Ggids

Self-checkout technology was hailed as a huge game changer. It was meant to save businesses money and help profits. It has not done what was promised. It has not lived up to expectations. For businesses it was to save on labor costs. For consumers it was to avoid long lines and save time checking out. It has not done either. The machines can malfunction, they are not usually equipped to check the ID of consumers when those are required, they need repair and attention. And for consumers, the lines to the self-checkout can be longer than the ones manned by a person— That certainly has been my experience and I suspect that of many. At the beginning I loved the idea of zipping through and checking out without having to stand in line. But of course, so did everyone else.  Installing the machines can run six figures, and retailers have not recuperated their investments. As a result, stores like Target are restricting their usage and Walmart has eliminated them.

None of the goals that were once expected in the 90’s when they became routine, have been met so why do I consider that a good thing? Because understanding the limitations of machines is important particularly in an age when we are exploring how far artificial intelligence can go. And Something that is even more important, and that is the need for human intervention. A key lesson from what is being called a failure is that human input is necessary.

 The effects of climate change are more and more visible and unavoidable. While some may be concerned about whether we can or have made progress, here are 7 things that have been done in 2024. Given that the US has been withdrawn from the Paris Accords, the list is even more important, for it shows the involvement of other countries.

–2024 saw the closing of the last coal power plant in the UK

–There’s been a surge in the global use of green power

–In 2024 in several countries’ rivers, mountains, whales and waves were given the legal status of personhood

–New ocean protection for the Azores which is home to untold species is protecting biodiversity in that part of the world

–Amazon deforestation reached a 9-year low

–Conservation efforts are proving successful in slowing and even reversing the loss of biodiversity

–Led by Indigenous population efforts, salmon returned to the Klamath river.

Indeed efforts are underway and even if future US policies make it harder, too many everywhere are committed to do what is possible.

There’s a tradition in Zimbabwe of grandmothers and elders using their wisdom and sensitivity to listen and help those who have problems.  Dixon Chibanda a professor of psychiatry revived this tradition, adapting it to contemporary life. He trained people to be like the pillar of knowledge the grandmothers were, trained them to listen and help. The result is a new way to deliver mental health in cultures and places where it is not accessible or where it is too costly for many. Friendship benches are now in parks, near churches, open spaces, poor neighborhoods, community clinics, universities…places where people come and sit and share. The approach has now spread to several countries, Vietnam, Botswana, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, and is in the early stages of being in London. Chibanda’s amazing approach has received international praise, even in the United States. In New York City the idea of Friendship Benches has inspired its mental health plan to incorporate it to combat social isolation. There are friendship benches in Brooklyn, Harlem and the Bronx. In Washington D.C. HelpAge USA is exploring the idea of using grandmothers.  20 have been trained and benches will be placed in schools, churches and community centers.  So often mental health treatments still fight so much stigma, it makes the forgotten experience and knowledge of our elders an even richer resource.