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Many more cities than Cape Town face an uncertain future over water. But there are emerging solutions.

“Day Zero,” when at least a million homes in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, will no longer have any running water, was originally scheduled for April. It was recently moved to July. The three-year long drought hasn’t ended, but severe water rationing—limiting people to a mere 13 gallons (50 litres) per person per day—has made a difference. (To put this into perspective, an average U.S. citizen uses 100 gallons (375 liters) per day.)

“No person in Cape Town should be flushing potable water down a toilet any more.… No one should be showering more than twice a week now,” said Helen Zille, the premier of the Western Cape province, where Cape Town is located.

Like many places in the world, Cape Town and the surrounding region has likely reached “peak water,” or the limit of how much water can be reasonably taken from the area, says water scientist Peter Gleick, president-emeritus of the Pacific Institute. Gleick, who has spent substantial time in South Africa, says the country generally has good water managers.

“Two years ago, I would not have predicted Cape Town would face day Zero,” he said in an interview. However, climate change has disrupted the Earth’s hydrological cycle (water cycle), changing when, where, and how much precipitation falls. That has made water management planning far more challenging, he said. Yet our water systems were largely built based on the more stable climate of the past.

“What’s happening in Cape Town could happen anywhere,” says Gleick.

Global Risk

Brazil’s São Paulo, a megacity of 20 million, faced its own Day Zero in 2015. The city turned off its water supply for 12 hours a day, forcing many businesses and industries to shut down. In 2008, Barcelona, Spain, had to import tankers full of freshwater from France. Droughts have also become more frequent, more severe, and affecting more people around the world.

Fourteen of the world’s 20 megacities are now experiencing water scarcity or drought conditions. As many as four billion people already live in regions that experience severe water stress for at least one month of the year, according to a 2016 study in the journal Science Advances. Nearly half of those people live in India and China. With populations rising, these stresses will only mount.

Disaster data compiled by the U.N. clearly shows floods are also getting worse. They are happening more frequently, especially in coastal regions and river valleys, and affecting more people. Of all major disasters in the world between 1995 and 2015, 90 percent were weather-related events, such as floods, storms, heatwaves, and droughts. Flooding accounted for more than half of all weather-related disasters, affecting 2.3 billion people and killing 157,000 in that 20-year period. Last year, the costs of extreme weather—floods, droughts, wildfires, storms—in the U.S. reached a record-topping $300 billion. These events displaced more than one million Americans from their homes.

Humanity is facing a growing challenge of too much water in some places and not enough water in others. This is being driven not just by climate change, but by population and economic growth and poor water management, experts warn.

“Water scarcity and flood problems are primarily due to quick growth, increasing vulnerability, and insufficient preparation,” says Arjen Hoekstra, a professor of water management at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. “Climate change, however, is and will worsen the situation in most cases.”

The Roll of “Embedded Water”

Cape Town, where nearly four million people live, has a dry climate much like southern California. It is facing it’s Day Zero due to increased water demands from population and economic growth in combination with a three-year drought that’s severely limited the water supply. Yet what many people don’t realize is that typical home use of water—for washing, flushing, and cooking—represents only about three percent of humanity’s total water consumption, says Hoekstra. Agriculture uses the lion’s share, 80 to 90 percent, followed by energy production and industry.

<p>Beautiful tendrils fill the now-dry Colorado River Delta in northern Mexico. So much water has been taken out of the river upstream that it rarely reaches the sea.</p>

Beautiful tendrils fill the now-dry Colorado River Delta in northern Mexico. So much water has been taken out of the river upstream that it rarely reaches the sea.

Photograph by Peter McBride, Nat Geo Image Collection

The Cape Town region is the heart of South Africa’s wine country, which exported 113 million gallons (428.5 million litres) of wine in 2016 to Europe and the U.S. Yet this export represents a much bigger amount of water that was used to grow and process the grapes. Most of that water is no longer available for human consumption, according to Hoekstra, who is the creator of the water footprint concept. He and colleagues at the Water Footprint Network have worked out that it takes between 26 to 53 gallons (100 to 200 liters) of water to grow the grapes and process them into one five-ounce (125 ml) glass of wine.

In other words, the net amount of water used to grow or make something, be it a lemon, cellphone, or glass of wine, is the product’s water footprint. Most of the water used to make a typical glass of wine is lost to evaporation, with a small amount stored in the grapes, and the rest unsuitable for reuse. While the evaporated water will eventually become rain, it is unlikely to fall over the same vineyards, or even in the Western Cape province, meaning it is effectively “lost” to the region.

So that means a typical 25-ounce (750 ml) bottle of wine has a water footprint of nearly 200 gallons (750 liters). That means the region’s 2016 wine exports involved the net consumption of 113.2 billion gallons (428.5 billion liters) of water. This is water that is lost to the region.

South Africa already has 7 million people without access to water. Meeting their needs would require 33.3 billion gallons (126 billion liters) per year, one third of the amount the wine industry consumes. On top of that, the Western Cape exported an estimated 231,000 tonnes of citrus fruits, mostly oranges, in 2017. The water footprint of one orange—the net amount of water used to grow it—averages 21 gallons (80 liters). Using that basis, those citrus exports used up 30 billion gallons (115 billion liters) of the province’s water.

Not only does it take water to grow anything, it also takes water to make most things: cars, furniture, books, electronics, buildings, jewelry, toys, and even electricity. This water, which often goes largely unseen, is often called “virtual water.” What gets forgotten is that virtual water is as real as the water you drink.

South Africa, a water-stressed country, also exports oil products, minerals, and metals, all of which require enormous amounts of water. For example, it exported 211 tonnes of platinum in 2012. That’s like an export of 45 billion gallons (170 billion liters) of water—the estimated amount of water needed to mine and process the metal.

Other large countries with growing populations, such as China and India, also export staggering volumes of virtual water, often while facing considerable water scarcity problems at home. “This simply can’t continue,” says Hoekstra.

Seeking Solutions

All of those exports could be produced using far less water, Hoekstra says. It starts with what he calls the most important water management strategy: grow and produce things in the right place. In other words, water-intensive crops like rice and cotton should be grown in water-rich regions.

In a global economy, drought can be a big issue even in water-rich countries, because of a growing dependence on imports. Around 38 percent of the European Union’s water consumption is reliant on water availability in other countries, to grow soybeans, rice, cotton, and other products that it imports. “That makes Europe vulnerable to increasing water scarcity and drought,” says Christopher Briggs, executive director of Water Footprint Network.

A coastal city, Cape Town hopes to solve its problem by getting a new water source: the ocean. It is building its first desalination plants. However, these are expensive and energy intensive. Gleick says it would be more cost effective for the region to shift to less-water intensive crops and to reuse treated wastewater. Currently, Cape Town reuses just five percent of its treated wastewater, compared to Israel’s 85 percent. Israel has also eliminated water-thirsty crops like cotton and made major improvements in water efficiency to free up more water for population growth.

California, which recently suffered through four years of drought and water restrictions, also needs to shift its agricultural production to less water-using crops, says Gleick, who is based there. And the state could increase its wastewater reuse from the current 15 percent, using the surplus to recharge depleted aquifers and use on crops.

When There’s Too Much Water

Perhaps ironically, too much water too fast was California’s most recent water problem. Following its worst wildfire season in history, heavy rainfall this winter produced mud slides that killed more than 20 people and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes. Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas and Louisiana last August, causing $125 billion in damage, dumped more water out of the sky than any storm in U.S. history. Some 890,000 families sought federal disaster aid, most often from flooding in the Houston area—in large part because many homes were built on flood plains. At the start of March, five states were under a state of emergency (Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan) due to heavy rainfalls and flooding.

Rapid population growth, building on floodplains or low-lying coastal regions, and climate change are the biggest reasons why flooding is affecting more people and causing ever greater damage, warns Gleick.

Climate change is the result of burning fossil fuels and has added 46 percent more heat-trapping carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. But even if fossil-fuel used ended today, that additional heat in the atmosphere will put 10 times more Americans at risk of being flooded out by rivers over the next 20 years, a new study reveals.

“More than half of the United States must at least double their protection level within the next two decades if they want to avoid a dramatic increase in river flood risks,” says lead-author Sven Willner from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

Rainfall changes caused by global warming will increase river flood risks across the globe, the study found. In South America, the number of people affected by river flooding will likely increase from 6 to 12 million. In Africa, the number will rise from 25 to 34 million, and in Asia from 70 to 156 million.

It bears repeating that these findings are based on the current level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In reality, humanity added 45 billion tons in 2017, and will likely add that much or more in 2018. Without limiting human-caused warming to well below 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees Celsius), the river flood risk in many regions will be beyond what we can adapt to, Willner and team’s study concludes.

Climate change is also causing sea levels to rise, resulting in substantial coastal flooding during high tides and storms. More than 13 million Americans living on the coasts will be forced to move by 2100 because of rising ocean levels, according to a 2017 study by Mathew Hauer, a demographer at the University of Georgia. About 2.5 million will flee the region that includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. Greater New Orleans loses up to 500,000 people; the New York City area loses 50,000, the study estimated. These coastal migrants will likely go to cities on high ground with mild climates, such as Atlanta, Austin, Madison, and Memphis. (See what would happen if all the ice melted.)

