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reasonsforhope · 8 days ago

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"The man who has called climate change a “hoax” also can be expected to wreak havoc on federal agencies central to understanding, and combating, climate change. But plenty of climate action would be very difficult for a second Trump administration to unravel, and the 47th president won’t be able to stop the inevitable economy-wide shift from fossil fuels to renewables.

“This is bad for the climate, full stop,” said Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at the Columbia Business School. “That said, this will be yet another wall that never gets built. Fundamental market forces are at play.”

A core irony of climate change is that markets incentivized the wide-scale burning of fossil fuels beginning in the Industrial Revolution, creating the mess humanity is mired in, and now those markets are driving a renewables revolution that will help fix it. Coal, oil, and gas are commodities whose prices fluctuate. As natural resources that humans pull from the ground, there’s really no improving on them — engineers can’t engineer new versions of coal.

By contrast, solar panels, wind turbines, and appliances like induction stoves only get better — more efficient and cheaper — with time. Energy experts believe solar power, the price of which fell 90 percent between 2010 and 2020, will continue to proliferate across the landscape. (Last year, the United States added three times as much solar capacity as natural gas.) Heat pumps now outsell gas furnaces in the U.S., due in part to government incentives. Last year, Maine announced it had reached its goal of installing 100,000 heat pumps two years ahead of schedule, in part thanks to state rebates. So if the Trump administration cut off the funding for heat pumps that the IRA provides, states could pick up the slack.

Local utilities are also finding novel ways to use heat pumps. Over in Massachusetts, for example, the utility Eversource Energy is experimenting with “networked geothermal,” in which the homes within a given neighborhood tap into water pumped from underground. Heat pumps use that water to heat or cool a space, which is vastly more efficient than burning natural gas. Eversource and two dozen other utilities, representing about half of the country’s natural gas customers, have formed a coalition to deploy more networked geothermal systems.

Beyond being more efficient, green tech is simply cheaper to adopt. Consider Texas, which long ago divorced its electrical grid from the national grid so it could skirt federal regulation. The Lone Star State is the nation’s biggest oil and gas producer, but it gets 40 percent of its total energy from carbon-free sources. “Texas has the most solar and wind of any state, not because Republicans in Texas love renewables, but because it’s the cheapest form of electricity there,” said Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, a climate research nonprofit. The next top three states for producing wind power — Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas — are red, too.

State regulators are also pressuring utilities to slash emissions, further driving the adoption of wind and solar power. As part of California’s goal of decarbonizing its power by 2045, the state increased battery storage by 757 percent between 2019 and 2023. Even electric cars and electric school buses can provide backup power for the grid. That allows utilities to load up on bountiful solar energy during the day, then drain those batteries at night — essential for weaning off fossil fuel power plants. Trump could slap tariffs on imported solar panels and thereby increase their price, but that would likely boost domestic manufacturing of those panels, helping the fledgling photovoltaic manufacturing industry in red states like Georgia and Texas.

The irony of Biden’s signature climate bill is states that overwhelmingly support Trump are some of the largest recipients of its funding. That means tampering with the IRA could land a Trump administration in political peril even with Republican control of the Senate, if not Congress. In addition to providing incentives to households (last year alone, 3.4 million American families claimed more than $8 billion in tax credits for home energy improvements), the legislation has so far resulted in $150 billion of new investment in the green economy since it was passed in 2022, boosting the manufacturing of technologies like batteries and solar panels. According to Atlas Public Policy, a research group, that could eventually create 160,000 jobs. “Something like 66 percent of all of the spending in the IRA has gone to red states,” Hausfather said. “There certainly is a contingency in the Republican party now that’s going to support keeping some of those subsidies around.”

Before Biden’s climate legislation passed, much more progress was happening at a state and local level. New York, for instance, set a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 40 percent by 2030, and 85 percent by 2050. Colorado, too, is aiming to slash emissions by at least 90 percent by 2050. The automaker Stellantis has signed an agreement with the state of California promising to meet the state’s zero-emissions vehicle mandate even if a judicial or federal action overturns it. It then sells those same cars in other states.

“State governments are going to be the clearest counterbalance to the direction that Donald Trump will take the country on environmental policy,” said Thad Kousser, co-director of the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research at the University of California, San Diego. “California and the states that ally with it are going to try to adhere to tighter standards if the Trump administration lowers national standards.”

[Note: One of the obscure but great things about how emissions regulations/markets work in the US is that automakers generally all follow California's emissions standards, and those standards are substantially higher than federal standards. Source]

Last week, 62 percent of Washington state voters soundly rejected a ballot initiative seeking to repeal a landmark law that raised funds to fight climate change. “Donald Trump’s going to learn something that our opponents in our initiative battle learned: Once people have a benefit, you can’t take it away,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said in a press call Friday. “He is going to lose in his efforts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, because governors, mayors of both parties, are going to say, ‘This belongs to me, and you’re not going to get your grubby hands on it.’”

Even without federal funding, states regularly embark on their own large-scale projects to adapt to climate change. California voters, for instance, just overwhelmingly approved a $10 billion bond to fund water, climate, and wildfire prevention projects. “That will be an example,” said Saharnaz Mirzazad, executive director of the U.S. branch of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. “You can use that on a state level or local level to have [more of] these types of bonds. You can help build some infrastructure that is more resilient.”

Urban areas, too, have been major drivers of climate action: In 2021, 130 U.S. cities signed a U.N.-backed pledge to accelerate their decarbonization. “Having an unsupportive federal government, to say the least, will be not helpful,” said David Miller, managing director at the Centre for Urban Climate Policy and Economy at C40, a global network of mayors fighting climate change. “It doesn’t mean at all that climate action will stop. It won’t, and we’ve already seen that twice in recent U.S. history, when Republican administrations pulled out of international agreements. Cities step to the fore.”

And not in isolation, because mayors talk: Cities share information about how to write legislation, such as laws that reduce carbon emissions in buildings and ensure that new developments are connected to public transportation. They transform their food systems to grow more crops locally, providing jobs and reducing emissions associated with shipping produce from afar. “If anything,” Miller said, “having to push against an administration, like that we imagine is coming, will redouble the efforts to push at the local level.”

Federal funding — like how the U.S. Forest Service has been handing out $1.5 billion for planting trees in urban areas, made possible by the IRA — might dry up for many local projects, but city governments, community groups, and philanthropies will still be there. “You picture a web, and we’re taking scissors or a machete or something, and chopping one part of that web out,” said Elizabeth Sawin, the director of the Multisolving Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes climate solutions. “There’s this resilience of having all these layers of partners.”

All told, climate progress has been unfolding on so many fronts for so many years — often without enough support from the federal government — that it will persist regardless of who occupies the White House. “This too shall pass, and hopefully we will be in a more favorable policy environment in four years,” Hausfather said. “In the meantime, we’ll have to keep trying to make clean energy cheap and hope that it wins on its merits.”"

-via Grist, November 11, 2024. A timely reminder.

