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HAVING A DEVIL OF A TIME
Who in blazes are these NHL hotshots? The New Jersey Devils, that's who
Austin Murphy
His driver's license says he's 27, but Aaron Broten's eyes tell a different story. He has been a New Jersey Devil since the club arrived in East Rutherford back in 1982, and he has experienced five years of disappointment. "Every season got to be like a bad dream," Broten says. "No matter how hard we worked, things would start slipping away from us. Our first year here we started out 2-18. We were out of the playoff race by November."
Suddenly the melancholy lifts. "But those days are gone, at least I hope so," he says. "Now we're a factor in the league."
Indeed, the Devils are 10-5-2, and to the delight of the faithful, they even fashioned a nine-game undefeated streak at home that ended only with last Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. A new general manager, a commitment to defense and a sprinkling of enforcement types—not to mention troubles in other Patrick Division cities—have made the difference.
At the end of the week New Jersey was second behind the Islanders in the Patrick, nine points ahead of the swooning Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers, whom they beat 3-2 on Tuesday. Goaltender Alain Chevrier, a free agent out of Miami (Ohio) whom Devils coach Doug Carpenter had cut twice when he was in the juniors, was NHL player of the month for October. New Jersey was six games over .500. If Jeane Dixon had predicted any of this last August, she would have been laughed out of astrology.
The Devils had come to exemplify futility. As the Kansas City Scouts from 1974 to '76 and the Colorado Rockies until '82, the franchise never knew a winning season, and the situation was the same in New Jersey. Since moving east the Devils have vied with Pittsburgh to be the NHL's losingest team. Even their uniforms were—and are—ugly, an unfortunate combination of barn red on algae green.
When the Devils finished last season with a 29-45-6 record, worst in the NHL, the club's management said enough already. Three weeks after the end of the season Lou Lamoriello, fresh from Providence College, was hired as general manager. Lamoriello had coached Friars hockey for 15 years before becoming athletic director in 1982. A boxing speed bag has hung in the Devils' clubhouse in West Orange, N.J., for several years, and Lamoriello's first move was to land a few guys who knew how to hit one. Enter left wing Jim Korn, 6'4", 220 pounds, from Buffalo; left wing David Maley, 6'2", 210, from Montreal; defenseman Jack O'Callahan (who earlier this month served a three-game suspension for an intent-to-injure match penalty); and former Ranger left wing George McPhee.
There is no more combative a Devil than four-season veteran right wing Pat Verbeek, who was whistled for three high-sticking penalties in a 1-1 game against Winnipeg last Thursday. But the Devils cannot afford to have Verbeek, their leading scorer (14 goals, 7 assists), spending too much of his career in the penalty box. Here is where Korn, O'Callahan and the others come in handy.
In his first couple of years with the Devils, Verbeek attracted the interest of other clubs; they offered New Jersey immediate respectability in the form of proven players in exchange for unrealized talent and draft choices. "We got calls pretty much daily," says Max McNab, who moved from G.M. to executive vice-president on Lamoriello's arrival. "But we had this plan written down, and we stuck to it."
"When you're as low as we were, there is no quick fix," says Carpenter, a realist who is in his fourth season as coach.
The Devils even waited out a serious scare when Verbeek's left thumb was severed in an accident in 1985. While he was working with a grinder on a farm in Forest, Ont., he tried to dislodge a piece of paper, and his thumb was sheared off. "My father emptied three buckets of fertilizer on the ground, sifted through it all and finally found my thumb," says Verbeek. "I guess it was just lying there, looking up at him."
"In manure," interjects teammate John MacLean, gleefully.
"No, chemical fertilizer," corrects Verbeek. "You probably don't even know the difference."
Doctors reattached the finger, and Verbeek scored 25 goals the next season.
New Jersey also held on to its draft picks. It spent them wisely, except for the uninspired 1982 first-round selection of New York Islander star Bryan Trot-tier's younger brother, Rocky, who has since left the NHL. Between 1982 and '85 a core group was drafted and rushed into NHL action. But that bunch—forwards Verbeek, MacLean and Kirk Muller, now the Devils' 21-year-old captain, and defensemen Craig Wolanin and Ken Daneyko—were underexperienced and overwhelmed. They lost often and big, leading the league in lopsided defeats and acne.
"We got beat a lot," says MacLean, "but we also got a reputation for working hard." And although it was discernible to no one but themselves, the Devils made strides each season. Starting with 1983-84, their point totals have been 41, 54, 59, 64.
"This year we're working hard and accomplishing something," says MacLean, who broke a third-period 1-1 deadlock against the Rangers on Nov. 10 by beating two defensemen, then wristing the puck over John Vanbiesbrouck's glove. Nine minutes later Brendan Shanahan, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1987 entry draft, also scored, and the Devils won 3-2. To celebrate, the demonstrative rookie planted a wet kiss on the cheek of center Claude Loiselle, who got one of the assists. (Three days later the NHL suspended MacLean and Shanahan for one game for trying to climb out of the penalty box to get at some abusive fans during a 5-4 win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 21.)
The Devils have been working especially hard on defense. Last season their goals-against average of 4.56 was the worst in the league. "These guys are stars in juniors because they can put the puck in the net," says Carpenter. "When they get here, they aren't exactly defensive specialists." But the team made a commitment the first day of training camp, and Lamoriello's acquisition of center Patrik Sundstrom from Vancouver helped. Evidently, someone forgot to tell Sundstrom that he doesn't have to throw his body in front of slap shots, because Sundstrom absorbs a few every game. He plays defense as well as he scores, he backchecks, and he's an able penalty killer, usually; on Saturday New Jersey handed the Red Wings an inexcusable five power-play goals.
After 17 games the Devils had given up 52 goals—second fewest in the NHL—compared with 78 at the same time last season. "Defense has been a hard sell, but they finally bought it," says Carpenter.
Carpenter has never been surprised by the Devils' bumbling. "We just didn't have the horses," he says of the lean years. Now, with his team among the division leaders, he says, "This is a different team from last year." So much so that he has admitted he wouldn't be surprised if he were canned if New Jersey fails to make the playoffs this season. As skeptics and Ranger fans point out, the season is young, and the Devils have a bad habit of collapsing by January.
Speaking of the patience required to build anything worthwhile, Carpenter's favorite saw is: "It takes nine months to make a baby." Team Gestation may or may not be ready for delivery this season. Regardless, it's funny how much more becoming those uniforms look on a contender.
PAUL BERESWILL
The score was tied until MacLean broke loose for this goal against Vanbiesbrouck.


