Glass Wings Blog: July 2023

<https://theconversation.com/nature-religions-are-growing-in-australia-though-witchcraft-was-illegal-in-some-territories-just-10-years-ago-205943>

"Nature religions, commonly described as Paganism (or neo-Paganism), are
growing in Australia. In the last Census, 33,148 people claimed affiliation
with a nature religion: including Animism, Druidism, and the many traditions of

Death of the cheque by 2030 as Australia embraces digital payment reforms

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:29:59 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/07/death-of-the-cheque-by-2030-as-australia-embraces-digital-payment-reforms>

"The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has signed the cheque’s death warrant to end its
use in Australia by 2030, as part of a range of payment reforms for the digital
era.

5 reasons kids still need to learn handwriting (no, AI has not made it redundant)

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:31:23 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-kids-still-need-to-learn-handwriting-no-ai-has-not-made-it-redundant-206939>

"The world of writing is changing.

Things have moved very quickly from keyboards and predictive text. The rise of

Thousands flee homes as collapse of dam is blamed on Russian forces

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:33:50 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-blowing-up-nova-kakhovka-dam-near-kherson>

"Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and an ecological
disaster has been unleashed on southern Ukraine by the collapse of a major
hydroelectric dam on the Dnipro River, which Kyiv said was blown up by Russia

How India’s ‘slum-free’ redevelopment fails residents by ignoring their design insights and needs

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:35:30 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-indias-slum-free-redevelopment-fails-residents-by-ignoring-their-design-insights-and-needs-204031>

"I’m in Ahmedabad, India, standing where families once built their homes under
the shade of large trees. Today, those houses are a flattened dust bowl at the
edge of a construction site. Apartment buildings are replacing the low-rise,

Devastation from Kakhovka dam collapse could take decades to heal

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:04:43 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/devastation-from-kakhovka-dam-collapse-could-take-decades-to-heal>

"The people living along Ukraine’s lower Dnipro River must contend with the
immediate consequences of the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam and flee for
safety with whatever they can salvage, but the wider impact could make itself

Kathleen Folbigg is free. But people pardoned and exonerated of crimes face unique challenges when released from prison

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:06:10 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/kathleen-folbigg-is-free-but-people-pardoned-and-exonerated-of-crimes-face-unique-challenges-when-released-from-prison-207017>

"In 2003, Kathleen Folbigg was convicted of killing her four children. She has
now been released from prison, 20 years later, after being pardoned by the
Attorney General of New South Wales.

Too late now to save Arctic summer ice, climate scientists find

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:07:40 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/06/too-late-now-to-save-arctic-summer-ice-climate-scientists-find>

"It is now too late to save summer Arctic sea ice, research has shown, and
scientists say preparations need to be made for the increased extreme weather
across the northern hemisphere that is likely to occur as a result.

Building activity produces 18% of emissions and a shocking 40% of our landfill waste. We must move to a circular economy – here’s how

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:09:05 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/building-activity-produces-18-of-emissions-and-a-shocking-40-of-our-landfill-waste-we-must-move-to-a-circular-economy-heres-how-206188>

"Architecture, engineering and construction employ 1.2 million people in
Australia and account for 9% of GDP. But our biggest services sector also
produces roughly 40% of landfill waste and accounts for 18.1% of Australia’s

‘Forget all the excuses’: Arnold Schwarzenegger expresses regret over groping claims

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:11:19 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/06/arnold-schwarzenegger-expresses-regret-over-groping-claims>

"Arnold Schwarzenegger has revisited historical allegations of groping in a new
documentary series about his life and career.

Climate-related disasters leave behind trauma and worse mental health. Housing uncertainty is a major reason why

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:26:00 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/climate-related-disasters-leave-behind-trauma-and-worse-mental-health-housing-uncertainty-is-a-major-reason-why-206861>

"Australia, the world’s driest inhabited continent, is particularly vulnerable
to climate-related disasters such as droughts, bushfires, storms and floods. In
2020, we were one of the top ten nations in the world for economic damage

e-Fuels Won’t Work! THIS Is Why…

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:27:19 +1000

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

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

"The combustion engine will be phased out in Europe from 2035. Apparently
climate neutral but astronomically inefficient e-fuels have entered the zero
emission transport debate and now, thanks to a few choice lobbyists, they may

How you can help the Amazon Rainforest–today

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:28:53 +1000

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

<https://ev.medium.com/how-you-can-help-the-amazon-rainforest-today-f394d68d4e7>

"Last week, Brazil’s Congress shocked the world by suddenly fast-tracking and
passing PL2903, the Marco Temporal bill. This bill paves the way for the
unprecedented destruction of the Amazon Rainforest by stripping Brazil’s

We Can Start Thinking in Centuries

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:30:26 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/long-term-thinking-richard-fisher-the-long-view/>

"From technology designed to stop you from working and junk food made to only
temporarily satiate you, much of modern life is startlingly oriented toward the
short-term.

More than 60 billion leaf litter invertebrates died in the Black Summer fires. Here’s what that did to ecosystems

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:31:43 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/more-than-60-billion-leaf-litter-invertebrates-died-in-the-black-summer-fires-heres-what-that-did-to-ecosystems-207032>

"The Black Summer megafires engulfing south-eastern Australia in 2019–2020 were
so intense they burned habitats rarely exposed to fire, such as southern warm
temperate rainforest.

‘Out of control’ fires burn across Canada as poor air quality expected to persist

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:27:25 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/07/canada-wildfires-smoke-air-quality>

"Hundreds of wildfires are burning across Canada, many of them out of control,
have blanketed cities in a thick haze of smoke, amid warnings from experts the
situation will continue to worsen.

World Heritage Fraser Island officially restored to Indigenous name, K'gari, supported by public

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:29:05 +1000

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

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-07/traditional-owners-celebrate-fraser-island-name-change-to-kgari/102410130>

'The world's largest sand island off the coast of Queensland, formerly known as
Fraser Island, has officially been renamed K'gari.

How to be a man? Josh Hawley has the (incoherent) answers.

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:31:43 +1000

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

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/05/18/manhood-josh-hawley-review/>

"For practically as long as men have existed, they have been in crisis.
Everything, it seems, threatens them with obsolescence. As far back as the
1660s, King Charles II warned English men that a new beverage called coffee

20% of Australian students don’t finish high school: non-mainstream schools have a lot to teach us about helping kids stay

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:32:32 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/20-of-australian-students-dont-finish-high-school-non-mainstream-schools-have-a-lot-to-teach-us-about-helping-kids-stay-207021>

"A significant proportion of young Australians still do not finish high school.
According to data released by the Productivity Commission on Tuesday, about one
in five students leave before they reach Year 12.

Tens of millions under air quality alerts in US as Canada fire smoke drifts south

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:33:39 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/07/new-york-air-quality-alerts>

"Tens of millions of people in the US were under air quality alerts on
Wednesday, as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south, turning the sky in
some of the country’s biggest cities a murky brown and saturating the air with

We’ve created a new lens that could take thermal cameras out of spy films and put them into your back pocket

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:03:51 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/weve-created-a-new-lens-that-could-take-thermal-cameras-out-of-spy-films-and-put-them-into-your-back-pocket-206594>

"Like something out of a spy movie, thermal cameras make it possible to “see”
heat by converting infrared radiation into an image. They can detect infrared
light given off by animals, vehicles, electrical equipment and even people –

Fields of southern Ukraine could ‘turn into deserts’ after dam destruction

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:04:46 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/07/ukraine-dam-flood-kakhovka-reservoir-destroyed-kherson-oblast-floodwaters-peak-dnipro-river>

"The fields of southern Ukraine could “turn into deserts” by next year, the
country’s agrarian and food ministry said after the destruction of the Kakhovka
dam and the draining of its reservoir, which had irrigated one of the world’s

How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:05:48 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-saudi-arabia-came-to-be-at-the-centre-of-a-global-golf-merger-207203>

"Professional golf – and increasingly world sport – is caught in a sand trap.
Not the familiar hazard between fairway and green, but the Middle Eastern
desert producing enormous quantities of fossil fuels.

Kakhovka dam collapse before and after: satellite images reveal extent of flood disaster in Ukraine

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:06:37 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/07/kakhovka-dam-flooding-ukraine-before-and-after-satellite-images-reservoir-kherson-oblast>

"Satellite images from Ukraine have revealed the extent of the flooding in the
country’s south, after the region’s Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric station were
largely destroyed.

China’s backlash against Little Mermaid exposes Hollywood bind

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:07:56 +1000

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

<https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/6/8/chinas-backlash-against-little-mermaid-exposes-hollywood-dilemma>

"Taipei, Taiwan – Hollywood has a China problem.

The world’s second-largest economy has become one of the biggest markets for

World Ocean Day: How much plastic is in our oceans?

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 12:06:02 +1000

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

<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/8/how-much-plastic-is-in-our-oceans-infographic>

"Every year, about 400 million tonnes of plastic products are produced around
the world. About half are used to make single-use items such as shopping bags,
cups and packaging material.

Our oceans are in deep trouble – a ‘mountains to sea’ approach could make a real difference

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 12:06:55 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/our-oceans-are-in-deep-trouble-a-mountains-to-sea-approach-could-make-a-real-difference-207116>

"The rapidly declining health of New Zealand’s marine environment raises
serious questions about how we care for and manage the oceans.

‘Absolute scandal’: UAE state oil firm able to read Cop28 climate summit emails

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 12:07:57 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/07/uae-oil-firm-cop28-climate-summit-emails-sultan-al-jaber-adnoc>

"The United Arab Emirates’ state oil company has been able to read emails to
and from the Cop28 climate summit office and was consulted on how to respond to
a media inquiry, the Guardian can reveal.

Warm is the new norm for the Great Barrier Reef – and a likely El Niño raises red flags

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 12:08:38 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/warm-is-the-new-norm-for-the-great-barrier-reef-and-a-likely-el-nino-raises-red-flags-206750>

"The Bureau of Meteorology this week declared a 70% chance of an El Niño
developing this year. This raises concern for the health of the Great Barrier
Reef, which is under continuing threat from climate change.

Corporate profits heat up inflation: OECD

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 12:09:40 +1000

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

<https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/corporate-profits-heat-up-inflation-oecd-20230607-p5deou.html>

"Corporate profits contributed far more to Australia’s rise in inflation
through the past year than from wages and other employee costs, according to
international research that challenges the official view of the Reserve Bank

The illusion of moral decline

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 19:34:20 +1000

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

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06137-x

"Anecdotal evidence indicates that people believe that morality is declining.
In a series of studies using both archival and original data (n = 12,492,983),
we show that people in at least 60 nations around the world believe that

Giant tree-kangaroos once lived in unexpected places all over Australia, according to major new analysis

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 19:35:06 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/giant-tree-kangaroos-once-lived-in-unexpected-places-all-over-australia-according-to-major-new-analysis-205759>

"Kangaroos are an enduring symbol of Australia’s uniqueness. To move, they do
what no other large mammals do: they hop along on oversized hind legs. So you
may be surprised to learn that some kangaroos live in trees, and are among the

Nearly 20% of the cultural differences between societies boil down to ecological factors – new research

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 19:35:49 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/nearly-20-of-the-cultural-differences-between-societies-boil-down-to-ecological-factors-new-research-206981>

"In some parts of the world, the rules are strict; in others they are far more
lax. In some places, people are likely to plan for the future, while in others
people are more likely to live in the moment. In some societies people prefer

The Fleeting Utopia: Navigating The Euphoria Of New Digital Communities

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 19:36:31 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/06/the-fleeting-utopia-navigating-the-euphoria-of-new-digital-communities/>

"Joining a new digital community can be an exhilarating and empowering
experience. This has been observed on numerous occasions when people join new
platforms such as Nostr, BlueSky, Farcaster, Post.news, Tribel, and many

A Natural History Of Trust & Safety

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 19:38:10 +1000

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

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/07/a-natural-history-of-trust-safety/

"In the beginning, there were harms.

No, not yet. First, there’s an idea, a product, a company. You’ve made an app

The New Livestock Farm Is a Forest, Too

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 03:43:11 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/silvopasture-ancient-farm-practice-renaissance/>

"On a clear morning in April, after milking his seven cows, Tim Sauder looked
over the pasture where he had just turned the animals out to graze. Like many
dairy farms, Sauder’s fields swayed with a variety of greenery: chicory,

An El Niño looms over Australia’s stressed electricity system – and we must plan for the worst

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 03:43:51 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/an-el-nino-looms-over-australias-stressed-electricity-system-and-we-must-plan-for-the-worst-207210>

"The Bureau of Meteorology this week declared a 70% chance of an El Niño
developing this year. It’s bad timing for the electricity sector, and means
Australians may face supply disruptions and more volatile energy prices.

Innocent Queensland children pleading guilty to avoid harsh bail laws, lawyers say

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 03:45:10 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/09/innocent-queensland-children-pleading-guilty-to-avoid-harsh-bail-laws-lawyers-say>

"Young people in Queensland are pleading guilty to offences they did not commit
– or where there is little evidence to support charges – to avoid spending
extreme periods on remand in the state’s buckling youth justice system, lawyers

Voice, treaty, truth: compared to other settler nations, Australia is the exception, not the rule

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 03:45:57 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/voice-treaty-truth-compared-to-other-settler-nations-australia-is-the-exception-not-the-rule-206092>

"For many non-Indigenous Australians, it might seem the Voice to Parliament –
the first step in the Uluru Statement’s process of “voice, treaty, truth” – is
a recent idea. Conservative voices have framed it as a dangerously untested

Canada battles hundreds of wildfires as smoke still chokes major cities

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 03:46:58 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/canada-wildfires-air-quality-preparedness>

"Wildfire crews in Canada continue to battle hundreds of blazes across the
country as air quality in major cities remains poor and other regions brace for
intense heat. And as the country burns, experts warn Canada needs to do a

125-degree heat index: Puerto Rico faces 'dangerous situation' due to record-breaking conditions

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:03:50 +1000

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

<https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-faces-dangerous-situation-record-breaking-heat-rcna88168>

"Puerto Rico endured temperatures that felt as hot as 125 degrees Fahrenheit
this week, according to the National Weather Service, as the U.S. territory
experiences excessive heat conditions that will continue for another week.

46 Books that Changed the World

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:04:52 +1000

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

https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/books-that-changed-the-world

"Anyone who’s ever turned a page understands the potential for books to change
the world in ways both large and small. Here, in no particular order, are just
a few of history’s most influential tomes—and how they made humanity look at

What is the ‘splinternet’? Here’s why the internet is less whole than you might think

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:05:29 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-splinternet-heres-why-the-internet-is-less-whole-than-you-might-think-207033>

"“Splinternet” refers to the way the internet is being splintered – broken up,
divided, separated, locked down, boxed up, or otherwise segmented.

Air pollution in US from wildfire smoke is worst in recent recorded history

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:06:34 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/08/air-quality-record-smoke-hazard-wildfire-worst-day-ever-canada-new-york>

"The US experienced its worst toxic air pollution from wildfire smoke in its
recent recorded history on Wednesday, researchers have found, with people in
New York exposed to levels of pollution more than five times above the national

Long COVID could be caused by the virus lingering in the body. Here’s what the science says

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:07:15 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/long-covid-could-be-caused-by-the-virus-lingering-in-the-body-heres-what-the-science-says-205025>

"While most people survive and recover from COVID, for some people symptoms can
persist for months or years. When symptoms last longer than 12 weeks, the
condition is known as long COVID.

Dam collapse a global problem as waters may poison Black Sea, Zelenskiy says

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 19:04:23 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/dam-collapse-global-problem-waters-may-poison-black-sea-zelenskiy>

"Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the ecological disaster triggered by the collapse
of the Nova Kakhovka dam has become a global problem as severely contaminated
waters flow into the Black Sea.

Never Forget: They Knew

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 19:07:44 +1000

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

<https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/8/2174113/-Never-Forget-They-Knew>

"As fossil fuel executives join the rest of us currently choking on the ash of
old growth forests being consumed in the apocalyptic conflagrations directly
linked to their actions, we must never forget: THEY KNEW.

Greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high and Earth is warming faster than ever – report

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 19:08:49 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/greenhouse-gas-emissions-are-at-an-all-time-high-and-earth-is-warming-faster-than-ever-report-207234>

"Greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high, with yearly emissions
equivalent to 54 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. Humanity has caused surface
temperatures to warm by 1.14°C since the late 1800s – and this warming is

Australia should follow Ireland’s lead and add stronger health warning labels to alcohol

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 19:10:49 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/australia-should-follow-irelands-lead-and-add-stronger-health-warning-labels-to-alcohol-206985>

"From August 2023, Australian beer, wine, spirits and pre-mixed drinks have to
warn of the harms of drinking alcohol while pregnant. But they don’t have to
mention the other harms of alcohol for the wider population.

‘They hate us so much’: villagers flee flooding after dam attack

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 19:16:36 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/ukraine-villagers-flee-flooding-kakhovka-dam-attack>

"It took 24 hours for the flood waters to come to Bilozerka, a frontline
village 8 miles west of Kherson. When they did, in a 90-minute rush early on
Wednesday, they flooded out about 24 cottages in two streets by the waterline –

Blue carbon: could a solution to the climate challenge be buried in the depths of fiords?

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 03:53:29 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/blue-carbon-could-a-solution-to-the-climate-challenge-be-buried-in-the-depths-of-fiords-205639>

"Cyclone Gabrielle has highlighted forestry slash as a problematic aspect of
relying on plantation forests to draw down carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the
atmosphere.

Ethics in a machine-learning world

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 03:55:16 +1000

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

https://lwn.net/Articles/933193/

"Margaret Mitchell, a researcher focused on the intersection of machine
learning and ethics, was the morning keynote speaker on the third day of PyCon
2023. She spoke about her journey into machine learning and how the Python

First Criminal President: Donald Trump Didn’t Do It Alone

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 03:56:42 +1000

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

<https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/9/2174296/-First-Criminal-President-Donald-Trump-Didn-t-Do-It-Alone>

"Donald Trump has been indicted on thirty-seven federal felonies.

Most Americans view Donald Trump as an aberration, a one-off, the exception.

In Scotland, making whisky with energy from wind, wood chips and tides

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 03:58:03 +1000

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

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/03/21/scotland-making-whiskey-with-energy-wind-wood-chips-tides/>

"LOCHALINE, Scotland — A tippler might not know it from the pretty
advertisements, which hype the mountain streams and woolly highlands, but
making Scotch whisky can be a dirty business — an energy-intensive,

On the 3rd Anniversary of J.K. Rowling’s Pledge for Trans Rights

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 03:59:16 +1000

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

https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/jk-rowling-trans-rights-2b8b92bf0d5f

"On June 6, 2023, we solemnly observe the third anniversary of J.K. Rowling’s
pledge to march for trans rights.

In China, Women Are Defying ‘Beauty Duty’ — With a Bold Haircut

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 11:48:39 +1000

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

https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1012817

"When Song Jiaqian passed the Teacher’s Certification Exam last year, she
treated herself to an unconventional yet daring reward: She got a buzz cut.

Slow Ideas

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 11:50:36 +1000

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

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/29/slow-ideas

"Why do some innovations spread so swiftly and others so slowly? Consider the
very different trajectories of surgical anesthesia and antiseptics, both of
which were discovered in the nineteenth century. The first public demonstration

Why more needs to be done to reduce COVID-19 transmission in health and aged care settings

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 11:51:39 +1000

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

<https://www.croakey.org/why-more-needs-to-be-done-to-reduce-covid-19-transmission-in-health-and-aged-care-settings/>

"A recent outbreak of COVID-19 at Canberra Hospital has shone a spotlight on
the transmission of COVID in health and aged care settings.

First Arab female astronaut reaches space station

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 11:53:26 +1000

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

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65671485

'The first female Arab astronaut to go to space has arrived at the
International Space Station (ISS).

Researchers discover that COVID-19 can cause brain cells to fuse

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 11:54:48 +1000

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

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-covid-brain-cells-fuse.html

'Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered viruses such as
SARS-CoV-2 can cause brain cells to fuse, initiating malfunctions that lead to
chronic neurological symptoms.

