Ministry of good ideas

We recently received this email. If you are interested, or know relevant people, reply to the author directly: Dear Organic Maps Team, I am currently writing my master’s thesis at TU Berlin, building on previous laboratory and field studies conducted by our department on “spatial deskilling”—the potential decline in spatial orientation skills associated with the use of navigation systems. As a possible way of counteracting this effect, these studies examined landmark-based navigation instructions. Such instructions incorporate salient features of the environment, such as shops or churches, as visual points of reference and may thereby support the acquisition of spatial knowledge. My qualitative follow-up study now focuses on practical implementation: How could this approach be integrated into existing navigation products? What challenges, opportunities, and potential use cases do practitioners see? As these questions cannot be answered through previous research alone, I depend on the experience and insights of people working directly on navigation products and open-source navigation projects. I am therefore looking for professionals and experienced contributors with expertise in areas such as navigation and routing, map data, product development, user experience, or product strategy. Given Organic Maps’ work on OpenStreetMap-based offline navigation, routing, and turn-by-turn guidance, perspectives from your team and community would be particularly valuable to my research. Would it perhaps be possible to forward my request to relevant team members or contributors, or to recommend suitable contacts? I would be very grateful for any assistance in reaching people whose work relates to these areas. Participation involves completing a written questionnaire containing open-ended questions. It can be completed flexibly, at the participant’s own pace, and without scheduling an appointment. The questionnaire takes approximately 30–45 minutes and is available in either English or German - Previous experience with landmark-based navigation is not required. I would be happy to provide further information about the study, including the study information sheet and questionnaire. Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my request and for any support you may be able to offer! Best regards, Anna Vera Tamira Hansmair Master’s Student Division of Biopsychology and Neuroergonomics Technische Universität Berlin hansmair@campus.tu-berlin.de

⚠ https://ieji.de/@ministryofgoodideas.rss — I already did 179 attempts to fetch this feed and I failed every time. The last error was: HTTP 503 — the website looks temporary dead So I'm deleting it from your subscription /list.

⚠ https://ieji.de/@ministryofgoodideas.rss — I already did 179 attempts to fetch this feed and I failed every time. The last error was: HTTP 503 — the website looks temporary dead So I'm deleting it from your subscription /list.

Good idea: the anarchist medical book https://anarchistmedicalbook.com Born from the collective wisdom of hackers, scientists, and healers who believe that healthcare knowledge belongs to everyone—and that direct action gets the bread. This is our humble contribution to the DIY medicine movement. Take it so that we all might keep each other healthy and keep each other safe. #solarpunk, #anarchist, #thievesvinegar https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/117059303370624593 From Mastodon came also this https://riotmedicine.net/

Good idea: ban PFAS https://www.euronews.com/2026/07/24/major-victory-sweden-plans-to-ban-forever-chemicals-in-everyday-products-ahead-of-eu Sweden has announced plans to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in consumer products as early as 2028. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals that take thousands of years to degrade naturally, earning them the nickname ‘forever chemicals’. Chronic exposure to PFAS has been linked to adverse health impacts, including the promotion of certain cancers. #pfas, #sweden, #foreverchemicals https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/117030993901228410

Good idea: fog nets https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-fog-harvesting-help-solve-water-scarcity-in-chiles-atacama-desert/ Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world. Some areas only see rainfall a few times in a century, while others have never recorded rainfall at all. Local groups have found ways to harvest enough fog to supplement drinking water and bolster agricultural projects. But many challenges with the strategy still remain. Researchers want to harvest the fog more efficiently and at scale, one day convincing local officials to buy into it and expand. #waterharvesting, #fognet, #AtacamaDesert, #solarpunk https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116957383575156232