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UNECA Holds Pre-Conference for COM 2022 on Recovering Africa's Economy
By Mariama Marong
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on Tuesday April 19th 2022, held a pre-conference for the upcoming Conference of Africa's Finance Ministers (COM2022) to be held in May in the Senegalese capital Dakar, under the theme "Financing Africa's recovery and breaking new ground."
The virtual COM2022 dialogue of Africa's Finance Ministers is organised by the UN's sub-Regional Office for West Africa, and as the 54th session, the Conference of Africa's Finance Ministers is motivated by the growing challenges of financing Africa's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been brought to bear and exacerbated gaps in several sectors including health, education, infrastructure, and agriculture.
Speaking at the virtual meeting, Ms. Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist of UNECA, said more than 650 million households do not have access to energy and only 39% of the population has access to the internet, with a national road network density largely below world standards of 204 km of roads per 1000 km², compared to the average of 944 km per 1,000 km². She said in West Africa, less than 18% of the national road network was paved in 2017.
"More insights into Africa and West Africa's magnificent financial needs will be presented. However, it is worthy to note the difficult fiscal situation in which Africa has found itself after almost a decade of growth. Indeed in 2019, many African countries registered between 4% to 5% GDP growth along with low debt rates. The immediate need to respond to Covid-19 multiple negative effects has resulted in a fiscal deficit of 7.6% of GDP in 2020, compared to 3.5% in 2019, and the debt ratio has increased on average by 11 percentage points, to reach 71.1% of GDP in 2020," Ms. Morsy explained.
She highlighted that the macro-economic situation of West African countries has been further exacerbated by the sudden Ukraine-Russia War, which she said, has disrupted food and energy supply chains leading to steady inflation in Africa and the world at large.
The Deputy Executive Secretary of ECA said in response to this new shock, Governments need to put in place social safety nets and social security policies and measures for the most vulnerable households and businesses, which are already financially exhausted by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. She said those measures will add more pressure to those countries' already experiencing a shrinking fiscal space.
Ms. Morsy said the West Africa region and the Sahel face specific development challenges along with important financing needs that require specific and innovative financing modalities. She urged African leaders to reflect and come up with innovative policy recommendations that will fit into the deliberations of the 54th Session of the Conference of Africa's Finance Ministers.
Alagie Fadera, president of the Bureau of the 24th Session's Inter-governmental Committee of high officials and experts in West Africa (ICE24th), said Covid-19 has affected all sectors of the economy in the sub-region and the continent at large, adding the Gambia has a new formulating recovery plan to recover the Gambian economy through tax and revenue collection. He said there is a need for West African countries to recover their economy through domestic financing which he noted, is very pertinent in breaking new ground.
"This, if taken into consideration, can domesticate the recovery of our economy," he said, reiterating that this can help widen the tax system by creating innovative ways in bringing formal and informal sectors to leverage public/private financing. He noted that tax can serve as an expansion of the financing needs of a country.
Fadera said the upcoming meeting of Africa's Finance Ministers will be crucial in the recovery of Africa's economy and that it will help mitigate challenges that Governments have, regarding their recovery plans.
Ngone Diop Director Sub Regional Office for West Africa ECA the Economic Commission for Africa said the continent has more challenges when it comes to debts and there is an urgent need to address these challenges that the sub-region is confronted with.
She said the continent faces problems of unemployment and this calls for the urgent need of creating a conducive environment necessary for job creation and the smooth running of businesses as well.
Foni Suffers Significant Economic Losses
PURA Regulates the Operation of Tanker Trucks
FPAC Report Unveils Numerous Wastage of Public Resources
General News December 15, 2022
Gambia Negotiating To Host OIC In 2023
Burning Issues December 15, 2022
GOVERNMENT FINALLY ADMITS THE INEVITABLE
The Difficult Lives Of Border Villagers In Foni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Steve Coll, The New Yorker: Notes on the Death of Osama bin Laden "On the constructive side: The loss of a symbolic, semi-charismatic leader whose own survival burnished his legend is significant… On the other hand: Al Qaeda is more than just a centralized organization based in Pakistan."
Daniel Byman, Foreign Policy: OBL is Dead, Al Qaeda Isn't "Let's begin with some notes of caution. As any expert will tell you, one of bin Laden's biggest successes is creating an organization that will survive him."
Mike Allen, Politico: Getting Osama bin Laden: How the Mission Went Down "In the biggest break in a global pursuit of bin Laden that stretched back to the Clinton administration, the U.S. discovered the compound by following one of the terrorist's personal couriers, identified by terrorist detainees as one of the few al Qaeda couriers who bin Laden trusted."
Marc Ambinder, National Journal: The Secret Team That Killed bin Laden "From Ghazi Air Base in Pakistan, the modified MH-60 helicopters made their way to the garrison suburb of Abbottabad, about 30 miles from the center of Islamabad. Aboard were Navy SEALs, flown across the border from Afghanistan…"
George Packer, The New Yorker: Osama bin Laden: Better Late Than Never "It came almost a decade late, after far too many subsequent deaths, some necessary but most of them needless. Nor does it bring to an end anything other than the living embodiment and inspiration of Islamist terror. Still, the killing of Osama bin Laden is cause for deep satisfaction."
Adam Martin, The Atlantic Wire: Markets Surge: Bin Laden's Death as an Economic Indicator "When the initial jubilation of last night's news wears off, the economic conditions that have made for a difficult global economic recovery will still exist."
Katie Benner, Fortune: Bin Laden's Gone, But What About al Qaeda's Finances? "Contrary to popular opinion, the death of bin Laden does not strike a blow to the organization's financial health. '[Osama bin Laden] Does not support al Qaeda through a personal fortune or a network of businesses,' the [9/11] Commission wrote in its report."
Kate Zernike and Michael T. Kaufman, The New York Times: The Most Wanted Face of Terrorism "He styled himself a Muslim ascetic, a billionaire's son who gave up a life of privilege for the cause. But he was media savvy and acutely image conscious; before a CNN crew that interviewed him in 1997 was allowed to leave, his media advisers insisted on editing out unflattering shots."


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DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES: THE STORY OF EUGENE
On a balmy summer day in June of 1929 a man was discovered deceased in a ditch near the intersection of 3C Highway and Borum Road in rural Sabina, Ohio. He was taken to Littleton Funeral Home where he was examined and embalmed. It was estimated the man was between 50 to 80 years old.
The mysterious man, who no one recognized, appeared to have passed away from natural causes as there were no visible signs of trauma. He had no identification on him, but there was a single sheet of tablet paper with the address 1118 Yale Ave. Cincinnati, in his pocket. Cincinnati Police were dispatched to the address and found it was a vacant lot. The closest residence to the Yale Avenue address belonged to a man named Eugene Johnson so from that point on – the John Doe was given a name – they called him 'Eugene.'
Eugene's body sat at the Littleton Funeral home where an employee had the idea to dress him in a suit and prop his body in a nearby outbuilding on the property with the hope someone would recognize him. There he would remain for more than thirty years, until 1964 in fact, unidentified.
Eugene became quite a tourist attraction in the small town and locals estimate he was viewed by 1.5 million people over the years. The funeral home even kept books where visitors would sign in to see Eugene. At one point his body was stolen by college pranksters and taken to a party at Ohio State University. His exploits weren't limited to a frat party, however, according to an excerpt from a local Sabina historical website:
"Eugene was a famous figure back then, especially at Halloween. He often appeared on the front porches of homes (with a little help from his friends) and terrorized more than a few houses. Some of his fingers were missing but he was kept well dressed in his black suit and had a rather serene look of composure on his face."
Fortunately after these ill-conceived "adventures" Eugene was returned and placed back in his little building, awaiting identification. Sadly that day never came.
Finally, on a cool October day in 1964, he was given a proper burial. It was Mr. Littleton, the owner of Littleton Funeral Home, who purchased a lot in the Sabina Cemetery and took care of all the expenses associated with his burial. He was fitted with a brand new suit and a custom headstone that bore the single name, Eugene.
After all the years and countless unknown escapades, the man they called Eugene was never identified. He did manage to make quite a name for himself, albeit posthumously. Eugene, a true legend of a little Ohio town. After all, dead men tell no tales. Or do they?
Clark, James L. The Most Famous Guy in Sabina. Weird US
Myers, David. Seen by Many, Known by None: Eugene Buried After 35 Years. Sabina News Record. Oct. 22 1964
Parks, Neal. Alternate Universes, Time Travel and the Unexplained. 2016
#mystery, eugene, mummification, mummy, sabina, unidentified, unsolved
3 responses to "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES: THE STORY OF EUGENE"
Amanda Morgan
Just came across your website today and its great info! Keep posting please!!
Thanks so much Amanda!!
So people stole a dead person body, propped him up on porches and took him to frat parties. In after 3 decades pll decided it was time to bury him. I wonder how much money was for this tourist site? Stealing a body isn't crime in Ohio? But somehow this is suppose to be a light hearted piece on a man who couldn't even get a decent funeral until he was disrespected over and over for a laugh and crazy story ppl will tell at parties years from now. Okay cool.


text:
Leonidas at Thermopylae is an oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Jacques-Louis David. The work currently hangs in the Louvre in Paris, France. David completed the massive work (3.95 m × 5.31 m) 15 years after he began, working on it from 1799 to 1803 and again in 1813–1814. Leonidas at Thermopylae was purchased, along with The Intervention of the Sabine Women, in November 1819 for 100,000 francs by Louis XVIII, the king of France. The piece depicts the Spartan king Leonidas prior to the Battle of Thermopylae. David's pupil Georges Rouget collaborated on it.

Background
The crowded and theatrical scene that David depicts takes place in a time of war, seemingly in Ancient Greece from the Greek temple and temperate mountains in the background. The setting is the mountain pass in which the Battle of Thermopylae was about to be fought, in 480 BCE. Thermopylae was chosen as an ideal location for waging a defensive action in view of its narrow passage through the mountainous geography. This helped the Greeks make a better stand against the numerically vastly superior Persians, who were invading Greece. King Leonidas, the Spartan leader, "delayed the invasion of Darius I and the Persians…by sacrificing himself and his men to give the Greeks the time they needed to organize an ultimately victorious resistance" in the long run. This act of bravery and sacrifice by King Leonidas and his three hundred soldiers inspired David as France waged its own campaigns against rival European powers that wanted to restore France's pre-revolutionary ancien régime. In 1813–14, when he finished the painting, European powers allied against the First French Empire were invading France to topple the emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, and David again found inspiration in the story of Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Style
When Napoleon Bonaparte saw the exhibit of David's latest paintings in 1799, "he criticized the lack of action and the fixed poses of the warriors in The Sabine Women." This critique by one of David's heroes compelled David to revisit the classical ideals that inspired him (and the French Académie de Peinture et de Sculpture). The reworked masterpiece respects classical ideals of male virtue and beauty in its depiction of historical Greek warriors to convey an impression of heroic courage.

Earlier Sketches
David made many sketches before the final oil on canvas composition was executed. A sketch dating back to 1814 is a compositional study that was completed in two separate parts, leaving the final result somewhat choppy and overworked. There are a few differences between this compositional study and the final painting, one of which being a more full view of the background which resulted from the removal of trees and branches from the earlier sketch. Classical male figures were included from the beginning of David's sketches for Leonidas at Thermopylae.

Composition
In Leonidas at Thermopylae, it is implied that the war is deeper than just the main figures in the foreground, with hundreds of other warriors in the battle too. In the foreground, we see that chaos has broken out and the army seems to be in shambles, while the leader of the army remains calm as the war progresses around him. The emphasized man in the center, presumably Leonidas, instantly draws the viewers' eyes to him. Not only is Leonidas more bathed in light out of any of the partly shadowed figures in the painting, he also has the most static pose while almost everyone else is in motion. In this brief snapshot of a glimpse into an intense battle, he takes a moment to reflect on the war. While he is the leader of his army, Leonidas cannot do this alone; his eyes are upturned toward the heavens, as if to look up to God and beg for help. His facial expression is one of contemplation and almost defeat, as if he knows the fate of him and his army in the battle.

