We're Toast 45

This post is a collection of links that support my increasingly strong feeling that the human race (or at least our technological civilization) is doomed. It is part of an ongoing series of posts.

Fading daisies

• We're Disrupting Another Major Earth Cycle, And No One's Talking About It. "Human activity is heating up the planet, putting wildlife in danger, and even altering Earth's spin. Now it appears we're also having a seriously detrimental effect on the planet's natural salt cycle, a new study reveals."
• Climate change has toppled some civilizations but not others. Why? "The link between environmental disasters and societal collapse, explained." If inequality and polarization are major factors in social collapse, as research suggests, then we are in deep trouble.
• The Other Group of Viruses That Could Cause the Next Pandemic. "Flu viruses and coronavirus started the last few pandemics. Could the next one be a paramyxovirus?" Nipah, spread by aerosols and with a 50 percent mortality rate, could be a serious problem.
• How gas utilities used tobacco tactics to avoid gas stove regulations. "The documents show that natural gas utilities and their powerful trade group, the American Gas Association (AGA), focused on convincing consumers and regulators that cooking with gas is as risk-free as cooking with electricity. As the scientific evidence grew over time about the health effects from gas stoves, the industry used a playbook echoing the one that tobacco companies employed for decades to fend off regulation. The gas utility industry relied on some of the same strategies, researchers and public relations firms."
• Scientists call out rogue emissions from China at global ozone summit. "Researchers confirm a powerful greenhouse gas is being emitted from eastern China, despite reports to the contrary."
• If You Didn’t Care About Antarctica’s Icy Belly, You Will Now. "Scientists are getting an ever-clearer picture of the undersides of deteriorating glaciers. It’s not looking good."
• Can we still avoid 1.5 degrees C of global warming? "Global temperatures are approaching a crucial threshold."
• As Extreme Heat Increases, Heart Attacks Will Rise. "Dangerously hot days are becoming more common. That will trigger heart attacks and strokes in people made vulnerable by age, race, and the layout of cities."

In Praise of Dylon Travel Wash

This is an unsolicited testimonial for Dylon Travel Wash. Nancy and I found it in a Tesco in London a couple of years ago, after I got some olive oil on a dress shirt. It removed the stain, leaving no trace. Since then, we've ordered it through Amazon.

In the last couple of years, it's saved many pieces of clothing from a wide variety of stains, including ink, grease, and various condiments and sauces. It just works and will almost certainly remove any stain without a trace, as long as you apply it before it has a chance to set. (The stain may remain, if you've laundered and dried the clothing before catching the stain). 

It's intended purpose is as a laundry detergent for hand washing clothes while travelling, and it's fine for that, but it works better than any stain remover we've found. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than buying new clothes.

As far as I can see, it's not available over the counter in North America, but you can easily order it from one of Amazon's British sellers. You may want to do so before Brexit takes effect at the end of next January. 

Removing Gel Pen Stains from Your Hands

A quick household tip. Dawn dish detergent does an excellent job of removing gel pen stains from your hands. I had a leaky pen get ink on both my hands this morning. A bit of Dawn and warm water and it was gone. Normal hand soap doesn't work nearly as well.

I haven't tried any other dish detergents to see if they work as well, because Dawn is the only one we have, and the only one we've been using for several years. I'd be curious to know if any liquid dish detergent would do the same thing.