $8milllion to total $191 million.
BNZ joins The a2 Milk Company, ANZ Bank New Zealand, ANZCO Foods, ASB Bank, Fonterra, Rabobank, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms and Synlait with a combined 50% shareholding of the joint venture (JV). With the government’s increased investment, it owns the remaining half through the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
AgriZeroNZ Board Chair, Sir Brian Roche KNZM, says this provides a welcome boost in funds to achieve the JV’s ambition and maintain the multibillion-dollar agricultural export trade.
“I’m pleased more of the private sector is joining us to help get practical tools into farmers’ hands.
“New Zealand farmers are highly efficient producers of milk and meat for the world, but global companies that pay a premium for these products – such as McDonald’s, Nestlé, Danone, Tesco and Sainsbury’s – are all pushing deep into their supply chain for emissions reduction, with ambitious scope 3 targets.
“These customers want to see more progress and we need to act now, or we risk losing these high-end customers and potentially breaching trade agreements. Further to this, competitor markets with more intensive farms are getting access to new tools to reduce emissions so they could take our place in supplying these customers.
“There is a very real and very disruptive risk to our agricultural sector from the need to reduce emissions but there is also an opportunity to stay among the most efficient producers in the world if we can get the right tools to our farmers.
“We’re confident that with our ambition, expertise, and increasing reach through the private sector, we’ll have 2-3 tools in widespread use by 2030.”
Sir Brian Roche KNZM, AgriZeroNZ Board Chair, says the JV Is confident it will have 2-3 tools in widespread use by 2030
BNZ CEO Dan Huggins says the bank is pleased to support AgriZeroNZ and partner with government and some of the country’s largest primary sector businesses to back its farming customers by investing in tools to help reduce emissions and maintain New Zealand’s competitive advantage in agriculture.
“BNZ has a long history of banking New Zealand farmers, and over that time we have worked alongside our farming customers as they have continually adapted and innovated to meet changing market dynamics.
“This public-private partnership approach to addressing on farm emissions continues that tradition, helping to ensure New Zealand maintains a resilient and productive agricultural sector into the future,” he says.
Dan Huggins, BNZ CEO, says it is investing in tools to help reduce emissions and maintain New Zealand’s competitive advantage in agriculture.
AgriZeroNZ is a world-first public-private partnership with an ambition to ensure all farmers in Aotearoa New Zealand have equitable access to affordable, effective solutions to reduce biogenic methane and nitrous oxide emissions, supporting a 30% reduction by 2030 and drive towards ‘near zero’ by 2040.
Since being established in February 2023, the JV has committed more than $29M across 10 high impact opportunities to bring emissions reduction solutions to market for Kiwi farmers. This includes a methane-inhibiting bolus, novel probiotics, methane vaccine development, and low emissions pasture.
It recently raised $18million from The a2 Milk Company, ANZ Bank New Zealand and ASB Bank becoming shareholders in April, with their funding also matched by government.
AgriZeroNZ has over 77 potential investment opportunities on its radar for review as it continues scanning the globe for solutions which could work on New Zealand farms, to invest and drive development towards a pasture-based solution. It is also working with officials to clarify the regulatory pathway in New Zealand for tools to be used on-farm.
Te Whanganui ā Tara (Wellington’s) skyline is evolving as Bank of New Zealand’s (BNZ) 15-storey new home in the central city – BNZ Place – today officially opened its doors to colleagues and customers.
Under construction since 2020, the architecturally designed building, occupies a full city block on the corner of Whitmore Street and Customhouse Quay, and was officially opened by Finance Minister Nicola Willis at a special event this morning.
CEO Dan Huggins says the striking new building reflects BNZ’s longstanding commitment to the capital city.
“BNZ has been proudly serving Wellington’s communities for 160 years, and BNZ Place not only reflects our commitment to the city but also our vision for the future. We’re thrilled that we are able to share this vibrant and innovative space with our customers, colleagues, and the people of Wellington.”
Designed to be modern and resilient, the building’s unique shape and structural design was informed by extensive research, including wind tunnel testing and seismic hazard assessments. The new headquarters represents a fresh start after the former BNZ building on Waterloo Quay was demolished in 2019, one of several buildings deemed irreparable after the Kaikōura earthquake in 2016.
BNZ Place offers a branch and customer service centre for retail and business banking and a public café on the ground floor. As New Zealand’s largest business bank, BNZ’s Partner Centre offers BNZ business customers state-of-the-art meeting rooms and office space with views of Wellington’s harbour which can be booked and utilised at no cost.
Newcrest Director Lincoln Fraser says, “We are proud to welcome BNZ’s customers and colleagues into their new Wellington home at the completion of what has been an exciting and highly collaborative project. The Newcrest and BNZ project teams have worked closely together to deliver a landmark building with market leading resilience and energy efficiency.”
BNZ Place at 1 Whitmore Street combines sustainability and innovation, aiming for a 5-star green rating with features like high-performance solar control glass and energy-efficient systems, supported by base isolation and a structural steel diagrid. Efficient floorplates, a double-height high entry lobby, inter-floor stairs, a rooftop courtyard, and panoramic views contribute to the state-of-the-art facility.
The design, development and internal fitout of the building also provided an opportunity for BNZ to support its business customers, with Studio Pacific Architecture, Vidak, Alaska Construction, Europlan, and Egmont Dixon all contributing to the build. In addition, the bank collaborated with another BNZ customer, Maxwell Rodgers, using their sustainably sourced wool fabrics to re-upholster and up-cycle furniture from the bank’s previous office, reducing waste to landfill.
“BNZ Place firmly cements our commitment to the capital, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to our new home,” Mr Huggins says.
Tracing BNZ’s roots in Wellington
BNZ’s history in Wellington began in 1862 with temporary offices on Willis Street. Over the years, BNZ has been a pioneer in architectural innovation, from the first drive-in bank in New Zealand to the construction of the Aon Centre in Wellington in the 1980s, the tallest building in New Zealand at the time of construction.
The bank’s architectural legacy includes the innovative use of reclaimed land for its early headquarters, the 1901 building designed by Thomas Turnbull, the purpose-built BNZ Centre in 1985, and the transition to a 5-star green building on the Wellington waterfront.
A brief history
In 1862, BNZ purchased a triangular section on reclaimed land with a frontage along Lambton and Customhouse Quay. The architect was William Mason of Dunedin. The location of the entrance door was later moved due to Wellington’s high winds.
Wellington 1863 building. Cnr Lambton and Customhouse Quay.
Wellington 1863 building. Cnr Lambton and Customhouse Quay. Photograph taken 1878 and shows the relocation of the main doorway.
Wellington premises built in 1901 (before removal of parapet) c.1920
Wellington Branch premises 1901 (after parapet removed) photo taken 1978.
In 1899, the earlier bank and adjoining Brandon Building were demolished to be replaced with a larger building following the subsequent purchasing of an additional 4 sections of land.
Since 1901, three other buildings on the block bounded by Lambton and Customhouse Quays and Hunter Street were purchased and occupied by various departments of BNZ’s Headquarters.
In 1985, the purpose built BNZ Centre was opened across the road. An underground tunnel linked the Old Bank and the New ‘Black Tower’. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in NZ (replaced by the BNZ Tower when that opened in Auckland in 1986). It remained the tallest building in Wellington until the opening of the Majestic Centre in 1991.
BNZ Centre, Wellington 1984
In 2009 BNZ moved out of the BNZ Centre and leased a purpose-built office building located on the Wellington waterfront, referred to as ‘Harbour Quays’. Owned by Centre Port, this building was a 5-star green building, later achieving 6 start for the interior fitout. Following the November 2016 earthquake, the building remained empty with BNZ staff re-located into temporary office sites around the Wellington CBD. The building has since been demolished.
BNZ colleagues from The Terrace, Spark Central and Ricoh House are now reunited at BNZ Place, Wellington. A branch, community centre and collaborative workplace will co-exist in the same building in the heart of Wellington’s CBD.
TOPEKA—Applicants who successfully passed the Kansas bar examination will be sworn in as Kansas attorneys at 9:30 a.m. Friday, September 27, in Topeka.
The ceremony will take place at The Beacon at 420 SW 9th St.
New attorneys can choose to be sworn in during the ceremony Friday or at another time by a state or federal judge.
Chief Justice Marla Luckert will preside over the Supreme Court, and District Judge Toby Crouse will represent the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
Doug Shima, clerk of the Kansas appellate courts, will administer the state oath. Traci Anderson, a clerk from the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, will administer the federal oath.
New attorneys
New attorneys eligible to be sworn in, listed alphabetically by county, are:
Barton
Clarissa Noelle Ratzlaff, Great Bend Jack Leander Roenne, Great Bend
Butler
Hayley Ann Koontz, Benton
Cherokee
Addison Alese Tucker, Galena
Cowley
John Michael Taylor, Atlanta Christin Dunnell Smith, Winfield
Douglas
Madisyn Dianne Schmitz, Eudora Michael Aaron Archer, Lawrence Elm P. Beck, Lawrence Damien James Burger, Lawrence Chad Josiah Cook, Lawrence Jackson Scott de la Garza, Lawrence Rosston Joseph Eubank, Lawrence Anna Christine Hedstrom, Lawrence James Andrew Henderson, Lawrence Natalie Alison Jabben, Lawrence Carter Michael Jones, Lawrence Makaylah Lynn Jones, Lawrence Jared James Lenz, Lawrence Sarah Kathryn Lynch-Chaput, Lawrence Jillian Elizabeth Roy, Lawrence Isabela Guadalupe Solorio, Lawrence Collin Winslow Studer, Lawrence Chloe Ann Thompson, Lawrence Trace Lee Tobin, Lawrence Elijah Jeffrey Waugh, Lawrence Hudson David Weaver, Lawrence
Ellis
Brianna Kay Brin, Hays
Ford
Nichole Marie Byer, Dodge City
Harvey
Destiny Dawn Denney, Newton
Johnson
Mandi Michelle Abbott, Leawood Megan Elizabeth Gannon, Leawood Madisen Kate Hane, Leawood Benjamin Richard Baker, Lenexa Annie Elizabeth Birney, Lenexa Drew Elizabeth Davis, Lenexa Juliana Mare Herrera, Lenexa Emily Hope O’Donnell, Lenexa Samuel Alejandro Sketers, Lenexa Lucas Ryan Zoller, Lenexa Cinthia Terrazas, Mission Dilini Lankachandra, Mission Hills Madeline Lizette Ames, Olathe Tristin Andrieu Lewis Dierking, Olathe Isaiah Cole Eaton, Olathe Morgan Renee Hood, Olathe Kelsey Danielle Saunders, Olathe Lindsay Marie Barash, Overland Park Brooke Ashton Brownlee, Overland Park Cody Von Byrd, Overland Park Wangxue Deng, Overland Park Makenzie Ryan Fankhauser, Overland Park Emily Rosalyn Featherston, Overland Park Jamie Elizabeth Gallagher, Overland Park Richard Ryan Love, Overland Park Alden John Vogel, Overland Park Molly Sue Wackerly, Overland Park Tiffany Lauren Wylde, Overland Park Caitlin Daly McPartland, Prairie Village Julea Miranda Pina, Prairie Village Elizabeth Grace Rohr, Prairie Village Monica Sandu, Prairie Village Andrew Dean McLandsborough, Roeland Park Caroline Maria Rene McCord, Shawnee Nicholas Christopher Kaechele, Spring Hill Caitlin Alyse Kremer, Spring Hill
Leavenworth
Angelique Joeann Margve, Basehor
Lyon
Nickolas Reid Velo, Emporia
Pottawatomie
Daniel Mark Frazier, Saint Marys Margaret Elizabeth Shermoen, Wamego
Riley
Carolo Dionicio Gonzalex, Manhattan Joseph Logan Hoover, Manhattan Candice Lea Wilson, Manhattan
Saline
Emma Rose Dipota, Salina William David Strommen, Salina
Sedgwick
Michael Dee Vinson, Derby Michael Roy Van Deest, Maize Gabrielle Christine Altenor, Wichita Joel Geoffrey Amend, Wichita Leslie Nichole Anderson, Wichita Cameron Joseph Edens, Wichita Brooke Stanton Flucke, Wichita Baron Jack Hoy, Wichita Sophia Ana Padgett, Wichita Caitlin Corrine Riffer, Wichita Makaela Breanne Stevens, Wichita Ethan John Ward, Wichita
Shawnee
Joshua Nolan Becker, Topeka Loretta Anne Caballero, Topeka Jacob Wendell Cibulka, Topeka Kiley Jan-Elizabeth Deain, Topeka Andrew Zachary Foreman, Topeka Edgar Fuentes, Topeka Quinn McLean Hughes, Topeka William Elliot Woody Naeger, Topeka Dylan James Pryor, Topeka Jacob Christian Alexander Reaves, Topeka Carly Paige Steward, Topeka Megan Kristine Walden, Topeka Gabriel Reece Walker, Topeka
Wyandotte
Olivia Leigh Banes, Bonner Springs Bailey Hannah Baker, Kansas City
_______________
Arizona
Noel Kenmadu Ahaneku, Maricopa Chance Matthew Berndt, Phoenix
Colorado
Emily Jean Marie McCurley, Larkspur
Florida
Bryna Rachelle Faimon, Pensacola
Iowa
Spencer Ray Mitchell, University Heights
Missouri
Samantha LeAnn Mishler, Independence Kevin Christopher Birzer, Kansas City Austin Marcus Polina, Kansas City Brien Charles Stonebreaker, Kansas City Vincent Cyrus Amiri, Kearney Kyleigh Jo Rupe, Lee’s Summit
New York
Rebecca Rachel Halff, New York
Oklahoma
Paige Elizabeth Harding, Afton
South Carolina
Zachary Christian Freeman, Aiken
Virginia
Cody Grant Hoagland, Concord Alisha Deanna Mehdi, Herndon
This post originally appeared on theTransform with Google Cloud blog. It was first published April 12, 2024; last updated with new use cases September 24, 2024.
