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reasonsforhope · 6 months ago

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"The Netherlands is pulling even further ahead of its peers in the shift to a recycling-driven circular economy, new data shows.

According to the European Commission’s statistics office, 27.5% of the material resources used in the country come from recycled waste.

For context, Belgium is a distant second, with a “circularity rate” of 22.2%, while the EU average is 11.5% – a mere 0.8 percentage point increase from 2010.

“We are a frontrunner, but we have a very long way to go still, and we’re fully aware of that,” Martijn Tak, a policy advisor in the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and water management, tells The Progress Playbook.

The Netherlands aims to halve the use of primary abiotic raw materials by 2030 and run the economy entirely on recycled materials by 2050. Amsterdam, a pioneer of the “doughnut economics” concept, is behind much of the progress.

Why it matters

The world produces some 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste each year, and this could rise to 3.4 billion tonnes annually by 2050, according to the World Bank.

Landfills are already a major contributor to planet-heating greenhouse gases, and discarded trash takes a heavy toll on both biodiversity and human health.

“A circular economy is not the goal itself,” Tak says. “It’s a solution for societal issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and resource-security for the country.”

A fresh approach

While the Netherlands initially focused primarily on waste management, “we realised years ago that’s not good enough for a circular economy.”

In 2017, the state signed a “raw materials agreement” with municipalities, manufacturers, trade unions and environmental organisations to collaborate more closely on circular economy projects.

It followed that up with a national implementation programme, and in early 2023, published a roadmap to 2030, which includes specific targets for product groups like furniture and textiles. An English version was produced so that policymakers in other markets could learn from the Netherlands’ experiences, Tak says.

The programme is focused on reducing the volume of materials used throughout the economy partly by enhancing efficiencies, substituting raw materials for bio-based and recycled ones, extending the lifetimes of products wherever possible, and recycling.

It also aims to factor environmental damage into product prices, require a certain percentage of second-hand materials in the manufacturing process, and promote design methods that extend the lifetimes of products by making them easier to repair.

There’s also an element of subsidisation, including funding for “circular craft centres and repair cafés��.

This idea is already in play. In Amsterdam, a repair centre run by refugees, and backed by the city and outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, is helping big brands breathe new life into old clothes.

Meanwhile, government ministries aim to aid progress by prioritising the procurement of recycled or recyclable electrical equipment and construction materials, for instance.

State support is critical to levelling the playing field, analysts say...

Long Road Ahead

The government also wants manufacturers – including clothing and beverages companies – to take full responsibility for products discarded by consumers.

“Producer responsibility for textiles is already in place, but it’s work in progress to fully implement it,” Tak says.

And the household waste collection process remains a challenge considering that small city apartments aren’t conducive to having multiple bins, and sparsely populated rural areas are tougher to service.

“Getting the collection system right is a challenge, but again, it’s work in progress.”

...Nevertheless, Tak says wealthy countries should be leading the way towards a fully circular economy as they’re historically the biggest consumers of natural resources."

-via The Progress Playbook, December 13, 2023

#netherlands #dutch #circular economy #waste management #sustainable #recycle #environment #climate action #pollution #plastic pollution #landfill #good news #hope

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thepastisalreadywritten · 10 months ago

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Inside William’s Next Act: Tatler’s May issue goes behind the scenes as the Prince of Wales is rising above the noise — and playing the long game

The burden of leadership is falling upon Prince William, but as former BBC Royal Correspondent, Wesley Kerr OBE, explains in Tatler’s May cover story, the future king is taking charge

By Wesley Kerr OBE

21 March 2024

When I first met Prince William in 2009, he asked me if I could tell him how he could win the National Lottery.

It was a jokey quip from someone who has since become the Prince of Wales, the holder of three dukedoms, three earldoms, two baronies and two knighthoods, and heir to the most prestigious throne on earth.

He was, of course, being relatable; I was representing the organisation that had allocated Lottery funding towards the Whitechapel Gallery and he wanted to put me at ease.

William is grand but different, royal but real.

At 6ft 3in, he has the bearing and looks great in uniform after a distinguished, gallant military career.

He will be one of the tallest of Britain’s kings since Edward Longshanks in the 14th century and should one day be crowned sitting above the Stone of Scone that Edward ‘borrowed.’

William, by contrast, has a deep affinity with Scotland and Wales, having lived in both nations and gained solace from the Scottish landscape after his mother died.

He’s popular in America and understands that the Crown’s relationship to the Commonwealth must evolve.

