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Last Notes

2026-08-30 11:49:40 UTC

"As microorganisms break down sewage, they release carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – three potent greenhouse gases.
Our new research found a surprisingly simple way to cut greenhouse gas emissions from open wastewater treatment lagoons: growing plants on buoyant rafts."
https://theconversation.com/floating-wetlands-a-promising-way-to-decrease-wastewater-emissions-new-research-289502

2026-08-26 12:52:39 UTC

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"In early September, campaigners plan a massive demonstration against datacentres in Edinburgh.
Campaigners have been calling for Scotland to put in place a full moratorium on datacentre development, to give the public and authorities time to examine the plans that are in the pipeline."
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/25/never-seen-this-level-of-objection-scotland-pushes-back-against-datacentre-boom

2026-08-26 12:52:14 UTC

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"In a village 21 miles north of Edinburgh, a real estate consultancy plans to build a datacentre larger than the village itself – 35 metres high, with an area larger than 100 football pitches.
Billed as the second-biggest datacentre in the world, the development in Auchertool, Fife, has attracted 1,600 objections.
This week, Scotland’s minister for public finance issued a new set of directions to regulate datacentres in the country. "
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/25/never-seen-this-level-of-objection-scotland-pushes-back-against-datacentre-boom

2026-08-20 11:26:12 UTC

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"Children’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found.
The researchers said the findings were a vindication of the low-emission zone policy, which had been criticised as a burden on motorists."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/18/ulez-better-lung-size-function-london-children

2026-08-16 13:14:47 UTC

RE: https://ottawa.place/@dkmackinnon/117105221215268138
Spread the word far and wide!
Those pollinators are good for the adjacent farms.
Also: If you choose to grow crops under the solar, their yield can be higher than without the solar, with less water.
(And the plants cool the solar so you get more yield out of those too, compared to erecting them on an unused parking lot or something).
Having plants under solar is a win all around.
#note17ka…ptn0

2026-08-08 23:05:28 UTC

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"Amazon is quietly trying to build the biggest gas power plant in the country.
[It] has bought land and acquired permits in Pecos County, Texas, for an AI data center powered by a 7.65 gigawatt gas power plant.
Amazon says that the GW Ranch will use brackish groundwater that isn’t potable and thus can’t be used for irrigation or drinking.
But that’s not likely to quell public opposition."
https://newrepublic.com/post/214111/amazon-data-center-biggest-pollution-source-entire-country

2026-07-09 11:18:43 UTC

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"The landmark mega project — roughly double New York’s Central Park’s size with city-sized power needs — collapsed in a domino effect after Virginia courts voided the county’s initial rezoning approval due to improper public notices. The newspaper notices publicizing the hearing at which the project was approved weren’t separated by at least 6 days, as mandated by state and local codes at that time, thereby invalidating the hearing and the resulting approval."
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/blackstone-owned-qts-abandons-planned-worlds-largest-data-center-campus-after-years-of-lawsuits-2-100-acre-virginia-digital-gateway-project-dies-over-a-newspaper-notice-technicality

2026-07-08 16:12:02 UTC

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"The Scottish National party (SNP)’s national council passed a motion to freeze all new datacentres in Scotland. That motion has been sent to the Scottish government to consider.
The SNP resolution suggests that the datacentres could overwhelm [Scotland's] renewables capacity.
It says there are 24 “hyperscale” datacentre projects in various stages of planning in Scotland. Combined, they would use more than one-and-a-half times the power Scotland uses at peak demand."
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/07/scotland-could-freeze-datacentre-projects-in-challenge-to-uks-ai-strategy

2026-06-30 12:43:24 UTC

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"Can data centers actually hold up in a warming world? And has the industry priced that in?
Climate-related costs, primarily driven by high heat, would result in losses worth nearly 10% of total data center asset value, the researchers found."
But the real question is:
In a heatwave, who will get priority for finite electricity: data centers - or people?
https://fortune.com/2026/06/29/data-centers-climate-risk-heat-summer-stress-test/

2026-06-29 12:22:32 UTC

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Data center proposed near you?
You can pull up a map and draw your own 6-mile (10km) radius around the proposed site. Get an idea of who will feel the heat from the data center.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/11/how-much-heat-does-an-ai-data-centre-produce-and-where-are-they-located
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/833/354/989/309/525/original/6890fcad4e34461e.png

2026-06-29 12:03:22 UTC

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"Using metered water usage data from around 200 data centres from 2024-5, the Environment Agency identified a clear summer peak in water demand from data centres.
The agency says this poses a risk to highly-water stressed regions including London and Southeast England. Despite the urgency of reducing water use in the face of repeated heatwaves, these findings are buried in a highly technical report aimed at water industry professionals. "
https://theecologist.org/2026/jun/29/data-centres-cooling-drives-heatwave-demand

2026-06-29 11:11:21 UTC

"As part of the Secretary-General’s blueprint for a clean break with fossil fuels, he outlined seven key steps:
Cut emissions fast
Accelerate clean energy
Clean up AI
Ensure a just transition
Boost climate resilience
Unlock fair finance
Defend science and truth
“There are no embargoes on sunlight and no blockades on the wind,” he said."
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167785

