Category: John James Newsletter

The John James Newsletter 59
9 May 2015

Men who can manage men manage the men who can manage only things, while men who can manage money manage all
Will Durant

Two degrees of global warming is not ‘safe’: James Hansen
2 degrees is actually a prescription for disaster. That’s well understood by the scientific community. We know that the prior interglacial period about 120,000 years ago – the Eemian – was less than 2C warmer than pre-industrial conditions and sea level was a least 6 to 8 metres higher, so it’s crazy to think that 2 degrees is a safe limit.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/two-degrees-of-global-warming-is-not-safe/6444698

The Case That Blew the Lid Off the World Bank’s Secret Courts
The tobacco giant Phillip Morris demands $2 billion from Uruguay for the sin of strengthening health warnings on cigarette packages. The people of El Salvador face a $300-million case from a Canadian-Australian mining company because El Salvadorans were able to block toxic mining operations. Germany faces a demand of €700 million from a nuclear energy company because, in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, popular movements won a moratorium on new nuclear power plants in the country.
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/30464-the-case-that-blew-the-lid-off-the-world-bank-s-secret-courts

King Canute is alive and well !!
US Senate votes that climate change not caused by humans
The Senate rejected the scientific consensus that humans are causing climate change, days after NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared 2014 the hottest year ever recorded on Earth.

In 50-49 vote, US Senate says climate change not caused by humans

Tesla Battery Will ‘Fundamentally Change the Way the World Uses Energy’
“Our goal is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy. We’re talking at the terawatt scale. The goal is complete transformation of the entire energy infrastructure of the world.” Tesla hopes that its $5 billion “gigafactory” under construction near Reno, Nevada will drive down the cost of the batteries for both cars and energy-storage products through mass production.
https://ecowatch.com/2015/05/01/elon-musk-tesla-battery/

World’s mountain of electrical waste reaches new peak of 42m tonnes
The biggest per-capita tallies were in countries known for green awareness, such as Norway and Denmark, with Britain fifth and US ninth on the UN report’s list. Last year, 41.8m tonnes of so-called e-waste – mostly fridges, washing machines and other domestic appliances at the end of their life – was dumped.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/19/worlds-mountain-of-electrical-waste-reaches-new-peak-of-42m-tonnes?CMP=ema_565

Arctic Sea Ice At Record Low On April 9 2015
expanded effect of methane hydrate detabilization along the Gakkel Ridge and the high temperatures caused by the onshore methane eruption vents.
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/arctic-sea-ice-at-record-low-on-april-9-2015.html
To see the importance of the Gakkel Ridge in perspective read
http://www.planetextinction.com/documents/Methane,%20the%20Gakkel%20Ridge%20and%20human%20survival.pdf
or my talk

and Methane levels as high as 2845ppb on April 25
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/methane-levels-as-high-as-2845ppb.html

Thirty years on, scientist who discovered ozone layer hole warns: ‘it will still take years to heal’
One of the three UK scientists who discovered the hole in 1985 warned that the real lessons of the story had not been learned. “Yes, an international treaty was established fairly quickly to deal with the ozone hole, but the main point shows how rapidly we can produce major changes to our atmosphere and how long it takes for nature to recover.”
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/18/scientist-who-discovered-hole-in-ozone-layer-warns?CMP=ema_565

Pope Francis, climate change, and morality
Pope Francis is emerging as one of the world’s foremost campaigners on global warming. Many in the environmental and scientific community think that if he injects himself into international climate politics later this year, the ramifications on the climate debate could be dramatic.

Pope Francis, climate change, and morality

Food, Farming and Climate Change is Bigger than Everything Else
Few are familiar or prepared for “peak coffee.” Farmers and scientists now openly discuss the notion of “endangered crops,” including everything from cocoa and wine grapes to salmon and peanuts. The emergence of super-charged pests related to climate change, like the “La Roya” coffee fungus in Central America, is threatening not only our morning cup of joe, but the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/04/13/food-farming-and-climate-change-its-bigger-everything-else

Israeli soldiers cast doubt on legality of Gaza military tactics
Describing the rules that meant life and death in Gaza during the 50-day war – a conflict in which 2,200 Palestinians were killed – the interviews shed light on what individual soldiers were told and on policy.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/04/israeli-soldiers-cast-doubt-on-legality-of-gaza-military-operation?CMP=ema_565

Air pollution costs Europe $1.6tn a year in early deaths and disease
The costs is 600,000 premature deaths each year, and the sickness caused to hundreds of thousands of other people from preventable causes, such as pollution from small particles that come from the exhausts of diesel vehicles, and nitrogen dioxide that can inhibit breathing.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/28/air-pollution-costs-europe-16tn-a-year-in-early-deaths-and-disease-say-who?CMP=share_btn_tw
Photo of the Arc de Triumphe on a bad day.

