#Repair Legislation

[uvaldecomputerrepairsstuff]

The Right to Repair: Why It Matters for You and Your Devices

In recent years, there’s been a growing movement advocating for the “Right to Repair.” But what does that actually mean, and why should you care? At its core, the Right to Repair is all about empowering consumers like you to have control over the devices you own—whether it’s your smartphone, laptop, or even your car. Let’s dive into what this movement is, why it matters, and how it affects you as…

[gefnet]

California's Right to Repair bill

Apple Backs "Right To Repair" marking a huge turn in the movement.

iFixit is the authority on fixit guides for tech devices/gadgets. It’s also the the driving force being the “Right To Repair” movement which is a cause to make companies like Apple, Dell, HP, Samsung etc. the ability to let their customers easy access to parts and supplies to fix the devices that they produce. If you’ve never been interested in repairing your own devices or your not in the…

[levelvii]

Was a cobbler for 6 years - can confirm they’re still around. Good ones will be able to do everything from replacing heels and soles to replacing zippers, tailoring boots, and modifying footwear to better suit disabled customer’s needs. That was one of my favorite things tbh, especially when it meant a unique solution for a given pair of shoes - getting to solve a puzzle in a way that benefits the wearer is very rewarding. Some modifications are pretty generic like adding Velcro straps to laced shoes, others less so, like making the entire heel of a shoe be able to Velcro open and closed so a customer with limited ankle mobility could more easily get them on. It’s also not unusual for larger shops to repair other leather goods - I fixed everything from purses and coats to real fur teddy bears, horse tack, and gazebo covers.

cobblers probably thought their profession would never die out. "people will wear shoes forever". true bitch but you did not account for other factors

[horreurscopes]

[the-cimmerians]

In 2022, Massachusetts residents voted in favor of a Fair Tax ballot measure to extra-super-duper-tax those earning more than one million dollars a year and to spend the revenue from that on education and transportation initiatives.

Naturally, there were the naysayers. Those who warned that all of the state’s rich people would move away to their very own Galt’s Gulch or whatever, if they were forced to pay a four percent tax on anything they make over a million dollars. The implication there, of course, is that raising this tax would, ironically, lead to the state collecting less revenue overall.

That didn’t happen! In fact, the state has already raised $1.8 billion in revenue so far for this fiscal year — which is $800 million more than they expected, and they still have a few months to go. The vast majority of the surplus will go to a fund that legislators can use for one-time investments in various projects.

The revenue has already been invested in universal school lunches, in more scholarships to public colleges, in improvements to the MBTA, and to repair roads and bridges. These are all things that will improve the quality of life for everyone, including the “ultra-rich” who happen to live there. The fact is, it’s just nice to live in a society that is more civil, that takes care of its people and its children and that fixes things when they are broken.

[ ]

Elizabeth Warren, Pramila Jayapal, and others have introduced bills in the House and Senate for a nationwide millionaire’s tax of two percent — two cents on the dollar for all wealth exceeding $50 million and six percent on all wealth over a billion dollars. This would bring in an estimated $3.75 trillion over 10 years, which we could use to improve the lives of all US citizens. We could have so many nice things!

It’s time to stop living in fear of what millionaires and billionaires — who have made their fortunes off of roads we’ve paid for and employees we’ve paid to educate — will do or where they will move if forced to pay their fair share. That’s no way to live. If they have some place better to go that won’t force them to contribute to improving their community? Let them. Other people will come along and be more than happy to pick up where they left off. But more than likely, they won’t do jack shit because they’re rich, and if they wanted to live someplace else, they’d be there by now.

[reasonsforhope]

"The California state government has passed a landmark law that obligates technology companies to provide parts and manuals for repairing smartphones for seven years after their market release.

Senate Bill 244 passed 65-0 in the Assembly, and 38-0 in the Senate, and made California, the seat of so much of American technological hardware and software, the third state in the union to pass this so-called “right to repair” legislation.

On a more granular level, the bill guarantees consumers’ rights to replacement parts for three years’ time in the case of devices costing between $50 and $99, and seven years in the case of devices costing more than $100, with the bill retroactively affecting devices made and sold in 2021.

Similar laws have been passed in Minnesota and New York, but none with such a long-term period as California.

“Accessible, affordable, widely available repair benefits everyone,” said Kyle Wiens, the CEO of advocacy group iFixit, in a statement. “We’re especially thrilled to see this bill pass in the state where iFixit is headquartered, which also happens to be Big Tech’s backyard. Since Right to Repair can pass here, expect it to be on its way to a backyard near you.” ...

