Latest news with #BobWard
Free Malaysia Today
09-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Tap the sun for energy, climate expert tells Malaysia
Climate expert Bob Ward said that making the transition to green energy will reduce dependence on fossil fuel, thus spurring long-term growth and innovation. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The low proportion of renewables in Malaysia's enery mix, which is behind even that of Haiti, should prompt the country to embrace solar energy, according to a British climate expert. Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, said he found it 'slightly striking' that solar energy does not have greater prominence. 'Malaysia is behind Haiti in terms of the share of its electricity generated from renewables, particularly from solar, despite its huge potential,' he told FMT. 'Solar is the world's cheapest form of energy. Its low cost leads to reduced spending for businesses and households, which is good for the economy,' he said. According to the latest data from the International Renewable Energy Agency, renewables account for 20% of Haiti's energy mix, compared with roughly 18% for Malaysia. Ward attributed Malaysia's 'underperformance' partly to its growing reliance on coal. In 2023, Malaysia imported US$5.12 billion worth of coal briquettes, making it the seventh-largest coal importer globally, according to The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Key suppliers included Indonesia (US$2.98 billion or 58% of imports), Australia (US$1.36 billion or 27%), and Russia (US$398 million or 8%). The International Energy Agency reported that coal accounted for 39% of Malaysia's carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion in 2022 – a jump of more than nine times from 2000. Over the same period, coal's share of electricity generation rose by more than 10 times to 46.8%. Ward said solar energy could help insulate Malaysia from the risks tied to global oil prices and geopolitical shifts that have mostly been driven by Donald Trump's return to the White House. 'To make the economy less vulnerable to market volatilities, Malaysia should diversify from oil and gas. 'Malaysia is vulnerable to changes in global oil prices. Trump's ambition to flood the market with American oil adds to that uncertainty,' he said. In January, Trump signed executive orders declaring a national energy emergency and rolled back Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas production in the US, including in Alaska. Ward said that amid such volatility, solar offers Malaysia a more stable path forward. 'It is a reliable source of electricity – one that does not depend on imports. It will be the Malaysian sun that powers your economy,' he said. 'The economics are much more favourable than other energy sources. Given Malaysia's location, there's great potential for generating large amounts of electricity.' Looking ahead, Ward said a shift toward clean energy would also unlock broader economic benefits. 'You can start building industries powered by clean, green energy, thus moving away from fossil fuels. 'The future is a bright and promising one, driven by creativity, innovation, and greater prosperity. It will spur development and economic growth. So why wouldn't we want that?' he added.
Free Malaysia Today
07-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Asean can fill climate leadership void amid US retreat, says expert
Climate expert Bob Ward said Asean had a key role to play in driving global climate action, especially amid waning US leadership under Donald Trump. PETALING JAYA : US president Donald Trump's return to the White House has opened the door for Asean nations to take the lead on global climate action, an expert said. Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, said Malaysia, as Asean chair, should seize the opportunity to lead climate action. 'What happens here (the Asean region), and the model of economic development and growth adopted by Asean countries, will be critical in determining whether we succeed in combating climate change. 'The US doesn't look like a very good international partner on any issue, including climate change, and the rest of the world will have to get on with it,' he said in an interview with FMT. Asean already has a regional Climate Change Strategic Action Plan (2025–2030) to accelerate the bloc's transition towards meeting its targets. As the current chair, Malaysia last year launched its National Energy Transition Roadmap, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Ward said transitioning to alternative energy sources would be a prudent move for developing nations, offering not only environmental benefits but also strong potential for long-term economic gains. 'In the early days of climate policy, there was a perception that climate action was a burden — something each country had to shoulder and something they often tried to shift onto others. 'But the analysis now shows that the shift away from fossil fuels towards clean energy is not a burden — it's a huge economic opportunity. It's no longer about burden-sharing but about who can seize the opportunities,' he said. Ward cited China as an example, pointing to its leadership in renewable energy, electric vehicles and clean tech exports. 'It's not a trade-off between economic growth and environmental responsibility — the two go hand in hand. This is about building a sustainable economy,' he added Trump had withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement, with the official exit taking place on Nov 4, 2020. Then president Joe Biden rejoined the agreement in January 2021. However, upon beginning his second term as president on Jan 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order initiating another withdrawal. Until the formal exit takes effect, a year after notification, the US remains bound by its climate commitments. Trump has also ordered a halt to all US contributions to global climate finance, including the US$1.3 trillion annual commitment agreed at COP29.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman led officers on chase with child in truck, hit 3 cruisers before arrest in Foxboro, police say
A woman driving a pickup truck led officers on a chase with a child in the vehicle and crashed into three cruisers before she was arrested in a parking lot in Foxboro on Thursday morning, authorities said. Officers in Foxboro were attempting to stop a white Ford F-150 that was reported stolen out of Norton when the driver, prompting a chase, according ot the Foxboro Police Department. The driver later struck stop sticks deployed by Massachusetts State Police, continuing on before she was cornered behind a medical building at 70 Walmut Street. 'During the pursuit, the operator struck three Foxboro police cruisers, causing damage,' the department said in a statement. Video captured by a Boston 25 News photographer showed state and local police searching the truck after the crash. Witnesses told Boston 25 News that the woman didn't surrender quietly. 'I saw her coming out of the car kicking and screaming with cops, putting up a fight,' a man told Bob Ward. 'She was fighting the firefighters.' The driver, who hasn't been identified, and the child were taken to a local hospital for precautionary reasons. 'There was a little boy who was taken out of the cruiser and brought to an ambulance so they could check him out,' a woman told Ward. Police didn't say what charges the driver would face or if the woman and child were related. There no injuries reported during the chase. An investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Seraph 100 Blood Filtration Media May Reduce Tumor-Associated Particles in Blood Samples Drawn From Pancreatic Cancer Patients
