Dean @dean@librem.one

Refrigeration chemicals are a nightmare for the climate. Experts say alternatives must spread fast

Cars are another source of these super pollutants, says Eckhard Groll, an expert in refrigeration and head of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. AC systems in gas-powered vehicles are “prone to leaking” and on average approximately 25% of refrigerant from all cars leak out every year

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/refrigeration-chemicals-are-a-nightmare-for-the-climate-experts-say-alternatives-must-spread-fast-2

#MassExtinction #pollution #ecology #environment #climate

A rundown of some of the heartbreaking updates out of Palestine today:

- According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 2,215 Palestinians have been killed, including 724 children, and 8,714 wounded since October 7.

- Overwhelmed, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah has begun using ice cream trucks as morgues.

- In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 54 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers, with more than 1,100 wounded.

- According to the Palestinian Health Minister, 28 health care workers have been killed by Israel since October 7. 15 medical centers have been damaged by Israeli strikes, with Beit Hanoun Hospital and Al-Durrah Children's Hospital being rendered out of commission. As well, 23 ambulances “have been damaged and rendered inoperable.”

- The Jordan Field Hospital has also shut down due to Israeli attacks. It “used to provide free medical services to about 1,000-1,200 people daily.”

- Since October 12, most Palestinians no longer have access to drinking water through the tap. According to OCHA, “As a last resort, people are consuming brackish water from agricultural wells, triggering serious concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases.”

- Since October 7, in the West Bank, OCHA has tallied 63 settler attacks against Palestinians, including some cases where Israeli forces were involved. “This represents an average of nine incidents per day, compared with a daily average of three incidents since the beginning of this year.”

Sources: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-7
https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-news-hamas-war-10-14-23/index.html
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/10/13/israel-hamas-live-dozens-killed-while-fleeing-to-southern-gaza

@palestine #Palestine #Israel #Gaza #WestBank

The Israeli government has cut off food, water, and fuel to 2 million people inside Gaza as part of its campaign to stamp out Hamas terrorism. Collective punishment is not only contrary to international law, it is inhumane and illogical. It is what my community once endured in World War II, all because of the actions of others who happened to share our ethnicity. Have we learned nothing? How will this possibly help deescalate the violence rather than radicalize many more? It is madness.

In fact, for Alphabet, Meta, and #PayPal, the #emissions generated by their cash and investments (financed emissions) exceed all their other emissions combined.

Paper:
>The Carbon Bankroll
>The Climate Impact and Untapped Power of Corporate Cash

Authors: Climate Safe Lending Network (CSLN), The Outdoor Policy Outfit (TOPO), and BankFWD

PDF:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6281708e8ff18c23842b1d0b/t/6283204b3556a5125ce13b37/1652760661661/The+Carbon+Bankroll+Report+%285-17-2022%29.pdf

2/4

I asked this a while ago and got no nibbles but let’s try again: I’m a librarian and archivist who will be visiting Iceland and Ireland in mid-October and I would LOVE to meet some library/archives/museum people/get some GLAM recommendations while I’m traveling. Please boost, thank you 💚💚💚💚

“If you agree that Australia's Lunar Rover should be named Yarrum, after our first cultural astronomer, Yarrum Parpur Tarneen - please vote. She's not on the currency but she could be on the Moon.” Via Jessica Adams

https://consult.industry.gov.au/name-australias-lunar-rover

Normalize wearing a mask in public places when you're sick please!

Dear American people,

This is your semi-regular reminder that #Americans are not the only people using the internet and that the #UnitedStates - as lovely as it is - is not the only country. Actually, for the first time in the history of #socialmedia, you're not even the majority here, on the #Fediverse. This is a great learning opportunity.

So, a few tips:

- Beginner level: Normalize using "Americans" instead of "we," using "the #US" instead of "here" (it's "there" for us), the name of the place you're talking about instead of "there" (it could be "here" for us), and the name of the people you're talking about instead of "they" (which sometimes sounds a bit derogatory, as if you didn't really care about other people... you care, right?) It really makes a difference.

- Intermediate level: When you talk about something happening in the US, do not assume and express yourself as if the United States was the default country and as if everyone understands the context of what's happening. Background information helps. Contextualization is gold. Once again, just adding "in the US" when you talk about something makes a world of a difference.

- Advanced level: Try to talk about other things than just American things. Open yourself to the rest of the world, and learn about it. It's an awesome place, really. And, in my opinion, the Fediverse is the perfect tool to interact with people from many other countries (you also could do that on your previous social media of choice, but I understand that it was easier to stay in your cultural bubble back then).

- Expert level: Try to use the metric system... No, I'm joking here. I know you can't. You get a free pass for this one. You can still keep on measuring in refrigerators, or watermelons, depending on the scale.
Well, maybe, just maybe, when you talk about temperatures, adding an "F" (or a "C" if you can) would help a bit. Yesterday, someone was talking about the crazy temperature of 46 degrees and I still don't know if they meant 46°F or 46°C as they're both pretty crazy temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere this time of the year.
Oh yes, my Australian friends also told me to remind you all (not just Americans this time) to be mindful of them when you talk about seasons (but they also added that they're used it when you don't... still, that'd be nice...)

Thank you for your understanding and your efforts. If you have any questions, we're here to help.

Love,
The Fediverse and the World, and me, your friend, DavidB.

You can’t honestly claim to be working towards net zero while opening up new coal and gas projects. So we’re calling on the Australian Parliament to develop strong new laws that will stamp out systemic greenwashing by the fossil fuel industry, and put a stop to outrageous sustainability claims from some of the country’s worst environmental offenders

#MassExtinction #pollution #ecology #environment #climate #Australia

When a right winger says “freedom” they don’t mean what you and I mean by the word. You and I mean “we can live our lives as we feel right without being punished for it”. They mean “We are free to punish you for not being like us”.

When I was active at the wikipedia there were a group of other writers who would follow my around and mark my articles on women and black people for deletion. They marked my edits CN even when there was a citation. They reworded everything I wrote to minimize the contributions of minorities to history, and hint at theories of racial inferiority. I'd just go to the library and bury them in more citations. It was kind of violent TBH.