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<strong><br /></strong><ul><li><strong>A new study shows that <keyword id="1013934" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="meat-consumption">meat consumption</keyword> habits are increasing, which could lead to an overall increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.</strong></li><li><strong><keyword id="6407539" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Livestock">Livestock</keyword> is responsible for the same amount of carbon emissions as transport. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>Scientists in India are exploring how to tailor the diet of cattle so that they produce 12-15% less methane.</strong></li></ul>Vehicles and carbon emissions is a story as old as the industrial revolution, but nobody’s thinking of greenhouse gases when they see a cow cross the road. <br /><br />Talking of the growing concerns on <keyword id="6361617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change">climate change</keyword>, Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, in his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bill-gates-warns-of-the-dangers-of-cow-farts-and-the-world-should-take-his-words-seriously/articleshow/67962704.cms">annual letter</a>, expressed concern over the dangers of cow farts. "I wish more people fully understood what it will take to stop climate change," the letter said.<br /><br />A 2018 study, titled <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6399/eaam5324.full">‘The Future of Meat</a>’ published in Science Mag explores the correlation between human meat consumption and population growth. Conclusions drawn show how these consumption habits are increasing and because of which, not only is it a health hazard for humans but there are negative consequences for the <keyword id="6356826" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ENVIRONMENT">environment</keyword> as well.<br /><br />However, there are two key areas other than the growing population and their intake of meat -- manufacturing of building materials and agriculture -- which may have a dangerous consequence, according to him. <br /><br />While the world is on a swing to twice the number of buildings by 2060, the letter highlighted that the raw materials used for buildings constitute 21% of the <keyword id="82635" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-emissions">greenhouse emissions</keyword>, globally.<br /><br />Contributing his bit, Gates was addressing climate change via Breakthrough Energy Ventures and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation">Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</a>, aimed at enhancing healthcare.<br /><br /><strong>Climate change<br /></strong><br />Livestock, inclusive of cattle, chickens, sheep, pigs and goats, are <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2014/04/466012">responsible</a> for nearly 14.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the United National Food and Agriculture Organisation. <br /><br />That means that the emissions from livestock are at par, if not a little in excess, with emissions from transport that stand at around 14% <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data">according</a> to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. <br /><br /><br />
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<br /><br />The analysis done in the study compares the variation in the levels of GHG emissions across different meat production cycles. Their study shows that ruminant mammals like <keyword id="52148" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="cows">cows</keyword> are responsible for the highest amount of emissions, followed by non-ruminant mammals and poultry, in that order. <br /><br />Even in comparing the different production systems, intensive rearing is more environmentally friendly than its extensive counterparts.<br /><br /><strong>What can India do?<br /></strong><br />It’s no secret that India is home to largest cow population in the world. Between Mother Dairy, Amul and various regional milk brands, milk is essentially India’s largest ‘crop’ <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/expert-view/milk-is-indias-largest-crop-worth-around-rs-6-5-lakh-crore-says-rs-sodhi-of-amul/articleshow/63171485.cms">valued</a> at around ₹650 billion.<br /><br />There are a quite a few different schools of thought on the matter. While some approach the problem from the consumption side, where human choice behavior is analysed, others believe the solutions lie in changing livestock rearing techniques. <br /><br />The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) is working towards <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reduce-greenhouse-gases-from-cows-and-sheep-we-need-to-look-at-the-big-picture-56509">tailoring</a> the diet of cattle in such a way that <keyword id="859515" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Methane-Emissions">methane emissions</keyword> are minimised. Using physical and environmental parameters, the ideal feed quantities and mineral supplements are determined.<br /><br />According to their study so far, the tailored diet can mean up to 12-15% less methane emissions from cows and buffaloes. <br /><br />The issues of livestock rearing and consumption patterns are highly localised and need policy changes at a local level. There is no blanket solution that can be applied globally and be conducive for all countries involved.<br />

Cow farts and livestock dangerous for climate change: Bill Gates

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Carlo Allegri/Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/bill-gates">Bill Gates </a>has a $1 billion fund, collected from a who's who of fellow billionaires, ready to invest in startups and research to solve <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/climate-change">climate change</a>.</li><li>On Tuesday, in his annual letter with wife Melinda, he points out that really fixing climate change involves way more than renewable electric energy, though he's encouraged by progress there.</li><li>Manufacturing and agriculture are overlooked problem areas.</li><li>He's looking for climate friendly ways to make concrete and steel, as well as ideas on dealing with methane produced by cows "when they belch and pass gas."</li></ul><p>"I wish more people fully understood what it will take to stop climate change," Bill Gates laments in his annual letter published on Tuesday.</p><p>Each year the Microsoft founder and his wife Melinda publish a letter that outlines the areas that cheer, worry and surprise them.<br /><br />The topics in the letter are taken from the couple's experiences trotting the globe to combat poverty, disease and other problems.</p><p>Bill Gates is tackling climate change through programs funded by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation">Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation </a>as well as through <span>Breakthrough Energy Ventures. BEV is a</span> $1 billion investment fund he's spearheaded, <a href="http://www.b-t.energy/ventures/board-investors/">backed a who's who of billionaires including </a>Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff, Richard Branson, Reid Hoffman, Jack Ma, George Soros, Tom Steyer, Meg Whitman and Mark Zuckerberg.</p><p>BEV is looking to invest in startups and research that tackle five areas, which he calls "grand challenges." These are  agriculture, buildings, electricity, manufacturing and transportation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Rick Wilking</span></p><p class="caption">Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates talks with a colleague before the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. May 6, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div>In the letter Gates points out that promising progress has already been made with renewable energy for electricity.</p><p>But he says there are two areas that account for 21% and 24% of worldwide greenhouse emissions, respectively, that are sorely ignored: manufacturing of building materials and agriculture.</p><p>Making building materials like steel and cement requires a lot of fossil fuels and processes that belch out carbon, he says.</p><p>The world is currently on track to double its buildings by 2060 which Gates points out is like building "an entire New York City every month for 40 years."</p><p>"We need to find a way to make it all without worsening climate change," he says.</p><p>Agriculture is another gas-producing culprit. Despite the healthy, pastoral image of cows grazing on green rolling hills, Gates notes that <span>cattle "</span>give off methane when they belch and pass gas. (A personal surprise for me: I never thought I'd be writing seriously about bovine flatulence.)"</p><p>He's not advocating that cattle farming be banned, nor is he saying that we end construction or transportation. He just wants the world to focus more on solutions to all the areas hurting the climate.</p><p>"Solar panels are great, but we should be hearing about trucks, cement, and cow farts too," he says.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s10-phone-launch-what-to-expect-2019-2">Everything we know about the Galaxy S10, which is shaping up to be Samsung's best phone yet</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Bill Gates warns of the dangers of cow farts - and the world should take his words seriously

