#renewable energy usage

[nicolanlang]

Did You Know You Can Save $1000 a Month with These Sustainable Living Tips?

Introduction Sustainable living is all about making conscious choices that are kinder to our planet. By adopting sustainable living practices, you not only help the environment but also enjoy the added benefit of saving money. Why Adopt Sustainable Living? Environmental Impact: Reducing waste, conserving resources, and minimizing pollution have a direct positive impact on our planet. Personal…

[nothingelsetodobutfight]

Oh no, our energy is unsustainable! But instead of taxing businesses and subsidizing consumers while the market changes energy bases, the government has the GALL to tell us to curb our usage.

capitalism is not going to put that blame on me

[attheideality]

Sustainable Living: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with These 10 Home Tips

[electronalytics]

Digital Power Meter Market Trends, Key Factors, Opportunity, In-depth Insights Strategies and Huge Demand by 2032

Market Overview: The Digital Power Meter Market refers to the market for electronic devices used for measuring and monitoring electrical power consumption in various applications. Digital power meters provide accurate and real-time data on power usage, enabling efficient energy management and facilitating cost savings. These meters are widely used in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors to monitor electricity consumption and optimize energy usage.

Global Digital Power Meters Market Report Predicts Industry to Grow at 4.1% CAGR to forecast period (2023-2030).

Demand:

Energy Efficiency and Monitoring: Growing emphasis on energy conservation and cost reduction is driving the demand for digital power meters. These meters provide accurate real-time data on energy consumption, allowing businesses and individuals to monitor and manage their energy usage effectively.

Utility Modernization: Utilities are upgrading their infrastructure to smarter grids. Digital power meters enable utilities to remotely monitor energy consumption, detect outages, and manage energy distribution efficiently.

Smart Buildings: The trend toward smart buildings and home automation is fueling the demand for digital power meters. These meters are integral to building management systems, enabling remote energy monitoring, load optimization, and demand response strategies.

Renewable Energy Integration: As renewable energy sources become more prevalent, digital power meters play a critical role in tracking the energy produced and consumed. They enable effective integration of solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable sources into the grid.

Data-Driven Insights: Businesses are seeking data-driven insights to optimize operations and reduce costs. Digital power meters provide granular data that can be used for energy audits, load profiling, and predictive maintenance.

Scope:

Industrial Applications: Digital power meters find extensive use in industries to monitor and manage energy consumption in manufacturing processes, helping industries identify energy-saving opportunities and enhance operational efficiency.

Residential Sector: As smart home technology gains popularity, digital power meters are becoming a central component of home energy management systems, allowing homeowners to monitor and control their energy usage remotely.

Commercial Buildings: Office complexes, retail spaces, and other commercial buildings are adopting digital power meters to comply with energy efficiency regulations and improve sustainability.

Utility Companies: Utility companies are deploying digital power meters for their customers to provide accurate billing based on actual consumption and enable demand-side management programs.

Opportunity:

Data Analytics and IoT Integration: The opportunity lies in enhancing digital power meters with advanced data analytics and integration with the Internet of Things (IoT). This can enable predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and real-time energy optimization.

Demand Response Programs: Digital power meters open up opportunities for demand response programs where energy consumption can be adjusted in response to grid conditions. This creates potential revenue streams for consumers and businesses.

Energy Auditing Services: The accurate and detailed data provided by digital power meters can lead to the growth of energy auditing services. Energy consultants can analyze the data and recommend energy-saving measures to clients.

Renewable Energy Tracking Services: Businesses and homeowners with renewable energy systems may require tracking services to monitor the energy generated, consumed, and fed back into the grid. Digital power meters can offer such tracking capabilities.

Energy Management Solutions: Companies can develop comprehensive energy management solutions that integrate digital power meters with software platforms for holistic energy monitoring, analysis, and optimization.

Market Expansion: As digital power meter technology advances, there is an opportunity for market expansion into regions where energy efficiency initiatives are gaining traction.

The digital power meter market is evolving in response to increasing energy awareness, technology advancements, and changing energy landscapes. This creates opportunities for innovation and growth across various sectors and applications.

 Challenges: The digital power meter market also faces certain challenges, including:

• Cost Constraints: The price of digital power metres may prevent their adoption, particularly in markets where prices are sensitive. To meet this issue, manufacturers must concentrate on cost reduction and provide competitive pricing.

• Compatibility and Interoperability: When integrating digital power metres with current energy management systems or smart grid infrastructure, interoperability problems may occur. For seamless integration and functionality, compatibility and standardisation are crucial.

• Data Security and Privacy: As sensitive energy consumption data is collected and transmitted by digital power metres, guaranteeing data security and preserving customer privacy are significant issues that need to be resolved by putting in place effective cybersecurity measures.

Overall, the digital power meter market offers significant opportunities driven by energy efficiency initiatives, smart grid deployment, and growing awareness of energy management. Addressing challenges related to cost, compatibility, and data security will be crucial for sustained market growth.

 By visiting our website or contacting us directly, you can explore the availability of specific reports related to this market. These reports often require a purchase or subscription, but we provide comprehensive and in-depth information that can be valuable for businesses, investors, and individuals interested in this market.

“Remember to look for recent reports to ensure you have the most current and relevant information.”

Click Here, To Get Free Sample Report: https://stringentdatalytics.com/sample-request/digital-power-meter-market/10931/

Market Segmentations:

Global Digital Power Meter Market: By Company

• General Electric

• Toshiba

• Wasison Group Holdings

• ABB

• Eaton

• Holley Metering

• Siemens

• Itron

• Landis+Gyr

• Schneider Electric

• Honeywell

• Jiaxing Eastron Electronic Instruments

• Kamstrup

• LINYANG Energy

• Murata

• Simpson Electric

Global Digital Power Meter Market: By Type

• Single Phase

• Three Phase

Global Digital Power Meter Market: By Application

• Residential

• Commercial

• Industrial

Global Digital Power Meter Market: Regional Analysis

The global Digital Power Metre market's regional analysis sheds light on how the market has performed in various parts of the world. The research contains a market prognosis for the predicted period and is based on current and upcoming trends. The following nations are included in the regional analysis of the digital power metre market report:

North America: The North America region includes the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The U.S. is the largest market for Digital Power Meter in this region, followed by Canada and Mexico. The market growth in this region is primarily driven by the presence of key market players and the increasing demand for the product.

Europe: The Europe region includes Germany, France, U.K., Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Rest of Europe. Germany is the largest market for Digital Power Meter in this region, followed by the U.K. and France. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing demand for the product in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

Asia-Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region includes Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific. China is the largest market for Digital Power Meter in this region, followed by Japan and India. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing adoption of the product in various end-use industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and construction.

Middle East and Africa: The Middle East and Africa region includes Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, and Rest of Middle East and Africa. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing demand for the product in the aerospace and defense sectors.

South America: The South America region includes Argentina, Brazil, and Rest of South America. Brazil is the largest market for Digital Power Meter in this region, followed by Argentina. The market growth in this region is primarily driven by the increasing demand for the product in the automotive sector.

Click Here, To Buy Report: https://stringentdatalytics.com/purchase/digital-power-meter-market/10931/?license=single

Reasons to Purchase Digital Power Meter Market Report:

 Comprehensive Market Insights: Global research market reports provide a thorough and in-depth analysis of a specific market or industry. They offer valuable insights into market size, growth potential, trends, challenges, and opportunities, helping businesses make informed decisions and formulate effective strategies.

Market Analysis and Forecasts: These reports provide detailed analysis and forecasts of market trends, growth rates, and future market scenarios. They help businesses understand the current market landscape and anticipate future market developments, enabling them to plan and allocate resources accordingly.

Competitive Intelligence: Global research market reports provide a competitive landscape analysis, including information about key market players, their market share, strategies, and product portfolios. This information helps businesses understand their competitors' strengths and weaknesses, identify market gaps, and develop strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

Industry Trends and Insights: These reports offer insights into industry-specific trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory frameworks. Understanding industry dynamics and staying updated on the latest trends can help businesses identify growth opportunities and stay ahead in a competitive market.

Investment and Expansion Opportunities: Global research market reports provide information about investment opportunities, potential markets for expansion, and emerging growth areas. These reports help businesses identify untapped markets, assess the feasibility of investments, and make informed decisions regarding expansion strategies.

Risk Mitigation: Market reports provide risk assessment and mitigation strategies. By analyzing market dynamics, potential challenges, and regulatory frameworks, businesses can proactively identify risks and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring better risk management and decision-making.

