Glass Wings Blog: February 2023

<https://theconversation.com/what-do-oranges-coffee-grounds-and-seaweed-have-in-common-they-outshine-cotton-in-sustainable-fashion-196391>

"Ever considered the carbon footprint of manufacturing your favourite shirt?

The average cotton shirt produces 2.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide – but a

Huge protest in Israel over rightwing government’s judicial changes

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:30:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/22/huge-crowds-protest-in-israel-over-rightwing-governments-judicial-reforms>

"An estimated 100,000 people took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night
in what protesters described as a “fight for Israel’s destiny” over sweeping
judicial changes proposed by the new far-right government.

Australia’s twice extended deadline for torture prevention is today, but we’ve missed it again

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:31:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/australias-twice-extended-deadline-for-torture-prevention-is-today-but-weve-missed-it-again-197793>

"Today marks the (already twice extended) deadline for Australia to meet its
international obligation to implement torture prevention bodies. The role of
these bodies is to monitor treatment and conditions in places where people are

‘We don’t know his real name’: George Santos’s unravelling web of lies

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:32:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/22/george-santos-lies-republican-party-future>

"“He didn’t just steal from a service dog. He didn’t just steal from a dying
service dog. He stole from a disabled homeless veteran’s dying service dog. Oh
my God. You evil and stupid!”

Brazil declares emergency over deaths of Yanomami children from malnutrition

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:26:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-declares-emergency-over-deaths-yanomami-children-malnutrition-2023-01-22/>

"BRASILIA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's ministry of health has declared a
medical emergency in the Yanomami territory, the country's largest indigenous
reservation bordering Venezuela, following reports of children dying of

If you haven’t joined a union, it’s time you paid to benefit from union deals

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:27:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/if-you-havent-joined-a-union-its-time-you-paid-to-benefit-from-union-deals-197992>

"A long overdue public debate has started in Australia about “free riding” in
industrial relations – when non-union members benefit from collective
agreements negotiated by union members without contributing (through membership

Joseph Stiglitz: tax high earners at 70% to tackle widening inequality

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:28:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/jan/22/joseph-stiglitz-economist-income-tax-high-earners-70-per-cent-inequality>

"Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel prize-winning Keynesian economist, has called for
the super-rich to be subjected to taxes as high as 70% to help tackle widening
inequality.

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:29:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-gender-and-the-toll-of-strong-compassionate-leadership-198152>

"“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”, wrote Shakespeare, way back in the
1500s. It’s not a new idea that top-level leadership jobs are intensely
stressful and pose a heavy toll. Extended periods of stress are known to put

What Will ‘Weather Whiplash’ Mean for California?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:30:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/opinion/california-drought-flooding-climate-change.html>

"California is built upon the great gamble of irrigation. Left alone, much of
the land in the Western United States would be inhospitable to teeming cities.
But we’re Americans — we couldn’t let the desert stand in our way.

Can reading help heal us and process our emotions – or is that just a story we tell ourselves?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:22:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/can-reading-help-heal-us-and-process-our-emotions-or-is-that-just-a-story-we-tell-ourselves-197789>

"The oldest known library, dating back to the second millennium BC, in Thebes,
Egypt, reportedly bore a sign above its portals in Greek: Psyches Iatreion,
translated as “healing place of the soul”.

Exploding carp numbers are ‘like a house of horrors’ for our rivers. Is it time to unleash carp herpes?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:24:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/exploding-carp-numbers-are-like-a-house-of-horrors-for-our-rivers-is-it-time-to-unleash-carp-herpes-198067>

"With widespread La Niña flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin, common carp
(Cyprinus carpio) populations are having a boom year. Videos of writhing
masses of both adult and young fish illustrate that all is not well in our

Tigers in South Africa: a farming industry exists – often for their body parts

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:25:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/tigers-in-south-africa-a-farming-industry-exists-often-for-their-body-parts-198238>

"A tiger escaped from a residence and roamed the countryside outside
Johannesburg, South Africa, for four days this month. It attacked a man and
killed several animals, and was eventually shot by the authorities. Tigers

‘A great day for the country’: Uganda declares an end to Ebola outbreak

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:26:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jan/11/uganda-declares-end-to-ebola-outbreak>

"The Ugandan government has declared an end to its Ebola outbreak, less than
four months after cases were first reported.

Why we all need subtitles now

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:27:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYJtb2YXae8

"Have you ever been watching a show or movie, and then a character delivers a
line so unintelligible you have to scramble to find the remote and rewind? For
me, this moment came during the climax of the Pete Davidson film “The King of

Climate change is threatening Madagascar’s famous forests – our study shows how serious it is

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:52:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-threatening-madagascars-famous-forests-our-study-shows-how-serious-it-is-195964>

"Global climate change doesn’t only cause the melting of polar ice caps, rising
sea levels and extreme weather events. It also has a direct effect on many
tropical habitats and the animals and plants that inhabit them. As fossil fuel

Peru protests: What to know about Indigenous-led movement shaking the crisis-hit country

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:52:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/peru-protests-what-to-know-about-indigenous-led-movement-shaking-the-crisis-hit-country-198232>

"Peru is in the midst of a political and civil crisis. Weeks of protest have
culminated in thousands descending on the capital amid violent clashes and
running battles with police.

Five big challenges for Lula’s presidency of Brazil

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:53:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/five-big-challenges-for-lulas-presidency-of-brazil-197967>

"The storming of democratic intuitions in Brazil’s capital – the supreme court,
the national congress and the presidential palace – on January 8 further
exposed the deep divide that the nation’s new government has to address.

Subjective and Objective Measurement of Democratic Backsliding

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:54:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://osf.io/n32zk/

"Despite the general narrative that we are in a period of global democratic
decline, there have been surprisingly few empirical studies to assess whether
this is systematically true. Most existing studies of backsliding rely heavily,

Q&A: Why are the Scottish and UK governments going to court over gender recognition laws?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:55:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/qanda-why-are-the-scottish-and-uk-governments-going-to-court-over-gender-recognition-laws-197981>

"The Scottish and UK governments are heading to court over a plan to change the
law in Scotland to make it easier for people to change their legal gender. We
asked a legal expert to explain what the dispute is about and why it has

‘No miracles needed’: Prof Mark Jacobson on how wind, sun and water can power the world

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:14:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/23/no-miracles-needed-prof-mark-jacobson-on-how-wind-sun-and-water-can-power-the-world>

"“Combustion is the problem – when you’re continuing to burn something, that’s
not solving the problem,” says Prof Mark Jacobson.

System to protect Australia’s threatened species from development ‘more or less worthless’, study finds

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:15:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/24/system-to-protect-threatened-species-from-development-more-or-less-worthless-study-finds>

"Decisions by environment ministers spanning 15 years to either wave through
projects or impose stricter conditions to protect threatened species made no
actual difference to the amount of habitat destroyed, according to a new study.

The world’s carbon price is a fraction of what we need – because only a fifth of global emissions are priced

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:17:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-carbon-price-is-a-fraction-of-what-we-need-because-only-a-fifth-of-global-emissions-are-priced-195928>

"At the end of last year, the world’s average price to emit one tonne of
greenhouse gases was around US$5.29 (AU$7.77). For pricing to work as we want –
to wean us off fossil fuels – it needs to be around $75 by the end of the

Our Solar System is filled with asteroids that are particularly hard to destroy, new study finds

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:17:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/our-solar-system-is-filled-with-asteroids-that-are-particularly-hard-to-destroy-new-study-finds-197413>

"A vast amount of rocks and other material are hurtling around our Solar System
as asteroids and comets. If one of these came towards us, could we successfully
prevent the collision between an asteroid and Earth?

Eight in 10 people in China caught Covid since early December, say officials

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:18:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/23/80-of-people-in-china-caught-covid-since-early-december-say-officials>

"About 80% of China’s population has been infected with Covid-19 since
restrictions were lifted in early December, Chinese health authorities have
said.

Researchers discover elephant extinction could have major impact on atmospheric carbon levels

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:03:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://phys.org/news/2023-01-elephant-extinction-major-impact-atmospheric.html>

"In findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(PNAS), Saint Louis University researchers and colleagues report that elephants
play a key role in creating forests which store more atmospheric carbon and

How to talk to someone about conspiracy theories in five simple steps

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:03:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-someone-about-conspiracy-theories-in-five-simple-steps-197819>

"People’s first instinct when engaging with conspiracy believers is often to
try and debunk their ideas with factual and authoritative information.

Number of populist world leaders at 20-year low

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:06:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/05/number-of-populist-world-leaders-at-20-year-low>

"The number of populist leaders around the world has fallen to a 20-year low
after a series of victories for progressives and centrists over the past year,
according to analysis from the Tony Blair Institute showing the number of

Photos from the field: our voyage investigating Australia’s submarine landslides and deep-marine canyons

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:09:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/photos-from-the-field-our-voyage-investigating-australias-submarine-landslides-and-deep-marine-canyons-184839>

"We gathered at the edge of the ship deck, awaiting the return of our sediment
corer that had been lowered 4.5 kilometres – half the height of Mount Everest –
to the seafloor. Our team of 53 people nervously shuffled together like

Their Mothers Were Teenagers. They Didn’t Want That for Themselves.

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:17:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/wZNjf

"JENNINGS, Mo. — Brittnee Marsaw was born to a 15-year-old mother in St. Louis
and raised by a grandmother who had given birth even younger. Half grown by the
time her mother could support her, Ms. Marsaw joined her three states away but

What is a ‘continuous culture’... and are Aboriginal cultures the oldest?

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 18:58:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/what-is-a-continuous-culture-and-are-aboriginal-cultures-the-oldest/cuehbdmpd>

"As I got older I noticed some slight variations in how people would phrase
this, and noticed similar patterns of what the perceived problem was. I would
hear it said as ‘are among the oldest cultures on earth’, or more pointedly,

It’s not all about gender or ethnicity: a blind spot in diversity programs is holding equality back

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 18:59:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/its-not-all-about-gender-or-ethnicity-a-blind-spot-in-diversity-programs-is-holding-equality-back-198237>

"Diversity, inclusion and equity policies are now broadly endorsed in
Australian organisations. But not all diversities are equal. Our research
suggests while programs for women and some racial minorities are being

An Immense World (II)

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 19:00:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://decoherency.blogspot.com/2023/01/an-immense-world-ii.html

"This is the second part of my summary of the most interesting bits of An
Immense World. In the first part we saw familiar senses being used in
unfamiliar ways. In this concluding post, I'll look at the weirder, more exotic

Three weeks and 39 mass shootings. This is America in 2023.

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 19:01:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/23/politics/mass-shootings-in-2023-what-matters/index.html>

"On Monday, at least seven people were killed in two shootings in Half Moon
Bay, California, a small coastal community in the San Francisco Bay area. In
Oakland, one person was shot to death and seven other people were injured.

“Died Suddenly” Is Anti-Vaxxers’ New Favorite Phrase

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 19:04:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/died-suddenly-covid-vaccine-misinformation.html>

"Mis- and disinformation have been prevalent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
but in recent months anti-vax activists and conspiracy theorists have latched
on to a new phrase to help their cause: “died suddenly.” Anti-vaxxers hoping to

The Doomsday Clock moves to 90 seconds to midnight, signaling more peril than ever

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 04:25:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/2023/01/24/1150982819/doomsday-clock-90-seconds-to-midnight>

"The world is closer to catastrophe than ever: the Doomsday Clock, the
metaphorical measure of challenges to humanity, was reset to 90 seconds before
midnight on Tuesday.

Review: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 04:28:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-i-was-a-teenage-exocolonist/

"I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is one of those games that I kept hearing about,
but it took me a minute to get around to playing it with all the amazing titles
that came out last year. I know I’m a bit late to the party on this one, as the

They’re on our coat of arms but extinct in Tasmania. Rewilding with emus will be good for the island state’s ecosystems

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 04:30:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/theyre-on-our-coat-of-arms-but-extinct-in-tasmania-rewilding-with-emus-will-be-good-for-the-island-states-ecosystems-197029>

"The emu is iconically Australian, appearing on cans, coins, cricket bats and
our national coat of arms, as well as that of the Tasmanian capital, Hobart.
However, most people don’t realise emus once also roamed Tasmania but are now

Sea Level Rise is Scary, Sea Water Warming is Worse

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 04:30:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://martinedic.medium.com/sea-level-rise-is-scary-sea-water-warming-is-worse-51f093fc9b5a>

"In the early days of recognizing the climate change threat, the focus was on
rising sea levels as polar ice and glacier melt accelerated. The common vision
was of coastal areas being inundated and entire low level regions becoming

Coldplay - Biutyful (Official Video)

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 04:32:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raHLFg6bkNI

"The official video for Coldplay - Biutyful. Taken from Coldplay's new album
Music Of The Spheres, featuring the hit singles Higher Power, My Universe
& Let Somebody Go."

War leaves a toxic legacy that lasts long after the guns go quiet. Can we stop it?

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 12:18:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/war-leaves-a-toxic-legacy-that-lasts-long-after-the-guns-go-quiet-can-we-stop-it-197051>

"The number of armed conflicts currently raging around the world is the
greatest since the end of the Second World War. These wars can leave toxic
environmental legacies and cause untold damage to human health.

Wave of new Australian citizens celebrated in Merri-bek after Australia Day ceremonies rule repealed

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 12:20:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/wave-of-new-australian-citizens-celebrated-in-merri-bek-after-australia-day-ceremonies-rule-repealed-20230104-p5cac1.html>

"After nine years living in Melbourne, Briton Rob Wilkie officially became an
Australian, donning an “Always Was, Always Will Be” Aboriginal rights T-shirt
to mark the occasion.

Mass shooters celebrate while Republicans vow to protect us from librarians and history teachers

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 12:21:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/gun-violence/

"Saturday night 10 people were murdered by a mass shooter in California. It’s
the 37th mass shooting this year. We’re 23 days into 2023 and over 2,200+
Americans have already died of gun violence.

Why loneliness is both an individual thing and a shared result of the cities we create

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 12:22:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/why-loneliness-is-both-an-individual-thing-and-a-shared-result-of-the-cities-we-create-198069>

"If you’re feeling lonely, you’re not alone. Loneliness is an increasingly
common experience, and it can have severe consequences. People who feel lonely
are at higher risk of serious health issues, including heart disease, immune

Digital rights activist Ola Bini declared innocent by Ecuadorian court

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 12:24:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/02/01/digital-rights-activist-ola-bini-declared-innocent-by-ecuadorian-court/>

"Swedish software developer and digital rights activist Ola Bini was acquitted
of charges of hacking a computer on Tuesday, January 31 by a court in Quito.
The activist was acquitted unanimously by a tribunal of three judges after

How The Friedman Doctrine Leads To The Enshittification Of All Things

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 23:25:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/24/how-the-friedman-doctrine-leads-to-the-enshittification-of-all-things/>

"We recently wrote about Cory Doctorow’s great article on how the
“enshittification” of social media (mainly Facebook and Twitter) was helping to
lower the “switching costs” for people to try something new. In something of a

Atagi expected to update advice on fifth dose of Covid vaccine within weeks

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 23:26:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/25/atagi-expected-to-update-advice-on-fifth-dose-of-covid-vaccine-within-weeks>

"Australia’s national vaccine advisory body is expected to decide within weeks
if a fifth Covid vaccine dose will be made available to more Australians this
year.

How long does it take for skin to repair after sun exposure?

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 23:27:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/how-long-does-it-take-for-skin-to-repair-after-sun-exposure-196556>

"It’s impossible to avoid the Aussie sun entirely, but Australians are well
aware of the dangers of too much exposure. Some 40 years of Slip Slop Slap (and
more recently added, Seek and Slide) campaigns have reinforced this, not to

Italian bear famous for bakery break-in dies after being hit by car

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 23:28:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/24/italian-bear-juan-carrito-famous-for-bakery-break-in-dies-after-being-hit-by-car>

"Italians are mourning the death of a rare brown bear who became famous for his
jaunts to small mountain villages in the Abruzzo region.

Celebrities call on UK banks to stop financing new oil, gas and coalfields

Sat, 4 Feb 2023 23:29:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/25/stephen-fry-emma-thompson-mark-rylance-uk-banks-to-stop-financing-new-oil-gas-and-coal-expansion>

"Famous names including Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson and Mark Rylance have joined
activists and businesses in calling on the UK’s big five banks to stop
financing new oil, gas and coal expansion.

A U.S. judge lectures the government on how academic research works

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 06:35:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-judge-lectures-government-how-academic-research-works>

"A sentencing hearing is a forum to mete out justice for someone convicted of a
crime. But this week, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Julie Robinson used the
sentencing of Franklin Tao, a chemical engineer formerly at the University of

The Many Ingenious Ways People in Prison Use (Forbidden) Cell Phones

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 06:37:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/01/19/cell-phones-in-prisons-tiktok-education>

"Sometime around the start of the pandemic, a young, blonde woman I’d never met
sent me a message on Twitter.

