#net zero goals

[thoughtlessarse]

High costs, local opposition and technical issues threaten the viability of the EU’s multi-billion euro gamble on CCS to decarbonise heavy industry. The European Union is betting on carbon capture and storage (CCS) to decarbonise heavy industrial emitters. The bloc has set ambitious capacity targets to that end: 50 million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030, rising to 280 million tonnes in 2040. But this will require a huge scaling up. CCS involves capturing CO2 from industrial emitters or power factories, liquefying it, and transporting the CO2 via pipeline, trucks or ships before storing it underground in depleted oil or gas reservoirs or saline aquifers. Today, there are only five operational CCS projects in Europe, capturing a total of2.7 million tonnes of CO2 (MtCO2) each year. Of this,1.7 MtCO2 (63 per cent of the total) is for natural gas processing in Norway, which is outside of the EU. So the strategy requires building a complex infrastructure network from scratch at significant cost. The European Commission has said Europe might need 19,000 km of CO2 pipelines by 2050 to meet this target. These plans could cost taxpayers up to €140 billion by 2050, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. But a joint investigation by several European newsrooms shows that recurring problems with high costs and technical issues are already threatening the success of three major CO2 transport and storage projects receiving EU support. 

continue reading

Well, most of the infrastructure is there, but it's being used to transport gas that will eventually create more CO2. The whole CCS scheme was invented so that the fossil fuel industry could continue selling their products.

[wisteriagoesvroom]

his sisters are 100% roasting him for this pic, i just know

[rayzonsolar]

The Role of Solar in Creating Net-Zero Cities by 2025: A Sustainable Future

In the global race to combat climate change, cities have taken center stage with an ambitious goal: becoming Net-Zero Cities by 2025. This vision involves eliminating or offsetting carbon emissions entirely to ensure a sustainable future. One solution is key to this transition: solar energy. As a clean and renewable energy source, solar power is at the forefront of transforming urban infrastructure and paving the way for a carbon-free future.

In this article, we explore the critical role solar energy plays in the movement toward net-zero cities. From energizing skyscrapers to powering public transport, solar has become the backbone of urban sustainability. We'll also highlight contributions from leading manufacturers like Rayzon Solar, whose innovations are turning the net-zero vision into reality.

Solar Energy: A Catalyst for Net-Zero Cities

Why Solar Power?

Solar power isn't just another renewable energy option—it's an essential component of the net-zero movement. Unlike fossil fuels, which emit harmful greenhouse gases, solar energy harnesses the sun’s rays to generate electricity without pollution. This makes it a cornerstone for cities aiming to reduce their carbon footprints by 2025.

Urban centers around the world are adopting solar technology at an accelerating pace. From solar-powered streetlights to electric buses, cities are reimagining their landscapes with sustainability at the forefront. This shift is crucial for achieving renewable energy goals, ensuring urban growth doesn’t come at the environment’s expense.

For more insights on how solar energy is reshaping urban environments, read here.

The Benefits of Solar for Urban Development

Solar energy offers cities a multitude of benefits that help achieve net-zero status:

Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Solar power is entirely carbon-free, helping cities meet ambitious climate goals.

Energy Independence: Cities can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels by generating their own clean electricity.

Economic Growth: Solar energy stimulates job creation and fosters local economic development.

Improved Public Health: By replacing fossil fuels, solar energy improves air quality and reduces health risks associated with air pollution.

Learn how solar energy can improve air quality and create a sustainable future.

Urban Integration of Solar: Transforming City Planning

Designing Solar-Powered Cities

Integrating solar energy into urban landscapes isn’t just about installing rooftop panels—it’s about rethinking city planning. High-efficiency solar panels can now be incorporated into building facades, public lighting systems, and electric vehicle charging stations. This integrated approach makes solar a versatile solution for cities of all sizes.

Did you know? New York City is set to install 100 MW of solar panels on city-owned buildings by 2025, reducing its carbon footprint by up to 80%.

Cutting-Edge Solar Technologies

Recent advancements in solar technology have made urban integration more practical than ever. Innovations like bifacial panels that capture sunlight from both sides and thin-film solar panels that are flexible and lightweight make solar ideal for city environments with limited space.

Top manufacturers like Rayzon Solar are pioneering the production of urban-friendly solar solutions. Their high-efficiency panels are designed to withstand harsh urban environments, offering long-term reliability.

Case Study: Copenhagen – A Solar-Powered City on Track for Net-Zero

Copenhagen is on track to become the first carbon-neutral city by 2025, thanks to its extensive use of solar power. Solar panels across public buildings generate enough electricity to power thousands of homes, significantly reducing the city’s emissions. The ambitious Copenhagen Climate Plan demonstrates that even as urban populations grow, cities can still reduce their carbon footprints.

Solar-Powered Public Transport: Leading by Example

Forward-thinking cities like San Francisco and Paris are incorporating solar energy into their public transport systems. Solar-powered buses and trains not only reduce emissions but also cut operational costs, making cities more sustainable and energy-efficient.

Discover more about solar energy’s future role in transportation.

Overcoming Challenges in Urban Solar Deployment

Addressing Space Constraints

One of the major challenges for cities is finding space to install solar panels. However, vertical solar farms and Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) offer solutions by incorporating solar panels directly into urban structures. These innovations allow cities to maximize available space and generate clean energy even in densely populated areas.

For more on solar’s role in reshaping city planning, read here.

Navigating Regulatory and Financial Hurdles

Cities may face regulatory and financial barriers when adopting solar energy solutions. However, many are offering incentives for solar installations and simplifying approval processes to encourage solar adoption. Partnerships with top solar companies like Rayzon Solar are also vital in navigating these challenges.

The Future of Solar-Powered Cities

As we approach 2025, the role of solar energy in cities will only continue to expand. Innovations such as solar windows and solar roads are being tested and may soon revolutionize urban environments. With technologies like these, cities can meet growing energy demands sustainably.

Explore the groundbreaking solar innovations shaping 2024.