One of the reasons Wiens is cheering this on is because large manufacturers, from John Deere to Apple, have previously lobbied heavily against right-to-repair legislation for two reasons. One, it allows them to corner the repair and maintenance markets, and two, it [allegedly] protects their intellectual property and trade secrets from knock-offs or competition.

However, a byproduct of the difficulty of repairing modern electronics is that most people just throw them away.

...Wien added in the statement that he believes the California bill is a watershed that will cause a landslide of this legislation to come in the near future."

-via Good News Network, October 16, 2023

[etechnewsglobal]

iPhone 14 and M2 Macs Now Part of Apple's Self-Service Repair Program

Apple expands its Self-Service Repair program to include the all-new iPhone 14 and the potent M2 Macs. The groundbreaking initiative, which permits users to take their device repairs into their own hands, continues revolutionizing how we interact with our devices and fosters a culture of tech empowerment. In the spirit of fostering autonomy and a DIY approach, Apple launched its Self-Service…

[kaijutegu]

I'm trying to come up with something clever to say here but I feel like I've been hit by a truck. In a good way. I never thought anything like this would pass in the Midwest, not even in a blue state like IL, because it's simply not the kind of thing anybody campaigns on or even talks about at the gubernatorial level.

This is honestly the perfect legal addendum to NAGPRA, and I'm thrilled it's at the state level. This type of legislation would be way too complex at the federal level, but the individual state responsibilities are manageable, and more importantly, doable.

Here's some of the highlights of what the law does:

It is now the state's responsibility to help return ancestral remains, funerary objects and other important cultural items to tribal nations

The state must follow the lead of tribal nations throughout the repatriation process.

Money must be allocated as part of the state Repatriation and Reinterment Fund to help with the costs of reburial, tribal consultation and the repair of any damage to burial sites, remains or sacred items.

Criminal penalties for the looting and desecration of gravesites are increased, and the law adds a ban on profiteering from human remains and funerary objects through their sale, purchase or exhibition.

Tribal nations must be consulted as soon as possible when Indigenous gravesites are unintentionally disturbed or unearthed — such as during construction projects. (We already had kind of a version of this, but it wasn't strong enough.)

IDNR must set aside and maintain land solely for the reburial of repatriated Native American ancestors and their belongings, as tribal nations have pointed to the lack of protected places for reburial in Illinois as among the highest barriers to repatriation.

Institutions that display human remains that are Native American and any items that were originally buried with those individuals (funerary items) cannot charge admission. You want to display looted grave goods? No money for you. (This is specifically targeting the Dickinson Mounds Museum, which is... well, it started as a guy's private display of Native American skeletons he personally looted. The state took it over in the 90s, but they didn't rebury any of the 230~ human skeletons.)

My favorite comment is this: When asked about what he would say to museums that may push back against the law, Illinois State Rep. Mark L. Walker said: “Too bad.”

[elodieunderglass]

Hi there! I need to write A Guy who is Extremely Narrowboat, for reasons, and the Narrowboat Guy you just posted is. well. Very much that-adjacent, I suspect. Do you have advice for a) what this Guy is like, and some tips on conjuring them into existence, or b) a good place to look for Narrowboat Things? (if this ask has come in twice I am sorry. Cursed)

No worries at all!

Post references: description of original character Ken who lives on a narrowboat, post about Ken describing characteristics of a quite normal boatie, picture of Ken trying to recruit you into his band (he will teach you how to sing maybe.)

Ken is a Very Boatie Boatie so you should be able to pick or extrapolate some aspects of his character from some of those. The overall smell, of course, being woodsmoke and diesel and slightly damp wool. Personalities range from shifty and feral, to surly, to normies, to chirpy influencers, to wide-eyed wanderers, but boaters are often (not always) daytime drunk. Ken’s a sunny inclusive one that strikes a careful balance between many boatie extremes; practical enough to do a lot of his own repair and maintenance, but silly enough to always have oil on his nose. Your character can fall anywhere on these spectrums!

