CELEBRATE CLIMATE WEEK WITH MAKE SUNSETS AND GET A FREE HEAVIER THAN AIR POISON GAS BALLOON

 

Hosted by Andrew Song & Luke Iseman APRIL 21

 More fun than a barrel of Carbon Monoxide!

SAN FRANCISCO CLIMATE WEEK

Cool Earth with Make Sunsets

Join us for a one-of-a-kind, educational, and interactive get-together at the picturesque Dolores Park with the founders of Make Sunsets! As a pioneering stratospheric aerosol injection company, Make Sunsets is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to combat climate change and cool our planet. 

Their approach involves releasing sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the stratosphere to mimic the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions...

​Participate in a live demonstration where you can release an SO2-filled balloon or just keep it for free, illustrating the principle behind their approach to cooling the Earth.

​Engage in a Q&A session where you can ask questions, share your thoughts, and dive deeper into the science behind Make Sunsets' technology.

​Get your hands on exclusive Make Sunsets merchandise, including free stickers and balloons, to show your support and spread awareness about this crucial initiative.

​Don't miss this chance to be a part of the movement to combat climate change and contribute to a sustainable future for our planet. Bring your friends, family, and curiosity to Dolores Park for an afternoon of learning, networking, and fun with Make Sunsets!

​You can find us by looking for a bunch of inflated balloons.

( You'll find Make Sunset's swag balloons, on the ground, not in the sky, as SO2 is twice as heavy as air.)

UPDATE

For some strange reason the SF city fathers have taken down the sign up page for this remarkable event

GPT 4.5 GDP REPORT RAISES GUARDIAN LAYOFF FEARS

WHY READ THE GRAUN FOR WHAT YOU CAN GET FROM A CHATBOT?

Under Capitalism 2.0, GPT has the potential to impact both GDP and biodiversity 

1. Impact on GDP:

1. GPT Could lead to higher GDP growth, as it has the potential to increase efficiency and productivity in various industries by streamlining supply chains and automating certain tasks, leading to increased output and lower costs. However, there is also the potential for job displacement and other negative impacts.

   
   

2. Impact on Biodiversity:

   GPT has the potential to improve conservation efforts by analyzing large amounts of data or predicting future trends. It could be used to analyze satellite imagery to identify areas of high biodiversity or to predict the impact of climate change on ecosystems. 

   
   

   On the other hand, there is also the potential for GPT to contribute to environmental degradation. It could enable more efficient extraction of natural resources, or be used to optimize agricultural production in ways that are harmful to the environment.

Under Capitalism 2.0, the relationship between GPT, GDP, and biodiversity would depend largely on how the technology is utilized and regulated. Some potential scenarios:

1. Unrestricted Use of GPT for Economic Growth - In this scenario, GPT is largely used to increase GDP and efficiency without regard for its impact on biodiversity. This could lead to increased environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity.

2. Controlled Use of GPT for Conservation - In this scenario, GPT is primarily used to improve conservation efforts and protect biodiversity. This could lead to improved environmental outcomes, but may come at the expense of economic growth.

3. Balanced Approach to GPT - In this scenario, GPT is used in a balanced way that takes into account both economic growth and environmental protection. This could lead to improved outcomes for both GDP and biodiversity.

Overall, the impact of GPT on GDP will depend largely on the regulatory and policy frameworks in place to guide its use.

THE COAL-FIRED KILOWATT-HOUR CLIMATE SALON

Wash, blow dry and 1.5 degrees please: 

hairdressers trained to talk about climate action

• 
  

Graham Readfearn

Inside this chic Sydney hair salon... A poster reads: “This salon chats about love, life & climate action.”

“The weather is the hook. You can take a cue from that,” says Prof Lesley Hughes, one of two climate scientists who have helped run workshops to give hairdressers the tools for times when the conversation turns to the existential.

“You can show the science until you’re blue in the face but what can be more effective are people who you trust talking about it. It’s important to show it’s not a subject to be afraid of.”

