According to the linked article, 72 studies suggest that wi-fi radiation harms/kills #bees -- and by some claims is a threat to their continued existence. I suppose if extinction were really a likely risk there would be widespread outrage and bee conservationists taking actions. It seems there is a lack of chatter about this. This thread also somewhat implies disinterest in even having wi-fi alternatives.

In any case, does anyone think this is a battle worth fighting? Some possible off-the-cuff actions that come to mind:

• ban the sale of wi-fi devices bigger than a phone in Europe¹ if they do not also comply with these conditions:
  • include an ethernet port as well. So e.g. macbooks would either have to bring back the ethernet port or nix wi-fi (and obviously Apple wouldn’t nix Wi-Fi).
  • have a physical wi-fi toggle switch on the chassis (like Thinkpads have)
• force public libraries with Wi-Fi to give an ethernet port option so library users at least have the option of turning off their own wi-fi emissions.
• ban the sale of Wi-Fi APs that do not have:
  • a configurable variable power setting that is easily tunable by the user; maybe even require a knob or slider on the chassis.
  • bluetooth that is internet-capable
• force phones that include wi-fi to also include bluetooth as well as the programming to use bluetooth for internet. Bluetooth routers have existed for over a decade but they are quite rare.. cannot be found in a common electronics shop.

Regarding bluetooth, it is much slower than wi-fi, lower range, and probably harder to secure. But nonetheless people should have this option for situations where they don’t need wi-fi capability. E.g. when a phone is just sitting idle it could turn off wi-fi and listen over bluetooth for notifications.

I suspect the 1st part of this quote from the article explains the lack of concern:

“The subject is uncomfortable for many of us because it interferes with our daily habits and there are powerful economic interests behind mobile communication technology.”

1. I say /Europe/ because it’s perhaps the only place where enough people would be concerned and where you also have the greatest chance of passing pro-humanity legislation (no “Citizens United” that human needs have to compete with).

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/4664992

~~(the audio associated to the link will air on BBC World Service again in a couple hours from now [20:00 GMT today], if anyone is on a strained internet uplink)~~ (that’s in the past now)

A panel of climate experts answered questions related to #COP28. Someone asked about the viability of an agenda to get people off animal products. IIRC, the answers basically boiled down to:

• An elected politician telling people not to eat meat would be political suicide
• Nutrition would be a problem

IMO both answers are accurate. But isn’t there an oversight in terms of subsidies? The US gives huge subsidies to farmers and that includes livestock subsidies (not sure about other countries). A politician would not get away with intervening in people’s diets but canceling livestock subsidies would not be an intervention - it would actually be non-intervention. Would that still necessarily be political suicide?

W.r.t nutrition, someone who works 2 jobs and struggles for a survivable income would not have time/resources to study avoiding malnutrition on a strictly plant-based diet. So if animal products were priced out of the market for poor people, it would cause real problems, no?

Would it make sense to cut the subsidies, let animal product prices skyrocket, but then put the subsidies on the consumer side so overworked underpaid workers could maintain their diets? Apart from that, it seems a bit shitty that vegan taxpayers still finance animal exploitation by simply paying their tax.

Are there any states/countries known to not subsidize animal exploitation, where vegans can be vegan in the most absolute sense?

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg told the Bonn COP28 preparatory conference that humanity needed to act on the climate crisis now or face ‘the death sentence.’

https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/greta-thunberg-speaks-at-cop28-prep-conf-idOV962813062023RP1