Policy and Community Engagement: Keys to Success

Government policies and public support are crucial for the future of solar in cities. Initiatives such as tax incentives for homeowners and businesses, combined with public awareness campaigns, will drive the adoption of solar solutions, ensuring the success of the net-zero movement.

Empower your community with solar solutions for a cleaner, greener future.

Conclusion: Solar Energy Paves the Path to Net-Zero Cities

The transition to Net-Zero Cities by 2025 represents more than an environmental goal—it’s a blueprint for a sustainable future. Solar energy, driven by innovative manufacturers like Rayzon Solar, is at the heart of this movement, offering scalable solutions to meet the challenges of urbanization and climate change.

As cities continue to grow, their reliance on sustainable energy will become even more critical. Solar power offers a clear path forward, empowering urban centers to meet their renewable energy targets and contribute to a global shift toward sustainability. With leaders like Rayzon Solar at the forefront, the future of urban energy is bright—and green.

[daeluin]

i ve been informed about how the liverpool game is going and let's just say im about to go mental chat

[fcfindia]

Use of ESG Investing

By considering ESG(Environmental, Social, and Governance)  factors alongside financial metrics, investors can gain deeper insights into a company's long-term value, risk management practices. ESG investing can be used to construct investment portfolios that align with an investor's values and sustainability objectives.

[mixolya]

Okay hear me out what if reader was a kpop idol and do u know how twice preformed at a football studio or sum like that

I’d love to see kpop idol reader x Itoshi sae

ᓚᘏᗢ — sae itoshi: behind the scenes !

synopsis: as the leader of one of korea's biggest girl groups, you're used to pressure of the stage. but nothing quite compares to the way sae itoshi watches you from the bench.

sae itoshi x idol!reader ⭑ fluff / secret relationship / sae my sweet loverboy + likes & reblogs are appreciated <3

note: HUIJDKVIDJSDJKC i heard u out girl

madrid, spain - santiago bernabéu stadium halftime - el clásico, re al vs barcha

the halftime show wrapped in a thunder of cheers, but you barely heard it. your chest heaved with adrenaline, your ears rang with the final beat of your newest title track, and your hair clung to the sweat along your jaw. the other girls grinned beside you, waving to the crowd, soaking in the moment, but your focus had already zeroed in on the far end of the pitch, where the re al players sat cooling off. where he sat.

sae itoshi, cold as ever, towel slung low around his neck, eyes drooped beneath damp bangs, but you felt the way they tracked you. you knew that look, it wasn't the deadpan boredom he showed the press. it wasn't the lazy disdain he showed opponents, it was the one he gave you in hotel rooms with locked doors and too few hours to waste.

and he was giving you that look in front of a stadium full of people. eighty thousand, to be exact.

"y/n, the ball!" one of the staff called, tossing you a pristine match ball with a wink. "you said you wanted to try shooting into the net, right?"

your groupmates giggled behind you, forming a semicircle as the cameras followed your every step toward the box. you adjusted your mic pack, tucking hair behind your ear, and glanced subtly (you hoped) toward the bench again.

you turned toward the net, and then you ran. your heel clipped the grass like second nature, leg extending, power snapping through your body as you shot. the ball arced beautifully, maybe not pro level, but definitely impressive, and slammed into the top right corner. the crowd erupted. you turned to your group with a mock bow, biting back a laugh, then made the mistake of looking toward him again.

he was standing now, still infuriatingly calm, but the tip of his ears were pink. and when your gaze caught his, something hot sparked between you. a challenge, maybe?

you knew he'd find you later. backstage, behind closed doors, away from the lights and the cameras. where he'd drop the act, and you'd stop pretending not to want him just as much.

⭑

the roar of the stadium faded as you made your way down the tunnel, surrounded by staff and dancers, a towel around your neck and your in-ears already yanked out. you could still feel the high from performing, heart racing, limbs humming with energy. but all that paled next to the anticipation curling hot in your stomach, because he would come. he always did.

your group's dressing room was chaos. makeup touch-ups, high-pitched laughter, water bottles cracked open, stylists gushing about your goal shot like it was the winning penalty. you smiled, nodded, laughed where appropriate.

but when your manager got distracted dealing with a reporter, you slipped away. the hallway was quieter. the hum of the overhead lights and the low thud of music from the arena's speakers filled the silence. your heartbeat still hadn't slowed from the adrenaline of the stage, but now it pounded for a different reason. and then: footsteps.

you turned, and there he was. hair damp, jersey clinging to his skin, eyes locked on you like gravity. sae itoshi, who didn't smile for the cameras, who barely spoke in interviews, who only ever softened when the world wasn't looking.

so you ran. shoes echoing against the flooor, stage makeup still fresh, lungs tightening, but you crashed into him with all the weight of everything you'd held in for weeks. his arms caught you easily like they'd been waiting. neither of you said a word.

you buried your face into the crook of his neck, breathing in sweat and mint and him, clinging to his waist like the moment would slip if you loosened your grip. and he just stood there, arms around your back, the curve of his palm resting warm against your spine.

after a beat, you heard it, quiet and muffled against your hair: "you killed it out there."

you laughed softly into his collarbone. "you watched everything?"

"course i did," he murmured. "saw you shoot like you owned the pitch."

you leaned back slightly, still in his arms. "we're not supposed to do this in public, you know."

he gazed down at you, eyes lidded and heavy. "you think i care right now?"

you stared at him and he kissed your forehead, quick and hidden in the shadows of the tunnel, but it said everything. you were his secret but never once had you felt like a second choice. the silence between you stretched. you both knew your teams were looking for you, knew someone could turn the corner and catch you here, wrapped up in each other like this. but neither of you moved.

"you looked good," he finally said. "on stage."

you let out a soft huff. "you looked good scoring two goals."

he shrugged. "only did it 'cause you were watching."

you raised an eyebrow. "don't start acting all soft on me now."

he smirked, tugging you in by the waistband of your performance skirt. "you want me to lie instead?"

you tried to step back, but he didn't let go. just looked at you like he had all the time in the world.