Cost and Time Efficiency: Conducting comprehensive market research independently can be time-consuming and expensive. Purchasing a global research market report provides a cost-effective and time-efficient solution, saving businesses valuable resources while still gaining access to reliable and detailed market information.

Decision-Making Support: Global research market reports serve as decision-making tools by providing data-driven insights and analysis. Businesses can rely on these reports to support their decision-making process, validate assumptions, and evaluate the potential outcomes of different strategies.

In general, market research studies offer companies and organisations useful data that can aid in making decisions and maintaining competitiveness in their industry. They can offer a strong basis for decision-making, strategy formulation, and company planning.

About US:

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[reasonsforhope]

"A 1-megawatt sand battery that can store up to 100 megawatt hours of thermal energy will be 10 times larger than a prototype already in use.

The new sand battery will eliminate the need for oil-based energy consumption for the entire town of town of Pornainen, Finland.

Sand gets charged with clean electricity and stored for use within a local grid.

Finland is doing sand batteries big. Polar Night Energy already showed off an early commercialized version of a sand battery in Kankaanpää in 2022, but a new sand battery 10 times that size is about to fully rid the town of Pornainen, Finland of its need for oil-based energy.

In cooperation with the local Finnish district heating company Loviisan Lämpö, Polar Night Energy will develop a 1-megawatt sand battery capable of storing up to 100 megawatt hours of thermal energy.

“With the sand battery,” Mikko Paajanen, CEO of Loviisan Lämpö, said in a statement, “we can significantly reduce energy produced by combustion and completely eliminate the use of oil.”

Polar Night Energy introduced the first commercial sand battery in 2022, with local energy utility Vatajankoski. “Its main purpose is to work as a high-power and high-capacity reservoir for excess wind and solar energy,” Markku Ylönen, Polar Nigh Energy’s co-founder and CTO, said in a statement at the time. “The energy is stored as heat, which can be used to heat homes, or to provide hot steam and high temperature process heat to industries that are often fossil-fuel dependent.” ...

Sand—a high-density, low-cost material that the construction industry discards [Note: 6/13/24: Turns out that's not true! See note at the bottom for more info.] —is a solid material that can heat to well above the boiling point of water and can store several times the amount of energy of a water tank. While sand doesn’t store electricity, it stores energy in the form of heat. To mine the heat, cool air blows through pipes, heating up as it passes through the unit. It can then be used to convert water into steam or heat water in an air-to-water heat exchanger. The heat can also be converted back to electricity, albeit with electricity losses, through the use of a turbine.

In Pornainen, Paajanen believes that—just by switching to a sand battery—the town can achieve a nearly 70 percent reduction in emissions from the district heating network and keep about 160 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere annually. In addition to eliminating the usage of oil, they expect to decrease woodchip combustion by about 60 percent.

The sand battery will arrive ready for use, about 42 feet tall and 49 feet wide. The new project’s thermal storage medium is largely comprised of soapstone, a byproduct of Tulikivi’s production of heat-retaining fireplaces. It should take about 13 months to get the new project online, but once it’s up and running, the Pornainen battery will provide thermal energy storage capacity capable of meeting almost one month of summer heat demand and one week of winter heat demand without recharging.

“We want to enable the growth of renewable energy,” Paajanen said. “The sand battery is designed to participate in all Fingrid’s reserve and balancing power markets. It helps to keep the electricity grid balanced as the share of wind and solar energy in the grid increases.”"

-via Popular Mechanics, March 13, 2024

--

Note: I've been keeping an eye on sand batteries for a while, and this is really exciting to see. We need alternatives to lithium batteries ASAP, due to the grave human rights abuses and environmental damage caused by lithium mining, and sand batteries look like a really good solution for grid-scale energy storage.

--

Note 6/13/24: Unfortunately, turns out there are substantial issues with sand batteries as well, due to sand scarcity. More details from a lovely asker here, sources on sand scarcity being a thing at the links: x, x, x, x, x

[haberiler]

GENERATOR FOR HOME - SİLVER

In today’s ever-evolving world, finding reliable and sustainable power solutions for our homes is more crucial than ever. Enter Generator for Home – your one-stop resource for exploring a range of innovative generators designed to meet your energy needs. Whether you're seeking a traditional generator or a cutting-edge solar generator, we provide comprehensive insights to help you make informed decisions. Our product offers detailed overviews and specifications, ensuring you'll know exactly what you're investing in. 

Generator for Home

A generator for home use is an essential resource that provides backup power during outages, ensuring that your daily activities are not severely disrupted. Here are some key aspects to consider when selecting a generator for home use:

Types of Generators

There are various types of generators available for residential use:

Portable Generators: These are lightweight and easy to move around, perfect for powering appliances during outages.

Standby Generators: Installed permanently outside your home, these generators automatically turn on during a power outage.

Solar Generators: Utilizing renewable energy, these generators are an eco-friendly option for homeowners looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Power Requirements

When selecting a generator, it’s crucial to determine the wattage requirements of the appliances you plan to power. Calculate the starting and running watts of each device, adding them together to choose a generator with adequate capacity.

Fuel Type

Generators can run on various fuel types, including gasoline, diesel, propane, or natural gas. Each fuel type has its benefits and limitations. Consider availability and cost when making your choice.

Noise Levels

Noise levels can be a significant factor, especially for residential use. Look for generators designed to operate quietly, which can minimize disruption to your family and neighbors.

Safety Features

Safety should always come first. Opt for generators that include features such as automatic shut-off, circuit breakers, and carbon monoxide detectors to protect you and your home from hazards.

Understanding these facets of a generator for home use can significantly enhance your ability to choose the right model that meets your needs and enhances your home's resilience to power outages.

Solar Generator for Home

When considering a reliable power source for your home, a solar generator for home me can be an excellent option. It harnesses renewable energy from the sun, providing an eco-friendly and sustainable solution to meet your electrical needs. Unlike traditional generators that rely on fossil fuels, solar generators operate quietly and require minimal maintenance, making them an attractive choice for homeowners.

Benefits of Solar Generators

Environmentally Friendly: Solar generators produce clean energy, reducing your carbon footprint and dependency on non-renewable sources.

Energy Independence: By generating your own power, you can safeguard against rising electricity costs and power outages.

Low Operating Costs: Once installed, solar generators have low ongoing costs, primarily related to maintenance and occasional battery replacements.

Portability: Many solar generators are designed to be portable, allowing you to take power with you for camping trips or outdoor activities.

Choosing the Right Solar Generator

When selecting a solar generator for your home, consider the following factors:

Power Requirements: Assess your household's energy needs by evaluating the appliances and devices you intend to power.

Capacity: Look for generators with sufficient battery capacity to provide the necessary power for your usage.

Inverter Type: Choose between pure sine wave and modified sine wave inverters based on the devices you plan to use.

Portability: If you need a generator for occasional outdoor use, ensure it is lightweight and easy to transport.

Solar Panels and Accessories

To maximize the efficiency of your solar generator, consider investing in additional solar panels or accessories. This can enhance its capacity and charging speed, making it a more versatile solution for your energy needs.

In summary, a solar generator for home purposes is not only beneficial for reducing electricity bills but also plays a critical role in promoting sustainable energy. By integrating a solar generator into your household, you can enjoy a reliable and green power source that aligns with modern energy solutions.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. ‘It was an accident’: the scientists who have turned humid air into renewable power

Greetings, readers! Welcome to our weekly dose of positivity and good vibes. In this edition, I've gathered a collection of uplifting stories that will surely bring a smile to your face. From scientific breakthroughs to environmental initiatives and heartwarming achievements, I've got it all covered.

In May, a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst published a paper declaring they had successfully generated a small but continuous electric current from humidity in the air. They’ve come a long way since then. The result is a thin grey disc measuring 4cm across.

One of these devices can generate a relatively modest 1.5 volts and 10 milliamps. However, 20,000 of them stacked, could generate 10 kilowatt hours of energy a day – roughly the consumption of an average UK household. Even more impressive: they plan to have a prototype ready for demonstration in 2024.

2. Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms

Empty office buildings are being repurposed into vertical farms, such as Area 2 Farms in Arlington, Virginia. With the decline in office usage due to the Covid-19 pandemic, municipalities are seeking ways to fill vacant spaces.

Vertical farming systems like Silo and AgriPlay's modular growth systems offer efficient and adaptable solutions for converting office buildings into agricultural spaces. These initiatives not only address food insecurity but also provide economic opportunities, green jobs, and fresh produce to local communities, transforming urban centers in the process.

