The world of cryptocurrency is evolving, and XRP is emerging as a front-runner, bringing a transformative impact on both finance and environmental sustainability. While Bitcoin and Ethereum often make headlines, XRP is gaining attention for its unique attributes and potential to reshape digital transactions with a focus on greener practices. XRP, developed by Ripple Labs, is engineered to facilitate fast, efficient, and low-cost cross-border payments. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies that rely on energy-intensive proof-of-work systems, XRP uses a consensus algorithm. This approach significantly reduces its carbon footprint, making XRP a more environmentally sustainable option in the digital currency realm. As global awareness about climate change intensifies, the demand for eco-friendly technologies like XRP is growing, paving the way for its adoption in mainstream financial structures. Moreover, XRP’s affordability and high transaction speed are attracting institutional interest, setting the stage for its broader use in global finance. Financial institutions aiming for greener operations find XRP an appealing choice, aligning with corporate sustainability goals and the shift towards responsible investing. Looking forward, XRP has the potential to become a cornerstone in the digital payment landscape, bridging the gap between traditional banking systems and cutting-edge financial technologies. As regulatory frameworks around digital currencies become clearer globally, XRP’s eco-friendly advantage may well see it leading the charge towards a sustainable digital economy. In a world increasingly attentive to environmental impact, XRP’s innovative technology not only promises efficiency but also a greener future. In the rapidly evolving landscape of cryptocurrency, XRP is gaining traction as a key player known for its environmental sustainability and efficiency. Unlike dominant cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, XRP is celebrated for its unique consensus algorithm that facilitates swift and low-cost cross-border transactions while significantly minimizing energy consumption. ### Key Features of XRP XRP stands out in the cryptocurrency market due to its distinctive benefits: – **Fast Transactions:** XRP offers rapid transaction times, typically settling in just a few seconds, which is considerably faster compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum. – **Low Costs:** The transaction fees for XRP are impressively low, making it an attractive option for users and institutions looking to reduce costs. – **Sustainability:** By leveraging a consensus algorithm instead of the energy-heavy proof-of-work model, XRP maintains a smaller carbon footprint, aligning with global environmental goals. ### Environmental and Institutional Appeal The appeal of XRP extends beyond its technical capabilities. As global consciousness about climate change intensifies, the crypto world is scrutinized for its environmental impact. XRP’s lower environmental footprint positions it as a more sustainable choice, appealing to eco-conscious investors and financial institutions. – **Institutional Interest:** Many financial institutions are drawn to XRP’s green credentials. By integrating XRP, these institutions can enhance their sustainability efforts, aligning with broader corporate goals for responsible investing and operations. ### Market Analysis and Adoption Trends XRP’s momentum in the financial sector is poised to increase as eco-friendly technologies find favor in mainstream financial structures. The cryptocurrency’s capability to bridge traditional banking systems with emerging financial technologies offers substantial strategic advantages. – **Regulatory Developments:** As nations worldwide clarify their stances on digital currencies, XRP’s environmentally friendly model could position it as a leader in sustainable digital finance. – **Broader Use Cases:** With its efficiency and reduced environmental impact, XRP is becoming increasingly relevant for remittances, financial transfers, and institutional investments. ### Future Predictions for XRP Looking ahead, XRP has the potential to become a cornerstone of the digital payment landscape. As the financial ecosystem continues to adapt to technological advancements, XRP’s eco-friendly and efficient framework suggests a promising future in achieving a sustainable digital economy. In conclusion, XRP is not only reshaping financial interactions with speed and cost-effectiveness but is also pioneering greener practices in the digital currency sector. In a world that values sustainability, XRP is well-positioned to lead the charge towards a more responsible and environmentally conscious future. For further insights into the world of XRP and similar innovative financial technologies, visit the Ripple website. Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *
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Get The Magazine Digital Now Included! Boom! The gaudy rooster cartwheeled down, sinking a few inches into a snowdrift. My wirehair brought back some of that snow in his beard along with the ringneck, and I breathed deeply, savoring the winter day. Temperatures, while cold, were a bit warmer than in the more northern parts of the region, and while there was some snow on the ground, there was less than could be found in those areas. I had good odds of finding another pheasant. Or a bobwhite. Or possibly even a sharptail. That’s winter hunting in Nebraska for you. While it may not hold the same ringneck numbers as some of the surrounding states, Nebraska does offer solid variety and—in many cases—better weather and fewer late-season hunters. Winter hunting can be a crapshoot anywhere any year, but if you’re jonesing for an upland fix in the Midwest, your odds for fair late-season weather are often better in states lying farther to the south, including Nebraska. Available weather data confirms this. On average, the birdiest parts of South Dakota see about 28 days of snowfall in December that drop some 40 inches, with an average high temperature of 29 degrees. Meanwhile, Nebraska’s uplands see 21 days of snow and 25 percent less white stuff on the ground, with average high temps near 40 degrees. Obviously, it’s still cold in Nebraska, and there’s still snow, but temperatures will generally be warmer than in the Dakotas, and there will generally be less snow. Late-season birds are typically bunched up in the hardiest cover. So, if you know what to look for, you’ll save time and effort finding them. Bundle up, top off your radiator with antifreeze, and explore some of the Cornhusker State’s birdiest spots for pheasants, quail and sharp-tailed grouse. Like its neighbors to the north, Nebraska has a well-honed public-access system that opens tons of private property to hunters. It also has loads of publicly owned land, vast swaths of national forest, wildlife management areas and other federal and state lands. Accessing the Nebraska Public Access Atlas online is likely your best bet for plotting out which properties to hit on your late-season sojourn. Some of my best hunting has occurred when focusing on lesser-known, underappreciated chunks of ground. Some U.S. Army Corps of Engineers properties fit this description. Smaller pockets of walk-in ground (known as Open Fields and Waters) and Waterfowl Production Areas (yes, for upland birds) all see less pressure, especially in winter. Nebraska also offers a unique program that could pay off in winter: a “tall stubble” incentive to farmers to create welcoming winter habitat by mowing a little higher. This leads to more feed, more cover and more birds. Check out the online Stubble Access Guide at the Nebraska Game & Parks website any time after it goes live in the fall. Review the different assets regarding Nebraska’s public hunting opportunities ahead of time, plot out your itinerary, and you should be in good shape for your hunt. The most sought-after upland bird in the state, ringnecks are found statewide, though your odds are best in the southern Panhandle and southwest Nebraska. There are plenty of harvested cornfields, sometimes bordered by public-access ground. One time, when I was headed for Kansas, I stopped outside of a one-horse town’s Little League field to stretch my dog’s legs on a little strip of grassy CRP. The point my dog gave me was one of wide-eyed surprise, but the rooster that was hunkering under the wire fence didn’t share the wonder. Instead, he rocketed for a nearby private cornfield while we scratched our collective heads. On the way back, we poked around the region a bit more with some success. You can do worse than basing a winter Nebraska pheasant hunt in one of the small towns along Interstate 80 in the southwestern part of the state. Sidney, once home to Cabela’s, still has a store, RV park and all the services you need. Draw a 50-mile circle around it and mark the walk-in ground. On one visit, with a skiff of snow on the ground, I drove south on an old farm road that had telephone poles along its edge. I turned around at the Colorado line and found a fallow, terraced field of tall grass. My young dog romped from ditch to knob, showing me a flash point that lasted only the mere seconds it took the bird to flush, a cloud of powdery snow in its wake. For once, the element of surprise worked in my favor, and I dropped the bird with an instinctive shot that rewarded my pup with a (sorta) retrieve. Head west into the Panhandle for more and larger public parcels around Kimball, and farther north into Banner and Scott’s Bluff counties. Farther east, any exit off I-80 all the way to Kearney will put you close to public access and a few bits of tall-stubble acreage. Good bird numbers are also found in Chase, Hayes, Hitchcock and Perkins counties in southwestern Nebraska and in Cheyenne, Deuel, Box Butte and Sheridan counties in the Panhandle. While Nebraska’s winter may be slightly milder than South Dakota’s, pheasants still need robust cover during the dark, cold nights and blustery days. Shelterbelts, overgrown ditches and even a few cattail patches will hold birds. If they’re near good feed, all the better. Besides ample access, another pleasant surprise about this country is the number of brushy fence lines and ditches. Sure, they’ll hold skunks as well as ringnecks, but that’s hunting, right? Late in the season, critters