15 wishes for 2023: Trailblazers tell how they'd make life on Earth a bit better

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 06:39:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/01/25/1150429655/15-wishes-for-2023-trailblazers-tell-how-theyd-make-life-on-earth-a-bit-better>

"My wish: In the fight for women's rights, we should 'remember that courage is
stronger than fear'

Welcome To The A.I. Arms Race

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 06:40:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.garbageday.email/p/rinse-wash-like-and-subscribe-repeat

"Last week, Google, who has, to put it politely, had their shit rocked by the
emergence of consumer-level generative-A.I., published a blog post titled,
“Google Research, 2022 & Beyond: Language, Vision and Generative Models”.

Just when in history did men decide that women are not funny?

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 06:42:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://psyche.co/ideas/just-when-in-history-did-men-decide-that-women-are-not-funny>

"Maybe you’ve heard that women are not funny. It’s a stereotype that has often
been repeated. In the 19th century, the popular press could refer to it as ‘the
old theory that women have no sense of humour’. But how old is it in reality?

Escaped pet parrots threaten New Zealand’s vulnerable native birds – why a ban is the best solution

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 16:09:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/escaped-pet-parrots-threaten-new-zealands-vulnerable-native-birds-why-a-ban-is-the-best-solution-197674>

"Birds sold in the pet trade are often colourful and charismatic creatures.
Some can even be taught to talk, and they often provide owners with much-needed
companionship.

‘Brazen fraud’: Adani shares plummet as company accused of major ‘con’

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 16:12:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.couriermail.com.au/business/markets/brazen-fraud-adani-shares-plummet-as-company-accused-of-major-con/news-story/7b762c81e525e85f556783408d0199a2>

"Adani – the company behind Australia’s most controversial mine – is facing a
stock market bloodbath after it was accused of pulling off “the largest con in
corporate history”.

Research finds dogs are more relaxed in electric vehicles (EVs)

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 16:14:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://electricdrives.tv/ev-life/research-finds-dogs-are-more-relaxed-in-electric-vehicles-evs/>

"In a first-of-its-kind study, the University of Lincoln and CarGurus have
revealed that dogs are more relaxed in electric vehicles (EVs) than diesel
cars. The CarGurus Dogs and EVs study, which has been submitted for publication

These 5 spectacular impact craters on Earth highlight our planet’s wild history

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 16:15:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/these-5-spectacular-impact-craters-on-earth-highlight-our-planets-wild-history-197618>

"I think all craters are cool, I’m just going to start with that. I am very
biased.

One of these underrated animals should be Australia’s 2032 Olympic mascot. Which would you choose?

Sun, 5 Feb 2023 16:16:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/one-of-these-underrated-animals-should-be-australias-2032-olympic-mascot-which-would-you-choose-180794>

"Australia is set to host the 2032 Olympic games in Queensland’s capital
Brisbane, captivating an audience of billions. With so many eyes on Australia,
the burning question is, of course, what animal(s) should be the official

An A.I. Translation Tool Can Help Save Dying Languages. But at What Cost?

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 01:32:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/storyweaver-ai-translation-tools-language-preservation.html>

"Sanjib Chaudhary chanced upon StoryWeaver, a multilingual children’s
storytelling platform, while searching for books he could read to his
7-year-old daughter. Chaudhary’s mother tongue is Kochila Tharu, a language

‘Have I just joined another cult?’: Daniella grew up in The Family, then joined the army – where she experienced toxic control, again

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 01:33:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/have-i-just-joined-another-cult-daniella-grew-up-in-the-family-then-joined-the-army-where-she-experienced-toxic-control-again-196385>

"Review: Uncultured – Daniella Mestyanek Young (Allen & Unwin)

On Daniella Mestyanek Young’s first day of military training, she stands among

Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans: here’s why it happened in Africa

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 01:34:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/large-mammals-shaped-the-evolution-of-humans-heres-why-it-happened-in-africa-196398>

"That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it’s not generally
recognised how unique features of Africa’s ecology were responsible for the
crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to

New passport rankings show that the world is opening up – but not for everyone

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 01:35:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/new-passport-rankings-show-that-the-world-is-opening-up-but-not-for-everyone-197341>

"Salman Rushdie, the celebrated Anglo-Indian writer, once declared that the
“most precious book” he possessed was his passport.

How consecutive Conservative governments destroyed union rights – a timeline of the UK’s anti-strike laws since the 1970s

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 01:36:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/how-consecutive-conservative-governments-destroyed-union-rights-a-timeline-of-the-uks-anti-strike-laws-since-the-1970s-198178>

"Rishi Sunak’s government is attempting to introduce tough new laws that would
further limit the right to take industrial action amid continuing strikes in
the UK.

Device transmits radio waves with almost no power – without violating the laws of physics

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 10:33:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/device-transmits-radio-waves-with-almost-no-power-without-violating-the-laws-of-physics-196271>

"A new ultra-low-power method of communication at first glance seems to violate
the laws of physics. It is possible to wirelessly transmit information simply
by opening and closing a switch that connects a resistor to an antenna. No need

Peru riots: unrest in southern Andes lays bare an urgent need to decolonise

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 10:34:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/peru-riots-unrest-in-southern-andes-lays-bare-an-urgent-need-to-decolonise-198081>

"Peru is in flames. Since early December, massive, often violent, protests have
engulfed the South American nation. Demonstrators concentrated in the country’s
southern Andean regions took to the streets after the then president, Pedro

Where Do Abandoned Bicycles Go? In Some Cases, Madagascar

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 10:35:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/abandoned-bikes-donated-repaired-shipped-free/>

"At first glance, the turn-of-the-century brownstone on Western Avenue in
Chicago resembles any other bicycle repair shop. Several thousand bikes in all
sizes and colors are crammed into the Working Bikes warehouse, awaiting their

Stella Chiweshe: Zimbabwe’s mbira queen, rebel music star and pioneer

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 10:36:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/stella-chiweshe-zimbabwes-mbira-queen-rebel-music-star-and-pioneer-198421>

"Stella Rambisai Chiweshe, affectionately known in Zimbabwe as “the queen of
mbira” or “Ambuya (grandmother) Chiweshe”, passed away on 20 January 2023.

UK Gardeners Are Planting the Seeds of a More Resilient Food System

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 10:37:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/seed-diversity-uk-gardeners/

"It’s a fine, crisp day and the first frost of the season, a significant
occasion for any gardener and one that has not gone unnoticed by the seed
guardians of the Stroud Community Seed Bank. Beth Richardson, a 27-year-old

Disabled people were Holocaust victims, too: they were excluded from German society and murdered by Nazi programs

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 22:49:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/disabled-people-were-holocaust-victims-too-they-were-excluded-from-german-society-and-murdered-by-nazi-programs-198298>

"When Dominic Perrottet admitted to wearing a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday
party, he apologised to Jews and veterans – but not to the other groups who
were persecuted by the Nazis, including disabled people.

Runner says no to competing for GB in Australia over flight climate concerns

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 22:49:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/26/runner-gb-australia-climate-innes-fitzgerald-cross-country>

"A promising teenage athlete has declined to represent Great Britain in a
competition due to be held in Australia because she is concerned about the
environmental impact of the associated travel.

Long COVID Has Never Been Taken Seriously. Here’s Where It Left Us

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 22:51:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/01/26/Long-COVID-Never-Been-Taken-Seriously/>

"Before the pandemic, I was a law student who spent my weekdays studying for
long hours and my weekends hiking or cycling. When I developed COVID-19
symptoms in late March 2020, my case was mild, initially, as was the case for

Is ‘Toadzilla’ a sign of enormous cane toads to come? It’s possible – toads grow as large as their environment allows

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 22:52:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/is-toadzilla-a-sign-of-enormous-cane-toads-to-come-its-possible-toads-grow-as-large-as-their-environment-allows-195929>

"Last week, the world met “Toadzilla”, a cane toad the size of a football and
six times larger than average. The rangers who found her – female toads are
bigger than male – were stunned. Weighing in at 2.7 kilograms, Toadzilla may be

Food, feed and fuel: global seaweed industry could reduce land needed for farming by 110m hectares, study finds

Mon, 6 Feb 2023 22:53:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/27/food-feed-and-fuel-global-seaweed-industry-could-reduce-land-needed-for-farming-by-110m-hectares-study-finds>

"An area of ocean almost the size of Australia could support commercial seaweed
farming around the world, providing food for humans, feed supplements for
cattle, and alternative fuels, according to new research.

Molly Meldrum at 80: how the ‘artfully incoherent’ presenter changed Australian music – and Australian music journalism

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 06:05:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/molly-meldrum-at-80-how-the-artfully-incoherent-presenter-changed-australian-music-and-australian-music-journalism-196793>

"Ian Alexander “Molly” Meldrum is 80 on January 29 2023.

The Australian music industry would not be where it is today without his work

VIDEO: Is the current public health strategy for dealing with COVID working?

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 06:06:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-23/is-the-current-public-health-strategy-for-dealing/101885186>

"COVID-19 continues to run rampant, making a lot of Australians sick and
killing many, even if we don't seem to be talking about it publicly as much.

Jacinda Ardern resignation has people wondering when to quit – but that’s the wrong way to think about burnout

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 06:07:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/jacinda-ardern-resignation-has-people-wondering-when-to-quit-but-thats-the-wrong-way-to-think-about-burnout-198192>

"Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand prime minister has sparked
discussions about burnout and when is the “right time” to leave a job. Some
have written admiringly about Ardern’s decision to leave, saying she is being

Here's 150+ Sources on Covid to Share with Everyone You Know

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 06:08:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://jessicawildfire.substack.com/p/heres-150-sources-on-covid-to-share>

"Two things seem clear at this point. First, the general public vastly
underestimates the threat Covid poses to them, nor do they grasp the depth of
the government’s deception to convince them to disregard their own health for

Fatal heart attacks have surged in Australia. Here’s why

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 06:09:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theage.com.au/national/fatal-heart-attacks-have-surged-in-australia-here-s-why-20230117-p5cd22.html>

"The pandemic has caused a surge of fatal cardiac arrests in Australia, as
delayed care and COVID’s damaging effect on the heart drives a major uptick in
serious heart issues.

Black Joy Is Propelling a Rural Racial Justice Movement

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 14:25:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/black-joy-oregon-racial-justice/

"In the summer of 2020, when protests against police brutality were taking
place in Portland and Salem, Oregon, Julianne Jackson was there with the crowds
on the streets, chanting for justice. But something nagged at her. Jackson, a

WHO head ‘very concerned’ about COVID deaths as emergency declaration call looms

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 14:26:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://globalnews.ca/news/9432745/covid-deaths-who-emergency-declaration/>

"As the World Health Organization prepares to decide whether COVID-19 remains a
global emergency, the UN agency’s director-general says key pandemic indicators
are going in the wrong direction, including a rising number of deaths.

Wild and Wilde: At Celebrity Cemetery, Nature Takes on Starring Role

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 14:27:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/world/europe/paris-pere-lachaise-cemetery-.html>

"PARIS — Dry leaves rustled under Benoît Gallot’s footsteps as he rambled his
way across the rugged terrain. Stopping by shrubs of laurel and elder, he
pulled aside their foliage to uncover a crumbling stone colonnade. A parakeet,

Australian governments have kept much of their COVID research and modelling secret. Why?

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 14:29:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/covid-data-government-secrecy/101827548>

'When SARS-CoV-2 was first discovered, the world's scientific community went
into overdrive, researching this new pathogen, understanding its spread, its
effects, and sprinting toward a vaccine in record time.

Agents of change

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 14:30:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/pocket-change-project-home-energy-retrofit>

"On a snow-flecked Sunday afternoon in mid-December, Paul Dowsett gathered a
group of neighbours in his backyard for a toast.

‘Funai is ours’: Brazil’s Indigenous affairs agency is reclaimed under Lula

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 22:28:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/funai-is-ours-brazils-indigenous-affairs-agency-is-reclaimed-under-lula/>

"BRASÍLIA, Brazil — “We, civil servants, are reopening Funai to Indigenous
peoples,” anthropologist Janete Carvalho announced in a recent act at the
headquarters of Brazil’s federal agency for Indigenous affairs. Under former

How California’s ambitious new climate plan could help speed energy transformation around the world

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 22:29:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/how-californias-ambitious-new-climate-plan-could-help-speed-energy-transformation-around-the-world-197094>

"California is embarking on an audacious new climate plan that aims to
eliminate the state’s greenhouse gas footprint by 2045, and in the process,
slash emissions far beyond its borders. The blueprint calls for massive

A zero emissions future without the mining boom

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 22:31:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://grist.org/article/a-zero-emissions-future-without-the-mining-boom/>

"The effort to shift the U.S. economy off fossil fuels and avoid the most
disastrous impacts of climate change hinges on the third element of the
periodic table. Lithium, the soft, silvery-white metal used in electric car

The ozone layer is on track to recover in the coming decades, the United Nations says

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 22:32:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/2023/01/10/1147977166/ozone-layer-recovery-united-nations-report>

"The Earth's ozone layer is on its way to recovering, thanks to decades of work
to get rid of ozone-damaging chemicals, a panel of international experts backed
by the United Nations has found.

Big Oil Bought my Favorite Science Influencer

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 22:34:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://skepchick.org/2023/01/big-oil-bought-my-favorite-science-influencer/>

"Hello there, I’m Rebecca Watson and I’d like to first welcome new viewers to
the channel before I immediately dismiss you in order to direct a question at
returning viewers: have you ever wondered why you’ve never seen [me] stop

Color-changing material could warm or cool buildings

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 04:29:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.futurity.org/color-changing-buildings-2865152/

"A chameleon-like building material changes its infrared color—and how much
heat it absorbs or emits—based on the outside temperature.

First Nation declares protected area in northern B.C.'s Taku River watershed

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 04:32:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/taku-river-tlingit-protected-area-1.6723444>

'The Taku River Tlingit First Nation in Atlin, B.C., has declared a vast swath
of its traditional territory in northern B.C. off-limits to mining and other
extractive-resource development.

Germans turning 18 to be offered €200 culture pass ‘birthday present’

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 04:33:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/15/young-germans-to-be-offered-200-culture-voucher-kulturpass>

"Young Germans are to join other Europeans in being offered a voucher to spend
on their choice of cultural offerings under a scheme launched by the
government.

Premature deaths due to air pollution continue to fall in the EU, more efforts needed to deliver a toxic-free environment

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 04:35:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/premature-deaths-due-to-air

"The EEA has published its full ‘Air quality in Europe 2022
Briefing Air quality in Europe 2022’ assessment, presenting the status of air
quality in Europe, assessing the impacts of air pollution on health and

Thawing Permafrost In Sweden Releases Less Methane Than Feared, Study Finds

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 04:36:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://e360.yale.edu/digest/thawing-permafrost-in-sweden-releases-less-methane-than-feared-study-finds>

"A study in northern Sweden found that melting permafrost released one tenth as
much methane as expected, suggesting emissions from thawing Arctic tundra could
be less than previously feared.

Cities Really Can Be Both Denser and Greener

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 12:27:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/01/green-cities-climate-change-density-open-space/672709/>

"When I moved from small-town Oregon to Paris’s 11th arrondissement last
summer, the city seemed like a poem in gray: cobblestones, seven-story
buildings, the steely waters of the Seine. But soon I started noticing the

The FDA no longer requires all drugs to be tested on animals before human trials

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 12:29:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/2023/01/12/1148529799/fda-animal-testing-pharmaceuticals-drug-development>

'A new U.S. law has eliminated the requirement that drugs in development must
undergo testing in animals before being given to participants in human trials.

Embroidered Cat Shirts By Hiroko Kubota Go Viral And Sell Like Hot Cakes

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 12:30:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.boredpanda.com/embroidered-cat-shirts-hiroko-kubota/

"Fashion and the Internet have collided spectacularly in this series of awesome
embroidered cat shirts by Japanese embroidery artist Hiroko Kubota. The cute
kitties, embroidered with great skill and detail, are an unexpected and

Homeless mom left her dog with note, ‘please love me.’ A shelter reunited them.

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 12:32:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/01/27/lilo-dog-note-mckamey-animal-center/>

"Lilo, a 4-year-old German shepherd-Great Pyrenees mix, was found wandering the
streets of Chattanooga, Tenn., alone. All she had with her was a leash and
collar — which had a heartbreaking handwritten note attached to it.

Nearly 200 Countries Approve a Biodiversity Accord Enshrining Human Rights and the ‘Rights of Nature’

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 12:32:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02012023/cop15-biodiversity-agreement/>

"Nearly 200 countries have signed off on an agreement that embeds the promotion
of human rights and the “rights of nature” into a plan to protect and restore
biodiversity through 2030.

Wirral fishermen in dreamland as River Mersey makes a comeback

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 20:06:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/23251741.wirral-fishermen-dreamland-river-mersey-makes-comeback/>

"THE River Mersey has been labelled “the best environmental news story in
Europe” after sharks and rare fish were located in it.