3. Biden-Harris Administration to Provide 804,000 Borrowers with $39 Billion in Automatic Loan Forgiveness as a Result of Fixes to Income Driven Repayment Plans

The Department of Education in the United States has announced that over 804,000 borrowers will have $39 billion in Federal student loans automatically discharged. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to fix historical failures in the administration of the student loan program and ensure accurate counting of monthly payments towards loan forgiveness.

The Department aims to correct the system and provide borrowers with the forgiveness they deserve, leveling the playing field in higher education. This announcement adds to the Administration's efforts, which have already approved over $116.6 billion in student loan forgiveness for more than 3.4 million borrowers.

4. F.D.A. Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

The move could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill is expected to be available in early 2024.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter

5. AIDS can be ended by 2030 with investments in prevention and treatment, UN says

It is possible to end AIDS by 2030 if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt non-discriminatory laws, the United Nations said on Thursday.

In 2022, an estimated 39 million people around the world were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program. HIV can progress to AIDS if left untreated.

6. Conjoined twins released from Texas Children’s Hospital after successfully separated in complex surgery

Conjoined twins are finally going home after the pair was safely separated during a complex surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in June.

Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for over four months after their birth on March 1. A large team of healthcare workers took six hours to complete the surgery on June 14. Seven surgeons, four anesthesiologists, four surgical nurses and two surgical technicians assisted with the procedure.

7. From villains to valued: Canadians show overwhelming support for wolves

Despite their record in popular culture, according to a recent survey, seven in 10 Canadians say they have a “very positive” view of the iconic predators. 

Here's a fascinating video about how wolves changed Yellowstone nat'l park:

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Support this newsletter ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog.

[bug-the-chicken-nug]

thinking about how i would hypothetically rewrite rwby (i probably never actually will because i can't fucking commit, tbh)

and i think the overall key would be like

"make it narrower, but deeper"

like to use an analogy. RWBY to me is like. rain on a salt flat. looks cool, expansive, but shallow as hell.

which i do understand. this is a hypocritical complaint, tbh. i *do* often abandon my own ideas, and make things overcomplicated.

(i even had to edit the above down, it was 3x longer for no good reason.)

but instead, i'd make rwby more like a deep pond rather than the big wet salt flat.

"wtf does that Mean tho"

well here's a basic rundown.

-axe the racism. i am black, and find it a fundamentally poor allegory, even *with* more polish. tbh on a more shallow front i'd also just like doing animal jokes without it being racist.

-retool it to classism that affects all races (also helps my issue with Cinder's backstory feeling like a Faunus backstory)

-(yes, yes, intersectionality, the two issues are fundamentally intertwined, i know, i know, but you get the gist of it)

-this could make the thing with adam and blake *more* interesting in some ways, as because Blake has a well-off family and just sympathizes with the cause, Adam grows to resent that, feeling she'll never *really* understand or *really* be willing to go as far as the movement needs, in his eyes.

-salem's a mortal, middle-aged woman who became obsessed with illegal grimm research and experimented on herself. Not some Ancient Great Evil.

- similarly, Ozpin is Just The Headmaster. No Epic Cosmic Destiny or reincarnations.

-there is no fucking ever after

-there are no fucking relics

-there are no confirmed gods but there Are religions

"ohh you're sooo high and mighty, removing stuff rather than having the bravery to add or build on anything"

okay, fucko strawman i invented, i see you.

-there *is* magic. (but Atlas isn't held up by magic, it really is just Gravity Dust now)

-simply put, "magic" is now defined as "being able to draw upon the world's Aura rather than yours, and without reliance on Dust"

-btw, Dust is just a sort of "crystalized" version of world Aura, so now the three concepts are neatly tied together (yes, this makes it TECHNICALLY a renewable resource, but it replenishes slow as fuck)

-by extension, Grimm (And Salem and Cinder) are magic in a parasitic sort of sense. (they passively suck the Aura outta things and can slowly sicken and kill just by *existing* somewhere for too long/ too great a number. But as a direct result of how this wouldn't be sustainable for them long-term, they *usually* have a natural instinct to spread out and wander, which lets the land recover and makes them a little more manageable to fight).

-by further extension, Cinder's Grimm arm is neatly explained as a further exploitation of Grimm's pre-existing parasitic, power sapping nature

-Silver eyes are magic, as what they draw upon is the collective hope, willpower, and general positive energy of humanity

-Ozpin and Salem were like. multidisciplinary scientists/historians who both sought to study and revive magic for human usage, as it's not only more flexible, but neither of them missed the implications of a power source that can cut out Dust as a middleman entirely, either.

-Salem of course IMMEDIATELY saw the connection of Grimm being, BY FAR, the most abundant avenue for magic around.

-Ozpin was all like "Saleypoos. Saleykins. My sweet. Grimm are like the world's parasites. This *has* to be a bad idea."

- "Ohrrrr Ozzed Pin my Sweet, Don't You Gnow? all we have to do is modify the Grimm tissue to make it more cooperative and less harmful! You know, Watts thinks that he's really onto something with using cybernetic implants to control and alter their behavior... and I've been talking to this wonderful Dr. Merlot fellow, and if we include his theories, I really think we have a shot at this!"

-"Weeeelll... ok... if you say so. I know I can always trust you :)))"

-OZPIN COULD, IN FACT, NOT TRUST HER (Or Dr. Merlot, or Watts, for that matter)

-This raises the fucked up possibility that, in fact, Salem is *such* a recent phenomenon that the reason the Branwens can become birds is because this is a power granted by sketchy Grimm research, and *this* is why everyone else is so affronted, because it takes it from "oh cool he gave them powers" to "WHAT DO YOU *MEAN* YOU DID SECRET GRIMM EXPERIMENTS ON ORPHANS, EVEN IF THEY DID CONSENT. HOW ARE YOU EVEN HEADMASTER. WHAT."

- Yang being the one who is particularly affronted and concerned because now she's paranoid that she was born secretly maybe like 5% Grimm without knowing it.

Weiss: come on Yang... don't be ridiculous...

Ruby: yeah, i mean, sure your eyes turn red when you use your Semblance, but I'm sure that's just-

Yang: oh my GOD my eyes DO turn red!

Blake, loudly whispering through clenched teeth: Ruby! Not helping!

Nora, oblivous: welllll your Semblance does kinda, in a way, absorb energy from others, which *might* sound a *liiiiittle* like a Grimm, BUT-

Blake: NORA.

Weiss: *facepalm*

Yang: *existential crisis*

[solarpunkbusiness]

The plan spans key sectors, including agro-forestry-fisheries, energy, mineral extraction and processing; manufacturing and processing, chemicals, construction, transport, services and tourism, waste management, urban areas and residential zones, industrial parks and clusters, and concentrated production, trade and service zones.

Central to this plan is the vision of establishing a sustainable production and consumption system that optimises the use of natural resources while reusing materials to their fullest potential. By minimising waste generation and reducing negative impacts on the environment, Việt Nam will promote robust circular economy models in production and trade

The plan also aims to drive innovation, enhance labour productivity, encourage green practices, foster a culture of sustainability, generate green jobs and develop new value chains within the circular economy.

Between now and 2030, Việt Nam is committed to reducing the extraction and use of non-renewable and water resources, while simultaneously enhancing the efficiency of resource, material and energy usage.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

A new way to produce fuels made from leftover fat can create biofuel as effective as diesel and 1000-times more efficiently than current methods a new study has suggested. Published in Green Chemistry, researchers from King's College London and the Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory used enzymes to break down fatty acids in cooking oil into alkenes, the building block of fuels like petrol and diesel. The scientists hope that the new renewable fuel, which can be made using leftover food waste, can cut fossil fuel usage. Biofuels are a wide variety of energy sources made from renewable organic material that comes from plants or animals, like vegetable oil. Those that can directly replace petrol or diesel in conventional combustion engines have been touted as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, with fuels derived from food waste cutting greenhouse gases by up to 94%.

Read more.

[keeping-writing-frosty]

Cara and the Will-o'-the-Wisp

(Author's Note: I am not 100% happy with the ending here but I will work on it later. Probably the chapter needed the most work on it thus far. Still, I like it.)

Chapter One - A New, Weird Home

Chapter Two - Once Upon A Cat

Chapter Three - A Bully This Way Comes

On a bone-chilling, brisk breeze that flowed in from the Atlantic Ocean, the transition from summer to autumn became clearer and more evident as the days went on. Rowan had mentioned a week or so before, fall would arrive here earlier than most places, especially Oregon, which Cara made quite plainly clear that she found it delightful, that the prospect suited her. Though disappointed at the once vibrant flowers having faded away, the fact that the trees had dressed themselves in a stunning display of bright, brilliant oranges, flamboyant, fiery reds, and vigorously, vibrant yellows, made it so much better.