The Prince of Wales has long believed that ‘the Royal Family has to modernise and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant’, as he once said in an interview.

He seeks his own way of being relatable, of benefitting everybody, in the context of an ancient institution undergoing significant challenge and upheaval, as the head of a nation divided by hard times, conflicts abroad, and social and political uncertainty.

We might recognise Shakespeare’s powerful line spoken by Claudius in Hamlet: ‘When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.’

With the triple announcement in January and February of the Princess of Wales’s abdominal surgery and long convalescence, of King Charles’s prostate procedure and then of his cancer diagnosis, the burden of leadership has fallen on 76-year-old Queen Camilla and, crucially, on William.

The Prince of Wales’s time has come to step up; and so he has deftly done.

In recent months, we have seen a fully-fledged deputy head of state putting into practice his long-held ideas, speaking out on the most contentious issue of the day and taking direct action on homelessness.

Last June, he unveiled the multi-agency Homewards initiative with the huge aspiration of ending homelessness, backed with £3 million from his Foundation to spearhead action across the UK.

He is consolidating Heads Together, the long-standing campaign on mental health, and fundraises for charities like London’s Air Ambulance Charity.

He was, of course, once a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance services – a profession that had its downside: seeing people in extremis or at death’s door, he found himself ‘taking home people’s trauma, people’s sadness.’

Tom Cruise was a guest at the recent London’s Air Ambulance Charity fundraiser, William’s first gala event after Kate’s operation.

And more stardust followed when William showed that, even without his wife by his side, he could outclass any movie star at the Baftas.

There’s also his immense aim of helping to ‘repair the planet’ itself with his Earthshot Prize: five annual awards of £1 million for transformative environmental projects with worldwide application.

This project has a laser focus on biodiversity, better air quality, cleaner seas, reducing waste and combating climate change. Similar aims to his father; different means to achieve the goal.

On the issue which has caused huge convulsions – the Middle East conflict – William’s 20 February statement from Kensington Palace grabbed attention.

He said he was ‘deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed.’

There were criticisms – along the lines of ‘the late Queen would have never spoken out like this’ or ‘what right does he have to meddle in politics?’ – but it was hard to disagree with his carefully calibrated words.

His call for peace, the ‘desperate need’ for humanitarian aid, the return of the hostages.

The statement was approved by His Majesty’s Government, likely cleared with the King himself at Sandringham the previous weekend and also backed by the chief rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Ephraim Mirvis.

Indeed, William and Catherine had immediately spoken out on the horrors of 7 October.

William followed up the week after his Kensington Palace statement by visiting a synagogue and sending a ‘powerful message’, according to the chief rabbi, by meeting a Holocaust survivor and condemning anti-Semitism.

This is rooted in deep personal conviction following William’s 2018 visit to Israel and the West Bank, says Valentine Low, the distinguished author of Courtiers and The Times’s royal correspondent of 15 years, who was on that 2018 trip.

‘William was so moved by his visit to Israel and the West Bank, he found it very affecting, and he was not going to drop this issue – he was going to pay attention to it for the rest of his life,’ says Low.

‘He must feel that… not to say something on the most important issue in the world [at that moment] would be a bit odd if you feel so strongly about it.’

There was concern from some commentators about politicising the monarchy, but this rose above the particulars of party politics.

As Prince of Wales, like his father before him, there is perhaps space to speak out sparingly on carefully chosen issues.

On this occasion, his views were in line with majority public opinion.

On homelessness, news came that same week that William was planning to build 24 homes for the homeless on his Duchy of Cornwall estate.

‘William’s impact is very personal,’ says Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, a charity providing emergency accommodation for London’s homeless.

‘Two weeks before Christmas, the prince came to our Resource Centre in Victoria for a Christmas lunch for 150 people.

He was scheduled to stay for an hour, to help serve, wash up, and talk to people.

He ended up staying for two and a quarter hours, during which time he went from table to table and spoke to every single person.’

Clarke continues:

‘William has an ability to listen, talk and to put people at ease. During the November 2020 lockdown, he came on three separate occasions to help.

It gave the team a boost that he took the time; it was his way of saying: “I support you; you’re doing a great job.”’

Seyi Obakin, chief executive of Centrepoint, one of the prince’s best-known causes, adds:

‘People associate his patronage with the big moments like the time he and I slept under Blackfriars Bridge.

The things that stick with me are smaller in scale and the more profound for it – in quieter moments, away from the cameras, where he has volunteered his time.’

