Category: General news

Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on

  • The John James Newsletter. <65>

    The John James Newsletter 65

    4 July 2015 – Souppessur-Loing

    Temperatures in France have pipped 40C over past two days.

    Records broken as heatwave hits US northwest:

    Both India and Pakistan have had heatwaves this year, Western Europe is developing one and North America is enduring one, in its northwest. The precise definition differs from country to country but the effects are the same.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/records-broken-heatwave-hits-northwest-150629104554904.html 

    Massive Siberian heatwave next week

    Global warming is strengthening heatwaves. The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world, so the temperature difference between the North Pole and the Equator is getting smaller. It is this temperature difference that powers the jet stream. The result is that the speed is falling. And the path is meandering.

    http://arctic-news.blogspot.fr/2015/07/east-siberian-heat-wave.html

    ‘Holy Grail’ of Leaks Reveals Detailed Plot for Corporate Takeover

    Fifty-two-nation Trade in Services Agreement uses trade regulations ‘as a smokescreen to limit citizen rights, The leak provides further evidence of how “a self-selected group of mainly rich countries” plans to “bypass other governments in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and rewrite its services agreement in the interests of their corporations,

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/07/01/tisa-exposed-holy-grail-leaks-reveals-detailed-plot-corporate-takeover 

    Trade in Services Agreement – Wikileaks Press release

    While the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Pact (TTIP) have become well known in recent months, the TiSA is the largest component of the US strategic neoliberal ‘trade treaty triumvirate. Together, the three treaties form not only a new legal order shaped for transnational corporations, but a new economic enclosure that excludes China, Russia and all other BRICS countries.

    https://wikileaks.org/tisa/press.html 

    TiSA – Trade in Services Agreement – Core Text

    https://wikileaks.org/tisa/core/#a 

    In case you are confused about what is going on in the Middle-East?

    We support the Iraqi government in its fight against IS. We don’t like IS but IS is supported by Saudi Arabia whom we do like. We don’t like President Assad in Syria. We support the fight against him, but not IS, which is also fighting against him.

    We don’t like Iran, but the Iranian government supports the Iraqi gov’t against IS. So, some of our friends support our enemies and some of our enemies are our friends, and some of our enemies are fighting our other enemies, whom we don’t want to lose, but we don’t want our enemies who are fighting our enemies to win.

    If the people we want to defeat are defeated, they might be replaced by people we like even less. And, all this was started by us invading a country to drive out terrorists who weren’t actually there until we went in to drive them out – do you understand now?

    http://www.newstalk.com/In-case-you-are-confused-about-what-is-happening-in-the-Middle-East 

    Dutch court orders government to cut carbon emissions in landmark ruling

    Dutch court orders state to reduce emissions by 25% within five years to protect its citizens from climate change in world’s first climate liability suit

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/24/dutch-government-ordered-cut-carbon-emissions-landmark-ruling 

    Washington State Youth Win Unprecedented Decision in their Climate Change Lawsuit 

    Successful petition by eight youths on C02 reductions. For the first time in the US, a court of law has ordered a state agency to consider the best available climate science when deciding to regulate C02 emissions,”

    http://westernlaw.org/article/washington-state-youth-win-unprecedented-decision-their-climate-change-lawsuit-press-release 

    James Hansen summary

    http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2015/20150626.LegalFront.pdf 

    Invited by Vatican, Naomi Klein Makes Moral Case for World Beyond Fossil Fuels

    Activist and author praises ‘courageous’ invitation by Pope in face of fossil fuel industry’s power”In a world where profit is consistently put before both people and the planet, climate economics has everything to do with ethics and morality.”

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/07/02/invited-vatican-naomi-klein-makes-moral-case-world-beyond-fossil-fuels 

    Over 300 wildfires are burning in Alaska right now. 

    That’s a bigger problem than it sounds as fires in the Arctic  affect the permafrost whose total carbon content would be double what’s currently in the atmosphere.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/24/more-than-200-fires-are-burning-in-alaska-right-now-heres-why-thats-a-big-deal

    http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap

    Adani mega-coal mine proposal an ‘economic basket case’: Qld Treasury

    Documents reveal that the Queensland Treasury expressed serious concern about public money being spent when no due diligence had been conducted by the then Newman government. Adani’s coal holdings in the Galilee had already become a stranded asset,” and now, with the Indian Group’s recent corporate restructure, it has effectively become “collateral damage”.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/adani-mega-coal-mine-proposal-an-economic-basket-case-qld-treasury-63312 

    Poverty, Drugs, Afghanistan, Iraq, Terror, or How to Make War on Everything

    War on drugs. War on poverty. War in Afghanistan. War in Iraq. War on terror. The biggest mistake in American policy, foreign and domestic, is looking at everything as war. When a war mentality takes over, it chooses the weapons and tactics for you.  It limits the terms of debate before you even begin. It answers questions before they’re even asked.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42270.htm 

    Half of Europe’s electricity set to be from renewables by 2030

    Leaked EU paper predicts fast renewables growth to around double current levels if countries meet climate objectives

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/26/half-europes-electricity-set-to-be-renewable-2030 

    Scotland Got Half Its Electricity From Renewables In 2014

    Thanks to a massive investment in onshore and offshore wind.

    http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/26/3674316/scotland-gets-half-its-power-from-renewables

    US To Begin Invasion of Syria

    US policymakers sign paper calling for the division, destruction, and US occupation of Syria in an incremental invasion.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42250.htm 

    For those who love maps

    Mapping US Military Installations Around the World

    http://empire.is

    Asia To Surpass North America As Wealthiest Region In 2016

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/06/16/asia-to-surpass-north-america-as-wealthiest-region-in-2016-fintech-set-to-change-wealth-management

    California = Britain? Some US States Have Fiscal Muscle of Entire Countries

    http://blogs.voanews.com/all-about-america/2015/06/19/us-states-have-economic-muscle-of-entire-countries

    Solar Impulse 2 takes off in ‘moment of truth’ for longest solo flight in history

    Solar sets off on Pacific crossing from Japan to Hawaii, expected to last five days and nights in most difficult leg yet. It is expected to take five days and nights of continuous flight

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/29/solar-plane-takes-off-solo-pacific-crossing?CMP=ema_632 

    Goading Russia:

    US Marine unit to be sent to Bulgaria to “reassure allies”:

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/1433780ad5d94c16ab95e4f06778ca94/us-marine-unit-be-sent-bulgaria-reassure-allies 

    US to boost its military presence in Central and Eastern Europe:

    http://www.euronews.com/2015/06/23/defence-us-to-boost-its-military-presence-in-central-and-eastern-europe

    Pentagon Says It Needs $270 Billion to Upgrade Nuclear Arsenal:

    http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/06/25/pentagon-says-it-needs-270-billion-to-upgrade-nuclear-arsenal.html 

    Pentagon Admits 60,000 Black Soldiers Used in Human Experiment:

    The US Government used Black soldiers as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments during World War II.

    http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Pentagon-Admits-60000-Black-Soldiers-Used-in-Human-Experiment-20150625-0013.html 

    In turf war with Afghan Taliban, IS gains ground: –

    IS has seized substantial territory in Afghanistan for the first time.

    http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-turf-war-afghan-taliban-islamic-state-loyalists-120338295.html  

     South Africa’s long walk to decline

    The end of apartheid was signalled 25 years ago today – but South Africa’s dreams lie in tatters

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/11684492/South-Africas-long-walk-to-decline.html  

    Still Cozy After All These Years

    Beijing’s support for Pyongyang during the Korean War tells us why it still backs Kim today. http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/25/korean-war-anniversary-why-china-supports-pyongyang-north-korea/

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  • Cashless India program attacks world’s poorest

    Cashless India program attacks world’s poorest

    Prime Minister Morodi's justification for a Cashless India
    Prime Minister Morodi’s justification for a Cashless India

    India’s rapid move to a cashless society was part of Prime Minister Morodi’s campaign against corruption and tax avoidance but the consequences of the sudden cancellation of all 500 and 1,000 rupee bills has led to an economic crisis and widespread accusations that it is an attack on the poor. With uneven access to digital and financial services the enforced move to a digital economy is leaving hundreds of millions of people behind. 17% of Indians own a smart phone and only 11% have a credit or debit card. Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in the streets, locking down banks and government offices.

    Chakravorti, who co-authored a report titled “The Cost of Cash in India,” found that, “most Indians lack the means to use cashless alternatives irrespective of their desire to do so.”

    “The digital infrastructure in India is so horrendously poor,” Chakravorti says. “The majority of people don’t have access to smartphones. Large numbers of them cannot read or write. Mobile connections are extremely poor. Even the people in the city, for them connections are terrible.”

    A New Delhi shop keeper has lost 80% of his business due to the crisis
    A New Delhi shop keeper has lost 80% of his business due to the crisis

    Chakrovorti says policy-makers pushing a cashless society are “essentially putting the cart before the horse. The country needs to invest in its digital infrastructure before it pushes people to digital payments.”

    http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/12/21/506330351/india-wants-to-go-cashless-but-its-easier-said-than-done

    The point of this new act being that no longer will it be necessary to offer payment to employees in cash. It will be possible to pay via cheque, or electronic transfer into a bank account. The aim is, of course, all rather tied in with the demonetisation campaign and the move toward a cashless society. If wages are being paid in a manner easy to check then the tax system can be expected to benefit. And given that vast swathes of India’s economy are entirely informal it’s obviously in the government’s interest for this to happen.

    In a further push to cashless economy, the Central cabinet has approved the ordinance for paying wages via electronic means — which means that the government has given its nod for cashless salary. Accordingly, the government approved to amend Section 6 of the Payment Of Wages Act.

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/12/21/india-repeals-the-truck-acts-in-move-to-cashless-society/#722161f36413

    It was a move that could have brought India’s economy to a shuddering halt. Indeed, the seemingly endless queues outside banks, and the difficulty of spending cash at shops and stalls may have seemed like it did. But the decision to demonetise the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes was just one in a series of moves that will push India towards a digital economy.

    http://theconversation.com/india-taking-a-step-on-the-road-to-cashless-economy-70309

  • Russia hosts Sunni Muslims to undermine Saudis and USA

    Russia hosts Sunni Muslims to undermine Saudis and USA

    Sunni Conference in Chechnya
    Putin is the only Christian leader to attend the Sunni Conference in Chechnya

    A global conference of Sunni Muslims was held in Chechnya with the blessing of Russian President Putin, to plan the isolation and undermining of Saudi Arabia and its radical Wahabi brand of Islam that spawned Al Quaeda and ISIS. At the same time, Iran, Iraq and Syria are overcoming political differences to present a united front to exclude the US and work with Russia and Turkey under the guidance of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. US General Joseph Dunford, says the US will remain in northern Iraq to work with Saudis to promote Al Quaeda and prevent Syrian President Assad resuming control. Spokespeople from the US state department claim the General is not citing official policy. It is not clear which way President-elect Donald Trump will eventually lean. 

    The Salafi movement in Sunni Islam has experienced a strong jolt recently, not only in terms of a challenge to its worldview but even to its very existence. On August 25-27, an international conference held in Grozny, Chechnya, was attended by over 200 leading Muslim clerics from various Islamic schools of thought, sponsored by the president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov (see photo), and with the blessing of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Participants addressed the question, “Who are the people of the Sunna?” and determined that authentic Sunni Islam is not a militant religion that preaches violence, but rather a religion characterized by inclusion and tolerance towards the “other”.

    https://www.ict.org.il/Article/1808/the-grozny-conference-in-chechnya-is-the-salafi-movement-a-rotten-fruit-of-sunni-islam

     

    US military hackers have penetrated Russia’s electric grid, 

    US hacks into the computer infrastructure of adversary nations such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea is akin to the kind of military scouting that is as old as human conflict.

    http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-hackers-ready-hit-back-if-russia-disrupts-election-n677936

     

    US General says we plan on “governing Raqqa” after takeover, and set up safe zones to train Al Qaeda

    The end goal…to keep the war in Syria alive, and keep the diminishing hopes of overthrowing Assad in play, irregardless of the inevitable fact that the legitimate government in Damascus will soon control the major urban western hubs of the fractured nation.

    http://theduran.com/us-general-says-will-govern-raqqa-takeover-set-safe-zone-train-al-qaeda-rebels-fight-assad/

     

    Are US allies in Southeast Asia defecting to China?

    Malaysia and the Philippines’ rapprochement with China is the result of realignment of interests.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/11/malaysia-philippines-relations-china-161107101018957.html

     

     

  • Home power generation now cheaper than the grid

    Home power generation now cheaper than the grid

    Biosolar's Leigh Storr
    Leigh Storr correctly predicted rooftop solar would undercut grid connections in 2016

    Storing electricity generated during the day for use overnight could save householders one quarter of their electricity bill, an article in New Economy claims this week. The exact saving depends on the level of government rebates and electricity charges and feed in payments. Both storage and generation solutions for domestic electricity continue to develop rapidly with a wide range of batteries available for the home and new photovoltaic roof tiles from Tesla, that make the entire roof a giant electric cell. Solar providers have been claiming for some time that the cost of local generation would eventually drop below that of the grid. That point has been reached.

    How battery storage can cut home electricity bills by one quarter

    The combination of PV+battery+grid is $123 per year cheaper than the cheapest grid-only offer ($1,645 per year) and $449 lower than the median grid-only offer. In other words, our typical 4,800 kWh household can beat all contemporary grid-only offers by installing a PV+battery system and selecting the best retail offer to provide their residual grid consumption and to export their PV production surplus.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/battery-storage-can-cut-home-electricity-bills-one-quarter-73736/

    http://westender.com.au/capital-growth-constraint-biosolar/

    https://www.tesla.com/solar

     

  • Starvation may double within a decade

    Small farms with diverse crops ensure food security
    Small farms with diverse crops ensure food security

    Speaking at World Food Day last week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said that Climate Chaos will play havoc with agriculture, reducing food production and creating an extra 100 million starving people before 2030.

    A report on Agro-ecology by Friends of the Earth released concurrently echoes these findings while highlighting the role of diversity and small scale farming in protecting food security.

    “Government support for agribusiness is most likely blocking rather than aiding the achievement of food security and food sovereignty,” wrote Friends of the Earth publisher Kirtana Chandrasekaran.

     

    http://www.foei.org/news/need-agroecological-revolution-governments-investing-agribusiness

    Millions Face Hunger by 2030 Without ‘Deep Transformation’ of Agriculture:

    Over 120 million people could be forced into extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of climate change on small-scale food producers. Abrupt changes would make adequate adaptation almost impossible with major declines in crop yields and increasingly high and volatile food prices. “In the longer run, unless measures are put in place to halt and reverse climate change, food production could become impossible in large areas of the world.” The report cites diversifying crop production, better integration of farming with the natural habitat, agroecology, and “sustainable intensification” as strategies to help small-scale farmers adapt to a warming world. The report notes that subsidies for fertilizers and pesticides hinder the progress of more sustainable, organic farming.

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/10/17/millions-face-hunger-2030-without-deep-transformation-agriculture-un

     

    As our new report shows, investing in agroecology requires a drastically different model than the agribusiness led version many Governments are currently pursuing.

    In the rush to expand investment in agriculture, Governments are falling over themselves to sign trade and investment agreements and court agribusinesses.

    http://www.foei.org/resources/publications/publications-by-subject/food-sovereignty-publications/agreements-block-agroecology-and-food-sovereignty

     

  • Duterte divorces USA while killing drug users in the streets

    Duterte divorces USA while killing drug users in the streets

    Duterte at the Philippines-China Trade Investment Forum in Beijing
    Duterte at the Philippines-China Trade Investment Forum in Beijing

    Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced in Beijing this week a new strategic relationship with China and an end to the close military ties with the USA.

    “America has lost now. There are three of us against the world, China, Philippines and Russia. It is the only way”, he told an international trade conference.

    Meanwhile in the Philippines police have killed over 3,000 drug users and dealers in the 100 days since he came to power, publicly displaying the bodies with signs warning people not to deal in drugs. He criticises the USA for hypocricy in the war on drugs.

    During the presidential election campaign Duterte promised to fill the Bay of Manila with the corpses of 100,000 criminals should he come to power.

    Rodrigo Duterte interview: Death, drugs and diplomacy

    “We have three million drug addicts, and it’s growing. So if we do not interdict this problem, the next generation will be having a serious problem. If you destroy our young children, I will kill you. That is a very correct statement. There is nothing wrong in trying to preserve the interest of the next generation.”

    http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2016/10/exclusive-rodrigo-duterte-war-drugs-161015100325799.html

     

    http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/09/philippines-duterte-killer-drug-war-160905094258461.html

     

    MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte’s shock “separation” from the United States has thrown Philippine foreign policy into confusion, with the Americans saying they are baffled and some of his top aides contradicting him.

     

    http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/afp/2016/10/22/481745/Duterte-divorces.htm

    America has lost now. I have realigned myself in your ideological flow, and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world, China, Philippines and Russia. It is the only way.”

    http://www.voanews.com/a/duterte-declares-philippine-separation-from-us/3559129.html

    Will “They” Really Try to Kill President Duterte?

    The hitless of the Empire reads like a catalogue of illustrious world leaders: from Patrice Lumumba (Zaire), Mohammad Mosaddegh (Iran), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Sukarno (Indonesia), Juvénal Habyarimana (Rwanda), Salvador Allende (Chile) to Muammar Gaddafi (Libya), Al-Basheer (Sudan) and Fidel Castro (Cuba), to name just a few. Some were directly assassinated; others were ‘only’ toppled, while only a handful of ‘marked’ leaders actually managed to survive and to stay in power. There were several grave crimes committed by almost all of them include: defending the vital interests of their nations and people, refusing to allow the unbridled plunder of natural resources by multinational corporations, and standing against the principles of imperialism. Simple criticism of the Empire has also been often punishable by death.

    http://journal-neo.org/2016/10/17/will-they-really-try-to-kill-president-duterte/