NASA Turns to AI to Design Mission Hardware

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 19:11:36 +1000

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

<https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-turns-to-ai-to-design-mission-hardware>

"Spacecraft and mission hardware designed by an artificial intelligence may
resemble bones left by some alien species, but they weigh less, tolerate higher
structural loads, and require a fraction of the time parts designed by humans

No time for vaccine complacency as COVID and flu cases soar

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 19:12:54 +1000

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

<https://www.ama.com.au/media/no-time-vaccine-complacency-covid-and-flu-cases-soar>

"More than 16.5 million Australians have not received a COVID-19 booster shot
in over six months and, while some of these people may have had a bout of
COVID-19 in the last six months, it is a very high figure that is sparking the

Artificial intelligence for osteoporosis diagnostics

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 19:14:29 +1000

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

https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/details/news/115-osteoporosis-ai

'Researchers at Kiel University have developed software that automatically
detects vertebral fractures on CT images and evaluates them prognostically.

Influenza vaccinations recommended as cases of respiratory illness rise across Australia

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 19:16:30 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/08/influenza-vaccinations-recommended-as-cases-of-respiratory-illness-rise-across-australia>

"A range of respiratory illnesses are on the rise in Australia as the colder
weather hits, with the number of laboratory-confirmed influenza in particular
steeply increasing.

Produce-grower Plenty opens world’s most advanced indoor vertical farm

Wed, 5 Jul 2023 19:17:39 +1000

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

<https://www.agdaily.com/news/produce-grower-plenty-opens-worlds-most-advanced-indoor-vertical-farm/>

"Produce-grower Plenty has opened what it is calling the world’s most
technologically advanced indoor vertical farm, designed to grow up to 4.5
million pounds of leafy greens annually in California. The new facility, called

A Virulent Antisemitism: An Interview with Dr. Peter Hotez

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 03:56:38 +1000

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

<https://momentmag.com/a-virulent-antisemitism-interview-with-dr-peter-hotez/>

"Peter J. Hotez (MD, PhD) is internationally known for his public science
advocacy, having taken on anti-vax groups’ attempts to connect autism with
vaccines and, more recently, for combating misinformation about fighting COVID.

🌎 Seaflooding

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 03:57:45 +1000

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

https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/seaflooding

"Sea levels might rise by one to two meters by the end of the century.
What if I told you there was a way to mitigate that, while creating new
habitats and more life, growing the economy, and making money along the way?

Tenants forced to consider sharing rooms as rental crisis bites

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 03:58:29 +1000

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

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-11/tenants-forced-to-consider-sharing-rooms-as-rental-crisis-bites/102460298>

"Rates are the highest they've been in a decade, rents are rising, and
Australia's reserve bank governor wants to see more people living in share
houses.

The World Is Full of Sleeping Beauties

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 04:00:35 +1000

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

https://nautil.us/the-world-is-full-of-sleeping-beauties-304237/

"Grass, mammals, penicillin, John Keats. None was successful right away.

Grasses struggled along in patches here and there for some 45 million years

Preparing for the Incoming Computer Shopper Tsunami

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 11:46:30 +1000

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

http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/5543

"There’s no way for me to know where your awareness starts with all this, so
let’s just start at the beginning.

The West has lost the plot in the Balkans

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 11:47:35 +1000

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

<https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/6/11/the-west-has-lost-the-plot-in-the-balkans>

"Images of pipe-wielding and stone-throwing Serb militant nationalists
assaulting NATO peacekeepers in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan in late May
put the Balkan country in the international spotlight once again. The violence

Succession on the Tibetan plateau: what’s at stake in the battle over the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation?

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 11:48:34 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/succession-on-the-tibetan-plateau-whats-at-stake-in-the-battle-over-the-dalai-lamas-reincarnation-202353>

"In China, a group of atheists (the Chinese Communist Party) has long dictated
how the country’s religious groups should practise their faiths.

‘Decades of neglect’: calls for social housing quota on new Victorian developments as homelessness rises

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 11:49:29 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/12/decades-of-neglect-calls-for-social-housing-quota-on-new-victorian-developments-as-homelessness-rises>

"Every new property development in Victoria should include a mandatory quota of
social housing, according to advocates for homeless people who have released
new analysis showing spikes in homelessness across the regions and outer

‘A gamechanger’: new meningitis vaccine hailed as major step

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 11:50:36 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/25/a-gamechanger-new-meningitis-vaccine-hailed-as-major-step>

"An effective, affordable meningitis vaccine has been successfully tested in
Africa, raising hopes for the elimination of a disease that kills 250,000
people a year.

Goodbye Mr Fabulous, the giant cuttlefish who let us into his world and changed ours for the better

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 19:28:42 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/12/goodbye-mr-fabulous-the-giant-cuttlefish-who-let-us-into-his-world-and-changed-ours-for-the-better>

"Mr Fabulous was the name bestowed upon him. He was a giant cuttlefish
(scientific name Sepia apama) and he was the king of Cabbage Tree Bay. This
huge, alien-looking cephalopod had attracted many visitors to the small marine

Africa's largest polio vaccination drive since 2020 targets 21 million children

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 19:29:52 +1000

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

<https://www.afro.who.int/news/africas-largest-polio-vaccination-drive-2020-targets-21-million-children>

"Brazzaville, 26 May 2023 – Africa’s largest polio vaccination campaign since
2020 kicks off today in three West and Central African countries, in a combined
effort by national health authorities to immunise a total 21 million children

South Africa’s drinking water quality has dropped because of defective infrastructure and neglect – new report

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 19:33:57 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/south-africas-drinking-water-quality-has-dropped-because-of-defective-infrastructure-and-neglect-new-report-207267>

"A report released by the South African government paints a grim picture of the
country’s water resources and water infrastructure as well as the overall
quality of its drinking water.

France Will Spend €2 Billion To Double Bike Lanes, Expand Cycling

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 19:36:08 +1000

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

<https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisobrien/2023/05/28/france-will-spend-2-billion-to-double-bike-lanes-expand-cycling/>

"The French government announced a €2 billion plan to expand cycling
infrastructure as part of a broader effort to encourage people to ditch their
cars.

25 gorgeous nebula photos that capture the beauty of the universe

Thu, 6 Jul 2023 19:37:03 +1000

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

<https://www.livescience.com/space/25-gorgeous-nebula-photos-that-capture-the-beauty-of-the-universe>

"Nebulas, which are both hubs of star birth and products of stars' demise,
explode and transform with light and color as the stellar life cycle unfolds
within them. These giant clouds of dust and gas that fill the space between

How the Windrush generation changed stories of Britain forever – ten recommended reads

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 03:50:26 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-the-windrush-generation-changed-stories-of-britain-forever-ten-recommended-reads-206729>

"The 800 West Indians who walked down the gangway at Tilbury to make new lives
in England in June 1948 had been encouraged to think of the country as their
motherland. The literary contribution of the Windrush generation is just one

The ‘good fire’: Prescribed burning can prevent catastrophic wildfires in the future

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 03:51:09 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-good-fire-prescribed-burning-can-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires-in-the-future-189857>

"Roaring flames, burned-out houses and cars, hazy air and orange skies are all
around us. Already this year, millions of hectares have been torched by more
than 2,200 wildfires in Canada.

Pride 2023: What's changed since last year?

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 03:52:16 +1000

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

https://www.ippf.org/blogs/pride-2023-whats-changed-last-year

"In the year since the last Pride Month, there have been substantial
developments for LGBTIQ+ communities all around the world. From the
decriminalization of same-sex marriage in Slovenia, to the inclusion of

Cheap vaccines could prevent millions of deaths from cervical cancer

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 03:53:36 +1000

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

<https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/05/31/cheap-single-dose-hpv-vaccines-could-save-millions-of-lives>

"Alongside ailments resulting from hepatitis B, cervical cancer has a strong
claim to be the world’s deadliest vaccine-preventable disease. Most illnesses
for which effective vaccines for children are widely available no longer

Too much rain, not high temps, threaten giraffes survival

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 03:55:31 +1000

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

<https://www.futurity.org/giraffes-climate-change-rain-temperature-2931752/>

"Climate change is expected to cause widespread decline in wildlife populations
worldwide. But little was previously known about the combined effects of
climate change and human activity on the survival rates not only of giraffes,

Sweden close to becoming first "smoke free" country in Europe as daily cigarette use dwindles

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 11:43:03 +1000

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

<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sweden-close-to-becoming-first-smoke-free-country-in-europe-as-daily-use-of-cigarettes-dwindles-3/>

'Summer is in the air, but cigarette smoke is not in Sweden's outdoor bars and
restaurants.

We’re in another COVID wave. But it’s not like the others

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 11:43:42 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/were-in-another-covid-wave-but-its-not-like-the-others-206493>

"Each Omicron wave so far in Australia has had distinguishing features – the
sharp rise and fall of BA.1, the widespread transmission among children and
families in BA.2, a shift to more infections in older people with BA.5, then

The Shitty Tech Adoption Curve Has a Business Model

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 11:44:29 +1000

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

<https://doctorow.medium.com/the-shitty-tech-adoption-curve-has-a-business-model-ee025ad60951>

"In the “Shitty Technology Adoption Curve,” oppressive technologies are first
imposed on people who don’t get to complain — prisoners, migrants, children,
mental patients, benefits recipients — in order to normalize these tools and

Nine out of 10 people are biased against women, says ‘alarming’ UN report

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 11:45:46 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jun/12/nine-out-of-10-people-are-biased-against-women-says-alarming-un-report>

"Bias against women is as entrenched as it was a decade ago and gender equality
progress has gone into reverse, according to a UN report.

A silver lining from the pandemic: how lockdowns helped kids learn the languages their parents speak

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 11:47:14 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/a-silver-lining-from-the-pandemic-how-lockdowns-helped-kids-learn-the-languages-their-parents-speak-205012>

"None of us is a stranger to the downsides of the pandemic. For families with
kids, kindergartens and schools closed during the lockdown, and parents had to
manage schooling and working from home.

How should we teach climate change in schools? It starts with ‘turbo charging’ teacher education

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 19:32:47 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-should-we-teach-climate-change-in-schools-it-starts-with-turbo-charging-teacher-education-207221>

"The case for action on climate change no longer needs to be laid out.

We see, almost daily, disturbing images of bushfires, floods or a mass

Terrifying New Study Finds That Ocean Currents Will Soon Collapse

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 19:33:41 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/predict/terrifying-new-study-finds-that-ocean-currents-will-soon-collapse-adf995d5471>

"Have you seen The Day After Tomorrow? This early naughties disaster movie’s
whole plot revolved around climate change turning off global ocean currents and
plunging the world into a sudden Ice Age. Many lambasted the film for

These men want an apology from the Australian government. Here's why

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 19:34:35 +1000

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

<https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-men-want-an-apology-from-the-australian-government-this-is-why/83b5afs6u>

"Mostafa Azimitabar and Farhad Bandesh say they've suffered immeasurable harm
from Australia's offshore detention policy. They're using the release of a new
documentary, in which they both feature, to call for it to end."

Peter Singer’s fresh take on Animal Liberation – a book that changed the world, but not enough

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 19:36:53 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/peter-singers-fresh-take-on-animal-liberation-a-book-that-changed-the-world-but-not-enough-205830>

"Review: Animal Liberation Now – Peter Singer (Penguin Random House)

In March, the ABC aired a story showing footage of pigs in Australian abattoirs

The case for compost: why recycling food waste is so much better than sending it to landfill

Fri, 7 Jul 2023 19:37:39 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-case-for-compost-why-recycling-food-waste-is-so-much-better-than-sending-it-to-landfill-205583>

"Most food and garden waste in Australia comes from homes. Australian
households waste 3.1 million tonnes of food each year. That’s more than five
kilograms each household per week.

Why only Degrowth Will Save The World

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 05:01:23 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/the-new-climate/why-only-degrowth-will-save-the-world-2a4b1bf35011>

"We are on the brink of ecological collapse.

Scientists reckon that the earth can handle a total material footprint of

George Takei posed 5 important questions to me. Here are my answers

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 05:03:26 +1000

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

<https://robertreich.substack.com/p/george-takei-posed-5-important-questions>

"Friends,

I’ve been a George Takei fan ever I first saw him in “Star Trek.” In more

How Jurassic Park changed film-making and our view of dinosaurs

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 05:04:27 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-jurassic-park-changed-film-making-and-our-view-of-dinosaurs-203147>

"In June 1993, director Steven Spielberg released a film that unleashed a wave
of technological change in film-making and simultaneously helped to revive
popular interest in dinosaurs.

Council On Foreign Relations Burns EARN IT To The Ground In Powerful Post Criticizing Its Anti-Encryption Aims

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 05:05:35 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/12/council-on-foreign-relations-burns-earn-it-to-the-ground-in-powerful-post-criticizing-its-anti-encryption-aims/>

"The EARN IT Act (the tortured acronym stands for Eliminating Abusive and
Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act) has been bad news ever since
its introduction way back in March of 2020. The bill’s original backers were

China’s Qinghai-Tibet ecosystem legislation is a landmark, but for whom? (commentary)

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 05:06:52 +1000

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

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/06/chinas-qinghai-tibet-ecosystem-legislation-is-a-landmark-but-for-whom-commentary/>

"In April, the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative branch, passed
the “Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) Ecosystem Protection Act” (hereafter referred
to as the QTP Act). The QTP Act is China’s first legislative vision for the

These Microsoft Office security signatures are 'practically worthless'

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:47:57 +1000

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

https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/13/office_open_xml_signatures/

"Updated Office Open XML (OOXML) Signatures, an Ecma/ISO standard used in
Microsoft Office applications and open source OnlyOffice, have several security
flaws and can be easily spoofed.

For Joe Biden, the indictment of Donald Trump carries a heavy responsibility – and a risk

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:49:30 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/for-joe-biden-the-indictment-of-donald-trump-carries-a-heavy-responsibility-and-a-risk-207603>

"In September last year, US President Joe Biden spoke to Americans from the
“sacred ground” of Independence Hall in Philadelphia – the birthplace of the
Constitution of the United States. In that landmark speech, Biden warned

The Portland Art of Feel-Good Densification

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:53:25 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/portland-housing-density-residential-infill-project/>

"When it comes to the US housing crisis, Portland was early to the party. Well
over a decade ago, in 2009 and 2010, Oregon’s biggest city had the lowest
rental vacancy rate in the country. The years since have brought little relief:

Don’t blame workers for falling productivity – we’re not the ones holding it back

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:54:15 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-workers-for-falling-productivity-were-not-the-ones-holding-it-back-207594>

"Suddenly Australians are being told we need to produce more if we want our
wages to merely keep up with inflation.

‘Unsustainable’ for ADF to help with natural disasters and defend Australia, inquiry told

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:55:44 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/13/unsustainable-for-adf-to-help-with-natural-disasters-and-defend-australia-inquiry-told>

"It is “unsustainable” for the Australian defence force to continue to both
help with natural disasters and defend Australia, a parliamentary inquiry has
heard.

Whale of a time: pod of 30 orcas bring killer moves to a California bay

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:09:27 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/13/california-killer-whales-monterey-bay-play>

"A crowd of 30 killer whales met for a party in California’s Monterey Bay on
Sunday.

Antarctic tipping points: the irreversible changes to come if we fail to keep warming below 2℃

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:10:42 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/antarctic-tipping-points-the-irreversible-changes-to-come-if-we-fail-to-keep-warming-below-2-207410>

"The slow-down of the Southern Ocean circulation, a dramatic drop in the extent
of sea ice and unprecedented heatwaves are all raising concerns that Antarctica
may be approaching tipping points.

Can next week’s special meeting in Chile break the deadlock over East Antarctica’s marine park proposal?

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:12:32 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/can-next-weeks-special-meeting-in-chile-break-the-deadlock-over-east-antarcticas-marine-park-proposal-206531>

"Amid the challenges of climate change, resource extraction and pollution, the
survival of species and ecosystems depends on setting aside protected areas.
But plans to establish marine protected areas in East Antarctica have stalled.

Australia to transport last asylum seekers off Nauru within weeks, refugees say

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:16:11 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/14/australia-to-transport-last-asylum-seekers-off-nauru-within-weeks-refugees-say>

"The Australian government is expected to move all remaining refugees and
asylum seekers off Nauru by the end of the month, more than a decade after
offshore processing restarted on the Pacific Island nation.

Brenda Matthews was ripped from a loving family twice. But she was born too late to be officially recognised as Stolen Generations

Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:17:48 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/brenda-matthews-was-ripped-from-a-loving-family-twice-but-she-was-born-too-late-to-be-officially-recognised-as-stolen-generations-201571>

"Review: The Last Daughter – Brenda Matthews (Text Publishing)

The woman’s face is in profile, her eyes looking into the distance – or the

‘Astonishing’ Roman tomb unearthed near London Bridge station

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 03:25:18 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/13/incredibly-rare-roman-tomb-unearthed-near-london-bridge-station>

"The remains of a Roman mausoleum “with an astonishing level of preservation” –
believed to be the most intact structure of its kind discovered in Britain –
have been unearthed in London.

Can the new High Speed Rail Authority deliver after 4 decades of costly studies?

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 03:26:49 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/can-the-new-high-speed-rail-authority-deliver-after-4-decades-of-costly-studies-206287>

"Australia’s new High Speed Rail Authority comes into being today. Created by
the Albanese government, the authority and its newly named board have been set
a challenging task: “bring high-speed rail to reality”.

Nerf guns, marbles and Einstein: schools taking quantum leap to halt Australia’s Stem crisis

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 03:28:14 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/14/nerf-guns-marbles-and-einstein-how-schools-are-using-modern-physics-to-revolutionise-australias-stem-crisis>

"When Prof Susan Scott enters the lecture theatre at the start of each
semester, she’s lucky to have two female students enrolled in her general
relativity course. Often there are none.

Virgin Galactic’s use of the ‘Overview Effect’ to promote space tourism is a terrible irony

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 03:29:27 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/virgin-galactics-use-of-the-overview-effect-to-promote-space-tourism-is-a-terrible-irony-206868>

"Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company founded in 2004 by Richard Branson,
promotes its flights as offering:

China’s economy is way more screwed than anyone thought

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 03:31:29 +1000

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

<https://www.businessinsider.com/china-debt-economy-implode-stock-market-wall-street-xi-jinping-2023-6>

"Entering 2023, the relentless drumbeat of Wall Street consensus was pounding
out one consistent rhythm: China is back. After years of lockdowns and
suppressed output, economists and investors cheered the end of Beijing's

Video-based Cryptanalysis

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:29:33 +1000

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

https://www.nassiben.com/video-based-crypta

"TLDR: We were able to recover secret keys from non-compromised devices using
video footage of their power LED obtained by commercial video cameras.

‘Smart drugs’ make you worse at solving complex problems, new study finds

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:30:15 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/smart-drugs-make-you-worse-at-solving-complex-problems-new-study-finds-207711>

"Financial services workers, medical students and others working in highly
competitive environments are using so-called “smart drugs” to enhance cognitive
performance.

Peak in global oil demand ‘in sight before end of decade’

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:31:08 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/14/peak-in-global-oil-demand-in-sight-before-end-of-decade>

"The worldwide peak in demand for oil is “in sight” and could come before the
end of this decade, the global energy watchdog has said.

‘We are gambling with the future of our planet for the sake of hamburgers’: Peter Singer on climate change

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:32:09 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/we-are-gambling-with-the-future-of-our-planet-for-the-sake-of-hamburgers-peter-singer-on-climate-change-207605>

"I wasn’t aware of climate change until the 1980s — hardly anyone was — and
even when we recognised the dire threat that burning fossil fuels posed, it
took time for the role of animal production in warming the planet to be

Announcing FutureCast: A New Game Framework For Exploring Pathways Of Change

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 11:33:55 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/14/announcing-futurecast-a-new-game-framework-for-exploring-pathways-of-change/>

"As you’re hopefully aware, over the last few years, our Copia Institute think
tank, in partnership with Randy Lubin’s Leveraged Play, have been using games
and game-like tools for exploring complex realities in the present, as well as

Humans Are Biased. Generative AI Is Even Worse

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 19:21:36 +1000

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

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-generative-ai-bias/

"The world according to Stable Diffusion is run by White male CEOs. Women are
rarely doctors, lawyers or judges. Men with dark skin commit crimes, while
women with dark skin flip burgers.

