Jim Parkin @ParkinJim@qoto.org

DfT ordered to release forecast traffic levels behind net zero projections in its Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/72350/dft-told-to-release-forecast-traffic-levels-behind-net-zero-projections

#FOI #environment #climate #NetZero

#Threethings for Wed Nov 16: 1. The powerful #SLS rocket has launched, taking the uncrewed #ArtemisI mission to the Moon. Nice explainer from the BBC here: https://t.co/PttBvW1rVY 2. Had fun at Didcot Café Scientifique yesterday; stumped as ever by how to satisfyingly answer ‘but what is the #Universe expanding into?’. Anyone got good pithy answers? (‘It’s not’ is accurate but not satisfying) 3. Our mad #skyatnight on cosmic mysteries seems to have gone down well. On iplayer now

Given that we are rapidly trying to build community here…

Can I ask you to do two key things:

1) Reshare other people’s posts - so your timeline is rich with other people’s posts for anyone browsing your content to discover.

2) Follow, follow, follow. That goes for following those posting good stuff - and also following those that follow you (as much as practically possible/sensible).

If you do these things, you’ll help us all network up at fast pace - and we all grow our voices & reach. ✌️

There's a vile sense of entitlement and a nasty culture running through this Tory government on an unprecedented scale. Time they were gone.

#GeneralElectionNow #GTTO #ukpolitics

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-raab-rishi-sunak-bullying-b2225833.html

If you’re new to #Mastodon you will encounter words you don’t know.

Here’s the summary:

The #Fediverse : our Mastodon universe.

The Fediverse has planets (known as servers/instances). >Your handle< @ mastdn.social means your “planet” is mastdn.social.

Your posts = your broadcast signal.
People from other planets can hear your signal and follow you.

Planet gets too crowded = lag (it moves slowly.

You can change your planet and also keep your followers.

Follow and 🔁 repost for daily tips.

My first Mastodon thread!

Covering the latest Independent SAGE document all about mRNA vaccines (basically Pfizer and Moderna in the UK).

https://www.independentsage.org/demystifying-and-debunking-mrna-vaccines/

These are now some of the best understood vaccines we have! 1/

Ever since 2016, every headline I've read about #Britain has filled me with dread. I've gone from worrying for my kids' generation to worrying if I'll lose my house when my fixed mortgage ends in 2 years (or when they lift the energy price cap in April). Sometimes it's hard to sleep.

Can you help?

I'd like to hear some genuine GOOD NEWS about Britain. Anything positive.

Please share your good news - and if you don't have any, reblog in case your followers do.

#brexit
#UnitedKingdom

Looking down on the "Valley of the Waterfalls", Lauterbrunnen, from Mannlichen. Switzerland. September 2022

Final reult.
Pretty conclusive as to the political persuasions here on #mastodon I would suggest - virtually no Tories whatsoever!
So, the question must be asked - Is this to be celebrated?
I don't think so.
Absolutely not.
#mastodon is far more of a bubble than #Twitter at present, and by a very long way indeed.
What is the point of being surrounded by those that agree with you by and large, eh?
Fine if you want to be 'cosy', not so fine if you understand we need to engage with others we don't agree with - even vehemently. It is essential.
Remember the 'Remainer Now' people? They were persuaded by our determination, the facts, and our input. Same thing still applies.
This is proof, if any was needed, that if you want to argue your case - DO NOT ABANDON TWITTER. Not in the short term at least. It is the ONLY place you can attack the #Tories and other right wing commentators.
Agree?

Not sure what this says about virality and the like, but it does say something about the immediacy with which mastodonians will reply to perceived attacks on the site with racism and homophobia.

I even got a homophobic meme as a reply, a first for me.

I'm not one for taking many landscape shots, but sometimes, especially living here on #Mull I have to make some sort of an effort.

Mull is a beautiful location and offers stunning views.

Happy to share more, if people show sufficient interest.

This was the view towards Rum from Mull, on a rather colourful evening. Taken from the "hill road" leading out of Dervaig.

#landscape #scenic #sunset #scotland #photography

Sea level rise has continued to accelerate over the past three decades. 🌊 A @nasa study shows sea level rise will approach the one-foot mark for most U.S. coastlines by 2050. Learn how these projections could help coastal communities prepare: https://bit.ly/3TGiULh #NASAJPL

WE HAVE EDIT POWERS!!!! This would never have happened on twitter. Well, maybe for $8. #mastodon #TwitterMigration

Why we can't have nice things:

OK #Mastodon. I've seen several toots on #accessibility for #screenreader users, however, I've not seen one from a screenreader user (as far as I know). I've used ZoomText, Outspoken, JAWS (AKA JFW), Supernova, NVDA (Windows), and VoiceOver (both on Macs and iPhone). I don't have experience with Windows Narrator or TalkBack. I would like to rectify and clarify a few small things.
First off, any awareness of accessibility issues, and endeavours to make things more accessible is great. Keep going!
But…
Blind/low-vision people have been using the internet as long as everyone else. We had to become used to the way people share things, and find workarounds or tell developers what we needed; this latter one has been the main drive to get us here and now. Over the past decade, screen readers have improved dramatically, including more tools, languages, and customisability. However, the basics were already firmly in place around 2000. Sadly, screen readers cost a lot of money at that time. Now, many are free; truly the biggest triumph for accessibility IMHO.
So, what you can do to help screen readers help their users is three simple things.
1. Write well: use punctuation, and avoid things like random capitalisation or * halfway through words.
2. Image description: screen readers with image recognition built-in will only provide a very short description, like: a plant, a painting, a person wearing a hat, etc. It can also deal with text included in the image, as long as the text isn't too creatively presented. So, by all means, go absolutely nuts with detail.
3. Hashtags: this is the most commonly boosted topic I've seen here, so #ThisIsWhatAnAccessibleHashtagLooksLike. The capitalisation ensures it's read correctly, and for some long hashtags without caps, I've known screen readers to give up and just start spelling the whole damn thing out, which is slow and painful.
That's really all. Thanks for reading! 😘

So, if Twitter goes to hell and just becomes defunct, we’re going to lose entire chapters of recent history — including evidence of war crimes, human rights violations, and more. I hope we’re all paying attention to this and considering what we need to do to ensure that a billionaire can’t decide which parts of history to retain — and which parts to erase forever.

Enhancing biodiversity in a spruce plantation. A blog we wrote a few years ago has been reposted. Hope to reassess recruitment and structure again next year. https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/biodiversity-killarney-tree-plantations/

Accidental attacks should be met with accidental counterattacks, article 5.420.