Stories and posts: Climate change solutions

16th January 202116th January 2021

Solutions to climate change: How to avoid a ‘ghastly future’ for humanity

Scientists sound the alarm (again!) in a new report in Frontiers in Conservation Science

Solutions to climate change must be devised and implemented fast, if we’re to have any hope of a decent future for our species and our planet. A team of 17 scientists has published a sobering report, titled Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future. It states that ‘future environmental conditions will be far more dangerous than currently believed. The scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeforms—including humanity—is in fact so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts,’ and wonders if any of our existing political or economic systems are capable of dealing with the disasters that lie ahead. The report also calls on scientists to speak out ‘candidly and accurately’ when engaging with government, business and the public.

The good news is, we have a plan…

11th January 202111th January 2021

Will you help our hemp leaf emoji campaign?

Hemp is a wonder plant, so let’s recognise that with an emoji

Hemp is a hot plant in 2021, and its popularity is growing. Hemp is truly a wonder plant, capable of saving the world from climate disaster. An acre of hemp can absorb 9 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere in just one season. And the products made from hemp, such as fuels and plastics, can displace oil from our lives altogether. Hemp can also be used to make nutritious foods, sustainable fabrics, even hempcrete for housing construction.

We want a hemp leaf emoji to be part of the emoji alphabet

The emoji alphabet has become a new language, a new way to communicate. A picture can replace many words, and we can invent new meanings for pictures. Emojis are easy, and they’re fun. So, as emojis become an ever more important language, we want hemp to be part of the conversation. Hemp is a key part of the future for a sustainable world, one with nature at its heart. Unicode, the organisation that decides on emojis, is not accepting new emoji submissions until 02 April 2021. We aim to send our submission for a hemp leaf emoji on that date. Are you ready to help?

10th January 202110th January 2021

The heat is on! 2020 was the joint hottest year ever!

As if we didn’t need any more reminding, the world is getting hotter

2020 joins 2016 as the joint hottest year on Earth on record. With alarming heatwaves, forest fires and a record 29 tropical storms in the Atlantic, the average global temperature was 1.25C above the pre-industrial temperature (1850-1900). We are inching ever-closer to the 1.5C temperature rise that will bring significant climate emergencies, and the 2C rise that will spell almost certain disaster.

brad-pitt-global-warming-warning-2020-hottest-year — Will you listen to Brad Pitt, at least?

1st January 20216th January 2021

Lockdown Dreams – free flash fiction ebook for you

Bestselling author, Gary J Byrnes, started this crazy Readathriller hemp offset project. But he keeps writing fiction on the side, mainly late at night, as we all pass through this feverish pandemic. Inspired by lockdown, these ten dreamy, super-short tales can be enjoyed on any digital reading device, and can be downloaded right now, for free, from Smashwords. You can also download this ebook for free from Apple Books here.

If you like the stories, please rate and share. Have a great day now!

You can get LOCKDOWN DREAMS in any ebook format from Smashwords, including Mobi for Kindle. You can also read it online, instantly.

Enjoy on any Apple device in seconds.

13th December 202013th December 2020

Solutions to climate change – 3 reasons to be cheerful

ian-dury-reasons-to-be-cheerful-solutions-to-climate-change

Paris Climate Agreement, 5 years on

Solutions to climate change seemed impossible not too long ago. And, 5 years on from the Paris Climate Agreement, it’s easy to feel pessimistic. But we are always ‘glass full’ people here (water + air), so here are 3 reasons to feel cheerful about the climate, with a grateful nod to Mr Ian Dury.

1st December 20208th December 2020

Will the US and UN deschedule cannabis? Top 5 reasons why they did

420-United-Nations-legalize-cannabis-hemp

UPDATE, 04 Dec 20: Both said yes!

At a meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), to be held in Vienna, 2-4 December 2020, the UN will vote on a WHO (World Health Organisation) recommendation to remove cannabis from its list of illegal narcotics. While largely symbolic, such a move would make it easier for nations everywhere to decriminalise and legalise cannabis, especially for medical use.

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives will vote this week on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. The legalisation bill seeks to end cannabis prohibition by removing the plant from the list of federally-controlled substances. It will also expunge (delete from legal records) prior cannabis convictions, and establish a tax on sales to fund reinvestments into the communities most negatively affected by the failed war on drugs.

