Don Osborn
@donosborn.bsky.social
Africa agriculture Baha'i China development environment food ict4d justice L10n language policy research rural security systems. JHU, MSU. RPCV. PhD.
Africa’s forests are now emitting more CO2 than they absorb
www.newscientist.com/article/2506...
“… after gaining biomass from 2007 to 2010, African forests lost 106 million tonnes of biomass per year from 2011 to 2017. … This was driven by deforestation in the Congo rainforest …”
www.newscientist.com/article/2506...
“… after gaining biomass from 2007 to 2010, African forests lost 106 million tonnes of biomass per year from 2011 to 2017. … This was driven by deforestation in the Congo rainforest …”
Africa’s forests are now emitting more CO2 than they absorb
Logging and mining are destroying swathes of the Congo rainforest, with the result that African forests went from being a carbon sink to a carbon source in 2010 to 2017
www.newscientist.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Africa’s forests are now emitting more CO2 than they absorb
www.newscientist.com/article/2506...
“… after gaining biomass from 2007 to 2010, African forests lost 106 million tonnes of biomass per year from 2011 to 2017. … This was driven by deforestation in the Congo rainforest …”
www.newscientist.com/article/2506...
“… after gaining biomass from 2007 to 2010, African forests lost 106 million tonnes of biomass per year from 2011 to 2017. … This was driven by deforestation in the Congo rainforest …”
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild:
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Woodchuck
- Fox
- Deer
Honorable mention to:
- Warthog
- Grasscutter (aka cane rat)
... each hunted (not by me), and in in one stage or another of field dressing
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Woodchuck
- Fox
- Deer
Honorable mention to:
- Warthog
- Grasscutter (aka cane rat)
... each hunted (not by me), and in in one stage or another of field dressing
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild
- Hedgehog
- Toad
- Kingfisher
- Squirrel
- Fox
- Hedgehog
- Toad
- Kingfisher
- Squirrel
- Fox
November 29, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild:
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Woodchuck
- Fox
- Deer
Honorable mention to:
- Warthog
- Grasscutter (aka cane rat)
... each hunted (not by me), and in in one stage or another of field dressing
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Woodchuck
- Fox
- Deer
Honorable mention to:
- Warthog
- Grasscutter (aka cane rat)
... each hunted (not by me), and in in one stage or another of field dressing
Reposted by Don Osborn
NEW: The first evidence of a solar take-off in Africa☀️✈️
x33 rise in Algeria solar panel imports in the 12 mths to June 2025, compared to previous 12 mths.
x8 in Zambia
x7 in Botswana
x6 in Sudan
x3 in each of Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola, Ethiopia
🧵
x33 rise in Algeria solar panel imports in the 12 mths to June 2025, compared to previous 12 mths.
x8 in Zambia
x7 in Botswana
x6 in Sudan
x3 in each of Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola, Ethiopia
🧵
August 26, 2025 at 7:23 AM
NEW: The first evidence of a solar take-off in Africa☀️✈️
x33 rise in Algeria solar panel imports in the 12 mths to June 2025, compared to previous 12 mths.
x8 in Zambia
x7 in Botswana
x6 in Sudan
x3 in each of Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola, Ethiopia
🧵
x33 rise in Algeria solar panel imports in the 12 mths to June 2025, compared to previous 12 mths.
x8 in Zambia
x7 in Botswana
x6 in Sudan
x3 in each of Liberia, DRC, Benin, Angola, Ethiopia
🧵
Reposted by Don Osborn
I thought this was fairly well established, but: here's another new study showing that wind and solar complement each other and make for a more stable grid when combined.
Intermittent solar and wind complement each other for a more stable grid
A study finds combining wind and solar leverages their alternating peak periods, significantly boosting total generation capacity while providing a constant, predictable power curve critical for grid ...
pv-magazine-usa.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I thought this was fairly well established, but: here's another new study showing that wind and solar complement each other and make for a more stable grid when combined.
"The robotics industry is in the midst of a fascinating paradox. Prototypes of humanoid, general-purpose robots steal mainstream headlines, but the real robotic transformations happening on factory floors and in warehouses are an entirely different breed ..."
www.roboticstomorrow.com/story/2025/0...
www.roboticstomorrow.com/story/2025/0...
