February, 2018

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You don't have to be an expert to solve big problems | Tapiwa Chiwewe

TEDxInnovations

Driving in Johannesburg one day, Tapiwa Chiwewe noticed an enormous cloud of air pollution hanging over the city. He was curious and concerned but not an environmental expert -- so he did some research and discovered that nearly 14 percent of all deaths worldwide in 2012 were caused by household and ambient air pollution. With this knowledge and an urge to do something about it, Chiwewe and his colleagues developed a platform that uncovers trends in pollution and helps city planners make better

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How to Skip Your Biggest Problem (And Still See Results)

Daniel Burrus

Often, when confronted by problems, we have a tendency to work the problem. Then work it some more. And, from there, work it even more. But does working, reworking and working at it harder uncover a solution? Often, the answer is no. Instead, I like to recommend an alternative that may seem a bit outlandish to some, but is a remarkably effective strategy: Take your biggest problem and skip It. .

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Launch of SDSN Switzerland: A place where society, science and politics met to create solutions

Sustainable Development Network

SDSN is proud to announce the launch of its 25 th network! SDSN Switzerland, co-hosted by The Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Bern and BIOVISION Foundation , joins the SDSN with a view to shaping multi-stakeholder dialogue, foster sustainable development solutions, and advise decision-makers on the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement.

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Sustainable solutions as cities are running out of water

Edouard Stenger

It is estimated that 40 percent of the world population is already experiencing water scarcity and as the global climate keeps on warming and weirding, this situation will most unfortunately worsen and spread. Cape Town in South Africa is just one among these cities. As a consequence of climate change , a drought has stricken the region for the past three years and the city will run out of water in just a few months.

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Precision in Motion: Why Process Optimization Is the Future of Manufacturing

Speaker: Jason Chester, Director, Product Management

In today’s manufacturing landscape, staying competitive means moving beyond reactive quality checks and toward real-time, data-driven process control. But what does true manufacturing process optimization look like—and why is it more urgent now than ever? Join Jason Chester in this new, thought-provoking session on how modern manufacturers are rethinking quality operations from the ground up.

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How to Build an Evidence Base for Policies on Corporate Responsibility

Roel Nieuwenkamp

This blog was originally published on 26 January 2018 by the Institute for Human Rights and Business By Roel Nieuwenkamp, Chair, OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct Last December I was asked to speak to the European Parliament to discuss trends in policies on responsible business conduct.

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The role of human emotions in science and research | Illona Stengel

TEDxInnovations

Do human emotions have a role to play in science and research? Material researcher Ilona Stengel suggests that instead of opposing each other, emotions and logic complement and reinforce each other. She shares a case study on how properly using emotions (like the empowering feeling of being dedicated to something meaningful) can boost teamwork and personal development -- and catalyze scientific breakthroughs and innovation.

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Refugees want empowerment, not handouts | Robert Hakiza

TEDxInnovations

The prevailing image of where refugees live is of temporary camps in isolated areas -- but in reality, nearly 60 percent of them worldwide end up in urban areas. TED Fellow Robert Hakiza takes us inside the lives of urban refugees -- and shows us how organizations like the one that he started can provide them with the skills they need to ultimately become self-sufficient.

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How the Law of Opposites Propels Business Forward

Daniel Burrus

Being anticipatory often boils down to the ability to see what everyone else misses. How can you do that? One way is to simply look where no one else happens to be looking. And how and where you look can help broaden both your and your organization’s capacity for being anticipatory. Leveraging the Law of Opposites isn’t just about being contrarian or being different just for the sake of being different.

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Crisis Manager or Opportunity Manager? You Decide.

Daniel Burrus

We all manage something or other, whether it’s other people, an entire organization, sales or even just ourselves. Managing suggests careful planning, a well-thought-out direction and a sense of control. What if we applied that definition of management to opportunity? What if we identified and acted upon opportunity much in the same way as we might manage a meeting, a project or some other form of responsibility?

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Mapping Renewables to the Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Network

Cross-posted from the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment’s website. The renewable energy industry is instrumental to the success of the SDGs. Renewable energy is core to the implementation of SDG 7 (access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy) and SDG 13 (urgent action to combat climate change). New developments in renewable energy — solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal, among others — are necessary to replace fossil fuels in the global energy system, and can also bring m

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The Key to Sustainable Energy Optimization: A Data-Driven Approach for Manufacturing

Speaker: Kevin Kai Wong, President of Emergent Energy Solutions

In today's industrial landscape, the pursuit of sustainable energy optimization and decarbonization has become paramount. ♻️ Manufacturing corporations across the U.S. are facing the urgent need to align with decarbonization goals while enhancing efficiency and productivity. Unfortunately, the lack of comprehensive energy data poses a significant challenge for manufacturing managers striving to meet their targets. 📊 Join us for a practical webinar hosted by Kevin Kai Wong of Emergent Ene

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The Power of Pre Mortems

Daniel Burrus

In a medical setting, a post mortem has a rather grisly context—an examination to determine a person’s cause of death and other contributing medical factors. But post mortems also exist within businesses and organizations of all sorts. Post mortems are reviews of product or service launches, projects, campaigns and other activities after they have either been in place for a certain period of time, completed or discontinued.

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The Good and Bad of “Fake”

Daniel Burrus

The term “fake” has been in the news quite a bit of late—and not just in terms of politics. A recent article in the MIT Technology Review examined technologies shared in other blogs that illustrate the growing capacity of artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of technology to effectively blur the line between what is genuine and what’s an illusion.

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How to have a healthier, positive relationship to sex | Tiffany Kagure Mugo and Siphumeze Khundayi

TEDxInnovations

From our fear of women's bodies to our sheepishness around the word "nipple," our ideas about sex need an upgrade, say sex educators (and hilarious women) Tiffany Kagure Mugo and Siphumeze Khundayi. For a radical new take on sex positivity, the duo take the TED stage to suggest we look to Africa for erotic wisdom both ancient and modern, showing us how we can shake off problematic ideas about sex we've internalized and re-define pleasure on our own terms.

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