Ford Announcement is Harbinger of Avalanche of New EV Models are on the Horizon from virtually every Major Automaker
With today’s scheduled announcement of a new Ford Mustang EV and a slew of other companies rushing into the fray, the transition into more sustainable automotive transportation has gone into hyperdrive.
Since it’s founding in 2003, Tesla has been about two things: all electric zero emission electric cars and making them fun, fast and sexy.
The genius of this cannot be overstated. In retrospect, it can even be said that the auto industry intentionally tried to make EV’s, to the extent that they were developed at all, an experience like eating broccoli while everyone else at the table feasted on a cornucopia of delights. The idea appeared to be to intentionally fail and thereby take away the need for EV’s to be produced at all (and ICE vehicle production to continue uninterrupted)
Elon Musk and Tesla put a stop to all that. Facing incredible resistance and negative press bordering on sabotage, nevertheless the company persisted and stuck to the concept: EVs must be not only have a long range and be powerful but also be fast and fun like hell to drive.
Also, could it be that all the boring, staid productions and designs were built specifically to fail? That the fossil fuel industrial complex wanted to perpetuate itself (automakers included) and stop or at least slow down the transition to EVs?
For years, there was not much more than a trickle of projects at other manufacturers trying to follow suit. No more. Not only are there huge and growing numbers of new models either in production or soon to be produced, but longer term commitments and infrastructure investments, particularly by the top German automakers are being announced virtually by the day.
Theses commitments follow not only close attention to the sales numbers and successes of Tesla’s Roadster, Model 3, S and X, but, with a high likelihood, huge companies are seeing that the tide is turning in awareness of the need for sustainable energy infrastructure among the general public.
Although there is plenty of debate as to whether battery based individual cars can be powered by primarily sustainable energy sources (Solar, wind, etc), it is clear that reducing CO2 emissions by phasing out, and eventually eliminating, ICE vehicles is a positive step forward.
Photo / Tesla
The Future can’t wait, and thankfully, Elon and Tesla Survived and Brought us All to this Moment
But the genius and power, seldom singled out for praise of any kind (even among Tesla fanatics), in finding “sexy” ways to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and of waging war against the capitalist world that itself created the problem of Global Warming, is mind-bendingly fantastic.
While this sounds almost insane at first blush, Elon Musk and Tesla are proving that, by focusing on making products that are not only environmentally progressive but also attractive to consumers, (using a marketing style straight out of Apple and Steve Jobs playbook) the “free market” can bring extreme pressure to bear on polluting fossil fuel behemoths and force them to change.
The brilliance of this is deep and formidable. In the end, it is “the people” that must stand up and act to change the ways that we travel and use transportation. It has been clear for half a century that a “top-down” approach where a kind of energy austerity is forced on the public is not possible and would bring great hardship. And voluntary change by the power structure went virtually nowhere in the last 50 years.
Why not find ways to make sustainable energy solutions and products that improve the transportation systems into aspirational objects of desire and status? Why not make green more than just politically correct but also cutting edge and satisfying to the lifestyles of the affluent and mobile in the G7 member countries?
Tesla Store in Hamburg, Germany
One Step Forward is better than Excuses not to Act, which has been the Stance of Government and Industry until now
And so what if battery factories are not yet able to run on 100% sustainable energy sources? Isn’t it better to start now and accelerate the transition to a better way? Tesla is also a solar company and a battery manufacturing company and is doing everything possible to upgrade all available technology to make its entire operation more completely sustainable and “green”.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see the rest of the auto industry (and indeed other industries and companies) to follow this path of prioritizing sustainable energy production and use?
Now, today, we see that a miracle has happened. Using great technology and product designs and marketing them with emphasis on the driving pleasure, speed and sexy fun, just as much as the environmental benefits Tesla has pulled and prodded the rest of the auto industry toward the future, and forced them to abandon all efforts to delay or impede the transition to sustainable energy in automotive transport.
In a war with a single company / entity against almost literally the entire world infrastructure, the war was won by the underdog, hands down.
Perhaps this is a lesson for the future: that winning the hearts, minds and the wallets of the general public, by creating products people love, can be an even better catalyst for positive change, than preaching suffering and guilt while clinging to the obsolete structures of the past.
You can watch the live unveiling of the Mustang Mach-E at 5:15 PM (PST) Nov. 17, 2019 below:
The main factor preventing carbon emission reductions? Over-reliance on fossil fuel for energy & transport
As the climate crisis rages on and protests for climate action happen all over the world, peoples and nations worldwide struggle with implementing a sustainable alternative to the biggest cause of carbon emissions: fossil fuels.
The backbone of the fossil fuel strangle-hold on the world economy is cars and, particularly in the US, a transportation infrastructure based on solo drivers and individual cars. Because of this, a fossil fuel alternative is hard to obtain without the use of fossil fuels themselves throughout the process.
The European Union, for example, despite being the top funds provider for global projects aimed at fighting against the climate crisis, has also provided funding and subsidies for fossil fuels at the same time. However, on Friday, November 8th, the European Union Finance Ministers backed a declaration to end all fossil fuel funding for the first time.
After previously only agreeing to end funding for coal power plants, they issued a joint statement with the EU calling “to phase out financing of fossil fuel projects, in particular those using solid fossil fuels, taking into account the sustainable development, and energy needs, including energy security, of partner countries.”
The European Investment Bank’s official decision regarding the matter is unclear as a number of countries push for the continuance of gas funding in the face of the EU’s general fear that those countries would turn to Russia for help. The EIB board will meet on November 14th to further discuss this policy issue.
Tesla’s Mission and Vision is Coming to Fruition
Fortunately, Tesla has been aware of this complex socioeconomic issue from its establishment, and they are the leading cause of change and innovation that combats this issue on all fronts.
On May 9, 2019, Tesla’s twitter account released a thread detailing the company’s mission and how they plan to execute it in a multitude of ways as they go forward. Their mission is “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
The first part of their “Master Plan” to realize this mission is to influence the auto industry to transition to electric power because the current leading cause of global CO2 emissions is the constant use of fossil fuels for transportation, especially in the U.S., where its infrastructure primarily relies on transportation via solo, gas-powered cars with individual drivers.
Tesla accomplished this by designing the Tesla Roadster, Model S, Model X, Model 3, and the upcoming Model Y to prove that “people didn’t need to compromise to drive all-electric” in order to benefit the environment.
Tesla’s planned impact on the auto industry is clearly a success as various hybrid and all-electric model cars are set for deliveries in 2020.
Tesla Successfully Influences Auto Industry to Embrace EVs as ‘Sexy & Fun’
As Tesla’s founding ethos of making sustainable transportation fun and ‘sexy’ is proven to be successful, many car manufacturers are following suit by moving towards producing hybrid and/or all-electric vehicles that guarantee a high quality that lives up to, or even surpasses, their long-established, gas-powered, vehicle brand names.
https://youtu.be/o0F9Uktpgtk
On Sunday, November 17th, it looks like Ford is about to jump on this trend first introduced by Tesla and incorporated into the recent practices of renowned car manufacturers, like Lamborghini, Porsche, and Jeep.
Porsche and Jeep have already produced hybrid plug-in versions of their iconic Cayenne and Wrangler models as a movement towards sustainable energy, but Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is going to be the first all-electric SUV to bear a name originally reserved for a trademark, powerful, gas-powered, “muscle” car.
This marks a major shift in values for traditional automakers. At first, car manufacturers would produce moderate-to-low quality electric vehicles just to pacify the environmentalist demographic, essentially putting the carbon emissions reduction burden on consumers, who rightfully find that sacrificing the quality transportation that they deserve in the name of saving the planet is too inconvenient, rather than themselves for failing to give consumers a compatible alternative to their gas-powered vehicles.
But now, with Tesla’s burgeoning global success in high-quality EV sales, the demand for electric vehicles has finally increased to a level that traditional auto companies were unable (or unwilling) to achieve. As a result, high-quality EV production is finally at the top of production priorities in heightening the possibility for a real start toward a sustainable future.
BMW i4
Auto Companies Rushing Forward to Ramp Up EV Production in Fear of Losing the Market to Tesla
Audi, Mercedes and BMW all have big projects for EV production, and have, in essence, capitulated and conceded that EVs will be 100% of the car market in the relatively near future, within a decade for example. They are now concerned that Tesla will dominate with a massive market share if they do not start working to catch up. And if this shift isn’t seen in the various hybrid and electric models coming out in 2020, it demonstrates a clear trend, based on recent auto company investments and factory expansions.
On Wednesday, November 13th, Volkswagen unveiled an $800 million investment into an expansion project for their Cattanooga, Tennessee factory to be turned into VW’s main base for electric vehicle manufacturing in North America. They also expect to introduce 1,000 new jobs at the factory through the 564,000-square-foot body shop addition that’s part of the expansion.
In light of their 2015 emissions cheating scandal, the expansion is also a piece of Volkswagen’s broad plan to turn away from diesel, which globally entails a $50 billion commitment towards EV development and production.
Photo / Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s expansion will also enable the production of their all-electric compact SUV, the VW ID.4, by mid-2022, which is expected to compete with Tesla’s Model Y, which will begin production in early 2020.
Thanks to Tesla’s success, this insurgence of EV popularity amongst consumers is forcing auto companies to measure up to the high-quality Tesla standard, which indicates that the tipping point leading to a clean energy future through sustainable transportation has arrived.
Collage of various photos from the life of Jane Fonda
Joining Greta Thunberg, Jane implores us all to act ”like our House is On Fire”
The Fossil Fuel Industrial Complex does not like Celebrities or Movie Stars speaking out against the crime of doing nothing about the threats of climate change. They will scream “hypocrite” or claim, through paid-for pseudo scientists, that the data is “inconclusive”, then willfully, and perhaps illegally, hide the truth for decades. None of this will stop the shift toward grass roots action and now Jane Fonda is at the forefront, which is not surprising.
Of all people, Jane Fonda is no stranger to activism. She has advocated on many fronts throughout her life including protesting war, violence, discrimination and now her current focus is on the climate crisis.
At Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards, Fonda stated that she hasn’t met Greta Thunberg, but that her life has changed because of her. She further reflected in an interview on how compelled to action she became, inspired by the young climate fighter.
“She urged us to get out of our comfort zone and stop behaving like business as usual, and that’s what inspired me to move to D.C. and join with students. And I thank you so much for the courage of what you are doing. We can’t leave it to young people. It wasn’t their fault. We have to stand alongside them.”
