The United Nations General Assembly has at last voted for a global moratorium on the death penalty. While the resolution is nonbinding and its symbolic weight was hardly mentioned in US media, for those who have been trying to move the world away from lethal revenge as government policy, this was a milestone. The resolution …
Continue reading The world says NO to the death penalty
No welcome surprises from the UN Bali climate change conference
As expected the US remains stubborn in its refusal to share the burden of tackling climate change. The country that has benefitted most from the consumption of oil over the past 100 years remains addicted to its drug, despite the fact that its use is crippling the biosphere. As the UN climate change conference enters …
Continue reading No welcome surprises from the UN Bali climate change conference
How to save the planet …
I had to post this because we decided to follow the three initial proposals about 10 years ago. We’re about 80% of the way there, but wish a few more of you would join in. 🙂 Carbon myths Recycling and banning plastic bags are all very well, but they won’t save the planet. Instead, we …
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How to win economically
Amory Lovins (a long time alternative technology guru) giving a presentation on “winning the oil endgame”. He shows a number of current technologies that can save money, reduce oil use and create jobs. It’s marketed to a US audience, but that doesn’t mean everyone else can’t get a head start. See the online video here.
Caijing – Chinese media website
A Chinese media website recommended for its quality and depth: caijing.com.cn
Cutting the US interest rates is still not the answer
Yesterday the US Federal Reserve cut its base rate from 4.5% to 4.25% and the markets slumped. They had expected a bigger cut. While the rate reductions may ease the pain of interest payments, they do not address the fundamental problem of overconsumption fuelled by credit (further analysis here and here). In fact the reductions …
Continue reading Cutting the US interest rates is still not the answer
The world likes China
Link to original article here. How the World Sees China by Andrew Kohut, President, Pew Research Center December 11, 2007 The rise of anti-Americanism in recent years has given China a decided image advantage over the United States. Considerably more people around the world have an unfavorable view of the America than think poorly of …
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America’s finest news source – The Onion
Check out The Onion, a satirical look at America from the inside. Very funny and poignant too. Pointed out to us by The Richter Scales of “Here Comes Another Bubble” fame.
Here comes another bubble …
Here comes another bubble … Excellent lyrics by the Richter Scales. Hosted by Yahoo Or if the feed above fails, try Google/YouTube link http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-383505050566643061
Japan’s primitive view of capital punishment is slowly changing, in the face of death
Japan hanged 3 men, bringing the number of executions in the country this year to 9. Although most of the world is against capital punishment, Japan is one of the very few industrialised countries to retain the death penalty and a recent poll suggests that fewer than 10% of Japanese people oppose the death penalty. …
Continue reading Japan’s primitive view of capital punishment is slowly changing, in the face of death