A Concerned Scientist @BE@qoto.org

@Solarspies

That's extremely kind of you and I intend to take you up on it! I'm 20 years out of practice and re-learning all while teaching my middle schooler through YouTube videos. Which, interestingly, seems to work a little faster than how I learned at first; Home Power and solar reading lights while in bed.

@radehi @lavenderlens I certainly hope you're right. At least in my current experience I'm seeing the opposite. Unless you live in the suburbs, drive an electric car and want 20 panels on your McMansion's roof there's no one left to hook it up(legally) and very few people left to sell you equipment. The number of times I've been told "We used to do that, but now our business manager won't allow it" has been eye opening.

This is from the US lens. I realize the whole world isn't the same. I've actually been quite encouraged by some of the international perspective here on Mastodon.

At the same time, the whole pellet-burning point that Alan makes is so relevant. In our area people have cut down entire forests to feed the EU's pellet demand. All in a supposedly "green" effort, that is actually anything but.

I know this is the internet and nuance is banned or something :)

@radehi @lavenderlens

Thank you for that perspective. I've had a surprisingly hard time wrapping my head around my own thoughts here.

I've come to the realization today that this is probably because I was raised by a parent in the renewable energy world and 10yo me still believes that this is the space of the "good guys" who will save the world. I can see it clearly for what it is today, but it's still a little mind blowing.

@bykimbo Stunningly beautiful. How lucky you are!

@freemo @MrsDi @EubieDrew I, also, spent more time than was probably healthy searching for the right place to land here on Mastodon. If that's the price, then that's the price. Meet The Dude, commonly called Dudely by the kids.

@Baley Enjoy the peace and quiet of snow in the wilderness as much as you can!

@fitterhappierAJ In our house we say "It's a mystery!" to literally everything now and we all laugh. Pandemic humor's all we've got.

@barefootstache @erictopol

I've tried to believe that that's not the case, but I can't figure out another answer to the current dilemma. I can only hope other nations take the lead here and those of us in the US get to also benefit from the outcomes.

@ChicagoV Meanwhile the Buffs sandwiched that great win with two bad losses. Go figure!

@ChicagoV Go Buffs!

Too soon?

@erictopol

Is curing disease ever the preferred outcome of our healthcare/pharmaceutical system in the US?

I hate that I've gotten to this cynical position, but, a sterilizing vaccine just isn't profitable whereas COVID, long COVID treatments and endless booster shots present a potentially endless stream of money.

@trendless @EricCarroll

IIRC multiple sports teams have mentioned in passing that concussions seem worse with a concurrent COVID infection as well.

I remember reading about a hockey player who struggled coming back from a concussion while having COVID and was told "COVID-19 picks on weaker parts of the body" by his doctor. This specific story was in The Athletic(behind a paywall) about an Avalanche player.

That's the doctor's quote, not mine, and I'm in no way attempting to minimize COVID, the way so many do, that "healthy" people aren't affected. Quite the opposite. The professional hockey player in question was, I believe, 20 years old at the time.