"you didn't tell me you were performing," he murmured.

"wanted to surprise you."

he gave a small laugh and then fell silent again. his thumb grazed your hip, absentmindedly. "i hate this part."

"the sneaking around?"

"no. the part where i have to let go."

you swallowed. "you don't have to."

he exhaled slowly through his nose, then leaned in, pressing his forehead to yours. "ten minutes."

you nodded. "okay."

he didn't move for a moment, like he was mesmorizing your face in this exact second, eyes glassy from effort, glitter still dusted across your cheekbones, lips parted like you were about to say something else. but you didn't. because he kissed you.

not rushed or hungry, but slow with intention. his hand slid up to cup your jaw, and your fingers gripped the sleeves of his jersey like it was the only thing anchoring you to earth. it was gentle but deep, like he'd been holding it in for days.

and God, did he taste like everything you missed. you curled your hands into his chest, pulling him closer, even though there was nowhere left to go. his nose brushed yours when he broke the kiss for breath, but his lips didn't leave yours for long, pressing another against the corner of your mouth. then your jaw. then just beneath your ear.

© mixolya 2025. do not copy, remake or edit any of my works.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Every complex ecosystem has parasites

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me at NEW ZEALAND'S UNITY BOOKS in AUCKLAND on May 2, and in WELLINGTON on May 3. More tour dates (Pittsburgh, PDX, London, Manchester) here.

Patrick "patio11" McKenzie is a fantastic explainer, the kind of person who breaks topics down in ways that stay with you, and creep into your understanding of other subjects, too. Take his 2022 essay, "The optimal amount of fraud is non-zero":

https://www.bitsaboutmoney.com/archive/optimal-amount-of-fraud/

It's a very well-argued piece, and here's the nut of it:

The marginal return of permitting fraud against you is plausibly greater than zero, and therefore, you should welcome greater than zero fraud.

In other words, if you allow some fraud, you will also allow through a lot of non-fraudulent business that would otherwise trip your fraud meter. Or, put it another way, the only way to prevent all fraud is to chase away a large proportion of your customers, whose transactions are in some way abnormal or unexpected.

Another great explainer is Bruce Schneier, the security expert. In the wake of 9/11, lots of pundits (and senior government officials) ran around saying, "No price is too high to prevent another terrorist attack on our aviation system." Schneier had a foolproof way of shutting these fools up: "Fine, just ground all civilian aircraft, forever." Turns out, there is a price that's too high to pay for preventing air-terrorism.

Latent in these two statements is the idea that the most secure systems are simple, and while simplicity is a fine goal to strive for, we should always keep in mind the maxim attributed to Einstein, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." That is to say, some things are just complicated.

20 years ago, my friend Kathryn Myronuk and I were talking about the spam wars, which were raging at the time. The spam wars were caused by the complexity of email: as a protocol (rather than a product), email is heterogenuous. There are lots of different kinds of email servers and clients, and many different ways of creating and rendering an email. All this flexibility makes email really popular, and it also means that users have a wide variety of use-cases for it. As a result, identifying spam is really hard. There's no reliable automated way of telling whether an email is spam or not – you can't just block a given server, or anyone using a kind of server software, or email client. You can't choose words or phrases to block and only block spam.

Many solutions were proposed to this at the height of the spam wars, and they all sucked, because they all assumed that the way the proposer used email was somehow typical, thus we could safely build a system to block things that were very different from this "typical" use and not catch too many dolphins in our tuna nets:

https://craphound.com/spamsolutions.txt

So Kathryn and I were talking about this, and she said, "Yeah, all complex ecosystems have parasites." I was thunderstruck. The phrase entered my head and never left. I even gave a major speech with that title later that year, at the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference:

https://craphound.com/complexecosystems.txt

Truly, a certain degree of undesirable activity is the inevitable price you pay once you make something general purpose, generative, and open. Open systems – like the web, or email – succeed because they are so adaptable, which means that all kinds of different people with different needs find ways to make use of them. The undesirable activity in open systems is, well, undesirable, and it's valid and useful to try to minimize it. But minimization isn't the same as elimination. "The optimal amount of fraud is non-zero," because "everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Complexity is generative, but "all complex ecosystems have parasites."

America is a complex system. It has, for example, a Social Security apparatus that has to serve more than 65 million people. By definition, a cohort of 65 million people will experience 65 one-in-a-million outliers every day. Social Security has to accommodate 65 million variations on the (surprisingly complicated) concept of a "street address":

https://gist.github.com/almereyda/85fa289bfc668777fe3619298bbf0886

It will have to cope with 65 million variations on the absolutely, maddeningly complicated idea of a "name":

https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/

In cybernetics, we say that a means of regulating a system must be capable of representing as many states as the system itself – that is, if you're building a control box for a thing with five functions, the box needs at least five different settings:

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/REQVAR.html

So when we're talking about managing something as complicated as Social Security, we need to build a Social Security Administration that is just as complicated. Anything that complicated is gonna have parasites – once you make something capable of managing the glorious higgeldy piggeldy that is the human experience of names, dates of birth, and addresses, you will necessarily create exploitable failure modes that bad actors can use to steal Social Security. You can build good fraud detection systems (as the SSA has), and you can investigate fraud (as the SSA does), and you can keep this to a manageable number – in the case of the SSA, that number is well below one percent:

https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF12948/IF12948.2.pdf

But if you want to reduce Social Security fraud from "a fraction of one percent" to "zero percent," you can either expend a gigantic amount of money (far more than you're losing to fraud) to get a little closer to zero – or you can make Social Security far simpler. For example, you could simply declare that anyone whose life and work history can't fit in a simple database schema is not eligible for Social Security, kick tens of millions of people off the SSI rolls, and cause them to lose their homes and starve on the streets. This isn't merely cruel, it's also very, very expensive, since homelessness costs the system far more than Social Security. The optimum amount of fraud is non-zero.

