None of these matters are minor concerns. These problems impacts lives in a real way.

27 October 2016
By Ramin Skibba

Seville and Lisbon (click here) have thrived for more than a thousand years in a temperate climate. But if global warming continues at the current pace, these cities will be in the middle of a desert by the end of the century, climate modelers report on 27 October in Science.

Maintaining the historic ranges of the region’s ecosystems would require limiting warming to just 1.5 ºC, by making substantial cuts to the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions, the analysis concludes. Otherwise, the vegetation and ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin will shift as temperatures rise. Increasing desertification in southern Europe is just one of the changes that would result.

“Everything is moving in parallel. Shrubby vegetation will move into the deciduous forests, while the forests move to higher elevation in the mountains,” says Joel Guiot, a palaeoclimatologist at the European Centre for Geoscience Research and Education in Aix-en-Provence, France, and lead author of the study....

It is a foregone conclusion, a 2 degree Celcius world is dangerous.

..."We are detecting large changes (click here) in climate impacts for a 2C world, and so should take steps to avoid this," said lead editor Dann Mitchell, an assistant professor at the University of Bristol.

The 197-nation Paris climate treaty, inked in 2015, vows to halt warming at "well under" 2 deg C compared to mid-19th century levels, and "pursue efforts" to cap the rise at 1.5 deg C.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said climate change was "the most systemic threat to humankind".

With only one degree of warming so far, Earth has seen a crescendo of droughts, heatwaves, and storms ramped up by rising seas.

Voluntary national pledges made under the Paris pact to cut CO2 emissions, if fulfilled, would yield a 3 deg C world at best.

The treaty also requires that - by the end of the century - humanity stop adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than oceans and forests can absorb, a threshold known as "net zero emissions".

"How fast we get to a 2C world" is critical, Dr Mitchell told AFP. "If it only takes a couple of decades, we will be in trouble because we won't have time to adapt to the climate."...

Example of the danger of 3 degree Celcius rise in temperatures.

June 14, 2011
By Jeremy Lovell

...France has pledged hundreds of millions of euros in aid to its drought-stricken livestock farmers, who have watched feed supplies dwindle and prices rise. Water restrictions are in place in more than half of the country's administrative regions or departments.

"The situation is serious for French farmers. We wanted to act swiftly and on a large scale," Le Maire told reporters last week.

And the French government has set up a committee to keep an eye on the country's electricity supply situation and monitor river levels, as 44 of the 58 nuclear reactors that supply 80 percent of France's electricity are cooled by river water....

March 21, 2018

By Bob Berwyn

Flooding like Carlisle, England, experienced during Storm Desmond in 2015, is becoming more common as the planet warms, research shows.

Europeans (click here) are facing more frequent extreme weather as the planet warms. Floods and big landslides have quadrupled and extreme heat waves and crop-damaging droughts have doubled since 1980, with a sharp spike in the last five years, according to the European Academies' Science Advisory Council's latest extreme weather update.

The increase in the frequency of extreme weather events should spur European countries to boost adaptation and resiliency efforts, said EASAC Environment Program Director Michael Norton.

"Policy makers and lay people think climate change is something gradual and linear, but we need to keep explaining that the gradual change is increasing the chance for dangerous extremes, and that's what we have to prepare for," Norton said.

"The increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events makes climate-proofing all the more urgent. Unfortunately, there's a disconnect between the political time scale of taking action, and the time scale on which climate change happens," he said. "And by the time a lot of these more serious problems are widely recognized, the changes will be irreversible."

Earth's fever is nearing the climate change benchmark of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming, and new research shows how global warming is affecting key climate drivers like ocean currents and temperature-controlling winds....

22 March 2018

"The Big Picture" (click here)

20 October 2017

Vianden Luxembourg mountains and forests

On 20 October 2017, (click here) the Luxembourg Ministries of Finance and Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, together with the BCEE, BIL and Foyer have launched the Forestry and Climate Change Fund (FCCF)

The public-private partnership will provide financing for companies, communities and small farmers to manage secondary and degraded forests in the tropics. By creating the enabling environment for business models that allow the generation of revenues, deforestation is stoppedand forest growth leads to a substantial positive climate impact.

The Paris climate agreement has established the ambitious but essential target to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Part of the challenge is focused on changing the way we produce electricity, our mobility and industrial production. Another part of the challenge is to stop the conversion of forests to agricultural land and harness the power of growing forests to absorb greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. Deforestation today contributes about 15% of annual greenhouse gas emissions which is why it is essential to convert forests from a source of carbon emissions to a mitigation tool against climate change.

