Friday 29 August 2014

Friday 11 July 2014

The best of capitalism is over...

The best of capitalism is over for rich countries – and for the poor ones it will be over by 2060
Populations with access to technology and a sense of their human rights will not accept inequality

Paul Mason: The Guardian, Tuesday 8 July 2014 05.00 AEST: Read the article here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/07/capitalism-rich-poor-2060-populations-technology-human-rights-inequality

Thought-provoking and worrying...

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Occupy was right: capitalism has failed the world

Andrew Hussey, The Observer, Sunday 13 April 2014: One of the slogans of the 2011 Occupy protests was 'capitalism isn't working'. Now, in an epic, groundbreaking new book, French economist Thomas Piketty explains why they're right.

Read this thought-provoking article here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/13/occupy-right-capitalism-failed-world-french-economist-thomas-piketty

A Climate of TRUST -- from Our Children's Trust

In May 2011, a hatch of unprecedented legal actions took place across the United States - youth from around the country were taking their governments to court for failure to protect their atmosphere for future generations. The basis of their legal actions was the Public Trust Doctrine. "A Climate of TRUST" is a story about the scientists who developed the scientific prescriptions needed for a climate recovery plan, the attorney who figured out how to apply the Public Trust Doctrine to the atmosphere, and one of the attorneys who is supporting these youth in court.
In order to preserve and restore our atmosphere, we need to return atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to 350 ppm, and in order to do that, we need massive reforestation and climate recovery plans. We need it NOW!

From Jim Hansen's e-mail mailing list 14 April 2014:

Young people will seek intergenerational justice in historic case in Washington DC on May 2. See Jim Hansen's discussion here or on his web page. Encourage young people to show their support for intergenerational equity by showing up at the Court. They can see U.S. democracy in action, and they can remind the judges of the urgency of taking action.

Update from Jim Hansen's e-mail mailing list 29 April 2004: http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2014/20140429_DayInCourtPartII.pdf

Monday 31 March 2014

Dear Friends,

I just signed the campaign: For a Fossil Free ANU and University of Melbourne

It would mean the world to me if you could also add your name to this fossil fuel divestment campaign. The divestment movement is catching on like wildfire, and with good reason: If it is wrong to wreck the climate, then it is wrong to profit from that wreckage. We believe that educational and religious institutions, city and state governments, and other institutions that serve the public good should divest from fossil fuels.

Every name that is added builds momentum around the divestment effort and makes it more likely for us to win. Will you join me by taking action on this campaign?

http://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/for-a-fossil-free-anu

http://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/divest-the-university-of-melbourne-from-fossil-fuels

After you've signed the petition please also take a moment to share it with others. It's super easy – all you need to do is forward this email.

Thank you!

Johannes

Tuesday 18 March 2014

China's coal emissions responsible for 'quarter of a million premature deaths': Hundreds of thousands of children still at risk from dangerous levels of air pollution as poisonous smog fills cities, study says; Jennifer Duggan theguardian.com, Thursday 12 December 2013 14.00 AEST:

Verbatim excerpt: "Emissions from coal plants in China were responsible for a quarter of a million premature deaths in 2011 and are damaging the health of hundreds of thousands of Chinese children, according to a new study."

Article available: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/12/china-coal-emissions-smog-deaths

Saturday 15 March 2014

WALMART'S FOOD DRIVE - Tell Walmart: Decent Pay, Not Hand Outs

See also: http://youtu.be/caV-m1wq6Vc

The Waltons on the Forbes List of Billionnaires: http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#tab:overall

See also: Is Walmart good for America? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/view/

Nasa-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'?

Natural and social scientists develop new model of how 'perfect storm' of crises could unravel global system

Nafeez Ahmed; Saturday 15 March 2014 05.28 EST -- A new study sponsored by Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center has highlighted the prospect that global industrial civilisation could collapse in coming decades due to unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution.

Read article: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/mar/14/nasa-civilisation-irreversible-collapse-study-scientists

See also Tom Bawden, Tuesday 18 March 2014: Official prophecy of doom: Global warming will cause widespread conflict, displace millions of people and devastate the global economy -- Leaked draft report from UN panel seen by The Independent is most comprehensive investigation into impact of climate change ever undertaken - and it's not good news.