After 3 years of Covid, CNN went into rural China for Lunar New Year. Here’s what we found and how officials tried stopping us

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 20:10:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/27/china/rural-china-lunar-new-year-covid-intl-hnk-dst/index.html>

"In China’s southern Guizhou province, there’s a tiny village in the southeast
corner, nestled deep within the mountains, called Dali. A wall of lush green
trees and bamboo surround this village of about 1,000 people, who’ve lived in

Can board games teach us about the climate crisis? Game creators say yes

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 20:10:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/28/board-games-climate-crisis-daybreak>

"Europe is planting trees to offset its emissions but is swiftly hit with
massive wildfires. The United States is investing in mining operations abroad
to wean off its dependence on fossil fuels but harbors concerns about trading

Exxon scientists accurately forecast climate change back in the 1970s – what if we had listened to them and acted then?

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 20:11:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/exxon-scientists-accurately-forecast-climate-change-back-in-the-1970s-what-if-we-had-listened-to-them-and-acted-then-197944>

"Writers of speculative- and science-fiction often identify a key point in time
and explore how a seemingly insignificant event might change the path of
humanity.

‘Reckless, Spiteful’ Pipeline Project May Stumble on Failing Gas Markets

Wed, 8 Feb 2023 20:14:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://energymixweekender.substack.com/p/reckless-spiteful-pipeline-project>

"The Coastal GasLink pipeline in northeastern British Columbia is quickly
sealing its reputation as a rogue construction project, with one provincial
politician citing a “reckless, spiteful, and dangerous attitude” that makes it

Inside Israel and Jordan’s new bid to rehabilitate the Jordan River

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 04:37:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://jewishinsider.com/2023/01/israel-jordan-west-bank-river-dead-sea-climate/>

"YARDENIT, Jordan Valley – In the Bible, the Jordan River is described as a
gushing body of water, risky for the high priests carrying the ark of the
covenant to cross. Today, if the people of Israel reached these reedy banks,

‘Everything’s gone’: eerie silence on Enid Street provides a glimpse into Australia’s climate future

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 04:39:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/29/everythings-gone-eerie-silence-on-enid-street-provides-a-glimpse-into-australias-climate-future>

"Losing everything changes you, says Margaret Kloostra.

“You have to rethink things,” she says. “What are the things that are truly

Index Index

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 04:40:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.indexoncensorship.org/indexindex/

"The Index Index is a pilot project that uses innovative machine learning
techniques to map the free expression landscape across the globe to gain a
clearer country-by-country view of the state of free expression across

Rare, critically endangered gecko making dramatic recovery in Caribbean

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 04:41:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/rare-critically-endangered-gecko-making-dramatic-recovery-in-caribbean/>

"A rare gecko no larger than a paperclip is making a comeback in the Caribbean,
thanks to conservation efforts by environmental groups and the government.

Rare rhinos dodge poachers in world's top reserve for first time since 1977

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 04:42:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.reuters.com/world/india/rare-rhinos-dodge-poachers-worlds-top-reserve-first-time-since-1977-2023-01-09/>

"NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - No rhinos were poached last year in the world's
largest reserve for the endangered great one-horned rhinoceros, India's Assam
state, in what authorities said was the first time since 1977.

U.S. Circuit Court Rules in Favor of the Seneca Nation in Case Against State of New York

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 12:29:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/u-s-circuit-court-rules-in-favor-of-the-seneca-nation-in-case-against-state-of-new-york>

"The Seneca Nation of Indians won a significant victory over the State of New
York in federal Court on Thursday.

Once an Open Sewer, New York Harbor Now Teems With Life. Thank the Clean Water Act.

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 12:30:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/MHPV7

"Fifty years ago, Congress voted to override President Richard Nixon’s veto of
the Clean Water Act. It has proved to be one of the most transformative
environmental laws ever enacted.

The Problem With Police Reform Is That Police Already Know It's Bad To Beat People To Death

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 12:32:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.wonkette.com/tyre-nichols-police-reform

'On Friday morning, the City of Memphis released the footage of four police
officers beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols to death after pulling him over for
"reckless driving" (which has not yet actually been substantiated).

The Free Store Wellington

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 12:34:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.thefreestore.org.nz/

"The Free Store was founded in November 2010 after an art project inspired a
group of friends. Kim Paton, an artist from out of town, set up a
regular-looking shop stocked with food on the shelves. The peculiar difference

The Auckland floods are a sign of things to come – the city needs stormwater systems fit for climate change

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 20:13:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/the-auckland-floods-are-a-sign-of-things-to-come-the-city-needs-stormwater-systems-fit-for-climate-change-198723>

"The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced on the night of January 27,
the eve of the city’s anniversary weekend, was caused by rainfall that was
literally off the chart.

Auckland floods: even stormwater reform won’t be enough – we need a ‘sponge city’ to avoid future disasters

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 20:13:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/auckland-floods-even-stormwater-reform-wont-be-enough-we-need-a-sponge-city-to-avoid-future-disasters-198736>

"We’ve built our cities to be vulnerable to – and exacerbate – major weather
events such as the one we saw in Auckland on Friday. While almost no city in
the world could fully escape the effects of four months’ worth of rain in 24

Black Swans Could Be Entirely Wiped Out by a Single Virus, Scientists Warn

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 20:15:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/black-swans-could-be-entirely-wiped-out-by-a-single-virus-scientists-warn>

'The genetic make-up of the iconic Australian black swan (Cygnus atratus)
leaves it extremely vulnerable to viruses such as avian flu, research from the
University of Queensland reports.

Inside The Online Community Where Home-Schoolers Learn How To Turn Their Kids Into ‘Wonderful Nazis’

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 20:16:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/home-school-nazis-telegram-dissident-saxon_n_63d596c4e4b01a43638e6a0a>

"On Nov. 5, 2021, a married couple calling themselves “Mr. and Mrs. Saxon”
appeared on the neo-Nazi podcast “Achtung Amerikaner” to plug a new project: a
social media channel dedicated to helping American parents home-school their

Power and purity

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 20:17:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-30/inside-sydney-opus-dei-affiliated-private-schools/101777060>

"At the end of each academic year, a graduating group of schoolgirls gathers in
identical white gowns.

‘Nostalgic’ classics, or edgy contemporary texts? What books are kids reading in Australian schools – and does it matter?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 04:41:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/nostalgic-classics-or-edgy-contemporary-texts-what-books-are-kids-reading-in-australian-schools-and-does-it-matter-198234>

"Debates about what books students should be reading in high school reach a
crescendo at the start of each school year.

Why has the West given billions in military aid to Ukraine, but virtually ignored Myanmar?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 04:41:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/why-has-the-west-given-billions-in-military-aid-to-ukraine-but-virtually-ignored-myanmar-198297>

"Two years after Myanmar’s coup on February 1 2021, the country’s large and
growing resistance forces receive almost no attention outside the country.

Auckland flooding: death toll rises as New Zealand hit with more heavy rain and landslides

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 04:43:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/29/auckland-flooding-death-toll-rises-as-new-zealand-hit-with-more-heavy-rain-and-landslides>

"Heavy rainfall continued to batter New Zealand’s north island, causing
landslides, flash floods and knocking out roads, with the death toll rising to
four after a person who had been missing was confirmed dead.

Toxic pollutants can build up inside our homes. Here are 8 ways to reduce the risks

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 04:43:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/toxic-pollutants-can-build-up-inside-our-homes-here-are-8-ways-to-reduce-the-risks-197908>

"We know everything in our homes gathers dust. What you probably don’t know is
whether there are toxic contaminants in your house dust, and where these might
come from.

How immigration changed Australia – an interactive journey through history

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 04:44:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2023/jan/30/how-immigration-changed-australia-an-interactive-journey-through-history>

"Before colonisation, Australia had been home to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people for between 40,000 and 60,000 years. European colonisation
resulted in violent efforts to displace Indigenous Australians from their land,

It’s hot, and your local river looks enticing. But is too germy for swimming?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:15:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/its-hot-and-your-local-river-looks-enticing-but-is-too-germy-for-swimming-198506>

"Swimming in rivers, creeks and lakes can be a fun way to cool off in summer.
But contamination in natural waterways can pose a risk to human health.

‘It was all for nothing’: Chinese count cost of Xi’s snap decision to let Covid rip

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:17:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/29/chinese-cost-covid-xi-lockdowns-china>

"When Sunny* thinks back to March last year, she laughs ruefully at the ordeal.
The 19-year-old Shanghai student spent that month locked in her dormitory,
unable to shop for essentials or wash clothes, even banned from showering for

Pain of police killings ripples outward to traumatize Black people and communities across US

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:18:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/pain-of-police-killings-ripples-outward-to-traumatize-black-people-and-communities-across-us-159624>

"As the video goes public of Black police officers in Memphis beating Tyre
Nichols to death, it is a stark reminder of George Floyd’s murder by a
Minneapolis police officer in 2020. That set up the largest protests in U.S.

‘Systemic crisis’: Tyre Nichols beating fuels calls for broad police reforms

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:21:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/29/systemic-crisis-tyre-nichols-fatal-beating-by-police-condemned-by-legal-experts>

"Legal experts and civil rights advocates have said the harrowing video footage
that showed a group of Memphis police officers delivering blow after blow to
Tyre Nichols underscores the need for broad reforms of policing in the US.

Global Risks Report 2023

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:22:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/digest/

"The first years of this decade have heralded a particularly disruptive period
in human history. The return to a “new normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic
was quickly disrupted by the outbreak of war in Ukraine, ushering in a fresh

Why Queensland is still ground zero for Australian deforestation

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:52:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/why-queensland-is-still-ground-zero-for-australian-deforestation-196644>

"Five years ago, bulldozers with chains cleared forests and woodlands almost
triple the size of the Australian Capital Territory in a single year.

Asteroid 2023 BU just passed a few thousand kilometres from Earth. Here’s why that’s exciting

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:53:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/asteroid-2023-bu-just-passed-a-few-thousand-kilometres-from-earth-heres-why-thats-exciting-198656>

"There are hundreds of millions of asteroids in our Solar System, which means
new asteroids are discovered quite frequently. It also means close encounters
between asteroids and Earth are fairly common.

Labor to scrap ‘equal time’ test for parents in custody disputes, with child welfare paramount

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:54:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/jan/29/government-to-scrap-equal-time-test-for-parents-in-custody-disputes-with-child-welfare-paramount>

"Children’s best interests will become the paramount factor in family law
disputes under a major reform which includes scrapping the requirement for
courts to consider equal or substantial time with each parent.

Are your cats fighting or playing? Scientists analysed cat videos to figure out the difference

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:55:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/are-your-cats-fighting-or-playing-scientists-analysed-cat-videos-to-figure-out-the-difference-198501>

"Have you ever worried if the play between your cats was getting too rough? A
new study published in Scientific Reports has investigated play and fighting
in cats.

Music, literature and First Nations at the forefront of a $300m boost to the arts, Labor to announce

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:56:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/29/music-literature-and-first-nations-at-the-forefront-of-a-300m-boost-to-the-arts-labor-to-announce>

"The federal government’s 48-year-old arts funding and advisory body will get a
$200m funding boost and a new name in the Labor government’s overhaul of
Australia’s arts and culture sectors.

‘They miss out’: soaring rents and insufficient support force more uni students in Australia to live with parents

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:48:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/30/they-miss-out-soaring-rents-and-insufficient-support-force-more-uni-students-to-live-with-parents>

"When Amelia Grace Wilson-Williams started her university degree, she didn’t
imagine it would be spent bunkering down in the family home.

Clarksons: Record Number of Alternative Fuel Capable Newbuildings Ordered in 2022

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:51:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/clarksons-record-number-of-alternative-fuel-capable-newbuildings-ordered-in-2022/>

"As emissions regulatory and policy decisions continue to “ramp up” across
maritime, Clarksons Research is closely tracking uptake of “green” technology
that will impact the shipping industry’s 851mt (2021: 822mt, 2008: 1,024mt) and

After years of austerity, Revive writes the next chapter in Australian literary culture

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:52:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/after-years-of-austerity-revive-writes-the-next-chapter-in-australian-literary-culture-198758>

"The Albanese government’s Revive is Australia’s first national cultural policy
in ten years. The last was the Gillard government’s Creative Australia in 2013.

Vietnam’s $15.5 Billion Just Energy Transition Partnership Explained

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:53:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://thediplomat.com/2023/01/vietnams-15-5-billion-just-energy-transition-partnership-explained/>

"In December, Vietnam and a coalition of international partners including the
United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, and Japan announced a
$15.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership designed to accelerate the

The Marketing Buzzwords That Developers Hate

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 07:54:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://redis.com/blog/the-marketing-buzzwords-that-developers-hate/

"Tell me if this sounds familiar: An online buddy listens to you describe a
programming problem and suggests a tool that might fix it. You want to learn
what the development tool can do, whether it works with your existing

‘Discriminatory impact on First Nations people’: coroner calls for urgent bail reform in Veronica Nelson inquest

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:31:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/discriminatory-impact-on-first-nations-people-coroner-calls-for-urgent-bail-reform-in-veronica-nelson-inquest-198507>

"A Victorian coroner has called for swift reform of bail laws when handing down
his findings into the death of 37-year-old Aboriginal woman Veronica Nelson.

South Australia’s 100% renewable energy transformation

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:32:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.cdp.net/en/articles/states-and-regions/south-australias-100-percent-renewable-energy-transformation>

"Since 2015, the South Australian Government has been reporting its progress on
climate impacts, risks and actions, making it one of the longest engaged
subnational governments in CDP’s States and Regions disclosure. The state is

Here’s who decides cause of death, how death certificates work – and whether a person died with or of COVID

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:33:38 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/heres-who-decides-cause-of-death-how-death-certificates-work-and-whether-a-person-died-with-or-of-covid-198401>

"COVID was Australia’s third leading cause of death (after heart disease and
dementia) in 2022. In a bad flu year we have about 1,200 influenza deaths. We
had more than 1,500 COVID deaths in just the first month of 2023. We need to

A dire forecast: Scientists used AI to find planet could cross critical warming threshold sooner than expected

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:34:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/world/global-warming-critical-threshold-climate-intl/index.html>

"The planet could cross critical global warming thresholds sooner than previous
models have predicted, even with concerted global climate action, according to
a new study using machine learning.

How culling Australia’s feral water buffalo could help tackle climate change

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:35:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/how-culling-australias-feral-water-buffalo-could-help-tackle-climate-change-193103>

"The world’s largest wild population of water buffalo now roam Australia. As
does the largest wild herd of camels. We have millions of feral goats and deer.
For these introduced species, Australia is a paradise. Plenty of vegetation,

Ship taller than Eiffel Tower will build biggest offshore wind farm

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:41:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2353534-ship-taller-than-eiffel-tower-will-build-biggest-offshore-wind-farm/>

"A ship taller than a skyscraper is heading to the North Sea to build the
world’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank, off the north-east coast of
England.

Will Steffen, ‘courageous’ climate scientist, dies in Canberra aged 75

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:42:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/31/will-steffen-courageous-climate-scientist-dies-in-canberra-aged-75>

"Globally renowned Australian climate scientist Prof Will Steffen has died,
aged 75, with former colleagues and family remembering him as an inspiring,
courageous and gentle human.

The hype is out of this world, but mining in space won’t save the Earth

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:43:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/the-hype-is-out-of-this-world-but-mining-in-space-wont-save-the-earth-191855>

"We know the world must move to cleaner energy sources to head off the worst
effects of climate change, but the technology required for the transition is
very mineral-intensive. So where will all these resources come from?

Electric Vehicles Keep Defying Almost Everyone’s Predictions

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:44:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/9Xsdk

"It is striking that in the same year that Tesla’s stock price dropped by about
two-thirds, destroying more than $700 billion in market value, the global
market for electric vehicles — which for so long the company seemed almost to

EVs Take 55% Of The German Auto Market In December!

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:45:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://cleantechnica.com/2023/01/08/evs-take-55-of-the-german-auto-market-in-december/>

"The tide has turned in the electrification of the German auto market, with
plugin electric vehicles taking the majority of sales for the first time in
December. Plugins took 55.4% of the month’s passenger auto sales, with full

CatGPT

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:40:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://catgpt.wvd.io/

"What if ChatGPT were a cat?"

Via Esther Schindler, who wrote "Of course that’s a thing."

The Talented 7-Year-Old Ukrainian Refugee Painting Her Way Through War

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:41:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-refugee-girl-painting-war-/32247917.html>

"When Nika Streletskaya and her mother were driven from their home in eastern
Ukraine by the Russian Army, there was little she could take with her.

Australia’s cotton farmers can help prevent exploitation in the global garment industry

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:42:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/australias-cotton-farmers-can-help-prevent-exploitation-in-the-global-garment-industry-198390>

"Ten years ago, the garment industry’s worst industrial accident – the Rana
Plaza collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh – killed more than 1,100 workers and
highlighted the travesty of conditions for millions of garment workers

The Marjorie Taylor Greene-ing of the GOP

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:43:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/@wajahatmali/the-marjorie-taylor-greene-ing-of-the-gop-6e8c1f8926d3>

"“Marjorie Taylor Greene is the present and future of the GOP and conservative
movement. She is their most authentic representative.”

