Vehicles move on the street in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo: THX/VNA) It is no coincidence that New Zealand consistently tops the rankings of both Bloomberg and Australia’s Lowy Institute for COVID-19 response. At the end of 2020, Bloomberg ranked New Zealand as the country with the best overall response in the world to the pandemic. In May 2021, the country in Oceania continued to hold the top spot in Bloomberg’s ranking, despite the rate vaccination against COVID-19 in New Zealand is still quite low, 4.8% of the population, while this index of Singapore, the second ranked country, is up to 29.9%. It is worth mentioning that from October 2020 to May 2021, only in April, New Zealand “gives” this top position to Singapore. Over the past three months, New Zealand has not recorded any more cases of infection in the community. Since the discovery of the first COVID-19 patient on February 28, 2020, this Pacific island nation has had a total of 2,681 cases, of which 17 are being treated, 26 have died and 2,638 who recovered. Life has almost returned to normal for the Kiwi Country’s 5 million people. Authorities lifted restrictions on people and economic activity in the country, but mostly closed borders to prevent the virus from entering the country. When assessing New Zealand as the world’s leader in COVID-19 response, experts agreed that the country had taken the most decisive, quick and effective measures to handle the pandemic, with the least impact. to economic and social activity. To achieve this, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government, with the support of the people and business community, has adopted a strategy of “going ahead and going strong.” New Zealand’s anti-epidemic model is basically prevent the virus from entering foreign countries, purchase equipment to protect essential workers, strengthen testing, contact tracing, isolating cases and above all implementing blockade and social distancing society to cut off the chain of infection.The “secret” of this country can be summed up in six words: drastic-timely-synchronous. Immediately after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a global health emergency, New Zealand on February 2, 2020 decided to ban the entry via air of foreign nationals. All passengers arriving from China, while New Zealand citizens and arrivals from other countries must self-isolate for 14 days. On March 25, when the number of cases in the country was about 200, New Zealand quickly declared a national emergency and Close the border Although the country’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Foreigners entering by air and sea must be tested and isolated at a designated facility. With this step, New Zealand has “locked” the door to the virus entering from abroad. The New Zealand government also urgently establishes a national system to directly register personal protective equipment to identify all equipment manufacturers capable of supporting the fight against the epidemic. Many domestic enterprises have responded and increased domestic production or cooperated with foreign companies to find sources to buy masks, hand sanitizer, face shields and medical gowns. The government is also promoting the establishment of a public-private joint venture to purchase test kits and reagents (chemicals for testing the SARS-CoV-2 virus) from various suppliers. While many countries are also looking to buy these medical items when supplies are scarce, New Zealand has achieved a higher test rate than developed countries like the US or South Korea at the same time, with about 2,200 tested per 100,000 population by mid-May 2020. For contact tracing, New Zealand using both “low technology” and high technology to identify and test all close contacts of COVID-19 patients for 14 days. The primary method of tracing is that officials ask each COVID-19 patient to identify their close contact. In addition, the “NZ COVID Tracer” smartphone application for tracing virus infections was deployed simultaneously. People wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Auckland, New Zealand, February 14, 2021. (Photo: THX/VNA) New Zealand has stopped, not just mitigated, the spread of the disease in the community thanks to the rapid adoption of very strong measures. On March 25, 2020, just three days after confirming a domestic infection, authorities implemented a nationwide blockade measure. This is one of the countries applying the strictest blockade order in the world. Although New Zealanders have a high sense of self-discipline, the police still encourage citizens to report violators of epidemic prevention regulations. In just a few weeks, police received more than 336 reports of violations. New Zealand’s disease chart in the first wave of infections last year has demonstrated the effectiveness of anti-epidemic measures. The number of new cases per day began to decrease significantly from 89 cases / day on April 5 to only 9 cases / day two weeks later. On April 27, the government began easing the blockade order, although it still imposed some distancing measures. On May 13, New Zealand did not record any new cases, so on June 8, the government completely lifted the blockade order. During the outbreaks of re-emergence in Auckland city in August 2020 and February 2021, authorities immediately took drastic measures. For example, on February 14, New Zealand locked down Auckland, the largest city in the country to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic after recording three new infections in the community on the same day. Meanwhile, the remaining localities apply level 2 restrictive measures. When the outbreak in the community is extinguished, restrictive measures are also eased step by step with extreme caution. One highlight of New Zealand’s anti-epidemic work is the application of technology. New Zealand was one of the first developed countries to use a smartphone app to track infections. In April, the country also launched a trial of a surveillance “elarm” application to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with an accuracy of up to 90% within three days before the patient showed symptoms. such as cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Integrated with wearable devices such as smart watches or health monitoring devices, the application uses artificial intelligence to detect sudden changes in the user’s heart rate, temperature body temperature, thereby providing an early warning to detect signs of COVID-19. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (centre). (Photo: AFP/VNA) Experts say that New Zealand has proactive, strong, focused, science-based epidemic response measures, and at the same time implements these measures well. In research published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, expert Sarah Jefferies and colleagues point to the factors contributing to New Zealand’s success in the fight against the pandemic are rapid improvements in testing capacity and management. handling cases, the blockade order was for a short time (almost 4 weeks) but very strict. In addition, rapid interventions when the number of cases is low, for example, the warning level increases from 1-4 in five days when the number of cases has not exceeded 1,000 cases. A team of experts from the University of Otago (New Zealand) highlighted the key element of the government’s rapid, science-based risk assessment combined with early and decisive action. The implementation of interventions at various levels (border control, control of community spread, and control of cases) are also effective against the epidemic. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is highly appreciated for her ability to effectively convey the main message to the community – consider fighting the epidemic as the task of a unified collective of 5 million people, thereby being trusted and obeyed by the people. under very strict restrictions. The above-mentioned drastic measures against the epidemic helped reduce human losses with a very low mortality rate, only 0.53 cases per 100,000 people, but also cost the economy due to the closure policy as well as the impact of the pandemic. Translate. New Zealand’s economy recorded a record 2.9% contraction in 2020. However, in terms of the long-term outlook, the economy is forecasted to grow again this year thanks to the government’s economic stimulus package and New Zealand’s ability to restore normal life as before. pandemic. Moreover, it is the good control of the epidemic that has brought New Zealand’s great economic recovery opportunities. The results of a Bloomberg survey conducted in October 2020 with the participation of about 700 people, most of them senior executives in many industries, of which 53% are from large corporations and 47% are from large corporations. SMEs, showing that New Zealand is the country most trusted by business leaders to invest in the future. In fact, the economy of the “kiwi land” has rebounded as business confidence recently improved and the unemployment rate plummeted to 4.7% in the first quarter of 2021. The Ministry of Finance projects gross domestic product (GDP) growth to reach 2.9% in 2021 and gradually accelerate to 4.4% in 2023. Kiwibank’s chief economist, Jarrod Kerr, said the view For the future, a program to roll out vaccines, travel bubbles with Australia and many other countries in 2021 will support solid growth in 2022. New Zealand’s drastic, timely and synchronous approach to the COVID-19 epidemic, from blockade, distance, to tracing and treatment, has become a model of anti-epidemic recognized by the international community. and provide useful lessons to help governments plan how to respond to the current pandemic as well as future pandemic outbreaks.

