#Energy Conservation Project Help

[reasonsforhope]

Masterpost: Reasons I firmly believe we will beat climate change

Posts are in reverse chronological order (by post date, not article date), mostly taken from my "climate change" tag, which I went through all the way back to the literal beginning of my blog. Will update periodically.

Especially big deal articles/posts are in bold.

Big picture:

Mature trees offer hope in world of rising emissions (x)

Spying from space: How satellites can help identify and rein in a potent climate pollutant (x)

Good news: Tiny urban green spaces can cool cities and save lives (x)

Conservation and economic development go hand in hand, more often than expected (x)

The exponential growth of solar power will change the world (x)

Sun Machines: Solar, an energy that gets cheaper and cheaper, is going to be huge (x)

Wealthy nations finally deliver promised climate aid, as calls for more equitable funding for poor countries grow (x)

For Earth Day 2024, experts are spreading optimism – not doom. Here's why. (x)

Opinion: I’m a Climate Scientist. I’m Not Screaming Into the Void Anymore. (x)

The World’s Forests Are Doing Much Better Than We Think (x)

‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief (x)

Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View (x)

Young Forests Capture Carbon Quicker than Previously Thought (x)

Yes, climate change can be beaten by 2050. Here's how. (x)

Soil improvements could keep planet within 1.5C heating target, research shows (x)

The global treaty to save the ozone layer has also slowed Arctic ice melt (x)

The doomers are wrong about humanity’s future — and its past (x)

Scientists Find Methane is Actually Offsetting 30% of its Own Heating Effect on Planet (x)

Are debt-for-climate swaps finally taking off? (x)

High seas treaty: historic deal to protect international waters finally reached at UN (x)

How Could Positive ‘Tipping Points’ Accelerate Climate Action? (x)

Specific examples:

Environmental Campaigners Celebrate As Labour Ends Tory Ban On New Onshore Wind Projects (x)

Private firms are driving a revolution in solar power in Africa (x)

How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution (x)

Rewilding sites have seen 400% increase in jobs since 2008, research finds [Scotland] (x)

The American Climate Corps take flight, with most jobs based in the West (x)

Waste Heat Generated from Electronics to Warm Finnish City in Winter Thanks to Groundbreaking Thermal Energy Project (x)

Climate protection is now a human right — and lawsuits will follow [European Union] (x)

A new EU ecocide law ‘marks the end of impunity for environmental criminals’ (x)

Solar hits a renewable energy milestone not seen since WWII [United States] (x)

These are the climate grannies. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect their grandchildren. [United States and Native American Nations] (x)

Century of Tree Planting Stalls the Warming Effects in the Eastern United States, Says Study (x)

Chart: Wind and solar are closing in on fossil fuels in the EU (x)

UK use of gas and coal for electricity at lowest since 1957, figures show (x)

Countries That Generate 100% Renewable Energy Electricity (x)

Indigenous advocacy leads to largest dam removal project in US history [United States and Native American Nations] (x)

India’s clean energy transition is rapidly underway, benefiting the entire world (x)

China is set to shatter its wind and solar target five years early, new report finds (x)

‘Game changing’: spate of US lawsuits calls big oil to account for climate crisis (x)

Largest-ever data set collection shows how coral reefs can survive climate change (x)

The Biggest Climate Bill of Your Life - But What Does It DO? [United States] (x)

Good Climate News: Headline Roundup April 1st through April 15th, 2023 (x)

How agroforestry can restore degraded lands and provide income in the Amazon (x) [Brazil]

Loss of Climate-Crucial Mangrove Forests Has Slowed to Near-Negligable Amount Worldwide, Report Hails (x)

Agroecology schools help communities restore degraded land in Guatemala (x)

Climate adaptation:

Solar-powered generators pull clean drinking water 'from thin air,' aiding communities in need: 'It transforms lives' (x)

‘Sponge’ Cities Combat Urban Flooding by Letting Nature Do the Work [China] (x)

Indian Engineers Tackle Water Shortages with Star Wars Tech in Kerala (x)

A green roof or rooftop solar? You can combine them in a biosolar roof — boosting both biodiversity and power output (x)

Global death tolls from natural disasters have actually plummeted over the last century (x)

Los Angeles Just Proved How Spongy a City Can Be (x)

This city turns sewage into drinking water in 24 hours. The concept is catching on [Namibia] (x)

Plants teach their offspring how to adapt to climate change, scientists find (x)

Resurrecting Climate-Resilient Rice in India (x)

Edit 1/12/25: Yes, I know a bunch of the links disappeared. I'll try to fix that when I get the chance. In the meantime, read all the other stuff!!

Other Masterposts:

Going carbon negative and how we're going to fix global heating (x)

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #24

June 21-28 2024

The US Surgeon General declared for the first time ever, firearm violence a public health crisis. The nation's top doctor recommended the banning of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, the introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. President Trump dismissed Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in 2017 in part for his criticism of guns before his time in government, he was renominated for his post by President Biden in 2021. While the Surgeon General's reconstructions aren't binding a similar report on the risks of smoking in 1964 was the start of a national shift toward regulation of tobacco.

Vice-President Harris announced the first grants to be awarded through a ground breaking program to remove barriers to building more housing. Under President Biden more housing units are under construction than at any time in the last 50 years. Vice President Harris was announcing 85 million dollars in grants giving to communities in 21 states through the  Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO) program. The administration plans another 100 million in PRO grants at the end of the summer and has requested 100 million more for next year. The Treasury also announced it'll moved 100 million of left over Covid funds toward housing. All of this is part of plans to build 2 million affordable housing units and invest $258 billion in housing overall.

President Biden pardoned all former US service members convicted under the US Military's ban on gay sex. The pardon is believed to cover 2,000 veterans convicted of "consensual sodomy". Consensual sodomy was banned and a felony offense under the Uniform Code of Justice from 1951 till 2013. The Pardon will wipe clean those felony records and allow veterans to apply to change their discharge status.

The Department of Transportation announced $1.8 Billion in new infrastructure building across all 50 states, 4 territories and Washington DC. The program focuses on smaller, often community-oriented projects that span jurisdictions. This award saw a number of projects focused on climate and energy, like $25 million to help repair damage caused by permafrost melting amid higher temperatures in Alaska, or $23 million to help electrify the Downeast bus fleet in Maine.

The Department of Energy announced $2.7 billion to support domestic sources of nuclear fuel. The Biden administration hopes to build up America's domestic nuclear fuel to allow for greater stability and lower costs. Currently Russia is the world's top exporter of enriched uranium, supplying 24% of US nuclear fuel.

The Department of Interior awarded $127 million to 6 states to help clean up legacy pollution from orphaned oil and gas wells. The funding will help cap 600 wells in Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, New York and Ohio. So far thanks to administration efforts over 7,000 orphaned wells across the country have been capped, reduced approximately 11,530 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions

HUD announced $469 million to help remove dangerous lead from older homes. This program will focus on helping homeowners particularly low income ones remove lead paint and replace lead pipes in homes built before 1978. This represents one of the largest investments by the federal government to help private homeowners deal with a health and safety hazard.

Bonus: President Biden's efforts to forgive more student debt through his administration's SAVE plan hit a snag this week when federal courts in Kansas and Missouri blocked elements the Administration also suffered a set back at the Supreme Court as its efforts to regular smog causing pollution was rejected by the conservative majority in a 5-4 ruling that saw Amy Coney Barrett join the 3 liberals against the conservatives. This week's legal setbacks underline the importance of courts and the ability to nominate judges and Justices over the next 4 years.