At the launch event, Minister of Finance, Pierre Gramegna and Minister for the Environment, Carole Dieschbourg highlighted the importance of innovative financing solutions to leverage private capital on the fight against climate change....

Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 1999, volume 17,4
pages 1 / 17
A Jordan 
CSERGE (Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment), School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglin, Norwich NR4 7TJ, England; e-mail: a.jordan@uca.ac.uk
Received 6 August 1998

"Editorial introduction: the construction of a multilevel environmental governance system"

Abstract. (click here) At its founding in 1957, the European Union (EU) had no environmental policy, no environmental bureaucracy, and no environmental laws. When, in 1973, the EU began systematically to address environmental concerns there was little expectation that the environment would develop into one of the largest areas of common activity. Twenty-five years on, the EU has some of the most progressive environmental policies of any state in the world although it is not itself a state. At the same time, the preexisting environmental policies of the member states have undergone a progressive change through their involvement in EU environmental policymaking. In other words, the member states have created an institutional entity to perform certain tasks which has in turn deeply affected the way they themselves perceive and act against environmental problems. This theme issue of Government and Policy offers a retrospective analysis of these developments. The purpose of this introductory essay is to describe the historical evolution of EU environmental policy and to identify the most salient themes.  

Banks with a conscience.

29 March 2018

By Alice Cuddy

Leading European banks have taken steps to reduce their financing of “extreme” fossil fuels that contribute to global climate change, according to a new report. The report especially highlights the Netherland's ING and France’s BNP Paribas as good options for environmentally conscious customers.

The report, Banking on Climate Change, by NGOs including BankTrack and the Rainforest Action Network, says many European banks have “realised the risks” of climate change and put policy restrictions on fossil fuel financing.

“Extreme” fossil fuels include those that contribute the most to climate change, such as tar sands, oil extracted from the Arctic and ultra-deepwater, liquefied natural gas exports, and coal.

“Across the board, the majority of the 14 European banks we assessed have reduced their financing for ‘extreme’ fossil fuels in 2017,” BankTrack climate campaigner Greig Aitken told Euronews.

The leaders

In June 2017, ING showed its commitment to ending financing for the production and transport of carbon-heavy tar sand by saying it would not fund any of Canada’s major pipeline projects, including Keystone XL and Line 3....

...The worst offenders

Three major European banks - HSBC, Credit Suisse and Standard Chartered - increased their “extreme” fossil fuel financing in 2017 by $2.6 billion (€2.1 billion), $1.1 billion, and $643 million respectively placing them among the 10 worst climate offenders in the world, according to the report....

30 million copies in 30 languages since its first publication in 1972

The price of progress: When each of us as an individual decides to buy something, we first consider the price. Yet society at large has long bought the idea of continual growth in population and production without adding up the final reckoning.
The Limits to Growth (click here)

by Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jørgen Randers, William W. Behrens III

Paperback, 207 pages
Published October 31st 1972 by Signet (first published October 1st 1972)

ISBN 0451057678 (ISBN13: 9780451057679)

Edition Language

English

This is the decade of the environmental movement, with 

This is the decade of the environmental movement, with the creation of the first green parties and the setting up of the first environment ministries in government.

The Club of Rome publishes The Limits to Growth, a book which stresses the importance of the environment, and the essential links with population and energy.

The first UN Conference on the Human Environment leads to the creation of the UN Environment Programme. The European Economic Community adopts its first Environment Action Programme, and starts developing a vast body of Community environmental legislation.

An oil price shock is sparked by the Arab–Israel war and triggers action on energy efficiency. An explosion near Seveso, Italy, releases a toxic cloud containing dioxin. The first World Climate Conference takes place. A panel on climate change set up by the National Academy of Sciences in USA advises that ‘A wait-and-see policy may mean waiting until it is too late’.

Membership of the EEC grows to nine with the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

David Schaafsma (click here)

September 22, 2016

One of the most important environmental books of all time, which I actually read as millions others did in 1972, largely "discredited" by the "establishment" Pro-Growth industry. It was written by a group of several assembled thinkers--scientists and industrialists, working together, imagine that--of the time called The Club of Rome. It was translated into dozens of languages, and in 1979, some U. S. poll had it that while a third of this country was "pro-growth," another third was actually "anti-growth," consistent with E. P. Shumacher's Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, which everyone I knew then also read.