A New Rule of Education for the Age of AI

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 19:23:16 +1000

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

<https://hedgehogreview.com/web-features/thr/posts/a-new-rule-of-education-for-the-age-of-ai>

"Earlier this month, my provost asked my thoughts about a sister school’s
decision to name ChatGPT among the malefactors in a campus-wide syllabus
statement on plagiarism. Should we follow suit? I was consulted because I had

To deliver enough affordable housing and end homelessness, what must a national strategy do?

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 19:24:06 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/to-deliver-enough-affordable-housing-and-end-homelessness-what-must-a-national-strategy-do-207120>

"The Albanese government came to office promising action on housing. Its A$10
billion Housing Australia Future Fund is now stuck in the Senate, with the
Greens demanding more ambitious funding and reforms. The government is also

Can you trust your ears? AI voice scams rattle US

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 19:25:05 +1000

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

https://news.yahoo.com/trust-ears-ai-voice-scams-012041873.html

'The voice on the phone seemed frighteningly real — an American mother heard
her daughter sobbing before a man took over and demanded a ransom. But the girl
was an AI clone and the abduction was fake.

Meet the biggest and most bizarre skink ever found in Australia. It became extinct 47,000 years ago

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 19:26:11 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/meet-the-biggest-and-most-bizarre-skink-ever-found-in-australia-it-became-extinct-47-000-years-ago-206764>

"Many of the giant marsupials and birds that roamed ancient Australia had
vanished by 40,000 years ago. While the duration and drivers of these
extinctions remain debated, fossils clearly show the continent lost a host of

Woodworking and Hugs: Inside the Mental Health Movement for Men

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:52:09 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/mens-sheds-mental-health-woodworking-therapy/>

"In 2002, Chris Morgan lost his wife to cancer. A British army veteran who had
put in 24 years of service as a gunner in the Royal Artillery, he was already
struggling with PTSD when she passed away, and the grief from the loss

I just bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print, and I regret nothing

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:54:44 +1000

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

<https://arstechnica.com/culture/2023/06/rejoice-its-2023-and-you-can-still-buy-a-22-volume-paper-encyclopedia/>

'These days, many of us live online, where machine-generated content has begun
to pollute the Internet with misinformation and noise. At a time when it's hard
to know what information to trust, I felt delight when I recently learned that

Many First Nations communities swelter without power. Why isn’t there solar on every rooftop?

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:55:34 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/many-first-nations-communities-swelter-without-power-why-isnt-there-solar-on-every-rooftop-204032>

"Over 3.4 million Australian houses now have rooftop solar, often subsidised by
government incentives.

Safety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:56:34 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/safety-vests-and-helmets-make-cyclists-look-less-human-to-other-road-users-207413>

"Getting more people to ride bikes has been flagged as a simple and effective
way to improve public health while tackling climate change. However, research
has repeatedly found safety concerns deter people from cycling.

To Reduce Infant Mortality, Just Add Stable Housing

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:58:01 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/infant-mortality-stable-housing-experiment-ohio/>

"By the time she was 34, Kayla (not her real name) had lost five babies. Out of
10 pregnancies, three ended in miscarriage. Yet more tragically still, two of
Kayla’s babies passed away in the early stages of their life — one after being

Bad break-up in warm waters: why marine sponges suffer with rising temperatures

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:31:42 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/bad-break-up-in-warm-waters-why-marine-sponges-suffer-with-rising-temperatures-205285>

"Marine sponges have started dying in vast numbers in coastal areas around the
globe. Just this year, thousands of sponges turned white and died in New
Zealand and in the Mediterranean Sea. This has been happening when the water

How we collaborated in creating "The First Inventors" to celebrate extraordinary Indigenous peoples’ knowledges and technologies

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:34:09 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-we-collaborated-in-creating-the-first-inventors-to-celebrate-extraordinary-indigenous-peoples-knowledges-and-technologies-206666>

"First Nations cultures and languages are being revitalised around the country.
More non-Indigenous Australians are becoming interested in what Indigenous
knowledges can teach us today.

Wildfire smoke and dirty air are also climate change problems: Solutions for a world on fire

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:35:38 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/wildfire-smoke-and-dirty-air-are-also-climate-change-problems-solutions-for-a-world-on-fire-207676>

"As the eastern U.S. and Canada reeled from days of thick wildfire smoke in
early June 2023, millions of people faced the reality of climate change for the
first time. Shocking images of New York under apocalyptic orange skies left

Clinics Offering Child Care Help Parents Clear Arrest Warrants

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:36:35 +1000

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

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/warrant-clinics-child-care-justice/

"Cierra walked into the Bowens Senior Center with trepidation, but also hope.

The promotional flier that brought the mother of three to this community center

"Animal Farm" has been translated into Shona – why a group of Zimbabwean writers undertook the task

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:38:21 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/animal-farm-has-been-translated-into-shona-why-a-group-of-zimbabwean-writers-undertook-the-task-206966>

"Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has in some ways become like Animal
Farm. Like the pigs in the classic 1945 novel by English writer George Orwell,
the country’s post-liberation leaders have hijacked a revolution that was once

ZIMBABWE-ZAMBIA: an agreement to conserve the lower Zambezi-Mana basins

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 19:41:55 +1000

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

<https://www.afrik21.africa/en/zimbabwe-zambia-an-agreement-to-conserve-the-lower-zambezi-mana-basins/>

"It’s now official. The lower Zambezi-Mana basins have acquired the status of
transboundary conservation area (TCA). This is the result of a memorandum of
understanding signed on 26 May 2023 by the Zimbabwean Minister for the

Imagine the outcry if factories killed as many people as wood heaters

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 19:42:40 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/imagine-the-outcry-if-factories-killed-as-many-people-as-wood-heaters-207411>

"Imagine a fleet of ageing factories operating in neighbourhoods across
Australia.

Japan vending machines to automatically offer free food if earthquake hits

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 19:43:54 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/02/japan-vending-machines-to-automatically-offer-free-food-if-earthquake-hits>

"Japan has extended its natural disaster preparations to vending machines,
which will offer free food and drink in the event of a major earthquake or
typhoon.

Toxic work cultures start with incivility and mediocre leadership. What can you do about it?

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 19:44:52 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/toxic-work-cultures-start-with-incivility-and-mediocre-leadership-what-can-you-do-about-it-204198>

"You’re in a meeting, with something important to say. Just as you begin, a
colleague sighs and shares an eye-roll with their buddy. And not for the first
time.

Paris Plans to Plant Trees That Can Survive Climate Change

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 19:46:06 +1000

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

<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-06/paris-city-council-adopts-plan-to-plant-trees-that-survive-extreme-heat>

"The guiding principle for planting trees in Paris has historically been an
aesthetic one: Find trees that are beautiful and have large canopies, the
better to line the city’s picturesque streets and provide ample shade to

Awe can alter our sense of self and open us to new possibilities – could it help save the planet?

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:22:58 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/awe-can-alter-our-sense-of-self-and-open-us-to-new-possibilities-could-it-help-save-the-planet-205917>

"Review: Awe: The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder – Dacher Keltner
(Allen Lane)

How El Paso Is Fighting Back Against Book Bans In Texas

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:24:22 +1000

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

<https://nextcity.org/features/how-el-paso-is-fighting-back-against-book-bans>

"When El Paso teen Alex Reyes read the “Magnus Chase” fantasy trilogy while in
the seventh grade, they immediately identified with one of the main characters
Alex Fierro. It wasn’t just because of their shared first name, but because of

Woman jailed over abortion – an expert on what UK law actually says and what needs to change

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:25:35 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/woman-jailed-over-abortion-an-expert-on-what-uk-law-actually-says-and-what-needs-to-change-207578>

"Many people assume that because abortion is relatively accessible in England,
it is not a crime. The fact that a woman has now received a 28-month prison
sentence for taking abortion pills past the legal time limit shows that this

The Patent Troll Lobby Set Up An AI-Powered Comment Creator To Support Its Bad Patent Policy

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:26:38 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/15/the-patent-troll-lobby-set-up-an-ai-powered-comment-creator-to-support-its-bad-patent-policy/>

"You may recall that, back during the last net neutrality open comment period,
the FCC’s comment system was overrun by millions of faked comments, including
from many dead people. Not surprisingly, it was eventually determined that

Building in the same old ways won’t end the housing crisis. We need innovation to boost productivity

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:27:32 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/building-in-the-same-old-ways-wont-end-the-housing-crisis-we-need-innovation-to-boost-productivity-206862>

"Have we reached peak affordable-housing-debate in Australia? Or is it a case
of that old mountaineering saying: the fog is thickest just before the summit?

Australia to triple size of protected marine park to area larger than Germany

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:03:47 +1000

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

<https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/australia-macquarie-island-marine-park-expansion-intl-hnk/index.html>

"Australia plans to triple the size of an ecologically important marine park
and close off an area larger than Germany to fishing and mining, the government
announced Monday, protecting millions of vulnerable seabirds and animals.

Oceans absorb 30% of our emissions, driven by a huge carbon pump. Tiny marine animals are key to working out its climate impacts

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:04:49 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/oceans-absorb-30-of-our-emissions-driven-by-a-huge-carbon-pump-tiny-marine-animals-are-key-to-working-out-its-climate-impacts-207219>

"The ocean holds 60 times more carbon than the atmosphere and absorbs almost
30% of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from human activities. This means the
ocean is key to understanding the global carbon cycle and thus our future

THIS is Where We Should Be Placing Solar Panels!

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:05:35 +1000

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXjrK-_vh0

"Floating solar is exactly what it says on the tin; solar panels that float on
water. But what that name doesn't truly capture, is just how breathtakingly
beautiful they can be too. This week, Imogen put this to the test and visited

How White People Stole Affirmative Action — and Ensured Its Demise

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:07:08 +1000

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

<https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/06/16/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-00101963>

"Following a recent talk at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, I
shared lunch with several students from First Generation Professionals, the
sponsoring organization. I was eager to explore commonalities between their

Many urban waterways were once waste dumps. Restoration efforts have made great strides – but there’s more to do to bring nature back

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:07:59 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/many-urban-waterways-were-once-waste-dumps-restoration-efforts-have-made-great-strides-but-theres-more-to-do-to-bring-nature-back-206407>

"In the 19th century, many of Australia’s urban creeks and rivers were in poor
shape. Melbourne’s major river, the Maribyrnong, was full of waste from
abattoirs, tanneries and factories.

Ukraine's "Russian warship, go f... yourself" post stamp wins world's most prestigious award celebrating achievements in mail industry

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:33:44 +1000

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

<https://rubryka.com/en/2023/06/16/najkrashhoyu-markoyu-svitu-u-2022-rotsi-vyznana-russkij-voyennyj-korabl-idi/>

'Ukrposhta has received the prestigious World Post & Parcel Awards 2023 in
three categories. The awarding ceremony took place on 14th June in Tallinn
(Estonia).

Big batteries storm the fossil fuel citadels, and spell the end for coal and gas

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:34:39 +1000

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

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/big-batteries-storm-the-fossil-fuel-citadels-and-spell-the-end-for-coal-and-gas/>

"On a windswept plain just south of the town of Morwell in Victoria’s Latrobe
Valley, there is not much to be seen of the former brown coal fired power
station known as Hazelwood. There are fences to keep people out, and lot of

An Anti-Porn App Put Him in Jail and His Family Under Surveillance

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:35:55 +1000

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

https://www.wired.com/story/anti-porn-covenant-eyes-bond-revoked/

"On a Wednesday morning in May, Hannah got a call from her lawyer—there was a
warrant out for her husband’s arrest. Her thoughts went straight to her kids.
They were going to come home from school and their father would be gone. “It

Conservationists welcome gillnet fishing ban in Great Barrier Reef world heritage area

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:36:57 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/05/conservationists-welcome-gillnet-fishing-ban-in-great-barrier-reef-world-heritage-area>

"The federal and Queensland governments will phase out commercial gillnet
fishing in the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area by mid-2027 and create
new net-free zones to better protect endangered marine species.

Check this out: the British Library gets into gaming

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:39:31 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/games/2023/jun/16/british-library-is-getting-into-gaming-digital-storytelling>

"When you walk into the British Library, the first thing you’ll see – apart
from people sitting in every available free space, writing on laptops or in
notebooks – is a glass tower encasing rows upon rows of books, stretching up to

Google makes millions on paid abortion disinformation

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:49:11 +1000

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

<https://doctorow.medium.com/google-makes-millions-on-paid-abortion-disinformation-7cd4e4b72e28>

"Google’s search quality has been in steady decline for years, and Google
assures us that they’re working on it, though the most visible effort is
replacing links to webpages with lengthy, florid paragraphs written by a

Remembering Daniel Ellsberg

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:50:20 +1000

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

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/06/remembering-daniel-ellsberg

"The world lost an unmistakable voice this week, as Daniel Ellsberg passed away
at 92.

The Woman Who Opened the World’s First Museum in 500 BCE

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:52:30 +1000

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

<https://www.messynessychic.com/2023/06/14/the-woman-who-opened-the-worlds-first-museum-in-500-bce/>

"The first-known public museum opened over 2,500 years ago – and it was curated
by a woman. Her name was Ennigaldi-Nanna. She was a priestess and princess, the
daughter of Nabonidus, the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who was also

To Truly Understand the Past, Pick Up an Old Magazine

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:54:40 +1000

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

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/magazine/old-magazines.html

"How alien are the ways we once described the world; how swiftly we freeze the
past into its mere idea, a cartoon of this or that distant year or decade. I’m
writing a book about the singer Kate Bush, and another about my education,

5 Wildly Surprising Nature-Based City Solutions

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:56:25 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/symbiotica/5-wildly-surprising-nature-based-city-solutions-cee0d8a0c966>

"My life as a systemic designer is fascinating and adventurous. I travel to my
projects, stay longer, and help cities and rural areas become healthy places of
life and work. In our current era of trying to survive and thrive on a volatile

Young humpbacks ‘full of beans’ as whale-watching season takes off in Sydney

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:21:05 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/22/whale-watching-season-begins-australia-sydney-east-coast-humpback-whales>

"Carrie Davis describes seeing her first adult humpback whale of the season
launching out of the water off the coast of Sydney last week as magical.

10 Years of iFixit Europe

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:21:51 +1000

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

https://www.ifixit.com/News/76655/10-years-of-ifixit-europe

"If there is one thing the iFixit story proves, it’s the power of
perseverance—or stubbornness. As we commemorated in our 20th (global)
Anniversary post, “For all the change and the challenge, we’ve managed to stay

African Solutions to Global Problems

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:23:00 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/@absurdistan/african-solutions-to-global-problems-cba924bbd3ce>

"Last week, the world was warned that it is on track to cross a crucial
threshold. While the Paris Agreement recognized the need to limit global
temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution to 2°C, it “aimed” for 1.5°.

The hard right and climate catastrophe are intimately linked. This is how

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:25:58 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/15/hard-right-climate-catastrophe-extreme-weather-refugees>

"Round the cycle turns. As millions are driven from their homes by climate
disasters, the extreme right exploits their misery to extend its reach. As the
extreme right gains power, climate programmes are shut down, heating

The hidden world of LOONEY TUNES' background art

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:27:03 +1000

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a50tAXNvUE8

"Looney Tunes is total mayhem. And it’s great, but if you strip Looney Tunes
from all its action and movement and drama, you'll find a beautiful and silent
world. It's the world of the background art.

CEO NOTE: Peru passes new law to protect its oceans thanks to artisanal fishers

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:14:55 +1000

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

<https://oceana.org/blog/ceo-note-perus-passes-new-law-to-protect-its-oceans-thanks-to-artisanal-fishers/>

"Peru’s coastline is one of the most productive in the world, with more than
50,000 artisanal fishers relying on it to provide 80% of the fish that feeds
the country’s population. The first five miles offshore, which play a

People Can Be Convinced They Committed a Crime That Never Happened

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:16:43 +1000

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

<https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/people-can-be-convinced-they-committed-a-crime-they-dont-remember.html>

"Evidence from some wrongful-conviction cases suggests that suspects can be
questioned in ways that lead them to falsely believe in and confess to
committing crimes they didn’t actually commit. Research provides lab-based

Municipal Conservation Area in El Oro, Ecuador Adds to a Mosaic of Protected Dry Forests

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:17:38 +1000

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

<https://www.andesamazonfund.org/country/municipal-conservation-area-in-el-oro-ecuador-adds-to-a-mosaic-of-protected-dry-forests/>

"Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the creation of the Las Lajas Municipal
Conservation and Sustainable Use Area located in the province of El Oro,
Ecuador. On April 14, 2023, the municipality of Las Lajas officially

Victory: Biden Administration Protects Chaco Canyon Cultural Landscape

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:20:03 +1000

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

<https://www.npca.org/articles/3530-victory-biden-administration-protects-chaco-canyon-cultural-landscape>

"WASHINGTON – The Biden administration today secured a 20-year mineral
withdrawal for a 10-mile protection zone around Chaco Culture National
Historical Park. This action will safeguard the vast cultural region known for

Africa’s land and forest restoration initiative gathers pace in Malawi

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:21:07 +1000

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

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/06/africas-land-and-forest-restoration-initiative-gathers-pace-in-malawi/>

"In front of his rural home in the district of Thyolo in southern Malawi,
Douglas Tana grows maize on a tenth of a hectare, or a quarter acre. Before
2010, he used to harvest at most 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of the grain, a

UNESCO adds 18 new sites to its global geoparks network

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:47:39 +1000

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

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/unesco-global-geoparks-new-sites/

"The UNESCO Global Geopark designation was created in 2015, and recognizes
“geological heritage of international significance”. Geoparks serve local
communities by combining the conservation with public outreach and a

The C0UNTess Report

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:52:03 +1000

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

https://thecountessreport.com.au/

"Elvis Richardson’s blog CoUNTess: Women count in the art-world has published
data on gender representation in Australian contemporary visual arts since
2008. Its data-collecting activities provide hard evidence of the need for –

The row over Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list highlights why it should be the last

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:53:01 +1000

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

<https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/the-row-over-this-resignation-honours-list-highlights-why-it-should-be-the-last/>

"The recent days have seen the national focus pulled onto the House of Lords
through the public row between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson over the latter’s
resignation honours list.

SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection probability estimated by using indoor carbon dioxide

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:54:06 +1000

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

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-023-27944-9

"Airborne transmission is one of the main routes of SARS-CoV-2 spread. It is
important to determine the circumstances under which the risk of airborne
transmission is increased as well as the effective strategy to reduce such

The future of fish farming is on land

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:55:29 +1000

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

<https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/05/31/the-future-of-fish-farming-is-on-land>

"THE RUGGED, chilly coast of northern Norway, beyond the Arctic Circle, is not
usually thought of as prime agricultural land. But far down a dead-end road on
the shores of Skjerstad Fjord sits Salten Smolt, one of the most advanced farms

We are in denial about the huge consequences of long COVID on Canadians’ health

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:19:32 +1000

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

<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-we-are-in-denial-about-the-huge-consequences-of-long-covid-on/>

"Somewhere around the three-year mark of the pandemic, I began to hear a lot of
people say they were done with COVID – meaning they were tired of the
lockdowns, tired of the precautions, tired of living in fear and eager to

How India's tiger protection project saved trees and 1 million tonnes of carbon emissions

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:20:38 +1000

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

<https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/how-indias-tiger-reserves-saved-trees-carbon-emissions/>

"The year 2023 coincided with the 50th anniversary of India’s groundbreaking
Project Tiger, an innovative programme designed to rescue the country’s iconic
big cat from the precipice of extinction. In April, as part of these

NZ climate activist faces up to 10 years in prison over fake letter saying fossil fuel event cancelled

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:21:59 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/15/nz-climate-activist-faces-up-to-10-years-in-prison-over-fake-letter-saying-fossil-fuel-event-cancelled>

"A New Zealand climate activist who wrote to oil executives posing as a fossil
fuel conference organiser and telling them their gathering was cancelled has
been found guilty of forgery, and could face up to a decade in prison.