Since generative AI first captured the world’s attention, there’s been a vigorous discussion about what, exactly, the new technology is best used for. While we all enjoyed those early funny chats and witty limericks, we’ve quickly discovered that many of the biggest AI opportunities are clearly in the enterprise, government, and with exciting new companies.
When we first published this post during Google Cloud Next ‘24, we showcased 101 of the best use cases out of the hundreds featured across the event. Now, we’re adding another 84 to the list as customers across the globe continue to put generative AI to work.
[If you’ve visited this post in the past, you can find the newest use cases listed at the top of each section.]
In a matter of months, organizations have gone from AI helping answer questions, to AI making predictions, to generative AI agents. What makes AI agents unique is that they can take actions to achieve specific goals, whether that’s guiding a shopper to the perfect pair of shoes, helping an employee looking for the right health benefits, or supporting nursing staff with smoother patient hand-offs during shifts changes.
In our work with customers, we keep hearing that their teams are increasingly focused on improving productivity, automating processes, and modernizing the customer experience. These aims are now being achieved through the AI agents they’re developing in six key areas: customer service; employee empowerment; code creation; data analysis; cybersecurity; and creative ideation and production.
Hundreds of Google Cloud customers have now put AI agents and gen-AI solutions into production throughout their businesses and the world — with many seeing a tangible return on investment. They have come to rely on Google Cloud technologies that include our AI infrastructure, Gemini models, Vertex AI platform, Google Workspace, and Google Distributed Cloud.
Here’s a snapshot of how 185 of these industry leaders are putting AI to use today, creating real-world use cases that will transform tomorrow.
Customer agents
Similar to great sales and service people, customer agents are able to listen carefully, understand your needs, and recommend the right products and services. They work seamlessly across channels including the web, mobile, and point of sale, and can be integrated into product experiences with voice and video.
1.Alaska Airlines is developing natural language search, providing travelers with a conversational experience powered by AI that’s akin to interacting with a knowledgeable travel agent. This chatbot aims to streamline travel booking, enhance customer experience, and reinforce brand identity.
2. Bennie Health uses Vertex AI to power its innovative employee health benefits platform, providing actionable insights and streamlining data management in order to enhance efficiency and decision-making for employees and HR teams.
3. Beyond 12, a tech-enabled nonprofit focused on student empowerment, has developed an AI-powered college coach to offer scalable coaching to first-generation students that’s available over text, app, and the web.
4. CareerVillage is building an app called Coach to empower job seekers, especially underrepresented youth, in their career preparedness; already featuring 35 career development activities, the aim is to have more than 100 by next year.
5. Character.ai built its realistic conversational chat platform using the full stack of Google Cloud AI services, including for model training and daily operations, allowing it to manage terabytes of conversations each day without interruption.
6. Click Therapeutics develops prescription digital therapeutics designed to treat disease. Its Clinical Operations team leverages Gemini for Google Workspace to transform complex operations data into actionable insights, so they can quickly pinpoint ways to streamline the patient experience in clinical trials.
7. Formula E can now summarize a two-hour long race commentary into a 2-minute podcast in any language, incorporating driver data and ongoing seasonal storylines.
8. General Motors’ OnStar has been augmented with new AI features, including a virtual assistant powered by Google Cloud’s conversational AI technologies that are better able to recognize the speaker’s intent.
9. Gojek, an Indonesia-based super app, launched “Dira by GoTo AI,” a Bahasa Indonesia AI-powered voice assistant integrated into their GoPay service, allowing customers to use voice command to eliminate typing and scrolling, and complete tasks like bill payments and money transfers with fewer steps.
10. GroupBy, an ecommerce service provider, developed an AI-first Search and Discovery Platform powered by Vertex AI Search for Retail. This solution is meticulously designed to optimize revenue, strengthen brand loyalty, and drive sales growth for B2C and B2B retailers.
11. Hotelplan Suisse built a chatbot trained on the business’s travel expertise to answer customer inquiries in real-time, and, following that success, it plans to use gen AI to create travel content.
12. Justicia Lab is developing an AI-powered assistant that will simplify legal processes for asylum seekers and immigrants; by uploading a picture from a legal letter or document, users can extract valuable information and then receive personalized guidance and next steps.
13. Mercado Libre has incorporated semantic search into its digital shopping platforms, using AI embeddings from the Vertex AI Agent Builder, which greatly improved product recommendations and discoverability for more than 200 million consumers across Latin America.
14. Motorola’s Moto AI leverages Gemini and Imagen to help smartphone users unlock new levels of productivity, creativity, and enjoyment with features such as conversation summaries, notification digests, image creation, and natural language search — all with reliable responses grounded in Google Search.
15. mRelief has built an SMS-accessible AI chatbot to simplify the application process for the SNAP food assistance program in the U.S., featuring easy-to-understand eligibility information and direct assistance within minutes rather than days.
16. Personal AI offers a “personal language model” using only the data of one individual or brand and allowing them to control and own how it is used. Built on your own data, facts, and opinions, it creates a responsive and interactive messaging experience that helps people be more productive and deepen relationships.
17. PODS worked with the advertising agency Tombras to create the “World’s Smartest Billboard” using Gemini — a campaign on its trucks that could adapt to each neighborhood in New York City, changing in real-time based on data. It hit all 299 neighborhoods in just 29 hours, creating more than 6,000 unique headlines.
18. Quora developed Poe, its own generative AI platform for people to discover and chat with AI-powered bots, including Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, Meta’s Llama, and Mistral’s Large 2 — many of which are hosted on Google Cloud’s purpose-built AI infrastructure.
19. ScottsMiracle-Gro built an AI agent on Vertex AI to provide tailored gardening advice and product recommendations for consumers.
20. Snap has deployed the multimodal capability of Gemini within its “My AI” chatbot and has since seen over 2.5-times as much engagement within Snapping to My AI in the United States.
21. Tabiya has built a conversational interface, Compass, that helps young people find employment opportunities; the platform asks questions and requests information, drawing out skills and experiences and matching those to appropriate roles.
22. Telecom Italia (TIM) implemented a Google-powered voice agent to address many customer calls, increasing efficiency by 20%.
23. UPS Capital launched DeliveryDefense Address Confidence, which uses machine learning and UPS data to provide a confidence score for shippers to help them determine the likelihood of a successful delivery.
24. Volkswagen of America built a virtual assistant in the myVW app, where drivers can explore their owners’ manuals and ask questions, such as, “How do I change a flat tire?” or “What does this digital cockpit indicator light mean?” Users can also use Gemini’s multimodal capabilities to see helpful information and context on indicator lights simply by pointing their smartphone cameras at the dashboard.
25. ADT is building a customer agent to help its millions of customers select, order, and set up their home security.
26. Alaska Airlines is developing a personalized travel search experience using advanced AI techniques, creating hyper-personalized recommendations that engage customers early and foster loyalty through AI-generated content.
27. Best Buy is using Gemini to launch a generative AI-powered virtual assistant this summer that can troubleshoot product issues, reschedule order deliveries, manage Geek Squad subscriptions, and more; in-store and digital customer-service associates are also gaining gen-AI tools to better serve customers anywhere they need help.
28. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is using Vertex AI to modernize transportation operations for a smoother, more efficient journey.
29. Etsy uses Vertex AI training to optimize their search recommendations and ads models, delivering better listing suggestions to buyers and helping sellers grow their businesses.
30. IHG Hotels & Resorts is building a generative AI-powered chatbot to help guests easily plan their next vacation directly in the IHG One Rewards mobile app.
31. ING Bank aims to offer a superior customer experience and has developed a gen-AI chatbot for workers to enhance self-service capabilities and improve answer quality on customer queries.
32. Magalu, one of Brazil’s largest retailers, has put customer service at the center of its AI strategy, including using Vertex AI to create “Lu’s Brain” to power an interactive conversational agent for Lu, Magalu’s popular brand persona (the 3D bot has more than 14 million followers between TikTok and Instagram).
33. Mercedes Benz will infuse e-commerce capabilities into its online storefront with a gen AI-powered smart sales assistant. Mercedes also plans to expand its use of Google Cloud AI in its call centers and is using Vertex AI and Gemini to personalize marketing campaigns.
34. Oppo/OnePlus is incorporating Gemini models and Google Cloud AI into their phones to deliver innovative customer experiences, including news and audio recording summaries, AI toolbox, and more.
35. Samsung is deploying Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 to their Galaxy S24 smartphones so users can take advantage of amazing features like text summarization, organization, and magical image editing.
36. The Minnesota Division of Driver and Vehicle Services helps non-English speakers get licenses and other services with two-way real-time translation.
37. Pepperdine University has students and faculty who speak many languages, and with Gemini in Google Meet, they can benefit from real-time translated captioning and notes.
38. Sutherland, a leading digital transformation company, is focused on bringing together human expertise and AI, including boosting its client-facing teams by automatically surfacing suggested responses and automating insights in real time.
39. Target uses Google Cloud to power AI solutions on the Target app and Target.com, including personalized Target Circle offers and Starbucks at Drive Up, their curbside pickup solution.
40. Tokopedia, an Indonesian ecommerce leader, is using Vertex AI to improve data quality, increasing unique products being sold by 5%.
41. US News saw a double-digit impact in key metrics like click-through rate, time spent on page, and traffic volume to its pages after implementing Vertex AI Search.
42-45. IntesaSanpaolo, MacquarieBank, and Scotiabank are exploring the potential of gen AI to transform the way we live, work, bank, and invest — particularly how the new technology can boost productivity and operational efficiency in banking.
Employee agents
Employee agents help workers be more productive and collaborate better together. These agents can streamline processes, manage repetitive tasks, answer employee questions, as well as edit and translate critical communications.
46. 2bots offers technology solutions, such as chatbots and virtual agents, built with Google Cloud’s AI solutions; these intelligent chatbots and content generation tools are transforming the way companies interact with their customers.
47. Augment is building an AI personal assistant that offers enhanced note-taking and collects information across your apps, including calendar, email, texts, and social media, so users can more quickly and easily find personal information and keep their lives organized.
