Clif @Clif@qoto.org

We’re obviously still waiting for more details about the horrific Colorado Springs mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub, but based on everything we do know and everything we’ve seen in recent months and years, this looks like stochastic terrorism — and the persons responsible for the rhetoric are already targeting another LGBTQ org in Colorado Springs. 1/

One of the world’s longest-running experiments has been going for 143 years!

In 1879, botanist William Beal wanted to find out how long seeds could remain viable underground. So he buried bottles with different kinds of seeds in a secret spot somewhere on the Michigan State University campus, knowing the experiment might outlive him.

It did! Every 20 yrs, a small group scientists still dig up the bottles and seeds continue to germinate 🌱 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/science/beal-seeds-experiment.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare #science

Once there is a firewall in place excluding the fossil fuel industry and corporate sponsorship, and once there is some mechanism for ignoring fossil fuel industry states (Saudi Arabia) then we can expect success. And we SHOULD be expecting MUCH more from the COP process.

Elevated CO2 causes 'mineral deficiency in plants resulting in less nutritious crops'

“Two main nutrients that are essential for human nutrition may be affected by this phenomenon. The first one is proteins built from nitrogen. The second one is iron.” 

#ClimateCrisis #food #health #diet #nutrition
https://scitechdaily.com/increasing-levels-of-co2-results-in-less-nutritious-crops/

#mastodon search:

Thanks so much for the fast response everyone! What I'm hearing so far, summarized:
1. Search is exclusively #-based in most instances
2. It's an intentional move in the service of user safety
3. Some instances use ElasticSearch, but that's an instance-specific decision
4. It costs money to index!

(Indexing this post even tho it's threaded, bc might be helpful) @feditips

@ZeynepinLE @ClimateHuman Things will get worse before they get better, and living through this time of mass extinction is a terrifying prospect. A climate action group I'm in recently came across the idea of "hospicing" out those parts of our culture (extractive, consumer) that are clearly killing everyone. That's how we show up for each other and the living earth during the collapse. It's from the book Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira (https://www.artseverywhere.ca/product/hospicing-modernity/).

One year ago, after the (predictable) failure of COP26, Greta Thunberg gave a speech excerpted below. She called out our so-called "leaders" for their duplicity, and also linked the climate crisis to the twin scourges of capitalism and colonialism.

Greta could give that exact same speech now, following the (predictable) failure of COP27, and it would be no less true.

But that's the problem. NOTHING EVER CHANGES — well, nothing except that CO2 keeps rising, the planet keeps warming, and climate chaos gains even more destructive power, year after year.

At any rate, here is some of what she said...
_______________

Many are starting to ask themselves, “What will it take for the people in power to wake up?”

But let’s be clear: They are already awake. They know exactly what they are doing. The leaders are NOT doing nothing. They are actively creating loopholes and shaping frameworks to benefit themselves and to continue profiting from this destructive system. It seems like their main goal is to continue to fight for the status quo.

This is not a conference. This is now a Global North greenwash festival, a two-week-long celebration of business as usual, and blah, blah, blah. 

To stay below the targets set in the Paris Agreement, and thereby minimizing the risks of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control, we need immediate, drastic, annual emission cuts unlike anything the world has ever seen — and as we don’t have technological solutions that alone will do anything even close to that, that means we will have to fundamentally change our society. 

The climate and ecological crisis, of course, doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is directly tied to other crises and injustices that date back to colonialism and beyond, crises based on the idea that some people are worth more than others, and therefore had the right to exploit others and to steal their land and resources. 

But this is not going to be spoken about inside the COP. It’s just too uncomfortable. It’s much easier for them to simply ignore the historical debt that the countries of the Global North have towards the most affected people and areas.

So the question we must now ask ourselves is: What is it that we are fighting for? Are we fighting to save ourselves and the living planet, or are we fighting to maintain business as usual?

#COP27 #GretaThunberg #ClimateJustice

Humans have increased the CO₂ concentration 50% from 280ppm to 420ppm. We are now responsible for 33% of the atmosphere's CO₂.

#OneThirdCO2

This Cranky Uncle video debunks the zombie argument 'cold weather disproves global warming.' https://youtu.be/qwZzpUsza6E

Covered are the fact-myth-fallacy schedule (sks.to/db2020) ánd the fallacies impossible expectations & anecdote.

These videos are ideal for classes about climate change ór critical thinking.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1xbdG-NAkB3Jg1iemNXT8W9wGHd53YY4

There is also a free Cranky Uncle teacher's guide sks.to/crankyguide
by @johnfocook
(Dutch: sks.to/crankyguide-nl)

#Climate #Misinformation
#SciComm #ClimateDenial

Chukchi Sea #seaice extent is slowly increasing but still far below median. Extent is fifth lowest since 1978 for November 19 in NSIDC data but the very mild weather pattern is ending so the rate of ice growth will increase the coming week. Bering Sea ice is near average along the Alaska coast but below normal on the Russian coast. #akwx #Arctic @Climatologist49 @ZLabe

‘Climate-users are professionals who leverage climate concern for their own wealth, status, influence, and self-esteem. Many climate users start their careers with a passionate commitment to the cause but then become part of the establishment.’

https://jembendell.com/2022/08/03/dont-be-a-climate-user-an-essay-on-climate-science-communication%EF%BF%BC/

Decided to support Mastodon on Patreon at the $8/month level. I think they're on to something good here, fixing critical problems with centralized social media. Plus, I love the $8 irony.

@StevenBeschloss
I'm pretty certain most people understand that "Hunter Biden" is just a noise fascists make when they are desperate to avoid talking about something else.

Honestly, I wish all the cultists crying about Hunter Biden and his laptop recognized the billionaire oligarchs are laughing their way to the bank, pleased by the noisy distractions so they can stay focused on consolidating their power and wealth without disturbance. Musk’s use of a bogus poll to let the Malignant One back on Twitter makes the point.

via The Guardian

Astronauts to live and work on the moon by 2030, NASA official says

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/nov/20/astronauts-moon-nasa-artemis-mission-space
#News #NASA #Artemis #Orion #Space

Polar research ship sets sail to study impacts of climate change on Antarctica.

The £200 million polar research ship will arrive by Christmas.
#climate #climatechange #science
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/david-attenborough-antarctica-british-antarctic-survey-hampshire-essex-b2229173.html%3famp

The two largest US oil companies have raked in more than $30 billion in the last three months.

Don't tell me inflation is being driven by government spending or workers asking for better wages.

Once thought to be extinct, there are currently only about 400 takahē in existence. Therefore this image of a juvenile and their parent sadly contains a whopping half a percent of the world’s population.

#wildlife #birds #nature #bird #BirdPhoto #photography #RareBirds

My heart is broken for Colorado Springs.

LGBTQ+ people are nearly four times more likely than non-LGBTQ+ people to experience violent victimization.

And Anti-LGBTQ+ emboldens extremists to violence.

This must end. Now.