From where she stood, Cara could gaze out at the forest through her bedroom window. Where the fiery-colored leaves rustled in a beautiful symphony accent by the rumbling of engines as they headed off to school or work. If she listened hard enough, past the distant engines and her parents’ noise downstairs, there came a distant voice. Indistinct at first, but definitely a woman’s voice. That seemed to grow closer and closer.

Until the phone on her desk buzzed, which caught the attention of Cara’s mismatched eyes, it broke the sudden voice that was now gone. Screen lit up with a message from Rowan that read: hey, ready? A wide smile tugged at the corners of her lips before taking one last deep, long breath. Her thumbs typed away with uncanny speed across the phone’s face in a simple yes.

Hefting up the black leather backpack whose well-worn seams showed its usage over the years with slightly stressed cracks and discolored marks. She slipped her arms through its straps, its weight felt familiar when it settled on her thin shoulders. It proudly wore the memories of countless adventures, both within school and without, most predated her by easily a couple of decades. Right now, it was the first step of another.

After closing, and taking a cue from Rowan, locking her bedroom door. Cara hurried down the stairs, excited for the first day of school for the first time since first grade. Her foot falls echoed through the house, a rhythmic beat that disrupted the usual muted mornings her mother preferred after another night of finishing a bottle of wine. Though she didn’t seem to notice as her frantic typing filled the air, far too early for such productivity.

Without even looking up, Mother’s voice pierced through the air with firm authority. “No stomping! You know the rules.”

Despite her heart pumping and her feet slowing, Cara kept onward mother be damned. There sat beneath her breast a growing anxiousness and excitement. Excitement grew ever more until she also knocked over her father, who was just able to stop her momentum.  

”Sorry”—Cara’s face quickly turned crimson as father steadied her—“didn’t mean to almost run you over.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so eager for school,” father commented as he held Cara from flying out of front door in a literal sense. “So, I got to ask, what’s got you so excited?”

“Would you rather I be negative?” Cara steadied herself and took a step away from him.

He shook his head. “No, not at all. Just a bit surprised. I remember my daughter groaning and complaining about school and how much it sucked.” After a moment to drink on his coffee, he inquired, “is it because of your new friend?”

Even when Cara denied it, she let a slight pinkish blush onto her cheeks. “I got to go, dad.”

“Go on, then,” he said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “Have a great day.”

Once out into the chilly early autumn morning, she felt a renewed sense of energy and confidence. Then she looked around for the fiery hair of Rowan, who seemed oblivious to Cara’s presence as she stood down by the front porch of her home, arms crossed her torso as she argued with Sam. Voices that were lowered but still carried across the yard thanks to the unfriendly breeze. Despite not being able to understand everything spoken, Cara did not desire to snoop either. So, as patient as she could, she sat on the front step of her porch and kept checking her phone to make sure they would not be late.

“Well, just eff on off, Sam! I don’t need you sticking your big ass nose in my business!” Rowan’s shout pierced through the misty air, loud enough to have woken the dead.

Followed by an exasperated, overly-dramatic sigh that Cara had never heard before, Rowan stomped her way away from her older brother. The deep share of crimson lit up her freckles, added a fiery glow to her complexion. Lips tightened into a thin line, yet as she approached Rowan and seemed to relax just a little.

Rowan mustered a fleeting smile as she glanced at Cara, their eyes exchanged an unspoken understanding. “Ready to start seventh grade?” She inquired as she leaned against the railing.

“Ready or not, it’s coming. No need to have it wait for us, yeah?” Cara stood up and flashed a brilliant little smile.

“Summer is never long enough.”

They made off across the road to an older neighborhood that sat adjacent to the state route that got a lot more traffic than the narrow, gravel-covered back road that bordered the property. It wasn’t a long walk, and both girls welcomed it as they talked about how Sam was being an asshole for no real reason. They walked past kids, both younger and older, who slowly gathered toward the same stop sign just before the busy road. Where on the right was a low stone wall, marking off a property plot, took the corner and went off in the distance. A large sign proclaimed the area as The Highlands, but it hadn’t been cleaned in many years.

No one spoke to the pair, and they just stood there for a moment. While a soft, chilling breeze rustled the leaves of a giant oak tree. Where one leaf, dislodged by the wind fluttered down to land on the orange-colored bun on top of Rowan’s head, which caused a mirth-filled grin to spread across Cara’s face. Then she reached up to grab the leaf, sticking it stem-first into Rowan’s bun to give the preteen a bit of an accessory. With as much quickness and swift movements, Cara pulled out her phone to take a photo of the both of them. Which was posted on Facebook and Tumblr just as quickly as the photo was snapped.

“What a great look for you,” Cara teased ever so-gently as she hopped onto the stone wall. “I’m sure you’ll have a dozen boyfriends by the end of the day.”

“Ew, gross,” Rowan protested as she removed the leaf from her hair. Bringing it up to her mouth and blew on it which sent the leaf fluttering down onto the sidewalk. “Probably against dress code anyways.”

Cara laughed, “fuck dress code. I’ll come in here with a band shirt tomorrow. See what they’ll say to the new student.”

“What a rebel.”

“Damn right.” Cara took careful steps, arms stretched out as she balanced on the wall. “I’m the definition of a rebel.”

Rowan cocked an eyebrow but shrugged her shoulder. As a moment later came a deep rumbling of the off-yellow bus rusted at the bottom from the years of salted roads. They all lined up, Cara and Rowan getting ahead of the line to grab the best seats. Brakes screeched in protest as the bus slowed to a roll then to a stop right in front of the group, and hydraulics hissed before the door opened with a creak. By this point friends had linked up and tried to push past the pair. They walked down to the far back to take their seat together.

The blue-and-green moquette seat has the obvious wear and tear of years being subjected to bored kids and the remnants of harsh winters. Almost with a natural understanding of each other, Rowan slid into the seat first and got it closest to the window. Pulled it open with some considerable strength and settled as she gave Cara the first genuine smile of the day.

“You know tryouts for the soccer team is next weekend,” Rowan mentioned for the thousandth time.

Cara plopped down beside Rowan. “I remember. Don’t you remember I told you I’d go? I just doubt that I will do very well. I’m still learning.”

“Oh, you’ll love Coach Williams. She’s fantastic. Tough but fair.” Rowan dug into her backpack to pull out a small plastic bottle of coke and offered it over.

With a quick thank you, Cara took the bottle and deftly unscrewed the cap using the protection of her cardigan’s sleeve. All in an effort to muffle the hiss of the carbonation fizzing ensured that the driver didn’t notice above the rather cacophony of grade school kids talking all at once. As they journeyed to school, through Haven Bay itself, which always seemed busier during the morning than any other time of the day.

“There!” Rowan pointed out the former home turned shutdown antique shop. “That’s where all that crazy shit happened.”

The sign read Mount Desert Antiques and Finery marred by an addition to the bottom in red paint that declared it close forever. A rather large, severe lock kept the front door closed and secure, and the yellow police tape that flapped in the wind, gave it an aura and vibe that caused goosebumps to rise on Cara’s arms and the back of her neck. It appeared both normal yet otherworldly in a way she couldn’t explain.

“I see what you meant. I can feel something just by looking at it,” Cara uttered just loud enough for Rowan to hear.

“Not many people can.”

Mount Desert Island Consolidated School seemed like such an odd and weird concept to Cara. Sixth grade through twelfth, where with such a huge age range allowed interactions between the older high school-aged kids and herself. Though Rowan did say that people seemed, more or less, separated and they tended to not bother the younger classes.

“Some of the boys are creeps,” Rowan commented but said nothing further on it.

A soccer field dominates the eastern side of the campus with a football field, encircled by a track, and a baseball diamond all the way on the far end. With several large buildings connected by covered walkways that converged and led to where the buses pulled up. Teacher assistants meandered around to help the younger students.

Once the bus stopped and opened its doors, everyone flooded out into the cool early autumn morning. The rank stench of oil and gas filled Cara’s nostrils, which caused her nose to twitch.

“We could not have gotten any more lucky with our classes.” Rowan’s nose was buried in this year’s schedule. “It’s perfect! We have every class together.”

“Even the same homeroom. Pretty cool, right?” Cara tossed the empty bottle into the trash.

“Oh! And we have gym class at the end of the day? Even better! Work up a sweat and forget all the bullshit,”

Through the crowd of students and teachers trying to get to their classrooms, Cara walked alongside Rowan into the building. Where they were blasted with heat even though it wasn’t that cold outside. All around them were numerous conversations, soft pockets of muffled music, and a random kid playing their Steam deck or Switch. Everything was so loud to the point Cara could not even hear her own thoughts.

