The scenario is a bit misleading. We didn't arrive at everything being wrapped in single-use plastic overnight so we cannot switch the other way that quickly either.

Perishable or hygienic reasons must allow for continued use for some products. But there are plenty of things that don't fall under that umbrella where waxed paper or single-use bamboo could make sense. You have correctly identified cost as an issue. The reason why everything is still wrapped in plastic like a corpse in Twin Peaks is it's cheaper. Plastic packaging is also more resistant to damage on the way to the consumer. So the calculations need to change. We need to raise the cost on plastic and lower it on other more quickly biodegradable items. That's a political decision, one that would be heavily lobbied against by the big boys in packaging. Yet another reason why overnight simply won't work.

The question about resources also hinges on the time frame. If the switch had to occur today, the answer is probably no. There aren't enough paper mills and bamboo nurseries in the world to meet demand. But there weren't a gazillion plastic factories from the start, they grew over time in numbers. One should also not forget that paper mills aren't without environmental impact. And neither would bamboo toothbrushes be. Also if we increase the amount of arable land to grow bamboo, are we decreasing land for food or animal feed? What are the effects of growing bamboo on the land without fellow periods? What fertilizer would be used? What toxic insect killer chemicals would need to be in use to guarantee sustainable levels of production? It's not like one option is the perfect solution to fix the problems with the other option.

A holistic aporoach would also have to include us consumers changing our behavior. That's definitely not happening overnight.

Thanks for the explanation.

You say data, and I say data. Let's call the whole thing off.

We should all be using the name less. And I don't mean Jesus, I mean the other one. Because as far as I know Christ wasn't a raging, unapologetic pedophile.

Weather is expressed in different ways in different languages. The fact that English, like many other European languages, uses a mysterious "it" as a subject to say what's going on is actually the outlier. More languages use a formula more like "rain falls, snow falls, sun shines, etc."

So you tell him the "it" stands for "the weather" although that isn't true. You could more truthfully say it's a convention and English sentences need a subject. And then you add that "is raining" also transports the idea that it is in the process of happening right now. Don't question it, accept it.

Learn a bit of Russian. That language is full of colorful images, irregularities, and inexplicable grammar. More so than English, probably. So you can put him in his place when he complains. Like, dude, y'all don't even know what blue is!

None whatsoever.

In my opinion, you could clean up the design, make it a bit less like a human sketched it. I think the rays of the sun would look better with a white outline as well. These are just stylistic choices that I would make and you're free to ignore.

What I would definitely like to ask you to reconsider is the name of this fictional place. "Oriental" has picked up a few negative connotations in English, crossing into racist abuse on occasion. I'm sure you don't want that attached to your nice design.

I am afraid you are "fucked" if you think AJ is an example of independent media and that YT numbers are enough proof for media suppression. Most people on this planet do not watch YT. And the ones who do tend to be influenced by their algorithms that continuously change. That makes YT numbers as slippery as an eel in a lubricant factory. By which I mean unreliable to start a conspiracy theory about a poor, cash strapped, impeccably impartial artisan media outlet from Qatar. Slash s.

Some of the technical info flew right over my head in the first article. What I took from the piece is that he has valid points so far as I can see and understand it. I would say nevertheless the author was a bit biased as well. And it's 3 years old. It may still be accurate, IDK.

I use F-Droid and have been for a while and I'm not aware of any issues this could've caused me. But I'm also not using it for essential systems. Not for browsers, VPN, etc. I have downloaded games, a couple of notes apps, that sort of thing. I would never recommend you get all your apps from there. It's an addition to Google or your usual poison.

Security experts will never be happy; that's their job. The author is also talking about your threat model. Are you okay with certain risks? The truth is also that somebody could screw you over on Google Play. It may be less likely comparatively but not impossible. So you try to jump from rock to rock hoping no alligator catches you. So far no alligator got me.

I think this USSR quote is a good answer:

We know that they are lying, they know that they are lying, they even know that we know they are lying, we also know that they know we know they are lying too, they of course know that we certainly know they know we know they are lying too as well, but they are still lying. In our country, the lie has become not just moral category, but the pillar industry of this country.

(Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)

In any authoritarian system where indoctrination starts young you'll probably have a fifth of the population that's high on the coolaid or never questioned anything due to ideology or intelligence (or both). The rest know they're lying, etc. And keep their mouths shut because they don't want to go to Siberia or El Salvador.

One of them doesn't listen at all. He's also dead so I'm willing to overlook his blatant lack of enthusiasm.

If you want to know where it is going in the short-term, have a look at Orban's Hungary. Rightwing populist voted in and then got to work at dismantling the state. Control judges appointments, curb the power of the judicial branch, silence critical media, pick a group to scapegoat, buddy of Putin. The list goes on. Democracy only works if people defend it and from my outside POV there aren't enough people doing that just yet. It's worse in Trump 2.0 because this time he came prepared.

There are already horror stories about people being caught up wrongly in the deportation efforts. That's using very mild language for very traumatic events here. It's come to a point where erstwhile allies of the US are advising their citizens not to travel to the US. Because they have lost faith in the rule of law there. Take a minute to let that sink in.

If you're a US citizen, resist. The free state is under threat. If you're an immigrant, be careful.