Unveiling the Tapestry of 2023: Top 10 Highlights That Defined the Year

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As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s time to reflect on the myriad events and milestones that shaped the course of the year. From technological breakthroughs to cultural shifts, 2023 was a rollercoaster of innovation and transformation. In this blog, we’ll unveil the top 10 highlights that stood out and left an indelible mark on the fabric of 2023.

1. Quantum Computing Breakthroughs

In 2023, quantum computing made unprecedented progress, reaching the milestone of quantum supremacy. This achievement has far-reaching implications, promising solutions to intricate problems at speeds unimaginable with traditional computers, particularly in fields like cryptography, drug discovery, and climate modeling.

2. AI’s Influence in Healthcare

Artificial Intelligence continued its penetration into the healthcare sector, reshaping diagnostics, treatment strategies, and patient care. AI-driven tools showcased remarkable accuracy in early disease detection, personalized treatment plans, and overall healthcare enhancement.

3. Global Climate Accords

As climate change concerns reached a critical juncture, nations around the world came together in 2023 to forge ambitious global climate accords. Commitments to reduce carbon emissions, transition to renewable energy sources, and protect biodiversity marked a collective effort to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

4. Space Tourism Takes Off

The space race evolved into a new era in 2023, with commercial space tourism becoming a reality. Several private companies successfully launched missions, enabling civilians to partake in the adventure of space travel. This marked a significant stride in making space exploration more accessible to the public.

5. Metaverse Surge

The concept of the metaverse gained unprecedented traction in 2023. Major technology companies invested heavily in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), creating immersive digital realms for work, socializing, and entertainment. The metaverse emerged as a hub for innovation and collaboration.

6. Advancements in Biotechnology

Biotechnology made groundbreaking strides in 2023, with advancements ranging from CRISPR-based gene editing to revolutionary treatments for previously incurable diseases. These breakthroughs raised ethical questions but also offered new hope for addressing genetic disorders and improving overall human health.

7. Shifts in Remote Work Culture

The way we work underwent a transformative shift in 2023. Remote work, once a necessity, became a preferred mode for many companies. This change not only impacted work culture but also influenced urban planning, as cities reimagined themselves to accommodate a more decentralized workforce.

8. Renewable Energy Dominance

Renewable energy continued its ascent in 2023, surpassing expectations in terms of efficiency and affordability. Solar and wind power, in particular, became dominant sources of energy globally, contributing to a significant reduction in reliance on fossil fuels.

9. Tech Ethics and Regulation Focus

Amid rapid technological advancements, there was an increased emphasis on ethical considerations and regulatory frameworks in 2023. Governments and tech companies collaborated to establish guidelines for responsible AI use, data privacy, and digital security, ensuring a balanced approach to the benefits of technology.

10. Global Health Resilience

The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented collaboration in global health in 2023. This resulted in more robust health systems, improved vaccine distribution, and enhanced preparedness for future health crises.

Photo credit: Canva.com

As we conclude the narrative of 2023, these ten highlights underscore the innovation, adaptability, and collective endeavors of humanity. The year was characterized by a fusion of technological breakthroughs, societal transformations, and a shared commitment to addressing global challenges. These standout moments will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of the years to come.

Here’s wishing all our readers, from the management and staff of Robert Kennedy College, a very Happy New Year 2024! We hope to see you as one of our proud Master’s and PhD students at RKC. Find a programme suitable to you, talk live to one of our education advisors, and apply now!


   

   
   


   


   

All you wanted to know about Global Warming – Its cause and its effects

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The Earth is warming up, and the phenomenon of the overall temperatures of the planet rising is referred to as Global Warming. This trend of increasing atmospheric temperature has had been observed since as far as 1880. The industrial revolution blew the bugle and marked the beginning of the era of rising annual global temperatures, with an average increase of 0.07 degrees Celsius (0.13 degrees Fahrenheit) every ten years since 1980. The average rate of increase has doubled in the last two decades – and it seems there is no sign of it slowing down.  

There are several elements that affect the Earth’s climate over time, such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, rain, and humidity. This creates a network of intricate ecosystems where plants and animals’ life, growth, and survival are affected by a slight change in the climate and throw it out of balance.

According to an analysis at NASA, Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record

Causes of Global warming

The Greenhouse Effect

Increased human activity such as excessive use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrialisation has been central to the drastically changing climatic conditions and increased concentration of greenhouse gases.  

The heat-trapping pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and other fluorinated gases form a layer over the Earth’s atmosphere. Instead of the radiation escaping back into space, this layer absorbs the sunlight and solar radiation reflected from the Earth’s surface. This process traps the heat for years and centuries, leading to rising temperatures and a hotter planet.  

We live in a Greenhouse. Video credit:https://climate.nasa.gov/causes

Natural cycles and fluctuations also influence Earth’s climate. Some have even blamed the Sun for the global warming trend. Proxy indicators such as sunspot records and the amount of carbon in tree rings are generally used to estimate solar irradiance. However, research shows that neither the natural cycles nor solar irradiance can account for more than 10 per cent of the recent global warming.  

NASA with the cutting-edge observations from it’s Earth System Observatory helps to understand our ever-changing planet

Effects of Global Warming

One of the main effects that global warming has is climate change. Commonly these two terms are used interchangeably. However, they are different.  The change in the weather patterns and growing seasons across the globe is referred to as climate change. Melting ice sheets, expanding warmer seas and oceans leading to rising sea levels are the effects of climate change.  

A recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reveals some shocking climate change findings. The research conducted by 90 scientists from over 40 countries concludes that limitig global warming to 2 degrees Celsius is no longer a viable option. To curb any further devasting effects of climate change, global warming must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040. In the event the world fails to achieve this mark, then events like floods, fires, or varying temperatures will no longer be a statistical anomaly but will instead become a seasonal happening just like changing seasons.  

Though in our daily lives we might not understand the impact of global warming and climate change, the changes to the environment are happening now and, with time, will make a more significant impact than ever before. If we look around closely, what used to be subtle hints, are now taking more devastating effects such as:  

  • Extended periods of wildfires
  • Melting glaciers and ice caps in Antarctica and the Artic.
  • Bleaching of the coral reefs
Coral reef decimation is one of the sad effects of the global climate crisis
  • Warmer and acidic oceans
  • Extreme weather conditions due to rising temperatures
  • Spread of diseases
  • Farming has been affected by changing rainfall patterns, severe drought, and heat waves. The growth of the produce is mutated, and the quality of the crops has also been affected. 

The future is not determined; it is on our hands

David Attenborough

While not a lot, there is still time to act and slow down the pace of global warming. The Earth has already warmed 1.1 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial levels. The need of the hour is to bring all nations together and work towards building a fossil-fuel-free economy. And the next decade is crucial in achieving this target. Countries have the technology, scientific foresight and solutions to reverse the damage for a healthier planet. Using alternative and renewable sources of energy like wind, water and electricity; adoption of a flexitarian diet with less dependence on meat; afforestation drive etc., can save our planet Earth. Do you pledge to save our planet? 

Energy and Sustainability: Everything you need to know

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In my last blog, I spoke about Leadership and Sustainability while explaining briefly what sustainability is and its three interlocking aspects. One of the three interlocking aspects was the Environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability is about the environmental impacts associated with the business while ecological sustainability is about its impacts on biodiversity. And what affects both environmental and ecological sustainability is Energy. 

I guess you take the hint that in this blog I will talk about Energy and Sustainability.

Energy constitutes an important part of the environment. Energy production is a dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for 60% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy has always remained a critical pillar contributing to human well-being and poverty alleviation. It is important for economic development. Over the centuries, the ways and means by which we source energy has changed dramatically. One of the most critical challenges that the world faces today is sufficient access to clean energy for all. Hence the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030. 

Evolution of energy sources

Our historical and current energy systems are dominantly based on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Fossil energy was a fundamental driver of the Industrial Revolution. It also led to the technological, social, and economic development. Our energy production systems have important environmental impacts with carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that the fossil fuels produce. 

It is because of these negative impacts of fossil energy that the world needs to find alternative sources of energy, sources that have a lower impact on the environment.

In order to better understand the energy requirements and eventual transition to cleaner sources, it is important to understand how the energy consumption has changed in a region and across the world; how the energy sources have evolved and what kind of access society has to which energy sources.

For example, according to a World Bank report 2016, only 7% of the world’s low-income households have access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking; the average share in Sub-Saharan Africa was 13%; and approximately one-third in South Asia. An in-depth analysis of these factors would truly reveal our energy requirements and energy source evolution. 

The renewable sources of energy broadly include: the traditional biomass (burning of wood, agricultural waste biomass, and the forestry materials), hydropower, solar, wind energy, and other renewables like geothermal energy. 

Let’s have a look at global energy consumption.

Global energy consumption

The chart below captures the energy consumption pattern from early 1800s to modern world 2019. While our dependency on traditional biomass has more or less remainedconstant over 219 years, energy production from renewable sources is still a significantly low percentage as compared to total energy generation through fossil fuels.

How much Energy does the World consume:

Global Fossil Fuel Consumption

As seen in the chart below, the main sources of fossil fuel production and consumption are coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Coal was the sole source of energy production until the 1870s after which oil and gas took over. Gas production was 14,119 TWh and oil production 37,024 TWh. Over two decades, it increased to 53,620 TWh and 39,292 TWhrespectively. 

Global renewable energy consumption 

The Paris climate agreement (December 2015) sets long-term targets for its member nations like reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. There is an ever increasing need of renewable sources to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved with two sources of energy – the renewable technologies and nuclear energy. The chart below shows the renewable energy generation from the 1960s to 2018. 

The process of transitioning from the fossil fuels to the renewable sources is termed as decarbonisation. The modern renewables including hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal,and modern biofuel production show a considerable increase since the 1960s with the world producing approximately 6.63TWh of modern renewable energy in 2018. Hydropower accounts for more than 70% of this total production. 

Affordable and clean energy – why does it matter?

First the question is “why do we need affordable and clean energy?” and second “what kind of sustainable energy sources?”. It is one of the United Nations Sustainable development goals to have affordable and clean energy. 

So why does it really matter?

1. Economic Development: Nations need energy and electricity to power their economies. Without a sustainable source governments cannot achieve sustainable economic development.

2. Reduce Disparity: The divide of the rich and the poor, the privileged and the under-privileged has widened amongst the developed, developing, and third world countries. About 789 million people around the world lack access to electricity (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/)


3. Reduce air pollution: Clean energy is the only solution to the growing air-pollution concerns caused by coal, oil,and gas.4. Better healthcare: Energy is key in facilitating state-of-art healthcare facilities in a country. Fighting diseases, formulating vaccination, and fighting pandemics such as COVID-19 is attainable with a steady supply of energy – even better with renewable and clean one. 

I truly believe that every one of us has a role to play in energy consumption / energy saving, reducing greenhouse emissions. A small effort such as switching off the meeting room lights after a meeting, or taking a bike or public transport or walking can go a long way in reducing greenhouse emissions. And for those who live, breathe, and sleep energy, we offer a 100% Online MBA in Energy & Sustainability. Chat with our advisors for more information.