Latest news with #deGuzman
Axios
26-06-2025
- Climate
- Axios
How extreme heat can impact infrastructure
As unusually hot temperatures sweep much of the U.S. this week, millions of Americans remain under heat advisories or warnings. The big picture: While extreme heat can have burdensome impacts on our bodies, it can also have tremendous impacts on vital — and aging — infrastructure. Such heat can leave behind devastating consequences on infrastructure, from electricity outages to damaged airport runways and faulty rail lines, per the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a multi-agency effort. "We have all this infrastructure that is meant to make us comfortable in the urban area," said Edith de Guzman, a water equity and adaptation policy specialist at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. "But not only is that infrastructure exacerbating the heat, the heat is actually deteriorating that infrastructure." Zoom in: Extreme heat can impact various types of infrastructure including that of energy, transportation, buildings, water and even digital infrastructure, de Guzman said. Energy: High temperatures can increase energy demand with more people using air conditioning to cool down. That puts stress on the grid and can lead to brownouts or blackouts. Transportation: In terms of roadways, heat can soften asphalt which can potentially create safety issues and require more frequent replacement and maintenance. Concrete can expand, crack and buckle. For trains, rail made of metal expand and lead to tracks that buckle, which increases derailment risk. Bridges, too, can suffer from expansion of steel. Building: A lot of materials used, like for roofs and sealant, can degrade faster due to heat. Water: Underground pipes, including sewer pipes, can expand and shift due to heat, which could cause leaks and breakages. Machinery at pumping stations and treatment plants could become overburdened. There could also be an impact to water quality because pollutants can be concentrated when then there's less water due to evaporation. Digital: There's already a very high cooling demand for data centers under regular conditions. Heat makes those data centers more vulnerable to power issues and overheating. Equipment such as traffic signals, sensors and telecommunication can also become impacted as they rely on the electrical infrastructure that powers other digital infrastructure. Zoom out: All infrastructure is designed with some heat exposure in mind through codes, guidelines and regulations, said Mikhail Chester, professor at Arizona State University's School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. But when extreme temperatures exceed that threshold, there are failures that, over time, can start to compromise the integrity of the infrastructure. Case in point: Roadways that are not designed for the extreme heat may see additional rutting and cracking. After enough cracking, there will start to be potholes from water intrusion. "Places like Arizona and Phoenix are more aligned with the extremes that we're currently experiencing," Chester said, adding that other places in the U.S. that are not specifically designed for the extreme heat are more vulnerable. But, he added, "nobody's spared from a heat wave and the consequences that it has on infrastructure." Between the lines: Human-caused climate change is making heat waves more likely and more intense, researchers say.
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- GMA Network
Online scam watchdog launches cyberscam reporting platform
An anti-scam watchdog group on Wednesday launched an online platform enabling Filipinos to report cyber scams. Scam Watch Pilipinas, in partnership with Gogolook and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), launched Scam Vault Philippines, a Facebook group page that netizens can visit to share and report harmful scams they encounter online. 'Ie-empower natin ang lahat ng Filipinos na may Facebook na sumali sa Scam Vault PH group page. Ang gagawin lang nila magsiye-share sila ng AI scams, social media scams, at nandoon na ang PNP para hindi na sila mahirapan,' Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder Jocel De Guzman said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum. (We will empower Filipino Facebook users to join the Scam Vault PH group page. All they have to do is report AI scams and social media scams, and the PNP is there to help.) 'Ang protocol kasi kailangan i-report. Pag ni-report medyo matagal… Ngayon, 'pag may nakita tayong scam, i-share natin sa Scam Vault para makita ng PNP-ACG, CICC o kung sinumang government offices. Iko-compile po kasi natin 'yan and then hopefully, mamo-monitor din natin kung gaano ba kabilis ang pag-take down ng Facebook,' he added. (The protocol is that they need to report but that takes time. Now, if we see a scam we can just report it to the Scam Vault and the PNP-ACG, or CICC will coordinate with the taking down. We will also monitor how long will it take for Facebook to remove these posts.) Gogolook, which empowers Whoscall—a phone fraud protection app— will use an AI-driven analysis to scan submissions while the PNP-ACG will coordinate with the taking down of the suspicious links and posts on social media as well as the investigation into the incident, de Guzman said. 'Itong ginagawa natin di lang ipapakita na magre-report pero hopefully, magkakaroon ng action,' he added. (We want to show we are just reporting but there will be actions against it.) Meanwhile, Gogolook Philippines country head Mel Motrin said Whoscall screened 20,829 reports from March to June 2025. Of the figures, 70% or 14,627 were assessed by the application. At least 7,200 of the assessed reports were scam calls; around 2,891 were potential scams; and 4,400 were considered to be non-risk. — BM, GMA Integrated News
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Business Standard
04-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Moody's to review India's sovereign rating amid global, regional risks
Global rating agency Moody's will hold a meeting with officials in the Union government in New Delhi on Thursday to review India's sovereign rating—the first such exercise after the recent stand-off with Pakistan, subsequent ceasefire, and amid global trade tensions. 'Our reviews are ongoing, and we do have a semi-annual cycle for reviews, and we're taking this opportunity, while we're in India, to continue to engage with the government,' said Christian de Guzman, senior vice-president, Moody's Ratings, in response to a query from Business Standard. The current ratings on India factor in geopolitical risks, including conflict with Pakistan, de Guzman said. Moody's currently maintains India's sovereign rating at "Baa3" with a stable outlook, the lowest investment-grade rating. Agency officials had earlier met Indian counterparts in April in Washington, DC, during the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Asked whether the review would address the implications of the recent standoff with Pakistan, de Guzman said, 'I think when we engage with the government, we engage on everything.' He added that the recent escalation and subsequent de-escalation of tensions with Pakistan were consistent with Moody's view on India's political risk environment. On the impact of global tariff shocks on growth, de Guzman said, 'We have reviewed our expectations for growth across the G20, and we have adjusted those growth forecasts in a manner that is consistent with their exposure to the tariff shock. In the case of India, that exposure, in relative terms, is small.' In early May 2025, Moody's lowered its growth forecast for India by 30 basis points to 6.3 per cent for 2025. In a note dated May 21, 2025, Moody's stated that persistent tensions—such as the recent escalation between India and Pakistan—were already accounted for in its geopolitical risk assessment. 'In a scenario of sustained escalation in localised tensions, we do not expect major disruptions to India's economic activity because it has minimal economic relations with Pakistan,' the note said. Moreover, regions that account for most of India's agricultural and industrial output are geographically distant from the conflict zones. However, the note added that higher defence spending could weigh on India's fiscal strength and slow fiscal consolidation. India is better positioned than many other emerging markets to deal with US tariffs and global trade disruptions, thanks to strong domestic growth drivers, a large internal economy, and low reliance on goods trade, according to a Moody's note on the impact of tariffs on emerging markets. Significant government investments are expected to bolster sectors ranging from infrastructure to manufacturing, at a time when rapid urbanisation and a young population are driving structural demand for housing and consumer goods. The agency also said easing inflation offers the potential for interest rate cuts to further support growth.