2026-06-28 21:57:25 UTC

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"The relentless drive by Big Tech corporations to expand data center construction to every continent has sparked a growing movement of mass resistance. From the United States to Ireland, from Chile to Malaysia, grassroots communities are protesting water depletion, soaring utility bills, air and noise pollution, and environmental destruction."
https://truthout.org/articles/the-fight-against-ai-data-centers-is-the-newest-frontier-of-global-class-warfare/

2026-06-27 22:03:55 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@benroyce/116824076897344879
This is unbelievable.
Commentators LMAOing
Go kids! Ganbatte!
#note1qw7…cs67

2026-06-25 20:30:22 UTC

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If the track record of carbon capture is so miserable, why is the whole world trying to hard to get at this gassy grail?
"BP [funded research at] Princeton University'sCarbon Mitigation Initiative. The research program was framed around finding solutions to climate change while keeping fossil fuels in play, focusing heavily on carbon capture.
The “Wedges” paper was the initiative’s first big swing. And it succeeded beyond anything its authors could have imagined."
https://www.propublica.org/article/wedges-climate-research-bp-fossil-fuel-princeton

2026-06-25 13:16:15 UTC

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The projections on CCS, or carbon capture and sequestration are wildly optimistic as they are wildly pessimistic about PV solar.
https://projects.propublica.org/why-carbon-capture-cant-solve-climate-change/
I would like to know how much they're talking of carbon capture in China, which is powering ahead on solar and wind energy.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/810/913/174/983/160/original/04ea106428cf4ba7.png

2026-06-25 13:09:51 UTC

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"Right now, globally, we’re permanently burying less CO2 than a single large power plant can emit in a year.
U.S. taxpayers are paying oil and gas companies $85 for every metric ton they put underground.
At that rate, by 2050, the world could be spending half a trillion dollars — more than China’s military budget, and 10 times more than the U.N.’s humanitarian and development aid budget — each year."
https://projects.propublica.org/why-carbon-capture-cant-solve-climate-change/

2026-06-25 01:37:41 UTC

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Learning to live with the heat (or the cold) ouside is key, I find.
If in the spring you let your body acclimatise, by summer you don't think 80F is all that hot. By the time fall rolls around CelloDad starts looking for an extra layer when it gets below 80F outside. Really!
And set your thermostat where it feels comfortable: DON'T look at the number, ask yourself, Should I set this higher or lower? We tend to settle at 76-78F summer, 62-65 winter. Saves us a bundle on HVAC.

2026-06-23 13:14:31 UTC

"The summer of 1976 is seared into national memory as one of record heat. Harvests failed, farmers despaired, Britain imported an extra million tonnes of grain, food prices rose by 12%, taps ran dry, and each day, 250 people died from heat-related deaths.
The heatwave, which began 50 years ago on Tuesday, brought 15 consecutive days on which the peak temperature was above 32C. Half a century later and 32C no longer feels shocking."
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/23/heatwave-1976-extreme-heat-climate-crisis-new-normal

2026-06-23 11:37:39 UTC

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This graphic is telling, and the label even more so: "Fossil Fuel Detour".
The fossil fuel path concentrated wealth and power in the hands of a few while it sacrificed human and planetary health at a vast scale.
That path - the detour - is being bypassed by the energy revolution, and the less countries are vested in fossil fuels, the more direct the path to clean energy is. Some African countries have very shallow paths on this diagram.
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/electric-asia/
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/799/174/237/862/446/original/628208a6f7d2db02.png

2026-06-23 11:22:02 UTC

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Two things are happening:
"The first is that Asia is taking an electric path.
The second runs deeper. It is a change in what energy is. Coal, oil and gas are commodities, dug from the ground. Solar panels, batteries and wind turbines are technologies, built on a production line. The energy revolution *is* the shift from extraction to manufacturing."
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/electric-asia/

2026-06-23 11:19:41 UTC

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"If the defining economic story of the century is the rise of Asia, the defining energy story is the rise of electricity. The two are usually told apart. This report argues they are one: Asia’s rise is electric, and the electric age hastens Asia’s rise."
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/electric-asia/
This is the nuts and bolts version of the geopolitical story often covered in magazines like Foreign Policy: that whoever controls the means of energy production has the hegemony.

2026-06-22 22:03:13 UTC

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"All of those individuals are eligible to be reimbursed for any legal or consultation costs."
The schedule of hearings has been suspended.
"Jasona Rondeau, a registered observer of the Synapse proceeding and a social advocate helping Olds residents navigate the AUC hearing, said the suspension of the schedule is “a reflection of the large number of interveners and the potential costs that could be incurred for such a large group with such a diverse range of issues.” "
https://www.theenergymix.com/application-delayed-as-680-local-residents-gain-standing-on-olds-alberta-data-centre-proposal/

2026-06-22 22:02:34 UTC

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Okay this is very inspiring: Olds is a small town (pop. 9,200) in Alberta, where a data center with a 1.4GW power plant is proposed.
"More than 1,100 statements of intent to participate in the Olds hearing landed with the regulator, possibly the largest number ever received for a single project.
[680 local residents gained] “standing” in the hearing process, meaning they can give evidence, question witnesses, and provide arguments."
https://www.theenergymix.com/application-delayed-as-680-local-residents-gain-standing-on-olds-alberta-data-centre-proposal/

2026-06-21 13:39:20 UTC

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"Amid the AI gold rush, laws and regulations have not kept pace with the development, causing friction with communities, mostly in large cities and their outlying suburbs, where a majority of the nation’s data centers are located.
The fact that data centers are generally shrouded in secrecy for security reasons has added to the frustration of residents, who increasingly compare them to other unwanted facilities such as waste incinerators and mega-solar projects."
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2026/06/21/data-center-pushback/

