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Arab News
18-07-2025
- Science
- Arab News
Saudi initiatives are the most sound options for confronting challenges of climate change
Specialists have indicated that temperatures across the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, may rise by as much as 9 C by the year 2100. Hot zones have already been recorded above the Saudi capital, and projections suggest that extreme heat days in Riyadh will increase to 132 days a year by 2040. A study published this year found that between May 2024 and May 2025 the world experienced 67 severe heatwaves, attributed to the excessive use of conventional fuels. Furthermore, 49 percent of the global population endured at least 30 additional days of high temperatures. March of this year marked the 20th month out of the past 21 in which the average high temperatures exceeded the 1.5 C threshold. This specific limit was established at the 2015 Paris Summit, resulting in an agreement signed by 196 nations, though only a few have adhered to it. Should this limited commitment persist, the situation could reach a critical stage. More concerning is that the air we breathe today is contaminated with radiation, a legacy of nuclear detonations carried out by the US in Japan during the Second World War, as well as tests conducted by several other countries. These countries conducted a total in excess of of 2,000 nuclear tests underground, in the atmosphere, and deep in the oceans over a span of 53 years (from 1945 to 1998). In 2018, The Straits Times, a Singaporean newspaper, reported on the theft of debris from 48 naval ships that sank off the coast of Singapore following the Second World War. It was discovered that these ships were made of non-radioactive steel, predating the use of nuclear technology. The thieves sold the material to Chinese companies for use in the manufacture of precision scientific and medical devices, which cannot be produced with radioactive steel due to its danger to humans. This suggests that even the industrial revolution itself has not been spared. Study found world experienced 67 severe heatwaves in a year Alf Hornborg, professor of human ecology at Lund University in Sweden, has published some important words regarding climate crises, and states that there is misleading information within the subject. He said that in order for Europeans to drive environmentally friendly cars, they shift the environmental and ethical burden resulting from this by pressuring countries like Brazil to cultivate crops from which ethanol is extracted. They then hold these countries responsible for their non-compliant actions, when in reality they were the ones who incited them. What is important, in their view, is to preserve their own environment from pollution. I believe this illustrates a strange opportunism and narcissism from the Northern Hemisphere countries, especially European nations and the US, against the non-industrialized countries of the South. The major industrialized nations, as evidenced by international reports, are responsible for the largest part of the problem. The proof is that from 1850 to 2021, about 2,500 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide were pumped into the atmosphere, according to a report from the investigative website Carbon Brief, which specializes in monitoring climate change. Three countries, the US, China, and Russia, were behind 38 percent of the aforementioned emissions, with 20 percent for the first, 11 percent for the second, and 7 percent for the third. The preceding statistics concern manufacturing emissions and do not include wars and their environmental impacts. Strikingly, the average temperature in 2021 was double that of 1821. This occurred within 200 years, a very short period in the Earth's age, in which climate changes are typically measured in millennia. A report published by the World Meteorological Organization noted that the average number of environmental disasters has reached one per day over the last 50 years, or about 365 disasters annually. Incidents such as hurricanes, droughts, and fires kill an average of 115 people daily. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at the UN provided clear and undeniable evidence that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2019 was the highest in 2 million years. Spanish physicist Jose Maria Martin said in 2024 that during heatwaves in which temperatures in Europe reach 45 C, the mortality rate is expected to increase by up to 40 percent. The current rate in the increase of temperatures will lead to rising sea and ocean levels, resulting in various disasters, as well as desertification, drought, shrinking rivers, contraction of the Amazon forests (dubbed the lungs of the world), and melting ice. Sea ice volume has already receded to its lowest level in 47 years. The imperative is simply to maintain the status quo, as the possibility of reducing temperatures is completely ruled out. I believe that Saudi Arabia's initiatives, along with its plans for carbon neutrality and the use of clean energy, are globally the most sound options for confronting the complex challenges of climate change. • Dr. Bader bin Saud is a columnist for Al-Riyadh newspaper, a media and knowledge management researcher, an expert and university professor in crowd management and strategic planning, and the former deputy commander of the special forces for Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia. X: @BaderbinSaud.