It is a different approach from the King’s.

As Prince of Wales, he was involved in the minutiae of dozens of issues at any one time, working into the night to follow up on emails, crafting his speeches, writing or dictating notes.

Add to that much nationwide touring over 40 years (after he left active military service in 1976), fitting in multiple engagements, often being greeted formally by lord lieutenants.

This is not William’s style. He has commended his father’s model, but he does things his own way.

Although patronages are under review, William has up till now far fewer than either his father or his grandparents.

Charles is sympathetic to William’s approach and his desire to make time with his young family sacrosanct.

They are confidantes, attested by the night of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

They were both at Birkhall with Camilla, reviewing funeral arrangements while the rest of the grieving family were nearby at Balmoral, hosted by the Princess Royal.

Charles has had almost six decades in public life and is the senior statesman of our time, with even longer in the spotlight than Joe Biden.

After Eton and St Andrew’s University, where he met Catherine, William served in three branches of the military between 2006 and 2013, finishing as a seasoned and skilled helicopter rescue pilot.

His later employment as an air ambulance pilot stopped in 2017, when he became a full-time working royal.

At that time, not so long ago – with Harry unmarried, Andrew undisgraced, and Philip and Elizabeth still active – William shared the spotlight.

Now, after the King, he’s the key man.

He can look back on the success of his first big campaign initially launched with his wife and brother in 2016: Heads Together.

‘We are delighted that Prince William should have become such a positive and sympathetic advocate for mental health through his Heads Together initiative and now well-established text service, Shout, among other projects,’ says the longtime CEO and founder of Sane, the remarkable Marjorie Wallace CBE.

‘It is not always known that he follows in the footsteps of his father, the King, whose inspiration and vision were vital in the creation of our mental health charity Sane.

As founding patron, he was instrumental in establishing our 365-days-a-year helpline and was a remarkable and selfless support to me in setting up the Prince of Wales International Centre for Sane Research.’

'Indeed,' says Wallace, 'this is where Prince William echoes the work of his father, showing the same ‘understanding and compassion for people struggling through dark and difficult times of their lives and has done much to raise awareness and encourage those affected to speak out and seek help.

We owe a huge debt to His Majesty and the Prince of Wales for their involvement in this still-neglected area.’

Just as I saw all those years ago at that early solo engagement in Whitechapel, William still approaches his public duties with humour and fun.

‘He defuses the formality with jocularity,’ says Valentine Low, citing two public events in 2023 that he witnessed.

In April last year, while on a visit to Birmingham, William randomly answered the phone in an Indian restaurant he was being shown around and took a table booking from a customer – an endearing act of spontaneity.

On his arrival later that day, the unsuspecting diner was surprised to be told exactly whom he had been talking to.

In October, Low reported, William ‘unleashed his inner flirt as he hugged his way through a visit with Caribbean elders [in Cardiff] to mark Black History Month.

As he gave one woman a hug – for longer than she expected – he joked: “I draw the line at kissing.”

And while posing for a group photograph, he prompted gales of laughter when he quipped: “Who is pinching my bottom?”’

Low believes that when William eventually becomes king, he will be more ‘radical’ than his father but wonders if people will respond to ‘call me William’ when ‘the whole point of the Royal Family is mystique and being different.’

However, William has thought deeply about his current role and is prepared for whatever his future holds.

For now, there is a decision to be made on Prince George’s secondary schooling. It’s said that five public schools are being considered, all fee-paying.

Eton is single-sex and boarding but close to home. Marlborough (Catherine’s alma mater) is co-ed and full boarding. And Oundle, St Edward’s Oxford and Bradfield College (close to Kate’s parents) are co-ed with a mix of boarding and day.

As parents, William and Catherine aspire to raise their children ‘as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important’, William said in an interview with the BBC in 2016.

‘Within our family unit, we are a normal family.’ Which may be one reason why he is so resistant to their privacy being compromised either by the media or close family members.

The 19th-century author Walter Bagehot wrote:

‘A family on the throne is an interesting idea also. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life… a princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact, and, as such, it rivets mankind.’

If hereditary monarchy is to survive, it must beguile us but also demonstrate its utility, that it is a force for good.

William said in that 2016 interview, ‘I’m going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime,’ echoing Queen Elizabeth II’s famous Guildhall speech in 1992 ‘that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution – city, monarchy, whatever – should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.’