<ul><li><strong>Scientists in the US are using <keyword id="6369781" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="virtual-reality">virtual reality</keyword> (VR) software to show individuals the direct impact that <keyword id="6361617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change">climate change</keyword> will have on them.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The software simulates what it will be like when their own neighborhood floods as a result of rising sea levels.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>According to research, VR technology creates an ‘empathetic experience’ making individuals more likely to take action.<br /></strong></li></ul>The urgency to fix climate change is dented by lack of imagination. In spite of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/july-was-likely-the-hottest-month-ever-and-experts-say-it-has-re-written-climate-history/articleshow/70496999.cms">world getting hotter</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/more-than-two-thirds-of-asias-population-is-at-risk-of-coastline-flooding-by-2050-and-indias-on-the-front-line/articleshow/71816944.cms">more than 300 million</a> people at risk of being submerged, individuals are unable to see how it will directly impact their lifestyle. But, what if one could see the effect of climate change play out in front of their eyes?<br /><br />A team of scientists in Baltimore is using virtual reality (VR) to show people what it would be like when climate change hits their neighborhood, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/more-than-two-thirds-of-asias-population-is-at-risk-of-coastline-flooding-by-2050-and-indias-on-the-front-line/articleshow/71816944.cms">NPR</a>. <br /><br />
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<br />With headset and controller in hand, the residents of coastal Turner Station in Baltimore were able to see water roll in to engulf their homes, schools and parks. While it may sound traumatising, the aim of the simulation is to help people prepare for the eventuality and formulise possible solutions.<br /><br />According to a global study conducted by <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/18/a-look-at-how-people-around-the-world-view-climate-change/">Pew Research</a>, an average of 20% people across countries still consider <keyword id="6366055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-warming">global warming</keyword> to be a ‘minor’ threat while 9% think it’s not a threat at all. Scientists at The Nature Conservatory aren’t the only ones trying to change people’s minds.<br /><br /><strong>Using VR to battle climate change<br /></strong><br />Scientists have <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02364/full">found</a> that VR’s technological kick can hone in on the brain’s empathy center, encouraging people to act before it’s too late. Experiencing the effects of climate change first hand is likely to push individuals for policy change. <br /><br />VR can show show users what would happen in their own backyards but it can also show them what’s already happening in far off places. <br /><br />When the US withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, FRONTLINE and NOVA developed a VR program called <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1012510/Greenland_Melting/"><em>Greenland Melting</em></a><em>. </em>It transports users to the Arctic to see the ice-caps melt before their eyes.<br /><br />And researchers are still looking for new ways to harness the power of VR to battle climate change. For instance, Yale University hosts an <a href="https://climatevr.yale.edu/">annual challenge</a> inviting students to gamify actual data with mixed reality to better present the problem of global climate change.<br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/more-than-two-thirds-of-asias-population-is-at-risk-of-coastline-flooding-by-2050-and-indias-on-the-front-line/articleshow/71816944.cms">More than two-thirds of Asia’s population is at risk of coastline flooding by 2050 — and India’s on the front line</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/livestock-emits-as-much-carbon-as-transport-vehicles-how-do-we-control-this/articleshow/65069999.cms">Cow farts and livestock dangerous for climate change: Bill Gates</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/climate-change-causes-australian-mammal-to-go-extinct/articleshow/68081948.cms">Climate change claims its first casualty in world's largest coral reef system</a><br />

You can experience the end result of climate change today with virtual reality

<ul><li>More than 300 million people in the world are at risk from annual coastline flooding by 2050, according to a new study in Nature Communications. <br /></li><li>The study triples the estimates of global vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding.<br /></li><li>China, followed by India, will have the highest populations vulnerable to shrinking coastlines.<br /></li></ul>No matter how fast the world manages to curb its carbon emissions in the coming years, sea-levels are going to rise and more than 300 million people are going to be at risk of flooding. <br /><br />Destructive storm surges fuelled by increasingly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cylcone-fanis-global-warming-seen-in-nasa-images/articleshow/69138876.cms">powerful cyclones</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/an-island-in-india-is-disappearing-but-some-of-the-last-residents-say-they-cant-afford-to-move-away/articleshow/66956376.cms">rising seas</a> will hit Asia hardest, according to a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12808-z">Nature Communication</a>.<br /><br />This includes more than two-thirds of Asia’s population, and India will be on the front line with it’s vast coastline of 7,516 kilometers. <br /><br />Until now, the estimates of how many people will be exposed to the risks of coastal flooding were based on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). <br /><br />But those estimates fall short of the actual risk, according to the study. It’s not the sea-level estimates that have changed, but the elevation data.<br /><br />The researchers used data from CoastalDEM — a new digital model developed that uses artificial intelligence (AI) as neural networks — which estimates that a lot more people will be exposed to flooding coastlines.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="boatycoastwutwutMAP" msid="71817399" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Estimates of tTotal populations on vulnerable land&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

