Microsoft recently announced a new $50 million commitment to fight climate change with the power of artificial intelligence. They'll put these funds to work in its "A.I. for Earth" program, which uses artificial intelligence technology to drive sustainability around the globe. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Scientist at Microsoft, joined us from Paris, France to discuss how Microsoft will put the new funds to work.
Microsoft is using the funds to increase seed grants provided to those working on climate and environmental issues. Joppa says the grants will give these groups access to the latest cloud and A.I. technology. The focus of Microsoft's "A.I. for Earth"program is to improve efficient generation and reduce energy consumption. The availability of new tech will help to accomplish these goals.
One of the key focuses for Microsoft is the future of water. In the next 20 years, demand for fresh water is predicted to outpace supply. The company is using A.I. to clean up and make more efficient use of our oceans in order to help conserve and protect the resource.
After reporting record deliveries in Q4, expectations are high for Tesla's Q4 earnings call. Garrett Nelson, senior analyst and VP of equity research at CFRA, joined Cheddar News to discuss predictions about the report and what he sees as the emphasis on the EV maker's future. "We think the focal point of the release is really going to be on their guidance for 2022, the timing of the ramp-up of their new factories in Texas and Germany in the face of these chip shortages and supply chain issues, and also next steps in its long-term growth plans," he noted.
Coming off of a fourth-quarter delivering just over 300,000 cars, Tesla is expected to report tremendous earnings after the bell on Wednesday. Al Root, a senior writer for Barron’s, spoke with Cheddar’s Baker Machado about the anticipated earnings report and speculated about what Elon Musk will discuss during the call with investors, including a Cybertruck update, new factories, a possible new vehicle, and/or new larger form batteries. "There's a menu of things he could talk about, and any combination of those would be good," said Root.
The American Federation Teachers Union has announced its latest partnership with NewsGuard in efforts to help educators play a greater role in deciphering facts from fiction that students see online. They say the goal is to help students build critical-thinking skills while also teaching them the importance of media literacy. Executive Vice President of Partnerships at NewsGuard, Sarah Bandt, joined Cheddar to talk more.
James Whitley, Core Contributor at cypher, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the underlying factors that support a bounce-back for Bitcoin despite the token's recent slump.
Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, and one company says it has a solution. Runwise says it has updated the boiler and heating systems of thousands of buildings, and that its technology not only lowers carbon output but also saves landlords money. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder and COO of Runwise, joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