#climate change #climate action #climate anxiety #climate hope #united states #us politics #donald trump #fuck trump #inflation reduction act #clean energy #solar power #wind power #renewables #good news #hope

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fourmoony · 9 months ago

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GOING TO SLEEP WITH A MARAUDER AND YOU'RE IN BED, HES SHIRTLESS AND READER AND HIM JUST TALK AND KISS AND ALL THAT FLUFFY STUFF THANKS LOVELY

this went a little angsty! thanks for requesting :)

cw: mentions of chronic pain, painkiller use, mentions of car crash, brief mention of post-car-crash-trauma, scars

remus lupin x f!reader, 1.5k

Remus is propped against your pillows, the room glowing with the light of the television, when you exit the bathroom. He turns the volume down when he hears the door click shut, turns his head until he’s looking at you with a tired smile. He looks so soft, buried in your nice, clean bed sheets; hair a mop of curls that’s starting to rest on his forehead the longer he avoids going to the hairdresser’s. His eyes bleed with exhaustion from a busy day.

You’d spent the morning in a cafe with Sirius, the afternoon at the park with Harry, and the evening having dinner with Hope and Lyall. It’d been nice, both in company and in weather, but the excessive walking and being on the go has taken it out of Remus. That much is obvious by the way he has a throw cushion tucked under his knee, poking out from under the blanket. He tries to throw the blanket over his leg, tries to hide the obvious admittance of pain.

You slide into bed next to him, a frown on your lips. “You’re in pain?” You ask, pulling the shoddy attempt at a cover up job back until his elevated leg is on full display.

Remus jolts with the blast of cold air, his stomach muscles flexing. The skin of his torso is on full display, the moonlight coming from the window showcasing his skin in a silvery light. There hasn’t been a day since you met Remus where you haven’t found his beauty astonishing. He is truly the most stunning person you’ve ever come across, even if he refuses to believe you when you tell him. The scar on his hip bone juts out from the band of his boxers, followed all the way up by a collection of raised scars that litter his skin like constellations.

Your fingers brush the particularly jagged scar across his rib cage as you lean in to look at Remus’ swollen knee. He huffs, clearly irritated that his plan of hiding the pain has been foiled. His knee is warm to the touch, the skin around it swollen. “I’m always in pain, dove.” Remus replies, flatly.

You hate that it’s true. Your boyfriend has good days and he most certainly has bad days, but he never has days where he’s not in some sort of pain. Remus’ illness has taken a lot from him; his childhood, at times, his social life, his freedom. You think maybe Remus thinks if he lets you know how bad it can truly be, it’ll cost him you, as well. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times you remind your boyfriend that it won’t scare you away, it never seems to stick.

“Okay, tough guy,” You scoff, finding that Remus often responds better to sarcasm and tough love than being babied or fussed over, especially when it gets bad, “fancy getting up to get me a glass of water?”

“Get it yourself, lazy girl.”

You can’t help the startled laugh that falls from your lips, eyes wide as you catch the sly grin on your boyfriend’s face. Remus laughs soon after, leans forward to press a loving kiss to the crown of your head. His own way of saying you know I’m kidding. You do know he’s kidding, so you kiss the underside of his jaw in return.

“Take some pain killers, baby. You know they’ll help, even if only enough to help you fall asleep.”

“Already have.” Remus chirps, pulls you by the shoulders until you’re resting across his chest.

Your boyfriend runs like a furnace at all times, the familiar feeling of warmth mixed with the signature scent of his shower gel has your muscles uncoiling as you relax into him. You’re cautious of putting all of your weight onto him until he shifts, further into the pillow mountain he’s created and pulls you along with him. He breathes deep at the relief he must feel from the new angle, reaches onto his bedside table for the television remote.

“Any requests?” He asks, words mumbled into your hair.

His arms are tight around you, thumbs brushing where they meet in the middle of their waist. You settle in, hook your leg over his good leg. One of his hands slips to the curve of your bum at the opportunity you’ve presented him, a gentle, nonsexual touch, but intimate nonetheless. “Not really. Just whatever you like.” You hum quietly.

He turns the volume back up a smidge on the sitcom you both like. His touch is soft and feather like, a comfort that pulls you fast stead towards sleep. The slow rise and fall of your boyfriend’s chest has your own breaths syncing up, lips turning every now and then to press kisses over his heart.

“Do you ever think about the crash?” You ask, eyes focussed on his raised knee.

Remus doesn’t startle. He might have, at the beginning of your relationship. He’d only told you in bits in pieces, back then, that he’d been in a terrible crash as a boy; the reason for his terrible joint and muscle pain.

You feel him shake his head, lips still firm against your hair. He presses a kiss there, then dips his head until he’s closer to your ear. His voice is quiet, tired, perhaps a little sad when he speaks; “Not as often, now. When I was a teenager, when I was in constant pain because I was growing all the time - yes. I thought about it every day and I thought about how unfair the world was, how unfair my life was.”

“What changed?” You ask, quietly.

He’s silent for a moment, only the sounds of his breathing and the quiet drone of the television can be heard. You can tell he’s thinking it over, a sense of unpleasant nostalgia somewhere in the way he audibly swallows and the slight twitch of his fingers against your skin. Eventually, he sighs, “A lot of things, really.”

"I changed doctors, for a start. They're much more understanding of my condition at the one down the road, much more patient and less skeptical of whether I'm faking it for the free codeine."

You laugh a little at the idea. Half the time, Remus refuses to take pain killers at all. "I like Doctor Frank, he's nice." You tell your boyfriend, who hums in agreement.

"He is," Remus agrees, "And then there was becoming an adult. Hard enough without carrying around so much anger. I was sort of forced to just let it go. Accept that this was my life and I was still capable of so much despite my illness."

You can't help but smile at that. Remus is the gentlest person you know. He's rough around the edges, a sarcastic, smart ass and a mean flirt, but he's gentle, all soft beige cardigans and old library books, gentle touches and even gentler kisses. Your boyfriend has never once dared to raise his voice at you, even in his moments of utter agony. He's kind and has a big heart and you can't imagine fifteen year old Remus, angry and hateful and mad at the world. It wouldn't have suited him.

So, you're proud of how far he's come. Even if he still deals with the trauma of the crash, the hatred he has for the scars it left him with and the pain he lives in. It's less. It's dialled down to one, maybe a two on his bad days. Your Remus looks at the world like a challenge, now. A challenge to overcome, to be the best he can be, to keep fighting. You love him so, so much, and you place a kiss to his heart as the feeling washes over you. Bright and light and floaty.

"And you, dove."

Your lips curl upward at his words, spoken so soft you're not really sure if you were supposed to hear them. Remus pulls you impossibly closer, holds you tighter as he ducks down to your ear, breath fanning across the skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake.

"If there was ever something to live for, something to not be angry about. It's you. The way you love me, your patience, your laugh, your smile. I think you were the universe's apology for that crash." Remus presses a kiss to the side of your neck when he's done and it sends a shiver through you.

There's tears in your eyes. Blinding you until your boyfriend becomes a blurred cheeky grin amidst the blue light of the television. But you're happy. So happy and so in love.