Beyond the Humanoid Hype: Why Collaborative Mobile Robots Are the Real Factory Floor Revolution | RoboticsTomorrow
Collaborative mobile robots are already delivering measurable results for companies across a variety of industries, and they’re fulfilling promises that the sci-fi-esque robots can only dream of one d...
www.roboticstomorrow.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:43 PM
"The robotics industry is in the midst of a fascinating paradox. Prototypes of humanoid, general-purpose robots steal mainstream headlines, but the real robotic transformations happening on factory floors and in warehouses are an entirely different breed ..."
www.roboticstomorrow.com/story/2025/0...
www.roboticstomorrow.com/story/2025/0...
FWIW, when I first joined Blue Sky, I decided to follow all former Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs) here, based on mentions of same in profiles. There are a lot more now, it seems!
November 23, 2025 at 4:38 AM
FWIW, when I first joined Blue Sky, I decided to follow all former Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs) here, based on mentions of same in profiles. There are a lot more now, it seems!
Reposted by Don Osborn
Reposted by Don Osborn
Solar capacity is expected to triple based on new projects in the pipeline.
Total global solar capacity, including all projects in construction and planned, is expected to reach almost 3 terawatts, with 80% concentrated in just 15 countries.
Data @globalenergymon.bsky.social
Total global solar capacity, including all projects in construction and planned, is expected to reach almost 3 terawatts, with 80% concentrated in just 15 countries.
Data @globalenergymon.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Solar capacity is expected to triple based on new projects in the pipeline.
Total global solar capacity, including all projects in construction and planned, is expected to reach almost 3 terawatts, with 80% concentrated in just 15 countries.
Data @globalenergymon.bsky.social
Total global solar capacity, including all projects in construction and planned, is expected to reach almost 3 terawatts, with 80% concentrated in just 15 countries.
Data @globalenergymon.bsky.social
Having worked in agriculture and with languages, I took a quick look in 2016 at how the singular & mass noun form "millet" shapes our (mis)understanding of the diverse group of small-grained crops called #millets.
donosborn.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/l...
donosborn.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/l...
[LI] Sapir-Whorf in our millet? Vocabulary & food diversity
Most English speakers on hearing “millet” would understand a small round grain commonly sold as birdseed, and which also finds its way into multigrain foods. In that, they wouldn’…
donosborn.wordpress.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Having worked in agriculture and with languages, I took a quick look in 2016 at how the singular & mass noun form "millet" shapes our (mis)understanding of the diverse group of small-grained crops called #millets.
donosborn.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/l...
donosborn.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/l...
Reposted by Don Osborn
A Dutch war cemetery added displays showing black US soldiers. Then they were quietly removed
A Dutch war cemetery added displays showing black US soldiers. Then they were quietly removed
Relatives fear the move is part of ‘the same virus affecting the US’, as historians and politicians say it coincided with Trump’s DEI purge
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
A Dutch war cemetery added displays showing black US soldiers. Then they were quietly removed
Solar power is like pulling energy out of thin air. (Wind too, but that’s another discussion.)
What economic and social benefits might we look forward to with (nearly) free energy?
One I’m thinking of for arid coastal regions is more and better seawater desalination (an energy intensive process).
What economic and social benefits might we look forward to with (nearly) free energy?
One I’m thinking of for arid coastal regions is more and better seawater desalination (an energy intensive process).
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Solar power is like pulling energy out of thin air. (Wind too, but that’s another discussion.)
What economic and social benefits might we look forward to with (nearly) free energy?
One I’m thinking of for arid coastal regions is more and better seawater desalination (an energy intensive process).
What economic and social benefits might we look forward to with (nearly) free energy?
One I’m thinking of for arid coastal regions is more and better seawater desalination (an energy intensive process).
