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The John James Newsletter 105
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6:43 AM (1 hour ago)
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The John James Newsletter 105
20 February 2016
A nation that is afraid to let us judge truth and falsehood in an open market is afraid of its peopleJohn F. Kennedy
Compassion and understanding arise from an awareness that we are all reflections of each otherTom Feeley
Washington’s Machiavellian Game in Syria
The world’s most powerful Superpower did not come to that position without extraordinary skills, cunning, a remarkable ability to lie convincingly, to deceive, to precisely manipulate the weaknesses of their opponents. Around late March or April it will be clear. The US has lured not only Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but now Moscow into their trap in the Middle East. The initial losers in this unfolding deadly game will be Saudi, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and likely Russia.
Europe is disintegrating while its citizens watch indifferentWe are witnessing the slow agony of the dream of European integration, disintegrating without a single demonstration occuring anywhere. European institutions are in an existential crisis but the debate??http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/02/europe-is-disintegrating-while-its-citizens-watch-indifferent/
The Great Turning
The shift from the Industrial Growth Society to a life-sustaining civilization. The ecological and social crises we face are caused by an economic system dependent on accelerating growth.
Four billion people facing severe water scarcity
Two-thirds of the global population live under conditions of severe water scarcity at least 1 month of the year. Nearly half live in India and China. Half a billion people severe water scarcity all year round.
Methane’s Role in Arctic Warming
Greenhouse gas levels are higher over the Arctic than elsewhere on Earth, gasses that would otherwise be radiated out to space. The first image shows higher CO2 levels at higher latitudes north over 410 ppm. In the second that methane levels of over 1900 ppb over most of the Arctic Ocean on February 4, 2016. Surely these two events are connected!
The consequences of CSIRO climate cuts
National and global interests were at stake in CSIRO’s decision to axe about 110 of the 140 present staff involved in two key climate monitoring and modelling programs
The elephant whisperer / march funebre
Music honours the deep intelligence and sentiment of the highly ordered society of elephants who trekked for 2 days without eating or drinking to reach Lawrence Anthony’s house, following his death. He was the extraordinary supporter of wildlife, conservationist, rehabilitator of elephants worldwide. They stayed 3 days, still not eating nor drinking then quietly trekked home.
Sugar may be as damaging to the brain as extreme stress or abuse
Chronic consumption of sugar in rats who were not stressed produced similar changes in the hippocampus as rats who were stressed but not drinking sugar. Drinking sugar or exposure to early life stress reduced the expression of genes critical for brain development and growth.
Russian Diplomat Drops a Bombshell: US Expected ISIS to Seize Damascus by October
The US was planning to start a bombing campaign to overthrow the government knowing that by October in the victory of the Islamic State and its capture of Damascus. To stop the US proclaiming a no-fly zone – i.e. commencing a bombing campaign aimed at overthrowing the Syrian government – Russia intervened in Syria.
Hillary Clinton and the Syrian Bloodbath
It was US intransigence – Clinton’s intransigence – that led to the failure of Annan’s peace efforts in the spring of 2012, a point well known among diplomats.
Understanding Islamic State: where does it come from and what does it want?
IS is an instance of a phenomenon that recurs in most religions, and certainly in all monotheistic religions. Every so often militant strains emerge, flourish temporarily, then vanish. If the recent past has demonstrated one thing, it’s that IS thrives when its adversaries underestimate it.
The true cost of bushfires
Long-burning massive bushfires is the new normal as climate change causes more heatwaves of greater intensity. The number of professional firefighters would need to double by 2030 in a hotter and drier climate.
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The Pope, the Patriarch — and a Little Bit of Putin
The focus on the state of Christianity in the Middle East is a public relations win for the Russian Orthodox Church, which is trying to shore up its position in Russia by presenting itself as the defender of persecuted Christians around the world. “This meeting allows them to play a large public role and sell it back in Russia,”
Apple launches $1.5bn green bond
Technology giant is raising finance for renewable energy, greener materials and efficiency
The real reason for the war on cash
It is political: holders of currency could undermine their brave new monetary world of negative interest rates. Japan and Europe are already deep into negative territory, and US is preparing for the possibility.
10 Secret Armies of the Central Intelligence Agency
Would US intelligence secretly back a brutal, murderous paramilitary group to destabilize a country on the US hit list? Of course. The US intelligence apparatus has been doing it for 60 years.
No Winter For the Arctic in 2016 — NASA Marks Hottest January Ever Recorded
We’re witnessing the end for Winter as we know it. Greenhouse emission — now pushing CO2 levels to above 405 ppm — is rapidly forcing our world to warm most swiftly in one of the absolute worst places imaginable: the Arctic.
Oldest known case of Neanderthal-human sex revealed by DNA test
Tests revealed that the female, whose remains were recovered from the Altai mountains on the Russia-Mongolia border, carried traces of DNA from Homo sapiens who mated with her ancestors 100,000 years ago.
Solar homes facing meter bill shock, delays as premium tariffs end
Some 150,000 households have been enjoying a 60c/kWh gross feed-in tariff for the last few years – that is 60c/kWh paid for entire output of their rooftop solar systems. However, that comes to an end on December 31,
Greece Faces New Round of Strikes and Protests
Lawyers, dockworkers, and teachers are all set to engage in job actions.
Why Is China Spending $43 Billion for a Farming Company?
The biggest overseas purchase in Chinese history is meant to ensure the world’s largest country can keep feeding its people.
Don’t throw away stuff you don’t need. Give it to someone who does
Pilger explains why he believes “extremists” run the political system in the US and UK
He talks about why he supports Julian Assange, what whitleblowers mean to society today, and why he feels real change will never come from within mainstream political parties.
Israel’s rash behavior blew operation to sabotage Iran’s computers
“We spent millions on this operation to sabotage all of the computers of the Iranian infrastructure in the instance of a war. We penetrated the government, electricity lines, power stations and most of the infrastructure in Iran.”