“If people are forced to move because their houses become inundated, the migration could affect many landlocked communities as well,” said Hauer in a statement.

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The World’s Water Crisis Explained on World Water Day

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Many more cities than Cape Town face an uncertain future over water. But there are emerging solutions.

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collect topic words

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Umwelt Vokabeln im Englischen mit Beispielsätzen

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Sätze zu Umwelt und Umweltverschmutzung im Englischen, alphabetisch geordnet mit Übersetzung

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If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down

A phrase used to determine the appropriate circumstances under which to flush a toilet. Urine was to be left unflushed in the toilet bowl while feces were to be flushed right after bowel evacuation. This was used in efforts of water conservation either in the sense of environmental conservation or the saving of clean toilet tank water during power outages in remote areas.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=If%20it%27s%20yellow%2C%20let%20it%20mellow.%20If%20it%27s%20brown%2C%20flush%20it%20down

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A solution to the world's thirst?

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Producing fresh drinking water from the sea - desalination - has always seemed to be the most obvious answer to water shortages.

Our oceans cover more than 70% of the earth's surface and contain 97% of its water.

But the energy needed to achieve this seemingly simple process has been costly.

Now, thanks to new technologies, costs have been halved and huge desalination plants are opening around the world.

Big, bigger, biggest

The largest seawater desalination plant ever, Israel's Sorek plant near Tel Aviv, just ramped up to full production.

It will make 624 million litres of drinkable water daily, and sell 1,000 litres - equivalent to a Brit's weekly consumption - for 45p.

Nearby in Saudi Arabia, the Ras al-Khair plant reaches full production in December.

Based in the peninsula's Eastern Province, it will be even bigger and will speed a billion litres a day to Riyadh, whose population is growing fast. A linked power plant will yield 2.4 million watts of electricity.

Then over in the US, San Diego's Carlsbad desalination plant - the country's largest - will be operational from November.

Clever membranes

The traditional way to extract drinking water from sea or brackish water is to boil it then collect the evaporated water as a pure distillate.

This uses a great deal of energy, but works well if combined with industrial plants that produce heat as a by-product.

Saudi Arabia's new desalination plant pairs with a power plant for this reason.

But reverse osmosis - a technology that has been around since the 1960s - uses less energy and has been given a new lease of life in recent years.

This involves pushing salt water at high pressure through a polymer membrane containing holes about a fifth of a nanometre in size. A nanometre is a billionth of a metre. The holes are small enough to block the salt molecules but big enough to allow the water molecules through.

"This membrane strips all the salts and minerals completely from the water," explains Professor Nidal Hilal at Swansea University, editor-in-chief of the journal, Desalination.

"You have clean water coming down as permeate, the concentrate on the other side is brine, with high salt content."

But these membranes could get easily clogged and lose performance.

Now, better materials technology and pre-treatment techniques keep them working more efficiently for longer.

And in Israel, Sorek's designers saved energy by using double-sized pressure vessels.

"You then need fewer pressure vessels to generate the water, meaning fewer pipes and fewer connections," says Dr Jack Gilron, head of Desalination and Water Treatment at Ben Gurion University.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have even experimented with semi-permeable membranes made from atom-thick graphene.

These should need a lot less pressure to work, thereby saving energy, although the technology is not ready for mass production yet.

Alternative tech

Forward osmosis, according to Professor Nick Hankins, chemical engineer at the University of Oxford, is an alternative way to remove the salt from seawater.

Rather than pushing the fresh water through the membrane, a highly concentrated solution is used to draw it through, effectively sucking it from the sea water.

Afterwards you remove the diluted solutes, yielding pure water.

"If you design your draw solution in a very clever way, it can be possible to separate water out with very little energy," he says.

Another potential method is capacitive deionisation - essentially a magnet for salt.

Dr Michael Stadermann of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, believes "we should be able to do brackish water desalination at between half and a fifth of the energy of reverse osmosis".

That's if the technology makes it out of the laboratory.

Over salted?

One issue with desalination is what to do with the leftover salt.

Water in the Persian Gulf historically was 35,000 parts per million (ppm) salt. But according to the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Environment and Water, some areas nearest desalination plants now measure 50,000ppm.

"You have to make sure the very salty water is pushed away far enough into the sea that you don't have recirculation of the water, because otherwise it will be getting saltier and saltier," says Floris van Straaten of Finnish engineering company Poyry, the firm overseeing construction of the Ras al-Khair project.

Jessica Jones from Poseidon Water, the firm building California's Carlsbad Desalination Plant, says: "Our plant is co-located with a power plant which uses sea water for cooling. Our discharge gets blended in, so by the time it goes into the ocean, the salt has been dispersed."

But US environmental groups have fought construction of new desalination plants in the courts, saying the consequences of reintroducing brine to the ocean have not been adequately studied.

"And when water is being drawn from the ocean, it brings fish and other organisms into the machinery - and that has an environmental and economic impact," says Wenonah Hauter, head of Food and Water Watch in Washington DC.

Pricey water

Desalination may be getting cheaper but it is still prohibitively expensive for poorer countries, many of whom also suffer from water scarcity.

More than two-fifths of Africa's 800 million people live in "water-stressed" areas, defined as providing less than 1,700 cubic metres of water per person, taking the needs of industry and agriculture into account as well.

And the United Nations predicts that in 10 years 1.9 billion people will live in water-scarce areas - struggling on less than 1,000 cubic metres of water each.

What water-stressed regions most need is a desalination device than can supply 100 to 200 people - the size of a village.

Capacitive desalination is one potential solution, as is solar-powered desalination, with costs reducing threefold in 15 years.

So while desalination has gone big in wealthier countries, it also needs to go small to benefit those unlucky enough to be poor in both money and water.

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Producing fresh drinking water from the sea - desalination - has always seemed to be the most obvious answer to water shortages. Our oceans cover more than 70% of the earth's surface and contain 97% of its water. But the energy needed to achieve this seemingly simple process has been costly.

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The Carlsbad Desalination Project is the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. Located in Carlsbad, California it converts sea water into 50 million gallons of drinkable water per day. Learn more at our site or come for a tour.

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Tasks: Can making seawater drinkable....

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Tidal Energy and Wind Power in the UK | GreenMatch

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The UK's tidal power resource is estimated to be about 50% of Europe's tidal energy capacity. Why will it miss the target of 20% by 2020? Find here!

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05.10.18 134 min.

Material 1:
English online article on some environmental issue (close to the topics which we have discussed in class)
Task 1: Comprehension

Outline the / Summarize the aspects/arguments...
Begin with an introductory sentence, use your own language, don't summarize the whole text but focus on the aspects mentioned in the task.

Task 2: Analysis

Analyze the language and structure of the article to show....
Check the relevant skills files; "quote" (l. 4) and make text references (cf. l. 4) in a balanced way to prove your findings; paragraph your text; conclude your findings in a final paragraph.

Material 2: German text

Task 3: Mediation

Read the scenario carefully
(addressee, target text, style/register, purpose of the text)
You will be asked to write an article (e.g. for a school homepage)

Task 4: Comment

Present arguments for and against an issue/its solution presented in the texts / if you agree or disagree with the message of the text(s) and why.
Be prepared to present further environmental issues/solutions, too.

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Some typical elements of satirical texts

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Satire | Definition & Examples of Satire | Literary Term

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Are you tired of facts? Do you think all the concern about climate change is just a bunch of hooey? Then this newscast is for you. See bald eagles, coal mining, unpatriotic polar bears, politics and even a frozen pizza on this satirical Fourth of July episode of Climate Change Denier News. Happy birthday, America!

* This video is part of the series Climate change: too hot to handle

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Climate Change Denier News | satire - video

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Are you tired of facts? Do you think all the concern about climate change is just a bunch of hooey? Then this newscast is for you. See bald eagles, coal mining, unpatriotic polar bears, politics and even a frozen pizza on this satirical Fourth of July episode of Climate Change Denier News.

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Scotrenewables Tidal Power's SR2000 tidal turbine has just exceeded 2GWh of cumulative electricity generation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.

This is the most power that has ever been produced by a single tidal turbine at the test center, according to the Orkney-based tidal energy developer Scotrenewables.

The SR2000 was first deployed at EMEC's grid-connected Fall of Warness tidal test site in October 2016.

The floating tidal turbine, engineered and built with a 16-meter rotor diameter for each of its 1MW turbines, hit its full-rated capacity of 2MW exactly one year ago.

In fall 2017, the turbine reached the peak generation of 2.2MW, which is the highest output ever by a tidal turbine, according to Scotrenewables.

Over the last couple of months, the company has also continued to demonstrate the benefits of floating tidal energy with a number of low cost, onsite inspections of the machine with RIB style vessels, including the one conducted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on March 9, 2018, Scotrenewables said.

To honor the most recent generation milestone, the company released a short video summarizing the benefits of Scotrenewables' approach to tidal energy generation with highlights from the build and testing program of the world's most powerful tidal turbine - the SR2000 2MW.

Posted on April 10, 2018 with tags 2GWh, EMEC, milestone, Scotrenewables Tidal Power, SR2000.

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Scotrenewables strikes 2GWh of tidal power generation (Video)

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Scotrenewables Tidal Power's SR2000 tidal turbine has just exceeded 2GWh of cumulative electricity generation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. This is the most power that has ever been produced by a single tidal turbine at the test center, according to the Orkney-based tidal energy developer Scotrenewables.

