Author: JohnJames

  • The John James Newsletter No. <185>

    The John James Newsletter 185

    8 July 2017

    As a professor of climate and space sciences, I teach my students they need to plan for a world 4℃ warmer 

    Damian Carrington

    Nobody in Washington is draining the swamp. They are the swampRobert Ferre

    If we don’t change direction soon, we’ll end up where we’re heading

    Anon

    I studied the Quran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of MuhammadAlexis de Toqueville

    Regime change is still a major tool of US foreign policy. Kevin Zeese

    Insanity is hereditary; you can get it from your children

    Sam Levison

    Hopes of mild climate change dashed by new research

    Planet could heat up far more than hoped as new work shows temperature rises measured over recent decades don’t fully reflect global warming already in the pipeline. Land, mostly in the northern hemisphere heats up quickly. But there is also a slow response, he said: “This is mostly associated with warming over the oceans. They are big and full of cold water, especially at depth, and take a long time to heat up.” Furthermore, when the slow warming does kick in, it is likely to reduce the cloud cover that shades the Southern ocean and the eastern tropical Pacific, amplifying the heating.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/05/hopes-of-mild-climate-change-dashed-by-new-research

    Slow climate mode reconciles historical and model-based estimates of climate sensitivity

    http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1602821.full

    If We Stopped Emitting Greenhouse Gases Right Now, Would We Stop Climate Change?

    Despite significant advances in renewable energy sources, total demand for energy accelerates and carbon dioxide emissions increase. As a professor of climate and space sciences, I teach my students they need to plan for a world 4℃ warmer. A 2011 report from the International Energy Agency states that if we don’t get off our current path, then we’re looking at an Earth 6℃ warmer. Even now after the Paris Agreement, the trajectory is essentially the same. It’s hard to say we’re on a new path until we see a peak and then a downturn in carbon emissions. With the approximately 1℃ of warming we’ve already seen, the observed changes are already disturbing.

    https://futurism.com/if-we-stopped-emitting-greenhouse-gases-right-now-would-we-stop-climate-change/

    and

    http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/media/weowebsite/2011/executive_summary.pdf

    Why the climate is more sensitive to carbon dioxide than weather records suggest 

    Climate sensitivity is defined as the amount Earth’s average temperature will ultimately rise in response to a doubling of atmospheric CO2. Models give a range of 1.5-4.5℃ per doubling of CO₂, whereas historical weather observations suggest a smaller range of 1.5-3.0℃ per doubling of CO₂.. A new study shows that the models are likely to be right.

    https://theconversation.com/why-the-climate-is-more-sensitive-to-carbon-dioxide-than-weather-records-suggest-80463

    New maps reveal cancer levels across Australia, and across the social strata 

    The inequality is evident in levels of obesity, diabetes, circulatory diseases and psychological distress. For all of these measures, the problem is greater, and in many cases much greater, among the most disadvantaged.

    https://theconversation.com/new-maps-reveal-cancer-levels-across-australia-and-across-the-social-strata-75389

    GET EVERYBODY TO SIGN THIS – we are impoverishing our parents

    Lift the Australian age pension above the poverty line

    There are hundreds of thousands of aged pensioners who barely survive each week on our meagre pension.which is below the poverty line. many of us eat only one meal a day, we turn of the hot water for 6 months a year so that we can survive. we can’t afford a phone, never mind the Internet. Getting medical/ dental care is beyond our reach. those of us who have to rent pay over half our income to have shelter, leaving us almost destitute. We want an independent tribunal to set our pensions, as described in today’s Press club address, with no political influence.

    https://www.change.org/p/lift-the-age-pension-above-the-poverty-line

    Man’s home is a haven for dying kids – over 10 children died there already

    Mohamed truly has a heart of gold. He gives dying children a sense of security, happiness, and joy they would otherwise not have. If more people were like Mohamed, the world would be a brighter place. He as fostered over 80 children over 20 years.

    http://en.newsner.com/man-s-home-is-a-haven-for-dying-kids-over-80-children-died-there-already/about/family

    South Sudan’s million-strong refugee crisis and the generosity of neighbouring Uganda

    Unlike many western countries, Uganda has has given refugees land and seeds in the belief that they will be better off making a new life than doing nothing in a camp. The number of refugees globally has not been higher since the end of the second world war and a million have crossed from South Sudan into Uganda. An estimated two million people have been displaced by the civil war and ethnic cleansing that has been raging in the world’s newest country for the past four years.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/02/south-sudans-million-strong-refugee-crisis-is-a-test-for-the-world-bank

    A million bottles a minute: world’s plastic binge ‘as dangerous as climate change’

    Annual consumption of plastic bottles is set to top half a trillion by 2021, far outstripping recycling efforts and jeopardising oceans, coastlines and other environments. In the UK 38.5m plastic bottles are used every day – only just over half make it to recycling, while more than 16m are put into landfill, burnt or leak into the environment and oceans each day.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change

    Zooplankton Are Eating Plastic, And That’s Bad News For Ocean Life

    a humpback whale, the study’s authors write, eats 1.5 percent of its body weight in krill and zooplankton every day, which means it would be ingesting 300,000 microplastic particles on a daily basis.

    https://thinkprogress.org/zooplankton-are-eating-plastic-and-thats-bad-news-for-ocean-life-dbe31be8ae2b

    WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

    Pledge to make plastic a thing of the past!

    Every July, over a million people around the world participate in Plastic Free July, a challenge to refuse single-use plastics for one whole month. This year, we’re trying something a little different – and we’d like to invite you to take part. Here’s the thing. Avoiding plastic for any amount of time is a great thing to do – but that alone won’t end our addiction to plastic. When individuals choose not to buy or use plastic, they remove plastic from their lives. But what we really need is to eliminate problematic plastic from the economy altogether. To do that, we need to work together to push communities, companies, and countries to go plastic free.  This year, take the Plastic Free July pledge to make plastic a thing of the past. Every week this July, we’ll send you ideas and opportunities to get plastic out of your life and out of your community. You’ll get suggestions for avoiding plastic in your daily life, ideas to reduce plastic in your community at large, and Citizen Muscle action opportunities to fight plastic pollution.

    http://action.storyofstuff.org/sign/plastic-free-july17/?t=3&akid=7281.391070.dj23eF

    Our Moon Used to Be Home to a Molten Metal Ocean and Supersonic Winds

    Most researchers believe the Moon formed when a Mars-sized object collided with the Earth 4.5 billion years ago, forming a cloud of molten material that was later coagulated into the Moon by gravitational forces. Existing models suggest that the Moon would have had its own atmosphere soon after this formation.

    https://futurism.com/scientists-think-the-moon-used-to-be-home-to-a-molten-metal-ocean-and-supersonic-winds/

    Sharia Law In Europe

    initially, Sharia law was applied discretely within the small Muslim enclaves of Europe. But after three generations of high birth rate and immigration into Europe, those enclaves have grown to where the Sharia law now challenges the Judeo-Christian foundations of their host European nations. Today, Sharia law is spreading across Germany, Sweden and other European nations that threw open their doors to Muslim refugees, who are raping their host nations’ women and forming “Sharia Police” to patrol and impose Sharia law on their streets.

    http://www.billionbibles.org/sharia/sharia-europe.html

    US Prisons Churning Out Thousands Of Radicalized Inmates

    http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/21/u-s-prisons-churning-out-thousands-of-radicalized-inmates/

    3 Reasons Why Islam Is Unreformable

    It is a militant supremacist ideology not The Religion of Peace™, and far more of its core text (Qur’an, Hadith, Sira) is devoted to law, politics and war strategy than any ‘spirituality’ (for more, click here). But the ‘beard’ of religion and culture means that it can avoid scrutiny by claiming victimhood and discrimination.

    https://redgreenalliance.com/2016/02/12/islam-is-unreformable/

    Are Americans Also the Victims of “Regime Change”?

    the ingredients that have become common – civil society protests against the government, media reports supporting the protests, agents within the government supporting the coup and replacement of the government with a US-friendly regime.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/color-revolution-comes-home-are-americans-also-the-victims-of-regime-change/5597390