People who live full-time on narrowboats are incredibly diverse, ranging from prosperous retirees in custom-designed floating houses worth hundreds of K, to people who are functionally homeless. They can be people who live permanently on moorings or marinas, or continuous cruisers who are completely nomadic, (or sensible plan-ahead people who pay a “winter mooring” fee to pause the “continuous cruising” rules during winter and get the best of both worlds.) Ask five boaters and get ten opinions. There are a thousand nuances and reasons why. Some people choose the lifestyle with excitement; for some, it’s forced on them. Some are right-wingers and some are left-wing and some are anarchists, but all of them are living in someone else’s back garden on charity-owned property. The only things they have in common are some basic boater characteristics, like cork-ball keyrings and a lofty resentment against anglers, and the fact that every boater has willingly chosen to marginalise themselves.

The UK has always been hostile to nomads, but is increasingly so now, and the various inconveniences of living without a fixed address add up to some material penalties. It’s not just slightly harder to pay bills, do admin, arrange childcare, commute, vote, etc. The liveaboard narrowboat community once prided themselves on being “the last legal nomads” in the British Isles; anti-traveller legislation has increasingly soured this, with laws being passed limiting everything from the use of wood-burning stoves (positioned by the anti-biofuel lobby in the Guardian as an eco thing. In London. I ask you.) to laws making it easier to remove off-grid children from their parents. And yet, due to housing pressures and the cheap sustainability of the lifestyle, the liveaboard population hasn’t dropped.

By going off-grid you are commenting, politically, in some way, about the grid. By stepping out of society you are agreeing to be a little bit out of society. You simultaneously cross many social classes, and don’t leave your own life at all. Your rights and worries are now shared with the legal rights of Travellers, the Roma, fairground workers, and the unhoused - to the point where the collective term for your community is G****y, Traveller, Roma, Showmen & Boater (GTRSB). (Yes the first one’s a slur, yes people know that - it’s still a community self-description for some, and essentially you’re expected to ignore it and not use the word.) ultimately, a boatie only has to be slightly sideways. A bit self-reliant. A bit willing to be outside.

Reference books? Well, Narrow Dog to Carcassonne is an exciting account; I read Narrow Escape by Marie Browne before moving aboard and appreciated her honesty. There are a lot of influencers living aboard nowadays, but plenty of books abound. My friend Dru remains brave and true and is a trans woman in some tricky days, so you can buy some poetry books from her Etsy shop to keep her afloat and hear from boaters.

I lived aboard for years and am happy to answer questions - maybe Ken could do his own information post! A boater character is a wonderful, rich, textured thing. What would you like to know?

[parvulous-writings]

Your writing is so cool!!!!! I love your characterizations and your headcanons and the gifs you pick <333333

May I request the Arcane characters (your choice on who and how many, so long as Silco’s in there!) being given something handmade from their s/o? (Matching bracelets, sweater, plushie, etc.) 👉👈 thank you!

Warnings: None, I don't think!

Notes: Is Silco's a little odd now I step back and look at it? Yes. However. It makes sense, in my head. I think.

Edit; (I forgot before posting) Thank you, kind anon! I take great pride in how I portray characters! I'm glad you enjoy them! The gifs I use I try to match to the vibe, and are all found on Tumblr! My requests are currently open! My request post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist! 

Silco

You gave Silco a trinket for his desk. A cute little crocheted figure - that seemed like nothing more than an ineffective paperweight to most. But to Silco, it was something that he felt tied the whole space of his desk together. When not doing paperwork, it is one of the only things on the desk at all. And it’s certainly the only thing in his office at all with any pop of colour. It was his little faux companion - a way for the room to not feel as isolating as it usually was. He wasn’t entirely sure if you had done it on purpose, to give him that sense of company, but he was grateful for it, regardless. 

It’s usual spot is in front of the picture of him and Jinx, both serving as a reminder to him of the family that he had managed to build, from nothing, and despite what he had been through. He stares at both items very often, no matter the time of day. If he’s stuck in some paperwork, or listening idly to Sevika or a lower grunt make a report, his eyes will slowly drift towards that corner of his desk. It brings him a lot of security, for being such a small thing. Knowing that it was made by your hands is likely what makes it mean so much to him. 

Once, it completely vanished from his desk, and he was furious. He had been on the verge of a screaming match with whomever even looked at him wrong all day. Only when it is safely returned to his desk does he calm down - even though the only time it ever really leaves his desk is for repairs or touch-ups, he’s grown attached to the little thing. Even though it’s inanimate, he’s… Bonded to it. 

He’s only taken it out of his office himself on very select occasions. Namely, ones where he feels perhaps a mite exposed, or nervous. Of course, outwardly, no one would be able to guess this. His stoic expression never shifted, and his stare was something that most cowered away from. Anyone who would have even thought of Silco having something as sweet as a small crocheted item tucked away in his coat would have easily been dismissed as mad. 

