Jules @afewbugs@librem.one

OK, so this is interesting. Some major organizations have now set up their own Mastodon instances:

European Union: EU Voice >>> https://social.network.europa.eu/explore
German gov: Explore social.bund.de >>> https://social.bund.de/explore
Internet Archive: Explore Internet Archive >>> https://mastodon.archive.org/explore

#twittermigration #mastodon #fediverse #governmentInstance
@mastodonmigration

The Milwaukee airport has my favorite airport sign in the country, hands down.

The notion that we need more growth (more aggregate production) in order to fund the renewable transition is absurd. This "logic" boils down to saying we need to increase production of stuff we probably *don't* need in order to increase production of stuff we obviously *do* need.

Cricut cutting machines, ubiquitous in schools, libraries and makerspaces, can be used to make embossed or stenciled tactile graphics. A Braille embosser costs at least $1500 — Cricuts cost a fifth of that or less. Today I learned that I can handle the hardware and make great stencils: all that holds a Blind maker back is a set of unlabeled controls in the software. Does anyone know somebody at Cricut I could talk to about making the interface more accessible? Boosters beloved on this one!

Felt toot, might delete later.

So, the European Union has set up its own Mastodon instance, EU Voice, as an official channel/platform for all its many institutions - what a great initiative https://social.network.europa.eu/about
#TwitterMigration #europe #Diplomacy #Transparency

Energy efficiency: For the first time since 2018 all households in Great Britain will be eligible for funding of insulation measures.

This is a major change in policy and one me and others have long called for.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63776183

Bilateral gynandromorphism is a pretty rare occurrence where an animal is a half-male, half-female, split right down the middle. Like this common blue butterfly - male on left, female on right. Weird! But seriously wonderful…

Very excited this is going to be in my big children’s nature book for autumn 2023 which I start writing next week.

#nature #wildlife #butterfly #entomology #AmWriting #ChildrensBooks
Photo: Burkhard Hinnersmann / Wikimedia Commons

One thing you can do to help wildlife in your own garden at this time of year is to not cut back Ivy. It provides a great roost for bats and overwintering Brimstone butterflies, as well as offering a late source of nectar for the Red Admiral & Comma butterflies, along with hoverflies and wasps. Instead, cut back in Feb/March before birds start nesting. #Garden #Wildlife #Nature #Butterflies #WildlifeGarden #Gardening #WildGarden

has anyone suggested to Musk that he could make a fortune on a gigantic seaplane made out of, say, spruce

Awesome guide to writing image descriptions: object, action, context. Help make the web accessible, describe images you post! https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546

Humans evolved after squid, so it's actually dicks that look like squid, not squid that look like dicks. Ever think of that??

I saw the new #BlackPanther movie yesterday, and it just reminded me how much the #AfroFuturism movement and aesthetics blend and influence with #SolarPunk

It was inspiring to see a vision of a future where the land is respected, but people aren't living in hovels.

Overall a great movie, aesthetically and otherwise. Need more movies about Anti-colonialism.

So just in case you lovely tooters can help me along…I’ve been campaigning for a ban on disposable bbqs over the last year or so.
Just a bit of clarity about what started this campaign and my own circumstances. 
I don’t represent any other group or institution. I’m not funded. 
I’m a dad, a teacher. And my little 9 yo boy got badly injured by a disposable bbq in 2020 
Will received his injuries by running through sand where a disposable bbq had been used several hours before. The bbq had cooled and the owners had removed it to dispose of properly.
The surface of the sand was cool but the thermal nature of dry sand meant that the heat had retained deep down.
Wills accident could happen to anyone. The nature of these items (no legs etc) means that they are usually used straight on the ground causing a range of issues (see parks and moorlands also). 
When they are used on sand like in this instance and then cleared away/taken home, an invisible danger remains on the site for those arriving. 
They have prohibition restrictions in some localities but the problems with environmental damage, waste and injury persists…simply because restrictions are incredibly hard to enforce/police. As long as these are available they will be used and will cause problems often to people or environments that had nothing to do with its original purchase and use. 
And I’m not in any way anti BBQ. I just think it should be done safely. And banning these items would go a long way to helping.
I suppose I think of this like fireworks. 
All fireworks have safety instructions, disposal instructions etc etc. They’re obviously dangerous in some circumstances so you assume people will be sensible.
But in spite of this and in spite of the control measures that are put in place - some types of firework are still just too risky to have available. Sometimes because ‘people’ can’t be trusted to be sensible with them.
And sometimes simply because they’re just inherently dangerous (eg the good old ‘jumping jacks’ back in the 70’s). Eventually you have to draw a line somewhere and say that the cost/benefit balance isn’t quite right with some items…
So we don’t have to ban everything and all fireworks by any means - just the jumping jacks that we watch every year and say “Nah…this ain’t right” 
Not all - but some aren’t worth it.
We’re not raising this just because of our experience… it’s because it’s so many peoples experience. These injuries are frighteningly common (4 that have been similar in nature in the last 10 days).
So these problems alongside the huge amounts of litter they cause, the vast amounts of single use waste the produce and the catastrophic wildfires they cause. 
We simply want to help stop this happening to be anyone else - because it happens very regularly unfortunately 
I hope that clarifies things 
Please do take a minute to sign our petition

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/618664
#environment #waste #bbq #BanDisposableBBQs #firedanger #litter