Misc

Website & Report.

• Global greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.0% in 2022 to reach their highest levels in human history, driven mainly by a rise in coal, oil, and gas use.
• The world is failing to cut emissions and remains far off track from limiting warming to 1.5°C as outlined in the Paris Agreement goals.
• Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted since the Paris Agreement have strengthened ambition somewhat but are still insufficient to narrow the emissions gap by 2030.
• High-income and high-emitting countries like the G20 need to take more ambitious action to cut emissions and support developing nations in their transitions.
• Land-based carbon dioxide removal and novel removal technologies will need to play a stronger role later in the century to achieve net-negative emissions targets.
• Clean energy transitions present opportunities for countries but also challenges, including entrenched fossil fuel interests and the need for international finance.
• Low- and middle-income countries can develop roadmaps for ambitious low-carbon development and specify their finance and technology needs.
• Carbon dioxide removal technologies require strong policy support, priority-setting, and accelerated innovation to play meaningful roles in mitigation.
• Equity principles must guide responsibilities for deploying large-scale carbon dioxide removal between countries.
• The next Conference of the Parties (COP28) is an opportunity to strengthen climate action and support for developing nations.

PDF Summary via Kagi.

Via Kottke.

Source: Kottke

Grrr, I hate Shorts and videos in that aspect ratio.

Source: Daring Fireball

Software is typically sold on the promise of increased convenience or productivity, or both. If we were to believe all the clichéd marketing lingo about time-saving, our lives would now consist largely of uninterrupted leisure time. 

In a recent post, Brett Scott argues persuasively that, far from making our lives easier, technology is making them faster and more discombobulated. To understand how this shift happens, Scott tells us to look at the issue from a systemic perspective: 

I recently stumbled upon a narrative that struck a chord. It was about a custom-made table, but, more than that - it was about the magic that happens when someone cares enough about their craft, whether it's carving wood or coding or anything else really.

Picture this: you decide to get a custom meeting room table made. You scout around, and a small studio in East Vancouver catches your eye. You meet up, exchange ideas, and decide on a superelliptical rectangle design. They nail it.

After a whirlwind of planning, re-planning around Shan's work, and, well, a bit of procrastination (who's judging?), ... We're finally leaving for our extended holidays. Saying "See ya!" to Singapore for three months! This is the longest I'm stepping out of the sunny (yet overly warm) island in the last 7 years.

Feels a bit surreal. Boarding in SQ 332 in ~55 minutes.

First stop? Oh, Paris! And from there, it's off to Belgium, then back to France for a road trip. All that with Ila (no time to update her site)... Let's see how that goes. 🙈