Glass Wings Blog: February 2025
The Curative Power of Quieter Cities
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:37:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/noise-pollution-quieter-cities/
"When Krystal Martin started surveying her neighbors in the southwest
Mississippi town of Gloster about the impact of a local wood pellet
manufacturing facility, she was focused on air quality. The facility has been
(More...)
Russia gives Navalny lawyers multi-year sentences for relaying his messages
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:38:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/17/russia-gives-navalny-lawyers-multi-year-sentences-for-relaying-his-messages>
"Russia has sentenced three lawyers who had defended Alexei Navalny to several
years in prison for bringing messages from the late opposition leader from
prison to the outside world.
(More...)
70 mil. COVID cases, 130,000 deaths in 5 yrs since outbreak in Japan
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:40:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/01/ee88ea62d591-70-mil-covid-cases-130000-deaths-in-5-yrs-since-outbreak-in-japan.html>
'As Japan marks five years on Wednesday since its first confirmed case of
COVID-19, government data show that over 70 million people in the country are
estimated to have contracted the virus as of March last year, while total
(More...)
The Revival of India’s Stunning Stepwells
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:41:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/reviving-indias-stepwells-water-scarcity/>
"The lawns of Purana Qila in the historic quarters of New Delhi have been
gleaming a brighter shade of green these past few years. The site — whose name
means “old fort,” a nod to its 16th-century vintage — has benefited from
(More...)
Meteorite strike captured in rare video from Canadian home’s doorbell camera
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:42:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/17/meteorite-strike-video-canada>
"A doorbell camera on a Canadian home has captured rare video and sound of a
meteorite striking Earth as it crashed into a couple’s walkway.
(More...)
‘Like a sylvan spa!’ Inside Zurich’s staggering, revolutionary new hospital for kids
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 14:43:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/oct/09/zurich-hospital-kinderspital-herzog-de-meuron>
"‘Hospitals are the ugliest places in the world,” says Jacques Herzog. “They
are a product of blind functionalist thinking, while neglecting basic human
needs.” The Swiss architect has a point. With their low ceilings, windowless
(More...)
Bamboo bonanza: how a village in India used its forest to go from poverty to prosperity
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:51:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/dec/17/india-adivasi-tribal-village-pachgaon-forest-law-traditional-rights>
"It’s late morning and the sound of axes clacking against wood echoes through
Pachgaon’s bamboo forest in the central Indian state of Maharashtra. A huge
depot, larger than a cricket stadium, is full of bamboo branches, stacked
(More...)
Braving the frozen wilderness: the researchers working to protect Antarctic penguins
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:52:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/environment/the-researchers-working-to-protect-antarctic-penguins/>
"The Antarctic tundras are home to a range of species that have adapted in
fascinating ways to the frozen conditions. The climate crisis means that
thousands of penguins are now at risk, but efforts are under way to protect
(More...)
Seven quiet breakthroughs for climate and nature in 2024 you might have missed
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:54:05 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20241216-seven-quiet-breakthroughs-for-climate-and-nature-in-2024-you-might-have-missed>
"It's been another tough year for the climate and nature. From the 1.5C
threshold set to be breached for a full year for the first time, to the
disappointment of vulnerable nations at this year's UN climate summit, it can
(More...)
How climate-friendly waterwheels are coming around again
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:55:33 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/17/how-climate-friendly-waterwheels-are-coming-around-again>
"In the foothills of the Himalayas, a group of villagers hauled a sturdy metal
waterwheel into place. Its horizontal blades soon caught the rushing water of
the stream directly below it. The machine began to spin, and electricity began
(More...)
CSIRO, WWF and Australian government team up to launch AdaptLog conservation solutions project
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:57:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-20/tasmania-adaptlog-conservation-solutions-csiro/104811206>
'It's night-time on Heron Island, near the Great Barrier Reef in 2019.
A group of scientists gather around a collection of green turtle eggs, gently
(More...)
Repairing a landscape
Sat, 1 Feb 2025 23:58:22 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-18/can-landscape-regeneration-be-profitable-quoin-tas/104687798>
"The Earth is experiencing extraordinary biodiversity loss, with the United
Nations warning immediate action is needed to avoid ecosystem collapse.
(More...)
How the World’s Largest Book Sorter at The New York Public Library Processes 5,000 Books Per Hour
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 06:08:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://laughingsquid.com/worlds-largest-book-sorter-nypl/
"New York Nico of Heller Films visited The New York Public Library where Sal
Magaddino, a former NYPD captain and the deputy director of the library’s “Book
Ops” division, talked about the largest book sorter in the world, which sorts
(More...)
How is Antarctica melting, exactly? Crucial details are beginning to come into focus
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 06:09:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/how-is-antarctica-melting-exactly-crucial-details-are-beginning-to-come-into-focus-245660>
"The size of the Antarctic ice sheet can be hard to comprehend. Two kilometres
thick on average and covering nearly twice the area of Australia, the ice sheet
holds enough freshwater to raise global sea levels by 58 metres.
(More...)
Nato flotilla assembles off Estonia to protect undersea cables in Baltic Sea
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 06:11:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/19/nato-flotilla-assembles-off-estonia-protect-undersea-cables-baltic-sea>
"A Nato flotilla likened to “the security camera of the Baltic” has assembled
off the coast of Estonia as the military alliance seeks to protect European
undersea cables and pipelines from sabotage.
(More...)
Solar farms are booming in the US and putting thousands of hungry sheep to work
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 06:12:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://apnews.com/article/sheep-solar-texas-climate-333e72167bcf24047257e1be352ce1a9>
"BUCKHOLTS, Texas (AP) — On rural Texas farmland, beneath hundreds of rows of
solar panels, a troop of stocky sheep rummage through pasture, casually bumping
into one another as they remain committed to a single task: chewing grass.
(More...)
Superannuation is complicated. A guaranteed government income in retirement would be simpler
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 06:13:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/superannuation-is-complicated-a-guaranteed-government-income-in-retirement-would-be-simpler-247383>
"Having compulsory super should help create a comfortable and stress-free
retirement. But Australia’s super system is too complex for retirees to
navigate.
(More...)
From securing pets to building ‘insect hotels’ – here are 7 ways to attract birds to your garden
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 06:14:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/from-securing-pets-to-building-insect-hotels-here-are-7-ways-to-attract-birds-to-your-garden-247561>
"Home gardens can provide vital habitat for Australian birds. But there’s more
to it than just planting certain types of shrubs and flowering trees.
(More...)
At this remote outpost, Australians are racing to find the world’s oldest ice and unlock the secrets it holds
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 13:45:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/20/at-this-remote-outpost-australians-are-racing-to-find-the-worlds-oldest-ice-and-unlock-the-secrets-it-holds>
"Traversing the world’s most unforgiving continent requires a generous measure
of stoicism. “We took risks, we knew we took them,” wrote the Antarctic
explorer Robert Falcon Scott in 1912, trapped by a fierce blizzard in the days
(More...)
Emissions to impact: How climate science will hold fossil fuel companies to account
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 13:50:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/emissions-to-impact-how-climate-science-will-hold-fossil-fuel-companies-to-account/>
"Two weeks into 2025 and it already feels like a turning point for climate
action – for good and bad. We start the year with news that the Earth
experienced yet another ‘warmest year on record’ and global temperatures
(More...)
Norway’s Equinor forced to withdraw key carbon capture claim
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 13:52:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/norways-equinor-forced-to-withdraw-key-carbon-capture-claim/>
"Equinor has retracted a claim that it stores about a million tonnes of carbon
dioxide annually at its flagship carbon capture project after
DeSmog obtained
data showing the real figure was as little as a tenth of that amount.
(More...)
Philippine Indigenous communities restore a mountain forest to prevent urban flooding
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 14:00:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/01/philippine-indigenous-communities-restore-a-mountain-forest-to-prevent-urban-flooding/>
"On the slopes of Mount Kalatungan, a protected area on the island of Mindanao
in the southern Philippines, rows of robusta coffee shrubs thrive alongside
tropical hardwoods like
lauan. The verdant mountain is enveloped in
(More...)
These creatures eat, excrete, and transform microplastics into a much bigger threat
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 14:01:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.earth.com/news/filter-feeders-transform-microplastics-into-a-bigger-threat/>
"A study led by Tel Aviv University has revealed alarming insights into how
microplastic particles are transformed within marine ecosystems, posing new
challenges to the health of the ocean’s food web.
(More...)
Manufacturing crisis: the challenge of Trump 2.0’s ‘power in chaos’ for other democracies
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 14:02:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/manufacturing-crisis-the-challenge-of-trump-2-0s-power-in-chaos-for-other-democracies-246403>
"On the eve of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, the world is braced
for more of what has been described as his instinct for “weaponised chaos”.
(More...)
Most of us trust scientists, shows a survey of nearly 72,000 people worldwide
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 22:38:00 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/most-of-us-trust-scientists-shows-a-survey-of-nearly-72-000-people-worldwide-246252>
"Public trust in scientists is vital. It can help us with personal decisions on
matters like health and provide evidence-based policymaking to assist
governments with crises such as the COVID pandemic or climate change.
(More...)
Almost 26,000 hectares of threatened species habitat approved for clearing under Labor in 2024, new report finds
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 22:39:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/21/threatened-species-habitat-destruction-labor>
"Almost 26,000 hectares of threatened species habitat was greenlit for
destruction in 2024 – more than double the previous year – according to
analysis that environmentalists are using to pressure Anthony Albanese to
(More...)
Don’t rely on social media users for fact-checking. Many don’t care much about the common good
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 22:40:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/dont-rely-on-social-media-users-for-fact-checking-many-dont-care-much-about-the-common-good-246977>
"In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, Meta chief executive Mark
Zuckerberg fired the fact-checking team for his company’s social media
platforms. At the same time, he reversed Facebook’s turn away from political
(More...)
Labor’s green aluminium play is canny politics, not least for exposing Dutton’s wilful energy ignorance
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 22:41:54 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/labors-green-aluminium-play-is-canny-politics-not-least-for-exposing-duttons-wilful-energy-ignorance/>
"In the wake of federal Labor’s announcement on Monday of a $2 billion green
aluminium production credit scheme, it has been difficult to find anyone
outside of Liberal National Party ranks who isn’t loudly singing its praises.
(More...)
What’s happening on RedNote? A media scholar explains the app TikTok users are fleeing to – and the cultural moment unfolding there
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 22:43:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/whats-happening-on-rednote-a-media-scholar-explains-the-app-tiktok-users-are-fleeing-to-and-the-cultural-moment-unfolding-there-247621>
"TikTok refugees fled by the millions to RedNote, a Chinese app, in response to
the TikTok ban, which went into effect Jan. 19, 2025. The company shut down the
app shortly before midnight on Jan. 18 but restored service the following day.
(More...)
Trump’s Paris cop-out is bad news for climate, but could give Australia a boost
Sun, 2 Feb 2025 22:44:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/trumps-paris-cop-out-is-bad-news-for-climate-but-could-give-australia-a-boost/>
"Donald Trump’s abandonment of the US’s climate goals won’t deter Australian
investment in clean energy, with the sector promising tens of thousands of new
jobs.
(More...)
Elon Musk and the narratives of decadence that link all anti-democratic movements
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:20:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/elon-musk-and-the-narratives-of-decadence-that-link-all-anti-democratic-movements-247396>
"“It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates,” echoed the
introduction line in the manifesto of the Christchurch shooter who killed 51
people in a mosque in 2019. His claim was that white people are being
(More...)
CEFC backs low-cost loans to help farmers buy in to carbon removal
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:21:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/cefc-backs-low-cost-loans-to-help-farmers-buy-in-to-carbon-removal/>
"Farmers will soon be able to take out loans discounted by the government-owned
green bank to cover the cost of planting native trees and shrubs on their land
to draw down carbon.
(More...)
Fake podcast clips are misleading millions of people on social media. Here’s how to spot them
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:21:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/fake-podcast-clips-are-misleading-millions-of-people-on-social-media-heres-how-to-spot-them-246425>
"Podcasting is the medium of choice for millions of listeners looking for the
latest commentary on almost any topic. In Australia, it’s estimated about 48%
of people tune in to a podcast each month.
(More...)
Oyster ‘blood’ holds promise for combating drug-resistant superbugs: new research
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:23:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/oyster-blood-holds-promise-for-combating-drug-resistant-superbugs-new-research-226823>
"Superbugs that are resistant to existing antibiotics are a growing health
problem around the world. Globally, nearly five million people die from
antimicrobial resistant infections each year. The annual toll of antimicrobial
(More...)
Don’t pretend COVID-19 didn’t happen
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:25:38 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv8836
"Just over 5 years ago, on New Year’s Eve 2019, the World Health Organization
(WHO) became aware of the first cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology in
Wuhan, China. A massive global infectious disease storm was already brewing—one
(More...)
The red flowering gum: a perennial favourite and a summer stunner
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:27:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-red-flowering-gum-a-perennial-favourite-and-a-summer-stunner-246485>
"If you’ve been on a summertime stroll in recent weeks, chances are you’ve seen
a red flowering gum,
Corymbia ficifolia.
(More...)
A third of the Arctic’s vast carbon sink now a source of emissions, study reveals
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 13:49:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/21/third-of-arctic-carbon-sink-now-a-source-of-emissions-study>
"A third of the Arctic’s tundra, forests and wetlands have become a source of
carbon emissions, a new study has found, as global heating ends thousands of
years of carbon storage in parts of the frozen north.
(More...)
‘Catastrophic’: Great Barrier Reef hit by its most widespread coral bleaching, study finds
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 13:50:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/22/catastrophic-great-barrier-reef-hit-by-its-most-widespread-coral-bleaching-study-finds>
"More than 40% of individual corals monitored around a Great Barrier Reef
island were killed last year in the most widespread coral bleaching outbreak to
hit the reef system, a study has found.
(More...)
NZ’s climate policies are no longer enough to keep warming at 1.5°C – here’s what needs to happen
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 13:52:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/nzs-climate-policies-are-no-longer-enough-to-keep-warming-at-1-5-c-heres-what-needs-to-happen-245829>
"It’s now official. Last year was the warmest year on record globally and the
first to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This doesn’t mean it’s too
late to rein in further warming, but the ambition required rises with each
(More...)
Water quality expert calls for wider PFAS ban as NSW community seeks blood tests on ‘poisoned’ land
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 13:54:34 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/21/forever-chemicals-ban-criticised-as-nsw-community-airs-its-long-held-contamination-concerns>
"A water quality expert says the Australian government should expand a planned
ban of PFAS as a New South Wales Indigenous community called for funding for
blood tests for people living on “poisoned” land.
(More...)
Trump has begun dismantling America’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Here’s why Australia may not follow suit
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 13:55:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Trump launches immediate attack on climate, renewables and EVs. How worried should we be?
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 13:56:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/trump-launches-immediate-attack-on-climate-renewables-and-evs-how-worried-should-we-be/>
"Donald Trump, newly installed for his second term as president of the United
States, has directed his government to begin a withdrawal from the Paris
Agreement, and taken aim at a wide swathe of pro-environment and clean energy
(More...)
It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:21:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/its-science-not-fiction-high-tech-drones-may-soon-be-fighting-bushfires-in-australia-247789>
"Picture this. It’s a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is
about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to
be hot and windy. A lightning strike tonight could spark a fire that grows into
(More...)
By Federal Order, All Men Are Now Women
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:22:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/21/2298268/-By-Federal-Order-All-Men-Are-Now-Women>
"All fetuses are anatomically female until sexual differentiation begins,
approximately seven weeks after conception.
(More...)
Fix the News 283: How To Survive Being Online
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:25:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://fixthenews.com/283-survive-being-online/
"Plus, vortex lances, why life is more than an engineering problem, and good
news on global wage inequality, sanitation in Cambodia, conservation in
Bolivia, and peak oil in China."
(More...)
‘Net zero hero’ myth unfairly shifts burden of solving climate crisis on to individuals, study finds
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:26:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/19/net-zero-hero-myth-unfairly-shifts-burden-of-solving-climate-crisis-onto-individuals-study-finds>
"It’s not unusual to see individuals championed as heroes of climate action,
with their efforts to install rooftop solar and buy electric cars promoted as
pivotal in the fight to save the planet.
(More...)
The Kyoto climate treaty is hailed on stage but reality tells a different story
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:27:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
What another Lukashenko ‘victory’ will mean for Europe’s security – and that of Belarus’ citizenry
Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:28:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/what-another-lukashenko-victory-will-mean-for-europes-security-and-that-of-belarus-citizenry-247882>
"Europe’s longest-serving authoritarian leader, Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko,
is set to run for a seventh term on Jan. 26, 2025. And even before the first
vote is counted, it can be stated with a fair degree of confidence that he will
(More...)
‘Kindness’ is named Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2024
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:51:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/kindness-is-named-oxford-childrens-word-of-the-year-for-2024/>
"In what has been a particularly turbulent week in global affairs, the choice
of ‘kindness’ as Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2024 offers a reminder
of the hope we carry for younger generations.
(More...)
China has invested billions in ports around the world. This is why the West is so concerned
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:52:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/china-has-invested-billions-in-ports-around-the-world-this-is-why-the-west-is-so-concerned-244733>
"On his way to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November, Chinese President
Xi Jinping met with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to officially open a new
US$3.6 billion (A$5.8 billion) deepwater mega-port in Peru called Chancay.
(More...)
The last gasp of theatre restaurants in Melbourne? Witches in Britches prepares to take a final bow
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:54:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/26/melbourne-theatre-restaurant-witches-in-britches-closure>
"Stepping into the dungeon-like front room of Melbourne’s last remaining
theatre restaurant, Witches in Britches, feels akin to visiting an 80s
Melbourne goth nightclub – complete with coffins, skulls, red leather couches
(More...)
Children of the 1960s watch in pain as the story of our lifetime is erased
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:57:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://archive.md/HAPSG
"My almost pathological obsession with what historians now call “the Long
Sixties” — especially the years between JFK’s assassination in 1963 and Richard
Nixon’s Watergate downfall in 1974 — includes way too much time still listening
(More...)
What The F***?!
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:58:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Kremlin promotes ‘traditional values’ – but leaves some battles to the governors
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 05:59:33 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/kremlin-promotes-traditional-values-but-leaves-some-battles-to-the-governors-246396>
"As 2025 begins, Russia ends its official “Year of the Family.” But the state
has been promoting what it calls “traditional” or “pro-family” values for more
than a decade – and looks likely to continue.
(More...)
ITSA Newsletter: January 2025
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 14:38:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://itsanewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/itsa-newsletter-january-2025
"Here’s the latest and biggest Basic Income news:
‣ South Korea could as soon as this year become the first country to adopt UBI
(More...)
Trump has fired a major cyber security investigations body. It’s a risky move
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 14:38:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/trump-has-fired-a-major-cyber-security-investigations-body-its-a-risky-move-248106>
"Before the end of its first full day of operations, the new Trump
administration gutted all advisory panels for the Department of Homeland
Security. Among these was the well-respected Cyber Safety Review Board, or
(More...)
From Doge to Smoge, Peter Dutton’s Coalition is an eerie echo of Trump (and Musk’s) America
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 14:40:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/27/from-doge-to-smoge-peter-duttons-coalition-is-an-eerie-echo-of-trump-and-musks-america-ntwnfb>
"On 22 January, Gina Rinehart said: “If we are sensible, we should set up a
Doge [Department of Government Efficiency] immediately, reduce government
waste, government tape and regulations.”
(More...)
Trump has called time on working from home. Here’s why the world shouldn’t mindlessly follow
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 14:41:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/trump-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-mindlessly-follow-248036>
"US President Donald Trump has called time on working from home. An executive
order signed on the first day of his presidency this week requires all federal
government departments and agencies to:
(More...)
Elizabeth Cameron Dalman at 91: ‘In dance we are ageless’
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 14:42:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/jan/27/elizabeth-cameron-dalman-a-quiet-language-odeon-theatre>
"At 91, Elizabeth Cameron Dalman dances in nature at her bushland retreat
outside Canberra, Mirramu Creative Arts Centre, surrounded by writers, singers
and visual artists stoking their respective muses. “So many people bring up
(More...)
Wanting to ‘return to normal’ after a disaster is understandable, but often problematic
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 14:43:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/wanting-to-return-to-normal-after-a-disaster-is-understandable-but-often-problematic-247884>
"Media coverage of the recent fires in Los Angeles showed the heartbreaking
damage in Pacific Palisades and elsewhere across Los Angeles County. People
lost not only their houses but also the thriving communities of which they had
(More...)