[fozmeadows]

Something I'm working on lately is trying to find healthy approach when it comes to engaging with opposing viewpoints re: discourse and politics. Because yes, there are trolls and bad actors, and it's seldom worth wasting your energy on them; but particularly online, you can't always immediately distinguish these people from, say, a teenager grappling inexpertly with difficult topics, or a boomer working with outdated language and assumptions, or someone who's been given bad information - and these are all people that it can be worthwhile attempting to reach, even if you don't always succeed. I don't want to burn myself out, but I don't want disconnect, either, and so I've been thinking: what approach best allows me to remain optimistic while still drawing boundaries?

Here's my current solution: to treat potentially difficult conversations with strangers like a rewilding project. A sort of social conservationism, where the idea is to untangle what you can in passing, leave behind a few potential seeds, and then move on: a project of impact over intent. Nobody expects conservation efforts to succeed in a day, and it would be foolish to fixate so heavily on trying to plant a single tree in arid soil that you've got no energy left for more achievable goals. Inevitably, you'll encounter areas that can't be recovered - or at least, not by you - in which case, any time you spend making sure of their unviability is just due diligence, and only becomes a waste if you commit yourself to trying to salvage the unsalvageable. But by the same token, you don't want to over-engage with a healthy area, either. You want to see what's needed, give it a push in that direction if it's within your capabilities, and then keep going.

And maybe this is a strange way to think of things, but I'm finding it helpful. The fantasy of completely flipping someone's perspective if you can only find the exact right thing to say is a powerful one, but it's not a realistic expectation to carry around for 99.9% of interactions, and as such, there's a need - for me, at least - to detach the success of the exchange from the visibility of the outcome. I can't see into someone else's head, and in all probability, I'll never speak to that particular stranger again: therefore, my concept of catharsis needs to change. So instead of thinking, Did I change their mind? and considering anything less than a yes a failure, it's better to ask, Did I do my best to give them something to think about?, because realistically, this is all I can actually do. I can't control how a stranger receives what I say, but I can make an effort to be clear, calm and comprehensible, and that ought to be worth something.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

Within weeks, the nation will deploy 9,000 people to begin restoring landscapes, erecting solar panels, and taking other steps to help guide the country toward a cleaner, greener future.

The first of those workers were inducted into the American Climate Corps on Tuesday during a virtual event from the White House. Their swearing-in marks another step forward for the Biden administration’s ambitious climate agenda. The program, which President Joe Biden announced within days of taking office in 2021, is a modern version of the Climate Conservation Corps, the New Deal-era project that put 3 million men to work planting trees and building national parks.

During the ceremony, the inaugural members of the corps promised to work “on behalf of our nation and planet, its people, and all its species, for the better future we hold within our sight.” 

The American Climate Corps was among the first things Biden announced as president, but it took a while to secure funding and get started. More than 20,000 young people are expected to join during the program’s first year, according to the White House, with new openings appearing on the American Climate Corps job site in the months ahead. The pay varies depending on the location and experience required, with open positions ranging from around $11 to $28 an hour.

The administration is promoting the corps as a way for young people to jump-start green careers. In April, the White House announced a partnership with TradesFutures, a nonprofit construction company, a sign that the program might help fill the country’s shortage of skilled workers who can help electrify everything. The White House will also place members in so-called “energy communities” like former coal-mining towns to help with environmental remediation and other projects.

“Whether it’s managing forests in the Pacific Northwest, deploying clean energy across the Southwest, or promoting sustainable farming practices throughout the heartland, the president’s American Climate Corps is providing thousands of young Americans with the skills and experience to advance a more sustainable, just tomorrow,” White House climate advisor Ali Zaidi said in a press release on Tuesday.

[astrolook]

Sun In Synastry : The Light They Bring Or Burn You With

Note: First of all, these are my personal observations based on client readings and what I have observed in real life relationships whether flings, short-term romances, long-term commitments, or marriages. We will be looking into both good and the shadow side of it. No single synastry aspect determines if a relationship is “meant to be” or if someone is your soulmate. True soulmates won’t bring you constant pain, abuse, emotional neglect, or detachment. They won’t harm you, manipulate you, or make you question your worth.

Now, with that said… let’s dive into today’s post! ✨

Sun in 1st house:

The Sun person is instantly drawn to the house person's presence, style, and energy, like a moth to a flame. You hype each other up like having a personal cheerleader. You don't feel the need to impress the Sun person as just being yourself is enough. This overlay creates an undeniable sense of "We just fit".

Now, the bad is that if one person has a fragile ego or jealousy, competition can creep in. The Sun person here would make the house person feel like a supporting character in their own life. Sometimes, this placement manifests as them being too comfortable with each other early on can lead to treating each other more like siblings or just a "buddy" rather than lovers.

Sun in 2nd house:

The Sun person sees the house person as valuable in some way. This creates a strong sense of mutual support and building together. Can work well in practical marriages or partnerships and also a stable goal-oriented relationships.

This placement can be seen with business partners or business romances. The house person might feel used if it isn't mutual. Can lack passion and deep emotional bond.

Sun in 3rd house:

The conservations between you both never dry. Endless chatter about anything and everything. The sun person thinks the house person is witty and logical. The house person would feel mentally alive and heard around the Sun person. Both parties feel comfortable and relationship feels natural here. Can build a lasting mental connection.

The Sun person may find the house person predictable. It feels right to the Sun person but not exciting. In some cases, the couples lacks sexual chemistry and need other aspects for passion.

Sun in 4th house:

Feels like instant family and deep emotional intimacy. The house person feels safe and comfortable around the Sun person. The Sun person might help the house person to heal their childhood wounds. Both of them could develop a strong desire to build a home or live together.

The house person can become too emotionally dependent. The house person might project their family issues onto the Sun person. Sun person might feel drained by house person’s emotional needs. I've seen in marriages where if things go south, it even resulted in a divorce. More comfort than passion.

Sun in 5th house:

This overlay gives instant chemistry that's fun, flirty and full of romantic energy. Sun person lights up the house person’s creative and playful side. There is mutual admiration and both of you make each other special. If kids are involves, there is a strong loving bond around them.

In some cases, it can feel more like a fling or a one-night stand than a real relationship. House person may see the Sun person as childish or too playful. Can burn hot and then fizzle out fast. If one person wants long-term and the other just wants fun, it gets really messy. I've seen this overlay on single parent households where the Sun person is absent from the kids life.

Sun in 6th house:

The Sun person helps the house person stay on top of their game in terms of health, work, and routine. Both of them know you can count on each other. This synastry overlay points to a productive lifestyle. It could be a great working partnership or supportive relationship. In marriages/LTR, I've seen this overlay manifest as the couple adopt pets which serves as a bonding factor for them.

In some cases, might feel like co-workers or roommates than lovers. House person might feel nagged about their habits by the Sun person. If unbalanced, resentment can build over time.

Sun in 7th house:

Sun person ticks all the boxes for what the house person wants in a partner. You feel like you belong together. It can be great for marriages and LTR or partnerships. Both of you just get each other.

On the flip side, The love-hate dynamic is very real. You admire them but also want to strangle them. They can be overly dependent on each other. Fights can be brutal but this relationship would feel like fated. If not balanced, one person compromises too much.

Sun in 8th house:

The Sun person feels the connection in the house person's soul. There is an intense magnetic pull and high sexual energy. The Sun person shines a light on the house person’s inner demons which can be healing or horrifying. Together they could explore the themes of psychology, occult or spiritual awakening as well.

The house person may hate the Sun person and hates to be seen with them. If the house person isn’t attracted? Major ick. They might cringe at the Sun person’s presence and behavior. Sometimes one of them has the upper hand and it can get toxic fast. In some cases, these relationships could feel like a walking PR disaster. You get me?

Sun in 9th house:

This overlay is where the Sun person idealizes the house person sometimes to the point of idolization. Late-night existential debates and long walks after midnight are common with these two. I've seen this overlay in travel vlogging couples. The Sun person expands the house person’s worldview, pushing them to think bigger. They could be inspiring and lifting each other up.