Use vinegar to soothe sunburned skin: Vinegar contains acetic acid, one of the ingredients in the pain reliever aspirin, so it also works to relieve pain, itching and inflammation caused by sunburn. Simply dip a tissue in white vinegar and apply it to the sunburned area. Use baking soda to cool down a heat rash: If you have a heat rash, soak in a basin of water or a tub of water mixed with a few tablespoons of baking soda. This will help reduce the uncomfortable itching sensation. Use aloe vera to treat blisters: First, you need to clean the blister or blister with soap and water. Then, apply aloe vera gel to the blister and cover it with a bandage. Use garlic to treat otitis externa: Otitis externa usually occurs when water gets trapped in the ear, creating conditions for bacteria and fungi to grow. To relieve ear pain, you can use garlic oil available at the pharmacy or make your own homemade garlic oil to make ear drops. Use peppermint oil to soothe insect bites: Instead of scratching an insect bite, apply a few drops of peppermint oil on it. Peppermint oil has a cooling effect and improves blood circulation to the bite site, thereby accelerating wound healing. Use honey to heal scratches: If you don’t have an antibiotic to apply to the scratch after disinfecting, apply a few drops of honey to the wound and then cover it. Honey has antibacterial properties and some studies have shown it to help heal wounds. Use avocado to restore dry, frizzy hair from the sun: The hot summer sun can easily make your hair dry, burnt, frizzy and broken. To overcome this situation, use avocado flesh to incubate your hair. Avocados help moisturize and add protein to the hair, making it stronger. Use tape to remove a splinter: If you have a splinter that is too small to be removed with tweezers, try taping the splinter with tape. After about three days, peel off the tape and the splinter will be removed. Use mouthwash to treat foot fungus: A bottle of sugar-free antiseptic mouthwash may be all you need when you have superficial fungus on your feet or toenails. Simply soak a cotton ball in mouthwash and apply it to the affected area. Use a meat tenderizer to relieve the pain of bee stings: Make a thick paste of meat tenderizer and water, then apply the mixture directly to the bee sting. The enzymes present in the meat tenderizer will help break down the proteins present in the bee venom. Use rubbing alcohol to get rid of dog ticks: Dog ticks absolutely hate the smell of rubbing alcohol. Before you remove the tick from your skin, dab it with rubbing alcohol to get it to loosen its grip. Once the tick is removed, use rubbing alcohol to disinfect the wound. This method is applicable to both people and pets when caught by dog ​​ticks.