Tired of shrinking pay? The real drain on Australians’ productivity is falling wages

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:23:45 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/tired-of-shrinking-pay-the-real-drain-on-australians-productivity-is-falling-wages-207807>

"When was the last time you got a pay increase? Was it anywhere near the rate
of inflation?

Revealed: documents detail key players behind vast Australian fossil fuel expansion

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:25:03 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/19/revealed-documents-detail-key-players-behind-vast-australian-fossil-fuel-expansion>

"In early 2022 the lobbying firm Dragoman met its client, the Northern
Territory government, to discuss how to convince the federal government to
support a vast new port and manufacturing hub in Darwin.

Earth Could Feasibly Descend Into Chaos, Physicists Warn

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:08:48 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/earth-could-feasibly-descend-into-chaos-physicists-warn>

'The impact of human activity on the Earth system could result in unpredictable
chaos from which there is no return, physicists have calculated.

Open Access Makes Research More Widely Cited, Helping Spread Knowledge

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:10:10 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/15/open-access-makes-research-more-widely-cited-helping-spread-knowledge/>

"Open access has been discussed many times here on Techdirt. There are
several strands to its story. It’s about allowing the public to access research
they have paid for through tax-funded grants, without needing to take out often

All-electric homes are better for your hip pocket and the planet. Here’s how governments can help us get off gas

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:10:53 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/all-electric-homes-are-better-for-your-hip-pocket-and-the-planet-heres-how-governments-can-help-us-get-off-gas-207409>

"If every Australian household that uses gas went all-electric today, we would
“save” more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the next
ten years. That’s because there are more than 5 million households on the gas

‘No time to waste’: getting Australian homes off gas crucial for meeting net zero targets, report says

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:11:40 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/19/australian-homes-gas-net-zero-targets-report>

"Getting households off gas for heating and cooking would cut energy bills and
improve people’s health, and is necessary for Australia to have any hope of
reaching net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, a new analysis says.

How Sydney's most toxic river is fighting back

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:12:35 +1000

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

https://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2023/cooks-river/

"On a clear day, passengers flying into Sydney enjoy sweeping views of the most
beautiful harbour in the world; a dazzling expanse of water dotted with rocky
headlands, white sails and iconic buildings. Minutes later, planes land next to

Indigenous-led bison repopulation projects are helping the animal thrive again in Alberta

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:17:19 +1000

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

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/bison-repopulation-alberta-1.6856433

'It's been a long time since large herds of bison roamed what is now Treaty 7
territory in Alberta, but Clayton Whitney, manager of the Tsuut'ina Nation's
buffalo paddock, can see the impact reintroduction projects are having on the

An interview with Arijit Chakravarty on ending of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Part 1

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:20:47 +1000

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

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/06/12/ddzg-j12.html

"Fractal Therapeutics is a science services company based in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, that “offers model-based drug discovery and developmental
services that help make drug R&D more efficient.” When the COVID-19 pandemic

Renewable power on course to shatter more records as countries around the world speed up deployment

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:22:21 +1000

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

<https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-power-on-course-to-shatter-more-records-as-countries-around-the-world-speed-up-deployment>

"Global additions of renewable power capacity are expected to jump by a third
this year as growing policy momentum, higher fossil fuel prices and energy
security concerns drive strong deployment of solar PV and wind power, according

‘We couldn’t wait’: Ukrainian farmers improvise to clear their land of mines

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:24:15 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/19/ukrainian-farmers-improvise-to-clear-their-land-of-mines>

"In the weeks during which Russian troops occupied the Husarivka dairy farm,
almost all of its 2,500 cattle were killed in artillery fire or for target
practice. When the farm was liberated, the carcasses covered the land as far as

“Circularity” Claims are the Latest Marketing Mistruth

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:25:02 +1000

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

<https://www.ifixit.com/News/76724/circularity-claims-are-the-latest-marketing-mistruth>

"Companies across the globe are being criticized for using the term “circular”
as a way to bill themselves as environmentally friendly brands—without doing
the work. Business professors Maira Babri, Hervé Corvellec and Herman Stål,

Floridians should slow down for the rarest whales on Earth

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:47:40 +1000

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

<https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/06/19/floridians-should-slow-down-for-the-rarest-whales-on-earth-commentary/>

"In 2021, marine researchers made a remarkable discovery — they identified a
whale species in the Gulf of Mexico that was new to science. This discovery of
the new resident Gulf of Mexico whale, also called the Rice’s whale, must be a

The world’s fish are shrinking as the climate warms. We’re trying to figure out why

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:55:49 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-fish-are-shrinking-as-the-climate-warms-were-trying-to-figure-out-why-207729>

"Fish are the most diverse group of vertebrates, ranging from tiny gobies and
zebrafish to gigantic tunas and whale sharks. They provide vital sustenance to
billions of people worldwide via fisheries and aquaculture, and are critical

The USSR Sprinkled More Than 2,500 Nuclear Generators Across the Countryside

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:57:23 +1000

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

<https://gizmodo.com.au/2023/06/the-ussr-sprinkled-more-than-2500-nuclear-generators-across-the-countryside/>

"Ah, the USSR. It was a strange place with strange ideas. Ideas such as
planting unprotected mini nuclear power sources into inhospitable and
hard-to-reach areas. I mean, nothing should go wrong as long as the government

Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting 65% Faster Than Just 10 Years Ago

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:58:40 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/himalayan-glaciers-are-melting-65-faster-than-just-10-years-ago>

'Himalayan glaciers providing critical water to nearly two billion people are
melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to
unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warned Tuesday.

The Surprising Reason Astronomers Are Vital in Legal Proceedings

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:59:41 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/the-surprising-reason-astronomers-are-vital-in-legal-proceedings>

"Over the past eight years, I have been asked to submit astronomical evidence
for court cases all over Australia.

Watered-down LGBTQ ‘understanding’ bill shows how far Japan’s parliament is out of step with its society – and history

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:08:08 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/watered-down-lgbtq-understanding-bill-shows-how-far-japans-parliament-is-out-of-step-with-its-society-and-history-206908>

"Japan has passed legislation aimed at “promoting the understanding” of members
of the LGBTQ community – a watered-down bill that will do little to put the
Asian country in line with fellow liberal democracies on the issue.

North Korea: fears of a new famine after three years of COVID isolation and harsh repression

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:09:17 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/north-korea-fears-of-a-new-famine-after-three-years-of-covid-isolation-and-harsh-repression-207852>

"Three years after COVID-19 hit, people around the world have regained their
freedom to move between countries. All except in one country: North Korea, or
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

‘We need help’: traditional owners accuse land council of ‘facilitating fracking’

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:10:29 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/20/beetaloo-basin-traditional-owners-land-council-gas-fracking-northern-territory>

"“There’s a tremendous injustice happening in the Beetaloo basin,” says native
title lawyer Dominic Beckett. “The genuine voices of concern, fear and
opposition are not being effectively represented or heard by the people whose

1 in 5 Australian workers have non-compete clauses, making it harder to get better paid jobs: new survey

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:11:36 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-australian-workers-have-non-compete-clauses-making-it-harder-to-get-better-paid-jobs-new-survey-207987>

"To many of us, “non-compete clauses” are for other people – TV presenters and
chief executives; the sort of people who, if they left their employer for a
competitor, would take with them inside knowledge and so must be stopped by a

I feel responsible for my role in fracking agreements signed long ago. But I won’t stop fighting to save the Beetaloo basin

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:12:53 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/jun/19/fracking-agreements-beetalo-basin>

"Last month the chief minister of the Northern Territory, Natasha Fyles, opened
the door to large-scale fracking of what the gas industry calls the Beetaloo
basin.

Visualising the global flow of 35 million refugees

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 05:18:03 +1000

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

<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/6/20/on-world-refugee-day-visualising-the-flow-of-35-million-refugees>

"By the end of 2022, the number of refugees globally stood at 35.3 million, an
increase of more than eight million from the year before, according to the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Mosul faced mass heritage destruction by the Islamic State. We asked residents what they thought about rebuilding

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 05:19:00 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/mosul-faced-mass-heritage-destruction-by-the-islamic-state-we-asked-residents-what-they-thought-about-rebuilding-207725>

"After the Islamic State captured the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in mid-2014,
they unleashed a wave of devastating human suffering and unprecedented heritage
destruction.

RHS launches digital library of over 10,000 items, including rare treasures from their collections

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 05:20:56 +1000

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

<https://www.rhs.org.uk/press/releases/RHS-launches-digital-library-of-over-10,000-items,>

"The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has launched a new Digital Collections
platform, allowing anyone to access 10,000 library items and herbarium
specimens online for free.

97% of Australians want more action to stop extinctions and 72% want extra spending on the environment

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 05:21:54 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/97-of-australians-want-more-action-to-stop-extinctions-and-72-want-extra-spending-on-the-environment-207811>

"Most Australians (97%) want more action to protect nature, even if they don’t
know the full extent of the biodiversity crisis. That’s the startling finding
emerging from our first national survey of 4,000 voters.

Supermarket shelves were empty for months after the Lismore floods. Here’s how to make supply chains more resilient

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 05:22:40 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/supermarket-shelves-were-empty-for-months-after-the-lismore-floods-heres-how-to-make-supply-chains-more-resilient-207982>

"From the outside, the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales seems idyllic.
Rainforests, mountains, beaches and Byron Bay. But the past few years have made
life harder for many who live there, with Black Summer bushfires, the COVID

Migrant groups urge reform of Australia’s ‘broken’ skills recognition process

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:47:26 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/19/migrant-groups-urge-reform-of-australias-broken-skills-recognition-process>

"Mohammad Zubair Harooni has been trying and failing to get a job in his field
since he arrived in Australia nearly 18 months ago.

In a Voice campaign marked by confusing, competing claims, there’s a better way to educate voters

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:48:17 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/in-a-voice-campaign-marked-by-confusing-competing-claims-theres-a-better-way-to-educate-voters-206193>

"With parliament now having passed the Voice to Parliament referendum bill, and
with the campaign about to get underway in earnest, there is a critical need
for more trusted information. As scholars of deliberative democracy, we suggest

Equatorial Launch Australia boss flags $100m space development in Nhulunbuy

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:49:53 +1000

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

https://archive.is/aX9X2

"Approaching the first anniversary of Arnhem Space Centre’s inaugural launch,
up to $100m in infrastructure spending is planned at the centre over the next
few years.

Is it finally time to ban junk food advertising? A new bill could improve kids’ health

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:50:41 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/is-it-finally-time-to-ban-junk-food-advertising-a-new-bill-could-improve-kids-health-207906>

"Today independent MP and former GP Sophie Scamps will introduce a bill into
federal parliament that would restrict junk food advertisements aimed at
children.

Gaia And The Climate Emergency

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:52:05 +1000

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

https://medium.com/eco-news/gaia-and-the-climate-emergency-4e00121205e5

"Gaia. A short word. A concept with the most amazing transformational potential
in helping us understand how we interact with our living home. Given this
potential, it seems tragic that the Gaia hypothesis proposed by James Lovelock

Cash could be almost gone in Australia in a decade – but like cheques, who’ll miss it?

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:43:31 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/cash-could-be-almost-gone-in-australia-in-a-decade-but-like-cheques-wholl-miss-it-208020>

"Late last year, the Reserve Bank gave 1,000 Australians diaries and asked them
to record every payment they made over the course of a week. Of the 13,000
payments, only 17 were with cheques.

How Amazon transformed the EU into a planned economy

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:44:50 +1000

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

<https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/14/flywheel-shyster-and-flywheel/#unfulfilled-by-amazon>

"Amazon is a perfect parable of enshittification, the process by which
platforms first offer subsidies to end users until they're locked in, then make
life good for business customers at users' expense, until they're locked in,

Scientific fraud is rising, and automated systems won’t stop it. We need research detectives

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:46:31 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/scientific-fraud-is-rising-and-automated-systems-wont-stop-it-we-need-research-detectives-206235>

"Fraud in science is alarmingly common. Sometimes researchers lie about results
and invent data to win funding and prestige. Other times, researchers might pay
to stage and publish entirely bogus studies to win an undeserved pay rise –

Did this $72m ‘wave house’ inspire Sydney Opera House? Harry Gesner’s California creation up for sale

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:47:25 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jun/21/did-this-72m-wave-house-inspire-sydney-opera-house-harry-gesners-california-creation-up-for-sale>

"A beach house that could have played a role in Jørn Utzon’s design of the
Sydney Opera House is up for sale – with a price tag of US$49.5m ($72m).

Global average sea and air temperatures are spiking in 2023, before El Niño has fully arrived. We should be very concerned

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:48:25 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/global-average-sea-and-air-temperatures-are-spiking-in-2023-before-el-nino-has-fully-arrived-we-should-be-very-concerned-207731>

"Recent spikes in ocean heat content and average global air temperature have
left climate scientists across the world scrambling to find the cause. The
global average air temperature, relative to 1850-1900, exceeded the 1.5℃ lower

Australian Labor government slashes annual health budget by $11 billion

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:43:14 +1000

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

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/06/16/mdkw-j16.html

"Last month’s federal budget delivered by the Albanese Labor government was
designed to give the impression of improved public health care funding, but
actually cemented damaging cuts to the crisis-ridden system.

Is climate change outpacing our ability to predict extreme heatwaves?

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:44:32 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/is-climate-change-outpacing-our-ability-to-predict-extreme-heatwaves-207925>

"When an extreme weather event happens somewhere in the world these days, it’s
common to read quotes from climate scientists explaining this is exactly the
kind of event we expect to see more often as climate change progresses. Such

Court Finally Dismisses Bananas Copyright Lawsuit Over Bananas Taped To Walls

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:46:30 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/20/court-finally-dismisses-bananas-copyright-lawsuit-over-bananas-taped-to-walls/>

"A year ago, we wrote about an unfortunate decision by a judge rejecting a
motion to dismiss in a copyright lawsuit regarding bananas taped to walls.
There was, of course, the high profile “banana taped to wall” artwork by

Canada is on fire, and big oil is the arsonist

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:47:56 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/20/canada-wildfires-big-oil>

"Canada is on fire from coast to coast to coast. Thousands have been evacuated,
millions exposed to air pollution, New York a doom orange and even the titans
of Wall Street choking.

Is leaving dog poo in the street really so bad? The science says it’s even worse than you think

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:48:42 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/is-leaving-dog-poo-in-the-street-really-so-bad-the-science-says-its-even-worse-than-you-think-207416>

"What’s that smell? Is that what you think it is? You check your shoes and,
sure enough, one is adorned with a sticky, foul-smelling patty of fresh
wrongness. You have stepped in a landmine of the canine variety.

In Cleveland and beyond researchers begin to unravel the mystery of long COVID-19

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:05:41 +1000

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

<https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/10/in-cleveland-and-beyond-researchers-begin-to-unravel-the-mystery-of-long-covid-19.html>

"CLEVELAND, Ohio — Roughly a third of adults who get COVID-19 report having had
what is considered long COVID. And months after the initial infection, a
staggering number of those who haven’t recovered - up to 80% - have some

How pesticides threaten our daily cup of coffee

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:10:38 +1000

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

https://www.futurity.org/coffee-pesticides-agroforestry-2935252-2/

"Globally, people drink nearly three billion cups of coffee each day.

When grown as a monoculture crop, coffee plants face a barrage of attacks by

NZ’s housing market drives inequality – why not just tax houses like any other income?

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:11:20 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/nzs-housing-market-drives-inequality-why-not-just-tax-houses-like-any-other-income-208003>

"The Green Party made waves recently when it proposed to tax net wealth over
NZ$2 million for individuals and $4 million for couples. As part of a broad
range of actions, the policy aims to “end poverty”.

Wind and solar overtake fossil generation in the EU

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:12:27 +1000

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

<https://ember-climate.org/press-releases/wind-and-solar-overtake-fossil-generation-in-the-eu/>

"New data from energy think tank Ember shows that wind and solar produced more
EU electricity than fossil fuels in May, for the first full month on record.
Almost a third of the EU’s electricity in May was generated from wind and solar

The Russian "Firehose of Falsehood" Propaganda Model

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:13:31 +1000

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

https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html

"Since its 2008 incursion into Georgia (if not before), there has been a
remarkable evolution in Russia's approach to propaganda. This new approach was
on full display during the country's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The hidden cost of gasoline

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 19:03:00 +1000

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

https://www.rawstory.com/hidden-cost-of-gasoline-grist/

"A black, electric-powered Nissan Leaf pulled up to a gas station — not to fuel
up, of course. Matthew Metz, the founder of Coltura, a nonprofit trying to
speed up the country’s shift away from gasoline, climbed out of his car with

Hong Kong: Tech Firms Should Oppose Protest Song Ban

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 19:05:06 +1000

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

<https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/20/hong-kong-tech-firms-should-oppose-protest-song-ban>

"(New York) – Tech companies should oppose the Hong Kong government’s
application for an injunction to ban broadcasting and distribution of the 2019
protest song, “Glory to Hong Kong,” Human Rights Watch said today.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Decides Established Medical Term Is A 'Slur'

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 19:06:11 +1000

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

<https://jalopnik.com/elon-musk-decides-established-medical-term-is-a-slur-1850559977>

"Elon Musk is a lot of things. A Tesla not-founder, a Hyperloop not-builder,
and most recently the guy making Twitter worse in nearly every possible way.
He’s had a lot of fun with that last role, using his ownership of the site to

Garbage Day: Criticism is WWE

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 19:07:31 +1000

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

https://www.garbageday.email/p/criticism-is-wwe

"The thing we don’t know with all of this is how the move from search and
social to AI will impact criticism and every other type of culture writing.
Will all these scores just get absorbed into the machine and become accepted

University of Melbourne vice-chancellor calls for free university education

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 19:08:41 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/21/university-of-melbourne-vice-chancellor-calls-for-free-university-education>

"The vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, Duncan Maskell, has joined
the Greens and student unions in calling for tertiary education to be free.

Chances are your child’s school uses commercial programs to support teaching: what parents should know

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 02:32:02 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/chances-are-your-childs-school-uses-commercial-programs-to-support-teaching-what-parents-should-know-203062>

"Australian primary schools are becoming increasingly reliant on commercial
programs for teaching students. This means the content and the way students are
being taught is outsourced to a third-party provider, who is not your child’s

German sea captain faces 20 years in jail for migrant rescue efforts

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 02:34:16 +1000

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

<https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/w/german-sea-captain-faces-20-years-jail-over-migrant-recsue-efforts>

"A GERMAN sea captain faces a 20-year prison sentence for helping to rescue
more than 1,000 migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean Sea.

Yes, AI could help us fix the productivity slump – but it can’t fix everything

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 02:35:10 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/yes-ai-could-help-us-fix-the-productivity-slump-but-it-cant-fix-everything-207623>

"Our nation is experiencing its lowest productivity growth in 60 years,
according to the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia. And this
downturn is reflected across most advanced economies worldwide.

Summer In Space Vol. 6

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 02:36:37 +1000

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

Summer in Space vol 6 is out now! Like all the twice-yearly samplers from
Space Sound Records, it’s a free download. They have been an awesome indie
label since 2007 and deserve support.

http://spacesoundrecords.com/summerinspace6.html

Reddit Experiments With Removing Mods, Blocking Attempts To Switch Subs To NSFW

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 02:37:34 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/21/reddit-experiments-with-removing-mods-blocking-attempts-to-switch-subs-to-nsfw/>

"Reddit’s ongoing war with its volunteer moderators (and users) has moved up a
notch. As you’ll recall, last week, the ever tone-deaf CEO Steve Huffman
insisted that the protests were just a blip, would be over by last Wednesday,

Before the colonists came, we burned small and burned often to avoid big fires. It’s time to relearn cultural burning

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:15:55 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/before-the-colonists-came-we-burned-small-and-burned-often-to-avoid-big-fires-its-time-to-relearn-cultural-burning-201475>

"For 60,000 years, many First Nations peoples managed the land that sustained
us. Fire, for us, was not destructive. It created new life. We believe bringing
back cultural burning is an important step towards creating a more just and

‘We will win’: Tiwi Islanders draw a line in the sand against Santos gas project and ‘white fella rule’

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:17:29 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/21/we-will-win-tiwi-islanders-draw-a-line-in-the-sand-against-santos-gas-project-and-white-fella-rule>

"In a sport and rec shed at Pirlangimpi on the north-west coast of Melville
Island, off the coast of Darwin, senior Tiwi elder Pirrawayingi is talking
about maritime boundaries.