New Laboratory Study Highlights Novel Approach to Disease Management Under Development MARTINEZ, Calif., February 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new laboratory study has provided insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of blood purification for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Researchers have demonstrated that ExThera Medical's Seraph® 100 Microbind ® Affinity Blood Filter (Seraph 100) adsorption media selectively removes specific tumor-associated microparticles from the blood of PDAC patients, offering the potential for a novel approach to disease management. Previous in vitro studies have shown that the concentration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be reduced through the use of Seraph 100 filter media. This latest study from a collaboration between Cedars- Sinai Medical Center, University of Southern California, and the Keck School of Medicine, which analyzed blood samples from seven PDAC patients, extends the findings by evaluating the impact of blood purification on additional tumorigenic factors, including microparticles and soluble proteins. "Although more clinical research is needed, these findings increase our understanding as we investigate a promising new approach for treating metastatic disease, which remains one of the most challenging and deadly forms of cancer," said ExThera Medical Chairman and Founder Bob Ward, NAE. The Seraph 100 is a broad-spectrum sorbent extracorporeal hemoperfusion filter initially developed for reduction of pathogens from the bloodstream inclusive of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In vitro experiments previously demonstrated that Seraph 100 adsorption media is capable of removing CTCs from blood. The Seraph 100 now has nearly 70 peer-reviewed publications and print mentions. ExThera Medical remains committed to generating robust clinical data to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Seraph 100 across multiple applications. The results of the study were published in ScienceDirect's Cancer Letters. Shishido SN, Suresh D et al. Determining the efficacy of ExThera Seraph100 blood filtration in patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer through the liquid biopsy. BJC Rep 2, 47 (2024). doi: 10.1038/s44276-024-00069-3. Waldron R, Wang R, Shishido S et al. Selective removal of proteins and microvesicles ex vivo from blood of pancreatic cancer patients using bioengineered adsorption filters. Cancer Letters, 2025; 614:217546. doi: 10.1016/ About ExThera Medical Corporation ExThera Medical Corporation develops and commercializes extracorporeal blood filtration devices, including the Seraph® 100 Microbind® Affinity Blood Filter (Seraph 100) for removing a broad range of pathogens from the bloodstream of patients. Seraph 100 can be used in hospitals, clinics, on battlefields and in other austere environments to address nosocomial and community-acquired infections as well as those caused by battlefield wounds, pandemics, and biological warfare agents. ExThera Medical's extracorporeal products have demonstrated life-saving capabilities in a wide range of critically ill patients suffering from sepsis, COVID-19, and many other severe bloodstream infections. With a growing body of outcome and health economic evidence from independent clinical studies, success in the DARPA Dialysis-Like Therapeutics program, and from successful clinical use in the U.S., the EU, and the Middle East, the company is well positioned to serve healthcare professionals and patients alike. The Seraph 100 device has neither been cleared nor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any indication. The Seraph 100 has been authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to treat patients with COVID-19 infection. The Seraph 100 is authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of the Seraph 100 device under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner. For more information, visit the company's website at About Seraph 100 and the ONCObind Procedure As a patient's blood flows through the Seraph® 100 Microbind® Affinity Filter (Seraph 100), it passes through a bed of small beads with receptors that mimic the receptors on human cells that pathogens target when they invade the body. Many harmful substances are quickly captured and adsorbed onto the surface of the beads and are thereby subtracted from the bloodstream. Seraph 100 adds nothing to the bloodstream. It targets the pathogens that cause the infection, while it also binds and removes harmful substances generated by the pathogen and by the body's response to the infection. Seraph's proprietary adsorption media (the beads) constitute a flexible platform that uses immobilized (chemically bonded) heparin for its well-established blood compatibility and its unique ability to bind circulating tumor cells, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and important sepsis mediators reported to contribute to organ failure during sepsis. ExThera Medical is currently developing the ONCObind Procedure Hemoperfusion Filter (ONCObind) to support cancer treatment. ONCObind is part of the same platform technology as Seraph 100. For more news stories on Seraph 100 and ONCObind, click here. Disclaimer All information contained in this news release derives from plausible, reliable sources, however they have not been independently examined or verified. There is no representation, warranty, or guarantee provided herein. Except as otherwise required by appliable law, all liability for any direct or indirect claims, damages or losses are hereby disclaimed whether or not foreseeable. This communication includes forward-looking statements regarding events, trends and business prospects that may affect our future operating results and financial position. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial position to differ materially. Accordingly, the investment and/or the revenues that arise from it can rise or fall or fail entirely. We assume no responsibility to update or revise any statements contained in this news release, including forward-looking, to reflect events, trends, or circumstances that might arise after the date of this news release. Results from case studies (reviews) may not be predictive of future results. View source version on Contacts Stephanie Connollymedia@ Sign in to access your portfolio
