Category Archives: Energy & emissions

General Motors Sees a Future With Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion

Posted on July 5, 2018 by | Leave a comment

By RP Siegel – GM’s 2017 Sustainability Report boldly proclaims a vision of the future in which three of the biggest historical drawbacks of the automobile are completely eliminated. That is to say, there will be “zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.” This, according to CEO Mary Barra, will be accomplished by a combination of “autonomous, electric, shared, and connected vehicles.”

Design News spoke with David Tulauskas, GM’s Sustainability Director, who elaborated on some of the key messages, strategies and enablers that are embedded in this report. “This report brings together our vision of the future of transportation that has been coming together over the past several years,” Tulauskas said.

He would not say whether or not any of these would be trucks, though we have noted in the past that fuel cells could be a sweet spot for trucks. To get a sense of proportion, Tulauskas said that they typically have between 50-70 vehicles in the pipeline.

The transformation, of course, goes well beyond what any single company can provide. Unless these technologies are developed in conjunction with corresponding changes in areas like the electricity delivery system as well as urban and road infrastructure, this could be a bridge to nowhere. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Broadband, Business, Economy, Energy & emissions, History, Product, Science, Technology, Transportation

The Overlapping Crises Of Democracy, Globalization And Global Governance

Posted on July 3, 2018 by | Leave a comment

BOOK REVIEW

Gridlock: Why Global Cooperation is Failing when We Need It Most, Authors: Thomas Hale, David Held, Kevin Young.

By David Held – The crisis of contemporary democracy has become a major subject of political commentary. But the symptoms of this crisis, the vote for Brexit and Trump, among other things, were not foreseen. Nor were the underlying causes of this new constellation of politics.

The virtuous circle between deepening interdependence and expanding global governance could not last because it set in motion trends that ultimately undermined its effectiveness.

Why?

There are four reasons for this or four pathways to gridlock: rising multipolarity, harder problems, institutional inertia, and institutional fragmentation. Each pathway can be thought of as a growing trend that embodies a specific mix of causal mechanisms.

To manage the global economy, reign in global finance, or confront other global challenges, we must cooperate. But many of our tools for global policy making are breaking down or prove inadequate – chiefly, state-to-state negotiations over treaties and international institutions – at a time when our fates are acutely interwoven.

The result is a dangerous drift in global politics punctuated by surges of violence and the desperate movement of peoples looking for stability and security. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Banking, Book review, Broadband, Business, Economic development, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, Healthcare, History, Leadership, Media, Net, Science, Technology

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Six Lessons That Society Must Learn About Agile

Posted on July 3, 2018 by | Leave a comment

By Steve Denning – The article isn’t suggesting that firms embracing Agile are either angels or devils. I have yet to see a firm espousing Agile that has no flaws: those flaws must be seen for what they are and they need to be addressed.

If not addressed, they will cause serious financial, economic or social problems. Some of the flaws need to be addressed by the firms themselves and will be reinforced by the marketplace. Others may require government intervention.

Among the flaws for which the marketplace will by itself tend to generate corrective action are:

  1. Failure to continue innovating
  2. Sweat-shop workplaces
  3. Short-termism
  4. Share buybacks
  5. Rethink “maximizing shareholder value”
  6. Abuse of monopoly power and privacy

We need to see Agile by the clear light of day, neither through rose-colored spectacles in which everything is kumbaya, nor through a glass darkly in which everything is evil.

The saying “you can’t have it both ways” doesn’t mean that we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Broadband, Business, CONGRESS WATCH, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, History, Leadership, Media, Net, Science, Technology

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Updates from Siemens

Posted on June 21, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Automotive Software Development
Siemens – Embedded software is driving remarkable new business opportunities in the automotive industry and fueling innovation in connectivity, electrification, and autonomous vehicle development.

However, managing automotive software development complexity is a big challenge. The complexity is driven by the difference between mechanical and software system product development approaches. Most automotive programs are managed in a three- to five-year cycle.

They follow a gate-based development paradigm with strict checkpoints and certifications. Software development, on the other hand, is incredibly fast paced, as it follows agile processes where collaboration and rapid innovation is key.

Typically, development of mechanical and electrical systems are managed within product lifecycle management (PLM) tools, whereas software development is managed with application lifecycle management (ALM) tools. The challenge is to combine these two inherently different product development methodologies. Software and hardware engineers working on their respective ALM and PLM applications must be able to access information across all the lifecycle related processes.