<br /><strong>Asia bears the brunt<br /></strong><br />Storm surges and unexpected cyclones will fall hit have the largest impact on Asia — 70% of the affected worldwide will be living in China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Japan.<br /><br />According to the revised estimates, rising sea-levels won’t just be leaving 5 million Indians vulnerable — but 36 million. <br /><br />India’s neighbour China, will be the worst affected with 93 million people in the line of fire. Even in Bangladesh, even though it has a smaller coastline, 42 million will be at risk. <br /><div type="image" title="boatycoastwutwutCHINA" msid="71817374" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fishing boats in China&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>
<br /><strong>No walking away from it<br /></strong><br />As of today, more than 100 million people are already living in areas that fall below high tide levels, according to the study. <br /><br />And it’s been a long time coming. Last month the UN Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) disclosed that sea levels have been increasing by four millimeters a year since 2006. It added that if carbon emissions continue on their current trajectory, that pace will increase a 100 times.<br /><br />Even if the level of global warming is capped at two degrees Celsius, sea-levels will still rise by half-a-meter by 2100. According to the <a href="https://climateclock.net/">Climate Clock</a>, Earth will hit that level by 2051 and the increase will be twice as bad.<br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/livestock-emits-as-much-carbon-as-transport-vehicles-how-do-we-control-this/articleshow/65069999.cms">Cow farts and livestock dangerous for climate change: Bill Gates</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/earth-day-2019-indias-progress-on-the-paris-agreement/articleshow/68998038.cms">Three years since the Paris Agreement, here’s where India stands on Earth Day</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cylcone-fanis-global-warming-seen-in-nasa-images/articleshow/69138876.cms">Cyclone Fani and the impact of global warming captured by NASA</a><br />

More than two-thirds of Asia’s population is at risk of coastline flooding by 2050 — and India’s on the front line

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BillGates/photos/a.10150331291841961/10155645521796961/?type=3&amp;theater">Bill Gates/Facebook</a></span></p><p class="caption">Bill and Melinda Gates.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday.</p><ol><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-makes-billions-google-search-goldman-sachs-report-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Apple quietly makes billions from Google Search each year, and it's a bigger business than Apple Music</strong></a>. Google paid Apple $9.4 billion in 2018 to be the default search engine on the iPhone, according to a new Goldman Sachs estimate.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/lisa-eadicicco?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Apple's rumored subscription news service will reportedly be announced at an event next month</strong></a>. Apple will host a March 25th event at The Steve Jobs Theater in its Apple Park campus where it's expected to unveil its subscription news service.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/absher-senator-ron-wyden-demands-apple-google-remove-saudi-govt-app-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>A US Senator has demanded that Apple and Google remove a Saudi Arabian government app that allows men "abhorrent" control over women's lives</strong></a>. In a letter, UN Senator Ron Wyden told Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai that the app enables "surveillance and control of women."</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-eero-acquisition-analysis-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon's latest acquisition further proves it wants to be everywhere in the home</a></strong>. Amazon's acquisition of mesh Wi-Fi router startup Eero marks yet another effort by the retail giant to integrate its products and services into the home.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-and-melinda-gates-2019-annual-letter-dedicated-to-paul-allen-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bill and Melinda Gates revealed their 9 biggest surprises from 2018 in a letter dedicated to Microsoft's late cofounder</strong></a>. The Gateses surprises of 2018 included home DNA tests catching serial killers, sexist data, and the fact that toilets remain largely unchanged.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warns-cow-farts-climate-change-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bill Gates also warned of the dangers of cow farts</strong></a>. He's looking for climate-friendly ideas on dealing with methane produced by cows "when they belch and pass gas."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/national-enquirer-lawyer-jon-fine-used-to-work-for-jeff-bezos-at-amazon-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>A lawyer at the heart of the National Enquirer's war with Jeff Bezos used to work for Amazon for 9 years</strong></a>. American Media Inc's Deputy General Counsel Jon Fine worked at Amazon from 2006 to 2015, and was focused primarily on publishing and the company's Kindle business.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-to-disconnect-from-internet-to-simulate-cyberwar-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Russia plans to disconnect the entire country from the internet to simulate an all-out cyberwar</strong></a>. It plans to redirect domestic web traffic internally, through the Russian government routing points rather than using the global infrastructure on which the web was built.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-pompeo-slams-huawei-on-his-european-tour-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mike Pompeo is bringing the hammer down on Huawei on his European tour</strong></a>. Speaking in Hungary while on his European tour, Pompeo said it was "more difficult" for the US to partner with nations that didn't distance themselves from Huawei.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-raised-300-million-and-plans-to-take-on-facebook-and-google-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reddit raised $300 million at a $3 billion valuation, and now it's aiming to take on Facebook and Google</strong></a>. Reddit has focused its efforts over the past year on cleaning up its platform to build a better advertising model, Axios reports.</li></ol><p>Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-marriage-three-times-ivana-melania-marla-maples-divorce-2016-2">Meet the three women who married Donald Trump</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