God forbid you make him more than that initial one. He’s badly attached to the first, and the same will go for all the others that you may make him. And though he doesn’t ‘officially’ name them, or anything like that, but he knows if and when one of them is out of place - and he rarely goes back to his baseline mood until he knows that they are all back in their spots, safe and sound. "No, the one with the blue shirt sits by the one with the black shirt. Yes... Yes, just like that. Much better, don't you think?"

Mel

You weave Mel a small bracelet for a special achievement or occasion; a birthday, and anniversary, a particularly good step in legislation that you know that she’s been trying to push for you don’t know how long. You presented it to her in a little box, topped with a neat bow, and the face that she had made when opening it? That spark of curiosity in her eye, that morphed into sheer, unadulterated joy when she saw what it was? Bliss - priceless bliss. 

She wears the thing everywhere, except for when she’s bathing - she doesn’t want to risk it being damaged by getting wet. It doesn’t matter to her whether or not it matches with her outfit, she’ll find some way to incorporate it. She absolutely loves talking about it, too - if someone asks about it, she’ll spend a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes explaining to them that you made it for her, what occasion you gave it to her, and then proceed to gush about you some more - how talented you are, how wonderful you are, how much she loves you. It’s perhaps the only instance she will ever break that collected air about her. 

She also asks that you make yourself one, or better yet, teach her how to make them, so she can make you one for yourself. “So we can match,” She’d tell you, with a happy smile on her face. Even though you’re not in the public eye nearly as much as she is, being able to wear something that’s matching with her means a great deal to Mel. A little, unspoken connection between the two of you. 

If she ever loses the bracelet or it becomes damaged beyond repair, she’s rather upset. It doesn’t outwardly last for very long - she tells you the sad news with an incredibly despondent look, handing you the threads if she has them. After that, she moves on. At least, that’s how it appears to the untrained eye. But you notice how her fingers drift to her wrist, trying to fiddle with fabric that is no longer there. Or, if it’s an occasion where she’d wear it in her hair instead, it’s hard to miss the way that her fingers will still try to seek it out, to no avail. You can’t bear it for more than a week before you give her a new one - just the same as the original, but all the more meaningful to her. You had known, noticed how much she missed it. She’s ever so thankful to have such an attentive and creative partner.

Vander

Vander has a very… Minimal wardrobe - and unfortunately, most of his articles are falling apart, or have holes in them. He does a lot of repairs for them himself; for having such big hands, he’s surprisingly adroit with a needle and thread. With a rather considerable supply of rags, he saw no real reason to splash out money on himself when it could easily be spend on other, better things - clothes for the children, or small needed improvements for The Last Drop. He’s had handmade things given to him before - mostly twisted bracelets, from Powder. 

So when you hand him the big, thick jumper you had spent a week making? He was stunned. Grateful, but stunned. And he absolutely loves it. It’s a dark blue - a similar shade to a couple of other items in his wardrobe, so clearly you had been paying attention to what he had been wearing and what colours looked good on him - or at any rate, what colours you liked to see on him. And the fit was wonderful, too. He made a joke about you taking his measurements in his sleep, to which you both heartily laughed. 

From then on, almost every evening, you see him wearing it once the sun goes down. Before you had made it, he very rarely wore anything with long sleeves, other than the old jacket he wore when leaving to go out and about. Whenever someone asks him about his sudden change in style, he replies with a simple; “Nights are getting cold down here, now.” Regardless of whether that’s true or not, that’s the story he sticks with. He hates having to part with it in Summer time, but… Even he has to admit that it is just far too hot to wear during that time of year. 

He washes it ‘himself’ - by that, I mean he makes sure that it’s back in his possession the very moment that it’s dry enough to wear again. He doesn’t part with it for any longer than what he thinks is absolutely necessary. You’ve had to devise a system where it’s one of the first things to be washed on laundry days - that way there was a much better chance of it being dry come sundown. And he’s incredibly grumpy if you have to take it to sew any wear-and-tear - you never tend to have it for more than a day, but you can tell the question of ‘when am I getting it back?’ simmers just below the surface. 

Ambessa

You tailor her a cloak. Yes, she has many, and yours doesn’t stand out too much when put beside any of the other bespoke pieces she’s had made  for herself. But to Ambessa? It is a wonderful thing; easily one of her favourites. Simply because you had turned your hand to a craft, for her. She sees it as an act of devotion - even if, in comparison to the other acts she has been shown by the people beneath her, it is small. 