– Jane Fonda
Fonda then helped to launch the climate crisis campaign called Fire Drill Fridays. The name was inspired by the book “On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal” by author Naomi Klein and the stand out quote from Greta “act like your house is on fire”. The actress then uprooted her life to move to Washington in order to protest on a weekly basis each Friday for a total of 4 months. Jane aims is to bring continued awareness of the climate crisis and advocate for the Green New Deal, an initiative aimed directly at the climate crisis that lays out demands to phase out the use of fossil fuels and completely be replaced with 100% renewable clean energy by 2030.
Her protests and engagement in civil disobedience on Capitol Hill have thus far resulted in five arrests, with another arrest on the 15th almost a certainty. Fonda has even brought several of her celebrity friends to join in the cause, all of whom have also been detained, including Rosanna Arquette, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, and Sam Waterston.
instagram /@firedrillfriday
The Dark Side and Backlash towards Activists
Fonda has felt both sides of the spectrum in her many years as a political activist and resister; she has garnered much respect for her courage and bravery during protests at the U.S. Capitol, however the actress didn’t always hold positive public regard. Quite the opposite, almost half a century ago, Jane was heavily criticized, with some branding her as a traitor, and many harboring hate for decades after her protests surrounding the anti-war movement.
In 1972, Fonda took a trip to North Vietnam where it was revealed that the U.S. was unjustly bombing farmlands and targeting innocent people, during her trip she also spoke on Hanoi radio about the wrongdoings she had witnessed, sparking massive controversy. However the tipping point that drastically changed public perception of her for many decades stemmed from a photograph that she apologized for and yet was never forgiven by her critics.
In many ways this experience of negative backlash, which was particularly fierce due to her being a female movie star, makes her the perfect person to stand up to some of the same powerful forces she defied in her youth.
The fact is that the fossil fuel industrial complex has denied and deflected and at the same time perpetrated a crime against all of us, rather than contributing to sustainable alternatives, for at least 50 years. Who better to Join the ranks of those seeking to bring attention to this failure of government and industrial power elites than Jane Fonda, veteran advocate and icon.
In her “Fifth Act” at 81: Staying True to her Beliefs
Despite all of the ups and downs, Jane Fonda has endured during her life as a political activist. She, clearly, is not stopping. She is not backing down and will continue to use her celebrity to raise awareness. As an elderly woman, the actress is willing to risk continued arrests in order to call out to governments that continue excessive use and even promotion of fossil fuel systems that they must stop immediately.
With only a limited amount of years left for any of us to turn the fossil fuel disaster around – there is a countdown, that if not addressed will result in dire and irreversible planetary consequences. Scientists have sounded the warning bell time and again for years about global warming and the climate crisis, yet insufficient governmental action, and even willful resistance, to positive change has been the norm.
The fossil fuel industry have known for years of the negative environmental implications yet continue, in the name of profit, to cause increases the CO2 emissions to be dumped into the atmosphere. All through lack of support for alternatives and even active promotion of existing deadly technologies and systems.
Mass mobilization and civil disobedience including Fonda’s Friday Drill Fridays, Extinction Rebellion and big names like Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio will, no doubt continue and increase. These and other positive grass roots actions are essential in order to force governments and private industry to finally wake up and listen, then take the drastic and immediate steps needed toward solving this global problem.
80,000 Small Quakes have moved the fault line 0.8 inches since July 5th Quake…
On Wednesday, November 13th at 11:26 a.m., an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 and a depth of 5.7 miles was reported 12 miles away from Ridgecrest, California. Interestingly, this earthquake is located at the same epicenter as the record-breaking 6.1 magnitude and 7.1 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on July 4th and 5th, respectively.
A closer look at the big July earthquake that occurred on Independence Day reveals that it appears to have activated the Garlock fault. The fault line is 185 miles long and runs from a junction with the San Andreas fault at Antelope Valley and has largely been inactive for the past 500-years. However since the July quakes, Ridgecrest has felt more than 80,000 earthquakes, most of them too low on the richter scale to warrant news coverage, resulting from the Garlock fault’s movement.
“The fact that the Ridgecrest rupture terminated right next to the Garlock is what cased this behavior.”
Zachary Ross, Assistant Professor of Geophysics at Caltech
However, generally, such movement should not cause immediate alarm as it’s quite common for faults to shift after a big earthquake. A “trigger slip” is where an earthquake is triggered by a previous quake – in this case, according to seismologists, today’s quake may have been a “passive response” to the Magnitude 7.1 earthquake, 11 miles from Ridgecrest, CA at 8:19 PM.
“The fact that we have a trigger slip after a 7 [magnitude earthquake] is really common. It’s like a passive response to the energy being released by the big earthquake”
The best policy is not to be Alarmed but to stay Prepared
In early October, Time magazine published a report citing scientific study, by researchers from the California Institute of Technology and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where it was indicated that the movement along the Garlock fault could indicate a possible increase in seismic activity, and that the fault was capable of producing an 8.0 magnitude earthquake at some point, although there is no way to predict when.
Earthquakes with a 3.0 magnitude or more were reported to have had an epicenter near the Ridgecrest fault in the last ten days. With a recent three-year data sample as a reference, 234 earthquakes on average happen every year in California and Nevada with 3.0 to 4.0 magnitudes. It is important to bear in mind that each whole number on the Richter scale is exponentially stronger than the previous whole number (an 8.0 is 33 times stronger than a 7.0 but a 9.0 is, yikes, 1,089 times stronger – arrived at by multiplying 33×33).
Although this earthquake, at 3.9 was at a magnitude that is common and not powerful enough to do damage, the fact is that Southern California is home to highly vulnerable fault lines and a quake measuring 8.0 or higher is going to happen at some point, it is only a question of when. Therefore it is highly advisable to prepare for any earthquake-induced emergencies that may happen now, and your chance of avoiding any negative effects will be far higher in the event that “the big one” happens anytime soon.
2nd Bombshell ? Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR also Released Today
World’s best Professional Notebook? Probably not even close
Right up front let’s state the obvious: sometimes bigger is better. This might be one of those times. 16 inches for a screen can help enormously to allow pro users to untether themselves from those huge multi-screen arrays with massive desktop functionality when traveling or just when that locked in feeling creeps up and creativity needs new scenery.
This idea is not to replace your upcoming new massive Mac Pro / Pro Display XDR combo (interestingly slated as of today for December availability) but to give you at least the feeling that you do not need to curtail the most power hungry activities while away from your main rig. And, if the specs herein are any indication, it will clearly enable you to do just that in all but the most demand situations. And with a max internal storage capacity of 8TB (yes, you are reading that right), for many, it could indeed replace an entire desktop workstation.
Here it is: The New Magic Keyboard
Billed as a “new scissor mechanism” but more importantly with a “rubber dome” that all of us hope will do away with the “dead” feeling of the now infamous “butterfly” keyboard. Headline is “comfortable and quiet”, but I think many would be satisfied if it is at least as nice as the “old” pre-butterfly model that was a durable dream to use. They put back the escape key (good job!) and, as this is the most expensive and fully decked out MacBook Pro ever, with the Touch Bar features and upgraded (fixed) keyboard we should be ready to rock.
More Power Demands a more Advanced Thermal Design
As processors get more and more powerful (here we have the 8‑core Intel Core i9) heat always becomes a potential issue and problem. As can be seen in the animated image above there has been a lot of effort put into dealing with this in an effective, elegant way. The improvements to the cooling capacity will allow the MacBook Pro 16″ to handle up to 12 more watts, while intensive workloads are present, compared with the previous MacBook Pro iteration.
100Wh Battery for 11 hours Browsing and an AMD Radeon Pro 5000M series GPU
For the largest screen and fastest processor, naturally, a bigger better battery is needed. The monster in question is a 100Wh (largest yet in a MacBook) and is said to add an extra hour of life, in spite of all the muscle under the hood.
With video and other intensive graphic workflows becoming more and more important (and software allowing more complex actions and higher video resolutions) a fast, powerful GPU is extremely crucial. It will be fantastic to see how far we can push the AMD Radeon Pro 5000M series graphics card which apple says is the first 7nm mobile discrete GPUs for pro users. External GPUs have been all the rage, perhaps the new 16 inch MacBook pro can dispense with the need via this AMD upgrade?
An 80% improvement in performance is claimed in comparison to the previous fastest-ever 8-core 15-inch MacBook Pro when equipped with the highest graphics options:
Video editors using DaVinci Resolve will see up to 1.8 times faster effects rendering when color grading.
Gamers will enjoy smoother gameplay with up to 1.6 times faster performance in games like Fortnite.
In Unity, developers will experience 1.4 times faster fly-through performance during game development.
And, yes, as you would expect, there are More Powerful Processors and Faster Memory
Again, the new MacBook Pro 16 inch (not coincidentally, released on the day that the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR December release is also on the agenda) is all about computationally intensive tasks such as code rendering, graphics processing, up to 8k (!) video and so forth. In keeping with this goal, processors are beefed up 6- and 8-core 9th-generation with Turbo Boost speeds up to 5.0 GHz. Apple claims speeds up to 2.1 times faster performance than the quad-core 15-inch MacBook Pro. It’s possible to load this beast with up to 64GB and, also factoring in the result of the improved thermal design mentioned above, this could allow us all to blast through heretofore impossible tasks, if not with ease, at least with some fluency. According to Apple, when compared to the fastest quad-core 15-inch MacBook Pro:
Music producers can play back massive multi-track projects with up to 2.1 times more Amp Designer plug-ins in Logic Pro X.
Scientists and researchers will benefit from 2.1 times faster simulation of dynamical systems in MATLAB.
Developers using Xcode can compile code up to 1.8 times faster.
Photographers can apply complex edits to photographs 1.7 times faster in Photoshop.
Processor:
Configurable to 2.4GHz 8‑core Intel Core i9, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz, with 16MB shared L3 cache
Retina display
16″ Display:
16‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit display with IPS technology; 3072‑by‑1920 native resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
Elon Musk made an appearance on German’s Auto Bild TV for the 2019 Golden Steering Wheels Awards (Die Verleihung des Goldenen Lenkrads 2019) showcasing the best cars of the year. While receiving an award, Musk announced that the location for the next Gigafactory will be in Berlin, Germany.
The first European Gigafactory will be situated near the newest airport in Berlin named the Brandenburg International Airport (BER). The airport is still under construction with reported plans for a 2020 opening date. Since the new Berlin airport location is already infamous for construction delays, Musk joked that the new Gigafactory would “hopefully” be completed more swiftly in comparison
Tesla’s site as of November 12th, now shows career opportunities in “Remote, Germany” for Gigafactory 4.