10 things in tech you need to know today

<ul><li>The world’s water towers are in trouble and the Indus river has been ranked as the most important in the world, according to a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1822-y">Nature.</a></li><li>The Indus and Ganges-Brahmaputra river basins serve over 700 million people who will be at risk within a decade — or less — as the world’s highest glaciers melt away.</li><li>India’s depleting water towers won’t only impact people living within the country but also in neighbouring nations — setting the stage for a battle over water rights, according to the paper’s lead author, Walter Immerzeel.</li></ul>The world’s freshwater supply is in trouble — and that’s especially true for India. The Indus and Ganges-Brahmaputra water towers are among the most important in the world. But, they won’t be long before they disappear entirely, according to a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1822-y">Nature</a>. <br /><br />"We conclude that the most important water towers are also among the most vulnerable, and that climatic and socio-economic changes will affect them profoundly," says the study.<br /><br /><strong>The world’s most vulnerable water towers<br /></strong><br />Researchers found that the <keyword id="8429365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indus-water-tower">Indus water tower</keyword> — that covers much of the Himalayan mountains — is the most important one in the world. Its Not only will its depletion impact people not only in India, but also in neighbouring regions like including Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan. Over 200 million people will be left vulnerable without it.<br /><br />The Ganges-Brahmaputra basin may outlast Indus but will put many people at risk — nearly 487 million covering India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.<br /><br />The last remaining glaciers powering these water towers are set to disappear <a href="https://news.osu.edu/last-remaining-glaciers-in-the-pacific-will-soon-melt-away/">within the next decade</a>, or even sooner, according to the study.<br /><br /><strong>What are water towers?<br /></strong><br />Water towers are nature’s storage tanks. Snow and ice build-up to fill the tank. Slowly, over time, they melt to provide fresh water — like a tap that’s dripping. If someone were to open that tap all the way, it would result in catastrophic flash floods and landslides.<br /><br />Without water towers to regulate the inflow and outflow of water, people, as well as the corresponding ecosystems, will be at risk.<br /><br /><strong>What do climate and politics have to do with it?<br /></strong><br />Climate change means that global temperatures are rising. The higher the mountain, the faster it will melt under the pressure. And, the Himalayas are home to some of the highest peaks in the world — including Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.<br /><br />It’s possible that, with warmer temperatures, the amount of precipitation will increase. But it won’t nearly be enough to offset the loss of water from the glaciers’ melting.<br /><br />Simultaneously, as populations continue to grow, the demand for water is going to increase taxing the already limited supply of water that exists. Since the impact won’t be limited to a single country but multiple stakeholders, a battle over water rights is likely to emerge Walter Immerzeel, the lead author of the paper, told <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/12/water-towers-high-mountains-are-in-trouble-perpetual/">National Geographic.</a><br /><br />According to him, the limited government effective and political tension will leave water towers vulnerable.<br /><br /><em>The study was authored by 32 scientists around the world, collecting data from every corner of the globe to determine the importance of 78 water towers around the world — and the Indus water tower topped the list. It’s the first time that the impact of melting glaciers has been quantified.</em><br /><br /><strong>See also:</strong><strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/you-can-experience-the-end-result-of-climate-change-today-with-virtual-reality/articleshow/72217525.cms" style="">You can experience the end result of climate change today with virtual reality</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/livestock-emits-as-much-carbon-as-transport-vehicles-how-do-we-control-this/articleshow/65069999.cms" style="">Cow farts and livestock dangerous for climate change: Bill Gates</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/climate-change-impact-on-india-latest-united-nations-report/articleshow/72437164.cms" style=""><strong>Climate change cost India over 2000 lives and $37 billion in just a year</strong></a><em></em><br /><br />

India's Indus water tower is the most important in the world — but it's also the most vulnerable

