Clif @Clif@qoto.org

I welcome Elon Musk’s statements of intent to get Twitter 2.0 ready for the DSA.

I am pleased to hear that he has read it carefully and considers it as a sensible approach to implement on a worldwide basis.

But let’s also be clear that there is still huge work ahead, as Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising.

The longest continously operating atmospheric carbon dioxide monitor has been knocked offline after the eruption of Mauna Loa 🌋 destroyed the power lines (and possibly also the road) supporting the Mauna Loa Observatory.

The world now has many carbon dioxide monitors, so this is no great loss to science, but it is a bit sad that a measurement time series that has run for more than 60 years will be interrupted, possibly for months.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/29/us/mauna-loa-volcano-eruption-affect-climate-tool/index.html

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season ends in two hours. It was a little less active than expected but don't tell that to those who endured Ian, one of the worst hurricanes in U.S. history. By @islivingston@twitter.com: http://bit.ly/3ugJGzm

Yesterday I mentioned a fossil-funded group out spreading lies about offshore wind. Here's the US offshore wind industry forming a coalition to fight back: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221130005429/en/

Alright there it is! Some reasonable coverage of #mastodon and #fediverse up on #pcworld via me! Enjoy

https://www.pcworld.com/article/1404826/how-mastodon-and-federated-services-are-putting-social-media-back-in-your-hands.html

For those of us still wondering whether Merrick Garland will hold Trump and his key enablers accountable in the wake of the Stuart Rhodes' seditious conspiracy verdict: "The department will work tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for crimes related to the attack on our democracy on Jan. 6th." May it be soon.

I feel like part of what we’re experiencing in this country, and really in a lot of countries, is the collapse of identity, which in the U.S. used to be rooted in a white, Christian-centered worldview that only had to account for other people when it came to sports and entertainment. The majority now has to cope with the reality of growing political and social equality, and the attendant demands to expand the notion of national history and identity. Some folks are taking it hard.

I wish I knew about this sooner, edX is a website created by MIT and Harvard and hosts free online courses. I've started taking 'Climate Change: The Science and Global Impact' by the UN's SDG Academy, and it fantastic so far, it's really filling in some of the foundational gaps in my knowledge of current climate science.

This is such a valuable resource, particularly for those who can't afford higher educational resources.

https://www.edx.org/

#climatechange #education #climatecrisis #SDGs

We all know the Great Barrier Reef is in danger, and the UN has just confirmed it again https://phys.org/news/2022-11-great-barrier-reef-danger.html 🔥 #ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange

Rural communities are increasingly showing that they will resist renewable energy projects despite a steady decrease in the costs of wind and solar and a rising need to move away from fossil fuels, reports
@dangearino.

"The conflict touches on a broader cultural divide between urban and rural communities, and Democrats and Republicans.

In this fraught environment, expertise and facts seem to matter less than before." @insideclimatenews. #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #RenewableEnergy

The Economist this morning:

On Tuesday the World Meteorological Organisation published, for the first time, an evaluation of global water resources. The findings are bleak: much of the world experienced unusually dry conditions in 2021. Although this was partly due to La Niña—a temporary weather pattern that influences the distribution of rains and winds—it is mostly a result of climate change, which is driving up temperatures and worsening droughts. These changes affect economies: in Britain and Europe alone, droughts currently cause around $9bn in losses each year.

#climate #climatechange #lanina

Please boost if you’re still masking indoors (in public places)

Great to see: Breaking news: The EU has warned Elon Musk that Twitter could be banned in Europe unless the billionaire abides by its strict rules on content moderation
https://www.ft.com/content/a07ca1ae-9f9a-46ee-9457-27bb30e18ed2

#BlackFriday deals are everywhere, but there’s only one we care about. And that is a deal made by our world leaders to avert the biodiversity crisis!

In a single day, an estimated 144 plant and animal species go extinct, just let that sink in.

Check out Mastodon Migration's new partner account Rubicon
@rubicon.

We crossed the Rubicon. No going back.

Rubicon @rubicon boosts great #twittermigration stories and advice, and responds to #NewUser questions.

It's a pretty joyful place.

#mastodonmigration #twittermigration #mastodontips #servers #feditips

Bad news: The eruption of Mauna Loa has shut down the monitoring station, which includes the iconic CO₂ measurements started in 1958. These measurements are the basis of modern climate science.

As big crypto companies go through yet another financial meltdown, let me remind you: It's a giant Ponzi scheme that urgently needs to be regulated.

Direct Messages on Mastodon are probably one of the most confusing things for new users as they aren't really like messages on other platforms.

I have done my best to explain what they are in a few minutes for you all here. Check it out and let me know if it helps.
More tips still to come so stay tuned.

Please give it a #boost if you can to help spread the knowledge around the Fediverse.

https://youtu.be/XWiaQAmHvys

#FediTips #twittermigration #youtube #DirectMessages #DMs

When happening upon a neat article, explaining what a #ScientificConsensus is, we realized, that - even though we have a lot of material about the #consensus - we were lacking an explainer about what a scientific consensus actually is. We have now remedied this and created a page with an explainer and an accompanying glossary entry which will point our readers towards that page with a small pop-up-box.

https://skepticalscience.com/publishing-a-long-overdue-explainer-about-a-scientific-consensus.html