Page - 23 - in options, Volume summer 2017

americas 23 regional focus www.iiasa.ac.at summer 2017 ◼ options Information and communication technology has progressed so rapidly in recent years that it has fundamentally changed the way we go about our daily lives. One of these changes has been the rise of Uber and the resulting ride-share revolution. Whereas people once looked to taxis or public transportation to get around town or while traveling, they can now take Uber for greater convenience and often at a lower cost. Rising temperatures around the globe pose numerous threats to our environment. The endangerment of animal species, rising sea levels, and increasingly powerful storms are some of the effects most covered in the media. But perhaps the biggest threat from high temperatures is the devastation of crops which contribute to the global food supply, such as corn, wheat, and soybeans. These three crops are particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures, which have been steadily increasing for decades. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, IIASA researcher Christian Folberth and his team showed that even with normal rain, crops in the USA are underperforming, and in some cases failing, because of high temperatures. The study analyzed nine crop models as they reproduced average temperature responses of maize, soybean, and wheat yields in the USA. Uber is an excellent example of how a business with the right business model for our modern times can become wildly successful very quickly. Of course, that business model must be built upon technology that performs well, especially if it is to be scaled to a global level. When these pieces are in place, technology can have a significant impact on society. In a study published in the journal Technology and Society, IIASA researcher Chihiro Watanabe showed that Uber’s disruptive business model, coupled with its well-functioning technological architecture, has driven the societal change. The architecture, in particular, Watanabe showed, allowed Uber to have a tremendous impact in their business space. “The contrast of Uber’s rapid global expansion and legal battles in some cities proves that a technology-driven business model behind a product that caters to social demand succeeds, if it is based on trust,” explains Watanabe, a coauthor of the new study. “The advancement of information and communication technology has allowed Uber to be successful in ways that traditional business-to-consumer models are not.” JS Analyzing the success of Uber and the ride-share revolution Further info Schauberger B, Archontoulis S, Arneth A, Balkovic J, Ciais P, Deryng D, Eliott J, Folberth C, et al. (2017). Consistent negative response of US crops to high temperatures in observations and crop models. Nature Communications 8: art.no.13931. [pure.iiasa.ac.at/14275]. Christian Folberth folberth@iiasa.ac.at Researchers observed that for each day temperatures exceeded 30°C, maize and soybean yields declined by up to 6% under rainfed conditions. The findings support the notion that crops decline when high temperatures restrict the water available to these plants. “The study shows that global crop models are well capable of reproducing crop yield decreases at high temperatures in the USA, which are likely to occur more frequently in the future,” explains Folberth, a coauthor of the new study. “These impacts on crop yields are predominantly caused by an increase in water deficit and could hence be alleviated by irrigation, provided that sufficient water is available.” JS Further info Watanabe C, Naveed K, & Neittaanmäki P (2016). Co-evolution of three mega-trends nurtures un-captured GDP – Uber’s ride-sharing revolution. Technology in Society 46: 164-185. [pure.iiasa.ac.at/13313]. Watanabe C, Naveed K, Neittaanmäki P, & Fox B (2017). Consolidated challenge to social demand for resilient platforms- lessons from Uber’s global expansion. Technology in Society 48: 33-53. [pure.iiasa.ac.at/13921] Chihiro Watanabe watanabe@iiasa.ac.at High temperatures adversely affect US crops