Robin Chase
@rmchase.bsky.social
sustainable urban transportation. Co-founder Zipcar, NUMO #climate #cities #transport #justice #bikes. Also knitter, gardener, parent
Reposted by Robin Chase
I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
I’m constantly astounded at the sheer level of artistic production coming out of Iceland. Novels, movies, music. Amazing.
February 18, 2026 at 2:23 PM
I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
Reposted by Robin Chase
I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is
February 17, 2026 at 11:41 AM
I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is
Reposted by Robin Chase
Ride in a bike lane and glance into every car that you pass and you'll see an extremely high percentage of people staring at their phones. It's terrible and frightening
You would be freaked out if you saw 25% of drivers drinking a beer, right?
Using a phone is no different.
Using a phone is no different.
February 17, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Ride in a bike lane and glance into every car that you pass and you'll see an extremely high percentage of people staring at their phones. It's terrible and frightening
Reposted by Robin Chase
Great proposal this. Continues to be incredibly funny and incredibly stupid that for years we've *banned* bus and rail operators "colluding" to make their timetables integrate with each other.
Fantastic to see my Mini Switzerland idea covered by the BBC.
It captures so many people’s imaginations because it’s both obvious, simple and yet - from where we are today - unspeakably radical.
Please share!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It captures so many people’s imaginations because it’s both obvious, simple and yet - from where we are today - unspeakably radical.
Please share!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Mini Switzerland' plan for Peak District transport network
The idea would see buses arriving before trains pull into stations to improve connectivity.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 16, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Great proposal this. Continues to be incredibly funny and incredibly stupid that for years we've *banned* bus and rail operators "colluding" to make their timetables integrate with each other.
Reposted by Robin Chase
Markey's right on the mark.
But what about DHS?
Established after 09/11, under The USA PATRIOT Act it allowed for expansive monitoring, including social media monitoring of Americans.
Split off the Coast Guard and FEMA and defund the rest.
truthout.org/articles/sen...
But what about DHS?
Established after 09/11, under The USA PATRIOT Act it allowed for expansive monitoring, including social media monitoring of Americans.
Split off the Coast Guard and FEMA and defund the rest.
truthout.org/articles/sen...
Senator Calls to Abolish ICE, Says Voting to Fund DHS Supports “Murder”
“Anyone who supports funding DHS and ICE is supporting the murder of Americans,” said Sen. Ed Markey.
truthout.org
February 16, 2026 at 5:48 AM
Markey's right on the mark.
But what about DHS?
Established after 09/11, under The USA PATRIOT Act it allowed for expansive monitoring, including social media monitoring of Americans.
Split off the Coast Guard and FEMA and defund the rest.
truthout.org/articles/sen...
But what about DHS?
Established after 09/11, under The USA PATRIOT Act it allowed for expansive monitoring, including social media monitoring of Americans.
Split off the Coast Guard and FEMA and defund the rest.
truthout.org/articles/sen...
Reposted by Robin Chase
"Any claims of AI solving for population scale problems must be matched against the reality of the Global South, in which young boys were applying enamel paint on the railings... with their bare hands to prepare for the arrival of Silicon Valley CEOs." www.techpolicy.press/indias-ai-im...
India’s ‘AI Impact Summit’ Promises Little More Than Spectacle
The fourth in a series of convenings that kicked off in Bletchley Park in 2023, the summit is the first held in the Global South, writes Apar Gupta.
www.techpolicy.press
February 16, 2026 at 4:10 AM
"Any claims of AI solving for population scale problems must be matched against the reality of the Global South, in which young boys were applying enamel paint on the railings... with their bare hands to prepare for the arrival of Silicon Valley CEOs." www.techpolicy.press/indias-ai-im...
Reposted by Robin Chase
Let me tell you a tale of how completely the normies have been mobilized. My 14 year-old niece has done School of Rock for the past 5 years; last summer she was part of their touring band, and the kids loved playing together so much that they decided to keep doing it. (1/?)
February 16, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Let me tell you a tale of how completely the normies have been mobilized. My 14 year-old niece has done School of Rock for the past 5 years; last summer she was part of their touring band, and the kids loved playing together so much that they decided to keep doing it. (1/?)
Reposted by Robin Chase
“The constitutional protections in our military structures depend on the idea that there are humans who would—we hope—disobey illegal orders. With fully autonomous weapons, we don’t necessarily have those protections.”
None of the big AI labs are your friends so don’t get too excited, but the Pentagon is, according to an anonymously sourced Axios story, threatening to quit using Anthropic AI tools because of the company’s “insistence on maintaining some limitations on how the military uses its models.”