2026-06-21 12:21:06 UTC

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"France issued a red heatwave alert across more than a third of the country for Sunday, June 21, as a ferocious heatwave dug in.
The prolonged heatwave, which began earlier this week, has disrupted the country, forcing the cancellation of dozens of trains and the suspension of classes."
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2026/06/20/france-issues-red-heatwave-alert-on-sunday-for-third-of-country-bans-alcohol-at-music-festival_6754702_7.html

2026-06-20 11:04:44 UTC

"The US did not want to use the term "climate change" at a major Antarctic meeting, instead preferring to focus on "specific" environmental changes.
Its stance was rebuked by other countries, including France, which described it as a "worrying development" that risks undermining credible science.
Conservationists say "editing words" out of a report won't alter the real impact of climate change."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-19/united-states-accused-of-climate-change-edit-antarctic-report/106818680

2026-06-20 00:24:06 UTC

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Morocco braces for weekend heatwave as temperatures soar to 45°C
https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/196951/morocco-braces-weekend-heatwave-temperatures.html

2026-06-20 00:19:40 UTC

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"France is in the grip of a heatwave, which Météo France expects to be "wisdespread, prolonged and intense". The thermometer is set to climb even higher in the coming days, reaching or exceeding 40°C on June 21."
https://www.france24.com/en/france-tries-to-cope-with-second-premature-heatwave-in-less-than-a-month

2026-06-20 00:17:38 UTC

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Spain faces first major heatwave of the year, highs up to 45°C from Monday
"The driving force behind this episode will be a ridge of warm, dry air rising up from Africa."
https://www.euronews.com/2026/06/19/spain-faces-first-major-heatwave-of-the-year-highs-up-to-45c-from-monday
Euronews

2026-06-19 13:00:00 UTC

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poimts out everything that's wrong with the arguments that European leaders are accepting at face value.
youtu.be/FjfTm5NoOUY

2026-06-19 12:54:07 UTC

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"Europe must prioritize artificial intelligence over its immediate climate ambitions or risk surrendering its tech sovereignty to China.
That's the view of the president of the European Data Centre Association, which lobbies the EU on behalf of data center companies.
If grid upgrades and advanced nuclear projects are delayed, gas could emerge as the only practical bridging fuel, he argued."
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-choose-ai-climate-goals-data-center-chief-warns/

2026-06-19 11:46:12 UTC

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Caveat investor:
"A huge portion, 79%, of all data centers globally are exposed to acute risk from severe, climate-induced weather events.
Over half are in markets exposed to chronic climate stress.
Data centers are typically expected to be in operation for 20 to 30 years, and investors may not be weighing long-term conditions affected by climate."
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/18/data-center-climate-change-study.html

2026-06-19 11:41:19 UTC

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"Observers caution that while the centers are propelling wind, solar, and other clean energy companies, datacenters remain a climate nightmare.
Utilities across the US are racing to build new fossil-fuel plants to accommodate the facilities, or are keeping ageing gas and coal plants online to meet the staggering demands of datacenters. In Michigan and other states, the centers have effectively derailed the grids’ planned transitions to renewable energy."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/19/datacenters-us-clean-energy-growth-climate

2026-06-18 18:34:15 UTC

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Reversal!
Pushing back works
"The Trump administration announced Thursday it would reverse course on plans to dismantle a major ocean observation program, bowing to pressure from congressional lawmakers."
https://www.eenews.net/articles/nsf-retreats-on-ocean-monitoring-cuts-after-capitol-hill-revolt/

2026-06-18 12:55:26 UTC

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#RandomEnglishWord
Waterfall - water falling from a height
- Spanish: cascada
- German: Wasserfall
- Dutch: waterval
- Danish: vandfald
- Norwegian: foss
The name of the Swedish energy company Vattenfall simply means waterfall.
The River Foss in Yorkshire is probably named by the Norse: the old Norse word Fos also means impetuous.

2026-06-18 12:38:29 UTC

#RandomEnglishWord
Water - the basis of life on Earth (which ought to be called Water)
- French: eau
- Spanish: agua
- German: Wasser
- Dutch: water
- Danish: vand
- Norwegian: vann
Old English wæter, from Proto-Germanic *watr- (source also of Old Saxon watar, Old Frisian wetir, Old High German wazzar, Old Norse vatn). These are cultures that deal a lot with water other than for drinking: traveling on it and keeping it out of homes.