The contrast of the only other static man to the right of the leader serves to show that though Leonidas's figure is static, his risen state defines him as the ruler. The figures in the right background look up to Leonidas, signaling that the company sees him as divine. His idealized figure contributes to this notion too, relaying the idea of his strength and bravery during this battle. The golden embroidered cape, fancy helmet, and huge shield all contribute to the idea of Leonidas's high status and primary role in this battle.

On the left side, a soldier carves in rock the famous phrase (in Greek), "Go, passer-by, to Sparta tell/Obedient to her law we fell", conveying that Leonidas and his Spartans know their fate and are prepared to die, in the name of their country.

Notes

References
 Athanassoglou, Nina. "Under the Sign of Leonidas: The Political and Ideological Fortune of David's Leonidas at Thermopylae Under the Restoration."  The Art Bulletin 63, no. 4 (December 1981): 633–649.
 Bordes, Philippe.  Jacques-Louis David: Empire to Exile. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
 John C. Kraft et al. "The Pass at Thermopylae, Greece." Journal of Field Archaeology 14, no. 2 (Summer 1987): 181–198.
 "Leonidas at Thermopylae." Louvre. Accessed December 8, 2017. http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/leonidas-thermopylae.
 "Leonidas at Thermopylae." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed December 8, 2017. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/334245.
 Nanteuil, Luc de.  Jacques-Louis David.  New York: H.N. Abrams, 1990.

Paintings by Jacques-Louis David
1814 paintings
Paintings in the Louvre by French artists
Cultural depictions of Leonidas I

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


172 pages | 3 B/W Illus.
"In Cultural Heritage Infrastructures in Digital Humanities, editors Agiatis Benardou, Erik Champion, Costis Dallas and Lorna M. Hughes offer a volume that examines the impact that emergent digital research infrastructures in the humanities have had on the academy and the wider public. Anyone concerned with the future of digital humanities research will find much to ponder in this timely and important collection of essays."
11. Digital humanities research needs from cultural heritage looking forward to 2025?
Agiatis Benardou is a Senior Research Associate at the Digital Curation Unit, Athena Research Centre, Greece, and a Teaching Fellow in Digital Curation at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences.
Erik Champion is UNESCO Chair of Cultural Heritage and Visualisation at Curtin University, a steering committee member of the Curtin Institute for Computation (CIC), and a member of the Australia Asia Pacific Institute (AAPI).
Costis Dallas is Director of the Collaborative Programs and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, Canada, and a Research Fellow at the Digital Curation Unit, IMIS, Athena Research Centre, Greece.
Lorna M. Hughes is Professor in Digital Humanities at the University of Glasgow.


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[monday, december 14, 2020]
show: all posts | rants & reviews | interviews | ratings | video
Development Update: Monday, December 14
Updates include: Hulu axes Marvel's "Helstrom" after one season; FOX passes on proposed "Empire" spin-off; and Apple's "Slow Horses" rounds out principal cast.
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Video: TNT's AEW Wrestlers Reenact Iconic Scenes from "A Christmas Story" in Celebration of TNT and TBS 24-Hour Marathon on December 24-25
Additionally, "AEW Dynamite" will air a special "Holiday Bash" episode on December 23 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT following the NBA game on TNT.
USA Network Sets January Premieres for Season Two of "Straight Up Steve Austin" and New Family Docu-Comedy "The Rev"
They'll be joined by new episodes of "Chrisley Knows Best," currently in its eighth season.
Hulu Acquires U.S. Rights to Ilana Glazer Starrer "False Positive"
Justin Theroux, Gretchen Mol, Sophia Bush, Josh Hamilton and Pierce Brosnan also star in the project, which marks John Lee and Ilana Glazer's feature film co-writing debut.
Celebrate the Holidays with Unique Concert Special from the Makers of Canada's Beloved "Murdoch Mysteries" Period Drama with Contemporary Classical Pieces and Series Highlights Performed by Toronto Symphony Orchestra Musicians
"A Music Lover's Guide to Murdoch Mysteries" will premiere in the U.S. and Canada, on Christmas Eve, on Thursday, December 24, 2020 on Acorn TV.
Showtime to Extend the Final Farewell to "Shameless" with All-New "Shameless Hall of Shame" Series
The six-episode series will feature new, original "Shameless" scenes juxtaposed with a retrospective look at each character's journey over the prior 10 seasons.
Video: EPIX Debuts Trailer, Key Art and New Casting for Upcoming Dramedy Series "Bridge and Tunnel"
Written, directed and produced by Edward Burns, this dramedy series set in 1980 revolves around a group of recent college grads setting out to pursue their dreams in Manhattan while still clinging to the familiarity of their working-class Long Island home town.
CBS Orders "Secret Celebrity Renovation," A New One-Hour Reality Series Hosted by "Entertainment Tonight's" Nischelle Turner
The new one-hour reality series gives celebrities in sports, music and entertainment the chance to gift a surprise home renovation to a meaningful person who helped guide them to success.
Video: Attn Humans - "Resident Alien" Official Trailer & Key Art Is Now Available!
As previously announced, the mystery/sci-fi/doctor dramedy will premiere on Wednesday, January 27 at 10:00/9:00c.
"The Office" to Stream Exclusively on Peacock January 1, 2021
This includes all previously released episodes and brand new, never-before-seen content.
VH1 Presents New Digital Docu-Series "Growing Up Black" Premiering Monday, December 14 at 12pm ET on VH1 YouTube
The premiere episode dives into the historic city of New Orleans, featuring a range of standout community leaders and artists.
HBO Orders A24 Limited Series "Irma Vep" Starring Alicia Vikander
The project will revolve around Mira (Vikander), an American movie star disillusioned by her career and a recent breakup, who comes to France to star as Irma Vep in a remake of the French silent film classic, "Les Vampires."
Discovery Channel and Cal Fire Take Viewers to the Frontlines of California's Most Desctructive Wildfire Season in Brand-New Series, "Cal Fire," Premiering January 3
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Bravo's "Summer House" Returns as a Quaranteam in the Hamptons on Thursday, February 4, at 9PM ET/PT
Returning roommates this season are Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula, Lindsay Hubbard, Carl Radke, Hannah Berner, Paige DeSorbo, Luke Gulbranson and Danielle Olivera.
FOX Acquires CTV Original Series "Holmes Family Effect" in Deal with Bell Media
The four-part series, which has completed production, makes its broadcast premiere in Canada on CTV in early 2021.
Sunday's Broadcast Ratings: "Sunday Night Football" Lifts NBC to Another Victory
The network easily wins the evening in both total viewers and adults 18-49.
Video: Official Trailer for Amazon Original "Yearly Departed" Available Now!
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New "HGTV Obsessed" Podcast Offers Superfans Exclusive Interviews with Top Network Stars and Behind-the-Scenes Content from Their Favorite Series
The podcast is set to launch on Thursday, December 17, and fans can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts and wherever they listen to podcasts.
Netflix Orders Seven New Series That Will Soon Be Produced Across the UK
They'll join "Sex Education," "Top Boy," "After Life," "The Crown," as well as fellow newcomers "Anatomy of a Scandal," "The Last Bus," and Harlan Coben's "Stay Close."
Emmy(R) Award-Winning "RuPaul's Drag Race" Ruveals Jaw-Dropping Season 13 Twist
For the first time in Drag Race "herstory" queens will enter the werk room to discover an explosive surprise: that they must immediately go head-to-head on the mainstage to defend their place in the competition with six lip syncs for their lives.
Video: "Bridgerton" - Official Trailer - Netflix
"Bridgerton," from Shondaland, premieres December 25, only on Netflix.
