World Economic Forum: Top Stories- July 8, 2023

World Economic Forum (July 8, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:

0:15 This is what CO2 emissions look like from space – This graphic shows CO2 emissions over Asia and Australia during 2021. It was developed by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. The orange ‘clouds’ represent CO2 from fossil fuel emissions. While the red clouds show CO2 emitted by burning biomass from wildfires, for example. As the year progresses, the fossil fuel emissions drift southwards, obscuring Australia.

1:25 India’s renewable energy revolution – The scale of economic growth in India is stunning. Its GDP grew by 7.2% in 2022-23, while electricity demand shot up by 8%. In the next few decades, its energy demand is set to grow more than in any other country. India has pledged to meet 50% of its electricity needs from low-carbon sources by 2030 and reduce energy intensity by 45% from 2005 levels.

3:00 This company is using lasers to beam internet to remote areas – Using chips and mirrors, laser signals are beamed over a distance of up to 20km. “This is as simple as a digital camera with a laser pointer. So you’re using a laser pointer to kind of transmit the data from one end to the other end. And then on the other end, think of the same digital camera, which is receiving the same laser beams and is able to decode it and then convert it into bytes.”

4:40 China will meet it’s renewable energy targets 5 years early – China is on track to hit its renewable energy target 5 years early. This rapid progress could limit global emissions faster than forecast. China is already a global leader in renewable energy, and its planned additions will increase global wind and solar capacity by almost 50% and 85%, respectively.

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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

Cinematic Travel: A 30-Day Tour Of Bali, Indonesia

Traveling Mondays Films (July 7, 2023) – 30 days of solo travel in Bali, Indonesia. From Ubud to Nusa Penida to Jawa island to Batur, you’ll see & feel what this beautiful country of Indonesia has to offer.

Bali is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller offshore islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan to the southeast.

The New York Times Book Review — July 9, 2023

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THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW – JULY 9, 2023: In Too Deep – Laura Trethewey’s “The Deepest Map” plumbs the new world of oceanic exploration, and its dangers; “Fancy Bear Goes Phishing”; Lorrie Moore’s New Novel; Read your way through L.A., and more…

In Too Deep

Laura Trethewey’s “The Deepest Map” explores the new world of oceanic exploration — and its dangers.

By Simon Winchester

In the past days, the world has been riveted by the story of the Titan submersible, which we now know imploded some 1,600 feet from the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all aboard. Beyond the human tragedy — and the macabre fact that James Cameron’s blockbuster is trending online — comes an opportunity for serious reflection.

From ‘Front-Page Girls’ to Newsroom Leaders

“Undaunted,” Brooke Kroeger’s new history of women in journalism, tracks the victories, setbacks and pathbreaking careers that have marked the decades-long fight for gender parity in the field.

This black-and-white photo shows 13 men and one woman in business attire seated around a long oval conference table in a corporate boardroom. On the table are several ashtrays, a couple of folded newspapers and, in front of each person, a sheet of paper. In addition, two men stand behind the seated group, on opposite sides of the table and in front of a wall decorated with a world map.
The New York Times editorial council, photographed in 1951.

By Jane Kamensky

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Anne O’Hare McCormick. I hadn’t, and as the director of Radcliffe’s Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, which holds peerless collections documenting pioneers in print journalism, I could have, and definitely should have. Brooke Kroeger’s compendious and lively “Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism” introduced me to her.

If We Are What We Eat, We Don’t Know Who We Are

In “Ultra-Processed People,” Chris van Tulleken takes a close look at the franken-snacks that barely resemble what they’re imitating.

The New York Times – Saturday, July 8, 2023

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Biden Defends ‘Difficult’ Decision to Send Cluster Munitions to Ukraine

President Biden and his advisers had reservations about supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine, but then decided to provide them to the country.

With Ukraine burning through stockpiles of conventional artillery, President Biden concluded that he had little choice but to provide the weapons.

U.S. Raises Pressure on China to Combat Global Fentanyl Crisis

Plastic bags of fentanyl displayed at the Customs and Border Protection area at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

The Biden administration push comes after cooperation on halting the flow of the drug into the United States was derailed by wider geopolitical tensions.

Fight or Flight: Transgender Care Bans Leave Families and Doctors Scrambling

Laws in 20 states have left the fate of clinics in doubt and families with transgender children searching for medical care across state lines.17h ago

They Fell in Love in a Video Game. Now Both Are in Jail.

The barrier-breaking romance of a Pakistani woman and an Indian man has led to criminal charges and nationalist intrigue.