But you can't fight the urge to tell Remus, "Your consolation prize."

His startled laugh is music to your ears, a softness breaking through the storm clouds of your heavy conversation. He tuts a moment later, kisses you for the millionth time, "I prefer God given solace."

You roll your eyes. The man doesn't believe in God, but you'll take the compliment, you decide, as you curl back into him.

"Thanks for opening up. I know it's hard."

You feel his shrug, "Anything for you, dovey."

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redfoxwritesstuff · 5 months ago

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A Misdemeanor Of The Heart, Chapter 11 (Alastor x Married!Reader)

Chapter Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence

AN: I reward you for surviving the trauma with fluff.

Masterlist AO3 KoFi

The floor in front of your closet was cold and hard under you, but you didn’t mind it. It felt soothing to your aching muscles. In your lap, you held a hatbox, covered in a generous layer of grainy dust.

Bright morning sunlight washed over your back from the bedroom window, warming you in stark contrast. It would be a few hours, if that, until the house was once again warmed by the furnace and spring’s pleasant weather.

After brushing the dust off, you opened the box to the nicest hat you owned, making sure it was just as you remembered it being when you had last stored it away. It wasn’t something you wore often. Laurence wanted it kept nice for special occasions.

Nodding to yourself, you replaced the lid and cleaned the dust from the box better with a damp rag. It wasn’t likely that Laurence would notice it had been cleaned. He wasn’t one to get into your closet, but the risk was there.

You tucked it into your bag along with the bright orange shawl you hated. It was too big, too bright and drew attention. It had to be clean to keep the dust off the shawl. Risks had to be taken.

That’s why you brought it. You didn’t draw attention. You didn’t like to be noticed. That was your disguise. No one would realize it was you, bright and drawing attention to yourself as you walked down the street. They would convince themselves it was someone else.

You felt like a mischievous child as you crept down the stairs. The house was empty, but you still crept for fear Laurence may have snuck back in. It was silly; you knew you would have heard his car, but the fear was there just the same. The floorboards creaked under your weight every few steps as you crossed the living room and opened the door.

Bright sunlight washed the street and birds sung. It was a perfectly normal day outside of your home while you were preparing to do something so very not perfectly normal.

You took a deep breath as you closed and locked the door. Laurence had left exactly an hour ago, and you had spent most of that time covering the fading bruise on your face with makeup. Joints and muscles still ached, screaming at times in pain, but that was nothing compared to how your ribs felt when you moved wrong.

“I’m not doing anything wrong.”

You whispered it again and again, trying to convince yourself as you locked the door. The words were a silent prayer as you walked down the sidewalk, words accented by the soft click clacking of your heels.

You’d duck into the first alleyway and add the hat and flashy shawl. you told yourself. It helped to replay the plan you had concocted. Then you’d walk to where you would meet Alastor and get into his car, alone.

Alone with a man who wasn’t your husband.

You would go help him pick curtains. That was fine. There was nothing wrong with that. It was innocent.

So why did it feel like the start of an affair?

It surprised Alastor that he was actually looking forward to spending a few hours of the day in your company. Turning the idea over in his head, he couldn’t pull apart why he was looking forward to it. Finally, he settled on that it would do him good to have someone other than Mimzy to pass some time with.

He couldn’t kill Laurence, Alastor knew that, but taking his wife right out from under his nose would feel like death to the clearly possessive man. It was clear as day, Laurence cared about the potential of losing his wife, feared it even. He’ll gamble her, barter her, give her away, but he feared actually losing her.

Learning this bit of information came at a terrible cost, but Alastor was determined to make that up to you. Killing your husband to grant you your freedom wasn’t an option. Doing so would be sloppy, but Alastor could convince you to run away with him.

He could hide you in his home for a few weeks or months. It’s not like Mimzy couldn’t help hook you up with some new identification. Sure, in the end he would break her heart, but she wouldn’t spend your nights getting beaten anymore.

That was how he could save you.

Maybe if he brought Mimzy in on the plan, she’d get off his ass about not having a partner for a while. He could even let her believe the game, too.

Alastor leaned against the hood of his car, tucked deep in the dark alley with a simple white daisy twirling between his fingers. The flower spun this way and that as he ran his fingers back and forth. A white blur danced to the left. Then a white blur danced to the right. Then it went back again.

It had caught his eye as he got into the car, off in his yard, growing all alone but standing proud in the patch of grass. Alastor remembered how tears gathered in your eyes when you admitted Laurence replaced the flowers he picked for her with the large over priced florist display.

It had touched him that you preferred the flowers he had picked for you. The display your husband had brought was nothing less than impressive, yet you were left wanting the simplicity of a home picked arrangement.

Absentmindedly, he spun the flower between his fingers as he waited until you turned the corner. He couldn’t help but laugh as he got sight of you, shawl high around your neck and shoulders, draped over you like you were trying to fight off a chill. You walked slunched, shoulders pulled high.

“You look like you’re 80,” Alastor chuckled as you peeked up at him from under the most out-of-place bowl hat he had seen.

“Good, no one will tell Laurence.” You gave him a tense smile as you slipped the shawl from your shoulders and stuffed it into your bag.

Alastor reached out and plucked the hat from your head and held it out to you. “The current hat trends are ridiculous.”

“They are,” you agreed and marveled at the fact that you didn’t feel like you had to. “Thankfully, I don’t have to wear them often.”

“This is for you,” Alastor held out the single white flower for you. “Since my last floral offering was lost, this is easier to hide. A token of thanks for allowing me to patch you up.”

You hesitated, hand longing to reach out for the flower for a moment. Alastor had worded it as if you had just misplaced the flowers, let them on a bench and forgotten to pick them up again. You knew he knew what had happened to them. You had told him yourself, tears running down your face as he wrapped bandages around your ribs.

“I thought this outing was in exchange for that?” You gathered the courage to take the pretty little flower from him just the same.

Alastor walked around the front of his car, making his way to the passenger side before looking at the building next to him. “I’ll get the door for you, but you’ll have to come around to this side to get in. The fit is a bit tight.”

You made your way past him, trying to ignore the way his hand grazed your lower back, acting as a barrier between you and the dirty wall though you had plenty of room. You held your breath as he opened the door for you, arm reaching out and boxing you in.

There was nowhere to go but into the seat, Alastor was behind you and the door in front of you. It was the car or the wall and his arm stretched to the door, long fingers wrapped around the steel.

“Where are we going?” You look over at him, lingering in the car’s door instead of getting in.

“Next town over. About an hour to get there, but I’ll get you back home well before the clock strikes midnight, and the carriage turns into a pumpkin.”

You lingered for a moment longer, eyes scanning over the surrounding darkness. Dim sunlight filtered in between the buildings and people passed by on the sidewalks. Going with Alastor was a dangerous decision, but you had already put yourself in a dangerous situation.

One last deep breath and you decided to trust Alastor.