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Open Compute Project was founded by Facebook several years ago to create faster, cheaper, designs for data center hardware that are free for anyone to use.</li><li>It has become a wildly popular project, and now includes Microsoft, Google, Apple, Goldman Sachs and other big companies.</li><li>A new report commissioned by OCP says that its hardware, excluding that bought by its board members like Facebook and Microsoft, has become a $2.5 billion market, and will grow to $10 billion in three years.</li><li>Next up: the telecom industry.</li></ul><p>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/open-compute-project">Open Compute Project </a>began its life at Facebook as a revolutionary idea to do for data center hardware what Linux and open source software did for the software market. In other words, the OCP comes up with cutting-edge, super-efficient designs that any company can use to build their own hardware. </p><p>And the OCP has succeeded, by most reasonable metrics. The project has created a fanatical following among data center engineers, and has led to the creation of products in 10 categories, including networking, servers, and storage. </p><p>And in terms of dollars and cents: On Thursday, the preliminary results of a new market assessment report commissioned by OCP was released. That report finds that companies spent more than $2.5 billion on OCP-designed products in, up from $1.16 billion year the before.</p><p><em><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/att-airship-cisco-vmware-google-cloud-2019-2">AT&amp;T signed an '8-digit' deal that isn't good news for VMware, Cisco, or Huawei - but could be great for Google Cloud</a></strong></em></p><p>And this report doesn't actually reveal the true amount being spent on OCP gear.</p><p>It deliberately hides what the project's board member companies are spending on their OCP equipment, which includes <span>Facebook, Goldman Sachs, Intel, Microsoft and Rackspace. Those companies run enormous data centers and buy a lot of data center equipment, meaning the real figure is likely higher. </span><span></span></p><p><span>The reason the board members are excluded is to try and show that the project is having an impact beyond the handful of companies in leadership roles - although it's a bit coy of the organization to keep mum on how much money those companies pour into the ecosystem.</span></p><p><span>Even so, the commissioned report makes a fair case that OCP is creating a multi-billion market. </span></p><p><span>Excluding the purchases of board members, OCP products account for nearly 1% of the total data center market, which it pegs at $127 billion, the report says. </span></p><p><span>Interestingly, the report also finds that the overall data center equipment market is shrinking, from $137 billion in 2017 to $127 billion in 2018. Companies across the board are reducing their use of private data centers, as their use of the cloud increases. And OCP includes many of the big cloud providers that are taking those workloads, including Microsoft, Google and Rackspace.</span></p><p><span>Simply put, that means that OCP has been eating the data center market in a measurable way.</span></p><h2><span>Engineers love it</span></h2><p>OCP's goal is to take the power out of the hands of traditional server and networking vendors like Hewlett Packard <keyword id="6356323" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="enterprise">Enterprise</keyword>, Dell, or Cisco, and put it into the hands of the companies who buy and use that hardware.</p><p>While all three of those companies have joined the project, OCP members design their own servers, storage, and networking gear, making them cost less and perform faster than traditional commercial alternatives. Then, they share their designs for free. Anyone can modify those designs for their own use, or share them with the group.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://registration.opencompute.org/">OCP</a></span></p><p class="caption">Attendees at the OCP Summit conference</p></div><p></p></div></div>Engineers love it. They get to freely collaborate with other top engineers trying to solve the same problems without worrying about protecting intellectual property or trade secrets.</p><p>Contract manufactures are available to build the gear, too, to make it easier for even smaller companies to take advantage of OCP gear. </p><p>OCP has also become such a big thing that a growing list of vendors, including HPE and Dell, also make commercial products that match OCP specifications. So OCP-designed products can be bought off-the-shelf. They don't have to be custom-ordered, lowering the bar to entry.</p><h2>Next up: the telecom industry</h2><p>With a loyal following of data center engineers, OCP and Facebook have moved on to a related industry: telecom equipment. </p><p>Through OCP, telecom providers like AT&amp;T and Deutsche Telekom are working on open source designs for routers and the other equipment that run their networks. This is gear that would challenge networking giants including Cisco and Juniper.</p><p>A few years ago, Facebook also launched a telecom-specific organization called the Telecom Infra Project. It is working on projects like open source telecom radio transmitters. This is gear that would take on the likes of Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei at this especially critical time, when telcos are upgrading their networks to 5G.</p><p>Meanwhile, the telecom industry has also decided that it wanted to lead its own open-source hardware project, away from Facebook.</p><p>A project called the O-RAN Alliance has gained steam, and includes a <a href="https://www.o-ran.org/membership">who's who of the major telecom companies </a>worldwide. This includes AT&amp;T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, SoftBank, SK Telecom, Telefónica, and others.</p><p>The industry <a href="https://www.lightreading.com/mobile/fronthaul-c-ran/tip-oran-alliance-poised-to-join-forces-on-open-ran/d/d-id/746815">scuttlebutt is </a>that the two groups, TIP and O-RAN, are going to announce some sort of collaboration next week at Mobile World Congress so they don't duplicate efforts as they work to to upend the global telecom equipment industry.</p><p><em><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warns-cow-farts-climate-change-2019-2">Bill Gates warns of the dangers of cow farts - and the world should take his words seriously</a></strong></em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCQBkYnwgJs">YouTube/TelecomTV</a></span></p><p class="caption">Amy Wheelus, AT&amp;T VP of Network Cloud &amp; Infrastructure heads Airship</p></div><p></p></div></div>OCP's market research report doesn't shed much light on how much money the telcos might shift to these new open source creations.</p><p>But it does show that telecom companies are one of the major users of OCP gear - including servers, storage and OCP's optical networking equipment.</p><p>Meanwhile AT&amp;T has taken open source even further. It's<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/att-airship-cisco-vmware-google-cloud-2019-2"> leading a project called Airship</a> to share software that it's building to run and manage its 5G network. This software can be used for lots of other data center needs at all sorts of other companies.</p><p>The radical idea that launched OCP is turning into a full-fledged hardware industry coup.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-model-x-perfect-safety-crash-test-rating-2019-2">Why Tesla's Model X was the first SUV to receive a perfect crash-test rating</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Facebook's plan to eat the $127 billion data center market swallowed $2.5 billion last year, and will soon gobble more than $10 billion a year

Germany's considering a new tax on meat - but it might not be a model for Democrats who want Americans to eat fewer hamburgers

