@sundogplanets
Moonbound by Robin Sloan was a really fun read. It’s quite optimistic, and continues to develop Sloan’s theme of “It’s not technology vs tradition, we need them both”, but set something like 12,000 years after Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore and Sourdough.

the cycle ☺️

In a study in Finnish daycare centers, researchers found that air purifiers decreased children's illnesses by as much as 18.2 percent.

We must pass legislation that incentivizes and requires clean indoor air.

https://yle-fi.translate.goog/a/74-20089670?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

@TheOverheadWire So the article makes a great point about the phrasing, but the only alternative it offers is “legalize ADUs and duplexes”, arguing that precision is more important than rhetoric. But rhetoric matters. I’m confident that we can do better. Even something like “Legalize affordable housing!” seems like it would be an improvement.

Today, the Klamath River is flowing freely for the first time in more than 100 years.

The dams have been removed. The ecosystems are being nurtured. And sovereignty has been restored to the Shasta Indian Nation over another 2800 acres. Good things are happening. Great things are possible. https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2024/aug/28/today-klamath-river-flowing-free-first-time-more-c/

#SolarPunk #LandBack #Klamath #Environment #California

I have just read this sentence: "Usually I pick up Starbucks for my morning coffee because it's closer than my local coffee shop and I don't have to put on real clothes to drive through it..."

And I'm just. Staring into the distance in European. You DRIVE to get COFFEE before putting on your CLOTHES? You can't be bothered to put on clothes because you haven't had your morning coffee but you will DRIVE to a fully another location that isn't YOUR FUCKING HOUSE to get it??? You will operate. The machinery! On the roads, that you share with other people! To drive to a location?? When you could just make it at home??

I try not to judge but, dear reader, I am fucking judging 😶

By my friend Anna Zivarts, "Don’t Forget About Non-Drivers in Rural America". Aging population, housing prices, needs of nondrivers all come together in rural America.
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2024/08/23/dont-forget-about-nondrivers-in-rural-america

I highly recommend Anna's book When Driving Is Not an Option https://islandpress.org/books/when-driving-not-option#desc.

#BikeTooter #transportation #rural #RuralLife #housing #infrastructure #transit #WeekWithoutDriving #nondrivers #disability #MobilityJustice #MoveEquity #AnnaZivarts #DisabilityJustice

NEW: Until this week, when Spokane ditched minimum parking requirements in new developments citywide for all uses, no other major city in WA had made the move. What's holding back the rest of the state?
https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/08/16/spokane-just-ditched-parking-mandates/

@CascadiaRail Every time I’ve ridden the Cascades this year it’s been sold out, so I have to assume that demand is higher than what’s being shown here. It would be both great and disappointing if the new trainsets we’re getting in 2026 aren’t enough to satisfy demand, given how long it would take to get more.

So Tim Walz is a trained geographer and a former high school geography teacher?!

This is the biggest political news for the profession since Prince William got a masters degree in Geography.

Here's Gov Walz giving a talk at the ESRI GIS conference just last month!

https://mediaspace.esri.com/media/1_d2sqkrju

He's totally locked up the pivotal mapmaker demographic.

#GIS #gischat #GovWalz #TimeWalz #geographer #geography #uspol #uspolitics

@TheOverheadWire The headline on this one really doesn’t do it justice. I was fully expecting to read it then post a comment about “but road design!” But the article does spend a bit of time covering road design and automated enforcement (though it could have done more).

What the article doesn’t touch on, though, is our cultural unwillingness to take licenses and cars away from people who have shown a disregard for others’ safety. It’s like we’re trapped in a loop of the roads being unsafe because of drivers who then don’t have other options because the roads are unsafe. Better design is starting to help things, but I have to wonder if taking away some rich guy’s car/license might speed the process up.

@kimu that looks adorable! What were the component issues?

@luckytran at this level of competition, it seems odd to me that teams and athletes don’t seem to view avoiding covid (and every other respiratory illness) as a competitive advantage. Especially since covid can mess up your lungs.

Thank unions it’s Friday

@CultureDesk @histodons Azby Brown has also written an excellent book on this period called “Just Enough”: http://www.justenoughjapan.com/JustEnough/HOME.html

I’m definitely going to check out History for Tomorrow, though, thanks!

@TheOverheadWire
Totally agree, there’s a lot of expensive stuff that needs to be done and paying for it will be a huge challenge. I think that a lot of the stuff you talk about plays into it, too. For example, one of the things driving our climate vulnerability is sprawl. Creating (allowing) more density in resilient urban areas could help us to stop expanding into flood/wildfire zones while improving city finances in the long run. In any case, thanks for sharing the article!

@TheOverheadWire
While I agree with the article, it’s always interesting that large sums of money almost never get contextualized. $400 Billion over the next 16 years sounds like a lot, but given that we spend nearly $1 Trillion on the military every year, the question isn’t whether we can afford it, but only whether it’s a priority or not. Even the $2-4 Trillion over 16 years is only 1/8 to 1/16 of our military budget over the same period.

@huitema @Dr_Elizabeth97 @ct_bergstrom
It’s unfortunate that the new boats will take so long, but I’m excited to see how the hybrid electric boats work! I’m also interested to see how the new program where WSDOT is paying for more of the training and certification than they used too works out.

@Loukas @mekkaokereke
This happened in the PNW, too. There was an excellent podcast about it: https://www.itdidhappenherepodcast.com