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Forbes
6 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Climate Change Is A Public Health Crisis—But Most Plans Ignore It
As the planet warms, it's not just glaciers melting and forests burning. It's kidneys failing, pregnancies at risk, and entire communities being pushed into poverty. In Central America, farmworkers are suffering from kidney failure, while in Senegal, healthcare workers receive alerts that warn of upcoming heatwaves, which advise them to prepare for climate-related illnesses. And in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, officials have developed extreme heat plans to prevent a mass disaster during Carnival. Those aren't isolated incidents. They're part of the new reality—the one that must handle much more climate-related stress and therefore design health systems appropriately. In fact, the Global Conference on Climate and Health in Brasília, Brazil, focused on this subject this month. There, government leaders, researchers, and global foundations, including The Rockefeller Foundation, pushed to make health a central pillar of climate action ahead of COP30 next year in Belém. 'When we look at the challenges of the 21st century, climate and extreme heat are among the biggest challenges that we see. Many of our public health systems today are reactive, underfunded, and siloed—built for a world with linear threats and a stable climate. But today's reality is different. We know that there is extreme heat,' says Emilia Carrera, director for health initiatives at The Rockefeller Foundation. She says heat-related economic damages are now costing the global economy $143 billion annually, expected to rise to $2.4 trillion by 2030. We spoke virtually when she highlighted that extreme heat causes a wide range of health issues and economic risks: infectious diseases, heart attacks, and food insecurity. But here's the thing: most national climate strategies treat health as an afterthought, if they mention it at all. The Foundation's data shows that 4 billion people faced extreme heat last year, leading to approximately 489,000 deaths from heat annually. Central America is a clear example: Agricultural workers there have a 35% higher death rate from heat-related illnesses, with chronic kidney disease among this group rising from the 12th to the 4th leading cause of death between 1990 and 2019. From Rio To Senegal: Early Warnings That Save Lives In many families, the burden of lost income pushes children out of school and into the same fields that made their parents sick. Several countries in the region are piloting heat-protection programs that use heat index prompts to adjust working hours and expand access to water, rest, and shade. But more support is needed. 'We know that heat overwhelms the body's ability to regulate its own temperature, and it may trigger cardiovascular collapse, kidney failure, pregnancy complications, and death, especially among infants, older adults, and people with chronic conditions—and this creates a cycle of poverty,' says Carrera. In Rio de Janeiro, the city's implementation of a national heat action plan during Carnival showed how large cities can respond to heat stress in real time. Officials activated messaging systems, emergency response teams, and cooling centers to handle the risk. However, Rio is an uncommon example. Most urban areas—even those at high risk—lack similar preparedness. Senegal has become a model for what proactive climate-health adaptation can be. A detailed early warning system provides forecasts to healthcare facilities and vulnerable groups before extreme heat events. Health workers are trained to identify and treat heat-related conditions that could otherwise be misdiagnosed. It's an approach that blends prediction with prevention, and case studies show it's already saving lives. 'Climate change is not solely an environmental issue, but also a health crisis that demands immediate and coordinated action at all levels of society,' said Dr. Ibrahima Sy, a senior climate change fellow at the Africa Policy Research Institute and senior lecturer at the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal. This remark comes from a report he co-authored that emphasizes proactive and coordinated efforts to tackle climate-related health risks, aligning with the theme of proactivity rather than a reflexive response. Carrera argues that adaptation and resilience deserve more emphasis alongside mitigation. Adaptation and resilience aim to minimize harm and recover, while mitigation focuses on lowering greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy sources. The Rockefeller Foundation has committed $100 million to climate-health innovation, focusing on three key strategies: climate-informed early warning systems, anticipatory action protocols, and collaboration among health, energy, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors. Financing Health Systems, Not Just Green Infrastructure The goal is to set the agenda for the Belém Health Action Plan—the first-ever global framework designed to center health within the climate agenda. This plan will guide policymakers in aligning their health systems with the growing realities of climate change, particularly in vulnerable regions disproportionately affected by heat, infectious diseases, and extreme weather events. A key part of the Belém Health Action Plan is the creation of innovative financing methods designed to address the urgent needs of these regions. Traditional climate finance primarily focuses on reducing emissions and funding infrastructure; however, this new approach promotes dedicated funding sources to develop climate-resilient health infrastructure, including heat-ready hospitals, early warning systems, and trained healthcare workers. For countries in the eye of the storm, these financing models could mean providing proactive healthcare—not reactive emergency responses. The Columbia Climate School identified 65 'Red Zone' countries that face extreme climate risk and lack adequate financial capacity. Eight Latin American countries are on the list, including Haiti, El Salvador, and Bolivia, where affordable finance is impossible, intensifying climate-related health risks. Essentially, the Belém Health Action Plan aims to shift global climate policy from primarily focusing on environmental impacts to explicitly recognizing health as both an important indicator of climate risk and a key target for adaptation efforts. With COP30 approaching, this strategy could reshape international cooperation, making human health a primary focus rather than an afterthought in the fight against climate change. 'The heat threatens livelihoods and productivity,' says Carrera. 'It reduces performance and forces an unfair trade-off between income and survival.' Most climate finance today flows toward emissions reduction or hard infrastructure. Yet, as examples from Senegal, Rio, and Central America demonstrate, soft infrastructure—such as responsive health systems and protective labor policies—might determine whether societies can withstand future challenges. These steps must no longer be overlooked in the fight against climate change. In fact, human health should be a top priority in this effort. As COP30 approaches, the world cannot treat health as a minor aspect of climate strategies. The global community needs to establish systems that safeguard the most vulnerable from rising heat.