The house person may blindly follow the Sun person or reject them outright if they push too hard. In some cases, the Sun person talks too much and the house person has to listen and gets bored fast. Sometimes, the Sun person can come off as preachy like an annoying guru or act like a know-it-all and the house person tend to tune out completely. If one person is too rigid, this dynamic can feel overwhelming or dismissive.

Sun in 10th house:

This overlay is great for business partnerships where both of them has strong ambition and shred goals. The Sun person motivates the house person to reach their full potential.they see each other as high-value individuals. The Sun person boosts the house person’s public image & confidence. This can be a “power couple” dynamic if both are goal-oriented.

In some cases, this overlay seems transactional rather than real partnership. One of them could be focused more on status than love. The Sun person may dominate or try to control the house person’s career choices. The house person may feel pressured to impress or live up to expectations. If the Sun person loses respect for the house person, the relationship can fall apart fast.

Sun in 11th house:

Well, this is a relationship built on camaraderie and mutual respect. They accept each other’s quirks and support individuality. they may introduce each other to new friends or professional networks. This overlay can support long-term relationships as friendship is a key element in lasting love. They may enjoy humanitarian work or social activism together. The couple could even adopt kids.

Sometimes may feel more like "best friends" rather than lovers. Actually this could lead to a platonic or casual connection rather than a passionate one. The Sun person might take the lead in social settings, which could make the house person feel overshadowed.

Sun in 12th house:

This overlay could feel otherworldly. The Sun person illuminates the house person’s subconscious, dreams, and hidden fears. There’s often a sense of deep understanding without words like reading each other’s souls. If both individuals are emotionally evolved, this can be a highly healing and compassionate connection.

One or both may not see the relationship clearly at first. This overlay also can be seen in crushes or favorite artists where the house person could be completely unaware of the Sun person's existence or their feelings. It can create feelings of longing or a sense that the connection is just out of reach. If boundaries are weak, one person might sacrifice too much for the other, leading to resentment or exhaustion. Another overlay for single parent households.

Check out my post about Synastry Red Flags!

✨💫 DM me for a complete astrology reading / synastry compatibility reading and check out my pinned post for pricing! 💫✨

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - March 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles! I’m almost finished with February’s doodles, sorry for the delay

1. Charles Darwin saw this Galápagos bird on Floreana Island in 1835, then it wasn't seen again for almost 200 years

“The Galápagos rail […] had been deemed locally extinct – and due for reintroduction from other Galápagos islands – until it was seen during recent fieldwork. [… “R]emove the invasive threats, and native species can recover in remarkable ways,” says Island Conservation’s Paula Castaño.”

2. Bill supporting free student meals passes through Utah legislature

“[The bill] would move thousands of students who qualify for reduced-cost school meals into eligibility for free breakfasts and lunch. […] H.B. 100 secures $2.5 million from the state’s education budget to help students from families who do not qualify for federal aid like SNAP or TANF.”

3. Indigenous leaders sign landmark carbon deal in Philippines

“[The deal establishes] the country’s first locally owned forest carbon project. The project, which places a monetary value on the potentially climate-warming carbon stored in trees, aims to halt deforestation through the sale of carbon credits — effectively making the forest more valuable alive than cut down.”

4. Powerful Speeches From Trans Dems Flip 29 Republicans, Anti-Trans Bills Die In Montana

“Transgender Reps Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell delivered powerful speeches on the Montana House floor on Thursday. Republicans defected en masse to join them in voting against anti-trans bills. […] One Republican even took the floor to deliver a scathing rebuke of the bill’s sponsor.”

5. Illinois proves states have a lot of power to advance clean energy

“[Two new bills] aim to evaluate the state’s current power grid, make it easier to expand the transmission system, and add a ton of new battery storage[…. Illinois already] has one of the cleanest grids in the nation thanks to bountiful nuclear power.“

6. ‘I feel real hope’: historic beaver release marks conservation milestone in England

“”We are visibly, measurably recovering nature and that is so exciting[….]” [… In] recent years, beavers have been returning to our waterways via licensed releases into enclosures and some illegal releases. […] Last week, the government announced that, with a licence, it is now legal for conservationists to release beavers into the wild, with no enclosures necessary.”

7. One of South Dakota’s largest wind farms just got the green light

“Invenergy says the new South Dakota wind farm will pump $78 million into landowner payments over the next 30 years, while local governments will see $38 million in property tax revenue. [… T]he project is expected to create 243 construction jobs and support eight long-term operational roles.”

8. The Antarctic ozone hole is healing, thanks to global reduction of CFCs

“[The] new study is the first to show, with high statistical confidence, that this recovery is due primarily to the reduction of ozone-depleting substances, versus other influences such as natural weather variability[….] "By something like 2035, we might see a year when there's no ozone hole depletion at all in the Antarctic.””

9. Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico rebound this year

“The number of monarch butterflies wintering in the mountains west of Mexico City [doubled] in 2024 despite the stresses of climate change and habitat loss[….] Tavera Alonso credited ongoing efforts to increase the number of plants the butterflies rely on for sustenance and reproduction along their flyway.”

10. Pip in final egg means bald eagles Jackie and Shadow should soon be parents of triplets

“Triplets would be unprecedented for the eagles in a decade of observation. […] The [third] eaglet is "actively working on getting out of the egg." […] The two already-hatched chicks, who will be named by the public in the days to come, are "looking much stronger than they were even yesterday[….]””

February 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[theeternalwomb]

Phases of the menstrual cycle broken down for divine feminine & divine masculine who are invested in a romantic connection:

Message: hello!, I'm very excited about this post, I've been working on it all day and felt called to talk about this because in a lot of divine feminines lives right now we're focusing on learning to alchemize and transmute energy and how to best prepare for our manifestations and make the proper decisions to keep ourselves in alignment BUT a good amount of divine feminines are also in the energy of seeking out an awakened masculine or cultivating good energies in their connections. This is a magnificent way to create further spiritually inclined connections in your relationships but also to move into the energy of enlightenment as individuals. I also will say that if you're mensurating be wary of physical sex on your cycle while actively bleeding as it can form soul ties, it's meant to solidify attachments and strengthen the ability to share energy in romantic connections. if you're a woman in general be wary of opening up and allowing anyone in your womb, please be discerning and choose wisely.

(There will also be a shortly summarized version on my Instagram for reposting and sharing purposes if you want to share this type of information with friends and loved ones who may not be on this platform! My Instagram: @theeternalwombtarot)

****

phase one: The Menstrual cycle (days: 1-5) / "Winter" / The New Moon

physical symptoms: fatigue, cramps, bloating, headaches, lower back pain, and breast tenderness

emotional symptoms: low mood, irritability, fatigue, and emotional sensitivity

hormonal changes: low estrogen and progesterone, drop in hormones triggers menstruation

spiritual meaning: rest, release, and renewal. letting go, shedding what no longer serves you physically (biologically) and energetically, and preparing for new beginnings.

themes: reflection, introspection, purification & renewal.

spiritual practice & priority for divine feminine: meditation and grounding techniques, journaling, and rituals of release and healing. embrace and lean into intuition and release emotional baggage and limiting beliefs. embrace themes that come up to the surface to come out by acknowledging, surrendering control and worry, and seeking out new perspective and spiritual guidance. You're going to want to hone in and pay close attention to the body and emotional strain at this time to help you best navigate what needs to be put down or released. use the body at its most heightened to guide you in the direction of alignment and enlightenment. prioritize your happiness and peace.

