Brittany Kaiser

Climate change is the story of our time. This is why our team of journalists has, with great intentionality, amplified coverage of sustainable solutions which benefit humanity. This November, 20 Israeli climate-tech companies are headed to the COP29 Azerbaijan Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Handpicked by the Israel Innovation Authority רשות החדשנות and key government ministries, these companies span a broad range of sectors, each bringing innovative solutions to tackle the pressing climate crisis. With the COP29 conference rapidly approaching, these are the Israeli companies you should follow. Airovation Technologies CarbonBlue Rewind CI Sensing NGV MARINE EDGE Momentick BlueGreen Water Technologies EZPack Water Ltd. H2OLL Treetoscope SaliCrop Ltd Senecio Robotics Terra CQM TextRe Envomed Reep Technologies SolCold ANINA Culinary Art #startupnation #climatecrisis #tuesdaythoughts

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Policy closer to citizens, the how of this is so pertinent … how does Brussels mean something in everyday lives of the citizens of genalguacil just for example … We can only find out by trying to do things together … Here in Brussels / panels / workshops … EU rural policy action lab - back in Genalguacil In our LAB work in progress of how to connect these diverse worlds For, the future is rural day by day https://lnkd.in/dYHAgeHN

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Leopold Aschenbrenner, who until recently worked on the “superalignment” team at OpenAI, believes that the United States should go on a wartime footing to develop advanced AI and use it to take over the world – so that China doesn’t get there first. I understand his reasoning, but I think some of his assumptions are incorrect. In any case, we all should be humble about our ability to predict the course of AI progress – and thus careful about how we approach the drastic measures that might in fact be justified if all of Leopold's predictions bear out. Here is my attempt to summarize Leopold's thesis, a brief explanation of where my predictions differ from his, and some thoughts as to how should forward in the face of uncertainty. What actions can we take to reduce that uncertainty? What are some no-regrets steps we can undertake in the meantime? And Leopold, if you see this, let's talk!

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https://lnkd.in/gPzGaTC4 Reading this article reminds me of a recommendation I made to COMESA Secretariat in 2018 at the Regional Forum on Climate Risks, contained in my keynote address with then Zambian Vice-President Inonge Wina, and senior executives at COMESA Secretariat, and the The World Bank present. I remain convinced that African countries need to close ranks and deepen cooperation on many levels. I am drawn again to my call, then (as remains pertinent, now) that we should work towards developing a virtual strategic food reserve to dampen price volatility and promote resilience. Here's an excerpt below from the full keynote address. The full text is here (https://lnkd.in/gNJk65Ub) "...Aligned to this could also be the opportunity to create a virtual strategic food reserve network among member states, where forward planning will afford member states the opportunity to operate a system where stocks could be built up and released in times of shocks, dampening price spikes and promoting resilience. We can learn from the work in the ASEAN region, where, after the price spikes of 2007/2008, the ASEAN Summit of 2009 developed regional political frameworks through the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security, to place food security as a permanent and high-level policy priority and 5putting the region on the pathway to long-term resilience. The is the establishment of an emergency rice reserve. In partnership with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Agreement was designed to strengthen rice production, prevent post-harvest losses, promote labour opportunities and provide rapid responses in overcoming rice supply shortages in emergencies occurring in any of the signatory countries."

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#AI 🤖 is moving faster than our ability to regulate it—and it’s putting our jobs, elections, and even survival at risk. It knows no borders, and yet we have zero global regulations to manage it. That’s why we need the #UN 🇺🇳 to step up. Check out how we propose for this to happen at Atlas, and let me know what you think ⤵️ #UNGA79 #WeAreOne #unite4survival

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Last month, at Cleantech for Europe Summit 2024, I had the pleasure to co-moderate a panel on #cleantech collaboration between the #EU and the #UK, alongside Cleantech for UK Director Sarah Mackintosh.We shared early results of our research and as we gear up to publish our report on this topic in December, I look back at the insights shared at the Summit: Thomas Pellerin-Carlin MEP described this point in time as the moment to open a new chapter of a pragmatic, constructive cooperation between the EU and the UK  - highlighting that few areas were as influenced by the UK, as our #energy & #climate policy. Going forward, we should explore the potential of for example, joint planning in the realm of #offshorewind to enable more projects – especially in the British channel. Miranda Dawkins from the UK Mission to the European Union noted that there is shared interest between the UK and the EU, especially in the area of #cleanpower and increasing #investment flows between the two areas. Highlighting different areas of successful collaboration and areas of improvement, the EU and UK share challenges in the green transition, such as build-up of #skills.   Jacob Bro described the already deep level of international integration of #climatetech investors. The British #innovation #ecosystem is strong and how, while Brexit does not pose a day-to-day impediment to supporting cleantech on both sides of the channel, further alignment is ready to enable capital flows across borders, especially when working with institutional and public investors. Additionally, enabling labour to travel fluidly between the economies is key, as the cleantech transition requires highly-skilled jobs to deploy technologies across our societies.    Duncan Burt noted that at the daily working level, #market synergies are strong, and the EU and UK share a lot of challenges. All the same, it is vital to improve day-to-day operational-level alignment. Reintroducing the UK into different areas of collaboration is key to building a shared, prosperous future together. Both the UK and EU have been early leaders in setting #netzero goals in legislation, and now they both are at the start of new political mandates. Our upcoming report will shed light over several areas of potential cleantech collaboration, such as #grids, #offshorewind, #CCS, #carbonpricing and #skills. Now is a good moment for the EU and the UK to double down on these already existing synergies and strengthen our mutually beneficial work. Stay tuned for our report on this! 

