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Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), February 12, 2024


EFITA newsletter / 1088 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


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How Europe’s wine regions are coping with climate change, by Vitisphere, February 09, 2024

The climate around the Mediterranean rim is changing. On January 30 at the Institut Agro in Montpellier, engineering student Quentin Gerona invited winegrowers to rethink “their vision of the ecosystem and their place in it”. Gerona screened the documentary ‘Vignes sur le Fil’ (or vines down to the wire) which he co-produced with Emma Crouzet and Isaure Sellier, a member of the RaidWine association, during a five-month tour of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
See vitisphere.com


A Rare Magic Bow and String Stunt, Birdsong Played by Instrument Passes Fake Imitation for Genuine (fake music?)
See video


Before computers / Avant l'informatique : Deering 10/20 tractor and Mac Cormick IH harvester / Tracteur Deering 10/20 et moissonneuse Mac Cormick IH

12/02/2024
 


Weekly newsletters about ICT in Agriculture in English and French
Both newsletters have around 5000 subscribers.

>>> Last weekly EFITA Newsletters in English (created in 1999) Efita Newsletters

>>> Last weekly AFIA Newsletters in French (created more than 20 years ago in 1997) Afia Newsletters

>>> Statistics for the latest efita newsletter

>>> Latest issue of the afia newsletter


FutureFarming.com

> 10.000 ha in 6 months, a robot that has proved its worth!
The SwarmBot, designed entirely in Australia by Queensland farmers, has successfully established itself in the modern farming landscape.

> Field robots: Yanmar unveils electric concept e-X1 field robot for fossil-free agriculture
Yanmar AG has unveiled its new concept, the e-X1, an electric compact agricultural robot designed to lead the way in emission-free farming.

> Market information: Small Robot Company proceeds into liquidation
UK's Small Robot Company proceeds into liquidation. According to SRC they had a signed Term Sheet, but unfortunately the investment did not land before the runway ended.

> Articulated tractors: Australian Acremaster articulated tractors are making a comeback
The Australian brand Acremaster, which built articulated tractors from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, is returning this year with a new tractor series.

> Market information: Saga Robotics secures $ 11,5 million in growth capital, expansion Thorvald 3
Technology company Saga Robotics has successfully raised $11,5 million in growth capital through an equity transaction.

> Market information: Homburg Holland to sell Swedish Ekobot in the Netherlands
Homburg Holland will sell the Swedish weeding robot Ekobot in the Netherlands.

> Fertilizers: ‘Tow and Fert’ technology breaking down fertilizer and costs
More crop and vegetable farmers are switching on to the idea of foliar fertiliser applications in a bid to become more efficient and save money.

> Fertilizers: SelectShot... set it, forget it, and save on fertilizer while seeding
CapstanAG’s SelectShot allows farmers to place a shot of fertilizer precisely before, on, or after seeds, as they are planted in the soil.

> Loaders: Bobcat showcases new version of autonomous RogueX skid-steer loader
Doosan Bobcat is presenting a second version of an autonomous RogueX skid-steer loader at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, USA.

> Digital orchards: capturing pruning expertise in digital twins
The OnePlanet Research Center is focusing on preserving the knowledge of expert growers.

> ‘Costs precision spraying in soybean and maize crops 2.3 times lower than conventional’
Researchers in Brazil found that the costs of pesticide application via a real-time precision spraying system in soybean and maize crops were 2.3 times lower than pesticide application with a conventional sprayer.

> Fertilizers: Farmers making fertilizer: an update on FuelPositive technology
Canadian technology enables crop farmers to manufacture their own fertilizer from air and water, with renewable energy where possible.

> Market information: Väderstad initiates collaboration with Ekobot
Swedish manufacturer Vӓderstad is entering into a partnership with Ekobot AB, a Swedish manufacturer of automatic agricultural robots.

> Exhibitions: French SIMA 2024 cancelled due to agricultural crisis
ExpoSima, the organizer of the French trade fair SIMA, has decided to cancel the organization of the fair in 2024.

