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This interrogation of the concept of a “social construct” points to a hopeful future. All the term really means is that it is something we have the power to change or redesign if we want to (it’s not a law of nature). So let’s get to it people! Start redesigning!

“…the number of extremely hot, dry and windy summer days more than doubled from 1981 to 2025“ as fire prevention measures over that period built up more biomass. Now the conditions have entirely overwhelmed the effectiveness of those measures.

Earth’s Warming Primed France and Spain to Burn, Scientists Find (Gift Article)The likelihood of hot, dry weather that helps wildfires spread has increased sharply in Europe in recent decades, according to a new report.www.nytimes.com

“The fear, he said, is that landscapes that are now protected will soon be dotted with drilling rigs.” “We have to have oil and gas development, obviously,” he said, “but we don’t have to have it on America’s most amazing landscapes.” Obviously? 🙄 Climate change also affects historic sites btw.

Critics Say Historic Sites Are Endangered by Trump-Aligned Panel’s Plan (Gift Article)Proponents say the changes to the federal preservation rules are necessary, but critics argue they are alarming and would help expedite the president’s redesign of Washington.www.nytimes.com

It’s a good thing Congress wasn’t around to see this. “Employees at Anthropic and OpenAI warned that these programs were already beginning to display the worrying types of science-fiction scenarios that the industry had long warned would become a reality.” www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/t...

>>Instead, they left convinced the process was theater. “It was very apparent that this was a done deal before they held this hearing,” she said. “So why waste the public’s time?”<< Fake community engagement can be worse than none at all. Start early, listen authentically, and incorporate changes.

Starting tomorrow we are using more Earth resources this year than can be regenerated by nature.

Press Release June 2026 English - Announcing Earth Overshoot Day 2026 - Earth Overshoot DayEarth Overshoot Day 2026 falls on July 30th.overshoot.footprintnetwork.org

The article points out there is no substance to any of the complaints. Per the article: The list gets published every year already. Has for years. The appeals process is easy and staff is helpful. It’s only the top 24,000 properties. Why editorialize? It could have been about a successful rollout.

Rollout of New York City’s Second-Home Tax Is Confusing Some Residents (Gift Article)The so-called pied-à-terre tax is causing anxiety for homeowners who feel outed by the publication of their addresses. Some say they have only one home.www.nytimes.com

We really do have to stop burning ALL forms of fossil fuels as soon as possible. “2026 is just the beginning,” Professor Rockström added. “It will inevitably get worse. It will get worse and worse and worse to the point where, I’m afraid, we’ll be passing the limits of adaptation.”

Summer of Heat, Fires and Storms Is a Reckoning for Europe on Climate (Gift Article)The continent is experiencing some of its biggest fires and highest temperatures ever. Residents are fleeing, leaders are struggling to respond and “it will get worse,” one climate expert said.www.nytimes.com

Human nature requires that the more sustainable choices have to also be the more desirable ones. This is the design challenge we confront in climate mitigation. New forms of energy, appliances, food, transport all have to be cheaper and better than the old version, not just better for the planet.

The wrong kind of abundance. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/b...

I'm holding out hope that this can become something great in real life. I want MVRDV to wow us. I just wonder how this could possibly be net-zero or net-positive for nature. It may outsource and buy off-site clean energy, but that is not then part of the design itself. www.dezeen.com/2022/02/07/m...

MVRDV wins competition for "new world wonder" in the NetherlandsMVRDV has been revealed as the winner of social enterprise Shift's competition to design a €240 million landmark in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.www.dezeen.com

Agrivoltaics as fire prevention: “The grazing helps with fire prevention, as the sheep remove 60 to 75% of the carbon on site.” “They remove the litter,” added Mike Ritter, with the state’s Fish and Wildlife Department. “If you mow (vegetation), there’s still stuff remaining that could burn.”

Solar power from Yakima County going to Grant County; more solar projects in the worksNEAR MOXEE — With the first of five or more solar power facilities in Yakima County now operating, the abundant sunshine of Central Washington has begun to boost the region’swww.yakimaherald.com

I read the NYT piece about the Roosevelt Library in North Dakota by Snøhetta and wondered where the solar panels were. So I visited while driving through yesterday and they are nicely designed cantilevered glulam timber parking canopies that match the building.

What options are left really? The ethical car purchase is an EV. Period. It doesn’t really matter so much what brand. All the CEO’s are out of touch. Some certainly more than others. But just get the EV and not the gas car and you can feel good while you’re saving money.

Getting panels on your roof? Check your solar quote against this vast database to see how competitive it really is.

Solar Quote Checker — Independent Solar Proposal ReviewCheck a solar proposal before signing. Compare its price, production assumptions, equipment, warranties, financing, and missing terms without installer sales calls or lead resale.www.solarquotecheckup.com

Excellent case study in developing solar in a way that responds to the specific needs of the site and the client.

Germany stood 2,600 solar panels dead upright on a Bavarian lake, edge-on to the sun, because a law says you can shade 15% of the water and not an inch more, and the rows lean like sails on underwater...Every solar farm you have driven past looks about the same from the road. Rows of dark panels tilted up at the sky, angled south, all of them waiting on noon.www.autonocion.com

Be like Silas Soule, doing the right and moral thing by the standards of a more civilized egalitarian future world that you imagine could one day come into being. The people in that future who admire you for your brave actions will think you are really hot.

If only Lutnick were more invested in solar and wind companies… “The majority owner of Westinghouse is Brookfield Asset Management…It is a frequent business partner with Newmark, the real-estate firm run and owned in part by the sons of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.”

Trump Is Pushing Nuclear Energy, Including Saudi Deal. His Family and Supporters Could Benefit. (Gift Article)In some cases, no direct line can be drawn from the president’s domestic nuclear agenda to his family or close allies. But they have overlapping business ties that could position them for gains.www.nytimes.com

Lessons for the world to learn…

How did a Central American country smaller than West Virginia go from one of the worst deforestation rates on Earth to doubling its forest cover in a single generation?Costa Rica reversed one of the worst deforestation rates on Earth by taxing gasoline to pay landowners for keeping trees standing — a policy launched in 1996 that has helped forest cover climb from 21...scienceblog.com

Collins is shamelessly the errand-woman for oligarchs, “relying on a web of deep-pocketed outside groups, funded largely by billionaire megadonors.” If you prefer to be represented by a senator who actually cares about you and your life, consider donating to www.jacksonformaine.com

After Democratic Shake-Up, Susan Collins Holds Enormous Cash Edge in Maine (Gift Article)Republicans are pouring huge sums behind the Maine senator through a web of billionaire-funded super PACs. Troy Jackson, the likely Democratic nominee, has a lot of catching up to do.www.nytimes.com