It was very much a decision you made as you slipped into the car. It wasn’t lost on you the danger you were placing yourself in as he closed the door behind you. Each choice you were making was putting you in more and more danger, but as you looked back at his kind smile and warm eyes, you couldn’t bring yourself to feel the amount of fear you should.

He could hurt you. He could rape you. He could kill you. He could be the butcher killer, responsible for all the partial bodies found in the bayou and in the alleyways. He could tell the world that he got you alone and disparage your honor.

He could end your life in so many different senses of the word.

But you trusted him, though you had little reason to.

The car came to life with a roar after he settled into the driver’s seat, and he slowly pulled out of the alley. It was safer to keep your head down as he navigated his way out of the city, but you struggled to do that. Instead, you looked at him, stealing glances more often than you should.

The sun was out and lit up his skin. It looked like he was glowing, bathed in the warm light. His hair looked like melted chocolate or perhaps a warm cup of coffee. You couldn’t decide. There were no words you could find to describe the way his eyes shone in the sun.

Feeling your eyes on him, Alastor looked over and your breath locked in your chest. It felt like your heart was beating hard enough to re-break your ribs and, as his smile flashed just a bit wider; you didn’t think your heart could pound harder.

You tore your eyes away from his, cursing the way you felt your blood rush through your body. Instead, you focused on his hands. They were large, clean but littered with little scars here and there, telling a story of manual labor at some point. Was it work prior to his career? When he was a boy? Or marks left from a hobby?

What did he do with his free time? Did he still do whatever had left those scars? Or were they from less relaxed employments in the past? You wanted to know more about this man. Rather than bravely asking, you swallowed every question on the tip of your tongue.

Soft music filled the car as he switched on the radio, fingers moving confidently while with no need to take his eyes off the road. You admired how long his fingers were as he wrapped them around the steering wheel, grip shifting and tightening as he drove.

“We’re just about out of the city,” Alastor said softly, breaking you out of your trance. How long had you been watching his hands work? Did he know you had been watching?

As foot traffic grew lighter and houses fewer, you relaxed back into your seat. There was no reason to keep your head down or look at Alastor, so you looked at the world speeding past. You told yourself that you had just had been limited to where you could put your eyes and how you could face in the city, but you feared it wasn’t true.

This wasn’t the first time you had left the city, but it had been a long time since you had last done so. You were fairly sure that you hadn’t left the city since your honeymoon. Had it really been years?

“Does…” your eyes flicked to him as Alastor trailed off for a moment before choosing his word, “he work a lot typically?”

“He?”

“Your husband.” The growl that crawled into Alastor’s voice at the word made you raise your eyebrows, but you did not point it out or question it. It wasn’t a woman’s place to question such things.

“Fairly,” you shrugged, “He works hard to provide for us.”

“Not hard enough, evidently.” Alastor’s rich laugh filled your ears. His words should have offended you on behalf of your husband. You struggled to feel offense when the man who spoke the words was the same man who had cared for you in the aftermath of one of the worst beatings of your life. It felt like he had earned the right to say such things, purchased it with his kindness.

“What do you mean?” You tried to laugh it off. It shocked you that it didn’t feel as forced as it should have been.

“He needed a loan, didn’t he?” Alastor glanced your way again. “What’s he even do?”

“You don’t know? I thought you were business associates?” You turned to look at him more fully, taking your eyes off the passing world outside.

“Not really.” Alastor shrugged, “A friend asked me to help her associate out with a loan, said he was in a pinch. I entertained the offer and found his charming wife to be an entertaining hostess.”

“Marketing,” you said, eyebrows furrowed as you tried to understand what he was saying. “His family has owned a marketing firm for generations. He inherited it when his father passed.”

“Comes from money?” Alastor’s hand twitched tighter around the steering wheel before it relaxed. “I could smell it on him.”

“Is that a problem?” you asked, but Alastor simply waves the question away with a flick of his long hand.

“He is away from the house much?”

“Why do you want to know?” You leaned away from him, pulling your lip between your teeth as he glanced at you, eyebrow raised.

“Because, my dear, I’d like to know when I can call on you. Clearly, he isn’t seeing to the care and keeping of his lovely wife. Someone has to make sure you’re not left hobbled with a dislocated finger, or worse. I don’t exactly get the impression you’ve got other friends calling on you to check after your wellbeing. Men like that rarely take kindly to women who might gossip in the shops fluttering around.”

You hated the fact that he was right.

Alastor looked back to the road after watching the way you flinched at his words. He hadn’t been sure of it, not totally, but now he was. You were alone, trapped with a brute, with no one to confide in or help you out. It was amazing what light was left in your eyes hadn’t already been snuffed out.

“Does he watch you?” Alastor asked softly.

“I don’t understand?”

“We’re almost there,” Alastor said first, before clarifying. “Does he keep an eye on what you do? How you pass your days?”

“To a degree,” you didn’t want to admit how you feared the eyes of strangers and acquaintances alike. “But doesn’t every husband?”

“No.” Alastor answered flatly.

“Oh? And how would you know that? Are you someone’s husband?”

Alastor laughed, “I don’t have to be to know that a marriage should be rooted in safety, trust, and love.

The conversation stalled as Alastor parked the car; the engine dying with a swift turn of the key. Alastor glanced at her, an ever present calm smile twitching a bit wider as he opened the door. You sat for a moment as his door closed, puzzled.

He had a lovely smile. It was one that dazzled in his eyes when he let it grow. He was always smiling, and it seemed to grow just a little when he looked at you. With a shake of your head, you forced the thought out of your head. It was just the silly thoughts of a silly woman who needed to get her head out of the clouds.

Regardless of what your heart tried to whisper, this was nothing more than a slightly scandalous budding friendship. He was a friend, and he was only asking questions because he wanted to grow the friendship. That was all it was. Nothing more in the slightest.

Alastor opened the passenger door, derailing your train of thought. Had you been sitting there in the car thinking for so long that he had enough time to make it around? You must have been, but it didn’t feel like you had. He was so tall and quick, surely he just covered the distance faster than you expected.

“Shall we?” Alastor held his hand out to you, bent slightly at his waist as he peered inside the car.

After a moment of thought, you nodded and slipped your hand into his. He steadied you as you stepped out of the car, body sore still from the beating and stiff from the drive. It felt good to lean on his strength, to have someone offer you support as he tucked your hand to rest on his arm.

His arm was strong and steady, offering you both as your steps occasionally faltered. With your hand tucked in the crook of his arm, you walked into the store together, almost smoothly.

It felt good to have a friend; you told yourself, even if that’s all he could ever be. It felt good to have someone other than Laurence and your family’s letters in your life. It felt good to have Alastor’s time and attention, even if just for a little while.

You felt good with Alastor, safe with him. You allowed yourself to enjoy that feeling, forced yourself to relax with the one man who had never raised his hand to you.

Alastor sat, legs stretched out along the thick branch of the apple tree he had perched himself in. Crickets sang in the night air as he watched, large knife in hand and stars glittering overhead. He wasn’t sure why he was there, but it was where he ended up after stuffing the body in the trunk of his car.