Good idea: call your local council if you have a question about anything related. They'll try their best to help you! Good Idea: Help your friends. 🫶 to our minister for sending us these submissions! If you have some as well, feel free to drop them in the SimpleX, XMPP or Telegram group: https://smp14.simplex.im/g#nydAFEIKtpP0xQJ3yCY_ZPyUMlxuUYf0P86eTYX5Xj0 xmpp:ministry-of-good-ideas@conference.conversations.im?join https://t.me/MOGImeta https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116895099466989321

Good idea: reactor that turns plastic into hydrogen https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/07/scientists-built-a-solar-reactor-that-eats-plastic-bottles-and-burps-out-clean-hydrogen-at-scale/ They have made a device that uses sunlight to break down plastic waste and turn it into hydrogen. And it’s not just a lab curiosity. The team made it using simple methods and materials, and have tested it outside in the sunlight. “Converting waste streams into valuable products using clean energy sources is…an attractive strategy to address both energy and environmental concerns,” Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-026-00406-y #solarreactor, #plastic, #hydrogen, #solarpunk https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116878111714317143

Good Idea: Dont make fun of people for not knowing things. If someone admits not knowing something, celebrate that they learned something new. Regardless of what it is, better late than never. This is also true for people that learn that they are racist, sexist, homophobic etc. Its always great if someone comes to an insight about their own ignorance.# https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116857344921659016

Good Idea: Measuring prosperity beyond GDP https://www.politico.eu/article/obsession-with-growth-is-destroying-nature-150-countries-warn/ More than 150 countries including China, India and EU members have signed off on a report by IPBES, the leading intergovernmental body for biodiversity assessment, concluding that GDP-focused growth is a primary driver of biodiversity loss. The numbers behind it: one eighth of all estimated 8 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction, and 75 percent of the Earth's land surface has already been significantly altered by human activity. The core argument is not anti-economy but pro-accuracy. Markets currently do not price what ecosystems actually provide -- pollination, climate regulation, water filtration -- so those services get consumed without appearing in any balance sheet until they collapse. The report calls out perverse business incentives, weak enforcement, and models built around ever-increasing material consumption as the structural causes. The US was not among the signatories and has announced its withdrawal from IPBES. The EU, despite signing, is simultaneously running a deregulatory agenda aimed at relaxing environmental standards to boost competitiveness. The full assessment is the result of three years of work and is the most broadly endorsed scientific statement on the link between economic models and nature loss to date. #Biodiversity #Degrowth #Economics #PolicyChange #NatureCrisis #Sustainability #SystemsChange https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116799078936510742

Good Idea: Heat Buildings with data centers https://news.infomaniak.com/en/infomaniak-inaugurates-a-revolutionary-data-center-that-recovers-100-of-its-energy-for-building-heating/ Data centers convert electricity into heat as a byproduct. Almost every facility in the world then gets rid of that heat by releasing it into the atmosphere. Infomaniak, a Swiss cloud provider, built a data center in Geneva that instead pipes 100% of that waste heat into the city's district heating network, warming around 6,000 homes per year and avoiding 3,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually that would otherwise come from burning gas. The technical setup: servers heat air to 40-45 degrees Celsius, an air/water exchanger transfers that to a water circuit, heat pumps raise the temperature enough to feed the district network, and the cooled water loops back to regulate server temperature -- no air conditioning needed. The whole system is built underground beneath a residential cooperative with no visible footprint above ground. The full documentation, including real-time performance monitoring and a replication guide for other operators, is published openly at d4project.org. Infomaniak is actively looking for more heating networks to connect future data centers to. The model already works at 25% capacity. At full capacity by 2028 it will run 10,000 servers across 1,800 square meters. #AI #Sustainability #datacenter #openHardware #futurism #EnergyTransition #CloudComputing #DistrictHeating #OpenSource #DigitalEcology https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116793190733773094

Good idea: universal antivenom against snake bites https://research.monash.edu/en/projects/development-of-a-universal-antivenom-using-proteomic-characterisa/ Snake envenomation has been identified as a neglected tropical disease responsible for a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. In this proposal, a new approach towards developing a highly effective antivenom is described with specific antigenic venom proteins precipitation as they bind with available specific monovalent or polyvalent antivenom. #snakebite, #malaysia, #Antivenom https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116770526020431687