Conservatives hate complexity. That's why the Trump administration banned all research grants for proposals that contained the word "systemic" (as a person with so-far-local cancer, I sure worry about what happens when and if my lymphoma become systemic). I once described the conservative yearning for "simpler times," as a desire to be a child again. After all, the thing that made your childhood "simpler" wasn't that the world was less complicated – it's that your parents managed that complexity and shielded you from it. There's always been partner abuse, divorce, gender minorities, mental illness, disability, racial discrimination, geopolitical crises, refugees, and class struggle. The only people who don't have to deal with this stuff are (lucky) children.

Complexity is an unavoidable attribute of all complicated processes. Evolution is complicated, so it produces complexity. It's convenient to think about a simplified model of genes in which individual genes produce specific traits, but it turns out genes all influence each other, are influenced in turn by epigenetics, and that developmental factors play a critical role in our outcomes. From eye-color to gender, evolution produces spectra, not binaries. It's ineluctably (and rather gloriously) complicated.

The conservative project to insist that things can be neatly categorized – animal or plant, man or woman, planet or comet – tries to take graceful bimodal curves and simplify them into a few simple straight lines – one or zero (except even the values of the miniature transistors on your computer's many chips are never at "one" or "zero" – they're "one-ish" and "mostly zero").

Like Social Security, fraud in the immigration system is a negligible rounding error. The US immigration system is a baroque, ramified, many-tendriled thing (I have the receipts from the immigration lawyers who helped me get a US visa, a green card, and citizenship to prove it). It is already so overweighted with pitfalls and traps for the unwary that a good immigration lawyer might send you to apply for a visa with 600 pages of documentation (the most I ever presented) just to make sure that every possible requirement is met:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/2242342898/in/photolist-zp6PxJ-4q9Aqs-2nVHTZK-2pFKHyf

After my decades of experience with the US immigration system, I am prepared to say that the system is now at a stage where it is experiencing sharply diminishing returns from its anti-fraud systems. The cost of administering all this complexity is high, and the marginal amount of fraud caught by any new hoop the system gins up for migrants to jump through will round to zero.

Which poses a problem for Trump and trumpists: having whipped up a national panic about out of control immigration and open borders, the only way to make the system better at catching the infinitesimal amount of fraud it currently endures is to make the rules simpler, through the blunt-force tactic of simply excluding people who should be allowed in the country. For example, you could ban college kids planning to spend the summer in the US on the grounds that they didn't book all their hotels in advance, because they're planning to go from city to city and wing it:

https://www.newsweek.com/germany-tourists-deported-hotel-maria-lepere-charlotte-pohl-hawaii-2062046

Or you could ban the only research scientist in the world who knows how to interpret the results of the most promising new cancer imaging technology because a border guard was confused about the frog embryos she was transporting (she's been locked up for two months now):

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/horrified-harvard-scientists-ice-arrest-leaves-cancer-researchers-scrambling/ar-AA1DlUt8

Of course, the US has long operated a policy of "anything that confuses a border guard is grounds for being refused entry" but the Trump administration has turned the odd, rare outrage into business-as-usual.

But they can lock up or turn away as many people as they want, and they still won't get the amount of fraud to zero. The US is a complicated place. People have complicated reasons for entering the USA – work, family reunion, leisure, research, study, and more. The only immigration system that doesn't leak a little at the seams is an immigration system that is so simple that it has no seams – a toy immigration system for a trivial country in which so little is going on that everything is going on.

The only garden without weeds is a monoculture under a dome. The only email system without spam is a closed system managed by one company that only allows a carefully vetted cluster of subscribers to communicate with one another. The only species with just two genders is one wherein members who fit somewhere else on the spectrum are banished or killed, a charnel process that never ends because there are always newborns that are outside of the first sigma of the two peaks in the bimodal distribution.

A living system – a real country – is complicated. It's a system, where people do things you'll never understand for perfectly good reasons (and vice versa). To accommodate all that complexity, we need complex systems, and all complex ecosystems have parasites. Yes, you can burn the rainforest to the ground and planting monocrops in straight rows, but then what you have is a farm, not a forest, vulnerable to pests and plagues and fire and flood. Complex systems have parasites, sure, but complex systems are resilient. The optimal level of fraud is never zero, because a system that has been simplified to the point where no fraud can take place within it is a system that is so trivial and brittle as to be useless.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/04/24/hermit-kingdom/#simpler-times

[reasonsforhope]

"The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.6% in 2024 as coal use dropped to the lowest level since 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London, according to new Carbon Brief analysis.

Major contributions came from the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire and one of its last blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steelworks in Wales.

Other factors include a nearly 40% rise in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, above-average temperatures and the UK’s electricity being the “cleanest ever” in 2024.

Carbon Brief’s analysis, based on preliminary government energy data, shows emissions fell to just 371m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2024, the lowest level since 1872.

Other key findings from the analysis include:

The UK’s emissions are now 54% below 1990 levels, while GDP has grown by 84%.

About half of the drop in emissions in 2024 was due to a 54% reduction in UK coal demand, which fell to just 2m tonnes – the lowest level since 1666.

Another third of the drop in 2024 emissions was due to falling demand for oil and gas, with the remainder down to ongoing reductions in non-CO2 greenhouse gases.

UK coal demand fell at power stations (one-third of the reduction overall) and at industrial sites (two-thirds). In 2024, the UK closed its last coal-fired power station, as well as the final blast furnace at the Port Talbot steelworks. Furnaces at Scunthorpe paused operations. Both sites are due to convert to electric-arc furnaces that do not rely on coal.

Oil demand fell 1.4% despite increased road traffic, largely due to the rise in the number of EVs. The UK’s 1.4m EVs, 0.8m plug-in hybrids and 76,000 electric vans cut oil-related emissions by at least 5.9MtCO2e, Carbon Brief analysis finds, only slightly offset by around 0.5MtCO2e from higher electricity demand.