> Market information: Small Robot Company proceeds into liquidation
UK's Small Robot company proceeds into liquidation. According to SRC they had a signed Term Sheet, but the investment did not land before the runway ended.

> Articulated tractors: Australian Acremaster articulated tractors are making a comeback
The Australian brand Acremaster, which built articulated tractors from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, is returning this year with a new tractor series.

> Field robots: Yanmar unveils electric concept e-X1 field robot for fossil-free agriculture
Yanmar AG has unveiled its new concept, the e-X1, an electric compact agricultural robot designed to lead the way in emission-free farming.

> Field robots: 10.000 ha in 6 months, a robot that has proved its worth!
The SwarmBot, designed entirely in Australia by Queensland farmers, has successfully established itself in the modern farming landscape.

>Fertilizer: SelectShot: set it, forget it, and save on fertilizer while seeding
CapstanAG’s SelectShot allows farmers to place a shot of fertilizer precisely before, on, or after seeds, as they are planted in the soil.

See futurefarming.com


Troupeau au bord de l’eau, 1904, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

03 - 12/02//2024

 


Repos pendant la moisson, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

02 - 12/02//2024

 


Global High Tech Initiative


Global Ag Tech Initiative

> Infusing Ag Tech Into the Future
Corteva's Brian Lutz discussed the cross-industry synergies that will shape the future of ag tech at the recent VISION Conference.

> Marketing in Ag Tech: How to Effectively Reach Your Audience 
A recent podcast sheds light on the complexities of marketing in the ag tech sector and offers practical insights for driving adoption.

> How GeoPard and Indigo Ag Are Advancing Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture
GeoPard’s expertise in geospatial analytics is key in cleaning, normalizing, and analyzing farm data from Indigo Ag’s trial fields.

> VISION Conference Wraps With Optimism for Ag Tech
The second day of the VISION Conference carried just as much energy as the first and attendees were just as engaged.

> Revolutionizing Ag Tech Adoption
Increasing adoption of new technology was a recurring theme at the recent VISION Conference in Glendale, AZ.

> Establishing a Common Language for Data in Agriculture
The new partnership between Proagrica CDMS and Lexagri represents a concerted effort to drive forward a common language for data.

> Marketing in Ag Tech: Best Practices and Tips for Reaching Your Audience
AquaSpy's Kathleen Glass discusses the unique challenges of marketing in the ag tech space in the first episode of the Ground Breaking podcast.

> 5 Tech Drivers Behind Key Trends in Food and Agriculture in 2024
Purdue's Dr. Allan Gray explores key trends and their associated technologies, signaling a transformative era in this sector.

> Establishing a Common Language for Data in Agriculture
The new partnership between Proagrica CDMS and Lexagri represents a concerted effort to drive forward a common language for data.

> Carbon Capture Technologies: Optimizing CO2 Utilization to Reduce Emissions in Agriculture
Recent innovations are driving the scope and capability of carbon sequestration in agriculture.

> Agricultural Robotics Market Poised To Kick Growth Into High Gear
The escalating cost of labor continues to push farm automation to new levels. Report expects an $86.5 billion enterprise by 2033.

> 2024 VISION Conference: Ag Tech Adoption, AI and Data Usage Among Key Topics Discussed on Day One
Day one of the 7th VISION Conference was high energy and filled with as much insight into the ag tech industry as attendees could soak up.