The Independent
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
It is in the West's interest to prevent nations' climate destruction – as well as its duty
It is doubly tragic that the very countries most damaged by climate change are often also some of the poorest, and thus least able to cope with its terrifying effects. This has been, or should have been, clear for some time. At successive climate conferences such as the Paris summit and the Cop series, island states threatened by rising sea levels and sub-Saharan nations suffering accelerating desertification, for example, have pleaded with the West and the emerging industrial economies to restrain greenhouse gas emissions and – of more immediate importance – help with measures to mitigate and defend against the effects of long-term alterations in weather systems. Now, research undertaken for The Independent 's Rethinking Global Aid project by ODI Global, a think tank, reveals the extent to which recent and continuing cuts in international aid programmes are leaving the world's most vulnerable communities defenceless in the face of existential challenges. The case studies, which we report on today, are graphic and compelling. Somalia, a nation long broken by political violence and terrorism, has lost billions of pounds worth of agricultural production as previously productive lands are left barren by higher temperatures and lower rainfall. That compounds an already dire lack of economic resources for the state to support itself, forces people to move to other places to find a living, and adds to the global migration crisis, just as it has across a broad band of the continent, from the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. Or take the distressing example of Dominica, a peaceful Commonwealth nation where the proportional impact of climate change on its economy is even larger. The ODI research suggests that it has lost a tenth of its GDP to anthropogenic warming. Haiti and Grenada are other Caribbean countries that have also had to deal with extreme weather events and devastating hurricanes – but without the resources that enable their wealthier neighbours, notably the United States, to put defences in place and recover from disaster. Poorer countries, by contrast, are not recovering and are being increasingly deprived of the means to look after themselves. It bears repeating that none of these developing economies is an industrial power. They did not enjoy the benefits of economic growth that plentiful and cheap fossil fuels brought through successive industrial revolutions, nor the high living standards that prevail in the nations still most profligate in their use of nature's bounty. The aggregate figures calculated by ODI Global are difficult to comprehend but point to a huge toll on human misery. The ODI study covered 53 low-income countries, including 36 small-island developing states in the Caribbean, Pacific and the Atlantic, and 17 countries in the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa. Since the year 2000, these countries have suffered $395bn in losses and damages from extreme weather events, some $156bn of which can be attributed to the climate crisis. This work, therefore, is not 'climate alarmism' but a sober, realistic assessment of the effects of what is happening. It's also a call to action for richer nations, troubled as they are, to face their responsibilities, as well as to act in their own self-interest. Fairness, therefore, demands that the rich countries should do more to assist the poorer citizens of the world to mitigate the effects of climate change. Mike Childs, head of policy at Friends of the Earth, puts this point well: 'If the UK suffered tens of billions of pounds worth of damage caused by other countries' actions, our government and the public would rightfully be shouting from the rooftops about the injustice.' Instead, of course, we have seen the United States abolish its development agency and many of its aid projects. Even European nations previously relatively generous in their approach, such as the UK, have pared back spending due to domestic political pressures and the growing spectre of Russian expansionism. Yet it is very much in the interest of the rich world, broadly speaking the global North, to prevent nations from being destroyed by famine, flood and general economic dislocation – which itself can trigger armed conflicts. The most obvious and pressing reason for maintaining as much international development effort as possible is the prospect of yet more flows of refugees crossing continents, movements of people which are already at historic levels and have caused political turmoil in advanced economies unwilling or unable to take them in. The most alarming prospect is presented by Bangladesh, where some 20 million people could be displaced by flooding of their homes by 2050. Recent crises such as the Covid pandemic, wars and the spike in energy prices have made the global North more preoccupied with its own problems and pushed the environment down the agenda. Yet the climate crisis has not disappeared, and the efforts to achieve net zero emissions of greenhouse gases should remain a goal for the whole of humanity. Climate change is, and should be, a transcendent issue. It is still not too late to avert the ultimate catastrophe of unpredictable climate breakdown. Alongside such global efforts, though, are smaller-scale projects that can prevent communities in imminent jeopardy of destruction from reaching something like a sustainable future. Sadly, the hurricanes, the droughts, the flooding and the failed harvests will continue, whatever happens – and it falls to the world's most powerful economies to try to mitigate the consequences. It's for the good of all.
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Shanghai Consul General Pratik Mathur addresses technology symposium of Singapore Chamber of Commerce
New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): Shanghai Consul General Pratik Mathur addressed the Singapore Chamber of Commerce annual technology symposium, one of the region's most prominent business forums. In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in Shanghai said that Mathur's participation underscored the growing global recognition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI). PM Modi advocated for the responsible use of AI during the Paris Summit. In his remarks, CG Mathur highlighted India's dynamic AI startup ecosystem, which is driving innovation across key sectors including urban development, healthcare, clean energy, and agriculture in the world's fastest-growing major economy. The X post added, 'India's AI vision shines in Shanghai. CG @PratikMathur1 participated in the annual technology symposium of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest and oldest business chambers in the region.' 'The invitation was a reflection of the global recognition of Prime Minister's vision of harnessing AI responsibly, for good, and for all, as articulated in the Paris Summit,' the post added. The post further added, 'In his remarks today, CG highlighted India's vibrant AI startup ecosystem that is driving change in the world's fastest-growing major economy, creating opportunities and revolutionizing diverse sectors such as urban renewal, healthcare, clean energy, and agriculture.' In continuation of the commitment, India and the European Union reiterated their commitment to safe, secure, and sustainable AI in March of this year and to promote this vision globally. As part of this, the European AI Office and India AI Mission have agreed to deepen cooperation, encourage an ecosystem of innovation, and foster information exchange. They have also agreed to enhance cooperation on large language models. In furtherance of the vision of Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India, the Union government last year approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI mission with a budget outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore. The IndiaAI mission is to establish a comprehensive ecosystem that catalyses AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships in the public and private sectors. By democratizing computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects and bolstering ethical AI, it will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem. (ANI)