"NBC's New Year's Eve 2021" Host Carson Daly Rings in the New Year Alongside Amber Ruffin, Stephen "tWitch" Boss and Biggest Names in Music
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In 1999, 21 high school graduates vanish without a trace.
Saturday's Broadcast Ratings: Holiday Repeats Put CBS in Front
The Eye leads the night in total viewers, shares the demo crown with ABC.
Friday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Tops Viewers, Splits Demos with FOX
The Eye's "Blue Bloods" leads the night in both categories.
Development Update: Friday, December 11
Updates include: NBC passes on its "Night School" TV series pilot; Chris Messina to star in HBO Max's "Verbatim"; and Michael Douglas, Christoph Waltz to play Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev in proposed limited series.
What Happened to the Children? Investigation Discovery Examines the Case Against Lori Vallow in "Doomsday: The Missing Children"
The three-part event bows Sunday, December 20 at 9:00/8:00 on the cable channel.
"Onision: In Real Life" Streaming Exclusively on discovery+ Beginning January 4th
The three-part limited series comes from executive producer Geno McDermott and showrunner Grace Miller.
Fire Will Reign - Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, and Matt Smith Join the Cast of HBO's "House of the Dragon"
Paddy Considine also stars in the prequel series, set 300 years before the events of "Game of Thrones."
Bippity, Boppity, Boo! ABC's "The Wonderful World of Disney" Film Series Returns for Three Tuesday Nights, Beginning Jan. 5
For three weeks ABC will air the broadcast premieres of iconic titles currently available to stream on Disney+ including Disney's "The Lion King" (2019), Marvel Studios' "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and Disney's "Cinderella" (2015).
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In linear and digital viewing to date, "Transplant" is averaging 7.7 million total viewers, more than doubling its 3.5 million "live plus same day" performance.
Discovery Channel's New Series, "Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch" Takes Viewers on an Epic Search for Caverns of Gold
The series will also be available on discovery+ starting January 4.
"Real Time with Bill Maher" Returns for Its 19th Season January 15
Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists and interviews with guests.
Disney Channel Reveals Premiere Date for Highly Anticipated New Series "Secrets of Sulphur Springs" and Fan Favorite 'Bunk'd"
Look for both series back-to-back beginning Friday, January 15.
CBC and BET+ Greenlight "The Porter" (working title), An Original Drama About Railway Workers in Canada and the United States Who Joined Together to Give Birth to the World's First Black Union and Sparked a Civil Rights Movement
Annmarie Morais and Marsha Greene are writers/showrunners on the eight-part series, with Charles Officer and R.T. Thorne set to executive produce and direct.
It's No Holds Barred as Judges Face Off Against Past Competitors for Largest Cash Prize in "Chopped" History on "Chopped: Grudge Match"
"The plan is simple - defeat the giants of Chopped and win the biggest prize in the competition's history, but this tournament is anything but simple," said Courtney White.
YouTube Originals Greenlights Global Documentary Series "Creator Spotlights"
Through intimate documentary-style episodes or "spotlights," the series paints portraits of diverse creators as they share how leveraging the power of the global platform can transform lives and communities.
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: "Thursday Night Football" Returns on Top for FOX
The network takes home top honors in both total viewers and adults 18-49.
"Superman & Lois": First Look at Lois Lane & Clark Kent
As previously announced, the series premieres Tuesday, February 23 on The CW.
Video: "Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The documentary premieres Monday, December 21 on the streaming service.
Video: "Dickinson" - Season 2 Official Trailer - Apple TV+
Hailee Steinfeld stars in the series, which audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson.
Video: "London Hughes: to Catch a D*ck" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Bawdy comedian and television presenter London Hughes revisits her past in this acclaimed breakout special filled with unfiltered tales and wild stories.
Video: "Inside the World's Toughest Prisons" (Season 5) - Official Trailer - Netflix
The series returns with new episodes on Friday, January 8.
Development Update: Thursday, December 10
Updates include: Rosie O'Donnell cast in Showtime's "American Gigolo"; HBO expands ensemble of "The Gilded Age"; and "The Ellen DeGeneres" shuts down after DeGeneres herself tests positive for COVID-19.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Renewed for Four More Seasons
With season 15 due next year, "Sunny" will set the record as the longest-running live-action comedy series in television history, bypassing "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet."
The Walt Disney Company Surpasses 137 Million Paid Subscriptions Across Its Direct-to-Consumer Services, Shattering Previous Guidance
After greatly exceeding expectations, The Walt Disney Company shared guidance that it now expects its streaming services to hit 300-350 million total subscriptions by fiscal 2024, driven primarily by a significant increase in content output.
Video: Disney Investor Day 2020 - Marvel Exclusive First Looks
Check out teases for "Ms. Marvel," "What If...?," "Loki," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "WandaVision."
Video: Disney Investor Day 2020 - Star Wars Sizzle Reels
Get your first look at "The Bad Batch" and "Andor," plus a recap of "The Mandalorian."
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Home » African Nations Cup » Mali v Ghana: Black Stars excellent value to finish third
Mali v Ghana: Black Stars excellent value to finish third
After the heartache of a semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Burkina Faso, Ghana can recover to claim the prize nobody wants – a third-place finish in a major tournament.
They're 23/20 favourites for the bronze and, given Mali's recent hopelessness, this is a price that should be lumped on.
An emphatic 7-1 aggregate win over Botswana ensured them a plane ticket to South Africa, but the Eagles failed to deliver on the big stage. They scraped a 1-0 win over Niger in their opener and haven't won since to support the statement that their reaching the last four was more a question of luck than judgement.
Nigeria proved this was the case by dishing out a 4-1 thrashing to claim their spot in the final.
These two met in the group-stage of the tournament, with the Black Stars running out 1-0 winners. All these factors conspire to argue that Mali's 12/5 for victory should be a lot longer; their only hope is borne out of the theory that the Ghanaians will be licking their wounds after missing out on a place in the final. This, however, does not quantify as reasonable grounds to place a bet.
It's now nine games since someone got the better of the Black Stars in 90 minutes and, prior to Aristide Bance's goal in Nelspruit, no one had managed to breach their backline in three games.
They're 11/8 to keep another clean sheet against the Malians, while a win to nil looks tastier at 9/4.
The half markets also offer some good value on this clash. Ghana have been ahead at the break in four of their five games in the tournament. The end result has been split equally between them going on to finish the job – as was the case when they last faced Mali – or ending up all square. A price of 11/5 offers a decent payout and stands a strong chance of copping for Ghana to be winning at both half and full time, while the less advisable 14/1 for the Eagles to come back and draw after the interval holds some appeal too.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication's time and date
« African Cup of Nations: Lucky pitch to bring more Burkina joy
Nigeria v Burkina Faso: Super Eagles won't have easy ride »
James Middleton
AFCON: Ivory Coast anguish and Aboubakar glory in 3 top tips
Ivory Coast v Mali: Drogba to send favourites into final
Alex Fortune | 26.01.2015
Wolves await West Brom bid for AFCoN winger coming into form


