In the news

Only if you live on England.

It is all feeling a lot like "living in the endtimes", economy a mess, people dying in hospitals due to sheer nhs/social care underfunding...and ecological collapse.

Only thing that sells eyeballs these days

It's really bad in Northern Ireland too, cos the DUP refuses to form a government...

Pangolin brand I think.

Surprised the regular covid conspiracy nuts didn't make something of that at their usual City Hall antics!

At least they've got a nicer lick of paint than what they had in the RUC days though.

Hah!

We have a LOT of bats in Belfast all over the place outside the city center, that would blow their mind if they start thinking about it ;)

The Waterworks Bats!!! The next source of the NEW COVID19!!! Is Belfast CC running a SECRET COVID LAB from Stormont??? ;)

They have been replaced with the World Economic Forum crowd conspiracy lot :)

You think it is mostly related to that?

I mean, even healthcare staff/propah scientists are saying "yeah it's a mess". The media can overhype/oversimplify things for sure, but here I don't think it is the case.

Not that it is ALL bad, the whole world sorta working together a wee bit is good. Just not sure it is enough...fixing climate change under capitalism is maybe just impossible.

Happy thoughts! ;)

Ozone layer is due to be completely mended within 15 years.

First piece of good ecological news I can ever remember.

Well done world.

I thought the Elon regime was more laissez faire, but I'm in Twitter jail for saying the royal family should all be shot in a cellar.

It’s almost as if changing our deleterious industrial habits can actually be beneficial to the long-term health of the planet…

Assume we will now get a chorus of “but net zero is completely different” from various political sources and commentators.

Husband (an atheist) reckons the 9nly thing that will motivate enough people to forgo their immediate self interest to save the planet is religion. Reward in the next life and all that.

You deserve it - they should all be shot in public.

It's expected to reverse in the coming decades anyway
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03720-6

I am atheist myself, but have to acknowledge religion can motivate people to think beyond their lifespan. Good and bad obv...

At the same time, worrying about the environment when you cannot pay your bills or if you want to but upgrades are too expensive or if you are renting....there are a lot of factors that stop us.

My protestant dad: Climate change cannot be fixed under capitalism. We all need an earth use points allowance, money doesn't work to set better behaviour.

Bolsonaro rushed to American military hospital
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-hospitalized-us-with-abdominal-pain-report-2023-01-09/

Edit - the Reuters article doesn’t mention the military hospital but other sources are.

Not an entirely unique arrangement.
The police who guard all of the nuclear establishments in the UK are armed (with automatic weapons), and are in the pay of BNFL rather than the local constabulary.

I see a curve going up and flattening in the general sci-fi future timeframe where all the good things happen.

It's a really interesting point. Fear of God shapes billions of lives.

People who believe in reincarnation are said to be more concerned about sustainability.

It also leads/justifies/excuses whatever utterly shit behaviour in the here and now on the promise of future paradise/salvation etc. I'm unconvinced religious righteousness is aggregate beneficial for humanity. Especially the Abrahamic ones, but maybe just because I'm more familiar with the downsides.

I remember being utterly disgusted by a copy of the Watchtower I was given that assured the reader that war, suffering and environmental destruction was just part of the plan - indeed a necessary part of the plan, so don't fight it - and don't worry, you'll be alright, eternally skipping through green valleys etc if you just come with us.

Edit: Sorry for the rant. Any framing of this life and this world as merely a stepping stone is problematic. There is no Planet B.

George Monbiot did a twitter thread on what you say about religion causing inaction only last week.

I sense a nice warm up topic for the next environment related seminar I host.

Ahah, tx!

Virgin Orbit mission control clearly having a fire door wedged open with a fire extinguisher is very 2023

1 Attachment

Anyone remember Bagger 288? I was a big fan. Its heyday was 13 years ago.
https://youtu.be/azEvfD4C6ow

Thanks to the Ukraine war it's been asked to make a comeback and eat a village.
https://www.dw.com/en/activists-in-western-germany-protest-against-coal-mine/video-64327951

Good grief - rathergood.com is still a thing!

Hmm - Jimmy Jangle is still on there - not sure how to feel about that...

Fun fact about NI peeler vehicles, the number plates don't have any garage or dealer markings or brandings on them like regular cars, for maybe obvious reasons. Conversely, makes it easier to spot an unmarked car.