Glass Wings Blog: February 2026
We know how to cool our cities and towns. So why aren’t we doing it?
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 12:36:38 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/we-know-how-to-cool-our-cities-and-towns-so-why-arent-we-doing-it-273341>
"This week, Victoria recorded its hottest day in nearly six years. On Tuesday,
the northwest towns of Walpeup and Hopetoun reached 48.9°C, and the temperature
in parts of Melbourne soared over 45°C. Towns in South Australia also broke
(More...)
EV total cost of ownership in Australia: The economics have turned
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 12:38:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://thedriven.io/2026/01/29/ev-total-cost-of-ownership-in-australia-the-economics-have-turned/>
"For much of the past decade, electric vehicles in Australia have been viewed
as a strategic or environmental investment rather than a financial one.
(More...)
The job losses are real — but the AI excuse is fake
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 12:39:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/01/29/the-job-losses-are-real-but-the-ai-excuse-is-fake/>
"Both of these statements are true:
1. Across the whole US economy, there’s not really a visible effect of AI on
(More...)
EV Battery Recycling Could Be The End Of Mining!
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 12:41:03 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY8aRCQ0CgY
"In this episode, Imogen visits Altilium in Plymouth to see how old electric
vehicle batteries are being transformed into brand-new battery materials, using
a process that can recover over 95% of critical minerals including lithium,
(More...)
Australia’s high speed rail ambitions could be funded through an aviation fuel excise
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 12:42:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-high-speed-rail-ambitions-could-be-funded-through-an-aviation-fuel-excise/>
"Australia has contemplated high speed rail (HSR) for over 40 years. CSIRO
produced a high level proposal in 1984 titled “A Fast railway between Sydney,
Canberra and Melbourne”. Since then, feasibility studies for an east coast HSR
(More...)
Solarpunk at the BSFA Awards
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 12:44:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://brightgreenfutures.substack.com/p/solarpunk-at-the-bsfa-awards
"While the podcast is a fantastic medium for discussions with authors and for
making my long-form essays accessible to those who only do audio (not reading
the newsletter), podcasts take a lot of time to create… which ironically leaves
(More...)
The cold war maps that can help us rethink today’s Arctic conflict
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 19:07:57 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/the-cold-war-maps-that-can-help-us-rethink-todays-arctic-conflict-274058>
"The late 1940s and early 1950s were a golden age for polar mapmaking in the
US. Major magazines such as
Time,
Life and
Fortune commissioned a
generation of famous cartographers – who had come of age in the second world
(More...)
Four positive tipping points that could trigger unstoppable change
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 19:09:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/four-positive-tipping-points-that-could-trigger-unstoppable-change/>
"Imagine sitting on an ordinary chair. Now, lean back gently. Depending on
where exactly you are balanced, you could tilt forward to safety, or go
crashing backwards. A fraction of a degree is enough to determine your fate.
(More...)
The ‘pleasant fiction’ of a rules-based order has been blown apart. It’s time for Australia to codify a bill of rights
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 19:12:09 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/31/australia-charter-bill-of-rights>
"For decades, Labor governments have been waiting for a “catalysing political
trigger” to convince the opposition that there was a real and urgent need for a
comprehensive, codified Australian charter of rights as exists in all other
(More...)
Geopolitics will cast a long shadow over the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 19:13:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/geopolitics-will-cast-a-long-shadow-over-the-2026-milan-cortina-winter-olympic-games-273764>
"This winter’s Olympic games will not be a normal international sporting event.
A cloud of geopolitical tension looms over the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics,
as well as the upcoming FIFA Men’s World Cup.
(More...)
‘I’ve found my community’: the woman bringing AI and climate science together
Sun, 1 Feb 2026 19:13:53 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/ive-found-my-community-the-woman-bringing-ai-and-climate-science-together/>
"What links artificial intelligence and the climate crisis? On the one hand,
they’re both driven by fossil fuels. The link between dirty energy and an
ever-heating climate is well-established. As for AI’s connection, energy hungry
(More...)
