“Municipalities are looking at ways to enhance their citizen engagement "
Now that's a WHOPPER of a statement!
It is true, however, that
some city officials, especially current Hizzoner John Giles admit
publicly they have a problem with engaging citizens in government >
"a problem" they created to avoid scrutiny and oversight.
Most people who live and
work and/or pay taxes here in Mesa would tend to agree that City Manager
Chris Brady does not want or welcome more attention when he's called on
his actions and put in the hot seat to respond to any questions
whatsoever. Financing Sloan Park on the back of
20-year debt for Mesa taxpayers? No problem > we'll just say the
stadium(s) were "paid off" by his Ponzi scheme selling-off water-rights to 1140 acres of Pinal County water farm to Saints Holdings LLC.
A possible solution to 'fix' a long,-standing problem put on by the "City of Mesa Community Engagement Team"
After
a four month period of engagement, the advisory committee of community
leaders evaluated the feasibility of the public’s ideas. Subcommittees
divided into specific areas, including economic development,
sustainability, neighborhoods, and parks and recreation. They evaluated
opportunities by potential cost, impact, and public support and
presented their research to the city council for recommended
implementation.
The most popular idea on Imagine Mesa
was to encourage Arizona State University to expand to downtown Mesa.
Discussions about bringing ASU to Mesa were active for almost a year
before the Imagine Mesa campaign. The campaign brought many new ideas to
the attention of city leadership, but in situations like ASU where
there was already community awareness, the availability of a public
feedback mechanism helped leaders gauge public support at a crucial
period in the deliberation process. The Mesa City Council approved a
master plan to design and construct a 5 story building and 2–3 acre open
plaza with the sale of excise tax bonds.
The
City made the public’s ask for a farmer’s market downtown a reality,
offering use of a city park, selecting a market operator and providing
marketing assistance. The market is anticipated to open operations in
January 2019. Additionally, the City is currently in negotiations with a
respondent to an RFP to redevelop the historic Sirrine House into a farm-to-table restaurant and urban agricultural space.
Zero-Trust for Semiconductor Industry 'Green-Washing' Pledges for Net-Zero Pledges to Reach Net Zero Emssions by 2050
Let's take a huge concept hyper-local: In the US, a single fab, Intel’s 700-acre campus in Ocotillo, Arizona, produced nearly 15,000 tons of waste in the first three months of this year, about 60% of it hazardous.
It
also consumed 927m gallons of fresh water, enough to fill about 1,400
Olympic swimming pools, and used 561m kilowatt-hours of energy.
ONE TAKE-AWAY: Chip companies make lots of money. So even though all these green carbon measures would have a cost, they can afford it.
"The
semiconductor industry has a problem. Demand is booming for silicon
chips, which are embedded in everything from smartphones and televisions
to wind turbines, but it comes at a big cost: a huge carbon footprint.
The
industry presents a paradox. Meeting global climate goals will, in
part, rely on semiconductors. They’re integral to electric vehicles,
solar arrays and wind turbines. But chip manufacturing also contributes
to the climate crisis.
> It requires huge amounts of energyandwater – a chip fabrication plant, or fab, can use millions of gallons of water a day – and creates hazardous waste.
As the semiconductor industry finds itself increasingly under the spotlight, it is starting to grapple with its climate impacts.
✓✓ Last week Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest chipmaker, which supplies chips to Apple, pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The company aims to “broaden our green influence and drive the industry
towards low-carbon sustainability”, said the TSMC chairman, Mark Lui.
But decarbonizing the industry will be a big challenge.
TSMC alone uses almost 5% of all Taiwan’s electricity, according to figures from Greenpeace, predicted to rise to 7.2% in 2022, and it used about 63m tons
of water in 2019. The company’s water use became a controversial topic
during Taiwan’s drought this year, the country’s worst in a half
century, which pitted chipmakers against farmers.
>
Chip manufacturing, rather than energy consumption or hardware use,
“accounts for most of the carbon output” from electronics devices, the
Harvard researcher Udit Gupta and co-authors wrote in a 2020 paper. . .A global shortage of high-end chips,. .has increased focus on the industry.
CONSEQUENCES:
In a tight market, automakers found themselves at the back of the chip
queue, far behind much bigger-scale semiconductor customers such as
Apple, who use the chips to give computing power to their smartphones,
laptops and other devices.
>
. . ."Recently, I started seeing our effects on the environment
completely come to the forefront,” said Sohini Dasgupta, principal
design engineer at ON Semiconductors.
Two years ago, she said, the industry “was sitting on the fence, in the middle of the pack, saying: ‘Yes, sustainability is important, but we don’t know what to do with it’”. But
now she sees movement: “Every day it pops up in our emails, what our
company’s doing, what other companies are doing,” she said. . .
The
rise of ethical investing has helped, according to Mark Li, a
semiconductor analyst at the investment firm Bernstein. Fund managers
increasingly market “green funds” and investors are asking more
questions about companies’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG)
impact. “Over the last three years, the voice of ESG investment is much
louder than before,” Li said. Ultimately, this changes how companies behave, he added. . .