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Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.... by Kurt Vonneguti

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Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.... by Kurt Vonneguti

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full text

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Afbeelding: Umberto Salvagnin/Flickr/Shutterstock. Collage: Rachel Pick

The only sure thing in life is that all of us one day will die. Humans have long been trying to achieve immortality, or at least live for 100 years and beyond. Some people think we're getting closer, and new research is sure to bolster that belief: Scientists say they've managed to reverse aging in human cells.

"We can make aged cells younger," said Dr. John Cooke, department chair of cardiovascular sciences at Houston Methodist Research Institute, who is lead author of the paper published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Cooke's team targeted the telomeres of patients' cells-the caps at the ends of chromosomes whose length roughly corresponds to age. Telomeres are a favourite focus of the anti-aging community. But there's still good reason to be skeptical that we've found the fountain of youth.

In the new study, Cooke's team took cells from children with progeria, a rare genetic condition that causes them to rapidly age. "These children lose their hair, they have osteoporosis. They look drawn and older," he told me in a phone call. These kids typically live to their early or mid-teens, when they die of a heart attack or stroke. This patient group is in desperate need of new life-prolonging treatments.

The paper notes that 12 of the 17 participants in this study (aged one to 14 years) had shortened telomeres, similar to what would be seen in cells from a healthy 69-year-old. Cooke said their cells can tell us something valuable about the aging process in healthy humans, too.

Cooke's team used a technology called RNA therapeutics, which delivers RNA directly into cells, to spur cells to produce telomerase, a protein that lengthens telomeres. The technique improved cells' lifespan and function. Before, cells would "multiply very poorly and then die," Cooke said. After the procedure, "cells proliferated normally. It was a dramatic improvement." Markers of aging, such as the release of inflammatory proteins, were reduced.
Video: Houston Methodist/Vimeo
Of course, cells in a dish are different than living breathing humans. Cooke believes that, while there's still plenty of research left to be done, it's a promising sign that could have applications for fighting age-related diseases. "When we lengthen telomeres, that can reverse a lot of the problems associated with aging," he said in an accompanying video.

This study follows other research highlighting telomeres' associations with age, and the potential anti-aging properties of telomerase. In 2010, one high-profile paper in Nature described how mice engineered to lack telomerase got prematurely old, but were young and spry again after the protein was replaced. Telomerase has been of huge interest to the anti-aging community, and supplements claiming to be "telomerase activators" are circulating online.

According to Dr. Peter Lansdorp, a professor of medical genetics at the University of British Columbia and scientist at the BC Cancer Agency, claims of telomere lengthening are mostly "snake oil." He explained that, despite the excitement, there's still a lot to learn.

Telomeres do tend to shrink as we age, but it's not a perfect correlation, according to Lansdorp. "It is not hard to find a 70-year-old with longer telomeres than a teenager," he said in an email. And there's good reason for telomeres to decline as we age: it's a "tumor suppression mechanism," as Lansdorp put it. Our cells stop dividing and die when telomeres become too short. If that didn't happen, it would put us at higher risk of developing cancer.

Cooke thinks we'll see treatments that target "the mechanisms of aging"

Telomerase-activating treatments might hold potential, Lansdorp agreed, under certain defined conditions. "For example, if it was possible to elongate the telomere length in blood forming stem cells, such cells could possibly be used for new therapies of selected patients," he said. Replacing defective hearts and kidneys wholesale from a patient's own cells, though, is still "science fiction," according to Lansdorp.

Cooke, for his part, is hopeful that what he's seen in cells in the lab can be translated to patients-first and foremost, kids with progeria. One challenge, he said, is how to deliver a treatment like this directly into the patients' own cells, possibly through nanoparticles.
Read More: The Human Lifespan Has a Natural Limit. Scientists Might Know How to Break It
Cooke thinks that, within our lifetimes, we'll see treatments that target "the mechanisms of aging," and by extension, the age-related diseases that plague us.
Get six of our favorite Motherboard stories every day by signing up for our newsletter.
As for whether immortality is on the horizon, Lansdorp is skeptical. Immortality "is not a dream entertained by many serious scientists," he said. Our bodies are mortal by design, so we may just need to upload our minds into robot bodies instead.

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Scientists Found a Way to Stop Aging in Human Cells

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Afbeelding: Umberto Salvagnin/Flickr/Shutterstock. Collage: Rachel Pick The only sure thing in life is that all of us one day will die. Humans have long been trying to achieve immortality, or at least live for 100 years and beyond.

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Analyse the setting to show which atmosphere it generates.

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Analyse the setting to show which atmosphere it generates.

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Tips for writing:
1. Start with a topic clause, that  refers to the task exactly.
2. Define "setting" briefly. (Skills files short story)
3. Quote (l. 5; ll. 5-6) and give text references (cf. l. 5; cf. ll 5-6) in a balanced way
4. Write a conclusion to sum up your findings and say how the atmosphere mirrors the feelings of the character

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Basics

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skills files Short Story_ Literary Terms

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What is Privacy?

Have you ever Googled your name? What did you find out about yourself? Like many people, you may have been a bit surprised about the information that could be obtained about you through a simple Internet search. Information technology has opened up society and decreased privacy. Privacy continues to diminish as technological innovation progresses.

Privacy is the right to be left alone and free from surveillance and unreasonable personal intrusions. Information privacy is the right to determine when and to what extent information about oneself can be communicated to others. This applies to individuals, groups, and institutions. Privacy can be interpreted quite broadly, which contributes to the debate concerning privacy expectations and availability of personal information. However, the following two rules have been followed fairly closely in past court decisions in many countries: the right of privacy is not absolute and must be balanced against the needs of society, and the public's right to know is superior to the individual's right of privacy. These two rules reveal why it is difficult in some cases to determine and enforce privacy regulations.

There are a number of privacy issues that are of concern, including electronic surveillance, availability of personal information, cookies and spyware, and workplace monitoring.

Electronic Surveillance

Detective Brown and Detective Smith are staking out a building located in a bad part of town. Their beat up van sits inconspicuously along the street, giving nothing away about whom they are or why they are there. The detectives are gathering information through electronic surveillance to take down an organized crime ring that has wreaked havoc on the city and contributed to the rise in crime.

Electronic surveillance involves monitoring people with technology, often without their knowledge. Video recordings, photography, and audio recordings are common electronic surveillance techniques.

Detectives Brown and Smith photograph everyone going in and out of the suspect building. They will use the photographs to identify the key players in the crime ring. They have also planted cameras and audio devices within the building to capture conversations and keep a real-time watch on the movements within the building. All of this information is recorded from the van and saved to build a strong case.

You don't have to be a criminal to come in contact with electronic surveillance. We are all likely to encounter various forms of electronic surveillance throughout the day. Some communities use video surveillance to catch those who violate traffic laws. You may receive a ticket in the mail for running a red light or failing to pay a toll. When you go to the bank, withdraw money from the ATM, or enter your local convenience store, you are probably being recorded on video. Your apartment building or workplace may be equipped with video surveillance to discourage crime and assist in resolving crimes if they do occur.

Personal Information

The house next door to you has just been sold. Your new neighbor moves in. He is a middle aged man who keeps to himself and does not appear to be very friendly. He keeps odd hours and comes across as very strange. Your attempts to welcome him to the neighborhood have failed since he never answers the door. You wonder about him and find your mind getting carried away with all the possibilities. You wish you had more information to go on.

You probably wouldn't go to the trouble of scouring city hall documents, rooting through his trash, or tracking down friends and relatives to interview. However, if you could spend a few minutes searching the World Wide Web for information, there is a much greater chance you would snoop around. Wouldn't you? With information technology, it is relatively simple to find personal information on anyone you wish, including your new neighbor.

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impact of technology on privacy - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Impact of Technology on Privacy - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Have you ever Googled your name? What did you find out about yourself? Like many people, you may have been a bit surprised about the information that could be obtained about you through a simple Internet search. Information technology has opened up society and decreased privacy. Privacy continues to diminish as technological innovation progresses.

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in the British news

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German cyber officials criticised over handling of data breach

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Germany's cybersecurity authority is facing criticism over how it handled a mass data attack on dozens of politicians, following accusations it was aware of the breach but did not inform police. The agency claims they were unaware of the full extent of the leak. The contacts, private chats, and financial details of politicians, journalists, and...

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German cyber-attack: man admits massive data breach, say police

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Man, 20, driven by 'annoyance' at statements made by politicians and celebrities

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ZDF Jan Böhmermann: Lass dich überraschen

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Kultur

In „PRISM is a Dancer" outet Jan Böhmermann Studiogäste auf Basis ihrer Datenspuren im Netz. Dabei belegt die jüngste XXL-Ausgabe des Formats, wie sehr Netzkultur auch auf das Wagnis personenbezogener Öffentlichkeit angewiesen ist.