Good idea: climate shelters for hot summers https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/10/spains-climate-shelters-could-save-thousands-of-lives-why-is-the-rest-of-europe-lagging-be Spain has developed one of the most advanced networks of climate shelters in the world, as extreme heat becomes the deadliest environmental hazard of our time. The nationwide network builds upon schemes already established by regional governments, including in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Murcia. In Barcelona, there are already 400 climate shelters available in public buildings such as libraries, museums, sports centres and shopping malls. #climatecrisis, #climateadaptation, #EU https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116719564970307174

Good idea: vertical gardens to cool down cities https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/25/vertical-gardens-are-a-practical-and-beautiful-way-to-cool-down-cities Since French botanist Patrick Blanc pioneered the concept in the 1980s, Europe has produced some striking examples. Milan’s Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential skyscrapers whose terraces hold more than 21,000 trees and shrubs, converts nearly 20,000 kilograms of carbon annually and now shelters 20 species of birds. As Europe’s capitals brace for yet another summer of blistering heatwaves, building on this legacy could be one of the most practical tools for protecting citizens. #verticalgardens, #urbangreening, #greencities https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116657281402970796

Good idea: open source navigation apps https://en.reset.org/off-the-grid-on-the-trail-eco-friendly-navigation-apps/ Typically, the most-used apps are sat-nav-based, free to start with, but eventually require a paid upgrade as the free version is very limited. Or, they’re free, but share sensitive location and movement data with unknown third parties. Neither option is ideal. But there are alternatives. Actually, there are many, and these navigation apps also have another important advantage. Even if the apps’ energy consumption cannot be tracked in detail, we can assume that open-source apps have a smaller carbon footprint as data, and therefore energy-intensive advertising and tracking, are eliminated. #offgrid, #opensource, #maps https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116651616609532617

Good idea: cradle 2 cradle fashion https://phys.org/news/2026-05-recyclable-protein-textiles-microplastic-pollution.html Engineers from Washington University in St. Louis may have a solution to waste from the textile industry: protein-based materials, which are produced in bioreactors (think giant brewing tanks) using genetically engineered microbes. These materials can be readily recycled after use and remade into the same fibers over multiple cycles. In addition, any microparticles, if released from these fibers during washing, would be biodegradable. "We engineered recyclable protein fibers that dissolve in a formic acid solution within seconds, yet remain stable in water and strong after drying," said Zhang. Study: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.73200 #cradletocradle, #fashion, #bioreactor https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116606318689733691

Good Idea: Think about whats next https://storytelling.greenpeace.org/story/2189/five-lessons-for-imagining-the-future/ Critique and dismantling are necessary but not sufficient. At some point movements need to switch from identifying what is wrong to actually picturing what comes next, and that turns out to be a skill most people have not practiced. Five practical principles from workshops run with 50+ activists and community leaders: 1. Imagine without self-imposed limits. Change that seemed impossible has happened within years, sometimes weeks. Do not pre-censor ideas by how realistic they feel. 2. Imagine with others. Collective visioning produces more resilient ideas than individual ones, and builds the relationships that make action possible. 3. Create psychologically safe spaces for new ideas. Incomplete and imperfect ideas need room to exist before they can be refined. Ridicule kills them early. 4. Practice regularly. Imagination is a muscle. Draw, write, say things out loud. The goal is consistency, not a perfect manifesto on the first try. 5. Act with intention. The future is not fixed. Speaking up about a different possibility is itself an act that gives others permission to do the same. Thanks to our friends @activacy #CollectiveAction #SystemsChange #Activism #Community #Imagination #Building #Futures #solarpunk https://ieji.de/@MinistryOfGoodIdeas/116532946515290602