First, US President Biden announced $20 billion in funding to modernize the energy system and address digital security breaches. Other international and regional companies around the world also come up with their own strategies to mitigate this threat. Saudi Arabia’s oil giant Aramco, Siemens Energy and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have announced they will be releasing a joint report on cyber resilience in the oil and gas industry. The report will establish a blueprint for assessing how best to manage the various risks and threats associated with cyberattacks. The report brings together the experiences of 40 energy experts, who will provide their experience and expertise to outline some of the key cyber threats facing the industry and how best to mitigate those. this threat to improve energy security worldwide. The report comes after years of the oil and gas industry suffering from digital security breaches not only in the United States, which saw the Colonial Pipeline attack this month and a hack in February 2020 for a compressed air facility that caused a two-day power outage. Other oil and gas facilities around the world have also suffered similar losses. In 2012, Saudi Arabia experienced a cyber attack that resulted in more than 30,000 computers being hacked. In addition to this report, Siemens also announced a partnership with US software company ServiceNow to establish a unified software to monitor, detect, and respond to cyberthreats targeting power infrastructure. important amount. Siemens Energy’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based software combined with ServiceNow’s Operations Technology Management system exposes cyber threats for analysts to assess and prioritize early response. Leo Simonovich, Vice President and Global Head of Industrial Networks at Siemens Energy said of the report: “Digitalization is empowering the oil and gas sector to be more efficient, flexible and reliable – but it also opens up many new vulnerabilities for cyberattacks. More than ever, cybersecurity must be at the core of companies’ business and operating models, especially in the oil and gas industry. Effective defenses depend on robust monitoring and detection – which means companies cannot act alone. Coordination and alignment are very important; This latest book, based on insights from leaders in the oil and gas sector, reflects these efforts. ” “Most energy companies grapple with complex technological and economic challenges associated with monitoring, detecting, and preventing cyberattacks on critical infrastructure,” emphasized Leo Simonovich. important. Our MDR, powered by the Eos.ii solution, is the first AI-based platform built to provide visibility and context across the energy industry’s entire digital operating environment. to promptly prevent attacks”. This is one of the ways the oil and gas industry is using AI and other innovative technologies to improve security and monitoring and evaluation operations across multiple sectors. As the United States ramps up its game in cybersecurity, the rest of the world has taken note of this recent attack and is responding at the international level to ensure that energy security is not compromised. development is synchronized with the digitization of the energy system. Establishing and regulating cybersecurity practices across the industry enhances the collective recovery efforts of oil and gas companies, presenting a united front against cybercrime and security threats other importance.

Artwork: The Conversation The Australian newspaper today, quoting Senate Speaker Scott Ryan, said that on March 27, the computer network of the Australian Parliament was attacked by hackers for nearly 24 hours. As soon as the attack was discovered, appropriate controls were put in place to lock down the accounts of MPs and staff working in Parliament to ensure that information was not compromised. These measures prevented malicious actors, but left MPs and staff working for the Australian Parliament unable to access their accounts on the Parliament computer network for about a week. On the same day, March 27, the computer network of one of Australia’s largest media companies, Nine Entertainment, was also attacked by hackers, affecting the broadcast of many television programs. Nine Entertainment was forced to change broadcast locations and rebroadcast some old shows to overcome the impact of this attack. According to information from Australian authorities, in recent years, public agencies and businesses of this country have become the target of many cyber attacks. Typically, the National Assembly computer network attack before the country held the National Assembly elections in 2019. MP Andrew Hastie, Australia’s assistant defense minister, said: “Cyber ​​attacks are low-cost and difficult to detect. At the same time, these attacks can be carried out at any time and from any location”, so it’s time to think about “cyberspace as a battlefield”.

