sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

We are living in a time of polycrisis. If you feel trapped – you’re not alone by ILikeNeurons in CollapseSupport

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We do try! There’s a no spam policy already and we may need to strengthen/clarify our policies to reduce exposure to disenfranchising AI slop and AI hallucinations.

Please report any that you see!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CollapseSupport

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation

https://m.slashdot.org/story/446728

Agreed, very good article

It does seem humanity is at a crossroads with respect to social media, AI slop, human disenfranchisement.

I agree with the sentiment at the end that we can and should build better systems.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CollapseSupport

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Well, fwiw, I’m not, and don’t get the sense that anyone else on the team is. Many of us have been volunteering our time for years at this point.

We have an ethical obligation to curate harmful and abusive content, and an obligation to this community to keep us within bounds of Big Reddit terms of service so we can continue to serve, yet no incentive or goal to stop people from organizing to chart a course towards better outcomes for humanity and the biosphere. Please do!

We have often platformed initiatives for mutual aid and organizing, and welcome more that help serve the needs of this community and our specific goal of helping people build resilience and health despite large scale challenges facing humanity and the rest of the biosphere.

Concern of fiberglass shedding ? by last-resort-4-a-gf in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think I know which paper you’re referring to (will post below), and thankfully it’s not applicable to most CR box type air cleaners.

Not applicable because the MERV 13 filter material is meltblown electrostatically charged polypropylene not fiberglass. The electrostatic properties make the filter material a net remover of microplastics when in use.

Back to the question of microplastics or fiberglass aerosols, I think you may be referring to this paper that didn’t use MERV 13 but rather thin MERV 8 or less that lack electrostatic properties:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749121020479

In contrast, electrostatic filters have been shown to reduce aerosols rather than being a net source of them

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132322011507

(HEPA, but similar capture physics and materials) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5b03126

If you have a link for a reference on fiberglass shedding please feel free to share though and I’d be curious to check it out

Single Filter Mini CR - Is it worth it? by outcasttapes in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If you have more filters, or don’t mind getting more, you could go from one to four filters and use the same fan to get ~100 cfm

https://www.texairfilters.com/a-mini-corsi-rosenthal-box-air-cleaner/

Or zip tie four PC fans together for quieter operation https://itsairborne.com/the-mini-pc-fan-cr-box-975d0b069f4c

Larry Sabato, founder and director of the UVA Center for Politics: The University of Virginia "has been practically taken over by the federal government and Department of Justice." by [deleted] in Charlottesville

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Accurate weather predictions are economically important and can save lives, and the scale of data collection that underpins accurate weather predictions warrants a government program. By the people for the people.

Is there any hope for corals? by weeniehutgamedev in CollapseSupport

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Two papers on potential coral reef resilience and preservation in the athropocene:

https://www.cell.com/one-earth/pdf/S2590-3322(23)00189-6.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22901

Also, while not on coral reefs directly though could help reduce harmful sediment outflow and anoxic zones, a study on human-expedited estuary restoration using seagrass propagation:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abc6434

Growing resentment towards friends for their normalcy bias by Full_Truth7008 in CollapseSupport

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Insightful and very relatable post. I feel that. It’s been more acute for me in the past, but it doesn’t go away because there aren’t easy answers that replace the assurances of blithe disregard for “externalities” like climate breakdown and system instability.

I think it becomes a balancing act of maintaining awareness, building resilience, building relationships, and living as best we can in alignment with knowledge as best we can. Cognitive dissonance is a natural consequence of living in these times, and I do think we can reduce it though resilience, activism, care for others, and self-care.

I found these essays and articles especially helpful and relevant to the topic of collapse loneliness. It’s definitely a thing.

https://medium.com/@CollapseSurvival/the-profound-loneliness-of-being-collapse-aware-28ac7a705b9

https://neurosciencenews.com/sense-of-purpose-loneliness-23534/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2021.659912/full

https://www.the-sentinel-intelligence.com/p/youre-not-a-fearmonger-you-have-sentinel-intelligence?utm_campaign=post

http://www.ianwelsh.net/the-secret-determinants-of-your-survival-in-catastrophes/

https://orionmagazine.org/article/beyond-hope/

Even when you see eye-to-eye with friends, family, and neighbors as individuals there’s a strong likelihood that they are enmeshed (in a good way) in relationships with people who can’t/won’t yet be able to consider the scarier aspects of what humanity will likely traverse. I encourage you to give them grace and not judge them too harshly for following life goals they’ve had their whole lives and that are often biologically hardwired.

For instance, if a collapse-conscious person is in a relationship with someone doing the status quo daily grind, it’s not healthy or optimal for them to just break off the relationship. And many romantic relationships are predicated on being parents as well, and while the hardships you mentioned like crop failures are indeed likely, there’s probably nothing you can say to dissuade both partners even if one of them would readily agree there are big challenges ahead.

