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US President Donald Trump is set to lose his massive Twitter followers before the official Presidential account is transferred to President-elect Joe Biden. This is a break from the previous transition which saw Trump inherit Barack Obama’s followers. Biden’s digital director posted on twitter that: “In 2016, the Trump administration absorbed all of President Obama ’s Twitter followers on @POTUS and @WhiteHouse.” The tweet further stated, “In 2020, Twitter has informed us that as of right now the Biden adminstraion will have to start from zero.” US government accounts such as @POTUS and @FLOTUS will be affected in the new Twitter directive. Biden’s current account will be unaffected and his followers will be notified that the account is being archived. Trump has used Twitter more than any other US president and within four years of his presidency he tweeted over 50,000 times. Recently, he has used the platform to contest the outcome of the 2020 US presidential elections....

The year 2020 proved to be one of the most challenging years. But thanks to technology, as tech companies rose against time to provide essential services in the wake of unprecedented global pandemic. 5G telecom technology was unveiled to expedite online services. Covid-19 pandemic set a different trajectory with regard to innovation as scientists, deployed AI systems to hasten the process of vaccine development. The year also witnessed the SpaceX astronaut launch in May and the launch of autonomous self-driving cars. There was a drastic shift of the way people worked as most Companies embraced remote working. Homeworking will likely be rapidly adopted in 2021. Reports indicate that Companies such as Microsoft, Twitter, Dropbox and Facebook have a significant number of their staff telecommuting. The streets of Phoenix, Arizona in the USA reportedly have over 300 cars that are being driven without drivers. The self-driving vehicles collect and drop travellers without a human being on con...

Photo Source: twitter.com Aircrafts release a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which contributes to climate change. A research that was conducted by Science News and reported on December, 22 2020 stated that there was a new iron-based catalyst that has been invented to convert carbon dioxide into jet fuel. It is only a matter of time that carbon dioxide pumped to the atmosphere by planes could be sucked and used to power the same. The air travel’s footprint in carbon emissions could be tremendously curtailed, if the carbon dioxide that is released is recycled to generate fuel. As per Science News reports, Air transport contributes to about 12 percent of the entire transportation carbon-related emissions. Unlike cars, aircrafts cannot carry bigger batteries which can be run on electricity generated from wind or solar panels. The current breakthrough in the conversion of carbon dioxide to fuel involves cheap ingredients such as iron and transformed through a single s...

Photo Source: Reuters The home of three indigenous communities in Brazil is on the verge of destruction. Brazilian activists have raised alarm over the purported 94-mile road project that’s expected to pass through an angle of the dense Amazon rainforest that borders Peru. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro defended the road plan, arguing that the transatlantic project would help in boosting the economy of the area by linking the region to China and the Pacific ports in Peru. His sentiments were echoed by Mara Rocha, a congresswoman, who stated that: “the project was critical to an area that was isolated and obscure to the rest of the country.” Amazon jungle is the largest tropical rainforest that is located in South America and covers much of the Northwestern Brazil. Close to 40 percent of South America is covered by Amazon rainforest. Eight South American countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecudaor, Bolivia, Guyana, Venezuela and Suriname are partially covered by the r...

Overreliance on renewable sources of energy is accelerating at a faster rate as most individuals are shifting to solar and wind for electric generation. Transition from fossil fuels to carbon-free power will likely increase in the near future, as most countries and organizations join hands in mitigating the effects of climate change . Electricity contributes to a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions . The remaining three quarters are produced as a result of agriculture, transportation, manufacturing and buildings. The adoption of cleaner electricity reduces 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. For zero-rate emissions, we must think outside the box and think about electric vehicles; zero-emission cooling and heating home systems and energy intensive factories that utilize clean power in making products. The adoption of renewable power must undergo through tremendous technological breakthrough to allow the increased supply of electricity to the power grid. For example, ...

Tiny particles produced by wood burners triple the level of harmful particles inside a room. According to scientists, elderly people and children should be advised not to sit in rooms filled with particles emitted by burners. The tiny particles are linked to numerous health damages particularly to people whose immune systems are compromised. Younger and older people normally have weak immune system and the particles can result to long-term health complications when inhaled. According to the Guardian, the research was conducted in 19 homes located in Sheffield in the United Kingdom (UK). The samples used were wood burners that had the government certification of “smoke exempt appliances.” The experiment was done using dry wood that produce less smoke. Studies indicate that about 40 percent of outdoor air pollution emanates from wood and coal burning. However, the new study is among the first to test indoor pollution based on real-time analysis. The research further revealed ...