The Tesla Factory is located in Fremont, California, with Gigafactory 1 and 2 both based the United States in Sparks, Nevada and Buffalo, New York respectively. Gigafactory 3 is the first overseas factory in is located Shanghai, China.
In a tweet in June, Tesla’s CEO shared a potential teaser into the location of the European factory. The reality is, however, better- Berlin is in! The speed at which Gigfactories are popping up worldwide is impressive. Gigafactory 3, near Shanghai, that can build 150,000 Model 3 sedans a year, according to Tesla, was build in just 168 working days!
Musk has previously estimated that it will eventually take 100 Gigafactories to build the components necessary in order to run the entire world on sustainable energy. Naturally, as he also pointed out, Tesla alone could not build that many, and plans are for, eventually, an initial twelve to be built. So, 8 more in the pipeline now that #4 in Berlin has been announced. At the time of completion the first Gigafactory was the second largest building in the world by volume, with the largest footprint at 1.9 million square feet, hence “Giga”.
Will build batteries, powertrains & vehicles, starting with Model Y
Musk flew his private jet to Germany on November 11th, curiously missing the successful launch of 60 Starlink Satellites – and now we know the main reason why he did. Shortly after the award cerimony, a couple of tweets went live. The first, announcing the award, and more importantly, the second detailing the initial plans for the factory’s uses: building powertains and vehicles, starting with the Model Y and, of course, batteries.
The Model 3 has been, by almost any measure, a spectacular success. Now, with the Model Y looming on the horizon, and the mysterious Tesla pickup truck set to be unveiled on November 21st at the Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne, CA, 2020 is sizing up to be another make or beak year for Tesla and Elon.
Congrats to Tesla team on Model 3 winning best midsize car in Germany! 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪 https://t.co/4CDTf4c3eC
If you are still having trouble accepting the fact that climate change is real, then you are definitely not factoring in the overwhelming consensus of science. Earlier this week, the academic journal BioScience released a scientific research paper providing data from the past forty years, all pointing to the conclusion that our planet is currently in a state of climate emergency. Then, if the paper’s research is not enough on its own, perhaps the fact that over 11,000 scientists authorized it will help convince you.
At the bottom of the report, there are 11,258 signatures, all coming from different scientists across 153 countries and multiple disciplines. The paper’s multi-disciplinary approach creates room for a variety of evidence, demonstrating how global warming is effecting the planet from geological, biological, physiological, neurological perspectives and beyond.
This is also a wake up call about the fact that the science on climate change is no longer divisive. In science’s unbiased eyes, the Earth is in an unequivocal state of emergency.
“Climate emergency” is the exact diction that the paper uses to define the planet’s current situation. The words associated with climate change have evolved many times over the years. From “global warming” to “crisis,” language can certainly affect the way people think about the issue. The authors of this paper decided on “emergency” because it provokes more urgency than mere “change” but not as much chaotic hopelessness as “crisis.” After all, the purpose of the paper is to unveil proof and evoke action, not to have people helplessly bury their heads in the sand.
The paper outlines six major changes people must enact if they want to save the planet. Namely,
Implement massive energy efficiency practices and move to low-carbon renewables.
Reduce emissions of toxic pollutants such as methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons.
Restore global ecosystems across reefs, forests, grasslands and more while preventing further biodiversity loss.
Reduce the consumption of animal products and opt for plant-based foods.
Focus less on economic GDP growth and more on sustaining ecosystems and human well-being.
Lower fertility rates to reduce the world population.
As the paper makes clear, these changes are hardly suggestions, but more like necessities at this point. If we do not alter our priorities in a timely manner, we will face the worst of climate change’s wrath and be utterly defenseless to it.
Like most realistic studies on the climate crisis, this paper is not for the faint of heart. It opts for harsh truth over optimism. That being said, the research is not without occasional glimmers of hope. The outline of solutions points us in the right direction. Similarly, the authors acknowledge recent surges in environmental protests and eco-friendly ingenuities across the world as ongoing positive changes. Data-wise, fertility rates are already dropping and more people are switching from fossil fuel burning to more sustainable, renewable energy practices. Likewise, even politics are slowly catching on to the issue, with the UK Parliament declaring a climate emergency and United States Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Earl Blumenauer and Sen. Bernie Sanders all introducing the Green New Deal to Congress.
The world is far from perfect, and more action is still needed if we want to combat climate change effectively. However, the science is nearly unanimous, and the debate surrounding the issue’s severity is no longer a point of contention. Now, we just need people in power to stand with science, believe in the facts, and put in place urgently needed changes to begin to find ways to save us all from possible extinction.
Your Next New York Taxi ride? It will likely Soon be a Tesla…
The Model 3 has just been approved to join New York City’s taxi fleet.
Among the 40 vehicles approved, Model 3 is the only fully-electric car on the list. Usually, cars only get this kind of certification whenever an automotive manufacturer or individual requests it, but that’s not without some specific standards.
Man Texting in front of Tesla Amsterdam Showroom – Photo / Lynxotic
The qualifications for a vehicle to be certified as a New York taxi cab are simple: it must meet a certain minimum of interior space, have air conditioning installed for, have space for the clear partition between the driver and passengers, and also have its seats covered with an easy-to-clean material. Once approved, these cars can have their official taxi cab equipment installed, which requires a standardized paint job, exterior taxi lights, taxi signage, taxi meter, and interior partition.
Previously, electric cars were seldom used as taxi cabs because of their limited range and power. This was found in an experimental program with Nissan Leaf electric cars that ended in 2015. The problem that the Taxi & Limousine Commission noticed was that drivers were burdened by the significant limits of electric-powered vehicles compared to gas-powered vehicles. It was an especially big burden during hot weather that required extensive use of the air conditioner, which became another battery-draining source that would shorten the vehicle’s already short range even more.
However, Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicles could represent a solution for that problem since the Model 3, for example, has a range of at least 220 miles, which is significantly longer when compared to the Nissan Leaf‘s estimated meager range of 84 miles. The future Long Range Model Y is planned to have an even longer range at 300 miles on a full charge, which matches the average range of a traditional gas-powered vehicle.
Police Department Investigating Tesla Fleet Purchase: Acceleration is Key
As an Allegheny County Sheriff experiments with using Tesla for their police department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tesla proves that it could compete in both power and performance against traditionally gas-powered vehicles.
The Allegheny police have reported to particularly enjoy the many technologically advanced features that Tesla has to offer, like its computer monitor, smooth handling, quiet engine, quick acceleration and automatic safety features.
Indeed, many of these Tesla features are particularly handy when it comes to the specific job requirements for police cars to perform at a standard well above the average vehicle. Their only caveat is its average range. Although its range has yet to rival gas-powered vehicles, Tesla has gotten close to the average range of traditional cars that range from 300 to 400 miles on a full tank of gas. This puts Tesla’s foot in the door of the car competition, and who knows how much Tesla’s range will increase in the future as their technology continues to advance and improve.
However, a long range isn’t the only requirement for a police car. It also needs to be incredibly fast, and this is where Tesla dominates. An average gas-powered vehicle could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds, while Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs) could reach that in as little as 5 to 3 seconds. At this rate, Tesla EVs are definitely capable of chasing and catching runaway vehicles before needing to recharge.
Additionally, Tesla EVs are a lot safer than traditional vehicles. Many of the Allegheny police deputies have noted how the Tesla would immediately start to break on its own after they put their foot off the gas pedal and before they even hit the breaks. Additionally, Tesla EVs are a lot more cost effective by saving money without the use of gasoline in the long run. The Allegheny sheriff deputy also calculated that Tesla EVs would save them about $17,000 over a period of five years compared to their gas-powered vehicles.
Reflection in Tesla showroom window in Cologne, Germany – Photo / Lynxotic
Tesla Scores #1 among EVs for a Low-Carbon Future
According to Moody’s Carbon Transition Assessments (CTAs), which measures an automotive company’s ability to transition into a more sustainable “low carbon future,” Tesla was the only car manufacturer to receive the highest possible score.
The multi-point scale, with the highest rating being CT-1 and the lowest being CT-9, determines how ready the company is to transition to producing cleaner vehicles with zero emissions. Although BMW, Honda, Toyota, Geely, and Beijing Automotive group also received high CTA scores among the 20 surveyed, they are significantly lower than Tesla’s top spot at CT-1.
Notably, electric car sales have increased three-fold, while diesel vehicle sales have lost appeal and plummeted at rapid rates. With this in mind, the future of electric vehicles looks brighter as their demand and production continues to grow significantly, and every other automotive company needs to catch up.
Moody’s predicts that we will need more intensive carbon emissions testing on global car manufacturers in the near future. This comes at an important time when countries have set out crucial deadlines for petroleum phase-out goals during the expedited transition to clean, sustainable energy in light of the present climate crisis.
Moody’s 20-car-manufacturer assessment also puts an end to the circular argument that many critics of the electric vehicle movement have through the faulty narrative that EV production does more harm to the environment than good.
As Tesla’s production and technology becomes more advanced and sustainable, they are knocking over the barriers that previously held electric vehicles back from popular use. Tesla is well on their way to rivaling the range, speed, power, and performance of gas-powered vehicles. The future of clean transportation no longer has to settle for a lower quality of life and has the potential to create something even better than what we have now.
“what we need is for our rulers and politicians to listen to the research.”
In October, sixteen-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was selected to receive the Nordic Council Environmental Prize. The prestigious award is given once a year to a Nordic person, company, or organization that shows great initiative on the environment’s behalf. Winning it is an honor, filled with deep sentiment and 350,000 Danish kroner ($52,000). Greta Thunberg, however, is not interested in making money off of her cause, and she is way past sentiment.
In an Instagram post made earlier this week (see embed below), Thunberg expressed her gratitude for being offered the award, and she applauded the Nordic countries for their environmental ingenuities so far. However, she declined to accept the Council Prize, stating that “the climate movement doesn’t need awards” and that the governments handing them out should show their support by listening to science and creating more effective environmental policies.
She specifically called out the Nordic countries for the fact that despite their efforts, they could still be doing more to protect the environment. Bitingly, she posted, “In Sweden we live as if we had about 4 planets according to WWF and Global Footprint Network. And roughly the same goes for the entire Nordic region.”
Calling out the Richest Countries to do the most – and Lead the Way to Solutions
Thunberg’s declination to accept the award and its accompanying money is emblematic of her message—less rhetoric, more action. Instead of focusing on symbols, Greta campaigns for concrete change, meeting with world leaders to push for policies that directly combat the climate crisis.