divine masculines role at this time: further aid in themes of the menstrual cycle by creating an environment of rest, relaxation, and harmony. Study the woman and her needs and desires (both on an emotional and physical-biological human scale). Pour back into her through creating solace in her time of rest and relaxation. Attempt to control disturbing influences as much as possible to conserve divine feminines remaining energy left over and reserved for her rebirth and renewal. Move forward in the energy of compassion and service. Take on her needs and emotional state as if it were your own in order to be productive and fulfilling at this time. Move into the energy of compassion (to feel as she feels and to also feel sorrow for her and thus have desire to alleviate suffering and then do so.)

phase two: The Follicular Phase (days: 6-14) / "Spring" / Waxing Crescent

physical symptoms: increased mood, higher motivation, skin may begin to clear, light discharge

emotional symptoms: increased mood, higher motivation, increased creativity, mental clarity

hormonal changes: rising estrogen, FSH stimulate follicle growth in ovaries, and the uterine lining will begin to thicken to support a fertilized egg.

spiritual meaning: growth, new beginnings, and rising energy. Time for planting new seeds (like ideas, intentions, and projects) and feeling excited for and embracing growth.

themes: creativity, rebirth, expansion, and manifestation

spiritual practice & priority for divine feminine: this is a good time for divine feminine to set intentions, start new projects, and embrace creativity. visualization during meditation, affirmations, and rituals focused on manifestation is best for this phase. divine feminine should shift focus into project planning and pull from naturally flowing creative energies at this time and capitalize on both tapped and untapped talents to accelerate growth and expansion in her life. she should use her creativity, charm, and imagination to her advantage to bring forth abundance in the world around her and profit off of romanticism. Both in romanticizing her life and in her relationships and appealing to others.

divine masculines role at this time: increase romantic energy in the connection and work towards heightening close interpersonal intimacy through action and positive affirmation. The tongue, the mouth, and the throat chakra are powerful at this time. Plan dates, appeal heavily to the love language, and create unfaltering closeness with the woman. create heaven in her reality to better house her angelic and transformative energy at this time. Lean further into your spirituality as you become one with her during this phase through manifestation, prayer, and further acknowledgment of her divinity and connection to the divine. through your harmony with her from a genuine and aligned place, you too will prosper. You can tap into her natural flow of creativity and expansive energy and leverage your own intentions through required openness and respect for the feminine and the feminine cycle, mutual support, shared focus, mutual intentions, and rituals that honor both energies. (tantric sex or alike included.)

phase three: The Ovulation Phase (days: 14-16) / "Summer" / Full Moon

physical symptoms: increased libido, cervical mucus changes (clear & stretchy), mild to intense cramping to help the release of egg.

emotional symptoms: increased confidence, more sociable, higher libido

hormonal changes: luteinizing hormone (produced by the pituitary gland) surge triggers ovulation, high estrogen, brief rise in testosterone.

spiritual meaning: often linked to the peak of summer and the full moon. This period in the menstrual cycle represents abundance, fertility (both literally & metaphorically), and connection. Seen often as a time of heightened energy, power and creativity.

themes: fertility, creation, peak power, connection to others, and potential.

spiritual practice & priority for divine feminine: an ideal time for socializing, connecting with others, or performing rituals focused on abundance, fertility (i.e. sacred baths and cleansing rituals, sex and physical intimacy or tantric practices, spiritual and ancestral rituals, etc.) and gratitude. Many also use this time for creative expression and celebrating their accomplishments as manifestations can be both conceived and reaped and harvested at this time. Divine feminine should be focused on obtaining personal success and self-fulfillment and pleasure at this time. This is a good time for her to capitalize on personal power and energy and transmute passion into energy to move forward and obtain desires. The ovulation phase is a good time for networking and collaborating on projects and progress forward. She will work well in groups with partners or a partner and will excel in learning and implementing lessons and information.

divine masculines role at this time: The divine masculine's duty at this time is to pour into divine feminine through presence and attentiveness, affirmation and acknowledgment, emotional and physical connection creative collaboration and support, physical support and care, respect, and space for self-expression and celebration of her divine feminine energy. divine masculine can offer his full, undivided attention and listen closely to divine feminines needs, desires, and dreams. being present in a time of high intuition and peak power allows him to further honor her wisdom and creativity but also move in the energy of co-creation and further manifestation for his life. spend quality time with divine feminine at this time and prioritize her and her energy. This is also a good time for divine masculine to encourage and provide access to self-care rituals whether they be a paid service or things he does himself. this is a good time for divine masculine to move forward in the emotional and physical realms through his connection to divine feminine much like his ability to co-create or bring prosperity to his life during the follicular phase. He should move forward in the energy of leadership, confidence, and assertiveness in both physical and emotional realms. passion and intimacy with the woman is heavy and significant at this time, pour into her and strengthen thyself. strengthen your outside support by moving in a similar energy by balancing strength and empathy while being open and flexible to others needs and addressing those needs and providing necessary output. Take divine feminine to events and environments where her sociable demeanor can bring you more money, partnerships, and support. Let her be the face of your power and influence. Flaunt, flaunt, flaunt. Show off and prioritize the feminine. Your prize is in your possession. Your sigil is within her. Let her double the success you share, multiply it, and bring it back home with the both of you. Your good luck charm and prosperity token is within the divine feminine. Carry her around in your pocket or leave her at home on the altar you built for her to relax and flourish.

phase four: The luteal phase (days: 16-28) / "Autumn" / Waning Moon

physical symptoms: bloating, mood swings, breast tenderness, fatigue, increased appetite, acne, irritability (PMS and PMDD symptoms)

emotional symptoms: irritability, mood swings, anxiety, sensitivity, depression, craving comfort

hormonal changes: high progesterone, estrogen decreases, hormone levels drop if pregnancy occurs.

spiritual meaning: it's a time of slowing down, turning inwards, and preparing for rest. It's a phase of reflection, harvesting lessons, and preparing for the upcoming menstrual cycle.

themes: harvest, reflection, inner work, slowing down, and transformation

spiritual practice & priority for divine feminine: this phase is ideal for introspection and releasing what no longer serves you much like the entirety of the menstrual cycle itself. grounding practices like yoga, journaling, shadow work and meditation are common spiritual practices at this time. Bask in all three elements in your top three or allow for those elements to be prominent in spaces of relaxation. This is a good time to assess accomplishments and plan for the future. Your job at this time and area of priority divine feminine should be focused on clear boundaries and clear communication and working through mental and emotional blockages that create disruption in your life and emotional body through inner work. We want to try our best to see through the lens of heightened emotion clearly as often times fear and anxiety based distortion is present within us during the luteal phase. Ask yourself what your frustration, fear, sadness, or other complex emotions right now mean to you, what is your body or intuition trying to tell you, and what do you need to communicate to others effectively to further yourself or obtain peace? Get clear and work through illusions and deception. A time like this beckons emotional warfare out of you, your perseverance is needed. prepare yourself and move in the energy of transformation and transition. Baggage will be shed and released throughout the menstrual cycle.

divine masculines role at this time: At this time divine masculine must ready himself to opposite the divine feminines energy to be proactive and create the ideal environment for rest and rebirth. Do your due diligence to create the safest, most abundant environment in all ways necessary. similar to how the male in nature may help build a nest and sing to create a soothing environment or may take over and build the nest entirely on his own to prepare for incoming change and laboring. invest both financially, spiritually, and energetically into creating the optimal environment. your job during the luteal phase is to curate a safe space, your job as divine feminines hard work begins and the menstrual cycle starts is to keep her warm and tend to her in the safe space you built and brought the resources to.