Article available: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/official-prophecy-of-doom-global-warming-will-cause-widespread-conflict-displace-millions-of-people-and-devastate-the-global-economy-9198171.html

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Revealed: How climate change ended world’s first great civilisations

Photo: A city settlement at the Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan

David Keys, Archaeology Correspondent, Monday 03 March 2014; Photo/subheading quoted verbatim from (attribution)

"'Megacities' of the Indus Valley region of Pakistan and north-west India declined and never recovered because of a dramatic increase in drought conditions, according to new research"

Article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/revealed-how-climate-change-ended-worlds-first-great-civilisations-9164248.html

See also: 'Le changement climatique aurait conduit a l'effondrement de la civilisation Harappeene', Les Decouvertes Archeologiques, 28.6.12: http://decouvertes-archeologiques.blogspot.fr/2012/06/le-changement-climatique-conduit-aurait.html

et - 'La civilisation de l'Indus, 2000 ans plus ancienne?', Les Decouvertes Archeologiques, 26.11.12: http://decouvertes-archeologiques.blogspot.fr/2012/11/la-civilisation-de-lindus-2000-ans-plus.html

Sunday 9 March 2014

Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming

"Profiteers Are Lining Up To Make Money Off Global Warming

Publisher's Weekly succinctly states the importance of Windfall: "For most of the planet, the specter of global warming is ominous, but as journalist Funk reveals in this startling book, there are those who view the Earth's dangerous meltdown as a golden opportunity...Funk's original, forthright take on this little-discussed profit-taking trend in the climate change sweepstakes is very unsettling." In short, Funk reports on the long line of individuals, corporations and financial investors who are betting on climate change to make a huge profit from catastrophe." (short verbatim excerpt > attribution)

More: http://truth-out.org/progressivepicks/item/22240-profiteers-are-lining-up-to-make-money-off-global-warming

See also: http://youtu.be/IaKm89eVhoE

See also: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/

See the Koch brothers on the Forbes List of Billionnaires: http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#tab:overall

Saturday 8 March 2014

"Carbon bubble" threatens global economy

'Carbon bubble' threatens stock markets, say MPs
By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26455763

'Carbon bubble' poses serious threat to UK economy, MPs warn
Committee says government and Bank of England must not be complacent about the risks of overvaluing fossil fuel companies
Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent, theguardian.com, Thursday 6 March 2014 17.00 AEST
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/06/carbon-bubble-threat-uk-economy-fossil-fuels-mps

Wednesday 5 March 2014

WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP)

Through the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) work with businesses to develop standards and tools that help companies measure, manage, report and reduce their carbon emissions. http://www.ghgprotocol.org

Report released today: Fossil fuels increase risk not returns

Published by The Australia Institute and released today in conjunction with 350.org Australia and Market Forces:
“Climate Proofing Your Investments: moving funds out of fossil fuels”, a new report for institutional investors seeking to insulate their funds against the growing carbon bubble.

Download the report here and the summary findings here.
Fossil fuel companies plan to extract over five times more carbon than the climate can safely handle, putting our planet and savings at risk. But, by divesting from fossil fuel stocks, investors can avoid the impacts of a carbon bubble crash. This report shows they can do so without compromising their returns.
“Our findings show that fossil free investment portfolios can not only provide similar returns on investment but they also help mitigate the risk of an ‘unburnable carbon’ bubble bust. It’s a no-brainer. If you can protect your holdings without lowering your returns, why wouldn’t you?” said Richard Denniss, Executive Director of The Australia Institute.


THE ISLAND PRESIDENT—A Documentary By Jon Shenk | Official Trailer

Attribution: http://vimeo.com/36515698

Wednesday 12 February 2014

UTOPIA

Attribution: http://vimeo.com/78062545
UTOPIA - Free Screening and Q&A Session [Sponsored by UNSW Computing]
Friday, 28 February 2014
Doors open at 5:30pm - Film commences 6:00pm sharp
Clancy Auditorium, UNSW
RSVP essential: http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/utopia-free-screening-and-qa-session-sponsored-by-unsw-computing-tickets-10548955209

John Pilger interviewed by Radio New Zealand on his new film 'Utopia', about Aboriginal Australia. Broadcast on RNZ, 2.3.14. The programme lasts 21' 36". http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2587519

See also: The mismatch between indigenous communities and mining wealth: Indigenous communities rarely reap the benefits of mining and attempts by companies to redress the balance often fall short. Oliver Balch, Guardian Professional, Saturday 16 November 2013 01.52 AEST http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/mismatch-indigenous-mining-wealth-utopia

Make carbon pollution a thing of the past

http://forms.climaterealityproject.org/page/content/Make-carbon-pollution-a-thing-of-the-past

© 2014 The Climate Reality Project -- We are powering a social revolution for climate action.

Friday 7 February 2014

There you go! (Satirical video on "development")

Around the world ‘development’ is robbing tribal people of their land, self-sufficiency and pride and leaving them with nothing. Watch this short, satirical film, written by Oren Ginzburg and narrated by actor and comedian David Mitchell, which tells the story of how tribal peoples are being destroyed in the name of ‘development’. [Attribution: http://www.survivalinternational.org/thereyougo ]

Video link: http://www.survivalinternational.org/films/there-you-go

Progress can kill: http://www.survivalinternational.org/progresscankill