In der Serie „netzpolitische Dimension" geht es um Themen, deren netzpolitische Relevanz sich bisweilen erst auf den zweiten Blick erschließt. Diesmal: „Die PRISM is a Dancer Show", eine Spezialausgabe des Neo Magazin Royale.
Eigentlich ist das Segment „PRISM is a Dancer" nicht erst auf den zweiten Blick, sondern durch und durch netzpolitisch geprägt. Das „PRISM" im Titel verweist, wie Jan Böhmermann auch in der jüngsten Folge kurz erklärt hat, auf das NSA-Programm zur Überwachung und Auswertung elektronischer Medien und elektronisch gespeicherter Daten. Auch die Idee, Studiogäste auf Basis ihrer öffentlich einsehbaren Internetpräsenz bloßzustellen und so die Zuschauer für Gefahren unüberlegt-digitaler Selbstdarstellung im Internet zu sensibilisieren, atmet fast schon zu sehr den Geist des öffentlich-rechtlichen Aufklärungs- und Bildungsauftrags.

Was könnte also angesichts der laufenden Debatte rund um den Datenskandal bei Facebook aktueller und angemessener sein, als eine Neuauflage der „PRISM is a Dancer Show"? Ganze neunzig Minuten lang enthüllen Jan Böhmermann und sein Team unter dem Motto #LassDichÜberwachen öffentliche Geheimnisse des vor Ort anwesenden Publikums. Das Ergebnis ist in mehrfacher Hinsicht sehenswert.

Da ist zum einen die diebische Freude Jan Böhmermanns bei jeder noch so kleinen Enthüllung. Da gibt es von langer Hand und mit prominenter Unterstützung geplante Einlagen wie den Auftritt von „Luisa & die Anderen". Da dominieren eine satirische Ernsthaftigkeit und Liebe zum humoristischen Detail, die regelmäßig die besten Ausgaben des Neo Magazins auszeichnen. Vor allem aber werden die „Opfer" aus dem Publikum nicht einfach in Stefan-Raab-Manier der Lächerlichkeit preisgegeben, sondern letztlich respektvoll behandelt.

Mehr Öffentlichkeit wagen?

Das alles ist in der jüngsten XXL-Ausgabe von „PRISM is a Dancer" besonders gut erkennbar, war aber auch schon in den Ausgaben davor typisch für das Format. Und darin steckt eine andere netzpolitische Botschaft, die sich vielleicht wirklich erst auf den zweiten Blick erschließt, aber gerade angesichts (vermeintlich) dystopischer Datenskandale besonders wichtig erscheint: die Vorzüge, sich an die Öffentlichkeit zu wenden, was immer auch bedeutet, Öffentlichkeit zu wagen.

Das mit jeder noch so banal-digitalen Veröffentlichung verbundene (Rest-)Risiko, die Unsicherheit über die Rezeption eines Postings, die bis zu einem gewissen Grad unvermeidliche Preisgabe personenbezogener Daten bei Nutzung sozialer Medien sind auch Voraussetzung für überraschende Reaktionen, unerwartet kreative Wortschöpfungen, produktiven oder einfach nur unterhaltsamen Austausch. Die wenigsten werden für ein Facebook-Posting mit fünf Minuten Neo-Magazin-Royale-Ruhm belohnt. Nur Ausnahmetalente wie Stefanie Sargnagel schaffen es zur Bachmannpreisgekrönten Facebook-Literatin. Aber auf paradoxe Weise dokumentiert „PRISM is a Dancer" die netzkulturellen Potentiale eines wertschätzend-respektvollen Umgangs mit personenbezogener Öffentlichkeit.

Über den Autor/ die Autorin

Leonhard Dobusch, Betriebswirt und Jurist, forscht als Universitätsprofessor für Organisation an der Universität Innsbruck u.a. zum Management digitaler Gemeinschaften und transnationaler Urheberrechtsregulierung. Er twittert als@leonidobusch und bloggt privat als Leonido sowie gemeinsam mit anderen bei governance across borders bzw. am OS ConJunction Blog und ist Mitgründer und wissenschaftlicher Leiter der Momentum-Kongressreihe. Mail: leonhard@netzpolitik.org

Lesen Sie diesen Artikel: Transparenzbericht: Unsere Einnahmen und Ausgaben im Februar 2018 weiterlesen

Lesen Sie diesen Artikel: Facebook: Datenabgriff von 87 Millionen Nutzern ist nur Spitze des Eisberges weiterlesen

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Zur netzpolitischen Dimension (10) der "PRISM is a Dancer Show"

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Kultur In „PRISM is a Dancer" outet Jan Böhmermann Studiogäste auf Basis ihrer Datenspuren im Netz. Dabei belegt die jüngste XXL-Ausgabe des Formats, wie sehr Netzkultur auch auf das Wagnis personenbezogener Öffentlichkeit angewiesen ist. In der Serie „netzpolitische Dimension" geht es um Themen, deren netzpolitische Relevanz sich bisweilen erst auf den zweiten Blick erschließt.

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China’s "Social Credit System" Has Caused More Than Just Public Shaming (HBO)

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In 2020, China will fully roll out its controversial social credit score. Under the system, both financial behaviors like "frivolous spending" and bad behaviors like lighting up in smoke-free zones can result in stiff consequences. Penalties include loss of employment and educational opportunities, as well as transportation restrictions. Those with high scores get perks, like discounts on utility bills and faster application processes to travel abroad.

China is currently piloting the program and some citizens have already found themselves banned from traveling or attending certain schools due to low scores. These ramifications have led to a flurry of recent criticism from both human rights groups and the press. This week alone, news outlets like Business Insider and National Public Radio weighed in on China's social credit score and the stratified society it may foster in the communist country.

The outcry about China's social credit score is understandable, given that the country's authoritarian regime leaves citizens with little recourse to challenge the new system. But concerns about China's credit system have overlooked how the US system also divides consumers along class lines - and has done so for decades. Social behaviors may not factor into US credit scores, but the idea that a person's financial history reflects trustworthiness has long influenced employment decisions and other factors that affect Americans' quality-of-life.

How China's social credit score will work

China first announced that it would be devising a "social credit score" in 2014. The government said then that the system would help ensure a model society in which " sincerity and trustworthiness become conscious norms of action among all the people." According to NPR, the fact that most Chinese people don't have bank accounts or credit histories likely spurred the government to create a credit system of some sort.

Every citizen starts off with a score of 1,000 NPR reported the ranking as follows: 960 to 1,000 is an A; 850 to 955 points is a B; 840 to 600 is a C; and any score below that is a D, which designates the score-holder as "untrustworthy."

While the government hasn't made the specific methodology used to calculate scores public, one's ranking can fall for both major and minor infractions. Serious violations include drunk-driving, embezzlement, and fraud. Much smaller violations that result in a lowered score include playing too many video games; spreading "fake news," especially related to terrorist attacks, or refusing military service, will also lower one's score. Sometimes people are declared "dishonest" for committing infractions the government doesn't believe they're truly sorry for.

Chinese lawyer Li Xiaolin found himself in this predicament last year, according to Human Rights Watch: "He tried to use his national identity card to purchase a plane ticket. To his surprise, the online system rejected it, saying he had been blacklisted by China's top court. Mr. Li checked the court's website: His name was on a list of 'untrustworthy' people."

The courts are supposed to warn citizens before they're added to the blacklist, allowing them 10 days to appeal the designation, but Li said he was caught by surprise. He was blacklisted for losing a defamation suit that was brought against him; he wrote an apology letter to the court as a means of making amends, and said he didn't know that the court rejected his apology until the travel mishap. Ultimately, he had to apologize to the government again to be removed from the travel blacklist.

"Chinese government authorities clearly hope to create a reality in which bureaucratic pettiness could significantly limit people's rights," explains Human Rights Watch. "As President Xi Jinping's power grows, and as the system approaches full implementation, more abuses will come."

The social credit score has been compared to the " Nosedive" episode of Netflix's Black Mirror in which everyone receives a social ranking determined by peers. It has also drawn comparisons to the dystopian novel 1984.

For those declared "untrustworthy," the ability to buy business-class train tickets or to lodge at certain hotels can be rescinded. In some cases, the opportunity for their children to attend their preferred high school or college may be taken away, as may employment opportunities. (The government encourages employers to consult the blacklist before making hiring decisions.) Citizens who behave inconsiderately in public, like walking their dogs off-leash, can have their dogs confiscated and be required to take an exam to get the pets back.

Although "untrustworthy" people are punished for bad scores, citizens who rank the highest in the new system can take advantage of perks like business discounts or booking hotel rooms without deposits.

"Under the system, the elite will gain access to better social privileges and those who rank closer to the bottom will effectively be second-class citizens," Newsweek reported about the social credit score.

The effects of the US credit system aren't so far from that of China's controversial system

In the United States, the credit bureaus don't downgrade consumers for spending on things they deem silly or for being neglectful pet owners. But credit rankings in the US are set up in such a way that people with more resources get more financial breaks while people with fewer resources are routinely punished - often in ways that make little sense.

A person may end up with bad credit because he lost his job, but the fact that his credit suffered while unemployed could effectively prevent him from landing another job. According to the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it is not illegal for employers to deny an applicant a job offer based on information in his credit report. This makes it that much harder for people with bad credit to get the gainful employment needed to repair their scores.

People with poor credit may also be turned down for housing, even if the reason for the would-be tenant's troublesome credit history has nothing to do with her rental history. Someone who consistently paid rent on time but wracked up credit card debt due to medical expenses could find her housing application denied or be asked to pay a higher deposit as punishment.

