Scientists unveil bioplastic that degrades at room temperature, and outperforms petroplastics

How clever of them! Using cellulose so it degrades easily at room temperature is a good answer. 

WashU's chemical engineers decided to introduce cellulose nanofibers to the design of bioplastics.

"We created this multilayer structure where cellulose is in the middle and the bioplastics are on two sides,"

And thus you have something that may help with some of our plastic problems. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250803011823.htm

Almond production

Almonds are very particular plants.  They require a fair amount of attention, and very large amounts of water to grow.  One might argue that their overproduction in places like California is to the detriment of the environment.  

But I recently learned about tropical almonds, which grow throughout the Caribbean.  They are a different species of plant, but produce a nut that is very similar to an almond in size and taste.  They grow along the beaches, without much care, and need almost no water, other than natural rainfall.

Given that they taste similar, it certainly seems to me that this version of the almond could be grown and harvested for use in almond butter and almond milk - at a much lower cost to the environment.  Maybe these couldn't replace almonds that are sold whole, but maybe they could be introduced as an alternative product.

Just my thought on the matter.

Lets Do Nukes On The Moon (Update with Directive)

For some dumb reason, the unqualified shmoke who is the acting head of nasa has announced that America needs to claim the moon and build a nuclear reactor there. 

I don't even know what to say anymore. 

https://nasawatch.com/artemis/lets-do-nukes-on-the-moon/

Da Vinci Drone Project Realized: A Revolution in Technology

Da Vinci proposed a sort of screw as a propellor. And while theoretically it sounded interesting, no one was able to create one and test it. 

Until recently. Advancements in computers make it possible to build it in a simulated environment, and it can be created using more advanced printing techniques as a prototype. 

And so far the results are promising. Da Vinci may have been on to something. And was very much ahead of his time. 

https://holistic.news/en/da-vinci-drone-project-realized/

The bullshit known as alligator Alcatraz

The very notion of "Alligator Alcatraz" offends me on pretty much every level. 

And yet, some people love the name because it's cute in some way. 

It starts at the top with the idiocy of rounding people up for no real reason (other than hatred of non-white people) and incarcerating them for petty reasons with no due process. All carried out by masked men who have been granted broad authority to harass and intimidate. And all of it in violation of the law. Not that anyone cares. 

But "Florida gonna Florida" and the governor decided he could be a darling of the administration and open a detention center (in spite of already having a few around south Florida that are questionable and in use) in a part of the Everglades. 

And things get weird from there, with him invoking some sort of emergency declaration, then using eminent domain to take some land from Miami-dade and collier counties without telling them, and proceeding with construction the very next day with barbed wire fences, and armed security telling citizens and elected officials to steer clear of the area. A violation of Florida and federal law. 

Various companies were contracted to build and secure the area, with no bid contracts handed to political supporters and with no written contracts. Again in violation of the law. 

And it was all paid for by raiding various disaster relief and general funds, without authorization and with no supervision. Again. Laws were broken. The estimate on spend was $500 million dollars. Which was taken from taxpayers overnight with no accountability. 

The governor plans to have 5,000 beds in this facility (and it's already at least partially full, we can't and don't know just how full because no one can inspect the site), and has some kind of handshake agreement with the federal government on costs to operate.  

They are expecting that the feds will pay $245 per bed, per night. Which is insane. The Ritz Carlton on Miami Beach is only slightly more, at $279 as a nightly rate. Except that it's on the beach, has AC and of course isn't a detention center. 

At the rate of $245 per night, that should be $1.25 million per day that will be recouped. So it should only take 18 months to make back the money he stole. Except of course you have to pay for guards, maintenance and food. So it will surely take 10x as long. Oh by the way the administration has already suggested they won't be paying!  So yeah. 

Oh and about the inability to inspect this site in any way. There are accusations of human rights abuses happening regularly. But no one can get in to see what's really going on. So human rights organizations - which regularly report on third world countries - can't see what's happening in our supposed first world country. 

And crass politicians say that's all okay because these are illegals who have broken the law and should somehow be treated poorly as a result. Even though some have legal status, and at least a few are citizens. 

Fuck all of this. 

RFK Jr. cuts $500 million in mRNA vaccine contracts, dealing major blow to promising area of research

Yet another way we get fucked. 

Who needs to research and provide cures for things that can - and will - happen in the future? Who cares if everyone gets sick and dies?

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rfk-jr-cuts-500-million-mrna-vaccine-contracts-dealing-major-blow-prom-rcna223281

The EPA has bad news for all of us.

Now that the EPA has been ceded to people who don't care about the environment, and think protection is for suckers, we're about to see some significant changes coming. 

Among them are changes to any standards as it relates to car emissions. Who needs to regulate the gas mileage, having things like catalytic converters, or care about the toxicity of what's coming out of the tailpipe?

What matters is that car companies can choose what they want to sell and gas companies should be able to profit from lower gas mileage! Screw everyone. 

And there's a secondary problem that goes along with this. The EPA funds some efforts to reduce emissions, and as a result subsidizes the oil industry. 

When that funding source goes away, that means the subsidy goes away. And therefore, we as consumers will pay more at the pump. How much more? I saw an estimate that it likely would be about $.79 per gallon. Meaning that today we're paying $3.17 a gallon. But shortly we'll be paying 25% more - or about $3.96 a gallon. 

And gas mileage likely will go down on new cars, ensuring that you will have to fill up more often. 

But hey. You voted for "lower gas prices" and now you get to FAFO.