#transitional fossil

[thicc-astronaut]

Blorbo from my Late Devonian Period

[atheostic]

Transitional Fossil Time!

Pezosiren portelli

Age: 50 million years old

Found in: Jamaica

Transitional form of: Sea cows becoming waterbound.

The earliest known ancestor of sea cows, it had 4 legs it used to walk on land, but it also had heavy ribs that could indicate it lived part time in water (not unlike a hippo).

We know it’s a sea cow despite it being leggy because apart from the legs, its body plan is basically that of a modern sea cow.

[hoofpeet]

Do you think Cynthia has any thoughts about the whole Warden Ingo thing?

She studies Pokemon mythology so SURELY the whole warden thing must be entwined into her area of fascination, right?

I think she sensed Fossil Ingo and Fossil Sneasler being resurrected Immediely began racing to their location. No garchomp flight just sprinting.

Cynthia spends a solid 7 hours interrogating Ingo about everything relating to Hisui while he tries to figure out if he should be worried about her or not

[crazysnakey]

Don't forget the reason the U.S. is supporting Israel's genocide of Palestine - hell, 90% of the reason they ever get involved into something in the Middle East is for ulterior purposes regarding oil.

That and the Ben Gurion Canal project, which you can learn more about:

Also this short video explaining the canal's significance and full history in summary:

Simply put,

[solarpunkpresentspodcast]

In today’s episode, Ariel chats with Heather MacKenzie, Executive Director of Solar Alberta, about transitioning to renewable energy deep in the heart of oil and gas country - in a just and sustainable way. Join us to learn about the history of the Solar Alberta organization, from its grassroots beginnings in neighbourhood solar projects, to dealing with (government-funded!) trolls online, all the way up to being the leading non-profit solar organization in Alberta and providing worker upskilling in a unique market.

You can go to https://solaralberta.ca to learn more, or connect with and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Connect with Solarpunk Magazine at solarpunkmagazine.com and on Twitter @solarpunklitmag

Connect with Solarpunk Presents Podcast on Twitter @SolarpunkP, Mastodon @solarpunkpresents@climatejustice.rocks, or at our blog https://solarpunkpresents.com/

Connect with Ariel at her blog, on Twitter at @arielletje, and on Mastodon @arielkroon@wandering.shop

Connect with Christina at her blog, on Twitter @xtinadlr, and on Mastodon @xtinadlr@wandering.shop

[tolbachik]

sorry for being so angry tonight. a better world is possible, we have the engineers, the knowledge, and the power to do it. but our world is driven by a greed and hatred unlike any other, one that sucks the soul out of us all.

we can live lives filled with peace, love, and relative comfort but it's been decided for us that we can't. we can uncover the secrets of our world and universe, but we only chose to do so when it's profitable.

there are so many amazing, wonderful, beautiful people on this world. so many vibrant cultures, so much love, so many hopes and dreams. but the west takes it all. capitalism takes more than the world can provide, pushes people into poverty and slavery, all so only a few can play with us all as mere toys and have dick waving competitions.

we're turned against each other, we're told others are savage and inhuman, that they're just a number, just a percentage point. they play god, and as one that is filled with nothing but vengeance and rage. one that only seeks to punish and hoard all that there is, until there isn't anything else anymore. we could've made such a beautiful world for ourselves by this point if a few key things had gone through, but greed and hatred was won time and time again.

my only hope is that we can finally start to push this horrid system into the fire, and we can truly start to set things right. for all its failings, i think the internet has really started to bring us together. i just want people to live and be happy. i want everyone to be able to follow their dreams and feel love. i really hope we can reach that point someday.

[nando161mando]

Activists Call for Process ‘Overhaul’ After Oil Industry Veteran Confirmed to Lead COP29.

[reasonsforhope]

“Finland’s wind power capacity increased by 75 per cent last year, according to the Finnish Wind Energy Association (FWPA).

With almost half of Finland’s wind power domestically owned, the renewable energy source is providing a significant lifeline during the current energy crisis.

“Wind power is now increasing our country’s energy self-sufficiency at a really good pace - just when new and affordable electricity production is most needed,” says Anni Mikkonen, CEO of the FWPA.

Renewable energy investments are surging across Europe

As with other European countries, Finland sped up its renewable energy transition in reaction to fuel shortages after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In December, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted that global renewable power capacity growth will double over the next five years...

...The growth in renewables is also helping Finland achieve its ambitious climate goals. The country hopes to be one of the first in Europe to reach net zero, setting a 2035 target - well ahead of the EU’s 2050 goal.

How much did Finland’s wind power capacity increase in 2022?

In 2022, Finland put 427 new wind turbines into operation, adding 2,430 megawatts of capacity. One megawatt could power an estimated 1,000 homes, meaning the new turbines could service over 2.4 million households.

The country now has a total of 1,393 wind turbines producing a combined power of 5,677 MW - potentially enough to power an estimated 5.5 million homes in a country with a population of 5.5 million.

Wind power capacity is expected to increase by around 1,000 MW annually over the next few years. By 2025, wind is expected to cover at least 28 per cent of Finland’s electricity consumption, up from almost 10 per cent in 2021.

How is wind power affecting Finland’s economy?

The wind power Finland added in 2022 brought €2.9 billion in investments to the country.

