#publicgood — Public Fediverse posts

Chicago Reader: Chicago has abundant water. Data center developers want a taste. “Waterways in Chicago and northern Illinois have supported industrial activity for more than a century, and now those same bodies of water are drawing an influx of proposed data centers that would tap into the region’s plentiful resources. These proposals have drawn considerable scrutiny, with experts and […]

Trump, Paxton, The Founders, And America’s Long Excuse For Powerful Men

Stop assuming corruption defeats MAGA. America’s history shows powerful men, from slaveholding founders to corporate-backed authoritarianism, get a pass unless people organize for accountability.

A quotation from Bertrand Russell

All the governments of the world adopt elaborate methods of concealing truths which they consider undesirable, and inflict various forms of penalty upon those who spread knowledge which is thought bad for the population This applies especially to knowledge of the kind which is considered seditious, and the kind which is considered obscene. I shall not give instances, since, if I did, I should myself fall under the ban of the law.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Education and the Social Order [Education and the Modern World], ch. 1 “The Individual versus the Citizen” (1932)

More about this quote: wist.info/russell-bertrand/853…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bertrandrussell #censorship #control #freepress #freespeech #government #knowledge #obscenity #pornography #publicgood #sedition #suppression #treason #truth

NOAA’s SOLAR-1 Enters New Era Of Space Weather Monitoring
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https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaas-solar-1-enters-new-era-of-space-weather-monitoring <-- shared technical article
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https://www.spaceweather.gov/ <-- shared NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) home page
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https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/our-satellites/future-programs/swfo/space-weather-observations-l1-advance-readiness-solar-1 <-- shared SOLAR-1 overview and details page
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https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/our-environment/space-weather <-- shared overview of space weather and its risk, hazards & impacts
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[I was lucky enough to see the launch from the Kennedy Space Center of GOES-19/U, my first launch - and love reading about the ‘ongoing story’…]
#spaceweather #solar #monitoring #risk #hazard #impacts #humanimpacts #SOLAR1 #SOLAR-1 #SpaceWeatherPredictionCenter #NOAA #NESDIS #earlywarningsystem #monitoring #risk #hazard #mitigation #infrastructure #satellites #electric #powergrid #blackouts #brownouts #transformers #utilities #energy #aviation #nationalsecurity #defence #missileguidance #agriculture #farming #precisionagriculture #GPS #vanigation #transportation #spaceflight #LaGrange #L1 #protection #coronagraph #SWPC #NESDIS #opendata #publicgood #fedservice #fedscience
#NOAA

Watching A #NOAA #Webinar on Flash Droughts
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https://noaaresearch.webex.com/wbxmjs/joinservice/sites/noaaresearch/meeting/download/9b3e684d45ca47fc9469070eabd9a142?MTID=m2fa4a8af7bd8647fc48619af5eeecb5a <-- shared NOAA Summer Science Series individual webinar
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https://www.drought.gov/what-is-drought/flash-drought <-- shared NOAA overview technical article
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https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/NOAAScienceSeminars.php <-- subscribe to the NOAA Summer Science Series
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00618-0 <-- shared paper
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https://communities.springernature.com/posts/the-prevalent-life-cycle-of-agricultural-flash-droughts <-- shared technical article (derived from paper above)
H/T @Jeffrey Basara PhD, MBA | Chair and Professor - Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell | Co-Founder - American Prime Sustainable Solutions
[Flash floods? not TOO hard to conceptualise.
Flash drought? harder to 'get my head around', but H/T / presenter does an excellent job!]
"Not all droughts are the same. In some cases, drought rapidly intensifies at subseasonal to seasonal scales with significant impacts to agriculture and water resources along with the increased propensity for heatwaves and wildfires. Like all droughts, flash drought begins with a precipitation deficit. However, both evaporative demand and soil moisture are critical flash drought variables, and identifying and monitoring the desiccation of the terrestrial surface is key for determining flash drought development and associated impacts. While recent advances in knowledge and monitoring of flash drought have occurred, fundamental questions remain in the state of the science. What are the overall mechanistic relationships between atmospheric demand, evaporative stress, terrestrial desiccation, and precipitation that drive the progression of flash drought? Do regional characteristics of the environment impact the evolution of flash drought? What are the scales of predictability for flash drought? Finally, how will flash drought frequency and intensity evolve in a changing climate system"
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"Flash drought intensifies rapidly due to changes in precipitation, temperature, wind, and radiation. These changes in the weather increase evapotranspiration and lower soil moisture. Flash droughts can cause extensive damage to agriculture, economies, and ecosystems if they are not predicted and discovered early..."
#water #hydrology #fedscience #publicgood #hydrologicdrought #waterdeficit #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #watersecurity #risk #hazard #humanimpacts #streamflow #riverflow #groundwater #surfacewater #climate #weather #climatechange #extremeweather #atmosphere #metrology #regional #global #farming #agriculture #fluvial #pluvial #rainfall #precipitation #cloudcover #energy #heat #temperature #ET #evapotranspiration #farming #agriculture #foodsecurity #waterresources #dynamicsystems #watermanagement #flashdrought #drought #susceptibility #monitoring #prediction #model #modeling
@noaa