>
Greater availability of renewable energy is helping chipmakers reduce
their carbon footprint. Intel made a commitment to source 100% of its
energy from renewable sources by 2030, as did TSMC, but with a deadline of 2050.
>
Energy consumption accounts for 62% of TSMC’s emissions, said a company
spokesperson, Nina Kao. The company signed a 20-year deal last year
with the Danish energy firm Ørsted, buying all the energy from a
920-megawatt offshore windfarm Ørsted is building in the Taiwan Strait. . .
> As well as switching to renewables, chipmakers could also implement efficiencies in fabs. . .
> Fabs could be more efficient in regulating air and water temperature, humidity, and pressure
> There is also innovation aimed at tacklingthe
worst-polluting materials used in making semiconductors. The chip
industry uses different gases during the production process, many of
which have a significant climate impact . . ."
1 Why Intel and TSMC are building water-dependent chip factories in one of the driest U.S. states
By Sam Shead | CNBC
The
biggest semiconductor manufacturers in the world are quickly trying to
build new factories as the global chip crisis continues to wreak havoc
on a plethora of industries.
U.S. semiconductor giant Intel
announced in March that it plans to spend $20 billion on two new chip
plants in Arizona. Separately, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Company) said it was going to build a $12 billion factory in Arizona,
and chief executive C.C. Wei said Wednesday that construction had
already begun.
The Grand Canyon State may not, however, seem like
the most obvious place for a chip “foundry” or “fab” since the high-tech
manufacturing plants guzzle millions of gallons of water every day.
At
present, in the face of climate change, Arizona is facing a deepening
water crisis and some of the state’s all-important aquifers have an
uncertain future.
Arizona received just 13.6 inches of rainfall on
average per year between 1970 and 2000, according to the NOAA National
Climatic Data Center, making it the fourth driest state nationwide.
Conversely, Hawaii and Louisiana recorded the highest levels of average
yearly precipitation in the U.S. over the same time frame, reporting
63.7 inches and 60.1 inches, respectively.
Jun 4, 2021 — Why Intel and TSMC are building water-dependent chip factories in one of ... Arizona received just 13.6 inches of rainfall on average per year ...
Mainstream Reports: MAKING CHIPS TAKES LOTS OF WATER
By
now we all know that water is one of the most precious commodities here
in the desert. We can't live without this valuable natural resource
that is increasingly getting 'monetized in the marketplace - a scarce commodity that can be extracted, bought and sold and traded.
INSERT: Extreme Drought (D3)- across much of central, southern, and western Arizona, as well as Southeast California In Arizona: Maricopa, northern Pinal, southern Gila, La Paz, and Yuma counties
"Major
semiconductor manufacturers looking to expand in Arizona will likely be
spared from water cuts induced by an unprecedented water shortage in
the Southwest, at least for now. . .
As
part of the scramble to end a shortage of another kind — the global
dearth in semiconductor chips — both Intel and TSMC plan to open new
facilities in Arizona. But they’re setting up shop just as one of the worst droughts in decades grows worse across the Western US.
> A factory or “fab” for making semiconductors needs a lot of water to operate. It’ll guzzle between 2 to 4 million gallons of water a day by some estimates, using the water to cool down equipment and clean silicon wafers.
That’s about as much water as 13,698 to 27,397 Arizona residents might use in a day.
Fabs
are also pretty picky when it comes to water quality, they need to use
“ultra-pure” water to prevent any impurities from damaging the chips.
Water shortages loom over future semiconductor fabs in Arizona
Chipmakers are setting up shop in Arizona as drought worsens
Federal authorities officially declared a shortage
on the Colorado River for the first time ever this week, which will
trigger water cuts in several states and Mexico starting January 1st,
2022.
TSMC Says a Shortage of Commodity Chips Is Disrupting Trillion-Dollar Industries
Anton Shilov
3 - 4 minutes
PRE-NOTE: "...The market of semiconductor manufacturing tools is also huge and
multifaceted. If TSMC cannot get an ASML extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
lithography scanner or an Applied Materials deposition tool on time, its
huge $20+ billion fab will stand idle. Ultimately, other suppliers of
fab tools as well as TSMC's customers will suffer, so supply chain
management will get even more crucial tomorrow than it is today.
US governor visits Taiwan in trip focused on semiconductors
Al Jazeera
3 - 4 minutes
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is expected to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and chip representatives during trip.
The
governor of the US state of Arizona has begun a trip to Taiwan focused
on securing critical chips that are at the centre of the heated tech
rivalry between the United States and China.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is expected to meet Taiwanese President
Tsai Ing-wen as well as business leaders and university representatives
in the semiconductor industry during his three-day visit to the
self-governing island.
The visits have drawn an angry response from Beijing, which considers
Taiwan a province that must be “reunified” with the Chinese mainland by
force if necessary.