French uranium mine leaves 20 million tonnes of radioactive waste in Niger

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:44:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20230124-french-uranium-miner-leaves-20-million-tonnes-of-radioactive-waste-in-niger>

"Niger is the world’s fifth-largest uranium producer.

In 2021, it provided the European Union with nearly 25 percent of its uranium

Kelly Link in Praise of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Genuine Magic

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 15:33:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://lithub.com/kelly-link-in-praise-of-ursula-k-le-guins-genuine-magic/>

"Originally, The Lathe of Heaven appeared in two installments in Amazing
Stories, a pulp magazine started in 1926 by Hugo Gernsback. Ursula Le Guin,
born in 1929, read Amazing Stories as a child and would go on to outlive

Emissions divide now greater within countries than between them – study

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 15:33:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/31/emissions-divide-now-greater-within-countries-than-between-them-study>

"The difference between the carbon emissions of the rich and the poor within a
country is now greater than the differences in emissions between countries,
data shows.

Climate change is already putting the heat on insurance companies – Auckland’s floods could be a turning point

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 15:34:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-already-putting-the-heat-on-insurance-companies-aucklands-floods-could-be-a-turning-point-198764>

"The clean-up from Auckland’s devastating floods last week is just beginning
but insurance companies will need to start thinking about what the
record-breaking weather event will mean for future coverage.

Enough with the koala cakes – the government’s annual Threatened Species Bake Off seriously neglects fish, plants and other lesser-loved species

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 15:35:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/enough-with-the-koala-cakes-the-governments-annual-threatened-species-bake-off-seriously-neglects-fish-plants-and-other-lesser-loved-species-197028>

"Almost 2,000 native species are officially listed as “threatened” in Australia
– but how many have you actually heard of?

Gene editing company hopes to bring dodo ‘back to life’

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 15:35:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/31/gene-editing-company-hopes-to-bring-dodo-back-to-life>

"The dodo, a Mauritian bird last seen in the 17th century, will be brought back
to at least a semblance of life if attempts by a gene editing company are
successful.

We can’t afford to offset our aviation emissions

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:01:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/31/23579475/aviation-emissions-cost-carbon-offsets-climate-change>

"With business continuing as usual, climate pollution from aviation could
nearly triple by 2050 as demand for air travel grows, according to a new study
published yesterday in the journal Nature Sustainability. It would cost up to

Victoria's single-use plastic ban starts today, but experts worry it does not go far enough

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:02:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-01/victoria-single-use-plastic-ban-starts-today/101909986>

"Victorians will no longer have access to single-use plastics from today as the
government enacts a ban on the items across the state.

Iranian couple filmed dancing in Tehran are jailed for 10 years

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:03:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/31/iranian-couple-filmed-dancing-in-tehran-are-jailed-for-10-years>

"An Iranian court has handed jail sentences of more than 10 years each to a
young couple who danced in front of one of Tehran’s main landmarks in a video
seen as a symbol of defiance against the regime, activists have said.

‘If you win the popular imagination, you change the game’: why we need new stories on climate

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:04:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/jan/12/rebecca-solnit-climate-crisis-popular-imagination-why-we-need-new-stories>

"Every crisis is in part a storytelling crisis. This is as true of climate
chaos as anything else. We are hemmed in by stories that prevent us from
seeing, or believing in, or acting on the possibilities for change. Some are

For More Sustainable Affordable Housing, Just Add Mushrooms

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:05:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/for-more-sustainable-affordable-housing-just-add-mushrooms/>

"David Benjamin’s recipe for construction materials sounds like witchcraft: Mix
corn stalks with hemp and mushroom roots, pour the mixture into molds that
resemble the shapes you need, and voilà, the building material will grow all by

The Case Against Hopewashing

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:34:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/mTV9S

"We are being pitched futures all the time. Every advertisement, every
political campaign, every quarterly budget is a promise or a threat about what
tomorrow could look like. And it can feel, sometimes, like those futures are

At On-Campus Retirement Communities, Seniors and ‘Seniors’ Forge Deep Bonds

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:35:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/college-campus-retirement-communities-asu/>

"Arizona State University in Tempe is a key part of daily life for Terrie and
Dave Sanders. They attend classes, concerts, plays and sports events, taking
advantage of their ASU Sun Cards to get free or discounted tickets. They stroll

San Clemente Island plants, bird succeed despite obstacles

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:36:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/01/24/sanclementeisland

"Decades of conservation and recovery effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Navy have biologists claiming what they say is a rare win in
their long fight against the effects of human environmental destruction and

‘Everything is fake’: how global crime gangs are using UK shell companies in multi-million pound crypto scams

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:37:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/29/everything-is-fake-how-global-gangs-are-using-uk-shell-companies-in-multi-million-pound-crypto-scams>

"A woman meets a man online. They flirt. Then, after a few weeks, they begin
imagining a future together. Fast forward a few months and one of them has had
their heart broken and been defrauded of their life savings.

8 everyday foods you might not realise are ultra processed – and how to spot them

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:38:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/8-everyday-foods-you-might-not-realise-are-ultra-processed-and-how-to-spot-them-197993>

"For years, the term “junk food” has been used to refer to foods considered bad
for you, and not very nutritious. But junk can mean different things to
different people.

Hybrid future? Interbreeding can make heat-averse species more resilient to climate change

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:01:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/hybrid-future-interbreeding-can-make-heat-averse-species-more-resilient-to-climate-change-198877>

"As the climate heats up rapidly, many species will struggle to avoid
extinction. If they had time, they could evolve to the new environmental
conditions. But they don’t. That’s where hybridisation could help. When related

We Need to Talk About Ron DeSantis’s Fascist Paradise

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:04:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://eand.co/we-need-to-talk-about-ron-desantiss-fascist-paradise-e3784261dd7c>

"It sounds like something you might have seen a sign for, cruising down a
golden, sunlit highway, in your convertible, once upon a time. A motel,
perhaps, in shades of seafoam blue-green. Ron DeSantis’s Fascist Paradise.

Climate change is transforming Australia’s cultural life – so why isn’t it mentioned in the new national cultural policy?

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:04:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-transforming-australias-cultural-life-so-why-isnt-it-mentioned-in-the-new-national-cultural-policy-198881>

"In its new national cultural policy, the Australian government grapples with
issues extending well beyond the creative arts.

The Muppet Show Theme - Otamatone Cover

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:05:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURLrWuFcDQ

"It's time to play the music..."

‘Constant bird song’ result of conservation on Mercury Islands

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:07:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.miragenews.com/constant-bird-song-result-of-conservation-on-930633/>

"An innovative conservation effort conducted over decades has eradicated
mammalian pests on all seven Mercury Islands, providing a haven for native
plants and animals, 8km off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula.

US debt default could trigger dollar’s collapse – and severely erode America’s political and economic might

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:00:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/us-debt-default-could-trigger-dollars-collapse-and-severely-erode-americas-political-and-economic-might-198395>

"It’s a case of déjà vu all over again on the debt ceiling debate.

Republicans, who regained control of the House of Representatives in November

More marine protected areas planned for Indonesia’s Maluku after 2022 spree

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:07:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/maluku-indonesia-marine-protected-areas-mpa-coral-fisheries-sustainability/>

"AMBON, Indonesia — Authorities in Indonesia’s Maluku province say they will
establish new marine protected areas this year, following from five created
last year alone, as part of wider efforts to preserve natural resources while

Mini creatures with mighty voices know their audience and focus on a single frequency

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:08:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/mini-creatures-with-mighty-voices-know-their-audience-and-focus-on-a-single-frequency-192810>

"In the cloud forests of South America, amid the constant cacophony of bird and
insect noise, a deafening blare pierces through the background from time to
time. Belonging to the loudest known bird, the white bellbird, Procnias

France votes to ban deep-sea mining in its waters: Why is this practice so controversial?

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:09:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/01/18/france-votes-to-ban-deep-sea-mining-in-its-waters-why-is-this-practice-so-controversial>

"The French Parliament has voted in favour of banning deep-sea mining in its
waters, in an emphatic move against the controversial practice.

Microbes in your food can help or hinder your body’s defenses against cancer – how diet influences the conflict between cell ‘cooperators’ and ‘cheaters’

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 03:09:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/microbes-in-your-food-can-help-or-hinder-your-bodys-defenses-against-cancer-how-diet-influences-the-conflict-between-cell-cooperators-and-cheaters-195810>

"The microbes living in your food can affect your risk of cancer. While some
help your body fight cancer, others help tumors evolve and grow.

Volunteers plant mini-forests in Paris to slow climate change, tackle heatwaves

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:31:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.france24.com/en/france/20230122-volunteers-plant-mini-forests-in-paris-to-slow-climate-change-tackle-heatwaves>

"French volunteers are using a pioneering Japanese tree-planting method to
create pocket forests in Paris in the hope they will slow climate change,
create biodiversity hotspots and tackle the growing number of heatwaves in the

Maryland Wants to Be the First US State to Adopt a 4-Day Work Week

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:32:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://singularityhub.com/2023/02/02/maryland-wants-to-be-the-first-us-state-to-switch-to-a-4-day-work-week/>

"Last summer, the biggest four-day work week trial in the world kicked off in
the UK. 3,300 people started working 80 percent of their regular hours for 100
percent of their pay. Feedback from employees and companies was overwhelmingly

COVID remains a global emergency, the World Health Organization says, but we’re at a transition point. What does this mean?

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:33:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/covid-remains-a-global-emergency-the-world-health-organization-says-but-were-at-a-transition-point-what-does-this-mean-198876>

"As we enter the fourth year of living with COVID, we are all asking the
predictable question: when will the pandemic be over?

British Columbia First Nations Strike Landmark Deals Governing Development on Their Ancestral Lands

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:34:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://e360.yale.edu/digest/british-columbia-first-nations-deals-treaty-lands>

"Two First Nations in Canada have forged historic agreements governing
industrial development on their ancestral lands.

Virus exposure and neurodegenerative disease risk across national biobanks

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:36:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(22)01147-3

"With recent findings connecting the Epstein-Barr virus to an increased risk of
multiple sclerosis and growing concerns regarding the neurological impact of
the coronavirus pandemic, we examined potential links between viral exposures

An Incredible Thing Happens When Dolphins And Humans Team Up

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:24:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/an-incredible-thing-happens-when-dolphins-and-humans-team-up>

'Humans and dolphins on the southern coast of Brazil have created a carefully
synchronized 'dance' to shepherd as much migrating mullet into their nets and
mouths as possible.

Australia’s Upcycled Skyscraper is The First of its Kind

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:25:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://mossandfog.com/australias-upcycled-skyscraper-is-the-first-of-its-kind/>

"Skyscrapers have dominated city skylines for the last hundred years, and their
form and function have continued evolving, ever-growing upward.

Bird flu 'spills over' to otters and foxes in UK

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:26:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64474594

"The largest ever outbreak of bird flu is spilling over into mammals, including
otters and foxes in the UK.

Afghan refugees settled in London told to uproot families and move 200 miles

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:28:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/02/afghan-refugees-settled-in-london-told-to-uproot-families-and-move-200-miles>

"Hundreds of Afghan refugees who settled in London after fleeing the Taliban 18
months ago have been told they have only weeks to uproot and move 200 miles
away, the Guardian can reveal.

Short selling Adani: how an obscure US firm profited from triggering the Indian giant’s price plunge

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:29:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/short-selling-adani-how-an-obscure-us-firm-profited-from-triggering-the-indian-giants-price-plunge-198991>

"A few weeks ago, Gautam Adani was indisputably India’s richest man.

Now his fortune is slipping away as the stocks of his many companies crash,

OpenAI Wants To Help You Figure Out If Text Was Written By OpenAI; But What Happens When It’s Wrong?

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 02:16:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/02/openai-wants-to-help-you-figure-out-if-text-was-written-by-openai-but-what-happens-when-its-wrong/>

"With the rise of ChatGPT over the past few months, the inevitable moral panics
have begun. We’ve seen a bunch of people freaking out about how ChatGPT will be
used by students to do their homework, how it will replace certain jobs, and

A rapidly growing rocket industry could undo decades of work to save the ozone layer – unless we act now

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 02:17:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/a-rapidly-growing-rocket-industry-could-undo-decades-of-work-to-save-the-ozone-layer-unless-we-act-now-198982>

"The ozone layer is on track to heal within four decades, according to a recent
UN report, but this progress could be undone by an upsurge in rocket launches
expected during the same period.

Why the Right Loves Culture Wars

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 02:19:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/politically-speaking/why-the-right-loves-culture-wars-e8cb8378c43b>

"I’ve begun to see the Republicans’ constant flogging of culture wars as
political shithousery.

Losing the natural world comes with major risks for your super fund and bank

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 02:20:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/losing-the-natural-world-comes-with-major-risks-for-your-super-fund-and-bank-198669>

"As the economist Herman Daly pithily said, the economy is a wholly owned
subsidiary of the environment – not the reverse. Nature makes our lives
possible through what scientists call ecosystem services. Think healthy food,

Red squirrels number on the rise in Scotland, survey finds

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 02:21:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-64358926>

"A survey of red squirrels in Scotland suggests that efforts to increase their
numbers have been successful.

Win-win: how solar farms can double as havens for our wildlife

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:42:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/win-win-how-solar-farms-can-double-as-havens-for-our-wildlife-194920>

"Australia’s renewable energy transition has prompted the construction of
dozens of large-scale solar farms. The boom helps reduce Australia’s reliance
on fossil fuels, but requires large areas of land to be converted to host solar

Delight as dolphins spotted in New York’s Bronx River

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:44:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/21/dolphins-new-york-city-bronx-river>

"Dolphins have been spotted frolicking in New York City’s Bronx River, an
encouraging sign of the improving health of a waterway that was for many years
befouled as a sewer for industrial waste.

Business owners see cutting carbon emissions as ‘the right thing to do’, despite the challenges of making change

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:45:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/business-owners-see-cutting-carbon-emissions-as-the-right-thing-to-do-despite-the-challenges-of-making-change-197675>

"An increasing number of businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand are changing how
they operate to reduce their overall climate impact. These measures, which
include reducing carbon emissions, are largely voluntary outside of specific

Fossil fuels fall to record low in power grid as renewables hit new high

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:46:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/X15qP

"Fossil fuels sank to their lowest-ever levels across Australia’s east-coast
electricity mix in the final three months of 2022 as green power supplies
overtook black coal’s output for the first time in the history of the grid.

Rethinking COVID hegemony

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:47:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.croakey.org/rethinking-covid-hegemony/

"Recently on ABC’s 7.30 report, Professor Brendan Crabb, Director and CEO of
the Burnet Institute, spoke of the growing disconnect between the devastating
toll of COVID in Australia and the benign public perception and Government

Europe’s Biggest Pension Fund Issues ESG Warning to Banks

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:42:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/pES3G

"One of Europe’s biggest investors is putting banks on notice and may start
exiting the sector unless it sees proof that claims of portfolio
decarbonization are matched by action.

Pluralistic: Netflix wants to chop down your family tree

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:45:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/02/nonbinary-families/#red-envelopes

'Netflix says that its new policy allows members of the same "household" to
share an account. This policy comes with an assumption: that there is a
commonly understood, universal meaning of "household," and that software can

Give Ukrainians a Shelterbag against the cold

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:46:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.cordaid.org/nl/shelterbags-en/

"A Shelterbag is an innovative product developed by Sheltersuit, a social
enterprise whose mission is to improve the living conditions of the homeless
people and people in need. The Shelterbag is made of waterproof and windproof

Exposed: How British Gas debt agents break into homes of vulnerable

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:48:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-gas-prepayment-meter-debt-energy-bills-investigation-wrgnzt6xs>

"British Gas routinely sends debt collectors to break into customers’ homes and
force-fit pay-as-you-go meters, even when they are known to have extreme
vulnerabilities, a Times investigation can reveal.

How Money is Born out of Public Spending and Dies by Taxes

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:50:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.scottsantens.com/how-money-is-born-out-of-public-spending-and-dies-by-taxes-mmt/>

'If there's one thing most people don't seem to understand about how money
works that I think would really help governments work better in the 21st
century, it's that money does not flow in the way we perceive it does. It's an

Accounting Tricks Won’t Save the Planet

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:43:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/climate-conscious/accounting-tricks-wont-save-the-planet-79c6559c1a05>

"Pretty much every major corporation has a page buried somewhere on its website
touting its efforts to combat climate change. Usually, this takes the form of a
“net-zero” pledge. The net-zero pages are usually larded up with a particular

Planetary boundaries assessment of deep decarbonisation options for building heating in the European Union

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:46:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890422013802

"Building heating is one of the sectors for which multiple decarbonisation
options exist and current geopolitical tensions provide urgency to design
adequate regional policies. Heat pumps and hydrogen boilers, alongside

How the world's first electric Porsche ended up in Melbourne via Pennsylvania

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:48:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-02-04/worlds-first-electric-porsche-forgotten-history-evs-melbourne/101891670>

'When German automaker Porsche was preparing to release its first electric
vehicle (EV) in 2019, executives met with a roomful of historians to test a
slogan idea: "The world's first electric Porsche."

