U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said final congressional passage of the Biden administration’s major infrastructure plan comes down to “a fundamental issue” of the lack of water brought on by climate change.
Harris made the comments Monday during a visit to Lake Mead, a man-made reservoir near the gambling and tourist destination city of Las Vegas, Nevada, which provides drinking water and electricity for more than 40 million people across seven western U.S. states and northern Mexico.
The U.S. government in August declared the first-ever water shortage at Lake Mead, which has fallen to record lows amid a two decade-long drought in the Western United States. The shortage has forced officials to impose water rationing next year for Nevada, the neighboring state of Arizona and Mexico.
During the visit, the vice president promoted a $550 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, an agreement reached earlier this year between President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators. The investment includes tens of billions of dollars to shore up the nation’s water infrastructure and protect communities against the impact of climate change, including lingering heat waves and droughts, along with investments in water recycling and technology to convert sea water into usable drinking water.
“This is about thinking ahead, recognizing where we are and where we’re headed — if we don’t address these issues with a sense of urgency, understanding this is literally about life,” Harris said.
The infrastructure plan has been approved by the U.S. Senate, but is stalled in the House over intense and increasingly bitter negotiations over funding for the president’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan, which would provide a significant boost to the nation’s social safety net.
Facebook must pay a $4.75 million fine and up to $9.5 million in back pay to eligible victims who say the company discriminated against U.S. workers in favor of foreign ones, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
The discrimination took place from at least January 1, 2018, until at least September 18, 2019.
The Justice Department said Facebook “routinely refused” to recruit or consider U.S. workers, including U.S. citizens and nationals, asylees, refugees and lawful permanent residents, in favor of temporary visa holders. Facebook also helped the visa holders get their green cards, which allowed them to work permanently
In a separate settlement, the company also agreed to train its employees in anti-discrimination rules and conduct wider searches to fill jobs.
The fines and back pay are the largest civil awards ever given by the DOJ’s civil rights division in its 35-year history.
“Facebook is not above the law and must comply with our nation’s civil rights laws,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke told reporters in a telephone conference.
“While we strongly believe we met the federal government’s standards in our permanent labor certification [PERM] practices, we’ve reached agreements to end the ongoing litigation and move forward with our PERM program, which is an important part of our overall immigration program,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “These resolutions will enable us to continue our focus on hiring the best builders from both the U.S. and around the world and supporting our internal community of highly skilled visa holders who are seeking permanent residence.”
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei Digital Power has concluded its Global Digital Power Summit 2021 in Dubai, UAE, with more than 500 participants from 67 countries attending, on October 16. At the summit, Huawei Digital Power signed a key contract with SEPCOIII for the Red Sea Project with 400 MW PV plus 1300 MWh battery energy storage solution (BESS), which is currently the world’s largest energy storage project. The two parties will cooperate to help Saudi Arabia build a global clean energy and green economy center.
This 1300 MWh off-grid energy storage project is the largest of its kind in the world and represents a milestone in the global energy storage industry.
The Red Sea Project has been listed in the Saudi Vision 2030 as a key project. Its developer is ACWA Power, and the general contractor of EPC is SEPCOIII. Located on the Red Sea coast, NEOM is also known as the city of the future, powered entirely by renewable energy. It will lead a new way of life and drive new economic growth, as resources such as oil are increasingly depleted.
With more than 10 years of experience in researching and developing energy storage systems as well as more than 8 GWh energy storage system applications, Huawei Digital Power is committed to integrating the digital information technology with PV and energy storage technologies to build a more efficient, stable, and safe smart string energy storage system using the string, intelligent, and modular designs, aiming to help PV become the main energy source and build a green and bright future.
About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.
Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:
Huawei Digital Power lights up Dubai with a spectacular light show on Burj Khalifa with the theme ‘Building a Low-carbon and Green Future’ which successfully concludes Global Digital Power Summit 2021 with more than 500 participants from 67 countries attending.
Huawei calls for collective actions from global customers and partners to join new Carbon Neutrality Initiative, with organizations and policy-makers from around the world backing the initiative during the summit.
Huawei signs MoUs with Grupo IMELSA and HYBRICO Energy for strategic collaboration on clean energy and green infrastructure development.
Huawei also signs a key contract with SEPCOIII for The Red Sea Project with 400 MW PV plus 1300 MWh battery energy storage solution (BESS), which is currently the world’s largest energy storage project.
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei Digital Power has concluded its Global Digital Power Summit 2021 in Dubai, UAE, with more than 500 participants from 67 countries attending. As the world prioritizes carbon neutrality and post-pandemic recovery, the summit aimed to inspire collective action towards building a low-carbon and smarter society powered by digital technologies.
In the keynote speech, Charles Yang, SVP of Huawei and President of Global Marketing Sales and Services at Huawei Digital Power, said: “Carbon neutrality has become a global consensus and mission. To achieve that goal, power production needs to be low carbonized, and power consumption needs to be electrified. Huawei has deeply integrated digital and power electronics technologies to create all-scenario low-carbon energy solutions, covering the whole energy flow from green power generation to efficient power consumption.”
With an increasing number of countries joining the path towards carbon neutrality, the world is brimming with opportunities for investment into renewable energy and green infrastructure. At the summit, industry leaders and government officials from PV, Data Center and Site Power sectors – including Sen. Rocio Adriana Abreu Artinaño, President of the Energy Commission, Senate of the Republic of Mexico, Sanjay Kumar Sainani, Global SVP & CTO from Huawei Digital Power, Mohammad Saeed Bin Sulaiman, CEO of Data Hub Integrated Solutions LLC (MORO), Hariram Subramanian, CTO of Huawei FusionSolar, Manish Singhal, Head of Solar PV, ACWA Power, Michel FRAISSE, Vice President & CTO, Huawei Digital Power Europe, Jasem Al Marzooqi, Head of Data Centers & Telecom Facilities, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, du, Prof Rabih Bashroush, Global Head, IT Infrastructure Advisory, Uptime Institute, and many more – have shared technologies, insights and policies to meet the future opportunities in renewable energy and green ICT infrastructure.