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Matt Simmons: Oil market will surprise in 2005
While most oil analysts have been predicting lower oil prices this year--they predicted them last year, too--Houston investment banker Matt Simmons keeps beating the drum for higher prices. In a recent slide presentation, he outlines his reasons which include high demand and continuing high depletion rates. The story for gas looks pretty much the same. Simmons still believes world peak oil production may be nearer than anything thinks.
(Comments are open to all. After clicking on "Comments," click on "Or Post Anonymously" if you don't have an account. See the list of environmental blogs on my sidebar.)
Posted by Kurt Cobb at 10:07 PM 1 comment:
In an earlier post I pointed to studies in Minnesota that uncovered a myriad of previously undetected man-made chemicals in the state's waters. The chemicals were mostly from household products. Now a study of Colorado waters shows pretty much the same thing.
Posted by Kurt Cobb at 3:36 PM No comments:
RealClimate on global dimming
In a previous post I discussed wildly inaccurate reports on a phenomenon called "global dimming" which was being interpreted as a reason, oddly enough, for continuing to pollute the atmosphere in an effort to reduce the effects of global warming. RealClimate says that global dimming is not well understood or documented, certainly not in the way depicted in a recent BBC documentary, and its affects are not likely to be the ones touted in the documentary. The two posts are here and here.
Only in Iceland?
I pose the question with respect to the much predicted "hydrogen economy." In Iceland it may become a reality because the country has abundant, cheap geothermal power. You can practically drill a hole anywhere on the island and get geothermal energy. That means the the power needed to make hydrogen from water is nonpolluting and inexpensive. The combination will be hard to come by in most places on earth. And, even if Iceland could produce hydrogen for export, it would be difficult and costly to get across the ocean.
The main problem with hydrogen is that it is an energy carrier not an energy source. It currently takes much more energy to get hydrogen out of water, by electrolysis, for example, than the hydrogen yields. That means burning coal or natural gas to create electricity to extract hydrogen from water would be huge energy loser. It would be much better, for example, just to burn the natural gas in vehicles directly.
Naturally, if someone figures out how to get more energy out of hydrogen than it takes to extract it, the problem will be solved. Or if someone invents or discovers an incredibly cheap, nonpolluting energy source that it is possible to use in most places on earth, hydrogen could become a success. Windmills might work in some locales. Solar might work in others. But, the efficiencies are not yet there, and the scale of the new energy infrastructure would require astronomically huge investments using existing energy sources such as oil, coal and gas. If we're going to do it, we better start now.
Hotter means drier
Rising global temperatures are partly responsible for a doubling of the land on earth subject to dry conditions, according to a report by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Drying effects appeared across the globe. In at least half the instances studied, the drying effects were due to rising temperatures, not declining rainfall.
Drilling on Wall Street
When predictable behaviors cease (e.g. major oil companies stop concentrating on finding more oil when prices are high), it is worth seeing what's up. What's up is a tacit admission by those oil companies that we are moving into an era of scarce supply that they believe we cannot drill our way out of.
Starting back in the mid-1980s when oil got dirt cheap, major oil companies soon realized that it was much cheaper and easier to drill for oil on Wall Street. No derricks, however, appeared in lower Manhattan; rather, the majors started acquiring other companies with reserves, sometimes for less than those reserves were worth.
That was then, and this is now. Now, it would stand to reason that with oil prices so high, drilling for oil in an actual oilfield would be richly rewarded. But alas, the trouble is that oil has gotten harder to find and, once found, harder to bring out of the ground. Those are increasingly the geological facts, even if people choose not to believe them.
Oil companies know better, and the major ones are bothering less and less with drilling and focusing more and more on acquisitions. In the investment field it can actually pay to embrace the facts, and savvy CEOs know that it pays even more to embrace the facts early.
This rambling piece on an investment website shows that some in the investment community are starting to pick up on the coming realities of peak oil. Whether peak oil is here or coming at later date to be announced, it will have profound implications, not just for investors or oil companies, but for everyone.
(Comments are open to all. See the list of environmental blogs on my sidebar.)
A Grim Future for the Empire of Oil
If America's armed forces really are becoming a global protection force for oil and other resources, this piece posted on the Alternative Press Review predicts a grim future for those involved. In a recent book a Navy War College professor predicts that the U. S. will have to develop a force that crushes opposition to globalization and maintains access to resources and then stays in distant locales all over the earth indefinitely. It is going to cost a lot and mean few homecomings for soldiers abroad.
Posted by Kurt Cobb at 12:42 PM No comments:
Venezuela proves my thesis: Less can be more
In a previous post on resource wars, I said that oil industries that are state-controlled, directly or indirectly, are less likely to be concerned about developing oil reserves any faster than they need to in order to fund government spending for military and social programs. They also have little incentive to find and deliver great new gobs of oil onto the international market since this would only depress the prices they receive. I also discussed this phenomenon in more detail in my post called "Faith-based economics III: Why the market price doesn't tell us the true state of oil reserves."
The International Herald Tribune reports that Venezuela wants to renegotiate the terms of some of its agreements with private oil companies that operate in the country. In some cases the government is acting unilaterally and capriciously. One chief executive of a Houston-based oil company operating in Venezuela said he couldn't understand why the country would want to restrict investment and production. But, the reporters pick up on what's happening. Higher oil prices have more than compensated for declines in production and Venezuela realizes that small decreases in production or even keeping production flat will help keep world oil supplies tight. That will mean even more money for the country's state-owned oil company and from its existing agreements with private oil companies which, of course, translates into more money for government spending.
The logic is hard to see unless you understand just how sensitive the price of oil is to small changes in supply. Since everybody has to have oil, price hikes tend to be disproportionate to declines in supply. Under the right conditions such as those that prevail in the world oil market today, a smaller amount of oil sold can actually bring a higher total price than a larger amount of oil. Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, is no fool. He knows this and he's using it to his and his government's advantage.
He's probably getting help from other state-owned or controlled companies in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia and elsewhere who realize the same thing and are making little effort to bring more oil to market.
Frankenfruit
Monsanto continues its buying spree with the acquisition of the largest fruit and vegetable seed company in the world. Despite the acquisition Monsanto says that genetically modified fruit and vegetable crops are well down the road. Here's the take from The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods in its most recent email alert:
In a move that opens the door to the aggressive marketing of biotech fruits and vegetables, Monsanto has agreed to purchase Seminis, the world's largest producer of fruit and vegetable seeds, for about $1 billion.
Monsanto seems to be downplaying the significance of this move in relation to genetically engineered fruits and vegetables. In a somewhat coy statement, their chief executive officer, Hugh Grant, stated "In the long term, there may be opportunities in biotech."
Many activists feel this is a gross understatement and that Monsanto will push hard to bring genetically engineered vegetables and fruits out sooner rather than later. Some insiders speculate that Monsanto wants to get a significant variety of biotech crops into the marketplace quickly while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations are still incredibly lax.
Until recently, a significant focus of Monsanto was to move forward on the introduction of genetically engineered wheat. However, U.S. and international opposition to biotech wheat caused the company to shelve those plans in the short term.
Some feel this new grandiose move by Monsanto into the fruit and vegetable market is a strategic move to gain broader acceptance of biotech crops. They feel Monsanto will then again try to move forward with genetically engineered wheat.
Monsanto is considered by many to be one of the world's most controversial companies. The company has faced numerous legal charges over the years that continue even in recent days.
In 2001, Monsanto was found guilty of releasing tons of PCBs into the city of Anniston, Alabama and covering up its actions for decades. The jury found Monsanto liable on all six charges it considered: negligence, wantonness, suppression of the truth, nuisance, trespass and outrage. Under Alabama law, the charge of "outrage" requires conduct "so outrageous in character and extreme in degree as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency so as to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized society."
Most recently, on January 6, 2005, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed two settled enforcement proceedings charging Monsanto with making illicit payments in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). It appears that Monsanto had bribed more than 140 current and former Indonesian government officials and their families by an amount totaling more than $700,000 between 1997 and 2002. The cash was paid to allow the company to develop genetically engineered crops in Indonesia.
The SEC lawsuit charged Monsanto with violating the FCPA and imposed a civil penalty of $500,000. They also issued an administrative order finding that Monsanto violated the anti-bribery, books-and-records, and internal-controls provisions of the FCPA and ordered the company to cease and desist from such violations. Further, the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal information charging that Monsanto violated the anti-bribery and books and records provisions of the FCPA. Monsanto agreed to pay a $1 million monetary penalty to defer prosecution charges by the Department of Justice.
Considering the track record of Monsanto, you might think that the FDA would closely scrutinize any new genetically engineered crops the company plans to bring to market. But under current FDA regulations, Monsanto is not even required to notify the agency that they are bringing out a new genetically engineered crop (unless the nutrient value is significantly altered or the product contains a known allergen.) Apparently the FDA trusts Monsanto to do the right thing. Do you?
But surely Monsanto can be trusted to do what's right for us when it comes to our food.
Kunstler's America: Part II
In a previous post I talked about James Howard Kunstler as America's foremost critic of the suburb. In this essay, he takes aim at Florida. Once a hotbed for the New Urbanist movement, the state has now traveled irrevocably down the road of sprawl and become a prisoner of fossil fuels, a predicament that will soon (in Kunstler's view) consign it to second-class status as an almost unlivable state.
False impressions
In an earlier post I discussed the European Union's implementation of the precautionary principle with regard to chemicals. In essence, the EU is making manufacturers prove the safety of chemicals already in use. Those not tested or found to be unsafe will be banned and phased out. When reporters talk about such issues they need to be careful not to be misled by false analogies and industry-funded propaganda. The Star-Ledger in New Jersey gets misled on both counts in this recent piece entitled "Europe finds you can be too careful."
The article contrasts the EU approach with the American approach as follows: "Americans ascribe to a more science-based approach for regulating food and technologies, more like 'innocent until proven guilty.' One notable exception is pharmaceuticals, where drug makers have to prove safety in extensive trials." The description has two problems. First, it implies that the EU approach is not science-based. Incredibly, this claim is made even though the reporter points out in the very next sentence that the Food and Drug Administration requires prior approval for drugs. Would the reporter claim that the FDA's decisions are not based on science? This is essentially what the EU wants to do with chemicals. It sounds like science to me. Second, the reporter uses a false analogy. She analogizes the American chemical regulatory system to a principle deeply held in American life, namely, "innocent until proven guilty." But, this principle applies to people, not to chemical substances. No one believes that chemicals should have the same rights as people. Chemicals are tools. Like any tool, they need to be used safely. If they aren't safe, they shouldn't be used. In this case the safety of people should trump the rights of chemicals (and chemical companies).