Activists say Iran regime targeting families of Australian protesters

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:50:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-04/iran-regime-protests-australia-targeting-families/101920554>

'Massoud Modabber was half asleep in the back of a car driving from his home in
Melbourne to Canberra when his phone rang.

Ron DeSantis and the Third Wave of American Fascism

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:51:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://eand.co/ron-desantis-and-the-third-wave-of-american-fascism-cba9240afe38>

"By now, if you’re a sane and thoughtful person, on the side of democracy,
you’re probably a little worried. About a fellow called Ron DeSantis. He’s
emerged as the GOP frontrunner for President, currently beating out even Trump,

Texas Utility Will Close Remaining Coal-Fired Units

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:27:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.powermag.com/texas-utility-will-close-remaining-coal-fired-units/>

"The largest municipally-owned electric and gas utility in the U.S. will close
its remaining coal-fired power units by 2030. The board of trustees for San
Antonio, Texas-based CPS Energy on Jan. 23 voted 4-1 to approve a plan to

Long Covid experts most worried about younger demographic

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:28:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/01/27/long-covid-experts-most-worried-about-younger-demographic/>

'Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and cellular immunologist Anna Brooks say we
still need to be serious about Covid, and now they're most worried about the
long-term health of younger people.

Is Peak Climate Alarmism Behind Us?

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:31:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/ldXJE

"It wasn’t so long ago that the world was truly on fire with climate alarm. In
September 2019, millions of people around the world participated in a global
climate strike, the largest ever, calling for immediate World War II-scale

Lasers reveal massive, 650-square-mile Maya site hidden beneath Guatemalan rainforest

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:34:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.livescience.com/lidar-maya-civilization-guatemala

'Geologists in northern Guatemala have discovered a massive Maya site that
stretches approximately 650 square miles (1,700 square kilometers) and dates to
the Middle and Late Preclassic period (roughly 1000 B.C. to 250 B.C.).

Nothing to see here

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:36:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2023/february/richard-denniss/nothing-see-here>

"If a pandemic killed 15,000 people and nobody seemed to notice, was it really
a pandemic? In Australia last year, COVID-19 killed more people than lung
cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, car accidents and drowning combined.

Biden administration invites ordinary citizens to help resettle refugees

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 20:28:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/2023/01/24/1150787789/alight-us-refugee-resettlement-policy-biden>

"The Biden administration is appealing to private citizens to directly sponsor
refugees resettling in the United States from around the world, as part of the
biggest shift in the U.S. program for displaced people since its launch in

We are all playing Covid roulette. Without clean air, the next infection could permanently disable you

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 20:29:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/26/covid-roulette-clean-air-ventilation-long-covid>

"You could see Covid-19 as an empathy test. Who was prepared to suffer
disruption and inconvenience for the sake of others, and who was not? The
answer was often surprising. I can think, for instance, of five prominent

Where Change Is Coming for LGBTQ Rights Around the World

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 20:30:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/PMdtz

"If progress in 2022 is anything to go by, there’s reason to be optimistic
about the global direction of travel when it comes to same-sex relationships,
LGBTQ campaigners say.

We Now Face an Army of COVID Viruses

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 20:31:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/01/30/We-Face-An-Army-Of-COVID/

"What began as an airborne pandemic driven by a single virus has become a viral
cloud roiling around the globe thanks to public policies that have allowed
unfettered transmission.

Ten Good News Stories for Kids in 2022

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 20:33:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/12/20/ten-good-news-stories-kids-2022

"Despite enormous challenges facing many children around the globe, 2022 also
brought good news. As we approach the end of the year, here are 10 areas of
progress for children we can celebrate:

Sam Bankman-Fried is not a child

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:40:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://newsletter.mollywhite.net/p/sam-bankman-fried-is-not-a-child

Another facet of racism:

"Sam Bankman-Fried is thirty years old.

Why Did the Beatles Get So Many Bad Reviews?

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:42:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/why-did-the-beatles-get-so-many-bad

"When I was in my twenties, I embarked on writing an in-depth history of West
Coast jazz. At that juncture in my life, it was the biggest project I’d ever
tackled. Just gathering the research materials took several years.

Population Decline Isn’t a Problem (and ‘More Babies’ Isn’t a Solution)

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:43:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/RvM5l

"The shoe has dropped. The big one. China, the most populous country on the
planet for centuries, this month reported its first population decline in six
decades, a trend that is almost certainly irreversible. By the end of the

How to save $4 billion a year: reform a fuel tax credit scheme with no real rationale

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:44:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/how-to-save-4-billion-a-year-reform-a-fuel-tax-credit-scheme-with-no-real-rationale-198999>

"Revising the generous fuel tax credits given to businesses should be a
priority for the Albanese government, because keeping them would conflict with
two other pressing priorities: reducing carbon emissions and repairing the

Experience some of the world’s most beautiful places with Wiki Loves Earth 2022

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:45:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/freely-sharing-the-sum-of-all-knowledge/experience-some-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-places-with-wiki-loves-earth-2022-9e22fa72a3c0>

"Think about that feeling you get when you are walking through pristine nature.
Do you think it can be captured in a single photo?

Have we fallen out of love with voice assistants?

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:15:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64371426

'To begin with, Abigail Barnes loved her voice assistant. Now it lives in the
drawer.

Seizing the means of computation – how popular movements can topple Big Tech monopolies

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:18:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.tni.org/en/article/seizing-the-means-of-computation

"Cory Doctorow is a prolific writer and a brilliant science fiction novelist,
journalist and technology activist. He is a special consultant to the
Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), a non-profit civil liberties group

200 experts dissected the Black Summer bushfires in unprecedented detail. Here are 6 lessons to heed

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:23:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/200-experts-dissected-the-black-summer-bushfires-in-unprecedented-detail-here-are-6-lessons-to-heed-198989>

"The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20 were cataclysmic: a landmark in
Australia’s environmental history. They burnt more than 10 million hectares,
mostly forests in southeast Australia. Many of our most distinctive, ancient

New Wind and Solar Are Cheaper Than the Costs to Operate All But One Coal-Fired Power Plant in the United States

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:24:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30012023/wind-solar-coal-power-plant-costs/>

"A coal-fired plant near Gillette, Wyoming stands alone in the nation on one
measure of economic viability—a positive distinction for that plant, but a
damning one for coal-fired electricity in general.

It’s tradition: Indigenous designs have been on Australian money since decimalisation

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:26:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/its-tradition-indigenous-designs-have-been-on-australian-money-since-decimalisation-199091>

"The Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait
on Australia’s $5 banknote will not be replaced by one of Charles III (as is
happening in the United Kingdom). It will instead show a design that “honours

Danske Bank Quits New Fossil Fuel Financing

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:49:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theenergymix.com/2023/01/23/danske-bank-quits-new-fossil-fuel-financing/>

"Denmark’s biggest bank has declared an end to fossil fuel financing, after
concluding that 99.9% of its carbon footprint comes from financed emissions.

ChatGPT is great – you’re just using it wrong

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:50:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-great-youre-just-using-it-wrong-198848>

"It doesn’t take much to get ChatGPT to make a factual mistake. My son is doing
a report on U.S. presidents, so I figured I’d help him out by looking up a few
biographies. I tried asking for a list of books about Abraham Lincoln and it

Whispers of A.I.’s Modular Future

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:51:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/whispers-of-ais-modular-future>

"One day in late December, I downloaded a program called Whisper.cpp onto my
laptop, hoping to use it to transcribe an interview I’d done. I fed it an audio
file and, every few seconds, it produced one or two lines of eerily accurate

NASA Rover Encounters Spectacular Metal Meteorite on Mars

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:52:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-rover-encounters-spectacular-metal-meteorite-on-mars>

"MSL Curiosity is going about its business exploring Mars. The high-tech rover
is currently exploring the sulphate-bearing unit on Mt. Sharp, the central peak
in Mars' Gale Crater. Serendipity placed a metal meteorite in its path.

Afghanistan: single women and widows are struggling to find their next meal under Taliban restrictions

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:53:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/afghanistan-single-women-and-widows-are-struggling-to-find-their-next-meal-under-taliban-restrictions-198279>

"Jamila*, a widow living in Herat, lost her husband in a suicide attack about
eight years ago. She has an 18-year-old daughter who is blind and a 20-year-old
son who lost both legs in a mine blast.

HSBC joins major miners in turning away from further metallurgical coal mine development

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 04:04:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://ieefa.org/resources/hsbc-joins-major-miners-turning-away-further-metallurgical-coal-mine-development>

"The apparent end of the unofficial Chinese ban on coal imports from Australia
is unlikely to have a significant impact on Asian seaborne thermal coal markets
but it may have some impact on metallurgical coal, of which Australia is by far

Theater never recovered from COVID — and now change is no longer a choice

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 04:05:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/2023/02/06/1153453450/oregon-shakespeare-control-group-productions-west-village-co-op-theater>

'Many of the problems facing the nonprofit theater industry in the U.S. right
now — from scant resources to the lack of diversity — have been around for
ages.

Exclusive: Huge chunk of plants, animals in U.S. at risk of extinction

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 04:07:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/huge-chunk-plants-animals-us-risk-extinction-report-2023-02-06/>

"Feb 6 (Reuters) - A leading conservation research group found that 40% of
animals and 34% of plants in the United States are at risk of extinction, while
41% of ecosystems are facing collapse.

Northanger Abbey has attracted a trigger warning for ‘toxic relationships’ but I love its gentle romance. Bookworm Mr Tilney is my favourite Austen hero

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 04:09:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/northanger-abbey-has-attracted-a-trigger-warning-for-toxic-relationships-but-i-love-its-gentle-romance-bookworm-mr-tilney-is-my-favourite-austen-hero-188656>

"In our Guide to the Classics series, experts explain key works of
literature.

Europe: “Any fears of a coal rebound are now dead”

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 04:09:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.energymonitor.ai/sectors/power/europe-any-fears-of-a-coal-rebound-are-now-dead/>

"While the share of coal-fired power generation increased in EU countries last
year, it did so by much less than some expected. In 2022, coal-fired power
generation increased by 1.5 percentage points compared with 2021, accounting

Ineffective altruism — FTX and the future robot apocalypse

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:04:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2023/02/06/ineffective-altruism-ftx-and-the-future-robot-apocalypse/>

"Effective Altruism is a subculture that wants to quantify charity for maximum
effectiveness. EA did not invent the concept of quantifying charity, though
they tend to try to claim credit whenever the notion comes up. If charity’s

The transmission challenge ahead

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:05:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://breakthroughenergy.org/news/transmissionby2025/

"Imagine a world powered by clean energy. It’s the year 2050, and you’re
driving your electric vehicle—which costs less than a single tank of gas a
month to charge—past a field of wind turbines and solar panels. On the horizon,

Five Classic SF Works About Cosmic Warmongering

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:06:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.tor.com/2023/02/06/five-classic-sf-works-about-cosmic-warmongering/>

"There cannot be many heads of state who have not looked at maps and wondered
if these were the best borders possible. Nations as vast as Canada could always
be a bit vaster (here a Detroit, there a Maine). This applies to space empires

Hogwarts Legacy does not deserve to be reviewed on its own merits

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:07:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.gameshub.com/news/opinions-analysis/hogwarts-legacy-does-not-deserve-to-be-reviewed-on-its-own-merits-40246/>

"To judge a creation purely on its own merits is often lauded as a fair and
positive method of review. Why should a bad game be praised, just because it
comes from a normally brilliant creator? Why should a good one be vilified,

Yes, masks reduce the risk of spreading COVID, despite a review saying they don’t

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 12:09:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/yes-masks-reduce-the-risk-of-spreading-covid-despite-a-review-saying-they-dont-198992>

"The question of whether and to what extent face masks work to prevent
respiratory infections such as COVID and influenza has split the scientific
community for decades.

Fugitive turned Sydney identity Darko ‘Dougie’ Desic granted permanent visa

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 20:06:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/06/darko-dougie-desic-fugitive-turned-sydney-identity-granted-permanent-visa>

"Darko “Dougie” Desic – a fugitive turned handyman turned Sydney local identity
– has been released from immigration detention and granted a permanent visa to
live in Australia.

Bacteria use life’s original energy source to thrive in the ocean’s lightless depths

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 20:07:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/bacteria-use-lifes-original-energy-source-to-thrive-in-the-oceans-lightless-depths-199177>

"There are more than a billion bacteria in just one litre of seawater. How do
all of these organisms find the energy and nutrients they need to survive?

Australian losses to online marketplace fraud increase as scams become increasingly sophisticated

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 20:08:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/07/australian-losses-to-online-marketplace-increase-as-scams-become-increasingly-sophisticated>

"Wayne Draper and his wife wanted a puppy. When they came across pictures of a
new bulldog on Facebook, they instantly fell in love.

Scams, deepfake porn and romance bots: advanced AI is exciting, but incredibly dangerous in criminals’ hands

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 20:09:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/scams-deepfake-porn-and-romance-bots-advanced-ai-is-exciting-but-incredibly-dangerous-in-criminals-hands-199004>

"The generative AI industry will be worth about A$22 trillion by 2030,
according to the CSIRO. These systems – of which ChatGPT is currently the best
known – can write essays and code, generate music and artwork, and have entire

Volkswagen Had A Great 2022: 26% More EVs, More Than 15,000 Rapid Charging Stations

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 20:10:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://cleantechnica.com/2023/01/31/volkswagen-had-a-great-2022-26-more-evs-more-than-15000-rapid-charging-stations/>

"While still far behind EV leader Tesla, Volkswagen is making progress on
electric vehicles. During 2022, it managed to make a significant increase in EV
production and by the end of the year Volkswagen had put in a total of 15,000

A tenth of all electricity is lost in the grid. Superconducting cables can help

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:43:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/a-tenth-of-all-electricity-is-lost-in-the-grid-superconducting-cables-can-help-199001>

"For most of us, transmitting power is an invisible part of modern life. You
flick the switch and the light goes on.

Toyota faces disaster unless new CEO performs miracle pivot to electric vehicles

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:44:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://thedriven.io/2023/01/30/toyota-faces-disaster-unless-new-ceo-performs-miracle-pivot-to-electric-vehicles/>

"The world’s largest automaker made two major announcements last week which
signal that it finally recognises that the future is electric. But it may be
too little too late for the company that revolutionised manufacturing half a

Millions Are at Risk of Flooding Due to Climate Change – But Not Where You'd Think

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:45:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/millions-are-at-risk-of-flooding-due-to-climate-change-but-not-where-youd-think>

"Glaciers are melting, putting the lives of millions around the world at risk
of flash flooding, according to a new study.

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria: how satellites can help rescue efforts

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:47:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/earthquake-in-turkey-and-syria-how-satellites-can-help-rescue-efforts-199357>

"In disasters like the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and 7.5-magnitude aftershock
that struck Syria and Turkey on February 6, 2023, international cooperation on
satellite imaging plays a crucial role in the rescue and recovery efforts.

Hunters shoot dead 54 wolves in Sweden’s largest ever cull

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:48:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/07/swedish-hunters-shoot-dead-54-wolves-in-largest-cull-ever-in-country>

"Hunters have shot dead 54 wolves in a month in Sweden’s largest and most
controversial cull of the animals yet, prompting fury from conservationists and
satisfaction among farmers who consider the predators a threat to their

13,000 People From the Niger Delta Just Sued Shell for Years of Oil Spills

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 14:04:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theintercept.com/2023/02/01/shell-oil-niger-delta-nigeria-lawsuit/>

"The water in Ogale, a rural community in Nigeria, is so toxic and polluted
with oil that it comes out brown and stinks of sulphur. Children and families
get sick just trying to bathe or stay hydrated. In Bille, a fishing community

RIP Abraham Lempel

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 14:08:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lempel

"Abraham Lempel (Hebrew: אברהם למפל; 10 February 1936 – 4 February 2023) was an
Israeli computer scientist and one of the fathers of the LZ family of lossless
data compression algorithms."

Cleaning Up Pollution Could Help Prevent The Next 'Silent Pandemic'

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 14:09:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/cleaning-up-pollution-could-help-prevent-the-next-silent-pandemic>

"Containing and cleaning up environmental pollution, especially in waterways,
is crucial to controlling increasingly bullet-proof superbugs which could kill
tens of millions by mid-century, a new UN report said Tuesday.

Dark Emu has sold over 250,000 copies – but its value can’t be measured in money alone

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 14:10:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/dark-emu-has-sold-over-250-000-copies-but-its-value-cant-be-measured-in-money-alone-195934>

"Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu, first published in 2014, represents that rare bird
in small press and independent publishing in Australia: a long-term sales
success.

Codebreakers Have Deciphered The Lost Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 14:11:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/codebreakers-have-deciphered-the-lost-letters-of-mary-queen-of-scots>

"A trio of codebreakers has accidentally stumbled upon a lost series of secret
letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots in the years before her execution in
1587.

