Getting our heads round ‘quintillions’ of data

How much data is sloshing around the world at any one minute?

Billions? You would probably say that was an under-estimate. We’ve been getting used to seeing ‘trillions’ recently, especially in relation to the economies of the larger nations — but still not enough for data.

Quadrillion? Try quintillion.

For those preferring it in figures that’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 — and it’s the estimate from a recent international meeting of Finance Ministers and officials in Morocco.

Moreover, the production of data generated every day is increasing exponentially to sextillion, septillion and beyond which, the experts say, holds massive potential value for public Finance and Economics Departments worldwide.

President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of Morocco, Ahmed Reda Chami said these ever-increasing amounts of data can provide Governments with better insights into population dynamics, economic trends and stakeholders’ voices.

“Decisions could be made based on evidence rather than intuition or conjecture. Government officials could use data to decide how to invest in different programs or regions,” Mr Chami said.

“To harvest this potential, Governments must first build the necessary infrastructure and develop their ‘data architecture’ by agreeing common data standards so that information can be moved and compared between Departments and countries.”

Former head of the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service, Kevin Cunnington agreed, but said introducing a universal system of digital identification was important.

“Governments have a huge amount of legacy data, but most of it is incorrect. Creating an authorised digital ID system ensures there’s a core of trustworthy information, providing a solid foundation for work to link up datasets and public services,” Mr Cunnington said.

He said Governments could take various routes to this capability.

“Trailblazers such as Estonia and Singapore have built their own digital IDs around existing universal national ID systems. We’re now seeing an emerging trend where countries which don’t have national identity systems are creating them,” Mr Cunnington said.

He pointed to the example of India which had photographed and fingerprinted all 1.3 billion of its citizens and created ID cards.

“We’re seeing that replicated by countries like Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Romania. It’s a real trend,” Mr Cunnington said.

“The next step in digital ID is to make them interoperable, allowing tourists, students and expats to use their national IDs while abroad.”

 

 

German union opens talks on pay rise

German public-sector workers are demanding a pay rise of 10.5 per cent for 12 months, kicking off a new round of negotiations that seek to recoup income lost to the fastest inflation in decades.

The talks cover as many as 2.5 million employees in areas including the justice system, tax authorities, universities and childcare. 

Head of the Verdi union, conducting the negotiations, Frank Werneke, noted that there were 300,000 vacancies in the country’s public sector, with people in many institutions “working beyond their limits”.

Workers’ pay is a key factor for the European Central Bank as it determines whether interest rates are high enough to bring inflation back to the two per cent goal. It currently projects compensation per employee to rise by 4.3 per cent in 2024 and 3.8 per cent in 2025. 

Berlin, 14 October 2023

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Guinea-Bissau gets help with PS numbers

The Government of Guinea-Bissau has received funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) so it can computerise its Public Service HR system.

Under the proposed system, Public Servants’ absentee rates will be strictly monitored and they will be required to have a bank account into which their wages are paid.

Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, Gibril Mané admitted there was a “big problem” with the Public Service wage bill representing almost 80 per cent of domestic income.

“At the moment, the Government has no information on the exact number of Public Servants we have in the country,” Mr Mané said. 

Bissau, 13 October 2023

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Canadian Province to throw open pension plan

The Government of the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia wants to allow private sector organisations to join the public sector pension plan to ensure its long-term viability.

A Bill introduced into the Provincial Parliament would open up the superannuation plan to any private-sector group already with a pension plan, or any business that wanted to join it.

Minister for Finance, Allan MacMaster said expanding membership to the plan might lower the average age of contributors as a way to ensure it had enough money to cover the pension benefits for retirees.

“According to the latest annual report, the median age of active members is 48. There are currently as many retirees drawing from the plan as there are employees paying into it,” Mr MacMaster said.

Halifax, 15 October 2023

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Norway warns of ‘powerful flu season’

Norway’s State Health Institute (FHI) has warned of a tough flu season during the northern winter after more than 12,000 people had to be hospitalised because of flu or variants of COVID-19 last year.

The FHI said it was also concerned that fewer Norwegians were getting vaccinated.

