markvdb

15 ms·

181.
by markvdb 4y ago
Properly managed, the Baltic states in particular will come out of this energy crisis as winners. Green energy is the very obvious answer for them, even more than for other countries. Cheap and reliable. They have all that's required t
182.
by markvdb 4y ago
"A year in the taiga" [0], by Dmitry Vasyukov, blessed by Werner Herzog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_People:_A_Year_in_the_Ta...
183.
by markvdb 4y ago
> How is that apartheid?? This is not a perfect analogue to the racist policies of the South African government 1948-1990, but it's not difficult to spot similarities. This certainly looks discriminatory towards all non-Israelis. An
184.
by markvdb 4y ago
A close relative lives on a 400€/month pension in a northern climate. Close friends, a family of five, live frugally, but comfortably on a high _four_ figure income, as in sub-9999€. Wouldn't be for me, but they do it and they&#x2
185.
by markvdb 4y ago
That cheaper natural gas is already flowing north quite a lot, either by lng ship where available, or under the form of natural gas generated electricity. It makes a lot of sense to lower domestic natural gas heating consumption in Spain in
186.
by markvdb 4y ago
The fact that you and I have to calculate if it makes sense to switch from natural gas to heat pump heating is an abject policymaking failure at several levels. This should have been abundantly clear months ago, with information campaigns a
187.
by markvdb 4y ago
These free train trips might be nice, but they don't really reply to the issue at hand. The source of inflation in Europe is the godfather in Moscow shutting the valves on natural gas pipelines. Barring war with a nuclear arms power, t
188.
by markvdb 4y ago
An interesting precursor step to coal mining was peat mining and the transport networks that evolved around it, especially in the Netherlands. Lowtechmagazine as usual has an excellent article [0] about it. [0] https://www.lowtec
189.
by markvdb 4y ago
Euro NCAP test suite features vulnerable road user protection tests [0] including for pedestrians and cyclists. The NHTSA might start recommending some limited technological additions for pedestrian protection in the future [1]. [0] https:
190.
by markvdb 4y ago
Getting a good quality folding bicycle (Brompton!) may be even easier. Just take it inside with you.
191.
by markvdb 4y ago
If living in Denmark and driving a car there, you need a Danish license plate for your car. If not, everyone and their mother would be driving around using Romania or Bulgaria registered cars...
192.
by markvdb 4y ago
Chances are that less than half would come by bike, but even if they would, ik could still make a lot of sense: - Cycling employees are healthier. Belgian stats say they average more than one sick day less per year. - Cycling employees are
193.
by markvdb 4y ago
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00497-4 . It's linked at the bottom of the article.
194.
by markvdb 4y ago
Some do, but even if they wouldn't, there's still state terrorism.
195.
by markvdb 4y ago
Also, https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/sales-at-a-loss-in-belgium... .
196.
by markvdb 4y ago
Inflation is how the state gets out of this. It inflates the debt away.
197.
by markvdb 4y ago
Goldisthal [0], Markersbach [1] and Żarnowiec [2] exist and are quite significant. Also, the Młoty pumped hydro storage project is being worked on again after 33 years. The best sites for this have been taken already, but there is still som
198.
by markvdb 4y ago
Take Brussels, the EU capital. Euro 4 diesel cars are forbidden there now. Euro 5 became mandatory for new car registrations in 2011 [0]. That means 11 years old cars could still be Euro 4. These are not old or bad cars to a lot of people.
199.
by markvdb 4y ago
For taking a bicycle on the train, may I suggest the Brompton folding bicycle? Electric version also available. Also, did you know about the EU speed pedelec category L1e-B? It gets classified as a moped with maximum speed of 45 km/h a
200.
by markvdb 4y ago
> Also there's really no reason that I won't be able to keep my car another 8 years, making it a 20 year car. In northwestern Europe, the reason would be low emission zones. "Sorry, this type of car is not allowed here any
201.
by markvdb 4y ago
> we can conclude that Russia is different in some core way of thinking. Not too different though, looking at how the Baltic states have developed when given the choice and chance. Please do clarify. I am intimately familiar with one of
202.
by markvdb 4y ago
> A battery that can store energy over 24 hours costs more than an equivalent nuclear power plant, loses half it's capacity within a decade and has never been build. Multiple have been built, for cheaper than a nuclear reactor, losi
203.
by markvdb 4y ago
My no-brand Chinese battery charger plays half an 8-bit Mozart symphony really loudly when it is done charging. Luckily it seems to have died prematurely...
204.
by markvdb 4y ago
The headline says 74000l/household/year. Divide by roughly 365 days a year = 202.7392l/day. I made a rounding error and didn't read further down. Still a very useful approximation I'd say.
205.
by markvdb 4y ago
Let's compare daily average household domestic water consumption: - where I live: 202l [0] - US: >1135l [1] US household consumption share of total water usage: 12% [1]. Just reducing household usage to 50% more than a random wealth
206.
by markvdb 4y ago
Couldn't selling <50% of yourself get around this?
207.
by markvdb 4y ago
This could be framed as taking care of your mental health. Long term investors would still be in I imagine...
208.
by markvdb 4y ago
The site claims 1/3 to half of the children involved in running these would eventually end up working jobs related to trains.
209.
by markvdb 4y ago
> They were bad, but just bad enough to roll over and give up on fission. Competent engineers are perfectly capable of maintaining a nuclear reactor, _technically_ speaking. Large projects are vulnerable to all vices of human nature tho
210.
by markvdb 4y ago
Oh dear. Both Paypal and OVH, in one claim! If there is a small claims court in your jurisdiction, you might try that one...

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