ICE not only looks and acts like a paramilitary force – it is one, and that makes it harder to curb
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 06:32:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/ice-not-only-looks-and-acts-like-a-paramilitary-force-it-is-one-and-that-makes-it-harder-to-curb-274580>
"As the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement have intensified over
the past year, politicians and journalists alike have begun referring to ICE as
a “paramilitary force.”
(More...)
‘It’s a virtuous spiral, and it’s just beginning’: electric vehicles as mini power plants
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 06:34:50 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/its-a-virtuous-spiral-and-its-just-beginning-electric-vehicles-as-mini-power-plants/>
"We’ve all heard it. That phrase trotted out with deadening familiarity by
green sceptics: “Solar and wind are all very well, but what happens when the
breeze doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine? Have you thought of that, eh?”
(More...)
Russia’s drone pipeline: How Iran helps Moscow produce an ever-evolving unmanned fleet
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 06:35:43 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/russias-drone-pipeline-how-iran-helps-moscow-produce-an-ever-evolving-unmanned-fleet-272016>
"With Russian ground troops bogged down in a grinding war of attrition, Moscow
is striving to press home its advantage in the skies – through an ever-evolving
army of drones, courtesy of Iran.
(More...)
It’s easy making green: Muppets continue to make a profit 50 years into their run
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 06:38:30 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/its-easy-making-green-muppets-continue-to-make-a-profit-50-years-into-their-run-272855>
"A variety show that’s still revered for its absurdist, slapstick humor debuted
50 years ago. It starred an irreverent band of characters made of foam and
fleece.
(More...)
Lab-cultured fish: the newest alt-protein making a splash
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 06:40:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/lab-cultured-fish-the-newest-alt-protein-making-a-splash/>
"The sight of lab-coated technicians operating shiny steel vats takes some
getting used to. It’s a far cry from industrial chicken barns and abattoirs.
This is cellular agriculture; farming on a microscopic scale, cultivating cells
(More...)
Letters from an American: January 31, 2026
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:13:26 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-31-2026
"White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on social media this
morning:
(More...)
The motley (star-studded) crew that paved the way for Norway’s EV revolution
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:15:04 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.positive.news/society/the-crew-that-paved-the-way-for-norway-ev-revolution/>
"The halcyon days of the mid-80s – ripped jeans, hair mousse, and that tune:
A-ha’s
Take on Me, blasting from radios, lighting up
MTV.
(More...)
US formally withdraws from World Health Organization, leaving debt
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:16:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-health/us-formally-withdraws-world-health-organization-leaving-debt>
"Today the United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization
(WHO), one year after the Trump administration shared its intention to leave
the global agency.
(More...)
The City Where Traffic Fatalities Vanished
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:17:49 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-city-where-traffic-fatalities-vanished/>
"A U.S. city of 60,000 people would typically see around six to eight traffic
fatalities every year. But Hoboken, New Jersey? They haven’t had a single fatal
crash for nine years — since January 17, 2017, to be exact.
(More...)
Researchers: Not testing for Covid-19 is creating problems
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:19:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.sciencenorway.no/covid19-long-covid-mental-health/researchers-not-testing-for-covid-19-is-creating-problems/2606109>
"Several Nordic studies point in the same direction: People are visiting
doctors more often, and more are absent from work than before the pandemic. Is
this due to after-effects of Covid-19, or something entirely different?
(More...)
Inside the Teen-Run Hotline Meeting America’s Mental Health Crisis
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 12:20:36 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/teen-mental-health-peer-support-hotline-california/>
"On weekday evenings between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. PST, the small, softly lit Teen
Line office in Century City, CA, begins to buzz. A handful of high schoolers —
many still in their school sweatshirts — settle into cubicles, put on headsets
(More...)
The Whimsical Floating Schools of Kashmir
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:29:41 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/floating-schools-of-kashmir-dal-lake/
"Each weekday morning, as mist lifts off Dal Lake, a quiet movement begins.
Wooden boats set out from houseboats and island homes carrying children dressed
in school uniforms, their backpacks tucked between oars and lunch pails. Some
(More...)