Sweden opens inquiry into damaged undersea cable as Nato deploys ships
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 22:37:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/26/latvia-investigating-significant-damage-to-undersea-fibre-optic-cable>
"An undersea fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday,
probably as a result of external influence, Riga has said, prompting Nato to
deploy patrol ships to the area and triggering a sabotage investigation by
(More...)
3 reasons to fear humanity won’t reach net-zero emissions – and 4 reasons we might just do it
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 22:39:11 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-to-fear-humanity-wont-reach-net-zero-emissions-and-4-reasons-we-might-just-do-it-247992>
"Within hours of taking office last week, President Donald Trump made good on
his pledges to wind back the United States’ climate action – including
withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement.
(More...)
Clothes destined for landfill become capsule wardrobes for domestic abuse survivors
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 22:40:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/clothing-tailored-capsule-wardrobes-for-domestic-abuse-survivors/>
"ALICAS, a charity that was co-founded by domestic abuse survivor Rachael Bews,
has launched across the UK to “end the shame for people in clothing crisis”.
(More...)
Fermented clothing? Here’s how the biofilm on kombucha can be turned into green textiles
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 22:41:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/fermented-clothing-heres-how-the-biofilm-on-kombucha-can-be-turned-into-green-textiles-228904>
"If you’ve ever made kombucha, you will be familiar with the term SCOBY – a
symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It’s impossible to miss – it’s the
floating biofilm on top of your delicious drink.
(More...)
1975 was declared International Women’s Year. 50 years on, the ‘revolution in our heads’ is still being fought
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 22:42:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/1975-was-declared-international-womens-year-50-years-on-the-revolution-in-our-heads-is-still-being-fought-241791>
"In December 1972, the same month the Whitlam government was first elected, the
United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1975 as International Women’s Year
(IWY). This set in train a series of world-changing events, in which Australia
(More...)
FDA bans Red 3 dye from food and drugs – a scientist explains the artificial color’s health risks and long history
Tue, 4 Feb 2025 22:43:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/fda-bans-red-3-dye-from-food-and-drugs-a-scientist-explains-the-artificial-colors-health-risks-and-long-history-247757>
"Red 3 – also called FD&C Red No. 3, erythrosine or E127 – has been widely used
in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals since its FDA approval in 1969. You’ve
likely encountered Red 3 before. It’s a common additive to many candies,
(More...)
Forrest says no reason world can’t stop burning fossil fuels by 2040, hints at hydrogen breakthrough
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:17:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/forrest-says-no-reason-world-cant-stop-burning-fossil-fuels-by-2040-hints-at-hydrogen-breakthrough/>
"Iron ore billionaire and green energy evangelist Andrew Forrest has made
another major intervention into the global energy debate, insisting that there
is no reason that the world cannot stop burning fossil fuels by 2040, even if
(More...)
Flower power: lavender oil for longer-lasting sodium-sulfur batteries
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:20:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.mpg.de/24073565/sodium-sulfur-batteries-service-life
"It is a crucial question in the energy transition: how can electricity from
wind power and photovoltaics be stored when it is not needed? Large batteries
are one option. And sulfur batteries, in particular sodium-sulfur batteries
(More...)
Mpox in the DRC: residents of the slum at the centre of Kinshasa’s epidemic have little chance of avoiding this major health crisis
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:21:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/mpox-in-the-drc-residents-of-the-slum-at-the-centre-of-kinshasas-epidemic-have-little-chance-of-avoiding-this-major-health-crisis-247809>
"Walking through the crowded streets of the Pakadjuma neighbourhood in
Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, I am struck by the
vibrant atmosphere around me.
(More...)
Think your efforts to help the climate don’t matter? African philosophers disagree
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:21:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/think-your-efforts-to-help-the-climate-dont-matter-african-philosophers-disagree-247042>
"When I drive my car on weekends, I emit greenhouse gases – but not enough to
change the global climate on my own. But when I, my neighbours and hundreds of
millions of other people drive, fly, eat meat and embark on countless other
(More...)
Trump’s PCLOB Purge Risks Banning Meta, ExTwitter, Google, And Even Truth Social From Europe
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:22:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/01/27/trumps-pclob-purge-risks-banning-meta-extwitter-google-and-even-truth-social-from-europe/>
"In his latest “drain the swamp” move that will actually flood the entire
ecosystem, Trump demanded the Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil
Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) resign immediately. This may sound like just
(More...)
Can communities living side by side with wildlife beat Africa’s national parks at conservation?
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:24:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/28/conservation-environment-africa-community-wildlife-conservancies-national-parks-sustainable-tourism-indigenous-people-aoe>
"Africa’s first national park was created 100 years ago by the Belgian colonial
state in the Congo, and since then hundreds more have been developed – but in
many areas there is more wildlife in protected areas run by local people.
(More...)
‘A hugely significant sighting’: red goshawk photographed for first time in central Australia
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:22:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/24/endangered-red-goshawk-photographed-central-australia>
"Recent wet weather in the arid plains of central Australia prompted the
wildlife ecologist and bird enthusiast Dr Tim Henderson to stop last week at a
small lake to see if any waterbirds had shown up.
(More...)
Trump has withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement. Here’s why that’s not such a bad thing
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:24:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/trump-has-withdrawn-the-us-from-the-paris-agreement-heres-why-thats-not-such-a-bad-thing-248109>
"On his first day back in office as United States president, Donald Trump gave
formal notice of his nation’s exit from the Paris Agreement – a vital global
treaty seeking to rein in climate change.
(More...)
What is Solarpunk - An Intro with resources
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:31:11 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://infosec.exchange/@tinker/113908272119868814
'So solarpunk is an artistic aesthetic, literary genre, and social activism.
The artistic aesthetic tends to focus on the elements of solarpunk (discussed
(More...)
As the ‘digital oligarchy’ grows in power, NZ will struggle to regulate its global reach and influence
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:32:48 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/as-the-digital-oligarchy-grows-in-power-nz-will-struggle-to-regulate-its-global-reach-and-influence-247899>
"The images of President Donald Trump at his inauguration surrounded by the
titans of the global tech industry is a warning of what could come: a global
digital oligarchy dominated by a tiny tech elite.
(More...)
For my great-grandparents, for all Jews, for all humanity, I say never again
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:38:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/28/auschwitz-anniversary-antisemitism-australia-great-grandparents-jews>
"My father has a photograph of Albert Ransenberg taken in the yard of the
railway station in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1942. It was secretly taken by a
local policeman.
(More...)
Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art is now charging for entry. It’s a sign our cultural sector needs help
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 14:40:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/sydneys-museum-of-contemporary-art-is-now-charging-for-entry-its-a-sign-our-cultural-sector-needs-help-247458>
"From January 31, Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) will reintroduce
ticketed entry, charging adults $20 for general admission and $35 for combined
special exhibitions and museum entry. Entry will remain free for Australian
(More...)
Doomsday Clock set closer to midnight than ever to stress global catastrophe risks
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 23:04:22 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/doomsday-clock-closer-than-ever-to-midnight>
"A panel of international scientists has moved their symbolic “Doomsday Clock”
closer to midnight than ever before, citing Russian nuclear threats amid its
invasion of Ukraine, tensions in other world hotspots, military applications of
(More...)
As the Black Summer megafires neared, people rallied to save wildlife and domestic animals. But it came at a real cost
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 23:05:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/as-the-black-summer-megafires-neared-people-rallied-to-save-wildlife-and-domestic-animals-but-it-came-at-a-real-cost-248432>
"As the 2019-2020 megafires took hold across eastern Australia, many of us
reeled at the sight of animals trying and often failing to flee. Our screens
filled up with images of koalas with burned paws and possums in firefighter
(More...)
“We’re going to miss the bus” if we wait for nuclear, says new chief scientist
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 23:09:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/were-going-to-miss-the-bus-if-we-wait-for-nuclear-says-new-chief-scientist/>
"Australia’s top scientist faces a showdown with a future coalition government,
casting doubt on the opposition’s plan to establish nuclear energy.
(More...)
“We need renewables and storage now” to cut costs and grow economy, says US energy giant
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 23:10:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/we-need-renewables-and-storage-now-to-cut-costs-and-grow-economy-says-us-energy-giant/>
"The head of one of the biggest energy companies in the United States says more
renewables and storage are desperately needed to meet the country’s growing
energy demand and cut energy prices, and warns the US will face a power crisis
(More...)
Scientists sound the alarm after finding thousands of seabirds dead on beaches: 'The message is clear'
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 23:11:48 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/seabird-deaths-alaska-marine-heatwaves/>
'In 2014, scientists at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge knew
something was wrong when they started noticing thousands of common murres
washing up on beaches in Alaska.
(More...)
Australian researchers claim world record PV efficiency for kesterite solar cell
Wed, 5 Feb 2025 23:12:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-researchers-claim-world-record-pv-efficiency-for-kesterite-solar-cell/>
"Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) say they have set a
new world record efficiency for a kesterite solar cell, a type of solar cell
that has the potential to deliver long-term improvements in solar photovoltaic
(More...)
Amazon taps into new Victoria wind farm even as its boss courts favour with Trump
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:30:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/amazon-taps-into-new-victoria-wind-farm-even-as-its-boss-courts-favour-with-trump/>
"Technology giant Amazon has started taking output from a new 97MW wind farm in
Victoria’s Western District that has now commenced full commercial operations.
(More...)
The last time it was legal, exports of sea sand destroyed dozens of Indonesian islands. Now, the ban is being lifted
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:31:38 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Solar charts record growth to overtake coal in EU power mix, send fossil fuels to 40-year low
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:32:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-charts-record-growth-overtakes-coal-in-eu-power-mix-as-fossil-fuels-hit-40-year-low/>
"Solar power output in the EU more than tripled between 2014 and 2024, the
report shows, with last year seeing coal generation overtaken for the first
time.
(More...)
We live in times of multiple entwined crises – but our policy responses aren’t keeping up
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:33:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/we-live-in-times-of-multiple-entwined-crises-but-our-policy-responses-arent-keeping-up-247180>
"Existing policies to tackle environmental challenges fail to take into account
that biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution are intertwined crises and
produce compounding and intensifying impacts.
(More...)
Australia’s moment: How Trump’s fossil turn can supercharge our energy revolution
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:34:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-moment-how-trumps-fossil-turn-can-supercharge-our-energy-revolution/>
"This week, the global climate movement is in mourning. Under Trump’s reign of
executive orders, not only has the US out of the Paris Agreement, but they’ve
bulldozed a $300bln wind energy project pipeline and promised to desecrate the
(More...)
A marine heatwave in northwest Australia is killing huge numbers of fish. It’s heading south
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 05:35:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:47:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2025/jan/29/silicon-valley-rightwing-technofascism>
"An influential Silicon Valley publication runs a cover story lamenting the
“pussification” of tech. A major tech CEO lambasts a Black civil rights
leader’s calls for diversifying the tech workforce. Technologists rage against
(More...)
New analysis of asteroid dust reveals evidence of salty water in the early Solar System
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:48:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/new-analysis-of-asteroid-dust-reveals-evidence-of-salty-water-in-the-early-solar-system-248439>
"In October 2020, a van-sized robotic spacecraft briefly touched down on the
surface of Bennu, a 525-metre-wide asteroid 320 million kilometres from Earth.
(More...)
Global ‘gigantism’ hotspot: Tasmanian tree standing at almost 100m tallest in the country
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:50:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/30/global-gigantism-hotspot-tasmanian-tree-standing-at-almost-100m-tallest-in-the-country>
"Australian researchers have documented the tallest and most massive living
trees in Tasmania, a “global hotspot of gigantism in plants”, including 18
examples over 90 metres.
(More...)
Gene pools are getting dangerously shallow for many species. We found 5 ways to help
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:52:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/gene-pools-are-getting-dangerously-shallow-for-many-species-we-found-5-ways-to-help-242708>
"Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated.
Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants
circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a
(More...)
State of the climate: Hotter and hotter, and we are blowing our budget
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:53:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/state-of-the-climate-hotter-and-hotter-and-we-are-blowing-our-budget/>
"This note is nothing more than an annual reminder of the climate data. It’s a
reminder of how hard many people work.
(More...)
Australian democracy is not dead, but needs help to ensure its survival
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:54:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/australian-democracy-is-not-dead-but-needs-help-to-ensure-its-survival-235638>
"Democracies worldwide are suffering from legitimacy problems. This is
reflected in low levels of public trust in key political institutions, the
polarisation of politics, and the erosion of public confidence in the capacity
(More...)
Solar and battery energy hubs provide resilience as storms and fires cause havoc on grid
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 22:16:33 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-and-battery-energy-hubs-provide-resilience-as-storms-and-fires-cause-havoc-on-grid/>
"Only days after strong winds and lightning strikes caused thousands of power
outages across Victoria, the state is celebrating the completion of its $7.5
million Energy Resilience Solutions (ERS) program, which has rolled out 24
(More...)
Former Miss America’s Australian nuclear tour clouded by Chinese AI blow to her employer
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 22:17:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/former-miss-americas-australian-nuclear-tour-clouded-by-chinese-ai-blow-to-her-employer/>
"Miss America 2023 winner Grace Stanke has begun her Australian tour to promote
nuclear power, just as the US energy giant that employs her has taken a big
market hit after Chinese company DeepSeek claimed to have found a cheaper way
(More...)
Clothing Recycling Is Taking a Giant Leap Forward
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 22:18:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/clothing-recycling-process-textiles/
"The towers of old clothes reach almost to the ceiling of the
200,000-square-foot hall. Forklifts rumble across the concrete floor, squeezing
between the stacked bales of jeans, jackets, sweaters and shirts.
(More...)
A New Zealand mountain is granted personhood, recognizing it as sacred for Māori
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 22:19:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://apnews.com/article/mountain-zealand-personhood-maori-taranak-590fca0f3d648cc0bf86d970782e954c>
"WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A mountain in New Zealand considered an
ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday
after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human
(More...)
EV touring: What happened when we ran our BYD Atto 3 battery down to zero
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 22:21:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/01/30/ev-touring-what-happened-when-we-ran-our-byd-atto-3-battery-down-to-zero/>
"Imagine you’re on a regional highway and have run out of petrol on the
shoulder of the road. One option might be to knock on the door of the nearest
farmhouse and ask if they could sell you a few litres of fuel in a jerry can.
(More...)
Problematic Paper Screener: Trawling for fraud in the scientific literature
Thu, 6 Feb 2025 22:22:56 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/problematic-paper-screener-trawling-for-fraud-in-the-scientific-literature-246317>
"Have you ever heard of the Joined Together States? Or bosom peril? Kidney
disappointment? Fake neural organizations? Lactose bigotry? These nonsensical,
and sometimes amusing, word sequences are among thousands of “tortured phrases”
(More...)
Bird flu poses growing pandemic threat as virus evolves
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 04:23:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.politico.eu/article/bird-avian-flu-presents-growing-pandemic-threat-as-virus-evolves-efsa-ecdc/>
"Bird flu poses an increasing pandemic threat as it becomes more adaptive,
jumping to humans, pets and zoo animals, Europe’s disease and food agencies
warned on Wednesday.
(More...)
The world’s second largest freshwater crayfish was once plentiful in Australia’s longest river – we’re bringing it back
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 04:24:11 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-second-largest-freshwater-crayfish-was-once-plentiful-in-australias-longest-river-were-bringing-it-back-236520>
"Murray crayfish once thrived in the southern Murray-Darling Basin. The species
was found everywhere from the headwaters of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers
in the Australian Alps all the way down to Wellington in South Australia.
(More...)
VGHF opens free online access to 1,500 classic game mags, 30K historic files
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 04:25:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/01/vghf-opens-free-online-access-to-1500-classic-game-mags-30k-historic-files/>
"The Video Game History Foundation has officially opened up digital access to a
large portion of its massive archives today, offering fans and researchers
unprecedented access to information and ephemera surrounding the past 50 years
(More...)
Argentina’s president is vowing to repeal ‘woke’ femicide law. It could have ripple effects across Latin America
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 04:26:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/argentinas-president-is-vowing-to-repeal-woke-femicide-law-it-could-have-ripple-effects-across-latin-america-248435>
"In a major setback in the fight against gender-based violence, Argentinian
President Javier Milei’s government has announced it will repeal the crime of
femicide from the penal code.
(More...)
A Free-Transit Prescription for Healthier Communities
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 04:28:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/free-transit-healthier-communities/
"A few years ago Christiana Sylvaine stopped driving. Diagnosed with
narcolepsy, she’d had a few incidents behind the wheel that scared her. So she
sold her car and turned instead to the two bus lines that ran within blocks of
(More...)
Even as the tide turned for fur, crocodile leather kept selling in high-end fashion. But for how much longer?
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 04:29:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/even-as-the-tide-turned-for-fur-crocodile-leather-kept-selling-in-high-end-fashion-but-for-how-much-longer-245471>
"Dotted across northern Australia are 21 saltwater crocodile farms, home to
around 130,000 crocodiles. Their skins are turned into crocodile leather, long
sought for use in luxury handbags, belts and other items.
(More...)
Inside Africa’s Trailblazing Solar Repair Movement
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 13:22:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/solar-device-repair-africa/
"Father Vincent Ngwira is a man who follows the way, the truth and the light.
As a Catholic priest, the 44-year-old Zambian has held congregations across the
south African nation, sharing the good word with rural and urban populations
(More...)
Why the WHO has recommended switching to a healthier salt alternative
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 13:48:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/why-the-who-has-recommended-switching-to-a-healthier-salt-alternative-248436>
"This week the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines
recommending people switch the regular salt they use at home for substitutes
containing less sodium.
(More...)
How I discovered my great-great-grandfather started one of first EV companies a century ago
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 13:49:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/01/31/how-i-discovered-my-great-great-grandfather-started-one-of-first-ev-companies-a-century-ago/>
"On Anzac Day 2024, my Aunt Deborah messaged to say a UK based researcher had
contacted her suggesting that William Bleakley, my great-great-grandfather, was
one of three founders of a company called British Electric Vehicles in 1916.
(More...)
5 games to play if you’re ‘not a gamer’ – or to introduce to the non-gamers in your life
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 13:50:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/5-games-to-play-if-youre-not-a-gamer-or-to-introduce-to-the-non-gamers-in-your-life-244912>
"Gaming is no longer a niche activity reserved for a select few – it’s a global
pastime enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds and interests. In fact,
studies show 81% of Australians engage in some form of gaming.
(More...)
The First First Responders
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 13:52:22 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://hakaimagazine.com/features/the-first-first-responders/
"When a ship wrecks on an unfamiliar coastline, an already desperate situation
is all the more dire. Blinded by the night, and lost, the captain and crew of
the
Puritan, a four-masted lumber schooner en route from San Francisco,
(More...)
Make a noise or work with the system? New research reveals 4 ways to create real change for nature
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 13:53:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/make-a-noise-or-work-with-the-system-new-research-reveals-4-ways-to-create-real-change-for-nature-248226>
"Ecosystems and species across the natural world are in serious trouble. The
vast majority of Australians want more government action, but it’s not being
delivered.
(More...)
Fake papers are contaminating the world’s scientific literature, fueling a corrupt industry and slowing legitimate lifesaving medical research
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 22:21:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/fake-papers-are-contaminating-the-worlds-scientific-literature-fueling-a-corrupt-industry-and-slowing-legitimate-lifesaving-medical-research-246224>
"Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have
industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly
research, undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers
(More...)
Fix the News: More to Give
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 22:22:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://fixthenews.com/more-to-give/
"Coming into 2025, we knew that we needed to double down. As a
solutions-oriented news publication, we're interested in what's going right in
the world, but that also means we're keenly aware of how much is going wrong.
(More...)
Unveiling the Hidden Material That Weaves Together Our Digital Lives
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 22:23:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2025/01/31/unveiling-the-hidden-material-that-weaves-together-our-digital-lives/>
"For the majority of people, the internet is fully integrated into our daily
lives. In the 30+ years since it became publicly available, it has
revolutionized communication, healthcare, education, business operations,
(More...)
An important idea for dealing with Trump, from north of the border
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 22:24:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/an-important-idea-for-dealing-with
"The following is by Jean Chrétien, who served as prime minister of Canada from
1993 to 2003. It appeared in
The Globe and Mail, Canada’s most widely read
newspaper, on January 11, 2025."
(More...)
‘Everyone thought it would cause gridlock’: the highway that Seoul turned into a stream
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 22:26:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/17/seoul-cheonggyecheon-motorway-turned-into-a-stream>
"On a crisp December morning, office workers and tourists stroll along a
tree-lined stream in central Seoul, pausing on stepping stones that cross its
flowing waters. It’s difficult to imagine that just over 20 years ago, this was
(More...)