William saw close up his mother’s ability to bring public focus and her own personal magnetism to any subject or cause she focused on.

He admires his father’s work ethic, the way he ‘really digs down,’ sometimes literally (I understand that gardening is giving the King solace during his cancer treatment).

But the biggest influence for William was Her late Majesty, as he said on her 90th birthday.

As an Eton schoolboy, William made weekend visits to the big house on the hill, being mentored by Granny rather as she had been tutored in the Second World War by the then vice-provost of Eton, Sir Henry Marten.

William said in 2016:

‘In the Queen, I have an extraordinary example of somebody who’s done an enormous amount of good and she’s probably the best role model I could have.’

That said, his aim was ‘finding your own path but with very good examples and guidance around you to support you.'

Queen Elizabeth II had a brilliant way of rising above the fray and usually being either a step ahead of public opinion or in tune with it.

If you are at the helm of affairs in a privileged hereditary position, your duty is to serve and use your pulpit for the benefit of others.

In a democracy, monarchy is accountable.

The scrutiny is intense, with an army of commentators paid for wisdom and hot air about each no-show, parsing each announcement, interpreting each image.

William takes the long view. He has ‘wide horizons,’ says Mick Clarke.

‘There are so many causes that are more palatable and easier to achieve than ending homelessness, but his commitment and drive are 100 per cent.’

The prince seeks a different way of being royal in an ancient institution that must move with the times. His task? To develop something modern in an ever-changing world.

He faces all sorts of new issues – or old issues in new guises.

Noises off from within the family don’t help – Andrew’s difficulties, or the suggestions of prejudice from Montecito a couple of years ago (now seemingly withdrawn), which prompted William’s most vehement soundbite: ‘We’re very much not a racist family.’

William is maybe a new kind of leader who can keep the monarchy relevant and resonant in the coming decades.

Queen Elizabeth II is a powerful exemplar and memory, but she was of her time. William is his own man.

He must overcome and think beyond ‘the unforgiving minute.’

Indeed, he could seek inspiration in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, If.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch[…]

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

This article was first published in the May 2024 issue, on sale Thursday, 28 March.

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rjzimmerman · 19 days ago

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How to Repair the Planet? One Answer Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight. (New York Times)

Yes, yes and another triple yes to this premise of this article: we can address the various global crises facing us by looking at them "holistically" rather than as separate silos. I've been harping on this since I started this blog: deal with the "traditional" environmental issues, such as the collapse of biodiversity, properly, and simultaneously we might also be dealing with the newer and evolving climate crisis issues. All part of one, instead of separate kingdoms that benefit academia rather than the rest of us.

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

Sometimes, human needs can make problems like climate change and biodiversity collapse seem insurmountable. The world still relies on fossil fuels that are dangerously heating the planet. People need to eat, but agriculture is a top driver of biodiversity loss.

But what if we’re looking at those problems the wrong way? What if we tackled them as a whole, instead of individually?

A landmark assessment, commissioned by 147 countries and made public on Tuesday, offers the most comprehensive answer to date, examining the sometimes dizzying interconnections among biodiversity, climate change, food, water and health.

“Our current approaches to dealing with these crises have tended to be fragmented or siloed,” said Paula Harrison, a co-chair of the assessment and an environmental scientist who focuses on land and water modeling at the UK Center for Ecology & Hydrology, a research organization. “That’s led to inefficiencies and has often been counterproductive.”

The report, by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, an independent panel that advises governments on biodiversity issues, focuses heavily on solutions. It includes scores of potential interventions along with their cascading effects. For example, the authors note that efforts like incorporating prairie strips, areas of native vegetation amid crop rows, or strategically locating trees on farmland can help with biodiversity, food production, human well-being, water quality and climate change all at once.

Not all situations will have multiple wins. Often, negative consequences are unavoidable. But people should be aware of the trade-offs and make them deliberately, from national governments all the way to local communities, the authors said.

“Right now, we don’t take account of a lot of the trade-offs,” said Pamela McElwee, also a co-chair of the assessment and a professor of human ecology at Rutgers University. “And so, they get passed on to somebody else.”

Overlooked costs to biodiversity, climate, water and health from the fossil fuel, agriculture and fisheries sectors were estimated at $10 trillion to $25 trillion per year. Negative health consequences were especially costly, Dr. McElwee said. For instance, she pointed to the nine million people a year who die from air pollution, and the rise in obesity and diabetes because of unhealthy diets that also harm biodiversity and contribute to climate change.