“No other industry currently brings as many annual investment euros to Finland as wind power,” says Mikkonen. “Wind power also brings vitality to many small municipalities, where investment targets may otherwise be few.”

With the cost of renewables trending downwards, it could also reduce the country’s energy prices in future.

“No other electricity generation can be built in Finland as quickly and as cost-effectively right now,” says Mikkonen.

According to Oxford University researchers, ending fossil fuel use by 2050 will save the world at least $12 trillion (€11.3 trillion).

The production of wind power has increased by 23 percent a year globally. As capacity surges, costs will continue to fall.

Meanwhile the price of fossil fuels - when adjusted for inflation - has not dropped significantly over the past 140 years. Any major changes have been due to geopolitical events like the war in Ukraine.” -via EuroNews, 1/12/23

[thoughtportal]

all roads that drivers use are subsidized and run at a loss. not to mention the oil industry is subsidized by the federal government. free bus and metro services makes perfect sense especially in terms of reducing the incredibly high cost to maintain roadways

[factoidfactory]

Random Fact #6,550

This is Pakicetus. It lived about 48.5 million years ago in what is now Pakistan. It was roughly the size of a wolf or large dog.

It may not look like it, but this is the earliest known form of a whale.

With it being so different from its modern descendants, how can we be sure that it's a relative of the biggest gentle giants to ever roam our planet?

The layman's answer is... its earbones. There are more resasons, but the earbones are the primary dead giveaways.

Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have a very unique earbone that no other type of animal has. So if Pakicetus has the same earbones, it must be a cetacean too.

[starsteemer]

winter feathers

[atheostic]

Transitional Fossil Time!

Osteolepis

Date range: 416–359 Ma

Transitional form of: Fish to tetrapods (four-limbed animals with a backbone).

Location: Scotland

Why it’s a transitional fossil:

Though it still was very much a fish, Osteolepis is a prime example of the extremely early stages of fish becoming land-dwellers. 

Unlike other fish before it, these 20 cm lobed fish featured two key adaptations necessary for transitioning from sea to land: internal nostrils and pectoral fins stiffened by bony bits, which would provide them more strength when pushing themselves on shore.

While we can’t be sure this specific genus is our direct ancestor, it’s highly likely we are relatives on some level. Remember those bony bits I mentioned? They look like very early rough copies of the humerus and radius/ulna  bones found in all tetrapods (us included).

[leafdebrief]

my car friends are funny

here is a situation that has played out enough times now that i can provide it as my:

Guide To Being My Environmentally Aware Friend That Still Drives A Car Without Ever Frustrating Me Into A Lapse Of Emotional Control!

there are plenty of people in my life that i love very much and whose lives matter to me now and in our futures. what's even better is that a lot of them seem to reciprocate those feelings, and even agree that a sustainable future is pretty much the most imperative thing for that to be assured!

many of those people are smart people, and even understand the nitty-gritties of the problems we face. things like capitalism, and its ambassador of planetary destruction, the fossil fuel industry!

so, what happens if you're one of those smart people i love and respect but still need to get around in society, is this:

if you are asking for tips to make your car ride more convenient,

i am likely to jump in and offer customized transit assistance!

if i am outright ignored,

i'll probably ask why you're ignoring me!

if your answer is that you were asking for car tips,

i'll skip the part where i felt hurt for being ignored (freebie!)

and go straight to confirming: are we in agreement on fossil fuels?

i may wonder why i got ignored if you answer yes

and if you answer that it wasn't useful information,

i am likely to become frustrated!

my frustration is not "out of the blue", nor am i acting erratic. i am in fact taking very reasonable actions in my specific scope of influence to try and assure a future for all of us together, and feeling isolated in the face of utter confusion at my actions from people who should not be confused at this point.

we just keep getting to the 'teamwork' part, and i keep losing more teammates when i remind them the game is almost over and we haven't scored many points yet.

i can't do this alone. i'm too easy to frustrate. the ones left who care are getting nervous around me because the confused ones are so confused.

there are plenty of teammates still left, and a lot of them seem to even ascertained that 10-step pattern of frustration for themselves by witnessing it again and again.

but they still have social responsibilities to the people generating uncouth levels of frustration for me, and i still love all those people, or they wouldn't frustrate me.

anyway, great way to cut off the pattern as early as step 2: use words and say, "i'm good this time thanks, but i totally get why you jumped in here and we should talk about this another time when i have more planning time".

EZ GAME EZ LIFE

[exvangelical]

spending time around my conservative family is the most painful thing in the world

[mirrorontheworld]

L’UE n’est pas préparée au déclin inexorable de la production pétro-gazière russe et va subir des contraintes sur les volumes d’approvisionnement ;

Vladimir Poutine profite de la « naiveté » de l’UE pour réimposer un rapport de force ;

La sobriété énergétique est un impératif sécuritaire ;

L’exemple syrien est un avertissement pour les sociétés européennes bordées par des régimes puissants dont la survie dépend de la manne pétrolière.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

by Jeffrey P. Tomkins, PH.D. | One of the alleged greatest transformations in vertebrate evolution is said to be the emergence of creatures that traded fins for feet and transitioned from water to land.In other words, fish somehow evolved the numerous anatomical and physiological systems found in four-legged amphibians and various...