‘We painted our fear, hope and dreams’ − examining the art and artists of Guantánamo Bay
Fri, 7 Feb 2025 22:27:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/we-painted-our-fear-hope-and-dreams-examining-the-art-and-artists-of-guantanamo-bay-246964>
"When Moath al-Alwi left Guantánamo Bay for resettlement in Oman, accompanying
him on his journey was a cache of artwork he created during more than two
decades of detention.
(More...)
Yarmouth approves plan to remove two Royal River dams
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 06:10:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://themainemonitor.org/royal-river-dams-removal-plan/
"The Yarmouth town council voted unanimously this month to remove two
town-owned dams on the Royal River and consider fish passage improvements at a
stretch of rapids in between them, a historic vote more than two decades in the
(More...)
Australia’s social media ban shows how extreme the technology debate has become – there’s a better way
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 06:11:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/australias-social-media-ban-shows-how-extreme-the-technology-debate-has-become-theres-a-better-way-245123>
"The recent decision by the Australian government to introduce a ban on social
media for under-16s has been received with both praise and condemnation.
(More...)
Choctaw Nation Found a Better Way To Deliver Harm Reduction. It’s Working.
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 06:13:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/choctaw-nation-found-better-way-deliver-harm-reduction-its-working>
"DURANT, Okla.— On a scorching 100-degree day in southeastern Oklahoma, Choctaw
Nation Behavioral Health workers set up two tables under a small tent in a
parking lot at a busy intersection in the town of Durant. White and pink boxes
(More...)
Can a child legally take puberty blockers? What if their parents disagree?
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 06:17:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Trump leaving the Paris Agreement is ‘mostly symbolic.’ What does it actually mean?
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 06:18:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://grist.org/politics/us-leaving-paris-agreement-trump-deregulatory-agenda/>
"The United States’ second exit from the Paris Agreement wasn’t unexpected.
Even before he was reelected, now-president Donald Trump had promised for
months that he would pull the country out of the United Nations pact to limit
(More...)
Australia tried to influence other countries and Unesco to keep Great Barrier Reef off in-danger list
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 06:19:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/01/australia-tried-to-influence-other-countries-and-unesco-to-keep-great-barrier-reef-off-in-danger-list>
"The Australian government carried out an international lobbying campaign to
keep the Great Barrier Reef off a list of world heritage sites in danger,
including dispatching politicians and officials to Unesco’s Paris headquarters
(More...)
Bright Green Futures Episode 24: Let's Talk About the Doom Loop
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 13:27:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://brightgreenfutures.substack.com/p/episode-24-lets-talk-about-the-doom>
"Back in December, there was an article that made the rounds saying we were
entering a doom loop where geopolitical instability was reinforcing the climate
crisis which was reinforcing instability and, well, it was a loop.
(More...)
Hallucinating copy/paste plagiarism robots are everywhere! What a time to be alive!
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 13:28:00 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
I was jailed for four years for a non-violent climate protest – this is my prison diary
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 13:28:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/25/just-stop-oil-jailed-four-years-non-violent-climate-protest-prison-diary>
"I was one of a group of Just Stop Oil activists given the longest-ever UK
sentences for peaceful protest after blocking a motorway. Six months into my
incarceration, this is what I have learned"
(More...)
Restoration is helping native raptors thrive in Scotland, report shows
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 13:30:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/environment/restoration-is-helping-native-raptors-thrive-in-scotland-report-shows/>
"A new report released by an organisation that works to rehabilitate some of
Scotland’s most precious landscapes suggests that its efforts are bearing
fruit, in line with a promising national trend.
(More...)
What does the resignation of its populist prime minister mean for Serbia?
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 13:33:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/what-does-resignation-of-populist-prime-minister-milos-vucevic-mean-for-serbia>
"Serbia’s populist prime minister, Miloš Vučević, has resigned in an attempt to
calm political tensions after months of anti-corruption protests.
(More...)
A chronicle of courage: the programme keeping Afghan women’s words alive
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 13:36:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.positive.news/society/keeping-afghan-womens-words-alive/
"It’s August 2021. Imagine being a woman in Kabul – a woman who loves words,
who loves to write. Who keeps in touch with fellow women writers on WhatsApp as
the Taliban advances, seizing city after city, until, with shocking rapidity,
(More...)
In Slovakia, a frenzy of cultural repression is under way, as we turn back to Soviet times
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 23:46:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/29/in-slovakia-a-frenzy-of-cultural-repression-is-underway-as-we-turn-back-to-soviet-times>
"In his novel
The Noise of Time, Julian Barnes depicts the Russian composer
Dmitri Shostakovich as “a man standing by a lift, at his feet a small case
containing cigarettes, underwear and tooth powder; standing there and waiting
(More...)
Eleven photographs that capture our world’s beauty in close up
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 23:47:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/eleven-photographs-that-capture-our-worlds-beauty-in-close-up/>
"The winners of the sixth Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) awards
have been announced.
(More...)
‘We are done with corruption’: how the students of Serbia rose up against the system
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 23:48:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/30/we-are-done-with-corruption-how-the-students-of-serbia-rose-up-against-the-system>
"Sitting on the balustrade of a viaduct in Belgrade, Uroš Pantović wasn’t in
the mood to mince his words. The 22-year-old had joined tens of thousands of
others protesters on Monday to block one of the Serbian capital’s main
(More...)
‘We’re witnesses to the horror of the world’: the one-of-a-kind Italian clinic treating refugees for trauma
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 23:49:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jan/27/italian-clinic-refugees-centre-asylum-seekers>
"Tucked away in a tangle of streets around Rome’s Termini station is a clinic
that sharply contrasts with the hardline, anti-migrant stance of Italian
politicians.
(More...)
Russian spy ship fire exposes poor state of Mediterranean fleet, say experts
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 23:51:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/01/russian-spy-ship-fire-exposes-poor-state-of-mediterranean-fleet-say-experts>
"A fire onboard a Russian spy ship off the coast of Syria has underlined the
poor state of the Russian navy as its toehold in the Mediterranean hangs in the
balance, analysts and western security services say.
(More...)
A new life for empty offices: Growing kale and cucumbers
Sat, 8 Feb 2025 23:53:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250127-why-veg-is-growing-in-empty-office-spaces>
'Since its 1967 construction, Canada's "Calgary Tower", a 190m (623ft)
concrete-and-steel observation tower in Calgary, Alberta, has been home to an
observation deck, panoramic restaurants and souvenir shops. Last year, it
(More...)
When golf courses go wild
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 05:13:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.rewildingmag.com/when-golf-courses-go-wild/
"In the fields beside a suburban lake on Vancouver Island, Canada, relics from
a past life are hidden in plain sight. The land, home to a nine-hole golf
course for more than 30 years, is no longer doused with water every day or
(More...)
Musk's Junta Establishes Him as Head of Government
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 05:15:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/musk-s-junta-establishes-him-as-head-of-government>
"I’ve long believed that the American media would be more clear-eyed about the
rise and return of Donald Trump if it was happening overseas in a foreign
country, where we’re used to foreign correspondents writing with more incisive
(More...)
12 little acts of kindness: what friends and strangers did for each other in their hour of need
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 05:17:56 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jun/28/12-little-acts-of-kindness-what-friends-and-strangers-did-for-each-other-in-their-hour-of-need>
"I have a fond memory from a Monday a month or so after my mum died. My friend
Deb’s son, then three years old, was playing hide and seek with my daughter of
the same age. He picked a delightfully impressive hiding place, wedging himself
(More...)
Good News in January (you might have missed)
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 05:21:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pamrBcd4poc
"I'm back with the first good news round up of 2025! I know (from personal
experience too) January can be a particularly tough time of the year, so I hope
this video helps bring some relief into your day and a chance to remind you
(More...)
While you sleep, these insects are working hard on the night shift to keep our environment healthy
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 05:23:41 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/while-you-sleep-these-insects-are-working-hard-on-the-night-shift-to-keep-our-environment-healthy-246483>
"As night falls over Australia’s forests, grasslands and backyards, the hidden
world of nocturnal insects stirs to life. In many ecosystems, overall insect
activity actually peaks at night, especially in warmer regions of the world.
(More...)
What’s driving north Queensland’s deadly, record-breaking floods?
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 05:24:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/whats-driving-north-queenslands-deadly-record-breaking-floods-248847>
"Record-breaking floods across north Queensland have now turned deadly, with
one woman drowning while being rescued on Sunday morning. And the floodwaters
are still rising, with rain set to continue.
(More...)
How we’re recovering priceless audio and lost languages from old decaying tapes
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 13:28:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/how-were-recovering-priceless-audio-and-lost-languages-from-old-decaying-tapes-248116>
"Remember cassettes? If you’re old enough, you might remember dropping one into
a player, only to have it screech at you when you pressed “play”. We’ve fixed
that problem. But why would we bother?
(More...)
Customers will take as much wind and solar as they can “because they are the cheapest,” says Brookfield
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 13:30:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/customers-will-take-as-much-wind-and-solar-as-they-can-because-they-are-the-cheapest-says-brookfield/>
"Brookfield, the Canadian asset management giant with more than $A1.5 trillion
under assets, says corporate demand for low cost and zero emissions power has
never been stronger, and the prospects for low cost wind and solar have never
(More...)
Demolition should be the last resort for Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers – retrofit and upgrade instead
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 13:30:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/demolition-should-be-the-last-resort-for-melbournes-44-public-housing-towers-retrofit-and-upgrade-instead-246327>
"Investment in public housing is long overdue. But the current proposal to
demolish all 44 of Melbourne’s social housing towers, relocate more than 10,000
residents and redevelop the sites is deeply flawed.
(More...)
Lies, damned lies and Coalition energy economics: Dutton’s latest nuclear claim slammed
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 13:32:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/lies-damned-lies-and-coalition-energy-economics-duttons-latest-nuclear-claim-slammed/>
"Blink and you might have missed it, but Peter Dutton delivered another
toe-curling example of energy policy hokum on Sunday morning, as the first
guest of the first episode of the ABC’s
Insiders program for 2025.
(More...)
Podcasts have helped sway many young American men to the right. The same may well happen in Australia
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 13:33:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/podcasts-have-helped-sway-many-young-american-men-to-the-right-the-same-may-well-happen-in-australia-248135>
"The 2024 US presidential election saw a historic shift to the right, driven by
the largest swing of young male voters in two decades. Analysts attribute this
partly to podcasters like Joe Rogan, whose unfiltered, conversational content
(More...)
Wind farm objections: In Germany, one group of protesters averaged 64 complaints per person
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 13:35:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/wind-farm-objections-in-germany-one-group-of-protesters-averaged-64-complaints-per-person/>
"A group of about 6,660 people are behind a slew of over 440,000 letters
objecting to plans for wind farm developments in 40 areas in the Neckar-Alb
region of Baden-Württemberg, according to reporting from national broadcaster
(More...)
How the UK's biggest solar project could be shaped by sheep farmers
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 22:32:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/uks-biggest-solar-project-shaped-sheep-farmers-3515218>
"The developers of the biggest solar farm proposed in the UK are seeking to win
over local opposition by allowing thousands of sheep to graze under the panels.
(More...)
Should Australia mandate cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks?
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 22:34:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/should-australia-mandate-cancer-warnings-for-alcoholic-drinks-246890>
"Alcohol causes huge harm in Australia, responsible for 5,800 new cancer cases
per year. Yet many of us remain in the dark about its health risks.
(More...)
‘No idea what he’s talking about’: Dutton’s nuclear plan could raise – not cut – electricity bills, experts warn
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 22:35:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/04/no-idea-what-hes-talking-about-duttons-nuclear-plan-could-raise-not-cut-electricity-bills-experts-warn>
"Energy experts have rubbished claims by Peter Dutton that his plan to slow the
rollout of renewable energy while waiting more than a decade for
taxpayer-funded nuclear plants could bring down electricity bills in the short
(More...)
Climate change puts African cocoa production under pressure
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 22:36:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-climate-african-cocoa-production-pressure.html>
"Climate change is having a significant impact on cocoa production in West and
Central Africa, according to a study by Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
The region accounts for more than 70% of global cocoa production. Changes in
(More...)
Bonobos recognize when humans are ignorant, try to help
Sun, 9 Feb 2025 22:37:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/02/bonobos-know-when-youre-clueless/>
'A lot of human society requires what's called a "theory of mind"—the ability
to infer the mental state of another person and adjust our actions based on
what we expect they know and are thinking. We don't always get this right—it's
(More...)
Large battery trial aims to improve renewable energy use in SA towns
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:47:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-04/large-battery-trial-for-sa-towns-to-improve-renewable-energy/104883438>
"The company that looks after electricity distribution in South Australia is
experimenting with installing large batteries in several small towns to improve
the system's reliability and allow for fast charging of electric vehicles.
(More...)
While plastic dominates human consumption, the global economy will remain hooked on fossil fuels
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:49:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/while-plastic-dominates-human-consumption-the-global-economy-will-remain-hooked-on-fossil-fuels-247393>
"In early December 2024, hopes for a landmark global treaty to curb plastic
pollution were dashed as negotiations in South Korea stalled. Leading the
campaign against the deal were major oil-producing nations, especially Saudi
(More...)
Australia spends $714 per person on roads every year – but just 90 cents goes to walking, wheeling and cycling
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:51:05 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
State government offers big grants for electric delivery vans and cargo e-bikes
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:51:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/03/state-government-offers-grants-for-electric-delivery-vans-and-cargo-e-bikes/>
"Small businesses in Tasmania are being offered grants to help in the purchase
of a cargo e-bike or electric delivery van thanks to a new government program
designed to help reduce emissions in the last-mile and short-to-medium delivery
(More...)
The AEC wants to stop AI and misinformation. But it’s up against a problem that is deep and dark
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:55:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-aec-wants-to-stop-ai-and-misinformation-but-its-up-against-a-problem-that-is-deep-and-dark-248773>
"From the moment you open your social media feed, you’re stepping into a
digital battleground where not all political messages are what they seem.
(More...)
Small, family owned trucking firms encouraged to go electric
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:56:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/03/small-family-owned-trucking-firms-encouraged-to-go-electric/>
"Small, family-owned trucking firms should not have to bear the financial
burden of the energy transition, according to transport experts who called on
state and territory governments to help them put more electric trucks on the
(More...)
Can you get sunburnt or UV skin damage through car or home windows?
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:24:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/can-you-get-sunburnt-or-uv-skin-damage-through-car-or-home-windows-246599>
"When you’re in a car, train or bus, do you choose a seat to avoid being in the
sun or do you like the sunny side?
(More...)
Renault aims to set new efficiency record with single seater electric car
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:30:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/04/renault-aims-to-set-new-efficiency-record-with-single-seater-electric-car/>
"French automaker Renault has unveiled a new single-seater electric concept car
that it hopes will set a new record for efficiency.
(More...)
Labor’s dumping of Australia’s new nature laws means the environment is shaping as a key 2025 election issue
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:31:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/labors-dumping-of-australias-new-nature-laws-means-the-environment-is-shaping-as-a-key-2025-election-issue-248872>
"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shelved the proposed reforms to
Australia’s 25-year-old environment laws, citing a lack of parliamentary
support for the changes.
(More...)
Trump’s “drill baby, drill” plan is a disaster for energy security, and prices
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:33:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/trumps-drill-baby-drill-plan-is-a-disaster-for-energy-security-and-prices/>
"In July 2022, I was covering the Sydney Energy Forum for
Renew Economy. The
forum was convened by the then newly elected Australian Labor Government and
brought together Australia’s major trade partners to collaborate on
(More...)
Drought can hit almost anywhere: How 5 cities that nearly ran dry got water use under control
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:34:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/drought-can-hit-almost-anywhere-how-5-cities-that-nearly-ran-dry-got-water-use-under-control-248760>
"Water scarcity is often viewed as an issue for the arid American West, but the
U.S. Northeast’s experience in 2024 shows how severe droughts can occur in just
about any part of the country.
(More...)
Addicted: how the world got hooked on illicit drugs – and why we need to view this as a global threat like climate change
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:36:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/addicted-how-the-world-got-hooked-on-illicit-drugs-and-why-we-need-to-view-this-as-a-global-threat-like-climate-change-248401>
"It has taken decades for some to accept the devastating effects of climate
change on our planet. Despite scientific evidence that was available years ago,
many people were reluctant to make the connection between increasing use of
(More...)
Violet Blue's "Threat Model - Cybersecurity": February 4, 2025
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:37:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.patreon.com/posts/cybersecurity-4-121473814
"This week: the US coup continues and Chuck Schumer really hopes someone on
Bluesky will do something about it, Brazil bans Sam Altman’s AI iris scanning
company from paying citizens for biometric data, how to keep your IOT devices
(More...)
A deadly bird flu strain is headed for Australia – and First Nations people have the know-how to tackle it
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:38:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/a-deadly-bird-flu-strain-is-headed-for-australia-and-first-nations-people-have-the-know-how-to-tackle-it-245758>
"A virulent strain of bird flu continues to spread across the world. Australia,
New Zealand and Pacific nations are the only countries free from the infection,
but this will no doubt change.
(More...)
Temperatures at north pole 20C above average and beyond ice melting point
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:39:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Bees count from left to right just like some humans, apes and birds – new research
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:40:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/bees-count-from-left-to-right-just-like-some-humans-apes-and-birds-new-research-242116>
"Picture writing the numbers 1 to 5 in a horizontal line, from smallest to
largest. Where did you put 1? If you placed 1 on the left and 5 on the right,
you share this preference with most humans.
(More...)
Activists are warning of a return to the Jim Crow era in America. But who or what was Jim Crow?
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:41:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/activists-are-warning-of-a-return-to-the-jim-crow-era-in-america-but-who-or-what-was-jim-crow-248890>
"Since becoming president, Donald Trump has issued a record number of executive
orders. Several aim to dismantle federally funded initiatives based on the idea
that “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) are goals worth achieving.
(More...)
“Don’t listen to politicians, talk to neighbours:” Slashing home energy bills takes a village
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:43:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/dont-listen-to-politicians-talk-to-neighbours-slashing-home-energy-bills-takes-a-village/>
"Australia leads the world in rooftop solar, but Greg Bourne believes we can do
even better. With the right policies and smarter technology, households and
businesses could double rooftop solar capacity by 2030—slashing energy bills
(More...)
Yes, energy prices are hurting the food sector. But burning more fossil fuels is not the answer
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:06:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/yes-energy-prices-are-hurting-the-food-sector-but-burning-more-fossil-fuels-is-not-the-answer-248996>
"Months out from a federal election, the industry lobby is gearing up in
opposition to the Albanese government’s renewable energy targets. In a salvo on
Monday, food distributors urged the government to increase fossil fuel
(More...)
USAid shutdown isn’t just a humanitarian issue – it’s a threat to American interests
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:08:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/usaid-shutdown-isnt-just-a-humanitarian-issue-its-a-threat-to-american-interests-248939>
"The website for the United States Agency for International Development
(USAid), the world’s biggest aid donor, has gone dark.
(More...)
Peter Dutton is promising to slash the public service. Voters won’t know how many jobs are lost until after the election
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:09:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Climate-affected produce is here to stay. Here’s what it takes for consumers to embrace it
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:10:33 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/climate-affected-produce-is-here-to-stay-heres-what-it-takes-for-consumers-to-embrace-it-248776>
"The economic cost of food waste in Australia is staggering. It’s estimated
$36.6 billion is lost to the economy every year. Much of our fresh produce
never even makes it to stores, rejected at the farm gate due to cosmetic
(More...)
Why Mark Zuckerberg wants to redefine open source so badly
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:11:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-mark-zuckerberg-wants-to-redefine-open-source-so-badly/>
"LONDON — Fitting artificial intelligence into open source isn't easy. Yes, AI
foundations rest firmly on open source. And yes, a handful of important
programs, such as IBM's Granite Large Language Models (LLM) and RHEL AI, really
(More...)
Electric vehicle batteries can last almost 40% longer in the real world than in lab tests
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:12:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/electric-vehicle-batteries-can-last-almost-40-longer-in-the-real-world-than-in-lab-tests-248557>
"When we see “tested under laboratory conditions”, we often assume real-world
conditions will lead to faster degradation of a product.
(More...)
AI Is Spamming Open Source Repos With Fake Issues
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:13:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thenewstack.io/ai-is-spamming-open-source-repos-with-fake-issues/>
"AI is being used to open fake feature requests in open source repos, according
to some maintainers. So far, AI-driven issues have been reported in Curl,
React, CSS and Apache Airflow.
(More...)
Dumping open source for proprietary rarely pays off: Better to stick a fork in it
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:14:47 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.zdnet.com/article/dumping-open-source-for-proprietary-rarely-pays-off-better-to-stick-a-fork-in-it/>
'LONDON — Over the past decade, companies such as Redis, Elastic, MongoDB, and
HashiCorp have abandoned their open-source license roots and switched to
proprietary models. The companies cite competition from cloud providers and
(More...)
