Glass Wings Blog

The Glass Wings mailing list and blog is for general idle chit-chat about things we find interesting, especially humor, animation or other subjects relevant to the Glass Wings web site at glasswings.com.au. Subscribe at https://glasswings.com.au/subscribe.html

Whales Are Recovering From Whaling. Can They Survive Climate Change?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:45:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://freedium-mirror.cfd/https://medium.com/the-new-climate/whales-are-recovering-from-whaling-can-they-survive-climate-change-31b734296803>

"When one of my best friends called to invite me on a girls' trip to Alaska in
late July, I answered before she could finish the sentence. One of my childhood
dreams was finally coming true.

South Australians have truth in political advertising laws. Why doesn’t everyone else?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:44:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/south-australians-have-truth-in-political-advertising-laws-why-doesnt-everyone-else-278194>

"With South Australia in its final week of campaigning ahead of the state
election, you may have noticed while there’s been a few scandals around
mistaken identity of hospital patients and controversial candidates’ opinions,

“It can be done:” Australia’s biggest strata fitout proves EV charging in apartments is possible

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:43:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://thedriven.io/2026/03/18/it-can-be-done-australias-biggest-strata-fit-out-proves-ev-charging-in-apartments-is-possible/>

"A Melbourne apartment complex has just been kitted out with 251 electric
vehicle (EV) charging points – and it has not yet caught fire.

Iran oil crisis: why NZ’s car dependence is now a strategic liability

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:39:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/iran-oil-crisis-why-nzs-car-dependence-is-now-a-strategic-liability-278526>

"The war in Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sent
oil prices past US$100 a barrel – and Kiwis flocking to fill up. Petrol just
hit NZ$3 a litre and some stations have reported running dry.

This year's Game Developers Conference was unlike any other

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:37:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.polygon.com/gdc-2026-game-developers-conference-what-is-it-like-ai-talks/>

"Growing up in the aughts in San Francisco, I always had the distinct sense
that the party was over. Whatever flame burned in defiance of the AIDS crisis
was marked on Google Maps as a popular tourist destination. Gentrification had

‘Trump is aiming for dictatorship’. That’s the verdict of the world’s most credible democracy watchdog

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:33:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/trump-is-aiming-for-dictatorship-thats-the-verdict-of-the-worlds-most-credible-democracy-watchdog>

"The US is no longer a democracy. One of the most credible global sources on
the health of democratic nations now says this outright. The Varieties of
Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at Gothenburg University reaches the alarming

Paul Ehrlich, often called alarmist for dire warnings about human harms to the Earth, believed scientists had a responsibility to speak out

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:24:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/paul-ehrlich-often-called-alarmist-for-dire-warnings-about-human-harms-to-the-earth-believed-scientists-had-a-responsibility-to-speak-out-178492>

"Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich, who died March 13, 2026, in Palo
Alto, California, was a scientific crusader whose dire predictions about
population growth, world hunger and environmental collapse made headlines and

America’s Diminished Place In The World And The Consequences Of Not Impeaching

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:23:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/16/americas-diminished-place-in-the-world-and-the-consequences-of-not-impeaching/>

"It has long been clear: Trump needs to be removed from office before he can
inflict even more damage than he already has. But he doesn’t just need to be
stopped; for America to have a future he also needs to be repudiated.

From the strait of Hormuz to Malacca, global trade relies almost entirely on these five narrow waterways

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:22:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/from-the-strait-of-hormuz-to-malacca-global-trade-relies-almost-entirely-on-these-five-narrow-waterways-278329>

"The conflict in Iran has disrupted energy and commodity markets. Iran has
effectively closed the narrow strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit point,
attacking more than a dozen ships over the past two weeks that have tried to

Australia needs to kick its diesel habit – and a timetable to electrify machines that run on imported oil

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:20:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-needs-to-kick-its-diesel-habit-and-a-timetable-to-electrify-machines-that-run-on-imported-oil/>

"The Australian economy still runs on imported oil.

Despite being one of the world’s largest exporters of energy, Australia imports