The UK’s EV motorists each saved around £800, on average, in 2024 – some £1.7bn in total – relative to the cost of driving petrol or diesel vehicles.

Gas demand for heating increased, despite warmer average temperatures than in 2023, as prices eased from the peaks seen after the global energy crisis.

However, gas demand fell overall due to lower gas-fired electricity generation, thanks to higher electricity imports and increased output from low-carbon sources.

The UK would need to cut its emissions by a larger amount each year than it did in 2024, to reach its international climate goal for 2035, as well as its national target to reach net-zero by 2050...

Lowest since 1872

...

Apart from brief rebounds after the global financial crisis and the Covid-19 lockdowns, UK emissions have fallen every year for the past two decades."

-via CarbonBrief, March 12, 2025

[thoughtportal]

It takes approximately 700,000 megawatt hours of electricity to power Chicago’s more than 400 municipal buildings every year. As of January 1, every single one of them—including 98 fire stations, two international airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants on the planet—is running on renewable energy, thanks largely to Illinois’ newest and largest solar farm.

The move is projected to cut the carbon footprint of the country’s third-largest city by approximately 290,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year—the equivalent of taking 62,000 cars off the road, according to the city. Local decarbonization efforts like Chicago’s are taking on increasing significance as President Donald Trump promises to reduce federal support for climate action. With the outgoing Biden administration doubling down on an international pledge to get the U.S. to net zero emissions by 2050, cities, states, and private-sector players across the country will have to pick up the slack. {read}

[the-scientist-blog]

President Trump’s relationship with climate change policy has been highly controversial and has drawn a significant amount of attention from politicians, environmentalists, and global leaders. While it is true that Trump has been a vocal skeptic of climate change science and has historically supported policies that many believe undermine global climate efforts, the assertion that he would "stop" the progress on climate change entirely is more complicated. There are several factors to consider that illustrate why it is unlikely that Donald Trump will be able to halt the progress on climate change entirely, even with policies that prioritize fossil fuel industries, deregulation, and skepticism towards international climate accords.

1. Global Movements and Public Opinion

One of the primary forces that will prevent Trump from halting climate progress is the widespread global movement in other nations in favor of addressing climate change. Over the past few decades, public awareness and concern over environmental degradation, the rise of extreme weather events, and the growing scientific consensus on climate change have catalyzed action at various levels. Even during Trump's tenure as president, the shift towards climate activism grew, with international agreements such as the Paris Agreement, corporate initiatives, and grassroots environmental movements gaining momentum.

Public opinion, especially in democracies, plays a significant role in shaping policy. In the United States, the majority of Americans support climate action, including a strong preference for clean energy and renewable resources. Despite Trump’s rhetoric, various cities, states, and businesses in the U.S. have continued to prioritize climate goals. For instance, states like California have implemented ambitious climate policies, such as transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2045. Furthermore, a growing number of corporations have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions. The private sector’s movement towards sustainability, driven by consumer demand, investor pressure, and increasing environmental risks, represents a substantial force for climate action that extends beyond the federal government.

Even if Trump were to reverse or dismantle federal climate policies, the local and private sector commitments would likely remain largely unaffected. These bottom-up efforts represent a powerful counterbalance to federal inaction and are likely to continue advancing the fight against climate change regardless of the administration in power.

2. Economic Shift Toward Clean Energy

While Trump has been a staunch advocate for coal, oil, and gas, the global economic shift toward renewable energy is undeniable. The cost of renewable technologies, such as solar and wind power, has drastically decreased over the last decade. This economic shift makes clean energy an increasingly competitive and attractive option for both developed and developing countries. By 2025, it is estimated that the cost of solar energy will continue to fall, making it even more affordable and mainstream.

The renewable energy sector has seen significant growth in its employment. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), more than 11 million people worldwide were employed in the renewable energy industry by 2021, a figure that is expected to continue rising as nations transition away from fossil fuels. The growth of renewable energy markets is increasingly detached from political agendas, driven by technological innovation and economic pragmatism. Regardless of Trump’s policies, these forces are already in motion and will likely continue to expand, creating jobs, boosting economies, and driving global progress on climate change.

Additionally, as the consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather events, wildfires, and rising sea levels, continue to threaten communities and industries, the push for sustainable infrastructure and resilient urban planning grows. The cost of inaction will continue to drive investments in climate adaptation and mitigation technologies, further fueling the global transition to cleaner energy systems.

3. International Cooperation and Climate Diplomacy

Even during Trump’s presidency, when the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, international cooperation on climate change continued unabated. While the U.S. decision to exit the accord was a blow, it did not signal the end of global climate diplomacy. Many world leaders and climate organizations pushed forward with ambitious plans for carbon reduction, renewable energy investments, and international collaboration. The European Union, China, and India, as well as other nations, have made strides in combating climate change through national policies and international agreements.

Trump’s reluctance to engage with the Paris Agreement, as well as his opposition to climate-focused international cooperation, did not isolate the U.S. from the global conversation on climate change. The U.S. remained a key player in many climate-related issues at the local, corporate, and state levels, even if the federal government under Trump was less cooperative.

4. Technological Innovation and Climate Solutions

The energy sector, which has traditionally relied on fossil fuels, is undergoing a profound transformation. Advances in battery technology, electric vehicles, and green hydrogen are already making renewable energy more feasible for widespread use. As technology continues to develop, renewable energy solutions will become more efficient, less expensive, and more scalable.

Furthermore, the global push for climate action will continue to stimulate innovation. Even if Trump were to curtail government funding for green technology, private investment in clean energy and sustainability is projected to increase. Major companies are making significant strides to reduce their carbon footprints, from Google’s goal of running on 100% renewable energy to Tesla’s push for mass adoption of electric vehicles. Corporate pressure and consumer demand will continue to drive innovation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, limiting the potential for any one individual, including Trump, to stop the progress on climate change.