ISIS-Linked Fighters Tighten Grip in Afghanistan, Outmatch Taliban Brutality
Foreign militants fighting under the black flag of ISIS are conquering territory in northern Afghanistan. The development suggests ISIS is expanding its sphere of influence beyond the Middle East and North Africa, and are moving into areas previously controlled by the Afghan Taliban. Most of the fighters hail from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the Caucuses — and are even more brutal than the Afghan Taliban.
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/atmosphere-terror-isis-linked-fighters-tighten-grip-afghanistan-n347801

The Saudi 9/11 Cover-Up
At least 11 members of the Bin Laden Family were spirited out the country in 24 hours after the 9/11 attacks with the assistance of the Bush Administration.  The FBI still denies knowing about the seven airplanes used to move them out when all private, commercial and military air-travel was grounded.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41743.htm

Pushing Back Against a Chinese Lake in the South China Sea
ASEAN condemned China’s efforts to muscle aside neighbours with an aggressive program of island building in the South China Sea, prompted especially by Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. “China is reaping the fruits of this strategy in a reinvigorated US-Japan alliance, a completely transformed US-Vietnam relationship, a closer US-Philippine alliance.”

Pushing Back Against a Chinese Lake in the South China Sea

and

Reefer Madness: Why Is China on a Building Spree in the South China Sea?

and
China fires back at South China Sea claimants with reclamation accusations
http://news.yahoo.com/china-fires-back-south-china-sea-claimants-reclamation-093122224.html

Fossil fuel subsidies to coal miners costing billions
The cost of subsidising the diesel fuel used by five of the nation’s biggest coal companies – Glencore Xstrata, BHP Billiton, Peabody, Rio Tinto and Anglo American – is around $360 million a year.  The Government will spend more on the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme than on overseas aid
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/graph-of-the-day-fossil-fuel-subsidies-to-coal-miners-costing-billions-67876

Did a Chinese-Russian-Iranian Coalition opposing NATO have its debut in Moscow?
Moscow’s delivery of the S-300 package is meant to cement Russo-Iranian military cooperation and to enhance Eurasian cooperation against Washington’s encircling missile shield. It is one step closer to the creation of a Eurasian air defense network against the missile threat posed by the US and NATO.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41749.htm
Russia Invites China to Join in Creating Lunar Station
Russia plans to launch its national orbital station by 2023.
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150428/1021463835.html

The Day After Damascus Falls
The horror that would unfold with either Al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front or the Islamic State using Syria as a base for terror attacks on the West and continuing to decapitate infidels would be hard for the world to watch and there would be demands to “do something.” But realistic options would be few, with a shattered and scattered Syrian army no longer a viable force capable of driving the terrorists from power.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41724.htm

Prior to 2001 the US did not recognize any terrorist organizations in sub-Saharan Africa.
The numerous groups that have sprung up in the intervening years have destabilised the countries the US had sought to strengthen.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/04/15/us-militarys-battlefield-tomorrow

Who is bombing whom in the Middle East?
The Saudis are bombing Yemen because they fear the Shia Houthis are working for the Iranians, and also in Iraq and Syria. So are the United Arab Emirates. The Syrian government is bombing its enemies in Syria and the Iraqi government is also bombing its enemies in Iraq. America, France, Britain, Denmark, Holland, Australia and Canada are bombing Isis in Syria and in Iraq. The Egyptians are bombing parts of Libya, the Iranians have acknowledged bombing in Iraq and of course the Israelis have  bombed Syrian government forces in Syria but not Isis (an interesting choice, we’d all agree).
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/robert-fisk-who-is-bombing-whom-in-the-middle-east-10222938.html
What is the Saudi-led coalition’s end game in Yemen?
The coalition is dropping weapons and arming various factions in a country already awash with guns. With the right spark, the highly volatile environment falls into an explosive domino effect, where the worst is yet to come and we brace for a Syria scenario on steroids.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-led-coalition-game-yemen-150504124934102.html

Is email killing off the art of conversation?
Most replies contain just five words. Younger people send shorter emails than older users who also spend more time composing their emails.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3037312/Is-email-killing-art-conversation-messages-replies-contain-just-five-words-finds-biggest-study-email.html#ixzz3ZCEwFwxh

Peruvian farmers restoring 7th century canals
Non-governmental agency helping farmers restore ancient system in Andean region and revitalise their water supplies.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/peruvian-farmers-restoring-7th-century-canals-150503084636928.html

What are the most controversial points in climate science?
This promises to be a rewarding and informative discussion

What are the most controversial points in climate science?

States meet on climate, renewables, in effort to lead Australia as feds stall
ACT environment minister Simon Corbell said on Monday that the Capital Territory with its ambitious 90 per cent renewables and 40 per cent emissions targets hoped to lead a state-based climate effort that would more than make up for Australia’s distinct lack of ambition on the federal front.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/states-meet-on-climate-renewables-in-effort-to-lead-australia-as-feds-stall-35220
RET deal struck, but policy bastardry continues
Coalition and Labor agree on a big cut to renewables target, but big coal, as usual, is the biggest winner.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/ret-deal-struck-but-policy-bastardry-continues-55314

The John James Newsletter 44
7 February 2015

A billion falsehoods told a billion times by a billion people are still false.
Travis Walton

Paradise Stolen: Don’t Show Your Children
Five Minute Video.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40867.htm

Senior Abbott MP concedes Australians ready to leave the grid
and rely instead on solar and storage. He suggested that state-owned assets such as electricity networks need to be sold quickly before they lose too much value. it is the first time a senior Abbott government member has acknowledged that rooftop solar and the emergence of battery storage is going to devalue network assets.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/senior-abbott-mp-concedes-australians-ready-to-leave-the-grid-38525

Ebola outbreak moves into endgame
The massive effort that went into building treatment centres for thousands of sick people was now being diverted as quickly as possible into contact-tracing. All previous Ebola outbreaks, although on a far smaller scale, have been stopped by the efficient tracing and monitoring of every person who might have come into physical contact with someone with the virus.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/29/ebola-outbreak-response-enters-endgame?CMP=ema_565
and
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/world/africa/small-rise-in-new-cases-shows-ebola-hanging-on.html?_r=0

Liberia

Ice-free Arctic in two years heralds methane catastrophe
An ice-free summer (September) Arctic is clearly nearly upon us, and will be achieved within three years or less – this is plain from the observational data on ice extent (satellites) and thickness (submarines and altimeter satellites).
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/jul/24/arctic-ice-free-methane-economy-catastrophe

Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/opinion/the-conversion-of-a-climate-change-skeptic.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

Anti-Semitic attitudes in Britain
Thirty years ago most people still saw Israel as an admirable project of healing and renewal for a people broken by the Holocaust. Now a state that was once seen as the underdog of the Middle East is now the regional superpower and the local bully. It is the Palestinians who have become the new archetype for a dispossessed and downtrodden people.

#JeSuisUnJuifBritannique

Germans equate Israeli policies toward the Palestinians with Nazi policies towards the Jews
The study of 1,000 Germans aged 18 found that while many Germans would prefer not to discuss the Holocaust, they are willing to compare Israeli policies toward Palestinians today with those of Nazi Germany.

One-third of Germans: Israeli and Nazi policies similar

Merkel Fears Devastating Defeat Of The Ukrainian Army
The Germans seem to anticipate the economic and military collapse of Ukraine.  To avert fiasco, Merkel must now discuss a truce with Putin. In return for a ceasefire, separatists would be granted broad autonomy in eastern Ukraine, covering a larger area that than previously planned.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40909.htm

Ukraine’s Government Is Losing Its War. Here Is Why:
The Ukrainian Government’s problem is that there just aren’t enough nazis, and there’s also not enough money, to do the amounts of killing that need to be done in order to enable Obama’s Ukrainian regime to retain the land in Donbass while eliminating the people there.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/01/ukraines-government-losing-war.html

Why Are So Many Of The Super Wealthy Preparing Bug Out Locations?
A lot of ultra-rich people are quietly preparing to “bug out” when the time comes.  They are buying survival properties, they are buying farms in far away countries and they are buying deep underground bunkers. What are they scared of?
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/what-do-they-know-why-are-so-many-of-the-super-wealthy-preparing-bug-out-locations

Grassroots sports at risk from heatwaves due to climate change
The extreme heat policies of sports such as tennis, Aussie rules and cricket will have to “dramatically improve” to protect the health of competitors at all levels,
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/30/grassroots-sports-at-risk-from-heatwaves-due-to-climate-change-report-warns?CMP=ema_632

Climate change is lifting Iceland
Researchers have known for some time that land freed from the weight of ice sheets tends to rise. But they did not anticipate just how swiftly the bounce in Iceland was occurring. at 1.4in every year
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/30/climate-change-lifting-iceland-volcanic-eruptions?CMP=ema_565

Global Temperature time line
Series shows the variation of global surface temperatures from 1884 to 2014.
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/

The John James Newsletter 60
16 May 2015

(I will be overseas for the next three months, mainly in France with my beloved churches. I will continue to send out Newsletters each Saturday, though they may have a few less goodies.)

In a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, thinking people should not to be on the side of the executioners
Albert Camus

This is a most interesting assessment of US policies. Well worth considering.
Chaos – not Victory – is Empire’s Game
That’s the way (i) to control people, nations and their resources; (ii) to assures the west a continuous need for military; and (iii) to push a country into disarray or chaos so it becomes broke so it needs money – money with hardship conditions attached by the World Bank that equals enslavement.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41771.htm
Clinton made Libya a ‘jihadist wonderland’
“It was a big mistake for us to go in there in the first place, because a lot of the times when we topple secular dictators, we’ve gotten chaos and then we’ve gotten the rise of radical Islam, It made Libya a hotbed for jihadists.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/241555-paul-clinton-made-libya-a-jihadist-wonderland
To protect Washington’s unique power status following the Soviet collapse, Paul Wolfowitz in 1992 penned what is known as The Wolfowitz Doctrine. This is the basis for Washington’s foreign policy.
“Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere, that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power.”
In March of this year the Council on Foreign Relations extended this doctrine to China. Washington is now committed to blocking the rise of two large nuclear-armed countries. This commitment is the reason for the crisis that Washington has created in Ukraine and for its use as anti-Russian propaganda. China is now confronted with the Pivot to Asia and the construction of new US naval and air bases to ensure Washington’s control of the South China Sea, which is now defined as an area of American National Interest.
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/05/11/war-threat-rises-economy-declines-paul-craig-roberts/
The Blindness of the European Union in the Face of US Military Strategy
EU officials are completely wrong regarding Islamist attacks in Europe and the migration of people fleeing wars. This is not the accidental consequence of conflict in the broader Middle East and Africa, but a strategic objective of the United States.
http://www.voltairenet.org/article187529.html