The reporter also quotes an official from the International Policy Network who is skeptical of the precautionary principle. The group sounds impressive, doesn't it? What readers don't learn is that it is heavily financed by ExxonMobil and other oil and chemical companies. In saying this, I'm not saying the organization has no right to speak or be quoted. It may have something valid to tell us. I'm only saying that the organization's funding and bias should be disclosed.
If the reporter committed these errors and omissions without knowing it, she was just plain sloppy. If she knew what she was doing, then she should be drummed out of the reporting profession.
How close to the tipping point?
I mentioned Rakendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in a post yesterday and he's back already, only with help. A task force of heavy hitters from around the globe say in a new report, Meeting the Climate Challenge, that we may have only 10 years before global warming becomes unstoppable and catastrophic. What that means is that the world as a whole has to start doing big things today to reverse global warming.
The irony is that the Bush administration pushed hard to elevate Pachauri to his current position because the previous chairman had been so vocal about the need for quick and dramatic action on greenhouse gasses.
Is Jesus green?
In response to Grist Magazine's recent piece on the anti-environmental attitudes of fundamentalist Christians entitled "The Godly Must Be Crazy," the online magazine received a torrent of responses from readers, many of them insisting that Christianity and environmentalism are not in opposition. The author retorts that he doesn't necessarily believe that the two are in opposition. In fact, he agrees with one of his letter writers that "Jesus is green."
Blindsided
When the Bush administration managed the removal of the outspoken previous chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at the behest of its friends in the energy industry, it hoped to replace him with somebody more friendly to energy interests. (The IPCC is a creature of the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme and thus beyond the direct control of the United States.) The administration thought it had found its man in Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, an economist and engineer with previous ties to energy companies. But Pachauri blindsided the administration recently calling for "very deep" cuts in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in order for humanity to "survive." And, he made it clear that he's not talking about doing something in the distant future, but now, meaning, right away. He said the world is bumping up against the point of no return after which catastrophic outcomes are assured.
The Bush administration might have pushed a different candidate to head the IPCC if administration officials had bothered to read this piece from the News India Times from 2002. But, then the president has said he doesn't read the newspapers. Do any of his advisors bother to read them?
Never before seen
While a dispute brews over whether the apparent increase in hurricane activity and intensity can be traced to global warming, a never-before-seen hurricane in the South Atlantic last year in March continues to be the focus of intense interest. Conditions in the South Atlantic have long been considered insufficient for the formation of hurricanes, but climate scientists have predicted that global warming could change that. Is this hurricane a one-time freak of nature or is it yet another troubling sign of global warming? That's what scientists are trying to find out.
James Hanson survives
When James Hanson, the leading government scientist on global warming, criticized the Bush administration just days before the presidential election, many thought he would be fired if Bush won. Hanson remains in his job at NASA and told The Washington Post that he will continue to try to persuade the administration to move ahead on curbing greenhouse gasses.
Warm-up act
An asteriod which fell on the Yucatan peninsula 65 million years ago is credited with wiping out the dinosaurs and many other life forms as part of a huge mass extinction. The cause then was the heavy blanket of particles from the impact that blocked out the sunlight. Now, another mass extinction some 250 million years ago has been linked to global warming caused by volcanic eruptions. Marine species declined by 75 percent while animal and plant species on land declined by 90 percent.
James Howard Kunstler's America of the Future
James Howard Kunstler is probably America's foremost critic of the suburb. The author of "The Geography of Nowhere" has always contended that the suburb is a civic and architectural disaster, corrosive of American democracy and antithetical to the good life. In recent years he has married that critique with a pessimistic view of the world's energy future. Suburbs aren't just bad; they're unsustainable.
He predicts that 2005 will be the year of world peak oil production (though he says he is sticking his neck out by doing so). Whether the peak comes this year or next or five years from now, he clearly thinks it's coming soon.
What will it mean for America's beloved suburbs? Kunstler provides a vivid and chilling picture in this interview given in 2003. He is so eloquent and clever, it's worth listening to the audio rather than reading the transcript. He has some hopeful ideas about how the American economy will adjust in this essay on his website. The upside: No more Wal-Mart! Transportation will become too expensive to maintain such far-flung operations. Everything will have to be "downscaled" to match the new localized markets that will emerge in the wake of expensive energy. That will mean, for example, a return to local agriculture and a dismantling of megacampuses for high schools and colleges. The downside comes out in the interview mentioned above and in this essay in which he comments on a number of ecological, financial and geopolitical trends. (Don't let Kunstler's use of the "F-word" in his titles distract you from his excellent analysis.)
I expect Kunstler to address these issues in more detail in his upcoming book, "The Long Emergency," to be released in this spring.
The trouble with nonlinearity
There is no good way to graph our thought processes. But if we did, I think the way in which we perceive and act in the world would look like a series of gently sloping lines. We expect that the future will look pretty much like the recent past. We expect trends to be more or less continuous. The stock market will go up. Gas prices tomorrow will not to be too different from what they are today. Our regular lunch place will have one of the items we always get.
Our modern technical way of life is built to cushion the ebb and flow of food and water and energy that nature might bestow on us and to make them a constant stream. The light switch works. The heat goes on. The car starts. But, when something goes awry, we get peevish and often disoriented. We think it's unfair that the world has sent us a little piece of nonlinearity. But, even as we get hit again and again by breakdowns in our routine, we expect the nice gentle sloping curves of our mind to be restored. And, they often are after a struggle and some anger. And then, we get used to the new state we are in, lulled once more into the linear experience that makes us feel safe and in charge.
This classic graph shows that we zip merrily along a road even as the traffic increases until at some point we end up in a traffic jam. And we wait and we wait, and we fume and we fume. But, we fume because we think this shouldn't happen. And, we seem to forget such things happen regularly almost as soon as they are over.
Our love for the predictable sloping lines of our minds makes pronouncements that we risk a nonlinear future--runaway global warming or a sudden and enduring energy crisis--seem impossible to accept or even entertain. "That's not how things work," the mind tells us. And, then we get outward reinforcement. "People have predicted terrible things before, and look, we're fine," the skeptic says.
That's the trouble with nonlinearity. The skeptic is right until the precise moment when he or she becomes very, very wrong.
Toward a master narrative for the environmental movement II: The rationale
In a previous post I offered a starting point for building a master narrative for the environmental movement. That narrative should carry a comprehensive theme that summarizes the aspirations of the movement while speaking to the needs of ordinary citizens who either care about the environment but don't understand its importance in their daily lives or are on the fence and need a good reason to be concerned about environmental issues. Here I'll explain some of the reasoning behind my first stab at a narrative that will fulfill the above objective.
1. I make human life and concerns central. I think there is a very good argument for seeing humans as co-equal with other parts of nature. But, my proposed narrative is primarily a political statement and therefore a recruiting tool. Those whom we are trying to recruit are concerned most immediately with their own lives and the lives of their families. This is their daily experience and struggle. Once they are made to see that environmental concerns are central to the successful outcome of that daily struggle--to making a living, to raising a healthy family with a decent future, and to living in a habitable community--then perhaps they can grasp the finer points of ecology. For now, the one thing they understand is their own immediate needs and the needs of their family. If we can frame environment as the essential ingredient in meeting those needs over time, we can bring people into the movement.
2. I focus on the future. Those who read widely and are attentive to the signs of environmental degradation can already see the effects on their daily lives and the lives of those in their community. The most informed are capable of seeing the effects on wildlife and plants. But, the experience of most people (at least in America and Europe) is that things work. The water tap brings water. The stores are filled with food. The gas stations always have gas. Most people in industrialized nations are not experiencing disruptions in their daily lives related to resources. Nor do they necessarily perceive events elsewhere as related to our need for enormous resources. The war in Iraq comes to mind. For this reason, I focus on the lives of our children and grandchildren. For them it is very likely that reliable supplies of basics such as clean water and plentiful, cheap energy will diminish if we stay on our current trajectory. The idea that the future could bring tremendous hardship to those whom we have worked so hard to rear, whose future we have believed would only become more prosperous, is a troubling one. Several people have told me it is a mistake to believe that Americans, in particular, care about their children, at least, enough to change anything they are doing now. If they are right, then we are truly doomed.
3. I frame the environment as a moral issue. Without the moral imperative there is simply no reason to act. Why not just continue to party until we can't? If everything works out just fine, then great. If not, well, we enjoyed ourselves to the max. The moral dimension gets us away from arguing minutiae and onto another plane. First, it's very hard to argue (in public) that you don't care about our children and grandchildren. Second, if you agree that we have a moral obligation to leave our children and grandchildren a society that gives them the same benefits we had, then you now have to argue about how that will be done. Can we risk our children's future on the hope that everything will just work out? Or do we need to take action? Is it reasonable and prudent to simply count on technological advance to bail us out of our current predicament? Of course, the other side may say there is no predicament. But, then, at least, we are allowed to adduce evidence to the contrary. The subject gets opened up and taken seriously because it is a moral issue, not just a technical one.
4. I use a very simple schematic for explaining resources. I focus on those resources that are critical to the functioning of any civilization: energy, water, soil and climate. While each is complex, most people can comprehend them. The job is to show how they are intertwined, obliging us to think holistically about environmental solutions. We can't just be for clean water without understanding how modern farming pollutes it. The public doesn't need to know every nuance, but it does need to understand that these basic resource categories are bound together tightly and that allowing one to degrade, degrades all the others.