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Ted S. Warren/AP</span></p><p class="caption">Bill and Melinda Gates.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Bill and Melinda Gates published their annual letter for 2019.</strong></li><li><strong>The Gates' listed their nine biggest surprises of in 2018, which include home DNA-tests catching out serial killers, sexist data, and the fact that toilets remain largely unchanged.</strong></li><li><strong>They dedicated the letter to Bill Gates' Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who died in October 2018.</strong></li></ul><p>Bill and Melinda Gates have <a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/2019-Annual-Letter">released their 2019 annual letter</a>, and its theme is "surprises."</p><p>"How would you describe 2018? Was it what you expected? We'd probably say no," the letter begins. "From especially devastating natural disasters on the one hand to record numbers of women campaigning for office on the other, 2018 felt to us like a series of surprises."</p><p>The Gates' go on to say that while some events have been welcome, others have been less pleasant. Here are the nine things that surprised Bill and Melinda this year:</p><h2><strong>1 . Africa is the youngest continent, with a median age of 18</strong></h2><p>Bill points out that everywhere else in the world the average age is going up. "This can be either an asset or a source of instability. Melinda and I believe that the right investments will unlock the continent's enormous potential. Young Africans will shape the future of not only their own communities but the entire world," writes Bill.</p><h2><strong>2. At-home DNA tests can find serial killers - and could also help prevent premature birth</strong></h2><p>Bill referred in particular to the 2018 capture of the Golden State Killer, 33 years after his crimes. The suspected killer was arrested by investigators after a distant relative of his uploaded their DNA to an open-source DNA-sharing website called GEDmatch.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/golden-state-killer-caught-because-relatives-dna-online-2018-4">The suspected Golden State Killer was finally caught because his relative's DNA was available on a genealogy website</a></em></p><p>Gates also writes that a large sample provided by 23andMe users gave scientists a clue as to which genes can cause premature labour.</p><h2><strong>3. We will build an entire New York City every month until 2060.</strong></h2><p>Gates warns against climate change being exacerbated by electricity usage, manufacturing, and agriculture.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warns-cow-farts-climate-change-2019-2">Bill Gates warns of the dangers of cow farts - and the world should take his words seriously</a></em></p><p>"It's not realistic to think that people will simply stop using fertilizer, running cargo ships, building offices, or flying airplanes. Nor is it fair to ask developing countries to curtail their growth for the sake of everyone else," writes Gates.</p><p>"Part of the solution is to invest in innovation in all five sectors so we can do these things without destroying the climate. We need breakthrough inventions in each of the grand challenges."</p><h2><strong>4. Data can be sexist</strong></h2><p>The Gates' expressed concern about the reams of missing data about women, particularly in developing countries. Not only is missing data a worry, but Melinda writes that the way data is collected about women can stack the odds against them.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-biased-against-women-no-surprise-sandra-wachter-2018-10">Why it's totally unsurprising that Amazon's recruitment AI was biased against women</a></em></p><p>"We like to think of data as being objective, but the answers we get are often shaped by the questions we ask. When those questions are biased, the data is too," she writes.</p><h2><strong>5. You can learn a lot about processing your anger from teenage boys</strong></h2><p>The Gates' talked in-depth about attending a meeting of high-school boys talking about how they deal with their anger. Bill said he learned a lot from watching those boys - some of whom had lived through tragedy - find ways of handling their anger.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-talking-to-teens-last-year-about-anger-management-bill-gates-admits-that-some-of-his-famous-microsoft-tantrums-might-not-have-been-wise-2019-1">After talking to teens about anger management, Bill Gates admits that some of his Microsoft meltdowns were over the top</a></em></p><h2><strong>6. There's a nationalist case for globalism</strong></h2><p>In a more political section, Bill and Melinda argued that nationalism doesn't necessarily exclude <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> cooperation.</p><p>"There is nothing about putting your country first that requires turning your back on the rest of the world. If anything, the opposite is true," Melinda writes.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-annual-letter-america-first-foreign-aid-2019-2">Bill and Melinda Gates say that the best way to put 'America first' is to invest in foreign aid - a not-so-subtle nudge at Trump</a></em></p><p>Bill specifically appealed for international cooperation when it comes to the treatment of diseases.</p><h2><strong>7. Toilets haven't changed in a century</strong></h2><p>The Gates' described a "toilet fair" which they organised in Beijing last year - looking for a new design to oust the flush toilet.</p><p>"Several companies are business-ready. Their inventions check almost all the boxes: They kill pathogens, can keep pace with the needs of fast-growing urban areas, and don't require sewer infrastructure, external water sources, or continuous electricity to operate," writes Bill.</p><p>He added the only problem at the moment is affordability, to which end the Gates Foundation will be investing in more R&amp;D.</p><h2><strong>8. Textbooks are becoming obsolete</strong></h2><p>Bill said that the thing killing off the textbook is very same invention which helped make his fortune: Software.</p><p>"When I told you about this type of software in previous letters, it was mostly speculative. But now I can report that these tools have been adopted in thousands of U.S. classrooms from kindergarten through high school. Zearn, i-Ready, and LearnZillion are examples of digital curricula used by students and teachers throughout the US," he writes.</p><h2><strong>9. Mobile phones are most powerful in the hands of the poorest women</strong></h2><p>"For the world's most marginalized women, a mobile phone doesn't just make their old life more convenient; it can help them build an entirely new life," writes Melinda. However, she pointed to a gender gap in phone ownership in poorer countries.</p><h2><strong>Finally: The letter is dedicated to Bill's Microsoft cofounder</strong></h2><p>As a signoff, Bill and Melinda dedicated this year's letter to Paul Allen, who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-cofounder-paul-allen-dies-at-age-65-2018-10">died in October 2018 at the age of 65</a>. They said:</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Paul was a brilliant man with a wide-ranging mind and a special talent for explaining complicated subjects in a simple way. He loved to share his passion for music, science, the arts, sports, philanthropy, and so much more.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;">"He supported homeless shelters, brain research, and arts education. He helped us see how much good innovation could do in the world. He deserved more time in life, and his passing left a big hole in our hearts. We'll think of him every time we hear Jimi Hendrix."</p><p>Paul Allen's love for Jimi Hendrix was well documented, and he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-fabulous-life-of-paul-allen-2014-5#he-built-a-museum-devoted-to-his-rock-hero-5">even built a museum devoted to the rock legend</a>.</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Microsoft stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/MSFT-Quote"> here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-macbook-air-laptop-microsoft-surface-go-tablet-review-2019-1">We compared the $1,200 MacBook Air with the $500 Surface Go, and the results were a mess</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Bill and Melinda Gates revealed their 9 biggest surprises from 2018 in a letter dedicated to Microsoft's late cofounder

