They don’t really talk about using hydrogen directly, just as past of the process of producing other fuels. I assume it boils down to the fact that hydrogen requires all the infrastructure associated with high pressure storage and transport. Methanol/ammonia can be transported as liquid in much the same way as other liquid hydrocarbon fuels, you can carry it in a bucket if you needed to.

Whenever I’ve used an LLM to edit anything it goes right ahead and removes my voice from the text, even more advanced models and even when I repeatedly clarify that that’s not what I want. I don’t think it’s up to the task.

I am absolutely on the same page as you. I really don’t think the system we have in the liberal representative ‘democracies’ deserve the title democracy, nor can democracy exist meaningfully at that scale.

Local politics, local direct action, and volunteering are always a step towards a better future, but that isn’t enough without the structural changes you advocate.

I think that confederal municipalism is viable in the sense that, if set up correctly, it can work. Convincing more cetralised authorities to cede power is where it becomes difficult.

I’ve never been terribly anti-nuclear (insert several caveats here) but it just hasn’t made a lot of economic sense for some years now to invest in new plants. It’d be great if the next generation reactors are economically viable and I suppose it’s good(ish???) that the Chinese and Russians are keeping the figurative flame alive but nuclear plants just aren’t a big part of the picture for the next 20 years at least.

On a related note I’ve really stopped paying heaps of attention to the anti-solar, anti-wind, anti-EV crowd over the past couple of years as they’ve lost the argument, the economics have shifted away from their ideology. We ought be moving faster but once the invisible hand of the market decides that you’re wrong it’s only a matter of time.

For myself, we’ve just acquired 100 acres and so I have quite elaborate plans both for ourselves and to sell which I won’t bore everyone with.

I agree with @GooseGang, people tend to grow veg and neglect staples, you can live on potatoes, you can’t live on lettuce.

Previously we have grown chickpeas which are versatile and easy to grow and also nitrogen fixing. 4 bed rotation systems and square foot gardening have worked for us in the past at being quite productive in smaller spaces.

Also potato bags, I love potato bags!

I read the first book and I think it is the first time in decades that I have encountered actual sci-fi concepts that weren’t a reworking of ideas that have been around for decades.

It’s not a character driven novel but the characters are fine, mostly they’re not that likeable - which in my opinion is not a reason to dislike a story - and I think they probably lose something in translation. When I was a teenager I devoured Asimov, Phillip K Dick, Heinlein etc for the concepts, compared to them the characters in 3 Body are masterfully written.

I haven’t yet read the second book as I found the first few chapters a bit of a slog but I plan to pick it up again once I’ve finished rereading some Ursula K LeGuin