Author: Peggy Smedley
Let’s talk decarbonization today. The target set in the Paris Agreement of 2015 requires a remarkable 80-90% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. We’ve been talking about reducing greenhouse gas emissions for quite some time now. But let’s back up a minute. What exactly is decarbonization? And more importantly, why should we all care? First, the term means the reduction of carbon, which to be completely honest, is easier said than done. Consider what might be required to decarbonize something like electricity. This would require switching to increase reliance on clean electricity…
When I began my career, as a journalist covering the petroleum industry, which actually led to the nuts and bolts of true manufacturing, more than two decades ago, I was in awe. One of my passions has long been to encourage other women to consider careers in industries such as manufacturing, construction, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and more. Spurring innovation into the framework of an organization is truly inspirational. But the real question now is: have we made any progress in the past 20 years? The most recent numbers paint a somewhat startling picture. If you had hoped…
Peggy asks: Has all our progress with women in manufacturing stalled? On the first segment she walks through a timeline of women’s role in the manufacturing industry. She shares where we are today—and what needs to happen next to encourage a more diverse workforce. She also discusses: What decades saw the biggest booms for women in manufacturing. Factors in the past several decades that have caused women to be displaced from the workforce. How to create working conditions to accommodate women in manufacturing. peggysmedleyshow.com (3/1/22 – 760) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital…
Peggy and Binil Starly, professor, North Carolina State University, talk about opportunities in manufacturing for smart technologies. He says during the pandemic he has witnessed a rise in the importance of manufacturing in the United States—and as we are emerging out of it, manufacturing is not going to be the same as what we have seen in the last decade. They also discuss: At what point manufacturers reach smart manufacturing. How mature the use of AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) is in digital factories. Why AI need to reach small and medium manufacturers. dimelab.org (3/1/22 – 760) IoT,…
Peggy and Brad Wills, director, strategic customers and programs, Schneider Electric, talks about energy efficiency in the home. Having grown up as an IBM kid, he says he never understood why the electrical distribution system of the home wasn’t connected to the internet. They also discuss: Why this market developed opposite of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Why we can’t make behavioral changes if we don’t have the ability to see it or control it. How much power an electric water heater is using on a daily basis—and how to reduce it. se.com (3/1/22 – 760) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy…
For at least the past two years, we have been talking about the uptick in workers changing jobs and moving into other industries. Now we have fancy names for it: the Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle, or, as I like to say, The Great Job Hop. I can even attest I have witnessed this firsthand with my own children joining The Great Job Hop. Here is my question: Is it a marketing spin that has all these really smart people moving around or is something else at play here? Journey back in time with me for a minute. In January…
The U.S. Dept. of Energy says the residential sector accounts for about 21% of the total U.S. energy consumption. Of the energy used in U.S. homes in 2015, 55% of it was used for heating and cooling. Water heating, appliances, electronics, and lighting accounted for the remaining 45% of total consumption. In 2019, the average household used energy that released an estimated 17,320 lbs. of CO2. To put this number in perspective, on an annual basis the average household is responsible for releasing 70% more CO2 emissions compared to the average passenger vehicle. Builders can change all this. Homeowners can…
Episode 759 02.22.22 Nick McQuire, director of enterprise AI and innovation, Microsoft, joins Peggy to talk about what led to the creation of the AI Business School and the importance of helping leaders succeed with artificial intelligence. The duo also delve in the three initial core pillars and a new learning path in the AI Business School. Below is an excerpt from the interview. To listen to the conversation from the Peggy Smedley Show, click here or go to https://peggysmedleyshow.com to access the entire show. Peggy Smedley: I’m excited to have you here because AI (artificial intelligence) is such an…
Did traffic fatalities go up or down from 2020 to 2021? If you caught my February 15 episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, then you know the answer. Roughly 31,720 people died in motor vehicle crashes from January through September of last year, which is an increase of roughly 12% from the 28,325 fatalities projected in the first nine months of 2020. What I would like to focus on for this blog is how we—as a technology community—are going to fix it. As I have suggested, we need to leverage technology in order to curb these traffic deaths, and we…
Since the start of the pandemic, cyber attacks have been on the rise. Peggy shares where we are today, what we need to do to secure our businesses, and why we need to have a plan for how we will respond to cyber attacks when they do happen. She also discusses: Statistics related to recent data breaches and how much it costs. What can be done to protect against a breach. What needs to be done if a breach does happen. peggysmedleyshow.com (2/22/22 – 759) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity,…