****

notes:

divine feminine if you are single take into consideration beginning to period track whether it be with a calendar or with an app while you're looking for a divine masculine or are in a position where you're looking for love. this way you already know and have known for quite a while when phases of your cycle begin and what takes place during these times.

another thing I really think is interesting is research on what foods are best eaten through different phases of the menstrual cycle, this can also help divine masculine better prepare for your cycle during the luteal phase while he gets things in order for you to enter a period of rest, there are various charts on these things on Pinterest, I could make another post about that specifically another time.

tantric sex practices or rituals or similar intentional intimacy practices could be really good to implement during high energetic phases of the menstrual cycle to help divine masculine tap into your energy that you're radiating and give him the privilege of co-creating a reality with you or aid in him further manifesting abundance in his life. (do be mindful of period sex and soul ties, if you do not intend for him to stay divine feminine keep this in mind.)

also do your job as a divine feminine to choose your partners wisely as his ability to do these things for you and move with you through these phases of your life are incredibly important especially in states of high power or even energetic vulnerability, I touched briefly on how important it is that divine feminine invest her time in relationships that are emotionally and spiritually safe as you are wide open if you make the wrong choice or give your power away.

[jinx-xxed]

Broken Bones

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆ .。.:*

A/N; Just a quick thing because I couldn’t get this scene out of my head 🤕 also an important note; when it says the rifle can fold think Caitlyn Kiramman’s gun from Arcane S1 because I think it was so cool and I’m obsessed with that mechanic 🙏

Summary; Some new guys think it’s a good idea to try and threaten you.

Content; Harassment, vague threats of sexual assault, you’re an inventor/mechanic, your weapon is a rifle, blood and injury, (subtle) protective Wriothesley

Wc; 2k

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆ .。.:*

You blow out a breath, leaning back from your work. The metal on the pipe glows red hot before beginning to cool, securely welded in place. Another successful pipe swap finished, which means this sector of the Fortress is done and you can cross it off your long list.

You hang in the air, suspended high above the ground by harnesses and ropes. It’s a new thing you tested out in order to reach the higher piping and mechanics within the Fortress, and it’s been working beautifully. Wriothesley nearly had a heart attack when he first saw you suspended hundreds of feet in the air, but you assured him you were fine. It turned out to be fun once you got used to it, sitting above everything else in the Fortress and getting lost in your work. You secure your blow torch to your belt, lifting your goggles to properly inspect the welding. You run your gloves along the pipe, testing its stability and making sure everything will hold.

You tasked yourself with replacing a bunch of the major piping within the Fortress, finding it would provide better energy conservation and also faster energy transfers. Wriothesley was all for it, letting you take the lead on the project and trusting your judgement. You have two more areas left to complete, each one taking about a day to finish.

Once satisfied with your inspection, you begin to lower yourself to the floor by loosening the ropes and using your feet on the wall to control your speed. You hit the metal safely, a soft breath escaping you with relief. You’re always just a little paranoid that a rope will snap and leave you to splat on the floor like a bug.

You start detangling yourself from all your equipment, placing your tools carefully in your bag and undoing the harness. You finally wriggle out of it when you hear footsteps behind you. You turn, expecting to find Wriothesley coming to inspect your work but instead see three unfamiliar, male faces. You instantly straighten, brows furrowing slightly. This area of the Fortress is mostly empty and unused; they have no reason to be in these tunnels.

“Can I help you, sirs?” You ask, voice holding a cold bite to it. You don’t recognize any of them so you can only assume they’re fairly new inmates. Their eyes are unfriendly, their expressions unreadable. They’re all taller than you, with only one seeming to have decent muscle mass.

The one at the head of the pack shrugs, sniffing. “Dunno, maybe. Are you the one that’s real buddy-buddy with His Grace?” The way he says Wriothesley’s title is mocking and it instantly lets you know what their intentions are.

“I hear they’re more than just buddies.” The second one snickers.

The first nods, a slimy smirk on his face. “Right, right. She’s his plaything, huh? You’re too cute to be with a stupid bastard like him.”

You glower as they continue to get closer. “Do you actually need something or did you come here just to be fucking weird?”

“You could probably give us something, yeah. We want benefits, princess, and you’re gonna get ‘em for us from your manwhore.” He continues. They’re fully in your space now with your back an inch from the wall and them pacing around you like sharks. “Better meals, days off from the factory, coupons. Maybe even some time with you, huh?” The other two chuckle along with him.

His eyes and uneven teeth glint in the dim lighting. “Life’s too hard down here for newbies like us. Surely you can find it in your heart to agree. All you gotta do is ask, princess. And if you don’t…” He shrugs again, considering the alternative. You catch the glint of a knife on the second one and you wonder where in the hell he got that. The guards should’ve frisked him, they should’ve caught it. Although, when you take another look, it seems to be a piece of rusty old metal sharpened into something deadly and stuck onto a piece of wood. Hell, it might even be a chunk from the pipes you’d been taking out.

“If you can’t handle simple prison life then you’re just massive wimps. Wriothesley is more than gracious in his rule down here and you should be grateful he gives scum like you anything at all.” You snap, glaring harshly. “Although don’t count on having anything left after this.”

The main guy scoffs in disbelief. “Oh, please. I can see His Grace hasn’t done anything about your mouth yet. Guess you need a real man to do that, right? Should we send you back with something to remember us by?”

He reaches towards you. He makes to grab your wrist, to pin you against the wall and do whatever he wants.

He never gets the chance. Not before there’s a resounding, sickening crack through the metal tunnel and he’s laid flat on the floor. You hold your rifle backwards in your hands, having just slammed the steel butt of it into the guy’s jaw hard enough to break bone. It had been folded and attached to the back of your belt, ready to come out at a moments notice. You press your lips together as you bring it down again directly on his nose, blood spurting from the pure, angry force behind it as he gives you a nice scream.

You flip your rifle in your hands and shoot it all in one smooth motion, the makeshift knife then flying out of the second man’s hand. You point the barrel at the other two, your eyes ablaze as they look at you with true fear, their hands going up. You motion from the one on the floor to the others. “Take your piece of shit friend and leave. Don’t let me ever catch you trying this again.”

They oblige, quickly forcing the one up while his shattered nose bleeds profusely down his front and he groans. Your gun follows them the entire time, your finger resting on the trigger. They leave in a panic, muttering something like “crazy bitch” as they do.

Once they’re out of sight and you can no longer hear their footsteps, you release a shuddering breath. You didn’t realize how bad your hands were shaking until now, and it makes you clutch your gun a little tighter. You’re surprised it’s taken this long for someone down here to try and use you to get at Wriothesley, honestly. You suppose the newbies haven’t been taught to fear you just as much as the Duke yet.

You swallow thickly, folding your rifle and putting it safely back on your belt. You quickly stuff the rest of your tools into your bag, slinging it over your shoulder and hurrying out of the tunnel. You do your best to ignore the blood spatter on the floor and on the toe of your boot.

» ☆ «

You flinch when there’s a knock on the door of your office. It startles you out of the trance you’d been in, engrossing yourself with the newest project on your work table. You don’t even need to get up to see who it is because the door opens anyway, revealing Wriothesley. He promptly shuts it again after stepping into your office. You pause your music and lift your goggles, looking at him expectantly.

He leans against the side of your table, arms crossed over his wide chest. “Heard you shattered someone’s nose today?” He asks lightheartedly, the corners of his lips upturned.

You sigh through your nose, shutting your eyes briefly. You knew he’d find out sooner rather than later, which is why you’d been hiding out in your work shop. “I know I shouldn’t have. I took it too far, I’m sorry-“

The amusement immediately drops from Wriothesley’s face, his brows furrowing. He laughs in disbelief. “What? No, no, that’s not what this is. I don’t give two shits about those guys. I think you should’ve shot them, honestly.” He spits. He takes a deep breath to calm himself, then looking at you earnestly. “I just want to know if you’re okay.”

You nod. “Yes, I’m fine. They didn’t touch me. They just threatened me.”

He hums in thought. “What happened down there? I want to hear it from you, not those idiot fuckers that cried wolf when I paid a visit to the infirmary.”