#climate crisis #biodiversity

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flightyquinn · 1 year ago

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More Minecraft modding thoughts from me;

Going through mods that change the Nether, I feel like not a lot of people share my vision for it. Most mods try to fill the Nether up with life. They want to give it weird, alien plants and lots of biodiversity. Big forests and jungles, vines everywhere.

On the one hand, I get it. It's a big series of caves, so the temptation is to make it a cavernous biosphere, but alien. The thing is, I don't think the Nether should feel alien. If that's any Vanilla dimension's prerogative, it should be the End. Let the End islands be full of incomprehensible, alien life, strange vistas, and things recognizable to, but utterly incompatible with, the natural world.

When I look at the Nether, I see a world that's dead. It's oppressive and inhospitable. It's eerie. It's dangerous. There are ruins of a dead civilization everywhere, but the only living inhabitants can't even repair them, let alone build anything new. I look at the Crimson and Warped Forest biomes and what I see is the last surviving pockets of vegetation, half of them corrupted by incursion from another world - yeah, my headcanon is that Warped Forests are spots where the End is breaking in, twisting the native flora into mutated forms to make it more habitable for their kind of life.

So when I want an expansion to the Nether, that's the vibe I want. I want the Nether to be spooky, desolate, and devastated. A post-apocalyptic wasteland of a dimension. A broken world that was swallowed by the earth after being destroyed, inhabited mostly by the dead, and being invaded by beings from another world. I want it to be a twisted, burning wasteland of what once was.

#minecraft #minecraft modding #my ideas #the nether #horror adjacent #atmosphere #environmental storytelling

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solarpunkbusiness · 3 months ago

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n recent years, there’s been growing attention on the circular economy.

This production model encompasses businesses and consumers in a symbiotic relationship of efforts to minimise emissions and waste through sharing, lending, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling materials and products.

For businesses, a crucial part of enabling consumers to keep up their end of the deal is designing products and services for a longer life span.

By comparison, the traditional linear economy – otherwise known as the “take-make-waste” economy – extracts resources to make products that end up as waste, usually much sooner, thanks to planned obsolescence.

The linear model is significantly contributing to biodiversity loss and global warming. It requires large amounts of non-renewable resources and contributes hugely to landfill – around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the linear industrial production of consumer goods.

Moving to a new way of working is a complex task, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that circular ways of working will be an integral part of reaching international climate goals.

We spoke to some of the businesses trailblazing circular models that show that there’s a much more planet-friendly way to do business.

#solarpunk #solarpunk business #solarpunk business models #solar punk #circular

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no-clue-what-to-take · 3 months ago

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Humans in Splatoon

(Basically I got a question and it scratched my 'tism so good I just had to make this post. Long, possibly ADHD fueled rant/ramble post, spoilers for the lore ofc)

I don't think I've seen a lot of this discussion but what if humans didn't get wiped in WW3 or any other means? How would they interact with Ink/Octo -lings? Seeing as the evolution of cephalopods was directly caused by humanity (global warming, WW3, sea levels rising following the nuking of Antarctica, Alterna and the crystals), if the WW3 didn't happen the events of Splatoon wouldn't have happened as well. Following that, we could look at the cryo chambers. If there were enough to save enough scientists to repair some tech and possibly start expanding the population (through traditional means or cloning if the group is not biodiverse enough), humanity could develop into a minority in the New World. We could also look at Alterna. The death of scientists was ultimately caused by a cave-in after a test launch of a rocket. That cave-in scattered the Desire Crystals in the water causing the cephalopod evolution yadda-yadda-yadda... What I'm thinking is that the crystals could've been scattered in the water for one reason or another but the cave-in could possibly have been avoided, letting the scientists survive and go on to create a Dr. Stone-like scenario where they explore the ruined world. Granted, the evolution took place over 2000 years or so so the survivors could easily enough explore the world and settle on the scarce land that was not flooded making the evolution... difficult.

Okay, that was for the more logical ways humans could end up surviving until the events of Splatoon. What if they just... appeared out of nowhere? Like the Cryo chamber scenario where there could be no sign of them and then BAM, Mankind's back baby. I think the rational heads would be more cautious and come up with a translator to set up some diplomatic relations with the governments of Ink/Octo -lings and maybe carve out a spot for their community.

Now for the part that started my obsession with this question. How would humans fare in the Splatfest if they were ever allowed in?