Reposted by Don Osborn
From #AHAPerspectives in April: "Since the 19th century, US government actions have led to drastic changes in international trade and finance," @nelsonhist.bsky.social writes. "And in all four cases, the result was not recessions but depressions." 🗃️
Radical Tariffs Aren’t New, But They Have Been Disastrous
In four cases, tariffs have led to depressions in US history.
www.historians.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:21 PM
From #AHAPerspectives in April: "Since the 19th century, US government actions have led to drastic changes in international trade and finance," @nelsonhist.bsky.social writes. "And in all four cases, the result was not recessions but depressions." 🗃️
Reposted by Don Osborn
The underlying fundamental economics have changed dramatically: solar is now so cheap that businesses and households all around the world install it often without subsidies. Throw in batteries and the business case just keeps improving.
November 1, 2025 at 9:08 AM
The underlying fundamental economics have changed dramatically: solar is now so cheap that businesses and households all around the world install it often without subsidies. Throw in batteries and the business case just keeps improving.
Not a fan of humanoid design for robots. We haven’t thought thru social & psychological implications, or opportunity costs of making autonomous robots “human”
So I suppose it counts as good news that the hype is way ahead of development. Does that buy us time?
www.computerworld.com/article/4082...
So I suppose it counts as good news that the hype is way ahead of development. Does that buy us time?
www.computerworld.com/article/4082...
Breaking the humanoid robot delusion
Robot makers want us all to believe we’re on the brink of an autonomous humanoid robot revolution. But that’s just not true. Call it 'faith-based innovation.'
www.computerworld.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Not a fan of humanoid design for robots. We haven’t thought thru social & psychological implications, or opportunity costs of making autonomous robots “human”
So I suppose it counts as good news that the hype is way ahead of development. Does that buy us time?
www.computerworld.com/article/4082...
So I suppose it counts as good news that the hype is way ahead of development. Does that buy us time?
www.computerworld.com/article/4082...
Reposted by Don Osborn
Industrial biomass isn’t green. Our report shows it’s more carbon-intensive than coal, destroys forests, & harms communities. It’s time to end biomass subsidies & the industry’s growth: https://rachelcarsoncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DRAX-Destroyer-of-Forests-web.pdf #BackDownBigBiomass
October 23, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Industrial biomass isn’t green. Our report shows it’s more carbon-intensive than coal, destroys forests, & harms communities. It’s time to end biomass subsidies & the industry’s growth: https://rachelcarsoncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DRAX-Destroyer-of-Forests-web.pdf #BackDownBigBiomass
Reposted by Don Osborn
Carbon dioxide pollution in our atmosphere surged by a record 3.5 parts per million last year – the largest increase since modern measurements started in 1957.
It’s time to address these harmful, fossil-fueled emissions and #MakePollutersPay for the damage they cause to both people and the planet.
It’s time to address these harmful, fossil-fueled emissions and #MakePollutersPay for the damage they cause to both people and the planet.
CO2 levels in Earth's atmosphere jumped by a record amount in 2024
The global average concentration of CO2 surged by 3.5 parts per million to reach 423.9 ppm last year, fuelling worries that the planet’s ability to soak up excess carbon is weakening
www.newscientist.com
October 26, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Carbon dioxide pollution in our atmosphere surged by a record 3.5 parts per million last year – the largest increase since modern measurements started in 1957.
It’s time to address these harmful, fossil-fueled emissions and #MakePollutersPay for the damage they cause to both people and the planet.
It’s time to address these harmful, fossil-fueled emissions and #MakePollutersPay for the damage they cause to both people and the planet.
Reposted by Don Osborn
We are on the verge of making #polio the second human disease to be consigned to history.
Decades ago, humanity bridged geopolitical and geographic borders to end smallpox.
Let's do the same for polio.
Let's finish the job.
#WorldPolioDay
Decades ago, humanity bridged geopolitical and geographic borders to end smallpox.
Let's do the same for polio.
Let's finish the job.
#WorldPolioDay
October 24, 2025 at 8:58 AM
We are on the verge of making #polio the second human disease to be consigned to history.
Decades ago, humanity bridged geopolitical and geographic borders to end smallpox.
Let's do the same for polio.
Let's finish the job.
#WorldPolioDay
Decades ago, humanity bridged geopolitical and geographic borders to end smallpox.
Let's do the same for polio.
Let's finish the job.