Newsweek
25-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Elon Musk's Unpopularity Hits All-Time High After Leaving Trump Admin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Elon Musk's public image has reached its lowest point since 2024, as new polling shows that the billionaire's favorability has plunged following his involvement in President Donald Trump's administration and subsequent departure. Once a relatively popular figure across political lines, Musk now finds himself with a net favorability rating of -18.1, according to data compiled by Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin. Why It Matters Musk's decline in popularity comes in the wake of his public support for Trump during the 2024 election and his appointment as a "special government employee," where he functioned as the informal head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The decision to align with Trump, and later publicly break from him, has led to political backlash and scrutiny from multiple fronts. Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institute's Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 6, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California. Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institute's Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 6, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California. Photo byWhat To Know As of June 25, 55.1 percent of Americans viewed Elon Musk unfavorably, while 37 percent had a favorable opinion—a sharp shift from early 2024, when the numbers were roughly even, according to Silver Bulletin. "Musk is still popular among Republicans, but he's less popular than he used to be and less popular than other Republican figures," elections analyst Eli McKown-Dawson wrote. Although Musk remains in positive territory with Republicans, his support has dropped significantly following his public fallout with Trump. The rift escalated this month after Musk suggested Trump was "in the Epstein files," prompting Trump to threaten Musk's government contracts and subsidies. Silver called the split "predictable," writing on Substack that Musk "got nothing out of this; Trump used Musk and then dumped him." Musk has claimed he helped Trump win, saying, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election." Silver pushed back: "Elon's money certainly didn't help in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race." Musk reportedly donated about $300 million to Republican causes in 2024. Silver also questioned Musk's political future. Though Musk has floated launching a centrist third party, Silver wrote: "He has no particular eye for which issues resonate with voters, he's too mercurial, he isn't popular, he has all sorts of personal liabilities." The feud has had financial fallout. Tesla shares fell more than 15 percent in a single day—including after-hours trading—following news of Musk's departure from the administration. Investors are divided between preferring Musk focus on his businesses and hoping political ties would bring regulatory perks. What People Are Saying Nate Silver and Eli McKown-Dawson, in Silver Bulletin: "Musk became significantly less popular among Republicans post-feud. His numbers among other groups remained fairly consistent." Carter Wrenn, longtime Republican strategist, told Newsweek: "Polls are showing Musk's popularity is upside down. That could definitely be a problem—especially with swing voters, independents and ticket-splitters. Musk, personally, carries some negative baggage that could hurt."
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's what CEOs are telling their employees about how to use AI — and how not to lose their jobs to it
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said "efficiency gains" from AI would mean fewer workers at the company. AI's impact on jobs has been hotly debated as it completes or accelerates certain tasks. CEOs have previously given advice on how to survive the AI revolution. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has told employees that "efficiency gains" from AI would reduce the company's "total corporate workforce" in the next few years. Jassy may be the most prominent CEO to say AI is coming for people's jobs, but he's far from the first. This is the advice CEOs have been giving about how to use AI — and avoid losing your job as a tech revolution threatens to reinvent the world of work. Micha Kaufman, CEO of Fiverr, one of the world's largest freelance marketplaces, warned in an email to his team that: "AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it's coming for my job too. This is a wake-up call." Whether you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, or lawyer, "Al is coming for you," he wrote in the email, which he shared on X. "You must understand that what was once considered 'easy tasks' will no longer exist; what was considered 'hard tasks' will be the new easy, and what was considered 'impossible tasks' will be the new hard," he said. Kaufman continued: "If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need for a career change in a matter of months." "I am not talking about your job at Fiverr," he added. "I am talking about your ability to stay in your profession in the industry." "Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable. You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI," chipmaker Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang said at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in May. "What used to be human-coded softwares running on CPUs are now machine learning generated softwares running on GPUs," Huang said at The Hill and Valley Forum in April. But he added that "every single layer, the tooling of it, the compilers of it, the methodology of it, the way you collect data, curate data, use AI to guard rails, use AI to teach, use AI to keep the AI safe, all of that technology is being invented right now and it creates tons of jobs." "I don't know exactly what's going to happen with AI, but I do know it's going to fundamentally change the way we work, and we have to get ahead of it," Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn said on LinkedIn earlier this year. He was responding to a backlash against previous comments about enthusiastically embracing AI. "AI is creating uncertainty for all of us, and we can respond to this with fear or curiosity," the language app's CEO wrote. "I've always encouraged our team to embrace new technology (that's why we originally built for mobile instead of desktop), and we are taking that same approach with AI." He added: "To be clear: I do not see AI as replacing what our employees do (we are in fact continuing to hire at the same speed as before). I see it as a tool to accelerate what we do, at the same or better level of quality. And the sooner we learn how to use it, and use it responsibly, the better off we will be in the long run." Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said his advice was to "stay as close to the cash register as you can." "When young people come to me and they desire to work in the corporate office, my advice to them is: stay as close to the cash register as you can," Ellison said at a Business Roundtable forum in DC this month. "Stay close to the customers, because you will always have employment opportunities to grow," he added. He also said, "AI isn't going to fix a hole in your roof." "It's not going to respond to an electrical issue in your home. It's not going to stop your water heater from leaking," he said. "You are generation AI," LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman said in a video in which he answered questions from college students on how they should navigate the job hunt. "You are AI native, so bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive," he added. Hoffman said that AI's impact on jobs was a "legitimate worry," but he added that students could try to use it to their advantage. "Look, on this side, it's transforming the workspace, entry-level work, employers' confusion," he said. "But on this side, it's making you able to show your unique capabilities." "In an environment with a bunch of older people, you might be able to help them out," he added. Lattice boss Sarah Franklin told Business Insider that corporate leaders should be focused on how AI can help with efficiency. The HR software company CEO said this includes using AI to give employees "superpowers to where they feel like they're stepping into the Iron Man suit" and accomplishing what they need to in their jobs without feeling swamped. She said that might include using AI to give each employee at a company an executive assistant or a coach. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's what CEOs are telling their employees about how to use AI — and how not to lose their jobs to it
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said "efficiency gains" from AI would mean fewer workers at the company. AI's impact on jobs has been hotly debated as it completes or accelerates certain tasks. CEOs have previously given advice on how to survive the AI revolution. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has told employees that "efficiency gains" from AI would reduce the company's "total corporate workforce" in the next few years. Jassy may be the most prominent CEO to say AI is coming for people's jobs, but he's far from the first. This is the advice CEOs have been giving about how to use AI — and avoid losing your job as a tech revolution threatens to reinvent the world of work. Micha Kaufman, CEO of Fiverr, one of the world's largest freelance marketplaces, warned in an email to his team that: "AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it's coming for my job too. This is a wake-up call." Whether you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, or lawyer, "Al is coming for you," he wrote in the email, which he shared on X. "You must understand that what was once considered 'easy tasks' will no longer exist; what was considered 'hard tasks' will be the new easy, and what was considered 'impossible tasks' will be the new hard," he said. Kaufman continued: "If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need for a career change in a matter of months." "I am not talking about your job at Fiverr," he added. "I am talking about your ability to stay in your profession in the industry." "Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable. You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI," chipmaker Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang said at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in May. "What used to be human-coded softwares running on CPUs are now machine learning generated softwares running on GPUs," Huang said at The Hill and Valley Forum in April. But he added that "every single layer, the tooling of it, the compilers of it, the methodology of it, the way you collect data, curate data, use AI to guard rails, use AI to teach, use AI to keep the AI safe, all of that technology is being invented right now and it creates tons of jobs." "I don't know exactly what's going to happen with AI, but I do know it's going to fundamentally change the way we work, and we have to get ahead of it," Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn said on LinkedIn earlier this year. He was responding to a backlash against previous comments about enthusiastically embracing AI. "AI is creating uncertainty for all of us, and we can respond to this with fear or curiosity," the language app's CEO wrote. "I've always encouraged our team to embrace new technology (that's why we originally built for mobile instead of desktop), and we are taking that same approach with AI." He added: "To be clear: I do not see AI as replacing what our employees do (we are in fact continuing to hire at the same speed as before). I see it as a tool to accelerate what we do, at the same or better level of quality. And the sooner we learn how to use it, and use it responsibly, the better off we will be in the long run." Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said his advice was to "stay as close to the cash register as you can." "When young people come to me and they desire to work in the corporate office, my advice to them is: stay as close to the cash register as you can," Ellison said at a Business Roundtable forum in DC this month. "Stay close to the customers, because you will always have employment opportunities to grow," he added. He also said, "AI isn't going to fix a hole in your roof." "It's not going to respond to an electrical issue in your home. It's not going to stop your water heater from leaking," he said. "You are generation AI," LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman said in a video in which he answered questions from college students on how they should navigate the job hunt. "You are AI native, so bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive," he added. Hoffman said that AI's impact on jobs was a "legitimate worry," but he added that students could try to use it to their advantage. "Look, on this side, it's transforming the workspace, entry-level work, employers' confusion," he said. "But on this side, it's making you able to show your unique capabilities." "In an environment with a bunch of older people, you might be able to help them out," he added. Lattice boss Sarah Franklin told Business Insider that corporate leaders should be focused on how AI can help with efficiency. The HR software company CEO said this includes using AI to give employees "superpowers to where they feel like they're stepping into the Iron Man suit" and accomplishing what they need to in their jobs without feeling swamped. She said that might include using AI to give each employee at a company an executive assistant or a coach. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Here's what CEOs are telling their employees about how to use AI — and how not to lose their jobs to it