    Watch: 800,000 Years of Climate Change in Three Minutes

    a short video we made, to put recent climate change and carbon dioxide emissions into the context of the past

    https://futurism.com/watch-800000-years-climate-change-three-minutes/

    One-quarter of Australian homes now have solar

    a total of 5.7GW of rooftop PV had been installed on 1.7 million households and businesses at the end of May, capping off a record first five months of installs in any year in Australia’s history.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/one-quarter-of-australian-homes-now-have-solar-70886/

    Putin, Xi Message To Trump: US Unipolar World Is Over 

    That message, as Putin and Xi effectively gave to Trump this week, is that American ambitions of world domination are no longer acceptable and no longer tenable. Washington’s days of bullying the world with its moralizing hypocrisy and military aggression are over.

    https://www.rt.com/op-edge/395367-putin-xi-message-trump/

    Mars covered in toxic chemicals that can wipe out living organisms

    Discovery has major implications for hunt for alien life on the red planet as it means any evidence is likely to be buried deep underground. Experiments with compounds found in the Martian soil show that they are turned into potent bactericides by the ultraviolet light that bathes the planet, effectively sterilising the upper layers of the dusty landscape.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/06/mars-covered-in-toxic-chemicals-that-can-wipe-out-living-organisms-tests-reveal

    Elon Musk’s big battery brings reality crashing into a post-truth world 

    Elon Musk’s agreement to build the world’s largest battery for South Australia isn’t just an extraordinary technological breakthrough that signs coal’s death warrant. It’s potentially a game changer in the way we do politics, reinserting the importance of basic reality into a debate which has been bereft of it for too long.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/07/elon-musks-big-battery-brings-reality-crashing-into-a-post-truth-world

    Big bang and pillar of fire as latest of two new craters form in the Arctic

    This plot of land was absolutely flat just two years ago. A year ago in 2016 it bulged and we could see that soil has cracked there. Many photos.

    http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/big-bang-and-pillar-of-fire-as-latest-of-two-new-craters-forms-this-week-in-arctic/

  • The John James Newsletter No. <184>

    The John James Newsletter 184

    1 July 2017

    We are living in a world borrowed from our children’s future

    Anna Breytenbach

    Enlightenment is easy for those who have no opinions

    Buddha

    The Animal Communicator 

    Anna Breytenbach demonstrates that when we are connected without agenda or attachment we can be heard by nature, and are in tune. This is only possible when we have eased ourselves out of the way. She could change your life, or at least deepen it as she has mine. She reminds me of how intimately empathetic we become when involved in therapy, on the deepest and most at-one moments.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEALi7ZEbCo  

    Anna Breytenbach communicates with the Great White Shark 

    All ten species are endangered. Just don’t be afraid, for you and the shark have equal rights to a space in the water, and they have told her they don’t like the taste of human flesh.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTdlMC6NZU4 

    Solar Costs Are Hitting Jaw-Dropping Lows in Every Region of the World 

    The plunges in system pricing won’t just come from modules — they’ll come from reductions in inverters, trackers and even labor. And every region will benefit. India has utility PV system pricing of 65 cents per watt.

    https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Solar-Costs-Are-Hitting-Jaw-Dropping-Lows-In-Every-Region-of-the-World 

    Wind Energy Has Officially Become Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels

    Industry leaders have estimated that the cost of producing energy using wind farms has dropped to around $100 per megawatt hour, making the energy source as cost effective as coal and nuclear.

    https://futurism.com/wind-energy-has-officially-become-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels

    Deadline 2020: Just Three Years, Say Experts, Before Global Tipping Point

    “Should emissions continue to rise beyond 2020, or even remain level, the temperature goals set in Paris become almost unattainable. At least 30% of the world’s electric supply needs to come from renewable sources, and no new coal plants can be built.” This report is timed for the coming G27 meeting where the Paris agreement will be at the top of the agenda.

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/06/29/deadline-2020-just-three-years-say-experts-global-tipping-point 

    Scary’: CO2 Rates continue to Climb even as emissions stabilise 

    While carbon dioxide emission rates have stabilized, the level of the greenhouse gas in the earth’s atmosphere has continued to rise in 2017. Scientists say the earth’s natural “sponges” may be unable to absorb CO2 at the previous rate and to simply stop pumping CO2 into the air will no longer be enough to prevent climate change.

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/06/27/scary-co2-rates-climb-even-emissions-stabilize 

    Israel to Enclose Gaza as a “Prison Territory” 

    Construction of New High Tech Surveillance Wall to Separate Gaza from Israel  65 km long equipped with cameras and sensor  as a de facto “prison territory” with a population of more than 1.85 million.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/enclosure-of-gaza-as-a-prison-territory-construction-of-new-high-tech-surveillance-wall-to-separate-gaza-from-israel/5596091 

    Meet the Tire That Never Needs Air. Or Be Replaced

    A perfect balance for an Electric Car that has so few moving parts there is little maintenance. Tyre replacement costs a heap in energy waste.

    https://futurism.com/videos/meet-the-tire-that-never-needs-air-or-be-replaced

    Trump Plays Nuclear ‘Chicken’ with Putin Over Syria

    He is playing a game of nuclear “chicken” following Putin’s warning on June 19th to go to war if the US again shoots down, inside the sovereign territory of the internationally-recognized-as-legal sovereign Syrian government any Syrian aircraft, or the aircraft of any of the foreign governments that have allied with Syria: Russia, Iran, and China.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-plays-nuclear-chicken-with-putin-over-syria/5596512

    Coal entrepreneur pursues printed batteries on printed solar

    A new technology bought by battery storage firm Printed Energy promises to do what the company’s name suggests – print out ultra-thin, flexible screen-printed batteries, on top of ultra-thin flexible screen printed solar panels – and engineer another major reduction in renewable energy costs.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/coal-entrepreneur-pursues-printed-batteries-on-printed-solar-60334

    Larsen C iceberg accelerates ahead of calving

    In another sign that the iceberg calving is imminent, the soon-to-be-iceberg part of Larsen C Ice Shelf has tripled in speed to more than ten meters per day between 24th and 27th June 2017. The iceberg remains attached to the ice shelf, but its outer end is moving at the highest speed ever recorded on this shelf. We still can’t tell when calving will occur – it could be hours, days or weeks – but this is a notable departure from previous observations.

    http://www.projectmidas.org/blog/berg-acceleration/  

    Mammoth Genome Analysis Points to Pre-Extinction Genome Declines

    An analysis of available ancient genome sequences suggests that the genome of the woolly mammoth, began taking on ever more potentially deleterious mutations as populations dwindled and the species got closer to extinction

    https://www.genomeweb.com/sequencing/mammoth-genome-analysis-points-pre-extinction-genome-declines 

    The map that fills a 500-million-year gap in Earth’s history

    The first whole-Earth plate tectonic map of half-a-billion years of Earth history, from 1,000 million years ago to 520 million years ago.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/map-fills-500-million-year-gap-in-earth-history/8655196 

    There’s a Weird Relationship Between Cancer and Alzheimer’s

    As the most common cause of dementia, it’s the sixth leading cause of death in the US, behind conditions like heart disease and cancer. While cancer and Alzheimer’s seemingly don’t have that much in common, there is one key link that researchers at MD Anderson think could be useful: People with a history of cancer are less likely to get Alzheimer’s, while people with Alzheimer’s are less likely to get cancer.

    https://futurism.com/theres-a-weird-relationship-between-cancer-and-alzheimers

    Mayors of 7,400 cities vow to meet Obama’s climate commitments

    ‘Global covenant of mayors’ to work together on climate change whether current White House resident agrees or not. Trump’s disappointing decision to withdraw from the agreement will actually have the opposite effect in terms of execution.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/global-covenant-mayors-cities-vow-to-meet-obama-climate-commitments 

    The World Is Now $217,000,000,000,000 In Debt And The Global Elite Like It That Way

    The borrower is the servant of the lender, and through the mechanism of government debt virtually the entire planet has become the servants of the global money changers.  Politicians love to borrow money, but over time government debt slowly but surely impoverishes a nation.  As the governments around the globe acquire increasing amounts of debt, they must raise taxes to keep servicing those debts.  In the end, it is all about taking money from us and transferring it into government pockets, and then taking money from government pockets and transferring it into the hands of the elite.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-30/world-now-217000000000000-debt-and-global-elite-it-way 

    Syrian refugees return home in the hundreds of thousands, UN says

    Nearly half a million Syrians have returned to their homes since the beginning of the year, mainly to find family members and check on propertyThere has been “a notable trend of spontaneous returns to and within Syria in 2017”

    http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syrian-refugees-return-home-hundreds-thousands-1140452234 

    The Refugee Crisis is destroying Europe. 