2026-06-18 11:49:05 UTC

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"The ocean has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat that human activity has trapped on Earth, quietly buffering those of us on land from the full force of warming. For decades, that made it our greatest and most uncomplaining ally.
What we know about the ocean and Earth’s energy imbalance rests on a sophisticated network of sensors kept in waters across the globe and satellites."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/17/ocean-fever-climate-change

2026-06-17 12:04:35 UTC

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"A group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters on Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/ocean-monitoring-cuts-trump

2026-06-17 12:02:45 UTC

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"That prospect [of dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative] has raised concern across Alaska's seafood industry. The state's commercial seafood sector is worth $5.3 billion and supports nearly 42,000 jobs, and experts said observations help inform decisions ranging from harvest levels to storm risk."
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/alaska-fishing-industry-ocean-monitoring-impact/

2026-06-16 10:54:31 UTC

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"Almost all of the world's children are exposed to at least one climate hazard, with as many as 1.8 billion put in danger by droughts and 1.2 billion by extreme heat, the United ‌Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.
UNICEF said children were "disproportionately affected" by a range of intensifying climate-related risks and governments urgently needed to invest in infrastructure, adaptation and disaster management capabilities to reduce their exposure."
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/almost-all-worlds-children-exposed-climate-hazards-un-agency-says-2026-06-16/

2026-06-15 23:42:59 UTC

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Remember: whenever you hear about a heatwave in southern Europe, it often means there is a bigger heatwave in northern Africa.
"A mass of hot air from the Sahara has settled over the Iberian peninsula and spread into southern and western France, pushing temperatures widely into the low- and mid-30s celsius."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/15/weather-tracker-sahara-heatwave-temperatures-europe-australia

2026-06-15 23:41:40 UTC

Hot desert air drives Morocco heat spike as coastal fog holds temperatures down
"Saharan air is pushing temperatures in Morocco’s inland, eastern and southern regions toward 46 C this week."
https://en.hespress.com/140024-hot-desert-air-drives-morocco-heat-spike-as-coastal-fog-holds-temperatures-down.html

2026-06-15 16:05:37 UTC

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Carney government is ‘shredding’ environmental rules and ‘misleading’ Canadians: former advisors
"The federal government shut out its own climate science and policy advisors while gutting Canada’s environmental protections in favour of oil and gas, parliamentary committee hears."
https://thenarwhal.ca/carney-canada-net-zero-committee/

2026-06-15 12:41:30 UTC

"Three years ago, the Ontario government launched its first competitive bidding process. At the time, the batteries and the gas plants came in at about the same average price.
On Friday, batteries bid at prices so much lower that not a single gas plant was contracted.
“Gas plants aren’t competitive anymore,” said Keith Brooks, program director at Environmental Defence. “If there’s a level playing field, clean energy and batteries win every time.”"
https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/why-ontarios-big-move-to-battery-storage-has-observers-saying-gas-plants-arent-competitive-anymore/article_4695825b-bd18-40e3-9b06-17e24ba4fa76.html

2026-06-14 12:41:49 UTC

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BEFORE #DataCenters are proposed:
"Because of the significant impact that a data center can have on its surroundings, communities benefit from planning ahead before any proposal has even been made in their area."
AFTER one is proposed near you:
"Penn State Extension published a guide to common questions about data centers that may facilitate discussions with community officials and data center developers."
https://theconversation.com/how-pennsylvania-towns-are-protecting-themselves-from-the-noise-heat-and-utility-costs-of-massive-data-centers-282126

2026-06-14 12:31:53 UTC

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"The cost of all Amoc monitoring adds up to about €25m a year. Meaning that for five cents per person per year, the EU can maintain one of the world’s most important climate monitoring systems that impacts our everyday lives and improves resilience to the climate crisis.
We therefore urge the EU, the UK and other international partners to step up, make haste, get organised and collaborate to assure long-term continuation of Amoc monitoring before it is lost."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/14/amoc-collapse-europe-climate

2026-06-12 10:48:53 UTC

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"The dismantling will end most of the monitoring in one of the nation's most advanced, continuous observing systems less than halfway through its intended 25-year lifespan.
The [National Science] Foundation will remove four of its last five arrays by the end of summer 2027."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/06/11/climate-change-ocean-monitoring-system-dismantled/90378309007/

2026-06-11 15:59:58 UTC

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"Millions of people cannot afford enough food, proper housing or basic healthcare, while a tiny minority accumulates unprecedented wealth and power. At the same time, droughts, megafires, floods and heatwaves remind us that our economies are pushing the planet beyond its limits.
These are not separate crises. They are symptoms of an economic model that has reached the end of the road."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/10/economists-maths-growth-doomed-strategy-un-agencies-political-leaders

2026-06-10 11:41:25 UTC

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Write to your reps, at all levels of government: many decisions on data centers are made locally. Ask for:
1. BYOG - Data centers to be built must bring their own power generation.
2. That power must be clean.
3. A transparent accounting of their future water use.
That way, you protect your drinking water. And if/when the data centers shut down, your community keeps the huge amount of clean power generation capacity. Rather than a gas plant that also needs a lot of water.

2026-06-10 11:33:53 UTC

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You don't hear much about this, but there are several proposals to keep data centers from raising electricity costs on households:
GRID Act - Sens. Hawley, R-Mo, and Blumenthal, D-Conn.
Power for the People” Act -- Sen. Van Hollen, D-Md.
SHIELD Act -- Reps. Levin, D-Calif., and Castor, D-Fla.
PRICE Act -- then-Rep. Menendez, D-N.J., introduced the “PRICE Act.”
“Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs ” Act.-- Rep. Landsman, D-Ohio
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senators-introduce-first-bipartisan-effort-curb-utility-bill-hikes-rel-rcna258577

2026-06-09 10:33:23 UTC

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"Oceans are in a "deepening crisis" that demands urgent global action, a major UN report warned Monday, with seas warming and rising faster, ice cover shrinking and marine ecosystems under mounting strain.
Oceans play a critical role for the planet, regulating the climate and feeding billions of people."
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260608-un-warns-of-deepening-crisis-in-oceans-urges-action