5. The Resilience of Local and State-Level Action

Despite the Trump administration’s rollback of federal climate policies, local and state governments in the U.S. have continued to push forward with their climate initiatives. States like California, New York, and Washington have continued to prioritize climate action, passing laws that mandate emission reductions, promote renewable energy development, and require climate adaptation strategies.

This decentralized approach to climate action ensures that the United States remains a significant actor in the global effort to combat climate change. Even if Trump were to reintroduce policies that weaken federal regulations, states and cities would likely continue their push for climate policies in line with the global scientific consensus. This “bottom-up” approach is a vital counterbalance to the federal government’s actions and is indicative of a broader commitment to addressing climate change that transcends individual political figures.

Read the Conclusion at https://www.thescientistblog.com/blog/you-cant-stop-destiny

[thatbitchery]

You can tell how much a lady will not level up by how much she doesn’t love herself—and you can tell how much someone doesn’t love themselves by how much they don’t understand themselves. I’ve been telling you ladies since the dawn of this blog: a level-up is personal. Custom-made. Made for you and only you. You cannot achieve another person’s goal.

Listen, the highest form of love is knowledge. To be loved is to be known. To love is to look—with the purpose of seeing—and then understanding what you see. To love yourself, you have to know yourself. And that takes nothing but self-observation. No judgment. Open acceptance.

What prompted this? I was talking to one of my girls in my personal coaching program yesterday. We started this month, so we’re still learning each other. My first topic is always fashion, because the outside world is a mirror of the inner—and you can easily understand someone from their presentation.

So this girl and I go through her closet, and I’m honestly both impressed and jealous. We are talking runway-worthy gowns. Designer bags. Louboutin heels. The kind of closet you get in your starter-pack Kardashian era. She looks at me like, “What do we think?” And apart from being impressed by the sheer amount that closet adds to her net worth… I am also deeply disappointed.

Why?

Because she is a textbook introvert. An AO3 nerd who spends all day in pajamas and works online (if you can even call it that) and is introverted even outside—i.e. would rather do indoor activities than outdoor. She’s also hyperactive and sporty. That is not the closet of an 18-year-old valedictorian homebody chess-playing video game addict online business owner. That is a Paris Hilton closet. You will NOT be wearing that micro skirt, ever. Let’s not lie to ourselves.

So she poured all that money (yes, she’s wealthy, but that’s not the point??) into another person’s closet—but inside her own house. What she does actually wear is three sets of loungewear that have seen the washing machine so many times they are fighting for their lives to hold on to color. And she won’t buy a new set because it’s “not elegant.”

So I know I will need Jesus and all of heaven when we get to the “self-love” section. Pray for me, people.

It is very important that you stop looking for trends and God knows what, and start observing yourself. Set your goals according to that, so you don’t waste time and money and actually—for once—achieve your yearly goals. Because they belong to who you are, not who you wish you were.

One of the goals I see a lot is “lose weight.” And you know what? Hell yeah. There’s no empowerment in obesity, let’s get healthy. I get it—I want to be a healthy BMI so I can clear brain fog, look better, feel better, function better, yes. But as a person who spends most of their day indoors, is barely attracted to men, and works in corporate… why are you killing yourself trying for a Bella Hadid body when you’ve got Salma Hayek genetics and you don’t need it? I get starvation if you’re a K-pop idol or a model. I get it. But you’re a regular civilian—just stop at “healthy BMI.” Because not only is it not fun, it’s also extremely unhealthy to have zero body fat. What are you even doing this for? It’s torture. If you don’t need to… what’s the point?

Or the classic “wake up at 5 a.m.”—makes sense, I see it. But if you’re a night owl, what are you doing? Your productive hours are 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.—why would you be awake at 5? That’s when you’re supposed to be going to bed after wrapping up your work.

Or “gym 3 days a week.” I love it, I do. But look at yourself in the mirror and say that again. Be honest—is it going to happen? Have you considered that maybe you’re not a gym person? That there are other ways to move your body that don’t require you to battle depression and poor time management in spandex?

You can easily tell who will not be achieving their yearly goals by comparing the goals to the person. No—those are not your goals. They are someone else’s. So another year goes by, and you achieve nothing. Again.

And if you just—if you just—observed your behavior, with no judgment, without slapping on classifications like “lazy” or “wrong” or whatever else… if you just said, “Okay, how do I make me work, in a way that works for me?” You wouldn’t need affirmations to tell you you’re good enough.

You’d just be.

BMAC

[strlvvr]

close to you - connor bedard

bella thought it was just a regular blackhawks game, but what happens when she leaves the game with the star player?

OR

connor thought it was a normal game day, but what happens when a pretty girl in the crowd catches his attention?

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word count: 1.3k

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“come on, we have to hurry! i need to get a good spot,” i yell at my friend as we’re running around united center.

jade was never big into hockey, but came along to games with me whenever i got tickets. she understood the game enough to watch, cheer, and listen to my rants about the games and players. she also knew there was a specific player i never shut up about.

“relax bella, we’ll get a good spot and he’ll love your sign.” jade called out over the crowds as we walked down the hall to the ice.

i found the perfect spot for warmups, knowing that was where he spent most of his time while on the ice. putting my stuff on the chair behind me, i grabbed my phone to look at the time. i still had ten minutes before the players came out.

i grabbed my sign to make sure it looked okay, for the hundredth time that night, “it looks good. hopefully they’re in a good mood tonight.”

“i know, i know. i’m just nervous.” i sighed, hoping my sign would catch his eye.

i opened my phone and scrolled through twitter, hoping it would clear my mind. it was my first warmup with a sign and i wanted it to go well.

when the timer on the jumbotron hit zero, i grabbed my phone and set up my sign. watching as all the players skated out, i felt my heart race when he stepped out.

immediately, he came over to my side of the ice. even though i knew it was going to happen, my hands were still shaking as i tried to steady my phone for the video i was attempting to record. 

he kept skating past and smiling at me.

as i was recording a video of another player, lukas reichal, he interrupted it by bumping the glass right in front of me. i was still calming down when he laughed at me for jumping.

after losing track of how many shots he tried making, he came over to me with a puck and a big smile. he pointed at me before throwing the puck over. failing once.. twice… three times it took him to get the puck over to me. 