    The number of lawless areas (commonly referred to as, “no-go zones”) in Sweden have now reached 61, rising from 55 in just one year. This increase includes, not only the total number, but also the geographical size of these areas. These are areas women can no longer freely walk around no less the police themselves. Sweden’s National Police Commissioner, Dan Eliasson, came out and pleaded on national television for assistance: “Help us, help us!” he said while warning that Swedish police forces can no longer uphold the law. The refugees are so disrespectful that if the free money is cut off, Sweden can quickly find itself in the midst of total chaos. The refugees will turn violent and seek whatever they can from the other regions. When the police come out and ask for help, you know something is seriously wrong. The crisis is becoming critical because the refugees did not come to assimilate into Western Culture, but to change the West to their world.

    https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/europes-current-economy/refugees/sweden-on-the-brink-of-a-legal-crisis

  • The John James Newsletter No. <183>

    The John James Newsletter 183

    24 June 2017

    It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine 

    REM

    Trump’s erratic impulsiveness is a national security risk

    Brian Klaas

    The Syrian nightmare is a state is being ravaged and mauled to the point of non-recognition. It is now a mere terrain for heavily armed bullies, a smoky crusted ruin of dust and ruin, its populace fleeing when it can, shielding itself when it must, and hoping for the best

    Binoy Kampmark

    How Solar Power Could Slay the Fossil Fuel Empire by 2030

    THIS REMARKABLE ANALYSIS COULD HOLD THE KEY TO A FUTURE WITHOUT FOSSIL FUELS

    and all we need to do is help it on its way ! 

    In just 15 years, the world as we know it could be transformed forever. The age of oil, gas, coal and nuclear will be over. A new age of clean power and smarter cars will totally, and permanently disrupt the existing fossil fuel-dependent industrial infrastructure in a way that even the most starry-eyed proponents of ‘green energy’ could never have imagined. By 2030 “the industrial age of energy and transportation will be over,” swept away by “exponentially improving technologies such as solar, electric vehicles, and self-driving cars.”

    https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9aknpv/how-solar-power-could-slay-the-fossil-fuel-empire-by-2030  

    Coalition’s war on cheap power: When fools design energy policy

    The Finkel Review makes it clear that the building of new coal-fired power stations offers neither cheaper power nor greater security. Despite hailing the “unstoppable” energy revolution in his draft report, Finkel barely touches on the radical transformation that the CSIRO and the network owners said was not just possible, but absolutely essential in the name of grid security, and to manage costs.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/coalitions-war-on-cheap-power-when-fools-design-energy-policy-57221/  

    Driven by Tesla, battery prices cut in half since 2014

    Electric vehicles already match petrol cars on total cost, soon batteries plus solar will beat natural gas power. In 2013, the International Energy Agency estimated EVs would achieve cost parity with gasoline vehicles when battery costs hit $300 per kiloWatt-hour of storage capacity, which the IEA said would happen by 2020. That price point was in fact crossed last year, which is why both GM and Tesla announced they could deliver affordable (well below $40,000), long-range (200-plus miles) EVs.

    https://thinkprogress.org/chart-of-the-month-driven-by-tesla-battery-prices-cut-in-half-since-2014-718752a30a42 

    What is ‘cognitive reserve’? How we can protect our brains from memory loss and dementia 

    Even cognitively normal people experience pathological changes in their brain, including degeneration and atrophy, as they age. By the time a person reaches the age of 70 to 80, these changes closely resemble those seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Even so, many people are able to function normally in the presence of significant brain damage and pathology. So why do some experience symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia, while others remain sharp of mind?

    https://theconversation.com/what-is-cognitive-reserve-how-we-can-protect-our-brains-from-memory-loss-and-dementia-76591 

    Compare PV installation sizes across postcodes

    Explore per-postcode domestic and commercial PV across different installation sizes. Scroll and select from the postcodes on the right to add them to the data set. Select the system size categories to toggle their visibility.

    http://pv-map.apvi.org.au/postcode 

    World’s biggest coal company closes 37 mines as solar power’s influence grows

    Plummeting price of renewable energy puts pressure on fossil fuel firms.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coal-india-closes-37-mines-solar-power-sustainable-energy-market-influence-pollution-a7800631.html 

    Climate change an accelerant to instability in unexpected ways 

    A wide-ranging analysis by Code Red.

    http://www.climatecodered.org/2017/06/climate-change-accelerant-to.html 

    Read the full report by Ian Dunlop and David Spratt. 

    https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2017/06/20/ACFrOgDkCYAvFeJ9d4YxhOlZiOHNkTOnWbkhlY_dX8kl_O3ChbGcEmWsbUNrOnJUwE4SNWFvzB7RM6w4GsF0pDwdnREIip-k5J-03TQc0Op4FWrsNcZpjXAuy7NNJ_Y=.pdf 

    Deadly Heatwaves Could Threaten Nearly Three-Quarters of World’s Inhabitants

    New study released as “unusually early” heatwaves grip large swathes of globe. Deadly heatwaves could be faced by nearly three-quarters of humanity by 2100. “We are running out of choices for the future,”

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/06/21/deadly-heatwaves-could-threaten-nearly-three-quarters-worlds-inhabitants 

    It’s so hot in Phoenix, Arizona, planes can’t take off

    American Airlines cancelled 50 flights out of Phoenix on Tuesday because the planes can’t operate above 118°F.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/hot-phoenix-arizona-planes-cant-take-off-19651

    Celebrate Our Victories!

    100+ highlights of Avaaz people power

    https://avaaz.org/page/en/highlights

    The Truth About Trump’s Golden Boy

    Jared Kushner has influence over some of the most significant areas of world politics — tasks normally reserved for people who spent their careers on them. But more important than the experience question, Kushner is a shining example of the web of hypocrisy, contradiction and intrigue surrounding Trump and his promises to rejuvenate American capitalism.

    http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/40970-the-truth-about-trump-s-golden-boy 

    Aleppo After the Fall

    The core of the conflict in Aleppo, as in much of Syria, was a divide between urban wealth and rural poverty. It is not new. Travelers in the Ottoman era used to describe the shocking gulf between Aleppo’s opulence and the countryside surrounding it, where peasants lived in almost Stone Age conditions. Later, this divide mapped onto the city itself, as eastern Aleppo spread and filled with poor migrants. Deeply religious and mostly illiterate, smoldering with class resentment, they became the foot soldiers of a violent insurgency led by the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1970s.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/magazine/aleppo-after-the-fall.html  

    Saudi Arabia is destabilizing the world

    The Saudi government is an absolute monarchy supported by one of the world’s most reactionary religious sects. It gives clerics large sums to promote their anti-Western, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic brand of religious militancy abroad. In exchange, the clerics refrain from criticizing the Saudi monarchy or its thousands of high-living princes. Saudis with close ties to the ruling family give crucial support to groups like Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS. This fact should be at the front of our minds whenever we consider our policy toward the Middle East

    http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/06/10/saudi-arabia-destabilizing-world/ivMeb7TWGk1fQaVjZWWKGP/story.html 

    US Shoots Down Syrian Government Aircraft

    The US proxy war in Syria is part of a broader confrontation which is not just aimed at the Assad regime but more broadly against its backers—Iran and Russia. Trump’s trip to the Middle East last month was above all aimed at forging an alliance with Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Gulf States against Iran and its allies in the region. The immediate outcome was the imposition of an all-out, Saudi-led economic blockade against Qatar—itself an act of war. Riyadh accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorism, but the real reason lies in Qatar’s relations with Iran and its reluctance to join Saudi Arabia in its anti-Iranian war drive.

    http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/06/19/us-shoots-down-syrian-government-aircraft/                       

    US Warplanes West of Euphrates in Syria Now Legitimate Targets

    After the US shot down a Syrian fighter jet on Sunday, tensions escalate.  Any aircraft, including planes and drones of the international coalition, detected in the operation areas west of the Euphrates River by the Russian air forces will be  targets.” Following these developments, commentators have expressed alarm at the possibility that President Donald Trump could escalate matters even further, given his erratic and impulsive behavior in addition to his inexperience and lack of education on matters of foreign policy.