Here’s why Europe is abandoning plans to fly aboard China’s space station

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 22:25:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/02/heres-why-europe-is-abandoning-plans-to-fly-aboard-chinas-space-station/>

'Nearly six years ago the European Space Agency surprised its longtime
spaceflight partners at NASA, as well as diplomatic officials at the White
House, with an announcement that some of its astronauts were training alongside

Titanic at 25: like the ship itself, James Cameron’s film is a bit of a wreck

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 22:26:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/titanic-at-25-like-the-ship-itself-james-camerons-film-is-a-bit-of-a-wreck-199171>

"When it was released 25 years ago, James Cameron’s Titanic was enormous. It
made stars of its two leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Reviews
overwhelmingly heaped praise not only on the technical aspects of the film but

Computer Engineering for Babies

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 22:27:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://computerengineeringforbabies.com/

"FOR KIDS. AND SENIOR EE’S.

With two buttons and an LED, the book explores basic computer logic gates,

‘We need to restore the land’: as coal mines close, here’s a community blueprint to sustain the Hunter Valley

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 22:29:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-restore-the-land-as-coal-mines-close-heres-a-community-blueprint-to-sustain-the-hunter-valley-198792>

"The decline of the coal industry means 17 mines in the New South Wales Hunter
Valley will close over the next two decades. More than 130,000 hectares of
mining land — nearly two-thirds of the valley floor between Broke and

As Climate Money Pours In, Some Urban Freeways May Disappear

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 22:30:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/milwaukee-freeway-removal-park-east-794/>

"In 1995, Peter Park, then a professor at the School of Architecture and Urban
Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, began working with his
students to make a case for tearing down a freeway. Their idea was tantalizing:

We come to bury ChatGPT, not to praise it.

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 04:24:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.danmcquillan.org/chatgpt.html

"Large language models (LLMs) like the GPT family learn the statistical
structure of language by optimising their ability to predict missing words in
sentences (as in 'The cat sat on the [BLANK]'). Despite the impressive

Germany Has a Problem

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 04:25:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/opinion/germany-far-right-afd.html

"BERLIN — In the heat of debate about Germany sending tanks to Ukraine, it’s
easy to forget that just two months ago, the authorities arrested 25 people for
planning a radical right-wing coup to overthrow the German government.

The coal whack-a-mole: getting rid of coal power will make prices fall and demand rise elsewhere

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 04:26:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/the-coal-whack-a-mole-getting-rid-of-coal-power-will-make-prices-fall-and-demand-rise-elsewhere-199305>

"The fight against climate change is full of inconvenient truths. The latest?
Coal is going to be harder to get rid of than we had hoped. Every victory like
the rejection of Clive Palmer’s proposed Rockhampton coal mine seems to be

Electric ute conversion targets resources sector in $1b deal to displace diesel

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 04:27:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-02-09/sea-mevco-electric-vehicle-mining-ute-toyota-hilux-landcruiser/101896170>

'A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed to supply electric utility
vehicles to the Australian mining sector, which experts say could encourage
broader uptake of electric utes across the country.

“Not a single year to lose:” Auto industry is pushing world well beyond 1.5°C

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 04:28:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://thedriven.io/2023/02/08/not-a-single-year-to-lose-auto-industry-is-pushing-world-well-beyond-1-5c/>

"A joint report from electric vehicle companies Rivian and Polestar says that
without urgent action to slash transport emissions, the global automotive
industry will crash through its share of the global carbon budget that is

1300 recycled electric vehicle batteries used for biggest grid-scale storage system of its kind

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:10:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://thedriven.io/2023/02/08/1300-recycled-electric-vehicle-batteries-used-for-biggest-grid-scale-storage-system-of-its-kind/>

"A 25 MWh grid-scale stationary storage system comprising 1,300 recycled
electric vehicle batteries is now fully operational in California.

Scientists Studying Earth's Trees Issue Stark Warning to Humanity

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:11:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-studying-earths-trees-issue-stark-warning-to-humanity>

"From soaring coastal redwoods to dinosaur-era Wollemi pines and firs that make
the perfect Christmas trees, even our most revered woody plants are in an awful
lot of trouble.

Review bombing is about power, politics and revenge - but it’s not about art

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:12:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/review-bombing-is-about-power-politics-and-revenge-but-its-not-about-art-199005>

"In the video game turned HBO adaptation The Last of Us, human survivors must
contend with hordes of zombie-like “infected” called “clickers” in a battle for
survival. Now, the show itself is facing a similar problem: disgruntled fans of

The path forward for astronomers and native Hawaiians

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:13:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/the-path-forward-for-astronomers-and-native-hawaiians-8434f78c9e4>

"In 2015, the astronomy community was excitedly anticipating the next
generation in ground-based, optical astronomy. After more than 20 years of
10-meter class telescopes being the largest and most powerful in the world, a

Fossil fuel companies won’t save us from climate change. We need governments to step up

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:14:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/feb/09/fossil-fuel-companies-wont-save-us-from-climate-change-we-need-governments-to-step-up>

"We have an early contender for the least surprising newsflash of the year:
fossil fuel companies will not, of their own volition, save us from climate
breakdown. The oil and gas multinational BP revealed on Tuesday that it set a

Snow leopard wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:34:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-09/winner-of-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-people-s-choice/101950528>

'A snow leopard at sunset, posed against the mountains of Ladakh in northern
India, has been voted as the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year
People's Choice Award.

Prejudice, poor pay and the ‘urinary leash’: naming and claiming Australia’s forgotten women scientists

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:36:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/prejudice-poor-pay-and-the-urinary-leash-naming-and-claiming-australias-forgotten-women-scientists-198407>

"Review: Taking to the Field: a History of Australian Women in Science -
Jane Carey (Monash University Publishing)

Ring discovered around dwarf planet Quaoar confounds theories

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:37:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/08/ring-discovered-around-dwarf-planet-quaoar-confounds-theories>

"Astronomers have spotted a ring around a dwarf planet called Quaoar in the
outer reaches of the solar system.

A US state shelved my book – yet all I was doing was trying to help people live their lives

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:40:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/08/us-state-banned-book-florida-trans-teen-survival-guide-school>

"I check Twitter and nearly spit out my coffee. I’m tagged in a post by the
Florida Freedom To Read Project, stating that a number of library books have
been taken off the shelves, including mine.

‘There is no standard’: investigation finds AI algorithms objectify women’s bodies

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 21:41:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/08/biased-ai-algorithms-racy-women-bodies>

"Images posted on social media are analyzed by artificial intelligence (AI)
algorithms that decide what to amplify and what to suppress. Many of these
algorithms, a Guardian investigation has found, have a gender bias, and may

What if Opal and Myki became one? It’d help more of us than you’d think

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:16:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/what-if-opal-and-myki-became-one-itd-help-more-of-us-than-youd-think-197684>

"Melburnians know Myki, Sydneysiders know Opal. These two electronic ticketing
systems for public transport may be streets ahead of what they replaced, but
are now decidedly old-fashioned compared with systems elsewhere in the world.

Labor condemned for ‘abhorrently cruel’ decision to put 100 people back in immigration detention

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:17:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/09/labor-condemned-for-abhorrently-cruel-decision-to-put-100-people-back-in-immigration-detention>

"Human rights advocates and lawyers have blasted Labor for the “abhorrently
cruel” decision to re-detain a group of 100 people released from immigration
detention around Christmas.

Haven’t had COVID or a vaccine dose in the past six months? Consider getting a booster

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:17:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/havent-had-covid-or-a-vaccine-dose-in-the-past-six-months-consider-getting-a-booster-199096>

"Australians aged 18 and over will be eligible for a COVID booster from
February 20 if they have not had a vaccine dose or infection in the past six
months.

UK urged to sack Tony Abbott as trade adviser for joining climate sceptic group

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:19:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/08/calls-for-uk-to-sack-tony-abbott-trade-adviser-climate-sceptic-thinktank-global-warming-policy-foundation>

"The UK government is being urged to sack one of its trade advisers after he
joined a thinktank that has denied the scale of the climate crisis and
campaigned against net zero.

ChatGPT is a data privacy nightmare. If you’ve ever posted online, you ought to be concerned

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:20:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-a-data-privacy-nightmare-if-youve-ever-posted-online-you-ought-to-be-concerned-199283>

"ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. Within two months of its release it
reached 100 million active users, making it the fastest-growing consumer
application ever launched. Users are attracted to the tool’s advanced

For the Housing Market’s Greenest Buyers, ‘Earthships’ Are Taking Off

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:24:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/earthships-taos-new-mexico-sustainable-construction/>

"Once you’ve crossed the massive steel bridge over the Rio Grande northwest of
Taos in New Mexico, earth-colored domes arch out of the prairie. Did giant
moles burrow fancy dungeons into the vast plains and decorate the mounds with

Millions of satellite images reveal how beaches around the Pacific vanish or replenish in El Niño and La Niña years

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:25:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/millions-of-satellite-images-reveal-how-beaches-around-the-pacific-vanish-or-replenish-in-el-nino-and-la-nina-years-198505>

"If you’ve been visiting the same beach for a few summers, you’ll have seen it
change. While beaches look static, they’re actually one of the most dynamic
regions on Earth. Winds, waves and tides stir and push sand around constantly.

Social media campaign linked to Chinese government spreading disinformation about Australian politics, thinktank says

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:26:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/09/social-media-campaign-linked-to-chinese-government-spreading-disinformation-about-australian-politics-thinktank-says>

"A coordinated foreign influence campaign linked to the Chinese government is
using social media to undermine confidence in Australia’s democratic system,
according to researchers at a Canberra-based defence thinktank.

This doctor wants to prescribe a cure for homelessness

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:27:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/02/07/1153827864/this-doctor-wants-to-prescribe-a-cure-for-homelessness>

"Over the last decade, cities up and down the West Coast have seen a tsunami of
homelessness flood their streets. Encampments dot freeway underpasses, parks,
and city downtowns. Distressed people languish on street corners and sidewalks.

6 reasons why it’s so hard to see a GP

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:28:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://theconversation.com/6-reasons-why-its-so-hard-to-see-a-gp-199284

"The recently released Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report found more
people are delaying care or attending emergency departments because they can’t
get in to see a GP.

Bill Liao: My First Ever Nerve Wracking Stand Up

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 19:29:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Chose an easy topic to satirise for my first ever stand up comedy set...
Racism. Please forgive the Daleks attitude to the Swiss as Daleks are the
ultimate racists!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uJ7EM_tEo0

ChatGPT threatens language diversity. More needs to be done to protect our differences in the age of AI

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 22:57:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-threatens-language-diversity-more-needs-to-be-done-to-protect-our-differences-in-the-age-of-ai-198878>

"The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like ChatGPT is
palpable. People are both optimistic and frightened by the possibilities of
these tools. Clearly, these technologies will change how people write. But in

Amid More Game Shutdowns Occurring, John Carmack Weighs In On Preservation

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:01:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/08/amid-more-game-shutdowns-occurring-john-carmack-weighs-in-on-preservation/>

"The conversation about preservation in the video game industry is continuing
at a nice pace. Honestly, the most encouraging part of all of this, as someone
who has been writing about this topic for several years now, is seeing how much

Ancient Pompeii site installs 'invisible' solar panels that look like Roman terracotta tiles

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:02:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/06/ancient-pompeii-site-installs-invisible-solar-panels-that-look-like-roman-terracotta-tiles>

"Ancient Roman ruins at Pompeii have been fitted with invisible solar panels,
in a move that will ensure the archaeological site’s sustainability and cut
costs. The innovative panels, which blend into the background by imitating

Bard, Bing and Baidu: how big tech’s AI race will transform search – and all of computing

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:03:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/bard-bing-and-baidu-how-big-techs-ai-race-will-transform-search-and-all-of-computing-199501>

"Today, if you want to find a good moving company, you might ask your favourite
search engine – Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo perhaps – for some advice.

New Report Shows How 2016 ‘DNC Hacked Itself’ Story Was Fabricated Garbage And The Nation Ran With It Anyway

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:05:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/09/new-report-shows-how-2016-dnc-hacked-itself-story-was-fabricated-garbage-and-the-nation-ran-with-it-anyway/>

"Back in 2015, you might recall how the Russian Government was caught hacking
into the DNC. It wasn’t particularly subtle; a Russian intelligence officer
pretending to be a Romanian hacker made the dumb mistake of forgetting to turn

Tanya Plibersek killed off Clive Palmer’s coal mine. It’s an Australian first – but it may never happen again

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:56:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/tanya-plibersek-killed-off-clive-palmers-coal-mine-its-an-australian-first-but-it-may-never-happen-again-199512>

"Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has formally rejected mining
magnate Clive Palmer’s proposed Central Queensland Coal Project. Her decision
was based on the risk of damage to the Great Barrier Reef, freshwater creeks

The New Generation of Hydropower Dams Let Fish Swim Straight Through

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:57:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/hydroelectric-dam-turbines-fish-friendly/>

"The American eel is a slippery, mysterious fish. Eels live out most of their
lives in the freshwater rivers and estuaries of the United States, from New
Mexico to South Dakota to Florida to Maine. But when it comes time to

Australia’s new pay equality law risks failing women – unless we make this simple fix

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:57:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/australias-new-pay-equality-law-risks-failing-women-unless-we-make-this-simple-fix-199587>

"The Albanese government’s efforts to address the gender pay gap are laudable.
Despite all the attention given to the issue over the past decade or so,
sectoral pay discrimination is very real and workplace biases persist.

Denver Bets on Rental Cars to Boost EV Adoption

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:58:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-30/hertz-partnership-in-denver-provides-data-on-ev-charging-needs>

"To help people transition to electric vehicles, what if you start with rental
cars? That’s the theory of a collaboration between rental car company Hertz
Global Holdings Inc. and the city of Denver.

Japan's Suzuki to invest $35 bln through 2030 in EVs

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 06:01:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/japans-suzuki-invest-35-bln-through-fy-2030-2023-01-26/>

'TOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Suzuki Motor Corp (7269.T) will invest 4.5 trillion
yen ($34.8 billion) through fiscal 2030 in research, development and capital
spending to make battery electric vehicles (EVs), it said on Thursday.

Shift Happens celebrates 150 years of typewriters, keyboards, and the people who use them

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:52:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theverge.com/23584421/shift-happens-marcin-wichary-typewriters-keyboards-qwerty-history>

"Shift Happens is a book, launching on Kickstarter today, that attempts to
tell the winding story of keyboards: from the conception of the Qwerty layout a
century and a half ago, through early computers, to the mechanical keyboard

Biden restores protections to Alaska's Tongass National Forest

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:53:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64428423

'Joel Jackson, the president of the Organized Village of Kake, a tribal
community, has lived within the Tongass National Forest in Alaska his entire
life. His community relies on the land for hunting deer and fishing salmon that

Motorists in California could soon be paid to convert old cars to electric

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:55:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.drive.com.au/news/motorists-could-soon-be-paid-to-convert-older-cars-to-electric/>

"One state in the US could soon be paying people to convert their old cars to
electric power.

Why a shift to basing vehicle registration fees on emissions matters for Australia

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:56:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/why-a-shift-to-basing-vehicle-registration-fees-on-emissions-matters-for-australia-199294>

"The ACT is changing how it calculates car registration fees. Instead of being
based on a car’s weight, the fee the owner pays will be based on the greenhouse
gas emissions it produces.

Major plug-in hybrid cars pollute more than official measures suggest

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:57:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/08/major-plug-in-hybrid-cars-pollute-more-than-official-measures-suggest>

"Popular plug-in hybrid cars emit significantly more carbon dioxide than
official measures suggest, according to new on-road tests by academics that add
to concerns over the true impact of cars sold as better for the environment.

Letters from an American: February 10, 2023

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:18:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-10-2023

"Over all the torrent of news these days is a fundamental struggle about the
nature of human government. Is democracy still a viable form of government, or
is it better for a country to have a strongman in charge?

EPA Restores Clean Water Act Protections for Streams and Wetlands

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:19:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.trcp.org/2023/01/04/epa-restores-clean-water-act-protections-streams-wetlands/>

"Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new rule that
formally restores federal Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands
that sustain fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing opportunities.

From Japan to Brazil: Reforesting the Amazon with the Miyawaki method

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:20:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/from-japan-to-brazil-reforesting-the-amazon-with-the-miyawaki-method/>

"When Takushi Sato left Japan for Belém, Brazil, in 1971, he never imagined
what he would go through. By 2000, as the manager of a timber company that
shipped Brazilian wood to Japan, he was tired of being extorted by officials

Clothing industry put on notice as fast fashion and unwanted clothing takes environmental toll

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:22:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-12/fast-fashion-industry-environmental-toll-amid-greenwashing/101912482>

'Early in 2023, like millions of other Australians, Kate Hulett made a new
year's resolution.

GOP mocked Al Gore as "Ozone Man": But he was right the whole time — and they knew it

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 22:34:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.salon.com/2023/02/06/mocked-al-gore-as-ozone-man-but-he-was-right-the-whole-time--and-they-knew-it/>

'Before there was climate denial, there was "Ozone Man."

The Republican Party's long, messy divorce from reality began in October 1992,

AOC rips into GOP for inciting violence against trans people

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:21:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/02/aoc-rips-into-gop-for-inciting-violence-against-trans-people/>

"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) ripped into former Twitter executives for
refusing to ban the anti-LGBTQ+ Libs of TikTok account for “inciting violence
against trans people.”