Here's a short summary of what it said:...

It's Sunday Night.

Nicole Minetti (click here for Facebook site) 

She was originally a professional dentist and later the Regional Councillor for the PDL of Italy from 2010-2012 and her life in politics has been known for the famous Rubygate scandal where she allegedly arranged meetings for former president Silvio Belersconi with a 17 year old prostitute. She was handed a 5 year sentence for the crimes in 2012.

Her favorite politician was Silvio Berlusconi. The unfortunate fate in 2013 of Ms. Minetti is very different than her boss.

Three of Silvio Berlusconi's associates, (click here) including the Anglo-Italian showgirl-turned-politician Nicole Minetti, are facing jail after they were found guilty of procuring prostitutes for the former Italian prime minister's 'Bunga Bunga' parties.

5 March 2018

Berlusconi's children play a big role in running his business empire: his daughter Barbara was vice-president of AC Milan

Few Italians have wielded (click here) more influence and attracted more notoriety than Silvio Berlusconi, four-time prime minister and billionaire businessman.

For years he successfully brushed off sex scandals and allegations of corruption.

But it was the effects of Italy's burgeoning eurozone debt crisis in 2011 that saw his influence temporarily wane as his coalition lost power.

Worse was to come for the man whom many Italians had come to see as untouchable.

He was convicted of tax fraud in 2013 and ejected from the Italian Senate. Because of his age, a four-year jail term became a year of community service at a care home near Milan.

Another conviction in 2015 and it looked like his political career was finally over.

But despite suffering a heart attack that his doctor said could have killed him in 2016, the charismatic showman was set for yet another political comeback....

Bunga, Bunga

...The phrase is legendary (click here) and refers to apparent sex parties which the former Prime Minister is said to have attended.

In fact he says in the book the phrase originally came from Colonel Gaddafi who told him a joke.

Berlusconi is quoted as saying: "A pair of Italian politicians are captured by a fierce...tribe and tied to poles.

"A tribal leader says to one of the Italians: 'You, do you want to die or bunga bunga?'"

The politician chooses the second option. But bunga-bunga turns out to mean forced intercourse.

"All the warriors in the village did him," said Berlusconi, the book says.

"The tribal leader then approaches the second Italian and asks the same question.

"The terrified Italian says: "I'd prefer to die." The tribesman replies: "Fine, you will die, but first let's do some bunga bunga!"...

European Community Anthem

The six founding members: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany.

The Council of European Ministers officially announced the European Anthem on January 19th 1972 at Strasbourg: the prelude to "The Ode to Joy", 4th movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th symphony.

Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Joy, bright spark of divinity,

Tochter aus Elysium,
Daughter of Elysium,

Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Fire-inspired we tread

Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Thy sanctuary.

Deine Zauber binden wieder
Thy magic power re-unites

Was die Mode streng geteilt;
All that custom has divided,

Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
All men become brothers

Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.


Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Whoever has created

Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
An abiding friendship,

Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Or has won

Mische seinen Jubel ein!
A true and loving wife,

Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
All who can call at least one soul theirs,

Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Join in our song of praise ;

Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
But any who cannot must creep tearfully

Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
Away from our circle.


Freude trinken alle Wesen
All creatures drink of joy

An den Brüsten der Natur;
At nature's breast.

Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Just and unjust

Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Alike taste of her gift ;

Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,

Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
A tried friend to the end.

Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Even the worm can fell contentment,

und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
And the cherub stands before God!


Froh,
Gladly, like the heavenly bodies

wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Which He set on their courses

Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Through the splendour of the firmament ;

Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Thus, brothers, you should run your race,

Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
As a hero going to conquest.


Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
You millions, I embrace you.

Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
This kiss is for all the world!

Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Brothers, above the starry canopy

Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
There must dwell a loving Father.

Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Do you fall in worship, you millions ?

Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
World, do you know your Creator ?

Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Seek Him in the heavens!

Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
Above the stars must He dwell.

I looked and looked for a while today and could not find any information on how much gambling debt Donald Trump ran up every year to take off his taxes.

Anyone have a clue about it?

Two years later? This is a cover up. I don't know what everyone else is calling it, but, itis as plain as the nose on my face, it is a cover up.

January 5, 2015
By Batya Ungar-Sargon

...With an initiative (click here) that includes a civilian review board and a scholarship program, Knowles hopes to increase the number of black officers and make the police force more reflective of the community (Ferguson is 60 percent black)....