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/06/19/russia-us-warplanes-west-euphrates-syria-now-legitimate-targets 

    Mapping Australian Photovoltaic installations

    An interactive map

    http://pv-map.apvi.org.au/historical#4/-27.14/128.67 

    UK and France propose automated censorship of online content

    Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron’s plans to make Internet companies liable for ‘extremist’ content on their platforms are fraught with challenges. They entail automated censorship and harming everyone’s right to free expression.

    https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2017/uk-and-france-propose-automated-censorship-of-online-content 

    The world’s growing taste for border fences – 50 more in 25 years

    Globalisation was supposed to tear down barriers, but security fears and a widespread refusal to help migrants and refugees have fuelled a new spate of wall-building across the world, even if experts doubt their long-term effectiveness. When the Berlin Wall was torn down a quarter-century ago, there were 16 border fences around the world. Today, there are 65 either completed or under construction

    https://www.wort.lu/en/international/wall-for-nothing-the-world-s-misjudged-but-growing-taste-for-border-fences-55d6bc050c88b46a8ce5eaca 

    Security…or Surveillance? The Edward Snowden Interview

    What to say to those who argue that they’ve got nothing to hide so nothing to fear from the intrusive ears of the state? Snowden is engagingly philosophical yet frank about his current position and where we are headed as a society.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47291.htm 

    Every router in America has been compromised’

    ohn McAfee talks about the insecurity of the modern network and the vulnerabilities we all share. If you are connecting your mobile device to public wifi, you can forget about having any privacy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch 

    The US Is Sleepwalking Towards A Nuclear Confrontation with Russia 

    It is astounding in its stupidity

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47282.htm 

    Blundering Into Yet Another Middle East War

    The possibilities for catastrophic miscalculation are skyrocketing. It’s not just the proximity of rival armed forces in both eastern Syria and the Gulf. It’s also the lack of direct communication among key parties and the lack of clarity as to their actual policies. The likelihood of miscalculation is virtually certain.

    http://lobelog.com/blundering-into-yet-another-middle-east-war

    Destabilising the Middle East

    The Saudi Regime Is Playing Donald Trump With Potentially Disastrous Consequences. It’s no great surprise when Trump walks away from past statements in service to some impulse of the moment. Nowhere, however, has such a shift been more extreme or its potential consequences more dangerous than in his sudden love affair with the Saudi royal family. It could in the end destabilize the Middle East in ways not seen in our lifetimes (which, given the growing chaos in the region, is no small thing to say).

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47287.htm 

    A mapping game for your weekend

    I now know at least one person who correctly interpreted last week’s map.

    The map is unlabelled and uncaptioned. Can you figure out what data is being presented. Click for hints.

    http://www.weeklymap.org/041_answer.html 

  • The John James Newsletter No. <182>

    The John James Newsletter 182

    17 June 2017

    Trump is an idiot, but don’t underestimate how good he is at it

    Naomi Klein

    Behind every great fortune lies a great crime

    Honore de Balzac

    War fought without oversight is war without end

    Former  Secretary of Defense Dan Feehan

    Scientists stunned by Antarctic rainfall and a melt area bigger than Texas

    In the Antarctic summer of 2016, the surface of the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest floating ice platform on Earth, developed a sheet of meltwater that lasted for as long as 15 days in some places. The total area affected by melt was 300,000 square miles, or larger than the state of Texas, the scientists report. That’s bad news because surface melting could work hand in hand with an already documented trend of ocean-driven melting to compromise West Antarctica, which contains over 10 feet of potential sea level rise.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/06/15/scientists-just-documented-a-massive-melt-event-on-the-surface-of-antarctica/

    Climate emergency as fish abandon tropical waters 

    As climate change pushes marine species towards cooler waters, and the fishing industry expands around the globe, the tropics are emptying out. Warmer waters were pushing marine species away from the equator at a rate of about 50km per decade as they followed the ideal temperatures for feeding and spawning.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/15/marine-expert-warns-of-climate-emergency-as-fish-abandon-tropical-waters

    A New “Solar Paint” Lets You Transform Your Entire House Into a Source of Clean Energy

    It can then split the water into hydrogen and oxygen, collecting the hydrogen for use in fuel cells or to power a vehicle. “[T]he simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate,”t he paint would be effective in a variety of climates, from damp environments to hot and dry ones near large bodies of water: “Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.”

    https://futurism.com/a-new-solar-paint-lets-you-transform-your-entire-house-into-a-source-of-clean-energy/

    Households’ share of national economic pie nears 50-year low

    The share of the economic pie that households currently enjoy isn’t just small by Australia’s own standards, it’s also small by international standards, As a share of GDP, the compensation of Australian employees lies towards the bottom of the international ladder.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jun/10/households-share-of-national-economic-pie-nears-50-year-low

    Now Just Five Men Own Almost as Much Wealth as Half the World’s Population 

    Last year it was 8 men, then down to 6, and now almost 5.  While Americans fixate on Trump, the super-rich are absconding with our wealth, and the plague of inequality continues to grow. An analysis of 2016 data found that the poorest five deciles of the world population own about $410 billion in total wealth. As of now, the world’s richest five men owned over $400 billion in wealth. Thus, on average, each man owns nearly as much as 750 million people.

    https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/12/now-just-five-men-own-almost-much-wealth-half-worlds-population

    Why The Markets Are Overdue For A Gigantic Bust

    The 2008 bubble blown by Greenspan was bad, the next one by Bernanke was horrible, but this one by Yellen may well prove fatal.  At least to entire  financial markets, large institutions, and a few sovereigns. It’s essential to note that more than two-thirds of the net worth tracked in the chart is now comprised of ‘financial assets.’  That is, paper claims on real things. [chart modified by JJ].  As the central banks have printed with abandon over the past decade, they’ve created the most extreme gap between real things (GDP) and the claims on those same things (Net Worth) in all of history. Following the Great Recession, the ‘plan’ of the central banks, such as it was, seems to have been to jam up people’s paper wealth, under the theory that people who feel wealthier are more likely to spend more and hopefully borrow more.

    https://www.peakprosperity.com/blog/109221/why-markets-overdue-gigantic-bust

    Falling Interest Rates Have Postponed “Peak Oil”

    The new crisis can be expected to be “Peak Economy” instead of Peak Oil. Peak Economy is

    likely to have a far different shape than Peak Oil–a much sharper downturn. It is likely to affect many aspects of the economy at once. The financial system will be especially affected. We will have gluts of all energy products, because no energy product will be affordable to consumers at a price that is profitable to producers. Grid electricity is likely to fail at essentially the same time as other parts of the system. Interest rates are very important in determining when we hit “Peak Economy.” http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/06/12/falling-interest-rates-have-postponed-peak-oil/

    Gulf Crisis: A Battle for the Future of the Muslim World

    t is a strategy that risks nurturing the kind of anti-Shiite sectarianism that serves the kingdom’s purpose in its power struggle with Iran as well as creating an environment that potentially fosters radicalism. Libya, a landscape of rival militias and governments, is an example of the Saudi strategy at work.

    http://lobelog.com/gulf-crisis-a-battle-for-the-future-of-the-muslim-world/#more-39705

    US “Jihadi Express”: Indonesia, Afghanistan, Syria, Philippines

    The complex web produced by Western imperialism that has literally destroyed entire countries, while locking other ones ‘behind bars’, in virtual neo-colonialist slavery. All this done in the name of ‘freedom’ and democracy, naturally, and often using various religions as tools, even as weapons.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47219.htm

    New Moroccan fossils suggest humans lived and evolved across Africa 100,000 years earlier than we thought

    This evidence pushes back the origins of our species to 300,000 years ago, and supports the idea that important changes in our biology and behaviour had already taken place across most of Africa by that time. Compared with the more robust face and elongated skull of Neanderthals or older hominins, the faces of Jebel Irhoud specimens are slender, relatively short, and sit under a rounder braincase (the part of the skull in which the brain sits).

    https://theconversation.com/new-moroccan-fossils-suggest-humans-lived-and-evolved-across-africa-100-000-years-earlier-than-we-thought-78826

    ‘First of our kind’ found in Morocco

    The idea that modern people evolved in a single “cradle of humanity” in East Africa some 200,000 years ago is no longer tenable, new research suggests.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40194150

    California teams up with Germany to tackle climate change amid US withdrawal 

    In 2015, California along with the German state of Baden-Württemberg formed an intergovernmental panel ‘Under2Coalition’ to gather states and regions willing to curb their emissions. The initiative now spans 175 jurisdictions from 35 countries, intent to limit global warming below 2C by reducing emissions.  “The current withdrawal from the Paris Accord by the Washington administration is being overcome and countermanded by people throughout the whole world”.

    https://www.rt.com/usa/391801-california-germany-climate-change/

    What connects Brexit, the DUP, dark money and a Saudi prince?

