Let's try with: Quaker; Pianist; carer; worrier; control freak - and not super good at any of them. he/him #quaker #heatpump #carer #climate #reparations #vegan #Brighton
I don't normally ask for this, but if you are concerned about #COVID19, please share my latest post with others. I'd like it to reach folks who AREN'T already COVID-aware.
I’ve Read 3,000 Studies About COVID: Here’s What You’re Ignoring That Could (Still) Harm You or a Loved One
I share some simple conclusions, along with over 100 links to research. My goal is to urge more awareness and commonsense caution.
How could/should/will we get around the cities of the future? A car for everyone is never going to work in a city, but once we go back to seeing the streets as places for people to get around (rather than "where the cars go") how could it all work? Cities and technology are constantly evolving, and so our city streets will too. For this week's Rare Earth, on air at 12 today and online afterwards, we talked to Chris Boardman, Stephen Potter and Karen Lucas about what the future holds. Listen here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002n7p1
@scream Have a look at Leuchtturm https://www.leuchtturm1917.co.uk/wnt-all/ if they sell where you are. Now on my second five year diary. Not all paper takes real ink, but these write well.
Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities!
This year's theme: "Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress."
Because we can't move our society forward without everyone being included.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities
#disability #accessibility #InternationalDayOfPersonsWithDisabilities
There was a brief period, before the pandemic, when people enthusiastically didn't fly and enthusiastically swapped tales of train trips and coach journeys and staying local. I remember people who did fly prefacing any mention of a plane with an apologetic remark. For a while, flying just for a holiday, frivolous flying, was as socially acceptable as smoking indoors. Now everyone is happily jetting off on their 5th city break of the year or flying 9 family members to Thailand for their birthday.
Imagine the driver's seat in your car needs to be fixed, and you're waiting for the dealer to get a new one. It's going to be months. Now imagine you have to stay in bed 24/7 until the new seat arrives. This is life for many #wheelchair users in BC. ✅ READ: b.link/wheelchair
If anyone ever says to you "heat pumps don't work at low temperatures", ask them "What the fuck do you think is happening in your freezer?"
Here's a working sand battery in Finland. Heated to 500°C, it'll store heat for up to three months. This one heats all the town's municipal buildings, uses no chemicals, it doesn’t degrade and won’t catch on fire.
Seriously cool tech!
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/08/30/finnish-city-inaugurates-1-mw-100-mwh-sand-battery/
Meanwhile, @ukhsa.bsky.social should monitor and report on the numbers of COVID infections occurring in healthcare settings via their routine surveillance programmes, and advise on how to prevent and control infection in hospitals, care homes and schools.
“Gaza. I feel it particularly because I am Jewish. I know how much wickedness and cruelty were meted out to Jews in my lifetime. I was born in ’41 at the height of the Holocaust.
…
And so my heart is broken and I think the terrible thing I have to face is that Hitler won. He changed us. He made us like him.”
—Miriam Margolyes
The significant progress through UK Parliament of assisted dying law seems to have prompted joy for some. Solidarity with disabled people and others struggling to access basic health resources, or those unable to access hospice care in their area, not so much. There might be a place for assisted dying in a very small number of difficult situations, but only where there is properly adequate health care and support. They might want to reflect on that later.
@emd The good news is that with a good contractor, it’s very possible and ASHPs seem to do what it says on the tin. We have installed 3 in various older houses (complicated story) and they are all using about 1/3 of the kWh of the old gas systems. You’ll get there!
⚠️ ALL IS NOT LOST ⚠️
The news cycle is tremendously disheartening. Wildfires, the spread of climate disinformation in real time, genocides, the rise of the far right, removing fact checking and supports that protect vulnerable communities - it’s heavy.
We have a formidable amount of obstacles in our way.
But don’t lose sight of the fact that it isn’t too late.
Every fraction of action matters - and it’s not over yet.
@rhempel @ridetheory @pluralistic See also Ghent where the streetlights flicker connected to a switch in the Maternity ward. https://www.brusselstimes.com/264485/hidden-belgium-ai-nati-oggi
@Nigel_Purchase @johncormier I’m in Canada. The heat pump works fine down to -20c, then the ‘backup’ heat kicks in. This might happen for a week or two each year.
The annual electricity bill has been down around 55% since it was installed in 2021.
Think people of faith don’t care about the planet? Hundreds of congregations—and even global church leaders—say otherwise. From compost heaps to global climate summits, many faith communities are leading the way.
✅ Good News: Christian denominations around the world—Presbyterian, Nazarene, Catholic, Orthodox, LDS, and more—are planting gardens, switching to clean energy, and teaching & advocating for creation care.
⚠️ Not-So-Good News: Although nearly 90% of U.S. Christian leaders acknowledge climate change is real and human-caused, most aren’t talking about it. This creates a false impression among congregants that their leaders don't care.
💡 What You Can Do: If you're part of a congregation—or know someone who is—there are so many ways faith communities can lead on climate. From free toolkits and carbon calculators to global networks and youth engagement, I've got a big list of ways to start the conversation and take action this week.
Read more: https://www.talkingclimate.ca/p/more-than-thoughts-and-prayers
He didn’t “lose both arms.” His arms were severed by Israelis.
#Israel #Palestine #genocide #ethnicCleansing #apartheid #settlerColonialism #USA #fascism #UK #EU #complicity #Gaza #WestBank #journalism #WorldPressPhoto #Mahmoud https://mastodon.online/@EditorDavePerry/114353149494238336
[12:41] Photo of amputee Palestinian boy wins World Press award
A haunting portrait of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy who lost both arms during an Israeli attack on Gaza City has won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award.
https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2025/0417/1508172-palestine-photo-award/
#nine_year_old #Palestinian #Israeli #GazaCity #2025 #WorldPressPhotooftheYearAward
Who knew?
Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos's fiancée, says she had the feeling that the Earth is "profound" and we need to "protect this planet". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cdxggynle81t. Maybe start with not shooting people into ‘space’ for no reason.