See globalagtechinitiative.com


Bords de Marne près d'Alfort, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

03 - 12/02//2024

 


La famille, 1908, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

04 - 12/02//2024

 


Costs precision spraying in soybean and maize crops 2.3 times lower than conventional
See futurefarming.com


John Deere, Corteva Partner to Deliver Customized Agronomic Solutions to Farmers

For years, farmers have had to navigate a complex landscape of digital tools to harness the power of their on-farm data. Corteva Agriscience and John Deere have announced a partnership to make it easier for farmers to access Corteva’s industry-leading agronomic recommendations through the John Deere Operations Center.
…/…
See globalagtechinitiative.com


‘Low ROI’ still the top reason farmers won’t engage in carbon projects, says Purdue survey. By Jennifer Marston

Low adoption is likely due to the economic and logistical burdens placed on farmers in order to participate in carbon sequestration programs.
- Nearly 10% of farm producers have engaged in talks about carbon capture, says the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer report.
- The percentage of producers discussing carbon contracts in 2024 is consistent with survey responses from previous years.
- Low adoption is likely due to the economic and logistical burdens placed on farmers in order to participate in carbon sequestration programs.
- The Ag Economy Barometer calculates data from US agricultural producers that participate in a survey each month.
See agfundernews.com


Innovating the ‘picks and shovels’ of the greenhouse: Why AgFunder invested in robotics startup Neatleaf, by Tom Shields

Neatleaf has built a straightforward ag robotics platform focused on plant-health and yield. Customers say they can’t work without it.

More often than not, the simplest innovations are the best.

When California-based Neatleaf reached out to AgFunder a couple years ago, we were struck by the company’s no-nonsense approach to autonomous ag robotics systems, which it is developing for greenhouse environments.

Such simplicity makes for a much-needed shift for indoor ag, a sector that’s been plagued by overpromising, underdelivering, and a lot of expensive, complex technologies. Rather than focusing on yield increases or plant health, many indoor ag players to date have touted the benefits of 100% unique systems or automated for the sake of automation.

The straightforwardness of Neatleaf’s product combined with the company’s tight focus on improving plant health and yield is a welcome change.

Neatleaf’s flagship product, a fully autonomous robotic platform called the Spyder, scans crops in the greenhouse and generates millions of data points on plant health and growth. The system can then analyze that data and turn it into insights on which the cultivation team can take action.

To accomplish this, Neatleaf has a fairly simple approach: it uses a cable system, similar to the cameras you see at NFL games, to cover the entire greenhouse with one set of cameras and sensors. Using this data, the system’s AI capabilities can detect plant stress and quantify plant health as well as forecast yields.

When AgFunder and Neatleaf first connected two years ago, the product and market were a little too early. But we really liked the team, which did an excellent job of both executing their vision and staying in touch.

When it came time for the next round of funding, we were already familiar with both the technology and the phenomenal team behind the product.
See agfundernews.com

Gazette de vitisphere.com,
portail vitivinicole

 


Dealing with Climate change, food security and biodiversity

The European project ECO-Ready has been set up for linking developments in climate change with food security and biodiversity. It is coordinated by the University of Life Sciences, Prague and supported by 18 European institutions. It will develop an Observatory as a real-time surveillance system offered as an e-platform and as a mobile application. This will function as a singular source of information, provide real-time assessments for the food system, and update forecasts frequently and consistently. The Observatory will be available to society, policymakers, the scientific community, and the agri-food industry, and integrated with a network of 10 Living Labs, covering all bioclimatic regions in Europe. ECO-READY will produce knowledge-based resilience strategies, and develop tools that will be embedded on the Observatory. The Living Labs network will facilitate ‘concept to action’ through the co-creation of scenarios addressing their regional needs, the development of policy recommendations, contingency plans, and resilience strategies.

ECO-READY will develop an early warning system and decision support tools using innovative Artificial Intelligence based on holistic prediction models and Life Cycle Assessment results. It will ensure that European farmers and society’s interests be reflected in future policy-making and monitoring, through early-stage active engagement incorporating bottom-up recommendations, facilitated by the increased usership of the digital tools developed, and resulting in increased awareness for climate-adaptive and mitigating agri-food products. Furthermore, the Observatory smart application will include tools that will empower the citizens to actively engage in policy making, and interact directly with the scientific community, farmers, and industry and policy makers, thus driving change in consumption habits.
See eco-ready.eu