    The story of a massive donation to the DUP is like a John le Carré novel. The DUP has harmed Northern Ireland and endangered the union it exists to protect. How much did the lure of dark money influence that crazy decision? Any self-respecting voter would want to know.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/what-connects-brexit-the-dup-dark-money-and-a-saudi-prince-1.3083586

    How Trump Shifted Kids-Cancer Charity Money Into His Business

    I can’t believe that his dad is billing him for a charitable outing.’ But that’s what they wanted.” It’s also very consistent. The Donald J. Trump Foundation famously acted llke an arm of the overall business, using the charity’s money to settle a Trump business lawsuit, make a political donation and even purchase expensive portraits of its namesake. Meanwhile, Trump businesses billed the Trump campaign, fueled by small outside donors, more than $11 million to use his properties, chefs and private aircraft.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2017/06/06/how-donald-trump-shifted-kids-cancer-charity-money-into-his-business/#58602f086b4a

    WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

    NEVER GIVE UP

    No matter what is going on, Never give up.

    Develop the heart Instead of the mind and

    Be compassionate to everyone, work for peace and

    Never give up no matter what is going on around you, Never give up

    Paraphrased from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

    Naomi Klein interview on Trump

    The US has a president who embodies many of the things Naomi Klein has been warning about for years. She says her new book had to be written before things got worse. “It is undeniably terrifying that at this moment of such intense gravity for the planet this figure of such extreme stupidity has risen to power. But that means that there is more urgency to find solutions”.

    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/11/naomi-klein-donald-trump-no-is-not-enough-interview

    US fired depleted uranium at civilian areas in 2003 Iraq war, report finds

    Dutch peace group Pax says findings show US was in breach of official advice meant to prevent suffering in conflicts. Coordinates revealing where US jets and tanks fired nearly 10,000 DU rounds in Iraq during the war in 2003. PAX estimates that there are more than 300 sites in Iraq contaminated by DU, which will cost at least $30m to clean up. DU is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal attractive to weapons designers because it is extremely hard and can pierce armour.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/19/us-depleted-uranium-weapons-civilian-areas-iraq

    Up to 15 tons of depleted uranium used in 1999 Serbia bombing

    An international legal team is preparing a lawsuit against NATO over the alliance’s alleged use of depleted uranium munitions during its bombing of Yugoslavia. These have allegedly caused a rise in cancer-related illnesses across the region over the years. “We expect the members of NATO to provide treatment to our citizens who are suffering from cancer,” Aleksic said, adding that the bloc “must also provide the necessary technology and equipment to remove all traces of the depleted uranium” from Serbia.

    https://www.rt.com/news/392126-serbia-lawsuit-nato-depleted-uranium/

    Dirty Open Secret: US Created and Supports ISIS

    US Defense Intelligence Agency documents prove that ISIS, al-Qaeda and like-minded terrorist groups are the “major forces” used as US foot soldiers in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. The myth of so-called “moderate rebels” was long ago discredited. The DIA documents show America, NATO, Saudi Arabia and other regional rogue states support an Islamic caliphate to challenge, topple and replace Bashar al-Assad with an imperial puppet.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/dirty-open-secret-us-created-and-supports-isis/5594486

    Without Putin, Syria Would Have Ceased to Exist’

    Interview with Flemish Priest Living in Syria. Before the war the country had no government debt and there were no homeless people. On the contrary, over two million refugees from neighboring countries, such as Iraq, were taken care of and being treated in the same way as native Syrians. Daily life was very cheap, such as food. Schools, universities and hospitals were free even for us as foreigners. I spoke to a French surgeon who said the hospitals in Syria were better than those in France.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/without-putin-syria-would-have-ceased-to-exist-interview-with-flemish-priest-living-in-syria/5594692

    Saudi Arabia is destabilizing the world

    The Saudi’s long campaign to pull the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims back to the 7th century. We barely notice it, but every day, from Mumbai to Manchester, we feel its effects.

    http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/06/10/saudi-arabia-destabilizing-world/ivMeb7TWGk1fQaVjZWWKGP/story.html

    World Coal Production Just Had Its Biggest Drop on Record

    Coal, the most polluting fuel that was once the world’s fastest growing energy source, has been a target of countries and companies alike as the world begins to work toward the goals of the Paris climate agreement. Consumption is falling as the world’s biggest energy companies promote cleaner-burning natural gas, China’s economy evolves to focus more on services than heavy manufacturing and renewable energy like wind and solar becomes cheaper.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-13/coal-s-era-starts-to-wane-as-world-shifts-to-cleaner-energy

    Start your weekend with a map.

    The map is unlabeled, uncaptioned thematic maps with no scales or legends. Your job is to figure out what data is being presented by the map. To solve the map, you have to find the clues on it and come up with an explanation that ties them all together. Click here for hints.

    http://www.weeklymap.org/024.html

  • The John James Newsletter No. <181>

    The John James Newsletter 181

    10 June 2017

    One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious 

    Carl Jung

    Understand that all battles are waged on an unconscious level before they are begun on the conscious. The power structure wishes us to believe that the only options are those they present to us. We know this is simply not true

    Teresa Stover

    To all scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and responsible citizens who were disappointed by the decision of the President of the United States, I want to say that they will find in France a second homeland

    Emmanuel Macron

    For some time, I have been disturbed by the way CIA has been diverted from its original assignment.  It has become an operational and a policy-making arm of the Government.  We have grown up as a nation, respected for our free institutions and for our ability to maintain a free and open society.  There is something about the way the CIA has been functioning that is casting a shadow over our historic positiont

    Harry Truman 1963

    We are grateful to the Washington Post, New York Times, Times magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for forty years.  It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years.  But the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march toward a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.

    David Rockefeller 1991

    We have to bring down the walls that separate us

    Take a moment to watch this Video. It will enhance your life and that of those who you will meet on life’s journey.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47180.htm

    Remember Natalie Shakova forecasting sudden massive methane release of 50Gt?

    Ice Sheet Retreat Led to Rapid Methane Hydrate Release at End of Last Ice Age

    Evidence of large craters embedded within methane-leaking subglacial sediments in the Barents Sea indicate that the thinning of the ice sheet at the end of recent glacial cycles decreased the pressure on pockets of hydrates buried in the seafloor, resulting in explosive blow-outs. This created the giant craters and released large quantities of methane into the water above. We have seen some recent explosions in Siberia.

    https://robertscribbler.com/2017/06/07/new-study-ice-sheet-retreat-led-to-rapid-methane-hydrate-release-at-end-of-last-ice-age/

    The Arctic turns ugly

    The Arctic is absorbing a lot  of solar energy, and at a much greater rate, than anywhere else on the planet. In fact Arctic temperature has risen 1.0C per decade whereas the global average temperature rise has been about 0.15C per decade. 6 or 7 times more. The East Siberian Arctic Shelf  holds up to 1700 Gt of methane, of which 50 Gt could be ready for abrupt release at any time. The warning signs keep getting stronger.