She wears it only to the most intimate of occasions; an evening spent with you savouring cuisine, or perhaps a night spent at the theatre house. Very rarely has it ever been used for more political meetings. When it is, it’s usually one-on-one, and for the reason that wearing something so personal makes any outside party think Ambessa is being open with them; making them more relaxed in the process. If she’s wearing it in front of someone other than yourself, it’s always as a political choice. 

She doesn’t wear it enough for it to get damaged naturally, but there is a chance that it may get torn via other means. Most likely a blade. If someone dared to do so, she would be furious - plain and simple. Any rapport that the opposing figure may have built with her would disappear in an instant, as quickly as the cut was made. Because despite her never really telling you - or anyone - anything about how she felt about this particular cloak, it meant a great deal to her. It meant more to her than any of the other cloaks in her extensive wardrobe. 

Ambessa doesn’t demand you make another one for her, nor does she dwell on the fact that the first one has been ruined or destroyed. She just… Makes you aware, disposes of the tatters, and leaves it at that. She doesn’t seem to be all that bothered by it - but she is. She knows the time and care that went into making it, she knows of the toils that you went through to make sure she had something made by you to wear. She also knows that if you want to make her another, you will do so of your own decision and accord - she doesn’t need to force you. Beyond that - if you choose to make her another one, it’ll just further prove to her your devotion. 

Viktor

You made Viktor a pair of gloves - it can get rather cold in the lab when the sun isn’t streaming directly through the large windows. For the first few days you think that he really likes the gift! He had thanked you heartily when you had given them to him, clearly appreciating the time and effort that you had put into them. It wasn’t until you visited him during one of his multiple-day stints in the lab when you realised he… Wasn’t wearing them. At all. They were neatly placed, one on top of the other, at the end of one of the cluttered desks. 

Viktor notices the way you eye that corner of the desk several times throughout your visit. Eventually, when you bring it up, he gives you a very simple answer; “Unfortunately, though they are warm… The fingers make it rather difficult for me to complete my more… Delicate tasks, where dexterity is key.” He shrugs, turning his attention back to his desk. So, it isn’t that he doesn’t appreciate your gift to him, it just makes his job slightly more challenging - as if it isn’t already, at some points. He assures you, though, that he wears them to and from the laboratory when he feels it is too cold for him. 

So, you decide to make him another pair - this time with some changes. Instead of making fingered gloves, you make mittens… With a button on the back so that Viktor could pin the top back, letting him still wear the mittens as he completed the various fiddly tasks his research needed. From then on when you visit, you don’t see the mittens discarded at the corner of his desk waiting for the end of the day, but instead on his hands where they belonged. 

To say that Viktor is thankful for your gift - especially this revised version - is an understatement. For far too long he had just powered through the inconvenience of being a bit cold most of the time. Now, he had a way to be comfortable, and do his job at the same time. And truthfully, it felt like an absolute game changer. No longer were his fingers and joints stiff and at points struggling to stay as steady as he needed them to. No longer did he have to deal with the gruelling wait of trying and willing his hand to be still for a moment. And no longer does he have to rub his hands together like some neglected waif, he just has to pop his mittens on and just keep on working. They quickly become a stable of the bag he takes to the lab; he rarely ever leaves without them, if ever.

Jayce

You knit Jayce a scarf - only a small one, a first project, but Jayce loves it. When you first hand it to him, he cradles it in his hands as he gazes down at it, almost on the verge of tears. He used to have many pieces like this made for him, by his mother - but as he grew older, they became less frequent. Not that he blamed his mother, of course, he understood that getting older meant there were other responsibilities they both had to perform. But to have a handmade item now, in his hands, he’s overjoyed. It’s simple in its design - just a deep blue, but he loves it. 

He wears the damn thing everywhere he can - during Autumn. Winter, Spring. Any time there’s even the slightest of breezes, out comes the scarf. You find it quite sweet, really, the fact that something so simple was something that meant so much to him. “Well, of course I love it,” Jayce replies when you ask about it, sounding mildly annoyed that you thought he wouldn’t. “You made it for me. You could have thrown it out, frogged it, or donated it… But you didn’t. And I’m… I love you for it. Well, for more than that, but…” He’d laugh quietly at himself. “... You know what I mean.” 

