Due to popular demand, I have added a CBR and CBZ format to the free Internet Archive version of Statio Numero.
CBR and CBZ are standard digital comic formats. There are lots of free readers for tablets and desktop/laptop computers. You should read these on a tablet or laptop/desktop computer, not a phone, for legibility reasons. Of course, the links won’t be clickable in this format, but the art and text have good-quality resolution.
The consequences of climate change are likely to be dire—and in some scenarios, catastrophic. Scholars need to start discussing the mechanisms whereby climate change could cause the actual collapse of civilizations. Image credit: Flickr/Spencer.
In a speech about climate change from April 4th of this year, UN General Secretary António Guterres lambasted “the empty pledges that put us on track to an unlivable world” and warned that “we are on a fast track to climate disaster” (1). Although stark, Guterres’ statements were not novel. Guterres has made similar remarks on previous occasions, as have other public figures, including Sir David Attenborough, who warned in 2018 that inaction on climate change could lead to “the collapse of our civilizations” (2). In their article, “World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021”—which now has more than 14,700 signatories from 158 countries—William J. Ripple and colleagues state that climate change could “cause significant disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies, potentially making large areas of Earth uninhabitable” (3).
Rapid reduction in fossil fuel burning urgently needed to preserve liveable conditions, say scientists, as climate damage deepens
Aftermath of a wildfire caused by a deadly heatwave near the city of Santa Juana, Chile, in February 2023. Photograph: Pablo Hidalgo/EPA
2023 “smashed” the record for the hottest year by a huge margin, providing “dramatic testimony” of how much warmer and more dangerous today’s climate is from the cooler one in which human civilization developed.
ATC is happy to hand out the first issue of the Anti-Tech Collective Journal. The journal features 4 essays but should be enough to keep you busy for a while! This project has been an experiment in focussing on subscriber-submitted contributions, differing significantly from ATC’s past publication projects. We look forward to hearing all of your feedback–both positive and negative–as this is primarily a community endeavor to foster discussion of and expose to anti-tech ideas.
Happy reading, and apologies for the general lack of communication,
A sign stands warning of extreme heat Tuesday, July 11, 2023, in Death Valley National Park, Calif. July is the hottest month at the park with an average high of 116 degrees ( Ty ONeil / AP Photo )
Across the globe, this summer has been unusually, unseasonably, and scarily hot, with the United Nations announcing that we’ve entered the era of “global boiling.” Scientists say this extreme heat wave would be impossible if it weren’t for the warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels. And yet it’s hard to grapple with the damage caused by extreme heat. It’s the deadliest kind of climate disaster, and yet victims of heat often die out of sight of the public eye. FEMA doesn’t even respond to extreme heat waves in the way it does to other “major disasters.” Jake Bittle is a staff writer at Grist covering climate impact. In this conversation, Bittle speaks with Brooke about the invisibility of extreme heat, and the challenge it presents to news outlets, and the potential value of naming heat waves.
Chris and Eric Weinstein explore the ramifications of sidelining physics. Why does Eric Weinstein believe it’s crucial to prioritize physics? How does Eric Weinstein attribute physics decline to events in the ’80s? What are Eric Weinstein’s suggestions for restoring interplanetary physics to prominence?
An American lawyer has been arrested in Panama after allegedly shooting two people taking part in an environmental protest Tuesday. Local media reports identified Kenneth Darlington, 77, as a Panama-born U.S. citizen. On Tuesday, he allegedly walked up to a group of protesters blocking the Pan-American Highway in the Chame District and remonstrated with the attendees. He then pulled out a pistol and—in front of a group of journalists reporting on the protest—allegedly opened fire. One victim, Abdiel Díaz Chávez, died at the scene, while another Iván Rodríguez Mendoza, was pronounced dead at a medical facility, according to TVN. Both victims were teachers, the report said, adding that Darlington has been charged with aggravated homicide and illegal possession of firearms.