Telegraph
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Baltic States must be part of the Ukraine talks
The Prime Minister's summit in support of Ukraine was certainly a step in the right direction. As has been widely noted, Britain is now resuming its natural role as the most important democratic European great power. The UK government was quicker than most of the continent to recognise the Russian threat, and it has done a great deal to try to contain it through training Ukrainian troops, supplying anti-tank weapons to Kiev early, warning (together with the US) of an imminent attack in February 2022, and in many other ways. It is therefore very regrettable that the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which have been even further ahead of the curve in sounding the alarm about Mr Putin, were not invited to London. This comes on top of the Paris Summit last week, to which they were not invited either. The exclusion is the more unfortunate because we Europeans (rightly) objected to the Trump's administration's exclusion not only of the Ukrainians but also of 'Europe' at the discussions in Saudi Arabia which sparked the current crisis. Unsurprisingly, all three leaders of the Baltic states were reported to be 'very upset' at their treatment. Sir Keir Starmer tried as best he could to mitigate the damage by convening a hasty online conference with the leaders of the three Baltic States. According to the Asta Skaisgiryte, the chief advisor to the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, the Prime Minister apologised to them and promised that 'next time such things will be avoided'. What is worrying, though, is the absence of any satisfactory explanation for their absence in the first place. At the very least the Estonian leader could have represented the other two. Of course, not all European countries could be invited. It made little sense, for example, to bring in neutral Malta, Austria and the Republic of Ireland. It would also have been silly to have Hungary's Victor Orban who is effectively a Russian ally. But why have Spain, which spends well short of the Nato target of 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and has shown relatively little interest in confronting Russia? Why the Czechs, who do contribute a lot to Ukraine, but are less significant than the Baltics? The offence is compounded by the fact that the UK knows the Baltic states well. British troops have been deployed in Estonia as part of the deterrence mission ever since Putin's illegal annexation of Crimea. The Baltic is literally Britain's front line in the east under the Nato Article Five guarantee. Moreover, the Estonians are world leaders in national resilience and drone warfare development. They are major suppliers of the Ukrainian war effort. Why would we not want their expertise at the summit? Ever since 1940, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were occupied by the Soviet Union, following the Hitler-Stalin pact, the three Baltic States have feared abandonment by the West. This is not what is happening here, but if we want to avoid giving that impression greater sensitivity will be required in the future. The whole episode shows that not only the British public but also the British national security establishment needs more knowledge and more understanding of the Baltic. It is a region with which Britain has been closely connected for hundreds of years and with which we are now bound up in a community of fate. The United Kingdom is right to captain the defence of Europe, but we need to bring our best players with us.
Axios
03-03-2025
- Science
- Axios
Axios interview: Google's Hassabis warns of AI race's hazards
The more artificial intelligence becomes a race, the harder it is to keep the powerful new technology from becoming unsafe, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis told Axios in a wide-ranging interview at this week's AI Action Summit in Paris. Reality check: Rules to control AI only work when most nations agree to them, Hassabis said, and that's only getting harder — as made clear by the summit's inconclusive outcome. "It seems to be very difficult for the world to do," said Hassabis — who won a Nobel Prize last year and now leads Google's AI work. "Just look at climate. There seems to be less cooperation. That doesn't bode well." Indeed, at the Paris Summit, the U.S. and U.K. refused to sign on to a communique on AI safety that had already been criticized for lacking enforceable commitments. The big picture: Hassabis said the need for norms and rules grows as the world gets closer to so-called artificial general intelligence (AGI), meaning advanced AI systems that can do a broad range of tasks faster and better than humans. "But it has to be international," Hassabis said. "Otherwise you'll get nations competing and other things like that." Hassabis doesn't have a specific recipe for creating that international cooperation, but he said it will need to involve governments, companies, academics and civil society. "It is too important for it only to be one set of people working on this," he said. "It's going to require everybody to come together — hopefully, in time." Between the lines: Hassabis also stressed the need for a diverse collection of people to be involved in the development of AI — even as companies, including Google, move away from their programs to diversify their workforces, which remain highly white and male. "Research advances are better with a big diversity of thinking in your team," he said. "That's kind of well-proven in science and in research." Having a diverse set of voices in the room when it comes to deploying technologies is even more critical, he said, "because that's when it affects people's lives." "I think that's where you know you want the people that are being affected to have a say as to how those technologies get deployed," he said. Open source AI has become linked in the public mind with both Meta and China, but Hassabis said Google is a "huge proponent of open science and open source." "We've open sourced many, many, many things in the past and obviously published almost all of our innovations, including transformers and AlphaGo, and all of the things that the modern industry is built on," he said. "Clearly that makes progress go faster." But he warned that the spread of open source AI only sharpens the technology's root ethical dilemma: "How do you stop bad actors repurposing general purpose technology for harmful ends?" "Powerful agentic systems are going to be built, because they'll be more useful, economically more useful, scientifically more useful. ... But then those systems become even more powerful in the wrong hands, too." The bottom line: Hassabis said it's going to take effort to manage societal change even if the tech industry does manage to develop AI safely. "I think there needs to be more time spent by economists, probably, and philosophers and social scientists on what do we want the world to be like, even if we get everything right, post AGI," he said. "I'm surprised there's not very much discussion about that, given the relatively short timelines."