“oh. my. GOD.” i screamed at my best friend after he skated away.

“you just got a puck from connor bedard!” she yelled back as i jumped, watching her end the video she was recording, “he’s coming back, calm down, calm down.”

he pointed at me again and started pointing at my phone.

“is he telling me to grab my phone?” i turn and ask jade.

after i grab my phone he starts putting up numbers on his hands. is this kid actually giving me a number? he’s gotta be kidding. right?

i put the numbers into my messages and turned my phone towards him, asking if i got it right. he nodded and skated away, shooting one more puck before going to the locker room.

“there’s no fucking way.” i told my friend as we walked to our seats.

“are you gonna text him..? cause if not, you know i will.” jade said with a smirk on her face.

“if i don't text him, please kill me cause that would be the worst mistake of my life.” i replied, in full seriousness.

i texted him immediately, letting him know it was me and i saved his number. i got a quick text back, letting me know he got the text and that he would text me after the game. i sent a quick “good luck” text and went back to the conversation around me.

“i don’t know how you’re acting so casually about this.” jade said as she grabbed her drink.

“because if i don’t, i will mess it up and i cannot fumble HIM of all guys.” i said quietly, making sure the people around me weren’t paying attention to what i was saying.

as the game starts, i turn towards the ice, watching intently. by the second period, connor was looking good, getting shots in, and playing good offense. 

we all watch as the players start lining up a goal, i watch at the edge of my seat as connor gets the puck. he starts getting closer to the net and he scores.

“he SO did that for you!” jade yells as the crowd erupts in cheers.

“stop it, he’s just playing, he wants to score no matter what,” i giggle, wondering if he really did do it for me.

the clock hit zero, with a win for the blackhawks. jade and i walked out of united center with a newfound happiness watching our team celebrate. i quickly got a text from connor asking if i was staying around after the game.

“we have to,” jade pushed me as we were walking to her car, “he’s basically saying he wants to see you.”

“okay, okay, fine. i’ll tell him we can stay,” i smile, opening our texts once again, getting ready to reply.

i asked him where he was going to be after the game as we reached jade’s car. we knew it was gonna be a while before he came out, with interviews and all that taking up most of his time after games.

finally, after almost an hour, connor texted me, telling me he was coming out. jade and i left the car, immediately missing the warmth as the cold air hit our faces, and walked towards the door he told us to meet him at.

we watched as all the other players started coming out, some of them waving and saying hi, a few of them asking if we were waiting for signatures. finally, i saw connor walking out.

“hey!” he called over to us with a smile.

“hi,” i said nervously while also trying to hide my shivering, “good game tonight!”

“thank you, i tried,” he laughed as we walked towards his car.

“sooo,” jade said, trying to break the awkwardness, “any plans tonight?

“i was invited to go out with the boys, but i’m probably just gonna go home, what about you guys?” connor replied, putting his stuff in his car and turning to us.

“well i mean, we were just gonna go home. unless maybe you wanted to hang out?” i said, immediately regretting it. this was connor bedard, the best player in the league right now. 

“i’m actually getting pretty tired, i think i might just go home. plus, it’s a bit of a drive.” jade said as she lightly nudged me.

“oh really? how far do you guys live?” connor asked, looking at me for the answer.

“not that far, about an hour or so,” i said, trying to ignore his gaze.

“are you hungry? i could use some food,” connor looked at me, again. i glanced up at him this time, seeing a look of hope in his eyes.

“yeah, i could eat.” i smiled at him.

“i’m probably gonna grab something quick on the drive home, but if you guys wanna go get food,” jade said, looking at me, seeing if i wanted her to leave me here or if i wanted to go with her.

“i can always drive you home,” connor said, trying to keep whatever body warmth he could grab close.

“that’s okay, you don’t have to.” i laughed, trying to see if he actually wanted to or not.

“i’d be happy too,” he smiled.

“well i’m leaving now, so last chance.” jade said looking at connor one more time, seeing if he was being serious or not.

“come on, it’s cold.” connor opened the passenger door of his car.

laughing at him, i turned to jade, “i’ll text you?”

“you better,” she winked and walked quickly to her car.

[ririright]

The “Hayden on Ice” Series:

“Coach Hayden vs. The Tiny Terror League”

Husband! Hayden x Wife Reader

1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5

One whistle. Zero sanity.

Saturday Morning – 8:45 a.m.

The rec center rink was chaos.

Half the kids were upside-down in their gear. One had already lost a skate. Someone was eating snow.

And in the middle of it all stood Hayden. Clipboard in hand. Leafs jacket zipped to the chin. Whistle already in his mouth.

You stood on the bleachers, sipping coffee and watching him try to give a pep talk to seven tiny hockey players with the attention span of goldfish.

“Okay team! Today’s game plan is: have fun, try to skate in the right direction, and—uh—y’know—believe in yourself, yeah?”

A kid raised their hand. “Coach, can I fight someone?”

Hayden blinked. “Uh—let’s maybe save that for junior league, buddy.”

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9:02 a.m. – The Game Begins

Team names were drawn from a hat.

Hayden’s team: The Frosty Pucks.

The opposing team: The Ice Bananas. (They did, in fact, have banana stickers on their helmets.)

Referee: A 17-year-old with AirPods in and the haunting look of someone who just wanted volunteer hours.

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First Shift

Barron fell three times before reaching the puck, then got tangled with another kid and somehow accidentally scored in the wrong net.

Hayden shouted, “That’s okay! Good hustle! Just… wrong direction, champ!”

One kid sat down mid-play and made snow angels in the ice.

Another tried to use their stick as a horse.

Hayden blew the whistle. “REGROUP, GUYS! STRATEGY HUDDLE!”

They skated directly past him and started chasing each other in a circle.