If Acts Happened Today, Would We Call It Communism?

https://polymathchristian.wordpress.com/2026/07/12/if-acts-happened-today-would-we-call-it-communism-4/

National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion Launches Interactive Map
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https://water.usgs.gov/nwaa-data/ <-- shared USGS resource link
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https://water.usgs.gov/nwaa-data/interactive-map/ <-- shared USGS webmap
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H/T @USGS NWDC
“The National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion (NWDC) delivers national-scale modeled water data underlying the National Water Availability Assessment Report. The NWDC will be continuously updated to include new data used in future National Water Availability Assessment Reports, with planned reports in 2026 and 2030.
The NWDC also serves information on underlying model methodologies, strengths, and limitations to enable proper use of the data…
USGS scientific teams develop NWDC models to analyze and represent the complexities of water systems. These models fill gaps where USGS observations are unavailable, covering the conterminous United States (lower 48 states) and soon extending to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
All NWDC datasets currently cover past conditions over multiple decades, and are standardized to 12-digit [WBD] hydrologic unit code (HUC12) watersheds and monthly timesteps…”
#opendata #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #fedscience #publicgood #water #hydrology #waterresources #watermanagement #change #model #modeling #USA #NationalWaterAvailabilityAssessment #NWDC #CONUS #USGS #USGS_water
@USGS

Influence Of Modeling Assumptions On Pedestrian Evacuation Success For Non-Eruptive Lahar Hazards At Mount Rainier, Washington
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2026.106132 <-- shared paper
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https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/697ba3e5b66b0197c3043d2f <-- shared, related open data source
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[I still remember working on and being fascinated by lahars being an engineering geologist in Washington State (and from my time studying in New Zealand), although (of course) not to this level of detail/focus]
#volcano #lahar #evacuation #exposure #model #modeling #engineeringeology #risk #hazard #naturalhazard #MountRainer #Washington #USA #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #emergencymanagement #GIS #spatial #mapping #publicsafety #hazardzone #vulcanism #downstream #debrisflow #massmovement #monitoring #detection #geostatistics #demographics #atrisk #fedscience #publicgood #fedservice #opendata
@USGS

All humanity should benefit from Helium-3, our new 'petroleum.' If, for example, SpaceX became the elite with the infrastructure, they should handle responsibility, accountability, and very high criticism, especially if SpaceX became the sole miner of the Moon because no others did.

#Helium3 #SpaceX #Moon #Energy #Accountability #Monopoly #Future #Science #Ethics #Policy #Sustainability #SpaceEconomy #Technology #Justice #Resources #Cosmos #Innovation #Society #Global #PublicGood #ClimateChange

USGS CoNED (TopoBathy) WebMap Viewer & (Open) Data Downloader
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https://topotools.cr.usgs.gov/topobathy_viewer/ <-- shared #USGS Viewer webmap & download selector
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https://www.usgs.gov/coastal-changes-and-impacts/coned <-- shared USGS CoNED overview/entry page
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[I used to shore dive in the Straits Of Juan de Fucca, Washington State side, and Crescent Lake - so I chose that area as a CoNED example to explore; good memories, including of the 18 Wheeler Burger with pie & coffee in Joyce, WA on drizzly days]
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #model #modeling #CoastalNationalElevationDatabase #CoNED #elevation #topography #bathymetry #topobathy #opendata #openscience #fedscience #publicgood #usecase #naturalworld #coastal #coast #depth #hydrospatial #hydrography #download #shoreline #inundation #sedimenttransport #sealevelrise #SLR #stormsurge #models #modeling #extremeweather #tsunami #impact #risk #hazard #assessment #climatechange #geomorphology #geomorphometry #Restoration, #redevelopment #protection #cliff #flood #flooding #webmap
@USGS