48. Bayes Impact builds AI products to support nonprofits, and its flagship product, CaseAI, is a digital case manager that integrates with an NGO’s current system to add smart features to draft action plans tailored to a beneficiary’s unique history; caseworkers have saved 25 hours of work per week on average.
49. Bell Canada has built customizable contact center solutions for its business customers that offer AI-powered agents to address callers, and Agent Assist, which listens when a human agent is on, offering suggestions and sentiment analysis. AI has contributed $20 million in savings across customer operations.
50. Best Buy can generate conversation summaries in real time using Contact Center AI, allowing live agents to give their full attention to understanding and supporting customers, resulting in a 30-to-90-second reduction in average call time and after-call work. Both customers and agents have cited improved satisfaction.
51. Camanchaca, a Chilean seafood company, took only six weeks to develop Elon, a virtual assistant that aims to provide more efficient customer service through digital channels, enhancing Camanchaca’s customer interactions.
52. Certify OS is automating credentialing, licensing, and monitoring of medical providers for healthcare networks, relieving the burden of time-consuming and often siloed information.
53. Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs widely uses Gemini for Google Workspace, estimating that employees are saving an average five hours per week just with AI capabilities in Gmail. Gemini is also streamlining time-consuming, manual processes through uses like AI-generated transcriptions and auto-formatting of pharmaceutical lab results or FDA compliance documentation.
54. Dun & Bradstreet built an email-generation tool with Gemini that helps sellers create tailored, personalized communications to prospects and customers for its research services. The company also developed intelligent search capabilities to help users with complex queries like, “Find me all the companies in this area with a high ESG rating.”
55. England’s Football Association is training Vertex AI on the FA’s historical and current scouting reports so they can be transformed into concise summaries, helping national teams discover future talent.
56. Fireflies.ai can transcribe, summarize, and analyze meetings, recordings, and other voice conversations to save time and improve collaboration and information sharing across teams.
57. Fluna, a Pan-African digital services company, has automated the analysis and drafting of legal agreements using Vertex AI, Document AI, and Gemini 1.5 Pro, achieving an accuracy of 92% in data extraction while ensuring security and reliability for sensitive information.
58. Hemominas, Brazil’s largest blood bank, partnered with Xertica to develop an omnichannel chatbot for donor search and scheduling, streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency. The AI solution has the potential to save half-a-million lives annually by attracting more donors and optimizing blood supply management.
59. Hiscox used BigQuery and Vertex AI to create the first AI-enhanced lead underwriting model for insurers, automating and accelerating the quoting for complex risks from three days down to a few minutes.
60. LiveX AI delivers AI Agents that swiftly enhance product education, boost customer conversion, reduce churn, and provide personalized customer support, with the goal of offering everyone a seamless VIP experience across their customer journey.
61. Opportunity@Work is applying gen AI to scale a suite of software tools and APIs that help employers identify “STAR” job candidates — “skilled through alternative routes” such as community college, military service, and on-the-job experience — helping fill roles in a tight market and expand opportunities.
62. QuantumMetric has introduced Felix AI, powered by Gemini Pro, to simplify digital analytics and decision making. Felix AI automatically summarizes a user’s web or mobile session and consolidates the moments that matter most into short, readable summaries for customer service workers.
63. Randstad, a large HR services and talent provider, is using Gemini for Workspace across its organization to transform its work culture, leading to a more culturally diverse and inclusive workplace that’s seen a double-digit reduction in sick days.
64. Sprinklr built Sprinklr AI+ into its unified customer experience management platform, giving brands gen-AI capabilities for customer service, insights, social media management, and marketing that has enterprise-grade governance, security, and data privacy built-in.
65. Thomson Reuters added Gemini Pro to its suite of large language models approved for employee use; with its 2-million-token context window, Gemini makes some tasks as much as 10-times faster to process and can process entire documents in context.
66. Warner Bros. Discovery built an AI captioning tool with Vertex AI and saw a 50% reduction in overall costs, and an 80% reduction in the time it takes to manually caption a file without the use of machine learning.
67. The U.S. Air Force built a new proof-of-concept portal for searching, browsing, and reading e-published PDFs — all within a 90-day deadline that leveraged the prebuilt tools and speed of Vertex AI Search and Conversation.
68. Avery Dennison empowered their employees with generative AI to enable secure, flexible, and borderless collaboration for enhanced productivity to drive growth.
69. Bank of New York Mellon built a virtual assistant to help employees find relevant information and answers to their questions.
70. Bayer is building a radiology platform that will assist radiologists with data analysis, intelligent search, and to create documents that meet healthcare requirements needed for regulatory approval. The bioscience company is also harnessing BigQuery and Vertex AI to develop additional digital medical solutions and drugs more efficiently.
71. Bristol Myers Squibb is transforming its document processes for clinical trials using Vertex AI and Google Workspace. Now, documentation that took scientists weeks now gets to a first draft in minutes.
72. BenchSci develops generative AI solutions empowering scientists to understand complex connections in biological research, saving them time and financial resources and ultimately bringing new medicine to patients faster.
73. Cintas is using Vertex AI Search to develop an internal knowledge center for customer service and sales teams to easily find key information.
74. Covered California, the state’s healthcare marketplace, is using Document AI to help improve the consumer and employee experience by automating parts of the documentation and verification process when residents apply for coverage.
75. Dasa, the largest medical diagnostics company in Brazil, is helping physicians detect relevant findings in test results more quickly.
76. DaVita leverages DocAI and Healthcare NLP to transform kidney care, including analyzing medical records, uncovering critical patient insights, and reducing errors. AI enables physicians to focus on personalized care, resulting in significant improvements in healthcare delivery.
77. Discover Financial helps their 10,000 contact center representatives to search and synthesize information across detailed policies and procedures during calls.
78. HCA Healthcare is testing Cati, a virtual AI caregiver assistant that helps to ensure continuity of care when one caregiver shift ends and another begins. They are also using gen AI to improve workflows on time-consuming tasks, such as clinical documentation, so physicians and nurses can focus more on patient care.
79. The Home Depot has built an application called Sidekick, which helps store associates manage inventory and keep shelves stocked; notably, vision models help associates prioritize which actions to take.
80. Los Angeles Rams are utilizing AI across the board from content analysis to player scouting.
81. McDonald’s will leverage data, AI, and edge technologies across its thousands of restaurants to implement innovation faster and to enhance employee and customer experiences.
82. Pennymac, a leading US-based national mortgage lender, is using Gemini across several teams including HR, where Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail is helping them accelerate recruiting, hiring, and new employee onboarding.
83. Robert Bosch, the world’s largest automotive supplier, revolutionizes marketing through gen AI-powered solutions, streamlining processes, optimizing resource allocation, and maximizing efficiency across 100+ decentralized departments.
84. Symphony, the communications platform for the financial services industry, uses Vertex AI to help finance and trading teams collaborate across multiple asset classes.
85. Uber is using AI agents to help employees be more productive, save time, and be even more effective at work. For customer service representatives, they’ve launched new tools that summarize communications with users and can even surface context from previous interactions, so front-line staff can be more helpful and effective.
86. The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs is using AI at the edge to improve cancer detection for service members and veterans. The Augmented Reality Microscope (ARM) is deployed at remote military treatment facilities around the world. The prototype device is helping pathologists find cancer faster and with better accuracy.
87. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has improved the quality and efficiency of their patent and trademark examination process by implementing AI-driven technologies.
88. Verizon is using generative AI to help teams in network operations and customer experience get the answers they need faster.
89. Victoria’s Secret is testing AI-powered agents to help their in-store associates find information about product availability, inventory, and fitting and sizing tips, so they can better tailor recommendations to customers.
90. Vodafone uses Vertex AI to search and understand specific commercial terms and conditions across more than 10,000 contracts with more than 800 communications operators
91. WellSky is integrating Google Cloud’s healthcare and Vertex AI capabilities to reduce the time spent completing documentation outside work hours.
92. Woolworths, the leading retailer in Australia, boosts employees’ confidence in communications with “Help me write” across Google Workspace products for more than 10,000 administrative employees. It’s also using Gemini to create next-generation promotions, as well as for quickly assisting customer service reps in summarizing all previous customer interactions in real time.
93-97. Box, Typeface, Glean, CitiBank, and Securiti AI discuss developing AI-powered apps across the enterprise, with measurable returns on investment for marketing, financial services, and HR use cases.
98-99. Highmark Health and Freenome join Bristol Myers Squibb to explore how AI can improve efficiency and innovation across care delivery, drug discovery, clinical trial planning, and bringing medicines to market.
Code agents
Code agents are helping developers and product teams to design, create, and operate applications faster and better, and to ramp up on new languages and code bases. Many organizations are already seeing double-digit gains in productivity, leading to faster deployment and cleaner, clearer code.
100. Labelbox has built a fully managed AI model evaluation solution directly integrated into the Vertex AI platform, allowing Google Cloud users to seamlessly launch human evaluation jobs and set specific criteria for evaluation, such as question-answering and summarization; this eases and accelerates the ability to deploy human-in-the-loop AI systems with higher levels of trust and authority.
101. Leroy Merlin, a global home improvement retailer, developed its Pull Request Analyzer using Vertex AI. This generative AI solution summarizes code changes, helping developers understand projects faster and improve code review efficiency.
102. Linear, a product development platform, built Similar Issues, a feature that uses AI to detect and prevent duplicate or overlapping tickets and ensures cleaner and more accurate data representation.
103. Magic is building a developer platform with a 100-million-token context window, so organizations can upload extremely large code bases and more easily query and build on them using gen AI assistance.
104. Pinecone provides infrastructure for developers to build accurate, secure, and scalable AI applications, allowing companies to easily ground gen AI apps in their proprietary data for use in AI search, retrieval-augmented generation, coding agents, and more.
105. Regnology built its Ticket-to-Code Writer tool with Gemini 1.5 Pro to automate the conversion of bug tickets into actionable code, significantly streamlining the software development process.
106. Weights & Biases, a creator of AI tools for developers, created W&B Weave, a lightweight toolkit to track, evaluate, and debug gen AI applications built with Gemini, so teams can confidently go from demo to production.
107. Capgemini has been using Code Assist to improve software engineering productivity, quality, security, and developer experience, with early results showing workload gains for coding and more stable code quality.
108. Commerzbank is enhancing developer efficiency through Code Assist’s robust security and compliance features.
109. Quantiphi saw developer productivity gains of more than 30% during their Code Assist pilot.
110. Replit developers will get access to Google Cloud infrastructure, services, and foundation models via Ghostwriter, Replit’s software development AI, while Google Cloud and Workspace developers will get access to Replit’s collaborative code editing platform.
111. Seattle Children’s hospital is using AI to boost data engineering productivity and accelerate development.
112. Turing is customizing Gemini Code Assist on their private codebase, empowering their developers with highly personalized and contextually relevant coding suggestions that have increased productivity around 30 percent and made day-to-day coding more enjoyable.
113. Wayfair piloted Code Assist, and those developers with the code agent were able to set up their environments 55 percent faster than before, there was a 48 percent increase in code performance during unit testing, and 60 percent of developers reported that they were able to focus on more satisfying work.
Data agents
Data agents are like having knowledgeable data analysts and researchers at your fingertips. They can help answer questions about internal and external sources, synthesize research, develop new models — and, best of all, help find the questions we haven’t even thought to ask yet, and then help get the answers.
114. 180Seguros is powering its data management platform for employees with Google Cloud AI and BigQuery to improve operational metric tracking, allowing for 3X faster query times.
115. Addy AI is helping mortgage lenders and banks automate their lending processes with custom AI models trained on Vertex AI. For example, the platform can extract loan opportunity details from lengthy email threads with numerous attachments.
116. Bayer Crop Science has developed Climate FieldView, a comprehensive agricultural platform with more than 250 layers of data and billions of data points; AI-powered recommendations allow farmers to design and monitor their fields for greater yields and efficient fertilization, with the added benefit of reduced carbon emissions.