Pentagon Reportedly Hopping Mad at Anthropic for Not Blindly Supporting Everything Military Does
Autonomous drone swarms and mass surveillance are apparently big sticking points for the AI colossus.
gizmodo.com
February 16, 2026 at 12:43 PM
“The constitutional protections in our military structures depend on the idea that there are humans who would—we hope—disobey illegal orders. With fully autonomous weapons, we don’t necessarily have those protections.”
Reposted by Robin Chase
(5/11) Walmart, Whole Foods, and Kohls are switching to electronic shelf labels that can display dynamic prices. Kroger deployed them with Microsoft AI—a setup a 2024 Senate inquiry warned could enable “surge pricing” via facial recognition. (Kroger claims it will only lower prices.)
February 11, 2026 at 8:41 PM
(5/11) Walmart, Whole Foods, and Kohls are switching to electronic shelf labels that can display dynamic prices. Kroger deployed them with Microsoft AI—a setup a 2024 Senate inquiry warned could enable “surge pricing” via facial recognition. (Kroger claims it will only lower prices.)
Reposted by Robin Chase
Someone has sure already made this observation but the fact they can convert all those empty warehouses into prison camps means they could have converted them into housing, community centers, job training centers or, hell, libraries or schools all along. It’s always a matter of will not resources.
February 15, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Someone has sure already made this observation but the fact they can convert all those empty warehouses into prison camps means they could have converted them into housing, community centers, job training centers or, hell, libraries or schools all along. It’s always a matter of will not resources.
Reposted by Robin Chase
If this country was truly “pro-life,” we would have Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, gun reform, universal child care, and a living wage.
The right-wing agenda isn’t about “life.”
It’s about control.
The right-wing agenda isn’t about “life.”
It’s about control.
February 15, 2026 at 11:00 PM
If this country was truly “pro-life,” we would have Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, gun reform, universal child care, and a living wage.
The right-wing agenda isn’t about “life.”
It’s about control.
The right-wing agenda isn’t about “life.”
It’s about control.
Reposted by Robin Chase
This is my kids’ commute to school 😍
Lots of work to be done at either end to make it safer for them, but it’s an amazing to have that 5-10 mins of nature every morning.
Lots of work to be done at either end to make it safer for them, but it’s an amazing to have that 5-10 mins of nature every morning.
February 14, 2026 at 8:56 PM
This is my kids’ commute to school 😍
Lots of work to be done at either end to make it safer for them, but it’s an amazing to have that 5-10 mins of nature every morning.
Lots of work to be done at either end to make it safer for them, but it’s an amazing to have that 5-10 mins of nature every morning.
Reposted by Robin Chase
“Four of my children just evaporated,” Badran said, holding back tears. “I looked for them a million times. Not a piece was left. Where did they go?”
There are no words to adequately describe the evil here.
There are no words to adequately describe the evil here.
Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate
US-made thermal weapons burning at 3,500C caused 2,842 people to "evaporate" in Gaza, Al Jazeera investigation finds.
www.aljazeera.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:12 AM
All these adding to Surveillance Infrastructure.
We need to adopt other measures to achieve the same goals.
We need to adopt other measures to achieve the same goals.
The $998 million, five-year contract quadruples number of NYC red light cameras; also includes speed safety cameras, automated bus lane enforcement and cameras to detect overweight vehicles on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/nyc-1b-...
NYC commits to $1B expansion of its automated traffic safety enforcement program
The New York City Department of Transportation will quadruple the number of red-light camera installations across the five boroughs and upgrade older equipment.
www.smartcitiesdive.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:46 PM
All these adding to Surveillance Infrastructure.
We need to adopt other measures to achieve the same goals.
We need to adopt other measures to achieve the same goals.
Another example of cameras being repurposed.
All these cameras become part of surveillance infrastructure. Don't approve them; don't install them.
All these cameras become part of surveillance infrastructure. Don't approve them; don't install them.
Police departments across the US are quietly leveraging school district security cameras to assist Donald Trump’s mass immigration enforcement campaign, an investigation by @the74.bsky.social reveals.
February 13, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Another example of cameras being repurposed.
All these cameras become part of surveillance infrastructure. Don't approve them; don't install them.
All these cameras become part of surveillance infrastructure. Don't approve them; don't install them.
Reposted by Robin Chase
Facebook plans to put facial recognition in its glasses and they think we’re too stupid to fight back.
Their internal memo: “We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.”
Their internal memo: “We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.”
Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Facebook plans to put facial recognition in its glasses and they think we’re too stupid to fight back.
Their internal memo: “We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.”
Their internal memo: “We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns.”