In a statement, the Institute said the vaccination rate for those most at risk of serious complications from flu has fallen from 63 per cent to 59 per cent. Only 50 per cent of health care personnel had been vaccinated, down from 56 per cent.

“After several years of mild flu seasons, the virus returned at full strength last year and we are now predicting a powerful flu season this year,” the statement said.

Oslo, 18 October 2023

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Lesotho tackles transport complaints

Lesotho’s Department of Transport and Traffic has held a meeting with stakeholders in an effort to find ways to improve public transport in the landlocked southern African country.

Minister of Public Works and Transport, Matjato Moteane said public transport was the lifeblood of the economy “if it runs smoothly, safely, securely and efficiently then the wheels of the economy are also turning fast”.

“We need the smooth running of public transport, for law and order to be maintained on public roads…I believe with better technology we can solve many problems that the people are complaining about,” Mr Moteane said.

“With this technology, we can eliminate the queues and make sure people comply with the laws.”

Maseru, 13 October 2023

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Northern Ireland PS seeks new student intake

The Northern Ireland Public Service has launched its 2024-25 Student Placement Competition, offering 150 placements across Government Departments.

The scheme, now in its fourth year, offers experience for aspiring Public Servants, providing opportunities for students to put into practice their classroom learning, develop personally and professionally and undertake work which directly impacts the lives of citizens.

In turn, the Public Service also benefits from fresh views and skills and offers staff the opportunity to guide and share their professional experience to those who wish to pursue a career in the bureaucracy after university.

Paid placements are available across a range of degree areas including accountancy, architecture, communications, economics, engineering, geographic information systems, planning, ICT, surveying and science. 

Belfast, 13 October 2023

 

Influencer spread ‘threat to vulnerable’

Officials in two countries have expressed concern at the spread of online ‘Influencers’ and the affects they are having on vulnerable people.

Turkish Education Ministry officials say the recent surge in ‘influencer teachers’, who create videos with students and garner income and followers through related posts on social media, needs to be addressed.

In a statement, the Ministry said some influencer teachers have “virtually transformed schools into film sets”, threatening the quality of education and safety of students.

“Following the Ministry’s ban on the use of mobile phones in schools for primary, middle and high school students, and despite the instruction from Minister, Yusuf Tekin that teachers refrain from using phones in class as much as possible, these influencer teachers continue their activities,” the statement said.

“Some create entertaining videos, while others film disadvantaged students' hardships with emotional music in the background. Furthermore, some of them earn significant sums of money by accepting advertisements.”

Academic, Yusuf Kızıltaş, who first used the term ‘influencer teachers’, pointed out that teachers rehearse their videos during class hours.

“Although dealing with these videos may seem fun, it could potentially hinder students from acquiring knowledge during essential learning hours,” Mr Kızıltaş said.

Highlighting the potential security threats posed by the frequent exposure of children on social media platforms, Mr Kızıltaş said among those following teachers were a large number of accounts engaged in paedophilia and sharing explicit content.

The Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) is worried about the growing number of celebrities and influencers spreading health advice on social media.

Chair of the MEB, Ton de Boer said these people mostly do not have the medical knowledge to back their claims, which could have dire consequences.

“It is important to remember that they earn money from the supplements and products they advertise,” Professor de Boer (pictured) said.

He said one concerning development was influencers swearing by natural contraception.

“Abortion clinics are reporting an increasing number of young women with unplanned pregnancies, many of whom said they were using natural contraception. The number of abortions was 15 per cent higher last year than in 2021,” he said.

The MEB has launched a campaign to warn people against periodic abstinence as a means of avoiding pregnancy.  

“It is important that women have the facts straight about reliable contraception so that they can make a well-considered choice for themselves. Use reliable information for your decision,” Professor de Boer said.

General practitioners have also noticed an increased interest in supplements.

One GP, Jojanneke Kant said people saw a celebrity or a health influencer promoting a supplement on social media “but if you have a normal diet, there is no need to use supplements at all”.

 

 

 

 

Irish Rail announces hydrogen trial

Irish Rail has announced plans to halve its carbon emissions by 2030 and decarbonise its diesel locomotive fleet completely while scaling up electrification and introducing green hydrogen fuel.

