@Akshay@eupolicy.social
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Akshay

@Akshay@eupolicy.social

Hi! I work on EU Climate Policy for DG CLIMA https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission. I've worked on EU greenhouse gas targets, climate neutrality, transport, and now, the EU Emissions Trading System. Here, however, I'm off duty. My employer does not endorse my views.

CW: Scatterbrained news addict, highly random interests not limited to things I know about, like #EU #Climate #ClimatePolicy, but include science, world politics, hiking, piano.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

Akshay, to Palestine
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

The ICC request for warrants.

What are they saying Hamas and Israel did? A thread.

Just so everybody keeps their sanity in the face of our utterly complicit leaders' despicable gaslighting, which has already started.

https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state

(1/n)

Akshay, to Netherlands Dutch
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Dit wordt precies het briljante plan van ons volgende bruinrechtse kabinet!

This brilliant plan sounds just like what the coming far-right Dutch government will cook up! @SeanJones

https://mastodon.social/@SeanJones/112439823238127230

#Immigratie #immigration #Universiteiten #Universities #Netherlands #Nederland #Formatie

Akshay, to photography
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Mossy tree trunk and bluebell wild hyacinths, Halle Forest, Brussels Region, Belgium

Akshay, to photography
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Bluebell wild hyacinth bloom, Halle Forest, Brussels Region, Belgium

franco_vazza, to Astro
@franco_vazza@mastodon.social avatar

My small poll has ended
https://mastodon.social/
and I suspect I might have found a tiny effect, which I sort of expected (at least because it's in me):

maybe scientists care a bit less about "coherence" of views, when they debate important things in life/society/politics, compared to people with a different background.

It's not super striking, but coherence is very much important for 64% of scientist, but to 77% of non-scientists.

Let me explain:

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

@franco_vazza

Same experience here.

As the class “scientific” type I attracted arguments from quacks since my teenage years. Could be the paranormal, ghost stories, ufo’s, non harm of smoking, non existence of climate change, creationism, whatever.

Heck, at age 14 I was interested in “Mysteries” myself!

It turned out all these beliefs are utterly rationally coherent, they’re just based on lies.

Philosophical investigation into mere coherence is helpless against lies and propaganda.

Akshay, to photography German
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Walking trail, Ninglingspo valley, East Belgium

#Photography #Mosstodon #Belgium #Belgie #Belgique #Belgien

Akshay, to random Dutch
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

De nieuwe VVD-campagne: we zijn racistisch, discriminerend, en zetten asielzoekers vast om niets, na etnisch profileren.

Dit is zo evident fout, dat de politie niet wil meewerken en we gegarandeerd nat gaan bij de rechter.

Dat vertellen we openlijk in de krant: stem dus op ons, niet Wilders, want die moet zich straks wèl aan de rechtsstaat houden!!!

H/T @ErikJonker

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/02/09/minister-yesilgoz-zocht-met-schaduwteam-voor-asielaanpak-bewust-de-randen-van-de-wet-op-a4189649

Akshay, to journalism Dutch
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Unhinged far-right extremist Geert Wilders could win up to a third(!) of the vote in repeat Dutch elections, say polls.

I could ask rhetorically WTF happened to my country, but I know: for my entire adult life our media and “centre”-right politics has mainstreamed xenophobia, then racism, then fascism and even neo-Nazism.

In Germany far more media take their responsibility seriously.

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

@xs4me2 45 seats by Ipsos is still 30% so almost 1/3! And the admittedly dubiously reliable “Peil” poll by the even less reliable Maurice the Hond has them at 50 seats, so 1/3! Hence my statement of “up to a third” is in fact true

Akshay, to Israel Dutch
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Ireland doesn’t think starving millions, because of a dozen alleged Hamas militants in UNRWA, is a good idea.

As for the “West” what is it thinking?

Are they going to starve everybody one day after the ICJ told them to deliver aid ASAP?

Do they have an alternative way to deliver food and medication right now?

Or is this just for the post ICJ headlines?

In any case follow ICJ orders and get aid to the starving!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/ireland-has-no-plans-to-suspend-funding-to-unrwa-amid-israeli-allegations-says-micheal-martin/a1929756518.html

Akshay, to Israel Dutch
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

“The court [ordered] Israel to “take all measures within its power” to

  • halt acts that contribute to genocide,

  • to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza to end the suffering among Palestinian civilians,

  • and to prevent and punish the public statements of incitement made by senior Israeli officials.

  • Israel must report back to the court in a month on the steps it has taken.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/26/icj-ruling-israel-western-backers

davidho, to random
@davidho@mastodon.world avatar

What’s a good term (not negative emissions) that includes both carbon capture and carbon removal?

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

@gwagner @davidho

DACCS and industrial process emission CCS aren’t post-combustion though…perhaps just “carbon management”?

Industrial carbon management would be good too, although I think it specifically refers to industry, so wouldn’t include the power sector or DACCS, but might include DACCU.

Technological carbon management?

(All could include chemical processes which aren’t traditional amine based CO2 capture, but are ways to use circulate molecules, so pre-combustion[?])