Green hydrogen could be a game changer by displacing fossil fuels – we just need the price to come down

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:18:21 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/green-hydrogen-could-be-a-game-changer-by-displacing-fossil-fuels-we-just-need-the-price-to-come-down-205636>

"As the global economy moves away from fossil fuels, green hydrogen could be
critical to achieving a zero-carbon world by 2050.

Malaysian Government Asks Interpol To Arrest An American Comedian Over Her Airline Crash Joke

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:19:13 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/21/malaysian-government-asks-interpol-to-arrest-an-american-comedian-over-her-airline-crash-joke/>

"The government of Malaysia isn’t too concerned about free speech. It may be a
tourist destination, but it’s still subservient to a ruling class that likely
can thank inbreeding for its current place at the top of the heap.

The Greek migrant shipwreck is another preventable tragedy at the borders of Europe

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:20:15 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-greek-migrant-shipwreck-is-another-preventable-tragedy-at-the-borders-of-europe-207880>

"The Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy has been described as the
“world’s most dangerous maritime crossing”. This was proven once again last
week in the tragic shipwreck of a boat full of men, women and children, around

Seven Rules For Internet CEOs To Avoid Enshittification

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:08:26 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/21/seven-rules-for-internet-ceos-to-avoid-enshittification/>

"It seems that we’ve had a rash of formerly loved internet services going down
the enshittification curve. As coined (brilliantly) by Cory Doctorow,
enshittification is the process by which a company gets gradually worse. As he

How scammers use psychology to create some of the most convincing internet cons – and what to watch out for

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:09:23 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-scammers-use-psychology-to-create-some-of-the-most-convincing-internet-cons-and-what-to-watch-out-for-207759>

"Online fraud is today’s most common crime. Victims are often told they are
foolish for falling for it, but fraudsters use psychological mechanisms to
infiltrate the defences of their targets, regardless of how intelligent they

UAE and Egypt advance development of Africa's biggest wind farm

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:10:49 +1000

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

<https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/07062023/uae-and-egypt-advance-development-of-africas-biggest-wind-farm/>

"Masdar, one of the world’s leading clean energy companies, along with Infinity
Power, Africa’s largest renewable energy developer, and Hassan Allam Utilities,
a sustainable infrastructure focused investment platform, have signed an

Student Monitoring Tools Should Not Flag LGBTQ+ Keywords

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:12:17 +1000

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

<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/06/student-monitoring-tools-should-not-flag-lgbtq-keywords>

"One of the more dangerous features of student monitoring tools like
GoGuardian, Gaggle, and Bark is their “flagging” functionality. The tools can
scan web pages, documents in students’ cloud drives, emails, video content, and

How the ancient Greeks kept ruthless narcissists from capturing their democracy – and what modern politics could learn from them

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:13:04 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-the-ancient-greeks-kept-ruthless-narcissists-from-capturing-their-democracy-and-what-modern-politics-could-learn-from-them-208042>

"Ancient Greece was in many ways a brutal society. It was almost perpetually at
war, slavery was routine and women could only expect a low status in society.

LGBTQ+ people are facing increasing persecution globally, but refugee status is still extremely hard to get

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 03:51:13 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/lgbtq-people-are-facing-increasing-persecution-globally-but-refugee-status-is-still-extremely-hard-to-get-207119>

"The newly passed Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda has made a country that was
already dangerous for LGBTQ+ people truly treacherous.

U.S. coal generation falls to record first-quarter low

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 03:52:48 +1000

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

<https://ieefa.org/resources/us-coal-generation-falls-record-first-quarter-low>

"It was a brutal first quarter for U.S. coal-fired power plants. Electricity
generation from the fuel totaled 162.3 million megawatt-hours (MWh) for
January, February, and March—down more than 25%, or 56.7 million MWh, from the

Loss of fossil fuel assets would not impoverish general public, study finds

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 03:54:16 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/22/fossil-fuel-assets-loss-study>

"A rapid reduction in fossil fuels, essential to avoid devastating climate
breakdown, would have minimal financial impact on the vast majority of people,
new research has shown.

Nearly half of US honeybee colonies died last year. Struggling beekeepers stabilize population

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 03:55:13 +1000

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

<https://apnews.com/article/honeybees-pollinator-extinct-disease-death-climate-change-f60297706e19c7346ff1881587b5aced>

"WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s honeybee hives just staggered through the second
highest death rate on record, with beekeepers losing nearly half of their
managed colonies, an annual bee survey found.

Global Ecosystems Risk Collapsing Decades Before We Predicted

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 03:56:31 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/global-ecosystems-risk-collapsing-decades-before-we-predicted>

'Across the world, rainforests are becoming savanna or farmland, savanna is
drying out and turning into desert, and icy tundra is thawing.

The fourth leading cause of death in the US? Cumulative poverty

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:15:51 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/22/us-leading-cause-death-poverty-crisis>

"Can you name the top 10 causes of death in America? Without too much trouble,
most Americans could likely come up with some of them: cancer, heart disease,
stroke, accidents. But it would come as a surprise to many to know that poverty

Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:16:51 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/marine-species-are-being-pushed-towards-the-poles-from-dugong-to-octopuses-here-are-8-marine-species-you-might-spot-in-new-places-207115>

"If you take a plunge in the sea this winter, you might notice it’s warmer than
you expect. And if you’re fishing off Sydney and catch a tropical coral trout,
you might wonder what’s going on.

‘Completely unacceptable’: dust from Newcrest Cadia goldmine 11 times the regulatory limit

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:17:47 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/23/dust-newcrest-cadia-goldmine-11-times-regulatory-limit>

"The head of the environmental regulator has slammed the operators of
Australia’s largest goldmine for “completely unacceptable” levels of air
pollution after testing revealed it was emitting more than 11 times the legal

Review: Mindtouch (The Dreamhealers #1) MCA Hogarth

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:19:15 +1000

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

<https://katherinephelps.com/2023/06/review-mindtouch-the-dreamhealers-1-mca-hogarth/>

"I am a great fan of storytelling that inspires us to create a healthy and
humane future. These sorts of stories can come from many different genres.
Right now I am focussing on #solarpunk, #hopepunk, and #cosycore. Also, I am

Why shouldn’t I pour oil or paint down the sink? And what should I do instead?

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:20:12 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/why-shouldnt-i-pour-oil-or-paint-down-the-sink-and-what-should-i-do-instead-206604>

"Are you ever tempted to pour used cooking oil down the sink? Just turn on the
tap and flush it all away. What about that half-used tin of paint in the
cupboard? It would be so easy just to wash it down the drain, wouldn’t it?

Huge Cadia gold mine ordered to reduce polluting dust. Is it safe to live near a mine like this?

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:11:48 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/huge-cadia-gold-mine-ordered-to-reduce-polluting-dust-is-it-safe-to-live-near-a-mine-like-this-208111>

"For the past 15 months, I have been helping residents living near the massive
Cadia gold and copper mine in NSW to verify their concerns about pollution from
the mine. The findings of alarming levels of heavy metals in their water tanks,

NSW push to stop climate protesters livestreaming on Facebook labelled ‘profoundly anti-democratic’

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:12:55 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/23/nsw-push-to-stop-climate-protesters-livestreaming-on-facebook-labelled-profoundly-anti-democratic>

"Civil liberties advocates have lashed the New South Wales Labor government’s
attempts to stop climate activists from livestreaming protests on Facebook.

Almost no one uses Bitcoin as currency, new data proves. It’s actually more like gambling

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:13:45 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/almost-no-one-uses-bitcoin-as-currency-new-data-proves-its-actually-more-like-gambling-207909>

"Bitcoin boosters like to claim Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, are
becoming mainstream. There’s a good reason to want people to believe this.

India secretly works to preserve reputation on global Democracy Index

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:14:45 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/22/india-democracy-index-flawed-preserve-reputation-narendra-modi>

"The Indian government has been secretly working to keep its reputation as the
“world’s largest democracy” alive after being called out by researchers for
serious democratic backsliding under the nationalist rule of Narendra Modi,

They survived and thrived in a hostile Britain. That’s why we revere the Windrush pioneers

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 19:15:37 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/22/britain-windrush-75-pioneers-country-achievement>

"Look again at that picture taken 75 years ago at Tilbury docks. Look at those
people as they posed for the historic photographs. Look at their faces; wearied
from a month of travel, etched with joy, hope, bewilderment and lurking stage

Reddit Tells Mods That Protesting By Changing Sub To NSFW Violates The Rules

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 03:20:14 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/22/reddit-tells-mods-that-protesting-by-changing-sub-to-nsfw-violates-the-rules/>

"The enshittification of Reddit continues. Yesterday we wrote about the next
move from protesting mods to switch their subs to NSFW, which strips those
subreddits of ads, and how Reddit was experimenting with removing the mods who

Misunderstanding Locks Amazon User Out Of ‘Smart’ Home Voice Control For A Week

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 03:21:36 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/22/misunderstanding-locks-amazon-user-out-of-smart-home-voice-control-for-a-week__trashed/>

"The “smart” internet of things era was supposed to usher forth a new era of
convenience. Instead, it often manages to advertise how dumber technology can
be the smarter option, and you’re not being particularly innovative if your

Made in the USA: Ramping up clean energy manufacturing

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 03:23:33 +1000

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

<https://www.canarymedia.com/made-in-the-usa-ramping-up-clean-energy-manufacturing>

"The Inflation Reduction Act is super-charging U.S. clean energy manufacturing.
Since its passage in August 2022, nearly 100 new facilities or factory
expansions have been announced, totaling more than $70 billion in new

Why Did Pixar Bury the Best Part of ‘Elemental?’

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 03:24:57 +1000

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

<https://www.themarysue.com/why-did-pixar-bury-the-best-part-of-elemental/>

"When I wrote about The Flash‘s box office numbers, I mentioned that Pixar’s
Elemental opened the same weekend and was also the subject of disappointed
discussion around it being a “flop.”

Important And Needed New Report: Scaling Trust On The Web

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 03:27:37 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/22/important-and-needed-new-report-scaling-trust-on-the-web/>

"We talk a lot about the concept of “trust & safety” at internet companies, but
the entire concept is relatively new, and still very confusing to many,
including some who work in the field!

Civil Society Calls on Tech Firms to Oppose Protest Song Ban

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:19:17 +1000

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

<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/06/tech-firms-should-oppose-protest-song-ban>

"EFF and more than 24 civil society organizations have written to tech
companies including Apple, Google, Meta, Twitter, and Spotify urging them to
oppose the Hong Kong government’s application for an injunction to ban

Meet Spacetop, a radical new laptop with no screen

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:20:58 +1000

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

<https://www.pcworld.com/article/1919392/spacetop-is-the-first-laptop-without-a-screen.html>

"Laptops have a problem: their screen. There’s only one, and it’s too small,
too far away, and too public. Sightful thinks that it’s solved that problem
with the Spacetop, a laptop that gets rid of the screen entirely and uses

Legislation mandating rooftop solar panels passes Legislature

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:25:53 +1000

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

https://focustaiwan.tw/business/202305290010

"Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Legislators passed an amendment Monday that will require
all newly built, expanded, or altered structures that meet specific conditions
to have rooftop solar panels incorporated into the building's design and

Germany Lines Up €50 Billion to Help Heavy Industry Go Green

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:28:35 +1000

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

https://archive.md/z3jC9

"Germany plans to help energy-intensive manufacturers transition to
climate-neutral technologies with roughly €50 billion ($53.4 billion) in
subsidies.

Volvo Trucks Is Making Great Progress On Electric Truck Sales, But Isn’t Letting Safety Slide

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:30:06 +1000

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

<https://cleantechnica.com/2023/05/24/volvo-trucks-is-making-great-progress-on-electric-truck-sales-but-isnt-letting-safety-slide/>

"In the first quarter of 2023, Volvo Trucks emerged as the market leader in
heavy electric trucks across Europe and North America. The Swedish truck
manufacturer has successfully sold nearly 5,000 electric trucks across

The pandemic’s true death toll

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:56:00 +1000

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

<https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates>

"How many people have died because of the covid-19 pandemic? The answer depends
both on the data available, and on how you define “because”. Many people who
die while infected with SARS-CoV-2 are never tested for it, and do not enter

In the Race to Electrification, the Humble Bus Is in the Lead

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:57:36 +1000

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

<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-09/buses-are-going-electric-faster-than-passenger-cars>

"All over the world, buses are quickly and quietly going electric.

By 2032, about half of the world’s buses will be entirely battery-powered, as

COVID orphans face grief and poverty as world moves on

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:00:19 +1000

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

<https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/15/world/covid-orphans-world-moves-on/>

"Rana was 8 when, at the height of Indonesia’s devastating second COVID-19
wave, first her father, then her mother fell ill. They never recovered, dying
within hours of each other in June 2021.

The big question of how small chips can get

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:01:21 +1000

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

https://archive.md/vTmYd

"Inside a “clean room” within ASML’s sprawling campus in the Dutch town of
Veldhoven, dozens of men and women in hazmat-style suits are breathing air that
is 10,000-times more purified than in an operating theatre.

The Pandemic As Spectacle

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:04:26 +1000

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

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-pandemic-as-spectacle/

"Though calls for “debates” are made by unserious people, unserious people can
do serious damage when they are willing to spread disinformation about
vaccines, all because a doctor with principles isn’t willing to play his part

A single COVID-19 pandemic or multiple SARS pandemics?

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:24:31 +1000

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

https://johnsnowproject.org/insights/multiple-sars-pandemics/

"Failure to grasp the true nature of Omicron limits our comprehension of the
past three years and might impede our future response.

The Secret History And Strange Future Of Charisma

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:25:47 +1000

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

<https://www.noemamag.com/the-secret-history-and-strange-future-of-charisma/>

"In 1929, one of Germany’s national newspapers ran a picture story featuring
globally influential people who, the headline proclaimed, “have become
legends.” It included the former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, the Russian

Australia is on track to have easily double the local death toll of Spanish Flu, with Covid

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:27:59 +1000

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

https://twitter-thread.com/t/1669828888254648320

"There are many reasons this is a public health disgrace. Starting with the
most common objection to the comparison - that ‘we have a lot more people now’.

I Know a Place

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 05:29:27 +1000

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

https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/i-know-a-place-pipkin

"If you’ve never spent time in Roblox, let me try to summarize. Roblox is
one of the biggest games in the world. It has 200 million monthly players, the
majority of whom are children. Roblox is free to play but brims with optional

The Charles Dickens Illustrated Gallery

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:17:39 +1000

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

https://www.charlesdickensillustration.org/

"Welcome to the Charles Dickens Illustrated Gallery! Here you will find all the
original illustrations to Charles Dickens's novels (and Sketches by Boz), where
you are free to download, browse, share, remix, research, or use in whatever

The “anti-intellectual attack” on higher ed will take years to undo

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:19:22 +1000

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

https://www.vox.com/policy/23762357/republican-attack-higher-education

"Republican lawmakers around the country are moving quickly to remake higher
education in their conservative vision.

No, You Didn't Imagine It: That Wolf Really Did Recognize Your Voice

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:20:28 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/no-you-didnt-imagine-it-that-wolf-really-did-recognize-your-voice>

"Here, wolfie, wolfie, wolfie!

Like dogs, wolves recognize and respond to the voices of familiar humans more

Cooking, Monasteries, Arithmetic: Lorraine Daston on the History of Rules

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:21:59 +1000

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

<https://www.publicbooks.org/cooking-monasteries-arithmetic-lorraine-daston-on-the-history-of-rules/>

"Historian of science Lorraine Daston’s many pathbreaking works include
Against Nature and Classical Probability in the Enlightenment. Among her
many coauthored works is Objectivity (with Peter Galison), which developed an

The Great Convergence: Global Equality and Its Discontents

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:23:27 +1000

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

<https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/great-convergence-equality-branko-milanovic>

"We live in an age of inequality—or so we’re frequently told. Across the globe,
but especially in the wealthy economies of the West, the gap between the rich
and the rest has widened year after year and become a chasm, spreading anxiety,

Global Inequality in Well‐Being Has Decreased across Many Dimensions

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:22:09 +1000

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

<https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/global-inequality-well-being-has-decreased-across-many-dimensions#>

"The world has seen dramatic, global human progress across a broad range of
indicators in recent decades, but have those gains been widely shared? The
Inequality of Human Progress Index (IHPI) measures relative gaps in global

World Bank Project Connects More than a Million Moroccans to Clean Water

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:23:12 +1000

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

<https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/06/12/world-bank-project-connects-more-than-a-million-moroccans-to-clean-water>

"LAAOUISSATE, Morocco - Before a standpipe was installed to bring clean
drinking water to her village, Saadia El Haddouri’s seven children usually
drank the untreated water used to irrigate crops. She knew it was not healthy

PEPFAR at 20—Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:24:31 +1000

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

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2806189

"The year was 2002 and Dr Catherine Orrell, a physician working at the Desmond
Tutu HIV Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, was loading antiretroviral
therapy (ART) into the back of her car. She had procured funding for the

World Bank Decries Disastrous Fossil Fuel, Agriculture, & Fisheries Subsidies

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:25:47 +1000

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

<https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/24/world-bank-decries-disastrous-fossil-fuel-agriculture-fisheries-subsidies/>

"CleanTechnica readers may recall that last fall, David Malpass, the head of
the World Bank, refused to acknowledge that anthropomorphic climate change was
a thing. “I’m not a scientist,” he wailed while promoting policies that

Is Dr. Bronner’s the Last Corporation With a Soul?

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:27:27 +1000

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

https://www.gq.com/story/dr-bronners-corporate-success

"One sunny morning not too long ago, a dozen or so new hires arrive at the
headquarters of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps in Vista, California. They’ve shown
up to a fairly standard-looking suburban office park to be initiated into their

The Betoota Advocate has put a tiny town on the map. But what do the locals think?

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 04:18:00 +1000

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

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-26/what-locals-think-of-the-betoota-advocate/102513790>

'With headlines like Supermarkets Urged To Rename New Avocado Variety So It
Doesn't Sound Like A Vibrator in reference to GMax Avocados, the team at The
Betoota Advocate is fluent in sarcasm.

Here comes Camp Terra Livre

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 04:19:20 +1000

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

<https://www.socioambiental.org/en/socio-environmental-news/here-comes-the-free-land-camp>

"April is the month of Camp Terra Livre (ATL). From the 24th to the 28th of
this month, thousands of indigenous people, from all regions of the country,
will be camped in Brasília to discuss the treatment given to their rights and

Wagner’s rebellion may have been thwarted, but Putin has never looked weaker and more vulnerable

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 04:20:18 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/wagners-rebellion-may-have-been-thwarted-but-putin-has-never-looked-weaker-and-more-vulnerable-208436>

"It is increasingly clear that a rattled Vladimir Putin’s political end is
approaching. All that really matters now is whether it comes sooner or later.

Prigozhin’s rockstar exit from Rostov shows public support for ‘traitor’

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 04:21:23 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/25/yevgeny-prigozhin-wagner-rockstar-exit-from-rostov-shows-public-support-for-traitor>

"Yevgeny Prigozhin left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don late
Saturday to a rapturous reception that resembled the departure of a rockstar,
with crowds of men gathering around his car.

Heard of ‘kindy flu’? There’s no such thing. But kids are at risk this flu season for one simple reason

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 04:22:02 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/heard-of-kindy-flu-theres-no-such-thing-but-kids-are-at-risk-this-flu-season-for-one-simple-reason-207825>

"The 2023 flu season may be one of Australia’s largest flu seasons on record,
and doctors are concerned about the impact on children.