What Could Go Right? A Bovine Backscratcher
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:34:39 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://theprogressnetwork.substack.com/p/a-bovine-backscratcher
"Here at
The Progress Network, we have an explicit editorial mandate not to
tip over into the type of good news that feels warm and fuzzy but has little
serious impact. With the national mood so grim last week, however, I had to
(More...)
A chatbot entirely powered by humans, not artificial intelligence? This Chilean community shows why
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:35:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://apnews.com/article/ai-human-chatbot-chile-quiliai-data-centers-water-a798d7d1ae3b2fd7646ec5dbfc8a18dd>
"About 50 residents of a community outside Chile’s capital spent Saturday
trying their best to power an entirely human-operated chatbot that could answer
questions and make silly pictures on command, in a message to highlight the
(More...)
Ethnic Cleansing in Ohio?
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:37:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cleansing-in-ohio
"In the schools and churches of Springfield, Ohio, people are making hasty
preparations for a “large deportation” promised by the president. To all
appearances, and according to local sources, the city is two or three days away
(More...)
Kentucky’s Rural and Urban Communities Unite over Climate Change
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:38:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/kentucky-communities-unite-over-climate-change/>
"Two myths tend to shape how people talk about Kentucky and climate change. One
is that the state is a “climate haven,” insulated from the worst effects of
global warming. The other is that Kentuckians are hostile to climate action.
(More...)
AI is failing ‘Humanity’s Last Exam’. So what does that mean for machine intelligence?
Mon, 2 Feb 2026 19:41:12 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/ai-is-failing-humanitys-last-exam-so-what-does-that-mean-for-machine-intelligence-274620>
"How do you translate ancient Palmyrene script from a Roman tombstone? How many
paired tendons are supported by a specific sesamoid bone in a hummingbird? Can
you identify closed syllables in Biblical Hebrew based on the latest
(More...)
Calls grow in Iran for independent inquiry into protest death toll
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 04:35:05 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/01/calls-grow-in-iran-for-independent-inquiry-into-protest-death-toll>
"Calls are growing inside Iran for an independent inquiry into the number of
people killed during recent protests after the government said it would oversee
the publication of the names of the deceased.
(More...)
Australia needs to get real about Trump’s changing America
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 04:36:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-get-real-about-trumps-changing-america-274424>
"Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Davos speech should unsettle Australian
strategic thinkers, who have been raised in the belief the US alliance is the
unshakeable foundation of Australia’s regional security.
(More...)
From cute dogs to Turning Point: the journey of an influencer aiming to breathe rightwing Christian values into Australian politics
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 04:37:10 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/02/turning-point-australia-rightwing-christian-politics>
"When George Mamalis started an Instagram account a decade ago, it was filled
with beaches, sunsets, cute dogs and aesthetically pleasing food shots.
(More...)
Funny, tender, goofy – Catherine O'Hara lit up the screen every time she showed up
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 04:38:25 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/funny-tender-goofy-catherine-ohara-lit-up-the-screen-every-time-she-showed-up-274816>
"Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actor and comedian who has died aged 71,
occupied that rare position in contemporary screen culture: a comic actor, a
cult figure and a mainstream star.
(More...)
Russian drone attack on bus carrying mine workers in Ukraine kills at least 12
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 04:39:40 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/01/russian-drone-attack-on-bus-carrying-mine-workers-ukraine-kills>
"A Russian drone attack on a bus carrying mine workers in Ukraine’s
central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region has killed at least 12 people, officials
said.
(More...)
The only remaining US-Russia nuclear treaty expires this week. Could a new arms race soon accelerate?
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 04:43:02 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
(More...)
Battery prices plunge 60 pct in two years, changing face of grid and the nature of contracts
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 12:20:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/battery-prices-plunge-60-pct-in-two-years-changing-face-of-grid-and-the-nature-of-contracts/>
"The new owner of one of the most successful battery storage and renewable
energy developers in Australia and the world, says battery storage costs have
fallen 60 per cent and changed the face of the grid as well as the nature of
(More...)