By some estimates, one in five Americans has unpaid medical debt, and more than half of blacks and Latinos have medical debt on their credit cards. This not only limits rental opportunities but opportunities to buy a home, as good credit is generally a requirement for a housing loan. And lenders, of course, have historically created barriers for people of color pursuing homeownership.

Transportation and credit aren't just linked in China but in the US too. Americans with bad credit pay more for car insurance than their counterparts with good credit. Some banks have systematically given people of color subprime auto loans, even if their credit history didn't justify that they pay more interest.

" Credit reports and scores are mirrors of our manifestly two-tiered financial system, and more broadly our system of racial wealth inequality and unequal opportunity," Sarah Ludwig, founder and co-director of the New Economy Project wrote in a 2015 Guardian essay. "In our culture, indebtedness - and certainly failure to pay one's debts - is deeply entwined with concepts of morality. The insidious notion that our credit history speaks to our reliability as human beings is largely taken for granted."

The 2019 debut of the UltraFICO score, an alternative to the traditional FICO credit score, is being touted as a potential remedy for the inequities in the US credit system. Rather than focus on length of credit history, for example, it takes into consideration whether one saves regularly, maintains a $400 bank balance, avoids overdrafts, and pays bills on time.

But this alternative isn't likely to benefit the low-income people who have to juggle bills to survive, perhaps paying the heating bill late one month and the car insurance late the next. For truly cash-poor families, regularly saving money or avoiding overdraft fees is a Herculean task. In fact, many poor people forgo bank accounts altogether because banking fees take such a toll on their finances. UltraFico might help people of average means with short credit histories, but it's questionable if the score will change circumstances for the underprivileged.

Given how interlinked morality, debt, and credit are in the United States, some of the concerns about China's new social credit score comes across as disingenuous. Although the system certainly raises alarms - Human Rights Watch is concerned about it, after all - the idea that the US credit system operates much more equitably is shortsighted.
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Spend "frivolously" and be penalized under China's new social credit system

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People who waste money on non-essentials or behave "badly" are penalized under the controversial new ranking.

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Scoring-Unternehmen wie Kreditech gibt es viele. Das in Deutschland wohl berühmteste von ihnen ist die Auskunftei SCHUFA. Das Problem: Scoring-Unternehmen bedienen sich bei der Datenakquise aus einer Vielzahl von Quellen, ohne dass Nutzer etwas davon mitbekommen. Daten, die sie nicht selbst erheben können, kaufen sie häufig von Datenhändler zu. Diese Data-Broker wie etwa der US-Riese Acxicom sind eine schier unerschöpfliche Quelle an Verbraucherdaten. Im Acxicom-Pool bediente sich unter anderem die Analyse-Firme Cambridge Analytica, die eine zentrale Rolle im Facebook-Skandal rund um die letzte US-Präsidentschaftswahl spielte.

Der hiesige Ableger des Unternehmens, Acxicom Deutschland sagt, er habe bereits Daten von über 44 Millionen Bundesbürgern gesammelt. Ähnlich wie bei den Kredit-Scoring-Unternehmen wie Kreditech ist die Herkunft der Daten für Verbraucher oft unklar, denn die Händler „erhalten Daten in der Regel nicht direkt vom Verbraucher, sondern durch Dritte, und häufig ohne dass Verbraucher sich darüber im Klaren sind", heißt es im Gutachten der Verbraucherschützer. Quellen können neben klassischen Datensammlern wie Facebook, Twitter oder Amazon auch Kunden- und Cashback-Karten, Preisausschreiben oder öffentlich zugängliche Verzeichnisse sein. Dem deutschen Datenhändler AZ Direct GmbH, einem Unternehmen der Bertelsmann-Gruppe, stehen nach eigenen Angaben sogar detaillierte Profilinformationen zu 70 Millionen Personen zur Verfügung, darunter Daten zur aktuellen Lebensphase und der psychischen Verfasstheit einzelner Menschen.

Scoring-Merkmale müssen offengelegt werden

Damit diese teilweise hochsensiblen Daten künftig nicht mehr über dunkle Kanäle angehäuft werden, fordern die Experten vom SVRV vor allem eins: Transparenz. „Scoring-Anbieter sollen den Verbrauchern die für sie wesentlichen Merkmale, auf deren Basis sie gescort werden, sowie möglichst auch deren Gewichtung auf verständliche und nachvollziehbare Weise offenlegen", schreiben sie. Wie weit diese Transparenz gehen sollte, darüber ist sich allerdings selbst das Expertengremium uneins. So ist ein Teil der Auffassung, dass die Geschäftsgeheimnisse der Anbieter bei der Offenlegung der Scoring-Merkmale nicht beeinträchtigt werden dürfen, während der andere Teil die Haltung vertritt, dass das Auskunftsinteresse der Verbraucher wichtiger sei als mögliche Geheimhaltungsinteressen der Scoring-Unternehmen. Außerdem sollten Nutzerinnen und Nutzer erfahren können, wie Scores zwischen verschiedenen Gruppen gebildet werden, um eine mögliche Diskriminierung durch den Algorithmus überprüfen und nachweisen zu können.

Einig sind sich die Experten jedoch darin, dass „eine vollständige Offenlegung der Scores und ihrer Eigenschaften gegenüber Aufsichtsbehörden in jedem Fall notwendig" ist. Dort fehle es derzeit allerdings an Fachkräften und finanziellen Mitteln, um den Scoring-Anbietern ordentlich auf die Finger schauen zu können. Dafür müssten die Datenschutzbehörden erst mit „erheblichen finanziellen Mitteln" ausgestattet werden, um die Aufsicht zu verbessern.

Die Rekonstruktion des SCHUFA-Algorithmus

Solange möchten Walter Palmetshofer und sein Team von der Open Knowledge Foundation Deutschland nicht warten. Sie haben die Kontrolle von Scoring-Algorithmen deshalb selbst in die Hand genommen. In ihrem Projekt OpenSCHUFA sind sie derzeit dabei, den geheimen Bewertungs-Algorithmus der SCHUFA per Reverse Engineering zu knacken. Das funktioniert so: Per App können Privatpersonen dem Projekt die persönliche Scoring-Auskunft der Schufa zukommen lassen, die die Auskunftei laut Gesetz einmal im Jahr kostenlos zur Verfügung stellen muss. Aus den gewonnenen Daten soll bis Ende des Jahres ein Modell des SCHUFA-Algorithmus rekonstruiert werden. Das Ziel ist es, mögliche Diskriminierungen durch die KI offenzulegen. Palmetshofer sieht das veröffentlichte Gutachten sehr positiv: „Die Forderungen des SVRV gehen in die richtige Richtung, und das Gutachten kommt zur richtigen Zeit", sagt Palmetshofer zu WIRED.

Zu diesen Forderungen gehört auch, die Kompetenz der Bürgerinnen und Bürger zu fördern. So müssten Verbraucher künftig besser über Scoring und dessen mögliche Auswirkungen aufgeklärt werden, fordern die Experten. Denn anders als in China würden deutsche und europäische Bürger zwar nicht von einer staatlichen Autorität zur Datenweitergabe gezwungen, aber würden dafür meist freiwillig der Weitergabe Ihrer Daten an Dritte zustimmen. Das liege, so die Studie, auch an unverständlichen und viel zu umfassenden AGB-Texten, in die Nutzer oft gezwungenermaßen einwilligen müssten, um digitale Dienste nutzen zu können. Bereits in einer Vorläuferstudie forderte der SVRV deshalb einen leicht verständlichen One-Pager für AGB mit höchstens 500 Wörtern.

Sind die Daten jedoch erst einmal in der Welt, ergeben sich gleich zwei weitere Probleme für Nutzerinnen und Nutzer: Weil Datenhandel und Scoring laut Studie oft in einem „undurchsichtigen Gewirr von Unternehmensgruppen und Tochterunternehmen" stattfindet und die meisten Datenhändler Informationen auch untereinander verkaufen, ist den Nutzern oft gar nicht klar, wer momentan überhaupt Profile über sie gespeichert hat. Und das führt direkt zum nächsten Problem, nämlich dass es extrem schwierig für Verbraucher ist, falsche oder veraltete Informationen zu löschen oder zu aktualisieren.

Ist die Blockchain die Lösung für bessere Daten?

Der SVRV will die Kontrolle der Daten direkt in die Hände der Verbraucher legen. Eine Möglichkeit dafür wäre ein Daten-Dashboard, das eine Übersicht über gesammelte Scoring-Informationen enthält, die sich auch verändern lassen. Dabei „sollten aktuelle Entwicklungen für ein sicheres Identitätsmanagement über Blockchain-basierte Systeme einbezogen werden, die dem Verbraucher die Möglichkeit geben, sicher und eindeutig die eigenen Identitätsdaten zu verwalten", schlagen die Experten vor. Das wäre für Palmetshofer vom OpenSCHUFA-Projekt jedoch der zweite Schritt vor dem ersten: „Über eine Blockchain-Datenbank kann man sich später Gedanken machen, wenn die ursprünglichen, fundamentalen Herausforderungen gelöst sind", sagt er zu WIRED. Dazu gehört für ihn neben einer ernsthaften Aufsichtsbehörde, wie sie auch der SVRV fordert, „eine angemessene und kostenlose Überprüfbarkeit der eigenen Daten und die rasche, kostenlose Korrekturmöglichkeit bei falsch aggregierten oder berechneten Daten", sagt Palmetshofer.