Photo Source: twitter.com The stress of pandemic lockdown was battled with through a number of ways. Other than physical exercises, watching movies, reading novels among other activities; most people spend most of their time online. Limited travels and stay at home protocols saw many people seek help from online support groups and meditation apps. Virtual reality was widely used to fight loneliness and improve mental health. Some individuals who were affected with Covid-19 used to connect with their families, friends and relatives on Zoom calls. Multiple sources indicate that 2020 saw the accelerated use of social media in dissemination of information. Some elites who were in one or the other affected by the pandemic turned to Twitter and Facebook in seeking mental solace. The emergence of the pandemic led to a number of technological breakthroughs. In 2020, there were so many innovations and inventions that were geared to cushion humanity from the impact of the global ...

Photo Source: twitter.com Greenhouse gas emissions can be tremendously reduced through the adoption of renewable sources of energy. Climate change can be curtailed when countries commit to rely on renewables and depend less on fossil fuels as their source of energy. If countries shift to overdependence on wind turbines and solar panels for their electricity needs, then climate change will be a thing of the past. Everyone who cares about generating clean source of energy should continue to de-carbonize their generation of electricity. Studies indicate that electricity contribute to 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions within a year. Therefore, committing to generate electricity without emitting any single particle of greenhouse gases will only cut total emissions by only a quarter. Agriculture contributes to around 24 percent of greenhouse gas emissions , with methane being the third largest emitter. The burning of trees contributes to increased carbon dioxide in t...

Business consultancy firm Delloitte has partnered with Verizon to offer 5G and edge solutions. According to Delloitte, it will use its rapport and information of specific companies to assist Verizon deploy 5G edge MEC platform, mobile networks, Software Defined-Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), IoT sensors, computer vision solutions, cloud-based artificial intelligence and private enterprise. According Verizon, the partnership will enable them transform the manufacturing and retail sector. Verizon is seeking to use Delloite’s engineering expertise to serve specific consumer demands. The two companies have agreed to develop a smart factory system. The two firms want to offer their customers with “real-time enterprises” using commercial agility and real-time intelligence.  Verizon will benefit a lot from the partnership, as it will enable it shut competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile out of some designated 5G enterprise contracts. The partnership between the two companies will...

Micro-plastic particles have been detected in the placentas of unborn children. This is the first time that researchers have revealed such a case terming it “a matter of great concern.” According to scientists, the impact of micro-plastics could have a long-term damage to the immune system of the unborn babies. The particles are believed to have been breathed or consumed by their mothers. The research found out that only plastics were found in all the particles that were analyzed. The plastics were dyed red, blue, pink or orange and may have originated from cosmetics, make-ups or paints. The micro-plastics were around 0.01mm in size, small enough to be transported in the bloodstream. The research that was published on Science Direct attributed atmospheric agents such as UV-radiation, waves, and photo-oxidation as the main cause of plastic degradation and ultimate consumption by human beings. The micro-plastic samples in human placenta were detected through Raman Microspectr...

The global food industry will lead to rapid displacement of wildlife habitat. Close to 90 percent of terrestrial animals are more likely to lose their natural habitat by 2050, unless the dietary and production of food is changed. Rapid population increase in the world exerts more pressure on food production. According to a report published in the journal Nature Sustainability, the world is glaring at the biodiversity loss that might be triggered by the type of food that is eaten and how it’s produced. The study that was conducted by David Williams of Leeds University revealed that millions of hectares of natural habitat will be lost by the year 2050. “We need to change what we eat and how it is produced if we are going to save wildlife on a global scale,” Williams stated. According to the research, regions that are more likely to suffer biodiversity loss include sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of South and Central America. It was recommended that to avoid biodiversity los...

Photo Source: reuters.com Human life is shaped by many challenges, but 2020 will go down the annals of history as the year that was characterized by so many trials. The effects of this year will be felt for decades. This is due to the global health pandemic, rapid climate changes, multifaceted geopolitics, racial injustice and a divisive US election. There is no other year in the recent past when human resilience has ever been put on test. In the ability to overcome the trials posed by Covid-19, there were accelerated innovations in medicine and science.   The world was on the verge of economic downfall, prompting companies and organizations to stem up their support in aid of the most vulnerable in the society. Alibaba Founder Jack Ma supplied personal protective equipment (PPEs) to help Africa countries in fighting the pandemic. Most employees worked from home, while others were rendered jobless. In order to cushion its citizens, some countries like Kenya introduc...

The challenge that emerged as a result of the pandemic was how to reduce the number of workforce to avoid spread of the virus. This made it mandatory for businesses to go digital or risk perishing. Virtual education and remote work became the custom.  In 2020 block technologies such as artificial intelligence , cloud computing and machine learning was rapidly utilized by various companies, organizations, institutions and government departments. There was great digital transformation after the world was struck with Covid-19 . The new technological norm might have its spillover effects to 2021. Analysts predict that next year, work will become more remote. According to ZDnet, remote work has so many economic gains as Companies maintain productivity and have more space. Multiple researches indicate that there will be more automation in 2021 and this will result in job cuts. 2021 is the year when mangers will invest more on tools that track remote work. Companies would a...