Here are our top 5 reasons why the US and the UN need to act now, and act decisively in favour of descheduling cannabis…

26th November 20204th December 2020

202020! How to save with 20% discounts and save the planet

Take a 20% discount off everything in our store

20% off everything in our store until 11:30 pm, December 31 2020, when you need to stop shopping for fabulous items and get some Champagne. So you can now get super gifts for yourself, or share the love, with 202020 awesomeness. Every sale means hemp planted, so you’re also helping to save the planet. Discount applied at checkout, on orders of €10 and over, just contact us if you need any help.

15th November 202027th November 2020

Three reasons to believe in a better world: US election, vaccine, puppies Sadie and Archie

6th November 20207th November 2020

Be the hero. Do one thing, share this now

30th October 20205th December 2020

David Attenborough has a must-watch film on Netflix, A Life on Our Planet

David Attenborough and his emotional call to action

David Attenborough has got to be one of the most-loved people in the world, and he’s part of the fabric of our lives. So his new Netflix film, A Life on Our Planet, comes at just the right time. Just when we think we’re finished, Attenborough delivers the good news that it’s not too late if we act now. He has a vision. And it’s not that complicated. We must halt the growth in the world’s population. We must intensify efforts to create no-fishing zones. We must change our meat-eating obsession. For it’s no longer ‘just’ about saving the planet, it’s about saving humanity.

26th October 202027th November 2020

Who’s next to legalize cannabis? Are you ready to stand up?

Americans don’t just choose a new President on November 3, 2020, they also vote to legalize cannabis

Will 5 more US states legalize cannabis soon? Currently, 33 US states have legalized medical cannabis and 11 states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. On the November ballot, 5 states will put cannabis legalization to the vote. Arizona, New Jersey and Montana will have recreational cannabis use up for legalization. South Dakota will have both medical and recreational use on the ballot, while Mississippi puts legalization of medical cannabis use to the people. These votes could push America to the tipping point, where federal legalization becomes unstoppable, ending the current potential for conflict between state and federal law.

UPDATE, 27 Nov 2020: All cannabis liberalization measures passed in the Nov 2020 US Election, in Arizona, New Jersey, Montana, South Dakota and Mississippi. Meanwhile, Oregon decriminalized all drugs, the first part of the US to do so.

20th October 202022nd October 2020

Why do we change clocks, are daylight savings for environmental benefits?

changing-clocks-daylight-savings-world-war-one

Changing clocks, daylight savings, Franz Ferdinand

We’re so used to changing the clocks for daylight savings every spring and fall. But why do we do it? Enjoying these October evenings? As summer slowly dies (northern hemisphere), those endless evenings have been gradually ebbing away, and our bodies and brains adjusting to the new normal of dark and cold. Then. Bang. The clocks ‘fall back’ an hour, late on Saturday night. The fantasy of ‘an extra hour in bed’ is instead the shock of earlier darkness where once was light. The reason why the clocks change is lost in the bullshit of World War One, when the ‘glorious dead’ piled up pointlessly in filthy trenches, in defence of stupid treaties and something to do with the Austro-Hungarian empire (like, what even was that and who the hell was Franz Ferdinand, besides a Glaswegian band from the 2000s?). Allegedly, changing the clocks for winter gave the peasants an extra hour of hellish toil in the mornings, or it saved on candles, or something. The Germans brought it in, just before the British, in 1916. Take me out, kaiser!

19th October 202019th October 2020

Vampire kiss for you: shocking, free short film, soundtrack, ebook

Vampire-Kiss-Story-Bram-Stoker-set-Tara-Fahey

I had the idea for Vampire Story a couple of years back, to tie Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, in with modern vampires living in Stoker’s hometown of Dublin. I didn’t realise how big the project would become. Making a film, even a short one, is a piece of work. Dozens of talented people, location permits, equipment hire, the weather, the script – all these have to come together at the right time for magic to even stand a chance of happening. But the magic did happen and we have a vampire’s kiss available now for all the world to see, for free.

14th October 20208th November 2020

Why the world needs America to fire Trump

Fire Trump: The US Presidential Election 2020 poses an existential threat to the planet

A worsening climate crisis is one of the more visible legacies of Trump’s failures. If the US electorate doesn’t fire Trump, we are literally going to hell in a handbasket, brimming with anxiety and despair. We encourage all Americans to use their vote on or before Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Here are our top 5 reasons to fire President Trump…

2nd October 20202nd October 2020

Will you help fix the world, and do us a favour, by taking our surveys?