Positiv überrascht war er von der Reaktion der Bundesregierung. Als Antwort auf das Gutachten hatte Verbraucherschutzministerin Katarina Barley unter anderem auf Twitter mitgeteilt: „Jegliche Form von Scoring muss transparent sein und Diskriminierung sowie Missbrauch ausschließen. Die Vorschläge des Sachverständigenrates werden wir deswegen eingehend und zügig prüfen." Diesen klaren Ansagen der Regierung müssten jetzt allerdings auch konkrete Umsetzungen jener Forderungen folgen, meint Palmetshofer.

„Jegliche Form von Scoring muss transparent sein und Diskriminierung sowie Missbrauch ausschließen. Die Vorschläge des Sachverständigenrates werden wir deswegen eingehend und zügig prüfen." - Ministerin @KatarinaBarley. #Algorithmus #Scoring #Verbraucherschutz pic.twitter.com/Jw54UxjsC9
- BM der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz (@BMJV_Bund) November 1, 2018

Nötig wäre es: Denn Scoring findet längst nicht mehr nur bei der Vergabe von Krediten statt. Auch Krankenversicherungen erheben bereits über Fitnessarmbänder und andere Quellen detaillierte Gesundheitsdaten ihrer Kunden, um fitten und gesunden Versicherten vergünstigte Tarife anbieten zu können. Diese sogenannten Telematik-Tarife, die auch bei Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherungen zum Einsatz kommen könnten, sehen die Verbraucherexperten besonders kritisch: Es müsse nicht nur gesetzlich garantiert werden, dass es künftig immer auch telematik-freie Optionen gäbe. Billigere Tarife für überdurchschnittlich gesunde Menschen sollten am besten ganz verboten werden, da durch die das Solidaritätsprinzip der Versicherungen gefährdet werde, so das Gutachten.

Wenn Daten aus vermeintlich unabhängigen Lebensbereichen wie Gesundheits-Apps, Social Media und Online-Shopping gesammelt, aggregiert und konkreten Personen zugeordnet werden und dann für das Scoring zum Einsatz kommen, ist ein Super-Score wie im chinesischen Sozialkreditsystem womöglich nicht mehr weit entfernt: „Ein solcher Super-Score würde bedeuten, dass einzelne Verhaltensweisen von Verbrauchern lebensbereichsübergreifend weitreichende Konsequenzen nach sich ziehen können", warnen die Verbraucherexperten. Dass Unternehmen nicht davor zurückschrecken, unsere Privatleben komplett zu durchleuchten und zu bewerten, zeigt die Aussage des Gründers der US-Auskunftei Zest Finance, Douglas Merrill, der einmal sagte: „Wir haben das Gefühl, dass alle Daten Bonitätsdaten sind, wir wissen nur noch nicht, wie wir sie verwenden sollen." Das war vor sechs Jahren. Heute scheint er eine Antwort drauf gefunden zu haben. Auf der Unternehmenswebseite heißt es: „Wachstum bei Finanzdienstleistungen kommt mit der besseren Kategorisierung der Menschen."

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Überwachung: Umfassendes Social Scoring wie in China ist auch bei uns möglich

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Intransparenz, mangelnde Kontrolle, Diskriminierung: Die algorithmischen Scoring-Verfahren von Versicherungen und Auskunfteien werden oft kritisiert. Schließlich können sie unser Leben schon jetzt massiv beeinflussen. Doch es geht noch krasser: In China gibt es einen sozialen Super-Score, der das Verhalten der Bürger bewertet. Experten befürchten, dass so etwas auch in Deutschland möglich wäre.

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Is China's social credit system really so bad?

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Is China's social credit system really so bad?

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Is China's social credit system really the dystopian sci-fi scenario that many fear?

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British journalist James O'Malley was on the Beijing-Shanghai bullet train last month when he heard a disturbing announcement.

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Opinion | The West may be wrong about China's social credit system

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November 29, 2018 Bing Song is the director of the Berggruen Institute China Center . BEIJING - Ever since China announced that it would be establishing a social credit system by 2020, Western media has generally covered the issue with harsh criticism.

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Mediationstext gekürzt Social Scoring in Deutschland WIRED 

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Thomas Friedman -  Three Eras of Globalization

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After want, we normally use an infinitive with to.

I want to go. (NOT I want go.) (NOT I want going.)

I want to come back here again.

She wants to be a pilot.

Want cannot be followed by that-clauses, but we can use an object + infinitive structure.

I want him to go now.

Do you want me to make you some tea? (NOT Do you want that I make you some coffee?)

I don't want him to come here again.

I want you to be my queen.

Want can be followed by an object + complement.

We want him dead or alive.

I want him back.

I want the job finished by Tuesday.

When the object complement is a noun, we use to be or as before it.

In British English, want can mean 'need'. In this case, it can be followed by an -ing form.

Your hair wants cutting. (= Your hair needs to be cut.)

That carpet wants a clean. (= That carpet needs to be cleaned.)

Note that we do not use want in polite offers or requests.

Would you like some help? (NOT Would you want some help?)

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After want, we normally use an infinitive with to. I want to go. (NOT I want go.) (NOT I want going.) I want to come back here again. She wants to be a pilot. Want cannot be followed by that-clauses, but we can use an object + infinitive structure.

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LEOs englische Grammatik: 2.4 Die Großschreibung im Englischen

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LEO.org: Ihr Wörterbuch im Internet für English-German Übersetzungen, mit Forum, Vokabeltrainer und Sprachkursen. Im Web und als APP.

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phrasal verbs - different meanings

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Ad ID: 1739699 60s 2018 ( Active )

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SAP TV Commercial, 'Make the World Run Better' Featuring Clive Owen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Clive Owen says we've got a few problems. Besides dealing with overcrowding and overheating, we've also got aging infrastructure. And what about the problem of bias in the workplace? Clive asks who's going to fix it all and admits it probably won't be an actor, like him.

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date: 09 March 2019

Summary and Keywords

The global area sown to genetically modified (GM) varieties of leading commercial crops (soybean, maize, canola, and cotton) has expanded over 100-fold over two decades. Thirty countries are producing GM crops and just five countries (United States, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and India) account for almost 90% of the GM production. Only four crops account for 99% of worldwide GM crop area. Almost 100% of GM crops on the market are genetically engineered with herbicide tolerance (HT), and insect resistance (IR) traits. Approximately 70% of cultivated GM crops are HT, and GM HT crops have been credited with facilitating no-tillage and conservation tillage practices that conserve soil moisture and control soil erosion, and that also support carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Crop production and productivity increased significantly during the era of the adoption of GM crops; some of this increase can be attributed to GM technology and the yield protection traits that it has made possible even if the GM traits implemented to-date are not yield traits per se. GM crops have also been credited with helping to improve farm incomes and reduce pesticide use. Practical concerns around GM crops include the rise of insect pests and weeds that are resistant to pesticides. Other concerns around GM crops include broad seed variety access for farmers and rising seed costs as well as increased dependency on multinational seed companies. Citizens in many countries and especially in European countries are opposed to GM crops and have voiced concerns about possible impacts on human and environmental health. Nonetheless, proponents of GM crops argue that they are needed to enhance worldwide food production. The novelty of the technology and its potential to bring almost any trait into crops mean that there needs to remain dedicated diligence on the part of regulators to ensure that no GM crops are deregulated that may in fact pose risks to human health or the environment. The same will be true for the next wave of new breeding technologies, which include gene editing technologies.

Keywords: genetically modified, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, trait

Introduction

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) result from recombinant DNA technology that allows for DNA to be transferred from one organism to another (transgenesis) without the genetic transfer limits of species to species barriers and with successful expression of transferred genes in the receiving organism (Gray, ). Four crops, maize, canola, soybean, and cotton, constitute the vast majority of GM crop production (James, ), and GM crops have been grown commercially since 1995 (Bagavathiannan, Julier, Barre, Gulden, & Van Acker, ). The acceptance of GM crops by farmers has been rapid, with the global GM production area growing from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications [ISAAA], ) to 182 million hectares in 2014 (James, ). Just 10 countries represent almost 98% of the GM hectares worldwide. The top GM producing countries are the United States (73.1 million ha), Brazil (42.2 million ha), Argentina (24.3 million ha), Canada (11.6 million ha), and India (11.6 million ha) (James, ). GM soybean is the most popular GM crop and almost 50% of global soybean acres are now GM soybean (James, ). For corn and cotton the global proportion of GM is 30% and 14%, respectively (James, ). GM canola occupies only 5% of the global canola hectares (James, ). GM crops are grown on only 3.7% of the world's total agricultural land, by less than one percent of the world's farmers. Almost 100% of GM crops on the market are either herbicide tolerant (HT) or insect resistant or have both of these two traits (Dill, CaJacob, & Padgette, ).