 
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Researchers Pinpoint Key Gene for Cotton Yield and Fiber Quality, January 10, 2024

Through genetic linkage maps, multi-environmental phenotype data, and transcriptome studies, researchers from the Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences discovered a gene that regulates fiber quality and yield traits in cotton. Their findings are published in the Journal of Advanced Research.
.../...
See isaaa.org


Read Up On Regenerative Agriculture

>>> These State Lawmakers Are Collaborating on Policies that Support Regenerative Agriculture
Progressive state legislators often find themselves in a David-and-Goliath battle against the conventional ag industry. One organization is equipping them with resources to support producers using regenerative practices instead.
See civileats.com

>>> Can Virtual Fences Help More Ranchers Adopt Regenerative Grazing Practices?
New technology aims to free herds of livestock from permanent paddocks, which could boost soil health and regenerative agriculture. It just needs to overcome a few hurdles.
See civileats.com

>>>Building a Case for Investment in Regenerative Agriculture on Indigenous Farms
A unique three-year project from the Environmental Defense Fund and the Intertribal Agriculture Council hopes to yield quantitative data about the costs and benefits of regenerative practices.
See civileats.com


Tinkling the ivories boosts your brain

Playing a musical instrument is associated with a sharper mind later in life. And the instrument matters: in a study of people over 40 in the United Kingdom, “keyboard and, to a lesser extent, brass instrument play was strongly associated with better working memory, with executive function favoured in woodwind players”.
“Our brain is a muscle like anything else and it needs to be exercised,” says dementia researcher and co-author Anne Corbett.
See bbc.com


La moisson, 1872, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

05 - 12/02//2024

 


La paye des moissonneurs, 1882, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

06 - 12/02//2024

 


USA: What Could Go Right? How US Elections Work?

US elections have become more secure over time, not less.
See theprogressnetwork.orgv


How to power the future (Nature)

Researchers are developing new kinds of batteries that could provide cheaper, more efficient ways to power electric vehicles — and perhaps even aeroplanes.

One of the biggest challenges will be finding a battery design using a resource that’s cheaper and more sustainable than the lithium most current batteries are based on.

“All of the different chemistries that aren’t commercialized today have their pros and cons,” says chemical engineer Brian Cunningham. “Our job is to remove all those cons.”
See nature.com


The New American Energy Landscape

Few policy areas are more impactful than energy, which enables all economic activity.

Unfortunately, the energy policy landscape has become a staging ground for climate alarmists and degrowth ideologues seeking to enforce scarcity on the rest of us.

In this episode of The Human Progress Podcast, Travis Fisher, the director of energy and environmental policy studies at the Cato Institute, joins Chelsea Follett to discuss recent developments in U.S. energy policy and how they could impact our future.
See humanprogress.org


A la fontaine, ca 1914, , par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

07 - 12/02//2024

 


A Water Drawer, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

08 - 12/02//2024

 


Bad Joke? (Reader Digest)

12/02/2024
 



India’s Good Fortune

Over the last two decades, India has more than halved its poverty rate, expanded electricity nationwide, and set itself up for a future of energy abundance.
See humanprogress.org


Formula One Innovates the Speed of Surgery

A London hospital reduced the time to perform various surgical procedures by 75 to 95 percent. Its inspiration? Formula One pit stops.
See humanprogress.org


Time Pricing Mark Perry’s Chart of the Century

Mark Perry, an economics professor at the University of Michigan, regularly publishes a chart illustrating changes in the nominal prices of US consumer goods and services since 2000.

Converting his data into time prices—the length of time the average American has to work to earn the money to buy something—reveals a clearer, more optimistic view of how our living standards have changed.
See humanprogress.org


Two-thirds of adult cancers largely ‘down to bad luck’ rather than genes

It may be sheer good fortune that some people exposed to cancer-causing agents do not develop the disease, study suggests
See theguardian.com


A wave of new medicines known as biologics will be good for drugmakers, but may not be so good for health budgets
See economist.com


Breton Peasants Buying Fruit at Landerneau, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

09 - 12/02//2024

 


La lecture, par Léon-Augustin Lhermitte (1844-1925)

10 - 12/02//2024

 


El campo europeo exhibe su fuerza, de Marc Bassets,  04 feb 2024

De los Países Bajos a Polonia, pasando por Alemania y Francia, la cólera de los agricultores recorre Europa y arranca concesiones a los gobernantes.