will outnumber humans, and that makes the risk worthwhile. (By the way, my de-skunking product of choice is Nature’s Miracle.) While not a high-profile quail state, Nebraska is at least closer than Georgia. If you’ve led a righteous life, still call your mother on her birthday and walk far enough, you might get a shot or 10. Your best chance for success will come in southeastern Nebraska and westward along the Kansas border. Fillmore, Richardson and Lancaster counties offer ample public access, but they’re smaller parcels. In late season, it’s all about favorable cover, so scout well. If you’re farther west in the Platte River Valley, you could have some luck. Once, I was chasing pheasants in one of the ringnecky pockets of Jefferson County, when my wirehair swung out of the stubble and into a depression populated by a few trees and spindly patches of grass. At a fallen log, the dog froze and I picked up my pace and was rewarded with a pair of bobwhites that squirted from one end of the downed tree. They went deeper into the trees until both were stopped by my one decent shot of the day. As the season progresses, woody cover and high-energy food become increasingly important to bobwhites. Stands of trees are worth exploring, as are any plum thickets you might see. Some may call you crazy for chasing sharp-tailed grouse any time after pheasant season opens, let alone near the bitter end of bird season. Birds are wary and often forming large family groups, which equates to a lot of eyes on the lookout for predators, including you. A pointing dog will have a hard time getting close enough to pin them, so consider bringing out the Labrador or spaniel and keeping it close. As the wind kicks up, birds will migrate to the leeward side of their favored knobs on the landscape. Bitter cold will also put them in heavy brushy cover. A shelterbelt-like stand of trees or shrubs will find favor with sharpies. On a nice day, they’ll prowl their usual haunt: knee-high grass. Sometimes, sharp-tailed grouse will become so wary that it’s virtually impossible to approach them within shotgun distance. Under these conditions, try hunting them as early in the morning as possible, as they seem to be a bit more relaxed then. You can’t talk sharpies without acknowledging the Sandhills region. The area’s bird population is often the strongest in the state, but there’s very little to block the relentless winter wind save for the occasional rusted windmill. Good starting points include the towns of Mullen and Valentine, where you can easily access the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the Samuel R. McKelvie and Nebraska National Forests (well, there are a few trees there). I once slipped my way up and down dunes covered in grass covered in snow, my pointer boosting sharptails on the horizon. I made a resolution to get a cocker some day, then topped a rise to see him on point alongside a frozen pond. That’s when I learned sharptails will “snow roost” like a ruffie. Chalk up that lesson as the excuse for missing. There’s no doubt that winter and its associated temperatures and conditions can be daunting for hunters, even in Nebraska. However, if you’re a diehard upland hunter seeking solid late-season action, don’t overlook the Cornhusker State. While still cold—and potentially snow covered—it may be an attractive option compared to colder, snowier, windier states to the north. Pack your warm socks. Key considerations when planning a late-season Nebraska upland hunt With any late-season bird hunt, there are always some extra things to consider. First off, focus on safety—both yours and your dog’s. Be mindful of hypothermia symptoms in canines, put a vest on your dog and check paws frequently for ice cuts. Roads can often be treacherous, with drifting snow and muddy conditions if the sun comes out, so take extra care when driving. And, when in the field, wear clothes, socks and footwear that adequately protect you from the cold. When planning a hunt, obtain all possible information online or via hard copy and consult the state’s Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook for advice on areas of the state with the best hunting opportunities for your desired species. You’ll need a hunting license and a habitat stamp (a two-day non-resident license costs about $76, plus $25 for the stamp). Those hunting prairie grouse east of Highway 81 are also required to obtain a special free grouse permit. On the gear front, use a tighter modified choke in your shotgun to accommodate the longer shots you’ll encounter late in the season. Number 4 or 5 shot is a good idea for winter hunts. All upland bird seasons run to the end of January—if you’re up for the challenge. Jeff Knapp Tony Martins Jace Bauserman Adam Heggenstaller Frank Sargeant Game & Fish Staff Jace Bauserman Drew Warden Tony Martins Lynn Burkhead Jim Gronaw This versatile new baitcaster is loaded with features that will find favor with new and old-school bass anglers alike. An on-the-water evaluation of a rod purpose-built for BFS presentations and designed to battle big bass Dryshod's new super lightweight Dureva outsole provides sure footing and stealth by quietly flexing and conforming