During the time that she could have been accepting the award, Greta was doing what she does best: working restlessly on the other side of the globe. While two other climate activists spoke on Thunberg’s behalf at the Nordic ceremony, the young activist herself was in California, addressing the Golden State in the wake of its wildfires.
Thunberg has been a leading climate activist for over a year now. She dropped out of school to pursue this career on a global scale, inspiring many people to follow in her footsteps and realize how urgent of an issue climate change really is. We don’t know what the future holds for Miss Thunberg, but all indications are that we can expect it to be propitious, and will root for her no matter how many awards she receives or refuses.
Pollution in DTLA from the 60s to Now: Smoke is the New Smog
Throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies, and eighties, a dark layer of photochemical smog clouded downtown Los Angeles. Produced by carbon emissions, this toxic smog came to define the city in many unflattering ways. Today, the smog is not as noticeable, however, a new kind of cloud has arrived to mask the face of La-La-Land yet again.
This time around, the cloud is composed of smoke from wildfires, and while this leftover smolder from burning forests may not be as immediately caustic as yester-decades’ smog, it could be more dangerous all the same, for it is a sign of California’s increasing vulnerability in the presence of the climate crisis.
Seasonal Wildfires in California Exacerbated and Turned Catastrophic by Climate Crisis
Wildfires in California, like hurricanes in the Deep South or blizzards up north, are somewhat seasonal. After a long, hot, and dry summer, the fires are only now starting to pick up, with an inordinate number of them taking place in the mountains around L.A. since the beginning of autumn. The region’s exceptionally arid landscape this time of year only helps the fires grow and travel at faster rates.
The reasons for these wildfires can vary, from natural causes to someone dropping a cigarette in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of them are sparked by something immediate and unfortunate. However, their range, frequency, and ferocity can be linked to global warming—especially over the past few years, as the fires have become more intense and the effects of the climate crisis have been increasingly perceptible.
Indeed, a simple wayward cigarette could ignite a wildfire, but how much damage that fire does is determined in part by something far more elemental. As the climate crisis heats up the earth, things naturally become more flammable. The ecosystem is meant to respond to temperature spikes with additional moisture. Unfortunately, we have not experienced such compensation yet, and with the climate crisis being an unnatural phenomenon, it is unwise for us to expect the planet to respond in natural ways.
Wildfire Prevention is More than Putting Out a Spark, it’s Environmental, and California’s is Highly Flammable
Thus, a small spark can easily kindle a fire that quickly spreads over dry foliage with the wind. Although Los Angeles itself is celebrated as a land of perfect weather, its surrounding canyons produce gusts of wind up to 80 miles per hour. Because climate change has been significantly limiting nature’s innate defense mechanisms, the average area affected by wildfires has increased almost four-fold over the past few decades.
Likewise, longer droughts are also making California’s fire season lengthier. The season is an estimated two months longer than it was in the 1970s, and the longer the season, the more destructive it can be. California’s six most intense seasons on record have all occurred in the past decade, and fifteen of the twenty most extreme individual fires have all taken place since the year 2000.
Official Red Flag Warnings, Evacuations, and Power Outages? Only a Precursor to Future Extremes
Just last week, the fires caused the National Weather Service to issue its first extreme red flag warning ever. A testament to how bad California’s fires are, this unprecedented warning shows that the recent wildfires are on par with some of the worst storms and tornadoes in our country’s history. In fact, they may be even more treacherous.
Californians and Angelinos in particular have already faced evacuations and power outages as results of the fires—and that is just over the past few weeks. President Trump, rarely a champion of progressive environmental policies, has hardly addressed the issue as California’s state government scrambles to combat the blazing infernos on its own. Despite the situation’s intensity, though, it is but a bleak microcosm of what the future may look like if the climate crisis continues to go unchecked by politicians.
From Smog to Smoke, the Only Difference is the Extent of our Unnecessarily-Long Relationship with Pollution
The fires are at their worst in the canyons and hills surrounding Los Angeles, but from downtown, residents can notice the smoke blocking the mountains on the horizon. The air is filled with the pungent smell of burning wood and the skyline becomes hazier each day, returning the city to its smog-infested image of former decades.
Given that the smog was the result of fossil fuel burning and the fires are fueled by the climate crisis today, we can see that their resemblance is familial, and that the smoke from the California’s wildfires are the deformed son, the resurrected corpse, the Frankenstein’s monster of the undead smog and carbon emissions that we continue to carelessly release into our planet’s atmosphere.
Ever since Apple announced in 2016 that the iPhone 7 would not have a headphone jack, thus requiring its customers to purchase wireless AirPods, the company has received some flack for its profit-driven, forceful choices. Today, four iPhones later, headphone jacks have still not come back; investing in AirPods or an adapter remain the only ways to “wire” into your Apple device’s audio.
Now, hardly a month after the release of the iPhone 11, there is a new model of AirPods on the market, titled AirPods Pro. Even though the Pros have some revolutionary features, many Apple patrons’ initial reactions, as is typical in social media, were dismissive, snide, or mocking.
AirPods Pro / Photo / Apple
Immediately after Apple released the AirPod Pro’s design, the Internet whipped up a few viral memes about it. Given the earpiece’s cone-like, beakish appearance, people have been comparing the Pros to several tube-faced characters. According to the Internet, the AirPods Pro distinctly resemble Bellsprout from Pokèmon, Peashooter from Plants v Zombies, Birdo from Super Mario Bros, Pingu the Penguin, Q*Bert, Snoopy, and more. Outside of pop-culture references, the new earbuds have also been aesthetically likened to seahorses, hairdryers, and even sex toys.
Indeed, there is a lot of laughter and eye rolling going on at the new AirPods’ expense, and it doesn’t help that they cost $250—nearly $100 more than the previous model. Still, however, despite their flaws in appearance or marketing, the AirPods Pro have a few noteworthy features worth checking out.
First off, their strange new shape is not without purpose. Allegedly, the AirPods Pro are built for comfort, molded to easily fit the figure of one’s ear. Not only will this help the wireless earbuds stay in place, but the shape is also supposed to help cancel out outside noise by creating a tight seal between your ear and the rest of the world so you can listen without interference. If that wasn’t enough, the AirPods also use a new ventilation system to make sure pressure is equalized within your ears. Plus, they are water and sweat proof to endure an active user’s lifestyle.
On a more technical level, the AirPods Pro utilize advanced software and a dual speaker system to create an immersive experience for the listener. One of the two speakers points towards the ear, projecting music in the eardrum’s direction. Meanwhile, the other speaker actually points outwards and reacts to the environment, making sure the noise cancellation is optimal in any given situation. This dual system can reportedly update the sound signals up to 200 times per second.
AirPods Pro / Impressive Insides / Apple
Furthermore, the Pros also employ Adaptive EQ technology, which fine-tunes music to best fit the user’s ear shape. Using data given off by vibrations, the technology can work with frequency, range, and distortion to deliver a personalized, ideal auditory experience. Then, if all of this is too much, the Pods also offer a Transparency Mode, which gives users the option to soften the noise cancellation if they want to hear something going on outside their own head.
Apple also claims that the AirPods Pro will charge faster and last longer, read text messages aloud, respond to voice activated Siri commands, and allow multiple Pods to be linked to a single device, allowing for easy shared listening. Lastly, the AirPods will supposedly work even better when paired with Apple’s upcoming iOS 13.2 update.
Are these well reviewed fancy details worth an extra Benjamin, though, or are they just excessive? Currently, the answer to that question is up to you. Nobody is forcing you to buy the AirPods Pro right now. However, given the way Apple operates, perhaps a few updates or iPhones down the road, they will be a necessity… that is until the next auditory Apple invention comes along.
Photo / AirPods Pro with iPhone 11 / Apple
Apple reveals new AirPods Pro, available October 30
AirPods Pro will be available for $249 (US) and are available to order from apple.com and in the Apple Store app in the US and more than 25 other countries and regions.
AirPods Pro will start shipping on Wednesday, October 30 and be available in stores beginning later this week (varies by country and region).
Over the past year, in the face of a rapid increase in the threat of CO2 emissions and its effects on the climate, various groups and activist organizations have staged demonstrations in response to a lack of any solutions or action from governments and industry leaders worldwide. Curiously, real reporting that makes the important connections between the causes, the extreme weather events and the demonstrations into account is scarce.
Global Scale Mobility to Save Planet Earth
The week of September 20-27, 2019, we saw a record of 7.6 million people around the world take to the streets and strike for climate action. This is by far the largest assembly of people mobilized for an ecological cause in history.
The Global Climate Strike shows that there are clearly a significant number of people motivated to challenge the status quo and, potentially, spur an accelerated end to the fossil fuel era. People’s Climate, Rise for Climate, Fire Drill Fridays, are just a handful of the hundreds of organizations that have formed (and will continue to form) in recognition of, and in direct response to, the emerging ecological emergency.
From Jakarta to New York, Karachi to Amman, Berlin to Kampala, Istanbul to Quebec, Manila to Mumbai, Guadalajara to Asunción, in big cities and small villages, millions of people joined hands and raised their voices in defense of the climate. These large numbers are speaking out and showing concern in order to raise awareness and bring attention to both the problem and the lack of an adequate response from those in power. The least the media can do is acknowledge the overwhelming numbers and help by shining a light on the issue.
Record Breaking Extreme Weather Events and Evidence of Catastrophic Potentials
Extreme temperature swings from both extremes are happening. July was the hottest month in recorded in history worldwide since record keeping began over 400 years ago. Earlier this month, in Denver, Colorado, was one of the greatest temperature changes in the city’s recorded history of a 64 degrees range; with temperatures at 83 degrees in the a.m. dropping all the way down to 19 degrees. These are just a couple of examples, however, extreme data confirming the danger is being reported by scientists and researchers with increased regularity all over the globe.
Hurricanes and floods are getting larger and more frequent. Research by The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Union of Concerned Scientists have found that hurricanes and storm systems have increased in the level of intensity over the past decades. Scientists anticipate further and significant intensity increases, along with warmer ocean temperatures and higher sea levels, as a result of global warming trends. The ocean is facing a multitude of severe damage symptoms and dangers beyond the sea-level rise predicted, and that itself could wipe out major cities around the world. Five storms this year: Hurricane Barry, Dorian, Imelda, Melissa and most recently Nestor have all directly impacted the United States.
Fires have devastated the lowlands in Bolivia, destroyed thousands of acres in Plumas National Forest in the US, droughts result in fires in several parts of Australia, and the list goes on. California is preemptively shutting down power systems as they try to reduce the fire danger during high wind, low humidity conditions.