Specifically, experts from data center energy including Simon McCormick，CTO of Echelon, Seppo Ihalainen, CEO & Co-founder, Ficolo, Prof Rabih Bashroush, Global Head, IT Infrastructure Advisory, Uptime Institute and Jim Campbell, BEng (Hons) Building Services, MIET, ATD, Regional Director – RED Middle East have joined the panel discussion moderated by Sanjay Kumar Sainani. To lead the green energy transition, Amit Beriya, Director of Energy Storage & Hydrogen (BD Technical Services), ACWA Power, George Pechlivanoglou, CTO of Eunice, Ana Lia Rojas, President of EnerConnex Chile & President of the Chile Council for Women Leaders in Energy and Environment, CWEEL and Edson Uamusse, Strategic Planning Director & Chairman’s Advisor, Energy Fund of Mozambique have shared their insights from the energy industry moderated by Hariram Subramanian.
Partnership for a Greener and Bright Future
Huawei Digital Power adheres to the strategy of open hardware, open-source software, and layered collaboration with industry players for a greener, brighter future. As a key part of the summit, Huawei signed memorandums of understanding with Grupo IMELSA and HYBRICO Energy for strategic collaboration on clean energy and green infrastructure development. Huawei also signs a key contract with SEPCOIII for The Red Sea Project with 400 MW PV plus 1300 MWh battery energy storage solution (BESS), which is currently the world’s largest energy storage project.
What sets Huawei Digital Power apart from peers is its unique philosophy of “Use Bits to Manage Watts”. Specifically, Mr. Yang noted how the company will use digital technologies to manage power electronics and equipment, providing simplified, green, smart, and secure solutions for clean power generation, green ICT infrastructure, transportation electrification, and integrated smart energy.
Call for Carbon Neutrality Initiative
Carbon neutrality has become a global consensus and mission. At the summit, Huawei Digital Power called for global action to pursue low-carbon and sustainable development, which requires continuous innovations, the adoption of green practices, and banding together to build an open and win-win ecosystem.
Liu Fangjiang, President of SEPCOIII International, Eaman Al Roudhan, CEO of Zain Kuwait, Sen. Rocio Adriana Abreu Artinaño, President of the Energy Commission, Senate of the Republic of Mexico, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Board Member, Executive, Managing Director at du, and Simon McCormick, CTO of Echelon, have all backed the Huawei initiative during the summit. They were joined by Mr. Yang.
Through open collaboration and co-innovation, Huawei Digital Power and its global partners now share a commitment to fight global warming and contribute towards carbon neutrality worldwide.
Light up of Burj Khalifa to Inspire and Initiate Change
As the exciting ending of the Global Digital Power Summit 2021, Huawei Digital Power lit up Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and an iconic landmark in Dubai, to inspire international communities to accelerate the green transition and build a low-carbon and smart society together.
About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.
Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:
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HONG KONG, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Asia International School Limited (AISL), with over 25 years of educational excellence in Asia, announced the official launch of its AISL Harrow Scholarships Programme Y2022/24, marking the second year of the most prestigious – and most generous – scholarship award available across the AISL Harrow family.
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After Cyclone Idai hit in 2019, some Zimbabweans turned to activities like illegal gold panning to survive. Now Voluntary Service Overseas, an international development charity, is giving them a new option — bee keeping. In the town of Chimanimani, life has turned sweet for one Zimbabwean because of the honey from his bees.
While some in Chimanimani started gold panning after surviving Cyclone Idai in 2019, 21-year-old Washington Nyakazeya turned to bee-keeping after he and his family survived the disaster.
He is now an organic honey seller in Zimbabwe. He says the program has transformed daily life as he gets at least $300 a month — more than what a school teacher gets.
“Since I started bee-keeping I have seen a change in my life. Money is now coming to our home through honey sales. At times I even wonder if it’s me having some of the amount of money I get some days,” he said.
Nyakazeya family’s fields were left in tatters after Cyclone Idal struck, leaving millions in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe homeless and hungry.
Voluntary Service Overseas Zimbabwe is training villagers — mainly youths — to do bee-keeping here in Chimanimani.
Guzha, the project manager at Voluntary Service Overseas Zimbabwe, says the project seeks to empower locals by providing alternative sources of income.
“Due to climate change, unpredicted droughts, persistent flooding after Cyclone Idai we have managed to realize that bee-keeping is a viable adaptation strategy. So we have trained young people in bee-keeping so that they can earn income as a secure and resilient livelihood option,” he said.
Former Zimbabwe Forestry Commission official, Roseline Mukonoweshuro, says the project is sustainable not just for the farmers but also for the environment.
“Bee keeping is very important because we see that once people are practicing bee-keeping, they will protect their forest and as a result they won’t cut the trees because they need the trees for forage and at the same time, they won’t burn the forest because they still to have their hives as well as the forage,” she said.
Zimbabwe Forestry Commission says the country loses 330,000 hectares of forest annually as a result of deforestation, but Nyakazeka is jealously guarding all the trees near his home.
He plans on increasing his 50 bee-hives to more than 100 next year and wants to start exporting his organic honey to Europe and the United States.