Watching the doom loop: Sydney Festival artists witness climate change, and imagine our post-apocalyptic future
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:15:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/watching-the-doom-loop-sydney-festival-artists-witness-climate-change-and-imagine-our-post-apocalyptic-future-249017>
"The first weeks of 2025 have seen catastrophic wildfires locally and
internationally, record global ocean temperatures, and unprecedented coral
bleaching events.
(More...)
Deaths predicted amid the chaos of Elon Musk’s shutdown of USAid
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:17:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/04/deaths-predicted-amid-the-chaos-of-elon-musks-shutdown-of-usaid>
"Critical supplies of life-saving medicines have been blocked and children left
without food and battling malnutrition as multiple effects were reported across
the globe after Elon Musk resolved to shut down the US government’s pre-eminent
(More...)
Warner Brothers Is Mysteriously Dumping Obscure and Wonderful Movies on YouTube for Free
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:19:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://gizmodo.com/warner-brothers-is-mysteriously-dumping-obscure-and-wonderful-movies-on-youtube-for-free-2000559739>
"Warner Bros. Discovery has done something good for a change. Over the past
month, it’s uploaded 30 different movies of varying quality to YouTube. You can
watch them right now for free. There’s no catch.
(More...)
24 years of life lost: people placed in state care have died earlier, more violent deaths – new study
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:21:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/24-years-of-life-lost-people-placed-in-state-care-have-died-earlier-more-violent-deaths-new-study-248540>
"A new study using a large collection of demographic data has revealed the
lasting and damaging consequences for children placed in state care between
1950 and 1999 – including huge disparities in life expectancy compared with the
(More...)
Honest Government Ad | Nuclear
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:29:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBqVVBUdW84
"The Liberal Party of Australia has made an ad about its nuclear plan, and it’s
surprisingly honest and informative!"
(More...)
In freezing foreign aid, the US leaves people to die – and allows China to come to the rescue
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:30:34 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/in-freezing-foreign-aid-the-us-leaves-people-to-die-and-allows-china-to-come-to-the-rescue-249024>
"One of the executive orders US President Donald Trump signed the day he was
inaugurated was a 90-day pause in US foreign development assistance.
(More...)
The butterfly effect: this obscure mathematical concept has become an everyday idea, but do we have it all wrong?
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:31:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-butterfly-effect-this-obscure-mathematical-concept-has-become-an-everyday-idea-but-do-we-have-it-all-wrong-246577>
"In 1972, the US meteorologist Edward Lorenz asked a now-famous question:
Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?
(More...)
AI-Generated Slop Is Already In Your Public Library
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:33:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-slop-is-already-in-your-public-library-3/>
"Low quality books that appear to be AI generated are making their way into
public libraries via their digital catalogs, forcing librarians who are already
understaffed to either sort through a functionally infinite number of books to
(More...)
Mark Zuckerberg wants business to ‘man up’, but what it really needs is more women entrepreneurs
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:34:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/mark-zuckerberg-wants-business-to-man-up-but-what-it-really-needs-is-more-women-entrepreneurs-248440>
"By claiming workplaces need to “man up”, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is ignoring
one of the biggest untapped opportunities for economic growth – women
entrepreneurs.
(More...)
Badger admiring art wins wildlife photographer of the year public vote
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:35:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/05/badger-admiring-art-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-peoples-choice-award>
"A badger captured glancing up at a graffiti version of itself has won the
Natural History Museum’s people’s choice award for wildlife photographer of the
year.
(More...)
‘Serious concerns’: national assessment reveals rivers flowing into the Great Barrier Reef are getting more polluted
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:26:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/serious-concerns-national-assessment-reveals-rivers-flowing-into-the-great-barrier-reef-are-getting-more-polluted-248903>
"Polluted runoff is still smothering the Great Barrier Reef, our first national
assessment of water quality trends in Australian rivers has revealed. The
problem on the reef is getting worse, not better, despite efforts to improve
(More...)
Australian foreign aid workers fear ‘deaths and suffering’ will result from Trump’s halt to USAid
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:27:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/06/australian-foreign-aid-workers-fear-deaths-and-suffering-will-result-from-trumps-halt-to-usaid>
"Australian overseas aid programs could shut, causing “unnecessary deaths and
suffering”, in the fallout from the Trump administration’s decision to freeze
foreign aid.
(More...)
Fix the News 284: Life's Key Ingredients
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:29:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://fixthenews.com/284-life-key-ingredients/
"Plus, some big wins for gender rights, peak air pollution, a new fusion
record, and good news on youth crime in America, forest protection in the
Amazon Basin and central Africa, and plummeting emissions in Europe."
(More...)
RFK Jr’s claim about Black people’s immune systems is ‘unscientific and terrifying’
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:30:41 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/05/rfk-jr-hearing-black-people-immune-systems>
"During Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Senate confirmation hearing on 30 January, Angela
Alsobrooks, a Democratic senator from Maryland, pressed the nominee on his past
claims that Black people have a stronger immune system than white people and
(More...)
Public Work
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:33:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://public.work/
"Public Work is a search engine for public domain content. Explore 100,000+
copyright-free images from The MET, New York Public Library, and other
sources."
(More...)
It is Elon Musk who is now running the United States. Not Donald Trump
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:34:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/06/elon-musk-us-government-power>
"It’s one of the humiliations of our historical moment that the constitutional
order has been destroyed by such stupid and unserious people. On the trail with
Donald Trump, the billionaire Elon Musk, who financed Trump’s campaign to the
(More...)
Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:10:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Mandatory minimum sentencing is proven to be bad policy. It won’t stop hate crimes
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:11:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/mandatory-minimum-sentencing-is-proven-to-be-bad-policy-it-wont-stop-hate-crimes-249266>
"Weeks after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced his support for mandatory
minimum jail terms for antisemitic offences, the government has legislated such
laws. Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke stated the federal parliament would
(More...)
It’s official: Australia’s ocean surface was the hottest on record in 2024
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:12:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/its-official-australias-ocean-surface-was-the-hottest-on-record-in-2024-249277>
"Australia’s sea surface temperatures were the warmest on record last year,
according to a snapshot of the nation’s climate which underscores the perilous
state of the world’s oceans.
(More...)
Medical journal editors must resist CDC order and anti-gender ideology
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:15:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r253
"The news that on 31 January 2025 the Trump administration instructed
scientists employed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
to withdraw or retract articles from medical and science journals is sinister
(More...)
“Golden age of gas” has not paid off for Australian consumers, manufacturers
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:16:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/golden-age-of-gas-did-not-pay-off-for-australian-consumers-new-report-finds/>
"Queensland’s LNG export industry has been a “pretty poor investment” that has
driven up domestic gas prices along the east coast, destroyed demand,
threatened shortages and failed to deliver the royalties promised, a new
(More...)
Habitat restoration is a long-haul job. Here are 3 groups that have endured
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:17:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/habitat-restoration-is-a-long-haul-job-here-are-3-groups-that-have-endured-248133>
"Like ferns and the tides, community conservation groups come and go. Many
achieve their goal. Volunteers restore a local wetland or protect a patch of
urban bush and then hang up the gardening gloves with a warm inner glow. Some
(More...)
Pro-nuclear lobby group ramps up social media ad spend by nearly 150 pct
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:19:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/pro-nuclear-lobby-group-ramps-up-social-media-ad-spend-by-nearly-150-pct/>
"A pro-nuclear lobby group founded by high school student Will Shackel and
backed by businessman Dick Smith has boosted its ad spend on Mark
Zuckerberg-owned Meta sites by 148 per cent in January, new data has revealed.
(More...)
Whalesong patterns follow a universal law of human language, new research finds
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:20:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/whalesong-patterns-follow-a-universal-law-of-human-language-new-research-finds-249271>
"All known human languages display a surprising pattern: the most frequent word
in a language is twice as frequent as the second most frequent, three times as
frequent as the third, and so on. This is known as Zipf’s law.
(More...)
“Large, immediate shift” looms, with one in three households open to quitting gas
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:21:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/large-immediate-shift-looms-with-one-in-three-households-open-to-quitting-gas/>
"A wave of electrification could be coming as one in three home owners consider
switching off their gas connections in the next decade.
(More...)
Current cultural citizens: the importance of creating spaces in art galleries for young people
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:22:31 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/current-cultural-citizens-the-importance-of-creating-spaces-in-art-galleries-for-young-people-235599>
"Galleries and art museums can be intimidating and alienating even for adults.
Imagine it from a child’s point of view. Stern security guards in uniforms
stationed the doors, bags checked, snacks banned and people hushed. It’s no
(More...)
Woodside’s claim that gas displaces coal not borne out by evidence – instead it displaces renewables
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:23:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/woodsides-claim-that-gas-displaces-coal-not-borne-out-by-evidence-instead-it-displaces-renewables/>
"Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill has used a speech at the Melbourne Mining Club on
Thursday to repeat claims that Australia’s gas exports are helping to displace
coal in Asia, despite evidence showing it actually helps displace renewables.
(More...)
How Donald Trump’s attacks on Canada are stoking a new Canadian nationalism
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:24:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/how-donald-trumps-attacks-on-canada-are-stoking-a-new-canadian-nationalism-247958>
"Is the threatened trade war between Canada and the United States igniting a
new form of Canadian nationalism? Polls suggest Canadians are overwhelmingly
opposed to any notion of becoming the 51st American state as the U.S. anthem is
(More...)
Killing Queensland hydrogen project is a spectacular own goal by LNP at the worst possible time
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:29:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/killing-cq-h2-is-a-spectacular-own-goal-by-queensland-lnp-at-the-worst-possible-time/>
"The destructive credentials of conservative governments in Australia have been
newly reinforced by Monday’s announcement that Queensland’s “Newman-redux”
Crisafulli government has cancelled funding for state-owned Stanwell
(More...)
Religious freedom is routinely curbed in Central Asia – but you won’t often see it making international news
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:30:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/religious-freedom-is-routinely-curbed-in-central-asia-but-you-wont-often-see-it-making-international-news-248740>
"Freedom of worship is tenuous around the globe. The Pew Research Center’s
latest annual report found “high” or “very high” levels of government
constraints on religion in 59 of the 198 countries and territories it analyzed
(More...)
A Vinnies that never sleeps and an online thrift store to rival Asos: op shops log on to meet new demand
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:31:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/01/a-vinnies-that-never-sleeps-and-an-online-thrift-store-to-rival-asos-op-shops-log-on-to-meet-new-demand>
"Liz Randle wants to know where else you could find a ra-ra dress next to a
pair of pyjamas on a sales rack. She pulls the dress out, and its blue sequins
glitter under the warehouse light.
(More...)
Misleading and false election ads are legal in Australia. We need national truth in political advertising laws
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:32:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/misleading-and-false-election-ads-are-legal-in-australia-we-need-national-truth-in-political-advertising-laws-249279>
"The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the
Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping hole in Australia’s electoral
laws, which allow for misleading political advertisements in the lead-up to an
(More...)
Nearly 30% of cats, dogs owned by COVID patients had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by 2021
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:33:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/nearly-30-cats-dogs-owned-covid-patients-had-sars-cov-2-antibodies-2021>
'Nearly 30% of cats and dogs belonging to COVID-infected patients in central
Texas tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, signaling previous infection,
from 2020 to 2021, according to a study published yesterday on the preprint
(More...)
Fish Are Thriving in the River Seine
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:31 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/fish-thriving-river-seine/
"On a damp and grimly grey winter day in Paris, Bill François is a beacon of
positivity.
(More...)
The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:35:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/hitler-oligarchs-hugenberg-nazi/681584/>
"He was among the richest men in the world. He made his first fortune in heavy
industry. He made his second as a media mogul. And in January 1933, in exchange
for a political favor, Alfred Hugenberg provided the electoral capital that
(More...)
Reuse, Rejoice, Recycle: The Vibrant, Low-Waste Indian Wedding
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:36:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/reuse-reimagining-indian-weddings/
"When the Ambanis — India’s richest family and owners of the country’s largest
public company, Reliance Industries — started a five-month-long celebration of
their son’s wedding in March 2024, it caused a media frenzy. Featuring cruises
(More...)
What Could Go Right? What USAID Does
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:38:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://theprogressnetwork.org/usaid-funding-accomplishments/
"President Donald Trump’s day-one executive order to halt all foreign aid
funding has turned into a fight over the future of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), throwing programs such as those that provide
(More...)
Blind Bungee Jumpers Welcome
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:39:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/blind-and-sighted-travelers-adventures/>
"Mark Colman has swum with turtles in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, basked on
a beach with marine iguanas in the Galapagos Islands, bungee jumped in New
Zealand, braved the 166-story “edge walk” off the CN Tower in Toronto and skied
(More...)
Trudeau says Trump is serious about wanting to annex Canada
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:40:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/07/trudeau-trump-canada-annex
"Donald Trump’s recent fixation on absorbing Canada is “a real thing”, Justin
Trudeau has told business leaders, warning that the US president wants access
to his northern neighbour’s vast supply of critical minerals.
(More...)
Saving Surf Breaks to Fight Climate Change
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:41:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/saving-surf-breaks-climate-solution/
"Vibrant shades of green merge with brilliant streaks of blue where the land
meets the sea on Rao Island, which sits just west of Morotai in the
northeastern corner of the Indonesian archipelago. Fishing boats bob in the
(More...)
English writer’s forgotten ‘masterpiece’ predicting rise of Nazis gets new lease of life
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:29:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/08/rediscovered-a-young-english-novelists-warning-of-the-nazi-threat>
"Sally Carson was not an oracle or a prophet, just a young woman from Dorset,
born in 1901. Yet she foresaw a dark and violent future for Europe and gave
voice to those fears in a 1934 novel that is now being hailed as “an
(More...)
Single Parents Should Get as Much Paid Leave as Couples, Spanish Court Rules
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:31:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/world/europe/spain-single-parents-paid-leave.html>
"Single parents in Spain can request the same total amount of paid parental
leave that couples are entitled to, a regional court has ruled, in a case that
could be a game changer for the large number of one-parent families in the
(More...)
‘It’s a lie. Pure and simple’: Kevin Rudd’s office bluntly rejects USAid claims circulating online
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:32:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/08/its-a-lie-pure-and-simple-kevin-rudds-office-bluntly-rejects-usaid-claims-circulating-online>
"Kevin Rudd, Australia’s ambassador in Washington DC, has hit back at “fake”
claims an institute he once led received money from USAid, the US foreign aid
agency being targeted by Donald Trump.
(More...)
Bringing picture books to life for blind and visually impaired children
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:32:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/bringing-picture-books-to-life-for-blind-and-visually-impaired-children/>
"For over 30 years, Living Paintings has been helping blind and visually
impaired people enjoy art through touch and sound. Here, we explore the hard
work involved in adapting a two-dimensional book for its readers"
(More...)
Rebuilding After Fire
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:34:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.curbed.com/article/building-after-fire-reconstruction-earthen-architecture.html>
"We all know that we are infuriatingly terrible at preventing the preventable.
The calamitous fires that have swept out of the hills around Los Angeles,
laying siege like an invading army in a pincer formation, spring from a mixture
(More...)
Deadly Russian rocket is transformed into musical instrument of hope
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 02:35:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/deadly-russian-rocket-is-transformed-into-musical-instrument-of-hope/>
"A Ukrainian composer has crafted a pitch perfect message of hope and defiance
by turning a Russian missile into a musical instrument.
(More...)
From the sublime to the cringeworthy: Tim Ross on Australia’s housing dream (and nightmare)
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:15:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/08/from-the-sublime-to-the-cringeworthy-tim-ross-on-australias-housing-dream-and-nightmare>
"Australia’s state libraries have opened their archives to writer, TV presenter
and half of the
Merrick and Rosso comedy duo, Tim Ross, to feed his passion
for post-second world war suburban architecture and an ongoing exploration of
(More...)
Three good things: linking people and place via sound
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:16:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.positive.news/society/linking-people-and-place-via-sound/
"From the forests of Finland to the South Korean capital, these soundscapes are
redefining our connection to places across the world
(More...)
‘We water, rest, water’: the green belt of vegetable plots cooling a city
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:18:11 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/06/we-water-rest-water-the-green-belt-of-vegetable-plots-cooling-a-city>
"As far as the eye can see is a hodge-podge of trees, vegetable plots and water
tanks. Up close it may look like a gigantic allotment, but this unusual project
actually stretches for 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres), a green belt that now
(More...)
We’re Russian. We know what happens when Big Tech coddles dictators.
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:19:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://archive.md/mFcZz
"In many countries around the world — from Russia and Iran to Venezuela and
Cuba — dictators regularly draft new laws aimed at destroying citizens’ rights,
including those related to the internet. Far too often, U.S. tech companies
(More...)
Australia's housing crisis is driven by lip-service, hypocrisy and an investment culture
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:20:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-10/housing-crisis-hypocrisy-lip-service/104915610>
"House prices never fall very much in Australia.
Even in the recessions of 1982 and 1991 they only fell 6.2 per cent, and in the
(More...)
'Built-in obsolescence' creates 500,000-tonne e-waste problem
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:21:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-10/business-ewaste-recycling-reuse-microsoft-windows-10/104909752>
'As technology accelerates, so too does Australia's electronic waste problem.
"With generative AI [artificial intelligence], there's a lot of waste and new
(More...)
‘A relentlessly dull world’ – the case for adding more colour to NZ’s grey prisons
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:01:22 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/a-relentlessly-dull-world-the-case-for-adding-more-colour-to-nzs-grey-prisons-248665>
"Prisons are not colourful places. Typically, they are grey or some variation
of a monochrome colour scheme. But increasingly, such a limited palette is
being questioned for its impact on health and rehabilitation.
(More...)
‘Very real risk of violence’: The growing fear within NSW’s LGBTQ community
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:02:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/very-real-risk-of-violence-the-growing-fear-within-nsw-s-lgbtq-community-20250209-p5lanp.html>
"Members of the LGBTQ community are being targeted by an escalating campaign of
intimidation and threats of violence, including neo-Nazi demonstrations,
prompting urgent calls for Chris Minns not to proceed with plans to exclude
(More...)
Taking the ‘forever’ out of ‘forever chemicals’: we worked out how to destroy the PFAS in batteries
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:02:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/taking-the-forever-out-of-forever-chemicals-we-worked-out-how-to-destroy-the-pfas-in-batteries-242769>
"Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable
devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And
larger versions store excess renewable energy for later use, supporting the
(More...)
Battery costs plunge, solar and wind undercut new coal and gas “in almost every market”
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:03:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/battery-costs-plunge-solar-and-wind-undercut-new-coal-and-gas-in-almost-every-market/>
"The plunging cost of battery storage will send the global benchmark price for
the firming technology below the $US100 per megawatt-hour (MWh) mark in 2025,
Bloomberg New Energy Finance has forecast, following a year of record lows in
(More...)
The Nullarbor is riddled with wombat and rabbit warrens. Scientists are watching them from space
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:05:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-nullarbor-is-riddled-with-wombat-and-rabbit-warrens-scientists-are-watching-them-from-space-249359>
"On the vast expanse of the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia, two very
different creatures live side by side – but not always peacefully.
(More...)
Australia formally misses UN climate deadline, only one country makes pledge close to 1.5°C
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:05:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-formally-misses-un-climate-deadline-only-one-country-makes-pledge-close-to-1-5c/>
"Australia has formally missed the deadline to submit its longer term emission
reduction targets for the next phase of the UN-backed Paris climate treaty.
(More...)
Grampians National Park is still burning – here’s what we can expect will survive and recover
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:08:22 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/grampians-national-park-is-still-burning-heres-what-we-can-expect-will-survive-and-recover-249147>
"Fire broke out in the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) in December and raged
for weeks. Then lightning strikes ignited fresh blazes late last month, which
merged to form a mega-fire that’s not out yet.
(More...)
“Freedom from blackmail:” Baltic states cut their link to Russia grid in dramatic switch to EU network
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:09:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/freedom-from-blackmail-baltic-states-cut-their-link-to-russia-grid-in-dramatic-switch-to-eu-network/>
"The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on Sunday completed their
dramatic and potentially risky switch from Russia’s gas-fuelled power grid to
the European Union’s system, an end to ties that date back to the era of the
(More...)
A century in motion: how stop-motion films went from obscure ‘creature features’ to winning Oscars
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:10:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/a-century-in-motion-how-stop-motion-films-went-from-obscure-creature-features-to-winning-oscars-248008>
"The 2025 Academy Awards could shape up to be a big one for stop-motion
animation. Australian director Adam Eliott’s
Memoir of a Snail (2024) has
raked in a nomination for Best Animated Feature Film, alongside
Wallace &
(More...)
