Latest news with #Devdiscourse
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Farmers warn food prices could surge as worst drought in decades devastates harvest — here's how it's impacting millions
Millions of people in Ethiopia are facing food insecurity as the region copes with its worst drought in decades. This crisis is threatening harvests, driving up food prices, and leaving entire communities struggling to survive. According to Devdiscourse, a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, along with Ethiopian officials, warns of a looming humanitarian emergency. The report, "Drought Impact on Agriculture and Food Security in Ethiopia," revealed that Ethiopia has endured five consecutive failed rainy seasons — devastating news for a country where most people rely on farming and livestock to survive. Entire harvests have been lost, and millions of animals have died. Families have been displaced in search of food and water. To make matters worse, the World Food Programme is facing a serious lack of funding that could force it to cut off food assistance to 3.6 million people. Already, 650,000 women and children have lost access to life-saving malnutrition treatment. This crisis highlights how the planet's rising temperatures — fueled by our use of dirty energy — are already disrupting agriculture and food security around the world. As extreme weather events like droughts and heatwaves become more common, more regions will face crop failures, livestock losses, rising food costs, and hunger. That hits especially hard for lower-income families everywhere, who spend a larger share of their income on groceries. With food prices spiking, everyday staples like grains, vegetables, and cooking oil are becoming increasingly difficult to afford for millions around the world. And this isn't just happening in Ethiopia. Similar climate-driven crises have affected rice crops, coffee production, and cocoa harvests in West Africa. International aid organizations and the Ethiopian government have stepped in to deliver emergency food and nutrition supplies, livestock vaccinations, and other aid. However, these groups are severely underfunded, and agencies have warned Ethiopia is on the brink of a massive humanitarian catastrophe if it doesn't receive more funding — and fast. Aside from these emergency measures, long-term solutions are needed, such as better climate adaptation tools for farmers (e.g., drought-tolerant crops and improved irrigation systems). Donations can be made to the World Food Programme to support these initiatives. On a personal level, individuals can help by reducing food waste and making climate-smart choices at the grocery store. It's one of the simplest ways to lower your environmental impact while also saving money. For tips, check out this guide to shopping smarter. What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste? Not buying food I don't need Freezing my food before it goes bad Using my leftovers more effectively Composting my food scraps Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
News18
07-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Maharashtra Govt Announces Biopic On Indore Queen Ahilyabai Holkar
Last Updated: The Maharashtra government, led by CM Devendra Fadnavis, has announced initiatives for Queen Ahilyabai Holkar's 300th birth anniversary, including a film. In a historic move to commemorate the 300th birth anniversary of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maharashtra government has announced a series of initiatives aimed at celebrating her enduring legacy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revealed plans for a biographical film on the revered queen, alongside significant welfare and infrastructure projects. Devdiscourse The state cabinet convened for the first time in Chondi village, Ahilyanagar—Holkar's birthplace—to deliberate on these initiatives. The proposed film, set to be produced in Marathi and other regional languages, will be broadcast on Doordarshan and various OTT platforms. Film City in Goregaon has been entrusted with executing the project. Among the key decisions, the cabinet approved a ₹10.50 crore allocation for the Adishakti Mission, focusing on women's empowerment. Additionally, plans were unveiled for a 430-bed hospital and a medical college in Ahilyanagar district, with a total investment of ₹458 crore. To honor the contributions of Indore King Raje Yeshwantrao Holkar, especially in education, the cabinet sanctioned the enrollment of Dhangar community students in reputed residential schools. Between 2021–22 and 2024–25, 31,300 students have been enrolled in 162 schools under this initiative, with ₹288 crore disbursed so far. Further, the government approved the construction of hostels for meritorious Dhangar students at revenue division headquarters in Navi Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Nagpur, and Amravati. Each hostel will accommodate 200 students—100 male and 100 female. Construction has already commenced in Nashik, with projects in Pune and Nagpur set to begin shortly. An Industrial Training Institute exclusively for female students is also planned for Ahilyanagar district. Moreover, Rs 75 crore has been allocated for the restoration and rejuvenation of water bodies originally built by Ahilyabai Holkar, including desilting and conservation efforts for lakes, wells, ghats, and pools across the region. First Published:
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Government unleashes tiny insects to combat full-blown public crisis: 'The solution is laws addressing this source'
The South African government has a new weapon in its fight against invasive water plants: a tiny aquatic weevil from Florida, Devdiscourse reported. The salvinia weevil is named for its favorite food. It eats massive quantities of common salvinia, a plant that is creeping across South Africa. This water weed is an invasive species — a species that has traveled beyond its native environment to a new location where it is multiplying at a destructive pace. Left alone, it will take over, crowding out and killing off a wide range of other species and destroying the natural balance that has existed in that area for millennia. In the case of salvinia, it was first sighted at Hartbeespoort Dam in 2011. Since then, it has spread as far as the Limpopo River, to the edge of Botswana. It clogs the water, interfering with the livelihoods of everyone who relies on the river as well as the diversity of water plants and the quality of the water. The weevils are expected to multiply just as fast to address the problem. Crucially, they only eat salvinia. "This biological control programme will be closely monitored to assess the weevil's progress and effectiveness in reducing common salvinia. Importantly, these weevils exclusively target the salvinia minima plant and do not pose risks to other aquatic vegetation, crops, or ornamental plants," said professor Julie Coetzee, deputy director of the Rhodes University Centre for Biological Control and principal scientist at the National Research Foundation's South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, per Devdiscourse. Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo emphasized that a major cause of salvinia's spread, and one that must be addressed, is the excess nutrients in incorrectly processed wastewater. "What is also important is for us to have serious discussions with municipalities in the upper catchment areas. The inadequate treatment of wastewater leads to high nutrient levels in the water, which in turn fuels the spread of invasive aquatic plants, degrading the ecosystem, affecting recreational activities, and hampering the local economy," Seitlholo said, per Devdiscourse. The solution is a law to address this source of pollution — which will lead to cleaner, healthier water for all. Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major retailer sparks outrage with money-driven policy change — here's why it's being called greenwashing
Inditex, Zara's parent company, was found to have charted an increase in carbon pollution last year despite its self-professed commitment to sustainability. Inditex says it's committed to halving its carbon dioxide pollution by 2030, but the numbers show otherwise. Devdiscourse reported a 10% increase in carbon emissions from 2023 to 2024. The company cited global conflicts as the main reason. Regular transportation routes had to be changed, leading to longer travel and higher pollution. It's not like Inditex's pollution rates were low prior to 2024, though. In 2023, Inditex released about 2.4 million tons of CO2. This is part of an ongoing trend for the company, which has seen increasing air pollution rates each year. It seems like air freight is to blame. Though Inditex's representatives told Bloomberg that they primarily used sea and land to ship their products, about 75% of the Zaragoza airport is reserved for Inditex shipments. This isn't the only fast fashion company polluting the planet with its irresponsible policies. Companies like Shein and Temu, competing for ultra-fast shipping times, release up to 5,000 tons of CO2 in a single day. Until Inditex can get its pollution rates down, its sustainability policies seem closer to greenwashing than sincere commitments to invest in reducing its pollution. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, air freight was typically used for time-sensitive deliveries like perishable food items, a report detailed. However, during the pandemic and beyond, air freight was used to ship other items, clothing being one of them. This heavy reliance on air travel can lead to potential health risks. report highlighted that those in close proximity to airports are exposed to more "toxic pollutants," leading to a higher likelihood of breathing complications. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Air freight also greatly contributes to the planet's overheating. The vast majority of aviation fuel comes from dirty energy sources, which warm the planet's atmosphere when burned. Air freight has been cited as being as much as 60 times more polluting for heat-trapping gases than ocean freight per mile at the same weight of cargo, as well as 10 times more than ground transport — though some estimates put the air-to-sea ratio a bit lower, at 25 times. People around the world are breaking up with fast fashion. Thrifting is on the rise, with companies like eBay putting on runway shows proudly displaying pre-loved pieces. If you want to combat this issue, commit to secondhand shopping. With a lower demand for fast fashion and a higher need for sustainable practices, companies like Inditex might actually curb their pollution. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quartz Is Publishing AI-Generated Articles Based on Other AI Slop, Along With Warning They May Be Filled With Errors