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BillGates/photos/a.10150331291841961/10155645521796961/?type=3&amp;theater">Bill Gates/Facebook</a></span></p><p class="caption">Bill and Melinda Gates</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Bill and Melinda Gates keep saying the word is getting better and it's easy to look around and shrug off their optimism.</li><li>So I spent a day at their foundation, talking to the people working on some of the world's hairiest, most intractable problems.</li><li>And they are winning.</li></ul><p>Bill and Melinda Gates keep insisting that - despite problems like climate change, political divisions and income disparity, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-trust-me-the-world-is-really-getting-better-not-worse-2018-1">world is getting better for most people on Earth.</a></p><p>In late January, Bill Gates expertly trolled the 10-year challenge meme with a tweet that said: "It's hard to beat this #10YearChallenge." The tweet <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/1/18/18188511/10-year-challenge-global-poverty-good-news?linkId=62841733">included a graphic </a>that showed how, in the last 10 years, extreme poverty, child mortality and youth illiteracy were all way down, while life expectancy was up.</p><p>The Gates' optimism is delightful. But it's easy to shrug it off as the rose-tinted perspective of a couple luxuriating in an abundance of gifts: intelligence, love, family, success and more money than King Midas.</p><p>I recently spent the day at the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, walking a mile in the billionaires' shoes, so to speak, and talking with some of the managers and directors who run various programs there. </p><p>Hearing about their work was inspiring and gave me a newfound hope for the future, just like Bill's.</p><p>And the reason is simple. These people are taking on some of the world's hairiest, most complex and seemingly intractable problems. </p><p>And they are winning.</p><h2>Death to polio and malaria</h2><p>Gates' father, Bill Gates, Sr., was the first to run the family charitable foundation in the late '90s. The foundation has morphed into a much bigger entity over time, especially after it became the main focus of Bill and Melinda Gates themselves.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bill-gates-sr-and-bill-gates-are-seen-during-the-the-lasker-news-photo/181317443">Brian Ach/Getty Images</a></span></p><p class="caption">Bill Gates with father Bill Gates, Sr.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The elder Bill Gates' presence still hangs large at the Foundation's visitor's center, which is a cross between a techie interactive kids' museum, a community educational facility, and a place to learn about the Foundation's work.</p><p>A video of Gates' dad introduces himself, and explains that because of the "other fellow" - that is, his famous son - he's known as "Senior." </p><p>In its early days, the foundation focused mostly on local charity, but turned its attention to global health after Bill Gates Jr. read an article on children in poor countries dying from preventable illnesses.</p><p>He sent the article to his dad with a note that said: "Dad, maybe we can do something about this."</p><p><span>Those words are now plastered in giant letters in the visitor's center.</span></p><p><span>T</span>he foundation has since become a major force in global health. It joined a global effort to eradicate polio in 2007. In 1988 there were an estimated 350,000 case of polio worldwide. In, 2018, there were only 29 reported cases.  </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p><p class="caption">Gates Foundation visitor's center</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Gunning for malaria</h2><p>The success with polio is a source of pride and inspiration at the foundation. To them, it's proof that hard problems like distributing vaccines to poor, remote children can be solved by smart people and repeatable systems. </p><p>With Bill and Melinda as their leaders, the people at the foundation are stunningly smart with impressive credentials: I met neuroscientists, biologists and infectious disease specialists. </p><p>With polio almost over, the foundation now wants to end malaria.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p><p class="caption">Gates Foundation mosquito nets</p></div><p></p></div></div>Like the others I met, Philip Welkhoff, the director of the Malaria team, has a personal interest in the mission - and impressive credentials. He grew up in Haiti and had malaria himself as a kid. He became a rocket scientist, then earned his PhD in computational neuroscience from Princeton and turned his attention to global health.</p><p>He loves his job because he's saving lives.</p><p>"All the work that the international community does together saves about 500,000 people from malaria every year compared to the early 2000s. That's a half million lives every single year," he told me. </p><p>The current challenge is to reach the most remote locations, which the foundation has expertise in doing, and containing outbreaks. No malaria vaccine is rolled out yet, but the foundation is having a lot luck by increasing the distribution of mosquito-killing bed nets.</p><p>But even a limited outbreak can turn into a bigger infection once mosquitoes start transmitting the illness, and people move from place to place. And so, malaria is even more complicated to eradicate than polio.</p><p>Still, there's steady progress, and the goal is to reduce malaria deaths 90% by 2030 compared to their 2015 level.</p><h2>The toilet team</h2><p>Outside of malaria, one of the projects that gets a lot of attention is Bill Gates' off-the-grid toilet project, which asks scientists to rethink the toilet.</p><p>Gates launched the<a href="https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/Documents/Fact_Sheet_Reinvent_the_Toilet_Challenge.pdf"> Reinvent the Toilet</a> challenge in 2011, asking researchers to come up with toilets that could sanitize human waste with no water, electricity, sewer or septic system. The toilets were to clean the waste and reclaim the water to safe drinking water standards, as well as to harvest other nutrients for other uses, a game-changer to those living without sanitation.</p><p>Some of those original teams went to the nines on their designs. One team even held a "smell summit" working with perfume makers who recreated latrine smells. This to help them test their methods for countering such smells. That work involving taking whiffs of those lovely scents.</p><p>The director of the toilet project is Brian Arbogast - though his real title is "director, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene," and his job involves more than just toilets. He's funding a variety of projects that improve human sanitation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p><p class="caption">Gates Foundation toilet</p></div><p></p></div></div>Arbogast was an early Microsoft employee, spending 22 years rising to the level of corporate vice president. He left the company to become a cleantech investor, and has been on the boards of various clean-water entities and charities. He worked closely with Bill Gates for decades before joining the foundation in 2013. </p><p>When the toilet project was first started, no one knew if it could really be done, Arbogast said. In 2015, though, one inventor produced a system called the Omni Processor. It's not a toilet, but an off-grid fecal sludge treatment plant that outputs purified water. One day it may also output electricity.</p><p>A working prototype has been operating in Dakar, Senegal in Africa for a few years. Arbogast believes the tech will eventually influence sanitation in the developed world, including green buildings, septic systems and remote, off-the-grid cabins.</p><p><span>The latest version has been licensed to three commercial companies: the US company created by the tech's inventor, Sedron Technologies, as well as a company in China and one in India.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVzppWSIFU0&amp;t=25s">YouTube/GatesNotes</a></span></p><p class="caption">OmniProcessor inventor Peter Janicki pours Bill Gates a glass of water processed from human fecal sludge.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><span>Poop hats and toilet water</span></h2><p>Bill Gates famously drank the sewage water produced from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVzppWSIFU0">Dakar Omni Processor in 2015. </a>And there are lots of stories at the foundation and in the Gates household about that water.