El poder les teme. La mayoría de sus conciudadanos mira a los agricultores con una mezcla de distancia y respeto. Son pocos en la Unión Europea (UE), unos nueve millones, un 2% de la población, y generan un 1,4% del PIB del club comunitario. Pero poseen una influencia que otros movimientos sociales y sectores de la economía y la sociedad ni sueñan con tener. Y la utilizan.

De los Países Bajos a Rumania, de Francia a Polonia, un actor ha tomado la escena: el tractor, icono de un campo europeo que se moviliza y asusta al poder. “Quizá esto sea un punto de inflexión”, dice Dominique Moïsi, consejero especial del laboratorio de ideas Instituto Montaigne y observador de los corrientes de fondo que agitan a Europa y el mundo. “Tengo la impresión de que los agricultores se sienten irresistibles, que sus demandas son justas y que están en posición de fuerza para exigirlas.”
.../...
Ver elpais.com


Die kleine Kräutersammlerin, von Anton Heinrich Dieffenbach (DE, 1831-1914)

11 - 12/02//2024

 


Die kleinen Reisigsammlerinnen (1872), von Franz von Defregger (Austrian, 1835 – 1921)

12 - 12/02//2024

 


Barcelona, laboratorio de la sequía en el sur de Europa, de Clara Blanchar, 04 feb 2024

La ciudad y su área metropolitana, con tres millones de habitantes, tienen un consumo razonable de agua y grandes acuíferos, pero necesitarán infraestructuras de desalinización y regeneración para abastecerse en el futuro

Barcelona es la primera gran ciudad del sur de Europa que se enfrenta a una situación de sequía extrema y a las restricciones de agua que comportan. La ciudad tiene 1,6 millones de habitantes; tres millones si se suman los 35 municipios colindantes que forman el Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB). En los últimos años ha habido episodios de sequía severa y restricciones en otras zonas del continente, como Francia e Italia, pero han afectado a poblaciones más pequeñas que la conurbación barcelonesa. Aquí, la emergencia por sequía impide regar parques con agua de boca y las actuaciones serán de mínimos, con agua del subsuelo, no potable, que se trasladará con cubas. Además, se han cerrado un 25% de las duchas de los centros deportivos y las fuentes ornamentales están secas. Si no llueve, en julio las restricciones llegarán a las casas, donde se reducirá la presión del agua. A corto plazo el Gobierno se plantea llevar barcos con agua desde Valencia.

> Cataluña entra en emergencia ante la peor sequía jamás registrada

Pero la capital catalana y su área no tienen una mala situación de partida y han hecho deberes. El consumo de agua es razonable: 170 litros por persona y día de media, un cómputo que incluye el gasto doméstico, pero también el de los servicios públicos, industria o agricultura. Además, Barcelona tiene fuentes de agua alternativas a los embalses, como grandes acuíferos, y ha invertido en sistemas pioneros de aprovechamiento del agua de lluvia, con depósitos, colectores y pavimentos drenantes. Con un con consumo doméstico de 104 litros diarios por persona, la ciudad se abastece también de las desalinizadoras construidas tras la gran sequía de 2008 y, en el último año, el agua regenerada (la que sale de depuradoras, se trata, y se vierte a ríos o acuíferos para luego captarla y potabilizarla). Pero con el cambio climático acelerándose y la perspectiva de sequías más severas, todo esto junto no será suficiente.