I am impressed, both, by the civil lawyers i
nsistence on finding the truth and the Baton Rouge Police Department for being able to have such strict discipline among their officers, no one spoke about the truth. Amazing.

CLEAN HOUSE. It is time to remove the hierarchy that protects their officers when they should not. Clean House! Get rid of the culture.

His death was brutal. Deepest sympathies to all those involved in raising the truth from the grave. It is one thing to lose a loved one, but, to have lies be told for 2 years afterward is mental cruelty. The family and community had no peace.

Alton should not be dead today, but, he is. What is an African American man supposed to say to police? What are you arresting me, for is a legitimate statement. These men don't know what to do when police arrive. They automatically believe there isn't anything they can do or say that will save their lives. Not prevent arrest. They might be arrested for a legitimate reason, but, they are trying to save their lives.

This is a death sentence by police officer. When is this going to stop?

March 31, 2018

By Nick Valencia

Baton Rouge - Baton Rouge Police Officer Blane Salamoni (click here) has been fired for violating use-of-force policies in the Alton Sterling shooting, Chief Murphy Paul told reporters Friday evening while also releasing four videos, several of which graphically show Sterling as he lay dying.

Paul said Howie Lake II, the other officer involved in the July 2016 incident, will be suspended for three days without pay for losing his temper during the incident.

The four videos that were released include a convenience store surveillance video, two police-worn body camera videos and a video recorded by the dashboard camera in one of the police cars....

It is another cover up. This is the strategy now? Everyone linked to police shootings including the coroner, is covering up the truth. This is another strategy handed down by who? All of a sudden the country is faced with cover-ups regarding the illegal deaths of Americans by police.

Same thing here, it is time to end the culture and clean house. When this level of corruption is exposed there should be automatic investigations of the police themselves with the hierarchy removed. This level of corruption in a police force doesn't happen without high ranking officers knowing it is going on. This is pervasive now in American police cultures.

I can hear it now, "But, but, no one will work as a police officer if we aren't 100 percent on their side." 

March 21, 2018
By Kathryn Palmer

Sacramento - Protests continue in Sacramento (click here) for the fifth day following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, Stephon Clark, by two Sacramento police officers.

Former Kings player and Sacramento native Matt Barnes led the rally in downtown Sacramento Saturday afternoon, and was joined by community leaders, Clark family members and Rev. Shane Harris of National Action Network, among others.

The rally began at noon at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

People at the rally renewed calls for justice in the police shooting death of Stephon Clark, and expressed outrage over independent autopsy results that concluded Clark was shot in the back. The results challenge the police department's statement that Clark was approaching officers when he was killed....

Trump is picking on the "Washington Post" and "Amazon" because he does not want to talk about what the country wants to talk about, namely police brutality, the legalization of marijuana, Middle East turmoil, Ms. Clifford, his radical new White House staff of FOX News consultants and staff and the Russia investigation.

So, what is a President left to do when everything is turning into mud. He talks down the media.

This book is available on Amazon.

It's time to revisit Watergate. (click here) In this compelling reexamination, Liebovich draws extensively from newly available sources, including recently released Nixon Oval Office tapes, FBI reports, and personal reminiscences of cover-up leader John Dean. Liebovich sheds new light on the Nixon administration's extensive foul play, zeal to battle and manipulate the press, scandalous miring, and eventual political disgrace. After detailing the nation's news media coverage of the Watergate debacle and the ensuing breakup of American politics, Liebovich recounts the scandal's long-lasting, corrosive effect on presidential and popular politics....

Unless there is peace breaking out all over the world, NATO needs to update it's military fleets.

Ya got that? There is no such thing as a secure internet. The fact the German Tornado is not computer friendly may be a very good thing. I think Germany needs to think about the age of their jets and their ability to carry out missions, but, the computer friendly issues really is something that NATO should think long and hard about given the fact Russia is able to penetrate any computer link that exists.

If a German Tornado at this age of service can still prove to be an important aircraft then it is worth its weigh in gold BECAUSE IT IS NOT COMPUTER FRIENDLY.

A German Tornado jet is pictured in a hangar before a statement of the German and Turkish defence ministers at the air base in Incirlik, Turkey, January 21, 2016.

March 31, 2018

Berlin - The German (click here) armed forces may not be able to use the Tornado fighter jet for NATO missions, according to a defense ministry report seen by Reuters.