117. CME Group is building a first-of-its-kind cloud-based commodities trading platform with AI tools built-in, offering CME’s trading customers access to deeper insights and smarter trades as well as rapid experimentation on new trading strategies that won’t interrupt existing trade flows.
118. Digits is developing next-gen accounting software for startups and small businesses; using AI-driven bookkeeping, expense management, and financial analysis, Digits enables business owners to achieve financial clarity and focus on growth.
119. Elanco, a leader in animal health, has implemented a gen AI framework supporting critical business processes, such as Pharmacovigilance, Customer Orders, and Clinical Insights. The framework, powered by Vertex AI and Gemini, has resulted in an estimated ROI of $1.9 million since launching last year.
120. Full Fact, a UK-based nonprofit working in 18 countries to combat misinformation, is now using gen AI to actively monitor stories so its 30 fact-checking partner organizations can focus on addressing specific claims and harmful information.
121. Fullstory, a digital behavioral data platform, is building the ability to analyze and summarize user behavior on a site to create more informed and enriching chatbot experiences; responses are more relevant and accurate, ultimately improving virtual agent performance and customer experience
122. GamudaBerhad, a Malaysian infrastructure and property management company, has integrated a Gemini-powered conversational agent into its cloud-based Tunnel Insight platform, providing faster information and insights during construction projects.
123. IntelligenciaAI is using AI models to research novel new drugs, relying on Google Cloud’s AI-optimized infrastructure to deliver scalable research that is accurate and transparent to meet the stringent needs of medicine.
124. IPRally built a custom machine-learning platform that uses natural language processing on the text of more than 120 million global patent documents, creating an accurate, easily searchable database that adds more than 200,000 new sources a week.
125. Ipsos built a data analysis tool for its teams of market researchers, eliminating the need for time-consuming requests to data analysts, which is powered by Gemini 1.5 Pro and Flash models as well as Grounding with Google Search to enhance real-world accuracy from contemporaneous Search information.
126. Materiom, a startup researching zero-waste, bio-based alternatives to fossil-fuel-made products like plastics, is creating a gen AI tool that enables entrepreneurs to develop novel compostable materials with broad applications; AI offers faster research and information gathering to speed up the development process.
127. Mendel has built a clinical AI system designed to break down the longstanding silos in medical data, boosting accuracy, accessibility, and ultimately patient health outcomes.
128. NeuroPace, a medical device company, built a solution to quickly identify effective epilepsy treatment options best suited to different patients; by analyzing brainwave patterns, it can find similar patients and apply successful therapies, streamlining personalized care.
129. NotCo, a Chilean food tech company, partnered with Eleven Solutions to develop a conversational AI chatbot powered by Gemini; the chatbot has revolutionized data access, allowing employees to instantly query their SAP system and gain real-time insights for faster, data-driven decision-making.
130. SURA Investments, the largest asset manager in Latin America, developed an AI-based analysis model for employees that allows them to better understand customer needs and improve customer experience and satisfaction.
131. AI21 Labs offers a BigQuery integration called Contextual Answers that allows users to query data conversationally and get high-quality answers quickly.
132. Anthropic has partnered with Google Cloud to offer its family of Claude 3 models on Vertex AI — providing organizations with more model options for intelligence, speed, cost-efficiency, and vision for enterprise use cases.
133. The Asteroid Institute is using AI to discover hidden asteroids in existing astronomical data. This is a major focus for astronomers researching the evolution of the Solar System, investors and businesses hoping to fly missions to asteroids, and for all of us who want to prevent future large asteroid impacts on Earth.
134. Contextual is working with Google Cloud to offer enterprises fully customizable, trustworthy, privacy-aware AI grounded in internal knowledge bases.
135. Cox 2M, the commercial IoT division of Cox Communications, is able to make smarter, faster business decisions using AI-powered analytics.
136. Essential AI, a developer of enterprise AI solutions, is using Google Cloud’s AI-optimized TPU v5p accelerator chips to train its own AI models.
137. Generali Italia, Italy’s largest insurance provider, used Vertex AI to build a model evaluation pipeline that helps ML teams quickly evaluate performance and deploy models.
138. Globo, one of Brazil’s largest media networks, is using Service Extensions and Media CDN to fight piracy during live events by blocking pirated streams in real time.
139. Golden State Warriors are using AI to improve the fan experience content in their Chase Center app.
140. Hugging Face is collaborating with Google across open science, open source, cloud, and hardware to enable companies to build their own AI with the latest open models from Hugging Face and Google Cloud hardware and software.
141. Kakao Brain, part of Korean technology company Kakao Group, has built a large-scale AI language model that is the largest Korean language-specific LLM in the market, with 66 billion parameters. They’ve also developed a text-to-image generator called Karlo.
142. Mayo Clinic has given thousands of its scientific researchers access to 50 petabytes worth of clinical data through Vertex AI search, accelerating information retrieval across multiple languages.
143. McLaren Racing is using Google AI to get up-to-the-millisecond insights during races and training to gain a competitive edge.
144. Mercado Libre is testing BigQuery and Looker to optimize capacity planning and reservations with delivery carriers and airlines to fulfill shipments faster.
145. Mistral AI will use Google Cloud’s AI-optimized infrastructure, to further test, build, and scale up its LLMs, all while benefiting from Google Cloud’s security and privacy standards.
146. MSCI uses machine learning with Vertex AI, BigQuery and Cloud Run to enrich its datasets to help our clients gain insight into around 1 million asset locations to help manage climate-related risks.
147. NewsCorp is using Vertex AI to help search data across 30,000 sources and 2.5 billion news articles updated daily.
148. Orange operates in 26 countries where local data must be kept in each country. They are using AI on Google Distributed Cloud to improve network performance and deliver super-responsive translation capabilities.
149. Spotify leveraged Dataflow for large-scale generation of ML podcast previews, and they plan to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with data engineering and data science to build better experiences for their customers and creators.
150. UPS is building a digital twin of its entire distribution network, so both workers and customers can see where their packages are at any time.
151. Workday is using natural language processing in Vertex Search and Conversation to make data insights more accessible for technical and non-technical users alike.
152. Woven — Toyota‘s investment in the future of mobility — is partnering with Google to leverage vast amounts of data and AI to enable autonomous driving, supported by thousands of ML workloads on Google Cloud’s AI Hypercomputer. This has resulted in resulting in 50% total-cost-of-ownership savings to support automated driving.
152-153. Broward County, Florida, and Southern California Edison are using geospatial capabilities and AI to improve infrastructure planning and monitoring, generate new insights, and create regional resilience for communities facing climate challenges today and tomorrow.
154-155. Kinaxis and Dematic are building data-driven supply chains to address logistics use cases including scenario modeling, planning, operations management, and automation.
156-157. NOAA and USAID are among the U.S. government agencies using Google Cloud AI to unlock critical data insights to streamline operations and improve mission outcomes — all with an emphasis on responsible AI.
Security agents
Security agents assist security operations by radically increasing the speed of investigations, automating monitoring and response for greater vigilance and compliance controls. They can also help guard data and models from cyberattacks, such as malicious prompt injection.
158. Apex Fintech is using Gemini in Security to accelerate the writing of complex threat detections from hours to a matter of seconds.
159. Exabeam has built a generative AI copilot for security analysts into its New-Scale Security Operations Platform.
160. Fiserv, a developer of financial services technology, can now summarize threats, find answers, and detect, validate, and respond to security events faster with the Gemini in Security Operations platform.
161. NetRise developed Trace to provide software supply chain security by introducing AI-powered intent-driven searches; these allow users to search their assets based on the underlying motives or purposes behind the code and configurations, rather than solely relying on signature-based methods.
162. Palo Alto Networks is using Gemini to create a grounded AI assistant for 24/7 security platform support in order to improve agent efficiency and response time; grounding the assistant in organizational data and security protocols has greatly improved the accuracy of responses.
163. BBVA uses AI in Google SecOps to detect, investigate, and respond to security threats with more accuracy, speed, and scale. The platform now surfaces critical security data in seconds, when it previously took minutes or even hours, and delivers highly automated responses.
164. Behavox is using Google Cloud technology and LLMs to provide industry leading regulatory compliance and front office solutions for financial institutions globally.
165. Charles Schwab has integrated their own intelligence into the AI-powered Google SecOps, so analysts can better prioritize work and respond to threats.
166. Fiserv’s security operations engineers create detections and playbooks with much less effort, while analysts get answers more quickly.
167. Grupo Boticário, one of the largest beauty retail and cosmetics companies in Brazil, employs real-time security models to prevent fraud and to detect and respond to issues.
168. Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex XSIAM, the AI-driven security operations platform, is built on more than a decade of expertise in machine-learning models and the most comprehensive, rich, and diverse data store in the industry. Backed by Google’s advanced cloud infrastructure and advanced AI services, including BigQuery and Gemini models, the combination delivers global scale and near real-time protection across all cybersecurity offerings.
169. Pfizer can now aggregate cybersecurity data sources, cutting analysis times from days to seconds.
Creative agents
Creative agents can expand your organization with the best design and production skills, working across images, slides, and exploring concepts with workers. Many organizations are building agents for their marketing teams, audio and video production teams, and all the creative people that can use a hand. With creative agents, anyone can become a designer, artist, or producer.
170. AdoreMe marketers write differentiated product descriptions in one hour, a tedious task which used to take 30-40 hours a month thanks to Gemini for Google Workspace.
171. Globo, the largest media group in Latin America, is using Google Cloud’s AI to hyper-personalize content for its streaming users, and create a better experience for spectators.
172. Higgsfield.ai built a number of text-to-video apps for consumers, including Diffuse 2.0, which can combine users photos, videos, and texts through AI models to create more realistic avatars.
173. Jasper trains its suite of creativity-, writing-, and marketing-focused AI models on Google’s AI infrastructure, delivering on-brand, data-optimized assets faster and at scale to teams large and small.
174. Puma is using Imagen to customize product photos on its website, saving time and ensuring they are locally relevant across markets; PUMA India has already seen a 10% increase in click through rate.
175. RadissonHotel Group personalized its advertising at scale in collaboration with Accenture and using Vertex AI and Gemini models, training them on extensive datasets stored in BigQuery; ad teams saw productivity rise around 50% while revenue increased from AI-powered campaigns by more than 20%
176. SquareEnix is using customer data to develop AI-optimized marketing assets to keep its gamers engaged, sharing personalized emails suited to each player’s preferences, leading to a 20% increase in email opens and a 10% increased retention rate.
177. Urmobo, a mobile-device management platform, created a virtual agent, Odin, that significantly improved user experience and reduced support tickets by enabling clients to interact with the platform using natural language.
178. The World Bank is developing a tool to extract key information from research literature on the causal impact of development interventions, with the ultimate goal to empower decision-makers to allocate the $220B in annual aid and trillions in annual impact investing more effectively.
179. Belk ECommerce is using generative AI to craft better product descriptions, a necessary yet time-consuming task for digital retails that has often been done manually.
180. Canva is using Vertex AI to power its Magic Design for Video, helping users skip tedious editing steps while creating shareable and engaging videos in a matter of seconds.
181. Carrefour used Vertex AI to deploy Carrefour Marketing Studio in just five weeks — an innovative solution to streamline the creation of dynamic campaigns across various social networks. In just a few clicks, marketers can build ultra-personalized campaigns to deliver customers advertising that they care about.
182. Major League Baseball continues to innovate its Statcast platform, so teams, broadcasters, and fans have access to live in-game insights.
183. Paramount currently relies on manual processes to create the essential metadata and video summaries used across its Paramount+ platform for showcasing content and creating personalized experiences for viewers. VertexAI Text Bison is now helping to streamline this process.
184. Procter & Gamble used Imagen to develop an internal gen AI platform to accelerate the creation of photo-realistic images and creative assets, giving marketing teams more time to focus on high-level planning and delivering superior experiences for its consumers.