Running his tongue over his lips, he marveled at the coppery taste of the blood splatter drying on his lips. It paired nicely with the cigarette held between his fingers, its ember glowing softly in the darkness.

Did you know how easy this tree was to climb? He doubted it. You didn’t seem to give such things much thought.

Did you know that someone sitting in this tree could see into your bedroom easily? He doubted that even more. You had been so hurt and yet you were so trusting still.

Not that peeping in women’s windows was his typical way to spend the post kill come down.

With the window closed and the distance, he couldn’t hear what was being said, but it was clear Laurence wasn’t happy with you. Alastor’s jaw clenched as he watched the man’s hand sail through the air, sending you to the floor.

It wasn’t right, in his opinion, to strike out at the fairer sex, but society didn’t agree. It was dreadfully normal. What wasn’t normal was the way Laurence dragged you up from the ground by your hair, screaming in your face.

Alastor thought the man’s head looked strangely like a tomato. If he stepped on the man’s head and ground his heel in hard enough, perhaps Alastor could burst it like a tomato too. That would be oh so satisfying.

With a sigh, Alastor resumed cleaning the blood from the large hunting knife in his hand, running the black cloth over the antler hilt, carefully cleaning the blood from every dip in the textured surface.

As Alastor watched Laurence throw you to the ground and pull his leg back to kick at you, Alastor imagined how satisfying it would feel to plunge his knife into Laurence’s soft side.

Would Laurence look at him with the same fear Alastor caught a flash in your eyes countless times when he moved too quickly, or his hand settled on you before you relaxed again? Oh, how delicious fear would look in his eyes.

With a sigh, Alastor put the thought away. As fun as that would be, he couldn’t fit a second body in the back of his car. If Laurence went missing, his associates would be looked into. Alastor couldn’t afford the potential attention of being close to a victim either. The fewer eyes on him, the better.

Don’t hunt those you can be tied to. That was one of his rules. It didn’t matter how disgusting they were; they were safe to protect himself.

His head thumped back against the tree as he tore his eyes from the sight of you pulling yourself up with the foot of the bed while your husband stormed out of the room.

As Alastor slipped his favored knife into the well-worn leather sheath, he couldn’t help but think of what Mimzy had said. He didn’t have to be alone. If a man like Laurence could have a companion as meek and easy to control as you, was there really a reason Alastor couldn’t?

It wasn’t that he wanted a wife. Far from it, really. But having one would put an end to performing the courting of the occasional dame. She could provide a cover, simple and easy.

It’s not like he needed genuine love. He doubted that was a thing he would ever find for himself, anyway. Alastor didn’t know why he was the way he was, but he knew some part of him was broken.

He was sure at this point that he couldn’t love someone beyond the bonds of family, of which he had none left. It simply wasn’t possible for him, or he would have found it by now. Someone would have surely caught his eye, but none had.

And that was alright. It wasn’t in the cards for his way of life. Love could be a liability. The last thing Alastor needed was more liabilities.

Join us at VoxTek for a Vox themed Hazbin Discord where we talk Vox, Hazbin, writing, reading, art and who knows what else. You may even catch some exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming fics from some of your favorite writers!

#Alastor x reader #alastor x you #hazbin alastor x reader #alastor hazbin x reader #alastor hazbin x you #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor x oc #hazbin alastor x you #hazbin alastor #alastor #human!alastor #human!alastor x reader

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fearfulfertility · 3 months ago

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PATERNITY COMPOUND FINANCIAL SAVINGS

DRC, Facility Operations Command, Compound Oversight Unit

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Paternity Compound 124 Creative Cost-Saving Efforts

Executive Summary

Paternity Compound 124 in [REDACTED], Idaho, has demonstrated exceptional productivity and cost efficiency this quarter, primarily due to implementing creative new budget policies to optimize management. The data indicates significant savings and output increases, positioning Compound 124 as a model for future compounds.

Total revenue saved this quarter: $[REDACTED]

I. Implemented Cost-Saving Measures

Clothing Elimination Initiative

After an exhaustive review of material costs, the decision was made to eliminate medical gowns and paternity clothing for surrogates. This measure, dubbed the "Bare Necessity Protocol," is based on the premise that clothing offers no functional benefit to surrogates who are perpetually growing or confined to medical beds due to mobility issues.

Rationale: Eliminates clothing costs entirely and simplifies laundry operations.

Savings: Reduced laundry, textile, and replacement costs by 98%.

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"Honestly, it’s just practical. They’re swelling up fast, and we’d need new gowns every other day. It simplifies things for us." - Staff Feedback

“They’ve taken everything—my freedom, my body, my dignity—and now they’ve taken my fucking underwear too. It's embarrassing! Thank god this belly is a furnace!” - Surrogate Feedback

"One Size Fits All" Feeding Solution

The compound replaced most surrogate food options with a cost-efficient pudding substitute nicknamed "Big Berry Bliss." Each serving contains a carefully calibrated mix of high-calorie nutrients, tranquilizers, appetite stimulants, and growth hormones to promote fetal growth and docility.

Rationale: Simplifies meal prep, reduces dishwashing needs, and ensures surrogates receive consistent nutrition. Eliminate the need for personalized meals or cafeteria staff while ensuring continuous weight gain and docility. Minimize pharmacy visits by delivering hormonal therapy directly in the food.

Results: Food service costs were reduced by 82%, pharmacy staffing by 65%, and food waste by 20%. Staff food options will be maintained. With revenue saved, high-quality options can now be considered.

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"Big Berry Bliss is so easy—just scoop, serve, and go. Hell, we just hand them a tub of the stuff, and they choke it down, then ask for more." - Staff Feedback

“This stuff tastes like sugar mixed with cream. A few of us complained, but they told us we didn't have to eat it. But we need so many calories for these pregnancies... most of us lasted until dinner.” - Surrogate Feedback

Wheel-In Baby Showers

To reduce the need for consoling services and bolster surrogate morale with cost-effective activities, staff introduced a celebratory “babies shower” where surrogates are wheeled out of the paternity ward before being removed for childbirth. Activities include:

Rationale: Boosts surrogate morale and reduces the need for psychological services. Staff wearing party hats and blowing noisemakers (repeat usage). Playing uplifting music like "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa and "Baby Got Back."

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"The baby showers are kind of fun. A little music, some confetti, and you’re done. Their pregnancy brain is so bad they are more confused and distracted than anything, which makes rolling them out all the easier." - Staff Feedback

“They roll me out in front of everyone, playing stupid songs and yelling, ‘Congratulations!’ like I’ve won some prize. All I feel is pain and exhaustion. It’s not a celebration—it’s a mockery.” - Surrogate Feedback

Open-Air Hygiene Zones

Replace bathrooms with “communal hygiene areas,” which repurpose the fire suppression systems to allow for high-capacity showering. Now, entire paternity wards of surrogates can be cleaned en-mass, reducing the need for staff to move surrogates for cleaning and reducing personal toiletries requirements.

Rationale: Centralized hygiene reduces staff requirements and water waste.