You snorted into your coffee.

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Second Shift

One of the Frosty Pucks stopped to hand Hayden a crumpled drawing mid-game.

“It’s you. As a robot.”

Hayden stared at the stick-figure sketch. “This… this is incredible.”

“Coach, I peed,” said another, skating over.

“…Okay! Time-out!”

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Mid-Game Interview (That You Absolutely Filmed)

You pointed your phone at Hayden from the stands.

“How’s the game going, Coach?”

He looked directly into the camera, eyes hollow.

“I’ve aged ten years. I gave them positions, and they made a conga line. The goalie’s doing pirouettes.”

A whistle screeched in the background. A child shouted, “VIVA LAS BANANAS!”

Hayden sighed. “I don’t think I’m winning the Jack Adams this year.”

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Final Minutes

The game was tied 1-1, entirely by accident.

Hayden dropped to one knee beside Barron. “Okay, buddy. This is it. One shot. You got this.”

Barron nodded seriously. “Can I hit the banana kid?”

“…No. Just the puck.”

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Final Play

Barron skated. Tripped. The puck somehow ricocheted off his helmet and slid straight into the net.

Hayden went feral on the bench. Arms in the air, Leafs hat flying. “GOOOOOOOAL! THAT’S MY BOY!!”

The Ice Bananas coach clapped politely. A toddler nearby cried because “the puck didn’t say goodbye.”

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Post-Game Locker Room

Hayden handed out orange slices and congratulated every single kid with the seriousness of an NHL postgame speech.

“You all played with heart, grit, and confusion. That’s what hockey’s all about.”

Barron tugged on his jacket. “Daddy, can we get ice cream?”

Hayden nodded. “You scored the winning goal with your face. You get two scoops.”

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Later That Night

You and Hayden curled up on the couch. He was still wearing his “COACH” badge sticker.

“I don’t know how actual coaches do it,” he said. “My team tried to eat their mouthguards.”

You kissed his cheek. “Still the best coach I’ve ever seen.”

He smiled. “Thanks, babe. Next week we’re working on stickhandling. And maybe, y’know… basic physics.”

[fcfindia]

Carbon Footprint Calculator For Business

The Carbon Trust offers a comprehensive online tool called the Carbon Footprint Calculator. It allows businesses to measure their carbon emissions across various scopes, including direct emissions from operations and indirect emissions from energy consumption. 

[222strawberries]

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FAT LOSS ED EDITION !!! (UPDATED)

you DO NOT have to eat 300 calories or less everyday to lose fat !!!! your tdee and net calories play a huge role !!!!

NET calories are what you use for weight loss because they tell you whether you're in a calorie deficit or not. net calories is absolutely necessary for losing fat.

✿ NET CAL FORMULA

NET calories = total intake - TDEE

✿ FURTHER NET CAL IMPORTANCE:

🍓 if net calories are negative, you're in a calorie deficit → which means fat loss happens. 🍓 if net calories are BELOW your TDEE, you're still in a calorie deficit → which means fat loss still happens. 🍓 if net calories are zero, you're at your maintenance calories → which means no weight gain or loss happens. 🍓 if net calories are positive, you're in a calorie surplus → which means weight gain happens.

✿ TDEE AND BMR

when your goal is fat loss, TDEE is the most important factor to focus on, rather than just BMR.

❀ BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest. this is the minimum number of calories your body burns each day in order to keep your body properly functioning. BMR does not include any physical activity.

❀ TDEE includes your BMR PLUS the calories burned through active daily movements and exercise.

❀ since fat loss relies on a calorie deficit, TDEE gives you a better idea of how many calories you need in order to maintain your weight or lose weight. so, for weight loss, you need to eat less calories than your TDEE. for weight maintenance, you need to eat around or exactly at your TDEE.

here's an online calculator to find your TDEE.

★ here's my example: ↓ this is how my food log roundup looks everyday ↓ (you don't have to include the number of calories you burned from exercising because its already included in your TDEE. i just like to do it to keep everything documented)

total intake: (805 cals) exercise burn: (455 cals) NET calories: (-729 cals)

my TDEE is 1,534

so the formula based on my TDEE would be: total intake(805) - TDEE(1,534) = NET calories(-729)

since my NET calories ended in a negative, that means fat loss happens !!!

★★★ your NET calories do not have to be in the negatives for fat loss to happen !!! the key to weight loss is staying UNDER your TDEE, and if you just so happen to end up in the negative then you've done more than enough !!!

[reasonsforhope]

it feels like several countries (not just the US) have completely abandoned the idea of less carbon emissions this month. Is there any good news from this month about countries choosing the opposite?

You caught me at a good time, I actually just finished reading a newsletter (from the excellent Fix the News) that mentions a few.

From their newsletter, February 27, 2025 (heads up these might only be in the premium edition, though):

"Germany, once a notorious polluter, cracks down on cars and achieves clean air. Germany complies with all EU air pollutant limits for first time since standards were set in 2010, with nitrogen dioxide finally joining particulate matter in meeting thresholds across 600 monitoring stations nationwide. Even Munich's infamous pollution hotspot dropped below the 40 μg/m³ limit following years of court battles that triggered speed reductions and vehicle modernization." Heise

"Japan raises emissions targets, aims for 60% cut by 2035. Japan has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% from 2013 levels within the next decade, aligning with the 1.5°C global goal and a net zero target by 2050, according to government officials. Japan plans to reduce fossil fuel use by 30-40% by 2040, with renewables like solar and wind expected to provide 40-50% of electricity. The plan marks meaningful progress for the country, which relied on fossil fuels for 70% of its power in 2023." The Press

And there's a lot happening in the US too, believe it or not:

"US states hit the ground running on renewables. Wind and solar are expected to meet nearly 50% of power demand in Texas this spring, in Minnesota the state’s largest utility just announced plans to reach carbon-free targets by 2035, and 48 days into 2025, fossil gas use for electricity in California is down almost 28%, while battery use is up 78%."