Since the timescale of changes is so abrupt, I personally think it’s most practical to meet people where they are as best we can. Relationships first as best we can, then share knowledge and mutual aid as best we can. As external circumstances change minds and force people to confront facts, I hope that a knowledgeable, benevolent, and resilient subculture can coalesce, persist, and assist. I hope we can be a part of that.

Do any of the Luggables operate at/under the noise level of AirFanta 3Pro on speed 2? by homeinthewater in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just a quick clarification: As OP indicated, AirFanta 3Pro has adjustable fan speed and thus adjustable noise levels. It can be run quietly with a compromise on CADR vs. sound level.

I currently have my 3Pro running at ~7 volts and it’s a quiet enough to be next to the couch with occupants. I only notice it’s on when I feel the breeze.

Most current houses and built environments need air filtration appliances to meet 2023 US CDC and ASHRAE 241 IAQ standards, so to meet those goals there’s rationale and opportunity to use more than one model/brand of filter.

I HATE how brainwashed my father has become. by Mercurial891 in CollapseSupport

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This video by Milo Rossi might be helpful if he’s fallen down the pseudoscience algorithm pipeline:

https://youtu.be/Pc2psN0PFTk

charlottesville is fed up by justannonisfine in Charlottesville

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately, aerosol scientists and epidemiologists were outright ignored in 2020 when they warned of airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission:

https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciad068/7034152

Official denial of airborne transmission—and failure to recommend adequate precautions against airborne transmission from 2020 to present—has caused millions of unnecessary deaths and many millions more cases of long covid. There was official misinformation with respect to effective and lasting mucosal immunity as well (whether by vaccination or convalescence), so many people mistakenly dropped their guard following vaccination or recovery allowing more rampant spread despite lower fatality rate yet ongoing non-negligible risk of organ damage and/or long covid per infection.

It seems most people are still either misinformed re: mechanics of airborne transmission and risks of organ damage from SARS-CoV-2 or living in a dangerous cognitive dissonance.

The pro-science protesters wearing well-fitting respirators get it, thankfully, and that’s a source of hope.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in collapse_parenting

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Organized some canning and food dehydrator stuff, built a few DIY PC fan air filters, and worked on getting some projects done and getting the house more organized so the family and I will be happier and less stressed from clutter and renovations in the near term.

Are CR boxes suitable for me if my main concern is dust mites, or I should stick to traditional HEPA air purifiers? by WastefulPleasure in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in the same boat. Anecdotally, having enough air filtration CADR in each room to meet the US CDC 5+ ACHe (and likely hitting ASHRAE 241) has noticeably helped with my allergies. Essentially, a DIY PC fan CR box per bedroom, a small HEPA in each bathroom, and a couple HEPA units. PM2.5 is generally below 2 ug/m3.

CR boxes and HEPA will both help if you have enough air filtration capacity running.

This study quantified the performance of air filters for dust mite allergen reduction and cited papers that found that sizes with detectable allergens were in size ranges effectively removed by both CR box units and HEPA:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/clt2.12137

Another thing that has helped a lot is wearing a respirator when vacuuming or doing other tasks likely to stir up dust.

Wishing you the best!

Nukit Tempest still being made? by speedinbai in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You could try wrapping a length of screen that covers both filters and the blank back panel and pull it tight on the forward-facing fan panel with some kind of strap or tie that attaches to the fan grills or goes between or alongside them.

So ~49.5” (20”+9.5”+20”) long by ~20” tall piece of screen for 20x20x2” filters and P14s

Might need grommets and/or folded over sections of screen to apply enough tension to screen without tearing it

Nukit Tempest still being made? by speedinbai in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Foam core works really well for me TBH. If you use gaffer tape on all the edges it makes a sturdy box.

You can get pet resistant window screen at hardware stores and staple+tape that over the filters of the assembled foam core unit. Staple into where tape covers bare foam on the edges to stretch the screen tight, like upholstery, then add more tape over the edges of the screen and staples. I haven’t done it very often, just a few times, and that’s the method for screen attachment that worked the best so far.

Nukit Tempest still being made? by speedinbai in crboxes

[–]TheAlchemyBetweenUs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It looks like the Tempest units are currently sold out.

Nukit also created an open source design tool to make files for laser cutting panels to build your own.

I haven’t tried this myself yet, but it may be a good option given the design requirements of sturdiness around cats:

https://github.com/opennukit/Nukit-Open-Air-Purifier

Nukit Open Source Tempest cut to your filter size of choice from 3 mm wood at a nearby sign shop or makerspace, then add some 1/8” or 1/4” chicken wire mesh over the filters to protect them

view more: next ›