EU countries back ban on destruction of unsold textiles

The governments and the European Parliament need to agree on the Ecodesign Regulation before it can enter law. Under the initial March 2022 proposal by the European Commission, the Commission itself was to have determined at a later stage whether to put destruction bans in place.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-countries-back-ban-destruction-unsold-textiles-2023-05-22/

Why generative AI is a raw material, not a finished product

Seeing generative AI as a raw material might be the perspective shift you’ve been looking for to get your thinking get unstuck and help you make sense of the rhetoric around you.

https://kozyrkov.medium.com/why-generative-ai-is-a-raw-material-not-a-finished-product-87b722292e70

Bumble acquires Official, an app that helps couples strengthen their relationship

“When you say something as simple as, the world is facing a loneliness crisis . . . and we are in a really toxic state as humans, I just feel like we have such an interesting business to try and heal some of that through better relationships,” she says.

Official will remain as a standalone app for the time being, though Herd says there are opportunities for Official and Bumble to collaborate. If a person finds a partner through Bumble, they can switch to the company’s relationship-centric app rather than leave the system entirely. Couples who met on another app or in person could also sign up for the app and join the Bumble network. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90897985/bumble-acquires-official-an-app-that-helps-couples-strengthen-their-relationship

Spain to pay national bus and train tickets for young people this summer

The offer applies to anyone aged 18-30 who is an EU citizen and a resident in Spain. It includes discounts of up to 90 percent on state-run buses and short-to-medium distance trains.

https://www.thelocal.es/20230510/spain-to-pay-national-bus-and-train-tickets-for-young-people-this-summer?tpcc=newsletter_subscriber&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=how_to_get_a_100_mortgage_in_spain_and_more_travel_discounts_for_young_people&utm_term=2023-05-10

Venture Capital Has a New Net-Zero Alliance

Putting together a band of interested firms is only the first step. Next, the investors plan to develop a methodology to reduce their emissions and  reach net-zero  and best practices to encourage their portfolio companies to do the same. VCA members have been consulting with Project Frame, an initiative of the nonprofit Prime Coalition, to develop a structured way for VCs to think about and quantify their emissions — and how to reduce them over time. That includes the role that carbon offsets — which have a spotty record — will play in ensuring their portfolios reach net-zero.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-25/venture-capital-focuses-on-climate-change-with-new-net-zero-alliance

Grimes says anyone can use her voice for AI-generated songs

Grimes isn’t the first artist to embrace voice cloning and artificial intelligence tools. Holly Herndon, an experimental musician, introduced her own artificial voice called Holly Plus in 2021. Herndon allows users to upload audio files and receive a new version sung in her voice. Only members of Herndon’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) are able to profit from the voice model.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/24/23695746/grimes-ai-music-profit-sharing-copyright-ip

What Fast Fashion Can And Should Learn From Fast Food’s Sustainable Evolution

Like the big fast food chains, fast fashion brands that deliver to your door – sometimes in less than a day – have rapidly became a habit for many around the world. Both offer an instant, affordable pick-me-up – a mini-treat for people who, in today’s economic climate, are likely time poor and financially stretched. But there is a cost, of course: the environment, and the conditions in which these products are made.

https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/christophermarquis/2023/04/25/what-fast-fashion-can-and-should-learn-from-fast-foods-sustainable-evolution/amp/
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