Disbelief and anger among Greek shipwreck victims’ relatives as millions spent on Titan rescue effort

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:22:44 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/25/disbelief-and-anger-among-greek-shipwreck-victims-relatives-as-millions-spent-on-titan-rescue-effort>

"Anees Majeed, who lost five relatives in the boat that sank off Greece on 14
June, watched in disbelief and growing anger as a frantic, multimillion-dollar
rescue effort played out for five other men lost at sea last week.

Fractured foundations: how Antarctica’s ‘landfast’ ice is dwindling and why that’s bad news

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:24:02 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/fractured-foundations-how-antarcticas-landfast-ice-is-dwindling-and-why-thats-bad-news-207814>

"There’s more to Antarctic ice than meets the eye. Sea ice is not a uniform
crust overlying the salty Southern Ocean.

‘A symbol of what humans shouldn’t be doing’: the new world of octopus farming

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:25:03 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/25/a-symbol-of-what-humans-shouldnt-be-doing-the-new-world-of-octopus-farming>

"The sterile boardroom, much of it taken up by a lengthy white table, is at the
heart of the sprawling building in northern Spain. The corporate chatter that
fills this room these days, however, is dominated by the scene playing out one

Victoria has rediscovered a dragon – how do we secure its future?

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:26:25 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/victoria-has-rediscovered-a-dragon-how-do-we-secure-its-future-208097>

"The Victorian grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla), not
seen since 1969, has been found in grasslands west of Melbourne. No need to
fear this dragon, though; these lizards are just 15cm long fully grown.

Defence was warned about forever chemicals. They kept it quiet for three decades

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:27:33 +1000

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

<https://www.smh.com.au/national/defence-was-warned-about-forever-chemicals-they-kept-it-quiet-for-three-decades-20230625-p5dj7z.html>

"Defence was warned as far back as 1981 that it was “unacceptable” that its
firefighting pollution was escaping towards homes but waited more than 30 years
to alert the public and begin investigating the extent of the problem across

‘Battered and broken. I must get out’: what staff told us about teaching and working in universities today

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:27:55 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/battered-and-broken-i-must-get-out-what-staff-told-us-about-teaching-and-working-in-universities-today-208179>

"The current funding crisis in New Zealand universities has not happened in a
vacuum. It is a byproduct of the neoliberal “reforms” introduced here in the
1980s and which have affected every aspect of university work.

5G Was An Over-Hyped Dud. Prepare For Nobody To Learn Absolutely Anything From The Experience

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:29:08 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/23/5g-was-an-over-hyped-dud-prepare-for-nobody-to-learn-absolutely-anything-from-the-experience/>

"We’ve noted for several years how the “race to 5G” was largely just hype by
telecoms and hardware vendors eager to sell more gear and justify high U.S.
mobile data prices. While 5G does provide faster, more resilient, and lower

We are closer than ever to being able to 3D print medicines. Here’s why that’s important

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:29:56 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/we-are-closer-than-ever-to-being-able-to-3d-print-medicines-heres-why-thats-important-208026>

"3D-printed medicine could be the future of personalised healthcare, with
research now suggesting printed tablets have reached a sufficient quality to
match the standards set for conventionally manufactured tablets.

Chinese Authorities Demand Global Censorship Of Protest Anthem ‘Glory To Hong Kong’

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:32:02 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/23/chinese-authorities-demand-global-censorship-of-protest-anthem-glory-to-hong-kong/>

"It’s hardly a secret that the Chinese government is obsessed with controlling
everything that its citizens see or do online — Techdirt has written dozens
of stories on the topic over the years. But control within China’s borders

Buying bugs and beetles, or shopping for scorpions and snails? Australia’s pet trade includes hundreds of spineless species

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:33:07 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/buying-bugs-and-beetles-or-shopping-for-scorpions-and-snails-australias-pet-trade-includes-hundreds-of-spineless-species-207932>

"Shacking up with tarantulas, scorpions, and ants would be a nightmare for most
people. But for others, these creepy-crawlies are welcome companions and
collectables.

Support for Same-Sex Marriage Falls as Right Intensifies ‘War on Trans’

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 05:50:28 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/prismnpen/support-for-same-sex-marriage-falls-as-right-intensifies-war-on-trans-7533c954f182>

"In a parallel world, I live in a sunny one-bedroom Chelsea apartment with a
little terrace and a sweet view of Lady Liberty … if I squint just right. I can
afford it, because my late husband Lenny bought it at a bargain-basement price

The rise of Yevgeny Prigozhin: how a one-time food caterer became Vladimir Putin’s biggest threat

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 05:51:27 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-yevgeny-prigozhin-how-a-one-time-food-caterer-became-vladimir-putins-biggest-threat-208450>

"Never during the 23 years of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule has he
faced the kind of challenge posed by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s
insurrection over the weekend.

Street-racing in Nissan Leaf, EV enthusiast pushes Texans to go electric

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 05:52:52 +1000

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

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/25/ev-drag-racer-nissan-leaf-texas/>

"WACO, Tex. — Teresa Porter pulled up to the red light and turned to eyeball
the crimson pickup truck to her right. Her silver fingernails gripped the
steering wheel. Her foot sank hard into the brake, ready to pounce on the

The melting Arctic is a crime scene. The microbes I study have long warned us of this catastrophe – but they are also driving it

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 05:54:01 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-melting-arctic-is-a-crime-scene-the-microbes-i-study-have-long-warned-us-of-this-catastrophe-but-they-are-also-driving-it-207785>

"The Arctic’s climate is warming at least four times faster than the global
average, causing irrevocable changes to this vast landscape and precarious
ecosystem – from the anticipated extinction of polar bears to the appearance of

How The War Against Free Lunch Targets Black School Children

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 05:55:05 +1000

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

<https://momentum.medium.com/how-the-war-against-free-lunch-targets-black-school-children-e4ce7d468373>

"The goal of any cruscade is to make a sweeping societal change. However, when
a group makes it their goal to deprive impoverished children of meals, it's
safe to say they have ill intent. And given America's gaping racial

2023 Locus Awards Winners

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:25:24 +1000

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

https://locusmag.com/2023/06/2023-locus-awards-winners/

"The Locus Science Fiction Foundation announced the winners in each category of
the 2023 Locus Awards on June 24, 2023, during the Locus Awards Weekend. Maggie
Tokuda-Hall MCed the awards ceremony with Connie Willis as special guest.

Nel Law, the first Australian woman in Antarctica, fought society's expectations to get there

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:26:56 +1000

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

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-27/nel-law-antarctic-adventure-explored-rachael-mead-new-novel/102511078>

'By her own admission, Rachael Mead is obsessed with Antarctica.

She's been fascinated by the remote continent since she was a child, devouring

AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:29:35 +1000

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

<https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/26/23773914/ai-large-language-models-data-scraping-generation-remaking-web>

"In recent months, the signs and portents have been accumulating with
increasing speed. Google is trying to kill the 10 blue links. Twitter is being
abandoned to bots and blue ticks. There’s the junkification of Amazon and the

Honest Government Ad | Labor

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:30:46 +1000

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

"The Australien Labor Party has made an ad and it’s surprisingly honest and
informative."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHB0vDhdM3c

The folly of making art with text-to-image generative AI

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:31:52 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-folly-of-making-art-with-text-to-image-generative-ai-207480>

"Making art using artificial intelligence isn’t new. It’s as old as AI itself.

What’s new is that a wave of tools now let most people generate images by

Time after time, tragedies like the Titan disaster occur because leaders ignore red flags

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:31:21 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/time-after-time-tragedies-like-the-titan-disaster-occur-because-leaders-ignore-red-flags-208370>

"The loss of the OceanGate submersible Titan appears to be an example of
warnings ignored.

About 6m across US at risk of extreme weather as over 700,000 without power

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:32:11 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/26/us-extreme-weather-report-national-weather-service-storms-torando-hail>

"More than 700,000 Americans were without power on Sunday evening, and about 6
million across the US were at risk for extreme weather, according to CNN.

What do the different colours of mould mean in my house?

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:32:54 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/what-do-the-different-colours-of-mould-mean-in-my-house-207737>

"You may be interested (or possibly horrified) to discover you ingest and
inhale thousands of tiny life forms on a daily basis.

Wind Power’s Explosive Growth Is Blowing Past Green Energy Goals

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:34:17 +1000

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

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/texas-wind-power-renewables-future/

"The remote and windy town of Roscoe, just over 200 miles west of Dallas,
Texas, is in many ways an unassuming place. It’s home to about 1,000 residents,
as well as a post office, a cemetery and an annual “mud bog” competition for

Marshall Islands, a nation at the heart of global shipping, fights for climate justice

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:36:34 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/marshall-islands-a-nation-at-the-heart-of-global-shipping-fights-for-climate-justice-202613>

"I went sailing on a bright yellow outrigger canoe in the Marshall Islands in
March. On board were Alson Kelen, founder of Waan Aelõñ in Majel (WAM, Canoes
of the Marshall Islands), and a group of youngsters taking part in a climate

Reviving the Lost Waterways of India’s ‘City of Lakes’

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:05:10 +1000

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

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/bengaluru-india-city-of-lakes-revival/

"It was the autumn of 2022 in Bengaluru, in the southern state of Karnataka.
Drum beats punctured the air and over a thousand people in traditional attire,
carrying platters of flowers, sweets and fruit thronged the banks of

The planet’s burning. Can the Global South save it?

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:19:11 +1000

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

<https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/6/27/the-planets-burning-can-the-global-south-save-it>

"Climate change headlines are rarely positive, but even against that yardstick,
the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) latest global warming predictions
unveiled in mid-May marked a poignant moment for human civilisation.

Insurers pull back as US climate catastrophes intensify

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:21:05 +1000

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

<https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4068383-insurers-pull-back-as-us-climate-catastrophes-intensify/>

"The insurance industry is increasingly wary of the risks presented by climate
and natural disasters, prompting major firms to scale back their presence in
more vulnerable states.

NZ’s geothermal wells offer a cheap way of storing carbon permanently – equivalent to taking 600,000 cars off the road

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:21:58 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/nzs-geothermal-wells-offer-a-cheap-way-of-storing-carbon-permanently-equivalent-to-taking-600-000-cars-off-the-road-207901>

"We know putting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere is bad for the
climate. But should we be reversing some of the damage by removing greenhouse
gases that were emitted decades ago?

‘A Cultural Shift Toward Living With Fire’

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:22:37 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/wildfire-mitigation-indigenous-youth-future/>

"Ryan Reed spent much of his childhood outdoors, absorbing the knowledge of his
Karuk, Hupa and Yurok ancestors through activities like hunting and fishing in
the forests of Northern California. As he grew older, he began participating in

We need to decarbonise our electricity supply, and quickly – Alan Finkel shows how green energy can be a reality, and bring economic benefits

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:47:58 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-decarbonise-our-electricity-supply-and-quickly-alan-finkel-shows-how-green-energy-can-be-a-reality-and-bring-economic-benefits-206277>

"Review: Powering Up: Unleashing the Clean Supply Energy Chain – Alan Finkel
(Black Inc.)

Can retiring farmland make California’s Central Valley more equitable?

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:49:03 +1000

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

<https://www.hcn.org/articles/south-agriculture-can-retiring-farmland-make-californias-central-valley-more-equitable>

"The people of Fairmead, California, in the Central Valley, have struggled to
gain reliable access to drinking water for years. The unincorporated community
of around 1,300 — “mostly people of color, people of low income, people

Worried about AI? You might have AI-nxiety – here’s how to cope

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:50:38 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/worried-about-ai-you-might-have-ai-nxiety-heres-how-to-cope-205874>

"Even tech experts have been astonished by the recent, rapid growth of AI
technology, able to hold human-like conversations in multiple languages, create
music and pass medical exams. While the potential benefits of AI in fields such

Governor Newsom Announces Statewide Expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Provide Universal Access to Free Books for Young Children

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:51:41 +1000

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

<https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/06/06/governor-newsom-announces-statewide-expansion-of-dolly-partons-imagination-library-to-provide-universal-access-to-free-books-for-young-children/>

"SACRAMENTO — Today Governor Gavin Newsom, joined by First Partner Jennifer
Siebel Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, State Senator Shannon
Grove, State Librarian Greg Lucas, and The Dollywood Foundation, announced that

Australia has introduced a new bill that will allow us to ship carbon emissions overseas. Here’s why that’s not a great idea

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:52:47 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/australia-has-introduced-a-new-bill-that-will-allow-us-to-ship-carbon-emissions-overseas-heres-why-thats-not-a-great-idea-208456>

"Fossil fuel companies in Australia could ship their carbon dioxide (CO₂) waste
overseas for disposal, under changes to the Environment Protection (Sea
Dumping) Act 1981 introduced to parliament late last week.

US decides to rejoin UNESCO and pay back dues, to counter Chinese influence

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 19:26:08 +1000

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

<https://apnews.com/article/unesco-us-rejoin-palestine-china-5b7849bd2cae966e4e9837380c0c094f>

"PARIS (AP) — UNESCO announced Monday that the United States plans to rejoin
the U.N. cultural and scientific agency — and pay more than $600 million in
back dues — after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization’s move to

Wildlife photographer arrested in Tasmanian forest where swift parrot habitat is being logged

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 19:27:16 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/27/how-dare-they-swift-parrot-slowly-losing-critical-habitat-as-tasmania-logs-native-forest>

"Rob Blakers has been a landscape and wildlife photographer in Tasmania for
more than four decades. He specialises in taking the time to capture images
deep within the state’s wilderness that others won’t, or can’t.

Iceland outlaws conversion therapy in landslide vote

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 19:28:45 +1000

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

<https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/06/iceland-outlaws-conversion-therapy-in-landslide-vote/>

"The Icelandic parliament has unanimously passed a comprehensive conversion
therapy ban, prohibiting the practice on the basis of sexual orientation,
gender identity, and gender expression.

Same-Sex Marriage Around the World

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 19:32:48 +1000

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

<https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/gay-marriage-around-the-world/>

"Since the first same-sex marriages took place in the Netherlands in 2001, more
than 30 other jurisdictions have enacted laws allowing gays and lesbians to
marry, mostly in Europe and the Americas. This interactive table allows you to

Singular “They” and Neopronouns

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 19:37:27 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/@mattbarros_42186/singular-they-and-neopronouns-91c40d38b6c8>

"Is the “woke left” destroying English?

Ben Shapiro seems to think so; the basic idea being that “they” is a plural

A Quarter-Century Legacy of Coral Reef Conservation and Community Impact in Indonesia

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 04:40:50 +1000

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

<https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/06/08/a-quarter-century-legacy-of-coral-reef-conservation-and-community-impact-in-indonesia>

"Teeming with life, the ocean fuels prosperity for approximately 60 million
coastal Indonesians. Coral reefs not only thrive as vital tourist destinations,
but sea grass meadows and mangrove forests shield against natural disasters and

A Drastic but Effective Way to Help Protect Your Aging Parent From Fraud

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 04:42:11 +1000

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

<https://betterhumans.pub/a-drastic-but-effective-way-to-help-protect-your-aging-parent-from-fraud-4c5cef59489d>

"The phone calls were relentless. Some were legal but exploitive: home
warranties, medicare advantage, life insurance, magazine subscriptions,
political donations, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up buttons. Others were

New York Protects “the Birds & the Bees” with Nation-Leading Legislation

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 04:43:28 +1000

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

<https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/10/new-york-protects-the-birds-the-bees-with-nation-leading-legislation/>

"Albany, NY — The New York State Legislature has passed the Birds and Bees
Protection Act (A.7640/S.1856A), a first-in-the-nation bill that would rein in
the use of neurotoxic neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”), which now heads to

The Highway of Tears: Canada’s Genocide is Not Distant History

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 04:44:48 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/bouncin-and-behavin-blogs/the-highway-of-tears-canadas-genocide-is-not-distant-history-d1a75c6839a6>

"“Why should I feel guilty for what my ancestors did?”

It’s a fair question, and it’s one I hear often when the topic of genocide

How one Argentinian city overhauled its waste management to tackle one of the world's largest rubbish dumps

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 04:45:45 +1000

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

<https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/bariloche-largest-landfill-circular-waste-management/>

"In 2021, San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina had a dismal recycling rate and
the city’s waste site was declared one of the 50 largest rubbish dumps globally
by CNN.

The Eighteenth Century

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:26:09 +1000

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

https://archive.org/details/pub_eighteenth-century?tab=collection

"The Eighteenth Century is a collection of historical books published in the
United Kingdom focused on Language & Literature, Literary And Political
Reviews, General Interest Periodicals—United Kingdom, Law, Philosophy &

Ukrainian NGO opens art therapy workshop to support veterans' rehabilitation

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:27:26 +1000

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

<https://rubryka.com/en/2023/06/28/u-zhytomyri-vidkryly-veteransku-majsternyu-yak-riznovyd-art-terapiyi-yak-pratsyuye-tse-rishennya/>

'War veteran Yurii Lysak opened a craft workshop for working with wood for the
military with a United Nations Development Program grant.

Canada’s explosive wildfires have damaged a forest carbon offset project

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:29:11 +1000

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

<https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/27/business/canada-wildfire-forest-carbon-offset-risks/>

"Canada’s explosive wildfire season has already pumped millions of tons of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of that carbon is coming from
vegetation burned at a carbon offset project, highlighting the fragility of a

This Is What It Sounds Like When Someone Has Never Read A Book Before

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:30:17 +1000

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

<https://notalwaysright.com/this-is-what-it-sounds-like-when-someone-has-never-read-a-book-before/295232/>

"A customer approaches our counter in the bookstore with a blank look on his
face.

Sky Bathing

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:31:44 +1000

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

https://www.biographic.com/sky-bathing/

"Like other cold-blooded reptiles, giant tortoises use the environment around
them to regulate their body temperature. On Isabela Island—the largest in
Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago— Alcedo giant tortoises (Chelonoidis

The Latest Dangerous Conspiracy Theory: That Conspiracy Theory Research Is Part Of A Big Conspiracy

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 19:09:54 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/27/the-latest-dangerous-conspiracy-theory-that-conspiracy-theory-research-is-part-of-a-big-conspiracy/>

"Let’s start off with this point, which some seem to ignore when I talk about
this stuff: I think many of the “concerns” about disinformation are totally
overblown. People act as if disinformation has a sort of bizarre mind-control

Record number of Saimaa seal pups born this year, wildlife agency says

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 19:11:53 +1000

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

https://yle.fi/a/74-20034978

"A record high number of Saimaa ringed seal pups have been born this year,
according to a count organised by Finland's state-owned wildlife agency
Metsähallitus.

US teacher faces sacking after reading Australian children’s book to class

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 19:13:24 +1000

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

<https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-life/us-teacher-faces-sacking-after-reading-australian-childrens-book-to-class/news-story/9b109a42b9d6fdc9193aa4f2be27a8ae>

"A teacher in the United States is fighting to keep her job after reading an
Australian children’s picture book to her class.

Australia’s Hydrogen Hype Bubble Is Starting To Leak

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 19:15:22 +1000

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

<https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/27/australias-hydrogen-hype-bubble-is-starting-to-leak/>

"Three articles crossed my screen recently suggested that Australia might be
seeing reality around hydrogen. It’s not official policy or anything, but it’s
a good sign that the hype bubble might be leaking or even deflating, which

Parents cannot dictate what other parents’ children can read

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 19:16:49 +1000

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

<https://www.fredericknewspost.com/opinion/columns/parents-cannot-dictate-what-other-parents-children-can-read/article_18cca635-5116-571b-920b-c66da0727c7f.html>

"The American Library Association fully supports the right of every parent to
control what their child reads and to select alternative reading or
instructional materials for their child. We do not believe, however, that a

Experts Explain Why We Need to Stop Treating Back Pain With Opioids

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:54:09 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-explain-why-we-need-to-stop-treating-back-pain-with-opioids>

"Opioids are the one of the most prescribed pain-relief for people with low
back and neck pain. In Australia, around 40 percent of people with low back and
neck pain who present to their GP and 70 percent of people with low back pain

South Koreans become younger overnight after country scraps 'Korean age'

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:55:17 +1000

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

<https://www.9news.com.au/world/south-korea-news-korean-age-law-change-makes-people-younger-overnight/78c783ac-ce3b-4a22-97f4-d89915d14de9>

'More than 51 million people in South Korea have woken to find themselves a
year or two younger — at least, according to the law.