Finance Preview: Barron’s Magazine – July 10, 2023

Magazine - Latest Issue - Barron's

BARRON’S MAGAZINE – JULY 10, 2023 ISSUE –

Walmart Is Quietly Growing Into a Retail Tech Titan

Walmart Is Quietly Growing Into a Retail Tech Titan

The world’s biggest retailer stumbled in the early innings of the e-commerce revolution. Now that Walmart has found its footing, it’s poised for big profits.

Americans Have the Travel Bug, and They’re Going Abroad. What Stocks to Play.

Americans Have the Travel Bug, and They’re Going Abroad. What Stocks to Play.

Pent-up demand is fueling a surge in international travel. Cruise lines, select air carriers, and Hyatt Hotels offer ways to play the trend.3 min

Growth Is Back. Where to Invest Now.

Growth Is Back. Where to Invest Now.

Can the AI-driven rally in growth stock funds continue? Large-cap growth funds are already up 24% this year, but so are valuations.

BBC Earth Wildlife Views: Sir David Attenborough Tours Seven Continents

BBC Earth (July 7, 2023) – Sir David Attenborough presents remarkable, new animal behaviors from all the continents, including a kidnapping macaque to thirsty bats navigating crocodile-infested waters.

From ‘Seven Worlds One Planet’.

New Zealand Home Tour: ‘Flockhill Homestead’

The Local Project (July 7, 2023) – An exclusive house tour and a thoughtful marrying of architecture and landscape, Flockhill Homestead is a beautiful yet practical farm residence that offers a novel experience of the New Zealand landscape.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Luxurious AirBnB 00:47 – The Project Architect 01:17 – A Family and an Environmental Centred Brief 02:13 – Democratising the Bedrooms 02:40 – Protection From the Harsh Environment 03:15 – The Heritage and History of The Flockhill Region 03:32 – The Materials Used Throughout 04:47 – Utilisation Throughout the Seasons 05:18 – The Calmness of Shadow 05:53 – A Collaborative Effort

This exclusive house tour goes inside a high country sheep station that doubles as an Airbnb where Warren and Mahoney take a symbiotic approach to create an elegant refuge, where interior design harmonises with the heavy masonry elements embedded in the landscape that can also withstand the harsh conditions. The exclusive house tour shows a dwelling that responds to its incredible locale – in the way of outlooks, heritage and practicality.

Located halfway between Christchurch and Arthur’s Pass, the homestead and Airbnb is perched on a plateau above the working farm, which offers an equal viewpoint of the mountains, limestone rock formations and Lake Pearson. A pool sits on the edge of the property at the top of a cliff, allowing one to feel as if they are floating above the dramatic landscape.

The exclusive house tour reveals The fluid approach taken by the team in the architecture and interior design of the homestead. Spaces are arranged in a single linear strip to access constant views towards the lake and mountains in the distance, fostering a continuous connection between internal and external spaces. The large home is designed for four individual owners so there are shared zones, including a communal kitchen and large fireplace, and private spaces pushed to the corners of the home.

Preview: New York Times Magazine – July 9, 2023

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THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (July 9, 2023) – In this week’s cover story, Sarah A. Topol reports on how the U.S. military continues to build up Guam and other Pacific territories — placing the burdens of imperial power on the nation’s most ignored and underrepresented citizens. Plus, an interview with the British writer-actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, a profile of the winemaker Maggie Harrison and inside the D.N.C.’s primary problem.

The America That Americans Forget

Roy Gamboa, a member of Guam’s native CHamoru people and a Marine veteran.

As tensions with China mount, the U.S. military continues to build up Guam and other Pacific territories — placing the burdens of imperial power on the nation’s most ignored and underrepresented citizens.

Talk June 29, 2023

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Great ‘Indiana Jones’ Adventure

Waller-Bridge, 37, is co-starring in the just-released “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” (This is after previously contributing to the screenplay for a film about another iconic character: the 2021 James Bond effort, “No Time to Die.”) Further out on the horizon, Waller-Bridge, who also created the spy-thriller series “Killing Eve,” is working on a show based on the “Tomb Raider” video game for Amazon Studios. (At the time of publication, though, that show’s progress is currently on hold because of the W.G.A. writers’ strike.) 

Maggie Harrison’s War on Wine

Maggie Harrison in a field, seen through some green plants, which partially obscure her face. The photo is in soft focus and has a yellow-green tint.

Her painstaking blends are dazzling diners and critics — and upending long-held notions about how winemaking is supposed to work.

News: Zelensky To Visit Erdogan In Istanbul, G7 Meets In Tokyo, Prigozhin

The Globalist Podcast, Friday, July 7, 2023: Monocle’s Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, on Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Turkey.

Also, the significance of the G7 justice ministers meeting in Tokyo, updates on Wagner leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin and Russia, plus a look at the UAE’s self-driving cars.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious