The Download: weight-loss drugs, and the future of offshore wind

It’s a turbulent time for offshore wind power. Large groups of turbines installed along coastlines can harness the powerful, consistent winds that blow offshore, and can be a major boon to efforts to clean up the electricity supply around the world. 

But in recent months, projects around the world have been delayed or even canceled as costs have skyrocketed and supply chain disruptions have swelled. These setbacks could spell trouble for efforts to cut the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause climate change.

The question is whether current troubles are more like a speed bump or a sign that 2024 will see the industry run off the road. Here’s what’s next for offshore wind power.

—Casey Crownhart

The end of anonymity online in China

Anonymity online in China changed drastically last year. Following many smaller decisions that make posting anonymously more difficult, the biggest blow came in October when all social media platforms in China demanded that users with large followings display their legal names.

The government and the platforms argue that the new rule can help prevent online harassment and misinformation. But their argument conveniently neglects what anonymity—a right that has existed since the invention of the internet—has afforded people online. 

There’s no doubt that the introduction of the mandatory real-name rule will almost certainly lead to more strict and expansive restrictions for everyone. Perhaps the only glimmer of hope is that users all over China have not given up, and are still finding workarounds to stay anonymous. Read the full story.