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"The open-air hygiene zones are genius. Just hose everyone down at once, and you’re done. It saves so much time, and I don't spend entire days scrubbing them down. And honestly, it’s kind of fun to watch. Like a pregnant car wash." - Staff Feedback

“They never warn us when they're going to shower us! One minute, you're watching TV... the next, they blast us with water like we’re livestock. No privacy, no warmth, nothing!.” - Surrogate Feedback

II. Efficiency Metrics

Cost Per Surrogate: $[REDACTED] (down 23%).

Medical: $[REDACTED] (down 19%)

Nutrition Services: $[REDACTED] (down 30%)

Housing: $[REDACTED]

Security: $[REDACTED]

Psychological Support: $[REDACTED] (up 18%)

Maintenance & Facility Upkeep: $[REDACTED] (down 16%)

Logistics: $[REDACTED]

Entertainment: $[REDACTED]

Administrative: $[REDACTED] (down 14%)

Conclusion

Paternity Compound 124 has demonstrated exceptional efficiency in meeting and lowering costs. While surrogate morale remains an area for improvement, the cost savings and output gains achieved through innovative strategies set a benchmark for other compounds.

"Efficiency is the cornerstone of progress. At Compound 124, we’ve shown that we can achieve extraordinary results with a little creativity and focus. While some may view these changes as unconventional, the numbers speak for themselves—every dollar saved is another step toward securing our future."

Report Submitted By: [REDACTED], Administrator, Paternity Compound 124

----------------

Sending...

Read...

----------------

To: Chief Operating Officer, Internal Affairs

From: Director [REDACTED]

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Investigation into Administrator [REDACTED] and Misappropriation of Funds at Paternity Compound 124

Chief [REDACTED],

It has come to my attention that while Administrator [REDACTED] has implemented a series of operational changes at Paternity Compound 124 that have resulted in documented cost savings of $[REDACTED], evidence has surfaced indicating the potential misappropriation or embezzlement of these funds.

Emerging discrepancies in financial records suggest that a significant portion of the funds saved through these initiatives has not been reinvested into compound operations or returned to the DRC’s central budget.

Effective immediately, Administrator [REDACTED] is to be placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation.

Internal Affairs will oversee a comprehensive audit of his financial transactions, operational decisions, and any personal accounts associated with him.

Administrator [REDACTED]’s measures to reduce operational costs have yielded undeniable financial benefits, and these measures should not be dismissed out of hand. I am directing that the relevant improvements he initiated be thoroughly assessed and, if appropriate, rolled out on a trial basis at other compounds.

Internal Affairs will take care of this quickly and without bias. If Administrator [REDACTED] is found to have misappropriated DRC funds for personal gain, I expect full disciplinary action.

Regards,

Director [REDACTED]

----------------

Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

#mpreg #mpreg kink #male pregnancy #mpreg belly #pregnant man #mpreg morph #mpreg caption #mpregbelly #mpregstory #mpreg birth #mpreg art #mpreg story #mpregnancy #ai mpreg #mpreg roleplay #male pregnant #latinompreg

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rjzimmerman · 2 months ago

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Excerpt from this story from RMI:

1. Batteries Become Everybody’s Best Friend

Battery prices continue to drop and their capacity continues to rise. The cost of electric vehicle (EV) batteries are now about 60 percent what they were just five years ago. And around the world, batteries have become key components in solar-plus-storage microgrids, giving people access to reliable power and saving the day for communities this past hurricane season.

2. Americans Get Cheaper (and Cleaner) Energy

State public utility commissions and rural electric co-operatives around the country are taking steps to deliver better service for their customers that also lowers their rates. At the same time, real momentum is building to prevent vertically integrated utilities from preferencing their coal assets when there are cleaner and cheaper alternatives available.

3. A Sustainable Shipping Future Gets Closer

More than 50 leaders across the marine shipping value chain — from e-fuel producers to vessel and cargo owners, to ports and equipment manufacturers — signed a Call to Action at the UN climate change conference (COP29) to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission fuels. The joint statement calls for faster and bolder action to increase the use of zero and near-zero emissions fuel, investment in zero-emissions vessels, and global development of green hydrogen infrastructure, leaving no country behind.

4. Corporations Fly Cleaner

In April, 20 corporations, including Netflix, JPMorgan Chase, Autodesk, and more, committed to purchase about 50 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), avoiding 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions — equivalent to the emissions of 3,000 fully loaded passenger flights from New York City to London. SAF is made with renewable or waste feedstocks and can be used in today’s aircraft without investments to upgrade existing fleets and infrastructure.

5. More and More Places Go From Coal to Clean

Around the world, coal-fired power plants are closing down as communities switch to clean energy. From Chile to the Philippines to Minnesota coal-to-clean projects are creating new jobs, improving local economic development, and generating clean electricity. In September, Britain became the first G7 nation to stop generating electricity from coal — it’s turning its last coal-fired power plant into a low-carbon energy hub. And in Indonesia, the president vowed to retire all coal plants within 15 years and install 75 gigawatts of renewable energy.

6. Methane Becomes More Visible, and Easier to Mitigate

Methane — a super-potent greenhouse gas — got much easier to track thanks to the launch of new methane tracking satellites over the past year. In March, the Environmental Defense Fund launched MethaneSAT, the first for a non-governmental organization, and the Carbon Mapper Coalition soon followed with the launch of Tanager-1. By scanning the planet many times each day and identifying major methane leaks from orbit, these new satellites will put pressure on big emitters to clean up.

7. EVs Speed By Historic Milestones

This past year was the first time any country had more fully electric cars than gas-powered cars on the roads. It’s no surprise that this happened in Norway where electric cars now make up more than 90 percent of new vehicle sales. And in October, the United States hit a milestone, with over 200,000 electric vehicle charging ports installed nationwide.

8. Consumers Continue to Shift to Energy-Efficient Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling

Heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces consistently since 2021. And while shipments of heating and cooling equipment fell worldwide in 2023, likely due to broad economic headwinds, heat pumps held on to their market share through. And over the past 12 months, heat pumps outsold conventional furnaces by 27 percent. Shipments are expected to continue increasing as states roll out home efficiency and appliance rebate programs already funded by the Inflation Reduction Act – worth up to $10,000 per household in new incentives for heat pump installations. Link: Tracking the Heat Pump & Water Heater Market in the United States – RMI

9. China Reaches Its Renewable Energy Goal, Six Years Early

China added so much renewable energy capacity this year, that by July it had surpassed its goal of having 1,200 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy installed by 2030. Through September 2024, China installed some 161 GW of new solar capacity and 39 GW of new wind power, according to China’s National Energy Administration (NEA). China is deploying more solar, wind, and EVs than any other country, including the United States, which is — by comparison — projected to deploy a record 50 GW of solar modules by the end of 2024.