The report says that so far, it has not been possible to build an encryption device for secure data transfer into the jet, which entered service in the 1970s.

The communication devices of the Tornado also do not meet current standards, the report said, meaning there’s a risk that information could be intercepted.

“This could in the worst case mean that the demand for an encrypted communication system for the Tornado weapons system can’t be achieved. That means the Tornado weapons system may not take part in NATO missions,” the report states....

Satellite intrusion and loss of 'time sync' between different views of same satellite

March 31, 2018
0630.18z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of north and west hemisphere

How much of this is commercial for the purpose of eventual profit by those that own the image when privatized takes place and how much of this is related to the US military and it's missiles and satellites?

The 0630.18z satellite above and the 0530.38z are time synced to the (negative) -10 hour in the loop. (click here for 12 hour loop), yet there times are different while using the same "time scale" to mark their image. There is something very wrong here.

The satellite at the bottom 0430.38z has an image stamp at (negative) -11 in the 12 hour loop.

z after the time is the time scale chosen to record these satellite images.

Coordinated Universal Time (abbreviated to UTC)

Greenwich Mean Time (abbreviated to GMT)

NATO phonetic alphabet word for Z is "Zulu", UTC is sometimes known as "Zulu time" (Russia would be most interested in this alteration in time record).

March 31, 2018
0530.38z
UNISYS water vapor GOES East Satellite

I can hear the greed merchants now, "Ah, shut up your complaining. You are just jealous you didn't think of it first." Thinking of increasing the national debt due to the privatization of satellites is the reason it hasn't been thought of before.


When is Congress going to do something about this White House? I am astounded I have to state this on a blog exhibited on the internet. What the heck is Congress doing about this?


March 31, 2018
0430.38z
UNISYS water vapor satellite of west and north hemisphere

If the VA were privatized, there would be a lot of property for sale that could then accommodate private practice or hotels with casinos.

It would be interesting how much property would be bought by Trump, Inc.

Is no one prosecuting the corruption in this case?

Complaint (click here)

...Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards confirmed (click here) Thursday he’s filed a complaint with Michigan regulators against Wayne State University professor Shawn McElmurry, who leads a research team that was awarded a $3.1 million grant to investigate Genesee County’s 2014-2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.

Edwards is accusing McElmurry of appropriating another researcher’s ideas for a proposal submitted to the National Institutes of Health and making false claims that he had worked on Flint water problems since 2010.

He “leveraged those falsifications” to obtain state grant funding, Edwards said in the March 1 complaint, alleging McElmurry’s “lack of competence and expertise” contributed to ongoing prosecution of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and state Chief Medical Executive Dr. Eden Wells....       

Israel showed little to no restraint with protesters in an area Israel labeled a "a closed military zone."

"No military zone" is the same as a military exclusion zone or DMZ (demilitarized zone). So, how is it there are so many wounded when they were unarmed?

There were some with firebombs and two were armed with intentions to cause harm, but, of 30 thousand Palestinian protesters that is a very small number of radicals. The radicals were seeking to disrupt the protests and they were allowed to with so many wounded. How did this happen?

March 30, 2018

By Jack Khoury, Yaniv Kubovich and Almog Ben Zikri

Around 30,000 Palestinians rallied (click here) throughout the Gaza Strip on Friday during the "March of Return," a series of mass protests along the Israel-Gaza border. At least 15 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded during clashes with Israeli soldiers over several hours, after a number of protesters threw stones and firebombs toward soldiers stationed along the fence.

In a separate incident, the Israeli military exchanged fire with two armed Palestinians who approached the border fence and opened fire toward Israeli soldiers. The IDF targeted three Hamas positions with tank fire and Israel Air Force fighter jets in response....

These people are not armed.

Tear gas fired at Palestinians east of Gaza City, March 30, 2018.

...According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 1,416 people were wounded: 758 from live fire, 148 from rubber-tipped bullets, 422 from inhaling tear gas and 88 from other causes. Palestinian officials said that one was killed and 237 wounded in Rafah; four were killed and 345 wounded in southern Gaza; five were killed and 286 wounded in northern Gaza; two were killed and 197 wounded in central Gaza; and three were killed and 351 wounded in Khan Yunis....      

Putin also forgets he has many enemies. His victory for this new term as President is riddled with errors to full acceptance by the people. He cannot enjoy the knowledge of being a consensus victor.