Latest news with #U.N.EnvironmentalProgram
Voice of America
19-02-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
Solar refrigerators in Kenya reduce food waste
Milk and egg vendor Caroline Mukundi has lost a lot of her stock in her years of selling fresh food at a Nairobi market. Mukundi said she had no way to keep food fresh, and the cost of refrigerating was out of reach. 'The food would go bad,' she said, and she would have to throw it away. 'It was a big challenge for me.' Mukundi said her situation turned around when she acquired a solar-powered refrigerator. The refrigerators, named Koolboks and manufactured in Kenya, are fitted with ice compartments that can chill food even without a source of power. The devices can keep food cool for up to four days without electricity, even with limited sunlight. Customers can buy the refrigerators on a customized payment model, said Natalie Casey, chief business officer at the Koolboks startup company. 'They can be between 1,500 and 3,000 US dollars, because it includes not only the appliances but also the solar panels and battery storage to enable the continuous cooling,' she said. 'We've decided what might be more accessible to them is to first pay a down payment between 20 and 35% of the total, and the customer can pay in installments of up to 24 months.' Koolboks has sold about 7,000 solar-powered refrigerators. Conventional refrigerators for businesses can cost anywhere from $11,000 to $100,000 or more, said Dorothy Otieno, program manager at the Center for Environmental Justice and Development. 'Some businesses, especially small businesses, are not able to afford it,' she said. 'We are looking at, for example, how businesses can be supported to get access to [the Koolboks refrigerators], especially for communities that are not able to afford,' she said. The refrigerator was among dozens of innovations showcased at the recent Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi. The conference's founder, Andrew Fassnidge, told VOA that such creations are crucial to solving local problems on the continent. 'What's interesting with ... Koolboks refrigeration is, if we look at the Covid vaccine, one of the biggest issues at the time was refrigeration, and it's still an issue in most markets,' he said. Koolboks markets a refrigerator specifically for vaccines. The refrigerators could have an impact on climate change, too. A 2024 survey by the U.N. Environmental Program showed Kenya has a high level of food waste, with annual waste ranging from 40 to 100 kilograms per person. Environmentalists say high levels of organic waste worsen climate change, so preventing food waste can have an impact.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions of Google users alarmed after discovering new AI tool they can't turn off — here's the latest on the controversial update
In recent months, the AI revolution has permeated technology companies. From Apple's AI notification summarization to Microsoft's AI email assistance, tech companies are clearly embracing this new tech as the world races toward more advanced and profitable AI methods. Google's Gemini tool is one of the tech industry's many new AI variations, but it has been met with controversy as millions of users seek to disable it. Users have found that those who ignore the Gemini Workspace feature will be nudged with suggestions to "polish" or "help me write" email drafts. As useful as this can be, many users are less than enthusiastic. Financial Times gadget editor Rhodri Marsden summed up one major issue with the tech on Bluesky: "I judge my interactions with people based on *what they wrote*, rather than what Gemini thinks they want to write." Users have also reported having issues turning the technology off, as the Australian Computer Society detailed. Companies are said to be moving full force toward AI to be competitive within the tech industry, but the environmental cost should not be overlooked. AI-driven data centers require vast amounts of materials, with a single 4-pound computer needing 1,763 pounds of resources, and they rely on elements often mined destructively, according to the U.N. Environmental Program. Electronic waste from data centers contains hazardous substances like mercury and lead, while one study projects their water consumption — used for cooling — could soon exceed that of Denmark. Additionally, AI technology has immense energy demands, with an AI request consuming 10 times the electricity of a Google search. In Ireland, AI growth could push data centers to use 32% of the country's electricity by 2026, according to the International Energy Agency. With the number of data centers surging from 500,000 in 2012 to 8 million today, AI's environmental impact is set to escalate further. Efforts to address AI's environmental impact are growing. Over 190 countries have adopted ethical AI guidelines, and the E.U. and U.S. have introduced regulations. The U.N. emphasized the need for stronger environmental safeguards, highlighting an opportunity for governments to integrate sustainability into AI strategies. A Yale researcher, Yuan Yao, further explained options: "Transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, and adopting energy-efficient practices can mitigate these negative impacts." 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.