More than 400 

hairdressers have 

attended workshops

 as part of a project called

A Brush With Climate

During the sessions, hairdressers hear the basics of climate science and get to role play how conversations might go. They also take one of the posters back to their own salons.

“We’re relationship builders,” says Garcia. Some guests, she says “feel helpless and they’re a bit embarrassed that they don’t understand the science”, but want to know more. Mostly, clients accept the basis for climate action but don’t know what to do next.

“Some women keep their hairdressers for a long time and they’ll tell them their secrets – they’re the unpaid therapist,” says Smith."

REDFEARN FAILED TO INQUIRE

Into how many tens of  kilowatts the salon's sixteen blow dryers consume, or the amperage of the air conditioners struggling to keep up with them. 

Both run off Sydney's largely coal fired power grid.  

A MacQuairie University press release explains that Project founder and noted ant ecology authority Lesley Hughes is:

"Now entering a new phase in her life, focusing on more climate advocacy work and travelling which includes cruising to Antarctica and ziplining to tree houses in the Laotian jungle to look for gibbons."

KICKING DISINFORMATION DOWN A NOTCH

Register for  Nobel Prize Summit on Misinformation Registration is now open for the Nobel Prize Summit “Truth, Trust and Hope.” Hosted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation, the summit will be held May 24-26 in Washington, D.C., and virtually, and will convene Nobel Prize laureates and other esteemed experts, business and technology leaders, policymakers, journalists, and youth from around the world for a global conversation on how to stop misinformation from eroding public trust in science, scientists, and the institutions they serve

TEACHING THE EMERGING EMERGENCE OF EMERGENCY

Catalysing the emergence 

of the Human Revolution

The Club of Rome is repositioning itself to challenge humanity to rise to its full potential and become good stewards of the Earth’s limited resources. Our call is anchored on the need for a paradigm shift in our fundamental belief matrix,

The two poles of the lemma “Emergence from Emergency” are complementary: while the Emergency calls for immediate actions from existing levels of decision, Emergence is about whole systems change at all levels, and first of all the cultural one.The tensions between our ever-expanding modes of exploitation and the finiteness of the planet originate in a civilizational trap, due to our continuing attempt to cheat the relationships that are imperative to life: those with nature, people and time.In the 1970s the Club of Rome gave an anticipated signal of the threshold situation in which we are.


Emerging from it will imply a reconfiguration of our societal arrangements, through a journey into largely uncharted territories. Will the transformation be tragic? By paying attention to many pathways already alive, the Emergence approach can bring hope for the future of humanity. But how can we consciously change the way we think while we still think that way?


This publication addresses key elements of the journey to enable people of all ages and conditions—especially those feeling helpless—to learn and act by themselves... The future is unknown and the Club of Rome claims that its exploration can be warm, provided we make it together. In words of Aurelio Peccei, it is more than time to “learn what it takes to learn what we should learn, and learn it!”.

VEGAN CHEESEMONGER FEARS CAPITALIST CONTAGION

                                       TNR   APOCALYPSE SOON

Why I’m Changing My Consumption— Even Though Climate Policy Is More Important Than Personal Choice
The point of biking or going vegan isn’t the impact of a single person’s choice. It’s about throwing everything we’ve got at a problem that feels overwhelming.

First I went vegan. I’d been vegetarian for a decade and a half, but I’ve always loved cheese so much that taking that next step seemed impossible. ...Next I ditched my car for a bike...Most recently we got rooftop solar... when I feel an urge to check Twitter, I redirect the impulse to an app showing how much energy our installation is producing in real time… British Petroleum coined the term “carbon footprint” in 2004 in order to promote the idea that individuals like you and me—rather than fossil fuel majors like BP—are responsible for the climate crisis...
Ezra Klein framed this idea quite beautifully last year... “Don’t think about consumption—even your consumption—as individual. Think of yourself as a node for social, political, and moral contagion.
This is a hopeful week for humanity, with the...historic Democratic climate agenda.. it’s actually really important th—that we talk about how badass our new e-bike is…our house’s electricity production feels, or how yummy the vegan cheese they make nowadays can be, in the same way that we rant about how fossil fuel CEOs need to be dragged to the Hague and tried for crimes against humanity.