How fossil fuel cash is powering Peter Dutton’s anti-climate election push
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:11:41 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/how-fossil-fuel-cash-is-powering-peter-duttons-anti-climate-election-push/>
"Analysis of newly published political donation data details how the fossil
fuel industry is aligning its vast financial support behind the Peter
Dutton-led Coalition, ahead of another federal election fight over the future
(More...)
Golf courses can be safe havens for wildlife and beacons of biodiversity
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:13:05 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/golf-courses-can-be-safe-havens-for-wildlife-and-beacons-of-biodiversity-246673>
"Golf courses are sometimes seen as harmful to the environment. According to
the popular notion, the grass soaks up too much water, is cut too short and
sprayed with dangerous chemicals. But in reality, golf courses can act as safe
(More...)
There’s a new outbreak of bird flu in Australia. Here’s what you need to know
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 04:14:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/10/bird-flu-eggs-australia-new-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know>
"A new outbreak of bird flu has been detected in Australia, with authorities
confirming an outbreak of H7N8 avian influenza at an egg farm in northern
Victoria at the weekend.
(More...)
Earth is already shooting through the 1.5°C global warming limit, two major studies show
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:27:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/earth-is-already-shooting-through-the-1-5-c-global-warming-limit-two-major-studies-show-249133>
"Earth is crossing the threshold of 1.5°C of global warming, according to two
major global studies which together suggest the planet’s climate has likely
entered a frightening new phase.
(More...)
Climate impacts are forcing people from their homes. When, how and why do they have valid refugee claims?
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:28:54 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Anti-renewable billboard ad pulled under pressure from industry
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:30:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/anti-renewable-billboard-ad-pulled-under-pressure-from-industry/>
"A blatantly false anti-renewable advertisement funded by the right wing ginger
group Advance has been pulled from a billboard near Newcastle, but
environmental activists are calling for tighter rules governing “out of home”
(More...)
Edinburgh Zoo welcomes baby capybaras for first time in 15 years
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:31:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://news.stv.tv/east-central/edinburgh-zoo-welcomes-baby-capybaras-for-first-time-in-15-years>
"Two baby capybaras have arrived at Edinburgh Zoo, marking the first time the
zoo has had the species in 15 years.
(More...)
Alert: H5N1 and U.S. Sickness Levels
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:32:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.patreon.com/posts/alert-h5n1-and-u-121989095
"This an out-of-band alert to brief everyone on sickness levels and
hospitalizations in the United States in the absence of communication,
coordination, or monitoring from federal health agencies. I would say the U.S.
(More...)
Where should we look for new metals that are critical for green energy technology? Volcanoes may point the way
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:32:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/where-should-we-look-for-new-metals-that-are-critical-for-green-energy-technology-volcanoes-may-point-the-way-248659>
"About 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, lies a large
and interesting body of rock formed around 215 million years ago by erupting
volcanoes.
(More...)
Violet Blue's "Threat Model - Cybersecurity": February 11, 2025
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:44:04 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.patreon.com/posts/cybersecurity-11-122018129
"This week: The US continues its cyber self-sabotage, UK gov’t demands Apple
make them a backdoor, the NSA will purge content for banned words (including
cybersecurity terms like “privilege”), Booz Allen (former Edward Snowden
(More...)
The List of Trump’s Forbidden Words That Will Get Your Paper Flagged at NSF
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:45:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://gizmodo.com/the-list-of-trumps-forbidden-words-that-will-get-your-paper-flagged-at-nsf-2000559661>
"Every federal agency in the U.S. is currently trying to figure out how to
purge forbidden words from documents posted online, in a desperate attempt to
comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to purge “DEI” from every
(More...)
America’s unfolding cybersecurity catastrophe
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:47:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://medium.com/@violetblue/americas-unfolding-cybersecurity-catastrophe-22ac481cdb9c>
"The ongoing incursions into America’s sensitive and critical federal
government databases, networks, financial systems, and code repositories are
likely the most significant breach of a nation state’s cyber sovereignty in
(More...)
As Trump abandons the old world order, NZ must find its place in a new ‘Pax Autocratica’
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:48:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/as-trump-abandons-the-old-world-order-nz-must-find-its-place-in-a-new-pax-autocratica-249358>
"Donald Trump is moving rapidly to change the contours of contemporary
international affairs, with the old US-dominated world order breaking down into
a multipolar one with many centres of power.
(More...)
Zelenskyy: Europe cannot guarantee Ukraine’s security without America
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:49:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/zelenskyy-europe-cannot-guarantee-ukraines-security-without-america>
"If Donald Trump withdraws US support for Ukraine, Europe alone will be unable
to fill the gap, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned, on the eve of what could be
his most consequential diplomatic trip since Russia’s full-scale invasion three
(More...)
Australia improves on global corruption rankings, but there is still work to be done
Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:51:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/australia-improves-on-global-corruption-rankings-but-there-is-still-work-to-be-done-249458>
"Australia has turned the corner on its decade-long slide on Transparency
International’s annual
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), once again ranking
in the top ten least corrupt countries in the world. The fresh ranking comes
(More...)
A fierce tussle over a Northern Territory river reveals Australia’s stark choice on water justice
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 04:42:34 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/a-fierce-tussle-over-a-northern-territory-river-reveals-australias-stark-choice-on-water-justice-248766>
"Water is now a contested resource around the world. Nowhere is this more
evident than in the fight playing out over the Northern Territory’s Roper River
– one of the last free-flowing rivers in Australia, nurtured by the enduring
(More...)
Fortescue accelerates “real zero” campaign amid grim times for climate action
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 04:44:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/fortescue-accelerates-real-zero-campaign-amid-grim-times-for-climate-action/>
"Tech superstar Canva has signed on to iron ore miner Fortescue Metals’ real
zero campaign calling for the Australian government to “abandon the net zero
smokescreen”.
(More...)
Australian logistics company adds 60 new EVs to its delivery fleet
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 04:47:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/12/australian-logistics-company-adds-60-new-evs-to-its-delivery-fleet/>
"Freight and logistics company ANC Delivers says it has achieved key milestones
as part of its $45.5 million sustainability initiative, including adding
approximately 60 new EVs to its fleet of delivery vehicles.
(More...)
Conspiracy theory on methane-cutting cow feed a ‘wake-up call’, say scientists
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 04:50:05 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/11/conspiracy-theory-on-methane-cutting-cow-feed-bovaera-wake-up-call-say-scientists>
"Scientists say a recent methane-related conspiracy theory was “a wake-up call”
for the industry, reminding them they need to communicate better and more
directly with the public.
(More...)
The Nature of Our Power: A Conversation with Political Scientist Erica Chenoweth
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 04:52:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/the-nature-of-our-power-a-conversation-with-political-scientist-erica-chenoweth/>
'"The best study on the subject in my opinion suggests that in the long term,
institutions really can’t save us; that civil society and mass mobilization are
a more potent check on a backsliding democracy in the long term than relying on
(More...)
Airbus slashes budget and delays hydrogen-powered aircraft program
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 04:56:34 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/12/airbus-slashes-budget-and-delays-hydrogen-powered-aircraft-program/>
"European aerospace giant Airbus confirmed reports that it would delay its
plans to develop a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 by as much as five to 10
years due to slower-than-expected advances in the technology.
(More...)
OpenAI’s new ‘deep research’ agent is still just a fallible tool – not a human-level expert
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:09:15 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/openais-new-deep-research-agent-is-still-just-a-fallible-tool-not-a-human-level-expert-249496>
"OpenAI’s “deep research” is the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tool
making waves and promising to do in minutes what would take hours for a human
expert to complete.
(More...)
Coalition’s nuclear plan would consume an extra Sydney Harbour’s worth of water a year, Labor says
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:10:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/12/coalitions-nuclear-plan-would-consume-an-extra-sydney-harbours-worth-of-water-a-year-labor-says>
"A Sydney Harbour’s worth of extra water will be needed each year by the
Coalition’s proposed nuclear reactors, according to federal government analysis
that opens a new front in the political fight over Peter Dutton’s signature
(More...)
Is Elon Musk taking over the US government? Here’s how ‘state capture’ works – and why we should be concerned
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:11:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/is-elon-musk-taking-over-the-us-government-heres-how-state-capture-works-and-why-we-should-be-concerned-249471>
"Many Americans have watched in horror as Elon Musk, the world’s richest
person, has been permitted to tear through various offices of the United States
government in recent weeks. Backed by President Donald Trump, and supported by
(More...)
Share of wealth held by Australia’s poorest falls sharply since 2004 – report
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:12:52 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/12/share-of-wealth-held-by-australias-poorest-falls-by-almost-30-since-2004-report>
"The share of wealth held by Australia’s bottom 40% has declined sharply in the
last two decades while 3.3 million live below the poverty line, a damning
report into Australia’s track record on quality of life has revealed.
(More...)
A new public statue of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter shows a bright future for Australian monuments
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:14:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/a-new-public-statue-of-archie-roach-and-ruby-hunter-shows-a-bright-future-for-australian-monuments-249484>
"Colonial commemorations such as the statues of James Cook or Lachlan Macquarie
have become the focus of much contestation, particularly in the annual lead up
to January 26.
(More...)
‘Like finding gold’: plains-wanderers spotted in Melbourne’s west for first time in 30 years with help of AI
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:15:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
A new report card shows inequality in Australia isn’t as bad as in the US – but we’re headed in the wrong direction
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:18:56 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/a-new-report-card-shows-inequality-in-australia-isnt-as-bad-as-in-the-us-but-were-headed-in-the-wrong-direction-249579>
"It’s hard to remember a time the United States seemed as tense and divided as
it does today. That should serve as a stark reminder of just how important it
is to monitor the health of our own nation.
(More...)
‘The far right wants us to play by their rules’: Can German Greens survive ‘witch-hunt’?
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:20:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/12/why-germany-greens-switching-election-focus-from-climate>
"The crowd had crammed into a concert hall in central Berlin to hear
crunch-time election pitches from Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, the
high-profile Green ministers in charge of Germany’s economy and diplomacy. But
(More...)
Hate speech on X surged for at least 8 months after Elon Musk takeover – new research
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:21:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/hate-speech-on-x-surged-for-at-least-8-months-after-elon-musk-takeover-new-research-249603>
"Hate speech on X was consistently 50% higher for at least eight months after
tech billionaire Elon Musk bought the social media platform, new research has
found.
(More...)
The World's First Fully Electric Farm!
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:21:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhnU2wlBnFs
"In this week’s episode Robert and the team went to speak to the team at Forest
Lodge Orchard in Otago, who have transformed their cherry farm into a 100%
fully electric operation."
(More...)
Removing babies is still harming First Nations families, almost two decades after the apology to Stolen Generations
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:23:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/removing-babies-is-still-harming-first-nations-families-almost-two-decades-after-the-apology-to-stolen-generations-249353>
"Today marks 17 years since the apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples for
the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their
families between the mid-1800s and 1970s.
(More...)
Fix the News 285: Principles for the Permaweird
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:24:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://fixthenews.com/285-principle-permaweird/
'"Consensual reality is significantly flawed." Plus, good news on high school
graduation rates, two breakthroughs for rice-farming, labour reform in Spain,
fur production plummets, and Baltics ditch Russian energy.'
(More...)
Profiles in courage
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 03:20:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/profiles-in-courage
"Sometimes it takes a crisis to reveal one’s true character. This is especially
true of people who occupy positions of leadership, both in the private and
public sectors. Are they courageous, or are they cowards? Worse yet, are they
(More...)
I know a lot about exactly one thing
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 03:22:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Elephants trumpet, squeak and flap their ears after their complex move across an Australian city
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 03:23:48 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://apnews.com/article/elephant-herd-move-zoo-melbourne-australia-be328c269b1f7797fda2cd542e6b27a5>
"MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Elephants trumpeted, touched trunks and flapped
their oversized ears upon reuniting with their herd after a complex, five-day
move from an urban Australian zoo to a much larger enclosure.
(More...)
My no-plastic life: I tried to cut out single-use items for a month – and it almost broke me
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 03:25:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/12/my-no-plastic-life-i-tried-to-cut-out-single-use-items-for-a-month-and-it-almost-broke-me>
"The scale of plastic pollution is so terrifying, I mostly try to avoid
thinking about it, but some facts stop me in my tracks. According to the UN
Foundation, there is already enough plastic in the oceans to fill 5m shipping
(More...)
World’s largely unprotected peatlands are ticking ‘carbon bomb’, warns study
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 03:26:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/13/worlds-largely-unprotected-peatlands-are-ticking-carbon-bomb-warns-study>
"The world’s peatlands are “dangerously underprotected” despite the colossal
amount of climate-heating carbon dioxide already being emitted due to their
destruction, a study has warned.
(More...)
As a place to fix, mend, and connect, repair cafes battle loneliness as well as waste
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 03:27:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-13/fixing-more-than-broken-stuff-the-growing-impact-of-repair-cafes/104727868>
'In south-east Queensland's Scenic Rim, the sound of tools and laughter fills
the air at the Tamborine Mountain Repair Cafe.
(More...)
3.5 kilometres underwater, scientists found a staggeringly energetic particle from outer space
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:22:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/3-5-kilometres-underwater-scientists-found-a-staggeringly-energetic-particle-from-outer-space-249590>
"Three and a half kilometres beneath the Mediterranean Sea, around 80km off the
coast of Sicily, lies half of a very unusual telescope called KM3NeT.
(More...)
Nocturnal basking and deep diving may not be enough to keep crocodiles cool in a warming world
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:23:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/nocturnal-basking-and-deep-diving-may-not-be-enough-to-keep-crocodiles-cool-in-a-warming-world-248655>
"Crocodiles are hardy creatures, capable of adjusting their behaviour to cope
with the heat of the tropics. But there’s a limit to their endurance.
(More...)
NT strips funding from green groups, boosts fossil fuels, in foretaste of Dutton administration
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:25:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/nt-strips-funding-from-green-groups-boosts-fossil-fuels-in-foretaste-of-dutton-administration/>
"A move by the Northern Territory government to strip two environmental groups
of funding and push through sweeping reforms to expand fossil fuel extraction
is a sign of what’s to come under any future Dutton government, those groups
(More...)
There’s a Term for What Trump and Musk Are Doing
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:26:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/doge-civil-servant-purge/681671/>
"Despite its name, the Department of Government Efficiency is not, so far,
primarily interested in efficiency. DOGE and its boss, Elon Musk, have instead
focused their activity on the eradication of the federal civil service, along
(More...)
Romance bookstores are booming in Australia and worldwide – and fans are lining up for love
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:27:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/romance-bookstores-are-booming-in-australia-and-worldwide-and-fans-are-lining-up-for-love-249357>
"Once, if you wanted to buy romance novels, you had to know where to look. Some
small outlets stocked paperback romances, as well as department stores like Big
W in Australia and Walmart in the United States. So did some bookstore chains,
(More...)
Tiny splendid peacock spiders have the fastest known jump among their kin – new study
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:32:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/tiny-splendid-peacock-spiders-have-the-fastest-known-jump-among-their-kin-new-study-247241>
"Jumping spiders – one of the largest spider families – get their name from the
extraordinary jumps they make to hunt prey, to navigate and also to evade
predators.
(More...)
Ethiopia’s Utopian Experiment in Gender Equality
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:33:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/awra-amba-gender-equality/
"It doesn’t take long to observe that the community of Awra Amba is unlike any
other place in Ethiopia — or even the rest of the world.
(More...)
Indigenous knowledge merges with science to protect people from fish poisoning in Vanuatu
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:34:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Revenge of the Covid Conspiracy Theorists
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:35:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.wired.com/story/revenge-of-the-covid-conspiracy-theorists/
"In a flurry of tweets last week, Elon Musk declared that the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) was “a viper’s nest of
radical-left marxists who hate America” and was pure “evil.” One of the prime
(More...)
Short-term politics keeps stalling long-term fixes. This bill offers a way forward
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:36:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/short-term-politics-keeps-stalling-long-term-fixes-this-bill-offers-a-way-forward-249598>
"Two federal politicians from opposing camps reached across the aisle this week
to promote a valuable cause - the wellbeing of future Australian generations.
(More...)
Got Invasive Plants? Call a Herd of Goats
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:37:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/goats-eating-invasive-species/
"If you take a stroll through a Pittsburgh city park, you might come across
Hobo the donkey and his crew of 12 goats scrambling up an embankment or chowing
down on poison ivy. Keep your dog on a leash, though, because Hobo doesn’t like
(More...)
Furious at Musk? Don’t Buy a Tesla.
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:43:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://slate.com/business/2025/02/elon-musk-tesla-stock-valuation-consumer-boycott.html>
"There are myriad reasons to loathe Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who has become
a top ally of Donald Trump.
(More...)
Australians want renewables to replace coal, but don’t realise how soon this needs to happen
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:44:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australians-want-renewables-to-replace-coal-but-dont-realise-how-soon-this-needs-to-happen/>
"A survey has found that the majority of Australians support replacing fossil
fuels with a mix of firmed renewable energy, but few are aware how soon the
nation’s remaining coal power generators are scheduled to shut down.
(More...)
China flexes its media muscle in Africa – encouraging positive headlines as part of a soft power agenda
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:45:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/china-flexes-its-media-muscle-in-africa-encouraging-positive-headlines-as-part-of-a-soft-power-agenda-245804>
"Every year, China’s minister of foreign affairs embarks on what has now become
a customary odyssey across Africa. The tradition began in the late 1980s and
sees Beijing’s top diplomat visit several African nations to reaffirm ties. The
(More...)
Floating solar tech that harvests clean power and water heads to Australia under new deal
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:55:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/floating-solar-tech-that-harvests-clean-power-and-water-heads-to-australia-under-new-deal/>
"Singaporean renewable microgrid developer Canopy Power has formed a strategic
partnership with Norwegian PV innovator Ocean Sun to accelerate the deployment
of floating solar projects across Australia.
(More...)
Lake Victoria is turning green – the deadly bacteria behind it
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:56:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/lake-victoria-is-turning-green-the-deadly-bacteria-behind-it-249298>
"Lakes, natural and man-made, provide water, food and habitats for wildlife, as
well as supporting local economies. Around the world, though, there’s a growing
threat to lakes: toxic bacteria which turn the water green.
(More...)
After the fires
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:12:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:13:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/60-years-of-progress-in-expanding-rights-is-being-rolled-back-by-trump-a-pattern-thats-all-too-familiar-in-us-history-248526>
"For many Americans, Donald Trump’s head-spinning array of executive orders in
the early days of his second term look like an unprecedented effort to roll
back democracy and the rights and liberties of American citizens.
(More...)
Donald Trump has declared war on international justice. Australia must speak up
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:15:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/11/donald-trump-icc-sanctions-details-australia-impact-ntwnfb>
"Donald Trump has declared war on international justice by the dictatorial
device of an executive order. He has sanctioned the international criminal
court. This empowers him to seize any funds belonging to the court or its
(More...)
Donald Trump’s war on global governance: lessons from the past on how to fight back
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:15:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-war-on-global-governance-lessons-from-the-past-on-how-to-fight-back-249666>
"US president Donald Trump’s recent actions seem designed to reassert American
power and demonstrate that it is still the dominant global power and is capable
of bullying weaker nations into following America’s lead.
(More...)
What is Navalny’s legacy for Russia?
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:17:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://theconversation.com/what-is-navalnys-legacy-for-russia-249692
This is the best day of the past five months for me … This is my home … I am
not afraid of anything and I urge you not to be afraid of anything either.
(More...)
The Revival of Germany’s Carbon-Sequestering Peatlands
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:18:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/turning-farmland-back-to-peatland/
"Until recently, Henning Voigt’s 500-hectare farmland along the Peene River,
near Germany’s northeastern Baltic Sea coast, was well-drained and used as a
cattle pasture. Not anymore. Driven by the urgency of climate action, Voigt
(More...)
It is time to move the UN and international law out of the West
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:35:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/2/5/it-is-time-to-move-the-un-and-international-law-out-of-the-west>
"The exceptional immunity that Israel has enjoyed for decades has placed
international law and its institutions at a knife’s edge. Israel has killed UN
workers, banned UNRWA, barred UN representatives from entry, and repeatedly
(More...)
In Praise of “Plant Vaccines”
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:36:41 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://ambrook.com/research/studies/plants-have-powers
"Beneath the serene surface of a plant, invisible defenses lie in wait. When a
plant is bitten into by an insect seeking a meal, or infected with a disease,
these defenses leap into action.
(More...)