Hardware and software integration and co-development is a major challenge and a key contributor to quality issues, launch delays, and recall related penalties. more>

Related>

Leave a comment

Posted in Business, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, History, Science, Technology, Transportation

Tagged , , , , ,

Local Solutions for Global Problems

Posted on June 12, 2018 by | Leave a comment

By Sébastien Turbot – Historically, cities have played a marginal role in global debates. In the United States, for example, early cities were rife with corruption and factionalism; local politics was messy enough. But today’s urban centers are economically stronger and politically bolder. Twenty-first-century cities’ determination to act in their own interests became clear in late 2017, when more than 50 US mayors pledged to meet the commitments of the 2015 Paris climate agreement – directly challenging President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the deal.

Even without a seat at the table (G7), many of the world’s megacities – powered by strong human capital, competitive markets, and widespread appeal – are already working to build a more progressive, inclusive, and sustainable future. From Buenos Aires to Tokyo, city leaders are making their concerns known globally – often irrespective of national agendas.

Small and mid-sized cities are also raising their international profiles. By investing in “smart” and “resilient” urban planning, governments from Bordeaux in France to Curitiba in Brazil are strengthening their brand identities and luring talent, investment, and businesses from around the world.

Cities power growth through innovation, trade, and exchange. And city services are often more visible to citizens than federal aid; consider, for example, who responds during a traffic accident or a natural disaster.

To be sure, today’s cities face many challenges. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Broadband, Business, EARTH WATCH, Economic development, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, Healthcare, History, Leadership, Media, Net, Science, Technology

Tagged , , , , , , ,

An Inside Look at Smart Cities

Posted on June 12, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Bank of America Merrill Lynch – Countless people and technologies keep our cities safe, clean, and efficient; some we interact with in plain sight, and others operate beneath the surface, improving our lives in ways we don’t fully realize.

But for all the richness of cities, urban living can be filled with challenges, from traffic jams to taxed energy systems to overcrowded sidewalks and transit. Many of these difficulties are rooted in dated infrastructure – so as the number of people living in cities continues to rise, investing in and modernizing city infrastructure becomes critical.

The ultimate goal? Creating a “smart city” – one that leverages technology to improve quality of life for its residents, and creates better systems and structures to support it. One that looks ahead to future generations and starts the work now to meet those needs. Investing in the “smartness” of a city not only modernizes it, but creates a stronger, more sustainable place to live and work.

The good news is that the challenge of creating a smart city presents great opportunities. In fact, the smart city market could grow from an estimated US$1 trillion in 20174 to US$3.5 trillion by the mid-2020s. This means opportunities for companies, investors and, of course, the residents themselves. How do you uncover those opportunities?

Step one is imagining what it might be like to live in a “smart city”. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Banking, Broadband, Business, Communication industry, Economic development, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, Healthcare, History, Leadership, Media, Net, Technology

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Trump’s Assault on American Governance Just Crossed a Threshold

Posted on May 24, 2018 by | Leave a comment

By John Cassidy – Since Donald Trump entered the White House, American democracy has sometimes been described as dangerously fragile, but that isn’t necessarily true. Having survived for two hundred and forty-two years, American democracy is more like a stoutly built ocean liner, with a maniac at the helm who seems intent on capsizing it. Every so often, he takes a violent tug at the tiller, causing the vessel to list alarmingly. So far, some members of the ship’s crew—judges, public servants, and the odd elected official—have managed to rush in, jag the tiller back, and keep the ship afloat. But, as the captain’s behavior grows more erratic, the danger facing the ship and its passengers increases.

All that concerns him is discrediting the Russia investigation and saving his own skin. To this end, he will do practically anything he can get away with. And, judging by the deathly silence from the Republican leadership over the past couple of days, he won’t receive any resistance from that quarter. To repeat, the danger is increasing. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Business, CONGRESS WATCH, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, Healthcare, History, Leadership, Media, Net

Tagged , , , , , ,

How to Save the Human Race

Posted on May 22, 2018 by | Leave a comment

BOOK REVIEW

World Population and Human Values: A New Reality, Authors: Jonas Salk and Jonathan Salk.

By Gabrielle Levy – Until only recently, the whole of human history has been marked by population growth, first gradual and then, in the past two hundred years, a sudden explosion. But in the last decades of the 20th century, population growth began to slow, and eventually, it will plateau or even decline.