Private equity firm Thoma Bravo is set to obtain RealPage, a firm that deals in property management, for $10.2 billion. The firm will take full control of property management platform offering services such as site management, renter portals, financial analysis and expense management for property owners. RealPage Company CEO Steve Win perceives the company changeover as a triumph for stock holders. According to Techcrunch, the Texas-based Company offers full property management services to over 12,200 clients across the world. The property management technology firm announced its acquisition of IoT startup Stratis on December 2020. Stratis offers specialized services to the real estate industry. Firms like Thoma Bravo were attracted to RealPage due to its stronger customer base.  RealPage Company was found in Texas in 1998 and develops cloud-based soft and data analytics for real estate developers. Their technologies are geared towards account management, business intelligence and ...

Climate change poses a major threat to natural heritage in the entire world. According to a report that was published by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), close to 33 percent of natural world heritage are on the verge of depletion as a result of climate change. According to UNESCO, there are 252 natural World Heritage sites. The 252 distinct sites were recognized by the World Heritage Convention owing to their outstanding ecosystem, biodiversity, geology, history and splendid natural phenomena. World Heritage sites cover about 8 percent of the total surface that’s inhabited by both terrestrial and marine habitats globally. Italy and China are privileged to have the highest number of world heritage places. Both of them have a total of 55 sites. Rising temperatures has led to the migration of invasive species which is among the topmost threat to natural world heritage. Severe drought and fire outbreak continue to wreak havoc in various parts of the world ...

Wildfire has wreaked havoc in various parts of the world with Australia, Brazil and the United States being the sufferers. According to research conducted by the science journal, wildfire poses a great threat to human life. Humans are advised not to inhale smoke produced by bushfire in order to avoid complications related to respiratory diseases.  A report published by the Science Magazine on December 18, indicate that exposure to smoke produced by wildfire increases the risk to conduct inflammatory diseases and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. Wildfire is the major source of bio aerosols which is composed of fungi and bacteria whose metabolic by-products are responsible for causing infections to human beings. The research conducted by scientists further found out that the Pyrogenic carbon formed as a result of wildfire acts as a temporary storage for soil microbes that contribute to the attenuation of ultraviolet-B by 80 percent. Scientists argue tha...

Photo Source: twitter.com US President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the Paris agreement and lead the world to confront challenges arising from climate change . Biden made the appointment on December 18 ahead of his inauguration as the President of the United States.  “On day one, my administration will rejoin the Paris Agreement and put America back in the business of leading the world on climate change,” Biden stated on December 19. US president Donald Trump had led the country out of the Paris accord on June 2017. In a televised announcement Trump stated that: “In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect the United States and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord.” He argued that its terms were not fair to the American people and undermined its economy. Biden’s team on climate action include Deb Haaland (Interior Secretary) , Jennifer Granholm (Energy Secretary), Michael Regan(Environmental Protection Agency Adminis...

Climate experts warn that the earth is set to warm above 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century, despite an immense slowdown in industrial activities. Covid-19 pandemic has created a dip in greenhouse gas emissions. According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the fall of carbon emissions by 7 percent in 2020 might have a negligible impact on global warming if there is no hasty change away from fossil fuels. The Paris agreement requires its signatories to limit warming to 2 degree Celsius. The impact of global warming is nearly felt everywhere with increased droughts, deadly storms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires and the melting of icebergs in both poles. UN warned that the increased fossil fuel production will pose a major threat to global warming . The production of gas, oil and coal must decline by six percent every year so as to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. UN, UK and France convened a virtual ‘Climate Ambition Summit’ on December 12 to ...

Photo Source: forbes.com US government cyber experts are running against time to identify those individuals responsible in the recent sweeping cyber-attacks. The experts are also seeking to identify the information that has been gathered from various networks by the hackers. Experts are also figuring out which federal systems have been intruded in the far-reaching cyber-espionage assault. Cyber Security and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) issued a stark warning indicating that the ‘critical infrastructure’ had been destroyed and federal agencies compromised.  Key federal agencies, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security, were reportedly targeted in a spate of cyber-attack. The extensive wave of cyber intrusion was announced by the US government. At least six US government Departments, which includes Commerce, Treasury, Energy, The National Nuclear Security Administration and state departments have been affected. The attackers are not yet known. However, U...

The advent of Covid-19 pandemic has led to global unprecedented challenges. The virus has led to economic downfall, many people have lost their jobs, many businesses have been interrupted and schools closed among other adverse effects.  The deadly virus almost brought everything to a standstill as the world grappled with the new reality. However, some of the challenges bred by Covid-19 led to the emergence of innovative ideas to mitigate the negative impact of the virus. Most countries are still battling with the surging numbers of Covid-19 cases. According to International Covid-19 Data Alliance (ICODA), a lot of investment has been geared towards establishing the relevance of information that is shared. Data integrity forms the basis of battling with any form of pandemic. During the nascent stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were many sorts of misinformation and misconception. Most people took it as a joke and continued breaching government sanctioned protocols. The exact cau...