We need you to do us a favor, and help fix the world

We believe in surveys, as they are a valuable tool to learn about how we can get people to work together to help fix the world. Your opinion really matters to us. Your opinion can make a difference.

27th September 202025th October 2020

Awesome Covid-19 t-shirt design for women, for men

2020 is unforgettable, so grab this souvenir Covid-19 t-shirt

covid-19-sucks-balls-t-shirt-coronavirus — This t-shirt is exclusive to Readathriller.com.

Great for yourself, or for someone you love, this exclusive design Covid-19 t-shirt is available only to Readathriller readers. A unique memento of an unforgettable year, grab yours now so you can help to influence a positive outcome to 2020. Available in black or white.

Text reads:
COVID-19 SUCKS BALLS*
SO WEAR A MASK

VOTE TRUMP OUT

LEGALIZE WEED WORLDWIDE

BE KINDER

SUPPORT SCIENCE

EMBRACE EQUALITY

BUILD UTOPIA

BE THE HERO

WASH REGULARLY

RUB A FURRY ANIMAL
*The coronavirus is teensy balls of genetic material and when we suck in air, we are sucking balls of virus. So wear a mask if you don’t want to suck balls. Designed by primates. Copyright 2020 Readathriller.com – Hemp offsets CO2

This product is print-on-demand

Our Covid-19 t-shirt is printed when you order it. This is called print-on-demand and is much more sustainable than printing loads of something, only to throw most in the bin. Gary J Byrnes thrillers in paperback are available print-on-demand also. All Gary’s digital bestsellers are FREE until we get the vaccine, more here.

View all our products…

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While you’re here…

Remember to buy some extra t-shirts as fabulous Christmas gifts!

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21st September 202022nd September 2020

How to do us a BIG favor: Take our 60-second shopping survey now

Do us a favor by taking our short shopping survey

We need to work together with you, and our partners all over the world, to build the next-generation, sustainable living ecommerce experience. The first step is understanding what we all want and need, and what will make it easier for us to stop climate change. Taking our 60-second survey about online shopping shows that you care. And you’re helping to shape a better future for us all. So, thank you!

Take our survey now…

20th September 202022nd October 2020

Sustainable gift card, share the love with this unique gift

Give the gift that never stops giving, a gift card for sustainable living products and exclusive branded items from our store

Shopping for someone else but not sure what to give them? Give them the gift of choice with a Readathriller gift card, for €10, €25, €50 or €100, so they can buy what they like from our sustainable living store. Every purchase made by the lucky recipient means hemp planted, and we’re a step closer to stopping climate change.

13th September 20201st December 2020

How to build Utopia: Goodbye nostalgia, hello future!

Nationalism and nostalgia are evolutionary dead ends

One positive from the pandemic struck me today. We’ve changed. We are focused on the future, the promise of a vaccine, the chance to enjoy and appreciate the things we took for granted just months ago. Think back, think about Trump and his MAGA desire to return to the 1950s. Think Brexit and the Conservatives’ fantasy of a return to the 1930s. Think about all the deluded nationalists around the world. They all want to take us backwards, to some imagined older, ‘better’ time. These are all bankrupt ideologies. But there is a better way…

26th August 202019th January 2021

Use these awesome CBD discount codes fast and save big$! New codes…

Our trusted CBD supplier, Joy Organics in the US, has some awesome discounts for you

CBD discounts to save you money! We share discounts only from our trusted affiliate partners, so every time you buy CBD after clicking this link, we get a small commission which allows us to plant hemp and stop climate change. It’s easy, a true win-win! Please share these CBD discount codes with your friends. Thank you!

19th August 202027th August 2020

How to start saving the world with one bamboo toothbrush

Time to switch to bamboo toothbrushes

Bamboo toothbrushes are awesome. They feel much more pleasant and natural in your mouth, they help sustain jobs in many interesting places, you can easily write your name on them, and they biodegrade completely after use! From the UN Global Goals: Did you know that 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the US alone? That’s enough to stretch around the Earth 4 times! 🤯

Plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills and in our oceans, and are consumed by wildlife and fish who mistake them for food. It’s time to say no thanks to plastic toothbrushes and yes please to more sustainable and eco-friendly ones, like our bestselling bamboo toothbrush. 🐟 🐬 🐠