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americas
23
regional focus
www.iiasa.ac.at summer 2017 â—Ľ 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
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Buch options, Band summer 2017"
options
Band summer 2017
- Titel
- options
- Band
- summer 2017
- Ort
- Laxenburg
- Datum
- 2017
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY-NC 4.0
- Abmessungen
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Seiten
- 32
- Kategorien
- Zeitschriften Options Magazine