The stadium scam

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:23:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-stadium-sham

"Friends,

With tomorrow’s Super Bowl claiming our attention, it seemed appropriate to

Air Pollution Isn't Only Bad For Lungs, Say Studies. It's Also Bad For Mental Health

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:24:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.sciencealert.com/air-pollution-isnt-only-bad-for-lungs-say-studies-its-also-bad-for-mental-health>

"Long-term exposure to air pollution raises the risk of depression, according
to a pair of new studies published in the JAMA network of scientific journals.

Not all parts of the rainforest have suffered equally. Satellite images plot a path for Amazon protection.

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:25:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2023/01/not-all-parts-of-the-rainforest-have-suffered-equally-satellite-images-plot-a-path-for-amazon-protection/>

"Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s return to the Brazilian presidency has been
welcomed by environmentalists campaigning to save what remains of the Amazon’s
jungles. Now, new research underscores how his electoral victory over incumbent

Germany pledges $222 million for Brazil environment, Amazon

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:26:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/germany-pledges-222-million-brazil-environment-amazon-96765070>

"SAO PAULO — German development minister Svenja Schulze announced Monday that
her government will make 204 million euros ($222 million) available for
environmental policies in Brazil.

Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:30:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/the-dubious-rise-of-impostor-syndrome>

"Long before Pauline Clance developed the idea of the impostor phenomenon—now,
to her frustration, more commonly referred to as impostor syndrome—she was
known by the nickname Tiny. Born in 1938 and raised in Baptist Valley, in

‘Rarest of the rare’: B.C’s newest conservancy protects globally imperilled rainforest

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:32:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-rainforest-protected-area-conservancy/

"A globally endangered rainforest with cedar trees more than 1,000 years old
will be permanently protected in a new conservancy in southeast B.C.

Western Monarch Count Tallies Over 330,000 Butterflies

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:36:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://xerces.org/press/western-monarch-count-tallies-over-330000-butterflies>

"Portland, Ore.; Tuesday, January 31, 2023---In the weeks before heavy rains
battered the California coast, volunteers grabbed their binoculars and headed
out in an annual pilgrimage for a beloved animal. This year, their efforts for

China’s censored feminist movement finds solace in Sally Rooney

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:38:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/11/chinas-censored-feminist-movement-finds-solace-in-sally-rooney>

"When the manuscript of Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends first
arrived in Peng Lun’s inbox, he hesitated. It was 2017, and Peng – who had
worked in publishing for a little over a decade – had just started his own

‘Not a scrap of vegetation’: The decades-long fight to bring Phillip Island back from the brink

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:40:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://archive.md/VZEPi

"It was a fine place for a spot of sport. For 200 years, uninhabited Phillip
Island was overrun by pigs, goats and rabbits introduced by British officers
overseeing the penal settlement at Norfolk Island, seven kilometres of rough

A mega port in India threatens the survival of the largest turtles on Earth

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:02:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/a-mega-port-in-india-threatens-the-survival-of-the-largest-turtles-on-earth-197021>

"In a remote archipelago at the southernmost tip of India lies the Great
Nicobar Island. This pristine ecosystem is a globally important nesting site of
the largest turtles on Earth – leatherback turtles. But now, the site is

4 Ways Mountains Are Affected By Anthropogenic Climate Change

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:04:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/the-environment/4-ways-mountains-are-affected-by-anthropogenic-climate-change-49f929845306>

"The consequences of anthropogenic climate change and global warming are
becoming obvious in many areas of our lives. Anthropogenic means caused by
humans. I for example described before how our wine changes (Why You Should

PhyloPic

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:05:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.phylopic.org/

"Free silhouette images of animals, plants, and other life forms, available for
reuse under Creative Commons licenses."

Goffin’s Cockatoos Join Humans and Chimps as Third Species Shown to Carry Toolsets for Future Tasks

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:05:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://singularityhub.com/2023/02/12/goffins-cockatoos-join-humans-and-chimps-as-third-species-shown-to-carry-toolsets-for-future-tasks/>

"From pocket knives to smartphones, humans keep inventing
ever-more-sophisticated tools. However, the notion that tool use is an
exclusively human trait was shattered in the 1960s when Jane Goodall observed

Open-plan classrooms are trendy but there is little evidence to show they help students learn

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:06:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/open-plan-classrooms-are-trendy-but-there-is-little-evidence-to-show-they-help-students-learn-199591>

"If you step into a newly built school these days, chances are you will see
classrooms that look very different to the classrooms most of us spent our
school years in as children.

Millions of plastic bags go to landfill as recycling scheme restart hit by delays

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:40:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theage.com.au/national/millions-more-plastic-bags-bound-for-landfill-unless-recycling-scheme-can-restart-20230131-p5cgqu.html>

"Hundreds of millions of plastic bags have been sent to landfill since the
collapse of Australia’s largest soft-plastics recycling scheme as government
and industry efforts fail to revive the popular program.

Can clouds of Moon dust combat climate change?

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:41:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/can-clouds-of-moon-dust-combat-climate-change-199592>

"A group of US scientists this week proposed an unorthodox scheme to combat
global warming: creating large clouds of Moon dust in space to reflect sunlight
and cool the Earth.

Orientalism: Edward Said’s groundbreaking book explained

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:43:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/orientalism-edward-saids-groundbreaking-book-explained-197429>

"Whether you’re conscious of it or not, you likely have a vivid mental image of
what the Middle East looks and sounds like. You might envision a sparse
landscape, the air warped by heat and yellowed with flurries of sand. You might

Environment groups call for urgent action on hazardous waste from e-cigarettes

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:44:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/13/environment-groups-call-for-urgent-action-on-hazardous-waste-from-e-cigarettes>

"Environment groups have called for urgent clarity and regulation to respond to
an increase in hazardous waste from e-cigarettes as vaping becomes more
popular.

Why restoring long-distance passenger rail makes sense in New Zealand – for people and the climate

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:45:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/why-restoring-long-distance-passenger-rail-makes-sense-in-new-zealand-for-people-and-the-climate-199381>

"A recent parliamentary inquiry into passenger rail drew 1700 submissions,
suggesting growing support for the return of long-distance trains in Aotearoa.

Nearly 20,000 refugees to get same rights as other permanent residents after being kept ‘in limbo’

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:30:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/13/nearly-20000-refugees-to-get-same-rights-as-other-permanent-residents-after-being-kept-in-limbo>

"Nearly 20,000 refugees will soon be able to apply for permanency, giving them
the same rights as permanent residents after being kept “in limbo”.

Australian solar giants win “Nobel for engineering” for delivering low cost solar to the world

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:31:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-solar-giants-win-nobel-for-engineering-for-efficiency-breakthroughs/>

"A husband and wife duo are half of a four-strong Australian team, including
the globally renowned “father of PV,” to win the ‘Nobel for engineering’ for
their work in accelerating the global shift to renewable solar power.

How two brothers plan to save the world by packing a whole farm into shipping containers on a Denver used car lot

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:33:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://coloradosun.com/2022/11/24/vertical-farm-shipping-containers-denver-food/>

"The lettuce is blooming nicely on the rollaway walls.

According to the farmer’s iPad, the calibrated nutrients are flowing smoothly

Here’s some context missing from the Mparntwe Alice Springs ‘crime wave’ reporting

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:34:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/heres-some-context-missing-from-the-mparntwe-alice-springs-crime-wave-reporting-199481>

"Let us tell you about our town, our home. Mparntwe/Alice Springs is a small
town on Arrernte Country in the red hot heart of the land now called Australia.
Our town, our home, is a place of beauty: spinifex-speckled red sand dunes;

The NZ pilot held hostage in West Papua is the pawn in a conflict only real international engagement can resolve

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:49:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/the-nz-pilot-held-hostage-in-west-papua-is-the-pawn-in-a-conflict-only-real-international-engagement-can-resolve-199601>

"“Phil Mehrtens is the nicest guy, he genuinely is – no one ever had anything
bad to say about him”, says a colleague of the New Zealand pilot taken hostage
this week by members of the West Papuan Liberation Army (TPN-PB) in the

Lack of diversity in clinical trials is leaving women and patients of color behind and harming the future of medicine

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:53:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/lack-of-diversity-in-clinical-trials-is-leaving-women-and-patients-of-color-behind-and-harming-the-future-of-medicine-podcast-199487>

"Its a great day when you find a piece of clothing that fits perfectly. A good
shirt, the right pair of shoes or a well-cut dress is comfortable, looks nice
and feels like it was made just for you. Now imagine a world where every shirt

‘It’s just crazy’: Republicans attack US child labor laws as violations rise

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:55:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/11/us-child-labor-laws-violations>

"As child labor law violations have been on the rise in the US, some state
legislators are pushing for changes at state and federal levels to roll back
protections in what some see as a threat to return child labor to the country.

New Zealand wants to tax cow burps – here’s why that’s not the best climate solution

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:55:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-wants-to-tax-cow-burps-heres-why-thats-not-the-best-climate-solution-199464>

"New Zealand, where agriculture is one of the largest contributors to climate
change, is proposing a tax on cow burps. The reason seems simple enough: Cows
release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and New Zealand has a goal of

Bahamas songbird is under threat of extinction – but preserving old pine forests will help save it

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 22:56:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/bahamas-songbird-is-under-threat-of-extinction-but-preserving-old-pine-forests-will-help-save-it-199637>

"The Bahama warbler, a small songbird found exclusively on Grand Bahama and
Abaco, two islands in the north-east Bahama archipelago only “became” a species
in 2010. But due to its limited range and increasingly fragmented habitat, the

Electric utes can now power the weekend – and the work week

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:21:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/electric-utes-can-now-power-the-weekend-and-the-work-week-199600>

"Four years ago, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison famously claimed electric
vehicles (EVs) would end the weekend. “It’s not going to tow your trailer. It’s
not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite

Carbon colonialism

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:23:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-14/carbon-credits-projects-papua-new-guinea-logging-four-corners/101936714>

"The south-western shores of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, are fringed by
pristine rainforest.

Why we should shatter Melbourne’s concrete creeks

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:24:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/why-we-should-shatter-melbourne-s-concrete-creeks-20230206-p5cidn.html>

"Residents in Melbourne’s north have welcomed plans to restore the concreted
Moonee Ponds Creek to its original state – one of many creek restoration
projects under way in the city.

Labor isn’t rising to the climate occasion – their own projections prove it

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:24:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/labor-isnt-rising-to-the-climate-occasion-their-own-projections-prove-it/>

"In just a few months we’ll be one full year into the tenure of the new federal
Labor government. The general feeling about Australia’s climate policies and
philosophy from around the world is that the ‘adults are back in charge’ – the

Turkey-Syria earthquake: Assad blames west as agencies struggle to get aid to his desperate people

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:32:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/turkey-syria-earthquake-assad-blames-west-as-agencies-struggle-to-get-aid-to-his-desperate-people-199691>

"It didn’t take long for Syria’s Assad regime to seek political and economic
benefit from the devastation of an earthquake. As emergency services were
reaching victims of the 7.8-magnitude tremor on February 6, regime-linked

Burt Bacharach mastered the art of the perfect pop song – and that ain’t easy

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:32:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/burt-bacharach-mastered-the-art-of-the-perfect-pop-song-and-that-aint-easy-199660>

"Easy on the ear, perhaps. But the label of “easy listening” often attached to
the songs of Burt Bacharach belies the mastery of his talent in crafting
perfect moments in music.

Pulses are packed with goodness: Five cool things you should know about them

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:33:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/pulses-are-packed-with-goodness-five-cool-things-you-should-know-about-them-198903>

"Each year on February 10, the United Nations commemorates what probably sounds
to many like a strange occasion: World Pulses Day.

Who moves and who pays? Managed retreat is hard, but lessons from the past can guide us

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:35:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/who-moves-and-who-pays-managed-retreat-is-hard-but-lessons-from-the-past-can-guide-us-196038>

"As the cleanup from the Auckland floods continues, and Cyclone Gabrielle hits
already saturated parts of the North Island, many people and communities are
wondering about the future of their cherished places and homes.

Big Oil’s trade group allies outspent clean energy groups by a whopping 27x, with billions in ads and lobbying to keep fossil fuels flowing

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:36:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/big-oils-trade-group-allies-outspent-clean-energy-groups-by-a-whopping-27x-with-billions-in-ads-and-lobbying-to-keep-fossil-fuels-flowing-198286>

"You’ve probably seen ads promoting gas and oil companies as the solutions to
climate change. They’re meant to be inspiring and hopeful, with scenes of a
green, clean future.

Conspiracy Theorists Think Walkable Cities Are Really Open-Air Prison Dystopias Now

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:50:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7g898/walkable-15-minute-cities-con

"To many urbanites, a short commute and having your grocery shop, favorite bar,
and library branch all within walking distance are markers of a higher quality
of life. But recent attempts to reduce commute times to 15 minutes and make

Love languages are hugely popular – but there’s very little evidence they exist at all

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:51:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/love-languages-are-hugely-popular-but-theres-very-little-evidence-they-exist-at-all-198065>

"Love languages – the concept coined by Baptist pastor Gary Chapman some 30
years ago – has taken the relationships world by storm. It’s often the “go-to”
topic on first dates, and for those in relationships love languages are said to

Nobody can predict earthquakes, but we can forecast them. Here’s how

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:52:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/nobody-can-predict-earthquakes-but-we-can-forecast-them-heres-how-199757>

"After devastating earthquakes, it’s common to see discussion of earthquake
prediction. An earthquake prediction requires, in advance, the specific time,
location and magnitude of a future quake.

Magnus Hirschfeld Founded the First Transgender Clinic

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:52:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://medium.com/counterarts/magnus-hirschfeld-founded-the-first-transgender-clinic-a0f5c31bc812>

"Humans often see history as a distant, brutal realm. Its inhabitants are mute
strangers to them. With a keen eye, though, one can see how much the past
churns with the same life force as the present. Nowhere was it more apparent

ChatGPT is confronting, but humans have always adapted to new technology – ask the Mesopotamians, who invented writing

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:53:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-confronting-but-humans-have-always-adapted-to-new-technology-ask-the-mesopotamians-who-invented-writing-199184>

"Adapting to technological advances is a defining part of 21st-century life.
But it’s not unique to us: it’s been part of the human story since our earliest
written records – even featuring in the plotlines of ancient myths and legends.

No questions asked: money laundering thrives in Australia because of professionals willing to facilitate it

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 06:22:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/13/no-questions-asked-money-laundering-thrives-in-australia-because-of-professionals-willing-to-facilitate-it>

"Raids earlier this month by the Australian federal police provided a rare
window into the shady world of international money laundering. Australia is far
from a model global citizen when it comes to cracking down on money laundering

The real price of gas: massive Santos pipeline would destroy rare native grasslands

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 06:22:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/the-real-price-of-gas-massive-santos-pipeline-would-destroy-rare-native-grasslands-198795>

"Australian oil and gas giant Santos wants to build an 833-kilometre gas
pipeline stretching from southern Queensland to Newcastle in New South Wales.
Details released by the company show the project would traverse highly

Bushfires flare out of control in south-west Queensland as residents urged to flee

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 06:23:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/13/emergency-services-expect-very-difficult-day-as-50-bushfires-burn-across-queensland>

"Communities in south-west Queensland have been evacuated and homes hit by
fast-moving bushfires, as residents of Myall Park and Hookswood near the town
of Miles were urged to leave immediately.

Flood warning: NZ’s critical infrastructure is too important to fail – greater resilience is urgently needed

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 06:24:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/flood-warning-nzs-critical-infrastructure-is-too-important-to-fail-greater-resilience-is-urgently-needed-198872>

"Flooded roads, our largest international airport underwater, overwhelmed storm
water systems and significant sewage discharge into the sea and streams. The
recent floods and then cyclone in Auckland are a stark reminder that our basic

Tanya Plibersek urged to intervene to stop stockpiled soft plastics from being dumped

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 06:25:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/14/tanya-plibersek-urged-to-intervene-to-stop-stockpiled-soft-plastics-from-being-dumped>

"Environment groups are urging federal and state governments to ensure
thousands of tonnes of soft plastic that could end up in landfill are safely
warehoused by supermarket chains until recycling facilities become available,

Changes to temporary protection visas are a welcome development – and they won’t encourage people smugglers

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 14:34:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/changes-to-temporary-protection-visas-are-a-welcome-development-and-they-wont-encourage-people-smugglers-199763>

"Refugees in Australia on temporary protection visas (TPVs) and Safe Haven
Enterprise Visas (SHEVs) now have a pathway to permanent protection, the
federal government has confirmed today.

Cyclone Gabrielle worst storm to hit New Zealand this century, says PM

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 14:35:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/13/cyclone-gabrielle-new-zealand-declares-national-state-of-emergency>

"New Zealand is in a national state of emergency, as Cyclone Gabrielle batters
the country, with floods trapping people on roofs, thousands displaced and
landslides destroying homes in what officials have described as an

iFixit Celebrates 20 Years of Fixing the World

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 14:37:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.ifixit.com/News/72076/ifixit-celebrates-20-years-of-fixing-the-world>

"In 2023, iFixit celebrates its 20th Anniversary. All year long, we’ll be
sharing stories, photos, and milestones to commemorate everything that got us
to where we are today.