#WorldPolioDay
Reposted by Don Osborn
Updating my LEGO White House
October 23, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Updating my LEGO White House
Reposted by Don Osborn
Native trees support specialist invertebrates, fungi and birds that co-evolved with them - if we only plant exotics, we lose those relationships and end up with cities dominated by generalist species like sparrows and pigeons.🧪🌏 #urban #trees #urbanforest #biodiversity
Five reasons urban trees make sense
Comment: The trees lining our streets and parks are quietly delivering a host of benefits – from cooling and cleaning the air to improving our health and wellbeing.
newsroom.co.nz
October 16, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Native trees support specialist invertebrates, fungi and birds that co-evolved with them - if we only plant exotics, we lose those relationships and end up with cities dominated by generalist species like sparrows and pigeons.🧪🌏 #urban #trees #urbanforest #biodiversity
Reposted by Don Osborn
We have built a society in which people of different skin tones, religious backgrounds & cultures get along, share power, work alongside each other, procreate with each other, recognise the each other’s humanity and democratic rights. It is a STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT OF WORLD HISTORIC PROPORTIONS.
I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
October 8, 2025 at 10:08 AM
We have built a society in which people of different skin tones, religious backgrounds & cultures get along, share power, work alongside each other, procreate with each other, recognise the each other’s humanity and democratic rights. It is a STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT OF WORLD HISTORIC PROPORTIONS.
Reposted by Don Osborn
“There is now a broader consensus that the emergence of urbanism in Africa has deep indigenous rather than extraneous roots, and that the earliest phases of that process preceded the emergence of states.”
www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/ancient-ci...
www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/ancient-ci...
Ancient cities and the development of urbanism in pre-colonial Africa: the view from Bonduku.
Historical and archaeological research on the origins of urbanism and ancient cities has long held a prominent position in the study of the rise of early states and civilizations.
www.africanhistoryextra.com
September 28, 2025 at 3:29 PM
“There is now a broader consensus that the emergence of urbanism in Africa has deep indigenous rather than extraneous roots, and that the earliest phases of that process preceded the emergence of states.”
www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/ancient-ci...
www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/ancient-ci...
Reposted by Don Osborn
They sold us COVID as a pandemic of the old and frail, but it is a pandemic of the young.
They will have to carry the burden of constant contagion, chronic illness, and premature death the longest.
They will have to carry the burden of constant contagion, chronic illness, and premature death the longest.
September 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
They sold us COVID as a pandemic of the old and frail, but it is a pandemic of the young.
They will have to carry the burden of constant contagion, chronic illness, and premature death the longest.
They will have to carry the burden of constant contagion, chronic illness, and premature death the longest.
Reposted by Don Osborn
I hear endlessly (including right now on the radio) that “the new consensus” is that Covid was “almost certainly” caused by a lab leak.
This might be a political “consensus”, led by the same White House that says tylenol caused autism. But it’s not the scientific one.
This might be a political “consensus”, led by the same White House that says tylenol caused autism. But it’s not the scientific one.
September 23, 2025 at 8:33 AM
I hear endlessly (including right now on the radio) that “the new consensus” is that Covid was “almost certainly” caused by a lab leak.
This might be a political “consensus”, led by the same White House that says tylenol caused autism. But it’s not the scientific one.
This might be a political “consensus”, led by the same White House that says tylenol caused autism. But it’s not the scientific one.
Reposted by Don Osborn
China’s regimented proletariat is gradually being replaced by millions of casual workers who fill jobs “on-demand”, flitting from one factory floor to another at the direction of giant recruitment platforms
China’s 200m gig workers are a warning for the world
What a giant precarious workforce reveals about the future of jobs
econ.st
September 22, 2025 at 9:20 PM
China’s regimented proletariat is gradually being replaced by millions of casual workers who fill jobs “on-demand”, flitting from one factory floor to another at the direction of giant recruitment platforms
The generic “they” is often central in expression of conspiracy theories.
If a conversation is merited, “Who’s they?” is a natural question to ask.
If a conversation is merited, “Who’s they?” is a natural question to ask.
September 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
The generic “they” is often central in expression of conspiracy theories.
If a conversation is merited, “Who’s they?” is a natural question to ask.
If a conversation is merited, “Who’s they?” is a natural question to ask.