Akshay, to Bulgaria
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Prepare for Trump, Europeans, pleads @DaveKeating

“Europeans preferred to do nothing rather than confront uncomfortable realities… They now have nine months to prepare for [Trump leaving NATO and causing domestic chaos]”

https://davekeating.substack.com/p/europe-must-prepare-for-a-post-american?r=wx462&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

#Trump #NATO #EU #EuropeanUnion #StrategicAutonomy #EUDefence

Akshay, to islam
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Excellent overview article on the Houthis by Political Islam expert Elisabeth Kendall:

https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-houthis-forgotten-war-goes-global/

Potted history from the 60’s to now, so more actual background than takes by pundits who looked up the Wikipedia page, just like you

Ping @ottocrat

franco_vazza, to twitter
@franco_vazza@mastodon.social avatar


after I deleted my account entirely, I recreated it just to seal my previous username.
This allowed me today to make a quick random tour inside the astro part of it, in ages.
😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
So much toxic and poisoning stuff I was not used about anymore, that I will need another month to recover.
(well the people are just the same people, no matter what's the platform, but there's indeed a selection bias towards certain kinds of ways of discussing things...)

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

@franco_vazza

Wait, does Twitter somehow turn astrophysics discussions toxic???

Or is it the other debates, like the one on whether racism is good or bad?

jon, to random
@jon@gruene.social avatar

About the USA, but fascinating and worrying, and I wonder about how much a parallel would hold in Europe too? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/10/magazine/dangerous-driving.html

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

@quixoticgeek @notsoloud @jon

NL nrs are here. A rapid drop in the 2000’s, then a small rise since thre economic crisis and rapid post-Covid surge.

Elderly falling from e-bikes and breaking their hips is one problem. But car drivers seem to have lost it a bit post-Covid too.

The decline stalling/reversing post-crisis is pretty disappointing too

https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/visualisaties/verkeer-en-vervoer/verkeer/hoeveel-mensen-komen-om-in-het-verkeer-

Akshay, to Bulgaria
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

“Donald Trump said to Ursula, ‘you need to understand that if Europe is under attack we will never come to help you and to support you, and by the way NATO is dead, and we will leave, we will quit NATO.’

It was the president of the United States of America — he may come back.”

  • Thierry Breton, cited by Politico Europe

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/kyiv-seeks-air-defense-missiles-at-nato-ukraine-meeting/

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Our European leaders know Trump is a threat.

They know we need stronger, European Defence capabilities.

But what are they doing about it?

Akshay, to Bulgaria
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

In case you missed it: a fine article by Pascal Lamy on the Delors method.

At our best, I think the Commission can still do long-term planning and short-term tactical adjustments.

But endless crises which necessitate rapid head-of-government haggling, and fear of demagogues, are making it harder to systematically develop an EU vision.

We shouldn't let it atrophy! Else short-term panicked improv is all we'll be good at.

https://legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2024/01/04/jacques-delors-lamy-europe/

ErikJonker, to random
@ErikJonker@mastodon.social avatar

Het gaat maar door met explosies in het Rijnmond gebied,
https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/1759815/woning-zwartgeblakerd-na-explosie-meerdere-autobranden-in-een-nacht

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

@ErikJonker

Weet iemand een goed achtergrond-artikel over waar de fuck deze akelige trend vandaan komt, en waarom het zo moeilijk tegen te gaan is?

Ik bedoel, iedereen haat misdaad, en elke overheid die dit zijn beloop laat krijgt keihard klop van de kiezer.

Ik heb onderstaand artikel gelezen, maar het gaat over de onderknuppels die de explosieven leggen, gewoon domme jochies

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/12/29/explosievenleggers-bij-de-rechter-begrijp-je-bomba-broer-explota-boem-boem-a4185548?t=1704621857

Akshay, to spiders
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

So here I am, walking in a tropical forest in Tamil Nadu, and Baron Samedi in spider form descends upon me!

IANA arachnologist, but it looks like a Nephila Pilipes, a giant golden orb weaver.

Akshay, to Travel
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

View from Yercaud, Tamil Nadu

Akshay, to threads
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

Questions provoked by Threads:

  1. In the EU, to what extent would GDPR prevent automated corporate data gathering based on our public Mastodon posts? Or are there no limits? (Best to always assume there are none, especially not to the worst, most hostile actors)

  2. Apparently Threads thinks our data is fair game if we merely allow a Threads user to follow us. How is this GDPR compliant consent?

Akshay, to Israel Dutch
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

France sums it up:

“Unfortunately, the Council has failed once again”

https://onu.delegfrance.org/gaza-france-voted-in-favor-of-the-resolution-for-a-humanitarian-ceasefire

Akshay, to Israel
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organisation:

“The humanitarian crisis currently underway in the Gaza Strip is not a side effect of the war, but the direct intended result of the policy implemented by Israel.

The people behind this policy see inflicting a humanitarian crisis on more than two million people as a legitimate way to put pressure on Hamas…”

https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20231207_humanitarian_catastrophe_as_policy

Akshay,
@Akshay@eupolicy.social avatar

B’Tselem:

“The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister admit, in front of cameras, that Israel is deliberately manufacturing a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

If Israel wills it, the crisis will be solved. If it does not, it will continue. This is a confession to a war crime.”

https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20231207_humanitarian_catastrophe_as_policy

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