Students of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City have their temperature taken before entering class. Photo: Pham Huu At noon on May 10, Ho Chi Minh City’s Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control had an unexpected meeting with departments, branches, Thu Duc city and districts on epidemic prevention and control in the province. city ​​table. Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Head of the City Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Nguyen Thanh Phong chaired the meeting. Reported at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Tan Binh, Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Health, said that recently, the city has appeared a risk factor for the spread of Covid-19 from 41 isolation areas in the hotel. 350 isolation areas of the army and 24 isolation areas in districts. The second risk is that Ho Chi Minh City hospitals are the last lines with a large concentration of patients from provinces and cities. The third is the risk from illegal entry, which the city’s health sector has recorded a number of cases of Covid-19. The fourth is the case of returning home after the last holiday, especially returning from places where there are cases of infection. Mr. Nguyen Tan Binh said that the city’s health sector has reactivated all sets of safety criteria to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic in all fields. The city is ready to test 5,000 samples/day, which can be increased to 30,000 – 40,000 samples/day at the request of the Ministry of Health. As for the capacity to treat patients with Covid-19, the city has a plan to treat 50-100 cases at the same time and can increase it to over 200 cases. The city’s Department of Health has planned to treat more than 5,000 cases at the same time. Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said that in the face of the indicated risks, the city must activate the Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control system at the highest level. “The city has Tan Son Nhat international airport, 60 large and small seaports, many last-line hospitals, so it has to activate a highly concentrated epidemic prevention and control system in these places,” said Comrade Nguyen Thanh Phong. strong. Comrade Nguyen Thanh Phong requested, in addition to drastic and strict measures, it is necessary to add measures to prevent and control the epidemic in places and areas with high risk of infection. Specifically, for airways, pay attention to security control and on-board aircraft; for roads, re-establishing checkpoints to collect medical declarations, all people coming from localities with infection chains are required to make medical declarations; For waterways, the city’s border guards must consider epidemic prevention and control as the top task at this time. Industrial parks and production facilities must have a response plan when one or more Covid-19 cases appear. The head of the city government also requested, agencies and units to strengthen online meetings; exchange between state agencies with each other through electronic mailboxes; interaction between the government and the people through the online public service portal. “The city must be ready to respond in case the epidemic spreads in the community. The city will deploy more concentrated medical isolation areas, soon to raise over 10,000 isolation beds and be ready to treat 200 cases at the same time”, Head of the City Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Nguyen Thanh Phong requested. Step 1: Visit https://www.bluezone.gov.vn or download directly at App Store or CH Play. Step 2: Once downloaded, the application will ask for permission to use Bluetooth to record contact with other Bluezone installed users. If Bluetooth is not open, drag the status bar and turn on Bluetooth; or go to Settings, select Bluetooth and turn it on. Step 3: Once the installation is done, click Scan Around. If someone near you less than 2m has used Bluezone, the application will automatically identify these users and put them in the contact list.