2026-06-07 11:25:16 UTC

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"A landmark climate case is being heard by the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. The request was brought by the Pan African Lawyers Union and other African civil society organizations.
They've asked the court to issue advice on what responsibilities African governments have to protect their countries against the climate crisis and move away from an economy that harms the environment.
Climate change is a major obstacle to development."
https://phys.org/news/2026-06-africa-climate-crisis-legal-states.html

2026-06-06 21:32:22 UTC

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In first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacenters
"While many US city councils have passed moratoriums, Monterey Park is first where residents have voted on a ban."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/california-monterey-park-datacenters-ban

2026-06-06 21:16:07 UTC

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"New York moved closer toward becoming the first US state to enact a moratorium on large datacenters this week. On Thursday, the state legislature approved a one-year ban on the facilities powering the AI boom.
The measure now heads to Kathy Hochul, the governor, who will decide whether to sign it into law."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/06/new-york-datacenter-temporary-ban

2026-06-06 13:20:11 UTC

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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu: “As long as we depend on oil and gas, we will continue to pay for other people’s wars.”
France will implement:
A ban on gas in new construction;
Subsidies for heat pumps;
2/3 of new cars electric by 2030.
Lecornu pointed out that a 100-kilometre journey costs on average between €2 and €3 in an electric vehicle, compared with an average of €11 for a diesel vehicle."
End the fossil fueled austerity.
https://www.euractiv.com/news/france-unveils-electrification-plan-to-cut-fossil-fuel-dependence/

2026-06-06 11:14:53 UTC

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The Global Justice Report
https://globaljusticeproject.wid.world/global-justice-report/
Includes an interactive scenario explorer.

2026-06-06 11:09:25 UTC

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Tax the rich, and tax the big rich big.
Aim for € 60,000 (US $ 69k) annual income for everyone globally.
Ditch growth for the sake of growth.
Shift from polluting production to service sectors such as education and healthcare.
Eat less meat.
25 hour work week.
12 weeks of vacation per year.
Help developing countries develop so developed countries don't have a refugee "problem" that can be exploited by rightwing populists.
Curb global warming.
Sounds pretty good to me.
https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/06/04/stereconoom-piketty-om-de-planeet-te-leefbaar-te-houden-moeten-we-veel-minder-gaan-werken-a4929160?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=clipboard&utm_campaign=share&utm_term=share-modal&gift_token=4929160~1781261525~kph7e9dCQOS2MFAoyX-S2A~WnfUwIt_bmuMzNYYbw-wq0GTCXsdnHxOp68SJDOUER4

2026-06-06 11:06:16 UTC

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With these things it's always interesting to read outside the English press. Here is a revealing interview with Piketty with a Dutch business newspaper.
Basically, the proposal is to make the whole world more like Europe but with less inequality and less climate change-inducing activity.
A few details below
https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/06/04/stereconoom-piketty-om-de-planeet-te-leefbaar-te-houden-moeten-we-veel-minder-gaan-werken-a4929160?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=clipboard&utm_campaign=share&utm_term=share-modal&gift_token=4929160~1781261525~kph7e9dCQOS2MFAoyX-S2A~WnfUwIt_bmuMzNYYbw-wq0GTCXsdnHxOp68SJDOUER4

2026-06-05 01:24:57 UTC

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"The medium does not determine the outcome. The structure it lands inside does."
You can have land grabs, water grabs, IP and copyright violations. But that is a choice not a necessity. Counterpoint:
"China: a national mandate requiring 80% renewable energy for all new data centers in national hub regions. Computing explicitly framed as public utility — accessible, low-cost, and clean as coordinated national objectives."
https://abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-say-ai-is-the-next-industrial

2026-06-05 01:16:50 UTC

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"Every medium has grain. Every medium shapes what is thinkable, sayable, and doable inside it, whether you notice or not."
Then the grain interacts with the environment it's put in.
In some environments, it can lead to deskilling and labour elimination.
But
"If you hand the same medium to a state or institution that treats education as national capacity building rather than individual debt — the grain runs toward mass upskilling. Same technology. Same grain. Different container."

2026-06-05 01:13:40 UTC

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Whether or not you like it, you are already in the AI world. AI is in everything, from your email sorting to your Netflix queue to your insurance premium.
"That is why literacy is resistance.
The real question was never entry. It is what kind of presence you have in something you’re already inside.
One of the most important things to learn when developing literacy in any medium is to understand its grain."
https://abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-say-ai-is-the-next-industrial

2026-06-05 01:10:04 UTC

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But elsewhere, it's different.
"In India, AI is being deployed in rural clinics and prenatal care — augmenting doctors, not replacing them. In Brazil, AI is extending healthcare into communities that had no access before. In Latin America, the conversation isn’t whether to use AI — it’s that mainstream AI doesn’t serve them well enough, so they’re building their own: Latam-GPT.
That’s not a rejection of AI. That’s a demand for AI that actually works for you.
https://abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-say-ai-is-the-next-industrial

2026-06-05 01:07:32 UTC

"AI"
For whom?
By whom?
To what end?
Here is a fascinating essay by Abi Awomos. I've had to read it several times, it's long AND dense with ideas that are new to me. And opens the questions above.
It starts with the booing of "AI" bros speaking at this year's commencement ceremonies.
"Only 5% of Americans feel AI development is led by people or organisations that represent their interests."
https://abiawomosu.substack.com/p/they-say-ai-is-the-next-industrial

