erinwhalen

@erinwhalen@mindly.social

Rainforest-dwelling freelance copywriter and founder of OurAwesomeFuture.net, where I write about green tech, sustainability, and environmental justice issues. I love #StarTrek #SciFi #fantasy #philosophy #science #ebikes #evs #urbanism #sustainability #WalkableCities #GreenTech #SustainableDesign and believe there is no "us vs. them," there's only US.

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erinwhalen, to Canada

Here we goooooo!! Canada is expected to announce this week that all new cars must be zero emissions by 2035. Only 12 years left to buy a gas guzzler, people!

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/canada-announce-all-new-cars-must-be-zero-emissions-by-2035-report-2023-12-17/

erinwhalen,

@cazabon - Thanks so much for weighing in with your thoughts! I really appreciate it.

I actually live on the outskirts of a town of less than 5,000 on the BC coast that's accessible only by ferry.

I hear you on the lack of infrastructure throughout most of Canada, which is why I am excited to see the federal government set a deadline on the sale of new gas cars, as I suspect it will provide serious impetus to kickstart the development of that infrastructure. ✌️

erinwhalen,

@cazabon @cass_m - Yes, for these reasons, I suspect Canada will lag behind the rest of the world in our adoption of EVs – especially for people who have to do a lot of long-distance driving in the remote areas you describe. (Important to note we're talking about a small minority of the population, though.)

I also think it's worth considering that EV batteries 12 years from now are likely to be more advanced and have much longer ranges/faster charging times than today's car batteries.

erinwhalen, to random

Look at these cute little guys I saw on my walk the other day. So tiny!

erinwhalen, to environment

Loved this article about an urban gardener who planted a food forest in her small backyard. She lives in Australia but I imagine the multi-layer forest idea could be adapted for any environment.

(Urban food forests make me think of how the Amazon was proven to be a human-cultivated food forest, with most of the edible plants deliberately planted 4,500 years ago. Living in a biodiverse food forest sounds pretty dreamy to me! 🌲 🌳 )

https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/creating-a-mini-urban-food-forest-in-my-small-backyard/103218416

erinwhalen, to random

erinwhalen, to random

Happy Friday! Here's a little sailor's delight to kick off the weekend.

erinwhalen, to random

YESSSSS this is amazing!! Congrats, @marthawells - I can't wait to see Murderbot brought to life - by a Skarsgard, no less!!

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/apple-murderbot-series-alexander-skarsgard-1235838405/

erinwhalen, to tech

The Fairphone 5 just received a perfect 10/10 score on repairability from iFixit. 😍

OH, how I wish Fairphones were available in Canada. Tech that isn't built to be easily repairable is some serious BS.

https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/ifixit-gives-fairphone-5-perfect-repairability-score

erinwhalen, to environment

Here’s another article about Paris’s ongoing efforts to become a “garden city.” 😍🌳🌷

The city is creating its first urban forest by planting 478 trees on the Place de Catalogne, where a busy car roundabout was transformed into a "Dutch-style" bicycle junction in an effort to reduce noise and pollution and combat global warming. The forest will located at the start of a greenway bike lane that leads to the city’s southern suburbs.

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/paris-plant-first-urban-forest-busy-roundabout-drive-build-garden-city-2023-12-06/

1/2

erinwhalen, to environment

I didn’t realize that Quebec was so committed to phasing out fossil fuels! Last week the province joined Denmark and Costa Rica as co-chairs of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) — “a coalition of countries and sub-national governments that have committed to banning the exploration and development for new oil and gas.”

Way to go, Quebec! Here’s hoping more provinces and states follow in your footsteps. 🌎🙏

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/12/07/news/quebecs-mission-end-oil-and-gas

erinwhalen, to mastodon

I joined Mastodon back in November 2022 and decided to write a piece about what my experience here has been like.

(Spoiler: it's turned me into a local activist. 😆 ✊ )

https://www.ourawesomefuture.net/mastodon-a-gateway-drug-for-activism/

erinwhalen, to random

It’s been a year since I joined Mastodon so I figured now would be a good time to reintroduce myself. 😁

I’m a copywriter & content strategist living on the Sunshine Coast BC, Canada. I share photos of the forest and ocean and post a lot about green tech and sustainability because I believe we have the potential to solve our biggest environmental challenges – and the more attention we pay to possible solutions, the faster we'll be able to create a sustainable future for all. ✌️ 🌎

erinwhalen, to random

erinwhalen, to Trains

OMG I LOVE THIS: The Biden Administration has announced $8.2 billion in new funding for high-speed rail and other passenger train projects – including a high-speed electric train connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas, with another from LA to San Francisco eventually in the works.