Rowan took the lead and pointed out the various facilities along the way. First were the restrooms on the first floor, which always smelled like those THC vape pens but also tended to have less of the older students. Followed by the bank of vending machines, for when a sugary treat was needed as a pick-me-up, sat beside those new hygiene water fountains, which were designed to prevent any contact with the mouth. Beside them was a small mouse-like shadow blinked into existence than disappeared, and Cara shook her head for a moment, not believing what she saw. Secondly, Rowan showed Cara where both of their lockers would be. Although note side-by-side, Cara appreciated they were at least on the same side and there were less than half-a-dozen lockers between them. No idea why, but she liked that.

An older man with salt-and-pepper hair dressed in a tacky sweater vest stopped by Cara with a school-issued padlock. Introduced himself as Verne Gagne, the assistant principal, along with several packets of information and wished Cara a successful school year. After she double-checked her upcoming classes, she stuffed her unneeded books into the locker and turned to look at Rowan.

But before she could speak the bell rung. Where Cara scampered after Rowan, her backpack slumped over one shoulder. Who freed her hair from its bun, causing her curly orange locks to cover her green eyes, and a smile danced across Rowan’s face. “ready?”

“Not really, but let’s do it.” Cara gave a short nod.

Homeroom was with Mr. Kenneth Byrnes, who was also their history teacher, and he was a tall, portly man with a reddish-brown beard and a bald head. Which was just fine for Cara, she loved history, and it came right after homeroom. So, it let the two girls settle in, and though Rowan seemed completely disinterested as she drew something in her notebook. Cara paid attention, taking notes of whatever the teacher had to say. Which wasn’t much being as it was the first day of school, but she suspected her friend would need her notes for studying later on in the school year.

Once the bell rung once again, Rowan jumped out of her seat and put all of her stuff into her backpack. Outside is where she met Cara in the hallway, but before either girl could make it to their lockers a slight disturbance came across the students. This was caused by a trio of girls who looked like they were wearing clothes worth far more than anything in Cara’s wardrobe, or even in her parents. They walked by with their noses in the air, laughing and teasing those who caught their attention. A poor girl with glasses and a little extra weight found herself the center of their mean-spirited words.

Rowan was quick to explain that the obvious leader with the short blonde hair was the head cheerleader for the junior varsity cheer squad, and the big bully of most girls around the lower grades. Unfortunately, she shared the same grade level as Rowan and Cara. She was Victoria Taylor, the only child of the District Attorney of Hancock County and had the biggest house on the island that wasn’t some over-priced billionaire’s summer home.

“She’s such a bitch,” Rowan whispered into Cara’s ear after they walked by. “Last year she and her goonies bullied poor Elena.”

“What happened?” Cara inquired; hand cocked on her hip and eyes focused on the trio.

Rowan clenched her jaw for the briefest of moments. “Spreading rumors that Elena was a whore. Sucking off any guy they could think of, even teachers.”

“Oof. Who are the other two?”

“Regina Spektor is the brunette. Mother is a partner in the only law firm on the island, while her father is the owner and head chef over at that swanky place—the only swanky place—in Haven Bay. Big influence and money there.”

“And the other?” Cara closed her locker and stuffed her math textbook into her backpack.

“April Davids, I think. She’s new to the threesome. One year she was quiet and shy, next year she hooked up with Victoria.” Rowan stopped and stood up straight as she gestures toward the trio of girls heading right towards them.

“Oh, it’s the weirdo and the new girl. Cora, right?” Every word Victoria spoke as she strutted over to the pair oozed with venom and distaste.

“Cara,” she replied sternly.

“Right, Cara.” Victoria’s dark brown eyes bore into her. “Well, I’m Victoria. There are some people here that are good to know and others not.”

Turning on her heels, Cora closed the locker door and locked it before she looked at Rowan and said, “ready to go to math?”

There came an offended huff as the duo turned their backs to Victoria and her minions before they continued down the hallway.

The rest of the school day went on as expected, Cara hated math and yet Rowan seemed natural at it. Which she appreciated it as much, for Cara knew she would require her friend’s help even to pass the class let alone get high marks in it. When the bell rung for the last period, and it was gym class, the two girls headed into the locker room where their fellow students would disappear into a bathroom stall to change into their gym clothes.

Rowan, on the other hand, did not seem to mind the lack of privacy at all. Changed into her gym clothes without care, as if she got used to it from being on an actual team. Cara took the lead of the other girls and got weak-kneed, and skin flushed with even the thought of changing in front of others. So, she got into one of the small bathroom’s cubicles and undressed down to her sea foam green underwear. Even weary at this stage, that someone was peeking through.

Who would peek, though? She had to ask herself.

Yet when she exited in her knee-length leggings and throwaway t-shirt that Cara got from her cousin before moving, there came a tiny little laugh as there stood Victoria in her black Lululemon leggings, far-too-fancy sneakers, and a midriff showing Reebok’s shirt. She looked just as fancy as the girls that flanked her.

“Where’d you get that outfit? From a thrift store?” Regina teased.

April scoffed as she pushed a stray strand of hair out from her green eyes. “Why is your family so poor?”

“Eat me,” Cara hissed as she tried to walk away.

As Cara did so, Victoria hooked her leg just enough to catch Cara’s right foot which sent her down to the tiled-floor. Despite raising her hands up, Cara couldn’t catch herself as her chin hit the floor. Causing a dull, throbbing pain, and despite nothing feeling broken. Time slowed as Cara’s anger boiled over in an instant and stood up to her feet.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Cara shouted as she pushed Victoria—hard.

Whilst stumbling back, Regina had to steady her leader as Rowan came up to stand beside Cara.

“Hey, bitch-faces,” Rowan’s tone left little to the imagination in what she really wanted to do to the girls. “I know which way you three walk home. If you really want to fight. Because that was some bullshit you just did. We’re all tired of your snooty attitude. Now apologize to my best friend here.”

Before the situation could escalate came the sound of the female gym coach—Ashly Williams. She stood easily six-foot tall and looked like she worked out every day of every year for her entire life. With icy blue eyes that seemed to stop everything in its tracks.

“What’s going on here?” She demanded.

Victoria made some quick excuse before they scampered off toward the gyms.

“You’re bleeding,” Rowan pointed out. “Need to go see the nurse?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” as Cara said this in the corner of the locker room where the lighting was dimmed and shadowy seemed to be a familiar shape, but as she blinked it disappeared “Come on, let’s just get this over with.”

“No can do, missy,” Coach Williams said as she walked over to the pair. “Are you the new girl? Cara?”

“Yes, Cara Quin. Sorry, I didn’t want to cause trouble on my first day. I just really hate bullies.”

The teacher sighed and gestured. “Come on. Let’s at least clean it up and put a bandage on it.”

There came a sudden dark thought, which scrunched up Cara’s face for a moment. Before she agreed and followed Coach Williams into her office. She didn’t want to leave the first day with a final bad impression.

****

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[nicolanlang]

Did You Know You Can Save $1000 a Month with These Sustainable Living Tips?

Introduction Sustainable living is all about making conscious choices that are kinder to our planet. By adopting sustainable living practices, you not only help the environment but also enjoy the added benefit of saving money. Why Adopt Sustainable Living? Environmental Impact: Reducing waste, conserving resources, and minimizing pollution have a direct positive impact on our planet. Personal…

[size-two-shrimp]

One species is critically endangered while the other two are vulnerable because they have small such small habitats (rivers and tidal rivers), and were thought to be extinct until ~2000.

Along with that (according to wikipedia), Glyphis gangeticus is thought to be critically endangered because they're in the Ganges and that area could account for up to 9% of global shark/ray landings. They were tought to be extinct AGAIN from 2006-2016 until one was seen in a market.

Pollution, overfishing, and a lack of knowledge (both by researchers and the public) are also contributing to their vulnerability. We literally don't even know how big they are, we only have estimates. They're often mistaken for bull sharks too.

Today I learned there are true freshwater sharks (genus Glyphis).

[inky-duchess]

I love writing fantasy stories because I can include such fantastic elements as: universal basic income, livable disability benefits, government who actually cares about the poor, universal usage of renewable energy (fossil fuels aren't used at all) and a world where people don't eat mushrooms. (yes these are all things that exist in my world. I put realism into everything else in my world building. If I want my characters to live in a clean world with enough money to make ends meet I will!)

I just like peppering in basic human rights for women, LGBTQIA+ and letting unions win.

[pandorafallz]

Ashes in her Wake | C5

“Okni, you don’t need to do this…” Alma begged softly, her hands raised up from her panic button on her belt.