Snowden says Australia watching its citizens ‘all the time’
He warned that journalists are at risk of having their contacts exposed by mass surveillance. “Under these mandatory metadata laws you can immediately see who journalists are contacting, from which you can derive their sources.”
http://rt.com/news/257193-snowden-australia-surveillance-metadata/

The Big Business Of Cancer
100 billion dollars was spent on cancer drugs last year. At the beginning of the last century, one person in twenty would get cancer. In the 1940s it was one out of every sixteen people. In the 1970s it was one person out of ten. Today one person out of three gets cancer in the course of their life.We live in a society that is highly toxic, and it is getting worse with each passing day.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-big-business-of-cancer-100-billion-dollars-was-spent-on-cancer-drugs-last-year-alone

Sea level rising faster in past 20 years than in entire 20th century
Sea levels are predicted to rise by close to a meter in the next 85 years. That would affect more than 150 million people living in low-lying coastal communities.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-12/sea-level-rise-accelerates-faster-in-past-20-years/6461752

The Greek Endgame: Time to Choose between Default and Defeat
A nearly-botched pension payout last week revealed just how critical the government’s fiscal position has become. It’s time to forget about all the friendly rhetoric about Greece reaching a “mutually beneficial” deal with its creditors. The endgame is here. The Eurozone will not back down. Either the Greek government defaults, or it will be defeated. There is no other way.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41816.htm
These are the payments due, including to the IMF, to June 30.
May 12 — 757 million euros to IMF
May 30 — 1.5 billion euros in pensions, salaries
June 5  —  303 million euros to IMF
June 12 — 341 million euros to IMF
June 16 — 568 million euros to IMF
June 19 — 341 million euros to IMF
June 30 — 1.5 billion euros in pensions, salaries
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102667914
Greece Invited to Join New BRICS Development Bank
The BRICS Development Bank is a new initiative that will help member states lessen their dependence on the IMF.
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Greece-Invited-to-Join-New-BRICS-Development-Bank-20150512-0039.html
The IMF’s Struggle for Relevancy
It was created to defend free market economics after the start of the Cold War. It was never meant to help less developing countries but was meant to help steer them away from socialism.
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/The-IMFs-Struggle-for-Relevancy-20150416-0037.html

US “Operation Rooms” Backing Al Qaeda in Syria
US policy think-tank Brookings Institution confirms that contrary to propaganda, US-Saudi “moderates” and Turkey-Qatar “Islamists” have been coordinating all along.

US “Operation Rooms” Backing Al Qaeda in Syria

The Real Lessons of the Tory Victory
We cannot imagine a different world, a different economic system, a different media landscape, because our intellectual horizons have been totally restricted by the media conglomerates that control our newspapers, our TV and radio stations, the films we watch, the video games we play, the music we listen to.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41803.htm

Russia’s Stumbling Pivot to Asia
Moscow and Beijing are trying to cement closer ties, but delays in high-profile energy deals highlight lingering tensions between them.  The reality is that competing interests and clashing visions everywhere from Central Asia to China’s own backyard are keeping Moscow and Beijing from consummating their courtship.

Russia’s Stumbling Pivot to Asia

The Short Life and Speedy Death of Russia’s Silicon Valley
In 2009, Moscow unveiled an ambitious plan to build a world-class technology incubator. Then corruption, brain drain, and Putin killed it.

The Short Life and Speedy Death of Russia’s Silicon Valley

Extreme secrecy eroding support for Obama’s trade pact
Classified briefings and bill-readings in basement rooms are making members queasy. If you want to hear the details of the TPP trade deal, you’ve got to be a member of Congress, and you’ve got to go to classified briefings and leave your staff and cellphone at the door. You are handed one section at a time, watched over as you read, and forced to hand over any notes you make before leaving. And no matter what, you can’t discuss the details of what you’ve read.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/secrecy-eroding-support-for-trade-pact-critics-say-117581.html

Scientists weigh up new evidence on Antarctic ice melt
“Most scientists would be hard-pressed to find mechanisms that do not include human-made climate change.”  Since 2003, ice loss over the whole continent increased at the rate of six billion tons a year. West Antarctica’s melting rate, however, accelerated by 18 billion tons a year during the same timespan.
http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/scientists-weigh-up-new-evidence-on-antarctic-ice-melt/

The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed off the South Carolina coast  nearly a month before the season officially begins.
http://abc13.com/weather/first-named-storm-forms-before-atlantic-hurricane-season-begins/704610/