2026-06-04 16:10:46 UTC

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"At least 7 in 10 Americans would now oppose a data center being built near their home, according to a new Heatmap Pro poll, a record low that reveals a staggering shift in public opinion against the facilities powering the artificial intelligence boom.
When Heatmap first asked Americans how they would feel about a nearby data center project last September, Americans were evenly split: 43% said they would support it, 42% were opposed, and 15% said they weren’t sure."
https://heatmap.news/politics/americans-oppose-data-centers-poll
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/692/713/910/692/364/original/491187b3fc8cf3b0.png

2026-06-04 13:03:31 UTC

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"By 2030, AI's water use will match the needs of 1.3 billion people while its power use triples that of 650 million.
The report finds that AI's environmental cost is being systematically mismeasured. Most existing assessments focus on the carbon emissions. Yet every kilowatt-hour of electricity used to train or run an AI system also carries a water footprint, from cooling and power generation, and a land footprint, from energy infrastructure and supply chains."
https://unu.edu/inweh/news/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-use-carbon-water-and-land-footprints

2026-06-04 12:54:25 UTC

"Britain on Tuesday set a target to cut emissions ‌by around 87% by 2040 from 1990 levels as it increases efforts to meet net zero goals that it says will help to curb energy costs and create jobs, but it has yet to outline how the goal will be met.
Fossil fuel price rises have stoked divisions in Britain and elsewhere between those calling for more oil and gas drilling and others ‌seeking ⁠much more use of renewable energy."
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/britain-sets-87-emissions-reduction-target-2038-2042-period-2026-06-02/

2026-06-04 12:07:01 UTC

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"President Donald Trump has attempted several times to shut down or drastically reduce the budget of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, which costs $48 million annually to run. Congress has restored the program’s funding.
“Blinding the public to climate change won’t make it go away. It will only accelerate its profound consequences,” said clinical researcher Iris Gorfinkel."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/subsurface-ocean-monitoring

2026-06-04 11:56:16 UTC

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"Piketty said recent history showed the goals of the report were plausible. Countries such as Sweden and Norway were once extremely divided economically but had made rapid progress in reducing inequality because of government policies and a refocusing of investment toward education and health, while working hours in Europe have halved since the 19th century, which is in line with the goal envisaged in the report."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/04/world-inequality-lab-equality-academics-planetary-survival

2026-06-04 11:55:29 UTC

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"Humanity can raise living standards, reduce inequality and keep global heating within a 2C rise, according to a sweeping vision for planetary survival.
The key [is] to address inequality and planetary habitability together. Without that twin approach, governments would risk repeating the mistakes that caused the gilets jaunes (yellow vest) protests in France against a carbon tax that would have hit working and middle-class people more than the rich."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/04/world-inequality-lab-equality-academics-planetary-survival

2026-06-03 22:36:42 UTC

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"Investment in grid upgrades, power equipment and electricity generation to support the buildout of data-centre infrastructure around the world hit $105bn in 2025.
This is more than the total invested in the energy sector across the whole of Africa.
The IEA notes that strong demand for gas-power plants for data centres in the US – and, to a lesser extent, the Middle East – is “limiting the availability of turbines for near-term deployment elsewhere in the world”."
https://www.carbonbrief.org/ai-boom-means-us-is-now-investing-more-in-fossil-fuel-power-than-china/

2026-06-03 22:35:28 UTC

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"The “data-centre boom” is driving a surge in gas investment in the US, pushing its fossil-power spending ahead of China.
High demand for electricity to power these data centres has led to companies rushing to build new gas-fired power plants across the country.
This trend, combined with “soaring” gas-turbine prices, drove a threefold increase in US gas‑power investment in 2025 – and the IEA expects this to continue throughout 2026."
https://www.carbonbrief.org/ai-boom-means-us-is-now-investing-more-in-fossil-fuel-power-than-china/

2026-06-03 22:27:37 UTC

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Sorry about the "TeraEuro".
If I called it trillion, Europeans would interpret that as 10^18 but Americans would think of 10^12.
The article, in Dutch, calls it 2.600 miljard which in American would be called 2,600 billion. Because beside the love for inflation American numerical language also likes to put commas between the thousands.
The Dutch is more logical tbh:
10^6 miljoen
10^12 = 10^(2x6) biljoen
10^18 = 10 ^(3x6) triljoen
https://onzetaal.nl/taalloket/biljoen-triljoen
(Not even getting into crores).

2026-06-03 20:32:05 UTC

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In 2024, the EC did a study on how best to achieve a 90% emissions cut by 2040.
The LIFE scenario stuck out head and shoulders. Including a dietary shift toward vegetable protein achieved the climate goal for a cost that is 2.6 TeraEuro cheaper than getting there purely through technological means.
Co-benefits:
Food security
Biodiversity and nature conservation
Much reduced nitrogen problem
Less deforestation in the Americas
Healthier people
But nobody talks about it.
https://decorrespondent.nl/16980/europa-moet-anders-gaan-eten-niet-uit-idealisme-maar-uit-veiligheidsoverwegingen/c8ae2cc6-4077-0313-0275-284c378d3217

2026-06-03 20:20:09 UTC

"Europa’s inhaalslag op defensie en energie komt op stoom. Maar voor onze voedselvoorziening blijven we afhankelijk van landen waarmee we liever geen zaken doen. De EU kan er niet meer omheen: meer autonomie op voedselgebied begint bij een plantaardiger dieet."
https://decorrespondent.nl/16980/europa-moet-anders-gaan-eten-niet-uit-idealisme-maar-uit-veiligheidsoverwegingen/c8ae2cc6-4077-0313-0275-284c378d3217
"Waarom de landbouwtransitie nauwelijks op gang komt? De boerenlobby."