185. WPP will integrate Google Cloud’s gen AI capabilities into its intelligent marketing operating system, called WPP Open, which empowers its people and clients to deliver new levels of personalization, creativity, and efficiency. This includes the use of Gemini 1.5 Pro models to supercharge both the accuracy and speed of content performance predictions.
To find even more customers using our AI tools to build agents and solutions for their most important enterprise projects, visit the Google Cloud customer hub.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 24, 2024/APO Group/ —
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) on 20 September 2024 approved a $129.71 million loan to Tanzania for the implementation of a youth-focused agribusiness program.
The loan will fund the first phase of the “Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiatives for Agribusiness” program, which aims to create business opportunities and jobs for young people in key agricultural sectors.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $241.27 million. In addition to the Bank’s loan, which covers 53,76 percent of the cost, the funding package includes grants of $1.15 million from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund and $210,000 from tropical vegetable seed firm East-West Seed. The Tanzanian government will provide $110.41 million, representing 45.76 percent of the total.
Patricia Laverley, the Bank’s Country Manager for Tanzania, said: “This project is expected to incubate and empower approximately 11,000 ‘agripreneurs,’ including at least 6,000 young agribusiness owners.” She added that the program will facilitate access to finance for an additional 2,500 young people already involved in agribusiness but lacking access to commercial loans. We expect each agribusiness run by a young person will employ an average of five workers.”
The project will implement strategies to raise awareness and manage knowledge using youth-oriented information and communication technologies. It will also provide training and support for agrifood business incubation and acceleration, with a particular focus on the recruitment of female applicants.
Digital technologies, including satellite technology and artificial intelligence, will be utilized to improve agricultural productivity and decision-making processes for young farmer cooperatives.
As of 30 June 2024, the African Development Bank approved 25 projects in Tanzania, with a total commitment of $3.48 billion.
On September 1, Cairo wrote to the UN security council to protest against Ethiopia’s continued filling of Africa’s second largest reservoir and bringing two more power generating turbines into operation. Egypt sees any new infrastructure development on the Nile as a potential threat, since the river is the source of over 98% of the country’s water.
Egypt calls this a violation of international law and Ethiopia’s obligations to “prevent significant harm”. Ethiopia’s policies, it says,
could result in an existential threat to Egypt … and would consequently jeopardise regional and international peace and security.
Ethiopia has told Egypt to “abandon its aggressive approach” towards the dam. Ethiopia says that it must allow the Blue Nile’s water to flow through the dam’s turbines and on to Egypt to generate the hydropower for which it has been built, thus guaranteeing the overall flow to Egypt.
I have tracked the Nile disputes since the 1970s, first as a development journalist, then as a civil engineer and senior public servant. More recently, my research on water and regional integration for regional development agencies has provided further insights. My 2021 study considered the lessons to be learnt for today’s water challenges from centuries of the use and management of Nile waters.
Ongoing tension between Egypt and Ethiopia over control of the Nile River has a long history. Therefore, in one sense, the row between Egypt and Ethiopia is nothing new.
The countries went to war as far back as 1874, even as they both were also battling European colonialism. Ethiopia won the war of 1874 and, 20 years later, beat back Italy’s attempt to colonise it, at the battle of Adwa.
However, Egypt gained long term advantage from treaties negotiated by the British, which gave Cairo almost total control over the Nile. Egypt is still asserting the rights and privileges conferred by those colonial era treaties even though they are being challenged by other Nile countries. In my view, this is because Egyptians are still trapped by their past fears. As Norwegian professor Torje Tvedt has explained, these fears were deliberately entrenched by past colonial authorities.
With these perspectives, my view is that the current controversy over the Ethiopian dam still reflects historical conflicts rather than a careful analysis of present challenges.
Now 90% complete, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has begun to generate electricity. A series of good rainy seasons have allowed the reservoir to start filling rapidly without affecting Egypt’s water availability.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam offers not just cheap green electricity for Ethiopia and the sub-region as well as reliable irrigation supplies and flood control for Sudan. Once filled, its storage could offer supply security and increase the amount of water available for Egypt as well.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
What, then, are the issues that have prompted Egypt’s recent protests and what are the possible solutions to the problems raised?
The immediate technical challenge is to continue filling the dam without disrupting flows to Sudan and Egypt. The filling process might have to be interrupted if there is a regional drought. So recent developments, notably the greater focus on the rate at which the dam will be filled rather than the legality of its construction, suggest that there is a shift in positions which neither side is yet willing to acknowledge publicly.
This shift will be supported when other future-focused issues are raised. For instance, there must be negotiations about the supply of electricity to support Sudan’s irrigation expansion, although this is on hold due to the war in Sudan. In the longer term, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia could cooperate to use the GERD’s storage to help Egypt to manage its Aswan High Dam more efficiently. Aswan currently suffers very high evaporation losses, which could be reduced if its reservoir levels were better controlled. The GERD could help to do this.
Unfortunately, the history of colonial Britain repeatedly threatening to cut Egypt’s Nile water supplies has been deeply imprinted in Egyptian public consciousness. It is understandable that Egyptians still fear a similar threat from Ethiopia. The responsibility now falls on Ethiopia to show good faith in its operation of the dam and to work with Egypt to change the combative discourse.
Potential for cooperation
Egypt’s repeated complaints have alerted Ethiopia and international organisations of the need to act carefully. If there is another regional drought, Ethiopia will need to slow the rate at which it completes filling its dam. Informal liaison structures are monitoring the situation and such a response would help to build a more constructive engagement with Egypt.
Water is a patient teacher. Every season provides an opportunity for those who live with its natural cycles to understand it better. The hope is that, if the three countries experience the benefits of some seasons of the dam’s operation, the natural cycle will reveal the potential for cooperation and mitigate the conflict.
When peace returns to Sudan, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will enable a vast expansion of irrigation to develop its role as a regional breadbasket. The dam will also help to manage Nile floods which regularly cause death and destruction, even to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.
Efforts to promote cooperation between the East African countries that share the White Nile have been relatively successful. However, such cooperation on the Blue Nile will need much greater trust between the parties. To achieve this trust, the countries and their people will have to overcome centuries of cultural and political preconceptions. This will require much patient work and interaction, which is not easy in the current climate.
– Egypt’s fears about Ethiopia’s mega-dam haven’t come to pass: moving on from historical concerns would benefit the whole region – https://theconversation.com/egypts-fears-about-ethiopias-mega-dam-havent-come-to-pass-moving-on-from-historical-concerns-would-benefit-the-whole-region-239418
On September 1, Cairo wrote to the UN security council to protest against Ethiopia’s continued filling of Africa’s second largest reservoir and bringing two more power generating turbines into operation. Egypt sees any new infrastructure development on the Nile as a potential threat, since the river is the source of over 98% of the country’s water.
Egypt calls this a violation of international law and Ethiopia’s obligations to “prevent significant harm”. Ethiopia’s policies, it says,
could result in an existential threat to Egypt … and would consequently jeopardise regional and international peace and security.
Ethiopia has told Egypt to “abandon its aggressive approach” towards the dam. Ethiopia says that it must allow the Blue Nile’s water to flow through the dam’s turbines and on to Egypt to generate the hydropower for which it has been built, thus guaranteeing the overall flow to Egypt.
I have tracked the Nile disputes since the 1970s, first as a development journalist, then as a civil engineer and senior public servant. More recently, my research on water and regional integration for regional development agencies has provided further insights. My 2021 study considered the lessons to be learnt for today’s water challenges from centuries of the use and management of Nile waters.
Ongoing tension between Egypt and Ethiopia over control of the Nile River has a long history. Therefore, in one sense, the row between Egypt and Ethiopia is nothing new.
The countries went to war as far back as 1874, even as they both were also battling European colonialism. Ethiopia won the war of 1874 and, 20 years later, beat back Italy’s attempt to colonise it, at the battle of Adwa.
However, Egypt gained long term advantage from treaties negotiated by the British, which gave Cairo almost total control over the Nile. Egypt is still asserting the rights and privileges conferred by those colonial era treaties even though they are being challenged by other Nile countries. In my view, this is because Egyptians are still trapped by their past fears. As Norwegian professor Torje Tvedt has explained, these fears were deliberately entrenched by past colonial authorities.
With these perspectives, my view is that the current controversy over the Ethiopian dam still reflects historical conflicts rather than a careful analysis of present challenges.
Now 90% complete, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has begun to generate electricity. A series of good rainy seasons have allowed the reservoir to start filling rapidly without affecting Egypt’s water availability.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam offers not just cheap green electricity for Ethiopia and the sub-region as well as reliable irrigation supplies and flood control for Sudan. Once filled, its storage could offer supply security and increase the amount of water available for Egypt as well.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
What, then, are the issues that have prompted Egypt’s recent protests and what are the possible solutions to the problems raised?
The immediate technical challenge is to continue filling the dam without disrupting flows to Sudan and Egypt. The filling process might have to be interrupted if there is a regional drought. So recent developments, notably the greater focus on the rate at which the dam will be filled rather than the legality of its construction, suggest that there is a shift in positions which neither side is yet willing to acknowledge publicly.
This shift will be supported when other future-focused issues are raised. For instance, there must be negotiations about the supply of electricity to support Sudan’s irrigation expansion, although this is on hold due to the war in Sudan. In the longer term, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia could cooperate to use the GERD’s storage to help Egypt to manage its Aswan High Dam more efficiently. Aswan currently suffers very high evaporation losses, which could be reduced if its reservoir levels were better controlled. The GERD could help to do this.
Unfortunately, the history of colonial Britain repeatedly threatening to cut Egypt’s Nile water supplies has been deeply imprinted in Egyptian public consciousness. It is understandable that Egyptians still fear a similar threat from Ethiopia. The responsibility now falls on Ethiopia to show good faith in its operation of the dam and to work with Egypt to change the combative discourse.
Potential for cooperation
Egypt’s repeated complaints have alerted Ethiopia and international organisations of the need to act carefully. If there is another regional drought, Ethiopia will need to slow the rate at which it completes filling its dam. Informal liaison structures are monitoring the situation and such a response would help to build a more constructive engagement with Egypt.
Water is a patient teacher. Every season provides an opportunity for those who live with its natural cycles to understand it better. The hope is that, if the three countries experience the benefits of some seasons of the dam’s operation, the natural cycle will reveal the potential for cooperation and mitigate the conflict.
When peace returns to Sudan, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will enable a vast expansion of irrigation to develop its role as a regional breadbasket. The dam will also help to manage Nile floods which regularly cause death and destruction, even to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.
Efforts to promote cooperation between the East African countries that share the White Nile have been relatively successful. However, such cooperation on the Blue Nile will need much greater trust between the parties. To achieve this trust, the countries and their people will have to overcome centuries of cultural and political preconceptions. This will require much patient work and interaction, which is not easy in the current climate.
Mike Muller has received funding from the African Development Bank and South Africa’s Water Research Comission for work on regional cooperation in water resource management. He has been a member of the Global Water Partnership’s Technical Committee, chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water and been funded by the World Bank’s Cooperation in International Waters (CIWA) programme for contributions to the Nile Basin Initiative. He was also funded by UNESCO to attend a conference in Khartoum, organised with Sudan’s Ministry of Water Resources Irrigation and Electricity, on integrated and sustainable water management.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Comdata Inc., a Corpay brand and world leader in payment innovation, announced today 7-Eleven, Inc. and its brands 7-Eleven®, Speedway®, and Stripes®, have joined Comdata’s Fuel Consortium. This enhancement creates new capabilities for cardholders and offers products that better serve fleets of all sizes.
With this expanded partnership, fleets have ability to access cost-plus savings on both gas and diesel at 7-Eleven’s nationwide network of over 7,500+ fuel locations. Comdata and 7-Eleven are the first to provide this functionality with a universal fuel card.
“We are excited to have 7-Eleven on board and for what this relationship means for our customers,” said Randy Morgan, President, Comdata North America Trucking/Enterprise. “This partnership highlights our continued mission to provide our customers with products that intentionally improve their business’s bottom line—especially for fuel expenses.”
