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UN75: Social Contract 2020 – Toward Safety, Security, & Sustainability for AI World | Academic Impact
This article is contributed by Nazli Choucri, Professor of Political Science, Senior Faculty at the Center of International Studies (CIS), and Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Data, Science, and Society (IDSS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Circular economy must remain a priority for Europe beyond the 2019 elections (of course it must!)
The Circular Economy Package and Plastics Strategy have set a high-level framework to improve the resource efficiency of the European economy. But to be effective, this framework must remain a policy priority for the next European Commission and Parliament, writes Nick Molho.
Festive December in Slovenia and sustainability
If you were asked what makes Advent the most magical time of the year, we would probably get pretty similar answers. Festive lights and decorations, lively festive fairs, gift shopping, exquisite culinary delights and socialising with friends would probably be at the top of the list. But also the euphoria and crowds of December, which can sometimes be quite exhausting, can’t they? Why not make this a time to pause for a moment, think about the true meaning of the holidays and discover the magic of Advent in a different way? Also, by thinking ahead and embracing the joys of Advent in a more sustainable way. Here are some of the things we are trying to do in Slovenia to bring some “green” consciousness to the Advent fairy tale. In the glow of festive lights – Slovenian cities and towns shine with thousands of festive lights in December. Despite the lavish lighting, energy-saving strings of lights are mostly used and in some places additional energy-saving measures are being taken. In Celje, more attention will be paid to the daytime decoration of the city and its bars and lighting elements will be replaced by non-illuminated features that are less energy-consuming. Murska Sobota, Maribor, Kranj and Slovenj Gradec have also decided to switch off their New Year lighting at night, and the light decorations in Koper will be partially switched off at night, while Jesenice will keep its lights on for a shorter period than usual. Additional or non-essential lighting was also given up in many towns. Festive decorations for homes and towns. In addition to the lights, decorated Christmas trees and other types of decorations, mostly made from natural or recycled materials, decorate the towns. Instead of cut down Christmas trees, you will find so-called living trees, which are planted in special pots. In Ljubljana, 10 spruce trees and 79 evergreen trees will be placed on four streets in the city centre and returned to nature after the holidays. Children from local schools and kindergartens often take part in decorating the trees. For example, the children will decorate the forests around Ljubljana and they have invited the city’s residents to contribute their own decorations. In Maribor, you can also join the citizens in decorating the urban woods.
Transforming polymers for a circular economy
The accumulation of vast quantities of plastic and other polymeric waste poses a significant environmental risk, both on land and in the oceans. We also lose material that might have significant end-of-life value if recycling and other reprocessing technologies were more cost-effective. The industry has an opportunity to improve the energy and material efficiency of processes that would help recycle, upcycle and deconstruct polymers on scales that are not possible today. It also has the chance to design and manufacture polymers with recycling in mind: enabling, in other words, a more circular economy.
BBC launches London Fashion Week sustainability project
BBC Earth aims to “place sustainable fashion at the heart” of London Fashion Week.
Halt Hong Kong auctions ahead of laws on e-waste
While the government puts unwanted appliances under the hammer, everyone else has to dispose of equipment via licensed recyclers – this needs to change…