Robot Wars
Reports that Israel is using AI to generate ‘targets’ in Gaza are disturbing. Not so long ago, there were reports of how AI can generate nonsense ‘hallucinations’. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Pump it up
Danny Chivers, in ‘Pumped up’, (Temperature Check NI 547) looks at how heat pumps improve both his heating and his carbon footprint. They can be made even more efficient, and thus hotter by using both Hydro Genie, and Radflek systems. Hydro Genie stops bubbles forming by removing dissolved oxygen, and Radflek stops half the heat exiting the wall behind the radiator. Perhaps Danny would like to try them. (For those on a budget a cardboard pallet divider cut to size and covered with aluminium foil will do the same thing as Radflek).
Subsidies welcome
Whilst I agree with the overall tenor of Nick Dowson’s ‘Green face, old tricks’ (Big Story NI 547), I would like to point out that the prices of heat pumps are falling, not rising. With competition among installation companies increasing, at least in the UK where I live, these trends have been accompanied by bigger government subsidies (currently, £7,500 per installation for domestic heating). Given the higher costs of heat pumps relative to gas boilers, this seems to me a useful subsidy, not ‘blunt’ at all, in order to bridge the price gap between the two types of installation. How else are we to make the transition away from fossil fuelled heating?
Right to ride
Responses via social media to our article ‘What if… we had the right to public transport?’, NI 547:
1 This is how we should proceed. Most agree on universal rights to education, health etc, in principle, but how can you access these services if you can’t afford or are unable to access public transport?
2 Switzerland has regulations regarding the obligation to provide public transportation even in remote areas. This article discusses the issue of access to public transportation as a basic right for every citizen. When can Indonesia implement a similar policy?
In search of good news
I have been reading New Internationalist for November/December 2023 (NI 546). I am getting more and more depressed with the international situation, especially since my generation, the so-called baby boomers, are being blamed for the state of the planet. (I don’t mean I get that view from NI). In actual fact, my Glasgow Friends of the Earth group are mostly baby boomers. The secretary is 80, I am 73, and others are in their 60s. There are younger members too. We have been fighting for 50 years, and it seems we have made no progress. We are all tired of the struggle, and it is very tempting to give up, but we are fighting for our grandchildren, and in my case, great nieces and nephews.
I wish I could get some positive news. There must be some out there.
Bringing stories to light
RE: ‘The hidden exploitation of fashion supply chains’, (website). Beautifully written article by Kat Dixon for New Internationalist with the voices of homeworkers weaved throughout, and showcasing how Transform Trade is working with them to influence a better fashion sector.
Why I...
...support the war on waste.
There are many global campaigns that showcase issues related to waste, recycling and responsible consumer attitudes. As a photojournalist, I have been covering those topics for many years. But recently I’ve been drawn to the ‘in your face’ approach of Australian TV presenter Craig Reucassel and his show ‘War on Waste’. His team tackles fast fashion, food wastage and also follows up on the ongoing worldwide devastation caused by plastic, urging the public and supermarkets to cut down on non-recoverable carriers and wrappings.