Since the advent of Covid-19 global pandemic, there have been numerous sustainable efforts to mitigate its effects. Various tools have been deployed to help individuals, organizations, institutions, companies and government agencies in overcoming the economic hardship caused by Covid-19. The unprecedented challenges that arose in 2020 led to technological breakthrough that enabled some workers attend to their jobs from the comfort of their homes and learners being able to learn and be examined virtually. Technology was well harnessed in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic as various individuals stayed glued to their mobile and desktop gadgets to enhance ‘working from home’ protocol, attend virtual meetings and to schedule their daily routines using online calendars. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the education sector was the most affected as most learning institutions were shut down to prohibit mass gathering. However, most learning institutions rose to the occasion to embrace online learnin...

Internet shutdown is a common phenomenon in most countries with unstable political democracies. Reports indicate that India holds the inglorious title as the most notorious country in the world to impose internet disruption. Kenya has never witnessed total internet shutdown before, but in 2018 there was partial mainstream media shutdown as a result of the live coverage aired by a section of TV stations showing ODM leader Raila Odinga being sworn in as the ‘People’s President.’ Internet shutdown has adverse economic effects as most companies rely on the network for various marketing operations and transactions. According to the App developed by netblocks, Kenya could suffer a loss of $6,737,457 in a single day if the government imposed total internet shutdown. If Facebook was to be blocked for a single day, Kenya would suffer an economic loss of $1,684,364. Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Whatsapp are mostly used by Kenyans to market their produc...

Britain, France and China are among states that are bound by the engagement on the Global Summit on Climate Change goal. Leaders from the aforementioned countries participated on an online conference on Saturday, December 12, 2020 to address climate change as a result of increase in global temperatures. Leaders who submitted the most ambitious plans were accorded with the privilege of speaking slots. These among others include Guatemala and Honduras who fall victims of the recent hit by hurricanes. India was also included due to the rampant air pollution and unpredictable weather patterns. Business moguls such as Tim Cook were granted the permission to speak due to the commitment of Apple Company to neutralize the carbon neutral chain by 2030. Countries such as Brazil, Australia and South Africa were accused of setting weaker targets. They were listed among major economies with zero commitment to emissions by 2050. The Saturday Summit marks the fifth anniversary of the signin...

There are great lessons picked from Australia’s wildfire, as research linked its cause to climate change. According to IUCN report, lightning struck some parts of New South Wales Australia on September 2019, igniting bushfire that burned close to 18 million hectares, displaced an estimated 140 million of wild animals and displaced close to 3500 households. The inferno was fuelled by record high temperatures and months of critical drought.  CNN report indicated that the bushfire that occurred in New South Wales lasted for 240 days before it was fully extinguished. The damage was devastating and in record history it was the largest wildfire in Australia. Blankets of smoke characterized Australia’s vast forest for months and spread from the northern part of the country to the Southern part. Research indicates that climate change is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity.  Australian Government probe concluded that the terrific bushfire was a direct result of clima...

The future of all life on earth is determined by the existence of biodiversity. Biodiversity threats affect the survival of human beings on planet earth. Various environmental advocates have expressed concern over threats posed to the ecosystem. Terrestrial habitat plays a pivotal role in sustaining biodiversity that helps in the mitigation of climate change. Life on land encounters a number of threats which include overexploitation of resources, habitat loss, climate change, environmental pollution, and invasive species. According to research conducted by multiple sources, the rate of species extinction on land is currently a thousand times faster than the expected rate. The rate of extinction is largely underpinned to poor land use.  Green Facts Foundation noted that close to 40 per cent of animal extinctions are associated with invasive foreign species. Statistics indicate that about 30 per cent of land is degraded thus leading to the decline in agricultural output....

Human beings play a pivotal role against the loss of biodiversity in the soil. This can be done through growing greener places, investing in biodiversity research, raising awareness and sustainable management of soil resources. Research indicates that that in 1 gram of health soils, there exist more organisms as compared to the total number of people in the entire world. The soil inhabits organisms such as the tardigrade, ants, worms and moles.  As the world celebrated this year’s #WorldSoilDay on December 5 in a theme dubbed soil biodiversity, it was observed that soil inhabits more than 25% of the earth’s biodiversity. It was also noted that 95% of food consumed by human beings come from soil. According to the United Nations, healthy soils are important in the provision of clean water, adaptations to climatic change and the achievement of food security. Soil protection forms the basis of the security of future generations. In essence, the quality of soil and water is the determin...