10. De-carbonizing Heavy Industry

For steel, cement, chemicals and other heavy industries, low-carbon technologies and climate-friendly solutions are not only increasingly available but growing more affordable. To speed this process, Third Derivative, RMI’s climate tech accelerator, launched the Industrial Innovation Cohorts to accelerate the decarbonization of steel, cement, and chemicals. Also on the rise: clean hydrogen hubs — powered by renewable energy — designed to supply green hydrogen to chemical, steel, and other heavy industries to help them shift to low-carbon production processes.

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itsscromp · 1 year ago

Note

Could I send in a request for COD MW please where the reader and Farah are sibling figures to each other, both supportive and protective of each other and maybe reader gets hurt on a mission and worries farah? Love your work!

Freedom fighter

Anon, thank you so much for your patience with this, Farah alongside the others in the campaign were just so so so freaking amazing. I really can't wait to write more of her.

You were tasked alongside Alex to help the freedom fighters in Urzikstan against Barkov's regime.

Meeting Farah and her brother Hadir, You helped them in any way shape or form.

Like helping her with missions or managing to get food, clean water and medicine to her fellow brothers and sisters, along with the citizens of her village.

Overtime, Farah grew fond of you. You had what it took to be a freedom fighter.

This was evident when you were tasked with a mission at a nearby Russian base of operation.

Before you left, you felt a small tug on your wrist. Turning around, revealing to be Farah herself.

"Be safe out there Ok ??" She said softly to you.

You nodded and smiled softly. "I will Farah"

During your downtimes after missions, you two would just sit on the rooftops of the base building and watch everything go by.

"You know, back then the village was full of smiles and laughter."

"They say laughter is the best medicine" You agreed

"Tell me a joke, if you know any ??"

You sat there thinking of a joke before chuckling. "Alex told me this one, What does a CIA agent do when it's time for bed ??"

She remained quiet, waiting to hear it.

"They go undercover" You snickered when you said that.

As did she. "That was a good one"

You both grew close over time being, Seeing each other as siblings.

Always protecting one another when danger was close.

One night when you were out on a mission, You were compromised and had nowhere to go.

Until you heard separate shots and soon a whistle, A familiar whistle.

Turning your head around, up above the roofs was Farah.

"Farah !!"

"I got you y/n, stay down for now, the others will look around for more enemies."

When Alex sacrificed himself by heading into the furnace, You were a mess on the helicopter ride back to Urzikstan.

Farah immediately went to check on you.

"He was an amazing fighter y/n, He saved a lot of lives today"

"At what cost..." You started to tear up and cry in your grief, Farah immediately wrapped her arms around you and held you until you stopped crying.

Farah would always look out for you, On field and off the field, no matter what.

#platonic #reader insert #call of duty x reader #call of duty headcanons #call of duty imagine #cod x reader #cod headcanons #cod imagine #Farah Karim #Farah Karim x reader #Farah Karim imagine #Farah Karim headcanons

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copperbadge · 11 months ago

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Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

cluegirl linked to a fundraiser for deliriumcrow, who lost nearly everything in a house fire two years ago, and was then robbed by the contractor hired to repair the house. They are currently paying a mortgage on a home that is facing condemnation if they can't raise the money for a new contractor; you can read more and reblog here or support the fundraiser here.

savrenim is the sole breadwinner for their disabled partner and two friends living with them; they have had to deal with several financial setbacks including loss of owed back pay, moving and home repair costs, and vet bills; they are fundraising to cover moving costs and to be prepared for when payments come due on a loan they had to take to cover expenses. You can read more and reblog here or give via ko-fi here.

Nik is raising funds for a cross-country move from Oregon to West Virginia, in hopes they can find a home to thrive in after escaping an abusive upbringing; you can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Recurring Needs:

Anon linked to a fundraiser for a friend whose family has not had a working furnace since November; they've been using space heaters to keep warm but January in Chicago has been brutal and the space heaters aren't sufficient. With vulnerable family members including elderly relatives and children in the home, they need to raise $6K to get the furnace replaced. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

chingaderita's partner's family house recently caught fire and completely burned, killing his grandmother and causing extensive property loss; he has also recently lost his job due to the fire, and a number of family members have since become ill. They're raising funds to keep food on the table, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until a job opportunity in March comes available. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

#radio free monday #charity #philanthropy #fannish community

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aerodaltonimperial · 16 days ago

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So far in 2025, my spouse has:

Destroyed our instant pot by trying to make his own tofu from scratch,

Locked his keys in the car ten minutes before preschool pickup so I had to rush out of work and spend my lunch break getting the kid and driving her home then going BACK to work, and

Taken our furnace apart a little to clean out the rubber drain cord, which has now resulted in our furnace no longer working and our house being almost 60 degrees in the Midwest winter.

At what point do I get damages from this lol it's been like two fucking weeks 😭😭😭 WHY IS THIS HAPPENING everyone cross your fingers that my father can get the furnace working again because COME ON its gonna cost a fortune to get someone out here on the holiday weekend 😭😭😭

#we have had to turn the fireplace on to help #which may have been what deadened pixels in our television last year #so i guess we will see lol

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wachinyeya · 6 months ago

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The technology involves assembling heat-absorbing bricks in an insulated container, where they can store heat generated by solar or wind power for later use at the temperatures required for industrial processes. The heat can then be released when needed by passing air through channels in the stacks of "firebricks," thus allowing cement, steel, glass, and paper factories to run on renewable energy even when wind and sunshine are unavailable.

These systems, which several companies have recently begun to commercialize for industrial heat storage, are a form of thermal energy storage. The bricks are made from the same materials as the insulating bricks that lined primitive kilns and iron-making furnaces thousands of years ago. To optimize for heat storage instead of insulation, the materials are combined in different amounts.

Batteries can store electricity from renewable sources and provide electricity to generate heat on demand. "The difference between firebrick storage and battery storage is that the firebricks store heat rather than electricity and are one-tenth the cost of batteries," said lead study author Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and School of Engineering. "The materials are much simpler too. They are basically just the components of dirt."

#good news #environmentalism #science #environment #nature #energy efficiency #energy storage #bronze age #green technology #technology #batteries #geothermal power #firebricks #climate crisis #climate change

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furnacerepair7 · 4 months ago

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How to Get an Accurate Furnace Repair Estimate

Understanding Heating System Repair: Key Considerations for Homeowners Heating system repair is an essential aspect of maintaining a comfortable and energy-efficient home. Whether you have a furnace, heat pump, or another type of heating system, regular maintenance and timely repairs are crucial to ensure optimal performance. Understanding the common issues that can arise and the steps involved…

0 notes

reasonsforhope · 2 years ago

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"Governor Janet Mills announced that Maine has, two years ahead of time, surpassed its goal of installing 100,000 new heat pumps by 2025, a milestone that represents significant progress in reducing Maine’s reliance on heating oil, lowering heating costs, and curbing harmful carbon emissions.

To continue Maine’s momentum, Governor Mills also unveiled a new target: installing another 175,000 additional heat pumps in Maine by 2027, thereby bringing the number of heat pumps installed in Maine homes, businesses, and public buildings during her time in office to 275,000.

If this target is achieved, Maine would have more than 320,000 heat pumps in total installed across the state.