The State transport company’s ambitious plan will mean it is cutting its emissions by more than 71,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, while expanding services in line with Government plans to scale up public transport and reduce car dependency.

Its target is to increase rail passenger journeys to 80 million a year by the end of the decade, up from a pre-pandemic high of 50.1 million journeys.

Chief Executive of Irish Rail, Jim Meade said an agreement had been signed with a Latvian company to retrofit a freight diesel locomotive from diesel fuel to hydrogen as a proof of concept “providing a cleaner, cheaper and more practical way to decarbonise the diesel locomotive fleet”.

Dublin, 10 October, 2023

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Funding for Philippines digital transformation

The Philippines Department of Budget and Management says it will boost Public Service allocations for digital development.

The Department’s Budget Secretary, Amenah F. Pangandaman said digital initiatives would be allocated P38.75 billion ($A1 billion) in next year’s proposed National Budget — an increase of more than 60 per cent.

“Technological advancement has given rise to a growing digital economy which continues to create new forms of work, transforming the employment landscape,” Ms Pangandaman (pictured) said.

“It is crucial to invest in the bureaucracy’s digital development. It not only enhances efficiency but also generates quality jobs for Filipinos.”

Manila, 4 October 2023

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‘Alarming’ rise in Bhutan PS resignations

The annual report of Bhutan’s Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) has revealed that the attrition rate among Public Servants has risen to 16 per cent in the past year – figures commentators describe as alarming.

The RCSC report stated that 4,822 officers had left their positions. Of these, 3,413 were voluntary resignations.

In an editorial, the Kuensel newspaper said the “troubling trend raises pressing questions about the sustainability and appeal of a career in the Civil Service and demands urgent reform”.

“When Civil Servants voluntarily exit secure and stable positions in these numbers, it’s imperative to delve deeper into the root causes. Are these departures symptomatic of a broader disenchantment with Civil Service as a viable career path?” the editorial asked.

Thimphu, 6 October 2023

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 Training boost for Cambodia's senior officers

Cambodia’s Minister for Civil Service has doubled down on recent Government demands that the bureaucracy improve institutional and individual capacity by increasing discipline, professional ethics, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a Leadership and Innovation training course for senior Government officials, Hun Many said these courses would be organised around the country as recommended by Prime Minister, Hun Manet for the better governance of the country.

He commended the Royal School of Administration for developing the training course, which he said was in line with ongoing regional and global development and would meet the pressing needs of citizens and society.

“The quality of leadership needed is vision, skills and character, and it is important for officials to understand the Government’s vision, acquire the capability and talents to carry out tasks and maintain a good attitude toward the work,” Mr Hun Many said.

Phnom Penh, 8 October 2023

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Workers delay Zimbabwe stadium project

City Council workers in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare are on a go slow that is delaying crucial renovation work on the country’s main football stadium.

It is now unlikely that the stadium, which is in much need of a facelift after years of neglect, will be able to stage matches this year.

The Council workers told journalists that their salaries were too low, and often received late.

One worker, speaking on the condition their identity was not revealed, said salaries were often a month in arrears “and when we receive them they are already depreciated by inflation”. 

Harare, 8 October 2023

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Forgotten passport ends Swedish Minister’s trip

It has been revealed that the non-attendance of Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström at a recent European Union summit in Ukraine was because he had forgotten his passport.

Diplomatic sources said officials at the border would not let Mr Billström across, which meant he was unable to board the eight-hour train headed for Kyiv along with his counterparts from other EU countries.

Earlier, Mr Billström's Press Secretary, Anna Erhardt would not confirm why the Minister was not at the meeting, saying there was “a logistical obstacle…other than that we do not comment on details of Ministerial trips".

Sweden was represented at the meeting by the country's Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Åberg.

Stockholm, 5 October, 2013

 

 

Call for more work on cows’ seaweed diet

Sweden is a step closer to the widespread introduction of methane-reducing cow feed additives such as seaweed, after experts called for further investigation into the area.