Imo they would act as a sort of Juggernaut, only having 1-2 per team and with limited abilities. Obviously they can't be killed with ink BUT they can be blinded. Their "health" could be visualized through their jacket or could be done airsoft style where you have to hit a couple weak points to bring them down. They couldn't swim through ink but could move through enemy ink without taking damage. Swimming up walls is also out of the picture, so is reloading. The latter could be done with "Ink Showers" that would change color based on who owns the closest point. They could use stuff like Aerospray to set up Turf for their team and let kids do the fighting. As a catch-up mechanic they would also have to walk back to spawn to wait out the timer (the further you reach the better your team is performing so you'll have to sit on the bench a bit longer mister/missy).

And that's about all I had for this burst of hyperfixation. Sorry if there's any bad grammar or lore inaccuracies, I have literally never played Splatoon and I'm going purely off of Wiki, that one lore video and ADHD juice. Discussion welcome.

#splatoon #splatoon 2 #splatoon 3 #splatfest #nintendo #adhd #hyperfixation #discussion #long post

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jhenvs3000semester · 4 months ago

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Blog 2

My ideal position as an environmental interpreter is to combine my love of nature and conservation with my goal of becoming a physician. While studying to become a doctor, I have always believed that preserving human lives is inextricably linked to environmental protection. What good is it to repair the human body if our planet is in crisis? Human health can only have a long-term future if the earth is healthy. This understanding fuels my outstanding dedication to environmental education and conservation.

As an interpreter, I would help others understand the deep relationships within ecosystems that allow life to exist—not only for species but also for humans. Whether guiding hikes through protected conservation areas or hosting workshops in local parks, I would emphasize the importance of the environment in maintaining our health. Examples include how woods clean the air, wetlands filter water, and biodiversity enhances ecosystems, benefiting human communities.

This employment would also allow me to express my enthusiasm for conservation. I would emphasize the links between environmental health and human health, arguing that protecting the environment is critical to our survival. I want people to understand how human and environmental well-being are inextricably linked. We cannot live as a species if we continue to damage the ecosystems that give us with clean air, water, and food.

At the same time, I intend to make environmental education more engaging and accessible. I envision creating interactive, sensory experiences that inspire people to fully immerse themselves in nature. Whether it's leading a group into a forest to feel the texture of leaves or urging them to close their eyes and listen to the sound of the wind, I'd show my audience that nature is more than just something to look at; it's something to experience and comprehend on a deeper level.

Along with in-person events, I envision myself providing instructional content through blogs or podcasts, allowing me to share my enthusiasm for medicine and the environment. For example, I could address how climate change affects public health or how conservation measures can improve community well-being.

To be effective in this profession, I need to use my communication skills, which I am also building for my medical career. Just as doctors must explain complex medical concepts to patients in understandable terms, environmental interpreters must break down the complexities of ecology and conservation into approachable and entertaining lessons. I'd need to be adaptive and able to interact with youth one day and then debate climate science with adults the next.

Finally, this work is an opportunity to combine my passions: helping people and safeguarding the environment. As an environmental interpreter, I would assist others in understanding that human health's future is inextricably linked to the health of our world and that by nurturing both, we can create a healthier, more sustainable future for everybody.

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sustainabilitythoughts · 2 years ago

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What is sustainability?

After I wrote a post about getting started with sustainability actions, I started thinking about what sustainability means. We hear the word a lot but how much do we know about what sustainability really means? I looked at some definitions and thought about what I know about our planet. Here’s what I think sustainability means.

One article used the phrase “healthy planet”. In the biggest sense, sustainability means that individuals, corporations, and governments make choices that support a healthy planet. A healthy planet is one where all of the creatures (including people) and plants can live healthy lives in a habitat that supports them, for many millennia into the future. Based on this definition, we have a long way to go to reach sustainability. We are using irreplaceable resources at an alarming rate, polluting the planet, quickly losing biodiversity and habitat, and changing our climate. And there is no Planet B. I am not suggesting that everyone needs to cut back to using only enough resources to barely remain alive, because there is more to life than just existing. However, if we make lifestyle changes where we can, it will make a difference. Each of us needs to evaluate our own situation - what aspects of our lifestyle are most important to us and what aspects we can change. Start your sustainability lifestyle changes using baby steps so the effort is not overwhelming. Here is a more detailed list of aspects I would include in addressing sustainability. The list seems overwhelming, but don’t let that stop you from taking baby steps. I’ll write more on each of these topics as time goes by.