2026-06-03 12:32:06 UTC

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Demand destruction is real, and large.
"“Actual end-use oil demand may have fallen more in response to higher prices than expected.”
The investment bank’s analysts estimate that the extent of demand destruction may have reached 2 million barrels daily in May, based on oil sales figures for China and Western Europe, the report said."
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Goldman-Sachs-Sees-Oil-Demand-Destruction-Offsetting-Supply-Shock-Risks.html
World oil consumption: 100 million bpd.
So 2% of that demand disappeared in a matter of weeks.

2026-06-03 11:53:56 UTC

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"Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies will need to be deployed at rates even faster than those seen for solar power, if the world is to have a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C by 2100, says a new report.
Nearly all pathways to meeting the Paris Agreement’s highest ambition of keeping global [warming] to 1.5C involve CDR techniques – ranging from tree-planting to sucking CO2 from air with machines.
This is in addition to steep & immediate emissions cuts."
https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-the-current-state-of-carbon-dioxide-removal-around-the-world/

2026-06-03 11:45:55 UTC

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"The world currently removes, through intentional human activity, about 5% of annual global carbon dioxide emissions.
Less than 1% of [that] comes from “novel” methods such as direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture, enhanced weathering, and biochar, the most common method.
Unlike EVs and solar, carbon removal isn’t a useful product with an obvious market. It’s a public good, like waste management — and an expensive one, at that."
https://heatmap.news/carbon-removal/2026-carbon-removal-report

2026-06-03 11:23:21 UTC

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Why monitoring the oceans is crucial - and cheap.
The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is how scientists monitor the oncoming El Niño.
"In short, the GOOS underpins everything from tomorrow’s storm warnings to next century’s climate adaptation plans.
Compared with the economic damage linked to ocean-driven extreme weather and climate disruption, ocean observation is one of the highest-return public investments available."
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/05/25/network-watching-the-world-s-oceans-is-under-pressure.html

2026-06-03 11:17:30 UTC

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"Some scientists expressed dismay at the plan, while Democratic lawmakers said they would fight it, including Senator Chris Van Hollen,of Maryland, who called it a “shortsighted move” that would “end up costing American taxpayers more not less”, the New York Times reported.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, said on X: “Fossil fuel is heating our oceans by the zettajoule, so Trump’s corrupt fossil fuel stooges want to turn off the monitors.” "
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/02/trump-administration-ocean-observatories-initiative

2026-06-02 13:28:23 UTC

"The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that monitors coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global climate.
Scientists have used data from the system to understand how the ocean is absorbing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, how changes in ocean temperatures might affect fisheries or signal bigger shifts in the climate, and coastal flooding along the East Coast."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html

2026-06-02 11:29:33 UTC

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The austerity:
"More than 1 billion Africans walk or cycle nearly an hour each day, yet the continent’s roads were built for cars. Africa has 3 per cent of the world’s vehicles and 24 per cent of its road deaths. Pedestrians and cyclists represent more than a third of those killed."
The leapfrogging:
"In April 2026, transport and energy ministers from across Africa gathered in Johannesburg to endorse a continent-wide blueprint for investment in cycling and walking."
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/african-cities-bicycle-getting-lane-its-own

2026-05-27 19:56:13 UTC

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Lahore #leapfrogging:
Here is one neighbourhood that went from zero rooftop solar to rooftop solar, on nearly all the homes, IN THREE YEARS
https://mastodon.social/@[email protected]/116594243039434224

2026-05-26 12:53:57 UTC

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With Hormuz shut, Norway urges EU to rethink Arctic oil ban — despite analysts and environmentalists’ doubts
"No EU member really has any direct Arctic territory to be drilled.
The countries that do are Norway and Greenland, and they operate outside EU jurisdiction.
The biggest obstacle to Arctic oil and gas development are economic and geological, not political. Barents projects typically take five to 10 years to move from discovery to steady output."
https://euobserver.com/218137/with-hormuz-shut-norway-urges-eu-to-rethink-arctic-oil-ban-despite-analysts-and-environmentalists-doubts/

2026-05-24 17:10:28 UTC

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Since it's derived from frying oil, it won't have the pollutants that come with fossil oil (or even fossil ethane, now the source of much plastic).
But it will be equally non-biodegradable as conventional plastic so it will likewise hang out with us for hundreds to thousands of years. OTOH if it goes into biodiesel the carbon contributes to planet heating. So it depends very much on what you mean by "eco-friendly".