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“Six Ways Generative AI Can Mitigate Extreme Temperatures” by Claude 3.5 Sonnet 4:46 pm PDT, Saturday, July 20, 2024 Please recommend six ways that generative AI can mitigate extreme temperatures.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Here are six ways generative AI could potentially help mitigate extreme temperatures: 1. Optimized Urban Planning: Generative AI could design city layouts and building arrangements that maximize natural cooling effects. It could generate models for optimal placement of green spaces, water features, and wind corridors to reduce urban heat island effects. 2. Advanced Materials Design: AI could be used to design new materials with superior heat-reflective or insulating properties. These could be used in construction, clothing, or vehicle manufacturing to reduce heat absorption and improve cooling efficiency. 3. Predictive Energy Management: Generative AI models could predict energy demand patterns during extreme heat events and optimize power grid operations. This could help prevent blackouts and ensure efficient distribution of power for cooling systems. 4. Personalized Cooling Strategies: AI could analyze individual health data, living conditions, and local weather patterns to generate personalized recommendations for staying cool. This could include tailored schedules for outdoor activities, hydration plans, and optimal use of cooling resources. 5. Climate-Responsive Architecture: Generative AI could design buildings that automatically adapt to temperature changes. This might include dynamic shading systems, automated ventilation, or even shape-shifting structures that optimize for cooling in extreme heat. 6. Enhanced Weather Forecasting: AI models could improve the accuracy and granularity of extreme heat predictions. This would allow for better preparation and more targeted mitigation efforts, potentially saving lives and resources. These applications of generative AI could contribute to both short-term adaptation to extreme temperatures and long-term strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change. However, it's important to note that while technology can help, addressing the root causes of climate change through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions remains crucial. Would you like me to elaborate on any of these points or explore additional ways AI might help with extreme temperature mitigation?

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NEW EPISODE. My recent guest on the Entangled World podcast was Olivia Lazard. Olivia is a research fellow at Carnegie Europe where her research involves investigating how to support a move towards regenerative foreign and security policy within the European Union. Olivia works on the #geopolitics of climate-disrupted futures and #ecological breakdown. Her work tackles the decarbonisation-regeneration nexus, the core pillar for the future of global security and peace. In this conversation, Olivia and I discuss the major “blind spots” of the #energy transition and how competitive resource extraction is likely to lead to conflict, violence, ecological #destabilization, and the dangerous potential of simultaneously compromising multiple major ecosystems for the sake of resource extraction. She describes how COVID and the Ukraine War revealed some important vulnerabilities in our interconnected systems and how resources can be powerfully #weaponized by those who control them. She puts the Ukraine-Russia conflict in context as part of a larger story that has major implications for the future; a possible future in which Russia may be able to use its control over energy, critical #minerals, agriculture, and other natural resources to threaten the stability of other increasingly dependent, destabilized nations. We also talk about how China has perfected the verticalization of supply chains for several critical minerals needed for the advanced tech revolution, particularly the development of AI. China has become not only an industrial heavyweight leading in manufacturing but also a technological heavyweight, which has massive geopolitical implications for the global balance of #power. We explore the rationality behind different realms of human conquest throughout history, from #colonialism to the nuclear age, highlighting how these revolutions came about in response to needs and threats in key historical moments. We discuss historical cycles of attempts to control, extract, expand, and conquer, and the resulting long-term consequences. In other words, how our current problem-solving approaches work to solve narrow goals while externalizing harm in other places. Olivia shares about her experience staying with an #Indigenous community in the Amazon during which she had a profound spiritual experience in which she felt more connected to the natural world than she had ever felt before. It completely shifted how she thought about her place in the world. We end the conversation talking about how in reality, we are not separate from #nature and to understand that is to come to view ourselves and the world in all its holistic beauty. Watch it now on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ejEqMMVe Or listen below: Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e6ysyr-w Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e8wumWGa

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The Methane Imperative Methane emissions have surged over the past decades, contributing significantly to global warming. Urgent action is needed to address this potent greenhouse gas. Key advancements in methane detection and reduction technologies, as well as global policy agreements, have the potential to drastically cut emissions. Balancing economic growth with environmental protection poses a significant challenge. Industries reliant on methane production must adapt to stricter regulations. Short-term economic gains can deter long-term sustainability efforts. There's a temptation to overlook environmental costs for immediate profit. The scientific community's insights into methane's impact highlight the critical need for innovative solutions and collaborative global efforts to mitigate climate change. #MethaneReduction #ClimateChange #Sustainability #Innovation #GlobalWarming The Methane Imperative