La solución está en nuevas infraestructuras de producción y reciclaje de agua: desalinizadoras, estaciones de regeneración de agua de depuradoras y plantas potabilizadoras. Un remedio caro, con costes ambientales y cuestionado por organizaciones que apuestan por un cambio estructural de modelo. Pero que ha sido la receta para grandes conurbaciones urbanas afectadas por sequías en otras partes del mundo. El país pionero es Israel, que comenzó a construir infraestructuras en los años 70 del siglo pasado para producir y reciclar agua. También California (Estados Unidos) y Singapur, en el sudeste asiático, recurren a las desaladoras y a la regeneración. Y extremo fue el caso de Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica), que en 2018 estuvo a punto de quedarse sin agua, hasta el punto de tener un plan de actuación para lo que llamó el “Día Cero”.

>>> Solo la mitad de agua llega desde los embalses

En una situación normal, Barcelona y su área, que forman parte de la red de los ríos Ter y Llobregat, se abastecían en un 80% con agua de los embalses. Con la sequía, hoy los pantanos solo aportan la mitad del agua, y el resto proviene del subsuelo, las dos desaladoras activas, 24 estaciones de regeneración de agua (un sistema que apenas tiene un año de uso) y tres plantas potabilizadoras, detalla la Agencia Catalana del Agua (ACA) de la Generalitat.

En 2022, el Área Metropolitana de Barcelona, el organismo competente en materia de abastecimiento, aprobó con un Plan Estratégico del Ciclo Integral (el PECIA) en vistas a 2050 que plantea construir nuevas infraestructuras para garantizar la disponibilidad de agua. Proyecta una planta potabilizadora y una estación de regeneración de agua en el río Besòs, uno de los dos que flanquean la ciudad y donde en su día no se invirtió porque era una cloaca al aire libre, hoy recuperado. El otro río de Barcelona es el Llobregat, que ya tiene estas infraestructuras. El plan metropolitano sugiere también una batería de medidas de ahorro, mejora de las instalaciones existentes y renovación de la red.

>>>Déficit de agua y necesidad de producir agua

El documento del AMB señala que Barcelona y su entorno disponen de 803 hectómetros cúbicos de agua al año, mientras la demanda es de casi 400. Pero avisa de que el cambio climático reducirá un 12% los recursos superficiales y las cuencas internas de los ríos Ter y Llobregat, y un 9% los recursos subterráneos, al tiempo que aumentará la demanda para usos agrícolas y de población, por los planes urbanísticos pendientes. Sin las actuaciones previstas, el documento señala que en 2050 el déficit de agua potable sería de 11 hectómetros cúbicos, que podrían llegar a 43 hectómetros en situación de sequía. Fuentes de la propia AMB admiten que “el panorama” es peor que el descrito en el Plan, porque el cambio climático y la sequía se han acelerado.

Sobre la construcción de nuevas infraestructuras para aprovechar agua de mar o reciclar el agua de las depuradoras, a escala de toda Cataluña, el consejero de Acción Climática de la Generalitat, David Mascort, celebró en diciembre durante la COP28 celebrada en Dubai: “En cuatro años seremos capaces de reutilizar el mismo volumen de agua que necesita Barcelona para abastecerse durante un año”. Mascort recordó que Cataluña tiene 24 estaciones de regeneración de agua depurada, una cantidad que se quiere doblar. Y una terceras desalinizadora proyectadas.

Desde la Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, el catedrático de hidrogeología de la escuela de Caminos, Xavier Sánchez Vila, sintetiza que “a futuro” habrá que “incrementar el agua regenerada y tener las desaladoras para las emergencias, como ahora, pero en paralelo plantear qué país queremos, porque cualquier proyecto o actividad supone gastar agua, y todo tiene costes y beneficios”. La campaña D’on no n’hi ha no en raja (se podría traducir por algo parecido a De donde no hay, no se puede sacar) de entidades sociales, del territorio y ecologistas, ha reclamado hace unos días un cambio estructural en el modelo de gestión del agua. Denuncian “la opacidad sobre los consumos, laxitud con los grandes consumidores de agua y graves impactos sobre los ríos” y consideran negativo “continuar promoviendo un modelo económico basado en el aumento del turismo y la exportación de carne y fruta, que seca y contamina las masas de agua disponibles”.