Why the Voice referendum failed – and what the government hasn’t learned from it
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 12:21:11 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/why-the-voice-referendum-failed-and-what-the-government-hasnt-learned-from-it-255969>
"More than two years on, you’d be forgiven for thinking the story of the
failure of the referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice has
been neatly folded away and filed as a story of inevitable loss. Bipartisanship
(More...)
The Final Coding Bootcamp: A Eulogy for Lighthouse Labs
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 12:22:17 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://brennan.day/the-final-coding-bootcamp-a-eulogy-for-lighthouse-labs/>
"On a damp October evening in 2013, a handful of developers in Vancouver's
Gastown gathered around folding tables. It was a wonderful, ideal concept they
discussed as their MacBook screens glowed.
What if you didn't need four years
(More...)
Household rat poisons found to be ‘unacceptable risk’ to native animals. So why aren’t they banned?
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 12:34:14 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/household-rat-poisons-found-to-be-unacceptable-risk-to-native-animals-so-why-arent-they-banned-272346>
"The Australian authority that regulates pesticides has finally released its
long-delayed review of the rodenticide poisons used by millions of Australians
to combat rat and mice infestations.
(More...)
The ‘Social Media Addiction’ Narrative May Be More Harmful Than Social Media Itself
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 12:36:08 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/29/the-social-media-addiction-narrative-may-be-more-harmful-than-social-media-itself/>
"This week, a major trial kicked off in Los Angeles in which hundreds of
families sued Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube, accusing the companies of
intentionally designing their products to be addictive (though Snap and TikTok
(More...)
US Warns Canada "Buy the F-35, or Else"
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 12:37:27 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://freedium-mirror.cfd/https://wesodonnell.medium.com/us-warns-canada-buy-the-f-35-or-else-e1e22a85ce0a>
"Canada didn't ask for a fighter jet referendum wrapped in a sovereignty
crisis, but that's more or less what it's been handed.
(More...)
Fortescue’s low temperature green iron process ready for real world testing
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 19:39:45 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/fortescues-low-temperature-green-iron-process-ready-for-real-world-testing/>
"A project to turn Australia’s low grade iron ore into high grade magnetite at
very low temperatures is out of the lab and ready for real world testing, with
a government-funded trial proving the concept works.
(More...)
Speak Its Name: Yes, This Is Naziism
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 19:41:23 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/29/speak-its-name-yes-this-is-naziism/
"History never repeats exactly the same, which is how it can be hard to
recognize when it is indeed repeating—too many little things may be different
the second time around for subsequent events to be a perfect twin of the
(More...)
Many Western Christians Are Going the Way of the Reich Church
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 19:43:04 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://freedium-mirror.cfd/https://medium.com/the-panopticon-publication/many-western-christians-are-going-the-way-of-the-reich-church-c2430d5c803c>
"There's an internet adage known as Godwin's Law that states the longer an
internet argument progresses, the probability that someone will invoke Hitler
or the Nazis into the discussion will inevitably happen.
(More...)
New data show where the parties got their money from in the lead-up to the 2025 election
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 19:45:01 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/new-data-show-where-the-parties-got-their-money-from-in-the-lead-up-to-the-2025-election-274739>
"Australia’s political parties set new records in funds raised and spent in the
lead-up to the 2025 federal election. Now, nine months later, Australians
finally get a look at who funded the parties’ election campaigns.
(More...)
Some companies claim they can ‘resurrect’ species. Does that make people more comfortable with extinction?
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 19:45:55 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://theconversation.com/some-companies-claim-they-can-resurrect-species-does-that-make-people-more-comfortable-with-extinction-273583>
"Less than a year ago, United States company Colossal Biosciences announced it
had “resurrected” the dire wolf, a megafauna-hunting wolf species that had been
extinct for 10,000 years.
(More...)
Genetically modified purple tomatoes get green light to be sold in Australia
Tue, 3 Feb 2026 19:47:13 +1100
Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>
<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/03/genetically-modified-purple-tomatoes-australia>
"Caprese salads could take on a new hue after genetically modified purple
tomatoes cleared regulatory hurdles, raising expectations they would become the
first GM fresh food available in Australian green grocers.
(More...)
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