A report by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency into reduced methane emissions, says development in the field has been “rapid in recent years” and is among “a number of new interesting additives with higher potential”.

Among the cow feed additives cited in the report are the seaweed red algae and the chemical 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP).

According to manufacturers, the daily feeding of red algae can reduce the methane emissions of meat animals by up to 90 per cent.

However, the Agency said more knowledge on cultivation and use was needed.

The 3-NOP chemical, which has been fed to several cattle categories in Sweden and elsewhere, has been approved for use in dairy cows in the European Union since February 2022.

The report says it can cut methane emissions by an average of about 30 per cent in dairy cows and by 45 per cent in meat cattle.

The Swedish work builds on research into the effects of feeding seaweed to cattle in Australia, the aim of which was to prevent microorganisms in the cow’s first stomach from producing methane.

However, the Australian research produced mixed results with the main drawback being that cattle fed the seaweed diet ate less and therefore produced less meat when sent to slaughter.

The Swedish Agency said that while some feed additives “appear to have significant potential”, it warned there is still uncertainty over the long-term effects.

“More research and analysis is required, both in terms of today’s marketed products and the development of alternative, future feed additives,” the Agency’s report says.

It proposes that the Government commission the Agency, along with other authorities, to further investigate the area.

Lines of inquiry, it says, should include socioeconomic impact, support for farmers and other stages in the food chain, improved research, innovation initiatives and increased collaboration with the industry.

Other potential areas of investigation for climate-smart cows, it says, are enhancing productivity and genetic variations between breeds on how much methane they produce.

In 2021, Sweden’s agricultural sector produced 3.6 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents of methane — 2.9 million tonnes of which were produced by cattle digestion.

Chief Executive of Volta Greentech, Fredrik Akerman said his company was developing a seaweed factory on the west coast of Sweden that would specialise in cattle feed.

Mr Akerman said Volta Greentech had run pilot projects across two Swedish farms which had reduced cows’ methane emissions by 80 per cent a day.

The company is now planning another pilot study at a commercial beef farm in the United Kingdom.

By installing sensors on the farms, Volta Greentech was able to measure methane emissions before and after the introduction of the feed.

Mr Akerman said the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommendations were important for the industry’s development.

“It’s quite difficult for us to sell a product that costs money to reduce emissions if the incentives are not there,” he said.

 

Overweight key factor in pandemic deaths

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have established a clear link between being overweight and the increased likelihood of dying from COVID-19.

Scientists at the University’s Amsterdam Economics Institute examined the link between people’s lifestyles and excess mortality during the pandemic.

They said the link was “overwhelmingly obvious” with 70 to 100 per cent of excess mortality during the first two years of the pandemic occurring among overweight people.

Head researcher, Wouter Vermeulen said that during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, 30,000 more people died in the Netherlands than was expected from historical mortality figures.

“We examined the link between these excess deaths and lifestyle factors like obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, level of exercise and loneliness,” Dr Vermeulen said. 

“Overweight was the only lifestyle factor that is related to high excess mortality within all sub-groups. Being overweight is, therefore, much more decisive than all other factors when it comes to your risk of dying from COVID-19.”

He said between 57 and 84 per cent of the excess mortality was among people who were overweight and smoked or had smoked in the past. That came down to 17,000 to 25,000 of the 30,000 excess deaths.

“The figures are remarkable because these lifestyle factors affect 30 per cent of the population. The share of this group in excess mortality is, therefore, more than twice as large as their share in the population,” Dr Vermeulen said. 

He said the difference was much smaller for other lifestyle factors.

The results have not surprised the medical profession with doctors already noticing that certain groups within society were over-represented in Intensive Care Units during the pandemic. 

The Institute did the study at the request of the Tweede Kamer, the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament. Policy-makers wanted to have insight into vulnerable groups in society so that lifestyle factors could be considered during vaccinations in future pandemics.

Social media should never be X-rated

A recent case in which two young female journalists in the United Kingdom were sent extreme pornography through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger highlights the growing indifference of internet giants to any controls about what happens on their platforms.

