Author: Peggy Smedley
If you have followed this column for any length of time, then you know rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure is a huge undertaking for a lot of people. I have spent a lot of time talking about what is required to achieve these lofty objectives and it’s even far to say it’s a top priority of mine. Our infrastructure can include everything from roads and bridges to our nation’s cybersecurity to ensure critical infrastructure isn’t under attack. Today, let’s take a closer look at how our infrastructure is fairing in 2023. But, first, let’s look back to look forward, as I…
Mainframes have powered mission-critical applications for many industries for more than 60 years, keeping airlines, global retailers, and other businesses humming. In fact, mainframes today handle 70% of the world’s production IT workloads, according to Aparna Sharma, general manager, hybrid cloud services, IBM Consulting. This is precisely the conversation I had recently with Sharma and Cristina Potra, leading the Azure customer engineering team for mainframes modernization, Microsoft. We discussed mainframe application modernization today—and why it is so important. “As I work with clients every day and I talk to them about this topic, there are three things that I hear…
For the past couple of years, I have been keeping a close eye on national construction employment trends just to keep a pulse on the state of the workforce. We know there is a talent shortage that needs to be addressed, but it’s always important to keep a close eye on the actual number to ensure we know which way we are trending. Earlier this month, the ADP National Employment Report was released, which is an independent measure and high-frequency view of the private-sector labor market based on actual, anonymized payroll data of more than 25 million U.S. employees. Using…
Extreme weather events are impacting many areas of work and life. Our crops are no exception. With a greater focus on climate change these days, farmers, producers, and even homeowners are now looking for sustainable ways to grow crops in any weather conditions. This is where new technology enters the equation. Technology can help grow crops in a controlled environment, regardless of the weather conditions. Consider the example of Urban Crop Solutions, which provides an indoor farming solution that can perform in any weather condition. In a recent project in Saudi Arabia, the system was subjected to challenges due to…
As the amount of data increases, so too does the amount of computing needed to manage all that data. In fact, Intel estimates that up to 20% of a data center’s energy consumption is simply due to software inefficiency. We have reached the point where we now need to leverage software to optimize workloads, to maintain performance and lower power. This is precisely the conversation I had recently with Jen Huffstetler, chief product sustainability officer, Intel, who says the future of sustainable computing is largely in the hands of AI (artificial intelligence) software developers. “The power of AI is looking…
The smart home certainly isn’t a new concept—it is one contractors and builders have been talking about for decades, as films, books, and industry have been touting the value technology can provide to homeowners. Now, we are seeing the rise of a new subset of smart homes: the smart-energy home. Expect an 18% growth rate between 2023 and 2032 for the global smart-home energy management device market, according to a new report from Market Research Future. The size is expected to reach $4 billion by 2032. As one example, in July, Schneider Electric announced the launch of a new modular,…
Prior to my discussion with Erik Bernal, president and CEO, Elite Water Systems, on Project Sustainability Podcast, I had never really heard about PFAS (perfluorinated alkylated substances). The topic hasn’t really become mainstream until recently. The case he made to me about it on the podcast is that PFAS is in our water and needing to understand it is critical. In fact, now it seems all we talk about is PFAS and how it is in so many things. For those who may not know already, PFAS are chemicals that resist grease, oil, water, and heat. The U.S. FDA (Food…
The road to net zero is a long, continuous one, it seems. Many companies are aiming to meet the net-zero goal by 2030 while others have a more ambitious target of 2025. Still, some have a more realistic target of 2050. The question at hand remains: Are businesses really on track to meet their goals? Sit back, it’s time to really dig into this data here. Global Considerations In July, the United Nations released the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Report, Special Edition. But first, a primer before we dive into the report. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a…
In my book, Sustainable in a Circular World, I highlight the world’s water crisis. The world needs water. It’s that simple. But our ability as humankind to supply clean freshwater isn’t simple, but there are new solutions for homes that could make a difference. While scientists might disagree about what is happening to the natural landscape, the inextricable truth is that billions of people around the world today still experience water scarcity during their lifetime. Water scarcity can be caused by droughts, lack of rainfall, pollution, overpopulation, or when we simply abuse and consume way too much of it. Did…
Construction deaths are still far too high, especially for those doing work on a road, street, or highway. Statistics suggest 2,103 people were killed at road construction sites between 2003 and 2019. In fact, being a bystander on a road is perhaps one of the most dangerous places to be. The FHWA (Federal Highway Admin.) says 170 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in work zone crashes in 2020, and 117 highway workers died in road construction site accidents in 2020 alone. That is far too many lives lost in one year alone. Research conducted by experts at John Fitch affirms…