From Space To Field - Putting satellite insights into growers’ hands [OpenET]
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https://irrigationtoday.org/features/from-space-to-field/ <-- shared technical media article
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https://etdata.org/ <-- shared OpenET home page
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https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/openet-satellite-based-water-data-resource/ <-- shared NASA technical article
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https://youtu.be/Rbobf6aurLs?si=Q0kN9eiZH0gT8O5m <-- shared OpenET overview video
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#OpenET #openscience #opendata #publicgood #publicservice #nonprofit #fedscience #fedservice #evapotranspiration #ET #Landsat #OLI #OperationalLandImager #groundwater #water #hydrology #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #agriculture #USA #farming #waterresources #watermanagement #planning #watersecurity #satellite #remotesensing #earthobservation #model #modeling #irrigation #metrology #raster #cost #economics #efficiency #foodproduction #mobileapp #FARMS #view #download #usecase #reporting
#OpenET #USGS #USDA @NASA #USGS_EROS

A quotation from John Adams

Virtue and Simplicity of Manners, are indispensably necessary in a Republic, among all orders and Degrees of Men. But there is So much Rascallity, so much Venality and Corruption, so much Avarice and Ambition, such a Rage for Profit and Commerce among all Ranks and Degrees of Men even in America, that I sometimes doubt whether there is public Virtue enough to support a Republic.

John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
Letter (1776-01-08) to Mercy Otis Warren

More about this quote: wist.info/adams-john/12527/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnadams #ambition #America #avarice #class #corruption #democracy #dishonesty #greed #humancondition #humannature #manners #profit #publicgood #publicvirtue #rank #republic #selfishness #virtue

A quotation from John Adams

Every Man must seriously set himself to root out his Passions, Prejudices and Attachments, and to get the better of his private Interest. The only reputable Principle and Doctrine must be that all Things must give Way to the public.

John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
Letter (1776-04-16) to Mercy Otis Warren

More about this quote: wist.info/adams-john/81374/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnadams #commongood #commoninterest #community #democracy #mutuality #privateinterest #publicgood #publicservice #republic #selfcontrol #selfdenial #selfinterest #selfmastery #selfpolicing #selfrespect #selfsacrifice #society

A quotation from John Adams

Public Virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics. There must be a possitive Passion for the public good, the public Interest, Honour, Power, and Glory, established in the Minds of the People, or there can be no Republican Government, nor any real Liberty. And this public Passion must be Superiour to all private Passions. Men must be ready, they must pride themselves, and be happy to sacrifice their private Pleasures, Passions, and Interests, nay their private Friendships and dearest Connections, when they Stand in Competition with the Rights of society.

John Adams (1735-1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797-1801)
Letter (1776-04-16) to Mercy Otis Warren

More about this quote: wist.info/adams-john/28404/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnadams #citizen #citizenship #civicduty #civicvirtue #commongood #commonwealth #democracy #goodcitizen #politician #publicgood #publicvirtue #republic #virtue

Sentinel-2 Based Estimates Of Rangeland Fractional Cover And Canopy Gap Class For The Western United States
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06160-9 <-- shared paper
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https://rangelands.app/products/rap10m/ <-- shared 10 metre Range Analysis platform overview
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[aside & totally anecdotal - I have ridden on the road in that last picture - near Sheridan, WY]
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #fedscience #fedservice #feddata #opendata #usecase #publicgood #rangeland #ecosystems #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #US #USA #vegetation #satellite #remotesensing #earthobservation #Sentenial #Sentenial2 #canopy #fractionalcover #canopygap #landcover #landuse #grass #pinyon #juniper #opendata #raster #USWest #WesternStates #landsurface #tools #fielddata #model #modeling #BLM #USDA #statistics #geostatistics #RangelandAnalysisPlatform
@USDA @BLM

Open Source Software - The $9 Trillion Resource [That For-Profit] Companies Take for Granted
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https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/open-source-software-the-nine-trillion-resource-companies-take-for-granted <-- shared Harvard technical article
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https://youtu.be/YEBBPj7pIKo?si=Y-ysnzq10pv3KX5I <-- shared video of a Linux Foundation technical presentation
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https://blog.geomusings.com/2025/10/16/unless/ <-- shared @bill Dollins excellent technical musings on this
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https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=65230 <-- shared paper
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https://gdal.org/en/stable/software_using_gdal.html#proprietary-license-other <-- example of commercial software using GDAL
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https://evoknow.com/the-true-value-of-open-source-software-trillions-in-economic-impact/ <-- shared technical article
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[a broader scope than my usual posts, but fascinating and illuminating]
#value #cost #economics #trillions #advantage #programming #language #DigitalCommons #opensource #software #global #publicgood #industry #COTS #code #nocost #OSS #free #research #Harvard #HBS #investment #pricetag #resource #public #codecreation #networks #scope #businesses #usecase #support #technical #solutions #aluation #OpenSourceDistribution #ApplicationsAndSoftware
@HBR

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary: Indiana research explores how faith leaders navigate misinformation. “Religious leaders play a vital role in guiding Indiana communities, but how do they decide what information to trust in an era of rapid technological and social change? A new study funded by the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) sheds light on how clergy across […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/09/16/anabaptist-mennonite-biblical-seminary-indiana-research-explores-how-faith-leaders-navigate-misinformation/

Thirty Years Of The U.S. National Land Cover Database [NLCD] - Impacts And Future Direction
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https://doi.org/10.14358/PERS.25-00121R2 <-- shared paper
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https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/annual-national-land-cover-database <-- shared #USGS Annual National Land Cover Database (open data)
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https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/annual-national-land-cover-database <-- get the open NLCD data
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #history #continuity #improvement #LandCover #Landuse #change #Landsat #NLCD #NationalLandCoverDatabase #earthobservation #remotesensing #landchange #monitoring #fedscience #publicgood #fedopendata #opendata #history #fedservice #MRLCC #USA #download #impervious #surface #forestcanopy #mosaics #accuracy #deeplearning #AI #research #landmanagement #agriculture #water #hydrology #cropland #biodiversity #conservation #urban #planning #publichealth #naturalhazard #assesment #risk #hazard #mitigation #national #nation #multiple #usecase
#USGS | #EROS

A New Geodatabase Of Fuel Treatments Across Federal Lands In The USA
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05859-z <-- shared paper
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https://nft.garphub.org/ <-- National Fuels Treatments Initiative (NFT) page
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“The National Fuels Treatments Initiative (NFT) is a collaborative, scalable data collection effort which aims to build a standardized map of nationwide fuels treatment locations occurring across all land ownership types…”
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#NationalFuelsTreatmentsInitiative #NFT #datacollection #fedscience #fedservice #opendata #fire #fuel #fedopendata #wildfire #bushfire #risk #hazard #damage #infrastructure #GIS #spatial #map #mapping #economics #publicgood #landownership #federalland #mitigation #technical #database #naturalhazard #infrastructure #residential #transportation #accessibility #portal #online #coordination #teatment #WildfireInteragencyGeodatabase #TWIG #nation #nationwide #management #landuse #landcover #policy #research #spatialdata
@DOI @USFS @USGS

The Value of Open Source Software [Harvard]
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https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/24-038_51f8444f-502c-4139-8bf2-56eb4b65c58a.pdf <-- link to paper / study [PDF]
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#opensource #software #publicgood #economics #flexibility #responsiveness #cost #economics #marketshare #COTS #globalpublicgood #assessment #ecomomy #sharing #engagement #OSS #costbenefit ##supplyside #demandside #usercommunity #socialvalue #costs #programming #development #developers
@harvardhci

Why Geological Maps Are The Best Investment You’ve Never Heard Of - Investments In Geological Mapping Paid Off Big Time For Americans.
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https://www.zmescience.com/science/geology/why-geological-maps-are-the-best-investment-youve-never-heard-of/ <-- shared opinion piece
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https://profession.americangeosciences.org/reports/geological-mapping-economics/ <-- shared technical cost-benefit analysis
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https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/gsa/positions/position3.aspx <-- shared 2003 GSA appraisal
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[I am, of course, biased in this regard, but I also like well-presented metrics – and use cases being met are my favourite!]
#geology #value #cost #mapping #cartography #cartographic #USA #costbenefit #geologicmapping #metrics #usecase #fedscience #appliedscience #engineeringgeology #spatial #GIS #construction #resources #naturalresources #engineering #risk #hazard #naturaldisasters #payoff #investment #massmovement #groundwater #waterresources #water #hydrology #rareearth #minerals #mining #oilandgas #exploration #underground #money #economics #publicgood #publicvalue #investment