5. I try to explain the basics of risk. Americans, and humans, in general, have a very poor understanding of risk and probability. Many Americans were at one point terrified that they would die from an anthrax attack delivered through the mail. But they give little thought to the huge and controllable dangers which come from their eating habits. They have a hard time judging the true probabilities of events. The other problem is that they have been conditioned to believe that small probability events can be ignored because, by definition, they happen so infrequently. What people fail to understand is that if infrequent or low probability events are severe enough in their effects, they can destroy things we value utterly beyond repair. The earth's climate comes to mind. While those in the environmental movement may assign a relatively high probability to catastrophic environmental outcomes, the public typically does not. It's not their experience (except in places such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, etc), that environmental catastrophes occur. But, the public might be persuaded that even if they believe such catastrophes are a very low probability, the profound severity of those (seemingly unlikely) catastrophes demand our action.
6. I say we have a way forward through collective action. I focus on alternative energy only because I believe it is our most urgent concern. Such a focus supports two pillars of the four on which civilization rests, namely energy and climate. I am certain someone could make a good argument for a different focus. The point is to be able to point to something that citizens can support and that doesn't destroy their livelihoods.
That in a nutshell is my reasoning for the narrative I offered in my previous post. I am anxious to hear reactions.
Posted by Kurt Cobb at 1:37 PM 1 comment:
Beautiful models
Now that I have your attention, I do, in fact, have something to say about models, the scientific kind. We've been hearing from global warming skeptics that climate models aren't really science. Let's see. Some of the skeptics are economists who use models all the time to predict the effects of taxes, spending, interest rates and so on and to make policy at all levels of government. Some of the skeptics are oil companies which use models all the time to tell them where to drill for oil and gas and how to exploit known fields better. The companies also use models to insist that certain public lands onshore and offshore be open to drilling because their models tell them that these areas contain a lot of oil or gas. And, some of the skeptics are nothing more than public relations specialists who use statistical analysis and modeling to predict and analyze the outcome of their work. So, it seems the only place the critics don't want to allow modeling is when it comes to climate. And the only modeling that they don't want to affect government policy is climate modeling. Aren't they being just a wee bit hypocritical?
For a discussion of why modeling is and always has been sound science and even a good example of the essence of science, see this informative post at RealClimate.
Is ExxonMobil writing copy for Reuters?
Of course not. But you might have gotten that impression by reading this Reuters story which claims that 1) cutting down on fossil fuels will speed up global warming and 2) there is serious disagreement among scientists about whether global warming is in part man-made or whether it exists at all. WorldChanging does a good job of explaining how the reporter completely missed the point of an upcoming BBC documentary on global dimming. The upshot is that it is now more urgent than ever to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Inhofe retains his title
Sen. James Inhofe didn't gain his title as the country's dumbest senator for nothing. In his latest broadside against global warming science he has proven incapable of even deciphering a Washington Post editorial cartoon. He thinks it means that the cartoonist is claiming that global warming causes tsumanis. In fact, all the cartoonist is making reference to is the vulnerability of low-lying areas to rising sea level caused by CO2 emission-induced warming and the attendant exacerbating effects of such a rise during a tsunami. A complex thought, I know, but still not too complex for a senator, is it?
That Inhofe uses cartoons to poke holes in the other side's science speaks volumes. That he can't even interpret the cartoon properly speaks, well, whole libraries? Clearly, while in libraries Inhofe spends his time in the new thriller section since he makes frequent reference to Michael Crichton's discredited "State of Fear," a fictional global warming tale that claims to refute, what else, global warming. When Inhofe does quote actual science, he quotes it wrong, citing some studies that prove the opposite of what he's saying. For a good dissection of the Inhofe speech see Chris Mooney's piece in The American Prospect and see some real climate scientists at, what else, RealClimate.
Toward a master narrative for the environmental movement
As promised I am following up on my post on a recent paper called "The Death of Environmentalism" put out by two important figures in the environmental movement.
What I include below I wrote before I became aware of the paper. But something must have been in the air because it deals with exactly the authors' primary concern that the environmental movement needs to reframe itself before the public. I complained in my previous post that the authors were subordinating the environment to the progressive agenda whereas I believe it should be the central organizing principle in it. So here's what I wrote:
Wouldn't it be great if the environmental movement could speak with one powerful, unified voice? Is there a basic story which we could tell again and again that would get people to understand how serious things are and how urgently we need to act? Can we find some master narrative that will make a wide range of audiences nod their heads and think to themselves: "Yes, those are my values. Yes, I can support that!"
Let me offer the following framework--written more or less as an environmental stump speech--as a starting point:
Every morning when you wake up, you begin making decisions about whether you will bequeath to your children and grandchildren the modern technical civilization that has given us so many benefits. When you turn on the tap, when you start the car, when you buy something at the store, when you throw something in the trash, and when you vote, you are making decisions about resources that will affect the future. Each one of us, of course, has only a small effect, but collectively our actions create the world we live in and the world that we will live in.
By saying this, I am not trying to paralyze anyone. I am trying to put our decisions into the following moral context: Is what I am doing today good for my children and grandchildren? Do I have a moral obligation to bequeath to them the same benefits I've received from the modern technical society in which I live?
You can answer "no" to this question. But, keep in mind that you are making a moral decision.
If you answer "yes," then it is useful to understand the four pillars upon which modern technical civilization rests. They are: water, soil, energy, and climate. In fact, all civilizations rest on these pillars. If any one of them is removed, the whole civilization falls.
Why? Because all the pillars are interconnected. We cannot affect one without affecting the others. By using energy sources that lead to global warming, we are causing climate changes that may disrupt our civilization. If our climate gets too hot, we'll likely have more droughts and less water and that will affect our food production and our industrial output. If we lack the energy resources to power our farm machinery, we won't be able to till the soil in a way that currently allows only a small number of us to feed the rest of us. Nor will we have the energy to purify our water, run our factories or heat our homes. If we destroy the fertility of the soil by irrigating or fertilizing it in a way that undermines its productivity, nothing can replace the food and fiber it provides us. All four pillars must be maintained together.
Unfortunately, the four pillars of our civilization are in distressingly bad repair according to environmental research scientists and major environmental organizations around the world. Some pillars undoubtedly need more urgent attention than others. And, I will admit that there are many uncertainties about the risks we face. But, think about how we deal with uncertainties in our everyday life. For example, we take precautions such as bringing along an umbrella if it looks like it might rain. Even if it doesn't rain, we don't ordinarily get mad at ourselves for doing something that turned out to be unnecessary. On the contrary, we congratulate ourselves for thinking ahead.
But, the worst that could happen if we don't bring our umbrella is that we will get wet and possibly get a cold. That's bad, but not catastrophic. For uncertainties that involve catastrophic outcomes, however, we often take out insurance. We insure our homes and belongings against fire. We do this even though home fires are quite rare. Most of us personally know very few people who've had one, and many of us know no one at all. But, we take out the insurance nonetheless because the consequences of that unlikely event are so severe.
The insurance we need to protect the environment and thus our civilization is in the form of substantial investment in alternative energy and environmentally sound water and soil management. We need to do this because our current state of knowledge tells us that not doing so could lead to the toppling of one or more of the pillars of civilization. Fortunately, many of these investments would be wise no matter what happens since they would provide substantial benefits such as cleaner air and water. They would also bring increased employment in vast new environmentally friendly industries.
Anyone who wants to insure the future for our children and grandchildren needs to think carefully about his or her choices at every level--personal, social and political. At a minimum, we have a moral obligation to deliver to them the same level of benefits we have received from our modern technical civilization.
As you think about this framework, keep in mind that it is a political statement not a scientific treatise. The purpose is to persuade those who are on the fence or who believe the environment is an important issue, but don't see exactly how it relates to their daily lives. There is much to explain about why I've chosen this approach, and I'll do so in subsequent posts.
Posted by Kurt Cobb at 10:12 AM 1 comment:
"The Death of Environmentalism"
A paper distributed by two environmental heavyweights, Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, entitled The Death of Environmentalism posits that environmentalists need to move from narrow issue-specific messages such as "save the rainforest" or "clean up the water" to a broader message that is incorporated into a larger progressive framework dealing with social and economic justice. The aim is to move the environment from "out there" to "in here." How does working to help the environment help me and my family?
I agree with the authors that the environment has to move from "out there" to "in here." I disagree that it needs to be subordinated to a progressive platform. That marginalizes it. In fact, it should be the central organizing principle in the progressive movement. In a future post, I'll outline exactly what mean.
When 'balance' means telling lies
In an article in the Columbia Journalism Review science writer Chris Mooney shows how unscrupulous industry front groups and right-wing extremists take advantage of the media's penchant for giving "balanced" coverage. He criticizes the now "prevalent, but lazy form of journalism that makes no attempt to dig beneath competing claims." He makes the case for a more engaged journalism profession and a more thorough checking of the ties, industry and otherwise, of sources quoted. This Cox News Service piece shows you in detail how the industry scam works on the global warming issue.
The only thing I'd quibble with in Mooney's piece is that while he believes the notion of "balanced" coverage of both sides of an issue is a flawed concept, especially in science reporting, he doesn't ever explicitly get out of the "two-sides-to-every-argument" box. As a science writer, he ought to know that sometimes there are three and four and five and even 10 sides to some issues. Of course, it's harder to write about a dispute that doesn't simply involve polar opposites. But I know from his writing that he understands this. We just all need to be explicit about it and try to convince the public that nuanced, multi-dimensional arguments are worth following and understanding.
The recent derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in South Carolina--which killed 9 and injured 58 when chlorine gas escaped from a tank car--shows just how much the media misses the point. The New York Times worries about the safety of some 60,000 tank cars rolling down the tracks in America, certainly an obvious concern. The Virginian-Pilot frets about the lawsuits and costs to the railroad! Deep in the Virginian-Pilot story, however, we find that Norfolk Southern has had the best safety record of any railroad every year for that last 15 years, and that rail appears to be the safest form of transportation of any kind.
There is zero discussion of our chemically-dependent society and the fact that so many of those chemicals are known to be toxic and otherwise very dangerous. Because we choose to live this way, it's inevitable that we will be harmed by these chemicals. The fact that a tank car bursting was the proximate cause of the trouble in no way identifies the underlying problem.
We could make tank cars more secure and that would be a good thing. A better investment would be to build an economy and society that depended less and less on dangerous chemicals. Isn't that a challenge worthy of our best and most talented minds?
ExxonMobil's dog-bite defense
In a classic joke a man who defends himself in a dog-bite case uses the following arguments: "My dog doesn't bite, it wasn't my dog, and furthermore, I don't have a dog!"