It prompted Online Safety Officer for the Reach newspaper group, Rebecca Whittington, to report that some of the unsolicited content received by journalists was so extreme that police said it would have been a criminal offence to share it with security.

These incidents are nothing new — in fact they have become such a regular occurrence that many recipients no longer bother to report them.

“There is apathy about the consequences of reporting…the journalists feel nothing will happen; nothing will be done; they will never hear about it again, so what’s the point,” Ms Whittington says.

The company at fault in this case is Meta, but since the takeover by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, many believe X (formally Twitter) is the worst offender, a free-for-all for hackers, abusers, disinformation agents and even foreign spies.

Commentators say Musk’s dictatorial management style and his obsession with ever-increasing profits has led to a lack of attention to content moderation, allowing sick and fake news specialists free rein.

As one former senior employee says, Musk’s early decision to downsize the platform’s staff meant there were not enough remaining to control malicious actors trying to game the system.

“People are not sitting still. They are actively employing new ways to be horrible on the internet,” the former Twitter officer said.

Ms Whittington said she was angry and sick of feeling powerless.

“At Reach we can offer support; we can offer security; we can offer counselling, but we cannot single-handedly stop the scourge of unsolicited sexual content,” she said.

“Meta absolutely needs to do more to identify abusers and hold them accountable.”

The UK journalists’ case is far from isolated. Meta founder, Mark Zuckerberg has come under constant criticism from legal experts and human rights campaigners who say the company is prioritising its business interests over values like democracy, public safety and non-violent political dialogue.

In a statement earlier in the year, X said it was its mission to “promote and protect public conversation.

“We believe Twitter users have the right to express their opinions and ideas without fear of censorship. We also believe it is our responsibility to keep users on our platform safe from content violating our rules,” the statement said.

Social media has had a significant and until now, largely beneficial effect on the world. It has brought families closer together, reunited people with long-lost friends and relatives, promoted debate over important issues, and exposed nefarious activities that might otherwise have remained hidden.

For billions it is no longer a luxury, it is an essential service and as such it must maintain standards in much the same way as posts and telecommunications are required to do by Government regulation.

Musk, Zuckerberg and others should be put on notice — vast wealth and influence should never equate to absolute power over institutions that affect the lives of so many people throughout the globe.

Those people need to be listened to and their standards; what they consider to the right and what is wrong, respected. They should not be subjected to the vile machinations of an underclass in the guise of free speech.

If the multi-billionaires fail to listen, then Governments should change the rules for them.    

     

Stepping up for better heart health

Researchers from Tulane University in the United States say that lowering the risk of heart disease can be as simple as taking the stairs at work rather than the elevator.

Published in the Atherosclerosis scientific journal, the study reveals that ascending more than five flights of stairs daily could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 20 per cent.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), coronary artery disease, and stroke are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally.

The Tulane study utilised data from the United Kingdom’s Biobank collected from 450,000 adults. It assessed participants’ susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases based on family history, established risk factors, and genetic predispositions.

Researchers also surveyed participants about their lifestyle habits and frequency of stair climbing, with a median follow-up time of 12.5 years.

The findings revealed that daily stair climbing significantly lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially for those who were deemed less susceptible.

Lu Qi, a specialist in obesity at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, who co-authored the study, said there were potential benefits of stair climbing for individuals unable to undertake conventional physical activity.

"Short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient way to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and improve lipid profiles," Dr Qi said.

"These findings underscore the potential advantages of stair climbing as a primary preventive measure for ASCVD in the general population."

The study not only highlights the efficacy of daily stair climbing but also suggests that even those at higher risk of heart disease can offset the risk through adopting this regular form of exercise.

“Stairs are accessible and affordable, every building with two floors or more has them making them a practical means of incorporating exercise into daily routines,” Dr Qi said.

“Even if you live in a single-story home, it’s likely there’s a public building or office block nearby where you can get your daily exercise.”

He said the research provided ground-breaking evidence for the protective effects of stair climbing against the risk of ASCVD, particularly for individuals with multiple ASCVD risk factors.

“With these findings, it appears that a simple flight of stairs could be the key to a healthier heart for many,” Dr Qi said.