“I want to go home!” the girl snarled in her ear behind her, “Let me out.” The sharpness of the blade dug into the flesh under her jaw and the grip on her kuru was too tight....

“I can’t…” she didn’t have clearance for the external doors. She couldn’t help her.

…

…

She gasped at the echo of the gunshot before the flash of pain ran hot across her windpipe before hot blood seeped in fast spurts from her throat… the floor met her very quickly as she tried to heave for breath…

“Unlink, Cortez!” Harding’s voice echoed as the colonel’s hands came to her neck to attempt to help slow the bleeding. “Unlink!”

Alma woke with a start, her mind hazy with the fragmented memory. Her heart thudded in her chest and she could feel her lungs heave for breath. She opened her eyes to the low light that shone through from the mouth of the cave, spilling through cracks.

She could feel the prickling sensation over her skin, mostly over her neck and she couldn’t help but bring her hand up to check and was thankfully met with unbroken skin, her breathing was fine. She could breathe.

Alma swallowed thickly and took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes to centre herself through the motions. She wasn’t choking on blood again. She wasn’t dying.  She was fine. She was fine. Shewasfine. Once she felt the discomfort fade, she spared a glance out from the depth of her hammock.

There was a small setup of hammocks for Na’vi that was set up out of the way and more secluded from the common area and weapon storage. Alma could hear the sounds of people already being up for the day. Not too loud either so she could tell she wasn’t the last up either. She licked her dry lips and gently rolled herself from the hammock, groaning softly but straightened up.

Teylan was still asleep a few hammocks down, his hat still on his head as he snored with one leg hanging out. Kìoetey too was asleep but Ri’nela was absent from both the sleeping area and by the fires.

One fire wasn’t too far and was tended by a sleepy Kame’tire woman who looked to be boiling water and with a selection of herbs and tea leaves on a wooden tray beside her. Alma trudged forward and took a seat, running a hand over her face to help wake her up and wipe the sleep from her eyes.

“<You had an uneasy sleep.>” the woman noted, picking up one bowl and adding some herbs to it and taking time to add the steaming water into it and stirring it slowly.

“<I wasn’t too loud, was it?>” Alma asked, hoping that was the case, she used to be a sleep talker and walker in her younger days, less in her adult life and the avatar usage had stopped that becoming a consistent problem but it cropped up every so often when she got too stressed. Harding had taken to locking her in a room a few times when she had a sleep-walking streak going to stop her from going out an air-lock without a mask. Her sleepwalking self was an utter moron.

“<No, soft whimpering mostly. You mentioned a name. Okni, I believe?>”

“Oh.” Damn.

“<Here.>” She leant over, strained out the used leaves, handed her the cup and rose up, “<I’ll be back, we will need more wood for the fire.>”

That was a silent request to tend to the fire until her return so Alma nodded and wrapped her hands around the cup for now as the woman took her leave quickly. Her eyes followed her out before she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. A pleasant taste of strong tea but there was a minty undertone that complimented it as it washed down. She felt her mind sharpen and the dregs of tiredness seep away as she felt her energy renew.

She heard the airlock open, then close… then abruptly close and a few minutes later, open again before her eyes caught movement to see Jin-young come out, holding a medium-sized object covered in fabric to hide it and headed straight towards her. Alma lowered her cup, watching him curiously.

“You’re awake, I almost forgot to give you this.” He said, not quite meeting her eye but looking content enough to hold it out. “I know it won’t be much but given what you’ve been through… I think it might help?”

Alma set her cup down. “What is it?” She took it off him and set it onto her knees carefully to examine first, feeling softly to guess it was a box of some kind and she could tell there were carvings as well. It took a few tugs to free the box to reveal a pale, wooden box with simple carved-textured sides but the top had a small symbolic cross running over it. It looked to have a twine loop with a thick antler-button fasten. It looked like it had been crafted with minimal metal, so not a typical secure latch.

Her ears pinned as she felt a swell of sadness; this was a type of urn. He had made her a coffin, more or less. A bit bigger than that was expected but it didn’t matter. He had put thought into crafting this for her. For her to bury her human ashes in. No one else had mentioned anything, let alone where they were so this… this was something. Despite her rise of sadness, she felt a wave of gratitude and… warmth for the man as he nervously watched.

“Oh..” She traced the cross carefully, “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Jin-young’s shoulders sagged with relief. “I… I was hoping you’d take it well. I was worried.”

Alma dryly chuckled, shaking her head. “You’ve put thought and care into this and I appreciate it. A lot, actually. I don’t…know what sort of care my human ashes have; I’ll talk to Nalin about where they are but… this will be better than a metal jar.” Made with care.

Jin-young moved to the left and slowly sunk to sit down on the log-seat beside her “It’s made of Unidelta wood. So’lek helped get me some given I was too small to get it without poisoning myself on its roots. It is waterproof on the inside but you’ll need to wax the edges to make it waterproof on the outside. I might have messed up on the measurements but in my defence, I’ve never made an urn before.” He admitted.

Alma smiled softly and reached down, patting his shoulder lightly. “Even if it is too big, I think I can put something else in it.” Her mind touched back to that… distant part she had buried a long time ago. It seemed…fitting that she could bury them all together after so long. Almost like a set. A dead little family.

“Like what?”

She shook her head, unwilling to speak.

Jin nodded in soft understanding. “Painful memories.”

“Yes.” Alma’s head lowered, her hand running over the cross slowly.

Jin-young stared for a moment then leant his elbows onto his knees, staring into the fire intently. Alma took the moment to sip slowly her tea still, relishing each sip before she let out a sigh, her hand coming to her throat absently.

“Does dying hurt? Aside from the…injury?” Jin asked suddenly.

Alma’s head snapped to him in alarm. “Excuse me?”

Jin flinched a little, face flushing red. “I… I’m sorry. I just… didn’t mean it like that. It’s been bothering me not knowing but… do you think Dani or Hajir would have suffered? They died too but...”

Alma’s shoulders relaxed from her defence but her throat tightened at the reminder of their losses. The question bothered her still but… he was grieving; trying to understand his emotions. “They died from concussive injuries from the blast. They were gone before they hit the floor. They wouldn’t have suffered.” She assured. “Getting your throat cut or stabbed is a far slower process. Unpleasant.”

Jin-young’s eyes turned up at her, welled with unshed tears. “Sorry…”

Alma shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Death is… not unfamiliar.” She knew she was opening up a box with him but she felt… more at ease to share it with him.

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you wondered why my avatar’s face is younger than it should be?” She proposed dryly into her cup, “Avatars are grown and decentred at the physical age of 17 but I’ve been a driver for thirty-one years?”

Jin frowned up at her for a moment but she watched as the cogs turned in his head, his lips moving softly as if running the calculations then the realisation set in quickly and his eyes widened.

“You lost an avatar before?” he gasped.

Alma nodded, tracing her finger over the rim of her cup “It got killed at TAP three months before the evacuation.” Her hand came to her throat. “The kids don’t really remember it or notice why this face is the same age they remember fifteen years ago. Until I point it out, no one thinks about it.”

Jin considered her words. “How did it die?” he asked before his hand slapped over his mouth, eyes turning wide. “I’m so sorry.”

Alma stared into the fire sadly. “Another Sarentu child, Okni tried to escape from the med bay. She tried to use me as a hostage to get her freedom when I went looking for her. She had a knife on her and kept that at my neck the whole time. When Harding came… she didn’t try to negotiate with the girl for my release. She just… shot Okni through me first. But the girl just…. sliced through my windpipe and carotid before Harding shot her again to death.” She sucked in a deep breath. Fingers traced her throat again. “I couldn’t unlink so the death caused me to fall into a type of coma called Link Lock. I was cryovalted to spare the med supplies. They had to grow me another avatar to wake me up but also to restart me back on the program with the kids. Three months on extensive growth stimulants and this body was decanted at… about 16-ish years. Two days later, the RDA started the evacuation of the base… rest is history.” The quick explanation for him.

“I’m sorry, that’s awful.”

Alma nodded airily. “I’ve endured it once. I will again. I’ll be fine.” One day.

“Have you told them? The Sarentu?”

“I don’t really see the point.” Alma shrugged. “It’s irreverent to the now-situations, don’t you think?”

Jin frowned before he shrugged. “I suppose so but.. shouldn’t they know how they lost a friend?”

“Mercer told me he informed the group of the escapade to prevent them from getting ideas. I don’t know what he told them about me in my absence but I didn’t question it back then.” She didn’t see why Mercer would lie; if it kept the kids in check, he’d tell the truth. But Harding shooting her—sure through the hip in a non-lethal spot—without trying to talk first had opened up her eyes; she was expendable.