YES! North America needs high-speed electric rail. Here's hoping they extend the California line all the way north to Vancouver! 🚅

https://www.axios.com/2023/12/08/high-speed-rail-white-house

erinwhalen, to Bulgaria

The EU Council and Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on new ecodesign rules that will make products sold within the EU greener and easier to repair. The new agreement sets environmental sustainability requirements for almost all categories of products (e.g., dishwashers, televisions, windows, car chargers) and introduces a ban on destroying unsold clothing and footwear.

Yay for more sustainability and less waste! 🌎

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/05/products-fit-for-the-green-transition-council-and-parliament-conclude-a-provisional-agreement-on-the-ecodesign-regulation/

erinwhalen, to california

Researchers are saying that California's Salton Sea has much more lithium than previously thought – enough to power 382 million EV batteries – and that it can be extracted in a relatively environmentally friendly way.

Sounds like a number of companies are racing to make that happen but none of them have developed the technology and infrastructure to do it profitably yet... here's hoping one of them figures it out! 🌎🤞

https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2023-11-28/the-salton-sea-has-even-more-lithium-than-previously-thought-new-report-finds-boiling-point

erinwhalen, to britishcolumbia

Saw these cuties on one of my weekend walks and had to share. So perfectly umbrella-shaped!

erinwhalen, to climate

An international climate advocacy group is calling for the world's countries to reallocate five percent of their military funding to help combat climate change.

I mean, diverting ONE HUNDRED percent of military funding to combat climate change would be a better idea, but sure. Let's start with five.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/02/cop28-climate-change-military-funds

erinwhalen, to Energy

Another day, another energy storage solution being touted as the next best thing to facilitate the clean energy transition... 🤞

Italian startup Energy Dome stores energy by compressing gaseous CO2 into liquid during times of peak power, then releases the energy by allowing the CO2 to expand back into gas. Apparently Bill Gates has thrown a bunch of money at it so it will be interesting to see if and how the technology develops.

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/02/carbon-dioxide-co2-long-duration-energy-storage-wisconsin-italy/

erinwhalen, to california

I was reading this article on California's plans to ban gas-powered lawn mowers in 2024 and came across a claim that blew my mind: apparently "1 hour use of a gas-powered lawn mower releases as much pollution as a Toyota Camry does over 300 miles."

What??

I did a quick search and found a few other sources that said the same thing. Gas-powered lawn mowers pollute WAY more than cars do. Phasing them out seems like a no-brainer?

https://carboncredits.com/californias-bold-shift-say-goodbye-to-carbon-emission-gas-powered-lawn-mowers-by-2024/

#california #environment #gas

erinwhalen, to renewableenergy

I appreciated this Foreign Policy article that talks about how the green transition will mean LESS mining, not more.

Though I wouldn't call the argument that renewables require an unacceptable amount of mining an "emerging narrative" – seems like people have been making that claim for years now.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/11/23/renewable-energy-climate-change-cop28/

erinwhalen, to Energy

TransitionZero has published a report that claims building out transmission grids could save $3 trillion in the global transition to a green energy future.

I like what the report says about creating “corridors of clean energy flow” and the regional maps showing where these corridors could be developed.

Think we'll be able to make it happen? 🤔 ⚡

https://www.transitionzero.org/insights/interconnector-report-feo

erinwhalen, to britishcolumbia

The Ḵwiḵwa̱sut'inux̱w Ha̱xwa’mis First Nation has declared 41,000 hectares of BC’s mid-coast to be an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area. The declaration invoked the nation’s inherent rights to protect its traditional territory “from mountaintop to seafloor” and said the nation’s stewardship will “focus on culture and language, protecting habitat and archaeological resources, food security and generating a sustainable economy.”

https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-broughton-indigenous-protected-area/

erinwhalen, to environment

Paris has revealed plans for pedestrianizing the city that include creating 100 hectares of new pedestrian space by 2030 and transforming car lanes to human-friendly pathways and rain gardens.

Love this part: "walking is free, it's emission-free, it's noise-free, it's good for your health and, as we see every time we pedestrianise, it's also good for local businesses."

People-friendly cities for the win! 🚶‍♀️ 🌳 🚴‍♂️

https://www.thelocal.fr/20231117/paris-reveals-plans-to-pedestrianise-the-city

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