The production of GM crops is not equal across the world and in some jurisdictions there is little or no production. Countries in the European Union (EU) are a notable example in this regard. The near complete moratorium on the production of GM crops in the EU is based on common public view and political decisions rather than GM food safety assessment (Fischer, Ekener-Petersen, Rydhmer, & Edvardsson Björnberg, ). This is also true for Switzerland, where, for example, since 2005 GM foods and crops have been banned because of strong negative views on the part of both Swiss farmers and citizens (Mann, ). Five EU countries (Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania) accounted for 116,870 hectares of Bt maize cultivation in 2015, down 18% from the 143,016 hectares in 2014. The leading EU producer is Spain, with 107,749 hectares of Bt maize in 2015, down 18% from the 131,538 hectares in 2014 (James, ). Russia is the world largest GM-free zone (James, ). Despite the claimed benefits over risks, and the wide adoption of biotech-improved crop varieties in many parts of the world, Europe and Africa still remain largely GM-free in terms of production (Paarlberg, ). This may be due in part to the relative absence of reliable public scientific studies on the long-term risks of GM crops and foods and the seed monopoly that is linked to GM technology development (Paarlberg, ). In Asia, four countries, including Turkey, have banned GM crops. The GM concerns in Europe have also slowed down the approval of GM crops in many developing countries because of impacts on agricultural exports (Inghelbrecht, Dessein, & Huylenbroeck, ). Many African governments have been slow to approve, or have sometimes even banned GM crops, in order not to lose export markets and to maintain positive relations with the EU, especially given implications for development aid (Wafula, Waithaka, Komen, & Karembu, ). In addition, a few African nations have banned GM cultivation over fears of losing European markets (ISAAA, ). Public concerns over GM crops and foods have also had an impact on production of GM crops in North America. The withdrawal of the GM Bt potato (NewLeaf™) varieties from the North American market due to the concerns of two of the largest buyers of processing potatoes (Frito-Lay and McDonalds) was the result of feared consumer rejection (Kynda & Moeltner, ).

The extensive adaptation of GM crops does, however, also have some drawbacks. The occurrence of outcrossing with non-GM crops, gene flow, and the adventitious presence of GM crops on organic farms has sparked concerns among various stakeholders, including farmers who are growing GM crops (Ellstrand, ; Marvier & Van Acker, ). Public concern over GM crops is centered in three areas: human health, environmental safety, and trade impacts (Van Acker, Cici, Michael, Ryan, & Sachs, ). GM biosafety is also forcing both agriculture and food companies to appreciate GM safety in their marketing decisions (Blaine & Powell, ; Rotolo et al., ). The adoption of GM crops in a given jurisdiction is a function of public GM acceptance as well as the level of public trust of regulatory authorities (Vigani & Olper, ). Examples of these include feeding the world, consumer choice, and seed ownership (Van Acker & Cici, ). Opponents of GM crops have questioned their necessity in terms of agricultural productivity to feed the world (Gilbert, ). They point to studies that have shown that current agricultural output far exceeds global calorie needs and that distribution, access, and waste are the key limitations to feeding those who are hungry and not gross production per se (Altieri, ).

The novelty of GM technology has been both an asset and a challenge for those companies producing GM seeds. Supporters of GM crops have asserted that GM is merely an evolution of conventional breeding approaches (Herdt, ). They have insisted that humans have been genetically modifying crops for millennia and that GM technology has been an extension and facilitation of natural breeding. At the same time, however, GM crops are patentable, emphasizing that the process is truly novel and different from the natural breeding (Boucher, ). In addition, expert technical assessments acknowledge the unique and novel nature of GM crops (Taylor, ). This situation highlights the conundrum and challenge of not only introducing disruptive new technologies into society but having such technologies accepted by society (Van Acker et al., ). The socioeconomic nature of most risks along with the continuing farm income crisis in North America has led some to argue for the adoption of a more comprehensive approach to risk assessment of GM crops and all new agricultural technologies (Mauro et al., ).

The Green Revolution was driven by global hunger, and some argue that the next agricultural production revolution, which is perhaps being sparked by the introduction of GM crops, would be driven by other global needs including sustainability and the needs of individuals (Lipton & Longhurst, ). The green revolution of the 1960s and 1970s depended on the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation methods to initiate favorable conditions in which high yielding modern varieties could thrive. Between 1970 and 1990, fertilizer use in developing countries rose by 360% while pesticide use increased by 7 to 8% annually. The environmental impacts of the adoption of these technologies did in some cases override their benefits. These impacts included polluted land, water, and air, and the development of resistant strains of pests. GM crops could be used to sustain or grow production levels while diminishing environmental impacts yet despite the rapid adoption of GM crops many of the problems associated with the green revolution remain (Macnaghten & Carro-Ripalda, ). The pros and cons of GM crops are many and diverse but there is little argument over the ambiguous consequences of this comparatively new technology, and numerous critics noted the potential pros and cons of GM crops as soon as they were launched in the early 1990s (Mannion, , , ).

Pros of GMO Crop Farming

The world population has exceeded 7 billion people and is forecasted to reach beyond 11 billion by 2100 (United Nations, ). The provision of an adequate food supply for this booming population is an ongoing and tremendous challenge. The companies that develop GM seeds point to this challenge as the key rationale for their need, and they explain that GM seeds will help to meet the "feeding the world" challenge in a number of ways

Herbicide Tolerance and Pest Management

Herbicide tolerance (HT) in GM crops is achieved by the introduction of novel genes. The control of weeds by physical means or by using selective herbicides is time-consuming and expensive (Roller & Harlander, ). The most widely adopted HT crops are glyphosate tolerant (Dill, CaJabob, & Padgette, ) colloquially (and commercially for Monsanto) known as "Roundup Ready" crops. Herbicide tolerant GM crops have provided farmers with operational benefits. The main benefits associated with HT canola, for example, were easier and better weed control (Mauro & McLachlan, ). The development of GM HT canola varieties has also been linked to incremental gains in weed control and canola yield (Harker, Blackshaw, Kirkland, Derksen, & Wall, ). Despite all of the weed management options available in traditional canola, significant incentives remained for the development of HT canola. The most apparent incentives were special weed problems such as false cleavers ( Galium aparine) and stork's bill ( Erodium cicutarium), and the lack of low-cost herbicide treatments for perennials such as quackgrass ( Agropyron repens) and Canada thistle ( Cirsium arvense). Mixtures of herbicides can control many of the common annual and perennial weeds in western Canada but they are expensive and not necessarily reliable (Blackshaw & Harker, ). In addition, some tank-mixtures led to significant canola injury and yield loss (Harker, Blackshaw, & Kirkland, ). Thus, canola producers welcomed the prospect of applying a single nonselective herbicide for all weed problems with little concern for specific weed spectrums, growth stages, tank mixture interactions (i.e., antagonism or crop injury) and/or extensive consultations. Two major GM HT canola options are widely used in western Canada. Canola tolerant to glufosinate was the first transgenic crop to be registered in Canada (Oelck et al., ). Canola tolerant to glyphosate (Roundup Ready) followed shortly thereafter. The GM HT canola offers the possibility of improved weed management in canola via a broader spectrum of weed control and/or greater efficacy on specific weeds (Harker et al., ). The greatest gains in yield attributed to the adoption of GM HT crops has been for soybean in the United States and Argentina and for GM HT canola in Canada (Brookes & Barfoot, ).

The reduction of pesticide applications is a major direct benefit of GM crop cultivation: reducing farmers' exposure to chemicals (Hossain et al., ; Huang, Hu, Rozelle, & Pray, ) and lowering pesticide residues in food and feed crops, while also releasing less chemicals into the environment and potentially increasing on-farm diversity in insects and pollinators (Nickson, ). Additionally, improved pest management can reduce the level of mycotoxins in food and feed crops (Wu, ). Insect resistance in GM crops has been conferred by transferring the gene for toxin creation from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) into crops like maize. This toxin is naturally occurring in Bt and is presently used as a traditional insecticide in agriculture, including certified organic agriculture, and is considered safe to use on food and feed crops (Roh, Choi, Li, Jin, & Je, ). GM crops that produce this toxin have been shown to require little or no additional pesticide application even when pest pressure is high (Bawa & Anilakumar, ). As of the end of the 21st century, insect resistant GM crops were available via three systems (Bt variants). Monsanto and Dow Agrosciences have developed SmartStax maize, which has three pest management attributes, including protection against both above-ground and below-ground insect pests, and herbicide tolerance, which facilitates weed control (Monsanto, ). SmartStax maize GM varieties were first approved for release in the United States in 2009 and combine traits that were originally intended to be used individually in GM crops (Mannion & Morse, ). Significant reductions in pesticide use is reported by adoption of Bt maize in Canada, South Africa, and Spain, as well as Bt cotton, notably in China (Pemsl, Waibel, & Gutierrez, ), India (Qiam, ), Australia, and the United States (Mannion & Morse, ).

Cons of GMO Crop Farming

The intensive cultivation of GM crops has raised a wide range of concerns with respect to food safety, environmental effects and socioeconomic issues. The major cons are explored for cross-pollination, pest resistance, human health, the environment, the economy, and productivity.