He wears the thing so much, that soon enough - much sooner than he’d have liked - the poor article is starting to fall apart. He’s in denial about it for quite a while, too - he’d rather do anything other than admit to himself that one of his favourite pieces of clothing is coming to the end of it’s time. Eventually he gets to the point where he packs the scarf away - better to have it stored for him to get out from time to time, than for it to completely crumble and have to be thrown away. He sulks for a long time after this, a long time. He misses his scarf. Sure, it’s ‘just a bit of clothing’, but to him it was almost like a part of him at some points. 

So, you make him another one as a surprise. This one is a bit more complex than the last one, with varying colours, and even some tassels on the end. It’s a variety of blues this time - light to dark and back to light again, and quite a bit longer too. And the face that Jayce made when he unwrapped the tissue paper you had put it in? It was so clear to see the more boyish side of him, the one that wasn’t often seen even by you. He held it close to his face for a moment, before all but pouncing onto you and peppering you with kisses and various words of thanks. To say that he’s just a happy man would be the understatement of the year. He absolutely loves the fact that not only did you make a scarf for him once, but you loved him enough to do it again. It truly astounds him, and his heart is set on finding a way to pay back that love. 

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - January 15, 2024

🎊 - As we embark on another journey around the sun, I am thrilled to bring you the first newsletter of the year, packed with inspiring, informative, and sometimes downright amusing stories.

1. Marijuana meets criteria for reclassification as lower-risk drug

Marijuana has a lower potential for abuse than other drugs that are subjected to the same restrictions, with scientific support for its use as a medical treatment, researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration say in documents supporting its reclassification as a Schedule III substance.

2. South Korea passes law banning dog meat trade

The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law. The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat.

3. After 20 years in a tiny cage, these 'broken bears' are finally feeling the grass beneath their paws

These bears, termed "broken bears" due to physical and psychological trauma from years of abuse, are treated at the Tam Dao rescue center with individually tailored diets, physiotherapy, and medical care. The bear bile trade, which involves extracting bile for traditional Asian medicine, has been illegal in Vietnam since 2005, but a black market still exists.

4. France just got its first openly gay prime minister.

Gabriel Attal is France’s youngest-ever prime minister at age 34 and the first who is openly gay.

5. Australian ‘builders without borders’ repairing war-torn homes and schools in Ukraine

Manfred Hin, a 66-year-old builder from Townsville, Australia, spent most of 2023 volunteering in Ukraine to rebuild homes and schools damaged by Russian attacks. Having contributed to over 50 house and a dozen school renovations, he worked with Ukrainian charity Brave to Rebuild, mentoring young volunteers and sourcing three tonnes of donated tools.

Inspired by Hin's story, Tasmanian carpenter Hamish Stirling also joined the efforts, learning Ukrainian, traveling to Europe, and volunteering for three months to help rebuild homes.

6. The age-standardized death rate from cancer has declined by 15% since 1990

The age-standardized death rate from cancer declined by 15%

Cancer kills mostly older people – as the death rate by age shows, of those who are 70 years and older, 1% die from cancer every year. For people who are younger than 50, the cancer death rate is more than 40-times lower (more detail here).

7. Germany Reached 55% Renewable Energy in 2023

In 2023, 55 percent of Germany’s power came from renewables — an increase of 6.6 percent, according to energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur, reported Reuters. Europe’s biggest national economy has a goal of 80 percent green energy by 2030.

---

That's it for this week :)

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[beardedmrbean]

Legislation under the moniker “right to repair” has now been introduced in all 50 states, marking a major milestone in this grassroots consumer movement.

GNN has reported on the march of right to repair laws across the US, but also the kind of entrepreneurialism they engender: like an aftermarket auto parts company that makes replacements for well-known faulty components in automobiles.

Passed in New York, Minnesota, Colorado, California, and Oregon, Wisconsin just became the final US state to introduce some sort of right to repair laws.

In broad terms, all of these bills would generally guarantee a consumer’s right to access replacement parts for devices and machines, repair manuals or other relevant documents for expensive products, diagnostics data from original manufacturers, and even in some cases, such as automobiles, appropriate tools necessary for maintenance.

They may also ban the use of technological protection measures, sometimes called “software locks” that are designed to restrict repair only to authorized repair technicians.

“Americans are fed up with all the ways in which manufacturers of everything from toasters to tractors frustrate or block repairs, and lawmakers are hearing that frustration and taking action,” Nathan Proctor, right to repair director for consumer rights group PIRG, told 404 Media’s Jason Koebler, who has been tracking right to repair legislation for 10 years.