English loanwords in Korean

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 14:39:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://blog.plover.com/lang/koreanglish.html

"A great deal of Korean vocabulary has been borrowed from English. For example
here's a sign advertising aerobics.

What the sci-fi blockbuster Wandering Earth II can teach us about China’s global and local aspirations

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 14:40:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/what-the-sci-fi-blockbuster-wandering-earth-ii-can-teach-us-about-chinas-global-and-local-aspirations-198785>

"A prequel to the 2019 film Wandering Earth, the Chinese blockbuster hit
Wandering Earth II opens on a futuristic dystopia where the dying Sun is
about to explode and engulf Earth.

Smoke exposure from intense fires linked to long-term respiratory and cardiovascular disease

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:24:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/14/smoke-exposure-from-intense-fires-linked-to-long-term-respiratory-and-cardiovascular-disease>

"Just a few weeks of exposure to the smoke from an intense fire has years-long
respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, according to new research that sheds
light on the possible long-term effects of bushfires.

As Syrians were trapped beneath the rubble, a broken UN system was held hostage by the Assad regime

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:25:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/as-syrians-were-trapped-beneath-the-rubble-a-broken-un-system-was-held-hostage-by-the-assad-regime-199778>

"While international teams poured into Turkey to mount a furious search and
rescue effort following the massive earthquake on February 6, the response on
the other side of the border in Syria was catastrophically slow.

Secondary crises after the Turkey-Syria earthquakes are now the greatest threat to life

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:26:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/secondary-crises-after-the-turkey-syria-earthquakes-are-now-the-greatest-threat-to-life-199682>

"The death toll from the Turkey and Syria earthquakes has continued to climb,
with more than 37,000 lives lost. This staggering number is likely to grow even
higher over coming days as the rubble is cleared. The disaster is now among the

‘Forever chemicals’ have made their way to farms. For now, levels in your food are low – but there’s no time to waste

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:26:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/forever-chemicals-have-made-their-way-to-farms-for-now-levels-in-your-food-are-low-but-theres-no-time-to-waste-192402>

"They stop your food from sticking to the pan. They prevent stains in clothes
and carpets. They help firefighting foam to extinguish fires. But the very
thing that makes “forever chemicals” so useful also makes them dangerous.

Cyclone Gabrielle: how microgrids could help keep the power on during extreme weather events

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:27:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/cyclone-gabrielle-how-microgrids-could-help-keep-the-power-on-during-extreme-weather-events-199665>

"Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are left without power as Cyclone
Gabrielle batters New Zealand’s North Island, causing widespread damage to the
power network.

Cartoon detectives: how Australia’s most famous cartoon was lost and found – twice

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:40:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/cartoon-detectives-how-australias-most-famous-cartoon-was-lost-and-found-twice-194450>

"A man hangs, precariously, high above the street, holding onto the girder of
an unfinished skyscraper. Around his ankles, a second man holds on for dear
life.

Can the ‘Slow Flowers’ Movement Make Valentine’s Day Sustainable?

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:41:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/slow-flowers-valentines-day-sustainable-environment/>

"Debra Prinzing won’t get red roses for Valentine’s Day. She and her husband
have been married long enough for him to know that Prinzing doesn’t appreciate
long-stem roses in winter. “I don’t want to shame anybody,” she says from her

Farmed salmon or chicken? Environmental footprint research can guide eco-conscious consumers

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:41:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/farmed-salmon-or-chicken-environmental-footprint-research-can-guide-eco-conscious-consumers-199773>

"Switching from meat to plant-based protein is one way to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and consume less of the planet’s natural resources.

The Right Way to Repair a Mountain

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:42:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/himalayas-india-erosion-restore-ecosystem/>

"It’s a bright autumn morning in 2022. We’ve hiked up a steep Himalayan
mountainside, heavily wooded with oak and rhododendron, to a sprawling meadow
on the old bridle route of the Hindu pilgrimage sites Gangotri and Kedarnath.

Wind-powered cargo ships are the future: debunking 4 myths that stand in the way of cutting emissions

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:43:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/wind-powered-cargo-ships-are-the-future-debunking-4-myths-that-stand-in-the-way-of-cutting-emissions-199396>

"Sailing cargo ships are making a genuine comeback.

Japanese bulk carrier MOL is operating a wind-assisted ship. American food

The Violin Doctor

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:07:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/january-2023/the-violin-doctor/>

"It’s a few minutes past 10 in the morning, and John Becker stands just inside
the door to his company’s office in the Fine Arts Building downtown. He wears a
black workman’s apron, which he fits to his body by wrapping the ties around

How do pandemics begin? There's a new theory — and a new strategy to thwart them

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:10:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/15/1152892721/how-to-stop-pandemics>

'The illness struck the little baby suddenly.

It was a hot, sticky day late in the summer of 2017. Only 5 months old at the

An anniversary for great justice: Remembering “All Your Base” 20 years later

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:11:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/02/get-ready-to-feel-old-the-all-your-base-music-video-turns-20-today/>

'As the Internet began crystallizing into its modern form—one that now arguably
buttresses society as we know it—its anthropology of common language and
references matured at a strange rate. But between the simple initialisms that

Honest Government Ad | the Safeguard Mechanism

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:12:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrkE_VaMD4k

"The Australien Government has made an ad about the Safeguard Mechanism -
Labor's key climate policy to reach its 2030 emissions target - and it's
surprisingly honest and informative."

This Startup Is Making Ultra-Strong Building Panels Out of Grass

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:13:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://singularityhub.com/2023/02/15/this-startup-is-making-ultra-strong-building-panels-out-of-grass/>

"Construction is a major carbon emitter. The manufacture of cement alone
accounts for eight percent of the world’s emissions. But humanity certainly
isn’t about to stop building things—in fact, fixing the housing shortage should

“Monster Profits” Highlight Fossil Fuel Industry’s Destructive Resilience

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 22:54:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/02/exxonmobil-shell-bp-chevron-2022-profits-unprecedented-climate/>

"While 2022 inflicted hardship upon many people around the world due to soaring
inflation, climate-driven disasters, and war, the year was lucrative on an
unprecedented scale for the fossil fuel industry, with the five largest western

Trees can be weeds too – here’s why that’s a problem

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 22:54:38 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/trees-can-be-weeds-too-heres-why-thats-a-problem-182599>

"When we think of weeds, often what comes to mind are small, quick-growing
plants such as the dandelions or couch grass we might find in our gardens. You
may not think of trees as being weedy.

Dollars and chainsaws: Can timber production help fund global reforestation?

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 22:55:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/dollars-and-chainsaws-can-timber-production-help-fund-global-reforestation/>

"Pedro Brancalion is used to the roar of chainsaws. For years, he’s heard
loggers tearing down rainforest giants in the Brazilian Amazon, and listened as
ancient trees were toppled and yanked from the Atlantic Forest’s remaining

The taboos are falling fast as the EU embraces the far-right racist approach to migration

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 22:57:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2023/feb/15/eu-far-right-migration-fortress-europe>

"European Union leaders want to reinforce their controversial “fortress Europe”
policies by clamping down even harder on inward migration. This reveals a deep
and self-defeating disconnect between the 27-nation bloc’s internal actions and

New York Times Writers Call Out the Paper’s Anti-Trans Onslaught

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 22:59:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://hellgatenyc.com/new-york-times-writers-call-out-the-papers-anti-trans-onslaught>

'On Wednesday morning, a group of almost 200 journalists and writers released
an open letter addressed to the New York Times, sharing their "serious concerns
about editorial bias in the newspaper’s reporting on transgender, non-binary,

Children can now report rights violations directly to the UN – it’s progress, but Aotearoa New Zealand still needs to do more

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:14:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/children-can-now-report-rights-violations-directly-to-the-un-its-progress-but-aotearoa-new-zealand-still-needs-to-do-more-199677>

"The latest report into the rights of children in Aotearoa New Zealand has
painted a mixed picture of how the country treats young people.

In A World Where AI Art Is Cheap And Easy To Generate, Do We Still Need Copyright?

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:14:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/14/in-a-world-where-ai-art-is-cheap-and-easy-to-generate-do-we-still-need-copyright/>

"To say that AI-generated art is controversial would be something of an
understatement. The appearance last year of free tools like Stable Diffusion
has not just thrown the world of art into turmoil, it has raised profound

Is there a Correlation between the Use of Swearwords and Code Quality in Open Source Code?

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:16:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://cme.h-its.org/exelixis/pubs/JanThesis.pdf

"One of the most fundamental unanswered questions that has been bothering
mankind during the Anthropocene is whether the use of swearwords in open source
code is positively or negatively correlated with source code quality. To

‘There’s no end of war for us’

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:17:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-16/japan-ishigaki-military-base-remilitarisation-counter-china/101869542>

"Setsuko Yamazato was seven years old when her family left their home to live
in the jungle. They joined the other villagers, some with food on their backs
and crying children in their arms, and filed into the green hills of Ishigaki,

Cockatoos and macaws that outlive owners given new homes at Victor Harbor wildlife park

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:18:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-16/macaws-outlive-owners-find-new-home-at-urimbirra-wildlife-park/101956340>

'Orphaned blue and gold macaws Monty and Bee Bee are a couple of clowns that
have outlived their owner.

Pronoun hysteria is pure MAGA politics, with a side of devastation for vulnerable trans kids

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:30:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-02-15/trans-kids-gender-identity-pronouns-kentucky>

"When the current pronoun movement was first taking shape — or at least, when I
first became aware of it several years ago — I was slightly irritated. Growing
up in a family where precision of language was cherished, then spending decades

“If they don’t believe the science, they can fuck off:” Forrest backs coal and gas ban

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:31:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/if-they-dont-believe-the-science-they-can-fuck-off-forrest-backs-coal-and-gas-ban/>

"Iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest has called on leaders of all political
stripes to get serious about climate action, or get out of the way, in a feisty
exchange over the Greens’ new bid to block new fossil fuel projects in

Massive outages caused by Cyclone Gabrielle strengthen the case for burying power lines

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:32:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/massive-outages-caused-by-cyclone-gabrielle-strengthen-the-case-for-burying-power-lines-199949>

"Another extreme weather event has highlighted the weak points in New Zealand’s
critical infrastructure. As Cyclone Gabrielle ripped across the North Island,
nearly 225,000 people lost power.

UW alumnus and Diné scientist co-finds Project Enable, a new Navajo-English dictionary for scientific terms

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:34:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://navajotimes.com/ae/culture/uw-alumnus-and-dine-scientist-co-finds-project-enable-a-new-navajo-english-dictionary-for-scientific-terms/>

"What are the words for bacteria and DNA in the Diné language?

They are ch’osh doo yit’íinii and iiná bitł’óól, respectively.

Ukraine war: ‘soccer plot’ raises fears of fresh Russian attempts to destabilise neighbouring Moldova

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:34:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-soccer-plot-raises-fears-of-fresh-russian-attempts-to-destabilise-neighbouring-moldova-199942>

"Moldova has been sliding into yet another crisis following the resignation of
its prime minister, Natalia Gavrilita, and fears that Russia was plotting a
coup to overthrow the pro-western president, Maia Sandu.

These homes replaced their gas stoves – and saw a huge drop in indoor pollution

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 22:20:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/31/gas-stoves-replaced-electric-pollution-air-quality-study-bronx>

"What happens when you replace a gas stove, recently linked to one-eighth of
all US asthma cases, with an induction stove? A program in New York offered
tenants the chance to do just that and found striking differences in the levels

This Penn professor has been offending minorities for years. Will tenure save her?

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 22:22:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.vox.com/23592864/amy-wax-university-of-pennsylvania-racism-tenure-academic-freedom>

"At the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, a rare academic event is
taking place: The school is attempting to revoke tenure from an endowed
professor. Rarer still is the reason. Cases of professors losing tenure are

Israel enters a dangerous period – public protests swell over Netanyahu’s plan to limit the power of the Israeli Supreme Court

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 22:22:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/israel-enters-a-dangerous-period-public-protests-swell-over-netanyahus-plan-to-limit-the-power-of-the-israeli-supreme-court-199917>

"Proposals by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government to
radically diminish the power and independence of Israel’s judiciary sparked
demonstrations across the country starting in January 2023. An estimated

Winners of the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 22:23:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2023/02/winners-2022-travel-photographer-year-contest/673069/>

"The winning entries in the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) were
recently announced, with the Slovenian photographer Matjaz Krivic named the
overall winner, selected from nearly 20,000 entries. Contest organizers have

What Not to Ask Me About My Long COVID

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 22:25:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/long-covid-symptoms-chronic-illness-disability/673057/>

"Before I got long COVID, I tuned out virtually all stories about it. They were
tedious because I was tired of the pandemic, because we are all tired of the
pandemic, because it is as familiar as rain and honestly just as dreary; I can

PEPFAR has made so much progress against AIDS. We can’t let up now.

Wed, 1 Mar 2023 06:05:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/28/pepfar-aids-congress-reauthorize/>

"In January 2000, a grim cover story in Newsweek forecast that as many as 30
million African children could be orphaned by 2010 because of AIDS deaths.
Demographers predicted that AIDS would kill half the teenagers in some African

The Endangered Species Act Turns 50: Assessing Successes & Failures

Wed, 1 Mar 2023 06:06:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://emagazine.com/the-endangered-species-act-turns-50-assessing-successes-failures/>

"The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been successful in preventing the
extinction of hundreds of wildlife species and in promoting the recovery of
thousands more since its inception in 1973. Some of the species that have been

We found 29 threatened species are back from the brink in Australia. Here’s how

Wed, 1 Mar 2023 06:06:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/we-found-29-threatened-species-are-back-from-the-brink-in-australia-heres-how-200057>

"Australia’s natural world is in deep trouble. Many of our species are getting
rarer. Some are now perilously close to extinction, while entire ecosystems
face collapse.

Nathan J. Robinson’s “Responding to the Right: Brief Replies to 25 Conservative Arguments”

Wed, 1 Mar 2023 06:08:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://doctorow.medium.com/nathan-j-robinsons-responding-to-the-right-brief-replies-to-25-conservative-arguments-4ae6210ce0e>

"In Responding to the Right: Brief Replies to 25 Conservative Arguments,
Current Affairs founder Nathan J. Robinson addresses himself in a serious,
thoughtful way to the arguments advanced by right-wing figures, even when those

Lonely tunes: Humpback whales wail less as population grows

Wed, 1 Mar 2023 06:10:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://apnews.com/article/science-oddities-animals-australia-whales-065e1b7c6a45b188ea1c918f4f2a75ee>

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Those melancholy tunes sung by humpback whales may really be
a sign of loneliness.

Glass Wings Blog: February 2023

‘Everyone wants a piece’: Are electric vehicles Australia’s opportunity of a lifetime?

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:28:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

What do oranges, coffee grounds and seaweed have in common? They outshine cotton in sustainable fashion

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:29:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Huge protest in Israel over rightwing government’s judicial changes

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:30:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Australia’s twice extended deadline for torture prevention is today, but we’ve missed it again

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:31:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

‘We don’t know his real name’: George Santos’s unravelling web of lies

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:32:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Brazil declares emergency over deaths of Yanomami children from malnutrition

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:26:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

If you haven’t joined a union, it’s time you paid to benefit from union deals

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:27:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Joseph Stiglitz: tax high earners at 70% to tackle widening inequality

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:28:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:29:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

What Will ‘Weather Whiplash’ Mean for California?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 03:30:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Can reading help heal us and process our emotions – or is that just a story we tell ourselves?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:22:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Exploding carp numbers are ‘like a house of horrors’ for our rivers. Is it time to unleash carp herpes?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:24:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Tigers in South Africa: a farming industry exists – often for their body parts

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:25:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

‘A great day for the country’: Uganda declares an end to Ebola outbreak

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:26:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Why we all need subtitles now

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:27:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Climate change is threatening Madagascar’s famous forests – our study shows how serious it is

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:52:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Peru protests: What to know about Indigenous-led movement shaking the crisis-hit country

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:52:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Five big challenges for Lula’s presidency of Brazil

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:53:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Subjective and Objective Measurement of Democratic Backsliding

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:54:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Q&A: Why are the Scottish and UK governments going to court over gender recognition laws?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 18:55:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

‘No miracles needed’: Prof Mark Jacobson on how wind, sun and water can power the world

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:14:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

System to protect Australia’s threatened species from development ‘more or less worthless’, study finds

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:15:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

The world’s carbon price is a fraction of what we need – because only a fifth of global emissions are priced

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:17:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Our Solar System is filled with asteroids that are particularly hard to destroy, new study finds

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:17:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Eight in 10 people in China caught Covid since early December, say officials

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 03:18:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Researchers discover elephant extinction could have major impact on atmospheric carbon levels

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:03:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

How to talk to someone about conspiracy theories in five simple steps