Greta Thunberg and Celebrity Activists
A growing number of famous activists and celebrities have been putting faces to the fight against the global climate crisis.
With her extensive news coverage, Greta Thunberg is the face at the forefront of the climate action movement. In August,she travelled by sailboat to the U.S. from Europe. This raised awareness for her campaign to bring attention to the Climate Crisis. A huge boost to her profile came with the now-famous/historic speech at the U.N. in late September.
"It's time to act like the house is on fire, because it is."@GretaThunberg
Leonardo DiCaprio is well-known for his dedication to environmental activism, and he hasn’t slowed down. Even in 1998, he established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to “restore balance to threatened ecosystems, ensuring long-term health and well-being for all Earth’s inhabitants.” So far, it has funded over 200 environmental projects and awarded 85 million euros in grants. He’s also spoken about the climate crisis at the Davos economic forum and with the United Nations.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently revealed that they decided to have only two children to help protect the environment against the “terrifying” effects of the climate crisis. The royal couple have also taken significant actions outside of their marriage to fight against the climate crisis.
Celebrities: Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Will and Jaden Smith, Emma Thompson, Martin Sheen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Radiohead, Robert Redford, Billie Eilish, Chris Hemsworth, Kerry Washington, Janelle Monáe, Chris Evans, James and Suzy Amis Cameron, David Attenborough, Matt Damon, Dave Matthews, Laurie David, Marshall Herskovitz, Alan and Cindy Horn, Norman and Lyn Lear, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Begley Jr., Adam McKay, Bill Nye, Gwyneth Paltrow, Pearl Jam, Kevin Reilly, Pharrell Williams, Shailene Woodley and more are all fighting hard to contribute towards positive change with the climate crisis using their public platforms.
Over 100 Celebrities Back XR in Open Letter – Dear Media: Yes, We’re Hypocrites, but…
Last week, Extinction Rebellion had over 100 high-profile climate activists sign an open letter to the media to change the way that we relate to the global climate crisis. This record celebrity involvement with possibly the most militant and radical of climate crisis movements shows that its growth potential is as yet untapped.
Among the notorious names are: the actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Capaldi, Ray Winstone, Jude Law, and Sienna Miller, and as well as the musicians Mel B, Adam Clayton, Bob Geldof, and Jarvis Cocker.
Extinction Rebellion praised all signatories: “it’s easy to call out people for being hypocrites, but braver to talk about transforming how we relate to the planet.” So far, the way that we’ve been talking about our relationship to the planet is that it is each individual person’s fault for contributing to the climate crisis and that we are simply not changing our lifestyles enough to reduce our collective carbon footprint. And while this is partly true, the greater issue is that individuals are essentially given no other choice but to perpetuate the fossil fuel industry that runs throughout every facet of our livelihood. Meanwhile it has become clear that those that have vested interests in those systems will never voluntarily relinquish power, even if that means the eventual extinction of all life on earth.
Dear journalists who have called us hypocrites, you’re right.
We live high carbon lives and the industries that we are part of have huge carbon footprints. Like you – and everyone else – we are stuck in this fossil-fuel economy and without systemic change, our lifestyles will keep on causing climate and ecological harm.
There is, however, a more urgent story that our profiles and platforms can draw attention to.
Life on earth is dying. We are living in the midst of the 6th mass extinction.
OCTOBER 16, 2019 BY EXTINCTION REBELLION
The letter is essentially a statement against the mass media culture that calls out the hypocrisy of climate activists who have no choice but to participate in the toxic structures they aim to dismantle. It’s an innovative argument against these repetitive and unproductive cries of hypocrisy that get us nowhere but closer to our own looming extinction.
The letter draws attention to a deeper issue, much larger than, and clearly unsolvable by, addressing individual hypocrisy, and it points to an urgent problem that requires immediate unified action from our international governments and industry leaders.
XR – An International Rebellion, Calling for Immediate and Substantive Action
Extinction Rebellion (XR) is an international movement that aims to halt mass extinction, which is an increasing danger brought on by the climate crisis and global warming, and minimize the risk of social collapse through non-violent civil disobedience. So far, they have engaged protests in cities all around the world, including London, Dublin, Vancouver, and more to come.
Founders Roger Hallam and Gail Bradbook created Extinction Rebellion to bring people together to express collective power to bring about necessary ecological change. Their motto “Rebel for life” stems from the very real crisis that our world is under attack and we need to do something about it now.
The movement was formed just under a year ago, and it has sparked worldwide attention by highlighting the world’s imminent collapse. Their vision on their official website, rebellion.earth, states: “We rise in name of truth and withdraw our consent for ecocide, oppression and patriarchy.
We rise up for a world where power is shared for regeneration, repair and reconciliation.” Their logo symbolizes the current state of mass extinction: an hourglass in the middle of the earth highlighting that time is running out and the earth is dying. The black coloring is also intentional and represents the color of mourning.
PHOTO / VLADIMIR MOROZOV / “BLACK ROCK IN LONDON, UK”
Meaningful Action Comes from Breaking the “Business As Usual” Mentality
In one form or another, most people can get behind the notion of doing “better” in regards to how we treat our planet, but Extinction Rebellion is taking that concept to another level: one of urgent action. Their stance is that our governments have failed us, and they continue to do little to nothing to address the climate crisis. In response, XR has taken a public and open defiance against the government, and they vow not to stop until their demands are met.
Their mass-coordinated events happen frequently, whether for inducting and training members regarding how to handle police presence, fundraising and organizing “rebel ringers”, facilitating global meditations, or targeting strategic locations for demonstrations. Their protest campaigns initially started in and around the UK, and now, even more are significantly being seen worldwide, in multiple countries and continents: XR is very much an international movement.
Their concept is to work outside our failed system because the government is currently unresponsive regarding what is truly happening to our planet. They do this by creating disruptions to the government sectors status quo, which is seen when XR shuts down roads, bridges, creates blockages, spills fake blood (the blood of our children), fake oil, or even super-gluing themselves to government buildings.
In whatever they do, their point is to make a drastic and bold statement that this is a planetary emergency. The disruptions are not meant to incite, but rather to maximize public exposure to garner more people to join the cause for change. Protesters are willing to uproot their lives and liberties, often getting arrested, just to join forces with others and call on those that can make actionable changes to save us and our future generations from a dying planet.
PHOTO / YAZ ASHMAWI / “RED BRIGADE ON THE UNDERGROUND”
XR’s Demands for Earth Rescue:
Extinction Rebellion has 3 main demands, which also encapsulate the general demands of the entire climate action movement. The first is to “Tell the Truth.” Governments must stop denying or hiding the fact that there is a very real and threatening ecological crisis, and they must properly and honestly declare the climate emergency.
The second is to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by the year 2025, by reducing green house gasses and preventing losses in biodiversity.
And finally, to insure a lasting effect, the creation of a Citizen’s Assembly, which would include ordinary educated people to lead in the decision-making processes for enacting innovative climate and ecological justice.
These movements are a multifaceted phenomenon that will not fade away and could soon become the largest sociopolitical movement the world has ever seen. And with each non-coincidental catastrophic weather event, the backlash against the entrenched “fossil-fuel industrial complex” will grow in size and influence.
“Global warming causes major damage to the global economy and the natural world and engenders risks of catastrophic and irreversible outcomes”
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, 10TH OCTOBER 2019
The number and size of ‘in-your-face’ protests will also increase. It will soon be impossible to ignore the reality of the climate crisis, as it unfolds before our eyes, and more and more people around the world will recognize the threat of almost certain global extinction, if we do not take immediate action to change the underlying corrupt systems immediately.
Right now, there are countless scientific and technological advancements that are available to give us another choice to save ourselves and our planet, and yet, nothing is happening because the powers-that-be are too complacent or corrupt to act. They continue to hide behind the media’s ignorant cry of celebrity and activist hypocrisy thereby blocking any meaningful change.
The Time to Act is Way Overdue: The Thin Line between Survival and an Uncertain Future Existence is in Immediate Action
Since the industrial revolution, there has been a struggle escape the system that threatens our collective survival, and now we desperately need a way out. The climate IS changing, whether it manifests overtly by droughts, flooding, heat waves, storms, melting polar caps or any number of catastrophic events. The chosen path should be obvious: one that works with sustainable energy, ‘zero-waste’ innovations and ultimately finding ways to halt any further planetary abuse.
“Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years. Climate change. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”
Sir David Attenborough, 3rd December 2018
The XR, along with other Climate Crisis Inspired movements will inevitably and unquestionably grow with each new extreme weather event, and this “battle” between those who are fighting for the planet and those who block progress will become the central issue of our time.
As a critical mass approaches, grass roots movements will increase in power and, hopefully, their influence will mark the beginning of a permanent change away from the human behaviors that created this crisis.
Tesla Shares Make a Surprise Comeback and Soar 21%
Tesla’s third-quarter profit results released on Wednesday, October 23rd surprised investors after a long-time series of doubts about the company’s ability to compete with larger and better capitalized rivals in other parts of the world.
The company announced a $143 million profit third quarter profit in 2019, and that, by the end of September, Tesla had $5.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents along with $371 million in operating cash.
Additionally, after Chief Executive Elon Musk announced his promise of a 2020 rollout with a more affordable SUV and more self-driving technology, Tesla’s shares rose almost 21% to $307.12 within hours of the unexpected news.
This is obviously good news for both Tesla and its investors, but there are going be a few more battles needed to prove consistent profitability and to remain ahead of the market it was the first to establish.
“Given the breakneck speed of expansion, Tesla will face significant demands on its cash pile.”
Nicholas Hyett, Financial Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown
So far, Tesla has shown significant increases in production efficiency while setting another record for deliveries led by Model 3. This, along with their new, cost-cutting Shanghai Gigafactory 3, holds promise that they’ll be able to meet these profitability demands.
Tesla Giga Factory 3 in Shanghai, China
Shanghai Gigafactory Increases Tesla Production Efficiency
After returning to profitability, Tesla revealed that its Shanghai Gigafatory is now ready to start producing EVs for China, the world’s most populated country. In fact, it’s already assembling full vehicles on a trial basis to work out a few regulatory kinks before official production begins.
Tesla released their Q3 2019 update and said “China is by far the largest market for mid-sized premium sedans. With Model 3 priced on par with gasoline powered mid-sized sedans (even before gas savings and other benefits), we believe China could become the biggest market for Model 3.”
As Tesla breaks significant ground in China, their sustainable influence reaches beyond North America, aiming for a greater presence on the global stage.