    There is currently 5 Gt of methane in the atmosphere. An abrupt release of 50 Gt would be very, very, very, impactful! This 50Gt methane could have the same impact as 6,000Gt of C02. We put about 40Gt of C02 into the atmosphere each year. As methane is over twenty times more effective as a greenhouse gas than C02, a single 50Gt burp of methane would multiply this many times over, and in one massive burst. Its hardly possible to work out what impact that would have on global temperatures. It could greatly increasethe present scary figure of 410ppm of atmospheric C02. You have a go at working it out.

    https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/29/the-arctic-turns-ugly/

    New “Instantly Rechargeable” Battery 

    Purdue researchers have developed a flow battery that would allow electric cars to be recharged instantly at stations like conventional cars are. The technology is clean, safe, and cheap.

    https://futurism.com/new-instantly-rechargeable-battery-deals-a-fatal-blow-to-fossil-fuels/

    Hawaii Becomes the First U.S. State to Commit to the Paris Climate Accords

    “The Hawaii State Legislature understands the importance of taking action, and I applaud its work this session to ensure that we continue to deliver the island Earth that we want to leave to our children,”

    http://fortune.com/2017/06/07/hawaii-paris-climate-accord-trump/

    Donald Trump faces rebel state governors vowing to continue climate change fight

    “The White House’s reckless decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement has devastating repercussions not only for the United States, but for our planet. This administration is abdicating its leadership and taking a backseat to other countries in the global fight against climate change,”

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/paris-agreement-donald-trump-state-governors-climate-change-new-york-washington-california-jay-a7768341.html

    America Has a New Climate Commander-in-Chief

    California Governor Jerry Brown went to China to meet with President Xi Jinping and sign an agreement on reducing emissions that will position his state not only as a leader on climate action, but as a quasi-nation-state looking to fill the void in reliable American leadership created by Trump. For Brown it’s a win-win proposition: He is able to polish his bone fides as an international statesman and keep up political pressure on the Trump administration.

    https://newrepublic.com/article/143152/america-new-climate-commander-in-chief

    France is Now Offering U.S. Scientists Grants to Research Climate Change

    The French government has launched a program that gives four-year grants to scientists, teachers, business people, and even students who are working on climate change solutions.

    https://futurism.com/france-is-now-offering-u-s-scientists-grants-to-research-climate-change/

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    An idea that you can act on now 

    Avoid the dreaded plastic bag

    One single fabric bag can potentially replace 60 single-use plastic bags per month. We cannot only reduce plastic bags, we also stop unwanted or discarded fabric (mostly polyester) from going to landfill. And we can let out government and supermarkets know, that we want less plastic packaging and leave it at the cashiers. Packaging, all packaging including from overseas, should be the responsibility of the manufacturers.

    The Dark, Dirty Coal Secret You Never Hear

    Ice sheets are turning black from coal-fired industrial pollution and fires. This has consequences for us all.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/06/06/the-dark-dirty-coal-secret-you-never-hear-anything-about_a_22127672

    CSIRO report doctored to pretend gas cheaper than wind and solar

    CSIRO report on low emissions technology outlines pathway to high renewable energy grid. Cost estimates for wind and solar assumes 50 per cent more demand than in the high gas scenario, prompting Coalition to say it favours “technology neutral” approach.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/csiro-report-doctored-to-pretend-gas-cheaper-than-wind-and-solar-92725/

    We the people, are leading Australia’s renewable revolution 

    Our rooftops are Australia’s biggest power station! A whopping 1.6 million solar households and small businesses are saying pfffft to coal-waving politicians and greedy power companies, and repowering the country with clean, cheap renewable energy anyway.

    https://www.facebook.com/solarcitizens/videos/1411565985580272/

    Nuclear Chicken In Syria

    Western Civilization Hanging by a Thread. Trump has taken a fateful step that no previous US president was willing to take.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47159.htm

    What’s Happening in the Persian Gulf

    Early Monday morning, five Arab states—Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen—along with the Maldives, broke all diplomatic and physical ties with the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar. This is a fast-developing story, but certain core elements of it appear to have taken shape – especially the role of Shiite Iran.

    http://lobelog.com/whats-happening-in-the-persian-gulf/#more-39603

    UN atomic watchdog confirms Iran is complying with nuclear deal

    The report was the second since the January inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has called the pact between six powers and Iran “the worst deal ever negotiated” and in contrast with his predecessor, Barack Obama, branded Tehran an enemy. Trump has vowed to dismantle the “disastrous” deal and has ratcheted up US sanctions, calling for Iran to be isolated and throwing his weight behind Tehran’s arch- rival Saudi Arabia.

    http://www.france24.com/en/20170602-un-atomic-watchdog-iaea-confirms-iran-complying-nuclear-deal-cia-trump

    Nine of world’s biggest fishing firms sign up to protect oceans

    Voluntary initiative marks first time companies from Asia, Europe and US have joined together to stop overfishing, illegal catch and use of slave labour

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/09/nine-of-worlds-biggest-fishing-firms-sign-up-to-protect-oceans

     

    FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Wants to Roll Back internet Neutrality Rules: Here’s What You Need to Know 

    Pai’s NPRM paints a dark future of an internet entirely controlled by a few large corporations that sell access to it. The NPRM makes it clear that Pai intends to kill the bright-line rules against paid prioritization, throttling and blocking for websites and online services. These rules, and the FCC’s ability to enforce them and adapt them over time, are what keep the internet open and free — not empty promises from cable and phone companies.

    http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40810-chairman-pai-wants-to-roll-back-the-net-neutrality-rules-here-s-what-you-need-to-know

    Theresa May says the internet must now be regulated

    Any excuse will do to censor our major source for the truth

    http://tinyurl.com/y89ah793

    Ross Gittens on why Australia has had 26 years without a recession

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/the-really-lucky-country-rest-assured-well-have-another-bad-recession-sooner-or-later-20170601-gwhtqb.html

    This is how fascism takes over a country

    US anti-Trump protesters facing decades behind bars

    More than 200 anti-Trump protesters are facing felony charges that could land some in prison for 70 to 80 years.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/05/anti-trump-protesters-facing-decades-bars-170522063956218.html

    What causes Alzheimer’s disease? What we know, don’t know and suspect

    Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, but treatments are still far from successful in clinical trials. Here is what we know about the disease, and what is yet to be uncovered.

    https://theconversation.com/what-causes-alzheimers-disease-what-we-know-dont-know-and-suspect-75847

    Prolonged Sleep May Predict Dementia Risk

    Data from the Framingham Heart Study has shown that people who consistently sleep more than nine hours each night had double the risk of developing dementia in 10 years as compared to participants who slept for 9 hours or less. Being highly educated may protect against dementia in the presence of long sleep duration,

    https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/2017/02/23/prolonged-sleep-may-predict-dementia-risk/

    The Oldest Hominins Could Have Lived in Europe

    A new examination of two 7.2 million-year-old fossils from southern Europe suggests that humans split off from the great apes several hundred thousand years earlier than we thought.  Scientists analyzing 7.2 million-year-old fossils uncovered in modern-day Greece and Bulgaria suggest a new hypothesis about the origins of humankind, placing it in the Eastern Mediterranean and not — as customarily assumed — in Africa, and earlier than currently accepted. The researchers conclude that Graecopithecus freybergi represents the first pre-humans to exist following the split from the last chimpanzee-human common ancestor.

    https://www.sciencealert.com/oldest-hominins-could-have-lived-in-europe-instead-of-africa-claims-new-study

    How fear led to ‘The Negro Motorist Green-Book’

    In the 1930s, the freedom of the open road beckoned, but for African Americans traveling in the Jim Crow era, highways could be fraught with peril.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/06/01/life-or-death-for-black-travelers-how-fear-led-to-the-negro-motorist-green-book/

    California’s Medicare for All Plan Clears State Senate 

    We can act to end the nightmare of families who live in fear of getting sick and unable to get the care they need due to the enormous cost. We’ve shown that healthcare is not only a humanitarian imperative for the nation, it is politically feasible, and it is even the fiscally responsible step to take. A fiscal analysis found that the plan could provide universal coverage in the state while actually driving down overall healthcare spending by 18%.