Carbon capture more costly than switching to renewables, researchers find
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:38:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-carbon-capture-renewables.html
'For most countries around the world, sourcing energy entirely from wind,
solar, geothermal, and hydropower by 2050 would reduce their energy needs and
costs, improve air quality, and help slow climate change, according to a study
(More...)
Most of the world has long feared US power. Now its allies do too.
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:39:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/most-of-the-world-has-long-feared-us-power-now-its-allies-do-too-249826>
"When a new US president takes office, his first order of business is usually
to reassure America’s allies and warn its enemies. However, Donald Trump is
doing things differently. It seems his goal is to strike fear into the heart
(More...)
Cooling green roofs seemed like an impossible dream for Brazil's favelas. Not true!
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:41:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/01/25/g-s1-28783/brazil-health-heat-garden-roof>
'It was a sunny September morning in Rio de Janeiro's Parque Arará favela and
volunteers were preparing plants to be placed on Reginaldo Gomes da Silva's
roof.
(More...)
Trump’s senseless capitulation to Putin is a betrayal of Ukraine – and terrible dealmaking
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:41:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/13/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-ukraine-us-europe>
"Donald Trump’s appeasement of Vladimir Putin makes Neville Chamberlain look
like a principled, courageous realist. At least Chamberlain was trying to
prevent a major European war, whereas Trump is acting in the middle of one.
(More...)
What Happened When America Emptied Its Youth Prisons
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:24:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/magazine/juvenile-prison-crime-rates.html>
"David Muhammad’s middle school in Oakland, Calif., labeled him “gifted and
talented,” but classes bored him. The streets were more appealing, and by ninth
grade he had found a group of friends to skip school and sell drugs with. He
(More...)
Tasmania fires destroy huge swath of wilderness and could ‘burn for weeks’
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:25:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/14/tasmania-fires-destroy-huge-swath-of-wilderness-and-could-burn-for-weeks>
"Fires that have razed 90,000 hectares of Tasmanian wilderness, including parts
of the famous Overland walking track, could burn for weeks as firefighters
battle to contain blazes in remote terrain.
(More...)
‘A place for kids to play and a place to store water’: the stormwater capture zone that is also a playground
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:26:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/03/hoboken-new-jersey-kids-play-stormwater-capture-zone-playground>
"For a city that is almost small enough to fit inside Manhattan’s Central Park
just a few miles away, a lot of history has played out within the narrow
borders of Hoboken, New Jersey.
(More...)
UK-based lawyers for Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai targeted by Chinese state
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:28:05 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/15/uk-based-lawyers-for-hong-kong-activist-jimmy-lai-targeted-by-chinese-state>
"UK-based lawyers have spoken out about being targeted by the Chinese state and
its supporters in a campaign of intimidation including surveillance, hacking of
bank accounts and rape threats.
(More...)
Our Bar-Napkin Presidency
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:29:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/opinion/trump-tariffs-china-evs.html
"When I look at the torrent of executive orders and tariffs President Trump has
issued since taking office, I fear that I’m watching the real-life version of
that Certified Financial Planner Board commercial that tries to show why
(More...)
The Downstream Effects of India’s Green Revolution
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:31:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://undark.org/2025/02/03/downstream-india-green-revolution/
"India extracts more groundwater than any other country worldwide, even more
than the U.S. and China combined. In 2024, the country drew nearly 65 trillion
gallons of water from its aquifers. A major driver of this demand is
(More...)
Bright Green Futures Episode 25: Library Economies and Third Spaces
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:55:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://brightgreenfutures.substack.com/p/episode-25-library-economies-and>
"When Ursula K. Le Guin passed in 2018, the world lost a luminary. Artist Dylan
Meconis drew a 4-panel piece in tribute, which you should definitely check out
in the show notes, but one panel shows Ursula standing on the Moon and looking
(More...)
Meet the ghost hunters: the volunteer divers cleaning up UK seas
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:56:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/meet-the-ghost-hunters-the-volunteer-divers-cleaning-up-uk-seas/>
"Shortly after welcoming me on to the boat, Fred Nunn, a volunteer scuba diver
and operations officer at Ghost Fishing UK, asks if I’ve taken any seasickness
tablets. I’d cycled along the Brighton seafront to get here and while the water
(More...)
‘Don’t say it with roses’. The school leading a green revolution in floristry
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:57:48 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/dont-say-it-with-roses-the-school-leading-a-green-revolution-in-floristry/>
"Thinking of treating your beloved to a bouquet of roses this Valentine’s Day?
Florist Cissy Bullock (pictured above, right), who founded the School of
Sustainable Floristry along with flower farmer Lucy Copeman, urges you to think
(More...)
How Trump, Musk, and DOGE are undermining US intelligence and national security
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:59:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thebulletin.org/2025/02/how-trump-musk-and-doge-are-undermining-us-intelligence-and-national-security/>
"As a long-time China scholar, and as I watch the early days of the Trump
presidency, I cannot help but be reminded of the Chinese Communist Party’s
assertion in the 1970s that everything Mao said or did was correct and beyond
(More...)
Three good things: projects clearing up junk that’s hidden from view
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:00:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/three-good-things-projects-clearing-up-junk-thats-hidden-from-view/>
"We recently reported on the ‘ghost-hunters’ – the volunteer divers who are
helping to clear up discarded fishing nets and other junked fear from the
depths of the UK seas.
(More...)
Stares and ear-twitches: The linguist learning to speak the expressive language of cows
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:01:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250204-the-linguists-studying-how-cows-talk-to-each-other-in-language>
'Leonie Cornips was long overdue for her coffee break. The chilly autumn air
made a hot drink feel enticing. But Cornips was busy. She was a couple of hours
into her work with a small herd of dairy cows. If she left now, she would lose
(More...)
In Afghanistan, families are forced to sell children to survive. Trump’s USAID cuts will be devastating
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:08:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/in-afghanistan-families-are-forced-to-sell-children-to-survive-trumps-usaid-cuts-will-be-devastating-249713>
"The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is a
serious blow to the soft power of the United States and disastrous for many
poor countries where it helps provide humanitarian, health and educational
(More...)
Big Art Thread
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:10:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://mastodon.online/@alexxkittle/113958038362264149
"Works by Hong Kong photographer Nancy Sheung, 1960s, who ran a construction
company before turning to photography when she was in her forties, becoming
known for her bold images of women and girls, patterns, and architecture."
(More...)
Typeset in the Future: WALL·E
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:14:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://typesetinthefuture.com/2018/12/04/walle/
"Typography and font choice are often used to create a sense of futurism in
movies. Indeed, it’s got to the point where you can set your calendar to FUTURE
simply from the presence of Eurostile Bold Extended on the wall of a passing
(More...)
Entrepreneur Transforms Old Cement Bags into Solar-Charging Backpacks to Help Children Read at Night
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:18:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/entrepreneur-transforms-old-cement-bags-into-solar-charging-backpacks-to-help-children-read-at-night/>
"A local entrepreneur in Tanzania is clearing two hurdles in one leap by
transforming old cement bags into backpacks that include a small solar panel to
power a reading light.
(More...)
NZ depends on the rules-based world Trump is dismantling – why the silence?
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:20:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/nz-depends-on-the-rules-based-world-trump-is-dismantling-why-the-silence-249857>
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2023 strategic foreign policy assessment,
“Navigating a shifting world”, accurately foresaw a more uncertain and complex
time ahead for New Zealand. But already it feels out of date.
(More...)
‘The greatest propaganda op in history’: Trump’s reshaping of US culture evokes past antidemocratic regimes
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:21:34 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/16/trump-culture-democracy
"Bigger than the Super Bowl, claimed Donald Trump, sitting in a big leather
chair beside a big map. Then came an announcement over the public address
system. “Air Force One is currently in international waters,” declared the
(More...)
In Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the US has put a conspiracy theorist in charge of public health
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:19:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/in-robert-f-kennedy-jr-the-us-has-put-a-conspiracy-theorist-in-charge-of-public-health-249601>
"Overnight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the secretary of the US
Health and Human Services Department. Put simply, this makes him the most
influential figure in overseeing the health and wellbeing of more than 330
(More...)
Majority of Australian voters expect fair and humane approach to refugees, poll shows
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:20:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/17/poll-suggests-majority-of-australian-voters-expect-fair-and-humane-approach-to-refugees>
"Political leaders are being urged to embrace refugee policies “grounded in
humanity, not cruelty” as new research has found a majority of Australians
polled believe the federal government has a responsibility to accept people
(More...)
Dingoes are being culled in Victoria. How much harm to the species is needed to protect commercial profits?
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:21:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/dingoes-are-being-culled-in-victoria-how-much-harm-to-the-species-is-needed-to-protect-commercial-profits-245759>
"A Victorian government decision to allow dingo culling in the state’s east
until 2028 has reignited debate over what has been dubbed Australia’s most
controversial animal.
(More...)
John Major: Trump’s US isolationism threatens global democracy
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:22:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/16/john-major-trump-us-isolationism-threatens-global-democracy>
"Democracy around the globe is under threat from the retreat of Donald Trump’s
US into isolationism and its likely replacement by China on the world stage,
John Major has said.
(More...)
Unrest in Bangladesh is revealing the bias at the heart of Google’s search engine
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:23:34 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/unrest-in-bangladesh-is-revealing-the-bias-at-the-heart-of-googles-search-engine-249131>
"Google’s search engine handles the vast majority of online searches worldwide.
By one estimate, it fields 6.3 million queries every second.
(More...)
Letters from an American: February 16, 2025
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:25:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-16-2025
"The sixty-first Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum for
talking about international security policy, took place from February 14 to
February 16 this year. Begun in 1963, it was designed to be an independent
(More...)
We asked young people if they wanted tighter vaping regulation to phase out nicotine – here’s what they said
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/we-asked-young-people-if-they-wanted-tighter-vaping-regulation-to-phase-out-nicotine-heres-what-they-said-249456>
"New Zealand’s smokefree law was hailed around the world for creating a
smokefree generation that would have lifelong protection from smoking’s harms.
(More...)
Zelenskyy says Russia will ‘wage war on Nato’ if US support for Ukraine wanes
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:56 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/16/zelenskyy-russia-nato-ukraine>
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday predicted Russia would “wage war against Nato”
if the US stepped back from its support of Ukraine – and that he had seen
intelligence suggesting that the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, was building
(More...)
'Next generation of laptops': Intel unveils blueprints for a fully repairable and modular computer
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:01:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/next-generation-of-laptops-intel-unveils-blueprints-for-a-fully-repairable-and-modular-computer>
'Reference designs for a new kind of modular computer could be the gateway
toward laptops and mini-PCs that are easily repairable and reduce electronic
waste (e-waste), Intel engineers hope.
(More...)
In botched DEI purge, OSHA trashes workplace safety guidelines
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://popular.info/p/in-botched-dei-purge-osha-trashes
'The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered the
digital and physical destruction of 18 publications on workplace safety
practices, according to an internal February 7 email obtained by
Popular
(More...)
‘I feel constant anxiety’: how caring for a seriously unwell pet can lead to stress and burnout
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:03:58 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/i-feel-constant-anxiety-how-caring-for-a-seriously-unwell-pet-can-lead-to-stress-and-burnout-247329>
"Living with a pet brings many benefits, including constant presence, love and
support. Pet ownership is also linked with a lower long-term risk of early
death.
(More...)
Bids for Australia’s biggest wind and solar tender close on Tuesday. Will it be the last?
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/bids-for-australias-biggest-wind-and-solar-tender-close-on-tuesday-will-it-be-the-last/>
"Bids for what is likely to be the biggest wind and solar tender to be held in
Australia close this week – at 5pm on Tuesday – with the increasingly grim
possibility that it could be the last, at least at this scale.
(More...)
Anna’s Archive
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 22:50:31 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://annas-archive.org/
"📚 The largest truly open library in human history. ⭐️ We mirror Sci-Hub and
LibGen. We scrape and open-source Z-Lib, DuXiu, and more. 📈 42,295,586 books,
98,401,812 papers — preserved forever. All our code and data are completely
(More...)
Tokyo’s oldest train line – in pictures
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 22:53:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2024/jul/08/tokyos-oldest-train-line-jr-yamanote-in-pictures>
"A reportage of stations along the circular JR Yamanote line in Tokyo,
capturing the hustle and bustle at the heart of the world’s biggest urban area.
In service since 1885, the line is the city’s oldest, most important and most
(More...)
Generative AI is already being used in journalism – here’s how people feel about it
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:00:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-is-already-being-used-in-journalism-heres-how-people-feel-about-it-247232>
"Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off at lightning speed in
the past couple of years, creating disruption in many industries. Newsrooms are
no exception.
(More...)
Lethal second-generation rat poisons are killing endangered quolls and Tasmanian devils
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:01:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/lethal-second-generation-rat-poisons-are-killing-endangered-quolls-and-tasmanian-devils-250035>
"Humans have been poisoning rodents for centuries. But fast-breeding rats and
mice have evolved resistance to earlier poisons. In response, manufacturers
have produced second generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as
(More...)
Number of NSW children in youth detention up by one third, new data shows
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:02:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/18/nsw-youth-detention-children-custody-bail-laws-bocsar-data-ntwnfb>
"Children are increasingly being held in youth detention after being refused
bail in New South Wales, according to new data, as experts warn locking up more
young people will not curb crime.
(More...)
Would Sidney Nolan be cancelled for painting Ned Kelly today? That’s what Creative Australia has done to Khaled Sabsabi
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:03:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/would-sidney-nolan-be-cancelled-for-painting-ned-kelly-today-thats-what-creative-australia-has-done-to-khaled-sabsabi-249952>
"Despite the perceived outrage at Khaled Sabsabi’s depiction of Hassan
Nasrallah in his 2007 work
You, Australian art has long made subjects of
outlaws and questionable figures. And it is all the richer for it.
(More...)
The election could be called any day – but Peter Dutton still hasn’t explained how his nuclear proposal will work
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:19:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/commentisfree/2025/feb/18/peter-dutton-nuclear-power-soundbite-australia-election>
"The election is just weeks away and Peter Dutton has still not answered any of
the key questions about how his nuclear energy pitch would work beyond naming
the seven sites where the Coalition says it might eventually – mostly in the
(More...)
Serbia is facing its largest-ever protest movement – why is Europe looking away?
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:22:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/serbia-is-facing-its-largest-ever-protest-movement-why-is-europe-looking-away-249388>
"On November 1 2024, the roof of a newly €55 million renovated railway station
in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second biggest city, collapsed and killed 15 people. The
deaths sparked Serbia’s largest wave of student-led anti-government protests
(More...)
Will BF wins UK Pun Championship 2025
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:26:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/8225/will-bf-is-uk-pun-champion/
"The 2025 UK Pun Championship has been won by Will BF.
He was crowned at the live final last night (10th February), which took place
(More...)
How Thailand’s TV lesbian romances captured a global audience
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:27:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/how-thailands-tv-lesbian-romances-captured-a-global-audience-248261>
"While dramas about male same-sex romance (known as “boys’ love”, or BL) have
been popular in Asia since 2010, “girls’ love” (GL) dramas are only now seeing
a meteoric rise in popularity – and they are coming out of Thailand.
(More...)
A ‘great shock’: Julianne Moore’s children’s book under review by Trump administration
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:29:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/17/a-great-shock-julianne-moores-childrens-book-under-review-by-trump-administration>
"Julianne Moore has said it is a “great shock” to learn that one of her books
had been “banned by the Trump Administration” from schools serving the children
of US military personnel and civilian defence employees.
(More...)
Remembering the Poly-1: what NZ’s forgotten homegrown school computer can teach us about state-led innovation
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:27:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/remembering-the-poly-1-what-nzs-forgotten-homegrown-school-computer-can-teach-us-about-state-led-innovation-249577>
"Some 45 years ago, a team of staff and students at Wellington Polytechnic
designed and built a desktop computer with an operating system customised for
the needs of New Zealand schools.
(More...)
Which EVs can do bidirectional charging? In Australia the answer is: Not many
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:29:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/17/which-evs-can-do-bidirectional-charging-in-australia-the-answer-is-not-many/>
"More than 30 electric vehicle (EV) models that can do bidirectional charging
are about to be unleashed on the world, but in Australia there are just three
and they come with a big price tag.
(More...)
With just 5 years to go, the world is failing on a vital deal to halt biodiversity loss
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:33 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/with-just-5-years-to-go-the-world-is-failing-on-a-vital-deal-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-249841>
"Almost 200 nations have signed an ambitious agreement to halt and reverse
biodiversity loss but none is on track to meet the crucial goal, our new
research reveals.
(More...)
New Zealand motorcycle maker bringing electric Streetdog to Australia
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:31:47 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/17/new-zealand-motorcycle-maker-bringing-electric-streetdog-to-australia/>
"New Zealand electric motorcycle manufacturer FTN Motion says it will launch
its two Streetdog bikes in Australia in March with an initial run of 50 bikes
that are already available for pre-order and selling quickly.
(More...)
Australian students just recorded the lowest civics scores since testing began. But young people do care about politics
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:32:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
The four accounting tricks behind Peter Dutton’s nuclear cost claims
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:33:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-four-accounting-tricks-behind-peter-duttons-nuclear-cost-claims/>
"The Liberal-National Coalition claims it has found the solution to bring down
energy bills – slow the growth of renewable energy and roll-out nuclear power.
(More...)
Fish and chips shouldn’t come with a catch: how Australia can keep illegal seafood off our plates
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:58:54 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/fish-and-chips-shouldnt-come-with-a-catch-how-australia-can-keep-illegal-seafood-off-our-plates-249481>
"If you’ve ever been stopped by quarantine officers at the airport, you might
think Australia’s international border is locked down like a fortress. But when
it comes to trade in seafood, it’s more like a net full of holes.
(More...)
Remarkable photos expose folly of the location of Snowy’s Hunter gas power plant
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:59:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Ukraine isn’t invited to its own peace talks. History is full of such examples – and the results are devastating
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:00:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/ukraine-isnt-invited-to-its-own-peace-talks-history-is-full-of-such-examples-and-the-results-are-devastating-250049>
"Ukraine has not been invited to a key meeting between American and Russian
officials in Saudi Arabia this week to decide what peace in the country might
look like.
(More...)
On Trans Issues, Wikipedia is a Bulwark Against Disinformation
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:01:38 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/trans-issues-wikipedia-bulwark-against-disinformation>
"A trans editor for Wikipedia rang the alarm immediately as the White House
began to unleash a flood of bias-driven disinformation late last month. “Our
honest coverage of transgender history, health care, and rights is more
(More...)
Loss of forests brought new birds to NZ during the last Ice Age – we’re witnessing a similar process now
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:02:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/loss-of-forests-brought-new-birds-to-nz-during-the-last-ice-age-were-witnessing-a-similar-process-now-248523>
"When people arrived on the shores of Aotearoa New Zealand and began to turn
the land to their needs, they set in motion great changes.
(More...)
The Right’s War on Wikipedia is Just a Repackaging of its War on Journalism
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:04:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.thewikipedian.net/p/right-wing-media-vs-wikipedia-reliability>
"From Elon Musk’s public trolling to the Manhattan Institute’s advocacy
research, and from
Pirate Wires’ tech-world polemics to conservative outrage
over Wikipedia’s handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict, right-wing figures
(More...)
More dry lightning in Tasmania is sparking bushfires – challenging fire fighters and land managers
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:28:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/more-dry-lightning-in-tasmania-is-sparking-bushfires-challenging-fire-fighters-and-land-managers-250063>
"Tasmania has been burning for more than two weeks, with no end in sight.
Almost 100,000 hectares of bushland in the northwest has burned to date. This
includes the Tarkine rainforest and alpine ecosystems of Cradle Mountain that
(More...)
Toronto dumps Tesla from grants program as Canadians react to White House trade war
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:30:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/19/toronto-dumps-tesla-from-grants-program-as-canadians-react-to-white-house-trade-war/>
"The Canadian city of Toronto has announced it will exclude Tesla electric
vehicles from its zero emissions grant program for taxi and limousine owners,
in direct retaliation against Elon Musk for what the city describes as the
(More...)
How to protect more Australian homes from the growing risks of floods, fires and other climate disasters
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:33:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/how-to-protect-more-australian-homes-from-the-growing-risks-of-floods-fires-and-other-climate-disasters-249860>
"The cleanup is underway in northern Queensland following the latest flooding
catastrophe to hit the state. More than 7,000 insurance claims have already
been lodged, most of them for inundated homes and other structures.
(More...)
Researchers recycle perovskite solar cells using water-based “green solvent”
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:35:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/researchers-recycle-perovskite-solar-cells-using-water-based-green-solvent/>
"Perovskite solar cells aren’t quite at commercialisation stage yet, but
scientists from Linköping University in Sweden are striving to have a
functional recycling option ready to go when they are.
(More...)