OF A SIMILAR SPIRIT: 580 Repair Shops Form a Flourishing Subculture Fixing Toasters, Electronics, Coffee Makers and Lamps

He details that at first, big tech and big engineering, such as Apple, John Deere, and others, ardently lobbied against these bills, saying that trade secrets protections would be violated if they were forced to turn over diagnostics, telemetry, or other insider data to non-company actors.

The progressive difficulty with which modern products, particularly electronics, are designed prevents most amateurs from being able to repair them if they break.

MORE RIGHT TO REPAIR NEWS: EU Approves Groundbreaking New ‘Right to Repair’ Laws Requiring Appliances to Be Easier to Fix

Screws are forsaken in favor of plastic locking toggles which break if removed, fuse or wire cover panels are replaced with jointless polymer molded covers, both of which and many more examples besides are designed to deter the fix-it-minded folks enough so that they will just throw the product away and buy a new one.

Electronic waste is one of the largest sources of non-recyclable landfill waste, and hopefully enough of these right to repair bills pass that some of these millions of powerstrips, lamps, phones, computers, and televisions can be kept out of the ground.

[reasonsforhope]

"California has approved a bill to help address the dark side effects of the externally glitzy fast-fashion sector, putting the onus on manufacturers to implement repair and recycling programs. 

According to CalMatters' Digital Democracy project, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 on Sept. 28, more than a year after the bill began making its way through the state legislature. 

The act seeks to address the growing problem of waste from the fashion industry. CalMatters notes in its analysis that the Golden State tossed more than 1.3 million tons of textiles in 2018. 

As it stands, the state ships 45% of the items that are donated overseas, which contributes to environmental pollution, and once there, much of it still ends up in landfills, where it produces potent heat-trapping gases such as methane. 

In Ghana, for example, which has seen its beaches polluted by fast-fashion waste, 40% of the 15 million garments received each week are discarded. All in all, despite the fact that 95% of California's materials are recyclable, only 15% of clothing and textiles are reused. 

Democratic state senator Josh Newman, the bill's sponsor, told the Guardian that these concerning figures inspired him to take action.   

"We worked really hard to consult with and eventually to align all of the stakeholders in the life cycle of textiles so that at the end there was no opposition," he explained. "That's an immensely hard thing to do when you consider the magnitude of the problem and all of the very different interests."

According to the Guardian, the program is expected to go into effect in 2028, with its numerous backers anticipating it could create as many as 1,000 jobs in the Golden State. 

Details are still being hammered out. However, garment manufacturers who aren't already participating in eco-friendly programs will have incentives to adopt greener practices, with recycling collection sites and mail-back programs among the possibilities.  

And while some have worried that small businesses and mid-sized brands could be disproportionately impacted by the legislation and end up passing on the prices to consumers, Newman estimates that the cost should be less than 10 cents per garment or textile."

-via The Cool Down, October 3, 2024

[jjmcquade-misc]

California's Endless Highway: A 17-Year Odyssey Under Governor Newsom

March 27, 2025

SACRAMENTO - For 17 years, California Governor Gavin Newsom has presided over a highway project that has become a symbol of ambition, delay, and political theater. What began as a promise to revolutionize the state’s transportation infrastructure has morphed into a saga of grandiose announcements, ballooning costs, and minimal progress. As the current date marks March 27, 2025, this article chronicles the timeline of this elusive highway, critically examining the gap between Newsom’s triumphant rhetoric and the stark reality on the ground.

2008: A Vision Takes Root

The story begins in 2008, when California voters approved Proposition 1A, authorizing $9.95 billion in bonds to fund a high-speed rail system, not a traditional highway. Newsom, then mayor of San Francisco, championed the project as a transformative step toward a sustainable future. While this initiative was technically a rail project, it laid the groundwork for Newsom’s later focus on transportation infrastructure, including highways, as he ascended to the governorship. The rail’s promise of connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco captured imaginations, but it also set a precedent for ambitious timelines and optimistic funding projections.

2019: Newsom Takes the Helm and Shifts Focus

Upon becoming governor in January 2019, Newsom inherited the high-speed rail project, already mired in cost overruns and delays. In his first State of the State address, he acknowledged the rail’s challenges, scaling back the original vision to a 171-mile segment between Merced and Bakersfield. Yet, alongside this recalibration, Newsom began emphasizing broader infrastructure goals, including highway improvements. That year, he signed an executive order redirecting some gas tax funds, raised under Senate Bill 1 of 2017 -from road repairs to rail and transit, prompting criticism that highway maintenance was being sidelined. Still, he promised accelerated highway construction to complement the rail, framing it as part of a “build more, faster” agenda.