“Well, I was doing work on the pipes and I had just finished when I heard someone coming into the tunnel. I thought it was you at first, but I saw them instead. I didn’t recognize them so I figured they were new. They were aware of my relationship with you and decided to try to use me to get you to give them benefits, like better Welfare meals and coupons and stuff. They tried to put me against the wall and the one tried to grab me and that’s when I broke his nose.” You explain. “Oh, and the bigger one had some kind of makeshift knife. Don’t know where he got it or how he made it but I shot it out of his hand.”

Wriothesley stares at the wall, hand idly placed over his mouth, thinking things over in his mind. Theres a long pause before he finally shakes his head, a frustrated sigh leaving him. “I had a feeling those three would be trouble.” He mumbles before looking at you. “You did good, sweetheart. I’m glad you protected yourself. I’m sorry you had to deal with that bullshit.” One of his hands cups your cheek, the familiar cold of his rings soothing.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” You say, leaning into his touch as his thumb rubs back and forth across your skin.

“You say that, but it is, technically.” He responds, remorse glistening in his eyes. No matter what you tell him, you know he’ll blame himself for whatever trouble befalls you in the Fortress. He thinks that since it’s his domain, he should be able to control what happens entirely—but nobody’s that powerful, especially in a land of criminals. “From now on, I’m sending a guard with you when you work on the pipes.” You start to protest but he cuts you off. “It’ll make me feel better. I know you can handle yourself but I’d rather avoid it coming to that if we can.”

“Fine, I guess.” You mutter and he smirks, leaning down to kiss your pouty lips.

He pulls away but just barely, your faces inches apart as he studies you to the point it makes you squirm. “Why didn’t you come to me?” He asks at last.

You fidget with your hands, debating your answer. “I just… I don’t know.. I guess- I guess I just thought it wasn’t a big enough deal. I’d handled it… somewhat.”

He straightens with a huff, hands resting leisurely on his hips and looking down at you. It vaguely makes you feel like a child getting scolded. “Anything’s a big deal when it concerns you. Next time come to me, alright? I need to know about these things, and I’d rather hear it from you than from some lowlifes. Agreed?”

You nod in defeat. “Agreed.”

“Good. Now, it’s late and you’ve had a long day, so you should go back to our room and get some sleep, hm?” He says, tilting your head up with a gentle hold on your chin. “I have some business to take care of but I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

You narrow your eyes at him, having a feeling you know what “business” he means but he merely smiles at you, always refusing to show his hand, even when it’s you. He walks back to his office with you, stopping at the door to give you a kiss on your forehead before you go your separate ways.

Those three men are about to have a very, very bad night.

[gatheringbones]

[“The return of the salmon comes less than two months after the end of the dam removals in California and Oregon, an effort that took decades of advocacy by the surrounding tribes—including the Yurok, Karuk, Shasta, Klamath and Hoopa Valley, among others—whose people have deep ties to the Chinook salmon.

Ron Reed, a Karuk tribe member and traditional fisherman, participated in the campaigns for dam removal, advocating that the river’s restoration would help salmon recover. He isn’t surprised the fish have returned so quickly to their ancestral waters, he tells the Los Angeles Times’ Ian James.

“The fact that the fish are going up above the dams now, to the most prolific spawning and rearing habitat in North America, it definitely shines a very bright light on the future,” Reed tells the Los Angeles Times. “Because with those dams in place, we were looking at extinction. We were looking at dead fish.”

In one poignant case, tens of thousands of Chinook salmon died off in the span of days in 2002, as the water quality in the dammed Klamath River deteriorated from the lack of flow. The dams, built between the early 1900s and 1962, also contributed to algae blooms and diseases, and they blocked the salmon’s annual migration.

The mass salmon deaths helped spark decades of advocacy from Klamath tribes and conservation groups. In November 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the $500 million project. The first dam to be destroyed, Copco No. 2, came down in fall 2023. Beginning in January this year, the remaining three dams had their reservoirs drained and their infrastructure removed. For the first time in more than a century, the river flowed freely by the end of August.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

🦾 - High-Five for Bionic Hand

1. Houston-area school district announces free breakfast and lunch for students

Pasadena ISD students will be getting free breakfast and lunch for the 2023-24 school year, per an announcement on the district's social media pages.

The 2023-24 free lunch program is thanks to a Community Eligibility Provision grant the district applied for last year. The CEP, which is distributed by the Department of Agriculture, is specially geared toward providing free meals for low-income students.

2. Dolphin and her baby rescued after being trapped in pond for 2 years

A pair of dolphins that spent nearly two years stuck in a Louisiana pond system are back at sea thanks to the help of several agencies and volunteers.

According to the Audubon Nature Institute, wildlife observers believe the mother dolphin and her baby were pushed into the pond system near Grand Isle, Louisiana, during Hurricane Ida in late August 2021.

3. Studies show that putting solar panels over waterways could boost clean energy and conserve water. The first U.S. pilot project is getting underway in California.

Some 8,000 miles of federally owned canals snake across the United States, channeling water to replenish crops, fuel hydropower plants and supply drinking water to rural communities. In the future, these narrow waterways could serve an additional role: as hubs of solar energy generation.

4. Gene therapy eyedrops restored a boy's sight. Similar treatments could help millions

Antonio was born with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over his body and in his eyes. But his skin improved when he joined a clinical trial to test the world’s first topical gene therapy.

The same therapy was applied to his eyes. Antonio, who’s been legally blind for much of his 14 years, can see again.

5. Scientists develop game-changing vaccine against Lyme disease ticks!

A major step in battling Lyme disease and other dangerous tick-borne viruses may have been taken as researchers announced they have developed a vaccine against the ticks themselves.

Rather than combatting the effects of the bacteria or microbe that causes Lyme disease, the vaccine targets the microbiota of the tick, according to a paper published in the journal Microbiota on Monday.

6. HIV Transmission Virtually Eliminated in Inner Sydney, Australia

Sydney may be the first city in the world to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Inner Sydney has reduced new HIV acquisitions by 88%, meaning it may be the first locality in the world to reach the UN target to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030

7. New bionic hand allows amputees to control each finger with unprecedented accuracy

In a world first, surgeons and engineers have developed a new bionic hand that allows users with arm amputations to effortlessly control each finger as though it was their own body.

Successful testing of the bionic hand has already been conducted on a patient who lost his arm above the elbow.

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

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Also don’t forget to reblog.

[reason-with-the-underdog]

genre-savvy alhaitham, a threadfic

ok remember that textpost about a kid being born with pink hair and the parents thinking "oh no...she's a main character"

imagine this with alhaitham, he's born with grey hair (his parents have green hair, which is normal in teyvat)

& then his parents die => his tragic backstory

but his grandmother recognises the risks & helps alhaitham avoid the narrative focus:

she lets him grow at his own pace & not at the plot's convenience

alhaitham avoids the orphan trope of secretly badass/important parents

he avoids the bullying backstory (was allowed to homeschool)

but then she passes (not a surprise, given her age, but still sad nonetheless). alhaitham arranges her funeral and then enrolls in akademiya & is well prepared to live a peaceful life out of the light of the narrative

...and then kaveh finds him in the house of daena and alhaitham looks at his blond hair (not that common in sumeru) & that earnest do-gooder energy & boundless curiosity and--

oh, that's a protagonist if alhaitham ever saw one. hm

kaveh's determination to befriend alhaitham somehow works (offering to do research with a near-stranger wouldn't work on most people but it works for alhaitham. call that protagonist privilege he guesses)

being kaveh's friend is... enlightening. his grandmother never wanted alhaitham to seek out the limelight, but he can't help gaining a reputation as he spends more time with the kshahrewar's shining star student

and...he doesn't mind being known as kaveh's best & favorite friend

but being the protagonist's best friend unfortunately means witnessing the protagonist's "struggle arc"

- the long sleepless nights doing extra work for classmates

- the backlog of letters from kaveh's mother who lives abroad piling up on kaveh's desk under increasing coursework

- the nasty rumors from students about his dead father and outright bullying from the grand conservator who takes an instant dislike to kaveh's confidence

- always saying "yes" to extra curricular projects offered by professors

alhaitham sees it all. and he doesn't like it

see, the problem is kaveh never had someone like alhaitham's grandmother in his life

someone who would warn him off from standing out too much too early, who would protect him from unwanted& undue expectations from others

which is why kaveh is now near buckling under that weight

alhaitham wouldn't normally interfere, but

well, he's supposed to be the protagonist's best friend, right? surely some well-meant advice won't hurt....