The moment at which growth goes from accelerating to decelerating, according to a theory posited by Dr. Salk is called an inflection point – and would be filled with turmoil and conflict, but also opportunity.

Salk characterizes the time before the inflection point as Epoch A, and in that period, people were focused on their own betterment and achievement as necessary to capitalize on the potential for great growth. But going forward, after the inflection point in Epoch B, people will need to be more collaborative and sustainability-oriented. This plays out now in issues like climate change, where the world must work together to combat the issue.

The book has a particular kind of resonance and a particular kind of relevance at this moment in time, because we’re really seeing the pull between two differing value systems, and making decisions as a species about how we’re going to deal with the future. It’s always been a meaningful book, but I think it’s particularly poignant at this moment in time. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Book review, Business, CONGRESS WATCH, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, History, Leadership, Media, Nature, Science, Technology

Tagged , , , , , ,

The Failures of Globalism

Posted on April 27, 2018 by | Leave a comment

BOOK REVIEW

Us Vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism, Author: Ian Bremmer.

By Gabrielle Levy – If the six and a half decades that followed the end of World War II were a triumph of globalism, an era of prosperity and peace as the world grew increasingly interconnected, the second decade of the 21st century has seen the rise of a new populism that has pushed back.

Convulsions of anger – at corrupt government elites, at the floods of refugees fleeing sectarian conflict, at the loss of jobs as workers are increasingly replaced by automation and artificial intelligence – culminated in the pair of 2016 events, Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, that turned conventional wisdom on its head.

The biggest piece, I think, has already happened. When globalism started, after World War II was over, the United States recognized that we never want to have a flight like that again, so we’ve got to do something about it. We’re going to rebuild our former enemies – the Germans, the Japanese – and we’re going to build the United Nations.

More broadly, as it continues, it’s going to be a lot of opposition to the United States sending troops fighting in other people’s battles, like we’ve seen in Afghanistan and Iraq and Syria. It’s going to be a lot less support for immigration into the U.S., unless you’ve got a skill set or a lot of money, and we’re already seeing that start to happen.

And it’s possibly going to lead to more trade disputes, certainly in terms of big technology, where, instead of having one global free market, we end up having much more fragmentation of a marketplace with more strategic sectors.

And some of that is because the United States is not willing to promote free multilateral trade organizations, but some of it is because the Chinese are building an alternative system that has no global free trade at all.

It’s all just going to be linked to Beijing. So when you put that all together, you start to see what the future of this world will look like.

Globalization can turn a virtuous cycle into a vicious one – where globalization improves people’s lives, only to raise their expectations. That, in turn, raises frustrations when those expectations are met.

In China, the growing middle class and the rising wages risk threatening the very economic engine – cheap labor – that made that progress possible. Can developing countries avoid this trap? more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Banking, Book review, Broadband, Business, Economic development, Economy, Education, Energy & emissions, Healthcare, History, Leadership, Media, Nature, Net, Technology

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Updates from GE

Posted on April 20, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Going For Great: In A Deal Valued At $6.5 Billion, GE Jet Engines Will Power American’s New Dreamliner Fleet
By Tomas Kellner – American Airlines, which helped launch GE into commercial aviation 45 years ago, said it would power 47 additional new Boeing 787 with GE Aviation’s GEnx-1B engines. The $6.5 billion deal includes a 20-year service agreement. This order follows a previous order for 42 such planes placed several years ago.

Airlines have ordered more than 2,000 GEnx engines since 2004, when Boeing selected the model for its 787 Dreamliner jets. Eager to save weight and improve efficiency, GE engineers took the GE90, the world’s most powerful jet engine developed a decade earlier, and remodeled it.

The GEnx has already entered the record books. In 2011, a GEnx-1B-powered Dreamliner flew halfway around the world on a tank of gas, then finished the job on the next tank. The journey set a weight-class distance record for the 10,337-nautical mile first leg and a record for quickest around-the-world flight at an astonishing 42 hours and 27 minutes.

What’s next? GE engineers could upgrade the engines with space-age materials called ceramic matrix composites, or CMCs. CMCs can handle temperatures as high as 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit and withstand the punishing forces inside the engines. more>

Leave a comment

Posted in Business, Economy, Energy & emissions, History, Science, Technology, Transportation

Tagged , , , ,