2020-2022: Promises Amid a Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped California, Newsom’s administration leaned into infrastructure as an economic recovery tool. In 2021, he touted a $13 billion investment in transportation, including highway upgrades, funded partly by federal stimulus dollars. Press releases highlighted plans to repair bridges, widen lanes, and enhance safety on major routes like Highway 99. Yet, progress reports were scarce, and critics noted that much of the funding was earmarked for planning rather than construction. By 2022, Newsom announced the “substantial completion” of preparatory work on several highway projects, but ground-level evidence, such as visible construction, remained limited.

2023: Streamlining and Celebration

In May 2023, Newsom unveiled a legislative package to streamline infrastructure projects, including highways, by cutting bureaucratic red tape. Standing at a solar farm site in Stanislaus County, he declared, “We’re building more, faster,” promising thousands of jobs and modernized roads. The Los Angeles Times reported that this initiative aimed to leverage $180 billion in state and federal funds over a decade. Later that year, he signed the package into law, celebrating it as a historic reform. However, specific highway projects, like the widening of Highway 46 in San Luis Obispo County, remained stalled, with funds still held in reserve.

2024-2025: Milestones or Mirage?

Fast forward to 2024, and Newsom’s administration claimed $13 billion had been invested in transportation that year alone, with a focus on “climate-resilient roads and highways.” Press releases cited new bike lanes, bridge repairs, and wildlife crossings along Interstate 15 as evidence of progress. On January 7, 2025, Newsom broke ground on a railhead near Bakersfield, doubling down on his transportation legacy with a nod to highway synergies. Yet, as of March 27, 2025, no single highway project spanning his 17-year political career, from his mayoral days to now, has been fully completed and operational under his direct oversight, raising questions about the substance behind the fanfare.

The Money Trail

Financially, the picture is murky but staggering. Since 2008, the high-speed rail project alone has consumed over $20 billion, with estimates now exceeding $128 billion for the scaled-back Merced-Bakersfield line, according to official updates. Highway-specific spending is harder to isolate, but Senate Bill 1 has generated billions since 2017, supplemented by federal funds like the $6.5 billion from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Caltrans reports suggest hundreds of millions have gone to highway planning and repairs, yet tangible results, completed miles of new or upgraded highway, remain elusive. Critics estimate that at least $2-3 billion has been spent on highway-related efforts under Newsom’s watch, with little to show beyond press conferences and partially funded initiatives.

The Current Reality

Today, California’s highways are a patchwork of aging infrastructure and incremental upgrades. Highway 99, a frequent target of Newsom’s promises, still suffers from congestion and unfinished widening projects in Madera and Tulare counties. The Sacramento Bee noted in 2019 that $17 million for such work was deferred, a pattern that persists. Meanwhile, the high-speed rail, often conflated with broader transportation goals, inches along with 119 miles under construction in the Central Valley, hardly a highway, and far from the statewide network Newsom once envisioned.

Final Considerations: Propaganda vs. Reality

Governor Newsom’s 17-year highway narrative is a masterclass in political optics. His annual triumphant announcements, laden with phrases like “world-leading,” “transformative,” and “faster”, project an image of decisive leadership and progress. This propagandistic angle leverages California’s appetite for bold solutions, casting Newsom as a visionary tackling climate change, economic stagnation, and infrastructure decay. The reality, however, is a sobering contrast: billions spent, years elapsed, and a state still waiting for its promised highways.

The disconnect lies in execution. While Newsom’s administration excels at securing funds and crafting legislation, the follow-through, turning dollars into asphalt, lags. Environmental reviews, legal challenges, and shifting priorities (e.g., rail over roads) have bogged down projects, a fact he acknowledged in 2019 but has since glossed over. The money spent to date, potentially exceeding $3 billion on highways alone, has yielded planning documents and piecemeal repairs rather than a cohesive, completed network. The citizens skepticism, and with users decrying a “$128 billion train to nowhere” and questioning highway progress after 17 years.

In fairness, Newsom faces systemic hurdles, California’s stringent regulations and a fragmented funding landscape, but his reliance on hype over substance invites scrutiny. The governor’s narrative suggests a golden age of infrastructure is imminent; the facts reveal a state stuck in neutral, with taxpayers footing the bill for a dream deferred. As 2025 unfolds, Californians await not just announcements, but results.