Disposable items: While many of us think of obvious items such as plastic straws, our disposable culture includes much more. Items that are discarded instead of being repaired, reused, or recycled may be considered disposable. Anything that goes into a landfill is actually a disposable item. Items designed so they cannot be repaired are disposable even if you keep them for a few years.

Biodiversity: The earth has many millions of living things with a wide variety of types and needs. All species of plants and other living creatures, including human beings, are intricately linked by their interactions with each other and the environments they live in. Taking away or modifying habitat or the “residents” of that habitat has an effect on every other living thing in that habitat. Healthy habitats and residents are essential for a healthy planet. Threats to biodiversity include monoculture (large areas with only one type of plant), invasive species, and loss of habitat through human activities.

Consumption: Manufacturing and transporting all the items we buy takes resources and energy. Managing these items after we discard them also takes resources and energy, and some items create greenhouse gases as they decompose in landfills.

Energy: Energy requires resources for production and use. Even renewable energy sources require resources to manufacture and then dispose of the components. Some forms of energy production generate greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gas emissions: These emissions are changing the earth’s climate. There are many greenhouse gases, and some (methane, for example) are much more effective at increasing global temperatures than carbon dioxide. Freon is not only a very powerful greenhouse gas but also destroys a high-altitude ozone later that protects the earth from some of the sun’s harmful radiation.

Pollution: Tens of thousands of different chemicals are put into the air and water every day and can cause significant problems. The list includes simple things like air fresheners and complex things such as chemicals discharged into the air and water during a manufacturing process.

#sustainability #environment #environmental

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scienceoftheidiot · 1 year ago

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I've grown way too unhinged with these "asks", but I've been meaning to send you this one for a while, so please indulge me!

From what I've noticed, a lot of the Royai fan artists I follow tend to prefer drawing Riza, when they're not portraying her with Roy. But I've noticed that a number of your pieces focused on Roy only, which I find very interesting! Would you say that his character inspires you more than Riza, artistically/creatively speaking? If so, in what ways?

Please tell us more! And thank you, as always <3

Lol not unhinged at all I love to receive asks, I just always forget to reply 🥲🥲 sorry 🥲 so, first, thank you very much for asking ! 🥰❤️

And lol yeah, sometimes I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb among the Royai people. But eh, healthy ecosystems need biodiversity 🤣

I hope my answer isn't too long.

I do have a preference for Roy in drawing, for a number of reasons.

I precise in drawing, because I do love writing Riza, not more than I do writing Roy, but they're relatively even for me - even if, yes, I tend to favour Roy because he's easier for me, there, too.

I like to draw him, because I like his face, expressions and postures, and I like to explore them. He's a fun little guy to draw, when I think Riza is cool AF (and I have a lot to say about her character, too!) but she's not as fun to draw for me (once again I love her and she's in fact the female character I have drawn the most I think, because I have a hard time drawing women, but still, if I'm looking for a quick doodle, I'll go towards Roy).

But yes, they're more or less indissociable for me, and for proof my first fan art for FMA was indeed Royai (here!).

Anyway. While Royai is my favourite ship and I love Riza to bits, my favourite character in FMA is Roy. Roy first. (And my husband has understood that well, he's calling me when we do a rewatch and Roy appears on screen and I'm not watching. Like HURRY ROY IS THERE).

Now, if anyone who knows me from earlier than my FMA obsession reads this, and I describe the utter mess that is Roy, they'll understand that it couldn't have gone any other way. Here's a man in a position of power, who hides everything behind a façade, who's a nerd and highly intelligent (I admit I'm often irked by some posts in the royai fandom. This guy is smart. He's goofy, he's a dork, but he's smart. Book smart, he's a fine tactician, and he can command. Erasing that is erasing part of his identity, and I'm sure part of why Riza loves him, too), has a weird sense of humour even though he can also be intense af, is crushed by unbelievable guilt from his past actions (I admit Roy and Roza both beat all of my previous fixations in that, good job being war criminals, guys 🙃) and intends to repair what he's done as much as he can, one way or another, whose sole goal is to make things better for others/his place/his country, whatever he has to give up for it to work, who inspires others doing that, and who gets badly injured/disabled during the story and keeps going and fighting teeth and nails through it and beyond?

WELL. There is no question I will fall for this dude instantly. This is like. Checking all the boxes for me to be instantly in love with this guy. Like. I think he's actually the only one who checks ALL of my boxes.