to different ground surfaces. An on-the-water evaluation of a remarkably easy-to-cast baitcasting reel. A day of saltwater fishing often starts before sunup and can continue until well after dark. Flashlights—whether they be handheld or hands-free models—are vital items for safety and success in the salt. In this episode, we take a close look at several models from Streamlight that are up for the task. Many saltwater species are excellent on the table, but only if you care for and clean them properly. Preparing your catch for a meal starts as soon as you land the fish, and knowing how to properly clean it back at the dock is vital in ensuring the best flavor. In this episode, we detail steps that will help you turn your catch into memorable meals. The snook is an ambush predator of the saltwater shallows, often hiding among mangroves and attacking prey as it swims by or is swept past by current. Finding spots where snook like to hide is key to catching them, and in this episode we slide in next to an gnarly edge of mangroves and make precise drifts with our baits to pull fish from the cover. With a 13-inch length of pull and 18 1/2-inch barrel, the Super Compact version of the Cobra III pump shotgun from TriStar is sized just right for young or small-framed shooters. We spent a few minutes with Eric Renander of TriStar to get a closer look at this new .410 bore and discovered it has many of the features found on full-size shotguns, which hunters of all ages will appreciate. One of the most high-tech shotgun slugs to hit the market, the Freight Train is a polymer-tipped copper projectile designed for greater penetration and accuracy. We talked to Adam Moser from Federal Ammunition to get details on not only the slug, but also its wad and sabot, and to find out what the new Freight Train has to offer deer hunters. Keep things simple when it comes to tackle for the salt by choosing one general-purpose rod and reel combo that will serve for a variety of gamefish and presentations both inshore and offshore. In this episode, Capt. George Gozdz provides tips on how to make that selection, and we put the combo to the test against sailfish, tarpon, snook and more. The jack crevalle often doesn't get the respect it deserves when compared to species like sailfish and snook, but jacks can provide thrilling action on light tackle—especially when fishing topwater baits. In this episode, we go in pursuit of jacks to show you why these ravenous brawlers are well worth your time and attention. FFS (forward facing sonar) techniques dominated the new lure offerings at ICAST in Orlando. Here's a sampling of intriguing new fishing products at the annual trade show. Digital Now Included! SUBSCRIBE NOW Give a Gift | Subscriber Services PREVIEW THIS MONTH’S ISSUE See All Other Magazines See All Special Interest Magazines Get the top Game & Fish stories delivered right to your inbox every week. This website uses online tracking technologies, such as cookies and pixels, to serve advertising and improve our services. We also share information about your use of our site with our advertising and analytics partners. See our Privacy Policy. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Get Digital Access Enjoying What You’re Reading? Offer only for new subscribers. Subscribe Now Never Miss a Thing. Get the top Game & Fish stories delivered right to your inbox every week. By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use
Sign in to continue Sign in to continue Sign up to get started 5,374,996 General News of Wednesday, 25 December 2024 Source: classfmonline.com « Prev Next » Comments (32) Listen to Article File photo: Some students of Wesley Girls’ Senior High School (SHS) Wesley Girls’ Senior High School (SHS) has been taken to court over claims that it has denied Muslim students the right to practise their religion, sparking renewed discussions about religious freedoms in Ghana’s public schools.
The lawsuit, filed by Ghanaian citizen Shafic Osman, alleges that the prestigious Cape Coast school has systematically suppressed Muslim students by prohibiting them from observing Islamic practices.
The plaintiff is seeking several court declarations, including a ruling that the school’s policy, which allegedly prevents the belief, practice, and observance of Islam, is unconstitutional.
“A declaration that the 1st defendant’s policy compelling and requiring the practice of a compulsory school religion in a public school is contrary to and inconsistent with Articles 21(1)(b)(c) and Article 26,” the suit states.
Osman further contends that the school’s actions violate the welfare of Muslim students and contravene international human rights protections for children.
“A declaration that the limitations on Muslim students in 1st defendant school undermine the welfare of Muslim students under international human rights of the child cognisable under Article 33(5) of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992,” the filing argues.
The plaintiff is also seeking an order directing the Ghana Education Service (GES) to develop constitutionally compliant guidelines for regulating religious practices and observances in all public schools across the country.