Violet Blue’s Threat Model - Cybersecurity: February 18, 2025
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:36:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.patreon.com/posts/cybersecurity-18-122532103
"This week: DOGE is all about exposure (of its databases and US spies), RIP US
election security, open-source Codeberg is under attack by far-right trolls,
new US cyber director is a lawyer with no cyber or cyber policy experience,
(More...)
US energy secretary tells UK and Australian conservatives that net zero is “sinister” and “unachievable”
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 03:37:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/us-energy-secretary-tells-uk-and-australian-conservatives-that-net-zero-is-sinister-and-unachievable/>
"The United States’ new energy secretary Chris Wright – an oil industry chief
who calls climate science a hoax – has called the global pledge to achieve net
zero carbon emissions by 2050 a “sinister goal” that is both “unachievable” and
(More...)
German town digs deep for hot rock geothermal energy to replace gas networks
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:33:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/german-town-digs-deep-for-hot-rock-geothermal-energy-to-replace-gas-networks/>
"Residents in the German town of Geretsried have long wanted to run their
buildings with clean heat and electricity from geothermal energy instead of
fossil fuels.
(More...)
Australian LGBTIQ+ politicians were hit with vile online abuse at the last federal election. The coming campaign could be even worse
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:34:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/australian-lgbtiq-politicians-were-hit-with-vile-online-abuse-at-the-last-federal-election-the-coming-campaign-could-be-even-worse-250039>
"Newly published research has found clear evidence that openly lesbian, gay,
bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer+ (LGBTIQ+) Australian politicians were
disproportionately targeted with personal abuse on social media at the last
(More...)
Thousands rescued from illegal scam compounds in Myanmar as Thailand launches huge crackdown
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:35:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/myanmar-scam-call-centre-compound-rescues-thailand-crackdown>
"About 7,000 people have been rescued from illegal call centre operations in
Myanmar and were waiting to be transferred to Thailand, prime minister
Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Wednesday, as the country launched a large-scale
(More...)
Farmers reduce plastic waste in supermarkets with cardboard berry punnets
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:36:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-19/cardboard-blueberry-punnets-reduce-plastic-packaging-waste/104918930>
"For every kilogram of blueberries sold in Australian supermarkets there are
around eight plastic punnets.
(More...)
Burning plastic for cooking and heating: An emerging environmental crisis
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:37:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-plastic-cooking-emerging-environmental-crisis.html>
'A Curtin University-led paper, "The Use of Plastic as a Household Fuel among
the Urban Poor in the Global South" published in
Nature Cities, has called
for action to reduce the burning of plastics for heating and cooking, a common
(More...)
Population panic: how demography is used for political gain
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:38:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/population-panic-how-demography-is-used-for-political-gain-230409>
"Population is far from the seemingly innocuous and bland topic of “people”.
We’re not just talking people. We’re talking the very foundation of society,
culture, and economy … and it’s deeply fraught. It’s also an effective
(More...)
Asio chief reveals foreign spies plotted to lure Australia-based activist overseas to injure or kill them
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:02:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/19/mike-burgess-asio-annual-threat-assessment-speech-foreign-intelligence-operations-antisemitism-election-disinformation-ntwnfb>
"At least three countries have plotted to harm Australians abroad and on home
soil, including a planned assassination to silence a human rights activist,
Australia’s spy boss has revealed.
(More...)
Julianne Moore’s children’s book about redheads is under ‘review’. What’s happening with US book bans under Trump?
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:03:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/julianne-moores-childrens-book-about-redheads-is-under-review-whats-happening-with-us-book-bans-under-trump-250152>
"Actor Julianne Moore’s picture book,
Freckleface Strawberry, was recently
removed for “compliance review” from schools serving the families of US
military and civilian defence personnel.
(More...)
Factchecking Donald Trump’s claims about the war in Ukraine
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:04:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/19/factchecking-donald-trump-claims-war-ukraine>
"The US president, Donald Trump, has made a number of at best controversial –
and at worst outright false and misleading – statements about Ukraine and its
president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while praising the progress made in US-Russia
(More...)
Trump wants to do a deal for Ukraine’s critical minerals. Will Zelensky give him what he wants – or will Putin?
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:05:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/trump-wants-to-do-a-deal-for-ukraines-critical-minerals-will-zelensky-give-him-what-he-wants-or-will-putin-250064>
"The United States and Russia agreed to work on a plan to end the war in
Ukraine at high-level talks in Saudi Arabia this week. Ukrainian and European
representatives were pointedly not invited to take part.
(More...)
Letters from an American: February 19, 2025
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:07:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-19-2025
"The past week has solidified a sea change in American—and global—history.
A week ago, on Wednesday, February 12, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
(More...)
Insider threat: cyber security experts on giving Elon Musk and DOGE the keys to US government IT systems
Sat, 22 Feb 2025 23:07:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/insider-threat-cyber-security-experts-on-giving-elon-musk-and-doge-the-keys-to-us-government-it-systems-250046>
"A few weeks ago, word started to come out that the newly minted United States
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had acquired unprecedented access to
multiple US government computer systems.
(More...)
Trump calls Zelenskyy a dictator amid fears of irreconcilable rift
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:35:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/ukraine-zelenskyy-says-trump-living-in-russian-disinformation-bubble>
"The US and Ukraine appeared to be heading towards an irreconcilable rift after
Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling the
Ukrainian president “a dictator” and warning that he “better move fast” or he
(More...)
Humans generate 62 million tonnes of e-waste each year. Here’s what happens when it’s recycled
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:36:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/humans-generate-62-million-tonnes-of-e-waste-each-year-heres-what-happens-when-its-recycled-249842>
"In 2022, humans generated roughly 62 million tonnes of electronic waste – or
e-waste. That’s enough to fill more than 1.5 million garbage trucks. And by
2030, that figure is expected to rise to 82 million tonnes.
(More...)
Juan arrived in Australia to a stocked pantry and kind faces. The government pilot that allowed it is here to stay, too
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:37:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Fix the News 286: Iron Winds
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:38:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://fixthenews.com/286-iron-winds/
"A planet straight out of science fiction. Plus, one year of malaria vaccines,
California's MPAs are working, child mortality down in Asian countries, garden
cities in the Amazon, cleaning up the Arctic, and fuel demand levels off in
(More...)
Two in five scientists in our survey reported harassment and intimidation. Often, the perpetrators are inside the institution
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:39:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/two-in-five-scientists-in-our-survey-reported-harassment-and-intimidation-often-the-perpetrators-are-inside-the-institution-248013>
"The goal of science is to uncover truths and create new knowledge. But this is
not always welcome. Increasingly, scientific findings are being attacked or
downplayed. And scientists themselves face intimidation or harassment.
(More...)
My Open Letter to Elon Musk
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 05:40:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/my-open-letter-to-elon-musk/
"Elon Musk recently posted on his site that another lawyer and I are
“undermining civilization.” He goes on to ask if we suffered childhood trauma
and concludes by suggesting we are suffering from “generational trauma.” This
(More...)
Collateral damage: how the war on ‘woke banking’ could backfire on New Zealand
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:09:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/collateral-damage-how-the-war-on-woke-banking-could-backfire-on-new-zealand-249930>
"It would be hard to think of an industry less obviously “woke” than banking,
but that’s how coalition partner NZ First has characterised certain practices
within the finance sector.
(More...)
The desert among the snow: how Anmatyerr ceremony men came to create ground paintings in Switzerland
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:10:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-desert-among-the-snow-how-anmatyerr-ceremony-men-came-to-create-ground-paintings-in-switzerland-246985>
"A ground painting is known in Anmatyerr as Ahelh Anety-irrem, meaning “broken”
or perhaps even “transformed ground”. The name refers to the process of
clearing an even surface on the red earth, building a sculpture and then
(More...)
Why are Americans toasting their fairy bread, and can the New York Times stop them?
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:11 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/20/why-are-americans-toasting-their-fairy-bread-and-can-the-new-york-times-stop-them>
"The delicacy for kids (and adults alike) requires just three ingredients – so
how can people be getting the sacred recipe so wrong?"
(More...)
Is This the Most Efficient Electric Boat? Meet the Vessev VS9 Hydrofoil!
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oun1k0kWtzE
"Robert is off to New Zealand to meet with the team at Vessev and to test out
the very first commercial 100% electric hydrofoil!"
(More...)
Households are burning plastic waste as fuel for cooking and heating in slums the world over
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/households-are-burning-plastic-waste-as-fuel-for-cooking-and-heating-in-slums-the-world-over-250265>
"Poor people in vast city slums across the Global South are burning plastic to
cook their food, warm their homes and boil water for hot showers.
(More...)
UK use of predictive policing is racist and should be banned, says Amnesty
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/19/uk-use-of-predictive-policing-is-racist-and-should-be-banned-says-amnesty>
"British policing’s use of algorithms and data to predict where crime will
happen is racist and picks on the poor, a report from Amnesty International
says.
(More...)
Friday essay: as the legacy media have dumbed down, The New Yorker has dumbed up
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:18:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-as-the-legacy-media-have-dumbed-down-the-new-yorker-has-dumbed-up-248447>
"Like many, I entered
The New Yorker through the cartoon door. The first
cartoon I loved, and remember to this day, featured a
New Yorker staple – two
guys sitting in a bar – with one saying to the other: “I wish just once someone
(More...)
Expanding seaweed farms pose a risk to vital marine life
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:21:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-seaweed-farms-pose-vital-marine.html
"Seaweed farming is a rapidly expanding global industry. As a food resource, it
has high nutritional value and doesn't need fertilizers to grow. Seaweed
provides valuable habitats for marine life, takes up carbon and absorbs
(More...)
Study: Immigration has not raised German crime rate
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:23:00 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.dw.com/en/study-finds-immigration-has-not-raised-german-crime-rate/a-71691228>
'Immigrants or refugees do not have a higher tendency to commit crime and there
is no correlation between the proportion of immigrants in a given district and
the local crime rate, according to a new analysis of the latest German crime
(More...)
Kyiv’s White House wooing implodes as Zelenskyy tells the truth about Trump
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:24:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/kyivs-white-house-wooing-implodes-as-zelenskyy-tells-the-truth-about-trump>
"All the effort Kyiv had expended in wooing the White House, combining flattery
with bribery and a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth, imploded in minutes when
Volodymyr Zelenskyy broke the fundamental rule of the new global reality: he
(More...)
Schools still assume students have a mum and dad who are together. This can leave separated parents ‘completely out of it’
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:24:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/schools-still-assume-students-have-a-mum-and-dad-who-are-together-this-can-leave-separated-parents-completely-out-of-it-248772>
"In 1987, UK researchers lamented how schools were organised “around the
assumption that the nuclear family is the norm”. Families who did not fit this
model were “either ignored (tactfully) or categorised as abnormal”.
(More...)
Fortescue sees billion dollar windfall from electric truck deal, but Trump throws spanner into green timelines
Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:26:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/fortescue-sees-billion-dollar-windfall-from-electric-truck-deal-but-trump-throws-spanner-into-green-timelines/>
"Andrew Forrest’s Fortsecue Metals expects a $US1 billion ($A1.6 billion)
revenue windfall from its massive electric truck deal, but says its timelines
for bigger green energy and green hydrogen projects could be impacted by the
(More...)
Carnivorous dinosaurs thrived in Australia 120 million years ago, new fossils show
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:09:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/carnivorous-dinosaurs-thrived-in-australia-120-million-years-ago-new-fossils-show-242290>
"Between 122 and 108 million years ago, the Australian landmass was much
farther south than today. Victoria was positioned within the Antarctic Circle,
separated from Tasmania by a vast rift valley rather than open sea.
(More...)
Watchdog rules “clean gas” claims from Gina Rinehart company are false, misleading
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:10:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/watchdog-rules-clean-gas-claims-from-gina-rinehart-company-are-false-misleading/>
"Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart’s company Hancock Prospecting has earned a
slap on the wrist from Australia’s advertising watchdog for greenwashing gas,
by making “false, misleading and not substantiated claims” that the fossil fuel
(More...)
Peter Dutton’s nuclear accounting trick #2: Pretend petrol and gas are free
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:11:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/peter-duttons-nuclear-accounting-trick-2-pretend-petrol-and-gas-are-free/>
"This is part three of a five-part series of articles examining the four
accounting tricks that the Liberal-National Party employed in the costing of
their energy plan to slow the roll-out of renewables and rely instead on
(More...)
Meta and Google opt out of Sydney Mardi Gras amid move away from DEI in US
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:13:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/20/meta-and-google-opt-out-of-sydney-mardi-gras-2025-sponsorship-dei-us>
"Google and Meta do not meet the requirements to partner with the Sydney Gay
and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the organisation has said, after the two tech giants
ended their official involvement and ditched diversity obligations in the US.
(More...)
‘Wilful acts of bastardry’: former Treasury secretary says young Australian workers ‘robbed’ by tax system
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:14:04 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/20/wilful-acts-of-bastardry-former-treasury-secretary-says-young-australian-workers-robbed-by-tax-system>
"Recent governments have carried out “wilful acts of bastardry” and created
intergenerational inequality and environmental destruction that will leave
younger voters worse off, the former Treasury secretary Ken Henry has said,
(More...)
Trickle recharging using a combination of pumped hydro and battery storage can get rid of gas
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:15:21 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/trickle-recharging-using-a-combination-of-pumped-hydro-and-battery-storage-can-get-rid-of-gas/>
"Pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) provides very cheap energy storage
(gigawatt-hours). On the other hand, batteries are cheap for storage power
(gigawatts). Hybrid storage comprising PHES plus batteries provides very cheap
(More...)
Greenland’s rapidly melting ice and landslide-prone fjords make the oil and minerals Trump covets dangerous to extract
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:13:54 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/greenlands-rapidly-melting-ice-and-landslide-prone-fjords-make-the-oil-and-minerals-trump-covets-dangerous-to-extract-249985>
"Since Donald Trump regained the presidency, he has coveted Greenland. Trump
has insisted that the U.S. will control the island, currently an autonomous
territory of Denmark, and if his overtures are rejected, perhaps seize
(More...)
Violet Blue’s Theat Model - Covid: February 20, 2025
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:14:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.patreon.com/posts/covid-february-122686967
"Last Thursday RFK Jr. became the US Health and Human Services Director,
immediately beginning the dismantling of federal science and health programs
and firing nearly 3,000 NIH and CDC employees (and over 5,000 at HHS),
(More...)
Peter Dutton’s nuclear accounting trick #3: Hide the costs of keeping coal
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:15:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/peter-duttons-nuclear-accounting-trick-3-hide-the-costs-of-keeping-coal/>
"It’s very important to note that the Coalition’s costing of its electricity
system cuts out in the year 2051. It only accounts for costs incurred between
2025 to 2051 and anything after that date is ignored.
(More...)
Lewy and Chilli among members of therapy dog program providing comfort for hospital staff
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:20 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Ukraine’s natural resources are at centre stage in the ongoing war, and will likely remain there
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:18:22 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/ukraines-natural-resources-are-at-centre-stage-in-the-ongoing-war-and-will-likely-remain-there-249254>
"Three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world now knows the exact
price for American military support of Ukraine. During a recent interview with
Fox News, United States President Donald Trump put a $500 billion price tag
(More...)
Anthony Albanese under pressure on salmon farming from both conservationists and industry
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:19:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/22/anthony-albanese-under-pressure-on-salmon-farming-from-both-conservationists-and-industry>
"Anthony Albanese is caught in a pincer movement over a pre-election pledge
that he will protect salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, with
conservationists and industry leaders both urging him to rethink the
(More...)
‘Technofossils’: how humanity’s eternal testament will be plastic bags, cheap clothes and chicken bones
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:43:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/22/technofossils-how-plastic-bags-and-chicken-bones-will-become-our-eternal-legacy>
"As an eternal testament of humanity, plastic bags, cheap clothes and chicken
bones are not a glorious legacy. But two scientists exploring which items from
our technological civilisation are most likely to survive for many millions of
(More...)
Rolling back on climate actions may spell rise in preventable illness – study
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:44:38 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/21/rolling-back-on-climate-actions-may-spell-rise-in-preventable-illness-study>
"Countries that weaken or stop their net zero and climate actions may be
consigning their populations to decades of preventable illness.
(More...)
Building the world’s largest electric ferry
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:45:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-22/building-the-worlds-largest-electric-ferry/104894884>
"This diesel ferry could be among the last of its kind rolling out of the dry
docks of Hobart.
(More...)
Honest Government Ad | Our Last Fair Election?
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:46:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kYIojG707w
"The Australien Government has made an ad to announce the 2025 election, and
it's surprisingly honest and informative."
(More...)
Tim Winton: Labor hasn’t delivered on more effective nature laws. It’s not just embarrassing, it’s calamitous
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:48:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/22/tim-winton-labor-ningaloo-reef-bleaching-nature-climate-laws-ntwnfb>
"Late last spring, I was part of an expedition to Scott Reef, a magnificent
coral atoll nearly 300 kilometres off the Kimberley coast. And while it was a
privilege to be in such a remote and wonderful place, watching rare and endemic
(More...)
AI-generated influencers: A new wave of cultural exploitation
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:49:06 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/ai-generated-influencers-a-new-wave-of-cultural-exploitation-248956>
"You probably know what an “influencer” is — people with large, highly engaged
social media followings who have the power to sway beliefs and purchasing
decisions.
(More...)
Visualised: Europe's population crisis
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:50:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/feb/18/europes-population-crisis-see-how-your-country-compares-visualised>
"The rise of the far-right could speed up the population decline of Europe,
projections show, creating economic shocks including slower growth and soaring
costs from pensions and elderly care.
(More...)
Trump is ruling like a ‘king’, following the Putin model. How can he be stopped?
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:50:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/trump-is-ruling-like-a-king-following-the-putin-model-how-can-he-be-stopped-249721>
"A month in, and it is clear even to conservatives that US President Donald
Trump is attempting to fundamentally reshape the role of the American
president.
(More...)
Sixty years ago, 29 students took a bus ride that changed the way Australia thought about race
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:51:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/14/freedom-ride-1965-bus-australian-racism-protest>
"When 29 students boarded a bus outside the University of Sydney on a summer
night in February 1965, they had no idea the trip would become a defining
moment for race relations in Australia.
(More...)
How Spain’s radically different approach to migration helped its economy soar
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:52:37 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/18/how-spains-radically-different-approach-to-migration-helped-its-economy-soar>
"From Madrid to Barcelona, restaurants and bars are brimming with people, and
reservations have become essential for everything from fine dining to high-end
hotels.
(More...)
'It's extremely worrisome.' NASA's James Webb Space Telescope faces potential 20% budget cut just 4 years after launch
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:54:21 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/james-webb-space-telescope/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-faces-20-percent-budget-cuts>
'The scientists behind NASA's largest and most powerful space telescope ever
built are bracing for potentially crippling budget cuts, and the observatory is
only halfway through its primary mission.
(More...)
Kommentti: Donald Trumpin ajatuksia yli analysoidaan – tässä on yksinkertaisempi selitys
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:57:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000010952854.html
"Trump on Yhdysvaltain modernin ajan vähä-älyisin presidentti, ja vanhuus on
tehnyt hänestä entistä tyhmemmän, kirjoittaa Mikko Marttinen."
(More...)
Nigel Farage, Jordan Peterson & co worship each other in alt-right heaven
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:38:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/18/nigel-farage-jordan-peterson-co-worship-each-other-in-alt-right-heaven>
"Fighting the culture wars doesn’t come cheap these days. Tickets for the
Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference at the ExCeL Centre in
London cost a discounted £450. A bargain said the organisers, as the original
(More...)
Bison Are Bringing Back Biodiversity to Britain
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:45:59 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/uk-bison-rewilding-biodiversity/
"Just like clockwork, when feeding time arrives in the late morning at West
Blean and Thornden Woods Nature Reserve, a group of trees begins to rustle in
the distance.
(More...)
Two-thirds of the Earth’s surface experienced record heat in 2024. See where and by how much – visualised
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:46:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
How Street Art in Singapore Is Helping People With Dementia Get Around
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:47:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/dementia-inclusive-design-singapore/
"A large mural of a teacup decorated with a green flower bursts off the white
wall on the ground floor of a tall apartment building in the Kebun Baru area of
Singapore. A bowl with a rooster adorns another building nearby. Up the street,
(More...)
Brazilian city in Amazon declares emergency after huge sinkholes appear
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:48:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/21/amazon-brazil-sinkhole
"Authorities in a city in the Brazilian Amazon have declared a state of
emergency after huge sinkholes opened up, threatening hundreds of homes.
(More...)
