💡 Warp News #253
🏭 Coal power peaked in 2007. 📳 Mobile phones used to detect earthquakes. 🌾 AI-driven weed controllers reduce the need for herbicides by 90%. 📈 Solar energy grows fastest in Central and Eastern Europe.
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🏭 History is being made again
I occasionally point out in this newsletter that something historic has happened. It's so easy to miss. Partly due to the excessively negative news flow, partly because we're busy with our everyday lives.
Now, Britain's last coal-fired power plant has closed. Where coal power was born, it is now dead. This is part of a larger trend. Within the OECD, coal power peaked in 2007 and has since halved.
It has mainly been replaced by solar and wind. Which, by the way, are growing fastest in the place I associate most with coal power and dirty industries, Eastern Europe.
Mathias Sundin
The Angry Optimist
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👩💻 AI will not replace humans - not even when it's superintelligent
It is said that AI will make you unemployed and in the long run turn humans into a useless class. That will never happen.
💡 Fact-based optimistic news of the week
📈 Solar energy grows fastest in Central and Eastern Europe
Electricity production from solar parks in Central and Eastern Europe increased by 55 percent during the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Poland and Hungary account for the strongest growth in large-scale solar energy in the region.
🌾 AI-driven weed controllers reduce the need for herbicides by 90%
New technology reduces herbicide use by up to 90 percent. AI-controlled cameras identify weeds for precision treatment. Using less herbicide through precision applications can help lower costs for growers.
🦾 Industrial robots learn new skills on their own
Industrial robots are becoming more intelligent with the help of AI and can now perform increasingly complex tasks. Generative AI enables robots to perform more complex tasks, such as pouring liquids or turning knobs, and to learn new skills faster based on learned behavior.
📳 Mobile phones used to detect earthquakes
Android devices are transformed into a global network for earthquake warnings. The system provides valuable seconds of advance warning before an earthquake strikes. Over three billion Android phones worldwide can potentially contribute to the system.
🏭 Coal power in the richest countries peaked in 2007 - and has halved since then
OECD countries' coal power production has decreased by 52 percent since the peak in 2007. Over a third of OECD countries are now completely free of coal power. Three-quarters of OECD countries are on track to phase out coal power by 2030.
📦 Europe's first drone cargo airline can reduce freight costs by 50 percent
Dronamics becomes Europe's first licensed cargo drone airline, offering cost-effective deliveries. The company's drone, Black Swan, can carry 350 kg of cargo and fly 2500 km. The technology enables deliveries to remote areas and can reduce costs by up to 50 percent.
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