Watch as Jean Mensa addresses issues with 9 constituencies whose results were yet to be declared
At a developers conference I attended not too long ago, attendees did little to hide their disdain every time the term “AI” was bandied about. (And it was bandied about a lot!) So I was careful on a recent call attended by about 250 engineers to preface the AI portion of the discussion with, “I know this will make you cringe, but…” That got a lot of knowing laughs and thumbs-up emojis. What’s going on here? It’s not that these developers and engineers are against the use of AI; it’s that they are tired of hearing about artificial intelligence as a panacea without pragmatism. They want to hear about how they can pragmatically and easily harness it — now — for real-life use cases. Indeed, we’ve spent the last few years bombarded by hyperbolic talk about AI (Robotaxis anyone?). How it’s going to transform life as we know it. How it’s going to take our jobs. When it will become sentient… Meanwhile, AI has kind of quietly become part of the fabric of our lives — not by changing our lives or taking our jobs or becoming sentient, but by making our lives and our jobs easier. For example, when I Googled “When will AI become sentient?” (and “When did Skynet become self-aware,” for comparison purposes), I didn’t have to comb through results one at a time but instead read the AI-generated summary of the most relevant content at the top, with sources. (Spoiler alert: Opinions are mixed.) There are hundreds of other examples of AI applications that are, well, pretty boring but really useful. What’s a lot less boring right now is scaling and integrating AI across the organization. And that’s where the AI backlash can be leveraged. Developers, engineers, operations personnel, enterprise architects, IT managers, and others need AI to be as boring for them as it has become for consumers. They need it not to be a “thing,” but rather something that is managed and integrated seamlessly into — and supported by — the infrastructure stack and the tools they use to do their jobs. They don’t want to endlessly hear about AI; they just want AI to seamlessly work for them so it just works for customers. Organizations can support that by using tools that are open, transparent, easy to use, compatible with existing systems, and scalable. In other words, boring. The open source RamaLama project’s stated goal, for example, is to make AI boring through the use of OCI containers. RamaLama facilitates the ability to locally discover, test, learn about, and serve generative AI models — in containers. It first inspects your system for GPU support, defaulting to CPU support if no GPUs are present. It then uses either Podman or Docker (or runs on the local system if neither are present) to pull the OCI image you want with all the software needed to run an AI model with your system’s setup. This eliminates the need for users to perform complex configurations on their systems for AI. The Ollama project similarly helps users get up and running with AI models locally, but it doesn’t help you run in production. RamaLama goes a step further by helping you push that model into a container image and then push that container image out to a registry. Once you have a container image, you can ship it off, fine-tune it, and bring it back. It gives you the portability of containers for model development. (My colleagues Dan Walsh and Eric Curtin posted a great video on YouTube that puts RamaLama in perspective, along with a demo.) RamaLama isn’t the only project or product that can support AI humdrumness, but it’s a great example of the kinds of things to look for when adopting AI systems across the organization. The models themselves are also, rightly, growing more mainstream. A year ago they were anything but, with talk of potentially gazillions of parameters and fears about the legal, privacy, financial, and even environmental challenges such a data abyss would create. Those LLLMs (literally large language models) are still out there, and still growing, but many organizations are looking for their models to be far less extreme. They don’t need (or want) a model that includes everything anyone ever learned about anything; rather, they need models that are fine-tuned with data that is relevant to the business, that don’t necessarily require state-of-the-art GPUs, and that promote transparency and trust. As Matt Hicks, CEO of Red Hat, put it, “Small models unlock adoption.” Similarly, organizations are looking for ways to move AI from the rarefied air of data science to a place where stakeholders across the organization can understand and make use of it as part of their day-to-day work. For developers, this kind of democratization requires tools that enable safe spaces for experimentation with building, testing, and running intelligent applications. Here’s a provocative premise: LLMs and models are just software. They’re just files and processes, processes which run on CPUs and GPUs. It just so happens that we have a technology that can help with files and processes — Linux containers. Linux is the default platform for AI development, so it makes sense to use Linux containers, which give developers a safe place to experiment without necessarily putting their data in the cloud. Containers also give developers an easy way to move their applications from those safe spaces to production, without having to worry about infrastructure. Organizations already have container infrastructure like registry servers, CI/CD testing, and production tools like Kubernetes, with key capabilities like scalability, security, and Linux optimizations for running predictive and generative AI workloads. This approach empowers teams to effectively leverage AI capabilities while maintaining flexibility and control over their data across diverse environments. The AI wave is no different than that surrounding other transformative technologies. (And, yes, I said it, it is transformative.) Think about how we used to say web-based or cloud-based before everything just became web-based or cloud-based and we didn’t need to add the modifier anymore. But that happened only after similar backlash and efforts to make web- and cloud-based technology more usable. The same will (and is) happening with AI. — Generative AI Insights provides a venue for technology leaders—including vendors and other outside contributors—to explore and discuss the challenges and opportunities of generative artificial intelligence. The selection is wide-ranging, from technology deep dives to case studies to expert opinion, but also subjective, based on our judgment of which topics and treatments will best serve InfoWorld’s technically sophisticated audience. InfoWorld does not accept marketing collateral for publication and reserves the right to edit all contributed content. Contact doug_dineley@foundryco.com. At Red Hat, Scott McCarty is senior principal product manager for RHEL Server, arguably the largest open source software business in the world. Scott is a social media startup veteran, an e-commerce old timer, and a weathered government research technologist, with experience across a variety of companies and organizations, from seven person startups to 12,000 employee technology companies. This experience has culminated in a unique perspective on open source software development, delivery, and maintenance. Sponsored Links
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