>>> Una nueva ordenanza para aprovechar las aguas grises

En el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, el director de proyectos de la empresa municipal Barcelona Ciclo del Agua (BCASA), Alejandro Ortiz, detalla el plan de sequía que contempla recursos hídricos alternativos a escala de la ciudad. Utilizar más la gran bolsa del subsuelo, que no es potable pero se usa para regar o la limpieza urbana, es uno de los principales objetivos: por un lado conectarla con toda la ciudad y por otro regenerar la del Besòs e incrementar los caudales río arriba. Pero la ciudad también está construyendo una doble red en el nuevo barrio de La Marina, con agua potable y agua regenerada para las cisternas de los baños y el riego. Y está redactando una nueva ordenanza de aguas grises para reaprovechar las aguas domésticas no fecales para llenar cisternas, una normativa que se quiere aplicar en edificios de obra nueva o grandes rehabilitaciones. Y otro proyecto en cartera es captar agua de mar para las fuentes ornamentales o para las centrales de frío y calor.

En noviembre pasado, la red C40, que agrupa a un centenar de ciudades contra el cambio climático, publicó una declaración titulada Water Save Crisis, en vistas a situaciones de graves sequías o inundaciones, que es un llamamiento para aumentar la resiliencia de las urbes y sobre todo proteger a la población más vulnerable. “Sabemos que el cambio climático incrementa los episodios extremos del clima, con sequías, inundaciones y olas de calor, que están presentes en el 90% de los desastres globales”, explica la directora en Europa de la red, Julia López. La declaración propone establecer sistemas de alerta, planes de respuesta que garanticen las necesidades básicas y el acceso al agua potable. E insta a las ciudades a “colaborar con el sector privado y las organizaciones”.

Marc Montlleó biólogo y profesor en el master de Desarrollo Urbano y Territorial de la UPC y en el programa Ciudad y Urbanismo de la UOC, que participó en la redacción del plan estratégico, lamenta que “se invierte a golpe de crisis”, pero que, al mismo tiempo, “hemos podido aguantar los últimos tres años gracias a esas inversiones”. Alerta de que “la próxima sequía será más pronto que tarde y más dura”. Y por último lanza una reflexión: “Podemos ser más eficientes, aprovechar el freático, no perder ni gota, hacer desaladoras... y con tiempo y dinero dar agua a la población. Pero el problema, los grandes perjudicados del cambio climático son el medio natural: la agricultura, la ganadería, los bosques, los acuíferos y los ríos. En definitiva, los ecosistemas serán a la larga los grandes perjudicados con la crisis climática”.

>>> Israel, Singapur, California o Ciudad del Cabo: territorios y urbes que han afrontado grandes sequías

- Israel, donde cada gota se aprovecha dos veces. Con muy pocos recursos hídricos sumados al cambio climático, Israel fue pionero en el uso de desalinizadoras (la primera es de los años 70 del siglo pasado) y plantas regeneradoras de agua. El 85% del agua desalinizada se usa para los hogares y el 90% de la reutilizada se emplea en la agricultura. Los expertos lo resumen así: “Cada gota de agua se utiliza dos veces”.

- Singapur importa agua. Singapur, en el sudeste asiático y con casi seis millones de habitantes, también ha sufrido grandes sequías durante este siglo (la última en 2019) y recorre a la importación (desde Malasia, con un contrato hasta 2060), la desalinización, a regenerar agua usada (tiene cinco plantas de regenerada para usos no humanos) y recoger las aguas de las tormentas con embalses.