I do think however that Roy isn't complete without Riza, and that it's the same on her side (like. I've only tagged my current fic with "codependency" but that's how I write them whatever I write). I'm just fixating on him first, but I still find Riza an awesome character, there's no debate there 😊

Here you go! I've written a novel again lol but I hope I've replied to all your questions. I can talk more about how I see Roy and Riza, I always have more to tell, but really that would just make this even more unpalatable 😅 thank you again for asking 😊

#ask #replies #aicasey

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ultimate-worldbuilding · 2 years ago

Text

Creating a Space Station

Name and Location:

Name of the space station

Orbital location (e.g., around a planet, moon, or in deep space)

Any unique features or characteristics of the location

Background and Purpose:

Brief history and reasons for the station's construction

Primary purpose or mission of the station (e.g., research, colonization, defense, trade, mining, etc.)

Key organizations or entities involved in its establishment

Design and Structure:

Overview of the station's architectural design and layout

Different modules or sections of the station (e.g., living quarters, research labs, docking bays, etc.)

Key engineering feats or technological advancements used in its construction

Size and Population:

Dimensions of the space station (length, width, height)

Estimated population and demographics (humans, aliens, robots, etc.)

Capacity for expansion and accommodating future growth

Systems and Resources:

Life support and Resource systems: Air generation and filtration, Water purification and recycling, Waste management, Artificial gravity, Temperature and air pressure control, Radiation protection, Fire suppression systems, Medical supplies and tools, Food production, Maintenance and Repair tools and facilities

Energy source and storage: Solar power, Nuclear fusion, Advanced batteries, Fusion reactors, Harvesting solar flares

Living Quarters and Facilities

Description of residential areas (individual quarters, communal spaces, recreational facilities)

Water block

Medical facilities and healthcare services available

Education and training facilities for residents and their families

Scientific Research and Laboratories

Different types of laboratories and equipment available depending on the stations’s mission

Astronomical observatories, Biological Laboratory, Climate and Environmental Studies, Planet observation and Research, Rock Analysis Facility

Transportation and Docking:

Docking bays for spacecraft and shuttle services

Transportation systems within the station (elevators, maglev trains, etc.)

Maintenance and repair facilities for visiting spacecraft

Security and Defense:

Security measures and protocols

Defense systems against potential threats: Shielding technology, Defensive satellites & space drones, Cloaking Technology, Countermeasures (flares, countershots, etc), Intruder Detection Systems, Surveillance and AI protection, Protection by AI or Hacker from outside hacks, Self-Repair System

Security personnel and their roles and ranks

Communication and Information Systems:

Communication technology used for inter-station and interstellar communication

Data storage and retrieval systems

Access to networks anddatabases

Trade and Economy:

Types of goods and resources traded on the station

Cargo of the space station

Economic systems

Currency used

Marketplaces within the station

Social and Cultural Aspects:

Societal norms and cultural diversity among the station's residents

Recreational and entertainment facilities (cinemas, sports arenas, etc.)

Events or celebrations unique to the station's culture

Governance and Administration:

Station hierarchy and governing bodies (administrators, council, etc.)

Laws and regulations specific to the station

Interactions with external governing entities (planetary governments, interstellar alliances, etc.)

Exploration and Discovery:

Expeditions or missions launched from the station

Discoveries made during exploration and sample gathering efforts

Spacecrafts and vehicles associated with the station's exploration activities

Environmental Considerations:

Measures taken to mitigate the effects of microgravity or radiation on residents' health

Environmental controls and simulations for recreating gravity and natural environments

Preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity on the station (if applicable)

Emergency Response and Crisis Management:

Protocols for handling emergencies (fires, system failures, medical emergencies, etc.)

Emergency evacuation plans and escape pods

Training programs for emergency response teams

Relations with Other Space Stations or Entities:

Collaborative projects or joint initiatives with other space stations

Trade agreements or diplomatic relations with neighboring stations or colonies

Conflict resolution mechanisms for inter-station disputes

Notable Individuals or Figures:

Prominent leaders from the station

Accomplishments and contributions of notable residents

Astronauts, scientists, or pioneers who have called the station home

Challenges and Risks:

Environmental and technological risks faced by the station

Political and social tensions within the station's community

External threats and conflicts affecting the station's stability

Future Expansion and Development:

Plans for future expansion and upgrades (where are they gonna get the resources for this?)

Integration of new technologies, scientific advancements into the station's infrastructure

Long-term goals for the station

#scifi worldbuilding #scifi #worldbuilding tips #worldbuilding

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