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/06/02/offering-moral-model-nation-californias-medicare-all-plan-clears-state-senate

    Dutch prisons are closing because the country is so safe

    In 2013, 19 prisons in the Netherlands closed because the country didn’t have enough criminals to fill them. Now, five more are slated to close their doors by the end of the summer. the trend of closing prisons follows a steady drop in crime since 2004.The problem of empty jail cells has even gotten to the point where, last September, the country imported 240 prisoners from Norway just to keep the facilities full. That’s a rate of 69 incarcerations per 100,000 people.  The US, meanwhile, has a rate of 716 and 2o8 in Australia.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dutch-prisons-are-closing-because-the-country-is-so-safe-a7765521.html

    Monsrum Has Created These Amazing Playgrounds In Denmark

    Creative design is good for children

    https://futurism.com/videos/monstrum-has-created-these-amazing-playgrounds-in-denmark

    Eight minutes on London Bridge: years of training led to lightning police response 

    The story of how the police learned to deal with terrorists.

    http://theconversation.com/eight-minutes-on-london-bridge-years-of-training-led-to-lightning-police-response-78815

    The independence of think-tanks: The Australia-China Relations Institute

    In one-page, six-question survey, “East China Sea: What Australians think,” which claims most Australians desire neutrality in this territorial dispute. Yet the survey contains no raw data or details on the methodology employed

    http://theconversation.com/the-australia-china-relations-institute-doesnt-belong-at-uts-78743

    Profits, freedom and China’s ‘soft power’ in Australia

    The real reason for my ordeal was that they wanted to shut me down and set an example to dissenting views and critical voices among the Chinese diaspora and beyond.

    http://theconversation.com/academic-chongyi-feng-profits-freedom-and-chinas-soft-power-in-australia-78751

    How the new elite signal their status by inconspicuous consumption

    Inconspicuous consumption – whether breastfeeding or education – is a means to a better quality of life and improved social mobility for one’s own children, whereas conspicuous consumption is merely an end in itself – simply ostentation. For today’s aspirational class, inconspicuous consumption choices secure and preserve social status, even if they do not necessarily display it.

    https://aeon.co/ideas/how-the-new-elite-signal-their-status-by-inconspicuous-consumption

    Green Cremation

    it is energy efficient, has a lower carbon footprint than cremation, results in almost zero air emissions, mercury from dental amalgams is recycled, the casket is not burned, the by-product (effluent) is safe, embalming fluid is neutralized, medical implants such as pacemakers need not be surgically removed, they remain in tact and can possibly be recycled.

    http://hiltonsaquagreendispositions.ca/

    A New Test Could Detect Cancer Years Before Symptoms Show

    Our findings show that high-intensity circulating tumor DNA sequencing is possible and may provide invaluable information for clinical decision-making, potentially without any need for tumor tissue samples. It’s generated 100 times more data than other sequencing techniques.

    https://futurism.com/aa-new-test-could-detect-cancer-years-before-symptoms-show/

  • The John James Newsletter No. <180>

    The John James Newsletter 180

    3 June 2017

    The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has constantly to rewrite its own history. And a people that no longer can believe anything cannot make up its mind. With such a people you can do what you please.

    Hannah Arend

    Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people

    Spencer Johnson

    The death of Fairfax, the end of newspapers and the threat to democracy

    In a small robust democracy with relatively little commercial quality journalism, it has the makings of a civic catastrophe. That’s because the serious journalism of influence in Australia, apart from the government-funded ABC, resides mainly in four newspapers – the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Australian Financial Review and the Australian. Between them, these four mastheads provide most of Australia’s coverage of politics, justice, economics, business, science, health, welfare, public policy, international affairs, arts, culture and ideas. Until recently, these four employed around 1500 journalists. Today that number is closer to 1000. Within two years it could be as few as 500.

    https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2013/july/1372600800/eric-beecher/death-fairfax-and-end-newspapers

    China Aims to Spend at Least $360 Billion on Renewable Energy by 2020

    The agency said that China would create more than 13 million jobs in the renewable energy sector by 2020, curb the growth of greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming and reduce the amount of soot that in recent days has blanketed Beijing and other Chinese cities in a noxious cloud of smog.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/world/asia/china-renewable-energy-investment.html?_r=1

    Palestinian prisoners in Israel suspend hunger strike

    Deal struck with Israel after intense talks hailed as ‘victory’ for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike for 40 days.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/palestinian-prisoners-israel-suspend-hunger-strike-170527074751097.html

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    An idea that you can act on now 

    NEWS AND TV IS SELECTIVE, SEEK THE TRUTH ? 

    The selling of policies has developed in the same way as the selling of commodities. Package it prettily, spin the story, adjust to suit the trends in social media and any other data collection, with the one purpose of directing your beliefs and actions to suit their agenda. If you are stuck in this bog of manipulation, what can you do? Search these stories on the web, check their truth, search for others, and above all do your own investigation. Listening only to theirs turns you into a ZOMBIE.  

    Assad Just Explained How The US Really Works

    “The American President has no policies. There are policies drawn by the American institutions which control the American regime – the intelligence agencies, the Pentagon, the big arms and oil companies, and financial institutions, in addition to some other lobbies which influence American decision-making. The American President merely implements these policies, and the evidence is that when Trump tried to move on a different track, he couldn’t. He came under a ferocious attack. As we have seen in the past few week, he changed his rhetoric completely and subjected himself to the terms of the deep American state. That’s why it is unrealistic to make an assessment of the American President’s foreign policy, for he might say something; but he ultimately does what these institutions dictate to him. This is not new. This has been ongoing American policy for decades.”

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47138.htm

    ‘Liar, Liar’: A Song Assailing Theresa May Tops the Charts in Britain

    The song has a catchy chorus and a not-so-subtle message of oppression and poverty.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxN1STgQXW8&feature=youtu.be

    Coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef worse than expected

    Surveys taken throughout 2016 show escalating impact from north to south, with 70% of shallow water corals dead north of Port Douglas. It is now confirmed that about 29% of shallow water corals died from bleaching during 2016, up from the previous estimate of 22%, with most mortality occurring in the northern parts of the reef.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/29/coral-bleaching-on-great-barrier-reef-worse-than-expected-surveys-show

    Australians say climate change is catastrophic risk, even as government turns blind eye

    84% of 8000 people surveyed in eight countries consider climate change a “global catastrophic risk”. The figure for the Australian sample was 75%. The question asked how much participants agreed or disagreed that “climate change, resulting in environmental damage, such as rising sea levels or melting of icecaps” could be considered as a global catastrophic risk”? A global catastrophic risk was described as “a future event that has the potential to affect 10% of the global population”.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/australians-say-climate-change-catastrophic-risk-even-government-turns-blind-eye-23556/

    Australia can’t lose in the global race for cheaper, cleaner energy

    A new report from CSIRO outlines four pathways for Australia to hit our Paris climate targets, and get cheaper energy at the same time. Australia is well positioned to benefit from innovative low emission technologies.

    https://theconversation.com/australia-cant-lose-in-the-global-race-for-cheaper-cleaner-energy-78402

    UK reels from climate induced food rationing

    Will we still be able to feed ourselves as the climate get hotter? Australia is a net importer of fresh food – The supermarket food gamble may be finished.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/20/supermarket-food-gamble-brexit-climate-migrant

    Scientists Just Found a New Weapon That Can Combat Cancer: Coffee

    British researchers have found that the amount of coffee you drink correlates to your chances of developing liver cancer. The research claims the same applies for Decaf,

    https://futurism.com/scientists-just-found-a-new-weapon-that-can-combat-cancer-coffee/

    Telstra signs deal for 70MW solar farm to cap energy costs

    They are investing directly in renewable energy to reduce their electricity costs, which continue to soar in Australia as network costs and wholesale prices rise unchecked.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/telstra-signs-deal-for-70mw-solar-farm-to-cap-energy-costs-78281/

    Brexit and the City

    Some have predicted the fall of the nation-state and the rise of the city state to replace it. City states are easier to defend than nations and they breed innovation and nurture trade. The world’s mega cities have economies larger than most nations and are the hubs of commerce that fuel the globalisation that disenfranchises the working and middle classes that support Western democracy. In these megacities, life is cheap, slavery is rife and global commerce is not always top of everyone’s mind. To survive, these cities must maintain their food, water and energy supplies and sufficient infrastructure to remain connected to their sources of revenue.