- California recurre a las desaladoras. California, otro punto de frecuentes y severas sequías, ha recurrido sobre todo a las desalinizadoras para combatirlas. Los futuros proyectos generan rechazo por su elevado coste económico y ambiental (por el daño que provoca devolver la salmuera al mar). También hay plantas regeneradoras y parte de esta agua se somete a “reutilización potable indirecta”, al verterla en acuíferos de donde se vuelve a extraer y tratar para distribuirla para consumo humano.

- El "día cero" que no llegó a Ciudad del Cabo. La sequía que comenzó en 2015, sumada a fugas en la red, provocó una grave escasez de agua en Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica) en 2018. Pese a las advertencias sobre el cambio climático, la falta de inversiones en plantas infraestructuras alternativas a los embalses llevaron en 2018 a la ciudad a anunciar planes para el Día Cero, cuando se quedaría sin agua. Las restricciones previas a ese día, que finalmente no llegó, llevaron a reducir el consumo a un tercio. Y se han impulsado inversiones para extraer agua de acuíferos subterráneos.
Ver elpais.com


Moarhäusl in der Nähe von Dölsach (Lienz), 1873,  von Franz von Defregger (Austrian, 1835 – 1921)

13 - 12/02//2024

 


An old woman at the hearth, 1922, by Valdemar Kornerup , Danish painter (1865-1924)

14 - 12/02//2024

 


Free Soviet speech

An American explains to a Russian that the United States is a truly free country because he can stand in front of the White House and shout:

“To hell with Ronald Reagan!”.

The Russian says that this is nonsense because he can easily stand in Red Square and shout:

“To hell with Ronald Reagan.”

See youngpioneertours.com


Percentage Change in Abundance Relative to Average Hourly Wages

01 - 12/02/2024

 


Prices changes from 2000 to 2023

02 - 12/02/2024

 


% of betting US population on American Football Matches

03 - 12/02/2024

 


Election Day Equipment in the United Sates

04 - 12/02/2024

 


Luxury: LVMH First

05 - 12/02/2024

 


French Forest Carbon Balance

06 - 12/02/2024

 


Chinese government bonds more profitable than US ones

07 - 12/02/2024

 


Biggest days at Wall Street

08 - 12/02/2024

 


Low Workers' Confidence Level

09 - 12/02/2024

 


Underrepresented Hispanics and Blacks

10 - 12/02/2024

 


Used EV difficult to sell

11 - 12/02/2024

 


 


The world has passed “peak child” (Our World In Data)

Hans Rosling famously coined the term “peak child” for the moment in global demographic history when the number of children stops increasing.

According to UN data, the world has now passed “peak child,” which is defined as the number of children under the age of five.

The chart shows the UN’s historical estimates and projections of the global number of children under five.

It estimates that the number of under-fives in the world peaked in 2017. Demographers expect a decades-long plateau before a more rapid decline in the second half of the century.

The “ups and downs” in this chart reflect generational effects and “baby booms” when there are large cohorts of women of reproductive age and high fertility rates.

Explore our page on population...

01 - 12/02/2024 - See ourworldindata.org

 


About one quarter of CO2 emissions are covered by a carbon price (Our World In Data)

People often compare the monetary price of fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives such as renewables or nuclear energy. But these comparisons don’t capture the social and environmental costs of different fuels. The true cost of burning fossil fuels is not reflected in their market price.

Burning fossil fuels drives climate change, which has very costly impacts that we’re already seeing. Fossil fuels also cause local air pollution, which kills millions every year and has negative health impacts for many more.

One way to capture some of these external costs in the market is to put a price on carbon. This makes fuels, products, and services that emit more pollution more expensive. It also means it’s those who emit greenhouse gasses that pay.

There are a few policies that countries can use, including a carbon tax and an emissions trading system (sometimes called a “cap and trade” system). Many countries have adopted such carbon pricing policies.

In this article, we provide an overview of which countries have carbon prices, and how the price of carbon has changed over time.

02 - 12/02/2024 - See ourworldindata.org

 


It’s flu season: how many people die from the flu each year? (Our World In Data)

03 - 12/02/2024 - See Our World In Data

 


 


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Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
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