Iran welcomes Saudi Arabia inspection of its aid ship
The Iranian cargo ship carrying 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid including food and medicine left Iran’s southern Bandar Abbas port on May 11 to the Yemeni port of Hodeida. The ship also carries rescue workers from the Iran’s Red Crescent Society as well as some 20 journalists.
http://en.trend.az/iran/politics/2394001.html
Iran Warns of War if Aid Ship to Yemen Attacked
The deputy chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces warned on Tuesday that Iran would retaliate in force against any country, which attacks an Iranian ship with humanitarian aid on board.
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150513/1022078061.html

Yemen’s War Is Redrawing the Middle East’s Fault Lines
Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war in Yemen does more to highlight the kingdom’s isolation than its power.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/05/12/yemens-war-redrawing-middle-easts-fault-lines

Turkey’s Gas Game
Europe hoped Turkey could help the continent wean itself off Russian fuel. But Ankara might have other plans. This one pipeline, which could deliver gas as early as next year, could endanger a critical alliance the West has spent decades cultivating, and upend Eurasia’s entire energy and security landscape. Turkey would become a middleman for Europe’s energy buyers, and it would be precisely the linchpin Moscow needs to keep an energy hold on the continent.

Turkey’s Reckless Gas Game

The John James Newsletter 45
14 February 2015

How Many Jews Died in the German Concentration Camps?
It has been a common belief that about six million Jews died in the camps. Most laymen presume this was proven at Nuremberg in 1946. The international court did not prove anything of the sort, however, and historians who have dealt with contemporary German or Jewish history have long since modified this description.
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v11/v11p335_Nordling.html

The Influence of Israel and it’s American Lobby over US Middle East Policy
The apparent ability of Israel, one of the world’s smallest countries, to shape the Middle East policies of the world’s remaining superpower has been a source of puzzlement.
http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/articles/article0041462.html

Greece: Greenspan predicts exit from euro inevitable
He told the BBC he could not see who would be willing to put up more loans to bolster Greece’s struggling economy. “I don’t think it will be resolved without Greece leaving the eurozone.” UK Chancellor said a Greek exit would cause “deep ructions” for Britain.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31249907

Russia and Egypt to establish free trade zone, build nuclear reactor and a Russian industrial zone
This provides a counterweight to the EU. It is likely to further increase tensions with the EU and the US and may upset wealthy Gulf donors who have clashed with Moscow over its support of Syrian President al-Assad.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/russia-and-egypt-establish-free-trade-zone-1505432412

Europe Fractures
France Pivots To Putin, Cyprus Offers Moscow Military Base, Germany-US Splinters On Ukraine
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40939.htm

The Saudi campaign against the fracking industry may have succeeded
Abandon ship! Riggers flee the collapsing shale oil industry
If ever you wondered what a mass flight of capital might look like when the big end of town finally decides that the fossil fuel industry is coming to an end, then the collapse of the shale oil industry in the US might give an insight.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/abandon-ship-riggers-flee-collapsing-shale-oil-industry-50234 rigs update

Chilcot report will be ‘devastating’
Thirty people, including Tony Blair, are set to be heavily criticised by the Inquiry in its ‘devastating’ attack on the way the war was handled. Among the most explosive parts will be the details of 30 secret letters, notes and conversations between Blair and Bush.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2944230/Chilcot-report-devastating-say-No-10-emerges-THIRTY-firing-line-heavily-critical-Iraq-Inquiry-Blair-s-secret-letters-Bush-revealed-full.html

The methane time bomb
Millions of tons of a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than C02 is being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic. The sudden release of methane has in the past been responsible for rapid increases in global temperatures, dramatic changes to the climate, and  mass extinction.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-the-methane-time-bomb-938932.html

Biggest leak in banking history
Senate banking committee is calling on the US government to explain what action it took after receiving a massive cache of leaked data that revealed how the HSBC, the world’s second-largest bank, helped wealthy customers conceal billions of dollars of assets.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/feb/09/hsbc-senate-democrat-us-government-biggest-leak?CMP=ema_565
and
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/02/09/rotten-core-banking-exposed-global-outrage-follows-hsbc-revelations

The Velocity of Money
Is current Fed policy inflationary? Given historical economic patterns, the answer is no. QE becomes an issue when its time for the Fed to implement its exit strategy.
http://bill-seyfried.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/recent-monetary-policy-role-of-velocity.html

Al Qaeda’s Bookkeeper Spills The Beans
Zacarias Moussaoui was the bookkeeper for Al Qaeda, but the US intelligence services have been keeping this fact secret – as much as they can. His relevant testimony in court is quoted. Very interesting if you are interested.
http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse110215.htm

Fat guidelines lacked any solid scientific evidence
Researchers claim dietary advice around fat consumption, followed by millions for the past 30 years, should never have been issued
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/10/fat-guidelines-lacked-any-solid-scientific-evidence-study-concludes?CMP=ema_632

Did the Big Bang ever happen?
A new quantum model predicts universe has NO beginning. ‘As far as we can see, since different points in the universe never actually converged in the past, it did not have a beginning. It lasted forever. It will also not have an end…In other words, there is no singularity. This concept could explain dark energy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2947967/Did-Big-Bang-happen-Quantum-model-predicts-universe-NO-beginning-explain-dark-energy.html

Top scientists preparing for the end times
Artificial Intelligence – because it lacks our cultural, emotional and social intuition – might adopt dangerous methods to pursue its goals. Telling machines to achieve a simple goal and to avoid hurting humans turns out to be very difficult in practice.
http://www.newstatesman.com/sci-tech/2014/09/apocalypse-soon-scientists-preparing-end-times

A Shock to the System
Marine mass destruction is justified by the EU in the name of “scientific research”. Pulse trawling uses electricity to flush flatfish or shrimp out of the sediments in which they hide. The electric shock makes them convulse and flip upwards, into the net.
http://www.monbiot.com/2015/02/09/a-shock-to-the-system/

Australia’s Two Biggest Energy Retailers Moving Into Solar Market
Both Origin Energy and AGL Energy are investing millions into building up substantial solar teams that will focus on the household and business markets, offering leases and power purchase agreements in a new attempt to dominate the rooftop solar market.
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/02/10/australias-two-biggest-energy-retailers-moving-solar-market/?

Rooftop Solar Is Now Cheaper Than The Grid In 42 Of Top 50 US Cities
Buying an average-sized, fully-financed solar PV system costs less than electricity from the local utility for 93% of single-family homeowners in America’s 50 largest cities, and in most places, is a better investment than many stocks.
http://planetsave.com/2015/02/10/rooftop-solar-now-cheaper-grid-42-top-50-us-cities/?

The John James Newsletter 61
23 May 2015- Paros

Israel has for years worked to remove Assad
with US support it has encouraged Assad’s enemies, including IS
now that IS controls Palmyra, the “pearl” of the desert,
the most intact 2,000 years old monument to ancient Rome,
should its imminent destruction be blamed on Israel, on it’s clandestine control over US policy?
Will Israel still prosper with IS in control of Damascus?
Senior Israelis say they would prefer a victory by Al-Qaeda over a victory by Assad.

The Day After Damascus Falls

and
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/05/palmyra-destroyed-syria-isil-150521113045812.html
and
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/16/Syria-s-ancient-city-of-Palmyra-on-brink-of-destruction.html
Syrian War Set to Re-Explode
US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia alliance with Al Qaeda has the potential to engulf the region in violence. Deep Saudi pocketbooks combined with Turkish ground forces are a catastrophe in the making.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41842.htm

Palestine Scores Major Victory With Vatican Recognition of Statehood
With the Israeli-Palestinian peace process all but dead and buried, a growing chorus of countries and international bodies are moving toward recognizing Palestinian sovereignty in an attempt to push the Israeli government to make concessions toward their Palestinian rivals. That effort received a powerful boost when Pope Francis announced that the Vatican has recognised the state of Palestine.

Palestine Scores Major Victory With Vatican Recognition of Statehood

136 Nations Recognise the Palestinian State
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/136-nations-recognize-a-palestinian-state-only-obama-stands-in-the-way-of-full-global-recognition

NATO deliberately destroyed Libya’s water infrastructure
UNICEF reported that the disruption to the GMR had left 4 million Libyans without potable water. The GMR remains disrupted to this day, and Libya’s national water crisis continues to escalate. The deliberate destruction of a nation’s water infrastructure, with the knowledge that doing so would result in massive deaths
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2869234/war_crime_nato_deliberately_destroyed_libyas_water_infrastructure.html

Huge Bee Die-Off
US lost 40% of bees last year. Some pesticides, like neonicotinoids, have long been shown to be major causes of bee decline.
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/05/14/years-ago-was-unheard-dire-trend-persists-huge-bee-die

Macedonia – the next hot spot after Ukraine?
A few days ago, Russia stated that the the Turkish Stream gas will go through at the end of 2016. If this happens, the US will lose a trump card to put pressure on Russia and Europe, which may encourage the CIA to repeat its Ukraine strategy in Macedonia.
http://fortruss.blogspot.mx/2015/05/macedonia-next-hot-spot-after-ukraine.html

Super heating of the methane traps of Siberia
No Pause — NASA Shows Human Hothouse Maintaining Record High Temperatures for 2015.Overall, temperatures at +0.99 degrees Celsius above 1880s averages for the first four months of 2015 should be cause for concern. We still have El Nino ramping up in the Pacific could well ramp higher later this year. Looking at the global temperature anomaly map provided by NASA, we can see where much of this extra heat accumulated throughout April:
Global Temps NASA April 2015

https://robertscribbler.wordpress.com/

What can we do about climate change?
How do we have meaning in a world that is going to be so different from the one in which most of our values were created?

What can we do about climate change?