✓ During his visit to Taiwan, Ducey is seeking to attract suppliers for
a new $12bn semiconductor plant being built in Arizona by Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC), the world’s largest supplier of
the critical chips used in practically all electronic devices.
The governor will then travel to South Korea, where he is expected to
meet South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and business leaders later in
the week. ✓
“Arizona has excellent relationships with Taiwan and the Republic of Korea,” Ducey said before beginning the trip.
“The goal of this trade mission is to take these relationships to the
next level — to strengthen them, expand them and ensure they remain
mutually beneficial.”
Taiwan produces more than half the global supply of high-end
processor chips, and Washington is concerned that the US is overly
dependent on the island and other Asian suppliers.
Concerns about the global supply of semiconductors have been
heightened by shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s
aggressive moves towards Taiwan. Beijing carried out unprecedented
military exercises near the island in response to Pelosi’s visit,
disrupting shipping and air traffic and highlighting the potential
vulnerability of the global supply chain for semiconductors.
Sign up for Al Jazeera
Weekly Newsletter
✓ In July, the US Congress passed legislation pledging $52bn in grants
and other aid to develop the domestic semiconductor industry and a 25
percent tax credit for investors in US-based chip factories.
Washington has also ramped up its support for Taiwan, although it does not recognise the island as an independent country.
✓ ✓ US President Joe Biden is planning to ask Congress to approve the
sale of $1.1bn in arms to the island, including 60 anti-ship missiles
and 100 air-to-air missiles, the media outlet Politico reported on
Wednesday.
Raytheon is most famous not for philanthropy, but for missiles. It
manufactures the BGM-109 Tomahawk, the long range cruise missile Trump
ordered fired at chemical weapons facilities in Syria in 2018. They cost around $2 million each. Raytheon also makes the Javelin
weapon system that has become crucial to Ukraine's fight against
Russia. Girls Who Code has partnered with Raytheon since 2018 and the
organization lists the manufacturer as a "partner" on its website that
donates more than $1 million to it in 2021.
‘Girls Who Code’ Team Up With Tomahawk Missile Maker Raytheon
The defense manufacturer has partnered with the STEM oriented nonprofit to provide leadership and technical training to college students.
Defense contractor Raytheon and tech nonprofit Girls Who Code are teaming up to launch a “pilot leadership academy for STEM college students.” According to a Raytheon press release, the program isspecificallyfor “STEM students who will soon enter the workforce.”
Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization that aims to close the gender gap in tech. It has various clubs andprogramsthat seek to foster a love of STEM and tech in women. It has clubs for kids as young as eight, runs summer programs and gives out grants for highschoolers, and runs career counseling and development programs for college aged participants.
Raytheon is a defense contractor that manufactures weapons of war.
The partnership program is an initiative for teaching college aged girls how to code. It includes programs to strengthen leadership, technical, and professional skills as well as networking opportunities. In a press release announcing the partnership, Raytheon hailed it as a win for diversity.
“The Leadership Academy aims to provide students from historically underrepresented groups with increased exposure to tech careers by empowering them with a supportive community of peers and professional development opportunities,” the press release said. “Students in the Leadership Academy come from more than 80 colleges across the U.S. and about 90% identify as Black, Latina, Indigenous, or first-generation college students.”
Girls Who Code will also help Raytheon with its charitable giving initiatives.
“This four-month pilot program will include small cohort meetings—designed to provide opportunities for shared learning, career mentoring, and community-building—as well as a Give Back Project,” the press release said. “Participants will receive guidance from peers and Raytheon Technologies mentors as they plan, manage, and execute community service projects. Volunteers from the company will also participate in speed networking events and technical interview prep sessions with the students.”
Raytheon is most famous not for philanthropy, but for missiles. It manufactures the BGM-109 Tomahawk, the long range cruise missile Trump ordered fired atchemical weapons facilitiesin Syria in 2018. They cost around $2 million each. Raytheon also makes theJavelinweapon system that has become crucial to Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Girls Who Code has partnered with Raytheon since 2018 and the organization lists the manufacturer as a “partner” on its website that donates more than $1 million to it in 2021.
The press release did not say if the Girls Who Code would be working on weapons systems and the organization did not return Motherboard’s request for comment. But the press release did offer some insights.
"At Girls Who Code, we understand that to prepare our students for the workforce; we must not only equip them with the resources they need to build on their technical skills. To help them thrive, we also need hands-on engagement that will teach them the fundamentals of growing their networks through leadership," Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code said in the release. "We're overjoyed to partner closely with Raytheon Technologies on this pilot program and are excited by the opportunity to continue to provide students with the tools and confidence they need to make a difference."
Raytheon did not return Motherboard’s request for comment.
Aug 26, 2021 · Raytheon Technologies partnered with the national organization to host five two-week virtual programs for 300 high school girls from across the ...
8 hours ago · Raytheon Technologies said Monday it is partnering with Girls Who Code to launch GWC's Leadership Academy, a semester-long program for more ...
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