In order to prepare for the heat wave in 2021, Nghe An Power Company (Nghe An PC) has directed its units to quickly deploy the proposed solutions and scenarios to ensure electricity supply for the whole country. Nghe An province. Nghe An PC workers check outdoor equipment at Hung Hoa Substation (Nghe An) PC Nghe An information, during this year’s hot season in Nghe An, there will be many prolonged heat waves, leading to an increase in the demand for electricity for cooling than in previous years. It is expected that power output will increase, with an estimated capacity of about 820 MW. In order to ensure stable power supply in the face of increasing electricity demand in the summer of 2021, Nghe An PC has prepared a “scenario” carefully, with many solutions to supply electricity to people and businesses. Mr. Le Quang Thanh – Deputy Director of PC Nghe An said that 2021 is not expected to be as hot as the previous year, but despite the prolonged epidemic, most businesses in the area are operating stably again. power consumption is expected to increase. Regarding the load forecast, this year’s output growth will be higher than last year’s at over 12%. The most important and basic solution identified by the unit is to increase the power supply capacity, with the rapid completion of construction of substations and power lines for areas in the province. Accordingly, from the end of 2020 until now, Nghe An PC has built and installed hundreds of large and small projects, including: Raising the capacity of 110kV substation in Cua Lo route, increasing the capacity of 110kV Quynh Luu substation, completing upgrading the transmission line. 110kV from Quynh Luu – Quy Hop. Along with that, renovating and upgrading low-voltage trunk roads; replace the meter periodically; strengthening overhaul, cleaning of transmission lines and transformers; replacing the name plate number of the road, pole number, safety sign of the substation transmission line… and is implementing the plan to energize and put into operation 110kV Con Cuong substation, increasing the capacity of 110kV Hung Nguyen and Quy Hop substations in the month. 6/2021. After energizing, the station will power on in time to serve the people’s demand for electricity in the summer months; support stable and safe power supply in the area. However, according to PC Nghe An, the case of an unexpected increase in output through monitoring is unlikely and in fact, if it happens, the power infrastructure including medium voltage transmission lines, substations and power grids. low voltage will still be able to meet. Alternating power cuts to reduce capacity as announced by EVN will not happen, however, it does not exclude some cases such as: The power supply of the whole system is malfunctioning, incidents such as the breakdown of hydroelectric power units , the North – South 500kV transmission fault leading to failure to mobilize the grid capacity of the whole system will be automatically laid off. In addition, there is a problem of maintenance schedules of power plants (thermal power plants, hydroelectric plants) which can also lead to lack of power, requiring capacity regulation between regions. In the coming period, the vicinity of Nghe An will record a sudden increase in load, especially in Thanh Hoa area, and in Nghe An will also have a sudden increase at the end of 2021 when Hoang Mai 1 and Hoang Mai IPs WHA Industrial Park comes into operation. This is not only a problem for the electricity industry in Nghe An but also for the power system in the North as well as in the whole country. To solve it, EVN will have capacity coordination solutions to meet demand. Power supply scenarios have been developed at the transmission grid level (220kV, 500kV) in order to mobilize and balance capacity in the North – Central – South region. Thus, in the short term, the stable and continuous power supply for Nghe An will be ensured. PC Attention Nghe An Use electricity in hot weather PC Nghe An also noted that, in order for the power grid to operate stably during the peak of heat, it is necessary to coordinate and propagate propaganda at all levels of the government, local and central media agencies on the appropriate use of content. , saving. This content is very important for the national power system and grid, will avoid unnecessary grid overload due to unreasonable use, reduce the greenhouse effect, help limit environmental pollution, have a enough electricity to serve economic development for production and also save living costs for electricity users themselves. PC Nghe An continuously advises customers to avoid being subjective, negligent, not to misunderstand between electricity price and electricity consumption; Use electricity in the most efficient and economical way when entering the hot season. Just small actions from the people such as turning off electrical appliances when not in use, not using many large-capacity devices at the same time, using low-power consumption equipment labeled energy-saving by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Industry and Trade inspection will help save electricity. PC Nghe An has prepared scenarios for electricity growth in hot weather Families should use air conditioners at a reasonable level of 26-27 degrees Celsius or higher and use fans in combination to reduce power consumption. When using a cold room, do not open the door often, do not use electrical appliances with heat-generating features in the room such as irons, ovens, electric kettles, and hot water heaters. Families have many rooms, when watching TV should focus on watching together, turn off all devices in neighboring rooms. Use electricity only when absolutely necessary, avoid using devices simultaneously during peak hours… For factories, make sure to use the correct capacity and load chart. Along with that, implementing a reasonable production plan, minimizing the mobilization of equipment and machinery with large electricity consumption capacity at peak hours. To minimize electrical equipment operating at no-load, key energy-using establishments must save at least 2% of electricity consumed per product unit per year. Advise customers to use electricity as committed to the electricity industry in terms of registered load and time frame, or reduce capacity when required by the electricity industry due to sudden increase in load… When purchasing new equipment, pay attention to use equipment with energy-saving certification label of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Responding to the electricity sector, coordinating propaganda and recommending surrounding households to save together.

Lavender fields in a village in northern India are filled with purple. Photo: the Guardian According to the Guardian, the village of Lehrote became famous when a farmer named Bharat Bhushan – 43 years old, won the prestigious award for innovation in the field of farming from the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research. This is one of the organizations promoting the campaign to deal with climate change and its impact on the agricultural sector. Lavender is a good drought tolerant plant that can grow and grow on poor soil, does not need a lot of water and loves the sun. “I started growing lavender in 2010 during the Indian Institute of Integrated Medicine campaign in Jammu. This is a very easy plant and doesn’t need a lot of watering. I only use cow manure to fertilize the plant.” Mr. Bharat Bhushan shared. According to Bharat Bhushan, there are more than 500 farmers in this area growing lavender. He also prepared two nurseries for breeding this flower. From now on, this village has become an area specializing in growing and distilling lavender. Domestic demand for lavender essential oil remains quite high and growers like Bharat Bhushan often sell the distilled essential oil directly to customers in cities in India such as Mumbai and Delhi. “The easy-to-grow nature of lavender makes it popular with farmers. The income from lavender cultivation is much better than from other crops like corn. One hectare of lavender land has. can help farmers get 30-45 liters of essential oil, “said senior scientist Sumeet Gairola. Recently, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced the expansion of the “Fragrant Mission” campaign with the participation of farmers from northern Indian states such as Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Asam. Thus, fields of flowers filled with purple hues are likely to soon become a popular sight across India.

The Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee presents souvenirs to the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. The Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee said that the city is very interested in and wants to connect with leading scientists in the United States to build comprehensive and long-term solutions and plans to respond to climate change. At the same time, the Consulate General would like to connect potential investors in the renewable energy, education and health sectors of the United States to explore opportunities for investment cooperation and encourage the programs and projects of the United States are deployed in the city, increasing regular cooperation activities between the two sides. Ms. Marie C. Damour thanked the leaders of Can Tho City for the solemn reception and expressed her impression on the creative learning spirit of Vietnamese students and wished the two sides would have cooperation in resource development. human resources of Vietnam in general and Can Tho city in particular. According to the Consul General, the United States has strengths in many fields such as: energy, health, infrastructure development … Based on the potential and development orientation of Can Tho City, she believes in cooperation. cooperation between the two sides in the future and the diplomatic relationship between the US and Can Tho city is expected to develop.

Climate change is described as increasingly severe. Billionaire, philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has published his latest book titled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”. Not only rich, considered the owner of a great brain, Bill Gates is also known for his predictions about the future, like a global pandemic Covid-19 that he saw six years ago. During a presentation at the TED Talk 2015, Gates urged nations to work together to prepare for a pandemic that could come at any moment. At this point, when the Covid -19 translation was on the verge of being controlled, the billionaire turned a new interest. He said that the world should prepare for a possible climate disaster, and we should best work together to find ways to prevent it. Here are some excerpts from the book “How to avoid a climate disaster” by billionaire Bill Gates. Billionaire Bill Gates. “Letter” of billionaire Bill Gates “As of February 2021, Covid-19 has claimed the lives of more than 2.2 million people worldwide. The pandemic has changed the way we work, the way we live and the way we communicate in society. But at the same time, 2020 is also a pivotal year for us to have new hopes on climate change … In 2021, the United Nations will gather in Scotland for a summit. Another big peak on climate change. Of course, there is no guarantee that we will make any progress in addressing climate change. But opportunities still open from there. Bill Gates continues: I plan to spend much of my time in 2021 talking to world leaders on both climate change and Covid-19. I will make it clear to them that many lessons from the pandemic can also be applied to climate change. Let’s say our values ​​and principles guide us to a pandemic. First, we need international cooperation. The phrase “we have to work together” is easy to be seen as cliché, but it’s true. As governments, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies work together during the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has made remarkable progress, including that the development and testing of vaccines are already in place. show in record time. And when we don’t learn from each other, we prolong our own misery. The same is true of climate change. If rich countries work hard to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions without thinking of sharing clean technologies with everyone, then we will never reach zero carbon emissions. . In another passage, billionaire Bill Gates writes: We need science – indeed, interdisciplinary science – to guide our efforts. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we looked to biology, virology and pharmacology, as well as political science and economics – after all. And just as epidemiology tells us about the risks of Covid-19 but does not say how we must stop it, climate science also tells us why we need to change. changing course but not telling how we should do it. To do this, we have to rely on engineering, physics, environmental science, economics … And our solutions must meet the needs of the group of people most severely affected. With Covid-19, the people who suffer the most are the ones with the fewest options – for example, they cannot work from home or take time to care for themselves or their loved ones. And most of them are people of color, people on low incomes. Among those hospitalized for treatment, the death rate from Covid-19 was four times higher than among the poor. Globally, Covid-19 has erased many progress after decades of efforts to reduce poverty and disease. It took us 25 years of progress in just about 25 weeks. Therefore, we need to plan a precise transition into a zero-emission future. People in poor countries need help adapting to a warmer world. Ultimately, we can do things that