Bibi: The Hidden Consequences of His Victory
The Israeli electorate has given a mandate for policies that preclude any settlement with the Palestinians. The international boycott [against Israel] will intensify. The demand to fully enfranchise the Palestinians will eventually prove irresistible. What happens after that, no one can say.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/apr/23/bibi-hidden-consequences-his-victory/

Yet Another Huge Diplomatic Victory for Russia
Unless you read Russian you might not have noticed that something big just happened in Russia: Kerry, Nuland and a large State Department delegation have met with Foreign Minister Lavrov and then with President Putin.  With the latter they spent over 4 hours.  Not only that, but Kerry said he would strongly caution Poroshenko against renewing military operations. To say that this is a stunning development would be an understatement.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41835.htm
and
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/world/europe/a-diplomatic-victory-and-affirmation-for-putin.html

Leading doctor says mobile phone radiation a hotline to brain cancer
There is a million times more radiation today than there was 50 years ago,” he said. “The World Health Organisation has upgraded cell phone radiation to B2 category, which means possibly –carcinogenic.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/leading-doctor-says-mobile-phone-radiation-a-hotline-to-brain-cancer/story-fni0fiyv-1227349594139
too much electromagnetic radiation is being emitted from them which could be a reason for rising cancer rates and an increase in autism and obesity.Nearly 200 experts are calling on the UN to provide guidelines as they say the radiation is damaging DNA in our cells.
http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/12/scientists-warn-against-mobile-phone-radiation/
for the text
http://www.emfscientist.org/images/docs/International_EMF_Scientist_Appeal_Description.pdf

Why Australia will lead the world in solar + storage
Tesla has changed the conversation around battery storage. Consumers want it, competitors and retailers are going to have to move quickly to meet that demand, and Australia is being regarded as the market where it could all happen. Australia is going to be the testing ground for the world,
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/why-australia-will-lead-the-world-in-solar-storage-78627
Queensland commits to 50% renewable target by 2030
This means that all three Labor states are looking to ambitious renewable energy targets, in contrast with the Federal government which is looking to cut the target for large-scale renewables.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/queensland-commits-to-50-renewable-target-by-2030
States meet on climate, renewables, in effort to lead Australia as feds stall
ACT hoped to lead a state-based climate effort that would more than make up for Australia’s distinct lack of ambition on the federal front.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/states-meet-on-climate-renewables-in-effort-to-lead-australia-as-feds-stall-35220

Climate Denial Takes a Toll on Scientists—and Science
Climate denial campaigns “can absolutely influence what you do and what you write about,” said Trenberth, who was not involved in the study. “Part of the reason they do it is to distract you and get you to waste your time.” Instead of “publishing the good science needed to advance our understanding of climate change,” scientists are left defending their work and debunking false claims
http://insideclimatenews.com/news/11052015/climate-denial-takes-toll-scientists%E2%80%94and-science.

Trident whistleblower: nuclear ‘disaster waiting to happen’
“This is bigger than me, it’s bigger than all of us. We are so close to a nuclear disaster it is shocking, and yet everybody is accepting the risk to the public.” A fascinating bad-time story…..
https://wikileaks.org/trident-safety/
Range of Wikileaks papers:

Who is not bombing in the Middle East?
The Saudis are bombing Yemen because they fear the Shia Houthis are working for the Iranians. The Syrian government is bombing its enemies in Syria and the Iraqi government is bombing its enemies in Iraq. America, France, Britain, Denmark, Holland, Australia and Canada are bombing Isis in Syria and in Iraq. The Egyptians are bombing parts of Libya, the Iranians have acknowledged bombing in Iraq and of course the Israelis have  bombed Syrian government forces in Syria but not Isis (an interesting choice, we’d all agree).
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/robert-fisk-who-is-bombing-whom-in-the-middle-east-10222938.html

Is email killing off the art of conversation?
Most replies contain just five words. Younger people send shorter emails than older users who also spend more time composing their emails.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3037312/Is-email-killing-art-conversation-messages-replies-contain-just-five-words-finds-biggest-study-email.html#ixzz3ZCEwFwxh

Peruvian farmers restoring 7th century canals
Non-governmental agency helping farmers restore ancient system in Andean region and revitalise their water supplies.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/peruvian-farmers-restoring-7th-century-canals-150503084636928.html

A Thoughtful Look at the German-Soviet Clash: Could Hitler Have Won?
What was the real turning point in the war, and why? If Hitler had played his cards a bit differently could he have won the war? German forces came very close to defeating the Soviet Union in 1941. Defeat of Soviet Russia would effectively have resulted in German hegemony over all of Europe – a drastic change in the course of world history.
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v15/v15n6p38_Bishop.html

The John James Newsletter 46
21 February 2015

I can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me.
Leonard Cohen in “There is a crack, a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in”
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31442.htm

Seven Countries In Five Years
This article shows how major world events are just pebbles in the mosaic of US global power. Syria, Libya, Yemen .. A redrawing of the map … Confrontation in the Ukraine is to fulfil only to separate Russia from Europe and to prevent trade, and thereby get rid of Europe’s energy dependence on Russia…. They want Russia into economic depression. More broadly, to prevent Russia from once again becoming a superpower. ,,, It is one reason for low oil prices … Turkey has finally understood it is to be thrown overboard…. May God save the world.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41047.htm
Hence the importance of
Turkey favours China missile deal for air defence
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31537334