By Deconstructing Buildings With Care, Materials Get a Second Life
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:49:46 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/by-deconstructing-buildings-with-care-materials-get-a-second-life/>
"When Tsah Yahav and his team began to deconstruct a former military hospital
on a three-hectare site near Grenoble, a city in the southeast of France, it
was far from a classic image of demolition.
(More...)
Are noise-cancelling headphones impairing our hearing skills? Some audiologists are beginning to worry
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:32:56 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/22/filter-trouble-why-audiologists-worry-noise-cancelling-headphones-may-impair-hearing-skills>
"They are prized for making the commute more bearable and shielding against the
din of daily life. But noise-cancelling headphones have come under scrutiny
after audiologists raised concerns that overuse might impair people’s hearing
(More...)
The Pioneering Paralegals Helping Women Take Back Their Land
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:34:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/indian-women-land-rights-legal-help/
"When Bhanuben Bharatsingh’s husband died, his elder brother took control of
the field she had tilled all her married life. This was the norm in Gujarat,
the state in western India where she lived, but Bhanuben knew that her family’s
(More...)
Oscar-nominated documentary produced in Sydney kept secret for a year due to fears of Russian interference
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:35:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-23/oscar-nominated-documentary-porcelain-war-sydney-ukraine-russia/104958632>
"A studio in Sydney's inner city appears unassuming from the outside, but for
over a year it has been the hub of a top-secret documentary project, for fear
of Russian interference.
(More...)
More than 10,000 First Nations people killed in Australia’s frontier wars, final massacre map shows
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:37:18 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/23/more-than-10000-first-nations-people-killed-in-australias-frontier-wars-final-massacre-map-shows-ntwnfb>
"The final findings of the “horrendous” eight-year long “massacre map”, tracing
the violent history of the Australian colonial frontier have been released.
(More...)
How Tearing Down Small Dams Is Helping Restore Northeast Rivers
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:38:42 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://e360.yale.edu/features/northeast-dam-removals
"The glass eels, 3 inches long with skin so translucent it reveals the beating
of their tiny hearts, writhe with unexpected strength in the palm of a hand.
For a year they have ridden the tides from their hatching site, in the Sargasso
(More...)
The restaurant staffed solely by people who’ve experienced homelessness
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:39:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/the-restaurant-staffed-by-people-whove-experienced-homelessness/>
"It’s 4pm on a Friday, and the staff at Home Kitchen, north London’s buzziest
new restaurant, are prepping for another busy evening’s service. Front of house
workers are scuttling around polishing silverware and, in the kitchens
(More...)
Road to close for six weeks to allow toads to cross
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:21:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/charlcombe-lane-closed-toads-frogs-b2694972.html>
"A road will close for six weeks to allow thousands of amphibians safe passage
to their breeding grounds.
(More...)
Flour power: the campaign to get real bread to more people
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:23:04 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/the-campaign-to-democratise-real-bread/>
"Companions are the people we break bread with. The word is derived from the
old French compaignon, literally ‘one who breaks bread with another’, and based
on the Latin com (‘together with’) and panis (‘bread’). From Spanish and
(More...)
‘Lush bread – for all.’ Placing affordable loaves where they’re most needed
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:24:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/environment/lush-bread-for-all-placing-affordable-loaves-where-theyre-most-needed/>
"“Your bread is lush”: it’s a classically Bristolian testimonial for a project
that has Bristolians’ wellbeing at its heart.
(More...)
Crystals can’t bend – or can they? New research sheds light on elusive ‘flexible crystals’
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:25:19 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/crystals-cant-bend-or-can-they-new-research-sheds-light-on-elusive-flexible-crystals-248141>
"We are all familiar with elastic materials – just think of a rubber band which
can return to its original shape after being stretched.
(More...)
Joy, joining together and giant veg: highlights from the Portrait of Britain prize
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:26:00 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/joy-joining-together-and-giant-veg-highlights-from-the-portrait-of-britain-prize/>
"The most recent Portrait of Britain prize featured a shortlist of 200 images.
Here are some of our favourite, introduced by the photographers"
(More...)
Conservation in wealthy nations may worsen global biodiversity loss, study finds
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:27:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/02/conservation-in-wealthy-nations-may-worsen-global-biodiversity-loss-study-finds/>
"Efforts to rewild landscapes across Europe and North America could be making
global biodiversity loss worse by shifting environmental destruction to poorer,
more biodiverse regions, a new study warns.
(More...)
Creative progress or mass theft? Why a major AI art auction is provoking wonder – and outrage
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:19:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/creative-progress-or-mass-theft-why-a-major-ai-art-auction-is-provoking-wonder-and-outrage-250157>
"Thirty-four artworks created with artificial intelligence (AI) have gone up
for sale at Christie’s in New York, in the famed auction house’s first
collection dedicated to AI art.
(More...)
The former fracking site now tapped for clean geothermal heat
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:20:48 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250219-kirby-misperton-the-former-fracking-site-now-tapped-for-clean-heat>
'As the police moved in, Mike Potter gritted his teeth. It seemed to him that
he and his fellow protesters were being "kettled" – surrounded by police and
constrained from moving. "No fracking here!", the demonstrators chanted,
(More...)
Wolves in Scotland Could Help Reduce Carbon in The Sky. Here's How.
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:23:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.sciencealert.com/wolves-in-scotland-could-help-reduce-carbon-in-the-sky-heres-how>
"It's been centuries since a wolf's howl was heard across the Scottish
Highlands, but a team of researchers thinks it's time to bring back these
much-maligned predators.
(More...)
After 3 years of war, Ukrainian business leaders share their lessons on survival
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:24:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases. Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:25:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/falling-vaccination-rates-put-children-at-risk-of-preventable-diseases-governments-need-a-new-strategy-to-boost-uptake-249591>
"Child vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions. It
accounts for 40% of the global reduction in infant deaths since 1974 and has
led to big health gains in Australia over the past two decades.
(More...)
Peter Dutton’s nuclear accounting trick #4: Assume climate change has no cost
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 13:26:28 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/peter-duttons-nuclear-accounting-trick-4-assume-climate-change-has-no-cost/>
"Most types of greenhouse gases last decades to centuries once released in the
atmosphere and so the overall level of global warming the planet experiences
will be a function of our cumulative emissions over time.
(More...)
A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 21:58:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Carbon time bomb: Dutton’s nuclear plan will blow up Paris and emissions targets, CCA says
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 21:59:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/carbon-time-bomb-duttons-nuclear-plan-will-blow-up-paris-and-emissions-targets-cca-says/>
"Choosing a nuclear power future over renewables will blow up Australia’s
carbon emissions budget and create a carbon time bomb of up to 2 billion tonnes
in extra greenhouse gases by 2050, a new analysis from the federal government’s
(More...)
NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 21:59:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/nasas-new-telescope-will-create-the-most-colourful-map-of-the-cosmos-ever-made-247104>
"NASA will soon launch a new telescope which it says will create the “most
colourful” map of the cosmos ever made.
(More...)
Trump and Musk pull plug on national EV network as they wage war on other people’s EVs
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:01:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/24/trump-and-musk-pull-plug-on-national-ev-network-as-they-wage-war-on-other-peoples-evs/>
"The Trump-Musk administration’s war on electric vehicles in the US has taken
an astonishing new turn, with a decision to pull the plug on the EV charging
facilities at all federal government buildings, and to sell – or at least
(More...)
‘Our community deserves beauty’: one man’s mission to green a UK tree desert
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:03:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/20/our-community-deserves-beauty-grimsby-residents-unite-to-bring-tree-cover-back-aoe>
"Billy Dasein was born on Rutland Street, Grimsby, in the front room of the
house where he still lives. His father was a fitter, and his mother a housewife
who also worked in the Tickler’s jam factory. He left school at 16 and wound up
(More...)
‘It allowed us to survive, to not go mad’: the CIA book smuggling operation that helped bring down communism
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:05:47 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/22/it-allowed-us-to-survive-to-not-go-mad-the-cia-book-smuggling-operation-that-helped-bring-down-communism>
"The volume’s glossy dust jacket shows a 1970s computer room, where high
priests of the information age, dressed in kipper ties and flares, tap
instructions into the terminals of some ancient mainframe. The only words on
(More...)
Richest nations ‘exporting extinction’ with demand for beef, palm oil and timber
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:19:44 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/14/richest-nations-exporting-extinction-with-demand-for-beef-palm-oil-and-timber-aoe>
"The world’s wealthiest nations are “exporting extinction” by destroying 15
times more biodiversity internationally than within their own borders, research
shows.
(More...)
Nazis Burned Trans Books To Usher In Fascism: Now Trump Does The Same
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:20:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/nazis-burned-trans-books-to-usher
"Nearly a century ago, Nazis raided the
Institut für Sexualwissenschaft—the
Institute of Sexology—a pioneering research institution and clinic founded by
Magnus Hirschfeld, a forefather of transgender research. The institute housed
(More...)
‘We’ve lost some parts of nature for ever’: Ukraine war’s impact on environment – photo essay
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:22:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/24/ukraine-war-impact-on-environment-nature-photo-essay>
"Since 2022, the
Guardian photographer Alessio Mamo has been tracking the
impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s full-scale invasion, which
began three years ago on Monday, caused millions of Ukrainians to flee. Cities
(More...)
Musk’s ‘Doge’ claim about USAid funds for India sets off political firestorm
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:25:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/24/musk-doge-claim-usaid-funds-india-trump-modi>
"Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” has been accused of setting
off a political firestorm in India after it claimed that the US government had
been sending millions of dollars to support the Indian elections.
(More...)
‘It’s disgusting that they can get away with this’: here’s how eviction can affect tenants’ lives
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:26:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/its-disgusting-that-they-can-get-away-with-this-heres-how-eviction-can-affect-tenants-lives-248221>
"For people relying on rental properties to keep a roof over their heads, there
are few things more scary than the possibility of being evicted from their
home.
(More...)
Roberta Flack, soul and R&B icon behind Killing Me Softly, dies aged 88
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:49:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/24/roberta-flack-soul-and-rb-icon-behind-killing-me-softly-dies-aged-88>
"Roberta Flack, the US singer behind a string of hits including
Killing Me
Softly With His Song, has died aged 88. “We are heartbroken that the glorious
Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025,” a statement from
(More...)
In "A Nighttime Travesty", First Nations women embrace Indigenous futurism – and push the boundaries of theatre
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:50:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Fossil fuel lobby shares global “toolbox of tactics” to fight Victoria’s gas phaseout
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:51:54 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/fossil-fuel-lobby-shares-global-toolbox-of-tactics-to-fight-victorias-gas-phaseout/>
"Fossil fuel companies operating in Australia and their industry associations
have been swapping notes with their international counterparts as part of a
global fight to stop a phaseout of gas in homes, according to a new analysis.
(More...)
China didn’t violate any rules with its live-fire naval exercises. So, why are Australia and NZ so worried?
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:52:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/china-didnt-violate-any-rules-with-its-live-fire-naval-exercises-so-why-are-australia-and-nz-so-worried-250618>
"In recent days, the Chinese Navy conducted two live-fire military exercises in
waters near Australia and New Zealand, sparking concern in both countries.
(More...)
Trump-lite: Coalition promises purge of experts who call out nuclear bunkum
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:53:51 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/trump-lite-coalition-promises-purge-of-experts-who-call-out-nuclear-bunkum/>
"The federal Coalition has given another insight into what life might be like
under a Peter Dutton-led government, with the promise of a purge of experts who
disagree with its policies, in a potentially horrifying redux of the mass
(More...)
There’s an outbreak of melioidosis in north Queensland. Here’s what to know about this deadly ‘mud bug’
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:54:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Italian company behind “carbon dome” energy storage sets up a base in Melbourne
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:20:00 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/italian-company-behind-carbon-dome-energy-storage-sets-up-a-base-in-melbourne/>
"Italian long-duration energy storage company Energy Dome will establish its
new APAC headquarters in Melbourne as it continues to identify potential sites
in Victoria to deploy its proprietary CO₂ Battery.
(More...)
Why Charles Dickens would have made Great Expectations a videogame if he were writing today
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:21:16 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/why-charles-dickens-would-have-made-great-expectations-a-videogame-if-he-were-writing-today-249199>
"Despite dying over 100 years before the release of
Pong, the novelist
Charles Dickens has connections to a number of videogames. He appears as a
character in
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (2015); is the subject of a mobile
(More...)
Taiwan detains China-linked cargo ship after undersea cable disconnected
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:22:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-25/taiwan-detains-china-linked-ship-after-undersea-cable-incident/104981932>
'Taiwan's coast guard has detained a China-linked cargo ship after a nearby
undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the sensitive Taiwan Strait was
disconnected.
(More...)
Farmers, investors, miners and parents: how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:23:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/farmers-investors-miners-and-parents-how-unconventional-climate-advocates-can-reach-new-audiences-249949>
"When you think about climate advocates, you’ll likely picture left-leaning
environmentalists who live in cities. This group has contributed to building
public support for climate action worldwide, through protests, petitions,
(More...)
Scam Factories: The inside story of Southeast Asia’s fraud compounds (part 2)
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:24:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://scam-factories-rise-of-an-industry.netlify.app/
"George, a young Ugandan man, is leading a relatively normal life in Kampala
working as an IT specialist.
(More...)
The False Dichotomy of Merit and Inclusion
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:26:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://hbr.org/2025/02/the-false-dichotomy-of-merit-and-inclusion
"I believe in the importance of merit.
And that is why I advocate for inclusion.
(More...)
The Framework Laptop 13 has just been upgraded to AMD’s Strix Point
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:00:35 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theverge.com/news/618769/framework-laptop-13-2025-amd-ryzen-ai-300-strix-point>
"Framework has done it again — it’s built a new AMD-powered modular computer
that fits into any previous version of its 13-inch laptop for $449, or that you
can buy as a brand-new laptop starting at $899 for DIY or $1,099 entirely
(More...)
Want a side of CO₂ with that? Better food labels help us choose more climate-friendly foods
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:01:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/want-a-side-of-co-with-that-better-food-labels-help-us-choose-more-climate-friendly-foods-250513>
"When you’re deciding what to eat for lunch or dinner, do you consider the
meal’s greenhouse gas emissions? How do you compare the carbon footprint of a
beef sandwich with that of a falafel wrap?
(More...)
Scammers are targeting Ticketek accounts. Here's how to protect your concert tickets
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:02:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-23/billie-eilish-scammers-ticketek-accounts-tickets-protection/104966286>
"Dozens of Billie Eilish fans have had their tickets stolen from their accounts
in what is an increasingly common occurrence when major artists come to
Australia.
(More...)
Trump administration cancels National Nature Assessment, authors look to independently publish report
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:05:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.dailyuw.com/science/trump-administration-cancels-national-nature-assessment-authors-look-to-independently-publish-report/article_8b9aba60-f00f-11ef-8518-4bdb7a86bb7c.html?block_id=2379034>
"The draft of the first
National Nature Assessment was to be completed Feb.
11. Instead, the project was cancelled Jan. 30 via an executive order by
President Trump. Over 150 scientists and experts had contributed over 1000
(More...)
Trump’s EV Charger Purge Could Cost Taxpayers Over $1 Billion
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:07:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://insideevs.com/news/751754/trump-ev-purge-1-billion/
"Electric vehicle progress has skyrocketed over the last four years. There are
more EVs on American roads than ever, EV chargers have spread across many major
highways, and the U.S. has even gained a huge fleet of cost-saving EVs in use
(More...)
What do young people want to see in politics? More than 20,000 pieces of their writing hold some answers
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:08:07 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/what-do-young-people-want-to-see-in-politics-more-than-20-000-pieces-of-their-writing-hold-some-answers-250062>
"Ahead of the Australian election, candidates, advisers and political parties
might be paying attention to what young people think. And if they’re not, they
should be.
(More...)
40,000 emails! Thank you all.
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 12:55:21 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
Once again thanks to everyone who reads these postings, whether via the mailing
list, the daily digest of the list, the RSS feed or the website.
We're now in our fourth decade and - admittedly with some accidental duplicates
- the previous post was our 40,000th! I hope you will continue to find value
(More...)
The Hollow Men Of Silicon Valley
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:09:21 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/02/25/the-hollow-men-of-silicon-valley/
"I am, unabashedly, a Humean emotivist. Like David Hume, I hold that
emotions—not abstract reason—form the foundation of our ethics. Cold logic
alone doesn’t guide our moral compass; it is shaped by the deep wellspring of
(More...)
Some of Australia’s largest companies are failing to ‘know and show’ their respect for human rights
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:10:00 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/some-of-australias-largest-companies-are-failing-to-know-and-show-their-respect-for-human-rights-250055>
"In our complex, interconnected world, there are risks of human rights
violations throughout global supply chains. Examples include not only modern
slavery and child labour, but also gender discrimination and violations of
(More...)
Matt Kean says suggestion Coalition could sack him if it wins election is ‘concerning threat’
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:11:32 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/25/matt-kean-coalition-nuclear-energy-climate-change-authority-sack-concerning-threat-election>
"The chair of the Climate Change Authority, Matt Kean, has hit back over an
opposition suggestion that his criticism of its nuclear energy proposal could
lead to him being sacked if the Coalition wins government.
(More...)
5 years on, COVID remains NZ’s most important infectious disease – it still demands a strong response
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:12:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/5-years-on-covid-remains-nzs-most-important-infectious-disease-it-still-demands-a-strong-response-246873>
"This Friday, February 28, marks five years since COVID-19 was first reported
in Aotearoa New Zealand. At a population level, it remains our most harmful
infectious disease, with thousands of hospitalisations and 664 deaths last
(More...)
“Toxic contagion:” Tesla sales plunge in Europe as consumers, and cartoonists, respond to Musk
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:13:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/26/toxic-contagion-tesla-sales-plunge-in-europe-as-consumers-and-cartoonists-respond-to-musk/>
"The plunge in Tesla electric vehicle sales across the world in the recent
months have been well documented, but nowhere is it being felt quite as deeply
as in Europe, where leading market analysts now acknowledge the toxic impact of
(More...)
Mercedes begins testing solid-state battery that can deliver 1,000 km range
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:14:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2025/02/26/mercedes-begins-testing-solid-state-battery-that-can-deliver-1000-km-range/>
"German automotive giant Mercedes-Benz announced says it has begun testing a
“worlds first” solid-state battery-powered vehicle from a major OEM, which is
expected to be capable of delivering up to 1,000 kilometres of electric driving
(More...)
“Facts, not politics:” Kean fights Coalition attempts to silence him, but will he stand alone?
Sat, 1 Mar 2025 03:43:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/facts-not-politics-kean-fights-coalition-attempts-to-silence-him-but-will-he-stand-alone/>
"Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean has thrown the federal Coalition’s
words back in its face as he fights attempts by the LNP energy spokesman Ted
O’Brien to silence his analysis on the would-be government’s nuclear power
(More...)
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nature-Based Solutions Take Root
Sat, 1 Mar 2025 03:44:31 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://africa.wri.org/insights/nature-based-climate-solutions-sub-saharan-africa>
"For the 21 million residents of Lagos, Nigeria, climate change is not a
distant concept — it is a current reality. Over the past decade, the city has
experienced devastating floods, exacerbated by the loss of over half of its
(More...)
BP to abandon renewable targets, divest assets in shift back to fossil fuels
Sat, 1 Mar 2025 03:45:29 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/bp-to-abandon-renewable-targets-divest-assets-in-shift-back-to-fossil-fuels/>
"British oil and gas supermajor BP is expected to announce today its decision
to scrap a previous target to ramp up renewable generation capacity 20-fold by
2030, returning instead to a focus on fossil fuels in an effort to mollify
(More...)
How a son spent a year trying to save his father from conspiracy theories
Sat, 1 Mar 2025 03:47:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/26/g-s1-50605/conspiracy-theories-politics-family-alternate-realities>
'About a year ago, my dad bet me $10,000 that he could foretell the future.
It all started when he texted me a picture of a list. Writing in barely legible
(More...)
‘They’re meant to help and did the complete opposite’: many children feel silenced by family courts
Sat, 1 Mar 2025 03:48:24 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/theyre-meant-to-help-and-did-the-complete-opposite-many-children-feel-silenced-by-family-courts-250636>
"When parental separation ends up in the family courts, serious risks such as
family violence, child abuse, drug, alcohol or substance misuse, and mental
health issues are often involved.
(More...)
Tibet is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world. This is in danger of extinction
Sat, 1 Mar 2025 03:49:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/tibet-is-one-of-the-most-linguistically-diverse-places-in-the-world-this-is-in-danger-of-extinction-246316>
"Three days after he was released from prison in December, a Tibetan village
leader named Gonpo Namgyal died. As his body was being prepared for traditional
Tibetan funeral rites, marks were found indicating he had been brutally
(More...)
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