G/O Media is once again attempting to use AI to churn out content — while simultaneously warning that anything the AI produces might be littered with mistakes. As first reported by The Aftermath, the G/O Media-owned business news site Quartz is grinding out AI-generated articles under the byline "Quartz Intelligence Newsroom." Its articles, penned in bland and formulaic text, field the business news gamut; the site's AI previously only generated standardized corporate earnings updates, but recently began to include full-fledged news hits. At the foot of each article is a telling disclaimer disclosing the use of AI and warning of its likely pitfalls. "This is the first phase of an experimental new version of reporting," reads the disclaimer. "While we strive for accuracy and timeliness, due to the experimental nature of this technology we cannot guarantee that we'll always be successful in that regard." That disclaimer in mind, the AI indeed appears to have one significant blind spot in its news articles: the quality and accuracy of its citations, which are frequently mangled — and, in some cases, appear to be regurgitated from even more AI slop. At the top of each article, "Quartz Intelligence Newsroom" lists the sources from which it compiles its news summaries (OpenAI's web-searching ChatGPT and Google's AI search "Overview" attempt to do the same.) In theory that's a good idea: sourcing is important reasons like transparency and giving credit for others' work. But on several occasions, as the Aftermath points out, the AI has failed to accurately untangle messy webs of aggregation, for example linking back simply to MSN or Yahoo in cases where those news aggregators simply circulated original reporting from other outlets like the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, among others. Skimming the AI-generated Quartz articles, we also noticed that the AI has repeatedly cited a website called "Devdiscourse," which itself strongly appears to be an automated news site churning out AI-generated news summaries. Consider an article published today by Quartz's AI, titled "Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk will cap insulin prices to settle a lawsuit."At the top of the article, the publication's "Intelligence Newsroom" cites three sources, starting with a link to a Devdiscourse article titled "Novo Nordisk Caps Insulin Prices in Landmark Settlement." Like Quartz's AI-generated articles, Devdiscourse's post doesn't list a human byline; instead, it's attributed to "Devdiscourse News Desk," a byline under which the website generates a dizzying amount of content. The post is brief, and doesn't hint at any original reporting. Even worse? It's outfitted with a laughably bad AI-concocted version of the pharmaceutical unicorn Novo Nordisk's logo, complete with incomprehensible gibberish. The company name is clearly misspelled as "NORDIISK," and under it is "STIAPLAME," an apparently made-up word. (Almost every Devdiscourse article appears to feature similarly garbled AI-generated images.) Devdiscourse claims to be a "media platform for development stakeholders" helmed by a self-avowed consulting company called "VisionRI." Overall, it seems likely that Devdiscourse is an SEO-focused content farm, working to increase visibility for VisionRI. The articles aren't disclosed as AI-generated. But Devdiscourse's LinkedIn page, which doesn't list any employees, says that the site is "designed and developed on the framework of machine learning technologies which facilitate smart content based on user interest, user browsing behaviours, location and skill sets." Its images, meanwhile, include an AI disclosure. To that end, though the hilariously terrible synthetic image seen in the Novo Nordisk article is disclosed as AI-generated, that it would be included at all hints at extremely limited human oversight over at Devdiscourse's content machine — and, what's more, hints at a concerning lack of human oversight regarding the management of "Quartz Intelligence Desk," too. It's hard to believe that any legitimate human writer or editor would consider the "NORDIISK STIAPLAME" graphic acceptable to source in a serious news article. We reached out to G/O Media, but haven't received a response. The effort marks the latest of several attempts by G/O Media to use AI to create content for its various brands, each of which have similarly been marred by embarrassing inaccuracies and backlash from human staffers. There was that time the media company used AI to draft error-ridden "Star Wars" clickbait for Gizmodo's beloved io9 blog without notifying the publication's editors; its replacement of Gizmodo's Spanish-speaking staff with machine translation, which quickly mangled several articles; and the AV Club's AI articles that pretty much just copy-pasted material from IMBD pages. Per Aftermath, Quartz's human writers are frustrated and angered by their owner's latest push towards AI, and understandably so. On the one hand, the articles just aren't very good or engaging; coupled with the AI's inability to coherently and accurately source, it calls the priorities of G/O Media's leadership into question. In the face of pushback and frustration from its employees, G/O Media once again pushed ahead on its seemingly neverending AI efforts — and in doing so has, once again, threatened to undermine the work and reliability of its award-winning websites and the human journalists who work there. More on AI and media: Large Publisher Lays Off More Than 100 Employees After Striking Deal With OpenAI