Along with driving more savings at the pump, cardholders can receive additional benefits of a Comdata fuel card including:
Innovative fraud protection tools like OneClick™ which keeps the card locked until the driver is at the pump ready to fuel and is unlocked with “one click” of a button.
The industry’s only NO FUEL FRAUD GUARANTEE1 powered by Proximity, a collection of Enhanced Authorization Controls.
Comprehensive data collection, analytics, and reporting with a user-friendly dashboard via OneLook.
Comdata is committed to consistently cultivating strong relationships with industry partners to meet the needs of its customers. To learn more about Comdata, visit www.comdata.com.
1With active Proximity subscription, subject to mandatory system and operational requirements.
About Comdata Comdata Inc., a Corpay brand, is a leader and innovator in commercial payment solutions, driving actionable insights from spending data, building enhanced controls to protect clients’ interests, and positively impacting day-to-day operations for fleet owners and managers and drivers in the trucking industry. Founded in 1969 in Brentwood, Tennessee, Comdata has proudly supported the life-impacting trucking industry for over 50 years. To learn more, visit www.comdata.com.
About 7-Eleven, Inc. 7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name in the U.S. convenience-retailing industry. Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to 7-Eleven® stores, 7-Eleven, Inc. operates and franchises Speedway®, Stripes®, Laredo Taco Company® and Raise the Roost® Chicken and Biscuits locations. Known for its iconic brands such as Slurpee®, Big Bite® and Big Gulp®, 7-Eleven has expanded into high-quality sandwiches, salads, side dishes, cut fruit and protein boxes, as well as pizza, chicken wings and mini beef tacos. 7-Eleven offers customers industry-leading private brand products at outstanding value. Customers can earn and redeem points on various items in stores nationwide through its 7Rewards® and Speedy Rewards® loyalty programs with more than 80 million members, place an order in the 7NOW® delivery app in over 95% of the convenience retailer’s footprint, or rely on 7-Eleven for other convenient services. Find out more online at www.7-eleven.com.
Dietary rules that unite and define American cuisine can so easily be perverted to use disgust to divide Americans. In the U.S., cow is food and dog is friend. Chicken is food. Cat is companion. The sharp lines between the animals Americans eat, love, protect and exterminate help write the dietary rules that define American norms.
What we eat, what we don’t and with whom we break bread are just some of the food rules that unite and define Americans. Think of how turkey – or tofurkey – unites Americans behind the Thanksgiving ritual. Bottled water. Ice. Ballpark hot dogs. Airplane pretzels. Movie theater popcorn.
Food can also establish group identity apart from the mainstream. Think of the many factions of vegan, vegetarian, paleo, grain-free and carnivore dieters who use food to express a political position. Also, of course, religious dietary proscriptions have worried scholars for centuries so that Jews, Muslims and Christians may never share a meal.
There is no evidence that Haitians are stealing and eating pet cats and dogs. There is evidence, however, that racists have long twisted dietary rules to divide people and dehumanize immigrants. Trump told a lie to draw a line between Americans and others who allegedly eat the animals Americans love.
A sign at a popular hot dog restaurant in Chicago reads ‘Immigrants eat our dogs,’ on Sept. 12, 2024, two days after the presidential debate. Scott Olson/Getty Images
The legend of delicious pets
The myth of eating pets traces back to old legends in Europe, Australia and the United States that “immigrants are stealing our cats and dogs for their dinner tables or to serve in ethnic restaurants,” writes the folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand.
Two of the most common food-based legends center on “Oriental restaurants serving dog (or cat) meat, and legends about Asian immigrants in the United States capturing and cooking people’s pets,” Brunvard writes.
By 1883, the legend was so well-established that the Chinese-American journalist Wong Chin Foo offered US$500 to anybody in New York for proof that Chinese people were eating cats or rats. No proof was found, but that didn’t stop the racist jokes or urban legends.
None of the many examples deserve retelling. But scholars, for example, have cited “sick jokes” such as a “new Vietnamese cookbook is titled 100 Ways to Wok Your Dog.”
Or as comedian Tessie Chua joked about her multiracial Chinese, Filipino and Irish identity in 1993 when she said, “That means I eat dog, but only if I can wash it down with Guinness Stout!”
In 1971, mainstream news outlets, including Reuters, reported an “outrageously silly urban legend” of a pet poodle named Rosa served at a Hong Kong restaurant, complete with chili sauce and bamboo shoots.
In 1980, Stockton, California, was seized by racist rumors of Vietnamese families stealing expensive purebred dogs for dinner.
More precise, maybe, than the adage that “we are what we eat” is that we are what we won’t eat. Shunning our neighbor for their vile food – stinky, strange, unpalatable – is also decidedly an American tradition.
“Garlic eater” was at one time recognizable in the U.S. as an ethnic slur for Italian Americans in the early 20th century. The names “spaghetti bender” and “grape stomper” were also used, but “garlic eater” stuck because, as one scholar argued, “garlic served as an ‘olfactory signifier’” – a distinguishing odor – “for the alien who consumed it.”
To an outsider, being called a lentil- or polenta-eater seems more like praise for a healthy diet than a racial epithet, but such are the vagaries of racism: People hate who they hate and justify it however possible.
Other examples of how food can distinguish communities abound. In the Amazon, the Parakanã people appreciate tapir meat but abhor monkey. The Arara people, their neighbors, feel the opposite. Both groups are disgusted by one another. Curry, garlic, tapir, polenta, lentils – it doesn’t matter what the nail is, but how the hammer hits.
Philomene Philostin, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Haitian origin, works in her store in Springfield, Ohio, that caters mainly to Haitian residents. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
Rumors with real-life consequences
Urban legends about food and racist rumors can have serious consequences. Earlier in 2024, a false rumor that a Laotian and Thai restaurant in Fresno, California, cooked pit bulls led to such vile harassment that the owner, David Rasavong, moved the restaurant to a new location.
But there’s a more hopeful side to the issue of food being used as a way to divide or unite people, too. The Latin origins for the words company and companionship mean the people we share our bread with.
Garlic is now as central to American cuisine as apple pie. Nowadays, Americans are so much the better for the sushi, garlic and curry – and the diversity behind the deliciousness – that flavor American cuisine.
Adrienne Bitar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Professor of Management & Organizations, Environment & Sustainability, and Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan
The U.S. has seen a large number of billion-dollar disasters in recent years.AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
Millions of Americans have been watching with growing alarm as their homeowners insurance premiums rise and their coverage shrinks. Nationwide, premiums rose 34% between 2017 and 2023, and they continued to rise in 2024 across much of the country.
There are a few reasons, but a common thread: Climate change is fueling more severe weather, and insurers are responding to rising damage claims. The losses are exacerbated by more frequent extreme weather disasters striking densely populated areas, rising construction costs and homeowners experiencing damage that was once more rare.
Hurricane Ian, supercharged by warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane in October 2022 and caused an estimated $112.9 billion in damage. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images
Just a decade ago, few insurance companies had a comprehensive strategy for addressing climate risk as a core business issue. Today, insurance companies have no choice but to factor climate change into their policy models.
Rising damage costs, higher premiums
There’s a saying that to get someone to pay attention to climate change, put a price on it. Rising insurance costs are doing just that.
Increasing global temperatures lead to more extreme weather, and that means insurance companies have had to make higher payouts. In turn, they have been raising their prices and changing their coverage in order to remain solvent. That raises the costs for homeowners and for everyone else.
The importance of insurance to the economy cannot be understated. You generally cannot get a mortgage or even drive a car, build an office building or enter into contracts without insurance to protect against the inherent risks. Because insurance is so tightly woven into economies, state agencies review insurance companies’ proposals to increase premiums or reduce coverage.
The insurance companies are not making political statements with the increases. They are looking at the numbers, calculating risk and pricing it accordingly. And the numbers are concerning.
The arithmetic of climate risk
Insurance companies use data from past disasters and complex models to calculate expected future payouts. Then they price their policies to cover those expected costs. In doing so, they have to balance three concerns: keeping rates low enough to remain competitive, setting rates high enough to cover payouts and not running afoul of insurance regulators.
But climate change is disrupting those risk models. As global temperatures rise, driven by greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use and other human activities, past is no longer prologue: What happened over the past 10 to 20 years is less predictive of what will happen in the next 10 to 20 years.
The number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. each year offers a clear example. The average rose from 3.3 per year in the 1980s to 18.3 per year in the 10-year period ending in 2024, with all years adjusted for inflation.
With that more than fivefold increase in billion-dollar disasters came rising insurance costs in the Southeast because of hurricanes and extreme rainfall, in the West because of wildfires, and in the Midwest because of wind, hail and flood damage.
Hurricanes tend to be the most damaging single events. They caused more than US$692 billion in property damage in the U.S. between 2014 and 2023. But severe hail and windstorms, including tornadoes, are also costly; together, those on the billion-dollar disaster list did more than $246 billion in property damage over the same period.
As insurance companies adjust to the uncertainty, they may run a loss in one segment, such as homeowners insurance, but recoup their losses in other segments, such as auto or commercial insurance. But that cannot be sustained over the long term, and companies can be caught by unexpected events. California’s unprecedented wildfires in 2017 and 2018 wiped out nearly 25 years’ worth of profits for insurance companies in that state.
To balance their risk, insurance companies often turn to reinsurance companies; in effect, insurance companies that insure insurance companies. But reinsurers have also been raising their prices to cover their costs. Property reinsurance alone increased by 35% in 2023. Insurers are passing those costs to their policyholders.
What this means for your homeowners policy
Not only are homeowners insurance premiums going up, coverage is shrinking. In some cases, insurers are reducing or dropping coverage for items such as metal trim, doors and roof repair, increasing deductibles for risks such as hail and fire damage, or refusing to pay full replacement costs for things such as older roofs.
Some insurances companies are simply withdrawing from markets altogether, canceling existing policies or refusing to write new ones when risks become too uncertain or regulators do not approve their rate increases to cover costs. In recent years, State Farm and Allstate pulled back from California’s homeowner market, and Farmers, Progressive and AAA pulled back from the Florida market, which is seeing some of the highest insurance rates in the country.
In some cases, insurers are restricting coverage. Roof repairs, like these in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., after Hurricane Ian, can be expensive and widespread after windstorms. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
State-run “insurers of last resort,” which can provide coverage for people who can’t get coverage from private companies, are struggling too. Taxpayers in states such as California and Florida have been forced to bail out their state insurers. And the National Flood Insurance Program has raised its premiums, leading 10 states to sue to stop them.
According to NOAA data, 2023 was the hottest year on record “by far.” And 2024 could be even hotter. This general warming trend and the rise in extreme weather is expected to continue until greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are abated.
In the face of such worrying analyses, U.S. homeowners insurance will continue to get more expensive and cover less. And yet, Jacques de Vaucleroy, chairman of the board of reinsurance giant Swiss Re, believes U.S. insurance is still priced too low to fully cover the risk from climate change.
Andrew J. Hoffman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A prestigious international convention on Fair Trade and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be hosted in the capital in August next year.
They will take part in a three-day (29 to 31 August) series of discussions themed around the SDGs and the importance of Fair Trade in driving progress towards them. The conference will also highlight the important contributions that Edinburgh has made to Fair Trade.
Fair Trade is an international movement that aims to secure better prices, fair terms of trade, and improved working conditions for farmers, producers and workers in the global south. The movement now works with farmers and workers in more than 1,900 producer organisations across 70 countries.
The event is expected to welcome over 150 representatives from around the world, and to have 100 or more Edinburgh schoolchildren participate.
City of Edinburgh Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said:
It is a great honour that Edinburgh will be hosting this fantastic event. It gives Edinburgh and our friends across the globe the opportunity to share know-how, expertise, and best practice, while showcasing the best our city has to offer. This is a very powerful example of joint working between international partners.
As a Fairtrade City, Edinburgh is dedicated to motivating residents to work towards a common goal and stay on course by advocating for environmental sustainability and supporting local sustainable businesses.