Jin let out a heavy breath. “Why did the Sarentu girl think that holding you hostage would be a good idea?”

“Desperation. Plus, she was under the impression that I had high power in TAP. I couldn’t even open the doors; those were clearance only for selected members. Mercer didn’t trust me with a key in fear I’d try and get them out and Harding didn’t want me to kill myself.”

“Oh, that’s also why you didn’t get them out in the evacuation; you physically couldn’t.”

“Yes, but it was a dozen soldiers between the Sarentu and the doors before that became a problem.” Alma reminded. Still, that mattered little; she still should have tried to make the effort to look once the dust had settled to truly see if all was lost or not. She brought the cup back to her lips, downing the last of the tea and set the cup down beside the fire.

Thankfully, the Kame’tire women returned with a fresh stack of dry wood so Alma was free to leave.

“Is Nalin up?”

“Probably in the kitchen.”

“Alright.” She tucked the box under her elbow as she rose to her feet, missing the sleepy gaze of Kìoetey’s watching her back as she stepped around the fire and into the airlock. The changer-over of air was smooth, clipping on a Co2 monitor onto her pants before she fit the mask strap around her neck before the doors opened.

Her stomach tightened as she felt the subtle changes as the few humans noticed her appearance. So’lek was inside, eating a bowl of berries unconcerned and Ri’nela was sipping tea but she breezed past the two and went straight to the kitchen but stopped abruptly at the sharp voices echoing within.

“Anqa, this isn’t a good idea.” Alex’s voice echoed.

“Look, he’s my cousin. I know it’s risky but isn’t it worth the risk?”

“I can’t let you go out there alone and hope for the best,” Alex said firmly. “This is the RDA we’re talking about.”

“What if Farid does want to leave and join me? Us?”

Alma blinked down at the two as she stepped around the corner to the two humans who looked to be in a very heated conversation. However, both stopped and turned at her entry before Anqa sighed deeply.

“I’m going to Resting Tree Lab,” Anqa stated.

“Anqa…”

“Relax. I won’t do anything stupid. Dr Reeves wants to go there and I said I’d take her there before the party.”

Alex stared at the pilot for a moment then huffed out a little half-heartedly. “I will need to join and talk to Reeves; she’s a mineralogist and chemist. She’s been studying the yavä since we got here. I can help set her up, the terminals are a bit iffy.”

Anqa tisked but begrudgingly nodded before she took her leave, barely sparing Alma another look as she stepped around her.

“Everything alright, Cortez? Did you think about what we talked about yesterday?”

Alma’s eye twitched. “No. Just… wondering where Nalin is. I’m… kinda looking for my things I had on me before…” She gestured with her free hand down her form as her answer. “Jin thought she might be here.”

Alex’s eyes flickered to her box and then to her again, looking a little nervous. “Your human stuff is on a shelf in the Medbay. I can’t know for sure about the… ashes. Nalin is about.”

Alma’s stomach tightened a little but she felt some relief to hear that. “Are you okay, Alex?”

He nodded swiftly. “Yes, yes. You… haven’t spoken to Jason have you? The engineering guy?”

Alma shook her head. “No.”

He relaxed. “Good, I’d… stay away from him for now. He’s being a bit of a dick.”

“Noted.” He and a good few others no doubt. Still, it wasn’t like it was too important; she had other things to be concerned about right now. “What’s wrong with Anqa?”

Alex hesitated a little. “I’d… rather not go on about it with you. I’m sorry. It’s Anqa’s story.”

Alma chewed her tongue but decided not to prod any more. “I’ll leave you two it. When will you be back?”

“Not sure, A few hours? Maybe tomorrow morning if I can’t talk Anqa down from her situation first.”

A few hours as minimum. Not the worst-case situation but she supposed it didn’t matter too badly but he was still a head of the science department out here; he had a presence here people did respect. He wasn’t avoiding her but she knew he didn’t want to be around her either so, she let him go and headed to the medical bay. Also, a part of her knew from yesterday, there was a lot unsaid and she didn’t try to let her mind wander on what Alex wanted from her. Lingering too much may open that gate of conversation she walked out of.

Again, no clear sign of the doctor but she set her box down on the gurney and eyes the shelving unit for a box. There were a few but there was one that stuck out; its size and latch. Big enough to house human clothing. She slid that off the shelve, settled it beside her box and unlatched it.

Her stomach churned a little, glad for one she hadn’t eaten as she stared at the folded fabric and mid-calf boots. Her brown cargo pants had a dark stain that had seeped and stiffened the fabric. Her turquoise neck scarf looked like it had been added in, along with her utility belt, and knife. She could see her sleeveless waistcoat was tucked in there somewhere but… also the red shirt she had underneath; she hated to imagine how much darker that red was now.

She could hear the sounds of beads rolling about at the bottom, so she left them for now and swiftly closed the latch. Shutting the reality away for now. Her gut was too tense to really look but this… was a good start.

-

Alex knew talking to Anqa about trying to meet her cousin was no topic for the trip but he had to find someone who would go in her place. If this was a trap, he needed to keep Anqa away from the RDA’s clutches and also needed someone to clear the area of RDA soldiers that would come. If it wasn’t a trap, he needed someone to be friendly enough for Farid to trust to welcome him into the resistance. A Resistance field lab, for this would be too risky.

There were too many ways this could go horribly wrong and… Anqa was too emotionally invested. Sure, it was her cousin but that cousin was probably exposed to a very different story from the RDA’s side of things. It hurt a little to know that Anqa was highly likely being played by her own cousin but… it would hurt more to lose her and she’d probably hurt if she found out the wrong way.

They had to be smart about this.

They still had time to discuss meeting times and locations. Kìoetey had been a saint getting them this far but… now after everything, the move had pushed them to delay this meetup. He was considering asking her to be that person to truly see; she’d have to agree and he wasn’t sure if now was a good time for this; the growing situation between the resistance and Cortez was concerning.

Still, once they were at the lab, he’d approach the topic and certainly away from prying ears as well. Eywa could hear them shout all day if it came to it.

He hastily shoved a spare set of clothes into a side bag, his tablet and radio before he hurried through the base.

“Alex, where are you going?” Ri’nela’s voice echoed, pulling his attention.

He paused a little, turning to see her by the airlock door with a bowl of fruit, not alone but she looked most interested given her new position.. “Field lab up north by the yavä for Dr Reeves to study it. I’ll try to be back later but I gotta talk Anqa out of something idiotic that popped up this morning which… might take a while. I’ll have my radio on me at all times. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

“…Okay?”

He grabbed a mask, slipping it on but he found himself suddenly joined by another before the doors shut behind him. His head spun before his gut sank. “Oh no…”

Jason.

“Just wondering if you’ve thought about it—“

“The answer is no.” Alex huffed, not allowing the engineer to finish “We’re not banishing her and that’s the end of it.”

“What about for 6 months?”

“No.”

“6 weeks?”

Alex turned and gave the man a solid glare. “No.”

“Come on, man.”

“No. It’s unethical and morally wrong to banish someone like that and I have no intention to do that, not even to Cortez. One more word of this, I’ll have Ri’nela assign you to Latrine duty for a month.” His fuse was already running low. He had other stuff he needed to do. Cortez knew to avoid him now so that was something at the least. He’d definitely talk with Cortez properly once he was back. Let her know what some people were whispering once she was more willing to listen.

Alex took his chance to book it the moment the airlock cleared, thankfully not hearing Jason following him either.

“You okay?” Anqa asked when he clambered inside the Samson cockpit and huffed out as he set his bag next to Dr Reeves.

“Yeah. Just hope we don’t come home to a mess.”

-

Alma soon transferred her human stuff into a white opaque plastic bag tucked that into her locker and returned the box, cleaned and fresh for something new but the sight of her strained clothes left her feeling uneasy; she knew in her head she had bled a lot and the clothes she had handled were heavier, but also flaking and even then, lightly dusting her fingered with a purplish tinge that she hastily washed her hands.

She didn’t linger too long by the sinks and detoured back towards the medbay before she felt her eyes finally land on the one person she wanted to see today. Nalin was looking over a tablet with data and fiddling with an empty, metal mug absentmindedly.

“Nalin?” Alma asked, “You busy?”

“Kinda, Sorry. I’ve got to give people their meds and change some dressings, just looking over what I’ve already done and given out this morning… which reminds me, when does yours need to change?” Nalin said, her head turning pointedly to her side.

“Tomorrow.” Alma assured, but tried to ask the next bit delicately “I won’t bother you long but… where did you put my ashes?”