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said "efficiency gains" from AI would mean fewer workers at the company. AI's impact on jobs has been hotly debated as it completes or accelerates certain tasks. CEOs have previously given advice on how to survive the AI revolution. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has told employees that "efficiency gains" from AI would reduce the company's " total corporate workforce" in the next few years. Jassy may be the most prominent CEO to say AI is coming for people's jobs, but he's far from the first. This is the advice CEOs have been giving about how to use AI — and avoid losing your job as a tech revolution threatens to reinvent the world of work. Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman: Become exceptional at what you do Micha Kaufman, CEO of Fiverr, one of the world's largest freelance marketplaces, warned in an email to his team that: "AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it's coming for my job too. This is a wake-up call." Whether you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, or lawyer, "Al is coming for you," he wrote in the email, which he shared on X. "You must understand that what was once considered 'easy tasks' will no longer exist; what was considered 'hard tasks' will be the new easy, and what was considered 'impossible tasks' will be the new hard," he said. Kaufman continued: "If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need for a career change in a matter of months." "I am not talking about your job at Fiverr," he added. "I am talking about your ability to stay in your profession in the industry." Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: Competition is between those who can use AI and those who can't "Every job will be affected, and immediately. It is unquestionable. You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI," chipmaker Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang said at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in May. "What used to be human-coded softwares running on CPUs are now machine learning generated softwares running on GPUs," Huang said at The Hill and Valley Forum in April. But he added that "every single layer, the tooling of it, the compilers of it, the methodology of it, the way you collect data, curate data, use AI to guard rails, use AI to teach, use AI to keep the AI safe, all of that technology is being invented right now and it creates tons of jobs." Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn: Respond to AI with curiosity, not fear "I don't know exactly what's going to happen with AI, but I do know it's going to fundamentally change the way we work, and we have to get ahead of it," Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn said on LinkedIn earlier this year. He was responding to a backlash against previous comments about enthusiastically embracing AI. "AI is creating uncertainty for all of us, and we can respond to this with fear or curiosity," the language app's CEO wrote. "I've always encouraged our team to embrace new technology (that's why we originally built for mobile instead of desktop), and we are taking that same approach with AI." He added: "To be clear: I do not see AI as replacing what our employees do (we are in fact continuing to hire at the same speed as before). I see it as a tool to accelerate what we do, at the same or better level of quality. And the sooner we learn how to use it, and use it responsibly, the better off we will be in the long run." Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison: 'Stay close to the cash register' Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said his advice was to "stay as close to the cash register as you can." "When young people come to me and they desire to work in the corporate office, my advice to them is: stay as close to the cash register as you can," Ellison said at a Business Roundtable forum in DC this month. "Stay close to the customers, because you will always have employment opportunities to grow," he added. He also said, "AI isn't going to fix a hole in your roof." "It's not going to respond to an electrical issue in your home. It's not going to stop your water heater from leaking," he said. LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman: Show off your AI skills to employers "You are generation AI," LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman said in a video in which he answered questions from college students on how they should navigate the job hunt. "You are AI native, so bringing the fact that you have AI in your tool set is one of the things that makes you enormously attractive," he added. Hoffman said that AI's impact on jobs was a "legitimate worry," but he added that students could try to use it to their advantage. "Look, on this side, it's transforming the workspace, entry-level work, employers' confusion," he said. "But on this side, it's making you able to show your unique capabilities." "In an environment with a bunch of older people, you might be able to help them out," he added. Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin: Bosses should give workers AI to do jobs without feeling swamped Lattice boss Sarah Franklin told Business Insider that corporate leaders should be focused on how AI can help with efficiency. The HR software company CEO said this includes using AI to give employees "superpowers to where they feel like they're stepping into the Iron Man suit" and accomplishing what they need to in their jobs without feeling swamped. She said that might include using AI to give each employee at a company an executive assistant or a coach.