2026-05-23 16:57:57 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@touaregtweet/116624842170915280
Devastating.
She kicked the Dutch government on climate and made it move.
Rest in power.
#note1uz7…4rw7

2026-05-23 13:13:32 UTC

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“The US now devotes 6 percent of its total electricity to data centers.”
That could be a significant milestone, as the report warns that "significant community and political pushback starts to occur in nations once their data center footprints have reached the 5 percent consumption level of national grids."
The problems are only likely to get worse though, as tech companies show no signs of slowing down. Annual global data center spending is approaching $1 trillion."
https://singularityhub.com/2026/05/22/data-centers-now-consume-6-of-electricity-in-the-us-and-the-backlash-has-begun/

2026-05-21 13:12:49 UTC

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Pushback from the EU:
"EU lawmakers want the European Commission to scrap a secrecy clause critics say lets Big Tech hide the energy cost of Europe’s AI boom."
https://www.eenews.net/articles/eu-lawmakers-push-to-scrap-microsoft-backed-energy-secrecy-rule-for-data-centers/

2026-05-21 13:08:03 UTC

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"As the bloc's largest importer of liquefied natural gas through the Gulf, where Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused unprecedented energy supply disruption, Italy could have responded by accelerating the quest for renewable energy.
Instead it launched international searches for new gas suppliers, just as it did after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine."
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/italy-pays-price-melonis-stalled-green-energy-transition-2026-05-21/

2026-05-20 12:38:54 UTC

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"[In many places] serious concerns have been raised around data centres guzzling excess water for their cooling systems and consuming vast amounts of energy at the cost of local communities.
"In an energy starved, water-scarce India, these challenges are even more accentuated.
"According to the World Bank, India has 18% of the world's population, but only 4% of its water resources, making it among the most water-stressed countries in the world."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr417pwek7o
h/t @npub1san…jgxu

2026-05-18 17:58:21 UTC

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"The Australian government this week announced a $10bn fuel security package including $3.2bn to store a billion more litres of diesel and jet fuel.
There has been little talk from political leaders of the other way to lower the country’s risk from future fuel shocks – powering trucks with electricity."
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/18/can-electric-trucks-win-over-australias-fossil-fuel-die-hards-or-is-diesel-here-for-the-long-haul

2026-05-15 12:56:05 UTC

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What are the impacts of energy crises and how can they be avoided?
"If a crisis persists, short-term pain becomes structural economic damage.
Transitioning towards a diversified clean energy mix is critical to tackling the vulnerabilities of fossil fuel systems – on top of the benefits for the climate."
https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-are-the-impacts-of-energy-crises-and-how-can-they-be-avoided/

2026-05-14 14:01:24 UTC

"The UN’s willingness to tackle the climate crisis in a fair and legal way will be tested next week [at] the UN general assembly in New York.
Every member state is being asked to back a series of landmark findings on climate justice from the international court of justice (ICJ) as part of a new political resolution. If passed, it will mean governments recognise they have a legal responsibility to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, including tackling fossil fuels."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/14/un-members-prepare-for-pivotal-vote-on-landmark-icj-climate-justice-ruling

2026-04-10 12:44:44 UTC

"Just 1% of England’s land will be needed for renewables to help meet the UK’s climate goals by 2050, according to a first-of-its-kind framework.
There is enough land in England to meet climate and nature goals, while also producing more food and building new homes, according to the UK government’s new “land-use framework”."
https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-englands-new-land-use-framework-means-for-climate-nature-and-food/

2026-04-10 12:11:28 UTC

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"Between 2016 and 2021 alone, an estimated 43.1 million internal displacements of children were associated with weather-related events. This finding demonstrates that climate-related mobility is already a living reality for millions of children worldwide.
Floods and storms accounted for approximately 95 per cent of recorded child displacements,. The analysis also showed that displacement risk is expected to rise substantially under higher warming scenarios ."
https://www.undrr.org/resource/case-study/children-displaced-changing-climate-using-historical-disaster-impact-data

2026-04-09 12:41:34 UTC

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"What she lost was not just shelter, but the very fabric of childhood—schooling, stability, community, and a sense of future. Like many others facing repeated climate shocks, her family migrated. But displacement brought a deeper loss, emotional strain, instability, and uncertainty, often leading to anxiety, sadness, and persistent worry in children. Her story is not an exception. It is increasingly becoming the norm. "
https://www.carboncopy.info/the-climate-crisis-is-also-a-child-mental-health-crisis

2026-04-08 12:56:00 UTC

"For the first time, researchers are assessing people’s opinions on policies for the global redistribution of wealth and the fight against climate change. Such measures receive massive, nearly universal support, albeit more so in Europe than in the United States."
https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/citizens-of-the-world-on-the-same-wavelength

2026-04-06 22:17:03 UTC

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Age verification laws purport to "protect the children".
But things are not so simple.
“Age verification laws are proliferating fast across the United States and around the world, creating a dangerous and confusing tangle of rules about what we’re all allowed to see and do online. Though these mandates claim to protect children, in practice they create harmful censorship and surveillance regimes that put everyone—adults and young people alike—at risk.”
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/age-verification-coming-internet-we-built-you-resource-hub-fight-back

2026-04-05 13:49:48 UTC

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It's a quiet leapfrogging that's not in the news because "Change is outpacing the centralised statistics: for example, small solar panels on balconies and rooftops go largely unregistered in national figures. The gap between panels imported and capacity officially reported is large and growing."
https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-electric-fast-track-for-emerging-markets/
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/352/404/687/759/121/original/31828f2971bce9fa.png

2026-03-29 17:52:51 UTC

RE: https://c.im/@didgebaba/116312432075922318
I went to stock up on some foods and was surprised to find grocery prices had not gone up.
This says the price of groceries - and lots of other things - have not gone up YET.
#note1q7a…emg6