{P}rescriptions for a sustainable future – Rx 3 – 2023


▢️ Born again. Mine shafts repurposed for energy

Mines get abandoned when they cease to be viable. They languish, often as ugly scars on the landscape.

Gravity is the only force that will surely exist until the end of the cosmos.

An organisation with the impressive name ofΒ The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)Β has proposed using a technique calledΒ Underground Gravity Energy StorageΒ (UGES)Β for making abandoned mines work again to produce energy.

Stay with me while I walk you through the process.

You drop sand down the mine shaft in some sort of container anchored, I presume, by cables to axles on the surface. Much like in old wells, the axles spin as the container drops into the abyss. Connect it to a generator, and, hey, you get electricity.

Like “pumped hydroelectric” technology, they propose storing the sand in the depths of the pits and, when power is cheap, hauling it back up to the surface for the next drop.

β›”Β Hold it right there

This is where the project sounds squirrelly to me. It looks like you can’t just leave the sand down in the hole and keep throwing in more. The sand at the bottom of the mine shaft is stored and acts as “the battery” for later use. Wait a minute! I always thought there was something called the Laws of Thermodynamics which are as unbreakable as gravity. The net gain in energy can’t be very good, IMO.

These guys are a serious organisation. TheirΒ websiteΒ is loaded with projects and ideas.

(If you really want an education about this, I would suggest reading the comments in this post from ZeroHedge.)

Onwards!


➑️ Abracadabra! Protein from air … and microbes

Protein from the air? It sounds too good to be true!

“Lab meat” is the buzzword of all efforts at “having your cake and eating it too.” It seems that there is far too much energy and a lack of humane spirit in consuming animal meat as a protein source.

Singapore regulators have authorised a product called “Solein.” It’s a microbe powder that could well spark a dietary revolution in the chase for meat replacements.

SoleinΒ includes protein, dietary fibre, fat, and minerals, as well as iron, vitamins, and other micronutrients. It is intended to serve as a base for meat substitutes, milk, soy, or lentils. It is the world’s most sustainable protein, composed of air, bacteria, and solar energy.

Cheers! The inventors of this powder state that it is a fermentation process, just like making wine or beer. I’ll drink to that! The inventors claim:

  • The method is 20 times more efficient than photosynthesis, which plants use to turn energy into food.
  • It uses only a tiny amount of water as compared to meat from livestock.

Solein, which is slated to be introduced by Solar Foods in plant-based meat, bread, pasta, and other food items, will give a wide range of advantages but will not alter the taste of the meal in any way.

The first Solein facility is under construction in Vantaa, Finland, with commercial production set to begin next year.

πŸ“„ ▢️ Read more here.


πŸ”‘ #climatechange #energy #mines #repurposing #protein #labmeat #creativity #strategy #sustainability #renewability


In the infinity of the cosmos, our Earth might well be the only place where Life exists. Yet, we have devastated this miracle and are now poised at the edge of a frightening abyss of desolation. Every one of us needs to act, and act fast. The key word to continuing to enjoy the bounty of Life is β€œsustainability.” The Earth, as Mahatma Gandhi remarked, can satisfy all our needs but very little of our greed. This is an ongoing series of articles focusing on the issues of renewability and sustainability.


(Graphics and images – Vecteezy.com Pro Licence)

{P}rescriptions for a sustainable future – Rx 2 – 2023

CONTENTS
About this series (click to read)

➑️ Banning straws might be good for the planet – but bad for people with disability or swallowing problems. What is ‘eco-ableism’?
➑️We don’t need β€˜miracle’ technologies to fix the climate. We have the tools now.”
➑️ “How green roofs can help cities” (YouTube video)
(Click on the title to go to the article. As you scroll down, an arrow will appear on the right, bottom corner. Click on it to return to the top.)


“Banning straws might be good for the planet – but bad for people with disability or swallowing problems. What is ‘eco-ableism’?”
Kate Anderson | The Conversation

𝕋𝔸𝕂𝔼 π”Έπ•Žπ”Έπ•π•Š

βœ… Many states ban single-use plastics, including straws. While this is a win for the environment, it comes at a price for social inclusion, as many people with disability rely on plastic straws to safely enjoy drinks.
βœ… Sustainable alternatives are available, but these are often unsafe or unusable for consumers with complex medical needs. This is an example of eco-ableism, which occurs when environmental policy, design, or campaigns discriminate against people with disability.
βœ… An inclusive approach to sustainability is the best way to protect fundamental human rights and the environment, and research shows it is also good for business.

β–ΆοΈπŸ“„ Read the article

πŸ”‘Β #disability #straws #change #creativity #wellness #P4life #sustainability


“We don’t need β€˜miracle’ technologies to fix the climate. We have the tools now.”
Mark Z Jacobson | The Guardian

𝕋𝔸𝕂𝔼 π”Έπ•Žπ”Έπ•π•Š

βœ…Β We don’t need “miracle” technology to address the climate. We already have access to the resources that will enable us to do so, such as wind, water, and solar (WWS) energy, storage for electricity, heat storage, cold storage, hydrogen storage, and energy-efficient electrical products.
βœ…Β With a $62 trillion initial capital investment, a 2050 WWS system would pay for itself in less than six years thanks to the $11 trillion in annual energy cost reductions.
βœ…Β In addition, around forty percent of the carbon dioxide that is caught today is utilised to facilitate the extraction of further oil from the earth. This results in the release of approximately seventy-three percent of all of the carbon dioxide that is currently being captured.
βœ…Β The climate catastrophe may be mitigated if enough people buy into the idea of change and government leaders are committed to action.