Heat pumps can be thought of as temperature recycling machines. They are filled with refrigerant fluid and contain a compressor, and they work by extracting excess heat and moving it around, either in or out of a house depending on whether it’s hot or cold.

It’s believed they work best in hot weather, but in February, Maine’s temperatures in some places plummeted during a cold snap to -60°F. Efficiency Maine, which aided in the state’s adoption of heat pumps by organizing rebates for customers under the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, did a survey of owners they had helped the previous year.

Many of [the heat pump owners] reported they were comfortable and warm, and offered to bring up the fact that by February they had already saved hundreds of dollars on home heating systems, over boilers, gas furnaces, and heating oil.

“We are setting an example for the nation,” said Mills at the announcement event. “Our transition to heat pumps is… curbing our reliance on fossil fuels, and cutting costs for Maine families, all while making them more comfortable in their homes—a hat trick for our state.”

The transition began in 2019 with bipartisan support of the Legislature, when Governor Mills enacted laws setting ambitious targets for transitioning to renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

-via Good News Network, July 31, 2023

#maine #united states #us politics #heat pump #fossil fuels #carbon emissions #climate crisis #refrigerant #heating and cooling #air conditioning #heater #cold snap #good news #hope #hope posting #janet mills

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lenkusov · 2 months ago

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Why I like kerosene heaters

So, like, this sounds kinda stupid and bass-ackwards of me to say, when we live in The Year of Our Lord 2024 and have fancy-schmancy mini-split heat-pumps and 90+ percent efficient condensing furnaces and shit, but hear me out alright

Think back to your high school physics class, alright? There's three different kinds of heat: Conduction (not applicable to space heaters), Convection (how pretty much everything that doesn't visibly glow works) and Radiation (basically, anything you can feel without moving air)

If you get one of the radiant-style kerosene heaters, either a reflector-type (Sengoku or Kero-Sun), or one of those mop-wick stove/heater combos (Butterfly or Fire Wheel) you get the best of both worlds

Fuel burning is always gonna make quite a bit of convection to heat the air in the room BUT you also get a fuckton of radiant heat to warm YOU up immediately, along with all the surfaces in the room over time - walls, floor, ceiling, furniture, etc. all become thermal mass

AND, in addition, kerosene heaters aren't vented, so the burning fuel puts a bunch of water vapor and humidity out into the air as well, which is INVISIBLE thermal mass in addition to the aforementioned mass of surfaces in your house

So, you can run that heater for a few hours in the evening when you're at home and awake and turn it off before bed, and the house will still be a reasonably comfortable temperature when you wake up, even when you have whatever secondary heat (in my case, electric baseboards that are EXPENSIVE AS FUCK to run much cause the kWh cost on our light bill sucks) turned way down

Add to that the fact that the extra humidity keeps my nose from getting PAINFULLY FUCKING DRY EVERY MORNING and the fact that I, personally, enjoy the faint smell of kerosene a LOT more than the smell of the cat's litterbox and the sink full of un-washed dishes and the pile of dirty socks, and you got yourself a winning combo

Oh, and you know the best part about the catalytic radiant-style heaters over the orange-flame or blue-flame convection ones?

THEY RUN ON DIESEL JUST FINE! In the US, since we switched to Ultra Low Sulfur pump diesel back in 2008, the winter-blend stuff that's high in the lighter hydrocarbons and paraffins burns perfectly clean in a radiant kerosene heater. Works fine in the antique blue-flame heaters too, but the orange-flame ones you get at Tractor Supply these days tend to smoke like crazy still, no clue why.

But whatever, my broke ass will DEFINITELY take $3.35 a gallon at the corner store's diesel pump over having to actually fire up the car and DRIVE to fill up my jerry can with $5/gallon kero at the Thornton's out by the expressway.

#nerd shit #kerosene #heating #infodump #idk how the fuck to tag my ramblings on here #I'm used to being a microcelebrity on twitter but on here theres no algorithm

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justinspoliticalcorner · 1 month ago

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Biden Administration blocks sale of US Steel by Nippon Steel

Jeff Stein and David J. Lynch at Washington Post:

President Joe Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s proposed purchase of U.S. Steel was a political act made in “clear violation of due process and the law,” the two companies said Friday, signaling that a courtroom fight is imminent. The government’s review of the deal “was deeply corrupted by politics and the outcome was predetermined, without an investigation on the merits, but to satisfy the political objectives of the Biden White House,” the two companies said in a joint statement.

The companies said they were “left with no choice but to take all appropriate action to protect our legal rights,” reiterating earlier warnings that they would go to court to challenge a presidential rejection. Biden’s rejection of the dealcame in a presidential order posted on the White House website, declaring Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid for the U.S. steelmaker “prohibited.” In a statement accompanying the order, the president said the nation would be “less strong and less secure” without a U.S.-owned steel industry. “This acquisition would place one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control and create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains,” Biden said. Biden opted to kill the deal despite intense efforts in recent days by some of his senior advisers, who warned that rejecting a sizable investment from a top Japanese corporation could damage U.S. relations with Japan.

Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel had previously vowed to pursue legal action against the government, claiming it failed to follow proper procedures during its consideration of the acquisition. The president’s action comes after a Dec. 23 report by the interagency committee responsible for reviewing foreign investments in the United States for potential national security concerns. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) said it was unable to reach a consensus on the risks of the Nippon Steel deal, leaving the final verdict with the White House. In its final evaluation of the transaction, the committee warned that after buying U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel could reduce domestic steel output and pose “risks to the national security of the United States.” Among the industries hit hardest in that case would be the transportation and energy sectors, said the panel, chaired by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen.

[...] Biden had planned in September to block the deal. But after Democratic officials in Pennsylvania raised alarms about potential economic and political costs in that critical swing state, he agreed to postpone the decision until the presidential election was finished.

[...] The collapse of Nippon Steel’s proposed $14.9 billion acquisition represents a victory for United Steelworkers union president David McCall. A fourth-generation steelworker who rose to lead the union following the 2023 death of his predecessor, McCall objected to the deal from the moment it was announced in December 2023. At the time, Nippon Steel said it wanted to buy U.S. Steel to benefit from the industrial revival spurred by Biden’s economic policies. The president’s signature legislative achievements — the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, semiconductor industry subsidies and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act’s clean-energy projects — were driving steel demand higher. And U.S. tariffs made it more profitable to produce industrial metals here rather than import them from Japan.

[...] U.S. Steel’s next step is not clear. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker could resume its search for a buyer. Previous bidders include Cleveland Cliffs, the second-largest domestic steel producer, which offered $7.3 billion to acquire the company in 2023. U.S. Steel also could opt to proceed as a stand-alone company. But CEO David Burritt already has warned that it lacks the financial resources needed to reinvigorate some of its aging blast furnaces in Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley and in Gary, Indiana.

Smart move by President Joe Biden (D) to block the purchase of US Steel by Nippon Steel.

#Joe Biden #Biden Administration #Nippon Steel #US Steel #Workers' Rights #Economy

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