This year Edinburgh marks 20 years as a Fairtrade City, and Scotland has recently celebrated 10 years as a Fairtrade Nation. I look forward to the gathering next year and celebrating yet another milestone in our aim to make this a world in which trade is based on fairness, and where the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are successfully implemented.”
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
Washington, D.C—U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD), in sending a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her egregious mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives. In 2021, President Biden assigned the Vice President to lead broadband service expansion to rural and unserved communities. Under Harris’ reign as “Broadband Czar,” the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has gone untouched, failing to connect a single person to the internet. The lack of broadband access is especially hurting our most rural states like Wyoming.
“The digital divide is most apparent in the Cowboy State’s most rural communities, and it is past time for the broadband czar to do her job and use the BEAD program to eliminate the difficulties people in Wyoming face when trying to access reliable broadband services. It is critical for Kamala Harris to prioritize deploying broadband throughout the west,” said Lummis.
For a copy of the letter, click here. The text is below.
Dear Vice President Harris:
We are writing to express serious concerns regarding your role as the Biden-Harris administration’s “broadband czar” and the mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives under your leadership. It appears that your performance as “broadband czar” has mirrored your performance as “border czar,” marked by poor management and a lack of effectiveness despite significant federal broadband investments and your promises to deliver broadband to rural areas.
As you are aware, Congress, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provided the National Telecommunications and Information Administration with $42.45 billion for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. These funds are intended to provide broadband access to unserved communities, particularly those in rural areas.
In 2021, you were specifically tasked by President Biden to lead the administration’s efforts to expand broadband services to unserved Americans. And at the time, you stated, “we can bring broadband to rural America today.” Despite your assurances over three years ago, rural and unserved communities continue to wait for the connectivity they were promised. Under your leadership, not a single person has been connected to the internet using the $42.45 billion allocated for the BEAD program. Indeed, Politico recently reported on “the messy, delayed rollout of” this program.
Instead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment. By imposing burdensome climate change mandates on infrastructure projects, prioritizing government-owned networks over private investment, mandating the use of unionized labor in states, and seeking to regulate broadband rates, your administration has caused unnecessary delays leaving millions of Americans unconnected.
The administration’s lack of focus on truly connecting the unconnected has failed the American people and represents a gross misuse of limited taxpayer dollars. The American public deserves better.
Members of the media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with the Honourable Greg Morrow, Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Guysborough–Tracadie, and Heather Kreffer, Executive Director of SMART-GO: St. Mary’s Association for Rural Transit.
Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia, September 23, 2024 — Members of the media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with the Honourable Greg Morrow, Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Guysborough–Tracadie, and Heather Kreffer, Executive Director of SMART-GO:St. Mary’s Association for Rural Transit.
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. ADT
Location: St. Mary’s District Lion’s Club 8004 Highway 7, Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia B0J 3C0
Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:
Sofia Ouslis Communications Advisor Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
Media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with the Honourable Greg Morrow, Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture and MLA for Guysborough–Tracadie, and Heather Kreffer, Executive Director of SMART-GO: St. Mary’s Association for Rural Transit.
Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia, September 23, 2024 — Members of the media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with the Honourable Greg Morrow, Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture and MLA for Guysborough–Tracadie, and Heather Kreffer, Executive Director of SMART-GO: St. Mary’s Association for Rural Transit.
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM ADT
Location:St. Mary’s District Lion’s Club8004 Highway 7,Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia B0J 3C0
Contact persons
For further information (media only), please contact:
Sofia OuslisCommunications AdvisorOffice of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and CommunitiesSofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese vice premier calls for application of Green Rural Revival Program experience
HEFEI, Sept. 23 — Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong on Monday said that learning from and applying the experience gained through the Green Rural Revival Program will give full play to the main role of farmers and improve work efficiency in the nation’s efforts to promote comprehensive rural revitalization.
Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting held in Hefei, the capital of east China’s Anhui Province, on the experience gained from the Green Rural Revival Program.
Liu said that the program has involved many innovations in theory, mechanisms and practice, and that applying the experience gained through the program will bring tangible benefits to farmers.
He also called for more efforts to upgrade entire rural industry chains, carry out rural planning and construction according to local conditions, promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas in counties, and improve the level of governance in rural regions.
Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With hay supplies being used three to four months earlier than expected, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to provide additional flexibility for Ohio farmers experiencing drought conditions to conduct emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program enrolled land. Brown’s letter amplifies the concerns raised by Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge, who wrote to Vilsack asking for these flexibilities for Ohio farmers.
“I share Director Baldridge’s concern that most farmers experiencing intensifying drought conditions in Southern Ohio are not eligible for the existing USDA emergency haying and grazing allowance due to the fact that most CRP acres in Southeast Ohio are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Program, ” wrote Brown.
“As Ohio farmers work to withstand this historic drought, I ask that you grant ODA’s request and provide additional flexibilities to allow for emergency haying of CREP and SAFE acreage in Southeast Ohio,” Brown continued.
Earlier this week, Brown hosted a news conference call with farmers and other leaders in Ohio agriculture to discuss the severe drought stretching across Southeast Ohio and share resources available to affected farmers. Ohio is currently experiencing the worst drought in the state in over a century. Last week, Brown also hosted a webinar in partnership with USDA’s Farm Service Agency to help connect farmers with federal resources related to the drought.
“The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) appreciates Senator Brown’s support of the state’s request for USDA to allow emergency haying of acreage enrolled in various conversation programs,” said OCA President Mark Goecke of Allen County. “Cattle families in Southern and Southeastern Ohio are struggling to manage through a drought of historical proportions. The expanding drought has negatively impacted pasture and forage conditions statewide, but these areas have been battling the lack of rainfall all summer. Hay cuttings were severely limited, and the ongoing drought has forced producers to already feed their winter hay supplies, resulting in a dire situation to provide the feed needed for their cattle.”
The full letter is HERE or below. Director Baldridge’s letter is HERE.
Dear Secretary Vilsack:
I write to draw your attention to the attached letter from Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Brian Baldridge, requesting U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide additional flexibility to conduct emergency haying of eligible Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres.
I share Director Baldridge’s concern that most farmers experiencing intensifying drought conditions in Southern Ohio are not eligible for the existing USDA emergency haying and grazing allowance due to the fact that most CRP acres in Southeast Ohio are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Program.
As Ohio farmers work to withstand this historic drought, I ask that you grant ODA’s request and provide additional flexibilities to allow for emergency haying of CREP and SAFE acreage in Southeast Ohio.
Thank you for your consideration; I ask that you please keep my office informed of any further action.
Sincerely,
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announced that his team will be setting up satellite offices across the state from September 24-27, 2024, to assist with grants, casework, and listen to constituents’ concerns.
The purpose of these temporary locations is to provide accessibility for constituents who might not live near one of Senator Tuberville’s permanent office locations. Members of Senator Tuberville’s team will be on site and no appointment is required for these meetings.
A complete list of times, dates, and locations for each satellite office can be found here or below.
Tuesday, September 24 ALICEVILLE (Pickens County) 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CT Aliceville City Hall Auditorium 419 Memorial Parkway Aliceville, AL 35442
Tuesday, September 24 MONTGOMERY (Montgomery County) 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce 600 S Court Street, Suite 215 Montgomery, AL 36104
Thursday, September 26 GREENVILLE (Butler County) 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT Greenville City Hall 119 E Commerce Street Greenville, AL 36037
Friday, September 27 GUNTERSVILLE (Marshall County) 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. CT Marshall County Economic Development office 524 Gunter Ave Guntersville, AL 35976
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
Released by: Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Western New South Wales
The Minns Government is continuing work to support Western NSW communities with the announcement today the $2 million subsidy scheme for commercial flights in Western NSW will continue at least until November 2025.
The agreement will allow for the continuation of subsidies on flights from Dubbo to Bourke, Walgett and Lightning Ridge operated by Air Link and from Sydney to Cobar operated by FlyPelican.
The NSW Government and the Far North-West Joint Organisation (FNWJO) subsidy agreement will provide residents, workers and industry in Western NSW with continued access to air services helping to reduce travel times in rural and remote NSW.
Subsidised air travel is vital for the delivery of essential services such as health, childcare, justice, family and community services, with doctors, specialists, nurses and social workers among the frequent fliers travelling to and from Western NSW.
As part of the Government’s continued commitment to Western NSW, work is also underway to deliver the Regional Development Trust $15 million Airstrips Improvement Package.
The package will upgrade rural and remote airstrips to improve access for emergency services, health professionals and other essential services in some of the most remote parts of the state.
An audit of remote and rural airstrips across 19 local government areas and the unincorporated area in Western NSW is underway to prioritise those most in need of upgrades.
Work on the airstrips and related infrastructure is expected to start before the end of the year.
Minister for Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
“For Sydneysiders, air travel is an easily accessible convenience but for people living in Western NSW it is not so easy.
“This funding will help commercial operators offer a two-way service connecting regional NSW with essential workers, trades, and services that they often depend on.
Independent member for Barwon, Roy Butler said:
“Western Air Services flights provide people in remote areas with much-needed access to health services, social engagements, and major economic benefits to our primary industries.
“For many people in my electorate these flights are not a luxury but an absolute necessity, especially given the vast distances people need to cover in the west of the state.
“I want to thank the Minister for her understanding of the importance of this issue when I raised it with her, and for her following through to ensure the continuation of these vital air services.”
Retiring Far North-West Joint Organisation Chairman, Councillor Barry Hollman said:
“This is a very exciting announcement, and I thank the NSW Government and particularly the Minister for Western NSW, the Hon Tara Moriarty, MLC for her responsiveness.
“Just as commuters on the recently opened Metro in Sydney described the new train service as ‘transformational’ and ‘life changing’, the same can be said about the provision of these air services to the remote far North West area of the State.
“The Government has certainly gone the extra mile to assist our remote communities.
“Today we welcome this announcement from the NSW Government and we look forward to continuing to service these critical flights for the far North West region and its communities.
“Flight services to our remote regions are critical, and we are very pleased with today’s announcement to ensure the far North West region remains connected.”
General Manager, Air Link Airlines, Ron O’Brien said:
“This funding plays a crucial role in maintaining reliable air services that are lifelines for the communities of Bourke, Walgett, and Lightning Ridge.
“Regional air services help to bridge distances and improve quality of life for residents in regional NSW by facilitating economic development and enhanced connectivity for businesses and residents alike.
Dr Andrew Leigh is Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury. Minister, welcome.
ANDREW LEIGH:
G’day, Ali.
MOORE:
First, before we get to the draft mandatory code, your response to the ACCC legal action launched today?
LEIGH:
These are incredibly serious allegations, Ali. I mean, we’re talking about 266 Woolies products, 245 Coles products, consumers would have paid millions of dollars for these products and if the specials are false specials, as the ACCC is claiming, then that’s incredibly serious for what it means for consumers.
You know, just to give you one sort of concrete example, which is in the ACCC’s media release, they talk about Oreos being sold at $3.50 a pack for about a year, then temporarily spiked up to $5 a pack, dropped down to $4.50, which was then advertised as ‘price dropped’. That doesn’t look like a real special to me. So, obviously this will be tested before the courts, but if it’s found that Coles and Woolies have breached the law, then they deserve every penalty that’s thrown at them. Australians are under cost‑of‑living pressures they deserve to get specials that are real specials.
MOORE:
Well, we’ve had lots of people text with examples today. I don’t know who does the shopping in your family, Andrew Leigh, but have you had your own suspicions about this sort of thing?
LEIGH:
Look, my wife and I do the shopping. She does the online, and I tend to do the in‑person. And, yeah, there was now specials – they’re certainly been something that’s been under appropriate scrutiny. As government, it’s not up to us to do the enforcement. That’s the ACCC’s job and Gina Cass‑Gottlieb does a great job of it.
It’s our job to make sure they have the right resources and the sufficient penalties. So, one of the first things we did when we came to office was to increase the penalties for anti‑competitive conduct, raising those penalties and so they weren’t just a cost of doing business. And people can see in the ACCC’s media release today that they say very explicitly that for half the period in which they’re looking at, the penalties are higher. A direct result of the Albanese government increasing the penalties for anti‑competitive conduct.