β–ΆοΈπŸ“„ Read the article

πŸ”‘Β #ClimateChange #technology #skills #strategy #wellness #sustainability


“How green roofs can help cities”
NPR | via YouTube

𝕋𝔸𝕂𝔼 π”Έπ•Žπ”Έπ•π•Š

βœ… Urbanisation leads to loss of green cover. Here’s an innovative approach to countering this loss.

πŸ”‘Β #ClimateChange #urbanisation #roof #garden #greening #change #creativity #inspiration #strategy #sustainabilityΒ 


In the infinity of the cosmos, our Earth might well be the only place where Life exists. Yet, we have devastated this miracle and are now poised at the edge of a frightening abyss of desolation. Every one of us needs to act, and act fast. The key word to continuing to enjoy the bounty of Life is “sustainability.” The Earth, as Mahatma Gandhi remarked, can satisfy all our needs but very little of our greed. This is an ongoing series of articles focusing on the issues of renewability and sustainability.


(Graphics and images – Vecteezy.com Pro Licence)

Agreeing to not disagree – making all voices heard by consensus


“β„‚π• π•Ÿπ•€π•–π•Ÿπ•€π•¦π•€ π••π•–π•”π•šπ•€π•šπ• π•Ÿ-π•žπ•’π•œπ•šπ•Ÿπ•˜ π•šπ•€ π•€π•¦π•£π•‘π•£π•šπ•€π•šπ•Ÿπ•˜π•π•ͺ 𝕖𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕔π•₯π•šπ•§π•– π•šπ•Ÿ 𝕓𝕠π•₯𝕙 π•”π• π•žπ•žπ•¦π•Ÿπ•šπ•₯π•šπ•–π•€ π•’π•Ÿπ••Β π•¨π• π•£π•œπ•‘π•π•’π•”π•–π•€” || πŸ†ƒπŸ…ΈπŸ…» βœ… Voting may seem the quickest route to a resolution, but it isn’t the best way to enrol everyone. Voting can silence dissenting voices and thwart creativity. βœ… Consensus decision-making leads to broader engagement. No proposal is adopted until every concern is heard, understood and addressed. … increases how much you care for them and view them as people. βœ… A specific model: first, create a core values statement, and measure all practices and procedures against it. Next, develop a “This is how we do it” document.

πŸ“„β–ΆοΈΒ Read the article


πŸ”‘ decision, consensus, voting, community

Good “dumb questions” can flush out valuable information


“π•Šπ•₯𝕠𝕑 π•₯𝕣π•ͺπ•šπ•Ÿπ•˜ π•₯𝕠 π•’π•€π•œ “π•€π•žπ•’π•£π•₯ 𝕒𝕦𝕖𝕀π•₯π•šπ• π•Ÿπ•€” || πŸ†ƒπŸ…ΈπŸ…» βœ… A Smart Question is a query designed to advertise the wisdom of the asker. … how counterproductive feigning intelligence [is] during the process of trying to collect [information]. βœ… Big Dumb Questions (BDQs) … Really revelatory and surprising answers can come from extremely basic questions.

πŸ“„β–ΆοΈ Read the article


πŸ”‘ question

New hope for social media?


“𝕋𝕙𝕖 π•’π•˜π•– 𝕠𝕗 π•€π• π•”π•šπ•’π• π•žπ•–π••π•šπ•’ π•šπ•€ π•–π•Ÿπ••π•šπ•Ÿπ•˜” || πŸ†ƒπŸ…ΈπŸ…» βœ… Social media offered both opportunity and calamity. βœ… Regrettably, it has resulted in a positively deranged, psychopathic portrayal of human sociality. The more emotionally charged the content, the faster it spreads via the networks. βœ… Facebook and Twitter’s potential demise presents an opportunity to accept their destruction… and allow the emergence of better alternatives.

πŸ“„β–ΆοΈ Read the article

πŸ–₯️▢️ View toot on Mastodon


πŸ”‘Β social media, downfall, opportunity, Mastodon

Using charts to misinform and fool people

➑️ π•Œπ•€π•šπ•Ÿπ•˜ 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣π•₯𝕀 π•₯𝕠 π•žπ•šπ•€π•π•–π•’π•• π•’π•Ÿπ•• 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕑𝕖𝕠𝕑𝕝𝕖 — Most of us struggle with making sense of numbers and data. Charts are the most common method of making numerical data understandable. Like all tools, they can be used for education just as well as for misinformation. Here’s a common example of how bar graphs can manipulate the viewer’s judgment.

βœ… Key words:Β charts, statistics, misinformation, data

πŸ†€πŸ†„πŸ…ΎπŸ†ƒπŸ…΄πŸ†‚
πŸ’¬ “He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts… for support rather than illumination.” β€” Andrew Lang
πŸ’¬ “Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.” β€” Mark Twain, who also said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics” — which he in turn attributed to Benjamin Disraeli, the British politician.
πŸ’¬ “Sanity is not statistical.” β€” George Orwell (1984)
πŸ’¬ “Miracles are statistical improbabilities. And fate is an illusion humanity uses to comfort itself in the dark. There are no absolutes in life, save death.” β€” Amie Kaufman

Rules of thumb (heuristics) can be better than algorithms

Key words:Β algorithm, heuristics, rule-of-thumb, decision


ABOUT THIS SERIES OF CARDS: β€œMen follow their sentiments and their self-interest, but it pleases them to imagine that they follow reason. And so they look for, and always find, some theory which, a posteriori, makes their actions appear to be logical.” β€” Vilfredo Pareto