Solar Roof Tile V3: Affordable Sustainability = Accessible Sustainability
Elon Musk’s proposed third iteration of his solar roof tile products is now ready for sales.
During his company’s annual shareholder meeting in June, Musk promised that these solar tiles would have a significant improvement in performance and affordability. If you factor-in future utility savings and how much a new roof installation generally costs, the product would be on par with the cost of cheap, non-solar roofing tiles.
This is a significant development towards affordable, sustainable energy measures since Tesla first unveiled the product in 2016 and opened pre-orders in 2017.
Hopefully, once more information about this is made available, the sales will take off, thereby increasing the accessibility for many more homes to go solar.
Zuckerberg stumbled and evaded while attempting to respond to AOC on Facebook Behaviors and Policies, especially its Political “Lie Exemption” Policy
While Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial Libra cryptocurrency project is what initially got him into the House for another hearing on October 23rd, the House Financial Services Committee Members took this as an opportunity to express their concerns about Facebook’s paramount involvement in a variety of controversial issues.
Each committee member was given five minutes to address their Facebook policy concerns with Zuckerberg, and they did not waste their time, especially Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as she interrogates him regarding Facebook’s influential role in endangering the nation’s democracy and general safety.
Here’s a brief rundown of the topics she addresses that continue to put Zuckerberg and his insidiously dangerous Facebook ‘megaphone‘ under hot water to this very day:
Libra Cryptocurrency: Another Scam to hide behind an Outsourced Entity in order to Evade Accountability? This time, he’s going for the Poor and “Unbanked”
On June 14, 2019, Zuckerberg released his plans to launch a cryptocurrency project called Libra on Facebook, and since then, it’s been facing a lot of criticism from the government and anti-trust regulators.
The Libra cryptocurrency is a part of Facebook’s future mobile payment system, proposed at Facebook’s annual developer conference in April. The crypto currency project aims to allow Facebook’s 2.4 billion worldwide users to exchange payments with minimal fees and without the need for a third-party software.
“It’s not that Facebook is evil, which it may or may not be. Facebook hasn’t shown an ability to think through unintended consequences or prevent bad actors from weaponizing its platform.”
ScotT Galloway, Marketing Professor at NYU, Author of “The Four”, well-known for his unsparing critiques of influential tech companies
But, while the idea appears to have good intentions behind it, much like many of Zuckerberg’s other ideas, the problems and potential dangers are in the details.
So, the real issue is in how the Libra cryptocurrency project can potentially influence Facebook’s extremely wide global user base in a number of negative ways.
“If 50 percent of Facebook users all of a sudden use this coin, then you potentially have a new reserve currency globally. If you would weaponize a global currency and start monkeying with it, you could have what capitalists fear more than war: a recession–or some sort of a global economic meltdown.”
SCOTT GALLOWAY
California Representative Congressman Brad Sherman interrogated Zuckerberg extensively on this topic during the Financial Services Committee Hearing, which illustrated these repercussions specifically.
Brad Shermon eloquently points out a pattern that Zuckerberg struggles to answer. He appears to be attempting to hide behind platitudes of egalitarian ideals in order to avoid accountability for content controlled by his platform.
“…but for the richest man in the world to come here and hide behind the poorest people in the world and say that’s who you are trying to help, you are trying to help those to whom the dollar is not a good currency—drug dealers, terrorists and tax evaders..”
Rep. Brad Sherman to Zuckerberg at the House FInancial Services COMmittee Hearing
Cambridge Analytica: AOC cites Facebook’s Biggest Scandal that brought ‘Catastrophic Impact’ to American Democracy in the 2016 Election
But the House Financial Services Committee wasn’t having it, and AOC Exposes Facebook’s Flaws for All to See:
"So, you won't take down lies or you will take down lies? I think that's just a pretty simple yes or no."
Complete exchange between @RepAOC@AOC and Mark Zuckerberg at today's House Financial Services Cmte hearing.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez begins her five-minute interrogation by citing Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal from 2018. Her reasoning is that, before even considering the Libra cryptocurrency issue, it’s important to analyze how Facebook handled Cambridge Analytica because the Libra cryptocurrency project has potential for far worse.
Essentially, AOC gave Zuckerberg a chance to make a case for himself. He had an opportunity to show that he and Facebook are equipped to adequately deal with the repercussions of establishing Libra, and to answer this fundamental question: has Facebook learned from its past mistakes regarding the Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal so that they could take the necessary actions to ensure that data scandals won’t happen again?
Next she asks, what year and month did Zuckerberg first become aware of Cambridge Analytica? He doesn’t remember, but it was probably around March 2018, when the scandal became public.
When did Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg become aware of Cambridge Analytica? Again, Zuckerberg says he doesn’t know, so AOC asks a follow-up question. Did anyone on his leadership team know about Cambridge Analytica prior to when the initial report came from The Guardian on December 11, 2015? Now, for this one, Zuckerberg believes that this was the case and that members of his leadership team were tracking it internally. Additionally, he takes this opportunity and appears to try to avoid responsibility by saying that he was aware of Cambridge Analytica as an entity, but he also wasn’t aware of how they were using Facebook specifically.
When was the issue discussed with his board member Peter Teal? Once again, Zuckerberg proclaims his ignorance, to which AOC iterates that his answers are unacceptable. It is unacceptable that he did not properly discuss the “largest data scandal” with respect to his company that had “catastrophic impacts on the 2016 election.”
While Zuckerberg flaggingly scrambles to defend himself by explaining that they did discuss the issue when it happened, he fails to answer whether Facebook is capable of being accountable for their actions by addressing their mistakes with handling data privacy so that they wouldn’t be repeated. If Facebook truly cared about handling data privacy, then they would have taken extensive measures to address the issue. Maybe then, Zuckerberg would’ve actually remembered enough about the issue to answer AOC’s questions.
Facebook Policy allows Politicians to Pay to Spread Misinformation
Zuckerberg’s seemingly flagrant irresponsibility with regards to handling Facebook leads AOC to confront him on the current hot topic: “Facebook’s official policy to allow politicians to pay to spread disinformation in 2020 elections and in the future.” She demands to know how far this policy could be pushed before Facebook decides to fact-check and take down these posts, because, again, they have the potential to influence the next election directly.
Could politicians enact voter suppression by advertising wrong election date to zip codes with primarily black communities? Zuckerberg vaguely explains that content will be taken down if it were to cause an obvious immediate harm. Okay, but what if it’s not obvious? Will his answer suffice then? The answer is likely no, because infinite ways can be found to dodge this issue, then, once again, and we’re back to square one.
Further she presses him, Could she (AOC) run ads targeting Republicans in primaries saying that they voted for the Green New Deal? Zuckerberg is unsure, but answers that she probably could. Elizabeth Warren recently did something similar in her “Zuckerberg Supports Trump” ad.
Does Zuckerberg see the potential problem here with a complete lack of fact-checking on political advertisements? To that, he appeals to common morals: lying is bad. His logic is that he doesn’t want to prevent constituents from seeing that politicians had lied, which clarifies that Zuckerberg won’t take these ads down.
The problem with this logic is that the general public is assumed to have the ability to differentiate between lies and the truth. But, as this current presidency has proven, many, if not most, people clearly do not.
Thoughts on Zuckerberg’s On-Going Dinner Parties with Far-Right Figures? Debatable, or so he tries to imply.
Further, Zuckerberg’s on-going dinner parties in which he cultivates relationships with known politically far-right figures is also suspicious. After all, there have been numerous times that alt-right entities abused social media platforms in the service of discrimination and hate crimes.
Did Zuckerberg discuss the alleged social media bias against conservatives, and does he believe that this bias exists? Zuckerberg indicated that he couldn’t remember the question or answer it, appearing to want to avoid confirming or denying these associations under oath, so AOC moved on.
Next she asked Zuckerberg to explain why he named the Daily Caller, a publication well-documented to have ties to white supremacists, an official fact-checker for Facebook? Once again, Zuckerberg tries to escape responsibility by saying that they don’t actually appoint independent fact-checkers and that they come from an independent organization called the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) that has rigorous standards for who they allow to serve as a fact-checking entity.
White-supremacist-tied publications meet a rigorous standard for fact-checking? Zuckerberg had no answer, which is again, an indicator that she had pushed him into areas he would prefer to avoid. After research, it turns out that he lied, or at minimum mis-led in his answer on multiple points, First, the (IFCN) have generally “certified” a total of 62 organizations globally, but it is, indeed, Facebook and presumably Zuckerberg personally, that chose the 6 in particular that are Facebook partners.
There’s a Pattern Here: Facebook and other Social Media Platforms Need to be held Accountable
Clearly, Zuckerberg still thinks that he could get by with excuses in an effort to absolve himself from the endless blame that Facebook receives from The Media for meddling with numerous socially-influential affairs.
It’s hard not to notice that while Mr. Zuckerberg has been given many chances to make amends for Facebook’s failures, the opportunity has been for naught, apparently, because his private for-profit company is only interested in maintaining user engagement, which he now claims is in the name of free speech and equality. However, clearly, these cannot actually be achieved without specifically executing processes that address the discriminatory practices.
Tweeting from Space – Starlink Makes Significant Strides
Elon Musk just posted from his twitter using a SpaceX launched Starlink satellite. The message, which could be seen by his 28.8 million followers highlights the steps towards making space-based internet service a real possibility on Earth. Perhaps this will be like Edison’s “Watson come here I want to see you”. Seems like “Whoa, it worked”, would be more appropriate in both cases!
The Starlink project has been set in motion and is making good progress in launching a network of broadband satellites to provide connectivity globally, most notably to include areas that lack reliable access to high speed internet connection. The first part of the internet network launched May 2019, deploying 60 Starlink satellites.
SpaceX has recently made a request of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to launch an additional 30,000 satellites into orbit (bringing the total to 42,000), which is a significant hike from the previously planned number of 12,000 already approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Convention Center Loop Project in Full Construction Phase
The contract between the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Board of Directors and The Boring Company to design and construct a twin-tunnel loop system for the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) has entered its full construction phase.
Currently, it’s on schedule to be refined and ready for the Consumer Electronics Show at LVCC in 2021. Upon completion, the LVCC Loop will provide fast and convenient transportation for convention attendees across the campus through autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs), like Tesla Model X and Model 3 vehicles, at up to 155 miles per hour. Essentially, this shortens a typical 15 minute walk time to as little as 1 minute via the loop transportation system.
Another interesting feature of the site is its ground-level passenger stations, which are designed without elevators. This means that although there won’t be any elevators transporting the AEVs up and down as they transport people, therefore the LVCC loop itself should be much more efficient to build.