Ukraine Coup Planned By Nato And EU
The war propagandists are winning the support of many unsuspecting American citizens. The followingg 90 seconds video may provide a refreshingly different perspective.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-14/ron-paul-ukraine-coup-planned-nato-and-eu

Islam cannot disown jihadists, for they are driven by rage against their own history
If Islam alone were the completed and perfected religion of God — and if its political completeness was the basis for its long-lasting worldly success (which would be proof of its religious superiority) — then why has it been so comprehensively defeated and impotent? What had gone wrong? The history of modern Islam has largely been the story of failed attempts to overcome this cognitive dissonance.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/islam-cannot-disown-jihadists-driven-by-rage-against-history/story-e6frg6z6-1227187604372

A model of human migration based on mitochondrial DNA with Africa at the top.
The letters are the mitochondrial DNA haplogroups (pure motherly lineages) that can be used to define fine genetic population.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map-of-human-migrations.jpg http://www.mitomap.org/pub/MITOMAP/MitomapFigures/WorldMigrations.pdf
Andrew Y. Glikson, Evolution of the Atmosphere, Fire and the Anthropocene Climate Event Horizon, http://www.springer.com/series/8897

China’s attacks on US internet titans
Beijing has launched major cyber strikes against Google, Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo six times over the past two years, with Politburo approval. They aim to establish Beijing’s absolute authority over all Internet operations within China.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/02/china-code-war-attacks-internet-titans-150211084717111.html

The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance:
the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda
to protect corporate power against democracy.
Alex Carey, author

Financial Times: Kiev Is the Violent Aggressor in East Ukraine
Although this article tries to make the people of Donetsk appear gullible and indoctrinated, it does admit that Kiev is waging a vicious war against its own people—something that East Ukrainians will never forget, and probably never forgive.
http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/02/14/3489

ISIL sprouts limbs across Middle East
IS in Iraq and the Levant is expanding to establish militant affiliates in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt and Libya.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/291973901.html
and
Isis plans to use immigrant boats from Libya to cause terror in Europe and close shipping routes
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/isis-plans-to-use-immigrant-boats-from-libya-to-cause-terror-in-europe-and-close-shipping-routes-10053148.html

What causes our climate to change?
The jet stream, which once used to move over North America horizontally, has become wavy, pushing warm air north while drawing cold air from the south.
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/climate-changed.html

The Real Problem of ‘Getting to Yes’ with Iran
Unless Washington figures out that its strategy will not work, we must expect stalemate and a much higher level of US-Iranian tensions. The only reason Iran has not accepted the deal, according to the US view, is that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is a hardliner who is constraining the more reasonable Iranian negotiating team from making the necessary compromises. But that reflects a profoundly distorted view of US-Iran relations on the nuclear issue.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/02/14/real-problem-getting-yes-iran

Australian banks fall victim to multi-national hackers
A group from Russia, China, Ukraine and parts of Europe use a virus known as Carbanak to access bank employee computers and ultimately get inside their networks.The hackers then transfer money from the bank into off-shore accounts, or order the bank’s ATMs to dispense cash to a waiting friend.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-17/banks-victim-of-multi-national-hacking-attack-security-firm-says/6130370

‘This Is Not A Game’ Declares Greek Minister as Talks Collapse in Brussels
Greece won’t commit to an extension of the lending program which is tied to the same austerity conditions that have devastated its economy. The Eurogroup will not accept an extension of the lending program unless Greece agrees to  further austerity conditions.
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/02/16/not-game-declares-greek-minister-talks-collapse-brussels

In 2011 fossil fuel burning, cement production and land clearing released 9.5±0.5 GtC to the atmosphere
54% higher than in 1990. Coal burning was responsible for 43%, oil 34%, gas 18%, and cement 5%.
Global Carbon Project 2013

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/

Group hid undetectable spyware on hard drives
NSA has successfully developed techniques for hiding spyware on hard drives. Once infected it is impossible to alter and cannot be detected. Infected machines have been found in Russia, Afghanistan, China, Syria and Yemen.

Worldwide Equation Group hid undetectable spyware on hard drives

And being copy-catted by private companies
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/02/19/lenovo-caught-installing-adware-new-computers/

As Early as 2016, Robo-Cops Will Be Patrolling Your Streets
Another level of intimidation to the increasingly militarized police state. It is one step closer to a dystopian future where autonomous robots carry out law enforcement. If a human police officer can get away with killing what would this mean for the robot officer? The K5 does not wield weapons but serves as a total surveillance machine for cops or private clients. It has facial recognition and scans 1,500 license plates per minute, captures audio and 360-degree video, tests the air for chemicals, and maps its surroundings with 3D radar and laser. It pretends to distinguish “suspicious activities” from normal activities. Robots have been used for years to detonate or disable bombs, but police robots are increasingly being developed for use against people.
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/early-2016-robot-cops-patrolling-streets-no/