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France' election outcome: coalition government, minority government or technical government? Without a clear absolute majority in the Assemblée Nationale, there is a risk of deadlock. But this is not such a bad thing, especially for investors, as future legislative impasses should temper some of the left’s spending plans. Not surprisingly, the French markets have turned higher since Sunday, but uncertainty will be the order for the next little while. There is an observable connection between equity market returns and geopolitical risk.  Below are some links to some studies that have used our ICRG risk data to draw the connection. (https://lnkd.in/gxz4rKH7) (https://lnkd.in/dfhD6WQU) (https://lnkd.in/e2am5Jad) Our data drives. The PRS Group-International Country Risk Guide www.PRSGroup.com www.christophermckee.net #france #election #macron #lepen #gridlock #bourse #Paris #geopoliticalrisk #geopolitics #politicalrisk #leftwing #spending #EU #investmentrisk #equities #markets #volatility

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For those interested in the politics of climate policies 🌱 : interesting paper below on Populist movement (e.g. far right) and Climate policy. Take-away: ➡ Climate policies are a perfect target 🎯 for populist rhetoric: They rely on expert knowledge, entail globalist thinking and action, and 🌊 the counterfactual nature of their benefits--avoiding disasters that would otherwise happen--gives ample fodder for conspiracy theories ➡ Depth of their grievances 😡 ➕ 🤥 Irrational Conspiracy theory = unlikely that voters will be persuaded by rational arguments. What will change their behavior ? ✅ money, money, money: when energy & mobility bills goes down ✅ emotions: stories, narratives, engagement, when it becomes palatable about you and your close ones (not the iconic polar bear, but about uncle Mike who lost his house in a flood. The challenge with that approach is to also have a positive sobriety narrative, and especially for OECD countries. And that is a huge challenge when all institutions, policies and economic policies success is measured against GDP (and not inequality for example, or environmental co-benefits). The path forward is to be defined, Timothée Parrique and Aurore Lalucq are well placed to support that in their respective capacity (thank you 🙏 ). https://lnkd.in/eJnaUw2v

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Is AI a threat or an opportunity for democracy? Can online platforms and in-person deliberations work together? Here is one, or rather, two answers. Thanks Laura Giesen and Hélène Landemore https://lnkd.in/eCnetwBZ

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https://lnkd.in/eVaCx2TR Thank you, David Cook for publishing on this critical vulnerability. So glad to see this gain public traction! "Publicly available information (PAI) uncovered 'tight links between GenScript and the CCP,' including the acting CEO and several other c-suite members, being CCP Committee Secretary – a political office within the Chinese government. Close ties risk the transfer of intellectual property and sensitive biological and genetic data that can be used to exploit or blackmail certain individuals or groups, or even produce tailored bioweapons. The congressionally established National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) outlines a potential scenario where genetic data is transferred to a company or third-party without the proper screening process in place, leading to a loss of sensitive data and potential security risk. One NSCEB white paper calls biological data a 'strategic asset' and when focused on describing a specific group of people, 'the data can be used to produce more precise medical treatments, but also to blackmail or exploit said groups.' The NSCEB makes several policy recommendations over a series of white papers, but due diligence through basic OSINT methodologies can preemptively mitigate major long-term risks."

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By now you’ve probably heard that Artificial Intelligence has the power to ‘democratize expertise,’ enabling countless innovations the likes of which we haven’t seen since the invention of electricity. While some, no doubt, view these proclamations as no more than a far-fetched dream, I am here to inform them that their doubts about the positive potential of AI will age no better than those who predicted the internet to be just a fad. The AI revolution is fast approaching, and that is good news for Montana. In my most recent Montana 2050 Report, I found that Montana stands to benefit more from AI than other states because our low-productivity sectors, which make up most of our largest industry sectors by employment, are the most ripe for AI productivity gains.

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And this time, it's VIRITECH on the Crowdcube platform. Will I make an #investment? https://lnkd.in/eFvUnmjM Well - again - no :( This is #deeptech. And deeptech requires a few additional considerations. Watch the video to see what I thought at least. But what went wrong is pretty simple. Despite two super reputable and ultra-impressive-sounding founders, I couldn't work out if I could get a return on my investment. Not because my computer/calculator decided to take early retirement—no, no, but because the founders were not transparent with the terms. Yet again - and I urge Crowdcube to advise all projects to consider this - always put the terms of the investment front and center! Be proud of them. Investors should feel it is a privilege to invest in a hot #startup. Sure - in the 'cooling-off' period that happens at the end of each #crowdfund, you get to see the official documents, which will likely detail the terms. But that's only helpful if you already knew you were going to #invest. When you're 'browsing' a #crowdfunding site, the terms should be up front and centre otherwise, like I have just done, the #investor will move on. If I missed it, which I checked again afterwards, then I'm an idiot! But in general, I hope this video helps #founders and investors alike create and review crowdfunding projects. Big love,

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