Additionally, although The Boring Company has been quite transparent about their project details, what they’ve left up to speculation is the kind of tunnel boring machine (TBM) they’ll actually be using to dig the tunnels. So far, the TBM in question has been transported to the site in segments, so its full assembled identity lies in wait. Will it be a Godot, a conventional TBM tested at Hawthorne, a Line-Storm, a super-fast, hybrid TBM that Musk previously teased us about, or a Prufrock, a noiseless, electrically powered TBM with zero carbon emissions?
Photo / Lynxotic
Tesla is UK the Car of the Year
Tesla Model 3, the electric, four-door sedan is the most affordable of the Tesla electric vehicles, and it’s recently won four awards from the Parkers Car Price Guide, a well known automative magazine in the UK for “Car of the Year”, “Best Electric Car”, “Best Company Car” and “Best Safety” Award for any vehicle on the market.” Musk recently retweeted about the award.
Tesla Model 3 wins ‘Car of the Year’ award from prestigious UK auto magazinehttps://t.co/jVHvDpLRtu
Despite lots of (questionable) negative stories in the media, Elon Musk and his various companies and projects continue to amaze, amuse and innovate as the 3 mini-stories above clearly show. Stay tuned for more on these and other Musk projects soon.
Imagine a Monster Dictator who claims he wants to Free us all from “Traditional Gatekeepers” while he Controls the Ultimate Gate with Iron Fist
Here, a man who almost single-handedly controls the world’s largest social network – with users counted in billions, implies that there is any connection whatsoever with heroes of the history of journalism and what is now disparaged as “The Media” but was once called the 4th Estate.
People having the power to express themselves at scale is a new kind of force in the world — a Fifth Estate alongside the other power structures of society. People no longer have to rely on traditional gatekeepers in politics or media to make their voices heard, and that has important consequences.
– Mark Zuckerberg
Claiming that, somehow, thousands of independent newspapers with tens of thousands of writers and editors, challenging governments and investigating corruption and lies is similar in any way to a digital dictatorship that controls every word or image through its algorithms, and has as its only goal to maximize private profits, is an outrage – and yet this point has only been hinted at in even the most critical coverage.
Express Ourselves at Scale? Really? As long as His Algorithm deems it in Facebook’s Monetary Interest
Mentioning the “traditional gatekeepers” blocking voices, as if his private, for-profit platform has no gate and makes no decision in which voices are heard and by whom is a lie, told in plain sight, so enormous it is shocking.
Except, as he clearly hopes, on hearing vague pronouncements about a fantasy world, most will just switch focus, away from the real way his digital empire functions to some kind of vague discussion of “free speech”. And, in the case of political advertising, speech that he collects millions of dollars to promote and propagate, with no thought of actual free speech that will be drowned out and silenced by his dictatorial decision. That’s the real gatekeeper at work.
Talking about “free speech” as having any role whatsoever on a platform where exposure is controlled 100% by the same network’s private corporate ownership is worse than any Jospeh Goebbles propaganda the Nazi’s ever came up with and is an Orwellian nightmare come to life.
Since Zuckerberg’s speech was clearly designed to confuse and cover up this simple, obvious fact, using Trump style repetition of simple irrelevant lies to influence people to abandon the more complex truths, the underlying truth bears repeating.
I heard #MarkZuckerberg's ‘free expression’ speech, in which he referenced my father. I'd like to help Facebook better understand the challenges #MLK faced from disinformation campaigns launched by politicians. These campaigns created an atmosphere for his assassination. pic.twitter.com/h97gvVmtSZ
Yelling “fire” in a Crowded Theater is of no use if the Crowd can be digitally disappeared at any time
Claiming that “censorship” of “free speech” is not appropriate for a platform that controls who sees and hears that content 100% at all times has to stand as the criminal obfuscation of the century.
As misleading propaganda it is brilliant in its stupidity. To imply that any speech at any time is “free” on a platform that controls access by each and every user at all times is ludicrous at best and vile propaganda at worst.
Have millions of dollars to spend to ensure that your lies are seen by millions? No problem. Have inflammatory disgusting views to share? Sure, the algorithms love anything that increases “engagement”.
On the other hand, as members of the actual 4th Estate found out during the “Great Purge” of 2018, if Zuckerberg & Co decide that you should not be seen for any reason, usually a reason that pertains to increasing profits for Facebook, then you are disappeared, Pinochet style, and can forget about your “free speech” being heard or seen ever again.
Nice way to build a “5th Estate “ to protect us from “traditional gatekeepers”.
We intentionally made a Facebook ad with false claims and submitted it to Facebook’s ad platform to see if it’d be approved. It got approved quickly and the ad is now running on Facebook. Take a look: pic.twitter.com/7NQyThWHgO
Algorithmic Crimes are the Real Story, bigger and worse than Traditional Antitrust Violations
Just mention the word “algorithm” and we all tend to get glossy-eyed and begin to lose interest.
Never mind that the results of your Google search are controlled by algorithms that “decide” what you should be allowed to see or not, while what you may buy is controlled by the private, infinitely biased algorithm employed by Amazon, whose only goal is to increase its own profits at your expense. And then there’s Facebook.
A master of dystopian science fiction would be hard pressed to envision a more sinister, hellish world than the one we already inhabit, where what you think, what you think you “know”, what you believe and what you consume are all controlled by what are essentially robot brains, owned and controlled by evil private corporations with trillion dollar market caps.
And Mr. Zuckerberg has the nerve to talk about “Free Speech” on Facebook? In the words of Greta Thunberg “How dare you!”, and as in the struggle against the powers that profit from the accelerated extinction of future generations, it’s time to end the Algorithmic Dictatorships and, via the real Fourth Estate and free the billions that are, as yet, unknowingly victimized, by whatever means necessary.
On October 18th, this particular spacewalk became a monumental one because it’s “breaking the galactic glass ceiling” by being the first one conducted entirely by women.
On the 221st spacewalk in support of the space station assembly, NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will be replacing a battery/discharge unit that failed to activate on the space station’s exterior. This particular unit is one of many that regulates the solar energy collection charge put into the new batteries that were just installed on October 11th. Thankfully, the unit’s activation failure didn’t hinder station operations or endanger the crew, but once this unit is replaced, the new batteries will be able to provide increased station power.
This milestone, along the road to bringing the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024 through NASA’s Artemis Lunar Exploration Program, is sure to inspire students everywhere, especially young girls who’ve always dreamed of becoming astronauts. Now, they could see themselves on the way to the moon, and perhaps, beyond.
More updates about the spacewalk and as well as additional information about the International Space Station can be found on NASA’s blog.
Newly Revealed Spacesuits for Artemis Moon Mission Set for 2024
Two suits were unveiled; one for transit “Orion Crew Survival Suit (OCSS),” also known as a flight or launch and entry suit, and a suit for moon-based activities (Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit), called the ‘xEMU’ variant. The Orion suit is lighter and made to be worn during take-off and landing; the suit will be depressurized when in use but can provide protection in the event of accidental depressurization, as well as thermal and radiation protection. The xEMU suit is made to withstand and survive temperatures that range from -250- and +250-degrees Fahrenheit.
The design’s greatest feature is that of increased flexibility and mobility, allowing astronauts to actually “moon walk” more easily compared to older model suits that was more of a “bunny hop” on Apollo mission with Buzz Aldrin.
Another feature is its inclusive nature, the suit is made to accommodate any sizing and body type.
Photo / NASA
Artemis and The Next Era of Space Exploration
Artemis comes from the name of the Greek sun god Apollo’s lunar twin sister, and this next mission is justly named after the Greek goddess of the moon.
The upcoming mission to the Moon represents new galactic grounds to be forged, including the first woman on the Moon and American astronauts’ first step onto the Moon’s South Pole, which is a location that no human has ever been before. The accumulated knowledge from the Artemis mission will be used to establish more sustainable missions and to be one step closer to sending humans to Mars.
NASA plans to launch two missions prior to the Moon landing to test their deep space systems. The Artemis 1 is set to launch in 2020 with no crew. The Artemis 2 with an on-board crew is targeted for 2022. And finally, the Artemis 3 is planned for 2024 with the first woman and next man on the Moon.
Springsteen’s Introspective Brilliance Rocks onto the Big Screen in Lieu of a Concert Tour
Rock-n-roll legend Bruce Springsteen has appeared in films before. From dancing with Courtney Cox in his own music video, to chiming in on different rockumentaries, to making a hilarious cameo in “High Fidelity,” the Boss is no stranger to the screen. This is not even to mention the nearly three hundred movie soundtracks that he has appeared on—winning an Oscar for his original song “Streets of Philadelphia” in 1993 and more recently having a film made directly about his music in 2019’s “Blinded By The Light.”
On October 25th, Springsteen invites his audience to enjoy a new kind of filmic experience to compliment his music. Springsteen’s latest album, “Western Stars,” came out in May, and like all of the rocker’s work, it is ruggedly poetic and grippingly suggestive of something that feels fundamentally American. Instead of going on a tour to promote this album, though, Springsteen is releasing a film to accompany it.
A Documentary-Music Video that Expands Upon Bruce Springsteen’s Latest Album
“Western Stars” (the film) is a cinematic endeavor that combines many different kinds of footage and stories, all set to the music from Springsteen’s latest record. It is partially an elongated music video that goes on for the album’s entire twelve tracks. At the same time, it is also a documentary, using found-footage and voice over narration to create a commentary about Springsteen’s life and career. Then again, it is also a concert video, as it incorporates live performances from several Bruce shows.
A conglomeration of mediums and modes, “Western Stars” is a unique project. Given its motley style, the film is very hard to pin as a particular art form. It is just as musical as it is cinematic—a visual album with Springsteen as the glue holding everything together.
A Nostalgic Directorial Collaboration Rooted in Springsteen’s Earliest Years
Springsteen himself directed the movie alongside longtime collaborator Thom Zimny. In addition to Springsteen’s brilliant lyric-writing abilities, the singer also published a memoir in 2016 and curated his own Broadway performance in 2017. Both of these projects were highly esteemed, demonstrating that he knows how to communicate a story or message in more than just a musical medium.
Zimny, on the other hand, is a filmmaker first and foremost. He has been with Bruce since 2001, when he directed the concert video, “Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Live In New York City.” Since then they have worked together on numerous documentaries and music videos. “Western Stars” however, is a first for both of them—an unprecedented blend of all the cinematic forms they’ve worked in so far.