Reposted by Robin Chase
Palantir, a US spy-tech firm, has been given access to millions of NHS patient records.
Its founder has said the NHS should be 'ripped up'.
Join me in calling on the government to end the dangerous Palantir contract.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...
Its founder has said the NHS should be 'ripped up'.
Join me in calling on the government to end the dangerous Palantir contract.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...
Stop Palantir taking over our public services!
Our public services aren’t for a secretive profit-hungry US tech firm. Sign the petition to tell the Government to scrap all contracts with secretive US tech firm Palantir.
you.38degrees.org.uk
February 13, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Palantir, a US spy-tech firm, has been given access to millions of NHS patient records.
Its founder has said the NHS should be 'ripped up'.
Join me in calling on the government to end the dangerous Palantir contract.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...
Its founder has said the NHS should be 'ripped up'.
Join me in calling on the government to end the dangerous Palantir contract.
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...
Reposted by Robin Chase
Suck it, drivers.
February 13, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Suck it, drivers.
This will be reversed. And the next Congress will make it law.
There are so many fucked up things with the current administration that it's hard to focus on one but this recent move is basically a death sentence for the planet. I've been involved with more boots on the ground actions over the years than I can count and this really bums me out.
EPA reverses long-standing climate change finding, stripping its own ability to regulate emissions
The agency announced it is repealing its 2009 conclusion that greenhouse gases warm the Earth and endanger human health and well-being.
www.nbcnews.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:14 PM
This will be reversed. And the next Congress will make it law.
Reposted by Robin Chase
“.. using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought ..”
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
February 13, 2026 at 12:45 PM
“.. using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought ..”
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
Reposted by Robin Chase
Another beautiful car-free 13 mile commute after dropping the kiddo at school. Rain is coming tomorrow, and we really need it! (We need snow in the mountains!) If we keep burning fossil fuels in cars, our snow pack will continue to shrink.
🚗+⛽️=🌏🔥
📸This park used to be a highway!
🚗+⛽️=🌏🔥
📸This park used to be a highway!
February 12, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Another beautiful car-free 13 mile commute after dropping the kiddo at school. Rain is coming tomorrow, and we really need it! (We need snow in the mountains!) If we keep burning fossil fuels in cars, our snow pack will continue to shrink.
🚗+⛽️=🌏🔥
📸This park used to be a highway!
🚗+⛽️=🌏🔥
📸This park used to be a highway!
Reposted by Robin Chase
“A year after the $1.1 billion overhaul,” which added a new lane each direction, “the 405’s rush hour drive times were a minute slower than they were before the workers broke ground. Five years later, traffic was worse at all times of day.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
A Tunnel to Transform Los Angeles
The ambitious Sepulveda Transit Corridor project — an automated subway line underneath Bel Air — aims to do something rare in LA: Get people out of their cars.
www.bloomberg.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:07 PM
“A year after the $1.1 billion overhaul,” which added a new lane each direction, “the 405’s rush hour drive times were a minute slower than they were before the workers broke ground. Five years later, traffic was worse at all times of day.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by Robin Chase
Reposted by Robin Chase
They say that school drop-off accounts for 25% of morning traffic.
Every time I bike my kid to preschool on a city schools holiday, it becomes clear that 100% of the stressed out, inconsiderate, texting drivers we encounter on a daily basis our fellow parents.
Every time I bike my kid to preschool on a city schools holiday, it becomes clear that 100% of the stressed out, inconsiderate, texting drivers we encounter on a daily basis our fellow parents.
February 13, 2026 at 4:22 PM
They say that school drop-off accounts for 25% of morning traffic.
Every time I bike my kid to preschool on a city schools holiday, it becomes clear that 100% of the stressed out, inconsiderate, texting drivers we encounter on a daily basis our fellow parents.
Every time I bike my kid to preschool on a city schools holiday, it becomes clear that 100% of the stressed out, inconsiderate, texting drivers we encounter on a daily basis our fellow parents.
Just learned that 11-24% of people who had their bikes stolen stop riding!!! Strong rationale for cities to provide/require secure bike parking as part of their mode shift efforts.
www.ecf.com/media/resour... ddd.uab.cat/pub/trerecpr...
www.ecf.com/media/resour... ddd.uab.cat/pub/trerecpr...
www.ecf.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Just learned that 11-24% of people who had their bikes stolen stop riding!!! Strong rationale for cities to provide/require secure bike parking as part of their mode shift efforts.
www.ecf.com/media/resour... ddd.uab.cat/pub/trerecpr...
www.ecf.com/media/resour... ddd.uab.cat/pub/trerecpr...