Kuala Selat village lies on the coast of Indragiri Hilir district on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In the first half of the year, residents of the village arrange buckets and drums to collect rainwater to meet their daily needs. They will then stockpile water to last through the dry months from June to September, but a longer dry spell has led to an acute shortage of water.
Plastics lobbyists are pushing recycling as a remedy to the plastic crisis, which NGOs decry as a "false solution" and demand deep cuts in polymer production to meet climate goals. Some fear that a legally binding treaty is unlikely.
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Extreme heat is making air conditioning a necessity. For commercial offices and large-scale city campuses, the use of artificial intelligence and demand response-ready cooling systems could promise efficiency gains.