“Western Stars” debuted at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year, and it received positive reviews. It is praised for the way it captures and expands upon everything Springsteen says on the album. Although the musician hails from New Jersey, the film has an appropriately Western energy, with desert-country imagery that compliments the songs’ themes regarding growing up, growing old, and navigating your inner-American frontier through solemn ballads and explosive hard rock.
We are at points of transition in the worlds of vehicles and entertainment. On both fronts, the past few years have given us unprecedented change. For vehicles, the now practical concept of self-driving cars opens up the possibility of getting around without a human operator behind the wheel. Meanwhile, for entertainment, the rise of streaming services and cord cutting has changed the way we consume media on a mobile basis.
These two evolutions may seem unconnected right now. However, both concepts are still in their infancy. Given recent history, entertainment companies are currently dead set on finding the latest platform to create and distribute their content on, and self-driving vehicles have seemingly limitless potential. It is clear that these two innovative concepts will intersect, potentially in the near future.
With no one operating a car, traveling becomes an experience of little beyond being a passenger. Whether it is doing a daily commute or taking a cross-country road trip, “driving” no longer requires attention and awareness. Being in a car becomes a slot of time where people are essentially trapped in the confines of a small space with no responsibilities. It is the perfect time for catching up on news, entertainment, or communication.
While it might be easy to imagine people in self-driving cars perpetually staring at their smart phones or laptops, there is the possibility that entertainment companies could collaborate with vehicle manufacturers to change the very design of vehicles and make car-riding a transmedia experience.
A Completely new Lifestyle built around Time in Transit
What this would look like is unclear, but one can imagine a car surrounded in screens—on the backs of seats, propped on dashboards, and even over some of the windows, making entertainment accessibly (maybe even unavoidably) built into a vehicle’s architecture. Many companies are gearing up for the potential. Finnish company FlexSound is pioneering “augmented audio” devices that can produce movie theater quality audio by imbedding transducers into car seats and headrests, allowing the occupant to feel the sound directly, for example.
The potential does not stop there, though. Consuming media exclusively in a car offers a very particular experience, one that companies could capitalize on with originality. Virtual reality simulations are one of the latest breakthroughs in entertainment tech. Currently, virtual reality occupies a vague area somewhere between film and video games. Despite its growing popularity, VR is yet to find an exact home in the day-to-day lives of consumers.
Perhaps self-driving cars can provide that stable home for VR. With the help of technology, media equipped vehicles could change the very landscape that one is driving through everyday. With screens disguised as windshields, a boring commute could become an adventure through some of the world’s most interesting places. Perhaps the commute could even be through different worlds. Hypothetically, by hooking your Tesla up with a Disney or Warner Brothers package, you could find yourself driving across a Star Wars planet, Gotham City, or some other fictional place every single day.
Who will lead in the Contest to provide Entertainment Solutions for a Newly Liberated Population?
Of course, VR could offer more than just moving through these places. There could be narratives involved. During your drive across Gotham City, the Joker could pop out of an alley, or you could find yourself in a car chase with the Batmobile. On the other hand, your car could become a Disney World ride, and driving your kids to school could become a Millennium Falcon or Buzz Lightyear adventure that involves shooting down enemy ships in a distant galaxy.
The possibilities are endless. Of course, it will all be a façade, but so is every form of visual entertainment. Ever since Thomas Edison created the Kinetoscope in 1897 to produce the first motion pictures, we have been happily living in a world filled with enthralling illusions.
The future of entertainment is unclear, but self-driving cars merging with media outlets is one distant idea that has already crossed the minds of industry executives. If self-driving cars become more popular over the next decade, it is possible that we will see this conglomeration / convergence take effect. Perhaps Uber and Lyft will do away with their drivers and start producing movies instead. Or maybe they will team up with Netflix, Amazon, or Apple+ to have a constant stream of content. Or maybe instead of Ubers and Lyfts altogether, we will get around in Disney Taxis or join in on Universal Studios Carpools. Again, the possibilities are endless. What’s your take?
Unlock new Convenience and Powers using the iOS 13 Share Menu
In the video above we showcase the somewhat hidden tricks needed to unlock the full potential of the new share menu for iOS 13 and iPadOS. The video uses iPadOS in order to give a better view within the video aspect ratio vs. the narrow iPhone screen dimensions. The streamlining of work across iPhone, iPad and Mac is much improved and expanded with the updates to iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina.
The share menu can vary from app to app, many use most often from within Safari or the Mail app, however, for this video we chose the Apple News app as the operations are essentially the same. Third party apps may have different choices of compatible apps to use for sharing and, naturally, different types of content (photos, news story links, PDFs, etc.) would be share with and can be saved into other apps in various ways compatible with those formats.
All-in-all this is a very powerful addition to the iOS / iPadOS toolbox and is but a tiny piece of the puzzle of new features and options built into this upgrade. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks and, if you prefer, you can also view the video on YouTube (below). Please, as always, subscribe and follow!
Celebrities Took the Stage at Global Citizens Festival in Central Park…
Leonardo DiCaprio has consistently made strong statements in efforts to raise awareness of the Climate Crisis over the years. The actor spearheaded the issue in his 2016 documentary “Before The Flood” and even used the stage during his long-awaited Oscar acceptance speech to talk about importance of preserving our natural world. Clearly, the man is a passionate environmentalist.
On September 28th, 2019, DiCaprio spoke out about this issue yet again at the Global Citizens Festival in New York’s Central Park. In his address to the festival’s ~60,000 patrons, he reflected on the recent climate strike, paid tribute to its leaders such as Greta Thunberg, and condemned climate deniers.
The actor stated: “Last Friday, young people led the world in strike. Millions of individuals did more than simply walk out of their schools and places of employment. They took a stand. They set an example of true leadership that our planet so desperately needs. These young people have said clearly, definitively and without fear, that the time for inaction is over. Yet, surprisingly, some have reacted to this movement with insulting tweets and negative talking points: individuals that seem to care more about profit and their own self-interests than about your own future. But we know that the climate youth movement is more important and crucial than at any time in human history.”
Contemptuously, he denounced politicians and people in power who refuse to act on the climate crisis, and ended his speech reminding the audience that there is scientific consensus surrounding the issue and that its reality is no longer debatable.
Worldwide Concern is Expanding as Big Names Help to Draw Attention
In addition to DiCaprio, Natalie Portman, Forest Whitaker, Laverne Cox, Kal Penn, Alicia Keys, and Dakota Johnson all spoke at the Festival, each addressing a different cause and delivering a humanitarian message. Meanwhile, musical acts included Queen + Adam Lambert, French Montana, OneRepublic, Ben Platt, Carole King, H.E.R. and more.
The Global Citizens Festival plans on organizing additional events—one on each of the six developed continents. The next one will take place in Lagos, Nigeria and celebrities Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Metallica and Billie Eilish have all expressed interest in appearing at it.
ICYMI: @RepEliotEngel joined thousands of us in Central Park at the end of September to celebrate the #GlobalCitizenFestival and to let Global Citizens far and wide know that he remains committed to ending extreme poverty through strong US foreign aid. #AidWorkshttps://t.co/8EfWieDdvQ
The New York Festival concluded with Coldplay front man and Festival curator, Chris Martin telling the crowd about the 2020 Global Citizen campaign. The campaign aims to raise money to help the UN reach the $350 billion it needs for its Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
All of this is very ambitious, but change will not come without initiative. The Festival garnered an overall feeling of hope—hope that change can come from the bottom up, and hope for a brighter future lead by passionate people who believe in the possibilities of the human spirit.
Young Environmental Activist Who is less Interested in Hope for the Future, but rather Change in the Present
Her recent speech at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, along with many inspiring voices, was perhaps loudest and most impactful of them all. She is a sixteen-year-old Swedish girl who is rapidly becoming a flash point for those in the movement to raise awareness of the global emergency of global warming and climate change. Her name is Greta Thunberg, and her goal is to evoke immediate change in the way the world is handling the climate crisis.
Born in 2003, Greta Thunberg dropped out of school at the age of fifteen to begin a career in environmental activism. Entirely self-motivated, Thunberg started out by protesting outside of the Swedish parliament building. Since then, she has spoken at Climate Action meetings around the world, criticizing leaders for a lack of effort and campaigning for transformation on behalf of the younger generation.
Greta has gotten the attention of many fellow activists, celebrities, and leaders over the past week, among them are Anne Hathaway, Leonardo DiCaprio, and former President Barak Obama, many of whom have met with her in person and all of whom have expressed their support via social media. This year Time magazine named her a “next generation leader” and many have pointed to her as an inspiring symbol of youth leadership.
Greta Thunberg’s Speech at the U.N. on September 23, 2019
Greta Thunberg’s intention is not to inspire hope, though, and she is not interested in waiting for the “next generation” to solve the environmental issues of today. Her speech from the Climate Action Summit went viral. In it, she cautions leaders not to feel hopeful, and instead urges them to “panic,” react, and change their ways now. She wants people to see the climate crisis for what it is—a crisis.
Urgency in Equal Measure to the Problem at Hand
Her veracious rhetoric is contrary to the diplomatic way that many activists and politicians talk about climate change. Given that we have known about global warming for generations, yet have made very little progress in preventing its effects, the human race may be beyond diplomacy by now. And if we aren’t already, we will be at a tipping point sometime within the young Thunberg’s life.
While many rebellious young people may throw education to the wayside to pursue dreams of becoming celebrities or attaining fortunes, Greta Thunberg simply stumbled into fame, and there is hardly any money attached to the work that she does. Thunberg may be inspiring many of her peers and becoming a face of change, but she is not in it for personal recognition or gratification. The young activist—who is also diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder—simply has an uncontrollable itch to save the world from this impending environmental catastrophe. Uncontrollable, yet absolutely rational.
Haters Hate but the Numbers of Believers is Rising
Despite all of the praise that Greta Thunberg has received, her efforts are not without criticism, particularly from the American far right and even President Trump. Some of her resistors are simply climate change-deniers who do not believe in the scientifically viable phenomena that she is combating. Others, however, scoff Greta for being a no more than a kid filled with teenage pathos that should not be taken seriously. Nevertheless, Thunberg’s speeches are well grounded in scientific evidence and on top of that, her emotions are perhaps reflective of how we should all feel, knowing that consequences for our destruction of the natural world are right around the corner.
In total, although Greta Thunberg is not aiming to evoke hope, but rather direct action when it comes to fighting climate change, we cannot help but applaud her bravery and get a surge of inspiration from her. With any luck, older generations will listen to her as but one among billions of young people who are concerned for the future, and actually do something about the problem. Until then, we salute Greta Thunberg and strive to do whatever we can as individuals to take her message to heart and make her efforts worthwhile.
