carbon alchemy

I’ve researched things from corporate greenwashing to why companies are not hiring actual sustainability grads to things like EU funding for circularity (spoiler: it’s not as circular as they claim) and to why endless economic growth is a fantasy we need to let go of (plot twist: there are companies not aiming for it which have made fucking great and profitable business). 

I stand for research and a refusal to sugarcoat things. We can’t fix a broken system by asking individuals to make impossible choices. We need to redesign it completely.

Currently also contemplating if I should move into a box under the bridge to be financially able to pursue a PhD in this. 

Thanks to the anons who like sending stuff like this.

Let me share with you all that when I was doing my masters in systems change, we had a mandatory course that lasted throughout our studies where we had to every 1.5 months go and fill in a questionnaire about how we feel. At some point I realised they're monitoring us because there's a consensus that students and professionals deeply engaged in sustainability have higher rates of mental health issues (depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or attempts). I have a classmate from my bachelor's who killed herself because of environmental anxiety.

Never get any answers but I'm still eagerly waiting for someone to propose this as a serious idea

Classical economics (think Adam Smith, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill) focused on broader philosophical considerations and was much more concerned with human behavior, ethics and societal well-being. The tools used were more qualitative, based on reasoning, empirical observation and historical case studies. The main language was logic and prose. These lads were philosophers first.

Neoclassical economics, which began emerging in the late 19th century and became dominant in the 20th century, emphasized mathematical models and marginal analysis. This new approach shifted the focus toward optimization, efficiency and equilibrium in market systems. Key figures (lads like Alfred Marshall, Vilfredo Pareto and later, Milton Friedman) put more weight on mathematical models and assumptions about rational behavior (it can be questioned how rational these things are really as many are shit like "answer to everything is consumption", basically), which reduced the focus on broader ethical considerations. Philosophers were replaced by mathematicians.

The rise of neoclassical economics coincided with the mid-20th-century growth in industrial activity, particularly after WW2.

Post-WW2 marks the beginning rapid increase in CO2 emissions. There was a significant rise in industrial activity, especially in the USA, Europe and Japan, which were recovering from the war and wanted to improve their economy. Proof below.

Important to know: under EU law, individuals who face persecution based on their gender identity or sexual orientation can be eligible for asylum.

The EU Qualification Directive (2011/95/EU) says that persecution due to sexual orientation and gender identity can be grounds for refugee status. We've already received LGBTQ+ refugees from Russia for years.

So, if policy proposals such as Project 2025 come to be in the USA as they're now presented, transgender individuals from the USA could seek asylum in the EU. And I underline, not by finding a job and getting a visa first but as an asylum seeker.

The asylum process requires applicants to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. Each case is assessed individually, considering the specific circumstances and evidence presented, so if anything starts happening, document everything. The more, the better.

The LGBTQ+ right recognition varies between the member states so it's the safest, if things come to this, to look for the countries that have higher established protection for LGBTQ+ people (ie. Malta, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Germany, France). The local LGBTQ+ organisations often have legal resources and can consult as to what is required.

I know this is a horrifying situation and no one wants to leave their country and home and start new in a country where they possibly don't speak the language or have any support network, but if things come to this, the EU should be mandated to offer asylum.