Aaron Smith 🇺🇦

Mechanical Engineer, IAQ, building energy efficiency, transportation efficiency (cycling), food efficiency (vegetarianism) and craft beer he/him

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

Ten streams of evidence collectively support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted primarily by the airborne route. From the Lancet. https://t.co/bxlADCNGG7

[Joseph Allen @j_g_allen]

Allen acknowledged that this hantavirus outbreak is not likely to spark a pandemic because it’s less contagious than influenza, measles, and SARS-CoV-2. But, he added, “Public-health officials have to be more honest and more humble about how this virus actually spreads. An essential lesson from COVID is that officials should be candid about communicating that we are often learning in real time, and we should shy away from making bold pronouncements that may prove dangerously misleading weeks or months later.”

https://t.co/lY4A21jtJT

[Joseph Allen @j_g_allen]

Honestly, not trying to stir things up or be a contrarian or anything. I do forensic investigations of sick buildings frequently and I approached this w same curiosity - I’m trying to be objective about what’s known and not known, and wanting to understand how it’s spread (so we know how to protect people!) and after reading the parroting about “prolonged close contact”, I went and read the best outbreak investigation we have to date on h2h hantavirus spread and assumed I’d find supporting evidence. Instead I learned that nowhere in that NEJM does it show prolonged close contact is required. In fact, many examples of *the opposite*

It’s not esoteric or fear-mongering; it’s important we get this right:
-to keep people safe from this, including those who were on the ship, contacts and their families, and the treating medical teams
-don’t miss anyone w contact tracing (are we only looking for people w “prolonged close contact”??)
-learn as much as we can about Andes strain transmission (there’s very little published on outbreak dynamics)

[Give A Shit About Nature @giveashitnature]

France passed a law requiring solar panels on every parking lot with more than 80 spaces.

Parking lots over a certain size have three to five years to cover at least half their surface area with solar canopies or face fines.

The projected output: up to 11 gigawatts of capacity, the equivalent of 10 nuclear reactors.

The panels shade the cars. They can charge EVs directly underneath them. They generate electricity for the grid. The parking lot goes from dead infrastructure to power plant without using a single additional acre of land.

France plans to increase solar tenfold and double wind capacity by 2033.

The US has approximately 800 million parking spaces. Eight hundred million. Most of them are uncovered asphalt sitting in direct sunlight.

Why aren't we doing this?

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@JGoldberg12 87-75, 2nd

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

With the news this week that a new $500 levy is coming to #EV drivers in NS, it’s too bad that the societal benefits are not being recognized from reduced air pollution, etc. A study in Toronto found $10,000 in social benefits per EV. https://t.co/mTiXYCU2sO

#CleanAir #NSPoli

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

Thats less than 10,000 steps per week to have a meaningful reduction in many diseases.

[Joseph Allen @j_g_allen]

Incredible study. Also shows most of the gains happen at 5 MET hours per week. To help people understand what that actually means for them, I had Gemini convert this to hours per week. (doesn't take much, folks!)

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@PeepMySlashLine @CameronCrook9 @_bkuh_ Oh, you’re saying thy could have topped up their offer with that $60m? It sounds like Bo didn’t want to come back here. He wanted to play at a grass field. Maybe they knew he wasn’t coming back.

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@bnicholsonsmith I’ve heard of that before. $59m/yr deferred?

[World Health Network @TheWHN]

The holidays are meant for connection, not illness.

COVID, flu, RSV, and measles can spread easily during gatherings, often from people who don’t yet feel sick. COVID, in particular, remains airborne, persistent, and capable of causing long-term health impacts — even after mild or asymptomatic infections.

A safer holiday season doesn’t require perfection. It requires awareness, shared responsibility, and practical steps that reduce risk — like staying home when sick, improving indoor air, masking when needed, and testing around gatherings.

Care is not an overreaction.
It’s how we protect one another.

Read more about how to gather more safely this season:
https://t.co/9qff9rHAdR

#COVIDSafety #CleanAir #LongCOVID #PublicHealth #HolidayGatherings #WorldHealthNetwork

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@safe_breathe The pure black.

[Breathe Safe Air @safe_breathe]

🎉Free CO2 Monitor Giveaway🎉

Just in time for Christmas, I will be giving away one free AIRVALENT CO2 monitor.

This is one of my favourite monitors, and I am looking forward to giving one away to a lucky winner!

To enter the giveaway, just repost this post and let me know in the comments which design you would like to win (there are a lot of options - check their website to see them all!).

Thank you to @AIRVALENT_com for providing the monitor for this giveaway. Entries will be closed on December 24th at midnight (GMT +8). The winner will be contacted via messages on X. Giveaway is open to all, and the winner will be randomly selected.

[World Health Network @TheWHN]

COVID, flu, and RSV spread most easily this time of year, especially when we’re gathering indoors. Simple steps like improving indoor air quality, wearing a high-quality mask when needed, testing before gatherings, and staying home when sick can meaningfully reduce risk without taking away from joy or togetherness.

No single action does it all. But layering protections makes gatherings safer and more inclusive.

Protecting each other isn’t about giving up celebrations. It’s about making sure more people can enjoy them, both during the holidays and after.

Read more about simple, practical ways to gather more safely this season:

👉 https://t.co/rTrgLtygFk

#COVID #COVID19 #Flu #RSV #PublicHealth #InfectionPrevention

[Bruce MacKinnon @CH_Cartoon]

Bruce MacKinnon: Lady Liberty gives as good as she gets https://t.co/6wjLCD6L4w
#Trump #Epstein #SexualPredator #Piggy #CatherineLucey #Bloomberg #Journalism

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@klehtun @SNstats This must be since ‘93 as he was hitting .382 on Sept 1.

[Dominik Hasek @hasek_dominik]

Today I was asked by a Russian journalist (Zarina) from RIA News Sport whether I would participate (if invited) in the match between former @NHL and Russian KHL stars, as Trump and Putin reportedly recently agreed. This is my answer 🧵

[Michael Thomas @curious_founder]

This chart has been making the rounds on social media. It suggests that renewables increase electricity prices.

But it's misleading and pretty typical of the author, whose nonprofit has received ~$1m from ExxonMobil.

Here's what's wrong with it 🧵

[Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx @CraigBaird]

The Raccoons is one of the most beloved shows in Canadian history. From the specials that aired in the early-1980s, to the show that ran from 1985 to 1992, to the theme song itself, it is a shot of nostalgia for Canadians.
This is the story of that show.

🧵 1/14

[NowThis Impact @nowthisimpact]

This iconic Ben Stein scene might be almost 40 years old, but it feels like essential viewing now that Trump is tariffing the world.

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@RobWong34 Tough to make it through that round robin

[Aaron Smith 🇺🇦 @aaronrobsmith]

@oliverdueck Or other alternatives like Carshare, bike share, walkable town, scooter share, etc.