Aaron Regunberg     

 is a longtime progressive organizer, former Rhode Island state representative, and aspiring climate lawyer.

ABOLITIONISTS THREATEN DARWIN BOYCOTT AFTER NATURE REFUSES TO ENDORSE GRANT

154 YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC NEUTRALITY ENDS IN 
A POLITICAL EXPERIMENT

                     

Political endorsement by Nature and trust in scientific expertise during COVID-19

• Floyd Jiuyun Zhang 

Nature Human Behaviour (2023)Cite this article

• Abstract

High-profile political endorsements by scientific publications have become common in recent years, raising concerns about backlash against the endorsing organizations and scientific expertise.

 In a preregistered large-sample controlled experiment, I randomly assigned participants to receive information about the endorsement of Joe Biden by the scientific journal Nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. The endorsement message caused large reductions in stated trust in Nature among Trump supporters. 

This distrust lowered the demand for COVID-related information provided by Nature, as evidenced by substantially reduced requests for Nature articles on vaccine efficacy when offered. The endorsement also reduced Trump supporters’ trust in scientists in general. 

The estimated effects on Biden supporters’ trust in Nature and scientists were positive, small and mostly statistically insignificant. I found little evidence that the endorsement changed views about Biden and Trump. These results suggest that political endorsement by scientific journals can undermine and polarize public confidence in the endorsing journals and the scientific community.

Main

Scientific organizations and publications have become increasingly involved in electoral politics. In the run-up to the 2020 US presidential election, numerous influential scientific publications, including Nature, Scientific American, the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine and Science, published editorial pieces criticizing then-president Donald Trump’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his antagonistic attitudes towards science. Most of these journals urged voters to replace Trump. Among them, Nature, Scientific Americanand the Lancet explicitly endorsed his challenger Joe Biden1. This marked the first time Scientific American or the Lancet had made a political endorsement. These publications were joined by 81 American Nobel laureates in endorsing Biden’s candidacy2.

The increased political engagement by scientists raises concerns that their endorsements cause right-wing backlash3. Trust in the scientific community has been declining in the United States for decades, with the most pronounced decline among those on the political right4. During the COVID-19 pandemic, such scepticism towards scientific expertise reduced compliance with public health interventions5 and may explain the partisan difference in compliance6,7, with important implications for public health outcomes8. By endorsing a Democratic candidate in a polarizing presidential election during the pandemic, scientists risk intensifying existing distrust from a large segment of the population, particularly because these endorsements were widely reported by conservative media outlets

UN CHATBOT JOINS IPCC EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CAMPAIGN

From Executive Summary to Climate Action How Live Action Role Playing can energize the IPCC climate crisis report

Live action games can be a powerful tool for raising consciousness about the sixth IPCC climate crisis report. Here are some ways LARPs can be designed to achieve this:

1. Increase Awareness

Host climate-themed events

LARP organizers can create scenarios that simulate the consequences of climate change. For example, they can design a scenario where players have to navigate through a flooded city or a drought-stricken area. This can help players understand the impacts of climate change and the urgency of taking action. 

LARP groups can collaborate with climate activists and organizations to host events that focus on climate change. This can include panel discussions, workshops, and presentations on the IPCC climate crisis executive summary and other relevant reports.Integrate climate messaging into game mechanics:

LARP organizers can integrate climate messaging into the game mechanics of their events. For example, they can make resource management and sustainability key components of the game, encouraging players to think about their impact on the environment.Use social media: 

LARP groups can use social media to raise awareness about climate change and the IPCC climate crisis executive summary. They can share information about the report, as well as post photos and videos of their climate-themed events and games.

Collaborate with other organizations: LARP groups can collaborate with other organizations working on climate change to amplify their message. This can include working with climate activists, NGOs, and other organizations to organize joint events and campaigns.

By incorporating climate themes into their games and events, LARP groups can help raise awareness about the urgent need to address the climate crisis and promote action to mitigate its impacts.