</p><p>"Two weeks before [Bill drank], I had to drink from it, as did most of the team," Arbogast told us.</p><p>Melinda Gates told us that her daughter made her drink that water, too. Bill Gates drove around with a 2-liter bottle of it in his car for weeks, and every time someone got in the car, their daughter made them drink some.</p><p>"I<span>f we got sick - which we didn't - it would not have not been from the water, but because we're all passing it around,"  Melinda Gates laughed.</span></p><p><span>Gates spread the love around, too: In 2015, he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-jimmy-fallon-poop-water-2015-1">tricked Jimmy Fallon</a> into drinking that water on the air, as well. </span></p><p>And there are actual toilets in development, too, with models on display (but not available for use) at the foundation's visitor's center. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p><p class="caption">The Poop emoji hat is a symbol of honor for the Gates water sanitation team. The person who came up with a brilliant idea gets to wear it for the day.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In November, Arbogast's team and Bill Gates spearheaded the Reinvented Toilet expo in Beijing. It drew in 1,200 attendees, and loads of exhibitions for new sanitation tech.</p><p>Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank, keynoted the event - but Gates stole the show by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-wants-world-to-move-past-flush-toilets-2018-11">bringing a jar of poop on stage</a> to use as a visual aid.</p><p>The group wears their association with poop as a badge of honor, Arbogast says.</p><p>He keeps a hat that looks like a poop emoji in his office, and someone on his team often gets to wear it like a crown.</p><p><span>"The poop hat gets passed on for a job well done," he said.</span></p><h2>Worldwide clout</h2><p>Dr. Kathy Kahn is a scientist who funds agricultural projects. Kahn is having success with projects that improve how <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/01/03/681941779/scientists-have-hacked-photosynthesis-in-search-of-more-productive-crops">plants do photosynthesis</a>. These plants grow faster using far less water. It's a promising field for arid countries, as well as for growing food adapted to climate change.</p><p>Kahn came to the foundation after working at the <span>U.S. Department of Agriculture. She said one of the things that makes her work here different is the foundation's name recognition. </span></p><p><span>While other nonprofits toil in obscurity, the Gates Foundation carries prestige. She gets a seat at the table with worldwide policy makers and the top scientists in her field. It's a scientist's dream, she says. </span></p><h2><span>In awe of the Gates'</span></h2><p>One of the themes we heard repeatedly was how much employees appreciated their access to Bill and Melinda Gates. They are heavily involved, eagle-eyed, ask penetrating questions and they work as a team, each bringing different perspectives. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Elaine Thompson/AP Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Progress meetings with them can feel exhilarating and nervewracking, like any employee feels about presenting to their CEO.</p><p>But there's a general sense of good humor, too. </p><p>If a technical issue occurs, say with the videoconferencing system, and an employee can't immediately fix it, Bill Gates can do it without blinking an eye. There's nothing like having one of the fathers of the PC industry in the room when tech support is needed.</p><p>Another theme was just about the thrill of having Bill or Melinda Gates get excited about the employee's projects or work. </p><h2>Helping whole countries get healthier</h2><p>Of all the stories, Dr. Jean Kagubare's was one of the most moving.</p><p>Born in Rwanda, his parents fled the country when he was a baby. He became a doctor and returned to Rwanda right after the genocide of the 1990s. He ran several national health programs and one the country's biggest hospitals before moving to the US and getting his PhD in health systems at John Hopkins. He stayed in the US, working in global health, landing at the foundation about two years ago. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p><p class="caption">Gates Foundation takes a broader approach to global health and measures holistic outcomes.</p></div><p></p></div></div>His job is to coordinate resources and measure results to ensure the healthcare system is improving. For instance, the foundation has funded a telemedicine app that helps doctors treat far-flung patients in villages without forcing them to travel to a healthcare facility.</p><p>Prior to this program, global healthcare workers would sort of parachute in to a country and focus on their one area - distributing vaccines or providing prenatal care, he explained. Those programs still exist, but now they are coordinated in a more holistic way, and his program measures total healthcare improvement, rather than just progress in one area.</p><p>"<span>Bill Gates asks the question all time: Is our money going to where it should be? Are the right people getting help?" he said. </span></p><p><span>All of this means that Kagubare is helping far more people across the globe, and especially in his home country, than he could when he worked as a doctor.</span></p><p>"<span>I was in Rwanda two months ago and talked to people and patients there. Patients are getting treatment that costs less and they don't have wait four hours at facilities, the average wait time, or pay to go to [far away] clinics," he said. </span></p><p>It's the best feeling.</p><ul><li style="list-style-type: none;"><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/melinda-gates-explains-why-data-can-be-sexist-2019-2">Melinda Gates points out a major problem with how we make decisions: data is sexist</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warns-cow-farts-climate-change-2019-2">Bill Gates warns of the dangers of cow farts - and the world should take his words seriously</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/melinda-gates-advice-working-moms-manage-stress-2019-2">Melinda Gates has some great advice on how working parents can reduce stress</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-talking-to-teens-last-year-about-anger-management-bill-gates-admits-that-some-of-his-famous-microsoft-tantrums-might-not-have-been-wise-2019-1">After talking to teens about anger management, Bill Gates admits that some of his Microsoft meltdowns were over the top</a></li></ul></li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-macbook-air-laptop-microsoft-surface-go-tablet-review-2019-1">We compared the $1,200 MacBook Air with the $500 Surface Go, and the results were a mess</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

You Searched For "cow farts danger" and got 10 results

Cow farts and livestock dangerous for climate change: Bill Gates

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Bill Gates warns of the dangers of cow farts - and the world should take his words seriously

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You can experience the end result of climate change today with virtual reality

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More than two-thirds of Asia’s population is at risk of coastline flooding by 2050 — and India’s on the front line

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10 things in tech you need to know today

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India's Indus water tower is the most important in the world — but it's also the most vulnerable

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Facebook's plan to eat the $127 billion data center market swallowed $2.5 billion last year, and will soon gobble more than $10 billion a year

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Germany's considering a new tax on meat - but it might not be a model for Democrats who want Americans to eat fewer hamburgers

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Bill and Melinda Gates revealed their 9 biggest surprises from 2018 in a letter dedicated to Microsoft's late cofounder

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I spent an uplifting day at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and discovered what it's really like to work there

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