Solar, Hope, Cosy, and Functional

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:57:02 +1000

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

https://katherinephelps.com/2023/06/solar-hope-cosy-and-functional/

"I am excited about how many people have embraced solarpunk! I feel great that
people are imagining the means to a better future! I am equally excited by the
growth of hopepunk. We need to stay strong in our visions of a bright future.

Astronomers puzzled by ‘planet that shouldn’t exist’

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:58:23 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/astronomers-puzzled-by-planet-that-shouldnt-exist-208649>

"The search for planets outside our Solar System – exoplanets – is one of the
most rapidly growing fields in astronomy. Over the past few decades, more than
5,000 exoplanets have been detected and astronomers now estimate that on

Multinationals including Nestlé and Roche push back against scope of Australia’s planned tax transparency laws

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:59:02 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/29/multinationals-including-nestle-and-roche-push-back-against-scope-of-australias-planned-tax-transparency-laws>

"Government plans to bolster tax disclosures were never going to win widespread
support from the international business community.

We could need 6 times more of the minerals used for renewables and batteries. How can we avoid a huge increase in mining impacts?

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:16:52 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/we-could-need-6-times-more-of-the-minerals-used-for-renewables-and-batteries-how-can-we-avoid-a-huge-increase-in-mining-impacts-206864>

"We are seeing the biggest changes in our energy and transport systems since
industrialisation. By 2026, global renewable energy generation is expected to
match total fossil fuel and nuclear output. Building the wind and solar farms,

Heatwave in south and wildfire smoke in north buffet US from both sides

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:17:55 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/28/us-heatwave-wildfire-smoke-air-quality-extreme-weather>

"Huge swaths of the United States continue to face extreme weather as
temperatures persist into the triple digits in the south and south-west while
smoke pollution is blighting the midwest.

During NAIDOC Week, many Indigenous women are assigned unpaid work. New research shows how prevalent this is in the workplace

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:18:58 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/during-naidoc-week-many-indigenous-women-are-assigned-unpaid-work-new-research-shows-how-prevalent-this-is-in-the-workplace-208454>

"With NAIDOC week coming up, there is already a surge in expectations for extra
labour from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in workplaces.

Global heating making extreme rain and catastrophic flooding more likely

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:19:55 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/28/global-heating-extreme-rain-flooding-more-likely>

"A warming world is transforming some major snowfalls over mountains into
extreme rain, worsening both dangerous flooding like the type that devastated
Pakistan last year as well as long-term water shortages, a new study has found.

How should a robot explore the Moon? A simple question shows the limits of current AI systems

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:20:35 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/how-should-a-robot-explore-the-moon-a-simple-question-shows-the-limits-of-current-ai-systems-199180>

"Rapid progress in artificial intelligence (AI) has spurred some leading voices
in the field to call for a research pause, raise the possibility of AI-driven
human extinction, and even ask for government regulation. At the heart of their

Nasa aims to mine resources on moon in next decade

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 21:56:57 +1000

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

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jun/28/nasa-mining-moon-2032

"US space agency Nasa has ambitions to mine resources on the moon in the next
decade, with the goal of excavating the soil there by 2032.

Wagner debacle in Russia raises red flags for African states and how they manage their security

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 21:57:41 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/wagner-debacle-in-russia-raises-red-flags-for-african-states-and-how-they-manage-their-security-208605>

"The brief rebellion led against the Kremlin by the head of the Wagner
mercenary forces in Russia last week sent shock waves across the world.

‘Whatever it takes’: the activists who risk prison to shatter Australia’s climate complacency

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 21:58:42 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/28/whatever-it-takes-the-activists-who-risk-prison-to-shatter-australias-climate-complacency>

"Brad Homewood has two jobs. His paid gig requires the 50-year-old to drive a
mini-mix concrete truck around suburban Melbourne. His volunteer work has
resulted in him being arrested 13 times for taking part in protests meant to

Migrant numbers are rising: conflict, climate and harassment are forcing tens of millions to leave their homes

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 21:59:28 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/migrant-numbers-are-rising-conflict-climate-and-harassment-are-forcing-tens-of-millions-to-leave-their-homes-208167>

"The number of forcibly displaced people increased to 108 million in 2022 and
is expected to reach 117 million by the end of 2023, according to the United
Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

No, Social Media Is Not The Same Thing As Lead Paint

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 22:00:28 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/28/no-social-media-is-not-the-same-thing-as-lead-paint/>

"A few months back I attended a workshop regarding keeping children on the
internet safe, and at some point a debate broke out over whether social media
was “more like” cigarettes or chocolate (i.e., obviously addictive and harmful

Albania’s brain drain: why so many young people are leaving and how to get them to stay

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:32:43 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/albanias-brain-drain-why-so-many-young-people-are-leaving-and-how-to-get-them-to-stay-207455>

"About 46,460 Albanians left the country in 2022. This exodus was 10.5% higher
than in 2021, with the majority, about 36,000, being young people, according to
new data from the Albanian Institute of Statistics.

Australian Government Apparently Willing To Follow In UK Government’s Client-Side Scanning Footsteps

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:34:00 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/28/australian-government-apparently-willing-to-follow-in-uk-governments-client-side-scanning-footsteps/>

"The UK government desires direct control of the internet. This has been the
plan for years. A bill that would criminalize encryption while mandating
client-side scanning to control the spread of child sexual abuse material

Social Media Was Useful For Me, As An Ill, Nerdy Teenager

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:35:32 +1000

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

<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/06/28/social-media-was-useful-for-me-as-an-ill-nerdy-teenager/>

"Lately, concerns about allowing minors to use social media have been front and
center in the public discourse, but ways in which they use it productively have
been absent from the conversation. My own anecdotal experience does not

Brazil’s Lula lays out plan to halt Amazon deforestation

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:36:22 +1000

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

<https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/06/brazils-lula-lays-out-plan-to-halt-amazon-deforestation-00100342>

"BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva unveiled a
plan on Monday to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon, a major campaign
pledge that is a critical step in addressing the country’s significant carbon

Land clearing and fracking in Australia’s Northern Territory threatens the world’s largest intact tropical savanna

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:37:18 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/land-clearing-and-fracking-in-australias-northern-territory-threatens-the-worlds-largest-intact-tropical-savanna-208028>

"The Northern Territory government’s plan to turn 100,000 hectares over to
large-scale crops such as cotton and its support for onshore gas extraction is
threatening the world’s largest intact tropical savanna.

Facing extinction, Tuvalu considers the digital clone of a country

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:41:11 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/27/tuvalu-climate-crisis-rising-sea-levels-pacific-island-nation-country-digital-clone>

"When Lily Teafa was growing up in Tuvalu, her uncles would go fishing every
day and come home with a big catch to share with the neighbours. Now, they’ll
come home most days and say “sei poa” or “bad catch”.

Friday essay: the forgotten female soldiers who fought long ago – and why their stories matter today

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:42:33 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-forgotten-female-soldiers-who-fought-long-ago-and-why-their-stories-matter-today-208455>

"On the Swedish island of Björkö lie the remains of Birka, a significant Viking
trading post. Birka is studded with burial chambers, stuffed with clues about
their occupants – amber, textiles, gold, silver and many other treasures. One

Dancing, feasts and faith mark life on a vanishing island – Tuvalu photo essay

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:43:56 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/27/dancing-feasts-and-faith-mark-life-on-a-vanishing-island-tuvalu-photo-essay>

"As the sun sets in Tuvalu, children climb and play on mountains of sand that
have been dredged from the seafloor. Women walk in the ocean shallows searching
for shells that have travelled up with the sands, to make necklaces and other

As Africa Loses Forest, Its Small Farmers Are Bringing Back Trees

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:44:55 +1000

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

<https://e360.yale.edu/features/africa-tree-cover-farmer-managed-natural-regeneration>

"For decades, there have been reports of the deforestation of Africa. And they
are true — the continent’s forests are disappearing, lost mainly to expanding
agriculture, logging, and charcoal-making. But the trees? Maybe not, according

The Renewable Revolution

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:47:18 +1000

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

<https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/06/rmi_renewable_revolution.pdf>

"Summary

France’s browser-based website blocking proposal will set a disastrous precedent for the open internet

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:26:06 +1000

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

<https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/2023/06/26/france-browser-website-blocking/>

"In a well-intentioned yet dangerous move to fight online fraud, France is on
the verge of forcing browsers to create a dystopian technical capability.
Article 6 (para II and III) of the SREN Bill would force browser providers to

Musk Overruled Tesla Engineers, And Now They Are In Serious Trouble

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:27:29 +1000

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

<https://medium.com/predict/musk-overruled-tesla-engineers-and-now-they-are-in-serious-trouble-2e37269e387a>

"Over the years, we have witnessed Tesla’s incredible rise to power, and they
now stand as a juggernaut of the EV world. But one of Tesla’s most important
promises has yet to be fulfilled: true self-driving cars. In fact, according to

Everything you think you know about the Winchester Mystery House probably isn't true

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:28:41 +1000

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

<https://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/the-myth-of-the-winchester-mystery-house-16571653.php>

"The story is so famous most locals can recite it by heart: An eccentric widow,
heir to an American rifle fortune, is tortured by the horrors wrought by the
weapon. She becomes convinced only building a labyrinthine house will keep her

In a First, Wind and Solar Generated More Power Than Coal in U.S.

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:29:48 +1000

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

<https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-a-first-wind-and-solar-generated-more-power-than-coal-in-u-s/>

"CLIMATEWIRE | Wind and solar generated more electricity than coal through May,
an E&E News review of federal data shows, marking the first time renewables
have outpaced the former king of American power over a five-month period.

Heat pumps, heat pumps, heat pumps!!

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:30:56 +1000

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

https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/heat-pumps-heat-pumps-heat-pumps

"Heat pumps are magical. You can fold up a heat pump and put it in your pocket
and it’ll bring good luck. Heat pumps can stop a horde of charging triceratops,
or propel starships to 0.996 times the speed of light. Heat pumps cure

Ørsted and Vestas in industry-first pioneering partnership towards net-zero wind farms

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:14:23 +1000

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

<https://www.vestas.com/en/media/company-news/2023/orsted-and-vestas-in-industry-first-pioneering-partners-c3782620>

"Aarhus, 07 June 2023

Today, Ørsted and Vestas, global leaders in renewable energy, are announcing a

‘Tokyo would lose its soul’: anger over plans to redevelop historic city park

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:15:34 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/01/tokyo-anger-plans-redevelop-historic-city-park-meiji-jingu-gaien>

"It is a leafy oasis in a city smothered in paved streets and concrete
high-rises; a mecca for sports fans who flock to baseball and rugby matches at
its two historic stadiums; and a place of tranquility where, while attending a

The South is building the most vibrant EV and battery hub in the US

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:17:00 +1000

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

<https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy-manufacturing/the-south-is-building-the-most-vibrant-ev-and-battery-hub-in-the-us>

"KINGS MOUNTAIN, North Carolina — The blue-green waters ringed by chalky white
cliffs could have been North Carolina’s answer to the Neapolitan coast. I
squinted through the pines at the shimmering lake far below and imagined diving

Scientists Extract Rocks From Earth’s Mantle

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:18:20 +1000

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

<https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-extract-rocks-from-earths-mantle-180982350/>

"Scientists have drilled a hole thousands of feet beneath the floor of the
North Atlantic Ocean and extracted rocks from Earth’s mantle. It’s the deepest
hole ever dug to collect mantle rock, according to a blog post from the

Terminate negativity

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:19:16 +1000

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

https://medium.com/@Schwarzenegger/terminate-negativity-fea2c77780a4

"On Monday, I asked you to pay attention this week to the news sources and
social media accounts that made you angry or negative (Arnold’s Monday
Mindset). I told you to write them down. Now, it’s time to do something about

‘Almost magical’: chemists can now move single atoms in and out of a molecule’s core

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:44:22 +1000

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

https://archive.md/PZnDL

"Half a decade ago, chemist Mark Levin was a postdoc looking for a visionary
project that could change his field. He found inspiration in a set of published
wish lists from pharmaceutical-industry scientists who were looking for ways to

Top Mental Health and Prayer Apps Fail Spectacularly at Privacy, Security

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:49:02 +1000

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

<https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/top-mental-health-and-prayer-apps-fail-spectacularly-at-privacy-security/>

"(SAN FRANCISCO, CA | MONDAY, MAY 2) — When it comes to protecting people’s
privacy and security, mental health and prayer apps are worse than any other
product category Mozilla researchers have reviewed over the past six years,

Tiny Awards

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:50:57 +1000

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

https://tinyawards.net/

"Tiny Awards is a small prize awarded by an equally-small selection committee
of online makers to the website which we feel best embodies the idea of a
small, playful and heartfelt web."

If You Suffer from Urgent Normal Syndrome, Ask for Help

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:51:57 +1000

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

<https://ko-fi.com/post/If-You-Suffer-from-Urgent-Normal-Syndrome-Ask-for-K3K6MN65U>

"A woman finds a mask in her coat pocket, leftover from the 2021 mandate. It
triggers such a violent emotional reaction in her mind that she throws the mask
across the room and starts sobbing, then tweets about the experience. This

Everything is Open

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:53:30 +1000

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

https://hazlitt.net/longreads/everything-open

"The first lock I ever picked was my own: one day in my sophomore year of high
school I came home to find that my bedroom door wouldn’t budge. I must have
grazed the lock button with my thumb as I closed the door that morning, or else

‘A death sentence’: More than 600 people die after catching COVID in hospital

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 19:23:03 +1000

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

<https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/a-death-sentence-more-than-600-people-die-after-catching-covid-in-hospital-20230621-p5di7x.html>

"At least 659 Victorians have died after catching COVID-19 while being treated
for other conditions in hospitals, with doctors warning that patients are
delaying care over infection fears.

IPA 2022 Winners

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 19:24:18 +1000

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

https://photoawards.com/winner/?compName=IPA+2022

"The International Photography Awards™ conducts an annual competition for
professional, amateur, and student photographers on a global scale, creating
one of the most ambitious and comprehensive photo competitions in the

Expensive dental care worsens inequality. Is it time for a Medicare-style ‘Denticare’ scheme?

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 19:25:04 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/expensive-dental-care-worsens-inequality-is-it-time-for-a-medicare-style-denticare-scheme-207910>

"There’s growing awareness public dental programs are unable to meet the demand
for services. Private dental care is increasingly unaffordable, and millions of
Australians go without the treatment they need.

‘Inequality is deepening’: demand for Australia’s support services rockets as cost of living bites

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 19:26:23 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/03/inequality-is-deepening-demand-for-australias-support-services-rockets-as-cost-of-living-bites>

"Isis Khalil has spent years of her life trying to help people navigate through
poverty. A financial counsellor, she has seen how quickly people’s lives can
collapse around them through no fault of their own – and the devastating

The Murray-Darling Basin shows why the ‘social cost of water’ concept won’t work

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 19:27:20 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-murray-darling-basin-shows-why-the-social-cost-of-water-concept-wont-work-205571>

"Access to safe, clean water is a basic human right. But water scarcity or
barriers to access can cause conflict within and between countries.

What Incels, The Red Pill, And Nazis Teach Us About US High Schools

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 05:18:59 +1000

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

<https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://medium.com/@ossiana.tepfenhart/what-incels-the-red-pill-and-nazis-teach-us-about-us-high-schools-c09e7c8bdb1f>

“Sometimes I think high school is one long hazing activity: if you are tough
enough to survive this, they’ll let you become an adult. I hope it’s worth
it.”

West Texas Oil Country Is Revealing a Sky Full of Stars

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 05:19:59 +1000

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

<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/west-texas-dark-skies-mcdonald-observatory/>

"Though Fort Davis is located just sixty miles from the US-Mexico border, mild
mountain summers have earned it the title of the coolest town in Texas. It’s in
the heart of a sky island, a desert mountain range where migrating animals —

Diversity, Equity, and Sustainability

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 05:21:41 +1000

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

<https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://aninjusticemag.com/diversity-equity-and-sustainability-4605f414777d>

"Let’s talk about intersectional environmentalism. It’s a term you may have
heard thrown around a lot lately, but what exactly does it mean? Simply put,
it’s an approach to environmentalism that recognizes the interconnectedness of

Indigenous and local communities see big gains in land rights, study shows

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 05:22:55 +1000

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

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/06/indigenous-and-local-communities-see-big-gains-in-land-rights-study-shows/>

"Land legally designated or owned by Indigenous, Afro-descendant and local
communities increased by 102.9 million hectares (254 million acres), larger
than the size of Egypt, between 2015 and 2020, according to a new report

Meltwater is hydro-fracking Greenland’s ice sheet through millions of hairline cracks – destabilizing its internal structure

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 05:24:24 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/meltwater-is-hydro-fracking-greenlands-ice-sheet-through-millions-of-hairline-cracks-destabilizing-its-internal-structure-207468>

"I’m striding along the steep bank of a raging white-water torrent, and even
though the canyon is only about the width of a highway, the river’s flow is
greater than that of London’s Thames. The deafening roar and rumble of the

Kenya on track to reduce teenage pregnancies

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:33:42 +1000

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

<https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/health-science/article/2001474368/kenya-on-track-to-reduce-teenage-pregnancies>

"Kenya has made some strides in reducing teenage pregnancies in the country,
the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) report has shown.

France riots: when police shot a teenager dead, a rumbling pressure cooker exploded

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:34:54 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/france-riots-when-police-shot-a-teenager-dead-a-rumbling-pressure-cooker-exploded-208876>

"Riots broke out in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, following the lethal police
shooting of a 17-year-old boy named as Nahel M. An investigation into his death
is ongoing but the situation has already triggered protest and anger. Whatever

Switzerland votes to adopt a global minimum tax

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:36:35 +1000

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

<https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-tax/2023/06/20/switzerland-votes-to-adopt-a-global-minimum-tax-00102577>

"THE SNOWBALL EFFECT: Given that Switzerland has been derided as a tax haven
for its low corporate tax rates and its banking system has long been the
subject of scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers for facilitating systemic tax evasion by

Debunking migration myths: the real reasons people move, and why most migration happens in the global south

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:37:28 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/debunking-migration-myths-the-real-reasons-people-move-and-why-most-migration-happens-in-the-global-south-podcast-208635>

"Around the world, borders between countries are getting tougher. Governments
are making it more difficult to move, especially for certain groups of
vulnerable people. This comes with a message, subtle or not: that people are

Estonia becomes first ex-Soviet state to legalize same-sex marriage

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:38:46 +1000

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

<https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/20/europe/estonia-same-sex-marriage-legal-intl/>

"Estonia’s parliament passed on Tuesday a law legalizing same-sex marriage,
becoming the first ex-Soviet country to do so.

Welcome to the Next Generation of Agricultural Drones

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:42:21 +1000

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

https://modernfarmer.com/2023/06/next-generation-agricultural-drones/

"After 32 years as an assistant paralegal, Tracye Beer is launching a new
career—as an agricultural drone pilot.

Lions are still being farmed in South Africa for hunters and tourism – they shouldn’t be

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:43:04 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/lions-are-still-being-farmed-in-south-africa-for-hunters-and-tourism-they-shouldnt-be-208584>

"A man was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg,
South Africa, on 23 June 2023 with five lion carcasses in his luggage. He was
about to board a flight to Vietnam, where the use of lion bones in traditional

How people in 24 countries view same-sex marriage

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:44:01 +1000

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

<https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/13/how-people-in-24-countries-view-same-sex-marriage/>

"Attitudes about same-sex marriage vary widely around the world, according to a
new Pew Research Center survey fielded in 24 countries. Among the surveyed
countries, support for legal same-sex marriage is highest in Sweden, where 92%

Amritsar: The Indian city where no one goes hungry

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:46:00 +1000

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

<https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230612-amritsar-the-indian-city-where-no-one-goes-hungry>

'Amritsar, a north Indian city of two million people, is famous for many
things: delectable cuisine, its historical old town and the spectacular Golden
Temple – the most significant shrine of the Sikh religion. Yet, what stands out

Orkney council to look at proposals to become territory of Norway

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:49:01 +1000

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

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66066448

'The Orkney Islands could change their status in the UK or even become a
self-governing territory of Norway under new proposals.