Nalin looked up from her tablet thoughtfully. “In the Medical storage, down the left. Out of the way. Silver box.” She directed, nodding toward an off-shoot of a small cave opening that was tucked away, as Alma peered; she hadn’t noticed that. Sneaky doctor.

“Thanks.”

“Oh, Cortez.” Nalin said, “Before you go looking, I do need to warn you that… while we had an electric crematorium, we didn’t have a cremulator to…reduce the remains to a finer material.”

Alma’s body tensed up, her stomach churned a little at the thought. “You…didn’t find any other means to… reduce it?” It was the most Alma could think to mildly disassociate herself from the ashes for now.

“I asked Jason to get something of a grinder going but I haven’t heard back from him on that. I considered using a mortar and pestle but I couldn’t… do it myself.” She looked apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

Alma’s jaw tensed but she nodded softly. Of course, Nalin couldn’t; this was a new territory for her since Hajir passed. She couldn’t expect the doctor to do all or to do proper funeral practises.

The reality of cremation was that it was never really pure ashes; the bones are what was left from the burning, brittle and fragmented; in some cases, the skeleton could remain intact but still, the notion of seeing her own human remains that…intact churned her stomach. But if it was all in a box, then she had to assume that most were fragmented enough to be in many pieces.

At least as dust, it would be easier on herself emotionally to change the cases; seeing the ashes would feel less impactful and she would be fine. But fragments? That was a heavy burden.

“Is... are they at least in a bag?” She could feel the familiar tingling in her fingertips before she pulled her mask to her face and took a heavy breath of CO2.

“Yes, Ri’nela transferred them into a funeral shroud she made once everything cooled and bound it securely.”

The tension left her gut before the relief settled straight in, and her tail swished more contently. It.. she wouldn’t have to see anything. Someone had put care into it. Her. She could live with that. She’d… had to at least thank Ri’nela for her effort at the very least. She hadn’t expected that level of care from her of all people. Of course, this no doubt happened before she had told them the truth. Maybe that might have changed if she had waited? Alma didn’t know but kept herself from that line of thought.

“Thank you.” She offered the doctor a tired smile before she made her way into the little storage area. It was a little tricky, with the height of the entry more suited for humans and it ached her side as she leant down and reached for the largest box and thankfully, her blue arm was long enough and her hand large enough to stabilise the box and scuttled back out with a huff and set the silver box onto the gurney.

Her hands hesitated on the box’s latch, the top of its lid had masking tape across with scrawled words Nalin’s shaky hand-writing:

Cortez A. Human remains. Do not open.

Her hand dropped before she opened up the box of Jin’s creation first to change it quickly before she opened the silver box. Inside, nestled in package peanuts was a bundle of light grey fabric with a coarse texture and simple weaving pattern and was bound by a decorative cord that had a few beads but was held together by a carved wooden piece; Alma recognised it was the Na’vi symbol for death. Rarely used but sometimes left in areas of either great warning to prevent death or to symbolise an object in relation to death.

She picked it up and carefully set it into the box, glad for one that Jin-young had made it larger than planned so it all fit inside snuggly, with enough room on top that she could add into it still. Small mercies. Alma did shut it swiftly, securing the button-latch on it before she headed out with it under her arm.

-

Alma did wind up coming to find Ri’nela as the afternoon began to set in after finally finding the appetite to eat a solid meal. Ri’nela looked to be doing a stock take again on a tablet. There was no mistake in the way that Ri’nela’s eyes narrowed a fraction as she was spotted in her approach, almost making her pause but there was no hiding her direct path and even Ri’nela knew she was coming to talk to her. Her jaw tensed and the Sarentu cleared tensed herself ready as Alma stopped herself a few paces.

“Ri’nela, can we talk?”

Ri’nela’s head turned toward her, her jaw remaining as tight as before. “Have you come to officially hand over the mantle of leadership to me?” She asked, very expectantly. “So’lek said you would.”

Alma stiffened up. “No.” Her tone soured up a fraction.

“Then there is little to talk about.” Ri’nela decided, her tone cooling significantly as she turned back to her tablet to continue on.

“I just came to thank you, Ri’nela.” Alma said tightly, “For your care in my ashes. Nalin told me you wrapped them. Thank you.”

Ri’nela’s eyes paused on her reading, the muscle in her jaw flexing before she gently nodded once.

Alma hoped for more, but she could see the dismissal or unwillingness to converse so she better than to push it. She lingered for a moment before she sighed deeply and headed away back towards the command centre, pulling her mask to her face for another Co2 Sip and exhaling deeply.

“Cortez.” Her head turned down as she noticed Priya hovering a little.

“Priya.” She relaxed a little. “Did you need something?”

Priya hesitated a little. “Jax has asked if you could go see him. He’s outside and could really do with your help; something about your height and wiliness to touch metal which is probably why he can’t get a Na’vi to help.”

“Can’t he ask So’lek?”

“So’lek just left for meat-hunting and Na’vi supplies for tomorrow night’s celebration now the dead are put to rest. The clan are going to get together and no doubt make an appearance so we best get them fed. Plus, Zangke, Kava and we found a stash of whiskey so that’ll be shared out when the party hits.” There was no doubt the excitement that laced the young woman’s voice.

Alma sighed deeply. “Fine.” At least she’d be useful for something at the end of the day. Someone actually wanted her. Dear god, her standards had really lowered. “Where outside?”

“By the back exit, I think? There’s a few people out there getting an area set up to help secure our radio tower’s signal.” Priya said.

“Alright.” Best get this over with. She took a final sip of Co2 as she went, settling the canister on her hip then put it on the rack and let the mask hang freely at her neck and made her way up the steps and out. Up ahead, she heard the voices of a good few people in gentle conversation and the clatter of metal and swearing.

“Oi, don’t laugh.” Jax’s voice echoed in annoyance. Ryan Jax was formally an AMP Mechanic but had a broad skill range in plumbing, scaffolding and electrics as well. She had spoken to him only a handful of times since he defected.

Her yellow eyes flickered around, her brow pulling in as she noted that… it wasn’t just a handful of people but a massive group was congregated over the grass; some were busy with building up a structure along the mouth of the cave, some were fiddling with devices and wire and a few looked to be actually spinning some fibres into a thread for Raj with put-together spinning wheels.

Her gut tensed with unease, her steps pausing as she counted at least twenty people. Not a small number of people either. A part of her immediately wanted to bail; this wasn’t good.

“What’s going on?” She asked slowly.

Jax turned, whistling off to the side then gestured her out. Reluctantly, Alma complied and eyed the group suspiciously as a hush fell over the group, even as they worked on but their eyes were sharp in their state.

“Dr Cortez,” The voice of Jason called, pulling her gaze from Jax who folded his arms across his chest to the ring leader himself to see him with a tablet and walking as if he had the confidence of a hundred men. “I think it’s about time we talked about your position in the resistance.”

Masterlist

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

dora /d͡ʒˈuːʃˈuːlˈa/ : to healing coma

Positive Action. Present tense. Formal.

📖 Definition & Synonyms

→ Definition: Deep Gallifreyan healing sleep that's a legitimate excuse to have a long lie in when you have a hurty. → Synonyms: -

🗨️ Example Usage

→ Romanised: Po'dora-o. N-po zin nulk. → English: He's not healing comaing. He just farted. → Audio:

→ Sollifreyan Font (v1):

🧩 Modifiers

→ Tense (simple): N-dora (healing coma'd) | dora-N (will healing coma) → Negative: dora-o (not healing comaing) → Slang: dorr

🔍 Advanced

Etymology and Morphological Breakdown of 'Dora'

Do- (Root): Derived from "dos," meaning "to regenerate." This root captures the essence of renewal or restoration, a central function within the healing process, especially in a healing coma.

-ra (Suffix): Comes from "ria," which refers to "body" in Gallifreyan. This suffix emphasises that the regeneration process is bodily, directly impacting the physical form.

Usage and Additional Notes

Conceptualisation of 'Dora': "Dora" specifically refers to entering a healing coma, a state that Gallifreyans can induce to accelerate their bodies' healing processes. This term describes a deep, restorative state that focuses the body's regenerative energies on healing physical ailments.

Cultural and Medical Implications: The use of "dora" reflects not only the biological capability of Gallifreyans but also their sophisticated approach to self-care and medical treatment. It highlights their advanced understanding of their physiology and ability to manipulate bodily functions to optimize healing outcomes. Therefore, this term is deeply embedded in the medical lexicon and cultural practices surrounding health and recovery in Gallifreyan society.

(GIL Gallifreyan Conlang Guide (coming soon))

Gallifreyan Word for Wednesday by GIL

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