The John James Newsletter 148
26 November 2016
You never have to default, because you print the money
Donald Trump
Banks create deposits whenever they make loans; and this is the source of 97% of the UK money supply
Bank of England
It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper
Rod Serling
Climate Chaos Worse than the COP22 is Letting on
Conversations with Guy McPherson, Cory Morningstar and Dahr Jamail. Global Research News Hour Episode 160. I can pretty much guarantee… we’ll get zero-emissions economy by 2050.” -Professor Guy Mcpherson
http://www.globalresearch.ca/climate-chaos-worse-than-the-cop22-is-letting-on/5557899
COP 22: “One Step Closer Towards A Climate That Is Incompatible With Dignified Life”
the lack of urgency has further condemned young people, future generations and the world’s most vulnerable to food insecurity, water scarcity, extreme weather events and climate induced conflict. As young people, we will live with the consequences of these negotiations.
Algae to Bio-Fuels – Better than electric cars?
From carbon dioxide, water, nutrients and light energy can be produced a substitute for diesel, especially in heavy transport and trawling. Also, stock food. Now running in the Shoalhaven.
http://algaetec.com.au/index.php/technology/algae-to-bio-fuels-the-process
The heat is there: but is there a future for geothermal energy in Australia?
Although geothermal energy is a mainstay of electricity generation in countries such as Iceland and El Salvador, the ancient, slumbering strata of Australia presents a more challenging landscape.
How energy efficiency will reshape power markets
An unfashionable yet economically alluring investment that could reshape power markets for ever, and remove fossil fuels as the primary driver of market prices. Energy efficiency has long been held by its enthusiasts as the most obvious lever to reduce emissions, and save costs.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/how-energy-efficiency-will-reshape-power-markets-80706/
Arctic ice melt could trigger uncontrollable climate change at global level
Arctic scientists have warned that the increasingly rapid melting of the ice cap risks triggering 19 “tipping points” in the region that could have catastrophic consequences around the globe. The Arctic Resilience Report found that the effects of Arctic warming could be felt as far away as the Indian Ocean, in a stark warning that changes in the region could cause uncontrollable climate change at a global level.
‘Extraordinarily hot’ Arctic temperatures alarm scientists
Temperatures in the Arctic are currently about 20C above what would be expected for the time of year. Ice that should be growing is retreating. There is no ice at Svalbard yet. In the last few days there has been a decline in sea ice in the Bering sea. Very warm air has flooded into the Arctic from the south, pressing the ice northwards.
Sea ice is shrinking
Arctic sea ice shrunk 49,000 km² in four days. Antarctic sea ice is also falling, reflecting the warming of oceans globally. For some time now, Antarctic sea ice extent has been at a record low for the time of the year. On November 19, 2016, the combined extent of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice was 22.423 million km², as the image below shows.
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/sea-ice-is-shrinking.html
It’s More Dire Than You Think in Greece, Where Home Repossessions Are Exploding
More than 120,000 homes stand to be repossessed as tenants and owners find themselves unable to shoulder a taxation burden that far exceeds their 10,000 euro total annual income. How did we get to this point, and where will Greece go from here?
Neoliberalism is creating loneliness. That’s what’s wrenching society apart
Plagues of anxiety, stress, depression, social phobia, eating disorders, self-harm and loneliness now strike people all over the world. The latest, catastrophic figures for children’s mental health in England reflect a global crisis. The underlying cause is human beings, the ultrasocial mammals, whose brains are wired to respond to other people, are being peeled apart.
Methane: rate of accumulation outstrips the rate of C02
While carbon dioxide emissions get a lot of attention, the rise of methane is even more worrying. According to NOAA data, annual mean global methane grew 2004-2013 by an average of 3.75 ppb per year. In 2014, the rate was 12.56 ppb. Methane increase almost double that of C02.
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/monthly-co-not-under-400-ppm-in-2016.html
Nicolas Sarkozy promises to hit America with a carbon tax if Trump rips up Paris climate deal
French presidential candidate suggests US should be punished financially if Trump fulfils pledge to pull out.
On the road with our American selves, or How to Feel Like a Jerk in Mombasa
Trump has pledged to “take out” the families of terrorists, a plan that sounds ordinary compared to our actual drone assassination program, conceived by George W. Bush and maintained and expanded by Obama.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176209/tomgram%3A_mattea_kramer%2C_you_don%27t_leave_home_without_it/
Destruction of kelp forests by tropical fish shows impact of ocean temperature rise
Deforestation near Coffs Harbour coincided with 0.6C temperature rise has had ‘catastrophic’ effect of attracting tropical fish The proportion of kelp showing signs of bite marks increased from less than 10% in 2002 to more than 70 in 2008. At the same time the proportion of tropical fish in the ecosystem increased from less than 10% to more than 30.
Killing Euthanasia Laws: Politicians, Piety And Popular Public Policy
There are national implications for the persistent influence that permeates our legislatures, a religious presence that now offends three-quarters of the community. It’s a political malaise we inherited along with colonisation, largely ignored by media but recently described as a “theocracy inside our democracy“.
Is the investment in private health insurance worthwhile?
For the first time in 15 years, as premiums and complaints rise, the proportion of the population with private health insurance is declining. Recent polling shows 20% of those who have private health insurance (46.8% of the population) expect to downgrade or drop their cover in the next six years.
http://theconversation.com/is-the-investment-in-private-health-insurance-worthwhile-68980
He’s learned from our guys. What else can we teach him?
Trump to scrap all Nasa climate research
This would mean the elimination of Nasa’s world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena. Nasa’s network of satellites provide a wealth of information on climate change.
The Global Coral Bleaching Event That Began in 2014 May Just Keep Going and Going
Around the world, reef systems came under severe stress as sea temperatures exceeded 28-30C. Among the hardest hit regions were the reefs of Kiribati. There, sea surface temperatures hit up to 31.4 C on an extended basis. Such hot waters have, for all practical purposes, wiped out their reefs.
Saving the Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is sometimes described as the Earth’s largest living organism, but it is much more than that. There is nothing else on the planet like it: more than 3000 individual reefs and 1000 islands spread across an area stretching 2300 kilometres. It is the only natural wonder you can see from space.
http://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2016/saving-the-reef/index.html
Curating the Future: Museums, Communities and Climate Change
The book asks what should the people of the present be collecting for museums in a climate-changed future? Curating the Future is for those working in museums and grappling with how to talk about climate change.
Jill Stein Raises Millions for Recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvani
Stein’s effort comes after a group of activists told New York magazine that Hillary Clinton—who lost the presidency despite winning the popular vote—should call for a recount in those three battleground states, alleging foreign hacking.
CSIRO “internet of things” pilot aims to cut community housing power bills by 80%
Evergen’s technology, which was developed by the CSIRO and has been backed by AMP Capital, uses a household’s power consumption patterns and weather forecasts to decide when to use solar power, when to store it, and when to draw from the battery or the grid, according to what is the most cost-effective for the household.
Economic Emergency In India And What Does That Mean For The Common People
Former Prime Minister and a former governor of Reserve Bank of India, Mr. Manmohan Singh has called demonetisation “organised loot and legalised plunder.” From the day one it was obvious that government of India’s demonetisation move was a plunder of people’s hard earned money.