MOORE:
Andrew Leigh, today, at the same time, as I just said, you have released a draft of legislation that essentially follows a review of a voluntary code of conduct by Craig Emerson. You followed most or all of his recommendations and this code will be made mandatory?
LEIGH:
That’s right. So, under the Liberals and Nationals, it was a voluntary code – effectively toothless, effectively without penalties. What we’re doing now is making it a mandatory code. And so, we’re getting a fairer deal, not only for families, but also for farmers. Previously, farmers had feared retribution because, who complains under a voluntary code when the risk is that you can lose your contract with the supplier? So, now we’re bringing in place a code with teeth, a code that will actually get a fairer deal for farmers. We’re putting in place code mediators. We’re ensuring that there is an ability to complain directly to the competition watchdog, to make anonymous complaints there, and greater protections for fresh produce suppliers. If you’re supplying berries to the supermarket, Ali, you’ve got that problem that your berries might well go off in a couple of weeks. So, we’re ensuring obligations for supermarkets to specify the basis for determining prices, to conduct their forecasts with due care, and to have reasonable quality standards.
MOORE:
So the arbiter will be the ACCC if there’s an anonymous process for whistleblowers, if they’ve got a complaint, that’s where they’ll go?
LEIGH:
Well, there’ll be code mediators, currently known as code arbiters. And then there’s also this additional ability for people to make an anonymous complaint to the ACCC. So, it’s a much more robust code than was in place under the Liberals and Nationals. We take much more seriously than they did the allegations that are being raised by farmers and the concerns among shoppers, that they want to make sure that farmers are getting a fair deal as they supply to these major supermarkets. It’s one of the most concentrated supermarket sectors in the world. We’ve got to do more for consumers and for farmers.
MOORE:
What will be the standard of proof, though? I mean, sometimes these things are not always in black‑and‑white.
LEIGH:
The standard proof will be the usual balance of probabilities as it is in the civil law. And one of the things that Craig Emerson has done is to deal with a constitutional challenge in this space by getting agreement from the 4 supermarkets and supermarket chains that are signed up that they will agree to the mediation process with penalties up to $5 million. It’s a real credit to Craig that he’s able to do that, and that allows us to better deal with disputes under the code.
MOORE:
So, if a supermarket does the wrong thing by a supplier, what sort of penalty could they face?
LEIGH:
$5 million. So, the agreement that they have made is that the code mediator can impose penalties going up to $5 million, and then also we have penalties that can be imposed more broadly, they will go up to $50 million.
MOORE:
And when will the code of conduct come into force?
LEIGH:
We’ll expect that to come in the coming months. We’re a consultative government. Obviously, whenever we take actions that affect stakeholders, we give them a chance to comment. People have the chance to comment on this mandatory code and to give their feedback in the way in which we’ve said about implementing Craig Emerson’s review. Craig Emerson’s the former Competition Minister. He’s done a power of work on this. We want to make sure that we get the best deal we can for families and for farmers.
Headline: NSW Government invests $750,000 to improve coastal fish habitat
Published: 24 September 2024
Released by: Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional NSW
The Minns Labor Government is continuing to invest in on-ground activities to improve fish habitat and recreational fishing in NSW, with more than $750,000 in grants awarded to five innovative coastal projects.
The Flagship Fish Habitat Rehabilitation Grant program provides funding for large-scale projects that significantly enhance fish habitat, water quality and fish passage opportunities within the coastal catchments of NSW.
This includes projects to significantly rehabilitate river banks and coastal wetlands, remove or modify barriers to fish passage and construct fishways, re-snag waterways and undertake remediation works including riverbank stabilisation.
After assessing applications for the 2023-24 grants round, a total of $756,947 is being awarded to five projects:
$109,222 to Nambucca Valley Landcare to improve fish habitat and reduce risks to water quality in the Nambucca River by restoring an eroding riverbank;
$169,150 to OzFish Unlimited to rehabilitate an area of critical fish habitat in the Bellinger River catchment together with recreational fishers;
$158,000 to Rous County Council to restore 1,600m2 of complex fish habitat and a popular bass fishing destination on Bungawalbyn Creek;
$261,275 to Port Macquarie Hastings Council to stabilize an eroded area, improve shoreline vegetation and enable access for recreational fishers on the Hastings River estuary;
$59,300 to Shoalhaven City Council to complete design and plans for a living shoreline including accessible and resilient foreshore, and oyster reef restoration on the Crookhaven River.
The grants are part of the Government’s ongoing work to grow recreational fishing opportunities by enhancing the habitats that fish need to thrive.
Since the inception of the Flagship Grant Program in 2016, almost $3 million from the Recreational Fishing Trust has been invested in coastal aquatic habitat rehabilitation, water quality improvement and fish passage opportunities.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:
“These Flagship grants allow fishing clubs, non-Government organisations and other agencies to tackle large, complex projects that will safeguard and enhance local fish habitats and recreational fisheries.
“Improved habitat means better opportunities for fish and therefore better opportunities for recreational fishers.
“This program is yet another excellent example of how recreational fishing fees are helping to support and improve sustainable fisheries in NSW.”
More information on Flagship Habitat Rehabilitation Grants is available here.
Source: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Among the tour delegates was Cambodian Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, His Excellency Khun Savoeun.
His Excellency said the visit provided an excellent opportunity for Mekong leaders to rethink water and fish management, and to expand efforts to maintain fish migration routes.
‘It promoted collaboration between irrigation engineers and fishery biologists to work together on river connectivity, aiming to save both water and fish, which are essential for rural food security.
We learned that the integration of fishery technology into river engineering is crucial for conserving fish and saving water for multiple purposes.
His Excellency Khun Savoeun Cambodian Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
His Excellency said the visit also underscored the importance of leadership in environmental planning and sustainable development in his own country.
‘Fish are a vital Cambodian food source, with many poor households dependent on fishing for their livelihoods.
‘This program was both useful and necessary, especially for incorporating fish passage outcomes into water and development policies.’
Dr Baumgartner said the visit also provided a valuable knowledge exchange for the Australian project partners.
‘What was particularly interesting were design discussions and hearing how the different countries are developing policies and legislation to protect fish.’
Headline: Call for more mates to support Port Macquarie’s Sailability
Published: 24 September 2024
Released by: Minister for Agriculture
The Port Macquarie community group, Sailability, is calling for volunteers ahead of this year’s sailing season, as the club prepares to take to the Hastings River again on Wednesday 25 September.
Sailability is a volunteer organisation whose mission is to offer people with varying abilities freedom on the water.
The club uses a fleet of specially designed sailing dinghies with simplified controls and enhanced stability to hold weekly sailing days for people living with physical and mental disability.
The club received $55,920 from the NSW Government to extend its carpark and complete landscaping around its new boat shed and accessible amenities block, as well as to install six accessible picnic tables in McInherney Park.
The not-for-profit club is the only organisation of its kind in the area and its 80 volunteers cater to approximately 60 sailors each week.
The group provides its services at no charge, with sailors coming from disability support units at local schools in Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Laurieton and Kempsey, as well as disability service providers, aged care facilities and private enquiries.
Census statistics for show there are approximately 6,000 people with serious or profound disability in the Port Macquarie area, and the club struggles to meet the demand for its services.
People keen to get involved in volunteering with the club can attend McInherney Park on Wednesdays between September and May to learn more, or go to www.sailabilitypm.com.au and click the Contact Us tab.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
“This fantastic community group is really making waves in terms of improving quality of life for people in the Port Macquarie area with disability.
“It’s wonderful to see people experience a sense of achievement and improved self-confidence and self-esteem through their participation in Sailability’s program.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion, Liesl Tesch* said:
“Sailability is a beacon of hope and inclusion in Port Macquarie. By fostering a sense of belonging on the water, they’re not only enhancing the lives of people with disability but also enriching the entire community.”
“The amazing volunteers at Sailability do such important work helping build confidence and resilience for so many people in the region each week.”
*Liesl Tesch is a seven-time Paralympian including winning two gold medals in sailing
Sailability Port Macquarie volunteer Rick Eller said:
“The club has come a long way from humble beginnings when it launched in December 2012, we were using two borrowed boats at the time, we had a handful of volunteers, and we were borrowing life jackets from the SES or emergency services here in Port Macquarie.
“The best part about working for Sailability is the expressions and the smiles when the people who’ve been sailing come back to the pontoon, that’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
Sailability Port Macquarie Vice President Julie Constable said:
“It’s extremely important that people are aware that people with a disability are very able and keen to get out into society so something like this is off great benefit to the community.”
Case study: Vision impaired sailor – Kathryn Stephens
Sailability Port Macquarie
Kathryn has been sailing with the Port Macquarie group since it began.
In October, Kathryn will set course for Southport to compete in the Hansa Class Asia Pacific Championships.
Kathryn has previously competed in the state para championships, coming second behind the world champion in the doubles.
She has also placed third in the Middle Harbour Yacht Club inclusive classes regatta alongside a sailing partner from another branch of Sailability.
Quotes attributable to Kathryn Stephens:
“Participating in sailing has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for me.
“I love the whole idea of being out on the water, the sensation and the sound and just the feel of sailing because I can’t see what I’m doing so it’s all by sound and feel, and just the freedom of being out on the water, it’s a great sensation.
“The people come from all sorts of different backgrounds and interests and it’s just wonderful to catch up with them as well as meeting other sailing participants every week and we just have a great time and it’s a really lovely community and it’s got a really great feel about it.”
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, is on his way to Chengdu, Sichuan, this morning (September 24), where he has been invited by the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda to attend the ceremony seeing off the two giant pandas “An An” and “Ke Ke”. The Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Mickey Lai, and representatives from Ocean Park Hong Kong are also joining the visit. During his stay in Sichuan, Mr Yeung will visit the heritage sites and arts and cultural facilities in Chengdu to learn about the integrated development of culture and tourism, as well as the promotion of tourism development. Mr Yeung will depart from Sichuan for Hong Kong on the evening of September 25. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, will be the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 10:22
Work to complete the new slow vehicle bay on State Highway 2 (SH2) at Kotemaori in northern Hawke’s Bay will start next week.
The new 260 metre slow vehicle bay on SH2, near the intersection with Kakariki Farm Road, will provide another place for road users to safely pass slow vehicles as they head north to Wairoa.
Crews have been waiting for warmer weather to complete the work, which includes laying the final seal on the road.
The work is expected to take 2 weeks and crews will begin on site from next Monday (30 September). During this time, temporary traffic management will be in place through this site with stop/go and a temporary reduced speed limit of 30km/h.
Delays of no more than 10 minutes are expected.
Once crews have finished this work, the slow vehicle bay will be operational. The work is weather dependent and there could be delays if conditions are too cold or wet.
Background
This work is part of Connecting Tairāwhiti, which is a programme of projects providing more slow vehicle bays and more places to pull off the road safely to check messages or take a break on State Highways 2 and 35 across the Tairāwhiti and northern Hawke’s Bay regions. The programme also includes some resilience projects to strengthen and stabilise sites on State Highway 35 to help it remain open and functional during disruptions such as weather events.
A slow vehicle bay is a widened stretch of road on an uphill incline that allows slow, heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses, to pull over as they slow down – allowing other vehicles to pass.
As part of this project, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has also made safety improvements to Kotemaori School’s access on SH2, including a safe right-turn bay to access the school.
Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung is on his way to Chengdu, Sichuan, where he has been invited by the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda to attend a ceremony bidding farewell to An An and Ke Ke, two giant pandas bound for Hong Kong.
Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Mickey Lai and representatives from Ocean Park Hong Kong are joining Mr Yeung on the visit.
Mr Yeung will also visit heritage sites and arts and cultural facilities in Chengdu to learn about the city’s integrated development of culture and tourism, and its promotion of tourism development.
The tourism chief will depart for Hong Kong tomorrow evening. During his absence, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Raistlin Lau will be Acting Secretary.