(as writers would later put it: famous last words)

anyways, years pass.

kaveh goes off and makes a name for himself, just as alhaitham always knew he would. protagonist or not, kaveh was the kind of rare intellectual with the ambition and dedication to achieve any goal he set his mind to

alhaitham quietly works his way into a good stable job that more than pays his bills while giving him free time to pursue his hobbies. perfect for a side character like him who has no interest in anything more

(once he thought of upgrading from side character...but times change)

he gets appointed scribe. he attends a meeting between a few sages. and he hears information that would up-end sumeru society as he knows it

...aka, this is the start of a major plot arc. and alhaitham's one of the few who knows that something's even happening at all

alhaitham doesn't want to get involved. why should he? the sages' plan is sacrilege, sure, but alhaitham feels no loyalty to a distant god

his own quiet life would be the same regardless of azar's plotting

and anyways, shouldn't the protagonist be the one called to action?

where's kaveh right now? oh, off to the desert for work, according to the brief note he left in the living room along with that month's rent

....a written note because kaveh is very maturely /avoiding/ alhaitham right now instead of perhaps undergoing character development 🙄

ok but thinking about it....

does alhaitham want to wait for kaveh to come back from his desert job and rush straight into the mess that the sages are making

because kaveh may be the protagonist, sure, but not all protagonists make it to the end of the story....

alhaitham might have to temporarily shed his chosen role of "side character"...... this isn't ideal but somehow the idea of kaveh getting into a shouting match with the sages over their anti-arts oppression and their limited worldviews is even less appealing....

which is to say alhaitham is very happy to meet the traveller (and their strange little flying companion paimon)

and also meet the general mahamatra cyno

and the flame mane dehya

(ok to say that alhaitham is "happy" to meet them is closer to gross overstatement than truth but regardless, pleased.

after all, these are three very viable protagonists to take the stage away even if kaveh returns early)

and that's it folks, im just laughing at the idea of alhaitham not wanting to be the protagonist but also preferring for kaveh to sit back down, stop putting himself in danger for once in his life--

and hello cyno/dehya/traveller, please do something suitably heroic and seize the protagonist role safely away

and then because alhaitham is acting "out of character" the narrative rewards him by pushing HIM into the protagonist role (masterminding the plan to free nahida while distracting azar and foiling the sages' plans for hijacking jnagarbha day)

which is to say,

its all well and good to be trope savvy and choose to live within whatever bounds you prefer

but when you're actually living inside the world in which your story unfolds, it's really hard to tell from the inside who the main character is

[reasonsforhope]

Holy crap, I didn't think Biden would be able to get the Climate Corps established without Congress. This is SUCH fantastic news.

--

"After being thwarted by Congress, President Joe Biden will use his executive authority to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps that will serve as a major green jobs training program.

In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ more than 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

The climate corps had been proposed in early versions of the sweeping climate law approved last year but was jettisoned amid strong opposition from Republicans and concerns about cost.

Democrats and environmental advocacy groups never gave up on the plan and pushed Biden in recent weeks to issue an executive order authorizing what the White House now calls the American Climate Corps.

“After years of demonstrating and fighting for a Climate Corps, we turned a generational rallying cry into a real jobs program that will put a new generation to work stopping the climate crisis,” said Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group that has led the push for a climate corps.

With the new corps “and the historic climate investments won by our broader movement, the path towards a Green New Deal is beginning to become visible,” Prakash said...

...Environmental activists hailed the new jobs program, which is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, as part of the New Deal...

Lawmakers Weigh In

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, had also encouraged Biden to create a climate corps, saying in a letter on Monday that “the climate crisis demands a whole-of-government response at an unprecedented scale.”

The lawmakers cited deadly heat waves in the Southwest and across the nation, as well as dangerous floods in New England and devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, among recent examples of climate-related disasters.

Democrats called creation of the climate corps “historic” and the first step toward fulfilling the vision of the Green New Deal.

“Today President Biden listened to the (environmental) movement, and he delivered with an American Climate Corps,” a beaming Markey said at a celebratory news conference outside the Capitol.

“We are starting to turn the green dream into a green reality,” added Ocasio-Cortez, who co-sponsored the Green New Deal legislation with Markey four years ago.

“You all are changing the world,” she told young activists.

Program Details and Grant Deadlines

The initiative will provide job training and service opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, including restoring coastal wetlands to protect communities from storm surges and flooding; clean energy projects such as wind and solar power; managing forests to prevent catastrophic wildfires; and energy efficient solutions to cut energy bills for consumers, the White House said.

Creation of the climate corps comes as the Environmental Protection Agency launches a $4.6 billion grant competition for states, municipalities and tribes to cut climate pollution and advance environmental justice. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants are funded by the 2022 climate law and are intended to drive community-driven solutions to slow climate change.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the grants will help “communities so they can chart their own paths toward the clean energy future.”

The deadline for states and municipalities to apply is April 1, with grants expected in late 2024. Tribes and territories must apply by May 1, with grants expected by early 2025."

-via Boston.com, September 21, 2023

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #16

April 26-May 3 2024

President Biden announced $3 billion to help replace lead pipes in the drinking water system. Millions of Americans get their drinking water through lead pipes, which are toxic, no level of lead exposure is safe. This problem disproportionately affects people of color and low income communities. This first investment of a planned $15 billion will replace 1.7 million lead pipe lines. The Biden Administration plans to replace all lead pipes in the country by the end of the decade.

President Biden canceled the student debt of 317,000 former students of a fraudulent for-profit college system. The Art Institutes was a for-profit system of dozens of schools offering degrees in video-game design and other arts. After years of legal troubles around misleading students and falsifying data the last AI schools closed abruptly without warning in September last year. This adds to the $29 billion in debt for 1.7 borrowers who wee mislead and defrauded by their schools which the Biden Administration has done, and a total debt relief for 4.6 million borrowers so far under Biden.

President Biden expanded two California national monuments protecting thousands of acres of land. The two national monuments are the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which are being expanded by 120,000 acres. The new protections cover lands of cultural and religious importance to a number of California based native communities. This expansion was first proposed by then Senator Kamala Harris in 2018 as part of a wide ranging plan to expand and protect public land in California. This expansion is part of the Administration's goals to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The Department of Transportation announced new rules that will require car manufacturers to install automatic braking systems in new cars. Starting in 2029 all new cars will be required to have systems to detect pedestrians and automatically apply the breaks in an emergency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects this new rule will save 360 lives every year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.

The IRS announced plans to ramp up audits on the wealthiest Americans. The IRS plans on increasing its audit rate on taxpayers who make over $10 million a year. After decades of Republicans in Congress cutting IRS funding to protect wealthy tax cheats the Biden Administration passed $80 billion for tougher enforcement on the wealthy. The IRS has been able to collect just in one year $500 Million in undisputed but unpaid back taxes from wealthy households, and shows a rise of $31 billion from audits in the 2023 tax year. The IRS also announced its free direct file pilot program was a smashing success. The program allowed tax payers across 12 states to file directly for free with the IRS over the internet. The IRS announced that 140,000 tax payers were able to use it over their target of 100,000, they estimated it saved $5.6 million in tax prep fees, over 90% of users were happy with the webpage and reported it quicker and easier than companies like H&R Block. the IRS plans to bring direct file nationwide next year.