    /brexit-and-the-city/

    Climate change could make cities 8C hotter

    Nearly 5C of the total would be attributed to average global warming. The rest would be due to the so-called “urban heat island” effect, which occurs when parks, dams and lakes, which have a cooling effect, are replaced by concrete and asphalt – making cities warmer than their surrounds

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/30/climate-change-could-make-cities-8c-hotter-scientists

    Urban ‘heat island’ effect could intensify climate change, making cities up to 7C warmer

    ‘Any hard-won victories over climate change on a global scale could be wiped out by the effects of uncontrolled urban heat islands. After studying 1,692 cities around the world, they concluded about 25 per cent could warm by more than 7C by the end of this century under the worst-case scenario for carbon emissions.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/urban-heat-island-cities-climate-change-worse-global-warming-7-degrees-cool-roofs-pavements-a7761846.html

    Overpopulation in Manilla

    The Philippines has one of the fastest growing populations in Southeast Asia. From having fifty million inhabitants in 1980, the Philippines today is home to around ninty million people with 11 million living in Manila only. Living place is becoming increasingly satuarated. This overcrowding is causing a range of problems such as lack of education, lack of healthcare, unemployment and general poverty.

    http://www.prospektphoto.net/stories/mads-nissen-overpopulation-in-manila/

    Inside the Philippines’ ‘baby factory’

    In the Philippines, one in 10 teenagers aged 15-19 are already mothers, according to the UN. While across the world teen pregnancy rates have been going down, in the Philippines it is growing rapidly.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-40060748/inside-the-philippines-baby-factory

    The looming correction

    Altair Asset Management hands back to clients fearing the Australian east-coast property market “bubble” and its “impending correction”; worries that issues around China’s hot property sector and escalating debt levels will blow up “later this year”; “oversized” geopolitical risks and an “unpredictable” US political environment; and the “overvalued” Aussie equity market. But it was the overheated local property market that was the clearest and most present danger,

    http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/fund-manager-hands-back-cash-to-clients-citing-looming-correction-20170529-gwfgua.html

    This discusses the entire spectrum of UK involvement in and support for terror groups

    Terror in Britain: What Did the Prime Minister Know?

    Critical questions – such as why the security service MI5 maintained terrorist “assets” in Manchester and why the government did not warn the public of the threat in their midst – remain unanswered, deflected by the promise of an internal “review”. The alleged suicide bomber, Salman Abedi was part of an extremist group, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, that thrived in Manchester and was cultivated and used by MI5 for more than 20 years.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/terror-in-britain-what-did-the-prime-minister-know/5592772

    British Intelligence Received Warnings that Manchester Bomber Was Plotting Attacks

    The FBI passed these warnings to MI5 in January, after placing Abedi on their terrorist watch list.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47158.htm

    The Government knew that the failed ‘war on terror’ could cause this attack 

    Were Saddam and Gaddafi not overthrown, it is unlikely that Salman Abedi would have been in a position to slaughter people in Manchester

    http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/corbyn-speech-manchester-attack-war-on-terror-did-cause-it-a7758066.html

    World watches as Yemen descends into total collapse 

    “The people of Yemen are being subjected to deprivation, disease and death as the world watches.” Last week, 22 international and Yemeni humanitarian and human rights groups including Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee and Oxfam raised alarm over Yemen. They called on the council, in particular Britain which has the lead for addressing the conflict at the top UN body, to “end its year-long inaction on Yemen, and move decisively to end what is now the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.”

    http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/31/17/world-watches-as-yemen-descends-into-total-collapse-un

    95 RE100 companies have made a commitment to go ‘100% renewable’.

    All these companies are listed an the extent of their commitments spelled out. A great resource.

    http://there100.org/companies

    Bangalore water woes: India’s Silicon Valley dries up

    Bangalore is known as India’s Silicon Valley. But the metropolis is running out of water fast. The job of distributing water from an ever-shifting array of dying wells has been taken up, in large part, by informal armadas of private tanker trucks. The tanker barons of Bangalore—the men who own and direct these trucks—now control the supply of water so thoroughly that they can form cartels, bend prices, and otherwise abuse their power. Public officials are fond of calling the tanker owners a “water mafia.”

    https://www.wired.com/2017/05/why-bangalores-water-crisis-is-everyones-crisis/

    Cape Town is almost out of water

    The city faces a severe water crisis as reservoirs sank to an effective 10.5% of their capacity after five years of drought.The city was declared a disaster area in March as it confronted its worst drought in more than 100 years. The crisis mirrors a countrywide crisis last year when townships ran dry and residents of major cities staged collections of bottled water, which was donated and trucked across South Africa.

    http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-southafrica-capetown-drought-20170523-story.html

    Russia Calls Bill an “Act of War.” 

    The bill presumes to grant the US “inspection authorities” over shipping ports (and major airports) specifically, ports in China, Russia, Syria, and Iran.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47145.htm

    Indonesian Borneo is finished: Pollution reaching epic proportions 

    Wherever one looks, the entire landscape is ruined: mountains mutilated beyond recognition, forests gone, and huge tracts of land “cleared.” Despite what I already witnessed in all corners of Indonesia for years, I’m still not prepared for what opens in front of my eyes: the endless and horrifying sprawl of natural calamity: dozens of square kilometres of dust, noise, and mud. I try to avoid 100-ton trucks which almost run my car off the path. They are transporting coal. I see filthy processing plants. I see old, rusty equipment scattered all around the area.The environment is “changing,” pollution is reaching epic proportions, but there is very little awareness, even among the poorest of the poor, of the dreadfulness of the situation.

    https://www.rt.com/op-edge/389992-indonesia-borneo-kalimantan-palm-oil/

    Angela Merkel Stopped Relying on President Trump Only After Failing to Reason With Him

    Merkel effectively threw up her hands and gave up on him. “The times when we could fully rely on others are a bit finished,” she told a crowd of her supporters in Munich. “That’s what I experienced in the last few days.” That impression had in fact taken shape over several months.

    http://time.com/4797241/angela-merkel-us-german-tensions-g7-summit/

    Five Reasons Why Climate Action cannot be Trumped

    1. The Paris Agreement is global. 

    The US, though powerful and a large emitter, is still just one country. China, Germany, France, UK, India and over 147 countries have ratified the Paris Agreement and show no signs of backtracking.

    1. Renewables are unstoppable. 

    Trump may favour fossil fuels, but he can’t beat economics. Solar and wind are now the cheapest form of new power in many countries, like Australia. Renewable power will continue to drop in cost as it continues to be dramatically scaled up. Just ask one of the countries capitalising on it – China. China will invest $360 billion in renewable energy through to 2020, creating 13 million more jobs in the process.

    1. US States are taking the lead. 

    US states are already leading on clean energy, including the Republican stronghold of Texas, and one of the world’s largest economies, California

    1. Leadership is also coming from the world’s largest companies. 

    95 global corporations (many of them based in the US) – including Apple, Coca-Cola, GM, Goldman Sachs, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Unilever, and even Walmart – have committed to 100% renewables in their operations.

    1. The rest of the world is already responding. 

    The EU and China have just announced they will strengthen their climate ties. The EU has promised to give China €10m to rollout a national emissions trading system. This comes on top of indications they could levy ‘carbon taxes’ on US imports. International markets are also signalling this as a damaging move for the US, with US energy stocks taking a plunge. It is likely the US will be one of the biggest victim of this decision, missing out on countless business opportunities and becoming increasingly uncompetitive.

    However, Trump’s action will embolden those trying to hold back action on climate change.

    Just this week Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg announced Australia will divert funds for renewable energy to coal, and as the Chief Scientist prepares to hand down his report on the national energy system next week, our role – in holding our leaders to account and injecting facts into the national debate – is crucial.

    In 50 years time I suspect the history books will note Trump’s actions as farcical. But this story’s ending will be written by us, the people of the world who dared to stay strong, stand together and light the way to a better future.

    Thanks for shining on,

    (Email from Tim Flannery and the Climate Council).