both help rescue economies from the Covid-19 catastrophe and spark innovation to avoid a climate catastrophe. By investing in clean energy research and development. Do not let the “war” be forgotten The impacts of climate change are visible globally, but reality shows that vulnerable people in developing countries suffer most of the extreme weather events such as storms, floods and periods of extreme heat, while the impact of climate change is visible globally. At the 2021 Climate Change Adaptation Summit hosted by the Netherlands in an online format, people had access to the issues raised by Germanwatch Environmental Consultation Organization. This organization has emphasized the “fate” of poor countries in the climate change process. The organization also said that the $ 100 billion a year that industrialized countries committed to contribute to climate change will not come true, because only a small portion of this amount is used because climate change adaptation goals. Germanwatch Foundation’s David Eckstein also said that eight of the 10 countries most affected between 2000 and 2019 were developing countries with low or even low per capita incomes. “Poorer countries are hit hardest because they are more vulnerable to the effects of a hazard and are less able to cope.” Over the past 20 years, globally nearly 480,000 deaths are directly related to more than 11,000 extreme weather events. Economic loss amounted to about 2.56 trillion USD (in purchasing power parity terms. “The global Covid-19 pandemic has reminded us of the fact that vulnerable countries are exposed to various risks – climate, geophysical, economic, health and holes. That gap is systematic and all linked together ”- Ms. Laura Schaefer of Germanwatch Foundation said. Fortunately, besides the urgent fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the fight against climate change has not been completely forgotten. A recent survey shows that nearly two-thirds of people polled around the world currently consider climate change a threat to humanity. However, the same number of respondents said that national governments are not interested in the “hook-up” to combat climate change. The survey, titled “Survey on the people’s climate” organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in conjunction with Oxford University, covers over 50 countries. About 1.22 million people of all genders, ages and education levels participated in the survey, in which young people participated in a significant number (about 550,000 people aged 14-18 years old participated). Cassie Flynn – UNDP Strategic Advisor Cassie Flynn said: “People are frightened, they are seeing wildfires in Australia and California, they are seeing acute storms. years and in the Caribbean, they are witnessing floods in Southeast Asia. We have to do something about it. ” Environmental protection organizations have agreed to put in place the top 4 policies, including: 1 / Forest and land conservation (54%) 2 / Use solar, wind and renewable energy (53%) 3 / Climate-friendly farming techniques (52%) 4 / Invest more money in green businesses and jobs (50%). The least favored options for dealing with climate change are plant-based diets, with only 30% of respondents believing it to be the best approach. To date, the question of what the world has done in the fight against climate change, is considered to be still “hanging”. Nearly six years ago, the international community gathered in Paris to develop a joint approach with the aim of combating climate change and reaching the Paris Agreement. Countries have agreed to set a goal to increase their capacity to respond to global climate change by limiting the increase in the Earth’s surface temperature to no more than 2 degrees Celsius and trying to be 1.5 degrees C lower than with the pre-industrial stage. However, in July 2019, the global temperature exceeded 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, equal to or even surpass the record of the hottest month since the start of the temperature statistics. . The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has repeatedly stressed that our planet is on its way to experiencing the hottest years in its history. Mr. Guterres said that in order to win the war in climate change, the most important thing is the voluntary contribution of the countries. Here, very important are the rich countries. The UN Secretary-General also said that the international community is still not acting fast enough given the rising global emissions and the rising temperatures. “If we continue to act late, there will be a catastrophe that will raise global temperatures by 3 degrees C or more in this century,” Guterres said, emphasizing that, there is a need to change the head from a gray and dirty economy to a green one. “We have technology and now we have to make it available to all people in all countries. And must act now! Every factor that leads to global warming is likely to exist, and the longer we wait, the greater the negative impact will inevitably be. ” And, it is extremely important that even though the war against the Covid-19 epidemic is not over, it is impossible to neglect the global fight against climate change.