What would America be like with 'Dear Leader' in 2024?

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 06:44:05 +1000

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

<https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/what-would-america-be-like-with-dear-leader-in-2024/>

"NBC News reported this week that Trump is not only still leading the GOP
field, but that his margin is growing:

‘Why didn’t we know?’ is no excuse. Non-Indigenous Australians must listen to the difficult historical truths told by First Nations people

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 06:44:53 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/why-didnt-we-know-is-no-excuse-non-indigenous-australians-must-listen-to-the-difficult-historical-truths-told-by-first-nations-people-208780>

"Big things are being asked of history in 2023. Later this year, we will vote
in the referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
representative body – the Voice to Parliament – in the Australian constitution.

Why ‘wokeness’ has become the latest battlefront for white conservatives in America

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 06:45:56 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/why-wokeness-has-become-the-latest-battlefront-for-white-conservatives-in-america-207122>

"The day he launched his bid for the Republican nomination for the 2024 US
presidential election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned Fox News viewers
“the woke mind virus is basically a form of cultural Marxism.”

Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for eight overseas democracy activists

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 06:46:48 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/03/hong-kong-issues-arrest-warrants-for-eight-overseas-democracy-activists>

"Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for eight overseas activists days
after the third anniversary of the introduction of a national security law that
granted authorities sweeping extraterritorial powers to prosecute acts or

Turtles on the tarmac could delay flights at Western Sydney airport

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 06:47:34 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/turtles-on-the-tarmac-could-delay-flights-at-western-sydney-airport-208930>

"Amid the controversy surrounding preliminary flight paths for Western Sydney’s
new airport, another potential challenge is looming: turtles on the tarmac.

Millions under US heat warnings as record temperatures to continue

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 14:11:50 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/03/millions-us-heat-warnings-temperatures>

"Millions across the US have been caught up in dangerous weather conditions
over the weekend and are braced for further extreme conditions ahead of the 4
July holiday, as thunderstorms and intense heat continue to affect much of the

What is the story of maneki-neko, the Japanese beckoning cat?

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 14:12:43 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-story-of-maneki-neko-the-japanese-beckoning-cat-203906>

"Maneki-neko, translated as beckoning cat but also known as lucky cat or
welcome cat, is recognisable internationally, often found behind cash registers
of restaurants and retail outlets – and also in your phone.

June was UK’s hottest on record, says Met Office

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 14:13:22 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/03/fears-of-further-fish-deaths-after-hottest-june-in-uk-history>

"The Met Office has confirmed June was the hottest on record for the UK,
eclipsing the last hottest by nearly a full degree.

Could You Survive the Black Death, the Sack of Rome and Other Historical Catastrophes?

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 14:14:34 +1000

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

<https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/could-you-survive-the-black-death-the-sack-of-rome-and-other-historical-catastrophes-180982313/>

"History is the most dangerous place on Earth. The past is when the deadliest
predators ever seen roamed the planet. It’s when hellacious climates and
natural disasters of unimaginable scale swept across Earth. Then humans

4 reasons not teaching evolution in schools is immoral

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 14:15:21 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/4-reasons-not-teaching-evolution-in-schools-is-immoral-208653>

"Educators involved in curriculum design know one hard truth: you can’t fit in
everything. Whatever the finished product, there will always be someone who
thinks something important has been missed or something unnecessary has been

The Entitlement of Privileged White People Who Flaunt Awful Grammar

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 23:03:56 +1000

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

<https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://aninjusticemag.com/the-entitlement-of-privileged-white-people-who-flaunt-awful-grammar-cd2ca633683b>

"Every day when I go on social media, I’m subjected to another bigoted,
misogynistic, or racist meme featuring terrible grammar. No matter how many
times I block individuals or publications who share those memes, they always

Too big, too heavy and too slow to change: road transport is way off track for net zero

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 23:04:37 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/too-big-too-heavy-and-too-slow-to-change-road-transport-is-way-off-track-for-net-zero-208655>

"The need to cut the emissions driving climate change is urgent, but it’s
proving hard to decarbonise road transport in Australia. Its share of the
nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions doubled from 8% in 1990 to 16% in 2020.

Beyond the numbers: the real-world impact of the malaria vaccine in Kenya

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 23:05:56 +1000

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

<https://www.afro.who.int/countries/kenya/news/beyond-numbers-real-world-impact-malaria-vaccine-kenya>

"Caregivers, health leaders and community health volunteers reflect on malaria
vaccine implementation and how the new tool is reaching children at risk with
life-saving malaria prevention

Not just a youth movement: history too often forgets older protesters

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 23:06:36 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/not-just-a-youth-movement-history-too-often-forgets-older-protesters-208472>

"Recent sustained anti-coal action by Blockade Australia in the Hunter Valley
has brought public protest back into the news cycle. Activists have occupied
trains, railway lines and machinery in an attempt to obstruct coal production

Reducing Alcohol-Related Deaths in Lithuania

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 23:07:31 +1000

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

<https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/reducing-alcohol-related-deaths-lithuania>

"Alcohol-related deaths are rising across much of the world and although the
World Health Organization has identified a number of evidence-based policies
that countries can implement to curb excess drinking, few have adopted them.

Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3 have reignited the 'quantity vs quality' debate around RPGs that promise a billion hours of gameplay, but I think they can actually deliver

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 05:26:36 +1000

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

<https://www.pcgamer.com/starfield-and-baldurs-gate-3-have-reignited-the-quantity-vs-quality-debate-around-rpgs-that-promise-a-billion-hours-of-gameplay-but-i-think-they-can-actually-deliver/>

"There's an RPG liker's apocalypse looming on the horizon: Baldur's Gate 3
and Starfield are launching within a month of each other, and each is looking
like a whopper.

Sao Paulo: The City With No Outdoor Advertisements

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 05:28:45 +1000

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

<https://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/07/sao-paulo-city-with-no-outdoor.html>

"In September 2006, the mayor of São Paulo passed the so-called “Clean City
Law" that outlawed the use of all outdoor advertisements, including on
billboards, transit, and in front of stores. Within a year, 15,000 billboards

The Taliban are outlawing women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 05:30:17 +1000

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

<https://apnews.com/article/taliban-beauty-salons-ban-womens-rights-afghanistan-06f401ddb19dc4176f0907f144995a99>

"ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban are banning women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan,
a government spokesman said Tuesday.

What are we teaching our children when we use them as taxpayers of convenience?

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 05:31:27 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/what-are-we-teaching-our-children-when-we-use-them-as-taxpayers-of-convenience-206987>

"The start of the Australian tax year is an opportunity to reflect on the way
in which children - some of them very young - are being used to minimise their
parents and grandparents’ tax, and the message that will send them.

It’s time we stopped exploiting interns and paid them for the hours worked

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 05:32:09 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/its-time-we-stopped-exploiting-interns-and-paid-them-for-the-hours-worked-208025>

"Many people, at some stage in their search for a career, have worked for free
in return for some much valued experience. But it’s surprisingly hard to find
exact numbers.

Beach cleaners notice big increase in plastic waste from merchant ships washing up on our shores

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:47:08 +1000

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

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-05/beachcombers-notice-increase-in-plastic-waste-from-ships/102557904>

'In the early morning on the Victorian coast, beach cleaners scavenge for chips
of colour dotted along the sand.

Bhutan has long been called the happiest nation on Earth. Here’s what life is really like in the tiny kingdom

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:48:02 +1000

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

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-05/bhutan-is-experiencing-an-exodus-of-young-people/102376144>

'In the eastern edge of the Himalayas, the Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most
isolated nations on the planet.

Welcome to the Internet - Bo Burnham

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:54:37 +1000

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU

Via Clarice Boomshakala Bouvier.

A decades-long decline in extreme poverty has gone into reverse — here’s how to fix things

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:57:25 +1000

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

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02098-3

"By 2030, says the World Bank, something like 574 million people will be living
in extreme poverty. That is equivalent to the combined population of the
European Union and Japan. The United Nations has a Sustainable Development Goal

150 Most Legendary Restaurants in the World & Their Iconic Dishes

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 19:56:24 +1000

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

https://www.tasteatlas.com/iconic-dishes-legendary-restaurants

"Welcome to our curated list of the 150 best legendary restaurants worldwide,
each offering a unique gastronomic journey that is absolutely worth embarking
upon at least once in your lifetime.

Bounties on exiled Hong Kong activists show the ambitious reach of China’s political repression

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 19:59:22 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/bounties-on-exiled-hong-kong-activists-show-the-ambitious-reach-of-chinas-political-repression-209029>

"The Hong Kong government has extended its efforts to suppress political
dissent overseas, issuing arrest warrants for eight exiled pro-democracy
figures and offering bounties of HK$1 million (around A$191,000) each.

‘Corrosive impact’: calls to ban political donations from Australia’s big four consultancies after PwC scandal

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 20:00:15 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/04/corrosive-impact-calls-to-ban-political-donations-from-australias-big-four-consultancies-after-pwc-scandal>

"Australian political parties should stop accepting donations from the
embattled consultancy PwC and similar firms to avoid potential conflicts of
interest and restore public confidence, transparency advocates have urged.

Parents have just started their own school in Sydney – this is part of a long tradition in Australia

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 20:01:50 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/parents-have-just-started-their-own-school-in-sydney-this-is-part-of-a-long-tradition-in-australia-208656>

"Last week, The Australian newspaper reported some parents have been prompted
to start their own schools to give their children the type of education they
want.

Albanese urged to cancel China trip as Beijing warns Australia against sheltering ‘fugitives’

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 20:03:11 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/05/albanese-urged-to-cancel-china-trip-as-hong-kong-vows-to-pursue-exiled-democracy-activists-for-life>

"The Coalition has urged the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to reconsider
plans to travel to China after Hong Kong authorities vowed to pursue exiled
democracy advocates “for life”.

Anti-Sunscreen Influencers Want to Fry Your Skin

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:37:00 +1000

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

<https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/anti-sunscreen-influencers-misinformation-1234782601/>

"This summer, like many before, a lot of people won’t wear sunblock. The
difference you might notice this year is just how many are proudly posting
about it.

French riots follow decades-old pattern of rage, with no resolution in sight

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:37:31 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/french-riots-follow-decades-old-pattern-of-rage-with-no-resolution-in-sight-208968>

"Although they never fail to take us aback, French riots have followed the same
distinct pattern ever since protests broke out in the Eastern suburbs of Lyon
in 1981, an episode known as the “summer of Minguettes”: a young person is

Researchers: We've Underestimated The Risk of Simultaneous Crop Failures Worldwide

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:39:39 +1000

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-weve-underestimated-the-risk-of-simultaneous-crop-failures-worldwide>

'The risks of harvest failures in multiple global breadbaskets have been
underestimated, according to a study Tuesday that researchers said should be a
"wake up call" about the threat climate change poses to our food systems.

60% of women and non-binary punters and artists feel unsafe in Melbourne’s music spaces

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:40:22 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/60-of-women-and-non-binary-punters-and-artists-feel-unsafe-in-melbournes-music-spaces-205399>

"A new survey of 126 women and non-binary punters and artists working the music
industry in Melbourne has found 60% of respondents feel unsafe in music spaces.

Yayoi Kusama: Inflatable polka dot art goes on display

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:42:09 +1000

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

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/66071271

"Check out this immersive, inflatable and spotty exhibition! The huge polka dot
covered girls, dogs and pumpkins were designed by popular Japanese artist Yayoi
Kusama.

Banks put family violence perpetrators on notice. Stop using accounts to commit abuse or risk being ‘debanked’

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:14:51 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/banks-put-family-violence-perpetrators-on-notice-stop-using-accounts-to-commit-abuse-or-risk-being-debanked-208575>

"Ella never knew when her credit card was going to be declined.

It happened when she was shopping for groceries with her kids, or refuelling

Ethiopia’s largest community conservation area brings Indigenous communities into the fold

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:16:42 +1000

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

<https://news.mongabay.com/2023/06/ethiopias-largest-community-conservation-area-brings-indigenous-communities-into-the-fold/>

"ADDIS ABABA — Indigenous communities in the Lower Omo River Valley of
southwestern Ethiopia have taken ownership and management responsibilities of
what is now Ethiopia’s largest community conservation area, the Tama Community

How growing up in Ukraine made me different from you

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:18:56 +1000

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

<https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://medium.com/@myukrainness/how-growing-up-in-ukraine-made-me-different-from-you-47057bd8e895>

"I realized that cosmopolitanism is bullshit the moment I saw a man casually
walking with a huge blood stain on his military uniform in Kyiv, October 2021.

Amazon deforestation has begun to slow since Lula took over in Brazil

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:20:34 +1000

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

https://archive.md/z11Cm

"Almost six months into his second spell as president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva has begun to rein in the rampant destruction of the Amazon that
was let loose by his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. But his efforts to save the

Australia’s fossil fuel methane emissions are nearly twice as bad as industry reports

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:21:46 +1000

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

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-fossil-fuel-methane-emissions-are-nearly-twice-as-bad-as-industry-reports/>

"A massive discrepancy between the methane emissions reported by gas and coal
companies in Australia and the reality means that the country’s big emitters
will need to double their rates of emission cuts by 2030, says a new report

Hong Kong: Warrants Aim at Activists Abroad

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:22:10 +1000

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

<https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/04/hong-kong-warrants-aim-activists-abroad>

"(New York) – Hong Kong authorities have issued baseless arrest warrants and
HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties on eight exiled democracy activists and
former legislators that expand China’s political intimidation campaign beyond

Modi Supporters' Hate Speech Belies Claims of Indian Democracy During US Visit

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:26:26 +1000

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

<https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/05/modi-supporters-hate-speech-belies-claims-indian-democracy-during-us-visit>

"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States
included yoga at the United Nations, an address to the U.S. Congress that
promised strides in the bilateral partnership, and a lavish state dinner at the

Who killed Google Reader?

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:27:53 +1000

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

https://www.theverge.com/23778253/google-reader-death-2013-rss-social

"There was a sign in the Google Reader team’s workspace at the company’s
headquarters in Mountain View, California. “Days Since Cancellation,” it read,
with a number below: zero. It was always zero.

The Incredible Resurgence of Blue Whales in California Waters

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:29:01 +1000

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

<https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animals/resurgence-of-blue-whales-california/>

"The calm waters off the coast of Southern California are teeming with a
renewed life force, thanks to the triumphant return of Pacific blue whales.
Their impressive resurgence is being hailed as one of nature’s most inspiring

Energy transition titan Hugh Saddler’s quest to cut emissions leaves lasting legacy

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:29:54 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/05/climate-energy-transition-titan-hugh-saddler-obituary>

"Big changes in society can only occur when people have enough vision, energy
and determination to meet the challenge. Hugh Saddler, who died aged 79 on 29
June after a long illness, had a profound influence on generations of

It’s official: Australia is set for a hot, dry El Niño. Here’s what that means for our flammable continent

Tue, 1 Aug 2023 03:03:35 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/its-official-australia-is-set-for-a-hot-dry-el-nino-heres-what-that-means-for-our-flammable-continent-209126>

"An El Niño event has arrived, according to the World Meteorological
Organization, raising fears of record high global temperatures, extreme weather
and, in Australia, a severe fire season.

Volcano eruptions are notoriously hard to forecast. A new method using lasers could be the key

Tue, 1 Aug 2023 03:04:41 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/volcano-eruptions-are-notoriously-hard-to-forecast-a-new-method-using-lasers-could-be-the-key-207031>

"When you hear news reports about volcanoes spewing lava and ash, you may worry
about the people nearby. In fact, almost one in ten people around the world
live within 100 kilometres of an active volcano. For those living close to

Tuesday was world’s hottest day on record – breaking Monday’s record

Tue, 1 Aug 2023 03:06:04 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/05/tuesday-was-worlds-hottest-day-on-record-breaking-mondays-record>

"World temperature records have been broken for a second day in a row, data
suggests, as experts issued a warning that this year’s warmest days are still
to come – and with them the warmest days ever recorded.

New ‘clean girl’ and ‘old money’ aesthetics on TikTok make the same old link between hygiene and class

Tue, 1 Aug 2023 03:06:52 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/new-clean-girl-and-old-money-aesthetics-on-tiktok-make-the-same-old-link-between-hygiene-and-class-208566>

"On TikTok, “old money” and “clean girl” aesthetics are trending, with over
three and four billion views respectively. Content tagged #cleangirlaesthetic
and #oldmoneyaesthetic proliferates on the platform.

Letters from an American: July 5, 2023

Tue, 1 Aug 2023 03:08:32 +1000

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

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-5-2023

"Yesterday the official account of the Republican National Committee tweeted
Independence Day greetings with a graphic of the Liberian flag, which has one
star, rather than that of the United States, which has fifty.

Glass Wings Blog: July 2023

Nature religions are growing in Australia – though witchcraft was illegal in some territories just 10 years ago

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:27:37 +1000

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

Death of the cheque by 2030 as Australia embraces digital payment reforms

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:29:59 +1000

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

5 reasons kids still need to learn handwriting (no, AI has not made it redundant)

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:31:23 +1000

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

Thousands flee homes as collapse of dam is blamed on Russian forces

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:33:50 +1000

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

How India’s ‘slum-free’ redevelopment fails residents by ignoring their design insights and needs

Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:35:30 +1000

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

Devastation from Kakhovka dam collapse could take decades to heal

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:04:43 +1000

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

Kathleen Folbigg is free. But people pardoned and exonerated of crimes face unique challenges when released from prison

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:06:10 +1000

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

Too late now to save Arctic summer ice, climate scientists find

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:07:40 +1000

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

Building activity produces 18% of emissions and a shocking 40% of our landfill waste. We must move to a circular economy – here’s how

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:09:05 +1000

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

‘Forget all the excuses’: Arnold Schwarzenegger expresses regret over groping claims

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 02:11:19 +1000

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

Climate-related disasters leave behind trauma and worse mental health. Housing uncertainty is a major reason why

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:26:00 +1000

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

e-Fuels Won’t Work! THIS Is Why…

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:27:19 +1000

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

How you can help the Amazon Rainforest–today

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:28:53 +1000

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

We Can Start Thinking in Centuries

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:30:26 +1000

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

More than 60 billion leaf litter invertebrates died in the Black Summer fires. Here’s what that did to ecosystems

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 09:31:43 +1000

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

‘Out of control’ fires burn across Canada as poor air quality expected to persist

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:27:25 +1000

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

World Heritage Fraser Island officially restored to Indigenous name, K'gari, supported by public

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:29:05 +1000

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

How to be a man? Josh Hawley has the (incoherent) answers.

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:31:43 +1000

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

20% of Australian students don’t finish high school: non-mainstream schools have a lot to teach us about helping kids stay

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:32:32 +1000

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

Tens of millions under air quality alerts in US as Canada fire smoke drifts south

Sun, 2 Jul 2023 18:33:39 +1000

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

We’ve created a new lens that could take thermal cameras out of spy films and put them into your back pocket

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:03:51 +1000

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

Fields of southern Ukraine could ‘turn into deserts’ after dam destruction

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:04:46 +1000

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

How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:05:48 +1000

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

Kakhovka dam collapse before and after: satellite images reveal extent of flood disaster in Ukraine

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:06:37 +1000

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

China’s backlash against Little Mermaid exposes Hollywood bind

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 03:07:56 +1000

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

World Ocean Day: How much plastic is in our oceans?

Mon, 3 Jul 2023 12:06:02 +1000

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

Our oceans are in deep trouble – a ‘mountains to sea’ approach could make a real difference