Cross-Pollination

The out crossing of GM crops to non-GM crops or related wild type species and the adventitious mixing of GM and non-GM crops has led to a variety of issues. Because of the asynchrony of the deregulation of GM crops around the world, the unintended presence of GM crops in food and feed trade channels can cause serious trade and economic issues. One example is "LibertyLink" rice, a GM variety of rice developed by Bayer Crop Science, traces of which were found in commercial food streams even before it was deregulated for production in the United States. The economic impact on U.S. rice farmers and millers when rice exports from the United States were halted amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars (Bloomberg News, ). A more recent example is Agrisure Viptera corn, which was approved for cultivation in the United States in 2009 but had not yet been deregulated in China. Exports of U.S. corn to China contained levels of Viptera corn, and China closed its borders to U.S. corn imports for a period. The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) had encouraged Syngenta to stop selling Viptera because of losses U.S. farmers were facing, and there is an ongoing class-action lawsuit in the United States against Syngenta (U.S. District Court, ). Concerns over the safety of GM food have played a role in decisions by Chinese officials to move away from GM production. Cross-pollination can result in difficulty in maintaining the GM-free status of organic crops and threaten markets for organic farmers (Ellstrand, Prentice, & Hancock, ; Van Acker, McLean, & Martin, ). The EU has adopted a GM and non-GM crop coexistence directive that has allowed nation-states to enact coexistence legislation that aims to mitigate economic issues related to adventitious presence of GM crops in non-GM crops (Van Acker et al., ).

Some critics of GM crops express concerns about how certain GM traits may provide substantive advantages to wild type species if the traits are successfully transferred to these wild types. This is not the case for GM HT traits, which would offer no advantage in non-cropped areas where the herbicides are not used, but could be an issue for traits such as drought tolerance (Buiatti, Christou, & Pastore, ). This situation would be detrimental because the GM crops would grow faster and reproduce more often, allowing them to become invasive (FAO, ). This has sometime been referred to as genetic pollution (Reichman et al., ). There are also some concerns that insects may develop resistance to the pesticides after ingesting GM pollen (Christou, Capell, Kohli, Gatehouse, & Gatehouse, ). The potential impact of genetic pollution of this type is unclear but could have dramatic effects on the ecosystem (Stewart et al., ).

Productivity

Justification for GM crops on the basis of the need to feed the world is often used by proponents of the technology, but the connection between GM crops and feeding the world is not direct. GM crops are used by farmers and are sold primarily on the basis of their direct operational benefits to farmers, including the facilitation of production and/or more production (Mauro et al., ). Farmers realize these benefits in terms of cost savings or increased production or both and are looking to increase their margins by using the technology. Companies producing GM seeds can be very successful if they are able to capture a greater share of a seed market because they supply farmers with operational benefits such as simplified weed management (Blackshaw & Harker, ) even if there are no productivity gains. In addition, the traits in GM crops on the market as of the early part of the 21st century are not yield traits per se but are yield potential protection traits that may or may not result in greater productivity.

Conclusions

Genetic modification via recombinant DNA technology is compelling because it does provide a means for bringing truly novel traits into crops and the adoption of GM crops has been rapid in a range of countries around the world. Only a very limited number of traits have been incorporated to date into GM crops, the two primary traits being herbicide tolerance (HT) and insect resistance. Nonetheless, farmers who have adopted GM crops have benefited from the operational benefits they provide, and current GM crops have facilitated the adoption of more sustainable farming practices, in particular, reduced tillage. The ongoing asynchronous approvals of GM crops around the world mean that there will always be issues related to the adventitious presence of GM crops in crop shipments and trade disruptions. Pollen mediated gene flow from crop to crop and seed admixtures are challenges of GM crop farming and agricultural marketing as a result. The adoption of GM HT crops has also accelerated the evolution of herbicide resistant weeds, which has created additional operational challenges and costs for farmers. The GM crops commercialized to date have all been deregulated and deemed to be safe to the environment and safe in terms of human health by competent authorities around the world, including the European Food Safety Association. There remain, however, critics of the technology who point to a lack of public research on the potential risks of GM and GM crops. GM crops will continue to be developed because they provide real operational benefits for farmers, who are the ones who purchase the seeds. The novelty of the technology and its potential to bring almost any trait into crops mean that there needs to remain dedicated diligence on the part of regulators to ensure that no GM crops are deregulated that may in fact pose risks to human health or the environment, but there will also remain the promise of the value of novel inventions that bring benefits to consumers and the environment. The same will be true for the next wave of new breeding technologies, which include gene editing technologies such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) (Cong et al., ). These new technologies have even greater potential for modifying crops than GM technology and they avoid some of the characteristics of GM technology that have underpinned criticisms including, for example, the presence of foreign DNA.

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Pros and Cons of GMO Crop Farming - Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science

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The global area sown to genetically modified (GM) varieties of leading commercial crops (soybean, maize, canola, and cotton) has expanded over 100-fold over two decades. Thirty countries are producing GM crops and just five countries (United States, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and India) account for almost 90% of the GM production.

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China Behavior Rating System V/S Sweden Microchip implants | Must watch technology

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Improve your style...           Gerund rules and exercises

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Improve your style...           Gerund rules and exercises

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Most verbs of perception (e.g. hear, see, watch, notice) are followed by object + infinitive (without to).

I heard him cry. (NOT I heard him to cry.)

I watched them play. (NOT I watched them to play.)

I saw her cross the road. (NOT I saw her to cross the road.)

Most of these verbs can also be followed by -ing forms. Note that there is usually a difference of meaning. We use infinitive forms after these verbs to say that we hear or see the whole of an action or event. On the other hand, -ing forms suggest that we see or hear an action in progress.

Compare:

I once heard him give a talk on international politics. (I heard the whole talk.)

As I walked past his cabin, I heard him talking with his secretary. (I didn't hear the whole talk.)

An -ing form is not usually used to refer to a momentary action or event.

I saw the bomb explode. (NOT I saw the bomb exploding. The action mentioned here (explosion) doesn't last for more than a few moments.)

Sometimes an -ing form can suggest repetition.

I saw the children throwing stones at the dogs. (= The children kept throwing stones.)

After can see and can hear, only the -ing form can be used.

I could see him climbing up the tree. (NOT I could see him climb up the tree.)

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Hear, see etc + object + infinitive without to

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Most verbs of perception (e.g. hear, see, watch, notice) are followed by object + infinitive (without to). I heard him cry. (NOT I heard him to cry.) I watched them play. (NOT I watched them to play.) I saw her cross the road. (NOT I saw her to cross the road.)

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Teenagers and technology model anaysis from Challenge Class 11

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surveillance and security

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Surveillance Society Vocabulary FINAL Flashcards | Quizlet

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Start studying Surveillance Society Vocabulary FINAL. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

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Technology advertisements describe how companies provide their services and products to customers. Many brands use technology adverts to promote their businesses on social platforms to generate some leads. By using high-quality technology ads, companies can generate revenues by creating traffic on their websites.

In this article we look at 20 technology advertisements that are on the spot. Watch these technology adverts to get ideas for marketing your own offering. Here we go :

WEF blockchain technology committed to improving the state of the world and it is the International organization for public-private cooperation. It is designed to assist executives in understanding whether blockchain is an appropriate and helpful tool for their business needs. WEF's technology advertisement example showcases how the Blockchain could impact industry, governments and society in the future.

Amazon Global Logistics Technology is driven by the excitement of building technologies, inventing products, and providing services that change lives. Their actions, goals, projects, and inventions begin and end with the customer top of mind. Amazon created one of the best adverts that describes how it builds solutions for international movement of shipments which can originate from any place on earth, cross the international border and be delivered in a different part of a planet.

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Micron Technology manufactures the industry's broadest portfolio of memory and Flash storage technologies: DRAM, NAND, NOR and 3D XPoint memory. Micron develops the technologies that transform what's possible. Micron's technology advertisement showcase how they design and build some of the world's most advanced memory and semiconductor technologies.

Ion Torrent technology takes an entirely new approach to sequencing, making it faster, simpler, and more affordable than ever before. Unlike other sequencing technologies, Ion's systems sequence DNA using a semiconductor chip, similar to the chip found in your digital camera. Ion Torrent's technology advertisement shows how it sequences DNA, by reading this chemical change directly in the well on the chip.

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Amniox Medical is the leader in amniotic membrane and umbilical cord regenerative tissue therapies that characterizes and preserves the biology and functionality of human Amniotic Membrane (AM) and Umbilical Cord (UC). This is one of the best technology ads that AMNIOX has created to showcase how it deliver the most functional allograft, to transplant the benefits of regenerative healing to adult wound environments.

Resolve is a subsidiary of Imperial holdings and a consolidation of volition, e-Logics and several companies geared to moving people, products and businesses forward through entrepreneurial innovation, inspiration and foresight. Resolve's technology advertisement shows how it provides outsourced integrated value-add logistics, supply chain management and route-to-market solutions.

Vertical Systems is one of the longest established and largest suppliers of travel technology to the UK travel industry. They have been developing a new suite of integrated travel technology products aimed and allowing you to gain the competitive edge in this ever evolving industry. Vertical Systems' technology advertisement showcase how it provides services to 10,000 travel agent desktops from single branch independent agents to multiple groups.

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Key takeaways from the above technology adverts are :

Build a strong creative brief

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Work with a company that can understand your video production requirement easily

With the above technology advertisements, it's evident that companies are fast integrating videos in their marketing campaigns and various other touchpoints. If you are planning to develop these videos, a good start is to develop a brief of what can be the tone and style for your videos. We advise you to be different and unique while you create your messaging through the videos.

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Technology advertisements describe how companies provide their services and products to customers. Many brands use technology adverts to promote their businesses on social platforms to generate some leads. By using high-quality technology ads, companies can generate revenues by creating traffic on their websites.

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