Before the impact of the early coming of the rainy season on the work of electricity safety, City Power Corporation. Ho Chi Minh City (EVNHCMC) has requested the affiliated power units to strictly respond 24/24 hours, at the same time, strengthen the inspection of preparedness and response when unexpected incidents occur. In particular, to ensure the safety of people and property, prevent and prevent electrical accidents that can occur when it rains, local flooding due to the influence of high tide or thunderstorms, high winds, trees. mortars fell … EVNHCMC gives warnings about electrical safety in the rainy season to the people of the city. Employees of EVNHCMC advise on safe and economical use of electricity in households Specifically, the city electricity industry. Ho Chi Minh City regularly and continuously propagates and propagates to customers who use electricity and people in the city understand and grasp the most basic contents of safe use of electricity in the rainy season. When detecting unusual phenomenon or loss of electrical safety, customers, people immediately call the hotline 1900 545454 (Customer care center of EVNHCMC) or phone number 114 – Fire department – Rescue, rescue city. Ho Chi Minh to be handled, prevented, and overcome in time. The electricity industry also recommends that, when it rains, people do not stay at the foot of the electric poles, under the eaves of the transformer station, do not directly touch the electric poles, ground wires, electric poles ligaments, electric meters, barrels. circuit breaker … In particular, do not go to the terrace, the roof where the power line crosses and do not manually repair the lines, outdoor electrical equipment. … Residents should disconnect the power supply (switch off the circuit breaker, CB) if the indoor area is flooded or the floor is wet by rain (splashing, leaking), wet from the electrical outlet, and wet with electrical equipment which can lead to the risk of local electric shock, likely to cause electric shock or fire, especially portable power tools such as hairdryers, vacuum cleaners … According to EVNHCMC, people should arrange places to install electric lines, power sockets, equipment using electricity in the house higher than the water level that is often flooded, wet; installing switchgear with appropriate anti-leakage (ELCB) function. In addition, people should cut off the power supply for electrical equipment installed outdoors (signs, billboards …) when it rains, strong winds. Especially, people need to stay away, warn everyone around them and set up barriers when it detects that electric poles have fallen (fallen), broken wires in roads, fields, lakes … Implement many measures to ensure electrical safety In order to ensure safety and prevent electrical accidents for people in the rainy season, EVNHCMC always gives top priority to grid safety. EVNHCMC has requested the heads of units to inspect and repair power grids in areas at risk of landslides, and even urgently move electrical works out of the landslide area to ensure safety. electrical works. In parallel, the city electricity industry. Ho Chi Minh City strengthened coordination with local authorities to carry out propaganda and warning among people not living, trading … near or below lines, power stations, electrical cabinets. At the same time, relieve cases of encroachment and encroachment on the safety corridor of high-voltage grid. In addition, EVNHCMC coordinates with the greenery management unit to promptly handle branches, branches, trees that can affect the safety corridor or may cause power grid problems when breaking or falling. , collision … At the same time, to strengthen the inspection of the power grid in order to promptly detect and resolutely not arise new points of violation of the high-voltage grid safety protection corridor that cannot be handled. The weather is becoming more and more complicated, besides the rain, there are often floods, so within the electricity industry, thoroughly grasp each officer, not letting subjective thoughts, neglect the object. with natural disaster prevention, fighting and response. EVNHCMC directs to bring into play the motto “4 on the spot” and the principle “3 ready” in preparing sufficient human resources, facilities, equipment and materials to be ready to respond when natural disasters occur unexpected incident. If there is any unexpected situation, it will ensure to re-establish electricity for production and daily life of customers in the shortest time.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai. (Source: agnetwest.com)

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai April 15 said international trade activities have prompted many countries to reduce environmental protection measures to attract investment, and regulations on global trade is necessary to prevent the “race to the bottom.”

“Race to the bottom” is a socio-economic term to describe the government’s deregulation of the business environment, or reduction of tax rates, in order to attract or maintain economic activity.

In her speech at the Center for American Progress, Ms. Tai said the notion that environmental problems are not part of trade ignores the fact that existing rules of globalization encourage less pressure. for environmental protection. This puts countries with higher environmental standards at a competitive disadvantage.

Speaking ahead of the online climate change summit on President Joe Biden’s initiative next week, Ms. Tai said she was committed to strengthening rules within the World Trade Organization (WTO). to combat problems like illegal fishing and overfishing.

According to her, countries should use commercial policies and trade enforcement actions to protect forests, because “forests are considered the lungs of the Earth.”

However, these regulations will be ineffective if they are not enforced. In the future, trade plays a role in preventing the “race to the bottom” and encouraging the “race to the top” (for the environment).

Ms. Tai noted that this is only done on a global scale through global regulations.

In the context that the world is deviating from meeting the goals of limiting global warming, many countries have signed in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change 2015, President Biden hopes next week’s summit will deliver stronger commitments ahead of the UN-hosted Climate Change Conference in Glasgow later this year.

Just days after taking office in January 2021, the US leader signed executive orders he said would “advance ambitious plans to respond to the threat of climate change.”

Mr. Biden announced that Washington will rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change and is expected to announce an ambitious emission target by 2030./.