So it is with the global warming's disinformation bad-boy, ExxonMobil. Worldchanging has a post on the official-sounding groups who are nothing but fronts for the company's campaign to discredit the scientific consensus on global warming. The aim appears to be merely to sow confusion. Taken together, the groups seem to be using a modified dog-bite defense, to wit: Global warming will be beneficial, but, at the very least, it won't be that bad. It costs too much to do anything about. It's not caused by humans, so there's nothing we can do about it. And, furthermore, there's no global warming!
The "greening" of the military?
Joel Makower has an excellent post on what Paul Harvey might have called "the rest of the story" behind the supposed "greening" of the American military. Behind the scenes they're doing just the opposite. But then, all warfare is based on deception, right?
It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here
Jared Diamond, a professor of geography and physiology at UCLA medical school and author of the Pulitzer prize winning, "Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies," wrote a gloomy New Year's Day piece in The New York Times outlining his concerns about environmental degradation and its role in past collapses of societies. His main concern seems to be the ability of elites to wall themselves off from problems in gated communities, private schools and even through the consumption of bottled water. The ease with which they do this is reminiscent of other elites in the past who have done the same thing. They then fail to respond to environmental challenges because their everyday experience tells them that nothing serious is wrong.
Joseph Tainter, an historian famous for his book "The Collapse of Complex Societies," which I've just finished reading makes some of the same points. Tainter's quest was to provide an overall theory of collapse that could be applied to a great number of known historical collapses. He settles on the notion of the diminishing returns on investment in complexity. It's analogous to diminishing returns on investment as applied to business.
He also points out that complexity in human societies is not the norm, but the exception. Only in the last 5,000 years or so have we as humans embraced complexity as a solution to our problems. History tells us that complex societies are costlier to maintain than simple ones and more easily disrupted. Our tendency has been to overuse complexity as a strategy to the point where the returns that we get in terms of resources, social cohesion and security begin to diminish and then actually go negative. It is this phenomenon that he believes explains vulnerability to collapse. Collapse by his definition means reversion to a lower level of complexity with all its attendant and sometimes unpleasant effects.
Tainter is an icon among the peak oil crowd because he focuses so much on increasing energy inputs as essential to the survival of complex societies. When those inputs in the form of human energy, fuel, financial resources and so on are no longer increasing enough to shore up the increased level of complexity, a society becomes subject to collapse since new challenges can now more easily exceed the society's capacity to respond. Tainter also observes that in the past, collapse has been a localized phenomenon, one which did not affect other societies. Mayan society collapsed without anyone in Europe either knowing or caring. So did Anasazi society in what is now the American Southwest. But today, Tainter says, the world is linked together in one globalized society, and for this reason the next collapse will be worldwide. (Tainter does not predict an imminent collapse although he sees many strains and severely diminishing returns in our complex global society.)
You can read a summary of Tainter's book here. You can also read a more detailed explanation in an essay by Tainter here.
Jared Diamond has just come out with a book on the same topic called "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed."
Weather of mass destruction
When Tony Blair says he scared of something these days, it's a little hard to take him seriously. That is, unless he's scared of the effects of global warming for which there is some actual (as opposed to imaginary) evidence.
The tsunami in the Indian Ocean, of course, had nothing to do with global warming. But, it pointed out the vulnerability of low-lying islands and shorelines to rising sea levels and to extreme weather that can bring large waves and tidal surges.
Weather of mass destruction is only part of the worry as this piece via Common Dreams discusses.
Obliviously they roll on
This LA Times story about a ban on off-road vehicles in a large swath of California desert will strike future residents of America as a bizarre and disturbing tale of excess. We will seem a people so obsessed with motoring that we choose to motor around in circles to get no place in particular, just to ride. We do this in the desert where we chew up the fragile desert floor with our overgrown tires, heedless of the fact that the oil we are burning will soon become so expensive that no one except a rich person would dare use it for anything but a necessity.
If the desert is so beautiful and you have to see it, why not just take a walk there? But then I guess real men don't walk, do they?
You say potato...
Organic potatoes got a leg up with a new variety that resists the fungus that so frequently attacks potatoes in the field. Farmers who raise conventional potatoes, of course, rely on chemicals to kill the fungus, but organic producers are forbidden to use such measures.
Once again, regular breeding has shown itself capable of producing traits that are often touted for GMO varieties. My earlier post on a new generation of "super-organics" talks about why GMO crops may be doomed as genetic research is put to use in conventional breeding in ways that make GMOs unnecessary.
Water, water everywhere...
...but not a drop to drink. That could be the predicament of many Indian Ocean islanders and many near the shore who survived the recent devastating tsunami. The salt water wave splashed into open water wells used throughout the area and also infiltrated porous rock which feeds underground acquifers. Many wells are now unusable and some may take months or even years to recover. In some places, soil may have been damaged by the salt as well.
Do oil companies really think ANWR isn't worth it?
What does it say when one of America's largest oil companies drops out of a lobbying group trying to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling? What does it say when that company is one that already operates on Alaska's North Slope which is near the refuge? Could it be that there's just not enough oil there to be worth it?
Geotimes reports that the U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are between 4.4 and 5.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil there. In a world that consumes close to 30 billion barrels of oil a year, it doesn't amount to much, and it's an amount that could easily be saved by conservation. But, those numbers could still mean real money for Conoco/Phillips and BP (which withdrew from the lobbying consortium earlier), both of whom operate in Alaska already.
Does anybody know the reason for this strange behavior? I would be grateful if anyone can point me to some explanation for this man bites dog story.
Congressional sugar daddy
It's simply not profitable to grow sugar in the United States. That's why the sugar lobby has invested enormous sums to influence Congress to continue a program with no discernable economic benefit and one which is responsible for much of the destruction of the Florida Everglades. The program has the added effect of impoverishing those in other countries who rely on sugar for their livelihoods as well. It's not often you hit a trifecta. But, the U. S. sugar industry has been doing it consistently for years.
Call me unsustainable
When Frank Sinatra was belting out tunes in Las Vegas, no one imagined it as a retirement city. Yet, that's what Las Vegas is vying to be as demonstrated by its plans for huge new luxury condo complexes. But, James Howard Kunstler thinks the city, which to a wealthy, but younger generation was a playground, will never become a retirement villa for the rich. The problem, or more accurately problems: water and energy prices. Megacities in the desert are doomed, he says. Las Vegas's luck may have just run out.
More green for green businesses
Take a look at GreenBiz. Especially take a look if you are in business or plan to go into business. It's an intelligent and voluminous resource for making your business environmentally friendly and more profitable as a result. The founder of GreenBiz, Joel Makower, also has his own blog, Two Steps Forward, which business owners and others interested in environmental issues will also find handy. Makower has vast experience as an environmental business consultant, writer and speaker. Why not take advantage of his insights for free?
If we could talk to the animals
Perhaps you've noticed the preternatural stories about the animals all along the Indian Ocean who seemed to have a "sixth sense" that forewarned them about the tsunami which has tragically killed and injured so many people. Wildlife officials in the afflicted countries have been unable to find any dead animals among the vast destruction.
If animals have that kind of wisdom, perhaps we could benefit from what they are telling us about our environment. We learned last year that polar bears are showing up dangerously underweight because the hunting season (defined by the amount of ice) has shortened considerably due to global warming. Birds never seen before are showing up in Arctic villages. The dwindling fish populations have long been telling a tale of overfishing and pollution. Some fish are showing up with both sex organs, a phenomenon which has been traced to the hormone-mimicking powers of certain plastics and other artificial compounds. Even the cows are going "mad" with a disease that can only be traced to the way we feed them.
During the tsunami, the animals moved away from the shore quietly without "telling" anyone. But, when it comes to the environment, the animals are practically screaming at us. Are we willing to listen?
Wind power tradeoffs revisited
I've commented before that with the growing competitiveness of wind power we will be facing tradeoffs worldwide, particularly concerning the siting of wind farms. Rural areas are ideal and yet, large wind farms may seem an unwelcome blight on the landscape. However, the way of living the wind farms are disrupting is bound for the dustbin of history. Rural residents who have moved far from the city to "get away from it all" are paying a price in many ways for wanting all the conveniences of the city without any of the negatives. In the not too distant future, this rural commuting lifestyle will not be sustainable. Then, we'll leave the countryside to the farmers and ranchers whom we will be need more than ever to produce our food locally as the costs to transport food long distances skyrockets.
The fact is wind power may be our best way--perhaps the key--to making an energy transition away from fossil fuels. As much as I lament the aesthetic assault on the countryside that wind power represents and as much as I see a need for better guidelines for siting and design, I simply cannot endorse the idea that we need to slow down on the development of wind power. WE NEED TO SPEED IT UP! Otherwise, I fear it will be lights out on the modern technical civilization from which we draw so many benefits.
For why I believe we need to move full speed ahead on alternative energy, see my "Favorite Posts" concerning peak oil. We don't have any time to lose.
Recycling computers
After having just junked an old 286 computer that served us well for many years, I felt guilty about putting it in the trash. Computers contain many recyclable parts, and they also contain toxic substances. But, alas, there was no place to recycle it. There are a few places around the country now that will recycle them, but you have to carry the computer to them and then pay a small fee. I certainly would have been willing to do this had there been such a place locally, and I think a lot of other computer users would also be willing.
This Vermont firm decided that it would establish a recycling program because it felt a responsibility to the community and the environment. For more information on the Computer TakeBack Campaign, click here.
What you can do in 2005 to improve the environment: The Short List
Grist Magazine's "Ask Umbra" column gives you a short list of things that make the most impact on the environment.
Traders or traitors?
When you look at the Kyoto Protocol system for trading credits for greenhouse gasses (the ones that contribute to global warming), it looks like companies in advanced industrial nations are just buying their way out of problems. But, since global warming is a global problem, what matters is the overall reduction in greenhouse gasses. With incentives like the ones included in Kyoto, companies get to make decisions that best fit their resources and capabilities while the world makes at least some progress toward reductions. It's a method that worked well to reduce acid rain in the United States. If only the United States, the biggest producer of greenhouse gasses, would join the Kyoto Protocol, then the world could really start making some progress.
Toward a master narrative for the environmental mo...
It's not the end of the world, but you can see it ...
Do oil companies really think ANWR isn't worth it?...
What you can do in 2005 to improve the environment...