The Department of Interior announced plans for new off shore wind power. The two new sites, off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine, would together generate 18 gigawatts of totally clean energy, enough to power 6 million homes.

The Biden Administration announced new rules to finally allow DACA recipients to be covered by Obamacare. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an Obama era policy that allows people brought to the United States as children without legal status to remain and to legally work. However for years DACA recipients have not been able to get health coverage through the Obamacare Health Care Marketplace. This rule change will bring health coverage to at least 100,000 uninsured people.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized rules that require LGBTQ+ and Intersex minors in the foster care system be placed in supportive and affirming homes.

The Senate confirmed Georgia Alexakis to a life time federal judgeship in Illinois. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 194. For the first time in history the majority of a President's nominees to the federal bench have not been white men.

[genderkoolaid]

Hi. People listen to you more than they'll listen to me, so I hope it's okay to ask, but could you help share whatever mess is currently happening with the german elections & trump celebrating the nazi uprising. No one is talking about it and it's driving me insane.

“I’m devastated,” said David, 32. “And I’m scared and sad.” Preliminary results suggested that although the conservative CDU/CSU bloc had won the largest share of the vote (29%), likely to be the second force in the parliament was the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which garnered about 20% of the vote. Polls had long predicted this result, said David, who declined to give his surname. But now the question was what exactly it meant for the millions of Germans who were either racialised, like him, or who are migrants. [...] Half of the country’s voters had chosen to cast their ballot for either the CDU/CSU bloc or the AfD, pointed out Gian Mecheril, 32. “That means that the coalition of fascists with the conservative party is possible,” he said. “It’s a danger.” On Sunday night Merz again insisted there was “no question” of entering into coalition with the far-right party. But for the millions of Germans who regard the AfD as an unprecedented threat, that is of little comfort, particularly after a campaign marked by political rhetoric against migrants, while issues such as country’s ailing economy, deteriorating infrastructure or housing crisis were seemingly ignored. “The campaign was just filled with racist diversions from the actual problems we face,” said Flo, 19. “I’m anxious about what comes next.” The result was a divisive election that had helped to legitimise the far right, said Ella, 30. “The CDU’s win comes on the shoulders of the AfD,” she said. “They worked with them, they normalised them.” Tens of thousands sought to fight back in recent weeks, taking to streets across Germany to protest against the far right and the AfD’s co-leader, Alice Weidel, as she backed the mass deportation of migrants and peddled a party whose ranks include members who have played down the horrors of the Holocaust and chapters that have been designated as “rightwing extremist” by security authorities. “I would say the AfD is the ridiculous monster our period needs to have,” said Willi Schultz, 32, in a reference to the oft-cited quote attributed to Antonio Gramsci: “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.” He contextualised the AfD support within the wider, global surge of backing for rightwing populists – a link reinforced during the election as Elon Musk used his influence to tout the AfD, describing it as the only party able to “save Germany”.

In a post on social media — written entirely in capital letters — Trump did not mention either Merz or his party by name, referring to “THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN GERMANY,” but argued that the country’s swing to the right was part of a political shift that Germany shared with the U.S. “MUCH LIKE THE USA, THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY GOT TIRED OF THE NO COMMON SENSE AGENDA, ESPECIALLY ON ENERGY AND IMMIGRATION, THAT HAS PREVAILED FOR SO MANY YEARS,” Trump wrote. “THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD J. TRUMP. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL — MANY MORE VICTORIES TO FOLLOW!!!”

[khitty]

To those of you that say "voting for Biden is voting for genocide". I understand where you're coming from. But you have to understand that a lack of voting is still incredibly bad. Inaction is still action.

This is essentially the trolley problem. I'm pulling the lever to vote blue. I hate Biden for his endorsement of genocide. But letting the Republican party win is allowing for even more abuse alongside the genocide of Palestinians.

Biden is shit but he relieved student loans. He won't pack the Supreme Court with Republicans. He is much more in support of climate control and clean energy. Is attempting to work with indigenous communitites for conservation of land. He has facilitated an easier process for those looking to immigrate into the US. Protected DACA. Protected lunch programs.

There are more reasons to vote for Biden than just to prevent project 2025 (and of course, project 2025 is awful).

Please please please! Vote Blue! And don't stop there. Be active in your local elections. Don't just vote every 4 years. Vote for your local representatives and senators. I know it seems honestly hopeless, but there are in fact representatives that support the issues listed, and more (including Palestine!). Look up your local representatives running in these upcoming months. Do research to help protect our rights.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - January 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. Landmark debt swap to protect Indonesia’s coral reefs

“The government of Indonesia announced this week a deal to redirect more than US$ 35 million it owes to the United States into the conservation of coral reefs in the most biodiverse ocean area on Earth.”

2. [FWS] Provides Over $1.3 Billion to Support Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Outdoor Access

“Through these combined funds, agencies have supported monitoring and management of over 500 species of wild mammals and birds, annual stocking of over 1 billion fish, operations of fish and wildlife disease laboratories around the country, and provided hunter and aquatic education to millions of students.”

3. Philippine Indigenous communities restore a mountain forest to prevent urban flooding

“Indigenous knowledge systems and practices are considered in the project design, and its leaders and members have been involved throughout the process, from agreeing to participate to identifying suitable land and selecting plant species that naturally grow in the area.”

4. Responsible Offshore Wind Development is a Clear Win for Birds, the U.S. Economy, and our Climate

“[T]he total feasible offshore wind capacity along U.S. coasts is more than three times the total electricity generated nationwide in 2023. […] Proven strategies, such as reducing visible lights on turbines and using perching deterrents on turbines, have been effective in addressing bird impacts.”

5. Illinois awards $100M for electric truck charging corridor, Tesla to get $40M

“The project will facilitate the construction of 345 electric truck charging ports and pull-through truck charging stalls across 14 sites throughout Illinois[…. E]lectrifying [the 30,000 daily long-haul] trucks would make a huge impact in the public health and quality of life along the heavily populated roadways.”

6. Reinventing the South Florida seawall to help marine life, buffer rising seas

“[The new seawall] features raised areas inspired by mangrove roots that are intended to both provide nooks and crannies for fish and crabs and other marine creatures and also better absorb some of the impact from waves and storm surges.”

7. Long Beach Commits to 100% All-Electric Garbage Trucks

“[Diesel garbage trucks] produce around a quarter of all diesel pollution in California and contribute to 1,400 premature deaths every year. Electric options, on the other hand, are quieter than their diesel counterparts and produce zero tailpipe emissions.”

8. ‘This Is a Victory': Biden Affirms ERA Has Been 'Ratified' and Law of the Land

“President Joe Biden on Friday announced his administration's official opinion that the amendment is ratified and its protections against sex-based discrimination are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.”

9. A Little-Known Clean Energy Solution Could Soon Reach ‘Liftoff’

“Ground source heat pumps could heat and cool the equivalent of 7 million homes by 2035—up from just over 1 million today[…. G]eothermal energy is generally considered to be more popular among Republicans than other forms of clean energy, such as wind and solar.”

10. Researchers combine citizens' help and cutting-edge tech to track biodiversity

“Researchers in the project, which runs from 2022 to 2026, are experimenting with tools like drones, cameras and sensors to collect detailed data on different species, [… and] Observation.org, a global biodiversity platform where people submit pictures of animals and plants, helping to identify and monitor them.”

January 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)